Do Not Bring Us To The Test

Pavilioncollage1
Swiped from williamnyk.

I left UM more than 4 years ago. 4 years of exam-free bliss. I never thought of furthering my education. No more studying, no more taking tests. However, I broke that welcomed dry spell on Saturday. Took my first Microsoft Certified Professional Exam. 70-431 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Implementation and Maintenance. Fully paid for by my company. High time I get something instead of "on-the-job" training. The absence of monetary bonuses is starting to be too glaring too. I had less than 20 days to digest 21 chapters. Each day after knocking off at 9pm, I get home, have my dinner, shower and study before going to bed. It's all a blur really. The pdf document I read doesn't quite make sense to my sleep-deprived noggin'. And yet I press on. The lesson and chapter summaries were my friends.

Come saturday, more than 10 chapters had left me. Or it never stayed with me in the first place. Oh well. Made my way to the test center at Amcorp Mall. No ID verification required. No invigilator. Just the computerized test and me. I could have very well hired someone to take the exam on my behalf. 35 objective questions and 12 simulated tutorials later, the exam had ended. I needed 700 points to pass. I got 820. Hehe. After the exam, SK picked me and we had an informal celebration at The Gardens.

Sat down at Sizzling Chilis. Another brainchild of the SEA Cuisine group. The decor is fantastic. A pale interior with extra large lighting, closely-beamed ceilings and comfortable booths. A great play of lines. If you want the technical desciption, you'll have to wait for Adrien to comment. Ordered the Catfish Mango Salad (fantastic food presentation) and the Stewed Duck Noodles. Not bad. But not very good either. As expected of their restaurants. A tad pricy. We had a little detour at Yuzu and by the looks of the menu, it should be quite promising. For another day.

The architecture of The Gardens is quite interesting. Though not as spacious as The Pavilion, it has its merits. I especially like the high-curved ceiling with the wood panelling and lights emanating from it like pores. Nice high-backed sofas strewn over regular intervals. customer service staff are dressed like butlers. Mengalahkan JW Marriot. They also have the ramp concept like The Pavilion, but the only difference here is the angle. The department stores and boutiques are also quite upmarket, so I guess I'll just stick to MV for now. At one of the department stores, we found a little art gallery nestled within. The current exhibit is by kids aged 9 to 11. Talented little buggers. However, one particular painting of a very pink pig caught my eye:

"This little piggy is going to a disco; This little piggy is wearing a dress; This little piggy is very happy; This little piggy had a big dinner; This little piggy is not that happy; This little piggy is thinking about makeup; This little piggy is ready for a date; This little piggy had a suntan; This little piggy is finding the right handbag; This little piggy is in a rush;"

A little e.e. cummings in the making. What is the world coming to? Heh.