Goodbye Boys

Its a first time that i have watched one local after another (the other was Rain Dogs which i caught last night). This movie by Bernard Chauly (the director of Goal&Gincu) is about 8 boy scouts from Ipoh taking a 5 days 100km journey as a requirement for the King Scout badge is a typical coming of age teenage boys movie but with a local flavour. Although the movie is set in 1990, it stayed clear of being nolstagic which i feel is nice.At this point i could share more thoughts about the technical aspects of the movie or even talk more about the characters but i shall leave that to Joe (if he blogs about this movie lar). What i want to share is that sometimes during the movie i cant help but to think back on my own days as a scout and a uniformed body member. Watching some scenes reminded me of my own experiences and moments cutting wood in the forest near my shcool, camping and eating over campfire just came into my mind. After finishing the movie, i cant help but look back at my old school time photographs and remembering the days how simplicity is at the end and complexity has just begun. I can go on and on talking about those days but i think its better for you to catch this good piece of film and see if it can invoke some good memories of your own school days.

All the free time

Long holidays normally pose a problem to me in terms of how am i gonna spend all that time. Of course its not much left after discounting doing your chores, sleeping and going out to hang out with friends. Well, over the last few days i managed to cover these activities:

Eat
What can i say? its the festive time of Deepavali and Hari Raya and glorious food. Had a good outing at a good friend's house in Klang for Deepavali and as with previous years, the mutton curry still rocks! The adventure continues on the 1st day of Raya yesterday where i was treated to some good Johor style cooking at a colleagues house for lunch and one more time in the evening at an old friend's home. Good food and good times, that's what Malaysia is all about man and no one can take that away....unless the chef decides to move elsewhere.

Sights
Lets start with the stuff i watched over the few days. After reading bout it in Joe's blog, i went and bought 'The Devil wears Prada' from the friendly neighboorhood DVD shop in Seapark. Its a good watch and although it may look like a chick flick it isnt. Its a good movie and Merryl Streep gets my applaud for her excellent performance here. After watching the movie, i actually thought about my work and where i want to be in my career and it seems to me that when you are at the top, life is boring and you are alone.Hmm.Anyways, check out Joe's entry on that movie for more or lurk up at IMDB.com

P.S: 'City of Blinding Lights' never sounded so good before...hehehe

Sounds
I also managed to watch G3 Live in Tokyo: Satriani/Vai/Petrucci on DVD. Now this was a recording of the G3 concert last year in Tokyo that featured ny favorite guitarist Steve Vai and his buddy Joe Satriani along with John Petrucci of the DreamTheater fame. Its a godd concert DVD and i think i liked this more than the previous one featuring Malmsteen as the guest. Well, below is how the cover of the DVD looks like and you can get it from Amazon.com.



Read
I did also read a book. Yes i do read and even though i dont get to do it often i love reading. This time around a friend of mine whom i catch up with over the weekend recommended me to read a book by Paulo Coelho titled The Alchemist. Now i have heard about this book for a long time now since i was in shcool and it never occured to me to read this book until that friend told me the book is good as the story is inspiring and yada yada. So i bought it at Borders (it aint cheap at Rm 33 for a book less than 200 pages. Like they said, 'Dont judge a book by its cover' and to my suprise the book is really an interesting read! Its a story about a boy who dreamed about a hidden treasure and his adventures from Tangiers to Egypt to search for the treasures. It deals with the topic of how one finds his destiny or purpose in life and what can be learned from your journeys and the observation of nature.Its fun book to read and i recommend you to read it as well. Its quite short and i finished the book in a few hours (suitable for a 4 hour flight). Below is how the book looks like and again you can buy from Amazon.com or your local bookstore near you.



Talk
And finally of course, talking. Its what i do best and i spend some quality time with some friends doing just that over coffee/tea/juices. The topics can range from Rm30 shoes in a pasar malam, life at work, cars, chicks and money but the thing is that time was well spent catching up with one another in this fast moving life of ours. I feel good doing so.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Salam Aidilfitri diucapkan kepada semua member-member Muslimin & Musliman!! Mohon maaf zahir & batin!! Tidak lupa juga untuk mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya kepada keluarga pakcik ku di Kedah. Lets all have a very good and blessed Hari Raya.

Happy Deepavali!!

Happy Deepavali to all of my friends that are celebrating!!! the festival of light is here again with good memories of mutton curries and of course hanging out with friends. Well, i'm looking foward to these memories again tommorrow at a friend's house.

My two years of working (in Technicolor)

Yeps, October 18 marks my two years of actual work after graduating from MMU. From my days in HSBC until today in Pharmaniaga Solutions, i have come a long way in terms of maturity as well as gaining extra kilos on the sidelines. My bank account aint swelling as much as i thought it will be initially and defenitely my credit record aint that lovely either. On the serious side, the past one year has been a big learning curve for me. Exposure to managing people and business has opened up my eyes and mind. I am more aware of people now in terms of how snaky they can be and some deals are just aint what it seems. Importantly, i realised that good colleagues are hard to come by and its been a blessing here in my current workplace. Work environment is important to motivate you to come to work in the mornings (money too). There is so much knowledge and experience i have that i cant put to words (some classified others my vocabulary limited my thoughts) but i have some pictures from the time i started in 2004 till now 2006. It kinda shows how i have changed.



( my pai kia pose in 2004 )


(cleaned up my act and got myself a new job in 2005 as a conman)


( conned some mat salleh in jakarta in 2006. Sorry Martin!)

Words from my speakers: Ozzy Osbourne

was listening to some old songs in my library till i came across a song by Ozzy Osbourne titled Dreamer. Now, when i listened to it years ago i wasnt really understanding the lyrics but today it suddenly sounds meaningful looking at how screwed up the world is at the moment. Here are the lyrics for the pondering but remember to download the song and listen to it. Oh yeah, dont forget to support Ozzy by buying some legit CDs or through iTunes. Cheers!

Dreamer
Gazing through the window at the world outside
Wondering if mother earth will survive
Hoping that mankind will stop abusing her, sometime

After all theres just the two of us
And here we are still fighting for our lives
Watching all of history repeat itself, time after time

Im just a dreamer, I dream my life away
Im just a dreamer, who dreams of better days

I watch the sun go down like everyone of us
Im hoping that the dawn will bring a sign
A better place for those who will come after us this time

Im just a dreamer, I dream my life away, oh yeah
Im just a dreamer, who dreams of better days

Your higher power may be God or jesus christ
It doesnt really matter much to me
Without each others help there aint no hope for us
Im living in a dream, a fantasy
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah

If only we could just find serenity
It would be nice if we could live as one
When will all this anger, hate and bigotry be gone?

Im just a dreamer, I dream my life away, today
Im just a dreamer, who dreams of better days, ok
Im just a dreamer, whos searching for the way, today
Im just a dreamer, dreaming my life away
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
- Ozzy Osbourne

Red Alert!!!

I felt dizzy and nearly threw up when i saw this on apple's website. I just bought the 2nd Generation iPod nano 2 weeks ago and now they release a red one. If i knew this earlier i would have waited. Dont get me wrong on this, i love my silver nano which is fine but i would have bought this one!!! goddam it, damn youse apple! damn youse all to hell!!! ..oh yeah, guess who's idea this was?




Nope, not Oprah but Bono. The red ipod nano is part of the (red) initiative to combat AIDS in Africa and apple is donating USD 10 to the fund for every red nano that is sold. Its noble enough to support and to find out more go ask Terry who i think knows what this www.joinred.com thingy more than me. Cheers!

the old grunge me

I was watching TV the other day and the Foo Fighters video that was playing made me think about my school days, my uni days and of course now.In a way, i grew up along the time from when Dave Grohl was drumming for Nirvana till Kurt killed himself and also from when Dave formed Foo Fighters and of course today they still rock the charts. I think that is a long time ago and for Dave to be rocking today is just amazing i think (with all the youth gone soft and emo).Grunge defined me during my formative years in school and i still feel so connected when i listened to Foo Fighters these days, kinda relates to me ( the old rocker from 90's soldiering on). The teenage angst has mellowed so has the wild days. To think bout it,the 90's was good man, it was so good.

The Wait

We wait,for the bus,for the plane and for some cases the boat.But when a delay occurs we would ask ourselves will it arrive? or is it gonna arrive at all? We see other bus/plane/boat arrive one by one to other destination but ours have yet to arrive. We wait, till we lose our patience and start being agitated for we dont know when it will arrive and we dont like unknowns for an answer. we lose all control of ourselves till finally it arrives. It arrives. For all the waiting & mess, we will in the end reach our destination. Dont ask when or how long, just wait.

- conceptual emo

Wine Tasting @ Denise

Its takes alot for one to agree to go for wine tasting on a wednesday night in view of the next working day plus the factor your home is at least 1/2 hour drive away as opposed to the 5 minutes drive for others. So i took up the offer by a colleague to join him and 2 more office mates for some mid-week wine action at Denise Wine Shop @ SS2 PJ and the results was rather relaxing which comes as a suprise.

We tasted a few bottles of wine that day but the ones that stand out are Famillia Zuccardi Reserva Malbec 2004 reds which is perfect for the beginner who wants something light bodied and the other one was some Orzaba Cardignan reds ( cant remember the full details, ask me when you go wine shopping) which is more full bodied and is suitable for those who loves Cabernet Sauvignon type of wines. Its was a lovely to end a working day with some friends and of course good wine. Some pics below:

Its Ramadhan again!

One year ago around this time, i was a junior in my company and now fast forward today i am a senior in a company that is looking more empty as the days gone by. Oh well, what can i do bout people leaving (might consider it next year though). As usual, Ramadhan means some of my frens will fast and miss the lunch sessions, massive after work traffic jams, zombies walking around due to the lack of vitamin C (cigarette withdrawal syndrome) but it also means food galore every evening (kuih-muih etc)for us that dont puasa hehe.

Anyway, i dont have much to bitch about this time round so i'll just wanna wish my Muslim frens Selamat Berpuasa & have a good Ramadhan.

Lets Pray for the 'Hamster'

As a regular follower of the BBC show 'Top Gear', i am actually quite shocked and saddened by the Richard 'The Hamster' Hammond's accident and i really hope and pray that he makes a quick recovery from his injuries. We seriously dont need another TV show host death ( its bad enough that the Croc Hunter is gone ) and let's all pray together for Hammond.

Links to latest updates:

A night out at the theater

I managed to catch Puteri Gunung Ledang : The Musical on Thursday night, this time after missing out on the first one. This time there was no qualms that we paid good bucks for good seats ( Stephenie said it was on only 100 bucks!) and a good performance by the cast. The cast led by Tiara Jacquelina (Gusti Putri) & Stephen Rahman-Hughes (Hang Tuah) were excellent in delivering their performances on stage but i must say that A.C Mizal ( Gusti Adipati) was the star of the night as the Majapahit emperor where he exudes charisma on stage and brings the character of Gusti Adipati to live (albeit dramatic). The singing and song arrangement was good although the surtitles on top of the stage could be better placed ( we have to strain our necks to read it) but i can see that the second time around everyone seemed to be comfortable in their roles and enjoying it to full measure ( Adlin Aman Ramlie seemed to enjoy his tyrant Sultan Mahmud role ).

On a more serious note, i think this production has shown that a locally staged play/musical in Malay language can succeed as well or even better than the usual suspects such as Cats, Miss Saigon etc. It was done professionally and it was fantastic to think that the creative crew were all Asian with Tiara being the driving force behind it all. If only more future local Malay language plays/musical can be as good as this, i think we can expect to see more support as what we have seen with Puteri Gunung Ledang : The Musical.

Never Gone

After being away from Earth for about 3 months, i am back again ( i wasnt in Marijuanaville searching for my roach clip on a rope, i swear). So what did i missed out? oh yeah, the World Cup which Italy triumph and i wont talk more about it as everyone else has done it. Not forgetting also the political turmoil at home (old man vs. successor) and also some fudge brownies.

So here i am writing again inspired by the taught and the fact that i am 25 but i felt like 30. Is there a reason for this? Perhaps its a sign of burnout like the one suffered by Michael Owen & Nicolas Anelka both which are still young but seems like they have been there for a long time and now is fading. Am i fading away or is it that i am losing focus on my ambitions? Maybe its all of the reasons and at my age i should be on top of my form and nearing peak but here i am still sturggling to get back on form with some flashes of brilliance now and then but inconsistent throughout the season.

But what i like to do in the near future is get my life sorted. Maybe i should find someone and get involved in a relationship again. Its been too long i guess and it always leaves a bitter taste whenever a girl breaks your heart and leaves for another guy. But i didnt sulk like Jose Mourinho and moved on but at times i do feel that perhaps i dont want to experience the deja vu again ( i've been hit twice) and want to be on safe side. One day perhaps things will change, till then i'll continue to blow bubbles in the air.

Words from my speakers: Ada Band

I found words from this song 'Manusia Bodoh' by Ada Band interesting and thought wanna share it out. Dont get the wrong ideas.

Dahulu terasa indah
Tak ingin lupakan
Bermesraan selalu jadi

Satu kenangan manis

Tiada yang salah
Hanya aku manusia bodoh
Yang biarkan semua ini permainkanku
Berulang ulang kali

Chorus:
Mencoba bertahan sekuat hati
Layaknya karang yang dihempas sang ombak
Jalani hidup dalam buai belaka
Serahkan cinta tulus di dalam takdir

Tak ayal tingkah lakumu
Buatku putus asa
Kadang akal sehat ini
Tak cukup membendungnya
Hanya kepedihan
Yang selalu datang menertawakanku
Engkau belahan jiwa
Tega menari indah di atas tangisanku

Bridge :
Semua kisah pasti ada akhir
Yang harus dilalui
Begitu juga akhir kisah ini
Yakinku indah

Discovering Hong Kong

I am now writing this piece about my trip to Hong Kong(HK) for an ICT & Electronics Expo which i just got back recently while i am still recovering from the lack of sleep and chili padi.

First Impressions
Hong Kong is well connected by public transportation ( it's the current issue most Malaysians talk about) and pratically you can get anywhere without the need to own a car (unless you want to show off your new Merc or Porsche). Its like Singapore but slightly dirtier and less restricting in its laws. The people here are quite friendly to my suprise and are willing to help but the only thing slacking or lacking is pretty girls. For my whole duration of stay I only saw about 2 pretty girls and i think they are from Mainland China (maybe all the cun chicks are at TVB). Oh well.


Sights
Well, in my cramped schedule i managed to take a ferry ride from Kowloon to HK Island (great view at night but more expensive too) , visited Disneyland at Lantau Island (you should go visit the giant Buddha in the morning and then only explore Disneyland till night), thronged various shopping mall around Central & Causeway Bay, visited the Peak and walk around Mongkok. Seriously you can cover alot in a short amount of time.

Food & Beverage
Well, what can i say that the food is good! the wantan mee is great and nothing beats the roast duck rice there. Its abit pricey though costing around HKD 23 - 30 (RM 12.50 -15) per meal but large portions are assured. A great place to start is at Kowloon although the food is consistently good around HK's various 'char chan teng'. As for drinks, skip Lan Kwai Fung as its very much like Bangsar and get a good place at Soho (where the escalators are). The drinks are about RM 25 per glass and you cant drink much if you are on budget.

Overall
There is nuthin much else for me to add here which you cant find in the internet and furthermore i was supposed to be working. But feel free to drop me a line if you want to know more as i have lots of comments which i kinda lazy transferring to words.

A small step to end Fatman's reign

I have finally join a gym nearby my house after all the procastination that lasted months. perhaps after this, my pants wont so tight anymore.

Something brewing in my mind

Hmm...after a long break here i am again at this page. Anyway this week has been great in a whole, a good effort by the CFMMU for their Easter Event and also meeting up some old friends at that event(CFMMU seniors just keep coming back for these events) , and of course a great movie out with some good pals.

This year's Easter Event by CFMMU was an event to subsitute the usual CyberChristmas and its a refreshing experience. Although they had a good story to tell, i still felt more can be acheived with less. I shall not comment further on what my critical mind (too much movies & being in theatre does that to me) as it wont be fair for the great effort and hard work they have shown to get it done (hats off for that!) but like what i said to Terry, it has given us at least some ideas to toy about for our upcoming MVA project. Oh yeah, we spotted some talent could use for our project as well (theatre has always given many their first motion picture break).

Movie wise, 'Inside Man' by Spike Lee is a good movie to catch. It may be your usual heist movie but great acting and also tight directing made this a pleasureable experience. Also being a Spike Lee effort the movie exposes the viewer to the soul of New York, all kinds of characters from diverse ethnicity that co-exist (New York puts Malaysia to shame with their Muhibah spirit). Catch the movie if you can, its great.

Fading Flames of Patriot

It is true that in today's world, its hard to make a honest & decent living. The honest & decent have no place in the realm of deceit, lies, dishonesty and agendas. It does send a piercing arrow to the ones that work hard everyday when they are defeated by those to flew above. But the challenge lies in holding true to one's principle and believe that our turn will come. One way or another.

Broken Wings

On broken wings I'm falling

And it won't be long

The skin on me is burning

By the fires of the sun

On skinned knees I'm bleeding

And it won't be long

I've got to find that meaning

I'll search for so long

Cry ourselves to sleep

We will sleep alone forever

Will you lay me down

In the same place with all I love

Mend the broken homes

Care for them they are our brothers

Save the fading light in our souls

In my opinion seeing is to know

What you give

Will always carry you

And who's to say

We won't survive it too

Aint Losing It Yet

Being under work stress is quite worrying. It causes one to talk cork and sometimes look delirious. Friends will give you the look as though you have lost your marbles. Yeps. Alot of shit happend man but all is under control (i'm not denying). I have been through worse though, there were times in the past where i was lost and questioned the meaning of life but faith changed me. At times or peril or troubles, you dont have to look far for inspiration as He is right there. Tough times are there for us to reflect on things and to stregthen our weaknesses. Our burden is no more than what we can handle. Believe it and keep the faith.