snitched this off a friend's blog, the news was in 2007, but it's still true and applicable. everything.....

except that contrary to popular beliefs, we don't get paid a lot.. yes, billing 1000 quid an hour? trust me, that 1000 quid goes to the firm not a penny to you..... (although it is supposed to reflect in your bonus... but don't get your hopes up here.... click on the title to go to the original post..)

i guess the only way we'd be rolling in cash is if we owned our own firm, and we suckered every bit out of it hahaha

Why are lawyers miserable: want a list?

Sathnam Sanghera: Business Life

The juxtaposition of two stories in The Times last week – one reporting that top-flight City lawyers were charging as much as £1,000 an hour for their expertise, another that a quarter of lawyers wanted to leave their profession – raised a pertinent question: just why are those in the legal business so miserable?

The Law Society has recently been trying to provide an answer, but its “quality of life” review, taking the form of workshops, debates and online surveys, has been dragging on inconclusively like a complex fraud case and also seems to have missed some vital evidence from across the pond.

You see, as with everything else, America has been doing lawyer dissatisfaction bigger and better than us for decades. Polls have at various times established that not just a quarter, but up to 40 per cent of US lawyers want to leave their profession; and whereas British lawyers are only just waking up to the fact they are miserable and want to die, their American counterparts have been alert to it since 1989, which saw the publication of Deborah Arron’s Running From the Law: Why Good Lawyers are Getting Out of the Legal Profession.

Indeed, there are now almost more books, articles and websites dedicated to the subject of legal despair than there are American lawyers. Which is saying something, given that the USA has more lawyers than people.

And last week, to help the Law Society get to the point, I spent two bleak days sifting through the literature, a process that made it clear City lawyers are unhappy because of:

1. the dehumanising hours. Remember that bit in The Firm where Tom Cruise’s character is told that if he even thinks of a client in the shower, he should bill it?

Not only can one imagine this actually happening now – lawyers generally charge on the basis of billable hours, and annual targets can be brutal – but the shower might even be taken in the office. Many City firms offer beds and washrooms in offices to enable staff to work longer.

While those entering the profession may be prepared for this – an excessive workload is seen as a rite of passage – many don’t seem to realise that their reward for selling the best years of their lives is simply the privilege of being allowed to sell the rest of their lives in the capacity of partner.

Which, of course, negates the only advantage of being a lawyer: the cash. Leaving aside the question of whether money can make you happy, it is pretty obvious it won’t if you have no time to spend it.

2. the yawning gap between their intelligence and the mind-numbing nature of their work. The word “lawyer” may trigger images of attractive people making clever arguments in wood-panelled courtrooms, but most spend the majority of their time in back offices drafting and redrafting small print that almost no one will read. At least if you flipped burgers for a living you’d have the satisfaction of giving people momentary pleasure.

3. the yawning gap between the ideals of those entering the profession and the reality. Some go into law because they dream of fighting injustice, but discover on entering that most of what lawyers do benefits big business.

Others enter the profession because they are seduced by the apparent glamour of the trade, as portrayed in Ally McBeal and LA Law, only to find that the work is about as glamorous as getting a verruca (cf point 2). Then there are those graduates – as much as 47 per cent of the profession, according to a recent survey – who drift into the job because they don’t know what else to do, assuming vaguely that it might be fun, and find on entering that it is about as amusing as breaking a limb in a traffic accident (cf point 1). Repeatedly. For 90 hours a week.

4. the cumulatively lowering nature of the work. We all end up being shaped by our careers. Journalists become rude, incorrigible gossips. Police officers start believing what they read in the Daily Mail. Lawyers, meanwhile, become competitive, aggressive, judgmental, analytical, adversarial, emotionally detached, paranoid of being sued and, worst of all, pessimistic. Being a good lawyer involves assuming that people will do the most awful things and that treachery is to be expected. It’s inevitable that this negativity eventually seeps into their personal lives.

5. the vortex of hatred that envelops them entirely. I’m not only referring here to those surveys that put lawyers among politicians and journalists as the least popular of professionals. I’m also referring to the fact that lawyers despise each other (cf point 4), despise themselves (cf points 1, 2, 3,4), are despised by their clients (for charging too much, not always winning cases) and, in return, despise their clients back.

Handling others people’s problems, unless you are Mother Theresa or Esther Rantzen, eventually becomes tedious, especially when most of those problems relate to money.

6. the self-inflicted nature of their suffering. Because of the way City firms work, most senior lawyers, as well as having to spend too long doing too much dull work, are under intense pressure to attract new business. When dissatisfaction kicks in, it’s amplified by the fact that the work making them unhappy is self-imposed. It’s like waking up to find someone drilling a hole into your head, only to realise the sadist wielding the Black ‘n’ Decker is actually you.

Looking back over this list, I realise little of it is going to elicit much sympathy. Somehow, I can’t see the Red Cross diverting resources away from Darfur to come to the rescue of professionals earning £1,000 an hour.

But human misery isn’t relative, and I can’t help thinking these problems could be solved. All City firms need to do is take a moment or two to take a good look at themselves. But that must be difficult when time is (so much) money.

sometimes there are rude people, and sometimes there are rude people...

i think i'm too nice sometimes for my own good...

a little background before the (crazy long) rant, and no, i'm not trying to brag or anything...

i'm a lawyer, freshly called to the bar last september, therefore making me a noob lawyer, i've still got about 5 months or less, before i even hit the first year mark.... so i've been sent by my firm to this company to conduct a due diligence (it's like auditing, but i don't look at numbers but documents such as minutes, forms, resolutions, agreements etc)..

during the course of my due diligence, i noticed a number of discrepancies and missing documents (minutes, resolutions, forms), mind you, i'm on a tight schedule here. so i had to waste almost 3 hours of my precious time drawing up a list for the company secretary (short form coseq - who by right usually holds said documents), with a note that it is URGENT!

no word from her, so the director being the nice man that he is, he called her to ask what is the delay, since we have a deadline and i need the documents, she requested to speak to me. okay fine... she asked me to go to the companies commission (we call it CCM here - it's the regulatory body, where we usually send a copy of the company's documents to for their records) to do a due diligence (DD) there...

internally "WHAT??", so i asked her nicely, why can't she send the documents to me, and she kept telling me to go to CCM. i told her, we have a tight deadline, i don't have time to waste there. why can't you get me all the documents... with that the director took back the phone and started scolding her, before hanging up.

next the coseq called my office requesting i call her, as i was not in the office (i was at that company remember?) my secretary mailed me... ok.. the next morning ie this morning i called her... and she starts saying things like.. she doesn't understand what is wrong with me, why am i so unprofessional.. first time she has met a lawyer who refuses to conduct a DD at CCM... and she doesn't care what happens to the company, if they get questioned by the Securities Commission for not disclosing stuff... bla bla bla... i was baffled and very WTF!

hello? the first thing after i introduced myself you start off with that line? you as the coseq should have these documents, i am on a tight schedule i don't have time to waste going to CCM and be printing out the documents one by one... page by page...

but i was too nice... i told her... rather asked her... why can't she get it from me, and it's not that i'm refusing to go there to do DD, but i'm on a tight schedule, since you have the documents just send them to me..

then she goes on again bout me being unprofessional and not understanding why i won't do DD at CCM when other lawyers do that.. err... as far as i know.. no lawyers i know of goes there for DD, unless under special circumstances...

she goes on and on.. wasting my phone bill about that.. and so i asked her... (in an impatient voice but still quite nice if you asked me compared to her) why can't she just send me the documents, why must i go to CCM. and i told her when is my deadline, and told her to understand.. i really have no time!!!!!

then she asked me why was the timeline set as such ie so tightly... i was really at the brink of going !@£$%^&*

hello, you are the coseq, you should know what is going on right????? ok fine, maybe the director didn't tell you,... so i told her the reason.. and she was like ooh... and she still told me to go do DD at CCM!!! which part of deadline did she not understand?
sigh.. for one she sounded more agitated than me.. so i got pissed..
i asked her to calm down and tell me what's the problem... why is she being so damn agitated for???!! does she not have the documents..???!!!

then she tells me.. she doesn't... it was confiscated or something... and i was like "WTF!!????" you could have told me that earlier.. 10 minutes of you calling me unprofessional and all, wasting my phone bill while you were at it and you tell me that you don't have the documents.. so i told her, if that's the case then you should have told me, cause it will be useless and a waste of my time pressing you for documents you don't have and i will have to consider getting someone to CCM to get the damned documents... (i will discuss that with my senior, since this would take time and money)

arghh so irritating... and then when she realised that i'm not as panicky or agitated as she might be attempting to make me, she starting saying things to cover her ass... she has done listing before, the directors of the company have not.. she knows what's going on bla bla.. and i was like yea yea... internally i was like "OMG"

and she told me not to tell the directors that she told me the documents were confiscated.... so i told the directors, that the coseq simply said she doesn't have them, then they told me that she moved office at least 5 times, apparently one time was because of a fire...she does things on her own without much or any support staff... and well.. this and that....

so i'm annoyed and on the fence, both sides don't seem to like each other very much, and the fact that she tries to cover her ass so much... and bringing the name of some big law firm in.... and well.. me wondering if what she told me holds a seed of truth, which i can only find out if i go to CCM (according to her) and me not sure whether the director and manager are telling me the truth.... well good for her... she's managed to sow the seed of doubt...

so yea... besides the fact that i've been stuck doing DD for 6 companies alone (3 were updates but still substantial, and my dispatch only collected the documents today) the other 3 i've to do from scratch and 2 of which have been around since 1992, meaning the minutes, resolutions etc that i've to take down are 18 years worth... doesn't help that the documents for the latter 3 are not really in order, the registers not updated (coseq responsibility you know.. who's not professional here?) i've been typing so much like a maniac that my fingers are numb, playing the piano was hard.. i think even professional pianists don't' get what i've got.. imagine them practising piano for... wait... i think some of them can do that.. i digress

also i did mention i'm a noob right? so i'm not sure what i'm supposed to do, and that makes me even slower... i've a tight deadline, a bunch of missing documents... documents which are not in order and everywhere.. a pain in the butt coseq... doubt sowed by the coseq, and i think the worst part is i'm alone! my SOS callls have gone unheeded... (no one is available to help me)

can i not get angry and depressed like this??

i'm at the client's place from 9am- to about 10pm everyday.. i only take a 15-20 min lunch break and go back to typing, and i can't finish it... damn i'm pissed!!!

not to mention that i don't have sufficient sample reports or anything to follow.. i'm not God ok? i need help! i've never done this before. i've no one to guide me. i've been practically thrown in the middle of the ocean when you know i can't swim, and i'm being expected to swim.. (in some sense when i look back, i will tell you that's the way to learn, and it makes you independent, but for now let me rant, i wouldn't rant that much if i was properly briefed on the technics to swim and stay afloat before being thrown in the ocean... doesn't matter that i don't have the practical, at least tell me the theory, that's how i work.. or give me sufficient samples.. i will look at it and use it as a guide.. or don't give me so much trouble.. lost documents, confiscated.. nothing in order... documents location unknown... wtf??) is this revenge or what???? arghhhhh.... i'm being hated...sigh =.='

anyway am going to bed, my firm works monday to friday, but because i have NO help, and am doing this ALONE with a Fucking tight schedule, I've to go to the client's company again tomorrow morning to continue my DD. and i'm actually going to thank god they work on saturdays.. hmmph.. and i get nothing except transportation claim (which i claim anyway) and food claim (yea like that's a lot)

and i also have to thank god that the manager is trusting me with all the important documents (i'm not being sarcastic, they are important) and allowing me to bring it home so i don't have to go all the way to their office which is a 40 minute drive from my home to do the DD..

oh yay.... FML

-サヤカ-

My cousin who recently returned from the UK is a graduate in accountancy. I believe she’s got a masters too…

So we were chatting away, and she was telling me that she’s going to start her part time job sometime soon.

I guess accountants, being accountants, she calculated how much she would be earning per hour.. So out of jest, I asked her to calculate mine.. And ended up psychiatrically damaged & physically shocked!

Dividing what I earn (my take home pay only) by the average of 20 days, since I supposedly don’t work weekends, and the fact that my firm’s office hours isn’t the 9-5, i.e. 8 hour routine but a 9 hour routine since it is from 830 to 530.

(Actually doesn’t that make it a 22.5 days thing? Since the extra hours for the five days of the week equates to the 5 hours which was the Saturday half day thing? Which adds up to an average of an extra 20 hours a month… Hmmm… That's like 2 and a half working days more right? hence the 22.5 days thing...)

And from the results of the calculation..... I guess you could say that I'm earning peanuts.... (I pity those earning less than peanuts/having to divide their peanuts with more hours than I) Fortunately? Or is it perhaps unfortunately? I'm not a monkey... Sigh...

-Oracl3-

Edit: Sigh, Please don't misconstrue. I've accepted reality a long time ago, it's just that I blame the government for all the inflation...

Stolen from our good friend, John Hall of the Hall empire hahaha




The legal translation to, I give you this orange... :p

-Oracl3-

This is the month where I've lost a lot of money....

No, no, not through gambling...... but through eating haha..

Have been going out a lot this month, (that would be fine, save for the places that I've been going were all so pricey.. sigh)

Anyway, had dinner with high school classmates on Thursday 121109, celebrated Cheese's Birthday on Saturday 141109, and 昨日はお母さんの誕生日です161109 (今日は実は九時午後ですはは), went out with University mate - QW with Ai kun on Sunday 151109.... badminton on Friday 131109 was a tad pricier now... =.=' went for movies.... watched 2012 on... Saturday after Cheese's Birthday as well...

Ermm... movie was so-so..... by the way, word of advice, watch with a not so intellectual mind and don't analyse too much.. either than that CGI suckers like me, should like it enough XD

Ahh, back to the outings.... sigh.... all so pricey.... am so broke.. sobs... please donate haha

hmm work wise... currently.. well..... self esteem is still a bit low, since I'm still facing a lot of things I don't know, especially with regard to the investments part.. ( still in the learning process - need to speed up!!!)..

guess it doesn't help that I am quite blur and slow..haha although I've some great and helpful teachers here :) A really big heartfelt thanks to them for sharing their knowledge with me, for correcting my mistakes and for putting up with my blur-ness (not to mention my retarded-ness haha though that's no secret I can be quite retarded :p) haha XD

All in all, it's still encouraging.. may be struggling to keep my head above the water, but its a good struggle.... if there's such thing as a good struggle... (life is a challenge??)

But yeah.. am working on it... (where art thou my beloved brain.. come back, come back to me... - ehem.. sorry.. being a bit Shakespearean dramatic here haha)

However, seriously, sitting on your butt the whole day and staring at the computer screen does take a toll on you... my butt feels so, so, so damn sore... so does my neck and shoulders from crouching over to read documents... my eyes... arghh... (having sensitive eyes is a pain.. literally..)

either than that... have been watching Fringe (stolen from my Master... haha) it's okay and all, quite addictive..... sometimes? but the best is Dr. Bishop, and his son Peter.. Dr. Bishop is so cute and funny haha.... I love his random obsession with food... (maybe it's cause I can connect with him on that level... only that level... I'm no mad scientist!! haha)

well that's all for the random rambling this round.. till then.. toodles....

much love
-Oracle-

First week back….

Warning: huge crap-ology ahead… do not read if what you lack is time… or interest.. it’s okay I understand.. Still love you all the same… haha

It’s been a while since I wrote anything in English, and well something this lengthy haha… nothing much to blog about (in English as of late besides random ramblings in Japanese… causing me to lose readers, since only one fella.. I think, can read Japanese, and I think he couldn’t be arsed since my grammar is horrendous hahaha)

Oh well, life goes on…. As it must and will, whether you like it or not, it will not, and cannot wait for you…. The same goes for my muse… another reason why I haven’t been blogging lately…? No muse? haha… although by default, I don’t think I really need one…. I need a better internet connection at home (pages aren’t loading..sobs), time and… Ermm.. But that’s another story…

So my first week back at work has finally ended.. With…. More to come… that being beside the point, I guess… haha, since I’ve already worked at this same firm during my chambering time, the familiarity is there, and there wasn’t much adjusting in to do. Since I’ve already known and worked with the people that I’m working with now when I was chambering there, during half of my chambering duration. (Spent first half in corporate, next in litigation)

What can I say... going back to work, after 2 months of not - so - active brain usage…. Hmmm~ well.. Going through documents now… is a bit of a pain on the eyes.. Literally… I don’t know if it’s my astigmatism or something…. (Guess I’ve to go back to printing them out to view rather than stare at the computer, or risk going blind =.=’ or make a new pair of spectacles, that hopefully doesn’t increase my headache..) But oh well….

Ermm, work wise… well corporate is corporate.. To be honest I find it a tad harder than litigation, (learning wise) in terms of understanding and documentation, because well, stuff in litigation, we basically covered in CLP, (not everything, but at least we had a basics of sorts to start with) but corporate… well, let’s just say… university didn’t really equip us for it..

But in a sense, that’s cool, it makes it a challenge, cause you have to learn everything from the ground up…. (Searches really hard for her brain haha) not to say litigation isn’t cool… haha.. I already miss going to court…. (ermm only that particular court though… haha… I miss my dockbrief days.. days where I had to run between court rooms to enter judgements... sigh, those were the days my friend…we thought they’d never end… la la la la…)

Either than that, learning is learning.. And I believe I will get a hang of it sooner or later.. I managed it before; I believe I can do it again… what’s life without a few challenges? Need to un-blur myself haha…

Oh, and also… in the office I’ve to remind myself.. I AM NOT USING A MAC!! And at home… I AM NOT USING WINDOWS!! ….. Makes me feel kinda crap sometimes… sigh..

What other difficulties I’ve been encountering?? Hmmm well, waking up in the morning, and trying to get the brain to function at that time, is another challenge… a real huge one, might I add haha..

I’m a nocturnal creature, forced to live under the glare of the shining star….

Although, after last night… I take that back.. This so-called nocturnal creature has sort of adapted to living under the shining star, that sleeping at 5am last night, was a huge torture to me..

Why?? Cause my body kept trying to wake up around 7-8 am… and I had to force it back to sleep, only to have it wake up again round 9 something and then 10 something…. Till finally my friend called me at about a quarter to 12.. I gave up… but damn… The mind and the body… cooperate!!!

You know you got home late, you know you slept late… stop trying to get up early.. It’s a freaking Saturday for crying out loud… gosh!!

Oh which reminds me speaking of Saturday.. Happy Deepavali to all my friends! Especially Shanie *hugs* you need that! ☺

Right, another thing, adjusting my sleeping hours was also quite difficult due to some miraculous jet lag I experienced…

I just don’t understand why… when we go over to Europe, we don’t experience jet lag, we can adjust to the time there so nicely, but when we come back home.. by golly, I don’t get why the jet lag is so bad…

In all my years of travel, I’ve never, and I repeat, never experienced jet lag this bad…

Err, why jet lag? Well, since no one in particular has been wondering about my disappearance…. It’s cause I was on holiday in Italy and Greece, a week before I started work…

Ooh yeah… living the high life, as some friends had teased haha.. But anyway yes, was in Europe, took almost 30 hours to get back from there to home.. Door to door, I mean.. With all the transits… =.=’ cause we had to fly from Athens to Milan, from Milan to Bangkok, and Bangkok to home…

One whole day of airplane food… managed to cause me to lose all the weight I picked back up in Italy and Greece, and my appetite as well, which hasn’t been well since I fell ill and stayed ill a few months back.. (Still not fully recovered actually… sigh..)

So yes, stuck in airplanes and airports for more than 24 hours, having nothing but airplane meals took their toll on me, and when I touched down, I had to immediately make arrangements to meet a friend who would be marrying the next day, and we had to go over the wedding plans, since he kindly requested that I co-emcee his wedding XD (Thanks Ray & Ivy, for that opportunity and Shane for the books..)

Anyway, slept a measly 2 hours or so, woke up feeling like the whole body was made of lead… forced myself to get ready, headed over to the groom’s place… discussion with the other wedding planners.. bla bla… home to bed, woke up early for cousin’s wedding… on the 3rd of October, it ended in the afternoon, rushed home, got ready in under an hour for the next wedding… (Ray’s wedding).. Rushed there, went through stuff with co-emcee, and everything went from there..

After the wedding dinner at about 11 something, headed to Mel’s house for a Mooncake festival gathering kinda thingie.. Stayed till round 2 something before heading home, and finally.. Rest…

Rest of the week was adjusting my time back to wake up in the morning… and then work started… such is life… when things get hectic, they are hectic… but it was cool… loved it all.. Tiring and torturous as it was..

Now the goal is... to gain back some weight apparently, although I don’t mind the weight I have now, but if I lose anymore.. I was told by a friend that it would be the death of me.. He’s not cussing me, don’t get me wrong, it’s true anyway… so yes, no more losing weight for me.. It’s either maintain it as it is... or gain 2-3 kgs… and maintaining it at that…

First, I need to find my appetite again.. Which seems to be cured by not so spicy food, which again, my stomach seems incapable of taking after not taking it for so long.. haha… I should really lay off my C2-O5-OH haha

Only good news for the time being is… my appetite seems to be returning a bit, but it’s not what it used to be.. Due to the stomach ailment.. so one step at a time.. That’s what I do with everything now a days…

-Oracl3-

P/s: oh, by the way, did I ever mention that my first day back to work started out bloody?? How’s that for a first day back to work… =.=’
あれはねロスコちゃんの血いです。たく始めて見てだよ、びくりした。。。ベビのうしろう「backside?」はきずがある。。。大変な，私のベビ。。。

Stupid Maxis, stupid internet connection.. sigh…this is a Mac.. not windows.. damn the short cut keys…

Warning: Academy Speech ahead...




You've been warned.....





You still want to continue......?







Sure?......






Oh well... no snide remarks then haha.....





Thank you everyone for attending my long call today, and for the wishes and thoughts of those who couldn't make it (working on Saturdays should be illegal... haha) and for the flowers from my dear aunt (spankingly pretty bunch they are), also the humoungus bouquet from Mel, Xian Ai, Nick-Leong, Xin Yin, & Lordson and for the beautiful bouquet from Siew Yin, Koon, Vivian, Jasmine, & Michelle... I've never recieved so many bouquet of flowers in all my 23 years of life.. hehe.. (flowers does have the power of making girls happy?haha)

Siew Yin, that flower you gave me will sit with me in the office.. hehe...

Thank you to my relatives who took the time off to come see my Long call, and am sorry I didn't do lunch with them. Thank you Raymond and Ivy!! :) Thank you Shane!! Thank you to my beloved dock brief mates, i.e. Sim, Vinesh, Seei Yang & Siti.. for waking up in the morning to attend my Long Call :p And most of all.. a big thank you to my master Wooi Hong :) (I think the best long call is when, your master can make it to the ceremony to personally robe you XD)

I really appreciate it all, and love you all a bunch. Not that I don't love you all till today.. haha.. you get my drift...

You guys (& Gals) are the best!!!
Thank you, thank you!!!!!

-Oracl3-

Satoshi Kun and Huey chan should recall this..

For my birthday some years back, the two dear souls awarded me with a koala wrist rest for the computer with little glow in the dark hearts in it...

It's lasted me some good years... am sorry for my abuse, am really am.. I loved the thing.. cute to look at.. nice to poke and squeeze... ahh.. squeeze....

Anyway... it's a little soft plastic koala filled with a sort of gel and little pink glow in the dark hearts, and it was on my table for years? Yeah, I think years... till......

Today....

Was ermm.. utilizing it and then its little stopper popped out, spilling its goo onto my table and the floor.. it was fun to play with?? (amidst screams from my mom that it was disgusting and possibly held some dangerous substance in it and insisting i clean it up) but it looked plain ol' disgusting as well.... I should have taken pictures of it before I cleaned it up... (Unfortunately I will have to lay off my mom's description of what it looked like, but I will say that between what she compared it to, she thinks it looks more like mucus haha disgusting!! so she says :p kekeke)

I saved some of the glow in the dark hearts, but all suggestions to re-inject the goo into koala was stubbornly rejected by my mother, so it was bye-bye koala...and that's the end of my koala, shall need to shop for another one.. or.. ermm hint, hint? haha.. (I think I'll shop for a cute doggie wan haha)

On another note, legal aid today was fun.. (usually is..) and we planned to go somewhere together once our stint is over... and to decide.. gosh.. put a bunch of lawyers-to-be in a room to decide something and you get funny things like elections, re-elections, appeal courts, supreme courts and consent judgements coming out... haha.. hilarious..

Earlier, a few (namely a friend and I???) of us had decided on the date before hand.. then we raised a meeting.. (Law people might find this more humorous? sorry...)

First, we ran elections to chose a place?...(we were torn between two locations) and had elections, by-elections, and re-elections? (we joked that we were worse than Perak haha since we kept shuffled between the two locations ) = We voted for a place amongst ourselves (there were only 10 out of 14 of us.. so we were still the majority...) again and again, and again..

The decision went from the high court, to the court of appeal to the federal court and supreme court (meaning, we had serious problems deciding where to go..)

it was a 5-5 vote so we gave our team leader the concession to vote again, and..... the results were out!!

Having decided on the venue, we decided on the restaurant, and another round of elections (voting ) begun.

That done a consent judgement (a sort of an agreement, but it cannot be varied or set aside, unless under reasonable circumstances, because a consent judgement is usually given by the court when both parties are agreeable to something) was entered with everyone signing.... (Yes, the crazy bunch we are, we actually signed it.. all of us..)

Reason was, we didn't want anyone to start changing their minds when the appointed date came..

And we joked that we will have to pass a motion (another round of voting, 75% agreeing?) to determine our plans of a monthly meet up once our dock brief programme (programme by the legal aid centre where we have to go to court and mitigate for criminals) ends..

It was a fun day...

-Oracl3-

Title: Huey's Charm

When Huey came back from NZ she bought me this little charm... so here's what's inscribed on it... yes, my life is kinda sad... hahaha

恋繪「え」馬「ば」　緣むすび　

巡「めぐ」り合「あ」う小さな恋　幸せ夢見る　二つの愛はいつしか結「むすば」ばれ仲「なか」むつまじく

Translation:
love endlessly tied together

A chance meeting, a small spark of love, a happy dream is seen, the love of the two persons, without noticing are bound together endlessly in this relationship..
**

okay, the direct translation sucks.. here's a better worded one.. or so I hope...

A chance meeting ignites a small spark of love like a happy dream. Unaware, the love of the two people, are bound together endlessly...

**

I really want to brush up on my Japanese.. sigh..... so many things to do, well wish to do, so little time, and money.. sigh....

On another note, I'm changing departments the day after tomorrow!! from Corporate Finance to Litigation... Hope all goes well.. not to mention that I'm starting my Legal Aid soon... it's where lawyers in Malaysia provide free legal counsel to people who can't afford it, we are the only ones in the world where it's supported fully by lawyers.. no Government help!! well we have a legal aid bureau run by the government, but they don't help just anybody who deserves it, so here we are...

Legal aid is compulsory for all chambering students, and we have to serve at least 14 days at the legal aid.. I think that's quite cool... since I already do stuff like scouting... i.e. volunteer stuff...

Speaking of which, I had a really eventful weekend...

On Friday I helped out a bit at school, as we had a Scouts camp... well I didn't stay that late.. but the whole of Saturday I was there from morning till like 4 am... gosh by the time after our "supper" at ming tien.. in which a hilarious thing happened (will mention it below) and getting home and showering, drying hair etc.. by the time I went to bed.. It was about 5 am..

I wanted to try to wake up at 730 or 8 and get back to school to help out.. but I'm getting too old for this haha.. and well maybe my bed was too comfy... I couldn't bring myself to wake up and go haha... Sorry Alwin!! :p

And I slept till about 2pm!! woke up, had a quick brunch and headed of the residence of the British High Commissioner for my University's Alumni gathering.. it was High Tea with the University's Vice Chancellor and the head of the law school!!

and seriously.. the Scones were to die for.. and I mean seriously.... No where in Malaysia can you find scones that delicious.. (yet....)

I loved the ones in the UK, and the journey to find some nice ones here failed.. but oh.. I really loved those... *sluurp..*

Oh well, met up with some of my old University mates, had a nice chat with the head of the Law School and then we left.... my poor dad was my driver of the day.. so I brought him as a guest there. Hopefully he didn't get bored... =.=' Seemed like he spent most of his time talking to my university mates...

Oh yes, the amusing thing that happened at supper at ming tien, when I was with the other scouters.. haha.. well typing it out here, loses the touch of it... I'll have to tell it in person for you to get the joke.. seriously....

but basically, it was just my junior Alwin being kind of mischievous, and I went along with him... and of the whole table.. there was 8 of us.. only the 2 of us were laughing so hard.. cause only both of us knew what was going on... haha.. aahh~.. that was hilarious.. for me... I'll tell the full story to any interested party in person if so requested... ahh~.. I really laughed till my stomache hurt..

So yes, that's been my weekend.. a very busy one at that as well.. but an enjoyable one..

Somehow, I still love scouting I guess, and well having friends there, made it all the more enjoyable :)

Today at work... Well didn't have much since I'm changing departments, but I drafted an agreement today!! I think I sort of like drafting agreements :p (provided I have a proper term sheet with me haha.. XD)

-Oracl3-

Edit: Gyaah.. so bad luck today.. first my shoe... then the train.. took me 2 and a half hours to get home.. my premonitions can get kinda scary... =.=' (030309)

I've a bad premonition coming up... but I don't know what it is...

理容は本当に知らない、でも、私は今はね、本当に恐「コワ」い．助けて下さい．身体「からだ」は震「ふる」えてる．．どうして？？ O_o'

Starting to worry about the ethics exam, after receiving some advice from a colleague on Friday... O_o'

Well, wouldn't any normal student worry about an exam with such a low passing rate?? =.='
Scary...


-Oracl3-

Geh, need to start studying for my ethics soon... =.=' Exam is next month!! less than 2 weeks?? die la.. sobs~

Lately, I've tried driving around my area...　バンザイ！！ point to note... ermm, must learn to avoid pot holes.. don't drive to fast, and miss my turning? (more like need to wear glasses when I drive haha)

Trying to catch up on my Japanese.. And I want to start my violin lessons, but don't have the time to enquire... And well, I think the priority now, is trying to pass that ethics exam =.=' So should be wasting my free time on the book instead.. sigh....

My list is still left hanging.. geh..　時さん！！私に帰って「かえって」下さい。はは，無理だろう？その事。。はあ〜 =.='

-Oracl3-

Sorry, for sighing so much....

Well the first week is over... so this is what I've to say..

Day one.. 3rd November 2008, Monday

First day of work.. had nothing to do... made friends with the other chambies & Paralegals....

Asked around for these forms (Borang 1-8 which is in Malay..which has already been complained about...) I had to fill in to be recognised by the BAR council that I'm a pupil/chambie. Spent the rest of the day filling out the forms...

Found out that my Master (Not that Master we have something called the master-pupil thing...) was the guy that interviewed me...

Day 2... 4thNovember 2008, Tuesday

Got permission to go to the Court complex at Jalan Duta to hand in my borang (it's Malay for form) 1 & 2 so am officially a chambie on 4th November!!

Got caught in a stupid massive downpour, the Masjid Jamek area was flooded.. and I had to wade through ankle deep water... sigh... Was quite tempted to just go home... and I think I should have.. But my stuff was still in the office.. So I went back to the office...


Day 3... 5th November 2008, Wednesday

Went to look for the lawyer that wanted to give me work the day before... It was research work... And I must say.. what we study in company law.. doesn't equip us for the corporate world.. It's a whole new world out there for this area of the law...

Spent the day, trying to figure out what the lawyer wanted.. and to get the answers for what she asked me to do....

Found it, but since I was told it wasn't that urgent.. Decided to take the next day to compile everything nicely for the lawyer the next day...

On another note.. Didn't really feel to good.. so overdosed a little on vitamin C..

Sister left back for Athens on this day I think...

Day 4... 6th November 2008, Thursday

The lawyer that assigned me the work had a meeting and wasn't in... Typed up and compiled what I think is what she wanted me to do... for the research.... and was just about to set out to look for someone to delegate work to me.. since my supervisor... i.e. the lawyer who gave me the work, and my master wasn't around... didn't know who to ask... but then another lawyer in the corporate department asked me to help her.. so okay...

Help with compiling and photocopying the stuff for due diligence (I've not much of an idea what it is either, so don't ask) Spent the whole day, arranging, photocopying....

The photocopier has a vendetta against me.. Kept acting up saying the paper was stuck, when there was no paper.. grr... I think I got Ozone poisoning..

I still didn't feel that well either... Maybe worse... but thought it was due to Ozone poisoning...

Day 5... 7th November 2008, Friday...

Officially do not feel well... Felt feverish.. coughing... sigh...

Still had the compiling and photocopying work to do... was busy, busy, busy...

Registered online for this BAR council thing.. found out... my university wasn't listed there... So had to call them up and email them.... etc.... had it settled.. got back to work..

Had a meeting/discussion about the ethics exam that we had to take... Was really feeling horrid already by then.. it was about 5pm then...

After the meeting.. another lawyer assigned me work for the coming week.. Quickly finished up the last of my compiling work.. and left for home at about 550pm....

All that's left would be to the print out the covers haha...

Sadly couldn't go for my much awaited badminton game, as am ill.. with a fever to boot.. sigh...
And that's all for the time being.. going to rest, as I've to go out with friends later.. sigh....

-Oracl3-

31st October 2008 was halloween.. although this country of mine doesn't widely celebrate it as in like the west, Mel decided to organise one for our university mates.. so we did.. and on the 31st we ended up at TGIF at the curve for dinner and to well.. just be what we aren't haha..

Well.. there's nothing much to say here.. the pictures will say it all, when blogspot or maxis.. stops being such and ass and allows me to upload pictures.. so await an edit to this post...

Edit

Here we have Terence as the Joker from batman.. Me as a Japanese School girl... most likely from Tokyo haha.. Xian Ai & Wei Li the devil... Some waiter from TGIF posing as grim the ripper and Marlyn as some vampire...


after dinner we headed to Quatron near KLCC for some clubbing.. it's anew club with the concept of having 4 seasons.. hence the reason of my post now... If you are the kind like me, who goes clubbing for the dancing part and not the drinking part.. then please spare yourself the misery of going to Quatron..

That place is for people to drink!! There is no dance floor.. I reapeat... THERE IS NO DANCE FLOOR. The place is horrid if you hate ciggeratte smoke like me.. and well my allergies thank you to it.. My eyes sting like mad.. and well.. strangely enough.. I didn't cough that much as I thought I would.... Well in return I got a headache.. guess the people nearby must have been smoking... ermm.. Dunhills I think... Well, if I recall correctly that's the brand that gives me minimal cough but a huge headache... sigh..

Well, the smoke was horrible for my eyes.. and I suffer the effects still... one day after that.. And I've washed my hair twice and it STILL STINKS OF CIGGERATE SMOKE... Woe is me.....

Listening to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture..... fitting?? Watched 2 movies today.. The Holiday and 21.. Yesterday I watched Just Like Heaven.. all 3 are nice movies.. shall review them later when I get the chance... Since I start work this coming monday... =.='

And also speaking of which.. when the club asked for contact details I purposely changed one of the digits of my handphone number to avoid getting spammed by them.. and woah... they still managed to send spam to me... =.=' horrible.. totally horrible...

-Oracl3-

Sigh... of all the interviews [okay, that sounded like I've been to like a billion, but in actual fact, I've only been to four...] I've been too, they all gave me a speedy response, as to offering me a position.. but only today.. almost 3 weeks(?) later after that interview, they call me up, offering me a place??

I was like.. "ermm.. sorry, you guys were too late... "
*cue song from Micheal learns to rock, 25 minutes to late...*

Oh well, sad.. they were that nice firm that offered me a tour and a doughnut after my interview.. (Maybe the offer was so late.. because I wasn't their first option.. even more sad... As I'd told them at the interview that I was still awaiting results?? The call I just got proved to me, that they are blur as the existance of the CLP results.... which have been out for at least 2 weeks... sigh...)

Now I need to wait for the firm which offer I accepted to call me to go down to KL to sign the offer letter.. I'll give them till Friday? before calling them?? hmmm~

On a separate note.. this was the easiest turn down I've ever done... I've felt so guilt wrecked for having to turn down the other firms.. but not so guilty for this.. guess, it was because they were too slow.. as well..... :p

*****
Before I sign off, a list for myself.. to remind myself of the list of things I ought to do and to stop procrastinating!!

1. Sort pictures from 2006-2007 for developing
2. Finish photo album with current pictures
3. Translate the Ghost Hunt Manga Volume 10
   
4. Wash bathroom
   
5. tidy room... (Well only one corner is messy....)
   
6. Iron clothes....
7. Tidy up cupboard...
   
8. Practise musical instruments?
9. Blog? Well, when I find the mood.. and time...
10. Tidy up the "Work" room next door.. well after I'm done with it..
    
11. ... Anything else I deem fit to enter into this entry.....

-Oracl3-

Note: CLP = Certificate of Legal Practise, a 9 month course foreign law graduates have to sit through, in order to get their license to practise as a lawyer.

Okay, actually I had received the information from a certain law firm that the results will be out today. And well, they called me this morning saying things along the line that I've passed, and would I like to work in their firm.

Well, before that Xian Ai had called me with the news and I went back to sleep, only to recieve the phone call from that firm. I tried going back to sleep, but since my sleep was disrupted and Xian Ai was going to come pick me up to go to the CLP board, so up I got to get ready.

Now, now.. enough of the talk.. I'm sure everyone is anxious for the results, and really just want to get over my mindless ramblings...

Well, about my results.. what can I say? I studied last minute... And I seriously mean last minute. I only prepared for some of the papers the night before the exams, and was totally freaking out that I haven't studied a thing at all.

If not for Xian Ai's gracious help, I wouldn't even know what to write on my exam papers!!

I know, I said that if I pass then there is no quota.. Well...

I guess....

There's no quota after all...?

My father laughed when I called to tell him that I passed!! Cause he called it "sleeping results" I shan't comment on that..

I'm obviously happy that I passed, so that I don't have to resit.. but am slightly disappointed that I can't play for another year, but have to enter the work force..haha, but who am I to complain?

Erm, am a little upset on the behalf of a friend who helped me so,so, so much but didn't make it.. and am upset on behalf of other friends who didn't make it as well... Sigh.. My friend studied harder than me.. I don't understand how she could fail.. Is there really a quota? :p

And am happy for the other friends who passed along with me!!

Some might complain about my lack of enthusiasm or call me over confident.. But somehow I knew that I would pass.. it's that premonition kind of feeling? Erm, thank the stars that I'm born with good selective memory....

-Oracl3-

P/S: MSN you really are a retard!!

Initially I had decided to keep silent on this and just let it blow over and all, but after hearing the latest news I couldn't take it anymore. Where is justice? Our judiciary system!! Where has it all gone??!!

BRING BACK OUR JUDICIARY!!

The big issue going around Malaysia now, is no longer the Anwar sodomy case... Nope, that case has taken a back seat for the time being, for an even bigger issue, [currently that is] the comments and action by a certain Politician namely Ahmad Ismail (Bukit Bendera)

His statements that Chinese are Squatters, and the tearing up of the picture of Gerakan's acting leader was really uncalled for. Heck, if a non Malay were to say such things, we would be accused of Sedition and thrown into prison, possibly under the ISA. But somebody got away with it, with only 3 years suspension, and he still refuses to apologize!

IF anyone wishes to argue with him about Chinese being squatters, please take a good look at our history and compare it to Ahmad Ismail's comment!

But arguing with him about who are squatters where, will do nothing, and in fact we will be falling into their trap of fanning racial issues, playing right into their stupid political game. Which they had no sense to change even after 51 years of independence.

There's apparently and agenda behind it, due to the upcoming party elections..
(Understand the meaning between the lines? I, unfortunately cannot say more than this... Ask me in private and in person for more details, and no recordings please)

It's a sad revelation that this country has come to, this country has seen at least 3 generations of Chinese people born and bred here, and we are squatters... Is this how far we have gone in 51 years??!!

And the perpetrator gets off with such a light punishment. And I mean light!

This is actually obviously a seditious act, please head to Witch Hunt to read the exact wording of the statute.

The Sedition Act states that:

S. 3(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 defines
A “seditious tendency” as a tendency to:

(e) promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia;

Therefore Ahmad Ismail falls under section 3 subsection 1(e) on that, because he said that Chinese people are squatters, and this has caused feelings of ill-will and hostility between the races. We know between which races, I don't have to mention anything more....

Therefore under section 4 subsection 1(a) & (d), which states that: "any person who does or attempts to do, or makes any preparation to do, or conspires with any person to do, any act which has or which would, if done, have a seditious tendency; and utters seditious words shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable, for a first offence to a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both, and, for a subsequent offence, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years"
[Quoted from S. 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, click here to understand more about Sedition and the Malaysia's Sedition Act]

Tell me again why he's only suspended for 3 years?? Where is the law?? He did a Seditious act & uttered Seditious words.. [Well, okay not so much as act, but he did utter!!]Where is the law??!!

You know, if we like, we can even catch him under the Internal Security Act 1960, look at article 149 here.

"Subversion’ has been defined in Article 149 (1) to refer to the following..... promoting feelings of ill-will between classes of the population in such a way as is likely to cause violence; procuring alteration, or causing prejudice to public order or national security."

with this Ahmad Ismail can sit in prison without trail for 2 years, in which the time can be extended..

"Under this law the Minister of Home Affairs may detain a person for a period not exceeding two years (and renewable for two year periods indefinitely) on the suspicion or belief that the detention of that person is necessary in the interest of public order."
[Section 8 Internal Security Act 1960]

Please note that I do not support the ISA but the Human Right's Act, but since it's there, I might as well use it. Honestly, I would prefer to catch him under the Sedition Act since there is enough evidence, and the jail term is longer.

* Disclaimer: Everything which has been quoted/referred to has been quoted from the sites provided above


Where it all started, the racist remark, "This is Malay Land, Chinese are squatters"... ooh lookie who's talking! History depicts otherwise.. Does he know his Malaysian history??!!


Am I Wrong he asks? If he's going to speak English then speak English, don't mix with Malay... Not afraid of ISA??!! Free country??!! Anyone can comment??!! Tell that to those people in prison under ISA!! Maruah bangsa [Pride of your race], Hello?? In other countries, people usually say Country then/before race, Negara[country]dan[and] Bangsa[Race], bukan Bangsa dan Negara..


3 years suspension.... What tindakan Disiplin [Disciplinary action]?! This is Sedition, we have laws for that!


Refuses to apologize still.. and people are supporting him... What on earth..? Even better? Asking Koh Tsu Koon to Apologize instead..

And now Tun Mahathir says he's coming back to UMNO....
-Oracl3-

EDIT: Here's a forgotten picture taken with my mobile during the symposium...


So today was the second part of the law symposium..

Unlike yesterday, today's was much, much better.. at least it was more like a symposium. The floor was opened for about 15-20 minutes for questions at least.. and the people chairing weren't bad today.. They stuck to the time as best as possible.. but Malaysians are horrible...

Did I mention yesterday that so many mobiles went off during the duration of the symposium.. how rude.. At least today was better... And yesterday and today... people don't come back on time after the breaks... Malaysian's are really horrible...

The number of participants seemed to have dwindled.. and well I guess some UM students were traumatised yesterday and didn't return today... and the People who presented yesterday either left or went sight seeing.. So the place seemed sparse compared to yesterday... We didn't mingle much today... Oh, and we met another lecturer who teaches in APIT.. Nice guy.... and funny too haha...

Today's subject was also, much more interesting than yesterday, since they talked about international law and it's relation to environmental law, humanitarian law and human rights.. and at least I understood somewhat, what all the speakers were speaking. Save for one.. He's Malaysian.. and I understood him nice and well.. it was the contents of his speech that left me clueless...

Today's speakers, well their English was not bad, and maybe it was also because I wasn't as sleep deprived as yesterday... I had about maybe 5 hours plus sleep last night? well including the 30-40 minutes, where I fell asleep while listening to the news.. let's just round it up to 6 hours...

Gosh, I must have been so tired to have fallen asleep on the couch, while watching the news...

Anyway, as I was saying today's was much better, my only complaint was that, they had to break off for the Muslims to prays.. It's fine by me, I respect the fact that they had to pray...

But...

Question: What am I supposed to do around Hilton PJ for 2 hours??!!

It's not like I've room there where I can sleep or watch television. Neither do I have car to allow me to go gallivanting around till 3... They should have arranged this symposium on Wednesday and Thursday.. So at least we could end early, and don't waste 2 hours...

So I decided to skip the last talk about Dispute Resolution and Arbitration since I was already given a photocopy of their full study/ speech... and head on home... called my dad... who picked me and Xian Ai up, went to A&W to buy lunch.. and there we go.. now I'm home and here blogging...

Luckily I had good timing, as I caught my parents right after they finished lunch, if they had entered the golf course already then.. I wonder where was I going to camp? =.='

[Explanation to why I said I would have to camp: My dad has a habit of blocking the front door with the car when no one's home.. don't get me wrong... there isn't much to steal in my house.. maybe a few hundred Ringgit at most.. or some lousy outdated faulty electronics.. like the TV or radio...Or well, I guess the most valuable thing would be the 2 computers, which are by the way, actually already obsolete... But I like to think, that the dog is the most precious among all.. so yeah.. it was for precious haha]

-Oracl3-

Okay today is the first day of the International Law Symposium, organised by among others the University of Malaya.. in PJ Hilton.. it runs for two days, today and tomorrow i.e. 7th-8th August from 9-5pm...

What is it about..? Well basically it's an international conference about International law..

For someone who did not take International law in her LLB, and whom has forgotten her General Principles of Law [Studied in first year], Constitution and Administrative law [studied this in second year] and European Union Law [Studied in third year.] I was really lost... I don't know why, but I just sucked at those subjects.. maybe because it was dry... But I don't remember much about them... Well, okay I admit.. Only God knows how I passed these 3 papers....

Though some things said at the Conference seemed familiar... like Dicey's rule of Law.....

But well, honestly, if it wasn't for this other participant that I met, I would have been really, really lost, he was a Master's student, but is orginally an International Law lecturer in Sri Lanka, so he taught me the basics of International and Humanitarian Law.. I must profess it's interesting..

The whole conference would have been even more interesting if, and I don't really mean to insult.. but it would have been better, if I could understand the speakers better..

They had flew in speakers from Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, America, Singapore, India etc..

Among those that spoke today, some could be understood, some were incoherent, the microphone made their voices too soft to be heard sometimes, and it seemed to me that they were mumbling at times... [blame my ears or whatever.. but I really couldn't understand what they were saying... sigh...]

So every time they start their mumbling, I end up zoning out.. =.=' plunking back rudely back to earth only, when my brain realises it recognises that English is being spoken again.. sigh...

But to make up for it, I met a few nice people there whom are nice to chat with, there was this lecturer from Monash, who was really nice.. I seriously thought she was younger than she looked!! I was shocked when she told me she did her CLP in 1993.... and had 3 kids!! I thought she was about my sister's age!!

And that was that.. Being Malaysians... the event started late.. And I would say it was a good 30-40 minutes behind schedule, and as luck would have it.. Xian Ai's slipper broke, and it was raining, making it impossible for us to walk all the way to the LRT station, which was about 1km away... so we left early as her mom came to pick us up before the placed started to jam up with people leaving for home from work...

As I've been sleep deprived for the past 3-4 days.. it really took me a lot of effort not to fall asleep and force myself to concentrate and try to understand the speakers... which resulted in some mild irritation on my part.. but in the end.. I just grasped what I could, and almost all of them said the same things about adopting International law into their country.. it's quite basic...

I guess another thing was the way they presented their speeches.. merely sitting there and mumbling incoherently/ reading their prepared speech.... [There were some good ones though..] can put anyone to sleep, as was proven when I looked around the room from time to time, in a desperate attempt to keep awake....

The participants I must say, do not really do this conference justice, and the fact that they were behind schedule and could not allow questions from the floor due to time constraints really seems to defeat the purpose of this conference... on my opinion..

Almost half the people there were students from UM, then there were the speakers that made up.. maybe less than a quarter.. and the next majority were lecturers from all over.. and finally a handful of lawyers.... It felt a little wasted to me, especially when you've managed to get all these influential people such as the judge of the ICJ [International court of justice], President of the American law society etc...

Anyway, back to the topic at hand about their presentation... The Singapore representative wasn't bad, as he used visual aid, i.e. power point.. and I guess it was a bonus that I understood his English... =.=' the speaker from.... Hong Kong wasn't bad either.. and well there were a few others...

Overall, it was an experience, and I still have part 2 tomorrow.. but tomorrow's topic, I believe should be more interesting, as today was mostly about the implementation of International law.

But tomorrow it's going to be, Environmental law; & Terrorism and Humanitarian Law... sounds interesting? let's hope it's as it sounds.. And I think I'll go dig my ear or something now....

******

Oh, and I forgot haha.. the title is in regards to my mosquito net that covers my window.. I came home today, half asleep from the law symposium closed my curtain and took a shower..

After dinner and the news, when I came back upstairs and opened the curtain.. I noticed that it looked like a cat had been through it.. The first thing that went through my sleep deprived blur mind was.. Did the wind do this? because well, my dad told me that it rained heavily....

Then when my brain kicked in.. it told me it was a cat... problem is.. I have a dog, not a cat.. since when did I own this ferocious depraved imaginary cat?

So as my deprived, ravaged brain tried to solve the mystery.. or well... more like it couldn't be bothered to know what happened to it anymore.. My dad came and solved the mystery...

Guess who was the culprit? Not the wind, Not the imaginary cat... it was just the...

Washing machine....

Apparently of the 4 mosquito nets he placed in the machine.. only one came out unscathed.. and that one belonged in his room....

...What a violent shredding monster.... haha...

-Oracl3-

CURRENT EXAM STATUS: Completed!!!

• 1st Posted on 10th July 2008
• 1st Edit: 14th July 2008 - comment to paper added next to paper name
• 2nd Edit: 16th July 2008 - as above
• 3rd Edit: 18th July 2008 - as above
  
• 4th Edit: 21st July 2008 - as above
  
• 5th Edit: 23rd July 2008 - as above
  

Current Mood: Relieved...

Exam's Magical Mantra: ぜったいに大丈夫「ぜったいにだいじょうぶ/zettai ni daijyoubu」= Everything will be all right; and also, 頑張って「がんばって/Ganbatte」

Reading Progress: [Complete: 100%]
(Please note that the Reading progress doesn't indicate how prepared I am. It only indicates that I've finished reading the notes for the particular subjects... Whether I've managed to memorise that ton of crap, and am prepared for the test, is another issue all together!!)

22nd July 2008: Currently doing Evidence October 2007 Past Year Paper.. I feel so screwed..
The Aim? try to do past year papers for July and October 2007, if possible, try to do the mock paper as well... and memorise the answers.... Hope it works... Did I mention that I feel so screwed?

******

Note: This Post was prepared before the date of posting....
I foresaw that I won't have the leisure on the actual 10th of July 2008 to write about this * Actually written on 27th June 2008
The dreaded Exams are here breathing down my neck.. Ooh, the shivers it sends down my spine... Wish me luck! I'll be needing loads of it!!

Here's the timetable:

All exams are held in the University Malaya's Examination Centre and are between 9am-12.15pm

I will have to be at the hall before 830am for [the so called] important notices and instructions though...

Monday 14.07.08 Civil Procedure [Civil Procedure Code] * I don't know.. Hopefully I can pass this paper...I think, I'll pass..... Hopefully.....*

Wednesday 16.07.08 General Paper [Tort & Contract] *I think I'll be able to pass this one, keep your fingers crossed...*

Friday 18.07.08 Criminal Procedure [Criminal Procedure Code] *I think I'll be able to pass..... maybe... and woah, got cut by the notes, at the part where the pen rests on.. @_@ ouch... when writing during the exams...*

Monday 21.07.08 Professional Practise [2 parts: Part A: Ethics & Advocacy; Part B: Land, Bankruptcy & Probate] *Ermm, I think I can pass this one? spent the whole of the 20th of July panicking.... and, well.. I did my best.. it is 5 subjects in one....*

Wednesday 23.07.08 Evidence [Law on Evidence] *I think I'll pass this one :p Thanks to Xian Ai if I do :) I really spent the whole of the 22nd of July panicking, and with her help, I managed to make a really good set of notes to study for the exams, and the 3 questions that we did together the night before? They all came out for the exams :)*

That's the whole list. The whole [] thing is what subject it encompasses. All together it's 10 subjects compressed into 5 papers. [Misery....]

I have to answer 4 questions in 3 hours..
Yipee!! not to mention, for professional paper, it's 2 questions for Part A, 3 for Part B, and for Part B; YOU MUST DO a land question.. [5 questions in 3 hours!! Stupidly insane...] Talk about democracy.... sigh....

Note that examinees may only bring in the [Statutes]:

1. Evidence Act For Evidence Paper,
   
2. National, Land Code For Professional Practise Paper,
   
3. Criminal Procedure Code For Criminal Procedure Paper,
   
4. Rules of the High Court For Civil Procedure Paper,
   
5. Subordinate Court Rules For Civil Procedure Paper.

Statutes that you actually need? Well the 5 mentioned above, and also, the

1. Limitation Act,
   
2. The Probate and Administration Act,
   
3. The Court of Judicature Act,
   
4. The Distribution Act,
   
5. The Dangerous Drugs Act,
   
6. The Legal Profession Act,
7. Bankruptcy Act,
   
8. The Civil Law Act 1956,
   
9. Wills Act,
   
10. Public Authorities Protection Act
11. Contracts Act 1950 etc

Trust me, there are plenty more of statutes that you need.. Although for some of them, you might need to memorise only a statute or two, like s10 Arbitration Act..
That's only one... used where there is an arbitration clause in a contract, and as long as one person wants to seek arbitration, the courts have the power to stay action...

But for others like the Limitation Act, There's a lot to memorise..

• s6(1)- Limitation period of 6 years for contract and tort;
  
• s6(3)- 12 years to enforce a Judgement, if it's a judgement debt, interest can only be enforced within the 6 years of judgement
  
• s24- Limitation at disability, the 6 years only start to run, when the plaintiff ceases disablity ie when the child reaches age of majority ie age 18 or dies, whichever first, & for insane people, when mental disability ceases or if a special community is set up for him, whichever first...; ... etc.

So not only must you memorise case names, you have to spend your brain cells on statutes; it's sections and interpretation, as well, when in fact in practise you are going to refer to them anyway... [after using it for a few of your cases, then you would definitely memorise it.. therefore I personally think, that CLP should have actually have some practical courses to it, and not 100% exam based lectures]

Doesn't help that for e.g. section 7 Civil Law Act 1976 for bereavement claims, there are a whole lot of sub sections, and sub, sub sections, and sub, sub, sub sections to memorise... And that's only one, we still have section 8 and section 28A... etc. There's a ton to memorise for Contract too...

That's worse than degree level.. at LLB you answer 3 questions in 3 hours; Plus you can bring in whatever statute you need [no need to waste brain cells on anything but cases and principles..]; Plus although memory work is important, they emphasise on understanding, and application. So if you hate memorizing; or if your memory is a piece of crap... and I mean, really sucky... CLP is going to be a real tough one on you... [Like it is on me now.. and even then, apparently my selective memory is good...=.=' I'm getting a migraine from all this....]

With that said.. I think, I definitely prefer the LLB...

-Oracl3-

Title: It's not my fault, right?

I had a good start with my Civil procedure,(60% done)... and then due to certain reasons, I've to swap to Criminal Procedure now..

The problem.. I just can't seem to concentrate on Criminal Procedure.. I've studied like 30% of it before.. but I can't remember nuts except for three sections, and I only remember those 3 sections because I did a post on my blog about it. i.e bail s387-389 CPC.. [s354 Penal code for the harassment..] I can't remember case names...

Ok, I remember s402A for alibi.. but that's about it.. what the hell is wrong with me??? Why can't I concentrate for Criminal??? DAMN I'M SCREWED... [s114 Evidence Act- presumed fact... that's not very comforting, besides that's for evidence, NOT criminal...]

Maybe next time I should write a blog post of everything I studied so that I'll remember it better... then again, that's not very conducive when I start working.. You know, it's against the Practise Etiquette rules for me to talk about my cases for the whole world to hear/read.. especially if it's ongoing and if I mention my client's name... [don't ask me what rule it is.. I know it exist, but I only know rule 12 for brochures....]

Starting from yesterday & today, where I'm supposed to study Criminal.. I can't concentrate.. I keep zoning out and going to la-la land.. arghhh!!! クソ！！時間がない！　sob~ sob~

I blame the weather.. I lack concentration when it's hot... sigh....

"Don't complain, Work harder" -Dr Paucsh-

I'm trying, I'm really, trying Dr Paucsh... my brain has been abducted by aliens.... sigh...

I think I'll go meditate a bit, then try again... =.='

by the way, once you see the post about my exam timetable.. you can stop coming here till after July 23rd 2008, because if I'm posting my exam timetable.. that means I've really no time to blog anymore.... [it's a trend in case you haven't noticed...]

-Oracl3-


my chant now?: "My concentration has gone over the ocean, my concentration has gone over the seas.. my concentration has gone to la-la land.. oh return my concentration to me... come back, come back, oh come back concentration to me, to me....." [sing along to my bonnie lies over the ocean]

Also it's interesting to note.. this is my 444th post... real unlucky number... =.='
[for those who don't understand, 4 pronounced in Chinese/Japanese sounds like the word die... so yes.. 3 dies..]