graduation eligibility

an external student from the university of southern queensland is currently studying a university degree in the bachelor of information technology majoring in information technology management. he has previously completed an informatics academy diploma in computer studies majoring in multimedia and the internet in december 2005. his commencement date of the usq degree was in semester one 2006. 24 units are required to graduate. he has been offered 16 exemptions from the diploma, so he only has to complete 8 units to graduate. however, he has previously completed statistics 121 in curtin university of technology, a member of the australian technology network and one of the top 200 universities in the world. so he has been awarded an exemption for sta2300 data analysis in semester one 2006 because of advanced standing or recognition of prior learning. a unit exemption leads to a usq credit transfer. therefore he is only required to complete seven units to graduate. so far he has already passed the seven units required for graduation. but according to usq, he is not eligible to graduate because he was told that the maximum number of exemptions which can be awarded is 16. usq has awarded him 15 diploma exemptions and 1 degree exemption. he has only completed 7 units, so he has to complete one more unit before he can graduate.

he is arguing his case. he is claiming that he should be awarded 16 diploma exemptions and 1 degree exemption, in total 17 exemptions. he has already passed the remaining 7 units, so he should be eligible to graduate. usq should have informed him earlier that the degree exemption was part of the 16 exemptions granted. he was unaware that he has to enrol in one more unit until he made an enquiry last week. he is forced to rush to register for the unit before the unit enrolment deadline. if he was told earlier, he would have enrolled the additional unit in the previous semesters. he has already written in to usq to appeal his case. if the appeal fails he has no choice but to complete the unit in semester two 2007.

Pulau Besar

Pulau Besar is an island located along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just off Mersing. The name, Pulau Besar (formerly known as Pulau Babi Besar) is strange to many despite its idyllic beaches and stunning natural beauty. The island, which is surrounded by Pulau Rawa, Pulau Sibu & Pulau Tinggi, is characterized by quiet, clean beaches of powdery white sand that promises an amazingly spectacular view. Pulau Besar is fringed by crystal-clear azure waters that people can actually catch sight of the abundant reefs. To preserve the unspoiled marine life, the Government has gazetted it as a marine park to protect around 60 species of marine life from any activities that can harm their natural habitats within 2 nautical miles around the island.

Pulau Besar rises some 2,000 feet above the sea level. It is one of the largest islands off the coast of Mersing. It is also surrounded by 15 scattered islands. It has several long stretches of fine beaches with fine, soft white sand that fringe the island which is carefully hidden from the outside world. A place irresistable to those who seek tranquility amidst the charm of a village setting. The island houses many exotic coral reefs and underwater flora as well as numerous chalets and restaurants.

This island got its former name, Pulau Babi Besar, (directly translated as Big Boars Island) from the numerous wild boars that roamed the island before man inhabited the place. Surprisingly, there is not a single boar on the island at present and thus, the reason for the change of name to Pulau Besar.

Rich hues of wild vegetations are dappled throughout the island with the lush greens of the coconut palms and tropical jungles. There are about 7 – 8 small villages that are still populated by around 100 friendly dwellers that are mostly fishermen. There is a myth about a fisherman couple that transformed into mermaids. This legend is so popular among the local folks that they believed at one time, a pregnant fisherman’s wife was craving for a kind of seaweed that is plentiful in the Mersing waters. After eating, she turned into a mermaid and the heartbroken husband became one too after eating the same seaweed. Until today, it is claimed that mermaids floating as couples can sometimes be spotted eating seaweed around the island. During low tide, tourists can see nibbling marks on the island rocks that proves the existence of these mammals.

Pulau Besar is surrounded by vistas so beautiful that even a number of foreign TV stations have flocked to the island to savor the natural wonders and treasure them in films. In fact, a short time ago, a Hollywood film, Ocean Lifeguard, had chosen Pulau Besar as its main shooting location.

In the Mersing waters, there are at least 15 small and scattered islands and each is unique in its own way. Here, you can find many species of giant cockles that live on the ocean floor and 6 of them can only be found around Mersing waters. A number of the surrounding islands such as Pulau Aur, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Tinggi and Pulau Rawa have been identified as new habitats for the new generation of the giant cockles that have a lifespan of 70 years, 1-metre long shell and can weigh as much as 200 kilograms. Tourists will be able to set their eyes on these lovely shelled-creatures while snorkeling in the breathtakingly picturesque waters.

There are many resorts in Pulau Besar such as Perfect Life Resort, Hillside Chalet Island Resort, Sun Dancer Chalet, White Sand Beach Resort, Besar Island Chalet, D'Coconut Island Resort, Sun Dancer Island Resort, Aseania Resort (formerly known as Radin Resort & Safaries) and Nirwana Beach Resort. All these resorts offer many interesting facilities, attractions and activities for tourists and locals alike. The more popular resorts are D’Coconut Resort, Aseania Resort and Nirwana Resort.

D’Coconut Island Resort is a tropical paradise in one of the most picturesque islands along the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. It is nestled amidst coconut trees, and overlooking the glistening waters of the ocean with white sandy beaches, dazzling coral reefs and prolific marine life. D'Coconut brings you the harmony and beauty of a kampung environment complete with modern amenities. D'Coconut Island Resort, originally a coconut plantation, consists of scattered 'rumah kampung' chalets, a restaurant serving western and local cuisine, a 100-person conference/banquet hall, a cineplex, a karaoke lounge, a swimming pool, a pool bar, conference facilities, satellite TV and a dive shop. Recreational Facilities include windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving ,canoeing, jet skiing, fishing trips to nearby islands, island hopping, jungle trekking , beach volleyball, mountain biking, beach gym, sailing and indoor games. The resort provides comfortable chalet rooms with air-conditioning, attached bathrooms equipped with hot and cold shower facilities, hot showers, colour TV and mini fridge. The resort has a total of 19 units of Deluxe Rooms, 43 units of Superior Rooms and 6 units of Family Rooms. The Family Room is based on the Quad Sharing Basis. Power supply is 24 hours.

Pulau Besar is surrounded by many beautiful islands. Visitors to D'Coconut Island Resort will be able to visit the nearby islands of Pulau Mensirip, Pulau Hujung, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Harimau, and even Pulau Tengah, where Expedition Robinson was filmed. Divers will be able to dive at Jahat Aut, Sakit Mata, Mata Tikus and Rawa.

Aseania Resort Pulau Besar (formerly known as Radin Resort & Safari), is a luxurious 50 chalets resort, preserved in the charm of a traditional Malay village and blending harmoniously with the exotic tranquility of Besar Island.

Activities at Aseania Resort include island hopping (upon request), fishing, snorkeling, diving, beach volleyball, board games and jungle trekking. Facilities include a restaurant, swimming pool, TV lounge with 24 hours Astro satellite TV, function room which can accommodate 30 persons (theatre style) and private BBQ parties which can be arranged on request. Rooms are air-conditioned chalets, fully carpeted, with attached bathrooms with hot showers, mini fridge and coffee & tea are provided too.

Nirwana Beach Resort, nestled in the breezy beach of Pulau Besar, offers different styled chalets with a tropical atmosphere. It has all the facilities of a resort such as a small conference room, a sports centre and a souvenir shop.

There are many interesting activities at Nirwana Beach Resort. One can go snorkeling, fishing, diving or take a trip to the nearby islands. Visitors can trek through the woods to see the tropical plants and animals or visit a 'kelong' to see the fishermen hauling up their nets laden with the bountiful harvest from the sea. The resort offer visitors accommodation facilities ranging from traditional Malay village chalets to A-frame huts. The Restaurant serves a variety of local, Asian and Western delicacies.

Tourists can go to Pulau Besar by taking a ferry from Mersing Jetty Terminal. Boat Services are available to and from Pulau Besar and Mersing . The boat ride from Mersing to Pulau Besar takes about an hour , but if you are in a hurry, you can take a fast boat which only takes 30 minutes. Boats can be chartered from 8.30am to 8pm at the jetty, depending on tide conditions.

Mersing is a pleasant fishing town known also as the gateway to the nearby islands. There are many shops for you to stock up on your supplies before setting off for the islands.

Mersing also offers numerous restaurants, resorts and inexpensive hotels to put up for the night before catching your boat if you arrive after 6.00pm as most boats travel during daylight hours only. Take time to pick your transport as there are many boat operators offering different rates.

Mersing is located 399km from Kuala Lumpur, 190km from Kuantan and 134km from Johor Bahru. From Singapore, you can take a air-conditioned coach. The Journey takes 3 hours to Mersing Jetty. The Coach leaves the Golden Mile Complex in Singapore at 6.30 am. If you are traveling by car, you can drive along the Kota Tinggi trunk road to Mersing. The Journey takes approximately 2½ hours. Alternatively, you can drive along the North-South Highway and exit at Air Hitam interchange. After the toll booth, turn right and proceed to Kluang town. Follow the sign boards to Mersing. The Journey takes 4½ hours. If you are staying in Kuala Lumpur, you can take a connecting flight to Senai Airport, Johor and continue the journey by taxi to Mersing Jetty. The Journey takes 2 hours. Taxi and bus services are also available to and from Kuala Lumpur.

Pulau Besar is truly an interesting tourist attraction to visit with your family or friends or simply just yourself. All the while, tourists have only been accustomed to the popularity of Pulau Tioman in Pahang and Pulau Pemanggil in Johor, which are actually situated within the same area. So why not check out Pulau Besar and see for yourself how beautiful this island is.

Music Review

by Rainer Teh
easyriderlovescs@hotmail.com

The CD I am reviewing is The Matrix Reloaded Soundtrack Album. It consists of 18 excellent tracks performed by today’s popular artists.

It contains tracks by Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, Fluke, Oakenfold, Rob Zombie, Rob Dougan and other artists. It has a mixture of rock, heavy metal, electronic, techno, trance and orchestral music. The first track by Linkin Park called Session really puts you in the mood of the soundtrack, which is very fast paced and exciting. Although it is only under 3 minutes long, you can hear their superb drumming and turntable scratching, even though this song has no lyrics at all. The second track by Marilyn Manson sounds very demented and demonic. Marilyn Manson is at his best with his angst ridden voice and guitar riffs. He is full of anger in this song and be warned, this song contains a lot of vulgarities. Another track by Rob Dougan is a different version of his same song in the first Matrix album which was called Clubbed to Death. This time it is called Furious Angel and it sounds much better than the first one. You would notice that this song was played while Neo was fighting the multiple Agent Smiths. The rest of the tracks are mainly electronic and orchestral music. Special mention to the track by Fluke called Zion which was played during the Neo Trinity bedroom scene. That song sure puts you in the mood for love. Fans of this movie should buy this soundtrack cause it is worth every cent. But personally, I prefer the first Matrix album. Go buy it now. I give it 75%.

char kway teow

went to zion rd hawker centre for the famous char kway teow. sgd3 for small plate, sgd4 for medium plate, sgd5 for large plate. comes with your favourite toppings of cockles, chinese sausage, bean sprouts, plus extra chilli if you can handle it and extra black sauce for that tangy flavour. the queue was long as usual, if queue long means food good. simple equation to understand. we ordered three plates of medium char kway teow and washed it down with freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. the hawker centre was not full at the time we were there, so we didn't have to share tables, thank gawd.

after dinner we visited the royal sporting house in great world city to purchase some sport shoes (actually my dad wants a new pair of shoes for sports, not me) bought a pair of reeboks after much decision and consideration, with considerable input from me, my mum and a salesgirl and salesman. we were all very patient with the customer right until closing time.

then we went to that's music to look for music but unfortunately we were told sorry not found no stock at the moment, please try again later. bought some brownies and cheese cakes from the coffee bean and tea leaf. omg the brownies look delicious, but one slice is pretty expensive, need deep pockets to eat brownies.

oh well that wraps up tonight's festivities. reached home and had some sweet mangoes. yummy mangoes, probably from thailand or india.


char kway teow

half life two episode one

ahem i have an announcement to make... i recently completed half life two episode one. yes most of you will be laughing as you read this, because this game has been released a few years back, and this fella has just completed it?! unbelievable ya?! don't wanna give any spoilers or ruin the element of surprise, but this game should be played by any self-respected first person shooter fan. much shorter than the original half life two because it is delivered in an episodal format via steam, valve's proprietary online software delivery system. you have to solve your fair share of physics problems and in game puzzles, eliminate your fair share of irritating pain in the ass son of a bitch thorn in the flesh foes which play hide and seek with you, but at least you won't be alone in the game, your trusty female sidekick will help you rid the Earth of the Combine scum. some pretty interesting new enemies will be introduced, and we also welcome back some old familiar enemies (if you played half life two you should be very very acquainted with them). the game ends with a cliffhanger which leads to half life two episode two, due to be released soon.

gamewise it is pretty similar to half life two, you don't need half life two to play episode one. the game has a linear sequence where you have to solve the puzzle before proceeding to the next section, so replayability is limited. there are three difficulty levels to test your skill and ability. and you get to admire the beautiful high dynamic range lighting visuals which will blow your mind away. the game requires decent specs to run, check the website for more details. i find the game a bit long-winded, but the character animation is flawless, excellent voiceovers, havok physics, realistic explosions, intelligent AI, cool weapons (read confiscation field), plus a couple of nasty surprises that will hit you when you least expect it. overall an excellent game!!! I give it 95%. for me i can't wait for episode two to hit the shelves. can't wait to meet the new enemies and new allies.


half life two episode one