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Best Indian Songs of 2008

To listen to these songs, please visit DhinGana.com and just search for them!

Notable Songs (Ordered alphabetically by movie title)

Khudah jaane (Bachna aae haseeno)
C Kkompany (C Kkompany)
Everybody put your hands together (De taali)
Jaane kyun (Dostana)
Desi girl (Dostana)
Bounce (Dostana)
Teri bandagi (Drona)
Kaise mujhe tum (Ghajini)
Bang bang bang (Hello)
Aksar (Hijack)
Kahin to hogi (Jaane tu ya jaane na)
Jaane tu mera (Jaane tu ya jaane na)
Nazreen milana (Jaane tu ya jaane na)
Aditi (Jaane tu ya jaane na)
Lambi judai (Jannat)
Haan tu hai (Jannat)
Kehne ko jashne baharan (Jodha Akbar)
Nagme hi nagme (Jodha Akbar)
Mit jaaye (Kidnap)
Bahkhudah tumhi ho(Kismat Konnection)
Break free (Krazzy 4)
Sach kehna (Love story 2050)
Tum mile (My name is Anthony Gonzalvez)
Haule haule (Rab ne banadi jodi)
Khwab dekhe (Race)
Race sanson ki (Race)
Tu aaja mere mahi (Raaz 2)
Rock on (Rock on)
Ye tumari meri baaten (Rock on)
Pichle saat dinon (Rock on)
Teri ood (Singh is Kinng)
Falak tak chal (Tashan)
U me aur hum (U Me Aur Hum)
Jee le (U Me Aur Hum)
Tu hi to meri dost (Yuvraaj)
Shano shano (Yuvraaj)

Top 5 Songs (Ordered by my preference)

1. Kahin to hogi (Jaane tu ya jaane na)
2. Jaane tu mera (Jaane tu ya jaane na)
3. Haan tu hai(Jannat)
4. Teri ood(Singh is Kinng)
5. Teri bandagi (Drona)

Best Albums (Ordered by my preference)

1. Jaane tu ya jaane na (A. R. Rahman)
2. Rock on (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
3. Jannat (Pritam)


Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 11:06 AM

Best Indian Music 2007

THESE are MOST of the movie releases of 2007 in Bollywood. From all the music this year, here are my pics of best songs and albums...

NOTABLE SONGS (Movie alphabetical)

Ke bin tere (Aggar)
Tere bina (Aap ka suroor)
Yeh tera mera milna (Aap ka suroor)
Dance with me (Aaja naachlay)
Toh phir aao (Awaarapan)

Jaaniye (Dus kahaniyan)
Tere bin (Dehli heights)

Tere liye (Fool and final)

Tere bina (Guru)

Dhoolna (Hey baby)

Tum se hi (Jab we met)
Aao meelo chalen (Jab we met)
Maujan hi maujan (Jab we met)
Jab bhi zara (Just married)
Bol na halke halke (Jhoom barabar jhoom)
Jhoom barabar jhoom (Jhoom barabar jhoom)

Wahi pyaar hai (Marigold)

Main jahaan rahoon (Namaste London)
Ek din (Naqaab)
Rozaana (Nishabd)

Ankhoon mein teri (Om shanti Om)
Main agar kahoon (Om shanti Om)

Soni de nakhre (Partner)
Partner (Partner)

Jab se tere naina (Saawariya)
Yun shabnami (Saawariya)

Hey shona (Ta ra rum pum)
Woh ajnabee (The train)

Welcome (Welcome)

TOP 5 SONGS (Ordered)

Jab se tere naina (Saawariya)
Main jahaan rahoon (Namaste London)
Aao meelo chalen (Jab we met)
Tere bina (Guru)
Bol na halke halke (Jhoom barabar jhoom)

BEST OF THE REST

Yeh tera mera milna (Aap ka suroor)

BEST ALBUMS (Ordered)

Saawariya (Monty)
Jab we met (Pritam)
Partner (Sajid-Wajid)

BEST NON-FILMI

Junoon (Abhijeet Sawant)


Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007 at 1:47 PM

Site coming back


Posted on Friday, August 24, 2007 at 10:20 AM

Keeping the Blog Alive

Just posting this so that the blog doesn't get shut down!

I've been busy...

The ACIT       Heaven-bound       Sveit.com - Aboho reborn!


Posted on Monday, June 25, 2007 at 11:44 AM

January Desktop


Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 8:25 AM

Spring 2007 Student Registration

 

   

Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 3:33 PM

SPRING 2007

ANOTHER SEMESTER BEGINS!

AAUN has welcomed around 90 new students to its student population this January


Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 3:00 PM

Recommended Software :: Mozy Free Online Backup

For anyone who has had to format their hard disk or suffered from a crash, backing up important files is essential, especially all our course notes. I found this free service from Mozy that offers 1 GB of free space online! I have been using it for this whole semester now, and its really cool!
Check it out for yourselves!
Mozy Free Backup
Get Mozy Free

Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 3:19 PM

UNIX on Windows!

In my UNIX class, we were intruduced to Cygwin, which is a simulation of UNIX that runs on top of your Windows operating system. I also had a try of another method of running a real operating system on top of Windows using a cool concept called virtualization. By using a software called VMWare, I can run other appropriately packaged OS. I have FreeBSD and PC-BSD running OK without having to reinstall Windows or create partitions! Its a great feeling to have more than one operating systems running on one PC!



Posted on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 11:49 AM

Top Bollywood Songs of 2006 :: My Picks

Here is my take on the best songs of this year (sorted from best downwards) released with Indian movies, songs that kept humming in my mind during writing tests  songs that have a super tune and good lyrics, songs that I'd still want to listen to the next year! You can listen to most of them on Raaga.com
"Chaand sifarish" Fanaa
"Mitwa" Kabhi alvidaa naa kehna
"Tere bin" Bas ek pal
"Bas ek pal" Bas ek pal
"Remo" Aparichit

"Aashiqui mein teri" 36 China town
"Tumhi dekho naa" Kabhi alvidaa naa kehna
"Dil vich lagya ve" Chup chup ke
"Ajnabee sheher" Jaan-e-mann
"Aaj ki raat" Don

Posted on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 11:19 AM

My Desktop this September


Posted on Wednesday, September 6, 2006 at 7:32 PM

First class of this semester :: UNIX

What a way to start the new academic year and new semester! We had our first UNIX class today and it was super! I can't wait to get my fingers on a UNIX-powered machine, but for the time being, we are using Cygwin to get into the basics of UNIX.

I'm downloading Cygwin as I type. I'm also going to be trying out other distros such as running FreeBSD on the VMWare player (more on this later).

My other class today was Java 2, and we are set to get into GUI and more advanced Java topics.

Out of class, it was yet another eventful day (same since last week Monday) as many new students keep pouring in to get registered as AAUN students 


Posted on Monday, September 4, 2006 at 7:47 PM

Diary Event :: Aboho is shutting down

Aboho [URL won't work after September 9] was a great online forum that I often visited. In fact, in my personal browsing details would show that I spent 50% of my Internet time on Aboho. I have many good friends there, but now the owner has decided to shut down the forum completely. Its kind of sad as I won't have such an interesing place to go to when online. But on the brighter side, I can pay more attention to school.


Posted on Sunday, September 3, 2006 at 7:03 PM

Welcome to new students at AAUN :: My second year at AAUN!

Here's a warm welcome to any new students here at AAUN who are (mistakenly ) reading this blog! As a second year student , I have some advise for them (I feel old saying that) ...

  • Pay particular attention to your writing classes (ahem, especially IT students), they will greatly help you in learning about organizing yourselves
  • Always complete assignments the same day or your work load will pile up!
  • Be extremely serious about your studies

A glimpse of the HP laptops given FREE to every student joining AAUN! This one's mine!

My second year at AAUN starts off with a return to Java. Other subjects I'm offering are Calculus II (Integration) , Introduction to UNIX, Digital Systems and a surprise of General Chemistry I. I was suppose to take on Physics II, but Chemistry is also a requirement for Computer Science students, so why not take a short break from Physics!


Posted on Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 2:16 PM

Welcome Barbecue at AAUN!

The semester is near starting (just this Monday infact), and AAUN had its welcome barbecue today. Its becoming a tradition here to welcome new students with an American-style barbecue. The star attraction was, of course the food! It was very sumptuous and healthy too

One of the things I like about AAUN is the good food at the cafeteria. Sure, some students complain about it  But as the saying goes, you can't please everyone. I think it has this light feel about it, plus its nutritious and delicious....  I'm getting hungry again...!


Posted on Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 4:34 PM

Recommended Software :: 7-Zip

Many of us who download excessively often encounter the compressed file, commonly in .ZIP format. For users of the Windows NT range of OS, there's an in-built unzipping tool to extract compressed files.

 

However, this utility has many limitations on the type of compression formats it supports. Enter 7-Zip, a freeware unzipping utility that supports almost all compression formats including UNIX tarball formats as well!

 

I have been using 7-Zip for more than 2 years now. Apart from letting you unzip, it also offers compression in various formats and even allows you to set compression ratios, so that you can get the best and smallest compressions.

 

7-Zip also allows creation of encrypted password-protected vaults and self-extracting executables. I could not do without 7-Zip in my daily downloading life


Posted on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at 11:05 AM

MY FORUM IS DEAD

AAUN-Life was shut down after the host decided that there wasn't enough activity from members. Can't blame them though, it was freely hosted, and web space is precious. If my forum was stale, someone else could be using the space, and thus the forum was permanently closed down.

 

Perhaps I'll start the forum all over again with another host, but this time with enough publicity in school to keep it fueled and going without me even!


Posted on Friday, August 25, 2006 at 2:15 PM

Top Coder at RentACoder!

I got a pleasant shock today as I logged into RentACoder. Apparently I have been able to get the required number of ratings, jobs, and points to become a Top Coder. Here's what it means *...

  • Experienced (Minimum of 3 projects on the site and 5,000 points in the "All Coder Competition")
  • Excellent customer satisfaction (Average rating of at least 9-superb)
  • Every job completed succesfully (no rating below 4)

You can click here for proof  Its a neat feeling. Praise be to Jesus, and God bless the RentACoder guys who let freelancers and students join for free!

 

* Descriptions are quoted from RentACoder.com


Posted on Friday, August 25, 2006 at 1:59 PM

Plans for this semester

Hurray! Its my second year at the AAUN. Classes are slated to begin on September 4. I have been planning on what I'll be doing, apart from studying, this semester...

  • The ACM Club beckons - The AAUN chapter of the Association of Computer Manufacturers club started off last semester, and this semester is supposed to be one with a lot of beehive activities coming from this club.
  • Hamman's blog - Will have to keep blogging, more than before too!
  • RentACoder.com - I work online by outsourcing on this neat site, and hope to continue at a slow pace. It really helps me to apply my learnt skills practically
  • School newspapers - I plan to contribute some articles to the school's newspaper as well as the SITC newspaper. Plus I will hopefully be putting up cartoon strips in the school's paper, depending on Dr. Janette Wallis, our school paper's coordinator
  • My personal project - As my own personal project, I will be trying out my hand at developing a meaningful Google Gadget
  • Work-Study - I will also be doing my work-study throughout the semester

I'm also trying out a new strategy in study, mainly based on how I take and organize notes for my courses. More on this later (hopefully it won't back-fire!). I have written this down to force myself not to think too extravagently!


Posted on Thursday, August 24, 2006 at 10:43 AM

The Summer holiday

The summer break didn't go too well! I wish it was longer! I was able to update my site during the break, and revise my Java. But there were major failures in my plans for the holiday.

 

For one thing, I was not able to convert any of my code to Java because the GUI part of Java was simply to complicated for me to learn on my own. The world cup was also not too entertaining after Argentina was knocked out. My plans to read ahead for Calculus and Physics did not fare well either.

 

On the bright side, I was able get some background on UNIX, my upcoming course. I even used a SLAX LINUX live CD to get a feel for the first time of a non-Microsoft operating system. Java revision was also fruitful, after I started focusing more on OOP concepts rather than Java syntax.

 

There was also some success in a project I and some other students are doing about making a Healthcare Management System for a hospital called Matco. We were able to put together a good enough prototype after assistance from Dr. Mathias Fonkam, my Java professor from last semester.

 

What I learnt from this holiday experience is that I should've spent more time relaxing!


Posted on Thursday, August 24, 2006 at 10:00 AM

Recommended software :: Free Download Manager

I'm starting a new series on my blog about cool software I use. Here's one... Free download manager or FDM. Its a great way to keep your downloads going. Firstly, its free! Secondly, its virus- and spyware-free! And thirdly, its the best of the download managers I've used! FDM can resume your downloads if your Internet connection breaks so that you won't have to go all the way to that site URL again and start the download all over again. Also, FDM will resume your downloads from where they stopped, saving you bandwidth and time. More information on the developer's site and blog.


Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 at 10:23 AM

ALMOST TIME TO COME BACK ON...

WARNING! IMPENDING RETURN TO BLOGGING!


Posted on Monday, July 24, 2006 at 8:56 AM

Summer break

Well, there is no season such as summer here in Yola right now (its the rainy seasons, actually), but the caption us students have is that we are on "Summer break". My posts will dwindle a bit as I go ahead and start off (gradually) my own "Summer" break...


Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 at 4:43 PM

The Other Blogs...

Here are some other blogs by AAUN students...

http://blogs.cjb.net/nimmy

http://blogs.cjb.net/hangout

http://zwinxy.blogspot.com

http://aaunzeenatu.blogspot.com

In addition, here is another cool in-progress blog about weather here in Yola by Professor Jeff Collier...

http://blogs.cjb.net/aaunweather


Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 at 9:31 AM

Dr. Ahmad Hosseini has decided to leave AAUN and move on. He will be sorely missed. Dr. Hosseini was the Dean of the School of Business Management and Entrepreneurship and was very involved with creating awareness about AAUN and making a positive contribution to the Yola community. He was also the coordinator of the past two student registration processes of Fall and Spring. In fact, the database software that was used at these registrations was designed under his supervision.

Special thanks to him for coming here to AAUN in the first place and making so many differences all around him! Bravo!


Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 1:30 PM

My Favourite Color

Any guesses? Look around the blog, and you can tell its Blue! Take a look at the AAUN-Life forum... yes, there's blue there too! Well OK, my site does not have blue, but that will soon change. Given all the free time I have over the summer break, I will soon be changing my site's theme colors as well! Isn't it good to see blue around


Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at 2:07 PM

DOES ANYONE IN THIS WHOLE WIDE WORLD READ THIS BLOG?


Posted on Friday, May 5, 2006 at 11:48 AM

Greetings Yola!

At the start of this semester, we (me and my sisters AKA The Samuels) were supposed to come up with a business idea, select the best one from all the student groups, and $5000 to actually make the business idea a reality! My group's idea was to start a company that would produce customized and personalized greeting cards. Well, there were four business ideas selected, and  this idea was not selected. In fact, it got zero votes in the end
Nevertheless, we in the group had created such a well-defined plan on how to startup and implement the idea that we decided to start it even without the $5000! A bold step, but one that was on a much smaller scale. The amazing thing is that somehow we managed to make our startup costs very close to zero! That meant that we would be making profits the moment we sold our first card! And we did...

The name of this business, as was originally presented, is Greetings Yola! and we are still continuing it. Students at AAUN often place orders to our "company" for various cards with their names or pictures printed on. We can make use of our IT, designing, writing, and entrepreneurial skills, so its more than just a business, its a learning experience. The business projects idea was a pretty neat one from the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, and we had the chance to learn double from our official business group, as well as our un-official business! 

Posted on Friday, May 5, 2006 at 11:35 AM

Self-appraisal of this semseter

Its the last day of my exams! I finish off with Java at 4 PM. Well, this semester I decided to change my learning methodology (I said this in some other post here). Since we got to evaluate all our lecturers at the end of this semester via anonymous forms, I decided to do a bit of self-evaluation
This semester, the approach was to learn during class sessions and not out of class or even too much emphasis on revising. The idea was to learn what was being taught the moment it was taught. Looking back at my tests and so on, it seems that this idea worked! I had more time to myself, and spent less time revising before tests, while still getting good grades! I now will be using another strategy next semester, plus this one. Next semester, I will be concentrating on taking, organizing, and re-organizing lecture notes More on this next semester...

Posted on Friday, May 5, 2006 at 10:27 AM

Its raining and I am typing...

Its raining superbly as I type this entry. Here I am at my university, and the rain is coming down. Outside is so beautiful and heavenly, all gray, green, and wet. The clouds just thundered! What a lovely sound. I wish I had a picture to share. Finished the dreaded Calculus exam just some hours ago. Went so well that I can't still believe it! God is good, first a good Calculus exam, and now a lovely rain shower! Perfect! The wireless connection is very good here inspite of the rain. Three cheers for the IT department!

 


Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 at 4:54 PM

The AAUN-Life Forum

Check out this forum for all students and faculty here at AAUN...
http://forums.cjb.net/aaun.html
I tagged the forum "AAUN-Life" for some reason (can't remember what, but seemed catchy), and hopefully students will come together and share thoughts and opinions about AAUN . Its a feast for anyone wishing to know about AAUN! Of course non-AAUN folks are also welcome to join!

Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 at 5:16 PM

The semester that was

"My name is Hamman Samuel, and I am excited about Calculus class". That's how this semester started off in Academic Writing 2, where we were asked to share which subjects we were looking forward to. This semester was definitely harder than the previous one, owing to Calculus, Physics especially the Entrepreneurship project. You can read more about the business project tagged "Maravilla Bakery and Confectionaries" here.
The really eye-opening course last semester was African Civilizations, which changed many of my ideas and perspectives. This semester, there's more than one course that did that. Top on the list is Java, in which I, a procedural programmer, was initiated into the object world. It was a brilliant course handled so well by Dr. Mathias Fonkam, and now I am completely converted to the object paradigm. In fact, I intend to convert most of my code and applications to Java during the summer break.
Equally thought-provoking was Economics, tutored by Dr. Surya Banerjee. I will definitely take on any class, whatever course, that Dr. Banerjee decides to take in the coming semesters. I have never heard or even imagined Economics taught in such an interesting manner. Whatever notions I had about Economics are completely altered for the better!
Physics was difficult, but also an immense change-over from what I had learnt to be Physics from my secondary school. Professor Jeff Collier's class was extremely interesting, from the lively jokes to the Physics problems turned cartoon strips. All in all, Physics was a class to look forward to going to.

The next semester is coming up in September, and I have some continuing subjects to look forward to. However, my main attractions for next semester look to be Introduction to UNIX, and Digital Systems. Learning UNIX will surely be a thrill, considering that I have used only Windows since coming into the computing world. I have had a look at a magnificent Mac system with Professor Cheryl Pavlik though. But UNIX seems more technical stuff.

But right now, I'm looking forward more to completing the exams, going on holidays, and watching the World Cup!!!

Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 at 4:45 PM

Exam Time

Exams start next week, right after the May Day holiday! Gut predictions are that Calculus will be the hardest, or is it Physics?! What a week ahead of me... hopefully, I shall be able to stay awake in spite of the heavenly cool weather descended here.

Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 at 1:57 PM

Rain at last!

It rained for the first time yesterday night! It was great! Many of us, including faculty members, soaked in the rain. It is always a delight to welcome some cool and fresh weather to hot Yola.
Its strange that rain would come just a day after I re-started blogging...


Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 10:00 AM

The Season of the Farmer*

The rains come, and with them a feeling of rebirth that makes the world around a beautiful place to live in once again. The flowers and the grass dies, only to come back again the next season when the farmer can once again bring forth food from the ground.

 

However, every year there is a time when the earth is cracked and dry. The ground bakes any shoe or foot that dares walk over it. The heat almost has a smell that makes breathing a nuisance and work much harder. We must run from shade to shade, tree to tree, and room to room for a hiding place from the sunlight. It sticks to the skin and seeps into the very air to lick away any moisture. When the heat wave is at its peak, you can nearly tell how your food would feel while being cooked, your blood boiling and your skin frying.

 

Then they come, like an army marching with a rumble of a million feet and the salute of drums. The clouds not only hide the angry sun, but water the thirsty ground. The first drop to touch the earth is like magic that spreads all over, and everywhere turns from brown to green. Soon all nature joins in the play of color. The skies take all shades of blue and grey, while the fields try to out-do each other by their fragrances and contrasts. The rivers fill and overfill as the sky touches the ground. No longer do we have to walk with heads bowed and eyes hidden, but can now look to and meet the eyes of the skies with a smile as the sunlight becomes milder. Cool winds sweep across the lands, spreading calm and peace by their soothing temperatures.

 

In the rainy season, there is plenty to eat for everyone. The earth produces crops as seeds that are hidden and waiting are found by the waters. Now the newly-born goats can run across the grasses and find what to eat without searching for it. Couples of birds make their nests with the assurance that there will be nothing lacking in raising their chicks. In this season, the hungry bees have a hard time choosing which flower to settle on. In the ancient times, we built our homes, and as the winds tickled our hearts, we found ourselves our partners. Come to our farmlands and you will see that this is so nowadays too.

 

Days move into weeks, weeks into months, and soon the cycle of seasons must move on too. We are sad whenever it rains, not knowing whether it is the last. And sure enough, the rains depart, leaving us with lonely skies and grass drying away. But the rains will come back next year, and we can wait with memories of this year’s season of the farmer.

 

* This is my assignment paper from my Academic Writing class


Posted on Monday, April 24, 2006 at 3:05 PM

Back Again!

The asteroid has not hit the Earth yet, but I had to come back out of hiding because the semester is almost over, and I have so much to tell! Its good to be back!

Till I get into full  swing, here's hoping it rains here soon, this place is an open oven


Posted on Monday, April 24, 2006 at 3:05 PM

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN.

CHECK BACK AFTER THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH IN 2019.

 


Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 9:01 AM

Must stop while I can...

This is getting addictive... posting, maintaining and waiting for replies from my blog!

Have to stop for a while, and concentrate on studying efficiently instead of effectively (as I did last semester). What's the difference, you ask? Effecient reading is "doing things right" while effective reading is "doing the right things"...

Besides, wonder who reads this blog now anyway? The ITC class for which I made this blog has ended.

Hope to be back soon...

You know what my problem is... I think too much!


Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 9:01 AM

Nigeria beats the Champions!

This Saturday was a very tense and exciting one throughout Nigeria. It was the quarterfinals between Nigeria and defending champions Tunisia in the ongoing African Nations Cup. I shall leave out comments about the match here. I had no electricity at home, but this did not stop me from hearing the shouts of everyone in the whole town of Yola who did have electricity (excessive power shedding is a common feature here)!

 

Nigeria scored, and shouts rang all over. But after Tunisia equalized, the mood was a bit down. The match went into penalty shoot-outs, and not much shouts still (later I would find out that Nigeria had missed 2 penalties), even when 2 penalty stops brought Nigeria back into contention. Then a third (fourth of the match) penalty was saved by Nigeria's goalkeeper!!!

 

The goalkeeper had saved a penalty after Nigeria's first goal during regulation, and now became a real hero by stopping three spot kicks!

 

Love this game!


Posted on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 8:35 AM

Weekend Reading

Beside doing my assignments, and rearranging my lecture notes, and reading ahead for next week's classes, and writing code, and inline with my new year resolution, I have decided to read one book per month by asking someone, anyone, from the library their suggested book. This week, the first, I shall be reading "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri suggested by Mr. Barry Dobson, the AAUN Librarian.

 


Posted on Friday, February 3, 2006 at 1:25 PM

Hurray for the School of Business!

The School of Business and Entrepreneurship made the AAUN campus come alive with excitement this Wednesday The whole school made presentations as groups on different business ideas. School of Business and Entrepreneurship will now financially sponsor the four best selected ideas, voted by the students! Eariler last year, we had a field trip to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, arranged by School of Business and Entrepreneurship, which was also pretty exciting! With the business plans presentations, it really felt exciting, choosing others' plans, planning one's own business, and then watching the presentations by each group! It was reading and fun at its best!!!

Ahem...as to my own presentation, see below


Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 at 8:48 AM

What it feels like to stand in front of a crowd...

I have just finished a presentation on my business idea for Entrepreneurship class. It was a brilliantly horrific experience. I barely remember looking at shocked faces...


Posted on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 12:10 PM

New Instructors and Staff at AAUN

There have been many new additions to the AAUN Faculty at the beginning of the Spring 2006 semester. So far, I have met Dr. Amy Greene, Academic Writing instructor. I have also met with Dr. Ikoku, from the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, and Dr. Fonkam, our Java instructor. Calculus is here! Dr. Shilgba gave us a very interesting introduction to the history of calculus just this Monday. Dr. Surya Banerjee is our new Micro-Economics instructor. I'll meet the others soon enough!

 

I have also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ambrose, our Cafeteria manager. He is a very lively and funny person! Plus there's a juice fountain here in the cafeteria!


Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 12:42 PM

Secrets Revealed!

Now that first semester is over, I can reveal (at a great personal risk!) this conversation I recorded between two "anonymous" students. For the sake of privacy (and my health), we shall call these two students Harry and Ron. The lecture will be referred to as Potions, and the instructor as Professor Snape...

 

DISCLAIMER: This is seriously not a ficticious account. All the dialogue happened nearly word for word...

 

Prof. Snape: Your [assignments] were not good enough. The [dark arts] class is supposed to be helping you.

 

Harry: Leave it to [potions] class to blame another department . Oh it was the [dark arts] department. [potions] needs to do a better job.

Ron: (Tells about his scores in assignment [9/10])

Harry: Looser! [9/10]?!

Ron: What did ye get?

Harry: Almost got [10/10]. I got [10/10] minus 1.

Ron: What's with the [9/10] all the time? I don't get their questions.

 

(Introduction to lecture)...

 

Ron: (Gets a bright idea) Let's waste time by asking questions!

Harry: That's such a great idea!

Harry: (Pause) You first.

Ron: (Asks question to Prof. Snape)

Harry: (After some time wasted in answering the off-the-topic question) Well done!

Ron: (Nudges Harry for his turn)

Harry: (After his round of question) We're good at this!

 

(More questions asked. Soon, another student asks a question)

 

Ron: Someone else is doing our job!

 

(Some time elapses)...

 

Harry: Time to sleep! Check out the chick by the [air conditioner]... (Ron asks for specific position) On the right...

Ron: (Sighs) I wish I could do that! Sleep in class...

Harry: She's got the system down

 

(More time elapses)...

 

Ron: In order to effectively grasp a lecture, a student needs to, 1) be below average height, 2) have a scarf, 3) sit near the wall 4) [cover face with scarf], 5) sleep

 

(Still more time elapses)...

 

Ron: (Pointing out to Harry) She came back and went to sleep again.

Ron: Aha! The mask is down! She's flat!

Harry: I concur!

Ron: Another one! Just in front of the first one. In blue.

Harry: Its a sickness! Its contagious!

 

[...]

 

Ron: Number 3! Behind the pioneer! 4 and 5! 6! Right in front of you.

Harry: We got people going down all over! We're losing this war! (Pause) Ahh... You're losing me!

        


Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 at 7:34 AM

I know what you did last...holidays

Holidays were eventful, but the best thing having enough time to eat and sleep!

 

Yes, I again mention 'The Tipping Point' here, which I read over the holidays. Fantastic, light reading it was too! I applied something I learnt from the book to a real-life situation and it actually worked! It was about how crowds respond. If you throw a question at a group of three or more (my sisters in the real-life situation), you will most likely be ignored! But if you throw the same question at the group, but by calling a specific name, you get an answer!

 

The down-side of the holiday festivities was watching 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' which was one of the most pathetic attempts to recreate a brilliant storybook. The only thing the director and script writer seemed to understand from the book was the Yule ball. There were many 'improvements' to the original story, like 'very important scenes' of Hagrid and Maxime. Sure, the movie had to have scenes like those, and the 'unnecessary' scenes like the Quidditch world cup, or Winky the house-elf were cut out or shortened. The 'Accio Firebolt' scene was especially grotesque and disgusting. Then Snape forget all about him being a wizard and his wand. The director 'improved' all that to a simple use of hands by Snape to discipline his class (which was also 'improved' to contain students from different class levels, so you got the Weasley twins in seventh year along with Harry in his fourth year all in the same class, studying the director knows what!).

Right now I am especially looking forward to the African Nations Cup coming up in a few days, and of course, the World Cup in June!


Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 8:01 AM

New Year: Hi-Res

Its a new year and I am back from holidays. No Compromises! That's my resolution this new year. I shall do my best to do what I want inspite of the heavy workload at school. This does not mean wasting my time listening to meaningless tunes and reading hollow novels. Rather, my master plan is to Learn, Learn, Learn, Create, and Work.

The holidays went very well as I had a chance to learn SQL, XML, CSS, more JavaScript, and at my own pace. I also updated my site, and did a lot of good eating.

 

I am looking forward to Java this semester, as well as running a business (that's a project from our Entrepreneurship class). It is also the semester of lovely Calculus and ravishing Physics.


Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 at 6:20 AM

Christmas is a Birthday

Its Christmas Eve tomorrow! There are many people do not know what exactly Christmas is, but they still celebrate it. That's because its the Birthday of the King of the Universe. Its biological, psychological, and the very core of the human soul to pay homage to The King of Kings. It cannot be ignored.

 

Nevertheless, just like many other things, there is something wrong with the way people celebrate Christmas. There's Santa clauses, mistletoes, and what not added into why Christmas should be a joyous occasion.

 

Here in Nigeria, traffic accidents increase during the Christmas period due to drunken drivers. "In the spirit of the season", they respond.

 

But the truth is that neither Santas nor drinking has anything to do with what Christmas is. It is the Birthday of Jesus, and a very unique one too. We do not celebrate birthdays of the deceased, but those who are with us and near us.  There's the secret to Christmas. We celebrate the Birthday of Jesus just as any other person who is with you.

 

You do not need extra reasons to feel joyous on Christmas. But there are those who want to take Jesus out of the picture on His own Birthday. How would you feel if you were ignored on your birthday? Some people like to refer to Christmas as X-mas. That is yet another attempt to take the "Christ" out of Christmas.

 

I call this effect "the great corruption". It is the distortion of raw facts of our nature and existance by using fanciful ideas such as science and fiction to provide alternative explainations.


Posted on Friday, December 23, 2005 at 11:20 AM

Remote Applications and Other Things

I have MSN Web Messenger I don't have to install anything, and I can still chat by logging in to the Web Messenger site! Saves a lot of space on my computer. Microsoft Live is a very good idea indeed Imagine developing applications using VB.NET without installing it, or using Office Programs from a website.

Chatting and cell phones are a big thing here in Yola.

 

Everyone chats, and everyone has a cell phone. And I mean everyone From road-side mechanics to businessmen, street hawkers to CEOs. Chatting is reserved for anyone who has a computer and an Internet connection. If these two are present, there will be chatting going on, whether its in class or in office! Yahoo will be interested to know that most people here use their messenger.

 

By the way, Professor Kah, our Dean of ITC and Information Systems Instructor is back. The project I am working on seems less of a trouble now, after he gave us some pep talk

 

Right now, I am in the school cafeteria, and have finished a late lunch. I also missed the bus home, and managed to write an optional late exam quite well.

 

All in all, its been an eventful and relaxing day.

Wait. My RSS Feeder is ruined Never use tweaking software on your computers! My RSS Feeder saved news and content from various XML RSS-enabled sites like Yahoo, BBC, and this blog straight to my computer. Now what shall I do? I know. Reinstall and corrupt my registry further


Posted on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 3:21 PM

Droning

I am seated on the second floor of our main classrooms. Its a very relaxing view from here, the secondary school hostels, the mountains, trees...

Yola looks beautiful in the morning, if the weather is clear. I still have to work on our Information Systems project, although its offically the holidays. Some of the students are already gone, and the classrooms are quieter...

The Internet connection today is much faster because there is lesser traffic...

 

As to the next semester, I have borrowed books on MicroEconomics and Java from the library...

 

 


Posted on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 6:50 AM

A Student's Life

Although I have ended this semester with good enough grades, I still do ask myself what I learnt. Amist all the assignments and whole textbooks completed, I have often been confused as to whether I am studying to learn or studying to fulfill an obligation. Anyway, thanks to Dr. Micheal Smith and Dr. Elspeth Smith, I now have "The Tipping Point" to study over the holidays and learn something new!


Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 at 2:18 PM

Exams Weekend

I have just completed my African Civilizations exam an hour ago African Civilizations was a very informative subject, and it has enlightened my outlook into world politics. Even though it feels good to have completed the course, I think I shall miss it

Yesterday was Entrepreneurship exam in the evening It went OK, not my stronger subjects.

Tomorrow's Chemistry exam in the afternoon, which should be fun if I do not fall asleep at all during the night

 

Exams are nearly done, and I eagerly await the holidays, so that I can catch up on about 150 hours of sleep!


Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 at 10:58 AM

Felix Feliticus

Getting admitted into this university was a miracle for me. Everything seems to be going right, and now its almost the end of the semester. In the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter takes a luck potion called "Felix Feliticus", that makes him feel that whatever he does will get him what he wants. I have that feeling often, but not because I took any potion. My "Felix Feliticus" is God's Amazing Grace. Come what may, I trust in Him to make everything work according to His Will, which I trust. Sometimes what we are given without asking is actually better than what we think we want. It is at this moment that you have the feeling of "Felix Feliticus'".


Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 at 6:28 AM

A sad development

There have been three plane crashes here in Nigeria in the past three weeks. The recent crash near Port Harcourt was especially disheartening because some of the passengers were students going on their Christmas holidays. I couldn't help thinking about many of my professors and friends who will be going on break soon.

Definitely something needs to be done about the air worthiness of Nigerian air planes. Sometimes accidents happen, but people should learn from past mistakes.


Posted on Monday, December 12, 2005 at 1:23 PM

Political Posters

They are on the street lights, public office boards, street pavaments, cars, and even on trees. Nigerians are avid about their political affiliations. Campaigns for the 2007 Presidency of Nigeria have already begun. Posters of politicans aer everywhere, and it sometimes makes it difficult to locate a particular office or building because the sign boards are under these posters.


Posted on Friday, December 9, 2005 at 12:50 PM

A Special Person

I have met many people here at AAUN. Most notably, my American professors. This is a new and refreshing cultural experience. I have to single out one person here who I feel is very special, and that is Dr. Judith Seider, our former Academic Writing professor. The reason is that she is a Jew. As a christian, I realize that our entire story started with the Jews. Jesus said, "I was sent only to the wandering sheep of the house of Israel". In fact, we are made "christain" because we actually become Jews by believing in Jesus. So it was very special meeting with a Jew.


Posted on Friday, December 2, 2005 at 12:29 PM

Exploring the Library

The Library is my favourite place at school! Its great fun going through all the bookshelves and just looking at the titles. Recently, I have started loving reading history books. This is thanks to my African Civilization class and Dr. Laura Dobson, our instructor. I had never read history before, but its very interesting when you analyse the causes and effects of it all. In my Writing class, we have started on Cause-and-Effect essays. I am very curious to read a book called "The Tipping Point". Its an interesting theory that deals with causes and effects in everything that happens around us. We got an excerpt in the Writing class on this book. I thought the "Broken Windows" theory was most facinating. It tries to determine the causes of social disorganizations from a very psychological and basic level. I haven't found "The Tipping Point" in the library yet, but looking is half-the-fun!

                          


Posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 at 11:16 AM

Academic Writing Class

This is my Writing Class (or most of us) and that's me in the red circle. Most of us agree that "Plagiarism" is a new word to us. This word is not often used in Nigeria. At first it was hard for most of us to understand how to cite sources, and why we should acknowledge our sources in the first place. But our Writing teachers, Dr. Judith Seider and Professor Cheryl Pavlik have been very helpful and patient. The topic of plagiarism has come up in all of our courses, especially Civilization classes. Dr. Laura Dobson again has been very understanding and there is now a general improvement in our papers.


Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 2:36 PM

Teleportation

We talked about the supply chain in our Information Systems class, and how e-commerce can provide faster service to customers. We also talked about how Nigeria is still lagging behind in terms of cashless transactions. In an average city like Yola, credit cards are not often used, but there is one departmental store, Luka Memorial, that has partnered with a leading new-generation bank to provide POS services. However, this service requires an account with the bank, GT Bank Nigeria.

While we here are talking about speeding up the inbound part of the supply chain, recent research is pointing to making delivery lightining-fast across the globe. Teleportation allows the transfer of any object from one point to the other by the destruction of the original, and a replication at the destination based exactly on the original. This may sound science fiction, but teleportation has already been achieved at the atomic level, via electrons. If this is possible on larger commodities, "home delivery" will get on a new meaning.


Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 12:58 PM

Thanksgiving in Nigeria

Thanksiving is an American holiday commemorating the American pioneers and their originally friendly contact with the native Americans. The AAUN will be celebrating thanksgiving, which will be the first time that I participate in this festival. It promises to be exciting, with good food and decor.

Alas, the students have decided to make it a dance ball as well! "Dress to kill" is the word around, but I would prefer to "Dress to eat"! 

P S That's Dustin, head of Thanksgiving Table


Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 7:47 AM

Unusual Weather

In the months of November to February, the South-Westerly winds blow causing dust from the Sahara desert to be blown over most of West Africa. Here in Yola, Nigeria its no exception. However, this year, the dust storms are pretty late! Great! The weather here right now is unique, with clear cool nights and chilly sunrises. No dust! Very refreshing and rare. Hope it stays like this till the rains!


Posted on Tuesday, November 22, 2005 at 1:23 PM

Hollywood!

I got my first take at a camera in a profile video production and photoshoot for the university. There was a personal interview and a walk with the Deans. We also had a video shoot during the Chemistry class.


Posted on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 5:20 PM

The Beginning

Dr. Kah, our Information Systems professor and Dean of the School of ITC has directed the class to start a blog, after we had completed a topic on the Internet.

P S This picture is not of Yola, its from Washington!


Posted on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 1:21 PM