I came face to face with a burglar just now.

I looked at him and he looked at me. Both of us pretended that nothing has happened.

It was about 7.30pm on Dec 26, 2011 when I heard someone was trying to open the back window. So, I peeked through the backdoor and I saw him. A scumbag was trying to steal something from my house.

I looked at him and he looked at me and he pretended that he was just loitering on the backlane. I pretended that nothing has happened too because I don't know what weapon he has. He was just a foot away from me. I guessed he was pretty surprised to see me standing there looking at him.

So, I watched him walked away and then only I shouted "PENCURI!!!!"

And he scolded something vulgar.... "pkm", and he started to run.

And I shouted even louder "PENCURI!!!!!!"

My neighbour who stayed behind came out and looked too.

And the scumbag ran away.

Phishing scam alert

Look at what CIMB sent me below...

Looks like CIMB has sent me an email requesting me to update my details at cimbclicks.com.my

Hmmm....but it looks fishy to me.

It is because a bank will never never never never send any emails to its customers! So, remember that!

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Dear Customer,

Greetings from CIMB Clicks!

Your online banking will expire soon. To avoid any interruption to your service,please log in to your CIMB Clicks account using our website below to updateyour internet banking profile.
http://www.cimbclicks.com.my/

Sincerely,CIMB Bank

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I rolled my mouse over the link and it shows as www.moolah.asia/phpthumb/cache/source/file/activate/Logon.html.

Don't be fooled by such emails.

If you want to go the CIMBClicks website, go to google and type it down the full link yourself.

Also, check the URL address at the top of your browser to ensure it is indeed www.cimbclicks.com.my after you have entered into that website.

By the way, what is moolah.asia?

How to survive in an ODL environment?

Many of us have gone through the conventional learning environment of attending face-to-face lectures and tutorials at universities or colleges.

Many would then ask how is it like learning in an ODL (Open and Distance Learning) environment when hours of classes attended are limited or it doesn't exist at all!

For me, I don't like the idea of attending classes to learn something. I rather read a book on my own and learn it by myself. I prefer reading a book by myself rather than sitting in a classroom listening to some unnecessary dreadful painful lectures. Anyway, lecturers are humans as well just like you and I. If they can master the subject matter, so can you.

The key to success in an ODL environment is self-discipline!

You have to study on your own, practice exercises on your own, and revise everything on your own. If you have questions, just post your questions online and your lecturers/tutors will answer you. That's what I like about ODL.

If you had been attending tuition classes when you were in primary and secondary schools, the ODL environment will definitely give you a culture shock because classes are limited. The tuition classes you had attended when you were in school have made you very reliant on the teachers. Attending tuition classes does not encourage you to do your own reading and to do your own research. The tuition teachers are just spoon feeding all of the students by teaching, teaching, and teaching every single detail of the syllabus.

The ODL environment inculcates independent learning because you won't be given any lectures. For those who are lazy and for those who refuses to read on their own, they won't survive the ODL environment.

To survive in an ODL environment, you must be independent and you must have strong self-discipline!