Recently by Alan Chalhoub

 If you're new to Kiwiland, you might think "..aye? what does 'sweet as' mean?'

The definition of 'sweet as'  is " a common phrase used in NZ which means good, yes , everything's okay. It could also be used when a conversation is so boring that you want to end it as quickly as possible without ignoring the other person." (My Brain, 2010)

Once you know what it means, it's a really useful word.

But you then think, sweet as what? 

According to my English teacher in 7th form, NZers have always been lazy so they didn't even care about finishing a simile.  So instead of, say, 'sweet as sugar' or 'sweet as your mom's apple pie', they left it as 'sweet as'

Sweet as.

Hey guys it's been a while! 

If I have to choose a word to describe my current lifestyle, it would certainly be lazy.

Ok here we go.

Can anyone tell me what this little (ugly little thing in my opinion) creature is?

I guess we have a volunteer who is so eager to share.

Lady Gaga : P-p-p Poker Face pp..

Blogger: Sorry the answer was "Possum"

Possum. Possum. I see at least one everyday. But I've never seen one alive until a few weeks ago. Here's how the story goes:

I was at a garage in Morrinsville; band practice. The sweet melody of Green Day filled the room. The song reached its climax and I was silently smiling as I vigorously-yet-dexterously hit the drums. 

But the bassist wasn't. He was staring at the ceiling, then at me.He did that about three times before I looked up. Holy mary mother of god. What do I see? It's a freakishly ugly creature. The grin on my face was long gone. My face became a P-p-p-Poker Face. I was surprised and slightly frightened, to be honest (but punk-rockers do not show it because we are tough) What do I do? except keeping the rhythm? so I decided to share my newfound fear with the singer, a problem shared is a problem halved. At that point, the whole band knew about the filthy intruder. Probably having sensed that, the pest panicked and fled. However, things don't always go smoothly when you are panic-stricken. It lost control and half jumped half fell to the floor ,then headed straight outside while being tangled up in guitar cables. 

We all continued playing as if nothing happened. HAPPY END...Nah.

That moment (not before unfortunately) I realized the boot of my car was left open. Who's the one in a panic now.. After the song, the bassist and I decided to go inspect the car with weapons of mass destruction in our hands (high-quality drumsticks) Slowly approaching the car, I could hear my heart beating out of time. Closed the boot. Check front seat, no possum. Check back seat, nope.  My faint hope of catching it and maybe eating it later was gone. But being able to drive home safely without being ambushed by a possum was much better. So we both went back inside and played some more.

But if the beast did not flee, I reckon we would have been like this:

So the next time you see a dead possum on the road, just put on a poker face, pray for the departed soul and never try to imagine how it would have looked when it was alive.

AMC

 Hey everyone, I guess I'm the newest member of this blog so I'll briefly introduce myself in a FAQ style. These are not questions I came up with to desperately show off my sense of humour, but they are actual questions I've been asked over the years during my time in Hamilton.

1.)I heard you're Japanese, but you're name's Alan Chalhoub. What the..?

 My mum's Japanese and my dad's half Japanese half Syrian. So I look asian but I have a white name. People call me banana boy.

2.) Where you're from?

I'm from Japan. No ,Japan's not part of China and we don't speak Korean. And my dad's not a samurai and we don't have sushi for dinner every night (Although I wish we did)

3.) Are you normal height in wherever you're from?

Nah my stature could be considered universally short. All the people in Japan are well over 6ft.

4.) What is your degree and what do you want to be when you finish?

I am doing a BMS and majoring in Accounting and my dream is to be a retired accountant millionaire.

5.) Why did you choose Waikato?Would you recommended it?

Back in year 13, I had no plan to stay in Hamilton and go to Waikato. My sole intention, to be honest, was to get out from this depressing town filled with old people. But a student advisor came to our school and told us about the wonderful opportunity here at Waikato. She was really friendly and helpful, and was one of the reason I chose this university over others.

So my answer is yes, I would definitely recommend this university. It is not whether the university is in the top 50 in the world or is renowned for its excellence, it's about how happy and welcomed you feel going there, and Waikato is definitely a wise choice I've made.

6.) Any other comments?

Green Day is the best band in the world!

Cheers for taking the time to read this post. I'll try to regularly update this blog and I'll keep it nice and short to keep you from falling asleep while reading it!