Archive - About Sam during high school years

During high school I made many updates to my personal websites. Here is a sizeable archive of many personal things about me from before 2000 when the internet was younger. For things about me a few years later, visit About Sam during Otago years. The information is structured to topic and it is not always chronologically logical.

Older site opening statements

Who is Sam da man? Not green eggs nor ham! I'm 17 year old guy that's fascinated about the next big thing after cars and telephone, and that's the Internet. I'm interested in technology of all kinds. So I think this site is going to be about me blabbing about technology related stuff. I'm also interested in other stuff too! I hail from Lower Hutt, a nice suburbia town in Wellington which is in New Zealand. New Zealand is a wee little country besides our cousin Australia. Not many people have heard of this isolated country except for sheep, kiwis, Jonah Lomu and probably Steve Irwin (nah, he's Ozzy).

I'm in 7th Form and it is my last year at Hutt Valley High School not Sweet Valley High. I think I have done too many subjects and extra-curricular activities leading to my elavated stress levels. And oh no, the University Bursary and Scholarship exams are coming up very soon. Just take a look at this stressed out photo!

Name and identity

Hi, my name is Samuel Fung - as you probably have known from the front page, but did you know that my name can be five words long? That's Samuel Jonathan (Wung Leung) Fung. But of course I prefer to be called Sam, although some really nasty people call me the quick samfung (emphasis on Fung with rising inflection). Grrrr, I don't really appreciate the way it's expressed even if it does roll off the tip of people's tongue. And last but not least my user nickname around the world and with peers is 'samfung'. What the heck!

Some people don't even know my English name but it is fortunate that in the Chinese society I have a normal name. So all those 20 Sam Fung's (or such) out there that I found on ICQ - there is hope - just stay in Asia. Did you know that most of the Sam Fung's out there are doctors (or have a doctorate in other words)? That's quite cool. I will try to continue that trend by going for a job as a doctor. In New Zealand, Fung is a very rare lastname. A lot are from Asia or China - no duh. There's also quite a few in the States.

People from all around the world know my name in a different way. Some good and some utmost outrageous. For example, a lot of people think my nick is 'fungus', some call me by the quick 'samfung' straight like that (those pathetic weenies). But I don't really like Samuel who my brothers refer me by whenever I'm with a someone else.

Okay honestly, my full and official name is Samuel Jonathan Fung and in Chinese it is Fung Wung Leung which literally means Bright Moon. On one occassion I tried to have a really long name, so I Anglicised my Chinese name to Samuel Jonathan Wung Leung Fung. This didn't work out since the Electoral Commission thought I had two last names and didn't want me to muck things up. So I just left it alone. I once even wanted to be referred to as Jon. But now I don't mind if people call me Sam or Sam Fung but not Samsung.

When I was really young, like 8, my brothers and parents and younger children use to call me Big Brother (in Chinese) - which I must say gave me a feeling of respect. I was well respected and regarded until one gloomy Tuesday at school a kid discovered that my lastname had something similar with mushrooms. But I've got use to the fact that many Fungs are treated badly in a namely manner. After all there were two Fungs in the Taiwan Youth Corps Tour I met and they had pretty much the same story.

So that's basically what my name is about. A pretty sizeable topic since people make a big deal about it - but I think it will always be. There is far more about it but you'll have to read between the lines of my other topics.

Wellington

New Zealand rules at a lot of things that's because I was born there. Actually to be more specific Wellington rules while Auckland sucks. You can't beat Wellington since we have a kick-ass rugby team and its just a really awesome place. You definitely have to come to Wellington to understand why we are the best. If you hate me because of this then it's obvious you're from Auckland or Sydney. I was born and raised in Wellington of New Zealand, the island next to Australia. Right now I am living in Lower Hutt City but not for long. I can speak English and Cantonese very well. Some people call it Chinglish.

There's no place like Lower Hutt. Lower Hutt is also quite a neat little place to live. It's the best suburb although my house's close range to Queensgate the shopping mall, and school and other places maybe a factor why I rate this place. And it has the best high-school in New Zealand. It may be a small town in world comparisons - but Lower Hutt has that effect where you don't want to live anywhere else. Living in Karori means going through car-sickening hills, in Auckland you have to live with expensive transport and housing costs, and in Australia you have to live with some racist people.

Hutt Valley High School

I am 7th Form (Year 13) at Hutt Valley High and take History of England, Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Statistics. Yip, I certainly do take 6 Bursary subjects which is not normal but why waste five hours of useless inclass study-time? My CV also looks better with six subjects (actually I did 7 subjects - remember I took Calculus). I also take a many activities for our school - see below. But I think school is the best place to meet people and friends and new people.

In 1999, I took these six subjects: Statistics, History (replace English), Physics, Biology, Chemistry (again!), and Economics (which I thought I may not be allowed 2do coz excesive subj nos).

During my Sixth Form: School at this year level is demanding. I get too many assessments and I never seem to learn a terrific amount. I haven't been doing well in my subjects except Chemistry, Physics and English. That's probably because I have not been too great at learning this year. I think 'Mr Scollenge', who was my old 4th form English teacher, ruined my lustre performance. That's why you don't see me getting top A grades anymore. But I will study hard to get a very good exam mark, and hopefully claim the position of Dux at the end of 1999.

In 1998, I was in Form 6 (Year 12) and I attend Hutt Valley High School obviously. I took taking the following subjects that year English, Accounting, Economics, Physics, 7th Chemistry, 7th Maths Calculus, and Chinese Mandarin (as beginner in Naenae College). I did many activities (over 10 medium to big ones) in my school that year. My largest contributions were in Badminton and the Yearbook. I take many new activities to gain experience, understanding and appreciation. It also helps me to be responsible. But I can never take everything, since some of them suck. I mean who wants to take Computers when it is for time-wasting, looney losers and dorks.

Extracurricular activities

People are wondering why I am taking so much activities at school. There are plenty of reasons why, but the one main one is for fun. There is a driving ambition that commits me into doing the lot. I do this to gain experience, understanding and appreciation. It also helps me to be responsible. And taking all this stuff is honestly fun.

This year I was in the mixed dragonboating team and it was way cool. I was part of a team that put a lot of hard but fun work into training and it ended off with an exhilirating final. I love to do dragonboating again since I was with really awesome time with awesome people. Like Cameron Charlton who cracked a joke nearly every minute or hassling Melelua for rocking the boat whenever she leaned over too much. Yearbook work has been quite big. I am one of the organisers and I've already done a plan that has taken many hours to perfect. But now that the planning is over - I am quite happy with how things are running. Last year it was a totally different story. There was really bad management with people running about and things getting rushed that everyone got stressed out. Hopefully it won't happen this year.

I'm feeling quite tired now, from taking all that stuff. All my afterschool time (i.e. from 3.30 to 5.00pm) is taken up and when I get home I feel like I want to go to bed. I go to school everyday now (that means Saturday and Sunday) and haven't yet appreciated a full 9 hours of down-time. Oh well, that's how doctors work so why not get use to it early. The few people, who know I take this many activities, think I'm mad. They've got a point, you may see me running around school getting to simultaneous meetings during break but that's the teacher's bad timing management and this is not madness. Despite all this, I do not feel too stressed and I am actually becoming more and more fitter - and I will continue to maximise my activities effectively until university where I will join none.

These are the non-sport activities I take: Website work, Yearbook, Common Room Management, singing for Encore choir, learning Guitar in tuition, doing play for Shakespeare Festival, performing Grease production, playing Sharemarket game, helping Freeze student newspaper, Debating, helping with Salt (ISCF), designing HVHS Rockquest website, tutoring younger peers and playing the Business Management Game. I did a few things with the Environment Committee, Community Service Committee, Senior Authors Society, and and Duke of Edinburgh. Outside of school I done: Youth Leadership Course, help World Vision and done a First Aid course.

Sports

I still play a variety of sports this year namely badminton, tennis, cricket, league, rugby and stuff like that. But I have dropped table-tennis this year because I don't really like it anymore. I was thinking of doing Tae Kwon Do again since I dropped it off a few years ago, but I don't know if I ever get around with it. When it comes to professional clubs, I support mainly the Wellington and/or New Zealand side, such as the awesome Hurricanes, Tornados, Firebirds, TransAlta LakerSaints, the All Blacks (without dic-head Jon Hart), Manly, and don't forget Brazil (Renaldo's Team) in Soccer. For sport at school I took Tennis, Dragonboating, sometimes Volleyball, part-season in Cricket, Squash, part-season in Soccer and Badminton.

My Jobs

At Countdown: I am 17 years old and will be turning 18 in November - that means I will get minimum adult pay wage at work. The longest official job I had was at Countdown doing the veges and fruits in Produce. I made a lot of friends there but it wasn't worth the work. A very tough job with full of hassle that wasn't worth the pay - that's why I resigned. I have officially worked in two places in Lower Hutt - that is Countdown Foodmarkets (as a Produce Supervisor) and at MSFT as a jack-of-all-trade for a flippin 8 years. And by the way, I also look after one of your largest companies in the world, you know the SFCC. But everyone knows about that so I'll keep quiet about it.

At Munsang: My folks (mum and dad) work in a Chinese Fish and Chip Shop and I have been working there since I was 6. I haven't worked actively there for a while, but I can prepare and cook most foods. So come and experience the wonderful food from MunSangs - 22 Hawkins Street, Behind the new BP Express. I call it MSFT and you may ask what is MSFT? There are several types of MSFT. It is the abbreviations of two businesses (one being a simple abbreviation and one being a stock quote). The following businesses use the MSFT abbreviation:
- MunSang Chinese Food Takeaways ('A must eat')
- Billy Gates' Microsoft Corporation (a tiny computer biz)
- My Stupid Freaking Tryhard abbreviation naming centre

Ideal high school job: I wanted to work in a cool job doing stuff with scientists like as an AgResearch assistant which is a Crown Research Institute. I would have loved it when people ask me where I work, I wouldn't respond the typical "At the supermarket" but say, "At AgResearch a Crown Research Institute". Then they'd go, "Huh? What's that?" Next year, I want to go to Auckland University even though Auckland city stinks. I have no other choice because it is the only one of two universities to offer medicine.

Entertainment

I still watch TV but only when I've got time. TV is now pretty boring and stupid even the news. I don't find anything good on TV - the comedies are lame, soaps are all about Streets and there's all these rerun disaster shows like the 'World's Worst Drivers Part 16'. I hardly watch any TV and that's why I am out-of-date in New Zealand news and stuff like that. I haven't been watching the telly lately, much because I haven't had the time to enjoy this luxury (there are exams you see). My favourite programmes aren't well known but they are a lot better than the stupid fat-lady soap-operas. Some programmes I like to watch are Seinfeld, Drew Carey Show, Buffy, Voyager, etc etc. My best news is Peter Jennings' ABCNews. And my best channel is 3 or 4. Since I hardly watch TV News - whenever I get my hands on The Evening Post (the best newspaper by the way) I read nearly all the articles for many hours. But that's because I like reading the newspaper.

I listen to the radio far longer than watching TV and always on one station Wellington's 91ZM. It's a great station and I don't care about people who think it's too commercial or popular. Although, things on the station have been a little bit crappy bit lately. I don't like Channel Z because I don't like their type of music. Sometimes I listen to 91ZM in the morning because the Morning Crew (Wellington's one) is so funny. But when I'm not listening to them, I'd be sleeping.

I love music (so do most people) because it relaxes and excites my mind at the same time. I like popular music that has a good tune, good lyrics, good beat, and a good composition. I also like a some rap, Classical, instrumental, techno and rock music - but only if it fits my preferred description above. Some of my favourites are Savage Garden, Backstreet Boys, Insync, Matchbox 20 and some Spice Girls (crazy!). But I really hate demon-woman Marilyn Manson, bad-throat Smashing Pumpkins, and 'I'm-actually-a-girl' Hansons etc. Usually most of the music that come out of 91ZM (my fave radio station) are the music I listen to. When it comes to playing music, I am really sad. I can't play for shite. When I tried out the violin back when I was 13, it only lasted for that year. I have also failed with the recorder - the first instrument I ever played. But I have been great when it comes to singing. I have sung solo many times throughout my life and I have been quite successful, but the only downside to this is that it is embarrassing so I don't do it much.

Vital statistics and favourite food

Yes, I have a funny last name because I am Cantonese Asian, so you can probably determine some stuff such as my hair colour plus other things like that. But I am not short and I am not ugly! I'll put a very small photo up, if I had a digital camera and/or scanner. Anyway I am nearly 17 years old so you can figure out my birthyear and everything I am is pretty much what the ordinary average bloke is like.

Nothing can beat food like good old piedie pie. Now don't you dare hassle the lusciously, succulent, 'must eat some more before the bus falls off the cliff' Pie - why there's chicken, steak, cheese, seafood, potato, apple, armadillo, Atlantic salamanders..., the list endless. But seriously, pies aren't the only amazingly great choice (although some people think that it's my only favourite). I think my Mum makes the best food - that is home-made always unique Chinese Food. Still I fancy bit of the other stuff like MSFT, Burger King, KFC etc...

Technology, internet and computers

I treat the computer as a hobby and mainly a tool to do my work. I don't use it for stupid things like chatting, network-gaming or doing useless nerdy crap stuff on it. My computer is an interesting tool since it helps to deliver live news on my demand and it helps me replace the mistake-ridden pen and paper method of writing a long story. But that's what basically I use it for. Sometimes I use it to play popular games like Quake II and Age of Empires, but they're all the games I play with and I don't play lots of it. Some people I know spend hours on their computers especially over the internet. One of my friend's (Richard Kong) dad spent over 250 hours online a month just because he enjoyed playing with stocks, and another guy who spent close to 150 hours, even though he had school and other commitments.

Back to the main topic, I am interested in technology because it is cool that new things are discovered and how it is constantly growing each day. Technology helps people and it tries to make things more convenient, easier and better. Something amazing like Ion Propulsion System recently utilised in space surely does inspire our minds. In the near future, I will probably have a technology section where I get to talk about issues and interesting points about new technology, but for now it is this stuff.

You can reach me sending me email or you could reach me using ICQ (just look up Sam Fung and look for my email address). That's it for this page for now. I can't think of many things to put up, but when I have something useful in my mind - maybe I will place it here so be checking.

What's wrong with my computer!? What's wrong...? I have the worst computer in the world. The bloody computer ruined my life and everything. It is so crap because I can never get any proper work done since it always crashed even in stable programs like Word. It really sucks. It suffers from a whole list of problems that it will take more than quarter the original price tag to get it in satisfactory working order. If I were a millionaire, I'd buy a bazooka and a resource-consent and blow the darn thing to the computer graveyard.

A future career in medicine

It's a career that if my life course had run it's path I will be diagnosing patient problems now. I have learnt a good deal and don't regret the path I am on now. A lot of the Statement is ridden with wrong presumptions and facts. That is history now but a very interesting one too.

[1998] Funny question to ask but it's the career I'm willing to rough out because its really cool. Dr Fung not only needs the brains but a nice personality too. Many people are rejected from medical enrolment interviews because they are just after the money or status or whatever. But I'm after the nice fuzzy feeling from helping people.

Here's why I'd like to become a doctor. In 2000, I want to go to Auckland University even though Auckland stinks. I have no other choice because it is the only one of 2 uni's to offer medicine.

Anyway, Otago Med's 1st year is another round of student competition to try to permanently make it into medical study. I'm pretty sick with competing anymore so Auckland is sadly my first option. Also Otago's 1st year is like repeating 7th form study - as what some people have told me.

I've always liked to help (most) people that are in need of something to help improve their lives - and doing medicine is a good way. You see, you get to save people's live's from suffering or even death and make people happy about themselves without the hassle of some bad things about their health.

Helping others not only benefit them, but it really helps you too. You learn, experience and appreciate the things after doing something spiritually good. It also gives you that warm fuzzy feeling of satisfaction which comes around a lot when doing this sort of stuff.

Some people say that you don't have to be a doc to get this, since I could do something else like be a rubbish-collector and help clean the mess off the streets (so other people benefit!). Well, I like to help in a 'doctoral way' and others may prefer to do their bit in their way; but in the end it doesn't matter who does what. People have their right to choose.

I don't do it for the money or the status so I don't mind if I worked for the Red Cross or did slum-dwelling missionary work. Although it would be very nice to be in a comfy chair or hospital as a GP or 'hospital-guy'.

My career option in life is to be a doctor and it has always been since I was 7 years old. I studied health sciences (unofficially) for many years and have become quite knowledgeable about all the technical health/anatomy stuff. But I have forgotten a lot of things that I learnt intensively before High School.

So here's hoping to get ridiculously high Bursary marks (385+ in top 5 subjects) and a pass in the interviews to get into medschool.