The Thing About Westlife

Okayy so I don't blog much anymore but I just gotta do this coz it's about time I delete my 285 messages in my phone. The messages that I so desperately wanna share are the overwhelming, sweet messages received from my close friends. Those messages were sent to me when I went to my all-time favorite boy band (and by all-time, I mean since I was 5), gorgeous, soulful, entertaining, amazing, stunning, heart-stopping (and whatever cool adjectives you can come up with), the one and only WESTLIFE.

It's been my dream of mine to see them since I was young. I was exposed to them at such an early age because of my wonderful sisters who paved the way to good, real music in my life. I never thought that day would come when I would see them because, I mean come on, Westlife has been around for almost 14 years and the last time they came to the-place-I'm-in was when I was 7, and I was probably unaware of it. So, you can imagine what I would've felt when I found out, 10 years later, that they'd be coming back for a tour thousands of miles away from where they reside.

It took time to register but eventually, I started putting the pieces together. I was determined to see them, no matter what it takes. Who knows when they'll be back next or what would happen, right? ((I actually just wanted to keep it short, but I guess I can't help myself... Anyways...)) So, literally 6 days before the concert, I actually put my plan together. I didn't know whether my parents would allow me to go or who I would go with or how I would get there or how I would get the tickets but the fact that I just knew I so desperately, wholeheartedly wanted to see them, made me yearn for it more. Well, honestly, all I can say is, once you've set your mind to something with so much of passion, it will happen.

I've never struggled so much for something in such a short period of time. And believe it or not, I didn't get the tickets or planned how I was gonna go there until the day before the concert. Yup, you read right. There I was, about to sit for the biggest exam ever, with my parents out of town for 2-3 days before the concert (which made persuading harder), with no clue what I was gonna do. I decided the 5th day before the concert, at 12am on a school day that I would go with a relative of mine. What I did do for that week leading up to the concert, was listen to all their songs from their greatest hits to their latest album, read up every little aspect of Westlife, following them on twitter, youtube-ing, googling and etc... All the time in school, I just spoke about that with friends telling me that I should go for it and somehow knowing that I was gonna make it happen.

The day before the concert, from 6pm onwards was when the craziness truly started to sink in. So many things were happening at crazy speeds. There were a gezillion phone calls, and angry voices and extreme doubt and in the air - to say the least. At 10.30pm on the day before the concert, I secured the tickets. That was only one of the many problems that I overcame. Another was enduring the long, strenuous, energy-sucking 4-hour car ride to the stadium. Mind you, it should've have been 2 hours if not for the horrible traffic and rain. That added to the pressure of not being able to go for the concert. It was torture, pure torture, I found it hard to blink until I actually reached the stadium. I have never felt more anxious, nervous, shaken up for anything. Time after time, I faced so many hurdles that magically disappeared because of some unimaginable miracle. Yeah, I'd put it that way, to keep things short. I have never felt more unlucky and lucky at the same time. I'd like to say everything that happened, but that would be good if I were to write a book on it ;) If you're wondering, yes, I did go to the concert and I did have the TIME OF MY LIFE beyond description.

And moving on to why I was here, yeah I wanna blog my messages on my phone but ultimately, I wanted to do this because of the devastating news of the soon-to-be-broken-up Westlife. I was shocked when I heard the news, especially after the obsession over them rekindled within me, because of the concert. I took it to Twitter to pour out my frustration to no avail. But I just needed to let it out there. There were tears, lots of em. Over time, I'd just like to say I respect and love you guys enough to say....... NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! DON'T DO IT!! PLEASE DON'T DO IT! !#!@#@%@#$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously, I love you guys so much. You guys have been my childhood and even the earliest memory I have is of you guys. I'm listening to your songs right now and as much as I'd love to say I'm your ultimate number one fan out there, there are millions of people like me around the world who feel the same way about you guys. You have a huge fan base that will remain forever.

I've had the honor of attending their unbelievable, spectacular concert and I was hoping I would see them again, this time alot more closer *sigh*, but I'm still thankful for the joyous experience. I don't think I've ever seen a more engaging concert than theirs despite being far from the stage. And I'm not saying that because they're breaking up, I didn't know that at that time and I concluded that statement the very moment I was there. Which was why I knew that I had to share that moment, I called up a few friends who wished they could've been at the concert and made them listen to their voices, and this is what they had to say:

Sh ~ (My Love)

"Thankss weyh!! Have funn!!"

Tw~ (Bad Romance - part of medley)

"OMG!dat was soo awshum sushi!their voices r amazin!thnx dear!U made ma day! Luv u! :)"

H ~ (Seasons in the Sun)

"Omg are you in the concert.thats amazing!! I'll call you in a while"

S ~ (Uptown Girls)

"Thx wei....my fav!"

AJ ~ (You Raise Me Up)

"OMG! OMG! OMG! Thanks so much! I dunno if u heard me but i was close to tears when i heard you raise me up! Im so jealous n happy u got 2 see westlife! Woohoo! Thanks again 4 calling coz i got 2 hear them 2!!! Westlife forever, AJ *cool emoticon*

Me: Thanks for the sweet message and dude, you're like a cool old soul trapped in a young body. Something I can relate to. ;)

Last but not least,

D ~ (at least 4 songs-failed)

*After the concert* "Wei call me now! *Reply* "Alamak!! I was dancing! Wasted! Hw was it?! Tel me!!"

Me: Haha that's what I love about you. You at your very essence.

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Dear Westlife,

I remember the time when I wrote a fan mail and posted it to you guys when I was like 7 and drew pictures (I mean stick-figures) of all of you. My sis took pictures of me all dressed up posing next to a poster of Westlife on the wall, one of which I still have and sent that in as well. And you guys (more like your people, haha) actually replied to my e-mail. One of the biggest highlights of my life. The other would be none other than seeing you guys perform live.

Before moving on, shout out to Brian for having being a part of one of the greatest boy bands ever. Much love, much love!

Now then...

Mark, you have the most soulful voice I've ever heard and I melt every time I listen to you. Your piercing blue eyes light up the whole room and more than that your voice transcends bounds. You've got such an amazing tone to your voice that's simply breath-taking.

Shane, you are the most energetic performer on stage and I enjoy watching you perform as you always keep me moving. I constantly watch Westlife's videos because you are in it. (like duh.. I know ;)) Your voice, wow, unlike any other, so distinctive, special, and crazy stellar.

Kian, I love seeing you on stage doing your thang! I love watching interviews with you because you're always so funny, nice and sweet. I love your amazing voice, personality and everything about you that never fails to put a smile on my face, ever.

And Nicky, I had a big crush on you when I was a kid (the first one I ever had...) and guess what, I.Still.Do. When I was like 8, I remember writing an essay on everything I loved about you, no joke ;)) Whenever I watch any of Westlife's videos, I never blink because I want to take in every moment that you're there. And more than anything, you have such a sweet, tender, enticing voice that makes me adore you even more.

Westlife fans everywhere will always support you forever. And who knows, if you guys ever wish to reunite sometime in the future, our wait would be over and we'd be with you all the way.

Wow, I feel like a big rock has been lifted off from my shoulder. I guess I needed that, you know, as a closure for me. But, having said that, my love for Westlife is something that won't stop growing. It's a privilege to say that yes, I'm a fan and always will be a fan of Westlife. And yes, I have seen Westlife LIVE at concert, booyahhhh!

AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 8 2009....unexpected!

Ok...so it's been about 2 weeks since the results of AI Season 8 and I'm almost fully recovered from knowing the shocking results...

How my days went leading to the results:
Since I do not have Star World anymore, I cannot watch my favourite show live anymore. So, I only had to depend on my downloads and the hope of not knowing the results before actually watching it. Overall, I did not do so well, because I somehow, in a weird magical way, end up knowing the results through the carelessness of some people. I just don't understand why you have to actually shout out the name of the person who got kicked out even after knowing that I watch the show a day late. No one can imagine how hard it is to actually go through a whole day after any of the results were mentioned, not knowing them. Anyway, I managed to keep my cool and don't worry, no hard feelings. Totally over it.
Just to say how hard it is, I had to skip reading the newspaper, not go on the internet afraid of the news online, not listening to the radio like the whole day, sometimes, closing my ears when passing big crowds of people, avoid conversations about American Idol whatsoever and etc. Plus, I always had this feeling of being paranoid and being afraid and this actually persists the whole day.
The worst was on the day of the finale results. Thankfully, I managed going through the whole day without knowing the results. I told my friends a day earlier reminding them not to tell me. I had my mid-term exams on that day so I didn't have much chances to talk to them. But, I sort of had this feeling that Kris Allen was gonna win because of certain signs. I didn't really focus or believe them but I guess they were true. 1. My friends were talking about Kris Allen most of time about him being really good/awesome failing to mention he won (thankfully). 2. Almost everyone I know who watch American Idol adores Adam Lambert and the whole day, if he won, they'll be smiling, jumping etc. The day was also more quite than usual. You would think that that victory would be the hot news of the day. 3. On the radio, on the way to my tuition, when AdamC mentioned that "American Idol..ok, I was upset that..", I turned of the radio with such quick reflexes I never knew I had. Sort of figured he was upset over the lost of Adam Lambert.
But, anyway, I tried to ignore those stuff and just continue to pray that Adam Lambert would win. I mean, how could he not, right? That's what everyone would have thought. I also still had high hopes about him winning the title because clearly, he is a talented guy.
On Ellen, Simon Cowell called out Adam Lambert for the win.

What I'd like to point out here, in this season, is that many of my friends actually know what's really going on. So, they sort of knew who is really really good and many of them love Adam Lambert eventhough they've only seen him perform only once. Or just read a lot about him in any reading materials. Whereas last year, many just presumed that the cute young one was the best and so called unique. They never really watch all or any of the AI episodes properly or fully. This season on the other hand, people actually paid much much more attention to and realised who is good and who isn't. If they were to have watched those episodes of Season 7 thoroughly, David Cook would have definitely been on top of their list of who would be crowned American Idol and not be blinded by cuteness. I guess that's why I was shocked to see most of my friends showing much appreciation for Adam Lambert. Those who are David Cook supporters, I think, will and would have leaned more towards Adam Lambert because of their shared uniqueness, originality and personality on the show.

Finale Performances:
Adam Lambert
1st Round :
Contestant's Choice - Mad World by Tears For Fears
thought he did Great...loved the coat!
2nd Round:
Simon Fuller's Choice - Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke
his Best Performance on Idol! Perfect song choice!
3rd Round:
No Boundaries by Kara DioGuardi, Cathy Dennis and Mitch Allan
cheesy song, but his vocals were Amazing!
Kris Allen
1st Round :
Contestant's Choice - Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers
Loved it! His best performance other than Heartless
2nd Round:
Simon Fuller's Choice - What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
It was alright. Not much originality.
3rd Round:
No Boundaries by Kara DioGuardi, Cathy Dennis and Mitch Allan
He looked like he was struggling with the song to me.
By Simon Cowell:
Round 1 goes to Kris Allen ("I'm gonna call out one for Kris")
Round 2 goes to Adam Lambert ("Million percent Adam, Round 2")
Round 3 - ? (Adam: "Best, Most original contest we've ever had on this show" & Kris: "Thoroughly deserve to be standing on that stage")
Former American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood closed the show.

Finale Results:
Panic filled my mind leading to the results. I watched it on 8tv at night successfully managed to go through the day without knowing who won.

http://american.idolblog.com/
Just under 100,000,000 million votes came in last night, bringing the total number of votes for this season to 624 million!!
Mikalah Gordon is in Kris Allen's hometown of Conway, AR where there is a crazy crowd awaiting the result. Carly Smithson is in San Diego where there is a very vocal crowd waiting in anticipation for the result.
Kicking off the show is the Top 13 with a performance of So What.
Last years winner, David Cook comes out to perform Permanent. Does it seem like it was an entire year ago that he was on the Idol stage? You'll be able to buy this song performance on iTunes tonight with the proceeds going to a charity. (One of the best performances of the night. Love that song. Very emotional and moving. Almost teared up while listening to him sing the song about his dear brother. I almost fainted when I heard about the news a day after he passed away. Charitable thing to do, putting the song up on iTunes and 100% of the proceeds will go to ABC2, an organization that raises money to find a cure for cancer.)
We now pay tribute to those who didn't quite make it and have some awards - The Golden Idol awards. The first award is for Outstanding Male. The nominees are: Wil Kunick. Michael Gurr. Elijah Scarlett. Dean-Anthony Bradford. Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle. Of course, it's Nick Mitchell. He performs a semi-impromptu And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going. Awesome.
Lil Rounds and Queen Latifa perform the first duet of the night. You've Got My Heart in Chains.
Anoop Desai starts singing I'm Yours and is joined on stage by Jason Mraz.
It's then time to see the journey of Kris Allen. Kris then performs Kiss a Girl with Keith Urban.
The girls of season 8 take to the stage to sing Glamorous before Fergie comes out to join them and sings Big Girls Don't Cry before she welcomes the Black Eyed Peas to the stage for a performance of Boom Boom Pow.
The next Golden Idol for Best Attitude and the nominees are: Katrina Darrell aka Bikini Girl. Alexis Cohen. Tiffany Shedd. The winner is, of course, Bikini Girl. She sings Vision of Love. She's a little flat. Kara then steps out from behind the giant American Idol screen to join her for a duet. Apparently she was dared to do that so some charity is going to be benefiting nicely from that performance.
Allison Iraheta performs a duet of Time After Time with Cyndi Lauper.
Danny Gokey takes the stage with Lionel Richie and perform a duet of Just Go and All Night Long.
A fully painted Kiss take to the stage with Adam Lambert to sing Rock 'n Roll All Nite. Awesome! (BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT. I loved that angel's wings thing he was wearing. And those shoes! His eyes were also like sparkling! He looked like an angel except black... Cool...)
Carlos Santana performs Smooth with the Top 13 and then the final Ford commercial of the season.
There's a big surprise for Kris and Adam. Ford have given them both new Hybrids. (David Cook presents them the Hybrids. Loved the looks on their faces)
Michael Sarver and Megan Joy Corkrey and Steve Martin take to the stage for a duet. Hang on. Steve Martin? He's playing a banjo!
The Idol guys sing Do Ya Think I'm Sexy but there is no sign of Rod Stewart. And then, there he is, rising out of the bottom of the stage and sings Maggie May.
It's time for the last Golden Idol award of the night. Outstanding Female. Tatiana Del Toro has to be the winner of this award. She rushes the stage while Ryan tries to go to an add break, takes his mike and starts to sing Saving All My Love (again) while security chase her.
Adam and Kris perform a duet together as the final moments of the show start to air before we get a result. The song? We Are The Champions and are backed up by Queen themselves. What an incredible finish. Adam was outstanding once again and was certainly the more memorable of the two. (Best finale duet on American Idol. Perfect way to end the night before the results.)

Now, the moment we've all been waiting for. The announcement and the winner of American Idol 2009. I almost fell out of my chair awaiting the results. My heart was beating so fast and so loud! Once again, I was hyperventilating. The same feelings that I experienced the previous year when David Cook was announced, I was feeling them right now. I was soo scard, at the same time excited. I was like "Hurry Up!! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER!! AHHH!!!". It seemed like ETERNITY until Ryan announced the winner. He was taking soo long to announce the results...reading it soo slowly.. IT WAS AGONY!! I COULDN'T TAKE IT! I literally wanted to chew my arms off and I actually almost fell out of my chair.
Ryan: AND FOR THE FINAL TIME THIS SEASON (PAUSE) , DIM THE LIGHTS, HERE WE GO! (PAUSE) AFTER THE NATION WIDE VOTE (PAUSE) OF NEARLY 100 MILLION (PAUSE). THE WINNER (PAUSE) OF AMERICAN IDOL (PAUSE) 2009 IS (LONGEST PAUSE EVER)...........
KRIS ALLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT THAT MOMENT, MY HEART DID SKIP A BEAT (I FELT IT) AND I DID FALL OUT OF MY CHAIR (I FELT THAT AS WELL)... AT THE SAME TIME, I PRACTICALLY SCREAMED "WHAT!!?!??!?!?!?!?!?! HOW!?!?!??!!?!?" REPEATEDLY FOR MORE THAN A GEZILLION TIMES! AND IT WAS ALMOST 12 MIDNIGHT! (My neighbours probably had woken up, I don't know.)

I was extremely shocked that Adam Lambert didn't win. I (and everyone else who watch AI) definitely thought he was most likely to win the title. Nothing against Kris Allen. Very talented guy, great voice, nice person. Much prefer him than some of the previous Idol contestants like Archuleta etc. (More original than some of them. Looking back, Archuleta didn't really change much of the songs on Idol. He has a nice voice, yes, original, no. Kris was more bold and daring to take on other songs. Changing a few songs, making it his own. Heartless for example.) Kris is a talented dude...

Anyway, back to the present. After that whole dramatic incident, my mum went to sleep while I was online, googling, twittering, facebook-ing, youtube-ing everything about Adam Lambert and the results. I was also on MSN and I was just chatting to my friend about the result who was up until 1am. She doesn't really follow Idol but she knows what happened, so I got to release my inner emotions. I eventually slept between 2.30 to 3.00am. Couldn't sleep in peace though.The next 3 days was spent doing the same thing. I built up a deep obsession about Lambert and Idol that I never knew I had. I sent e-mails to my sisters who follow Idol about it. I called them up and was just talking for hours about the shocking results.
It was cool to see SOO many celebrities who, before the results, actually rooted for Adam Lambert and he was their favourite. Go on Youtube or Google it. I was really shocked because clearly, the media was on Adam's side showing news about him as the front-runner of the competition. Not much on Kris, though. The media I guess consists more of Adam's fans. And those millions of Kris voters didn't get much attention, so not many knew about what's really going on, on the other side.

Everyone actually thought and wanted Adam to win based on all the reviews I've read. I mean, come on, he is SO DAMN FREAKING GOOD!
I mean, he was the one everyone remembered from as early as the auditions! I am proud to say that I loved him from the auditions until the very end. Each performance was sooo spectacular and sooo unique, I watched them for more than 10 times! I loved seeing him perform and so did everyone else! Every performance on the Idol stage was master-class and just stood out among the rest! I mean, THAT POWER in his voice UNBELIEVABLE! When he hits those notes, high or low, it's just so in control and so perfect! From when he sang Bohemian Rhapsody in the auditions, to No Boundaries in the finals, he gave a solid performance each time. Always earning high praise from the judges and even got a STANDING OVATION from SIMON COWELL for 'Mad World'! This is the FIRST TIME in 8 Seasons that Simon Cowell actually stood up for a contestant's performance on Idol! Plus, there has been no one on the face of the Earth whose like Adam. Without a shedder of a doubt, he's simply...

Amazing. Talented. Great Performer. Entertaining. One of a Kind. Unique. Original.
And that's just the tip of the iceburg.

Conclusion:
With that kind of talent, voice, personality and looks, Adam Lambert is sure to do great and be very successful. Look at him, he has the whole package and is already one heck of star!!! (and I know this is just the beginning)

-sushi-

My Priceless Life

(An essay written for a competition by me with the help of my sisters. Mind you-this is what I decided to write just 2 days before the competition. I had to memorize it as no notes were allowed. Thankfully, I managed to write it almost exactly as my original essay.)

My Priceless Life

What a day I’ve had already! I had just come fresh out of the printing room today, when I was promptly shipped off in a large container to an even larger place called a “bank”. I was then locked up in a huge and secure safe filled with other notes like me. I could barely see the other notes as it was pitch black. In fact, I don’t even know what I look like as I’ve never seen the light of day. Throughout my stay in the bank, I didn’t make many friends. I suspect this was because most of us felt ill at ease and mistrustful of each other as we were all brand new notes.
One fine day, we heard someone opening the safe. “Wow!” I thought to myself. “What a magnificient sight!” I finally had a look at myself and the other notes. My first breath of fresh air was indescribable. I was a brand new purple-coloured RM100 note. Most of the other notes looked like me but they were blue RM50 notes. The person who opened the safe took me and a bunch of others. He then placed us in a drawer where we felt more comfortable because were not tied up.
A couple of days passed by, and I slowly made friends with the other notes. However, one by one, they were taken away. It was difficult bidding farewell to my friends. I waited anxiously knowing that soon it would be my turn to be taken away. “Whose hands will I land on? What awaits me in that unknown world my friends have been taken to?” That question kept running through my mind repeatedly. It turned out I didn’t have to wait long at all. Some hours after my best friend was taken away, it was my turn to venture out into the big, bold world.
The cashier took me, along with some of my companions in the drawer, and gave us to a man. I quickly scanned his face. He had short, curly black hair, squinty eyes and a crooked nose. His lips were thick and there was a huge scar, almost as if he had been slashed, on his cheek. He was wearing a thick brown leather jacket. He had an unsettling and mysterious look on his face, almost as if he was hiding a secret. He shoved us into an envelope and dashed out of the bank.
When I did see the light of day again, I was in an abandoned parking lot. He took us out of the envelope and slapped a bunch of us on the ground. I saw a ruffian-looking man smoking a cigarette by a dumpster. “Here you go. That’s all that I have. Why don’t you just give me the heroin and I’ll pay the rest later? I can’t handle going another day without the drugs!” said my owner with a desperate look on his face. “Look, it’s been a month and you still haven’t settled your payment! These goods are hard to come by and the cops are on to us. I can’t keep being your supplier if you’re not going to front up with the cash!” said a man who I presumed was a drug dealer. “This is a just a waste of my time! I can’t put up with this nonsense any longer!” he bellowed as he turned to leave. Their argument then got even more heated and degenerated into a fist fight. With no warning whatsoever, the dealer pulled out a revolver and fired three shots at my owner. The last shot managed to hit my owner right on the chest. He fell to the ground and the drug dealer gave out a sinister laugh that sent a shiver down my spine. The sight of his blood splattered across the ground made me nauseous. Without much delay, the killer grabbed me and shoved me in his pocket hastily. He left the dead body lying there to rot near a dumpster surrounded by strange looking creatures.
I was traumatized over what I had just witnessed. A murder, a cold-blooded murder! I never imagined that being out in the real world, out of the comfort of the bank safe would be so horrifying. What was even worse was that this savage murderer was to be my new owner. From that moment onwards, I truly believed that only a life of misery and misfortune awaited me.
After what seemed like an eternity, he shuffled through his pocket and grabbed a couple of RM5 notes. He didn’t realise at that point that he had dropped me on the floor. I looked up to see a hawker stall. My owner grabbed a drink and left. Then the cold reality hit me - he left! I was all alone, stranded in the middle of nowhere.
“Whoa, sweet! This must be my lucky day. First, I find half a doughnut on the park bench, now this!” a ragged-looking woman exclaimed. As I examined her closely, I could see she was missing two front teeth and looked as if she hadn’t showered in years. She smelt like a rotting corpse. The woman was gripping me so tightly; she was practically squeezing the life out me. She was also laughing hysterically, and dancing in the middle of the pavement. Some of the passers by quickly made an about turn to get out of her way. She wondered around aimlessly for a few hours and then decided to retire at a nearby dumpster. The odour and sight of the resident cockroaches were appalling but the strange woman did not seem to mind. Suddenly, I felt a slight tickle. Something furry was rubbing against me. “Eww! It was a fat black rat!” Throughout the night, I was regularly visited by various insects, several reptiles and a hideous looking amphibian.
Needless to say, I was jumping for joy when the woman finally woke up and left the “motel from hell”. Later, she stopped at a stall to buy breakfast but the hawker did not have change for RM100. Just then, a pleasant looking young lady offered come change and I was handed over to her. Finally! I was out of those filthy hands. The young lady then put me in the back pocket of her jeans and drove me away in her suave silver Volvo S60R. “She must be awfully wealthy if she owned a car like this,” I thought to myself. As I was resting in her pocket, I heard my new owner and another girl sing along to some music blasting from her car stereo.“What about now? What about today? What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?” they sang in unison.
“Isn’t Daughtry the greatest, Mia?” the other girl said to my owner. “Mia, what a lovely name!” I thought to myself. When she got home, she threw the jeans in the washing machine. Apparently, she forgot that I was still in it. To many, the idea of being slushed among soapy clothes may sound dreadful, but I was rather pleased to finally get a bit of a wash after everything I’d been through. After being ironed and neatly kept on her shelf, I peeped out of her jeans. Her room was filled with posters of someone called Chris Daughtry. “Daughtry?” I thought to myself. “It was his music blasting from the car stereo! She must be a huge fan of this singer!”
One day, Mia grabbed the jeans which had become my new place of residence and put it on. She loaded two suitcases into the back of her car, and her parents drove her to a large white building, with clear glass windows. When she got into the building, I heard the words “Boarding first class passengers for flight MH677 to Chicago, United States.” She then hugged her parents with tears flowing down her red cheeks. I heard her father saying, “Study hard” and her mother weeping “Take care, dear. Don’t forget to call.”
When Mia reached the O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, she proceeded to the baggage claim. As she was waiting impatiently for her bags, someone bumped into her from the back. “Oops. I’m really sorry. I didn’t see you there,” the man said apologetically. Mia turned around and after a second’s pause, she shrieked at the top of her lungs. She sounded like she was hyperventilating. “Oh my gosh, you’re Chris Daughtry! I’m such a huge fan of yours!” She asked if she could have a picture with him and he was only too happy to oblige. Mia continued rambling as Chris Daughtry offered to give her an autograph. Mia quickly shuffled through her pockets. She could only find me. Without a second thought, she handed me over for him to sign.
Now here I am, five years later, laying in a beautiful frame over a piece of canvas on the wall of her room. I’m the centre of attraction whenever her friends come over. They handle me with so much care and stare at me with a feeling of awe. It was somewhat satisfying to know that I was the cause for such admiration. All the anguish and sorrow that I endured in the early stages of my life seemed worth it now that I have ended up with a wonderful owner. I truly believe that she will take care of me well for the rest of her life.

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-sushi-

My Aural Presentation for English

Thankfully, all of us in groups of four were able to choose our own topics to talk about. My group members included 3 of my friends and I. I'm proud to say that we managed to present it quite well despite we did not get to finish the second half of our aural. Our teacher said that she just wanted to listen part of our presentation and to get a rough idea on our command of the language. I really got to learn alot from just preparing the whole script and I'm not saying it for the sake of saying it. I really did learn so much. And I am really thankful that I got to look up and do research on these people. Anyway, this is the script for my aural presentation:

(V)Good morning to Ms Lee and our fellow classmates. Today my group will be presenting our aural on “Inspirational and Influential People”. (S)We have gathered information about people that we think and agree are some of the most inspirational people who have made a huge impact on the world in our point of view. (Dil)While making this list, we are proud to say we have been truly inspired but saddened as we realized that many of you might not have even heard of the names of these great people and let me tell all of you that it is really a shame. (D)Before we start, may I remind you that this is only a rough idea on what these people have done. There are so many other valuable information about these people’s lives that might not be inserted in our aural. (V)We just want you to know that this is not all there is to know about these amazing people.

1) Barack Obama
(S)Barack, 46, has already changed American politics. We often hear about the size of the crowds he attracts, as a measure of the excitement about his candidacy. It's the variety of the crowd that is the real phenomenon: little kids who sit on the floor in front of the podium, and the 101-year-old gentleman who stood up from his wheelchair in Iowa and said, "I'm with him too." Farmers in overalls next to people in business suits. Every race, religion and creed. Every political party and no party at all.
(Dil)You can feel their excitement about being in Obama's presence—and about being in the presence of one another. They glimpse for a minute what it might be like to find common cause across differences. That's how Obama has changed politics.
On top of that, as he is now the President of the United States, he is taking on the job during the toughest economic crisis ever.
(D)He has quoted ,“While our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken, though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before,” President Obama has traveled all over America just to hear their stories first-hand from people who are being affected by the current economic crisis.
(V)Barack Obama's election as the President has also restored confidence in the American Dream and the Constitution of the United States of America. It was inspiring to see people from around the globe cheering, crying, embracing each other and saying YES WE CAN! Because of Obama, we now know that we don't have to sit on the sidelines; we can get involved in our communities, our neighborhoods, our states, and the world and make a difference.

2) Nelson Mandela
(S)Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa. As president of the African National Congress (ANC) and head of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, he was instrumental in moving the nation toward multiracial government and majority rule. Apartheid is an official policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in the Republic of South Africa involving political, legal and economic discrimination against nonwhites. He is revered everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality.
(Dil)His career in the ANC was cut short in 1964 when he was sentenced to life in prison. But even while in prison, Mandela continued to be a beacon of hope for his people who carried on the struggle against Apartheid in his absence. In 1990, after 27 years of imprisonment, Mandela was freed. His release marked the beginning of the end for apartheid. Since his triumphant release, Mandela has been at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. In less than five years after his release, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and elected president of South Africa.
(D)Today, thanks to the self-sacrifice of Nelson Mandela, apartheid has been outlawed. Everyone in South Africa now has an equal opportunity at home and at work to live comfortable, productive lives. Nelson Mandela is one of the world's true freedom fighters, and his life and personal triumphs will always be remembered.

3) Oprah Winfrey
(V)After the struggles she endured as a young girl, she became a popular talk-show host with a national following. But she didn't stop there. Using her platform to serve as a global role model, she challenges us to make the world as it is the world as it should be. And she is always the first to show us how it can be done.
(S)She has also reached out to thousands more who might not have known there was a seat for them at the table at all—people who desperately need a voice.
Over the past 20 years, Oprah, 54, has developed and nurtured a relationship with her viewers and readers built on the recognition that there is more that unites us than divides us—that our shared experiences in work, life and love, in family and community, in our hopes and dreams, know no barriers; that regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status or hometown, we are our brothers' keepers, our sisters' keepers.

4) Brangelina
(Dil)It is one thing to talk about the problems of the world and quite another to actually try to change things.
As a team, actors Brad Pitt, 44, and Angelina Jolie, 32, have served as our goodwill ambassadors worldwide. They brought help to Pakistan in 2005, after a catastrophic earthquake killed tens of thousands of people and left millions homeless. They have tended to the poor and sick in Africa. And they've raised global awareness—and contributed $1 million of their own money—for the victims of atrocities in Darfur. Brad co-founded Not on Our Watch, an organization set up to focus global attention on Darfur and other hot spots.
(D)In the U.S., Brad and Angelina didn't just talk about, or even just throw money at, the tragic fallout from Hurricane Katrina. They actually moved to New Orleans and have set about trying to make right what so many have made wrong. Brad established a project to finance and build 150 new homes in the Ninth Ward.
(V)Angelina has worked tirelessly through the United Nations on behalf of refugees around the world, touring border camps in Africa, Asia and Latin America and lobbying on Capitol Hill. The couple cares for three adopted children, Maddox from Cambodia, Zahara from Ethiopia and Pax from Vietnam, in addition to their biological daughter, Shiloh and recently a pair of twins, Knox,a boy and Vivienne, a girl. There are hundreds of people who could be honored for their good works but their commitment together is truly impressive.

5) Bono from the band U2
(S)Bono's been interested in the less fortunate since the Band Aid and Live Aid projects of the mid-80s. He got much more involved personally in the late 1990s with the Jubilee 2000 campaign, which later turned into Drop the Debt. In 2002, Bono co-founded DATA (a Web site dedicated to raising money for AIDS awareness classes in Africa and raising money for a cure for AIDS). DATA is an acronym which stands for Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa - the core issues behind DATA's efforts.
(Dil)As part of his humanitarian work, Bono has met with dozens of world leaders from countries big and small. He met President George Bush for the first time in March, 2002, at the White House. He's spent time with Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schroder, and many others. Bono not only fights against AIDS in America and Africa but also in Germany. Bono met with German superstar Herman in Berlin to meet with German activists to discuss campaigning in Africa.
(D)One of his favorite ways to explain his own involvement is this: "We cannot fix every problem, but the ones we can, we must."
Bono has received considerable press attention due to his humanitarian work, which has helped keep U2's name in the public eye. He has also been named Person of the Year by Time for his tremendous humanitarian work he has done for the uncountable people across the globe.

6) Stephen Hawking
(V)Hawking's studies mainly concern with the basic laws that govern the universe. Hawking showed with Roger Penrose of Birkbeck College, London that there would be a Big Bang singularity by considering Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Hawking concentrated his studies on black holes. He combined Quantum Mechanics with General Relativity into the theory of Hawking Radiation in 1974. In 1983 Hawking and Jim Hurtle of the University of California suggested that there is no edge for space and time though they are finite in extent. This implies that the laws of science would be able to determine how the universe begun!
(S)Unfortunately in 1985, Hawking caught pneumonia and had a tracheotomy operation, which removed his voice. He had some difficult time to communicate with others. Despite the disability, he has continued to progress in his research. This situation was not relieved until he had a small portable computer and a speech synthesizer fitted to his wheelchair by David Mason of Cambridge. But another problem arose as the synthesizer gave this English physicist an American accent.
Overcoming the obstacle of his illness, Professor Hawking has great contribution in Physics and has received many awards and medals.

7) Mark Zuckerberg
(Dil)The internet is about people connecting to people, whether for business, politics or socializing. That's something we've all been doing since long before the Internet existed. The real accomplishment is to make those connections so versatile and different that they create a social network that not only reflects your life but maybe expands it.
Mark Zuckerberg, 23, the creator of Facebook, has done just that.
(D)Working from his dorm room at Harvard in 2004, Zuckerberg launched Facebook as a campuswide system and later expanded it to other colleges. The site exploded nationally and globally, and with that came tens of millions of dollars from investors, buyout offers from Yahoo! and Viacom, and a worldwide community of Facebook users.
(V)All that happened because Zuckerberg has remained true to his vision, focusing on building a community rather than on a mere exit strategy—which is why those buyout offers have been declined. Facebook also provides a flexible information ecology, offering a fairly open system that allows users to add small applications to pages.
As a result, members are starting to run businesses via the Facebook platform, including loan systems and music distribution. There are challenges, including "Facebook fatigue," which results from just too many invitations.
(S)Then, of course, there are issues related to monetization; investors are patient, but not forever.
He has also been named the youngest billionaire in the world on the Forbes List. Facebook, however, just keeps growing, with more than 175 million active users so far. That's a lot of people connecting via Zuckerberg's vision—which is just what that vision was always about.

8) Lance Armstrong
(Dil)There is no one else quite like him. And there probably never will be. The best cyclist ever, Lance Armstrong won the sport's premier event, the Tour de France, an almost incomprehensible seven times. But before he could do that, in 1996 he had to beat back a cancer that was supposed to take his life. Testicular cancer had spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. Grim-faced doctors told him he had no chance. But no chance were not words that had meaning for Lance.
(D)He spearheaded the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which made a yellow plastic loop a statement of resistance and strength across the entire planet. Like Lance himself, his foundation looks for the next horizon. It advocates for those living with cancer, funds research, inspires the cancer community to support each other and is collectively stronger than any one of us could be alone. Maybe team cycling taught him this, or maybe Lance, 36, is what you see.
(V)Lance took a minor sport in America and turned it into a great national passion and a great national pride. And he did it by struggling for years, alone on a bike often in unforgiving weather, over terrain that most of us would view as hostile, when no one was watching, no one was cheering.
(S)He inspired all of us who face a cancer diagnosis to search out the doctors who believe that we can live, to hold on to those friends and family who stand beside our bed—and then to fight to prove the faith of those friends and the beliefs of those doctors well founded. After Lance, no one of us could ever again say it was too hard, the odds stacked against us were too high, the fight already lost.

9) Randy Pausch
(Dil)While Randy Pausch was dying, he taught millions of people about living.
Some colleges have adopted the idea of a "last lecture" to teach students life lessons that aren't necessarily included on a syllabus. But Randy's situation has brought a whole new meaning to the term. A computer-science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Randy was told last August that his pancreatic cancer had spread and he had just three to six months to live. He's 47 and has three kids—almost 2, 3 and 6—and a wife he clearly adores.
(D)Most of us would slip into a deep depression, but Randy used the experience as teaching material. And thanks to YouTube, his lecture doesn't require any tuition checks. His scenes from a life are punctuated with humor and humility. He deadpans, "My mother took great relish in introducing me as 'This is my son—he's a doctor but not the kind that helps people.'"
(V)After showing the walls of his childhood bedroom covered with his drawings of rocket ships and math equations, he tells his audience, "If your kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let 'em do it."
Randy's message is about following your dreams, dealing with the ones that don't come true and having fun along the way. And it has expanded far beyond that lecture hall. His talk has been viewed by more than 9 million people.
(S)He's a co-author of a best-selling book and has testified before Congress about pancreatic cancer, a disease that kills 33,000 Americans each year. He says the lessons were meant as a "message in a bottle" for his kids. But millions of us now feel part of Randy's extended family.
Sadly, Randy Pausch lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008 in Virginia having moved there so that his wife, Jai and children, Dylan, Logan and Chloe would be near family after his death. He was 47. His legacy will continue to inspire us all and generations to come. Most of all, Randy Pausch has taught us that it is never too late to listen, learn and really live. In the words of Randy Pausch, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”

The end. (Dil)I hope all of you have enjoyed our aural and learned something from it. (D)Most of the people we mentioned were in fact in the Time’s Top 100 Most Influential People of 2008. (V)We should be fortunate to have those people who have struggled and gone through so much just to help people or just to spread valuable information to make this world a better place and thus, inspire us to achieve our dreams and dare to imagine. (S)If possible, we highly recommend you to look up and learn more from what these people have offered to the world. (All)We hope that this message of inspiration and influence benefit all of you.

THANK YOU.

-sushi-

BARACK OBAMA'S INAUGURATION

It was an exciting day as I was looking forward for Barack Obama's Inauguration Ceremony. I got to watch great performances by amazing singers on HBO (which I didn't know was available on the inaguration day). It was from 7.00pm-9.00pm. I missed the first 45 min. but I eventually watched it on Youtube. Anyway, the actual inauguration ceremony was at 1.30am (21st January 2009). Somehow, I actually managed to wake up 1/2 hour before the inauguration and watched it until 2.30am. Although I had school on that same day (7am), that didn't stop me from seeing 'history in the making' LIVE on CNN. I only had 4 hours of sleep that day, but it was definitely worth it. I also managed to watch a few parts of the Inaugural Ball on CNN after my school in the afternoon.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html

(CNN) -- Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and the nation's first African-American president Tuesday. This is a transcript of his prepared speech.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.
They are serious and they are many.
They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

A very moving speech, no doubt. It was a great feeling to actually know that he meant each and every word in his long but incredible speech. Once again, I'm proud to have been "part of this". To be able to watch history in the making, the beginning of something simply amazing.

-sushi-

BARACK OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

After a long and tough fight to the White House, America has finally chosen their President!
The Presidential campaign this time was the longest campaign ever held in America, 21 months! (must have been so exhausting!)
But, i guess, it was definitely worth it and all the hard work clearly didn't go to waste (for one of the party).
Well, I could have wrote about my experience on the day of the Presidential results two days ago (when the results were announced-November 5th), but, unfortunately, my computer had crashed (virus attack).

I was EXTREMELY looking forward to the results of the Presidential elections as I have been following it for quite some time. At first, I wasn't interested in US politics. It was both my sisters that were CRAZY over this. When my second sister was here during her stay in Malaysia, she would sit and watch these elections early in the morning (she never wakes up except to watch the elections) on CNN. She then started explaining more and more about that and so did my eldest sister. It was on Jan. or Feb. when I started to be interested about the US politics. It was interesting to find out about Barack Obama (first black to run for President) and Hillary Clinton (first lady to run for President) of the Democratic party. I guess the more my sisters were talking to me about it (which they do VERY often), the research I do about the candidates and watching their speeches and debates on CNN, I started to be interested in the US elections. It was the last few months, after Obama was chosen as the Democratic candidate, when I was very into it.

I managed to watch all the 4 debates on CNN (Live) and wrote about it on this blog. It was cool to find out stuff about the Presidential hopefuls and their running mates. I started watching alot of speeches and ads by Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I even bought a book written by Barack Obama himself, "Dreams from My Father" which is an incredible book. This is the link to one of the ads which explains clearly about the 'American Stories and American Solutions' by Barack Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtREqAmLsoA

Anyway, let's skip to the day of the Presidential Election results. Somehow, I managed to wake up at 7.30 in the morning, without my mum having to wake me up. I quickly showered and prayed and hoped that Obama will win the elections. I watched CNN while eating my breakfast. That was also the day of my practical paino examination (grade 6), but I seemed to be more hooked on to CNN. I skipped school that day because of the examination. But, each time there was a break for the advertisements, I'll rush into my study room and practice one of my pieces or my scales. I managed to run back in time when I hear one of the news reporter's voices, most of the time, Anderson Cooper. On the day of the election, it seems that Barack Obama played basketball as a sign of good luck.

The whole time, my heart was beating very fast especially when they announce the number of votes gotten by the candidates. I was incredibly happy to have found out that Obama had won the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania since they mentioned that no president has won without those states. (270 Electoral votes are needed to become the next president). At that moment, my hopes that Obama will be the next President were very high.

When Wolf Blitzer announced that the votes were in the last few states were already in, my adrenalin was pumping fast. I literally fell out of my chair when they suddenly displayed (on the big CNN screen) that stated, "BARACK OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT" at 12.00pm sharp. I didn't expect the results to be in so fast and suddenly appear without any warnings, so you can imagine how shocked I was! I was SOOO HAPPY to have seen those words written on my tv screen. I started to scream and shout "Obama Won!" soo loud! I was jumping up and down and even had tears of joy coming out of my eyes! My mum had gone out that time, so I was just going mad! I never had thought that I would be so happy to know that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States of America! No words could explain how OVERJOYED I was of the results!

I immediately called my sisters (who skipped work to watch the election results) and quickly spoke to them about it and ALL of us were soooo HAPPY about the results. John McCain gave a great and gracious speech about Obama's victory although there were unnecessary 'boo'-ing in the crowd when McCain said Obama's name. I actually started to cry when Barack Obama came onto the stage in Grant Park, Chicago and gave a moving speech which made me stop whatever I was doing and just listen. This is the link to his victory speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqoFwZUp5vc=yqoFwZUp5vc

Obama had 364 electoral votes whereas McCain had 163 electoral votes. The whole day, I was just thinking of the great thing that happened. Even during my piano exam, I was more focused on the wonderful results that my 'nervousness' just went away! I wasn't even thinking of the exam when I sat on the chair outside the examiner's room. I never changed the channel other than CNN or any other news broadcasters. So many people were incredibly pleased with the results. Many were shouting and chanting Obama's name and bursting tears of joy in America especially the African-Americans who thought that 'they would never live to see the day where history was made when an African-American was elected to be President of the United States of America".

It was also cool to see the positive reaction across the globe. In Kenya (where his father was brought up), in Obama, Japan (where the town was named after Barack Obama himself) and in Indonesia (where he studied as a child). It was obvious that not only America celebrated Barack Obama's victory, but also all around the world.

The next day in school, I started to share my happiness with my friends. It was also our class party, so I had more reasons to be excited about. Even during the class party, we had this game where everyone had to guess who the person is with only one clue. (Eg. : "Most Artistic" or "Manchester United"). I started to laugh when my friends shouted my name when the clue which was "Obama" was said.
The headlines on all the newspapers here was about Obama winning the election. I kept the front cover of the 'Star' newspaper which had a huge picture of Barack Obama and his family as the front cover with the words "CHANGE IT IS". I also kept other pages talking about the issue. It will be very nice to look at those papers once I'm older.

Many of my friends have asked me "Why are you so into the US elections? You don't live in the US! It has nothing to do with you." and most of the time, I don't have a perfect answer. But here is the reason:
First of all, it's a historical election considering the fact that either the first African-American will become the President or the first woman will become the Vice President. The US elections is also very interesting in a way.
When you come to think of it, the election does affect every other country in the world. Everything the US does, will affect other countries as well. The global impact of the US economy is one of them. The gas prices,food crisis, climate change, and foreign affairs as well. If their economy crashes, so does the rest of the world. If the gas prices rise, so will the gas prices in the rest of the world. And etc. For example, since the financial crisis is rising in America and now, is at its peak, many major companies and businesses have been in jeopardy. My mum told me, that because of this financial crisis, many people have lost their jobs. As a result of this financial crisis, many people have lost their jobs (in America). One of those major companies has a branch right here in Malaysia and my uncle works there. My uncle said that he and everyone who works under that company in Malaysia had to work extra extra hard as alot of work had to be done to stabilize things because of the financial crisis in America. I don't have the exact details, but that's the rough idea. So, you can see where this is going in all other aspects. People now understand the global impact of the US power.
Besides that, the last time the US voted in a President that started several wars, many other countries were dragged into it as well. Everybody agreed that the last 8 years under the Bush administration was a failure not only in the US, but also across the globe. So, what EVERYONE really wants is....change. And that is what Barack Obama is willing to give under his administration.

History was made as Barack Obama was announced President of the United States of America and I was happy to have been part of the 'process' . Meaning, I was happy to have been hooked onto something that is clearly amazing, unbelievable and incredibly historical. I definitely feel proud to have been an Obama supporter although I'm only 14 years old and not from the US. I have a strong feeling that Barack Obama will be a great President with a lasting legacy.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

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Poll: Debate watchers say Obama wins

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/debate.poll/index.html

By Paul SteinhauserCNN Deputy Political Director

HEMPSTEAD, New York (CNN) -- A majority of debate watchers think Sen. Barack Obama won the third and final presidential debate, according to a national poll conducted right afterward.

Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain debate face to face Wednesday night.

Fifty-eight percent of debate watchers questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said Democratic candidate Obama did the best job in the debate, with 31 percent saying Republican Sen. John McCain performed best.
The poll also suggests that debate watchers' favorable opinion of Obama rose slightly during the debate, from 63 percent at the start to 66 percent at the end. The poll indicates that McCain's favorables dropped slightly, from 51 percent to 49 percent.
The economy was the dominant issue of the debate, and 59 percent of debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better job handling the economy, 24 points ahead of McCain.
During the debate, McCain attacked Obama's stance on taxes, accusing Obama of seeking tax increases that would "spread the wealth around." But by 15 points, 56 percent to 41 percent, debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better job on taxes. By a 2-1 margin, 62 percent to 31 percent, debate watchers said Obama would do a better job on health care.
66 percent of debate watchers said Obama more clearly expressed his views, with 25 percent saying McCain was more clear about his views.
By 23 points, those polled said Obama was the stronger leader during the debate. By 48 points, they said Obama was more likeable.
McCain won in two categories. 88 of debate watchers polled said McCain spent more time attacking his opponent, with 7 percent saying Obama was more on the attack. 54 percent said McCain seemed more like a typical politician during the debate, with 35 percent saying Obama acted more like a typical politician.
"Independents tend to prefer debates that are dominated by substance and light on discussion of personal characteristics," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "The perception that McCain attacked Obama gave red meat to GOP partisans, but it probably didn't help McCain with independents."

"There was a notable gender gap as well," Holland said. "Women thought Obama won the debate by a 62 percent to 28 percent margin. Among men, Obama's lead was narrower, 54 percent to 35 percent in Obama's favor."
During the debate, McCain demanded to know the full extent of Obama's relationship with William Ayers, a 1960s radical. But the poll suggests that line of attack may not resonate with Americans. Fifty-one percent of debate watchers said Obama's connection to Ayers didn't matter at all to them, with 23 percent saying it mattered a great deal.
The audience for the debate poll appeared to be a bit more Democratic -- and a bit more Republican -- than the U.S. population as a whole. Forty percent of debate watchers in the survey were Democrats and 30 percent Republicans.
CNN's estimate of the number of Democrats in the voting age population as a whole indicates the sample is about 3 to 4 points more Democratic than the population as a whole, but also about 2 to 3 points more Republican than the population as a whole.
88 percent of Democrats questioned in the poll said Obama did the best job, with 68 percent of Republicans saying McCain performed best. Among independents, 57 percent said Obama did the best job, with 31 percent backing McCain as the winner of the debate.
The candidates first debated in Oxford, Mississippi, on September 26. Fifty-one percent of debate watchers polled by CNN and the Opinion Research Corp. said Obama won that debate, with 38 percent saying McCain performed best. The second presidential debate was held in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 7 and 54 percent of debate watchers polled said Obama won, compared with 30 percent who said McCain did the best job.
The running mates, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska faced off in Saint Louis, Missouri, in the single vice presidential debate October 2. Fifty-one percent of debate watchers polled said Biden won, and 36 percent said Palin won.
The post-debate polls do not reflect the views of all Americans. They only represent the views of people who watched the debates.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by telephone Wednesday night, with 620 adult Americans who watched the debate questioned. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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3 debates in a row! Wow! Watch this video on what Obama said about this last debate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkS4l4dWzCg : "don't boo now, just vote!"

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Last U.S. Presidential Debate

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/presidential.debate/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

McCain puts Obama on the spot in final debate

(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain played offense against Sen. Barack Obama during much of the final presidential debate as he challenged his rival on his policies, judgment and character.

Sen. John McCain tells Sen. Barack Obama, "I am not President Bush."

Obama said he is the candidate who can bring "fundamental change" to the country and continued to try to link McCain to President Bush.
In one of the more forceful moments of the debate, McCain turned to Obama and said, "I am not President Bush."
"If you want to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago. I'm going to give a new direction to this economy and this country," the Arizona senator said.
McCain aides said they had been working on him to be more explicit in drawing a distinction between himself and Bush.
With less than three weeks before the election, it was one of several jabs McCain took at his opponent, who is leading the race in most national polls and has an 8-point lead in CNN's average of national polls.
A CNN/Opinion Research poll of people who watched the debate found 58 percent said Obama did the best job while 31 percent said McCain did.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, and the sample of debate-watchers in the poll were 40 percent Democratic and 30 percent Republican.
McCain touted what he called his "long record of reform" and said to Obama: "You have to tell me one time when you have stood up with the leaders of your party on one single major issue."
Obama said he has a "history of reaching across the aisle" and pointed to his support for charter schools, pay for performance for teachers and clean coal technology.

"Sen. Obama, your argument for standing up to the leadership of your party isn't very convincing," McCain said.
The third and final presidential debate took place at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, and was moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News.
As McCain tried to put the pressure on Obama, he told the Illinois senator that voters need to "know the full extent" of his relationship with Bill Ayers, a former 1960s radical who belonged to the Weather Underground.
"Mr. Ayers is not involved in this campaign, he has never been involved in my campaign, and he will not advise me in the White House," Obama said.
McCain's campaign has charged that Obama's association with Ayers should cause voters to question his judgment.
Ayers was a founding member of the radical Weather Underground, a group that was involved in bombings in the early 1970s, including attacks on the Pentagon and the Capitol.

Obama said Ayers had committed "despicable acts" 40 years ago, but pointed out that he himself had been 8 years old at the time.
Obama said Ayers has become the "centerpiece" of McCain's campaign and said the fact that McCain keeps bringing Ayers up "says more about your campaign than it says about me."
The Republican nominee also brought up comments made last weekend by Rep. John Lewis and pushed Obama to repudiate them.
Lewis on Saturday compared the feeling at recent GOP rallies to those of segregationist George Wallace.
"I think Congressman Lewis' point was that we have to be careful about how we deal with our supporters," Obama said.
"I do think that he inappropriately drew a comparison between what was happening there and what had happened during the civil rights movement, and we immediately put out a statement saying that we don't think that comparison is appropriate," he said.
As the candidates butted heads over tax policy, both made frequent mention of "Joe the plumber."

Last weekend, while Obama was canvassing for support in Holland, Ohio, the Democratic nominee ran into a man since dubbed Joe the plumber.
In that exchange "Joe" asked Obama if he believed in the American Dream -- he said he was about to buy a company that makes more than $250,000 a year and was concerned that Obama would tax him more because of it.
Obama explained his tax plan in depth, saying it's better to lower taxes for Americans who make less money, so that they could afford to buy from his business.
At the debate Wednesday, McCain characterized Obama's plan as trying to "spread the wealth around."
"We're going to take Joe's money, give it to Sen. Obama, and let him spread the wealth around. I want Joe the plumber to spread the wealth around," McCain said.
He added, "Why would you want to increase anybody's taxes right now? Why would you want to do that to anyone, anyone in America, when we have such a tough time?"
Obama countered that both he and McCain want to cut taxes, but that his plan would cut taxes for "95 percent of American families," more than McCain's plan.
On spending, Obama promised as president he would "go through the federal budget page by page, line by line, and cut programs that don't work," echoing a vow his rival has made repeatedly.
McCain in turn promised an "across the board spending freeze." He said he would balance the federal budget in four years, and went on to name specific programs including subsidies for ethanol when Schieffer pressed both candidates to identify specific budget cuts they would make.
The candidates also talked about abortion rights, a topic not addressed in the previous presidential debate.
McCain refused to commit to nominating only judges who opposed abortion, saying he would "never impose a litmus test" on court nominees.
But he qualified the statement a moment later, saying he would base his nominations on "qualifications" -- and that he did not believe a judge who supported Roe v. Wade, the case that legalized abortion, "would be part of those qualifications."
McCain hammered Obama on abortion, accusing him of "aligning himself with the extreme aspect of the pro-abortion movement in America."
Obama rejected the charge out of hand, saying: "Nobody is pro-abortion."
He advocated sex education as a way of reducing the number of unintended pregnancies that result in abortions.
"We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and they should not be engaged in cavalier activity," he said.
At the conclusion of the debate, Schieffer signed off with a line borrowed from his mother:
"Go vote now. It will make you feel big and strong."

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Obama picks up second debate win, poll says

By Paul SteinhauserCNN Deputy Political Director

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- A national poll of debate watchers suggests that Sen. Barack Obama won the second presidential debate.

Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain sparred about domestic policy during their second presidential debate.

Fifty-four percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey conducted after the debate ended said that Obama did the best job in the debate, with 30 percent saying Sen. John McCain performed better.
According to the poll, 64 percent had a favorable opinion of Obama after the debate, up 4 points from before the event. 51 percent of those polled had a favorable opinion of McCain after the debate, unchanged from before its start.
A majority said Obama seemed to be the stronger leader during the debate, 54 percent to 43 percent, and by a more than 2-to-1 ratio -- 65 percent to 28 percent -- viewers thought Obama was more likable during the debate.

CNN polling director Keating Holland said Obama made some gains on the leadership issue even before the debate.
"McCain's advantage on leadership shrunk from 19 points in September to just 5 points this weekend," Holland said. "If Obama can use this debate to convince Americans that he is a stronger leader than McCain, he may be difficult to defeat."
A majority of debate watchers polled thought Obama was more intelligent, by a 57 percent to 25 percent margin over McCain. Debate watchers also thought Obama more clearly expressed his views by a 2-to-1 ratio, 60 percent to 30 percent.

Debate watchers questioned thought McCain, rather than Obama, spent more time attacking his opponent, with 63 percent saying McCain went more on the attack, as opposed to just 17 percent saying Obama.

Half of those polled said Obama answered questions more directly, 13 points ahead of McCain, and by a 14-point margin, debate watchers thought Obama seemed to care more about the problems of audience members who asked questions.
McCain did come out on top in one category that neither candidate wants to win. By a 16-point margin, debate watchers thought the Arizona senator seemed more like a typical politician during the debate.
"For McCain, the key finding may be that his favorable rating did not change at all," Holland said. "It's unclear whether Obama will gain any momentum from Tuesday night's debate, but it looks like McCain will not do so. For a candidate who has consistently been a few points behind in national polls, that's not a good sign."
The poll suggests that independent voters thought Obama won the debate. 54 percent of those identifying themselves as independents said the Illinois senator performed best, with 28 percent saying that McCain did the better job.

Among Democrats, 85 percent said Obama won, with just 5 percent saying McCain did better. Among Republicans, 64 percent said McCain won, with 16 percent saying Obama did better.
Most debate watchers thought Obama won the first presidential debate September 26. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll taken after that debate, 51 percent of those polled thought Obama did the better job, while 38 percent said John McCain did better.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by telephone with 675 adult Americans who watched the debate. All interviews were taken after the end of the debate.
The audience for Tuesday's debate was 38 percent Democratic and 31 percent Republican, which is very close to the partisan breakdown among all Americans nationwide. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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