do you have any spare change sir?

What in the name??

2008-09-17T13:57:00.002+10:00

Aussies have a strange tendency to invent strange and unusual names, even when it's an honest attempt to make themselves different and distinguishable from the rest. Some, however, will make you wonder how the hell they got their names in the first place...

Something for Merdeka

2008-09-17T00:03:00.003+10:00

This is two weeks late, but this is something that I should post here.

Pretty symbolic of Merdeka, don't you reckon? Snapped this photo by chance after leaving the so-called Merdeka Festival at Federation Square in Melbourne. The fantastic thing about the festival is that there was no Malaysian food!!! Not even packed kuih and some packed Yeo's drink!

Apparently, according to a friend of mine, the organisers couldn't obtain a permit to sell food and drinks at the plaza area of Fed Sq, so it was a Merdeka celebration with all the cultural performance, music and clothes but no food. So much for leaving my stomach empty earlier in the day...

The significance and ramifications of Sept 16

2008-09-16T23:00:00.004+10:00

Today, people all over Malaysia waited to edge of their seats to see what will unravel, hoping that something will happen, anything. The country is in disarray because of this ominous date. Rumours widespread, speculation rife, everyone's guessing. But up to now, nothing much has happened and BN is still in power.

It's amazing how a single man can put the whole nation on the edge. Anwar Ibrahim set the dateline himself, no one forced him to form a new government and there was no immediate cause for him to choose this date. Symbolically, Sept 16 is Malaysia Day, the day when Malaya became Malaysia with the inclusion of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore in 1963. It is in reality the day Malaysia was born.

Anwar's choice for this date is pretty obvious actually. For years, East Malaysia has been quite neglected by the federal government and I guess Anwar wanted to use this date as a way of telling Sarawkians and Sabahans that they're important and deserve the kind of respect they should get. In my opinion, his move has more to do with Sabah, with so many problems afflicting it and the political nature of the state is different from the other states (the fact that UMNO was transplanted there and that there were a seccesionist movement a while back). And also, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) was daring enough to criticise Pak Lah's lacklustre leadership.

Politics aside, what will happen after Sept 16 is anyone's guess. Now that the day has passed and Anwar held a press conference to announce that they have enough MPs (more than 31, sufficient enough for them to form a government with a simple majority) and that he will only reveal the name list to Pak Lah so that it will assured that no one will becoming a victim of ISA or the declaration of a state of emergency. The thing is, Anwar likes to keep us wondering and this is frustrating. And if nothing happens in the near future, it seems very likely that Anwar will be on the same boat as Pak Lah because to me, all the anticipation and hope had been placed on this single date, too much of it actually. People will soon realise that it's all a political ploy to make BN jittery and if Anwar fails to fulfill his promise for a new Malaysia, everyone will lose faith in him, sending him and Pak Lah to political oblivion.

I don't have any faith in politics in Malaysia anymore because of all this rhetorics and racism that is evident, both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. The bottomline is this, something or someone has to give in within the next few weeks, things will get worse before it gets better. And in relation to the present situation, I would like to quote The Joker in The Dark Knight "This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object." A bit too soon to say that I guess, but we won't have to wait long to see that happen I hope.

A slap in the face for Malaysia

2008-07-16T21:54:00.003+10:00

It goes to show, Malaysia is heading nowhere but into political oblivion. And with the economic situation we're in now, it looks like the dark clouds of 1997-98 are back, to say the least. Its just ridiculous that a politician like Anwar Ibrahim will sodomise his aide, especially when he's making a political comeback after being silenced for 10 years. If he really did it, what is there for him to gain? Maybe to garner some public sympathy or even to indirectly discredit Barisan, I don't know. Even so, I wouldn't want our country to be led by some anal-fetish politician. I'm sure most Malaysians wouldn't like that.

But don't be mistaken, I do believe that Anwar is innocent and if you ask me, it is more than just a political tactic to stop his sprint to becoming PM and from what it is now, it looks like there are some unseen forces manipulating our country internally. Since March 8, not a day has passed by without having us encountering scandalicious news and revelations. Even those who were once mighty and powerful are not spared. Anwar, Najib, Dr.M, all now have red marks in their report books (they all been having it all the while, its just that the colour red is now more vivid and too obvious to ignore) and everyone seems to be in a complete state of denial, brushing them off like dust on their sleeves. It makes me wonder, where did all these allegations come from? Surely there's someone or a group of people or an organisation that's orchestrating all this (maybe we need our version of 'Deep Throat' aka Mark Felt). Its either that or everyone is opportunistically vying for a spot for power, as Pak Lah is now at his lowest point in his political career. Sometimes I think of him as an 'accidental prime minister'. Maybe after realising that there are no credible candidates, Dr. M had no choice but to appoint him as his successor (not even Najib). Or all of this could be his doing, but to say such things without evidence would be seditious, according to our country's laws.

Whatever they want to argue about, its always the rakyat who will eventually suffer the brunt of all these nonsense. Too preoccupied with themselves, the politicians of our time are no better than they were 10 years ago. It's more than just a deja vu, its becoming more of a curse. It's as if for our country to move forward it is necessary for everyone, from the streetside pisang goreng seller to the remisier at the stock market, to go through all this. Everyone is affected in some ways. In a way, it's good for the country, making the usually docile Malaysians so fed up that they have to be more outspoken just to be heard (even the slightest hint of a protest would send the polis into full alert and instead of maintaining order, created chaos). And gladly, it looks like there are more and more of us who wants to see a united Malaysia, regardless of race, religion and background. This is probably an uninteded consequence of the recent events and in certain aspects, we're maturing; as Malaysians have proved in the recent elections.

The next decade in Malaysia will be interesting for all of us to see. We have gone so far for the past 50 years, let's not ruin this place we call Malaysia, our home and pride. There's too much at stake here, for you and me. Seriously.

Merdeka oh Merdeka

2007-08-30T14:34:00.000+10:00

I have a confession to make, I do have a soft spot for my country, so you can say that i'm a patriotic person (but I wouldn't go as far as saying that, I'm just glad that I was born in this curious nation of sorts, beats being an Aussie). As I write this on a wonderful sunny and windy Merdeka eve afternoon, listening to Sudirman's "31 Ogos 1957" song, I can't help but to reminisce on the good times that I had back in Malaysia. In my opinion, if you don't like the government, it doesn't hurt to at least love our country based on the fact that we're lucy that our country had come a long way since Tunku shouted Merdeka seven times at Stadium Merdeka fifty years ago (For non-Malaysians who have stumbled upon my blog, Merdeka is independence or freedom in Malay).

All things considered, where else in the world can anyone enjoy a good hot cup of Teh Tarik at 3am after clubbing? Where else can anyone watch a new movie even before it was launched? Where else in the world can anyone be silenced for speaking up? I believe that the tension between the people and the powers that run Malaysia is what keeps us together, even when we're not exactly happy about it. But deep down in our hearts, we know that this is where we came from, this is where we relate ourselves to, this is where we developed our characteristic Manglish and all the -lahs, gostan.. (you know all of them). It is our tanah air (homeland).

So, on this fateful day, let us rejoice, think about who we are and all the things that make us Malaysians. For those who think that Malaysia is a shitty place, you're partly right and mostly wrong. After fifty years, its time for us to move on and pray for a brighter future ahead of us and our country..

Enough is enough: Malaysians need to wake up

2007-08-23T19:53:00.000+10:00

Why are we so complacent? Why do we let bus drivers speed and treat our lives like it has no value at all? Why only when a major accident happens then only we start to complain and speak out even when we know all along that something bad is going to happen? And above all, why do we let profit and speed jeopardise the lives of travellers?

Its interesting to note that Malaysians, the public and the government, always find themselves no reason to act when everything's going smoothly. Accidents happen because drivers disregard the importance of valuing one's life and the safety of other road users. The recent accident at Bukit Gantang is by far the most horrific accident involving an express bus for as long as any Malaysian can remember. And yet, we let this happen. The JPJ and Polis do their part by enforcing the law, but still, not much has been done (and often too late) or maybe much has been done TO them by irresponsible and corrupt people.

Why didn't they pursue this bus-driving demons? The countless summons and arrest warrants issued to the driver who killed 22 people were obviously not deterring him from driving and the fact that he was still driving buses proves to us that bus drivers are becoming bolder. In the end, normal law-abiding citizens become the victims. Since that accident, at least 2 more buses had crashed, with one driver fleeing the scene of the accident.

The thing is, the good-hearted people of Malaysia didn't even move a finger eventhough they're the very people that these bus companies depend on. What's wrong with us? Don't we value our own lives? Malaysians are too complacent, that's the bottomline. I've sat in buses driven by drivers from hell, and its probably one of the scariest thing one can do in Malaysia (put that on Fear Factor's list of challenges). When the driver speeds, some of us would think "Oh good, he's driving faster, we can reach there earlier.". And maybe during Christmas, Chinese New Year, Deepavali or Raya, most of us couldn't wait to meet our loved ones back in our kampung (I'm sure the bus drivers feel the same), but there's no reason for us to rush. As the saying goes "Biar lambat asalkan selamat". Have we forgotten this Malay proverb that we always hear and read during our BM classes in school? Apparently, we have.

If its not the roads and vehicles that cause an accident, its the driver. It's our lives people! Protect it, take control, fight for it! We've all seen too much and many had suffered because of this. If we can't depend on Big Brother, we can depend on ourselves. Through unity, we can act as a single force, even greater than the government and law-enforcers. Philippines had proven it not once but twice when they ousted Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada. Its called people power.

I'm not implying that we should start a revolution, for what right? I'm just saying that Malaysians need to show to these people that we are a force to be reckon with when it comes to this kind of issues, because it concerns our lives. We should look at ourselves and the role that we play in the country before we start pointing fingers and start pointless, never-ending arguments. Malaysians need to wake up and stand up for themselves now, or continue living blindfolded, led by unscrupulous people, bent on benefiting themselves.

Penang goes funky

2007-08-01T21:04:00.000+10:00

Our dear Pak Lah has announced the launch of Koridor Utara megaproject that will spur development in the northern regions of Peninsular Malaysia and Penang will become the 'gateway to the northern corridor'. It has now become the tradition for Malaysian PMs to launch such super large scale projects to drive the economy, it all sounds good and fantastic, but will it be sustainable? We've got two major areas in Malaysia which are receiving a lot of attention, first the Iskandar Development Region for Johor and now this, I just hope that supply doesn't exceed the demand. Nevertheless, it all boils down to the concept of economies of scale, just like what Dr.M did in his time.

But anyways... I'm going to go politiking here, I'm more interested on what's in store for our 'rice bowl' region of our country. Apparently, the Malaysian authorities have hired the expertise of a New York-based architectural firm called Asymptote Architecture to design a new development on what what used to be the Penang Turf Club, much like KLCC which was developed on the site of the former Kuala Lumpur Turf Club. Here's a rendering of it.

Pretty funky looking stuff for a laid back town huh? The megaproject includes a performing arts center, a convention center, retail outlets, a 5-star hotel as well as apartment blocks. Its good for Penang, considering that most developments in the past few decades have been concentrated in Klang Valley, especially KL. From the rendering, it doesn't look like anything we have in Malaysia, but why hire a foreign architectural firm to do this kind of job? Don't we have enough graduates in architecture to perform up to this standard? We do have them, but they're just not there as the conditions in Malaysia are not conducive enough and the mentality of the people still remain in the Third World mindset even when we're slowly approaching Wawasan 2020. Everytime I think of this vision, the further it gets from our grasp. Anyhow, in the meantime, check out the other renderings done by them...

Funky stuff huh?
Click here for additional info on this firm on Wikipedia.

Cigarette-smoking Imams

2007-07-02T21:01:00.000+10:00

Heheh.. I find this article from The Star a bit amusing. Cigarette-smoking Imams, what a way to put it... Those mysterious imams that stand in the shadow of a mosque at night while smoking a cigarette. Something like X-Files' Cigarette-smoking man.

Way to go Nik Aziz! But lets concentrate on other pressing issues, like the upcoming election.

Imams, reps who smoke rapped

KOTA BARU: Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat lashed out against cigarette-smoking imams and elected representatives.

“I have advised some of them to stop smoking, especially when they are in public view, but they still continue (to do it). And they are setting a bad example for the younger generation,” he said.
He said PAS’ agenda to curtail smoking could not be realised fully as some elected representatives and imams refused to lead by example.

“They should at least try to quit smoking as everybody knows that cigarette smoke is unhealthy and can cause various chronic ailments, but they lack the will power,” Nik Abdul Aziz said at the state-level Youth Day celebrations.

One of the social behaviours which irks the 76-year-old PAS spiritual adviser the most is smoking in public and he has even reprimanded journalists who lighted up.

The state has done its part by outlawing local tobacco smokehouses and factories producing materials for cigarettes since 1990 but the rate of smoking is still high.

Nik Abdul Aziz also advised party members to exercise and carry out religious activities.
Earlier in his speech, he said youths should be wary of social ills like drug abuse and forms of entertainment that could cripple Islam.

Four youths won the 2007 state Youth Awards. They are Mohamad Rosli Abdullah, 36, (entrepreneur category); Mohd Nazri Ariffin, 37, (social); Mohd Fadli Shaari, 27, (ulama) category; and Baharuddin Ahmad, 31, a non-governmental organisation activist.

Each of them received a plaque, certificate and RM3,000 cash from the Mentri Besar.

*Disclaimer: The blogger is not associated with any of the political parties or beliefs.*

Kaiser Chiefs vs SimCity

2007-06-07T00:09:00.001+10:00

Ever heard of Ruby from Kaiser Chiefs? If no, go download it or watch the video above. Interesting video, just like I said, Kaiser Chiefs vs SimCity. Come to think of it, if only I've seen this earlier, I could've used it for my studio. Dammit..

Between Melbourne & Toolern - A Photoblog

2007-06-06T22:37:00.000+10:00

Toolern as it is.

Toolern is cows, sheeps, horses, wind, grass, dusty dirt roads and most importantly, empty. About 35 kilometers west of Melbourne and 5 minutes southeast of Melton, Toolern is supposedly earmarked as one of the city's newest and biggest undertaking in urban expansion. Touted as a stratergic transit point for the transportation industry and rich in history, Toolern is, at the point of blogging, flat and empty farmland.

Now, why would anyone go there or even looking forward to being there? The answer to the first question has a lot to do with the studio I'm in now, which sounds reasonable enough, isn't it?

But the answer to the second question has something to do with an opportunity that feeds our desire with speed and freedom. Now, what is this opportunity, you wonder. Toolern is the site of my studio so, as a result, we used this as an excuse to rent a car (But of course!).

So Leon, Melvin.. err Jit, Peng Soon and Me went on to decide the car of our choice for our longest driving trip since arriving back this year...

Tempting...

Nah... We rented the humble 2007 Toyota Camry instead, for obvious reasons.

Yes, that's it (that garish blue is ugly, we know that). Nice, good quality car I must say. The car we got was the basic model but a car is still a car, what we want is to experience driving again after months of relying on man-power, not horse-power.

It was a day full of good car sightings, said PS. Indeed it was..

On the way to Melton, we had close encounters with a higher being...

That's a Ford GT40 I presume.

Anyway, going back to the story, Toolern was refreshing but boring, just farmlands, strong winds and a rail crossing.

Upon arriving, our usual perangai to do stupid things start to kick in.

But it was such breeze being in Toolern. Fresh winds and sunny weather. We explored the surroundings. Driving around the dusty dirt roads of the outback is rather relaxing with windows down and the right type of music.

The Three Amigos!!

A long and lonely road leading up to a bridge connecting Toolern and nearby Melton.

Bridge over Toolern Creek.

Along the dusty path we trotted on...

Soon our hungry stomach signaled us to leave, only stopping at a Safeway outlet in Melton to buy snacks for the trip back.

to be concluded....

You know what?

2007-06-06T21:36:00.000+10:00

BOB DYLAN IS COMING TO MELBOURNE!!!

In conjunction with his 32nd album, Modern Times, Bob Dylan is back in Melbourne after his last performance years ago, part of his Never Ending Tour. Tickets will be on sale tomorrow. This is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me eversince I set my foot on Land Down Under.

He'll be performing at Rod Laver Arena on August 17th and hell yeah I'll be there, just need to have a proper financial backing from my bank back home, just kidding. Hopefully, apart from performing his songs from the new album (which is pretty interesting considering that the name 'Modern Times' is a pun of the modern era, correct me if I'm wrong), classics like from his previous albums will be played too, afterall, what is a Bob Dylan performance without showcasing all his past greatest works. I hope you won't dissapoint me Mr. Dylan.

My part of the bargain, however, is to get some kaki to go to the performance with, since there aren't that many who likes Bob Dylan or ever heard of him before. Never in a million years that I will get to seize this opportunity again, unless he somehow decides to visit Malaysia.. Very unlikely.

One thing's for sure, I will be there on the 17th August no matter what. Bob Dylan here I come!

Intermission

2007-01-16T05:05:00.000+11:00

Its been almost 2 months since the last time I blogged, and what a hell of a time I had. Roti canai, rendang and lemang, all the rotis, teh O ais, kopi O... pure indulgence, might as well, since I won't be having such meals when I get back.

Will keep this blog updated soon, I'm not done with what I'm doing here yet. Will be back.....

The shame of the Malays

2006-11-21T15:09:00.000+11:00

Farish A. Noor's article ‘Amok’ Season Again: How We Perpetuate The Myths Of Empire is a good read. After reading it, the relevance of races in Malaysia, privileges for the bumis and our very existence as Malaysians came to my mind, with an image of a well-fed self-absorbed rich Malay thrusting a rusty keris into the air, addressing an equally lost but cheering audience with political and racial rhetorics that are irrelevant in our time and the future.

Sometimes I feel its better for me to just laugh at those ketuanan Melayu-crazy fools in the dissapointing UMNO annual assembly, which we generally have come to expect the same thing to repeat every year, than to hope for them to change. They and their happy little fantasies...

Apart from that, what's the big hoo-haa with the division of wealth? Why not use all the time and money spent on surveys, research and statistics for this dumb issue on something more worthwhile.

Michael Backman's While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry struck a chord here, and Rafidah (the so-called Iron Lady) treats his article like a fly flying around her head. For goodness sake, someone under you is making RM400,000 by forging APs, go settle that first then only comment.

What now?

2006-11-15T15:21:00.000+11:00

It's a blistering cold Wednesday afternoon, it's raining and I experienced my first, well, hail. It might not even qualify as hail 'cause the ice that fell were less than 50mm in width. Pretty uneventful actually, lasted for a few seconds only. A precursor to the long-awaited holidays with limited idea on how to make this a worthwhile break.

Putting that aside, I am officially on holidays now (if you consider my design portfolio submission isn't a big deal, which i believe so since it has been a lousy semester). It's funny how some of us architecture students find the holidays an issue hard to manage, just like our design studios. After spending a whole semester running around beating deadlines, we find ourselves beyond our capabilities to become idle and slack. There's too much freedom, we are married to our work.

Of course we have plans on how to spend the days, but its not going to cover every hour of the day. Then when its slowly coming to an end, we find ourselves stuck in that same old dissatisfied feeling of not having enough time to relax. So, for the next 18 days that I'll be in Melbourne, I'm gonna make sure that every minute I have here are well-spent, in any way that I can think of.

Publicity stunt for Tun Dr. Mahathir?

2006-11-04T04:36:00.000+11:00

With all the news about Tun Dr. M and Pak Lah rambling, arguing and discussing (with one of them jotting down notes and the other going to the media he once restricted), it's amazing how this saga has taken a new twist in the age old battle of predecessor and successor.

Well, Tun has his points (to some extent to which I agree) and Pak Lah has his reasons (which I've yet to see any results after 3 years), would this new movie be banned in our colourful country?

Zoolander's potrayal of the Malaysian Prime Minister (Prime Minister Hassan, who the hell is that??) and Malaysia is of course and obviously ridiculous and presumably what the Western society's perception of Malaysia as the Lorong Haji Taib of the world (or even Kampung Memali), I'm anxious to see how this new movie, Magneto, which is the prequel to the X-Men series, would be received by the former Prime Minister and also the government.

Banned or released? Or place the poor director and producers under ISA? Heh, this is a must-watch movie, for the sake of it. Sweetest thing to come from Hollywood since Zoolander...

Wouldn't it be ironic if the proposal for us to sing Negaraku before each movie in the cinemas was passed in the Parliament and have this movie released in Malaysia? Haha..

Maybe it's a new superhero spin-off based on our beloved Dr. M? Super M? Oh well, , let's wait till 2007. Malaysia never fail to amaze me...

**See IMDB.com's information on Magneto (due to hit the cinemas in 2007), click here.

-ism?

2006-10-21T04:48:00.000+10:00

cubismclassicismfuturismsuprematismcommunismexpressionism

metabolism historicismorganicismconstructivism

modernismfunctionalismaestheticismromanticism

marxismbrutalismconformismconsumerismcreationism

totalitarianismcapitalismextremismliberalism
metrosexualismhumanismintellectualism
isolationismnihilismminimalismpragmatism
rationalismutopianismfascismidealism

criticism?

Meandering through the smoke and past nostalgias *

2006-10-17T01:05:00.000+10:00

The air was crisp, spring freshness brought on by the westerly winds, brilliant blue of the cloudless sky, wonderful spring weather. That was Monday 16th of October 2006, the type of day that clearly explains my stereotype of a wonderful spring day. It was also this blog's second anniversary.

Well, compare this with what's going on back home. That nostalgic smoky, throat-ripping scent and taste of the haze, which I narrowly escaped from last year (thank God for Bali). I'm not bragging about the quality of the air here (but you know, it's still worth talking because it's so wonderful, I'm just syiok sendiri-ing), I just felt that the haze has a nostalgic quality to it.

So when my ashtray on the balcony caught fire due to circumstances beyond my powers...

...it reminded me of the fire me and my brother made to burn a rat's nest in the roof of my family's chicken coop. Huge ass fires, until my dad thought we had incinerated that part of the backyard.

Good old memories, those photos were taken 3 years ago.

So it's always a good idea to have a camera of any kind within reach in situations like this. Someday when you look back at this moment and laugh at your silly old self.

That surreal, mysterious but nostalgic flame. The most common fire-related thing I frequently see are fire trucks with their blaring siren and piercing lights. And probably cigarettes.

Fire, flame, smoke, haze, open-burning... Something I must see when I get back.

Melbourne blues - a photoblog

2006-10-12T05:15:00.000+10:00

It's been a month since my last post and I guess it'll be couple of weeks or so till my next one. It's that time of the year again, busy days and sleepless nights. Almost 8 months since I arrived in Melbourne, I must say, it's been an eye-opening experience for me. Time passed by like a click of the mouse. 2 more months this strange land before I'm back in KL again, to relive the past nostalgias which is still vivid in my mind, the transition from KL to Melbourne never really occured to me actually.

Cold, gloomy winter days.

Those ubiquitous white puff of feathers.

Melbourne's laneways hold many surprising secrets. This one's called The Causeway.

The lone London Bridge contemplating its strength against nature.

Take a break, forget about life for a while and drink yourself silly.

A derelict, erm... cozy corner at one of Melbourne's famous laneways. (Number 8 bar, next to Shanghai Dumpling House)

The 'mosaic' entrance of RMIT's Building 8 entrance at 2 AM.

'Picasso: Love and War' exhibition, probably one of the best (and the only, National Art Gallery in KL doesn't count!) art exhibition I've seen in an attempt to be 'artistically-sensitive'.

Small town blues along the Great Ocean Road.

Just another clubbing and drinking Friday night.

Driving blues struck me a long time ago.

At a crossroad

2006-09-13T02:34:00.000+10:00

Malaysia is certainly in a very trying time nowadays, from what I've read at the online blogs and news. From Dr. Mahathir calling Pak Lah pembohong (liar) and Khairy's racially-inclined statement, to the calls for a review on the judicial crisis of 1988 and hopelessness of the Malaysian media in reporting the right news to the people. And then there's the crooked bridge issue coupled with the loss-making Proton with its sale of MV Agusta for 1 Euro. Now to add a little spice, some of us have been welcomed at Guantanamo, proudly representing Malaysia and terrorism. That's not including the probability of yet another UMNO crisis.

An Australian friend of mine asked me about Dr. Mahathir, I told him that whatever happened during his time was the result of people having two sides of themselves, both good and bad. Then I asked him what he thought of Dr. Mahathir. His answer reverberated through me like waves in a small pond. What he said is eerily true, our ex-PM, during his tenure, has garnered too much power that eversince Pak Lah took over, there is a power vacuum that needs to be filled. And obviously, it's not that hard for us to see the "forces" acting upon this. There's a reaction for every action.

We, on the other hand, are living in the shadow of an era marked by economic growth and changes in the social and political order. It's a tough act to follow for us and Pak Lah to continue this trend, with the determined Dr. M watching everything when he senses Pak Lah is not doing his job well. Meanwhile, Pak Lah is not really saying anything much at all, probably dismissing Dr. M as just another grumpy old man. Nevertheless, two powers, no matter if they're old or new, can't exist in single space or else a spark will set of a series of unstoppable chain reaction. Which one is our Prime Minister now?

It got me thinking, there are so much uncertainties ahead of us in the near future. We have gone so far just to go back to this disgraceful state of finger pointing and blatant incompetencies. This political rollercoaster ride has started long ago before we even felt it moving and the wheels are giving away soon. Grateful to what we've become for the past 49 years, we cannot let anyone or anything stop our slow but steady pace forward. Just like me, on my 21st birthday, shouldn't let myself fall over because certain things are making me feel frustrated and lose spirit. We are at a crossroad here...

The Merdeka Mystic

2006-09-02T00:14:00.000+10:00

Okay, Malaysia's 49 years old now, but is our country behaving like a 49 years old? I think not, with what happened a couple of weeks back, like someone said something stupid and got his ass on fire, I think some of us are more like a spoon-fed spoilt brat of early teens. Its a sad thing, considering that we're on the verge of celebrating 50 years of nation building.

So is it still okay for us to wave the Jalur Gemilang and celebrate Merdeka?

To me, Merdeka is not just a day to mark our independence from the imperialists, those days are long gone. What Merdeka should be is the strength of our ability to uphold unity and progress as Malaysians, without any racial, religion and political overtones. Malaysians must learn how to put aside their differences and refer themselves as Malaysians and not by their race. Malaysians abroad identify themselves as Malaysians but those in the country don't really refer themselves this way, racial identity comes first. After 49 years, we still harbour this form of identification.

It's not going to be an easy thing to change. We will eventually in the future arrive at a crossroad where our differences don't mean a thing and have to move forward as one, unsegregated force. This is such an important thing for Malaysia. Sometimes I feel that we're living in a golden age and its end is pretty near. But, as always, I'm hoping that someone will prove me wrong.

Anyway, being in a foreign country, it somehow made me feel rather proud to be a Malaysian, although it never really occured to me how much I felt for my country when I'm back home. Putting aside all the corruption we read in the media, bureaucratic red-tape, snatch theft, traffic jams, lousy politics, the great things we have are something that can't be repeated in other countries. This bit of "specialty" is what makes Malaysians Malaysians. That's what I discovered when I'm in Melbourne.

What's your wish for Merdeka?

How Un-Malaysian Are You?

2006-08-28T22:12:00.000+10:00

Congratulations , you are 16% not Malaysian.

That means you're as Malaysian as...

Abdullah Badawi !

How Un-Malaysian Are You?

The Rebranding of the Mat Rempits

2006-08-21T23:36:00.000+10:00

The notoriety of Mat Rempits in Malaysia is infamous. Everyone knows that. Mess with one of them is like getting the Mafias putting a gun down your throat. Bunch of lousy troublemakers. Anyway, all you Malaysians out there who by chance stumbled upon this should read this article from Bernama. As we approach the country's 49th Merdeka, I think this is just one of the gahmen's rhetorics...

Rebranding Of 'Mat Rempit' On The Cards

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- Illegal motorcycle riders or "Mat Rempit" will be rebranded by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at an assembly in the Bukit Jalil National Stadium this November, says Putera Umno Chairman Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

He said the rebranding of Mat Rempit was to change the illegal race participants' image towards something better, and "we are thinking of a suitable name like Mat Cemerlang (Excellent Mat)."

"We are finding a proper direction for them. We could not stop them to continue with their interests but we can guide them to find a direction," he told reporters after officiating the Malaysian Pengasih Association's Eighth General Meeting here Sunday.

Abdul Azeez said they should not be perceived as a threat, adding that, "If we cannot stop them, we join them. We try to understand them because they are our youths."

At the three-day assembly starting from this Nov 12, several competitions would be held for the Mat Rempit with prizes including a Satria Neo and a motorcycle.

Abdul Azeez said several things that could be learnt from these illegal riders were their strong camaraderie and a large membership of at least 5,000 riders despite being an unregistered club.

"Due to this strong bond, 30 Mat Rempit will beat us if we cause trouble with its members," he added.

He said Putera Umno did not want the bond to be inclined towards negative elements but wanted to drive the youths away from drugs and encouraged them to pursue their studies.

He said for an example, a representative from a Honda motorcycle and car dealer was impressed with the riding skills of these Mat Rempit.

The representative was also amazed with the engineering skills of the Mat Rempit, boosting the speed of their motorcycles to 180 kilometres per hour considering that the company's engineers were having difficulties to achieve a speed of 120 kilometres per hour.

He said these Mat Rempit could actually be assets in building Malaysia if they were given the chance.

Abdul Azeez said this Aug 26, he and Umno Youth Vice Chief Khairy Jamaluddin would come down to the ground on their motorcycles to meet the Mat Rempit.

--BERNAMA

Mat Cemerlang, what the hell is that?? I would be ashamed to be called that if I'm a Mat Rempit.

Anyway, another piece of news that I think most of us are not aware of, it's what many people think will happen today, 22nd of August. Just Google "Iran" and "22nd August", you'll find it creepy and disturbing.

Random Rambling #01

2006-08-20T14:05:00.000+10:00

The days are slowly warming up but my spirit is still stuck in winter. Six months is a long time, the Garden City has been both good and bad to me, but I hold no grudges or feelings of being alienated.

The borderline between conciousness and dreams are pretty blur in the weeks after my sickness, lucid, vivid and surreal state of the mind. Waking up to what feels like a dream, a very bland and slow dream.

Or is it a nightmare?

The carpet needs vacuuming and the clothes are spinning in the machine. My throat is sore and my table's a tsunami-swept beach. Gotta get a grip on this reality that's slowly drifting away.

Sunny days and clear skies always bring the mood around. Walking on the bluestone sidewalk with hands in the pocket, breezing through the shady and dark streets.

The nights are quiet, the sound of cars omnipresent. Rowdy blokes and blondes having a break from their lives, drunken in their happiness. To the bed I return, taking leave from the daily life. Sleep...

The best skylines (not the car)

2006-08-08T22:05:00.000+10:00

I've never thought that KL's skyline was that impressive since our skyscrapers are so scattered and spread out, it's hard to get a view of the city's buildings in one snapshot, like New York City and Singapore.

But according to The World's Best Skylines website, we are ranked number 10 out of a hundred cities in the world to have the best skylines!

Wah.. And Singapore is just a notch above us at number 9 and Hong Kong gets the number 1 spot.

We even beat the fair city I'm in now!

But without the Twin Towers and KL Tower, I don't think we can even make it on the list though...

Disinformation technology

2006-08-02T17:57:00.000+10:00

Bob Dylan was right when he said, "The times they are a-changin".

The internet is a powerful tool indeed, with millions surfing at an given moment, any form of information can spread out like dust blown away by the wind. But the internet is so widespread and limitless, I wonder how can one control it. Unlike newspapers or television, where one can control and spread propaganda easily by putting the right people and journalists, internet has no form of ownership. No bosses, no jurisdiction, restricting it will be autocratic (to some degree, of course).

And being in the generation when the internet was born, I find it hard to live without it. I'm not saying that the recent events that happened is a bad thing, there are some independent websites which are clearly biased made by stupid racist people, click here for a good example.

Whatever happens, I hope its for the good of the people and country. I leave you with these wise words from Bob Dylan..

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

PS: I hope no one comes knocking on my door!! If you know what I mean....

White aggression

2006-07-30T23:10:00.000+10:00

No, don't get me wrong, this post has nothing to do with racial sentiments or issues, it's more on the colour white. Was reading a TopGear's article on study done on drivers of white cars, found it interesting.

White cars 'increase aggression'
July 21, 2006

It's not just white-van drivers who are prone to aggressive driving.

A new study shows that drivers of white cars are more likely to speed and be abusive to other drivers.

The study was carried out by Churchill Car Insurance and shows that the average driver of a white car exceeds the motorway speed limit by 12.7mph.

If you want to calm down, try a silver or green car, because these tend to be driven by cool and balanced people.

Hmm.. I used to drive a silverish grey car. I guess that's the reason why Honda paints their sports version of cars white, to put the driver in a "killing spree mode".

So, the next time you see a white car speeding past you recklessly, give the driver a break, splash some red paint on their cars and make their day less stressed.

White isn't so pure after all..

This just came in!

2006-07-28T21:07:00.000+10:00

Yusof happy son cleared
By PARVEEN GILL
KUALA LUMPUR: Movie producer Datuk Yusof Haslam has called for many press conferences during his long and distinguished career.

Yesterday’s session, however, was different. It was to explain that his son was not involved in taking drugs.

And when things got a bit “out of hand” from the hot-headed Mohd Syamsul, Yusof stepped in to offer some fatherly advice about being humble.

The 22-year-old Mohd Syamsul, an actor and film director himself, was picked up for suspected drug abuse at an entertainment outlet in Jalan Ampang on July 7.

PROVIDING PROOF: Yusof looking at the pathologist’s report clearing his son Mohd Syamsul of drug abuse.Yusof said that the laboratory test of Mohd Syamsul’s urine showed that that he had not used drugs.

Mohd Syamsul had responded sarcastically when he was asked if he had learnt anything from the episode.

“There is no lesson to be learnt from this. I was innocent then and I am still innocent now,” he retorted with his father and mother Datin Fatimah Ismail, at times in tears, seated beside him.
On hearing this, Yusof interjected, saying: “My son is young and hot-blooded.

“Since my parents were not rich, I went through hardship to get to where I am today but my children have an easy life.

“Syamsul, whatever papa is saying may make you feel uncomfortable but you should ponder on papa’s advice because you have a long road ahead of you.

“Hopefully, it is a lesson learnt for you.”
He said part and parcel of being famous was that “one is not spared the humiliation even when the allegations are false.”

Yusof added that he had never hesitated to point out mistakes committed by his four children.
He recollected the moment when actor Norman Hakim woke him up from sleep to say that Mohd Syamsul had been arrested.

“Even though he is naughty and stubborn, I know to what extent my son would go. Drug abuse is not one of them,” he said.

“Syamsul, whatever papa says is for your own good and papa has the right to speak.

“Initially, when police contacted me, I told them that if my son had abused drugs, he should face the consequence.

“Thankfully, he has been cleared of the allegation,” said Yusof, producer of the long running series Gerak Khas.

When another journalist asked Mohd Syamsul if he would continue going to pubs until the early hours of the morning, he replied: “That is my right!”

When Yusof interrupted with a stare, Mohd Syamsul coyly replied: “Kalau boleh tak pergi kot!” (If possible, maybe I would not go!)

Mohd Syamsul stressed that “whatever happened should not have happened” because he was innocent.

He asked the media to clear his family's name due to earlier reports on his arrest.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS ALL ABOUT???? Some B-grade Hollywood failure review??
Sensationlists! Our ex-PM's face was sprayed with mace and you wanna come up with better news?! Boo hoo! Holy-guacamole! The muscle on my face strained when I read this! Geez weez....

Can we call the vice squad here? It's degrading our minds..
Geez weez....

Taken from TheStar article Yusof happy son cleared

Napoleon will blow the dynamites of your freaking mind!

2006-07-26T23:34:00.000+10:00

Pedro Sanchez and Napoleon Dynamite

Let's assume that the movie world is our very own Solar System. The sun is the place where the blockbusters are and Pluto is where the obscure and failed ones are. In between them is where the rest falls in. Once in a while, some foreign object, like an asteroid or a comet from the outer space will unexpectedly enter the system, causing havoc and put the astronomers in a blissful excitement. One such foreign object is Napoleon Dynamite.

Okay, let's forget about the metaphorical explanation, Napoleon Dynamite is one mind-blowing movie. The story has no definitive plot, but a series of subplots that forms the story of a high school student in Preston, Idaho named Napoleon Dynamite. It's unconventionally interesting and funny, with the type of humor you would find in some independent films. The story centers around the adventures of the main protagonist, Napoleon (played by Jon Heder), an eccentric and socially-inept kid and also his equally-eccentric friends and relatives. Napoleon is the type high school kid living in the fantasy of his own world, minding his own business until something comes in and change the course of his life. Reminds me a lot of some of the people I meet back in school.

He's not stoned, he's born like that.

To me, the type of humor used in this movie may not cater to most people, the stupid and strange behaviour the characters show will have many viewers thinking "What the f*** was that all about??". Coupled with an easy-going and somewhat cheerful soundtrack, it's paced at a speed that allows you to digest the bits of the story easily. Napoleon's demeanor will make you think that this guy is dumb or really need some serious psychiatric help, but who cares, its just great to see Napoleon and the rest go about their lives dealing with mundane things like friendship, love, reality and self-improvement. They're all smart in their own ways. One thing that I find interesting about the characters in the movie is that most of them are not afraid to do what feel like doing, eventhough they will only end up embarrasing themselves, which is the fun part. The dialogue itself, although slow, is the highlight, simple and funny.

Anyone reading this should give this movie a go. Freaking unusual but it's those movies that only comes out once in a blue moon, just like the comets in our Solar System. And it's family-friendly too...

At least bimbos have assets, these guys don't

2006-06-30T00:07:00.000+10:00

PAS, a party that specializes in coming up with dumbf***ed statements and churning out retardedly-desperate politicians, has done it again. And their topic again revolves around women, a long time ago they said that "pretty" women shouldn't work and serve their husbands instead, saying that widowed women trying to make a living "horny", where's the respect? If they can't respect other people, how are they suppose to respect themselves and most importantly, Islam. Few weeks ago they claimed that Kongsi Raya or open houses are "UNISLAMIC", then they told us to throw stones at the policemen (that was such brilliant idea, how come no one in Malaysia ever thought of it???), and they tried to take advantage of the Dr M and Pak Lah situation by wooing Dr M to join the opposition and bring in non-Muslims to the party (they just don't realize that they're blatantly doing this just for to win seats in the Parliament. Malaysians are not dumb like orang utans lured by bananas, and that'll only make PAS redundant as an Islamic party, wouldn't it?).

Now, a member of the Kelantan government thinks that foreigners who wanted to make Malaysia their second home also wanted a second Malaysian wife. The person who said this has proudly demonstrated to everyone the wonders of being stupid and the dangers of talking without any sense and facts. They're a notch lower than bimbos in terms of ignorance and intelligent remarks. These guys represent the mental dark ages of Malaysians and seem to know about everything under the blue sky and know what's good for us. Well, if they're treating us like a bunch of idiots, lets treat them the same way.

What bizzare PAS-word next?

-No title-

2006-06-26T19:14:00.000+10:00

Well, I dunno how end up right here,
I got the heavy loads of my back,
I'm so scared in case I fail to get what I want,
And I'm wondering how I will be able to pull thru.

Clown to the left is gone,
Joker to the right still here,
Here I am dead bored in the semester break,
Yes I'm bored out of my damned skull.

And I'm wondering what it is I should do,
It's so hard not to think of stoning,
Losing spirit, I'm bored finishing San Andreas.

Clown to the left is gone,
Joker to the right still here,
Here I am dead bored in the semester break.

When you started off full of hope,
And you think it's going to be a piece of cake,
And your tutor comes along smiling,
Slaps you on the head and say,
Just a pass... Pass...

Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see it makes no sense at all,
Did i did so bad I deserved only a pass,
Coz I think there's so much more to it.

Clown to the left is gone,
Joker to the right still here,
Here I am dead bored in the semester break.
Coz I'm, dead bored in the semester break.

Inspired by Bob Dylan's Stuck in the Middle with You.

Soccer-who??

2006-06-12T22:51:00.000+10:00

In my opinion, there are several countries in this world which could never enter the world of soccer, America and Australia (and maybe Malaysia, but I'm hopeful that they will somehow prove me wrong). I find it hard to believe that US managed to host the World Cup in 1994, for a country so proud of their uniqueness in sports which they has deflowered the word "football" and call their version the "American Football". The same goes for Australia, with their "Footie", sounds rather perverted. I'm not anti-Western, or an Asian-exteremist, heck, I don't even play football, i mean soccer. I used to though, in school (as a lowly defender). I'm the classic kaki bangku as many of us would know and are.

So what's the fuss about football all of a sudden?

Since when?

Australia is fighting against Japan tonight in World Cup 2006, as I type. Fifteen thousand Aussies are cheering away like kangaroos on heat in a stadium in Kaiserslauten Germany. More than that are wathching thru the tube in Austalia. All of a sudden Australia is bursting thru the doors of FIFA screaming, " I can play soccer now!!" Hell yeah you can, with hands! "History's against us" that's what Nike's Joga Bonito (I think) commercial said. If anyone has watched it, I wouldn't mind standing with that old ghastly-looking guy and ketawa terbahak-bahak with him (and avoiding ball, if you guys know where that one came from). Everyone, the Joe in the street and the media, are going crazy with this Socceroos. How the hell did this frenzy started?? They think they can bulldoze Brazil flat? Hah! Yeah ma-y-te! History in the making tonight, with the smallest continent kicked out by the biggest continent, I hope. Sorry Aussies, just voicing my opinion, and pardon me for writing this on your "land".

And Japan scored its first goal, I rest my case...

From youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSpYT0ags9c

The stuff dreams are made of

2006-05-25T03:11:00.000+10:00

I've been having strange and weird dreams lately, too strange in fact. Some of them are so vivid, I wonder what does it have to do with what I feel and experience lately.

A few weeks ago, I dreamt that I was back at home in Malaysia and curiously, I was in the study room of my house and I remembered I had to catch two birds, dunno what they were for. So I went and looked for the birds, and found one, which is dead. I grabbed it and looked for the other one, and found it sitting by the door. It was a seagull I think but when I approached it, it started hissing like a snake. I thought, "What the fuck?? Why the hell am I supposed to do catching these birds, a dead one and the other one hissing at me??".

Too scared to go closer, I went off and remembered my lovely Proton Wira which I had been driving during my three years in KL. So I went down and there it was, parked nicely in the driveway like how I remembered it always. But something is wrong, the car looked longer, and the rear end is different. I looked around and realized someone had modified it! Instead of the ordinary end of a typical Aeroback Wira, it was replaced with a Satria's butt. Then my mom came out and I asked her what happened and all of a sudden, she started scolding me like I had just crashed it! Weird...

Another odd dream I had last night was about me going back home to KL, without telling my parents. So, I reached home and the moment my parents saw me, they began scolding me incessantly. Not bothered, I went up to my bedroom and realized that the bed was still as messy as I had left it on the day I came to Melbourne. I don't remember what happened next but I was trying to stow away on a container ship at some harbour at night. I was hanging on to the anchor hoping no one would see me. But as soon as they pulled the anchor up and I reached the ship's hull, and there were a group of people standing around me laughing and screaming. What the fuck is that all about??

Again, I don't remember what happened after that, but after a while I was holding a gun at a corner of a road junction facing a plain looking building. A couple was walking along one side of the building and on the other side, a thief with a gun waiting for the right time to mug the couple (Its noteworth that the girl is pretty good-looking). I stood there watching everything until the thief came out and surprised the couple. Wanting to be hero, I ran towards them but it was too late as the robber had grabbed the girl and shot her dead. I struggled with the thief to force him to drop the gun and realizing that I was holding a gun all along, I shot him five times. But he didnt die! I shot him some more, about 25 times more. The dream ended when I realized how the hell can my gun shoot more than 10 bullets. I woke up bewildered.

Whether it had anything to do with me missing home or me watching the movie Snatch a couple of days ago or me playing GTA: San Andreas lately or the "trips" I had a couple of days or weeks ago, I have no idea. Hmm...

What to do on a boring Saturday afternoon?

2006-05-06T19:46:00.000+10:00

Dark, depressing, gloomy, it was the week to just sleep in. Thankfully weekend is here and the weather decided to take a day off, giving the people of Melbourne a short reprise after a somber week. After visiting Myer to see what kind of stuff they have there that I can buy and lunch in Chinatown, I decided to take a "trip" to the nearest park, Flagstaff Garden, to just relax on the partly sunny evening. As usual I brought my camera around and Jun Keat brought his too. Wonderful day, the set and setting of the evening was just perfect for our photo session.

Flagstaff Garden, empty and serene.

That's just a leaf.

More leaves, autumn is coming to an end soon as winter approaches.

A quiet path, a calm mind and a beautiful day.

A flower bed where most of the flowers are gone, came a little bit too late to see the blooms.

A cloud of seeds covers a mini forest of plants, swaying suggestively in the wind.

A sculpture of a man and what looks like a tiger or a panther lying helplessly at his feet, don't really know what is it for. Symbolic of the battle between man and beast.

A frightened furry little critter (possum, I think) staring into the camera, wary of my moves. Startled by our presence as it was foraging around in the park.

As the evening slowly turned into night, we walked along King Street (I think) and this monolithic building looked like it came from a Star Wars movie, with Darth Vader and Storm Troopers going around inside.

St. Paul's gleaming in a shower of floodlights.

Now this is weird. What is this ferris wheel doing here at the edge of Federation Square?

It's been...

2006-05-03T00:05:00.000+10:00

It's been two months and eleven days since...

...I drove my wonderful Wira, oh how I miss the feel of the steering wheel.

...I tasted the best Nasi Lemak in KL.

...I played a round of pool in Cue Ball Pool in Ampang.

...I had tasted the tentalizing feel of a shisha.

...I experienced the infamous KL traffic jams.

...I felt the tropical sun burning my skin.

...I cuddled my pet cats.

...I had a good teh O ais limau on a hot afternoon in KL.

...I had to pay tolls on the KL-Seremban Highway.

...I watched MTV and Channel V.

...I enjoyed unlimited downloads and bandwith on Streamyx.

...I felt the craziness of KL shopping malls and their eternally full parking lots.

...I had to tolerate mad and reckless Malaysian drivers.

...I sat down in the living room in the morning reading The Star newspaper.

...I enjoyed doing all the things in Malaysia which I can't really recall now.

Ah... Malaysia...

Will there ever be a "Malaysian Malaysia"?

2006-04-12T16:51:00.000+10:00

I'm no political observer or some fella who can talk a lot about politics but some things are just hard to ignore. Special rights, priveledges, monopoly, support, incentives (when viewed in a large context like our country) are probably good to kick-start development and progress in the economy or to initiate recovery of the society, New Economic Policy, National Development Policy whatever they're called, but in my opinion, it's rather pointless to get these kind of techniques going on for a long period or when certain faction of the society are excluded. Especially when the people involved knows that they can get help whenever they need it without doing much effort to get it.

Malaysia, as happy as I am to be part of this country, is an imperfect mix of granted opportunities, corrupt practices and people and unequal fairness. If we put ourselves back in the seventies when Malaysia is known as the strip of land in between Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia and our economy relied mostly on commodities, then I guess those options mentioned above were necessary. But prolong use of these "advantages" will lead to misuse and corruption, and people will, in my opinion, will get lazy and overly dependent on others. This, I believe, will affect the entire social, economical and political stability of the nation.

This brings me to the extremely controversial issue of Malaysian Malaysia debate, once brought up by Lee Kuan Yew, in an attempt to seek a better and equal society (Even he wanted to be a Malaysian and sobbed when Singapore was forced to be independent). Article 153 clearly states that:

"It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article."

Just like the US or Australia, Malays in Malaysia are primarily descendents of immigrants who migrated to the Malay Peninsular almost a millenia ago. So, in conclusion, we're all immigrants, Malay, Chinese, Indians and some of the "dan lain-lain". The real Bumiputers are probably the Orang Asli, so is it right to impose this title to certain people just because they arrived earlier than the rest? I'm a Malay, but I just feel that everyone deserves equal opportunities and respect. And its interesting to note that the use of the word "Malay" is more often compared to "Bumiputera" which is more accurate in describing Article 153. "Ketuanan Melayu" or Malay Supremacy is just an excuse for those feeling insecure being in Malaysia where they face competition and feel intimidated by others. So to those who (Malaysian politicians and Malay hard-liners thinking they're doing it for the sake of the country, I'd rather not say names, but it's obvious who these people are) think they're better than the rest, please wake up and face the music. Afterall, we're all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, our differences are only skin deep.

Help can only do up to a certain degree. Exposure is much better in making people open their eyes and observe reality. Working your way up with your own sweat and strength is more satisfying compared to getting more than enough help and support. As the current younger generation of Malaysians grow up to lead the country, I wonder how is it going to be when Pak Lah is gone. Well only time will tell. To move forward, we have to do some compromises, even when it's not in our favor.

And that brings us to another question, what is a Malaysian? We call ourselves Malaysians when we go abroad but back home, our inclination towards our race is greater. Sad, sad world we're living in....

Cam-whoring in Melbourne

2006-04-10T23:50:00.000+10:00

Just like dogs, cameras are men's next best friend. And just like dogs, some cameras are too bulky, some are not user-friendly, some are hopelessly unreliable and some are a bitch to handle. The camera I've been using, Sony DSC P-100, for the past one and a half years has gone thru a camera's worst nightmare, I dropped it several times, splashed in the rain, violently swung around (it went into a coma and had to be resuscitated, not an adventurous camera), came close to being dropped into a clogged toilet and been into clubs, bars and three countries. Nevertheless, as loyal as a dog, my camera is still going strong despite all the crap I've done to it. There's one thing that I don't like about it though, it's too sensitive, vulnerable to the slightest vibration.

Anyway, after almost two months here, I had adapted myself to Melbourne's surroundings and had the chance to spend some quality time with my good ol' buddy. They're a little bit shaky, but this will do for the time being....

Flinder's Station, the most photographed building in Melbourne I guess, saw it on almost travel books, TV programs and websites. A relic from Australia's controversial past.

Taken from Federation Square, the Eureka Tower (on the right side), which sits on the other side of Yarra River, once completed will be the tallest building in Melbourne and the tallest skyscraper in the Southern Hemisphere if I'm not mistaken. Until The Troika in KL takes over the title.

SBS building (don't know its real name) in Federation Square forms just one part of the sophisticated look of Melbourne's newest treasured landmark. The cornerstone of Melbourne's architecture, something like that lah.

That's the apartment where we're staying, called the Centro Apartment, on the corner of La Trobe and Queen. Unfortunately, we got the unit on the 6th floor at the back of the building, facing an office building which is just about 10 feet away. Watching the same people toiling in their offices almost everyday.

Since our view from the balcony is rather limited, the best view we have is this, rather boring as most of the things we see are just buildings. The only thing interesting enough to observe is the next door office's open-air space below us where the workers go out for a break or a smoke.

Letter which I've yet to make....

2006-04-02T00:47:00.000+11:00

Letters which I've yet to send,
Letters which I've yet to receive,
Dreaming of letters which I fantasized for the one I loved,
I read as the tears roll down my face.

This little life which I relate to,
Never thought of anything better,
Realizing the little existence I have,
How insignificant it is..

Letters which I've yet to send,
Letters which I still don't know how to compose,
Reading from far away, a land I dearly miss,
As I stroll down the fairway as people pass by.

This little town I call a home away from home,
Finding desire to comfort the heart in me,
Sadness loom with inevitable gloom,
Dreaming for better company.

Dreary eyes staring at the black hole sun,
Pondering on the damned life full of sins,
Looking for better days with a face full of glee,
Drown by sadness, but never to see them again.

Letters which I've yet to read,
Letters which I've yet to reply,
A life that I need to follow and comply,
Kudos to who did it, and insults to those who didn't.

It has been a night full of reminiscence, full of the sweet company which I had taken for granted for the past year, oh how I wish you guys had realized how grateful I was. I didn't realize it then, but now how special it was and amazing it feels to be with the people who I can relate with. From a land far away, the One above shall strike thee with the sum of fear and despair for those who never treasure the friendship that they never had thought they would appreciate... Amin and good night..

Motor-heads dream come true?

2006-03-29T18:03:00.000+11:00

Malaysians have been pretty optimistic for the past year about car prices going down eversince the govenment indicated that they have a plan to help turn around the automobile industry in Malaysia. People have been speculating about the plans and what will happen when it is implemented. It's high time that the masses get more choices at better prices.

Cars in Malaysia are too saturated with Proton and I bet almost every driver in the country has driven a Proton at least once in their lifetime. Quality issues and lack of variety and new models have bogged Proton down, even the once-admired Proton Waja is now almost 5 years old (I believe a model's life-cycle shouldn't go beyond 3-4 years, just look at Toyota's Camry, the current one which is 3+ years old is going to replaced by a new model soon). Plus, the launch of affordable models from Honda and particularly Toyota with its Avanza and Innova has crippled Proton even further in terms of market share and profit. In my mind, its about time the anak manja gets some real taste of competition after living in a paradise protected by the big-G.

Anyway, before I get carried away with what-I-don't-like-about-Proton arguments, it's interesting to note that the government had announced the National Automotive Policy last week and since then car prices from several marques have been slashed by up to 10% (Even the price of a Mercedes Benz C180K has been reduced by about Rm20,000, now you know why I put that picture above). An absymal amount but it looks too good to be true, don't you think? There's more to it than cheaper cars..

The controversial Approved Permit system we all read, watched and listened to last year (Rafidah winning an Oscar in the Academy Awards for her performance throughout the fiasco), will be phased out in 2010, as it is illegal to do such things under the WTO.
Imported second-hand reconditioned cars will be banned from import by 2010. Goodbye to all those nice recond cars in the showrooms which you've been drooling over.
Car prices will be gazetted so that tax-underdeclaration will never happen again, just like what happened to Wald Motorsports, when it was discovered that they were not complying to the regulations.
Then how about second hand cars in Malaysia? With the substantial reduction in new car prices, won't the value of cars owned by the people now drop even further? This doesn't sound too good for many.
And a bunch more which are a bit hard to explain, click here to read more

It's good that we're finally trying to lift the competitiveness of the industry and also invite some more foreign investors, like what Thailand did now that they're known as the "Detroit of Asia". But somehow, I think the gov. is trying to cover its dirty tracks by implementing these policies. Nevertheless, fortunately they have taken steps into expand the industry now than later. It's just what we need as we approach 2020. Usher those cars into our already congested streets!

As the cold autumn wind blows...

2006-03-22T02:10:00.000+11:00

As the cold autumn wind of Melbourne blows at my feet, and as the city sleeps all around me, life as I know it has never been the same for me as it was two months ago. Freedom hangs by a thread with workload piling up as time moves on, oh how I miss the time I had back at home, which I had taken for granted. All the late night driving and "sessions" with the people who I will never forget. No, I'm not in a depressed mood or anything negative, living somewhere far from home has given me several new insights on life, just like entering a new chapter of a book. Now I know how it feels like to be an international student.

But basically, things here are no different as it was back in KL, making most of out my time by achieving what I'm hoping for and also satisfying my needs. Melbourne is a multi-faceted city with so many inputs from other regions, just like KL, but obviously there is a sense of direction and calmness in this city compared to where I'm from. Organized road system, proper governance, friendly customer service employees, these are just some of the ideals that we try to achieve back home. But behind this curtain of happy faces, I realized there are some things here that are not that good. Small little things actually, things which are often overlooked. Even the architects here are aguing on how to define "Australian architecture", with Melbourne being the post-modernist (something like that lah). Nevermind those, it'll just make me feel better being a Malaysian despite the numerous shortcomings back home. Home sweet home.

Melbourne has been very busy lately, with the Commonwealth Games going on and Australian euphoria and patriotism is at all time high here. After getting my life settled down for almost a month, everything seems to be moving at a faster pace. That's why I felt like I've been here for a very long time. Even the apartment I'm living in feels battered with stuff strewn all over the place like a warzone, with some corners being so tidy like the DMZ zone between North and South Korea. Three tables, three chairs, three beds, a TV and a screwed up unsecured broadband line.

A little messy post after taking a sabbatical leave from blogging for quite a while. Well, it's time to hit the bed just like those guys going back home after watching the Games. A long day awaits...

Inauspicious...

2006-02-08T02:36:00.000+11:00

Dangling for dear life, these lighted Chinese New Year greetings (whatever it is called) along Jalan Binjai, opposite Norman Foster's "The Troika" apartments, is an accident waiting to happen. After the cement mould tragedy at Plaza Sri Hartamas few weeks back, and after the hoo-haa about tightening regulations and inspections on construction sites, small but equally dangerous situations like these are often overlooked. Its either, "Aiyah, tak apalah, tunggu tahun baru habis nanti baru cabutkan," or after some poor fella gets crushed by these "greetings from the sky", then only something will happen. And more arguments and debates will ensue right after that....

A simple case of comedy or an insult to our national pride

2006-02-02T07:02:00.000+11:00

I bet some of the ultra-nationalist in our country highly regard the products we export to other countries, food products, clothing, computers, chips etc. I got no problem with those stuff but one thing that doesn't do justice to our country's image is our cars. Sure, Proton has come a long way from being a mere car assembler of rebadged Mitsubishi cast-offs to making its own design and engines, but there is always the issue of QUALITY. To be truthful, the newer Protons have slightly better built compared to the earlier ones and the new chairman has acknowledge the quality issues in Proton cars (compared to the previous chairman's emphasis on sportiness and putting aside on quality). But everyone can just talk and say a lot of hope but the results from what was said and promised are the most important things.

This puts us in the lower and usually ignored range in the automotive world. Proton is the pet project of our previous PM and Proton is the "national pride" of our country and it represent our country, albeit on wheels. That's the main reason why negotiations between Volkswagen and Proton on a promising partnership ended up with nothing as Volkswagen wanted to be the major stakeholder in Proton and Proton has its "national pride" issues, which makes them hostile to any foreign takeovers. Perodua stands a better chance in terms of built quality, since they're under Daihatsu and Toyota. But that is still not enough when compared to other marques as demonstrated by Jeremy Clarkson from BBC's Topgear, who said that we make cars in the jungle...

Anyway, being a car enthusiast, Mr. Clarkson had the opinion that some car companies are greedy and put profit first rather than passion, which appalled him a lot. I believe that is awfully true, not only in the motoring business but also in other sectors. Money shouldn't be the driving motive for any business, passion should be the one. Passion nurtures quality and craftmanship, whereas money nurtures power and volume. I found this video on YouTube.com and it's about Mr. Clarkson destroying a brand new Perodua Kelisa, which leads us to the title of this post. Should we laugh at it? Or should we be insulted and outraged by his actions? I like to take this lightly and treat it as something to brighten up my day. What say you, dear reader? (If there's any, haha). Well, I must say, Mr. Clarkson is a little too much sometimes....

http://www.youtube.com/w/Jeremy-Clarkson-Destroys-Perodua-Kelisa?v=easZ2lhNOcs&search=top%20gear%20kelisa
(It takes a while to load, but it's worth waiting!)

Usher the Dogs In Now

2006-01-30T01:13:00.000+11:00

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! Usher in the year of the dog by taking a dog from the SPCA to a new home and time to feed that stray dog you've been kicking for the past year. Just kidding.. May the new year bring more prosperity to everyone out there and may the countless angpows you receive remind you of how precious money is... =)

The beautiful side of somewhere....

2006-01-29T07:00:00.001+11:00

Man…. That was some shit just now. Pardon me for talking about myself now, but I’m not in the right mind right now. But it was a hell of a journey. Its just strange to type this down and listen to Kid A by Radiohead, like being on some alien planet right now. About 3 weeks left before a new chapter in life begins, 3 weeks more of enjoying what being in this country like, 3 weeks more of being around the people who I connect to. 3 years have passed since I was that innocent little kid who I used to be, a distant persona. A distant reality from what it is right now.

Some of the beloved people in my last 3 years were flown away by the wind, the beloved people which I will always remember always in my fragmented mind, dissolved by the waste we human beings have created over the past millenia. Lousy shit. The drive back home reminds me of the sleepy drive home from college which had a lot of sweet moments. The lonely drive on the empty stretch of highway is like travelling down the memory lane, a lane full of anguish and later wonderful realisations. Its amazing what 3 years of freedom has lead a person to. Its amazing what kind of shit anyone could go thru in 3 years. The beautiful side of somewhere, the place where we are all searching for, but can never find it. The side of life which we search for all our life. A mythical side of life. Isn't it true? We all search for dreams that never actually have anyhappy endings, the happiness is either short-lived or just an illusion, diluted by reality. There's no such thing, the beautiful side of somewhere....

Tomorrow
Is gonna make you cry
Is gonna make you kneel
Before it breaks you
From inside
Still pressing on
I'm over all
Still trying to
Get both feet back on to the ground
The hardest evenings
Fields in autumn
We're different now
Then when we started

And I am ready to wake up
We're in the exodus
On the beautiful side of somewhere
Baby

The lonely pavement
Underneath the yellow morn
Think of you
And just how easily we bruise
Your folded address
In my pocket I have stuffed
Trying to believe for you
That the body didn't drop
I am on a platform
Covered with dust
I pray they take the both of us

And I am ready to come down
The sea has spoke somehow
On the beautiful side of somewhere

Someday
Somewhere
Someday
Beautiful side of somewhere

I am lighting matches
For the rescue
Some are candles
Some are fuses
Acting on my best behaviour
Switching over every breaker
As we're clawing through
These laws of nature
Disregarding every acre
I'm lying in my Sunday best
Assuming this was not a test

Somewhere, someday
Beautiful side of somewhere

The Beautiful Side of Somewhere - The Wallflowers

Idiot's guide to Malaysian driving etiquette

2006-01-16T03:36:00.000+11:00

When a slow driver blocks you in the right lane of the highway, drive up closely and tailgate him/her till you're given way.
Flash at other drivers when they are in your way so that they will skittishly move to the other lane (Tip: change your headlights to the Xenon or HID lamps which are brighter and more intimidating, look for the ones not permitted by JPJ).
If the traffic light turns to yellow, speed up quickly, there is usually a 2-3 second delay on the other side of traffic lights before it turns green.
If you see something that resembles a traffic police officer or a speed camera sitting precariously in the median strip, slow down as soon as possible.
Be very very careful of flyovers and bridges spanning across a highway, these spots are a favourite for the traffic police to set up a speed trap.
If its too late to slow down or there's a car in front of you when a speed trap is sighted, tailgate the car ahead of you, the speed camera might not be able to "see" your number plate.
Be a good member of the society, flash rapidly with your high beams at the opposing traffic to warn them of an impending speed camera or police road block.
When an officer stops you for an offence and the first thing he says is, "Apa pasal you speeding? Sekarang kan dah susah? Saman 300 ringgit mahal tau tak? Macam mana nak settle?" The keyword here is "settle" as in "How much do you have in your wallet right now?"
If you're about to miss an exit and you're in the right lane of the highway, quickly cut into the exit before there's no space left for you to move. Don't mind the other drivers, God gave them eyes to see you recklessly moving across three lanes, they should be able to avoid you.
Every traffic light or a gap in the median strip is a place for you to make a U-turn. Unless there's a no U-turn sign there or most importantly, a traffic policeman or a patrol car is nearby.
Every kerbside is a parking spot as long as cars and trucks can squeeze thru the limited space next to your car.
If a kerb is low enough for you to get on or you're driving some big-ass pickup truck, just park on the sidewalk, I'm sure there's enough space for people to walk pass.
When you spot an accident, slow down and if possible take a look at how major is the accident. By slowing down, you're giving chance to the drivers behind you to take a look too.
When you're in an accident, negotiate as soon as possible with the other driver without moving your car from the spot where it happened.
If you're driving thru Bangsar's Jalan Telawi area, Jalan P. Ramlee clubs, Heritage Row clubs, or anywhere there's a lot of pedestrian or by-standers, blast your radio and place your hand out with a cigarette in hand, just to show that "you have arrived", no matter how crappy is your car.

To be continued.....

Get-the-hell-out-of-here!

2006-01-13T20:34:00.000+11:00

Spotted this quaint little cafe at the old shoplots near Changkat Bukit Bintang while having breakfast at an empty mamak opposite this shop. It's those "you scratch my back, I scratch your back" kind of situation. Dunno about the food though, from what can be seen on the table the two old men are sitting, it looks like there's nothing special. What a way to greet your customers...

Singapore through a camera lense - a photoblog

2006-01-12T00:41:00.000+11:00

To me, Singapore is a nice place to visit but not exactly the first place to stay unless I'm working there. It embodies the orderly and efficient network of infrastructure that Malaysians dream of having in KL, JB and elsewhere. That puts our chaotic buses and slow KTM Komuters to shame. Anyway, the days I spent in Singapore last month were mainly along the busy Orchard Road, as "some" shopping had to be done. Nevertheless, other places like Bugis Street, Clarke Quay were not forgotten. And despite the lousy pool center we visited, the money spent on things which doesn't last long, taking the last MRT train every single night and the aching feet, it was an amazing and unforgettable week. What a way to close the book on 2005.

A sign that will surely catch the attention of a smoker...

A hawker center smack right in the middle of downtown Singapore. Check out the details on the columns and roof supports.

HDB flats... No private driveway, no private backyard, and with little space within.

Something that will never happen to Klang and Gombak River, the riverfront of Clarke Quay is filled with chic restaurants and some nice bars. Hooters is here too, something that we'll probably won't get in KL.

Old colonial shops and modern hanging canopies. The fusion between these two in Clarke Quay seems rather suitable and fits the surroundings pretty well.

A long and lonely corridor in Clarke Quay.

Like a rising hot air baloon, the form of these coverings or canopies which shelter the streets below at Clarke Quay is accentuated even more with the clever use of red and yellow lights.

Cigarettes cost a bomb in Singapore, stock wisely before crossing the border. Plus the health warning and pictures on the boxes take the fun out of smoking...

2006's First Raid

2006-01-03T04:04:00.000+11:00

I just don't know how to begin this entry. I just don't understand what is wrong with some idiots in Malaysia. These bunch of morons don't even know what the f*** they think they're doing. Pathetically, these people are narrow-minded and have an extremely stereotype mindset. If they see or perceive something as bad for the society, they will quickly label other things which are related to it as bad too. Malaysian media expecially, as well as the authorities, they think they know everything that is good and bad. They don't open up, they have a traditional mindset which is stuck in the Malayan era, sometimes I think they just here to create a major ruckus in the society, not to serve and protect us.

Enough of that crap, the issue that made me feel disgusted, angry, dissatisfied and rather involved (although not directly, somehow connected), is the police raid on Paul's Place on New Year's eve. Harian Metro and the police labelled it as "Black Metal" and considered it as the replacement for the so-called "sex party" in Langkawi which was cancelled by the authorities few months back. (By the way, I believe the "sex party" in Langkawi was supposed to be Recharged beach party, like the one held in Port Dickson in last September. I went for the one in PD and found nothing sexually explicit about it, its just like a club but only bigger and its on a beach. Another stereotype labelling by the media and the big-G.)

Around 380 people including bands from Singapore and Japan and a lawyer were detained by the police. Even those who were innocently standing outside of the compound and at the mamak were detained. Apparently, the police just detained anyone who seemed suspicious enough. Its a bit of a long story, but I hope anyone who reads this will continue reading the details at:

http://www.jeffooi.com/archives/2006/01/media_and_polic_1.php#more

Oh yeah another thing I would like to highlight, Harian Metro, the Malay tabloid newspaper, is being rather one-sided about the news. But more importantly, its the information that the reporters put into the article which makes me feel like running them over with my car. Some of the words they used in the article are just weird and seemed out of place. Creativity in writing was at its lowest when these idiots wrote it....

"Selepas mendapat maklumat lengkap, sepasukan 30 anggota polis bersama lima pegawai diketuai Cif Inspektor Azhar Muda, menyerbu bangunan berkenaan pada jam 11 kelmarin"

CIF???? Wtf is CIF?? Is it so hard for you guys to use the word KETUA instead of CIF?? How dumb can you get, you bunch of retards? If Bahasa Malaysia is a living person, you guys just made her cry man...

"....semua ramaja berbaju-T hitam itu sanggupp berasak di ruang sempit dan becampur gaul antara lelaki dengan wanita, sambil melakukan aksi seperti memuja syaitan."

Memuja syaitan? Can you please verify what do you mean by this? How do you know that they're doing it? Did you guys say that just because the police said so? This statement is so vague, just like your miniscule brain.

"Interviewer: Jika benar tidak ada unsur pemujaan syaitan dalam muzik yang awak perjuangkan mengapa ada risalah perkataan syaitan (evil) dan lambang Yahudi dan ayat lucah f*** yang dirampas polis?"

Please get your facts straight or fix your typos, evil doesn't mean the devil just because they sounded almost the same. The rest is up to you guys to figure out...

Anyway, you can read the whole article at (copy and paste) :

http://www.hmetro.com.my/Current_News/HM/Monday/BeritaUtama/

20060102092320/Article/indexm_html

Here's to more stupidity and disgrace to our police force and some idiots in the media....

A sign of things to come...

2005-12-21T05:25:00.000+11:00

It's been a while since I had the mood to blog, and since several stange events happened tonight, I felt that it's worthwhile to post this up.

It was a strange night. A lucky stroke of luck had fallen on me on my way back home. After buying some handphone credit at a 7-11 store in City Square, I called a friend of mine, telling that I was heading home and couldn't join him for an event that I would not like to elaborate here =P. As it was already late and I don't want my parents to start making noise. Anyway, I was talking to him on the phone and as I was about to enter Jalan Tun Razak from City Square's parking entrance, a police patrol car was parked on the right side of the junction by the roadside and was facing me. I caught a glimpse of the car and suddenly the police car's blue, red and yellow lights started flashing. My brain instantly signalled to me,"Oh shit! Better stop now and turn on your hazard lights!" I pulled over, turned on my hazard lights and continued talking until I hung-up and drove off. Thankfully, the police car just stayed there with its lights still flashing. Phew! (Below is a little pictogram to give u a picture of my position, I know it's a bit sucky but i hope it helps)

But dead ahead, after the Jalan Ampang-Tun Razak traffic lights, a police roadblock was waiting for my arrival. At least this time they have no reason to pull me over. So, I entered the queue into the roadblock politely and a silver Honda Accord was making a u-turn on my right side. The driver saw the roadblock and quickly reversed his car out of the u-turn as if he's a wanted criminal. The cops at the roadblock saw him backing up and went to investigate but by now he has escaped into the night. That was some shit to put a smile on my face and I went thru the roadblock without any problems. It's a good thing I didn't join my friends as I thought of this as some type of premonition of things to come. A police car or a roadblock (even when you've done nothing wrong) may sometimes be an unwelcoming sight, if you know what I mean....

But things that happened after this made me rather disgusted and angry. Read my next post.... =)

Life is cheap for the "rempits"

2005-12-21T05:02:00.000+11:00

How many of us Malaysian drivers have not encountered any motorcyclists speeding or getting ready to risk their lives? Some got it the bad way, some just became angry and annoyed by them and starts complaining about the state of our youth these days (which I did). I was on the way back home from Ampang after several games of pool with some ex-Sri Gardenians when I had the most dangerous and frightening encounter with the people we call the mat rempits. It was 1.40am and I was on the empty KL-Seremban Highway, just passed the Sg. Besi toll. The highway was deserted and everything seemed like an ordinary early morning-late night drive until a Waja overtook me hastily. I was on the middle lane after giving way to the speeding Waja and I was wondering why he did that, since there were no cars behind him. Then all of a sudden, the Waja slowed down like its the end of the world and that got me freaked out tremendously.

That's when I realize that five bikes with pillion riders were sitting precariously on each lane of the three-lane highway with two of them in the fast lane! What the f*** are they thinking?! It's the craziest idea to go racing on a highway where people go at least 110km/h everyday! Then a few meters down the road, at least twenty more of them were waiting in the emergency lane as if it was the passing-of-the-torch event of the Olympics (Zeus will be utterly disgusted). I gave them a satisfying honk to show my anger. Its such a stupid thing to do, putting their lives on the borderline between life and death. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.... The same thing happened at least two hours earlier on Jalan Ampang near RISDA when a bunch of these "armpits" suddenly stopped in the right lane and surprised a poor unsuspecting driver.

Don't these people value their lives? It's sad to say that a number of them perished needlessly in tragic road accidents. It makes smoking weed and hash look harmless, doesn't it?

Just when I was about to settle down...

2005-12-09T04:28:00.000+11:00

... thre crazy years have passed. It's been two weeks since Prom and the atmosphere of the studios is still lingering in the air, bittersweet memories. Although its already the holidays that I've been dreaming of for the past three years, nothing much has changed actually, it's dissapointing to note that some of the old habits stays on. Staying up late, waking up late, going out... Miss all those time in the studio... What the hell am I rambling about here?? I dunno myself, maybe the "stuff" is still in my blood, oh man, wonderful feeling.... That's it for the moment, nothing much....

The long and flabby arms of the law

2005-11-05T02:15:00.000+11:00

Its Deepa-Raya again this year and the cops are out again on their yearly stint to record down how many accidents had happened and how many people became part of the statistic. Call it Ops Sikap 1, 2, 5 or 9, i think the sikap that we need to change is not only the drivers', but the police as well. Forget about the bribes that they cheerfully look for after you broke the speed limit or ran a red light, the thing that I'm talking about here is what's inside some of these police officers, the so-called their spare tayar.

This guy's butt rivals J-Lo's rear end (I really pity his bike)

I was in downtown Kuala Lumpur the other day at the MARA building wanting to get some form for an application and was told to wait for half an hour till the office open. So, I went to an empty cafe outside (It was Ramadhan) and sat there. Then my eyes caught something which I had seen twice before that day, something large, round, white and had streaks of black all over it, and it was sitting in the middle of the road blocking the already congested traffic at Jalan Raja Laut. "What is that?" i thought and oh.. its a traffic policeman on his routine rounds to control traffic. But isnt a police officer suppose to be in a slimmer shape? So that he can actually give chase to any criminals running on foot.

It was rather amusing seeing him arranging those cones on the road and a few moments after he disappeared, a 4x4 pickup truck came and pushed those cones aside to enter the blocked road and a Kancil follows suit, like a cat giving way to its kittens. Then out of nowhere, a "good" Samaritan came and put the cones back in place, just when a car was about to enter, how humiliating for the driver. Moments later, the fattie cop came back and watch over the traffic and left after his shift was over.All these happened within twenty minutes when I was waiting outside MARA building. Something to amuse me after a sleepless night. Hours earlier, I spotted two similar police officers buying some food at Projet Mentari. How the hell are they gonna do their job well? What if these officers were chasing a criminal and all of a sudden, they had a heart-attack and died in the chase, should he be honored for his courageous act? (Yeah, for becoming too fat and died while on duty, how easy can that be, can even call him a matyr). I think they are only good for crowd contol where they can just stand there like a wall or roll around like a boulder... The long and flabby arm of the law strikes again.

As the nation wept...

2005-10-22T03:31:00.000+10:00

Putra Mosque at 6.45pm, right after the last rights ended 45 minutes earlier...

It was dark, it was depressing, the day seemed rather ominous for such loss to happen on last Thursday, 20th October. It has been like for that the past few weeks. Putrajaya never looked so deep in sorrow, with much of the city empty and drenched in water. Hardly any life in it. Everyone was moving at a rather slower pace than usual although it was time to break fast. No birds in the sky and very little cars on the road. Datin Paduka Seri Endon passed away on that fateful day. The day when everything looked so lifeless and its as if everything felt there's something amiss in the air... Rest in peace.. Al-Fatihah..

The Good (Ramadhan), The Bad (Studio) and The Ugly (Building Maintenance!)

2005-10-10T01:11:00.000+10:00

Oh man, what can one get when they equate all these three together? Laziness! The bad and the ugly overwhelms the good. October is going to be one hell of a month and its gonna be one hell of a grand finale for my Diploma (Not to mention my blog's turning one! The only nice thing about October I guess). Shit... Everything just don't seem right at the moment, nothing's going right. Aiyoooo.....

Snapshots of Bali: Part I

2005-09-25T21:08:00.000+10:00

About a month ago, TCPJ and the fake Bali in Petaling Jaya was like a million miles away from my soul. I was in Bali with a great bunch of friends (albeit the fact that there are some who almost caused a havoc, just kidding =P). Skeptical at first about Bali, I gathered all the courage I have to shrug off all my worries about what might happen there, although its kinda silly worrying about terrorists and disease, but these are some of the things that kept some people from goin abroad like Bali. But what the heck, time to get away from the haze, Malaysia and most importantly, assignments and classes.

As what I had done before, I prefer to use photos to tell my experiences and stories if I have taken enough snapshots. This is the first part of several parts which I still haven't thought of yet. The scenic and poetic shots are in this part, so feast your eyes, ladies and gentlemen...

This shot was taken on a road which cuts across a paddy field near a resort called Alila, a luxurious 5-star resort not meant for us, yet. Bali is simple yet beautiful.

A windchime swings in the cool afternoon breeze at a restaurant overlooking a vast paddy field, such calmness and tranquility are hard to find these days...So that we can reach the state of mental equilibrium. =P

An overall shot of the paddy field I mentioned in the second photo. Paddy fields are everywhere in Bali, just like palm oil and rubber trees here.

A cat walks off an offering spot to the Gods, curious at what I'm holding in my hands. Cats there are also friendlier than the ones we find here.

Kijang is everywhere in Bali, or Indonesia for that matter, since it's considered as their national car there. Cheap, durable and good quality, typically Toyota.

Dwarfed by the giants he created, a wood carver plies his trade at a wood carving center somewhere near Ubud, Bali. Balinese people are one of the friendliest people I've ever met, although I question some of their intentions sometimes, nothing insulting, just a tourist being aware of his surroundings in a foreign land. =)

Like a boat stranded on a coral reef, a kite struggles to break free in the dark morning sky from its anchor, a coconut tree.

The road less travelled, zig-zagging through barren landscape sculpted from a volcanic eruption. In the background is Kintamani, an active volcano which erupted within the last 20-40 years, I can't remember when exactly.

White herons flying above at dusk after they were disturbed from their trees by our claps, flying in large groups each time, like what those nature shows say, safety in numbers. Wonderful, beautiful puffs of feathers fluttering in the skies...

Found some little feathered friends there too, although they judge my friendly moves as a threat. Very cute though! Not fit for dinner table. =)

A beach, a bunch of boats, a boy, a kite and a windy sunny day... Sometimes, the simple joys in life is so much more seductive and sweet than the things that you ever wanted in life. Man, sometimes I wonder how I'll be when I retire one day, sitting on a beach or stuck with my kids' kids...

Over the skies of Subang

2005-09-17T05:51:00.000+10:00

A peculiar streak cuts across the 6pm skies of Subang Jaya. Serene and strange, like a piece of rice kernel in a plate of cooked rice. It looked as if the plane is flying towards space instead of flying horizontally above me.

Simple pictures can also bring powerful meanings sometimes.

Twenty

2005-09-09T22:56:00.000+10:00

Twenty years has passed since that fateful day I came into this world. Twenty colorful and individually different years. 8th of September was yesterday, to me it's just another day but with the exception of numerous birthday greetings. I was rather quiet though, as I was reflecting on the past twenty years, especially the last three years, when I "tried" new things. I had thought about a lot of things, things that I have failed to achieve and also my past successes. All the lessons learned and unforgettable experiences. No more a teenager (I'm gonna miss a whole lot of this man!) but almost a young adult. Like what Britney Spears would say, "I'm not a girl not yet a woman"... Bleh... XP

Well, I dont have much to say now actually but I guess I could summarize what I felt yesterday thru "Time's Like These" by the Foo Fighters. Initially I wanted to use Greenday's "Wake Me Up Till September Ends" , but found it a bit too sad and depressing. Heck, it's my birthday, something uplifting should be more appropriate, right?

I am a one way motorway
I'm the one that drives away
then follows you back home
I am a street light shining
I'm a wild light blinding bright
burning off alone

it's times like these you learn to live again
it's times like these you give and give again
it's times like these you learn to love again
it's times like these time and time again

I am a new day rising
I'm a brand new sky
to hang the stars upon tonight
I am a little divided
do I stay or run away
and leave it all behind?

it's times like these you learn to live again
it's times like these you give and give again
it's times like these you learn to love again
it's times like these time and time again

Times like these - Foo Fighters

To everyone who wished me (thru SMS, Friendster, messages and also verbally), Thank You for remembering and also Thank You for making my day brighter! Nick, Bianca, Shyn, Ramesh, Peng Soon, Wendy and Joon, Thanks for the book, although I've already bought it, but it's the thought that counts =) Hansel, Foo, Sue and Du, good friends of mine, my yum cha, shisha, pool and ciggie buddies, Thanks for everything people =)

Long intermission...

2005-08-19T03:52:00.000+10:00

Hmmm.... Havent been posting anything for exactly one month oredi. The site's not dead, it's just the blogger's been busy (or lazy to be exact) to write anything at the moment. Good things has happened in the last month and some of which will be put down into this forsaken blog.. Soon. Bali, Studio and the upcoming Kalam in Sheraton will be jotted down (if my hands are willing enough). So, stay tuned.....

Of religion and responsibility

2005-07-19T03:24:00.000+10:00

First of all, before I begin, I would like to say that I'm not a religious kind of person, so I would not touch on certain issues which I do not have much knowledge to back me up. Comments are greatly welcomed. =)

But Malaysians are the type of people who have the "hangat-hangat tahi ayam" type of attitude. We take things easy and tend to forget things until it has lost its steam. But when someone starts something that in the end turns into a big issue, people will start to follow and becomes the talk of the town. Some, I guess, don't even know what their doing and are easily influenced by other people, you can say that they follow blindly, thinking their on the right path. And before you know it, its all over and another issue pops up and everyone forgets about what had happened...

Well, for example the Sky Kingdom issue now, is it really necessary to actually burn Ayah Pin's, the so-called "deviationist sect" leader, personal properties? What the hell are these people thinking lah? Doing it in the name of religion? Sigh, since when religion teaches us to go on a rampage and start burning things and throwing petrol and burning tyres into people's property? Have they no respect for other people's rights and property, even if the person concerned is in the wrong? Even a criminal has the right to a fair trial. Vigilantes or just plain stupidity, up to you to decide, but for me these actions are really over the line and barbaric. I'm sure sooner or later, no one will bother about the Sky Kingdom anymore...

Same goes to the people who visits my neighbour for the weekly prayers or "doa", they are here to show God that their good human beings and yet they park their vehicles irresponsibly all over the streets and into people's driveways. Where is the justice in this? Its the same as not going for the prayers at all since you trouble other people. All for the sake of making things easier for them so that they don't have to walk so far from their car. Selfishness is the keyword here. People who live in the area don't honk their cars to get attention because its rude, so they ended up parking their car somewhere else till its all over.

Of religion and responsibility, yes, religion is important, but where's the point when you forget about responsibility?

Dark clouds ahead... But hope is in sight (I think)

2005-07-13T01:53:00.000+10:00

Well, it's been one hell of a hoilday, well spent in some ways. Hanging out with the ex-Gardenians has never been as exhilirating as I thought it would have been, from impromptu outings to the usual pool or shisha-ing, jotting all of them down here would be as redundant as staring at a blank wall.

Life has never been as crazy for me, for the first time I saw and heard a lot of things that made me feel concious or re-evaluate about myself, and made me think about what I had gone through, and for the first time, I'm assured that I'm not alone. Friends who had gone thru the same shit in relationships, the misery were hard to bear or carry on. A friend in need is a friend indeed. All I can say now, the past is the past, but the past has changed me in ways that I've never thought of. Well, its not all bad and cloudy though, discovered some wonderful things along the way too; Luna Bar, became closer with ex-Gardenians, and the most important thing of all, how to have fun (but Luna Bar still tops the list =P).

Now that I'm arriving on the third day of my final semester at TCPJ, I felt like the things that happened in the past day could have been resolved in a much better way. But some things have been thought out long ago and I think its a bit hard to change when people have made up their minds. Its like a promise, never to be broken, and I had learned the hard way through other people's doing. Thinking of it just makes me sick.....

Oh well, life goes on, hope the dark clouds of uncertainty will clear within a few days, and let hope shine through the crumminess of life...

Within a year.....

2005-06-20T02:03:00.000+10:00

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- Vehicles registered in the first quarter of this year rose by 21,769 or 10 per cent to 238,934 over the January-March period last year.

The Statistics Department, giving the breakdown in its May bulletin, said 117,457 cars were registered by the Road Transport Department in January-March this year compared to 103,373 for the same period last year, followed by 108,571 motorcycles against 101,148 last year.

A total of 932,363 vehicles were registered last year, with cars accounting for 472,116, followed by motorcycles (397,997), buses (1,290), taxis and hired cars (9,543), goods vehicles (33,169) and other vehicles (18,268).

The bulletin also said the number of passengers who used Putra-LRT, Star-LRT and KTM Komuter increased last year compared to the previous year.

Last year, 57,729,971 passengers rode the Putra-LRT, 43,353,471 travelled on Star-LRT and 27,381,423 on KTM Komuter compared to 56,527,971, 39,084,943 and 24,645,493 respectively in 2003.

For January this year, 5,036,956 passengers used Putra-LRT compared to 4,653,587 passengers who used the service in January last year; 3,793,610 the Star-LRT against 3,428,478 in 2004; and 2,520,228 the KTM Komuter against 2,316,880 in 2004.

As for Internet dial-up subcriptions, there was a 5.6 per cent growth from 2.881 million subcribers in 2003 to 3.293 million in 2004 while the estimated number of Internet users increased from 9.444 million users in 2003 to 9.879 million in 2004.

The number of broadband subscriptions more than doubled from 110,406 subscribers in 2003 to 252,501 in 2004.

The number of cellular phone users increased from 11.124 million users in 2003 to 14.455 million the next year.

However, fixed telephone lines provided to residential property declined from 3.194 million subscribers in 2003 to 2.938 million in 2004.

The number of public pay phones also went down from 114,000 in 2003 to 105,000 in 2004.

------

Wow, that means more traffic jams, more accidents, more congested super-mini Putra-LRT train (ironic, isn't it, KTM is longer and covers more area but has the least number of passengers), more abuse on public transports as people entertain themselves during jams, more slower Mp3 downloads, more insults (and divorces) thru SMS-es. It goes to show how more and more dependant we are on cars, phones, the LRT and the Internet, when the power goes out, Presto! Total chaos!

But hey, Look on the bright side, now we hav lesser public phone abuses and easier for us to register for home phone numbers as more people opt for hand phones.... sheesh....

The other side of Bukit Bintang - a photoblog

2005-06-15T21:44:00.000+10:00

Changkat Bukit Bintang, Changkat Raja Chulan, Tengkat Tong Shin, Jalan Ceylon, Bukit Ceylon...

I've heard of these places but never really gave thought about them until the morning of two Saturdays ago. Up to that morning, the thoughts that ran through me were "Just another run down area of KL" and "Must be a red-light district". How ignorant I was at that time... To my surprise, it turned out to be a rather nice neighborhood. Tengkat Tong Shin, Changkat Bukit Bintang and Changkat Raja Chulan are filled with budget lodges, pubs, Chinese and some Mamak restaurants, and specialty restaurants and shops, all in refurbished pre-war colonial shoplots, wonderful. Bohemian, I heard someone described it. I never thought this place existed at first until my curious mind made me wander into this area on that morning (So pardon me for being a jakun just this once..). At one end is Bukit Ceylon, a quiet hilltop residential area overshadowed by KL Tower, next to it is the place I mentioned earlier, adjacent to it is Bukit Bintang and at the other end of it is Jalan Alor which I bet most of you know what is Jalan Alor is famous for apart from great hawker food.

Badan Warisan Malaysia will be pleased to see all these refurbished shoplots.... (La Bodega in the top photo is where Troubadours usually hold their events.)

An Avril Lavigne's hideout in Kuala Lumpur? Or just some Avril Lavigne fanatic?

The aliens from War of the Worlds have landed in KL! Nolah, just a water tower on top of Bukit Ceylon....

A good place to just chill-out with friends lies just down the road....

Tengkat Tong Shin has never seen better days....

A good looking art-deco restaurant, but how good the food is remains a mystery....

The huge beige building in the background sticks out like a sore thumb, but nevertheless, adds color to the neighborhood....

A cold and dark day in KL. This road leads directly into Jalan Alor....

Little moments in life - a photoblog

2005-05-28T02:56:00.000+10:00

All of us have experienced those small moments in life when you feel all alone or content with what is going on around you or anything which makes that moment something that you feel that you're the only one who can fully appreciate its unseen values. The photos below are a series of "moments" which I think can qualify as a blog, afterall, photos can sometimes explain more than words can. Some might see these photos as total nonsense or a waste of camera memory space, its up to you to think what it is and appreciate it....

A chair sits in the bittersweet atmosphere of a farewell dinner, held for the graduating semester 6 SAQS students on 28th May, as if forgotten by people and time.

The beautiful blue sky serves as the backdrop for countless palm oil trees that line the southern stretch of North-South Highway. Peaceful and serene.

The busyness of Jalan Tun Perak in Kuala Lumpur has an unusual harmonious and tranquil charm.

Light from a distant factory shines like a beacon of hope in a depressing evening thunderstorm as people rush home to escape the daytime madness at work.

Antennas reach out for the sky in my kampung, connecting loved ones to the outside world.

Down the well-travelled road. We take things like highways for granted nowadays and always wanting more, and the authorities will just shrug demands off until it gets out of hand. Its a vicious endless cycle of consumer demands and incompetent service. (Does this caption make any sense??)

Stuck in a jam, tension rising, time wasted. But sanity was kept within limits by this cute toddler looking out into what he or she will experience one day.

Studio madness and extreme procrastination has brought almost everyone in my semester together and it feels like a big family. There's always something good and positive when everything feels gloomy and depressing.

Interesting to note that cats are always the ones that can find it easy to sleep at almost anywhere, anytime. Why can't we? (Not exactly a "moment" actually)

People on the move from all walks of life is a common sight at Puduraya. Life is in constant motion in the city's most congested area.

Time has come for this durian tree in an abandoned family residence that once housed 3 generations in Kuala Lumpur, gazetted for redevelopment as a commercial area. Memories of the past are quickly lost to the needs and rush for the never-ending future.

The Not-So-Innocent Tool of the Internet

2005-05-12T04:41:00.000+10:00

The Internet can hold a lot of secrets that we may never know. And one way to find them is to use the search tool, and look at what people are searching nowadays. Well, now we can say that they are embracing the "IT lifestyle" the government's been talking about altough not in the way they wanted it to be. But still, we can also say that these people are "utilizing the Internet" to gather err.... "information" and "research". Whatever they wanted to find lah.

Well, this little box up here is from my Friendster account. Some of the things that goes on in the minds of normal (maybe not so) Malaysians. Let's see... The first one doesn't sound too obscene, these searches are probably started by someone and someone else saw the search category and so on until it tops the search list, I mean, come on, which guy wouldn't want to check out what will come up on their screen, right? =P The second one is acceptable, most probably an Mp3, video or lyrics search. The third is in Chinese and I can't read them even if they are the usual profanities which I hear (and say) everyday. The same goes for no.7. (Can someone please translate for the bi-lingual writer who's limited to BM and English here? =) ) Fourth is the same as the first, I guess there are more pretty and cute Malaysians compared to the Japanese than I thought. Fifth is already obscene, why cant that guy just type "sex" and get results that streaches far and wide, from American bimbos to horny Mongoloids? I dunno what does "ramas" means in no.6 (I'm not so good in my mother tongue's vocab). Now here comes no.8, I reckon it's the Malaysian version of the popular television series "Desperate Housewives". People who searched for this please go find single women lah... Ninth is for those who wants some romance in their relationship (how sweet..) or had just realized that Valentine's had "just" passed. And finally the last entry is for those guys who thinks a girl likes him (or just plain perasan). This needs no further elaboration as the question explains itself clearly.

And there you have it, simple words which can mean a lot, just like a secret, once you scratch the top, more will appear. Malaysia oh Malaysia, your colors are a mismatch of contrasting tones and faded glories.

What could be worse than a blocked nose, an impending deadline and blurness?

2005-05-04T13:59:00.000+10:00

Its that time of the year again I suppose, staying overnight in the studio and getting dried lips, blocked nose and back aches from bad sleeping postures. Thanks to the bloody deadline imposed by our bloody lecturer in the midst of the bloody final exams. Taking a break for a while, I knew I cant be sitting in the computer lab for too long or risk having a scar in my exam results slip, if you know what I mean.

Well, its not all too bad coming and doing work in the studio actually. Apart from doing stupid things in the studio and listening to your favorite songs until it becomes an irritating tune and thinking about where to makan, there are other more personal experiences. The journey to the studio that I had to take last night was somewhat surreal, something which I havent experience for quite a while. The jazz music on the radio and listening to Radiohead and REM while going thru the almost desolate KL-Seremban and Federal Highway got me off the stress temporarily but as soon as the Kurnia building emerges in the horizon, reality pulled me back like a stubborn jackass being pulled by its owner. It also sickens me to think about navigating into the most congested area in Malaysia at midnight when everyone else are slowly slipping into their bed. Things we do for grades...

Two years ago, when I joined the rat race to get a diploma, I never knew about the bitter truth that I bet most architecture graduates have experienced. But as I type this out in college, I reckon that all this are very valuable and worthwhile and as I reach the end of my stint in Taylor's, I realise that no matter how bad or good things are, it is better to appreciate it rather than to forget or shrug it off and never to think about it again. Every experience is unique, even if its uncannily familiar. Now, back to work, i guess...

What's the deal with the skin?

2005-04-12T01:34:00.000+10:00

Aren't we lucky to be in Malaysia? Not trying to instil any patriotic spirit or supporting the government's on-going propaganda, but isn't it such a wonderful place, rude drivers, queue-cutters, stolen signposts, buffet pillagers... But nothing ticks me off more than those people who take pride in their own so-called my-race-is-more-superior type of mentality, or those people having doubts or feel uncomfortable (or threatened, for that matter) in mingling with other races. The government's been talking about racial integrity all the while, but nothing seems to be happening. I think we're more separated racially than we are after Merdeka. I hate racist people, they're immature, unrealistic, self-centered people. I feel angry and dissapointed at these at these so-called homo sapiens.

I'm saying all these because I received a call from KLIA today about an educational site visit. I was glad that they called and felt elated that they agreed to do it on the dates I've suggested. Upon agreeing the time and place where I'll meet a maintenance engineer after talking with the person-in-charge, a malay woman, on the other end of the phone, I was asked an unexpected question. "Awak seorang saja yang melayu?" or "You're the only malay in the group?". My goodness. I replied with a yes and asked why. Then she hesitated to answer and said that her engineers might feel so uncomfortable with so many chinese and said they might turn down my request. Flabbergasted, I retaliated by saying that we're all normal people and just wanted an educational tour of their facility. I was thinking "So what? I'm in a group of people who I feel comfortable with regardless of their race and background. They are my friends, goddammit! You have a problem with that??"

I think after sensing my surprise at comfronting that question, she quickly say that it's okay, everything's under controlled and the engineers have been informed about the tour, reacting like some small kid denying that he stole a candy. Why do some people act (being racist) in such a way? Don't they know that they're living in MALAYSIA?? If they feel so threatened or scared or despise other people, who they think are not of the same blood or mind, they should then isolate themselves from the freaking world. Be a hermit, live off the forest and pick dust out of your meaningless, selfish lives. God created us and put us in different regions and develop separately with different abilities. The reason God did this to us is so that we'll learn other people's strenghts and realise our own weakness. Realising our weaknesses is a step to self-improvement. Not to despise each other and become hostile. This type of people do not deserve to live in this country or even the world. They are so narrow-minded, it makes Lorong Haji Taib look like an airport runway, metaphorically. Please lah, look into yourselves, if you're like this all the way till the end, it makes you no better than those dead dogs and cats on the roads. One day, you will lose out.

Just letting the time pass by

2005-04-11T00:46:00.000+10:00

So bored... Just waiting to feel sleepy, in the mean time, just to fill the time I've made my "A-list" of movies which are simply superb... (not listed in any order)

shawshank redemption
any given sunday
good morning vietnam
live from baghdad
taxi driver
the terminal
finding nemo
falling down
the awakening
ronin
snatch
fear and loathing in las vegas
lost in translation
the french connection
nothing to lose
ace ventura
carlito's way
lord of the rings
spiderman, spiderman 2
i-robot
ocean's 11 and 12
amelie (french)
the tailor of panama
scent of a woman
lemony snicket's: a series of unfortunate events
i am sam
serpico
man on the moon
bowling for columbine
sepet
fahrenheit 9/11
the big lebowski
arlington road
the incredibles
anchorman: the legend of ron burgundy
the motorcycle diaries (spanish)
what's eating gilbert grape
school of rock
fight club

Wait, I think there's more...

El corazon espinado...

2005-03-23T23:09:00.000+11:00

Its been a while since the last time I was here, and there are so many things that I would like to put in here. But since something that has bugged me for months made an impact on me today, I think I'm just gonna write something about it. I actually don't see the purpose in writing this but somehow, I think it'll make me feel better about myself. This post is named as such to show about my damn mind. I rarely talk about my feelings, but make this as an excpetion....

For those who know me since schooling days, I'm a rather quiet person, silently doing whatever that I have to do at the corner of the room and when things get in my way, I usually let it be, although it does irritate me sometimes. Although I appear calm and content on the outside and maybe a little smile and signs of happiness on my face, there is a presence of something dark and unsettled burning inside me. But this doesnt always happen to me, but when it does (and nowadays, its becoming increasingly unstable), I tend to supress it to make sure its controlled in a small place in my heart. Its a habit, I'm rarely emotional when the emotions concerned are not on the bright side. Thus, I rarely show my true emotions and when something "sharp" penetrates it, God knows what will happen, I myself not too sure what will happen. Even small things like a misunderstanding among friends can make it unstable. And I'm sure some people I know knows that I'm ultra-sensitive in dealing things about friendship and shit.

Events in the past year have made me a different person in some ways, but not too far from my original self. There are certain things or habits in me that I believe might be genetically connected, like my sensitiveness. Nevertheless, I have changed some of my ways and earlier this year I hoped that things will be different and more cheerful than last year. And to some extent, I thought I have overcome all the things that bugged me, which I had mentioned earlier, but no.. People around me have(either unwittingly or purposely) rekindled that stupid memories which I want to forget and move on. Why the hell does this have to happen?

I made a pledge to be a better person and friend this year with renewed spirit and hope, but like scratching a healing wound on your skin, people reminding of the bitter past has forced me to return to the dreaded square one. I have tried changing myself to suit my environment and people around me, but where can I go when there's something or someone spoiling my good intentions. Is this for all the sins that I have done? Is this some sort of karma or a sick joke? Sigh.. I heard people saying that I have changed in some ways, yes, its true just like I said, and as a result, I'm more silent and tend to shy away to some things or people which have affected me in previous times. Now its more like a fear of having it happening all over again that is holding me back on certain things, of course I wouldn't want to cling onto this fear, its a stupid thing to do, but again how'm I suppose to get on with life when things or actions keep reminding of the past. I want to get rid of this fear, I learn and have learned from my mistakes in the past, I want to move on because what happen in the past is history and I just want to get it out of my bloody mind.

All this shit going on in my head makes me feel, well, how do I put it, suicidal? Nah, will not happen, I tend to exaggerate. But please don't rub it in. I think its best if I dont elaborate anymore. Anyway, very unusual of me to write something like this, its a bit messed up and not orderly written, which explains how I feel right now. All in all, one thing is certain, I'm always hoping for the best to happen to everyone, including those people who doesnt like or hates me.

A moment that lasts a lifetime

2005-02-22T00:11:00.000+11:00

As I listen to "Al Otro Lado del Rio" by Jorges Drexler from the soundtrack of "The Motorcycle Diaries", an overwhelming sense of bittersweet feelings invade my senses. The melody of the song somehow makes me feel like I have come to a crossroad in life, an important one, and a bitter sacrifice has to be made. It feels like I am about to lose a friend (although this is not happening currently) and never to see that person again. Like attending a tearful farewell of an old friend. The song makes me think of how short my life is and death will come knocking on the door anytime soon, maybe tomorrow, next week or 50 years from now. We are all passengers riding on a bus with only one destination, each of us different ones. Its a long journey from the beginning till the end. And once we reach there, there is no turning back, its the end of the road and where you are then depends on how much you have spent on that "bus ticket".

This particular song (which means "To the Other Side of the River") evokes a numerous amount of memories in me, most of which has an emotional connection with me. This movie itself is based on the true story of two friends, Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Alberto Granada, who hop on the back of a beat-up motorcycle for a road-trip across Latin America. Yes, it is the great Che Guevara, before he became the revolutionary leader of Cuba. The story is an amazing way of telling us to open our hearts and eyes to the world. Our stereotype perception of the world is a bad way of generalizing things, there's more to it than what you see. The hardship the Latinos experienced these two people saw, changed the way they see things.

Emotionally more balanced now, its time to call it a day....

2005-02-14T23:31:00.000+11:00

You Are the Very Gay SpongeBob!

Because the religious right says so...And because his best friend looks a bit too much like a penis.

What Gay Childhood Icon Are You?

Whoa... Where did that come from?

Disclaimer: Azreey is not gay.. haha..

Attempting the impossibility

2005-02-08T23:13:00.000+11:00

Well... Got myself a copy of The Da Vinci Code book today after spending sometime going around looking for it from KLCC Kinokuniya to Mid Valley MPH with a bunch of my Sri Garden classmates, Kian Fatt, Kien Weng and Najib. I had to settle on the thicker paperback version of the book (the one with the light-pastel-colored cover), although I really wanted to get the illustrated version with the Mona Lisa's eyes on the cover but alas, its out of stock in the two places I visited.

Managed to read the prologue and the 1st chapter before purchasing it, the book already got me a little over the excitement point, which is a good thing since most books, no matter how wonderfully great they are, will make me lose interest. And that's when I started to read for the sake of reading and not actually get the story in my head. Nope, this won't happen for this particular book, expecially after hearing so many good reviews from friends.

That's all for now, just a simple entry. And a greeting for all those who read this posting,

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! GONG XI FA CAI! May the new year bring you more success and happiness. =)

Scent of a Woman

2005-02-02T02:52:00.000+11:00

....Out of order, I'll show you out of order! You don't know what out of order is Mr. Trask! I'd show you but I'm too old, I'm too tired, and I'm too fuckin' blind. If I were the man I was five years ago I'd take a flame-thrower to this place. Out of order, who the hell do you think you're talking to? I've been around you know? There was a time I could see. And I have seen, boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there isn't nothin' like the sight of an amputated spirit, there is no prosthetic for that. You think you're merely sending this splendid foot-soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs but I say that you are executing his soul. And why? Because he's not a Baird man. Baird men, you hurt this boy, you're going to be Baird Bums, the lot of ya. And Harry, Jimmy, Trent, wherever you are out there, fuck you too.....

....I can tell ya this, he won't sell anybody out to buy his FUTURE, and that, my friends, is called integrity - that's called courage- now that's the stuff leaders SHOULD be made of.....

....Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew, but I never took it. You know why? It was too damn hard. Now here's Charlie. He's come to the crossroads. He has chosen a path. It's the right path. It's a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy's future in your hands committee. It's a valuable future. Believe me. Don't destroy it. Protect it. Embrace it. It's gonna make ya proud one day, I promise you.....

Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. Powerful, striking and bold words. Just came back from college with a dampen spirit and hoo ha! What do you know? Scent of a Woman was on Cinemax. I managed to catch it when it was at its climax ( I think), when Pacino was in the school hall with Chris O'Donnell by his side in a something that looks like a court proceeding. And out go these words when Pacino stood up for O'Donnell. It was explosive, it gave me strength and spirit, just when I needed it. I love this movie and to anyone out there reading this, WATCH IT. And if you happen to have a DVD for this movie, just drop me a message, I'd like to... you know, borrow it if can. I'd say its one of Al Pacino's best performance on the silver screen. It makes you wanna watch it over and over again.

*Quotes from the movie were taken from :http://velvet_peach.tripod.com/fpacscentofawoman.html

Give a big-fat-fake smile..

2005-01-29T04:20:00.000+11:00

PETALING JAYA: If you are a civil servant, please smile, be helpful and never be rude for you will never know who will be watching you.

The Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry will soon send its officers to government departments and agencies to monitor the extent of civility and the practice of noble values in the civil service.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the move was part of the efforts to get people to adopt such values in line with the Budi Bahasa dan Nilai-Nilai Murni (Courtesy and Noble Values) campaign, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Jan 11.

“What we are doing is to get feedback so that we can then appeal to the department’s staff to change their ways,” he said after launching The Star’s “Cool to be Polite” campaign at Menara Star here yesterday.

Dr Rais said the progress of the monitoring would be presented to Cabinet once every three months.

“I will report on the progress and the problems we have encountered and the things which need to be done to ensure the success of the campaign,” he said.

He said special focus would be placed on government servants who enforced laws and those who dealt with the public.

Dr Rais said he would also propose to Cabinet that all civil servants undergo courses to instil courtesy and noble values in them.

”Of course, I will be starting with the staff of my own ministry. We have to ensure that our staff practise what we are telling everyone else to do,” he added.

He said he would ask the Education Ministry, Higher Education Ministry and Women and Community Development Ministry and other ministries to hold activities to promote courtesy and good manners.

“I will also appeal to the Prime Minister to ask the various Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers to implement such courses in their respective state governments,” he said.

As for the private sector, Dr Rais said he had written letters to many firms, urging them to get their staff to practise such values.

“Frankly, it is not difficult. It is just that people are not doing it,” he said.

He said The Star was a good example of the private sector playing its part in the effort by

launching its own campaign.

He also congratulated it for being the first media organisation to have such a campaign.

“This is the first step and The Star has started it in a very positive footing,” he said.

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Yeah, those people up there who has never been down here will never know what those people down here have to face everyday. It's not difficult? Easier said than done. The big-G always campaign this and that, campaign, campaign, campaign. Tak habis-habis... It may do something about this but in most cases, its all "hangat-hangat tahi ayam" which means that the sensation is always short-lived and never lasting, correct me if I'm wrong. Those people up there should try stand in the shoes of those government servants for at least a month and FEEL what they feel, especially those guys in the PR and complaints department...

Mysterious rhythms of light

2005-01-25T04:38:00.001+11:00

The magic of fluorecent lights and a speeding car combined..

A sudden brownout...

2005-01-14T04:20:00.000+11:00

A sudden brownout, or a blackout, what happens? Classes cancelled, underground carparks goes dark, elevators and escalators cease to function, office work lost because it was not saved, water pumps stops functioning, traffic lights go on vacation, petrol pumps can't do their job... A lot of things happen.

So, what ensues after a blackout is something which will end up in a chaos. People leave work for home because no power means no work can be done, they leave in dozens in their cars, entering the traffic snarl waiting for them outside because the traffic lights are out of order and presto, an instant gridlock. At the same time, people curious about what happened calls their friends and family to check if their places are also affected, or calling them to go out for some bite, or just to look for them in the mess and presto, an instant cellular network jam and failure. People unfortunate enough trapped at their workplace will congregate at the nearest mamak which is already filled to the brim just to get away from reality for a moment. When work goes undone, productivity goes down and the economy receives a kick in the ass, so stock market will plunge and investors will be disappointed. Panic-striken people starts calling the TNB 15454 number and will end up jamming the lines, and all questions about the blackout went unanswered. Fearing the worse, some people will squirm to the nearest sundry shop, supermarket, hypermarket and hardware stores to stock up supply, fuel and electric generators in their homes and presto, causing an even worse traffic gridlock. In those stores, queues at the cashier lanes rival the long queues at the toll plazas during the balik kampung season, impatient people will simply walk out of there and if someone sees them doing this, they'll follow them (the typical Malaysian attitude, they will only do it when some brave soul managed to prove that its ok to do so), security guards are overwhelmed by the "catch and carry" patrons, looting then breaks out and havoc everywhere. Police is called in and if not enough, FRU rolls in with their water cannons and tear gas cans. And presto, mass riot and looting in the streets. Nervous wrecks around town go on overdrive mode and start packing up to leave town or turn their homes into WW2 bunkers. A national emergency is announced, martial law and curfew imposed. And rumour mongers tells everyone that terrorists are behind the power outage thus feeding the public's fears.

No, that didnt happen today, thank god we're all civilized people. But hold that breath, this happened before and it happened in the world's financial capital, New York City in the 70's when a major blackout hit the city. And does the looting sound familiar to you? Just a few years ago, in the same 21st century, looting happened in Nilai after some customers waiting for a warehouse to open its doors became rowdy. And our nation is not alien to having rioters walking down the street, in our 47 years of independence, we had at least 2 riots in the capital. A bunch of disgruntled Indonesian workers went on a rampage in Nilai just a couple of years ago, overturning police cars and destroying public properties. And after all that, everyone stats to point finger on whose fault was it. And the government will start saying "Kita seharusnya bekerjasama dalam keadaan yang tidak menentu dan elakkan ini daripada berlaku lagi", dozens of campaigns and enquiries will spring out which leads us to nowhere, and in a few months time, everyone forgets.

This goes to show that we all live in a society bounded by daily routines, like computers following a path of commands rigidly. And if something were to happen, something that would knock of our spot unexpectedly, we would crash like a computer with a destructive virus. Just imagine how fragile we are....

Orientation day

2005-01-08T01:26:00.000+11:00

Today was the orientation day for the newcomers of the archi course of Taylor's, a prelude to something far less pretty, depends on the angle you're looking at the course, maybe prettier, whatever. But these fresh faces I saw today, like cookies that had just been taken out of the oven, perfectly cooked and not burned, reminds me that it has been two long years since I was in their place right now. Fresh out of school, or out of national service for some of them, they have expectations no different than what me and most of my coursemates had in mind when we had to go through the same thing last time. Building big and something-that-looks-good was all on my mind, kinda immature when I think about it now. That butterfly-in-my-stomach feeling made me a nervous wreck on my 1st day when I saw a group of my ex-schoolmates congregating at the main gate of TCSJ. Leaving school and starting college life was a big thing for me, I bet the rest of school-leavers would think the same. Driving license, more independence, flexible schedule, clothes and outlook became important and finally learning something that I would be more interested in, its a sudden change from following strict timetable, school uniforms, heavy textbooks and school teachers. Its like a prisoner was released after serving 11 years in prison, overwhelmed by freedom and clueless on what lies down the road.

Well, everyone enjoyed the orientation day organized by the seniors of SAQS, there were interesting moments like making their first model and presentation (it looks like some of them will become the creme de la creme of SAQS) and there were somewhat memorable moments like concocting a somewhat "appetizing" mixture of cili padi, wasabi, eggs, milk, celery and coke right before lunch. A small Fear Factor took place there, but everyone went thru well. Didnt get to see what happened after that, but from what I heard the seniors were pretty cruel in doing something that involved water, dunno lah, due to the Yearbook thingy which had been going idle for some time and now the book has to be published sometime in the 1st quarter of this year after orders from above, not so sure. Overall it was a good day, but unfortunately wasnt in the best mood, unusually tired, and worried and uneasy about certain things which are practically stupid and... dunno lah. Made some new friends which was pretty cool. Well, college begins on Monday, hope everything will be Okay...

2004

2005-01-05T02:09:00.000+11:00

Okay, another year has passed, another round of what seemed to be an eternity of "roller-coaster ride". 2004 has been a very wild ride, full of ups and downs, and countless events that will stay in this distorted psyche of mine forever. On a wider scope, the world is no less different, Iraq is still obliterated from within by suicide bombers, George "Dubya" Bush got relected (why him???), Arafat died, Malaysia was beaten by Indonesia in the Tiger Cup semi-final (audiences were fighting, pathetic.. Not to mention the Myanmar-Singapore match, it was even worse, Myanmars supportes and players are just a bunch of a**holes, no offence, just watch the match and you'll see why) and more recently the tsunami which struck 11 nations around the Indian Ocean (my deepest synpathy to those affected). There is always a surprise at the corner of the street, always something waiting to strike you when you least expected.

Nothing much to write now, just to commemorate the arrival of 2005, although its almost 5 days late... Just keeping my blog alive. Till next time.

Kuala Kangsar....

2004-12-19T02:58:00.000+11:00

Visited Kuala Kangsar with my parents and their friend for the first time yesterday, and all I have to say after 4 hours being there, it was a pleasant and peaceful place to be. Getting there was one heck of a journey, reminiscence of the arduous Langkawi trip. First destination in the Bandar Diraja of the state of Perak was a small fair or exhibition held in a hanger-like building by the Perak River. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a strange incantation which would make Paul Moss intoxicate with laughter, a woman was singing some Malay song which sounded as alien as... I dunno how to describe, but it all ended too soon before I could actually get a good look at what's going on.

Unperturbed by the melodious melee, my parents moved on to the main reason why we're in KK, to witness a small Orchid showcase at the corner. It was interesting though, my parents were so into botany and horticulture, so much life in it, while me, architecture, creating structures which are lifeless without humans, contradicting but also have an uncanny resemblence. Photos taken, business cards exchanged, potted plants bought, we then proceed to the Ubudiah mosque at the royal quarters of KK.

The mosque's presence was enormous, true to its purpose as a house of worship, a representation of God's almighty and power, just standing at the entrance makes you feel how tiny and insignificant you are in this universe. Inside, the high ceiling cooled the air. The soft carpet and and the cool ambience, calms the spirit down, allowing one to connect with Him. Geometry, symmetry, balance, repetition was everywhere, and opened in 1917, it had Moorish influence throughout the building, the era's design fad.

We left KK at about 4pm, it was a great trip. At least there's something for me to remember about this uneventful holiday.

Horror on the 8th floor..

2004-12-18T02:40:00.000+11:00

Curiosity killed the cat... almost, well, that's the case for three curious and inquisitive lads checking out the new classrooms and studios located on the 8th floor of TCPJ. Those "lucky" three were Leon, Jun Keat and me, who were unaware of the chain of events that will haunt them for days to come. After spending a few moments chatting in one of the newly-partitioned rooms, we discovered that all the exits have been locked. Adrenaline made us circle around the place looking for any means of escape. Kicking and banging the doors proved pointless and we were faced with the prospect of spending the weekend with a green vending machine dispensing Nescafes and a silvery water-cooler. Funny ideas on how to get the hell out of there came out of us, which includes jumping out of the windows, if we're that desperate.

Fortunately, our panic-driven hands discovered a key that'll unlock a fire-escape, but it is encased in a glass and plastic cover. Thanks to the wonderfully long and hard car keys made by Proton (which usually allow us to illegally enter the studios), we managed to pry the front cover off, it was a blessing from the heavens. Interestingly, one of us decided to go find the guard and unlock the doors while the other two stayed behind, dont know why we did that but Jun Keat went off to look for the guard. Few minutes passed by until Jun Keat brought an unfamiliar guard for help. Surprised, Leon and me hurriedly lock the fire-escape that we managed to open and place the key back at its original place and act like helpless trapped babies stuck in a playpen. But the guard did not have the keys to open them, so he have to go search for the "chief" guard to get the keys. After a short wait, we were greeted by a face that had kept TCPJ safe for the past 6 months. It turns out that the "chief" were none other than the respectable Nava. Surprised to see us trapped behind those small windows , he laughed at our misfortune and gladly opened the door. And instead of scolding us like some primary school teacher, he adviced us to inform them if we want to look around and told us to forget about it. We then went our separate ways soon after that. Thank God.... For once I thought that Proton had done a good job in producing Malaysian-made products. But that's it, nothing more Proton, no more credits for you..

Scary but hillarious....

Life isnt a beach

2004-12-16T04:51:00.000+11:00

The title there doesnt mean anything at all.. I just feel like writing something tonight, still charged from the trip from Rompin, although feeling a bit under the weather after all those cold swims and windy evenings that comes after that...

Three days in a so-called villa by a beach was the right thing I need to end the semester, the worst semester throughout my stint at Taylor's... so far... Although most of the time there were spent on watching Peng Soon, Leon and Jun Keat playing WWE on PS2, there were some very relaxing and calm moments that will live in me for quite some time. Well, I didint get to sit on a beach bench (is that what they're called?), sipping on some teh O ais limau and listening to my favorite Mp3s but I got something equally nice. Sleeping in a hammock on a extremely breezy beach was mind-blowingly great, heaven on earth. Campfire by the sea, walking around the resort alone at night, riding a bike on the beach were some of the luxuries I will never see within the next few years.. If I'm lucky.. There were some lousy moments too, lousy cup noodles made us even more hungry than we should be, freezing evenings after long dip in the pool, getting the bike stuck in the sand... Nevetheless, they're priceless moments that'll stay with me..

Well, now back to civilization, the pathetic feeling is back.. Bloody hell.. Feeling sick, cold and tired in my room. Its funny why do people put themselves into so much torture like working and studying to make life as wonderful as living in a beach, but most never achieve it, some fall halfway. I'm not trying to be negative, but its quite true. We keep making ourselves too busy until we forget about those small little things, like clipping your nails, digging your nose, that makes us somehow strangely happier. Stop for a while and see things thru properly, maybe you'll laugh at whatever you've done, maybe you'll regret it, but one thing's for sure, you have to let go of certain things and learn from what happened. Oh yeah... lessons...

Its almost 1... Dammit, long day tommorow, need to pay summons, collect stuff and tonnes of other things that have kept me from enjoying my holidays. Oh well, life goes on..

Of studio, craziness, prom...

2004-12-04T04:14:00.000+11:00

This blog is more than a month old..

A month has passed since the over-staying in the studios began.
A month has passed since we actually started becoming serious about doing work.
A month has passed since we spent more than what we have.
A month has passed since we made the studio our second home.
A month has passed since I actually enjoyed a good home-cooked meal.
A month has passed since we started seeing less of our home and more of our work.
A month had passed since those Need for Speed gaming madness in the studio began.

A lot has happened, and when one looks back, its amazing how we managed to get through this. Its a torture, those late night drives and poor diet surely has taken a toll on us. But its funny that among all this madness, we will surely discover something we never thought would ever happen. Sitting in the studio with a bunch of tracing paper and stinky blueprints really got some of us crazy. The fact that we could have completed all the work in half the time we spent doing it in the studio makes me feel frustrated sometimes, but this negativity will always be compensated by the company I had while doing work in the studio, the friends that had gone through the toughest times with us. Almost 3/4 of the time we were there were spent on talking, laughing, joking and in some cases, video-recording how foolish and stupid we can be sometimes. This led to the creation of some nonsense that a boy-band crazed school kid would have thought of. Taking candid photos and recording videos kept our spirits up all the way. Apart from the mental meltdown we experienced frequently, I never thought that life in the studio actually brought most of us together, and made closer ties with some people. Dinner together, playing games that wasted most of our times, fetching and sending friends home... Surely something for me to remember.

The prom got us doing something that I think most of us in the studios have never done it together before, shopping for clothes. Not just any clothes, clothes that will make us look like a member of the upper crust of the society, temporarily of course. Undoubtedly, it was one of the most stressful thing anyone would go through, especially the girls. Some guys would just march into a shop and will be out in a couple of minutes with a full bag, some would try to see any other attractive deals around, some just dont have a clue on what they want. I was in the latter category. From Sungei Wang, to Mid Valley and finally to Lot 10, we were a bunch of clueless people walking from one shop to another only to return to the one visited before. This lasted for 4 tiring but unforgettable days. And I got myself something that made me looked like those city living-yuppies that cost me almost 2 weeks' worth of spending. I swear I wont be spending anything more than 100 bucks for the next couple of months. Its crazy but at the same time, wonderful. And then comes the prom night, didnt expect much at that night, although hoped that it'll go fine (it did go well). Eveyone was happy, the king and queen looked good that night and so was everyone else, dressed at their best. And I didnt leave empty handed, I got myself a brand new snow cap, a compass and a pen, kinda little, but what the heck.

Oh man... Gotta continue this some other time...

One week into another 4 more years of "Semak"

2004-11-09T04:04:00.000+11:00

"Semak" means bush or shrub in Malay, and many in Malaysia would know, "semak" consists of mainly weeds and other unwanted species of plants. Hated by many and no matter how people try to eradicate them, their tough genes (strenghtened by us humans thanks to our pesticides and crap) will somehow laugh back in our faces. This is what i think of Bush, almost all other nations on this planet disagrees with what Bush has in store for irs foreign policy, albeit the fact that UK and Australia are just too stupid too realize that following Bush might lead into a bigger pile of mess, but fortunately, some sense went into John Howard's head few days ago and he admitted he had brought Australia deeper into the ravine (although we have yet to see his better side of decision making)... Just like a "semak", Bush laughs back at those who wants him to pack his bags and return to Texas for good by winning another term (thankfully, no more reruns of the the hoo-haa's of the previous election).

What do 50 million Americans see in George "Dubya" Bush? Have they failed to realize that Bush had not rectified the Kyoto Protocol to protect the very air we breathe (Putin of Russia signed it few days ago)? Bush's oil connections to the Saudis? Or the fact that more than a thousands Americans have died in Iraq and many more will die? And why can't they give Kerry a chance? Maybe America will be better under him, or worse, who knows? And Ralph Nader is there since the 2000 elections to just buat pasal.. I think most Americans are oblivious to all those foreign policies and issues as well as.... well, why would they give a f*** about the world? America itself is a planet, everything's there, oil, big cars and big dumb blondes for the men to feast their eyes on. Their way of life is so contagious, everyone's affected... And what about Osama? Wny tackle Saddam when Osama is running around like some kid playing hide and seek with a bunch of blind retards for three goddamn years? I know Saddam has been a bad guy in his own country and the Iraqis are thankful to the Americans to liberate their nation from that sadistic ruler. But it ends there, i once heard on CNN that an Iraqi thanked the Americans for doing that and thats it, thanks for all your help and now leave us. Well, i think the Americans should have given the job of being Iraq's nanny to the UN, but noooo.... Bush has other agendas... His little friend below him, Cheney, owns Halliburton, an oil and gas company, from here just let imagination take over you. You know where this is going...

And there's the age old dilemma on how to make the Israelis and Palestinians hugs each other. What the f*** is wrong with them? Yitzhak Rabin managed to control things during the Clinton years but unfortunately was assassinated by left-wing Zionists. And poor old Yasser Arafat, now in a coma in a Paris hospital, after all those years still unable to come to an agreement with the Jews. The world sympathizes the Jews during the holocaust in WWII, why cant we do the same for the Palestinians? Are we too scared to tackle the Jews who are considered to be very intelligent and deceiving? Maybe.. And the pathetic Moslem community cant even come together and do something about it, especially the Arabs, who are too stubborn to realize what's goin on (or are they just being like that to protect their interests? Especially those concerning the US of A?)...

Haih... I'm just in the mood to go politik-ing tonight. Just giving my 2 cents on what's going on in our little blue planet. Correct if I'm wrong though, afterall I'm just a human being. =)

Halloween!

2004-11-01T02:15:00.000+11:00

Halloween starts in a few minutes.. As a kid, I would be scared of the ghosts (although i do still, a bit), boogie man and such things. But I have better things to be scared of, I have 3 submissions and a presentation this week and I'm still chiling here in my room sitting in front of a computer typing this out. Now that's scary. And its that time of the year again, when all Moslems in this world "cleanse" themselves and Im suppose to be a good Moslem. Well, to certain extent, I have been a good one, let God be the judge of this. Nothing much to say tonight, feeling a bit tired and stressed about the things I have to do.. Sleepless Ramadhan nights, here i come.

That nostalgic feeling...

2004-10-23T01:34:00.000+10:00

Its a rainy night here in Bangi, just like yesterday.. Curiously, this series of rainy days have ignited this longing in me to return to the good old days in of the first semester college. When the thing i cared the most was just to... get home n watch tv till my eyes starts to act against me. That transition period from the sickening but memorable days of going to school, to life in college had an effect in me that lasts till today. As i watch Channel V playing retro music from the 90's, i feel so relaxed just like those days in sem 1. Ahhh... Robbie Williams' "Millenium" is on now.. damn this soft, warm feeling in me! Maybe its just Ramadhan is getting into me, all empty at daytime and a sudden surge of sugar, fat, carbohydrate and protein at dusk is creating this fuzzy feeling.. To hell with it..

Anyway, was just trying out the functions blogger.com are having here, n just to add some color to this dull page i've uploaded this photo taken during my photo-taking mood last week.. I was heading home one fine day and noticed the pedestrian bridge spanning across LDP near Sunway toll plaza (yes, that's LCS in the background, our so-called campus), so I took my cam, went up there and took this shot. Its amazing how different things will look at an angle you've never seen...

First blog..

2004-10-16T00:48:00.000+10:00

Well, this is my first and only blog I've ever made (might be the last too), interestingly, I've never really understood the function of a blog, is it a place for anyone to just rant about what's going on in their life? A place to post about a person's observation or what they believe in? I dont know... Whatever it is, its a great tool to.. just type your heart out.

Coincidentally, the start of this blog marks a major turning point in my life. For the better or worse, it's up to time to tell. All the things which happened within the past few weeks has knocked me out of my seat. From the fateful unforgetable incident in Langkawi to my self-realisation about the things that I've subconciously done in the past few months (rather not talk about it, its so depressing and makes me feel rather suicidal about it). In short, it's like a renewal phase of my life, I won't expect things to change overnight, and I won't repeat the mistakes I've done in the past. A bittersweet moment in life....