Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter (Part 1)

Two days ago was the first anniversary of the opening of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. It reminded me that I was present at the red carpet launching event. 31st March 2012, one of highlights in my life where I get to meet the cast of Harry Potter films including Tom Felton!

Ever since Harry Potter film series ended, I became very engrossed with Harry Potter. I never read the books before watching the movies. I wasn't really into the series until the last instalment. There was a magic moment in Deathly Hallow Part 2 that strikes me and sparks my interest. It all started with reading Harry Potter wiki and eventually, the seven novels. I read the seven books more than once. I watched the eight movies more than twice. To make it short, I become a fan of Harry Potter. Somewhat.

If it was not because my friend told me, I wouldn't know that there was a studio tour for Harry Potter films to be launched in London at the end of March 2012, in which I would still be in England at the time for my internship. As tickets were opened for booking, I bought mine almost immediately with no hesitation. Bought the ticket in February but my visit would only be on 6th of April. All I need to do was just to wait for the day to come until I saw a lucky draw contest at their official website pertaining to free entry to launching event of the studio where you have the opportunity to meet up with some of the casts. I was thrilled. I signed up for the fun of it without expecting to win because I never won a lucky draw. What is the odd that I won two entry tickets! :D

The ticket mentioned that we need to present at the event by 1.00pm although the event started at 3.00pm. We waited for two hours in the cold British weather. The day showed signs that it might rain but thankfully it didn't. There was a host entertaining the fans while waiting for the cast arrival. He seemed to be quite a celebrity since the Brits were cheering for him. Me and my friend were like, "who is he?". A number of Harry Potter soundtracks were being played. The studio staff were superbly friendly!

Waiting for cast arrival.

The crowd 

Main studio building

One of the film posters

Studio entrance

My very first red carpet event!

The clock struck 3.30pm and Tom Felton was the first one to appear, followed by other actors/actresses. Let's the photos do the talking.

Didn't manage to take closer shot of Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) since he was never near to the spot where we were standing.

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) 

Rupert Grint (Ronald Weasley) 

David Bradley (Argus Filch, the caretaker) 

 David Thewlis (Remus Lupin)

 Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley)

Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) 

Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley) 

Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas) 

Warwick Davis (Griphook & Professor Flitwick)

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Wastson didn't present at the event due to schedule conflict. It would be so complete if they could make it. Oh well, I guess I was lucky enough to see some of the cast. It was a pretty long day but for a fan, it was totally worth it.

Rest in peace, Richard Griffifth (Uncle Vernon). (31 July 1947 - 28 March 2013)

**********

After waiting for a month, it was all a false hope. Waiting for job placement from PETRONAS, reminded me the time when I was waiting for overseas internship placement. I was the last one to be placed. They say good thing comes to those who wait. Another saying, "Save the best for last". All the seniors were saying the same thing, "Relax,", "Chill first,", "Once you started working, there will be no time to rest at all." I have been resting for three months. I think I have enough. I might have missed  the previous opportunity, who knows the next chance can be better. There's the silver lining. 

Anyway, congratulation to those who have their placements and all the best in your careers. As for the rest, let's pray for the best, mates! =)

When one door closes, another opens.

Autumn is back!

3rd October seems to be one of the dates that is hard to be forgotten. How should I? Doing those progress and internship reports and seeing this particular date appeared on very front page keeps on reminding me the first day when I started my internship in Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team (it was Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team back then). Remembered the first day we were first greeted by Ross Brawn while waiting in the reception (in which we have no idea who he was at that point!), meeting our fellow supervisors and not to forget our big sister, Emily Landon. Never been surrounded by so many English people in my life. Lol.

Welcoming dinner with managers and chief operating officer

When we first reached England, the autumn was just about to start. Throughout my internship, I get to experience nearly all seasons. Summer, I have it since I was born here in Malaysia. For the first three months, we traveled every weekends using the pool cars that were given to us.

How often you get to drive Mercedes cars? Hehe. I miss our cars. :(

Why am I reminiscing all these moments? Just want to pen it down before the memories diminish off my mind. More to come!

Embracing the arrival of autumn!

Final Quarter

Back in UTP for final year final semester! Today is first of October which marks the beginning of final quarter of year 2012. Life has been pretty same old, same old for the past few months. Rushing through deadlines to complete projects. Oh, result for last semester was released last week and it is the best result that I ever get in UTP. After consistent drop from semester to semester (including internship), it is about time to get a fairly high pointer. I am very grateful for that. Another 3 months before all these end.

In the need of new hobbies to distract myself from thoughts that keep on invading my head. If this continues, I might explode. Have all these stress and emotions suppressed within are really a discomfort, feel like there is a heavy stone is hitting my chest and I have troubles to lift it away. Feelings that I am not sure if anyone will really comprehend. People say take it easy but I choose to live the hard way. I started to think that I have compulsive self-destructive behavior. Lol. Lately, I can't stand watching dramas and listening to songs as I easily related myself to the contents, always reminds me the pain of life that I have to bear. I may be strong today, but I am not sure about tomorrow or day after. Dare not to foresee how's the future may turn out to be and decided to live this life day by day at the moment.

Changing the subject, it's been exactly a year ago when I started my journey to London for my internship. Seeing my juniors uploaded their photos on Facebook makes me miss those times so much. Just feeling very nostalgic as browsing my own albums when we all get all excited taking photos almost everywhere upon reaching the foreign land. Ah, memories. Wish to relive those moments again someday.

With the remaining time that I have here, I really want to cherish the moment with sweet memories. At the same time, I have been in constant dilemma whether I want to further studies or start working. If I will have the chance, I would prefer to continue somewhere else for a brand new start, an option that seems to be impossible to achieve. In the end, I will always fall back to the decision to work with PETRONAS, God willing, for the next 10 years. Pray hard that I won't get face any midlife crisis at the point and start to whine how regret I am back then. Lol. It is just harder to make up your mind at this age when you cannot only think about yourself as there are others dependent on you. I am not sure myself what I really want in this life either. Sigh.

Pretending to be someone that I am not has been part of me lately. A perfect disguise what is hidden within. Let go and move on. A slow and painful process.

Sign off.

Final (Senior) Year!

I know, this update is long overdue. It has been three months since my last entry here. There was time that I wish to update but something would always get in my way. Anyway, I am here now. Just hope it is sufficient to cover what have been happening for the past months.

Final year has been nothing but a total madness. Fourteen weeks of the semester seems to be more tormenting than the seven months internship. With two final year projects undertaken concurrently, the stress can be unbearable at time. It is not all about good time management anymore. You also need to learn to have good mentality and above all, compromise and tolerate while working with others. For my final year project (FYP), I am working on the mechanical properties of urea fertilisers. It sounds like a simple project but expectation of my supervisor is somewhat pressuring. A good intention it is but I am not sure I can continuously keep up. As a matter of fact, I am only doing this FYP just for the sake of FYP, not that I have much enthusiasm in it. Not good.

FYDP or Plant Design Project, if you ask any chemical engineering students, this course is a real pain in the ass. Never have such a torturing group project before. Had our presentation on Tuesday and I daresay that it was an epic failure. Being criticized by the examiners from head to toe, from arm to leg. I guess we need to really intensify our effort for next semester, which is also my final semester in UTP. Heard from seniors that FYP2 and FYDP2 will be much worse. Great, I shall foresee a very grueling final moment in this university.

Other than studies, there are so many things have been evolving around me lately, both good and bad. Sometimes I let these things to take over me to the extent that dragging me away from my work. Frankly speaking, personal issues exert more stress than the FYP workloads. Stress from studies can come on its own but emotional turmoil does not, when I am not able to proceed with my work in which later I need to suffer from the consequences. I don't know how strong can I be but for being able to survive in UTP for the past 4 years is considerably remarkable for me. To endure with all these without any total breakdown. I mean, how long you can pretend that you are okay when you are not? There is time that I find this life is not worth living anymore.

Ultimately, I need to reset my main motivation. I am not doing this for me. I am doing this for my family. I am doing this for the people that I love. I gotta stay together. I just have to. I shall not give myself away that easily. There are so many things I would like to do in this life. Keep on reminding myself that there is a bit more left before breaking free. *end of venting about my life*

Today marks the beginning of Final Exam, my second last exam. My paper starts on next Monday, though. Yet to feel anxious. Rather excited, actually. *not fully prepared* If you ask me, I would rather choose final exam over projects. Final exam can be finished in one shot but projects take your whole lifetime. lol

Okay, I stop here for now. Shall continue next time. Promise to keep this blog updated regularly after this.

Wishing you all the happiness in the world and see you around!

Oh ya! Tomorrow is 31st August. Happy Merdeka to all Malaysians. Happy 55th Birthday, Malaysia.

My favourite patriotic song of all time!

TERIMA KASIH, MALAYSIA!

Double Sevens

Can you have a wild guess why did I name my post title so? I have been away from this blogger for too long. With new websites/applications being introduced from time to time such as Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and all which don't need lengthy posting, they are more appealing than typing whole bloody paragraph and paragraph of words.

Anyway, tracing back the old post, it has been a couple of months and you could have figured that I have returned to my beloved Malaysia. If you catch up on other sites, you would already know. The seven months in United Kingdom has been nothing but an extraordinary journey for a small town boy like me. Back in UTP, I was so used to hear my coursemates were coming from cluster schools. Back in UK, we have met so many Malaysians students who are being attached abroad as well. Growing up in an average family, this is not something that we can witness most of the time. I daresay that I am proud to manage to raise the standard even higher, hoping the next person will be able to do better than myself.

I have learned so much during my stay in the foreign land, not just from my work but also daily social life. Surely, internship has opened my eyes to the world that I never see before. Culture differences, Europeans norms, just to name a few, are the sources of lessons which are not simply available easily. Well, you may read them off the book but to experience themselves will enhance your learning capacity to another whole new level. It should be encouraged to assimilate the good values to boost up our society practices. Comparing England and Malaysia, we have still such a long, long way to catch up if we are still holding the vision to be a developed country by 2020. Not much time left!

A shot with Ross Brawn (Team Principal), Rob Thomas (Chief Operating Officer) and Paul Mills (Human Resource Director) on our last week of internship, with the coincidental winning trophies during Chinese Grand Prix, a brilliant closure

Interning with Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team has given me so many memories to be cherished for the rest of my life. I know this sounds very cliche but how often, for Malaysians, get to work with Formula One team? I have not been able to contribute much of my knowledge since I am a chemical engineering student but it just proves that there is always flexibility to venture into any sectors regardless of your studies background. This opportunity has given me the advantage to learn something that chemical engineering can't offer.

That's that and ever since I landed on this country, other than tackling jet lag, I also need to get used to the hot weather in which I have not experienced for the seven months. Imagine 15 degree Celcius is considered warm for the English. Even a cold shower can't help me much in this Malaysian weather, for the time being. British weather wasn't that pleasant for Malaysians (and so is another way round) but no kidding, I do miss it.

Returning to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS for my final year (oh, FINAL YEAR!) of studies is something I am kind of looking forward to. This just means that I have about seven months or so before finishing my degree! Time flies by so crazily fast and I will be officially graduated early next year. Ah, I am gotta accept the fact that life won't stop moving as long as the time won't stop ticking. So, me myself, shall not stop living and fighting.

Moving on.

Wishing everyone all the best in their final years and my friends who are about to have their internships soon. Enjoy your time as much as you can. Life is short. Make the most out of it. You won't want to look back and feel regret.

See you around!

Best results don't guarantee the best opportunities.

Life is about taking chances, and seizing them.

I MISS ALL OF YOU!

Inspection Team (Oct'11 - Apr'12) 

Fellow interns and Emily, our big sis