Twilight Series ~ Plot Overview

Twilight
Main article: Twilight (novel)

Bella Swan moves from Phoenix, Arizona to live with her father in Forks, Washington to allow her mother to travel with her new husband, a minor league baseball player. After moving to Forks, Bella finds herself involuntarily drawn to a mysterious, handsome boy, Edward Cullen. She eventually learns that he is a member of a vampire family who drinks animal blood rather than human. Edward and Bella fall in love, but James, a sadistic vampire from another vampire coven, is drawn to hunt down Bella. Edward and the other Cullens defend Bella. She escapes to Phoenix, Arizona, where she is tricked into confronting James, who tries to kill her. She is seriously wounded, but Edward rescues her and they return to Forks, having killed James.

New Moon
Main article: New Moon (novel)

Edward and his family leave Forks because he believes he is endangering Bella's life. Bella falls into a deep depression, until she develops a strong friendship with Jacob Black, who she discovers can shape shift into a wolf. Jacob and the other wolves in his tribe must protect her from Victoria, a vampire seeking to avenge her mate, James' death, by killing Bella. A misunderstanding occurs, and Edward believes Bella is dead. Edward decides to commit suicide in Volterra, Italy, but he is stopped by Bella, who is accompanied by Edward's sister, Alice. They meet with the Volturi, a powerful vampire coven, and are released only on the condition that Bella be turned into a vampire in the near future. Bella and Edward are reunited, and she and the Cullens return to Forks.

Eclipse
Main article: Eclipse (novel)

The vampire Victoria (James' mate from Twilight) has created an army of "newborn" vampires to battle the Cullen family and murder Bella for revenge. Meanwhile, Bella is impelled to choose between her relationship with Edward and her friendship with Jacob. Edward's vampire family and Jacob's werewolf pack join forces to successfully destroy Victoria and her vampire army. In the end, Bella chooses Edward's love over Jacob's and agrees to marry him.

Breaking Dawn
Main article: Breaking Dawn

Bella and Edward are married, but their honeymoon is cut short when Bella discovers that she is pregnant. Her pregnancy progresses rapidly, severely weakening her. She nearly dies giving birth to her and Edward's half-vampire-half-human daughter, Renesmee, but Edward injects Bella with his venom to save her life and turns her into a vampire. A vampire from another coven sees Renesmee and mistakes her for an "immortal child". She informs the Volturi, as the existence of such beings violates vampire law. The Cullens gather vampire witnesses who can verify that Renesmee is not an immortal child. After an intense confrontation, the Cullens and their witnesses convince the Volturi that the child poses no danger to vampires or their secret, and they are left in peace by the Volturi.

New Year's Resolutions

31 December - New Year's Eve. All over Britain, people are having parties, sometimes in their homes, sometimes out in the street. Ten seconds before midnight, the countdown begins: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 ... Happy New Year! Fireworks go off, and people kiss and stand in a circle to sing the old Scottish song Auld Lang Syne. They often keep up the celebrations until dawn.

Also at this time, people often begin to think about the year that is just starting. They think about the changes they’re going to make and the things they’re going to do in the new year. They make promises to themselves, called New Year’s resolutions. But of course, people don’t always stick to their resolutions!

Cut Expenses
Increase Sales
Improve Product
QualityBuild Partnerships with Suppliers
Reduce Short-term and Long-term Debt

Well, they really aren't all that different, are they? We all vow each year to try harder to do the things we know we should do - get in better shape, physically, financially, emotionally.

Those of us who also are responsible for business units make similar promises to ourselves to do what we already know has to be done to improve the business.

I will leave the personal improvement resolutions to you to handle, but I want to give you some ideas on how to make this year's new year's resolutions for your business come true.

First, the easy part - Decide what you want to achieve; what you want to make happen; what most needs to be done. Then, the hard part - Set your GOALS.

Set Specific Goals

Setting goals is important. That is how you convert good, but ephemeral, IDEAS (cut expenses, increase sales) into specific, measurable TARGETS (reduce G&A expenses by 5% before the stockholder meeting in May; increase sales of the retail brands by at least $60,000 per quarter).
This is not the time to worry about whether or not you can reach these goals. You will have plenty of time for that later. This is the time to "draw the line in the sand" and publicly announce "this is what we are going to do, and this is when we will do it."

If you set easy goals - keep expenses at this year's levels; increase sales of our flagship product by 2% this year - you will fail. Oh, you won't fail to meet those goals, but you will fail to satisfy yourself. And you will fail to keep the business alive, because your competitors will set, and reach, more aggressive goals.

If you set difficult, yet reasonable, goals it won't really matter if you reach them. The effort to reach them will force you to push yourself. It will make you use the resources you have to the best of your ability. It will teach you what you really can do when you focus on specific goals.

However, I suspect you will get pretty close to those goals. Who knows? You may even reach and surpass them. And your reward for doing that? Self-satisfaction in knowing that you really are 'the best' and the privilege of competing again next year in the cut-throat world of business.

Set Measurable Goals

In setting your goals, it is important to be as specific as you can. Nobody knows your business like you do. Nobody knows what your people are capable of as well as you do. And only you know what is really important to you. So you have to be the one to set the goals and communicate them to everyone else.

The more specific and more measurable your goals, the easier it will be to tell when you reach them.

For instance, if you set a goal "to increase sales" how do you know if you have succeeded? If your month on month sales figures for January exceed last year's January sales figures have you met your goal? What about the fact that you have four more stores this January than last January? Were sales really hot last January, because of that freak storm? If you've met your goal by the end of January, what will you use to test yourself for the rest of the year.

If, on the other hand, your goal is "to increase net sales for each region by at least 5% per quarter and 7% by year end", you have something you can measure, track progress against, and use to push yourself to new successes.

If you decide to "reduce turnover of full-time staff to under two percent for the entire year, and cut the drop out rate of help-desk staff by half" you are better off than simply deciding "to increase employee morale".

Rewards

Don't wait for this time next year to sit back and look at this list and see how you did. Post your goals where you, and everyone else, can see them. Measure how you are doing against your goals, and adjust as necessary. Do this at all the measurement points you built into the plan (monthly, quarterly, whatever intervals you selected).

That way, when this time next year does get here you can sit back and reflect again. Rejoice in your successes. Learn from your misses. And then set tougher goals for the following year.

Pizza Hut!!

You know Wong Pei Ni form 6K...?! Her mum use to send me home every day after school. Her mum promise me that if I got 7As in UPSR, she'll belanja makan. So that night she called up and said that she decided to have dinner at Pizza Hut. Photos... This is her and her sister.

Pulau Pinang

Today I just came back from Penang... Went to visit my cousins and my aunty. This is a picture with my cousins... Me in the middle. Standing on the left is Tze Siang (Form2), on the right is Tze Yang (going to university).

Thursday 17/12/2009

Today I went to Darren's house. He invited me, Grace, Zhi Siang, Billy, JRong and Hao Wen. I didn't know about this, b'cause Darren never tell me about who he had invited. Until today when I saw them appear at his house.

Well, Grace is the only girl again. Litlle bit 'kesian' when I see her like that. But... maybe she's not feeling like that at all. Only girl lieh! Whatever la... Actually she wasn't invited. Most probably because of me she went. I asked her to go.

We had a great day at Darren's house. Some using the computer, others play PSP, while I played PS2. Haiz... all the electronic things.

Sunday 13/12/2009

A prize giving ceremony was held in Suria Jaya Tuition Centre (head office) this afternoon. They are giving out trophies... BIG ONES! to those that got 4A's or above in the UPSR examination.! How generous... It started at 3.30p.m. and ended at erm.. forgotten.

That's only for the afternoon. There're more activities... I and my family went to have a Japanese buffet dinner at Starhill Galery, Bukit Bintang. The restaurant's name is JOGOYA. Strange one! Maybe a Japanese name...

It's RM 101 per person, so a total of RM303 for the three of us. Once you go in, you can take whatever you want, and if it's more that the amount given, RM101++! They've almost everything of what you think is food. Crabs, prawns, fish, raw meat, dim sum, soup, abalone, shark, cutterfish, all kinds of drinks, wine and desserts... The dinner was wonderful! ^^

Friday 11/12/2009

After the Singapore trip, my life returned to it's boring days. I continue my usual routine. I hate to go on like that, but that's the way the way I have to live my life... No choices...

Now... there are some new changes. Except for tuition I go every Monday to Wednesday morning, there are more tuitions starting next week. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at Prestasi Tuition Centre, Ukay Heights. Some may thought that I'm doing something insane. Maybe they would say, "Hey! It'sa holiday...! A very long time until school starts..." And then make that is-he-crazy? expressions.

Sometimes I might agree with that, but... Secondary school days are where the challenge begins. It'll be a lot more harder to cope than primary school. You really need effort to get good results.

So I think that this is a good chance to use my time wisely, than to spend time on the Internet the whole day long. It'll be a good start. Good luck, everyone!

Darren's inviting me to his house next thursday for lunch and play.. you know? In other words, have fun - I'm looking forward to that.

OK, I'm nothing to say, see you, and bye! ^^

Picture Movie Created By Me... Specially Dedicated to Grace & Wilson... With the help of Windows Movie Maker

My Memory

Her brown, brown eyes,
Are just a memory.
One in which is trapped
In the deep depths of my mind.
I want to let go
and then I come close
But I see
The memory...

The song on the radio...
The pictures in the box...
The words she spoke...
The sound of her voice......
All part of the memory.

I want to let go
and just as I come close
I see as clear as day
The memory...

Of the smiles and the laughs...
Of the happiness and joy...
Of the sunshine and the stars...
Of our love and the untouched kisses...
All part of the memory

I want to let go
Even though I come close
I still remember
The memory...

The first 'Hello'
Our first date
Love's first kiss
I thought we had years
But now I know
It was all a lie, a joke,
A meaningless experiment.

Now here I lay
Awake in the night
Wondering when the
Pain and suffering of heartache
Will come to an end.

I want to let go
Oh, so close
Although so far
Why can't I forget
The memory...

The memory...The memory...The memory...

I want to forget...that memory.
I want to let go...
Of that memory.

My Memory.

Alone

Alone with my thoughts
Alone through the night
Alone with my wishes
Alone dreams you ignite
Alone when I sleep
Alone when we fight
Alone in my heart
Alone and contrite
Alone with my memories
Alone thats my right
Alone with my tears
Alone at first sight
Alone with my wounds
Alone ray of light

I've Bought It

You know the full series novel of The Twilight Saga?! Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn... Yeah..! That's the one... I've bought it at Kinokuniya Bookstore (KLCC) yesterday afternoon.

Well... How I've happened to be there? If it is not b'cause of my tuition, I think I'll have wait longer 'till i can get this UPSR present. Every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings I have tuition at Ipoh Road... A1 tuition centre. That's far... 45minutes to get there from my house if there are NO traffic jams. So..., I'll have to leave house at 9a.m.... It starts at 10, ends at 12... My mum's waiting, and we had lunch at Mutiara Complex (5minutes walking distance)... and went to KLCC.

My mum doesn't the the way well... so we go to Sogo first by bus, and change another one at Jln Wang Dangi... strange names isn't it? But I still got to memorize it... haha^^ Bought the books worth RM149.90 and redeemed a RM10 voucher. Every purchase more than RM100, you'll get one. Only at Kinokuniya Bookstores...!

After that, went home by bus. Rapid KL U26, that is, going to Bukit Indah and places around there.

Usually I dislike reading novels, especially the 'thick thick' ones like the one I bought... b'cause there're all words words words from the beginning until the end of the story... no pictures! But... Twilight is really a very different thing to me... the story is sooo cool! In two days time, I've already read until page 227 where I put my bookmark... I'll have to admit! Stephanie Meyer is really a good author!

*I got the pictures above from the Internet... Don't think that I'll do something so insane such as... Taking pictures of my books...!

Singapore Trip ^^

~ BEST OF THE BEST SCREENSHOTS OF SINGAPORE TRIP ~

* The date of every picture is wrong... I forgotten to set my camera.

What a tiring and fun three nights four days Singapore & Port Dickson trip! Just came back... took a bath... It's so much fun... worked in groups, ate together, chat... and lots more! Visited many places in Singapore. Altough I've been to some of the places before, but it's different when we go with our classmates, friends, people who we are closed to, right? So... This is something new... We stayed two nights in Singapore, and one night in Port Dickson. We went to the Tiara Beach Resort Port Dickson for the stay. And lots of lots of activities and games waiting for us...

BUT... this trip... may be the last time we all will meet. Except for the ones that are going to the same school with me next year. My primary school days just ended like that. All my classmates that I'm close to, I want to tell you that I'm sad when thinking of this. We'll separate, maybe not forever, but we can't meet everyday like we do in primary school. Well, last words... whatever you do, wish you good luck. Whenever you need help, just give me a call... I'll always be ready to lend my hand. Farewell... my best friends... Wish you all the best, and always keep in touch with me. I'll remember you forever...! And... to the whole 6M... I feel happy that I can make friends like you guys. Let us just forget all the sad things that happened before... I'll always treat you as my friends... Whether how much I hate you all... remember... that... we're friends forever. All the misunderstandings, quarelling, and sadness... are things that have passed. So, let's look forward to our future, our bright future... and we all will succcess in whatever we do. Bye bye... ^^

Sarah, thx for your little present you gave me. I've read the letter inside too. You insisted that I open it after I went home, so I did it. bye. ^^

World's TOP 5 Billionaires (2009)

1 Bill Gates US$40.0 billion
Source: Microsoft
Country: United States
Age: 53
Even after losing $18 billion, Bill Gates still has a net worth of $40 billion. As you might know, Bill Gates is a self-made billionaire, earning his money as an entrepreneur. Gates was one of the early disk operating system pioneers and started a software company with some of his peers. The company became Microsoft. One of the main breaks for Gates was an agreement with IBM for an operating system for $50,000. Since he did not transfer the copyright to IBM, he was able to continue making money of the MS-DOS system as other hardware vendors cloned the system. Gates has been accused of unsavory business practices in the past, and was recently involved in anti-trust proceedings in the European Union, but there is no denying the success of Microsoft. Gates now devotes a great deal of money and time to his philanthropic efforts, through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

2 Warren Buffet US$37.0 billion
Source: Berkshire Hathaway
Country: United States
Age: 78
One of the most famous investors in the world is Warren Buffett. After losing $25 billion, his net worth now is right around $37 billion. Most of his fortune is self-made, coming as an outgrowth of a textile firm, Berkshire Hathaway. His father was a politician in Omaha, and Buffett delivered newspapers for his first job. (He also took a $35 tax deduction for his bicycle at age 13.) When Buffett bought Berkshire, he spent some years transitioning it to a holding company. Then he began using it to buy other businesses. Buffett is known for his business sense and investing savvy, and his obsession with checking into companies for their sound fundamentals before making a buying decision. Berkshire owns stakes in Geico, Dairy Queen, See’s Candy, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo and other well-known companies.

3 Carlos Slim Helu US$35.0 billion
Source: Telecom
Country: Mexico
Age: 69
Along with his family, Carlos Slim Helú is the wealthiest man in Latin America. He has $35 billion, even after losing $25 billion. Slim is also a self-made billionaire. He has an interesting history. Even though he lives in Mexico City, he is the son of an immigrant from Lebanon (his father’s original surname was Salim). He studied engineering, and made his money in the telecom industry. He was the leader in a group of investors that bought two telephone companies from the Mexican government in 1990. His diverse holdings include real estate, technology, oil, gas and even a stake in The New York Times Company. He even loaned the company money earlier this year. Slim’s wealth is worth about the same as 2% of the economic output of the entire country of Mexico.

4 Lawrence Ellison US$22.5 billion

Source: Oracle

Country: United States

Age: 64

The man that started software giant Oracle is worth $22.5 billion. Even though he was born in the Bronx, Ellison was adopted and raised by his mother’s aunt and uncle in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Ellison’s adopted father lost his small real estate fortune during the Great Depression. Like Bill Gates, Ellison is a college dropout. He made his money in software design. His database project for the CIA, as part of Ampex Corporation, was called Oracle. He founded his company using only $2,000 of his own, and grew it into one of the industry leaders. However, there have been several tugs of war. But Oracle’s focus on database and server technology has allowed to remain in relatively good shape.

5 Ingvar Kamprad US$22.0 billion

Source: IKEA

Country: Sweden

Age: 83

Most people probably haven’t heard of Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad (net worth, $22 billion). But they have probably heard of the brand he is associated with: Ikea. Kamprad is the child of Swedish farmers. One of his first jobs was selling cards, matches, pens and fish from a bicycle. He learned early that he could buy in bulk for cheap, and then mark up prices so that he made a good profit — even while offering good prices to customers. Eventually, he began selling furniture. After learning a bit about it, he opened his own furniture store. He got the name Ikea from his first and last name, the name of the family farm, and the nearest village. His furniture brand is known for its affordability and modern style. Instead of living too lavishly, Kamprad takes economy class when he flies, eats at inexpensive restaurants and furnishes his home mainly with what Ikea has to offer.