Éclectique

Yesterday, we had cleaned the fishpond -- that was exhausting. Today, we planned to visit my grandfather -- or as my brother, my cousins and I call him, Atuk -- in Banting. Worrying that there wouldn't be any food, we swung by KFC at D'Pangkin to buy a bucket -- this is a rarity. We bought the one that can feed 5-6 people. Bloody expensive. RM75++. So we officially hit the road around 11:45 or so. An hour's journey coupled with bad drivers -- there seem to be a lot of those in Malaysia -- and we were at Atuk's doorstep around 1:50-ish. Amazingly, no one was home. His car wasn't in the driveway. We swung by my cousin's house which was in the area and they too weren't home. We figured there must've been some kenduri somewhere and Atuk sort of forgot about us. Huhu. Well, he doesn't get guests too often. So for the heck of it, we swung by Pantai Morib. My first time. Hehe! Before that, my dad said that if followed the sign to Pantai Kelana...

Right off the bat I'm sure you guys are wondering either; (A) What on Earth do those acronyms mean? (B) Aqil mentioned them before... But I can't remember... Either way, I'll let you know. SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test -- formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test. TOEFL stands for Test Of English as A Foreign Language. Right now, these two are my top priority. Preparing for and taking the tests. For the TOEFL, I'll be taking TOEFL iBT which means internet-based test. I recently bought a couple of books to help with preparations. The titles are; Cracking the SAT 2011 Edition and Cracking the TOEFL iBT 2011 Edition . Both are published by The Princeton Review. Cracking the SAT 2011 Edition by The Princeton Review Cracking the TOEFL iBT 2011 Edition by The Princeton Review Insyaallah I'll be able to do it. SAT so far seems quite doable. Hehe! That's all for now. Au revoir!

There's so many questions! What do I want to do? where do I want to go? how am I going to afford it? Let's start with the first question; what. What do I want to do? I feel like taking engineering but I'm not sure I can carry it -- thanks to poor grades in Add Math so far. I really REALLY hope I did way better this time. Insyaallah. If I do go for engineering, what type of engineering? Not civil. You're not supposed to take that right away, I think. Mechanical? I like to tinker with stuff but I'm not too sure about job opportunities. -Sigh-. Second question; where. This is very much depended on what course/field I'll be taking. But I really really want to go to the US. Maybe Canada. Ivy League colleges are too expensive. The US and Canada have a lot of good colleges. I'm looking for a QUALITY education. Any good college should provide that. I'll just have to keep scouring. Right now, I'm just looking at application deadlines, ent...

Here it comes, The most important, Most challenging 4 weeks, Of our illustrious high school lives. It may only be 10 days, But the days are placed, Over a span of time, 22 days to be exact. 3 days, Then 4 days, Followed by 1 day, Again and Again. These 22 days are represented, By the most feared 3-letter acronym, Known to Malaysian high schoolers, It is SPM. It is our final set of hurdles, That last stretch, Witching hour, Zero hour. This is the leap, We took our breaths during the trials, Now we jump, But we are yet to begin falling. AQ 24th November 2010 Note: I wrote this on the second day of SPM, I think.

Just got back. We woke up early and after getting everything ready, headed to Putrajaya Challenge Park. However, mom didn't come with us. She had other plans. We missed the exit and had to sort of double back a bit after the toll. We arrived at PCP around 11 and unloaded the bikes, geared up, etc. When we got arrived, there were A LOT of people! We were both happy and cautious. It was nice to see the trails being used rather than falling into disarray but we were worried about the number of riders that would be on the trails. However, we realized pretty much everyone was leaving, at his/her own pace. Yes, there were a number of female riders too which was nice to see. Mountain biking is far too nice a sport not to be enjoyed by everyone. Anyway, we headed up to the trail and started. 1st leg; Starts with a rapid but short descent leading straight into a set up ascending switchbacks. Get ready to drop gears quickly and pedal to the top. Stop, and you won't be able t...

Tomorrow I'm going to Putrajaya Challenge Park!!! Woohoo!! It's been like 3 or months or so since I went there. There's a number of things I want to achieve/do there. But before day, an account of today's events. If you don't want to read through that, my fellow readers, scroll down until you start to see numberings. That should be the list of things I want to do at the Putrajaya Challenge Park. Everyone woke up earlier than usual -- considering that it IS a Saturday -- and got ready to go to Mid Valley. After a quick breakfast of cereals and bananas. Yummy. Hehe! Anyway, we left the house around 9:45 and arrived at the Gardens at around 10. We made a beeline to the dentist for our regular check up and scaling. We had to take turns since we were all assigned to the same dentist. After I had finished -- I was the first in -- I brought my VAIO to the Sony Store because I was having trouble uninstalling the trial version of Microsoft Office. Unfortunately, ...

I've finally finished the heaviest of 9 of the 10 subjects. Like I've written in my previous post(s), I'm taking 10 subjects totaling about 23 papers. O_O". So I've done 21/23 papers! YEAAH!! The heaviest are over! Today was Biology. Next week is English for Science and Technology (EST). I'm not panicking too much because all I need to do is read through my National Geographic magazines. I have around 2 years worth of them. Hehe! Great pictures AND great articles. I guess you could say that National Geographic is what got me into amateur photography and writing. To top it off, I've always loved animals and the environment and issues that matter so it was a really natural fit. When I mean issues that matter, politics doesn't fall under it. Unless it's something really major and/or will affect me. Speaking of which; in Malaysian newspapers and/or news networks there's too many of these things: 'Politics'. It's rarely abo...

So I've made it through 7 subjects totalling 15 papers. Phew. 3 more subjects to go. That means another 8 more papers. O_O'. I have 3 days to brush up my Chemistry then one day to memorize Biology then 1 week to pour over my NatGeo magazines for EST. At least after Biology, I can hit PCP!! YEEAAH!!! So far, SPM wasn't too bad. Insyaallah I will be OK. I hope so. P/S I've managed to keep my promise of staying off Facebook for 3 weeks. I'll stay off until AFTER I sit for my EST papers. Why? Because I know I can do it.

It's SPM season now. I've already finished the first 3 subjects. I have another 7 to go. Which means I'll be sitting for 23 papers in total. -choking sounds-. Oh well. I've already completed 6 papers so that's 17 papers left. Wish me luck!!

Only 14 more days till SPM... Ouch. I'm not ready! Least of all for Add Math. I can barely pass, let alone scrape an A... 14 more days till the start of SPM. 10 days of exams -- not counting the breaks in between. So that makes... 13 days to go till I'm free! -Gulp-. -Sigh-. Time to hunker down & give it my all. After that, once I'm done with SPM, I'm going to blank out and forget about everything I've learned and refuse to study. That's a fact. Even if I don't want to -- pfft as if -- I WILL. Especially the last part. After exams, I always have difficulty studying. Things to do After SPM: Driver's license!! Putrajaya Challenge Park. No way is ANYBODY stopping me! Triathlon. Which reminds me; I need running shoes. S.A.T. This one is my parents request. :( There's a lot more on that list but not enough time to write it all down here. Not yet anyway.

Alright, so maybe not exactly 1001 uses but you get the point. The polymer I'm referring to was developed recently; its called d30. Really nifty stuff. Under low impact, it reacts kind of like playdoh but under high impact, the molecules pack tightly together, causing it to harden up and hold its shape. The video below is demonstrates d30 so you can see it for yourself. P.S. As mentioned in the video, the form of d30 featured is not yet processed and formed. Cool, eh? Brands SixSixOne and Raceface have begun to apply it in their protective gear such as elbow/forearm and knee/shin guards, etc. I thought that this thing wasn't 100% perfected yet so I wasn't expecting it to be available in at least 3-5 years. Yesterday, I went to the Specialized Concept Store in the Strand, Damansara and there it was; 2011 SixSixOne Evo Lite XC elbow AND knee guards as well as SixSixOne Evo elbow and knee guards! Sadly, they cost RM300++ a pair. Huhu. But it's already here in Malays...

Trials are over! Phew. At last. But unfortunately, those are only the trials. The real SPM is yet to come. -Sigh-. At least I'll get a break, I hope. Hehe. I'm going to enjoy not studying right now. Au revoir for now.

TRIALS -sigh- studystudystudy

It's nearly the end of Ramadhan and tomorrow, I'll be hitting the road heading back to my 'kampung' or village in Perak which is about 100+ kilometres up north. My father said to brace ourselves as traffic is bound to be heavy, especially with Eid il Fitri right around the corner. I'm bored and I can't sleep. Lately, the state of our education system keeps playing on my mind. Learning is supposed to be fun. That's the most efficient way to learn. Where you see it's application in daily life and you get the appreciation because you know how it works. Well, when the students despise going to school, something isn't right. I can tell you for a fact, I learn best when I know and understand it's application in daily life. That really helps me. Like history, it's facts regarding what has happened and I kind of like history so I'm sort of alright there. Modern math is fun to do because our teacher really walks us through it one by one, ...

The 1 week semester break has been extended to 2 weeks due to Eid il Fitri. So once school reopens, it's 3 days of school and then on Thursday, TRIALS! Huhu. So for those of us in Form 3 & Form 5, these 2 weeks is not so much a holiday as it is a study-a-thon. I feel our exam-oriented system is stressful on students and actually limiting our opportunities to be all-rounders. Too few are scoring A+'s AND excelling in the co-curricular activities. Our syllabus is heavy and I think getting heavier. History is about to be incorporated into the primary school syllabus. The Standard 1 kids are already learning Science. It is literally back-breaking work. Those little kids in Primary school can't lift all those books without damaging the back posture. And when we consider leaving the heavy textbooks in class. It's not allowed. What the? Anyway, I'm bored and having trouble sleeping. My birthday is in about 2 weeks and my family is asking me what I want for...

Last Sunday, my family & I went for a ride at the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) is Sungai Buloh. It's a really cool XC trail. A lot of loops. The week leading up to our trip was kind of stressful because information regarding RRI was hard to obtain. Getting there is simple enough. Starting from Skypark Terminal, Subang Airport, keep going straight until you reach a Caltex gas station. From there, turn right and keep going, following the signs. The signs will lead you to the actual institute itself which is on your left. The entrance to the trail however, is right across the street, on your right. So turn right -- it's between two nurseries -- and park. There's a small plot of land perfect for parking and unloading the bikes. After that, start off. Map from Subang Airport to Entrance of RRI View Larger Map The road going into the plantation is red soil road and it's a nice ride. You can do some pretty cool sprints there but I'd advise against that. ...

The draftees -- is that even a word? Well, the name list for selected or drafted to attend the Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN) or National Service is out! A number of my friends got selected. And I --finally! -- found out whether I was selected or not. Turns out I got picked! Hehe. I don't really care. To me, the worst part is probably going to be having to share bathrooms and the haircut. Well, the hair will grow back so not really a problem there. Honestly, I don't really mind going. Last time, I wanted to go but that was because I didn't know what I would do during the long holiday after SPM. Now that I do, I'm kinda bummed but hey, better than sitting for Form 6. That I don't want to do. Sorry to those who want to attend Form 6, I don't mean to put you guys down. Mama & Abah would probably want to talk about National Service when they get home. I guess that's all for now.

So much has happened. Sad, happy and everything in between. A fast-forwarded version would be like this. Editor's note; most events listed below have happened whereas some have yet to happen. I watched Toy Story 3. And I cried. Well, not sobbing crying but yeah, I shed tears. I really grew up with that movie. During the 1st movie, Andy was moving to a new house. Around the same time, I was moving back to Malaysia from the US. Sad times. In the third movie, Andy is 17 & about to go to college. So am I. I got an invitation from a friend to participate in the Urban Downhill event of the King of Fraser's Hill mountain bike carnival/bash/event/wtv. But I can't go. Huhu. I learned how to take out my back tire, take it apart (tube & tire only) and of course put it back. Another milestone in learning about bikes. My grades are slowly climbing. Yaay! Except for Add Math and Chemistry. Huhu. I'm paying more attention in class than ever before. Which is a g...

I ask; what is personal belief? And at what point is your personal belief compromised? Is personal belief something that you believe is right despite any doubts that you may have? Is it compromised when you feel like going against your personal beliefs every time you run into the same situation? Or is personal belief the very thing that prevents you from giving in to your emotions because deep down, you know that not giving in is the right move to do? For example; my mother often makes rather hurtful remarks about the things. Destructive constructive criticism you may say. And for those of us in the Eastern culture in particular, it is very much unacceptable to talk back to your parents. Many a time in such situations, I feel like storming out of the room or shouting back at her. So do I actually believe in my personal belief of not talking back no matter how much I want to? Or am I merely submitting myself painfully to the norms of society?

It's a slow Saturday afternoon but at least it's not stressful. I always feel stressed out when I have to study for extended periods of time in my room. Maybe it's because I'm really REALLY studying. Hehehe. I can hear some jazz music coming from one of the neighbours. Sets a nice ambiance. I was hoping to go out with my family today but my mom decided not to. Huhu. She said we would go out tomorrow. So for the time being, I'm alternating between 'studying' and looking up places to ride. Provided I can get another mountain bike for my dad. And a car rack. Haha. Oh well. Guess that's it for now. Au revoir.

Sorry for not blogging lately! A lot has been happening and I just haven't had the time to blog. Last weekend, I participated in a public speaking competition and naturally, blew it. Haha. A friend of mine, Mikhail entered too but he didn't make it to the semi-finals either. Kinda disappointed but I kinda saw it coming. This weekend I have a debate competition at HELP College. Excited and nervous at the same time. Also, there's a downhill event coming up; The Kiara Rage. It's on 25th July. Unfortunately, I cannot participate. Huhu. Mainly because I need more practice, a new helmet & my parents' permission. Hehehe. Um, just a short update for now. Au revoir.

It's been a while since I blogged. Quite a bit has happened. My dad went to Umrah and he is already safely back home. Though a bit under the weather -- mainly due to lack of rest. Other than that, the school holidays were a wee bit dull if not for the rather pricey -- though short -- shopping list. Hehe. I got my first pair of goggles! No, not the swimming goggles. I'm talking bout MX-level goggles. The ones they use for motorcross (MX) & mountain biking. Oakley Proven MX. Hehe. They're really cool! the goggles. Oakley Proven MX Goggles + helmet

Today was the debate competition at KDU College in Damansara Utama. To my surprise, we won the first 2 rounds! Woohoo! Hehe. If we win 1 more round, we're moving to the octo-finals! Hehe. That's all for now. Just a short post. Au revoir!

It's been a while since I blogged. Quite a while, I know. I've just been so caught up with school, studying, recovering, etc. Yes, recovering. I know most of you already know what I mean by recovering but for those who don't know, it's because I crashed while mountain biking at Putrajaya Challenge Park. I crashed about a week back on Saturday. Looked quite bad. But it wasn't as bad as it looked. Some of you may have noticed my walking around school with a mask the past week. It wasn't because I wasn't feeling well, it was because I was hiding my injuries. Didn't want to attract too much attention. Though the slash-like bruise on my forehead and love bite-like bruises on my neck -- that's what many people said -- attracted quite a bit of attention. Those were harder to cover up. This was me just over a week ago. Now, my bruises are all gone and my lips & chin are completely healed, if not a bit pink because the scabs just fell off. OK, maybe ...

I was reading an article on Yahoo! News and there's been another accident at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This time involving a two-person bobsledding team. Neither members were seriously hurt but that's not the point. What's scary is that it happened on the same track the late Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili died. The Olympic governing body had allegedly taken safety precautions to improve the safety of the track. Particularly since the tragic death of the luger had occured during a training session. I feel that either the governing body has either not taken sufficient precautions or that the entire track itself is not safe. I understand that many sports -- including luge and bobsledding -- have high risks but one death and one accident on the same track during the same Olympics? Something is amiss. Merely my point of view, here. A short post this time, I'm afraid.

As I had published in one of my previous posts, I had gone to the Putrajaya Challenge Park on Monday and it was a blast! I got a small cut on my knee and some parts of the track I did were risky so my parents decided that I needed knee and elbow guards. I expected to get them next weekend or maybe even next month. What I didn't expect is I would be getting them the following day! I was overjoyed! I found an open store in Shah Alam. Due Roda Extreme is the name of the store. It is a really cool store. The store itself is divided into two; one for mountain bikes and mountain bike related products, the other is for motorcycles. It was an interesting combination. Another surprise when I bought the guards was that I also got a full face helmet. I was a bit taken aback when my parents subtly agreed to my gawking. Hehe. I got a pair of FOX Racing Launch knee/shin guards and a Mongoose elbow + knee guard set. My full face helmet is a limited edition matte bronze FOX Rampage DH Helmet. D...

I finally managed to go to the Putrajaya Challenge Park today! WOOHOO! It is a nice place but it takes a teensy bit to get there. Just follow the signboards till you get there. The best place to start is in front of the Putrajaya International Convention Center with all the flags waving. From there, turn left, follow the directions and you'll get there. By the way, you'll pass by a cemetery which is a tad bit creepy, especially considering that you're going to do some extreme sports. I had a blast. Crashed once and got a slight cut on my knee. I had to bail out on a few parts coz I didn't have enough momentum. Man. Those tracks are tricky. Especially the jumps. My feet keep lifting off the pedals. Phew. Haha. But it was wicked! the cut on my knee And the cut looks worse than it is. It's just one small cut but it bled out a bit, thus the gruesome effect. Sorry to any of my readers who find this image graphical and hard to digest. Alright, now time for a quick wal...

Friday night, my parents had decided that this weekend, we would not be going out of the house except for necessities like groceries, Akid's swim class, family meetings, etc. So, naturally, I was prepared -- sort of -- for a weekend full of studying. I sort of guessed as much because next week is Akid's birthday. I'll put up a post when the time comes. Anyway, as I had said earlier, I was sort of ready to face a weekend of studying and then another week of the same activity -- huhu. Then today, while having snack after Akid's swimming lesson, my mom decided that on Monday morning, we were going to swim in Putrajaya. A series of things came to mind in this order; Putrajaya-mountain bike-Putrajaya Challenge Park-IDEA! Inevitably, my dad caught the look on my face -- or he was thinking about it too -- and said we would check out the park since it was close by AND that we would bring my mountain bike along. WOOHOO!! I only face two dilemmas; one of which is easily solved. ...

The one week Chinese New Year holidays have started! That means... -building up to climatic reveal- more studying. Huhuhu. Talk about anti-climatic. I really, really hope I can get a full-face helmet, some padding and go hit the slopes at Putrajaya Challenge Park ! Huhu. -Sigh-. We'll see how that turns out. To all my Chinese friends and/or my fellow bloggers & bloggerettes, regardless of race, age or gender, I wish you a very happy Chinese New Year!!

I'm really strained for time lately. -Sigh-. Form 5 is getting more exhaustive as it goes by. The past 3-4 weekends have been so hectic! This weekend, Akid entered a swim meet in the 50m breaststroke and 50m front crawl/freestyle. Unfortunately, he didn't win either. He was pretty bummed out about it but it's his first competition and he just started picking back up on the training/classes anyway. Today, I had to be the 'pembawa bunga manggar' during my coach's wedding and I had to borrow a pair of black baju melayu. Which reminds me, need to give it back. Hehe. Anyway, while changing, I dropped my phone and though it has suffered many a drop, this one was bad. My screen cracked. -Gasps!-. Haha. So much for melodrama. It's quite a crack but thankfully, it's on the extreme lower right side so it's not really a bother. I'm going to hold on to this phone 'till it goes kaput -- completely unusable. Or maybe until the price of the ...

That is the title of the seminar I went to this weekend. It's part of the 5-session thing organized by NST & sponsored by Sime Darby. Yesterday, the activities were a tad bit boring because the activities were just the group carrying it out and then pasting it up on the wall. No presenting. It was fun, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't the most involving or challenging, that's all. Today, the activities were less group-based and much more individual participation. We did some personality profiling on ourselves. There were 4 categories; Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholy and Phlegmatic. I know some of the names are not so pleasant but that aside, the activity was quite fun. Everyone will get a combination of two personality groups except the following combinations; Sanguine-Melancholy or Melancholy-Sanguine and Choleric-Phlegmatic or Phlegmatic-Choleric My combination was Sanguine-Choleric. Sanguines are very talkative, cannot sit still, hyper-active and ver...

It's been a while since I blogged. I don't think I've blogged at all this week. Nope, I haven't. Soo... Hehe. Um. Wow. What's with all the damn one-word sentences. Wait, that last one wasn't. Hehe. Alright. To the actual point. This week -- on Wednesday, I believe -- we dissected a frog in Biology. Guess that makes me 'eligible' for the AVATAR program. Hehe. In the movie, the main character is asked how much laboratory experience he has and he cheekily replied, "I dissected a frog in high school once." It was kinda cool. I managed to use the scalpel and all. 5 Epsilon did it the next day, I think. In both classes, there were those who objected against the use of frogs -- or rather the killing of an animal -- for the sake of learning. Though they were a minority. I think. Besides that, I signed up for debate & public speaking. While Sharanya & QM were going around the school getting names, some form 3 went to them and a...

Recently, so many things I enjoy have been cut down. Among which include; my phone, my laptop, PS3 and TV. And though I admit, it is pretty much my only ticket to getting back to the US where I can see once more what the country of my birth looks like. Last time I was there was 13 years ago. I want to go back. But then there's something my mom keeps saying; work hard now and enjoy success later. Problem is, first was UPSR, then was the constant monthly exams, then PMR and then SPM. Once all of that is done, you have 4 not-so-relaxing months applying for colleges that will accept your SPM Trial results. And when we finally do get into a college, we have to struggle -- again -- to stay in college, graduate with decent results and get a good job. And finally, we're done struggling. AAANT (buzzer sound) WRONG ANSWER! Why? We have to work hard until we're seeing therapists to stay sane otherwise that 6-digit paycheck we worked so hard to earn, won't come in. So, we...

Tomorrow & today there was supposed to be a seminar on leadership. It is part of the Creative Writing course. But there was an emergency cancellation so instead of cancelling the seminar itself, they went on with it but only for today. That means no seminar tomorrow. Replacement will be on the 30th & 31st of January. I should be free. I don't want to enter anything for the school Sports Day & I don't want to go for Co-Curricular activities on a Saturday. Quite frankly, I'm not in the mood to participate in any of the Co-Curricular activities at the moment. Save maybe for debate through the English Literature Society & rugby but not really fond of going for Kadet Bomba. I guess maybe I feel that I have fulfilled my -- ah what the heck. Just say it. I feel lazy to go and that I have done my time with Bomba. There I said it. -Sigh-. Why did they have to do it on a Saturday. So lazy... I really want a full-face helmet and then to try out the course ...

The year just keeps getting better and better as the hours roll by. Due to homework + studying -- honest, this time -- +tuition/tuition work, the time I spend online has significantly reduced. But I don't mind that. Last night, my mom imposed a MEGA-curfew. No phone unless they're home or we're outside. Or rather, I have to go out. It's kind of frustrating. I know, I know, SPM is coming up, etc. -Sigh-. But I'm adamant about trying out Taman Cabaran BEFORE the damn exam. Hehe.

It's only the first-week of school and already it's getting a wee bit complicating. First there's the upcoming sports day to contend with. In which I -- somehow -- ended up AJK Kawad Kaki for Earth. I don't want to be that! I pulled out of Kadet Bomba for that AND to focus on other things. Like studies, before anyone can say anything else. Then there is fact that sports day is on 6th February, on which I also have the creative writing course. This situation could get a bit sticky... -Sigh-... Oh, and the Honda Scholarship I want to check out. Then there's the dilemma with the rugby team because the juniors are in the afternoon session. And last, but most certainly not least, my academics. I hope their improving. And I'm not sure about EST... I think go for it first and see.

Yes. I have a studies-related dilemma & school hasn't even freaking reopened! Wow. Looks like its going to be a rough year from here on in. What is my dilemma? My physics tuition is scheduled on Fridays. I know right now you are thinking, "alright, he's lost it. There's nothing wrong with physics tuition on Fridays," True, there shouldn't be. But wait just one moment. I also have rugby practice on Fridays. NOO! My head says drop rugby and focus on physics but my heart says drop physics & play rugby. And given the past evidence, the new physics teacher isn't quite up to the mark. I mean, I managed to scrape 70% with my old teacher but barely passed with the new one. I know, maybe it is me but I'm merely stating my inference and observation, respectively. My dad too is undecided. I am yet to discuss with my mom. We shall see. -Sigh-. Looks like a rough year ahead. -Gulp-.

I know it is already the 2nd of January and I know this should have been written the LATEST by 31st December but I finally got around to writing this -- and thinking about it. Hehe. I've color-coded them by the way. Red means VERY important, Purple means preferable but optional and Green means it's just something I want that isn't important. Hehe. So my New Year's Resolutions -- which are in no particular order of importance are; A full-face MTB helmet. Preferrably -- or rather, hopefully -- from Specialized or SixSixOne but I don't mind any other brand. As long as I like it -- duh. Elbow/forearm + knee/shin guards. This too I would prefer SixSixOne. Or maybe Fox Head but again, I'm just hoping. 10 A's for SPM -- duh. Improve myself so that I study hard AND smart. A lot. Without burning out. That means minimum 1 SOLID hour a day. Then I can play, a bit. Get Abah a bike and hit the trails one fine weekend. Get a scholarship to M.I.T and do en...