Mind Blowing

Thoughts and other crap on people, life and maybe footie...
My Haiku:
I wrote this haiku
with the hope that just maybe.
It blows you away.

Introduction:
The name is irrelevant.
The person is male.
The age is older.
The stories are true.
This blog is mine.

Stuff to surf:
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o Kuman
o Chit Chat Bola
o Maverix
o The Datin Diaries
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Sunday, August 28, 2005

Rookie of the Year

So my month-long holiday/transition/boredom comes to an end today. As cruel as it sounds, I am actually looking forward to a Monday.
I love being in a new environment. You get to start on a fresh page. I don't like to be judged on my past. I want people to know me as I am at this moment in time and what I will be doing in the future. And even though I am nostalgic at times, the past for me...is still the past. We remember the good times. We try to forget the bad. Like Alanis said, "You live you learn."
I guess I'll be on a short hiatus for a while. Maybe it's a good thing. I wouldn't want to bore you people to death, would I? And before I forget, this is my 250th post. I guess this calls for a celebration in the form of a Disclaimer:

The Author and owner of this website bares no responsibility for any comments and remarks made here. All articles and postings at this website are purely fictional and has nothing to do with the living nor the dead. Any coincedence is purely unintentional.

There. I needed that to cover my ass, if you know what I mean. Have a very happy and thoughtful Merdeka day!


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Saturday, August 27, 2005

Bola Perlu Disepak

Saya sudah hilang sabar dengan Graeme Souness.
Dia merosakkan kelab saya.
Encik Graeme Souness, sila pergi mampos.
Oh ya Encik Owen, kalau awak tak mahu datang pun takpe.
Macam lah bagus sangat.


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Thursday, August 25, 2005

Dr. Funke's 100% Natural Good Time Family Band

While sending my car for a routine checkup this morning, I had a conversation with the mechanic:

"Lu punya keleta allignment tak banyak lari. Sikit saja. Lu memang jaga keleta haaa? Olang lain aaaa...manyakkkk lari oooo..."

I smiled.
As simple as it may be, he really made my day.


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The grass is always greener

I just love the smell of freshly-cut grass. It's so fresh, tangy and green.
None the more sweeter when it's your own piece of handiwork.
Oh ya...I charge 60 bucks an hour, sweeping and everything.
Anyone wanna do a Desperate Housewives?


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Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Don't Play with Fire

Tonight was officially old-flames' night.
I can be unpredictable at times. But as selfish as it may sound, I feel better.
Even though I'm not really a nice person. In my own little world,
I make the rules.
Honestly, I don't like that. I'm sorry.
I was a selfish kid without a clue about the future.
Strangely, I don't think I've changed.


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Tuesday, August 23, 2005

My Seremban: Part Two

This is the second part of last week's My Seremban post that I did. Hey...Seremban may be a small town, but it surely deserves more than a single posting. Ingat ni Taiping ke? Oppss..I think I'll regret saying that. Anyways, this time this is the Seremban that is more personal to me. Welcome to my town:

This nice little building here is the State Library. When I was in primary school, my uncle (who's a retired teacher btw) would take me and my cousins here every other Saturday. As in most public libraries here, they didn't have a very good collection other than the usual Tiga Penyiasat and the Hardy boys of Farouk and Johar. The trip to the library was supposed to build up a reading habit among us, and I'm thankful for that. But in all honesty, I was looking forward more to the burger that they sold outside the library. Yeah, I read the books. Just give me money for the burger and I'll do what you want. Now I realised that maybe the reading part was priceless. Oh well...

Now this place is really history. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...there was no TGV or GSC cineplexes. THX? Dolby Digital? Waddafuckistat? People used to enjoy the movies in big movie theatres where if you feel like spending, you would go for the 1st Class seats which actually meant you would get seats on the upper floor. It was one hell of an experience and even though Seremban had its fair share of movie theatres like Capitol and Rex, Odeon was the one that stood out from the rest. This was the place I fell in love with the movies. I remembered watching Rambo 3, Hook and countless other awful Hollywood flicks such as The Howling and Gremlins here. But the one movie that remained etched in my mind was watching Terminator 2 here after school. I didn't tell my parents so when they eventually found out (some stupid kid told his mom), let's just say that I really, really learned my lesson. But I never regretted that because T2 just knocked my socks off. I miss the big movie theatres of old. And even though the seats smelled like piss and the floors were sticky as hell, the place was just retro. Are there any in Malaysia still standing?

Before Allson Klana and way before the Royal Adelphi, the Lakeview Hotel was THE hotel in Seremban. Overlooking the Lake Gardens, it was a nice, cosy place tucked in the centre of town. I remembered that if Papa had guests from out of town, this was the place he usually brought them for dinner. And I, as a little kid enjoyed the experience of eating out. Tak kisah pun mana. Air-condition, baby...mana nak dapat kat Ampangan (I used to stay in Ampangan). And my cousin once held his wedding reception here too. The man is now close to 50. Talk about time flying. The hotel now is still operating, but it looks more like the Bates Motel rather than the Lakeview. Don't worry. They won't stab you in the shower. :p

This nice little shop here is Kedai Sing Huat (no, not the barber shop). What's so special about it, you ask? Well, this shop here has been providing my family with the NST and other publications since God knows when. And even though they don't sell international magazines, you can bet on them to have every single local publication here in Malaysia. Best part is, you can still rely on this shop to deliver newspapers during the holidays, especially Hari Raya. This shop is my window to the outside world (before the internet, that is). Never underestimate small shops like this, because I know one in Ipoh which used to sell Playboy (long before the internet). Try to top that one...hehe.

This here ladies and gentlemen, is my alma mater of the primary years...Sekolah St. Paul. Ohh...don't worry all you religious conservatives, I wasn't brought up by mubaligh-mubaligh Kristian. My school here rests on top of Bukit Kaya and my fond memories of this place are the innocent friendships that I had with kids of different races. Something which sadly, was missing in my secondary school years. Honestly, I think sekolah berasrama penuh are sekolah jenis kebangsaan melayu with a different name. Issues aside, I really enjoyed primary school. Who didn't? The school also played the role as a venue for games that are close to extinction such as Pepsi Cola, rounders and galah panjang. The school had this huge dewan which held around 4 badminton courts and I remembered watching the Sidek brothers train here just fresh after the Thomas Cup victory. With their brand new Proton Saga and all...

Last and certainly not least, this is the Nelayan restaurant that has been proudly serving Negeri Sembilan kampung dishes since I was in school. Oddly enough, when we first frequented the place they were known more for their Thai cooking rather than local ones. But as time went by, this place is a full house every lunch hour. You could find at least 8 kinds of masak lemak here, with a list that includes landak, rusa and even otak lembu (!!). Situated at the Wisma Persatuan Bola Sepak Negeri Sembilan, I've run across a lot of players from Scott Ollerenshaw to Azman Adnan here. I also noticed that a lot of Goverment officials come here during lunch. I sure wouldn't mind doing that.

So that's just some of the places which make Seremban, well...so Seremban. Seremban is a nice town. There aren't many things to do here but it's a decent place to raise a family. I've been living here all my life. It's great really. KL is but an hour's drive away. Malacca is within close proximity too. So in a way, maybe Seremban is the center of it all. I may be biased, but I think Seremban people are really cool. And no, I am not including myself here even though I know it's true :p There's this good mixture of kampung ulu banat people, so-called urbanites and everything in between. All mixed up to have this nice town of mine. So the next time you're in Seremban, you know who to call.


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Monday, August 22, 2005

Random Notes

A pretty boring weekend. When your life is shitty, there's always something going on in the world:

All these elections for the post of President in local political parties has been very, very interesting with a war of words coming from all sides. MCA already decided. Gerakan has Lim Keng Yaik vs. Kerk Choo Ting. Very syiok this one. Things look to be stirring in MIC. Local politics has never been this fun. UMNO bile lagi?

I learned two things from watching the Chelsea-Arsenal game tonight:
1. Didier Drogba sucks at finishing.
2. He's also one lucky bastard.

Yet again, Malaysia comes back from the Badminton World Championships empty handed. Debates will go on, excuses will be given, people will be pointing fingers. And always, always we come back to square one. *Sigh*

Yet another TV personality marries a member of Royalty, this time in the form of one of the world's richest man. How do I apply to be a Sultan?

And no, I will not touch on Newcastle's performance. Jangan tanya.

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Saturday, August 20, 2005

It's almost 2 and Garbage is playing

Today is Saturday. It's 70 minutes into the day. I wanna blog. On what? Issues? What?

Evacuation of Israeli settlers in Gaza? It's about time. But kudos to Israel for finally doing it. That's one small step for Israel, one giant leap for peace.

Did I tell you guys that Football Crazy on ESPN is hilarious? I've been secretly watching it for the past year and I gotta tell you it seldom dissapoints. Like on this week's show, they asked the guys from Slipknot on their football knowledge. Question: "Which team did David Seaman used to play for?" Clown answered: "I just play the drums, mannnnn"

Why do people give bananas to the mosque on Friday? Why not durians? Mangga? Box of chocolate? The best i've seen is nangka. I propose black-colored Hacks. Cheap, strong and berangin.

I think American comedians are very smart people. I rephrase that. I think most comedians are smart people. Jon Stewart, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld, even crazy Jim Carrey. But not Saiful Apek. No no no.

I'm sleepy already. And I'm blogging and reading people's blog on a Friday night. Something is so not right about this. Give me your number.


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Thursday, August 18, 2005

Field of Dreams

As I finished up my round at the park today, I went over to see the boys of Seremban 2 playing street soccer at a nearby court. As I stood there watching the boys of about 15-20 years old, it really occurred to me that Malaysia is full of talent. Here are these boys enjoying themselves to a nice game of footy and seeing their raw talent on display was quite a show. One particular kid got my attention. He looked no older than 18 and there he was dribbling and controlling the ball with such ease that I envied him.
And this brought me to think about Lazarus Rokk's column in the NST (sorry couldn't find the link) last week about the 'Cari Champions' campaign launched recently by the Sports Ministry. Though the article attracted a response from the Ministry itself, it really remains to be seen whether this nationwide search for raw and unearthed talent will be a success.
I'm not trying to be a sceptic here. Actually, such an idea of discovering unpolished gems of Malaysian sport looks like something from a Hollywood movie. And why shouldn't it? Orang Asli kid found to be a prodigy in football found in Rompin. Kid is a success. Goes on to play for Real Madrid. Takes Malaysia to the World Cup. Okay...maybe I got overboard on the World Cup part.
Despite the Minstry's effort and plans in making the program a success (and I applaud them for that), I sincerely believe the future of Malaysian sport lies in our playgrounds, padang and even our own backyard if the badminton pagar rumah is to be taken seriously. There are tons of reasons why kids who can excel in sport are overlooked at school. Personal problems, peer pressure, family and even teachers are sometimes to blame for overlooking these gems.
So where our schools have missed out, our playgrounds provide that opportunity. I mean, how many NBA stars were first spotted in the playgrounds of Philly and the Bronx? Though it demands a large number of manpower, I think taking our scouts through the fields of Gurun, from the parks of Taman Jaya to the backroads of Mantin will unearth these many raw 'superstars of the padang'.
I hope the 'Cari Champions' campaign will unveil if not many, at least one great talent that Malaysia can be proud of. But with such a budget, that one great talent better be winning gold at the Olympics. Because that, for me just completes it all.


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Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Retro Rasah

I found this old photo as I was going through some junk at the house. It's a picture of my mom's family (not everyone included) in front of the now-demolished old Rasah house. Written at the back of the photo in classic Malay Jawi were the words, 'Diambil gambar ini pada 16 haribulan Februari 1970 bersamaan pada Hari Raya Haji 10 Zulhijjah 1389 iaitu hari Isnin.' Wow. Whoever wrote this certainly got every angle covered. (I suspect it was my arwah Atuk)
Photos back in the day were hard to find, so it was a gem to find this. I'm close with my mom's side of the family. Maybe the fact that she had 10 siblings and thus, meant more cousins made it more merrier during the festive season. We even have a mailing list for the family to keep everyone updated. (for those in the know) And to see my aunts, uncles and even my mom masa zaman anak dara is so nostalgic. I miss my arwah Atuk and Tok Chik. And I miss the Rasah house. They are but a memory today.

P/s: Guess which one's my favourite girl of all time?


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Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Monday Blues - Not!

Oh boy, it's been quite awhile since I updated this blog. Even though it's hardly been one week, when you're in my current situation...u don't have an excuse not to blog. I even thought of having a post every day for the month of August. So much for that dream. Huh.
I also wanna make this a part-time online diary kinda thingy. Isn't that what blogs are for? To make things short and sweet, here's a rundown of the happenings of Stone for the past 5 days:

1. Convocation time! This was the flavor of the week. Congratulations to the Class of 2005: Syidee and Sim especially. Suka betul la menyibuk orang Grad. It's also a great excuse to meet up with old flames crushes. And Convo week just wouldn't be complete without hanging around Gerai Konvo. They even sell Mawi World t-shirts! Cayalah UM. But the best part is probably meeting up with old college mates who I haven't met for quite some time. We are older. Yes. But we are not more matured. Yeehaaa!

2. Went to see Gol dan Gincu. It wasn't that great. But it's a fun movie. Can I say it's a feminist movie? It's got Girl Power written all over it. And putting Fazura and Sharifah Amani in the same scene almost got the cinema on fire. Hot. Fut-sol had never been this cute.

3. The EPL season finally kicks off! And as usual, Newcastle failed to deliver. Even though the performance against Arsenal was respectful (not to mention a bogus red card), I'm starting to come to terms that Newcastle had lost its flair. Omigod. What happened? Dah la kalah game, main tak cantik pulak tu. Bak kata orang, 'Biar papa kalah asal bergaye.' This is gonna be a loooonnggggggg season.

4. This has got nothing to do with me. But Victoria a.k.a Posh Beckham revealed she has never read a book in her life. I would like to thank her for that revelation, because that explains a lot. Especially the part about marrying Becks. Tit-for-tat?


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Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Self-imposed Exhile

I'm officially on house arrest.
The haze outside gives me a great excuse to lay around the house doing nothing. Did you look out the window? Looks like a scene from The Fog or something. Creepy.
And things are going from bad to worse. Firstly, we the people of Seremban have to deal with the 24-hour water rationing. When I first heard this, I wondered, "If the water is rationed for 24 hours, when the hell do I get water??" Turns out that it meant you get water supply on alternate days. Ohhhh...cakaplah.
And now we have the haze to deal with. Not contented with that, I saw on the news tonight that a short hailstorm occurred this afternoon in Subang. Hailstorms? In Malaysia?
The End is nigh.


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My Seremban: Part One

Since I'm in a nostalgic mood today this month, (plus I have all the time in the world) I thought why not show the parts of Seremban that is rarely seen. The following are not tourist attractions or destinations of any kind. (I didn't know if Seremban even had a tourist spot) These are just places that have been around in Seremban ever since I was a kid with a running nose. They are what you might call 'landmarks'. To make it more presentable, I split it into two parts. That way I can bore you not once, but twice.
When I think of Seremban, these places come to mind. But when I went around town doing this on a lazy, hazy afternoon, I noticed that things don't really last in Seremban. Almost all of the places I remembered going to as a kid have either closed shop or they moved to God-knows-where. I guess that's the sad part because I remember Seremban for its Rojak Kassim (closed shop) and the killer cendol near the old Hilton. (now called the Royal Adelphi) I don't know what happened to them. But for what I do remember and still remains, this is my Seremban:

This is just plain weird. But it's still a landmark for those who were around in the 80's and early 90's. Called Hotel Tong Fong, it was rumoured to be Seremban's most notorious prostitution nest. (I dunno if it's true) As a kid, prostitution was an interesting concept. It fueled imaginations beyond your wildest dreams. Many a times, jokes would go around on what goes on here and how if you were in a slanging match, you would that say you saw some kid's father frequent the place. This place was the butt of all dirty jokes back then. Looks decent nowadays.

Long before Terminal One and Seremban Parade, there was only one place to go for the best shops in Seremban. That place was Wisma Punca Emas. Actually Punca Emas wasn't really family-oriented, it was geared more towards the young and dangerous. Snooker centres, video game arcades, VCR shops and the best record store in Seremban can be found here. This was also the place I got mugged for the first time in my life, by some dumb secondary school students when I was only a small Standard Five kid. This was also the place you practiced all those aching, killer Street Fighter joystick moves. All in the name of glory. Also housed here was the iconic Kodai Sopan (refer below)

So you might wonder, Seremban Parade? What's so nostalgic about that? Actually, I'm showing you Seremban Parade because of what used to lie here. Before the days of Paroi, the only stadium in Seremban used to be here. Called the Seremban Municipal Stadium (Stadium MPS), it was the ground that became home to the Negeri Sembilan football team, in the days of Semi-Pro and amateur leagues. My fondest memory of this place was seeing the NS team win the 1991 Division Two League, pipping Sarawak by a single point. It was like a Hollywood movie. I could tell you the story over and over again. It was the final match of the season. And of all teams, NS played host to Sarawak, who was in 2nd position at the time. NS lead the table by 1 point, which meant that a draw was good enough to clinch the championship. Sarawak, had to win of course. After leading 2-1 courtesy of a John Hunter goal, Sarawak seemed to be headed for victory. Until the dying minutes, when NS was awarded a penalty! Up came Marian Valach (betul ke ejaan ni?) who saw his spotkick saved, only for the rebound to fall to his feet. This time he made no mistake and NS drew level at 2-2 and went on to win the Division Two title! It was certainly one of the high points in my life as a NS fan. Superb stuff.

This is certainly one of the flagship stores of Seremban. Simply called Kodai Sopan, this was one of the pioneer stores selling your not-so-usual departmental store stuff. Ask any jeans koyak wearing, spike-haired, Chuck Taylor clad kid and they're bound to know this store. When I was small, I was close to my elder cousins who exposed me to big hair bands of the 80's. The likes of Van Halen, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Helloween and also Iron Maiden. So when they went looking for gear, they went to Kodai Sopan, which had a good collection of t-shirts with hantu and other rock merchandise. I remembered buying a t-shirt with the words 'Yuck Fou' screaming across the front. I got to wear it only once before my dad got the message and gave me an earful. After that, the shirt got relegated to be a kain lap. Nowadays, Kodai Sopan is situated in Terminal One, where it still sells the same kinda stuff but now more into skate gear. I don't blame them. You have to go with the flow. What I remember most is the shop's motto, written on its plastic bag: Sopan gayo pejuang. It doesn't get better than that...hehe.

I guess A&W was the first fast-food chain to hit our shores. Just like the one near Amcorp Mall, Seremban's A&W has been around ever since I could remember. Situated nicely overlooking the Lake Gardens, this place was just a kid's dream. So as a kid, I would remember looking forward to trips to A&W for its signature float and killer waffles. Though I didn't go to school in Seremban, I noticed that it was a favourite hangout for KGV students situated nearby. Also a favourite tenet spot, but what do I know?

Well, this particular barber shop has been around only when I was in secondary school. But ever since then, this is my favourite barber shop when I'm in Seremban. The name is Kedai Gunting Rambut Youngsters and it's situated in KM Plaza. They've moved around since it opened, but all within the same building. (You don't have that much options in Seremban) The barbers are quite okay, not your usual mamak old-timer. I have this favourite barber who I like his craftmanship, but it depends on luck if he's around. I also love the fact that they still charge me 8 bucks despite me working and all. (Standard haircut is 10) I love bargains. It just makes my day. So the next time you see me with a bad haircut, you know who to blame. :)

That's all for Part One. Bear with me for the second part. And I think the MB or maybe MPS should reward me for all this promotion. When in Seremban, baby. When in Seremban...


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Tuesday, August 09, 2005

This one goes out to the ones I know

This month has been a month of nostalgia. Been going through old photos, letters, scrapbooks, school magazines, you know...the usual. I'm a sentimental freak especially when I'm at home. Alone.
But there's one place I forgot to look. The internet. And by logging into my Blogger account, I forgot that I could access some old postings when I started blogging at Chi's now-defunct My Name is Jonas. It was a blog with several contributors, some of which I really hope would start with blogs of their own. (maybe they have, unknown to me) I think the list of contributors was quite an interesting one. Kudos to Chi for providing such a platform. I just found out that Ultraman also contributed several postings there too. And Mandom, Pullah, Tippie: where art thou? Korang pun contribute jugak kan?
Anyways, my first posting there couldn't be retrieved. Maybe it was deleted or something. The earliest posting that I could get a screenshot of was in October of 2003. And it was, well...what would you expect, it was something about football. And in my usual berlagak sense, here's that posting:

I could save a lot of time by providing a link to the page, but you wouldn't wanna go through some old stuffs. One man's junk is another man's treasure. So they say. What does that have got to do with all this? Nothing actually. Saje syok sendiri.


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Monday, August 08, 2005

Mawism

As the dust settles on yet another successful season of Akademi Fantasia, one can't help but wonder about the phenomenon that is Mawi and his 'World'. A quick look at the Malay dailies on a lazy Sunday morning whilst having breakfast reveals front-page splashes of the lad from Felda Kulai basking in all his glory.
I won't take anything from him. The people have voted. Though I was somewhat upset that 'Best Performance' and 'Best Vocals' were also SMS-driven, it was a no-brainer on who would end up winning. And after going through articles and comments made about him, plus a phone interview with Halim on HO Live last night, it just made me wonder. Ada apa dengan Mawi?
Even the now-moustache-less Halim Othman was baffled on why this guy is so popular. Mawi himself doesn't know the reason for all this euphoria and hype surrounding him. Such an innocent kid. And to think that 3 months ago, he was just another anak muda cruising on his EX5 on the roads of Kulai.
What is this hype that is Mawi and his World? Is it the innocent, nasyid-singing, ex-qariah image brought by him? Is it his humble background of being a good son from the rurals of Felda? Is it just simply because he's a young man with a zest for nasyid? Or is it just that the Malay society craves for the 'next' inspiration for our sons and daughters? A modern folk-hero in the steps of Hang Tuah and P. Ramlee? A continuity after the Siti Nurhaliza phenomenon?
I guess it's a mixture of all the above, plus the fact that a certain political party has already got into the Mawi bandwagon. Hmmm...that's funny. A few days ago, didn't someone say reality TV like Akademi Fantasia were a bad influence?
Mawi wouldn't be the superstar that he is without the makciks, pakciks, the young and old, even Ustazs who see him as great role model and as someone who is a true idol in their eyes. Because why would then there be people using their hard-earned money to send in hundreds and hundreds of SMSes just to see this guy make it? Why would there be office show-downs between the Mawi fans and those who are not? Why would there be those e-mails lingering about on how ASTRO has this conspiracy against him? Why? Because they love him. They adore him. God bless Mawi, they say.
Talent-wise, I don't think he was the best among the AF starlets. Okay-lah, he had something. But not something out of the ordinary. But come to think of it, Zahid last year wasn't much of a superstar either. I guess his charm is his persona. I guess some people are just born with it. They don't have to do anything. Flash a smile for all the world to see and the world smiles with you. Their mere presence is enough to make people go bonkers. Sorta like Fonzie everytime he appears on Happy Days. That kinda madness. Lucky you.
AF3 has come to an end. And with that, all the hooplah and gossip will eventually die down. So what's next Mawi? I wouldn't wanna be in your shoes. I can't imagine the weight that has been brought upon your shoulders. Everyone will be keeping their eyes on you. I'm a harsh critic. I say you'll be just another Zahid or Vince. You'll be around the industry. But maybe just that. Prove me wrong dear Mawi. Because some people believe in you. A lot of them actually.
I bid you all the best. But I still wonder, can I have my own World too?


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Sunday, August 07, 2005

Of Bee Gees and Freshies

I heard over the radio recently that way back in 1972, the Bee Gees had a live concert here in Malaysia. The venue? None other than the Dewan Tak Cat (DTC), Universiti Malaya. Whoa.
Bee Gees playing at the DTC in 1972? That's like having Green Day or Keane playing there now. Which inspite of the right-wing takeover there recently by the 'beloved' VC, is still something far-fetched and certainly almost unthinkable.
And I thought the only entertaining shows at the DTC were the boria and pop band contest during Festival Seni.
Itupun sebab nak usha junior.


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Friday, August 05, 2005

My Own Bloody Podcast

Here I am at 4 in the morning finalising the finishing touches on my latest hobby...podcasting. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I DO have all the time in the world, therefore that explains my eagerness at all things new.
If you're not familiar with podcasting, you can Google it up and learn or I'll give a brief and somewhat useless introduction. Basically, podcasting is radio-on-demand. It's a feed sorta like RSS. (actually, it is RSS) It's like streaming radio, except you play it when you want it and it gives screwballs like me the chance to be my very own superstar DJ.
You need certain tools or software to play/receive these podcasts. The most famous one of 'em is of course the iTunes music player. You can download it for free here.
If you're not keen into Steve Jobs and his Mac family, there are other podcast clients available such as RSSRadio and iPodder.
Actually, I wanna promote my own podcast here. I call it MOB P.C. (My Own Bloody PodCast) Not as commercial as Hitz.fm of course. What would you expect from a guy who's studio is his room in lil' ol' Seremban? It's raw and edgy, and it's only 5 minutes. And most of that 5 minutes is a song, BTW.
Please have a sample of my crazy creation here. I'll try to think of things to make it more interesting. Hey, me gotsalotta time now, aite? I'll think of something. (I hope)
Suggestions, anyone? And who knows...we might do a show together or something. That is, if you have as much time as me lah. In the meantime, you can get the podcast of MOB P.C. here. I've always dreamt of becoming a DJ. At least some part of that dream has come true. Fly Guy and Lil' Kev, you have been warned...


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Thursday, August 04, 2005

Footballitis

The football season has yet to be in full swing, and yet I am already as hopeless as Wigan winning the league. (no offense to Wigan fans, but c'monnnn) Newcastle's and Celtic's lost in the Intertoto Cup and Champions League qualifying respectively left me with no team to support in Europe this season. Ahhh...phooey. Any team needs a neutral observer?
But maybe I should have read the signs. Celtic's first leg 5-0 lost to whateverthehelltheteamsname is a huge mountain to climb. Even though they almost went for a superb comeback with a 4-0 victory in the 2nd leg, all is lost my friend. All is lost. Sapa suruh concede 5 gol. Bodoh. Tongok.
And Newcastle? Maybe in Deportivo La Coruna they had more respectful opponents, but this is the InterToto Cup, you f***in cunts. Nobody plays footy in the summer. It's either you're a huge megastar club who's touring in lame countries such as the US and East Asia, or you're just plain losers who's desperate for European action. No prizes for guessing which group Newcastle belongs to.
Do I seem a bit bitter? Yeahhhh...considering the season's not yet officially started and I have no mid-week matches to stay up for. Hmmm...maybe it is a good thing after all. No it is not!! I so miss the times staying up on Tuesdays or Wednesdays to watch a European fixture. (notice that it's not Thursdays, okayyy?)
Ahhh...football is so cruel. And I was so looking forward to the new season. Even planned about having Emre's name emblazed across the back of the new strip. Why do I even bother?
Is it the voice of Andy Gray's thick Glasgowian accent screaming in delight?
Is it the sound of a 40-yard strike swooshing the back of the net?
Is it the cry of "Shearaahh, Shearaahh" ringing across St. James' Park?
Don't let me suffer the agony of Saturday nights with Mawi and company. The itch is too much to handle.
Let the season begin.


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Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Harry Potsmoker

In between ayam masak lemak and ketam goreng at the dinner table tonight, the name Harry Potter suddenly came up. Now, it should be known here that I am no big Potter fan. I dunno how it came up from wedding preparations and school activities to Harry Potter. Anyways, this is how it went:
Aku: Dah abis baca Harry Potter?
EE: Almost finishing up. Ko tau ending dia camna?
Aku: Errr...tak. (yeah, right. It's the worse kept secret)
EE: Dumbledore mati.
Aku: Oh ye ke? (putting on my best suprised face)
EE: I think it's good that he's dead.
Aku: Huh? (now i'm reallly suprised)
EE: Ye laaa...bole tengok kalau Harry bole survive on his own.
Aku: Ohhh...(somewhat puzzled)
EE: Entah-entah Harry mati in the next book.
And with that, I could just imagine the headlines:

Suicidal rates among children blamed on Potter
With the recent edition of Harry Potter and the Mass Graveyard, the alarming rate of suicide among children, especially in the 10-12 age group have increased unlike any seen before. Critics have blamed on the release of the new book, in which the title character Harry Potter is killed at the end. The latest outburst occurred just last week in Washington, where a classroom of Fourth Graders, lead by their teacher drank Kool-Aid laced with cyanide to mark their dissapointment at the book's ending. The author J.K. Rowling is unavailable for comment...

Aku: Nahhh...he won't die. Takkan punyalahh...


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Tuesday, August 02, 2005

The Pensioners Club

Currently, I am an official member of the Pensioners Club. This club has two honorary members in this household, being both of my parents. Add to that the four cats which have been a recent addition to the family, and we have 7 members altogether. Oh yeah...we have cats in the family now. My sister adopted this cat a few months ago and before I can say 'Puss in Boots', she delivered 3 kittens and they're currently adored by everyone in this family except moi. And before Chi gives me that nasty look, I am getting attached to them as well. But in all honesty, this cat craze is getting a wee bit out of hand. First, there's the cage and all. And then there's the litterbox complete with the 'pooper-scooper', then it's the trip to the vet and now they even have plush toys? This isn't exactly Lassie you know. But why should i be complaining? Maybe a bit jealous coz i grew up on Milo and Ribena and they're having fresh dairy milk. What is wrong here?
Cat naps and furballs aside, life has been, well....slow. Senior members of the Pensioners Club seem to wake up early every single day. I think there's an unwritten rule somewhere. Thou shalt not wake up later than 7.
I'm sure the rule doesn't apply to me :p
And as a new member, I seem to be neglected for Pensioners Club activities, i.e. buying breakfast, walking at the Lake Gardens, surau activities and gardening. Ah well, at least I have my DVDs.
I feel a bit ashamed though being a non-active member. But honestly, it feels kinda nice. And why shouldn't it? Fresh newpaper ready for reading when you wake up, nicely served breakfast and home-cooked meals throughout the day. 'Tis is heaven.
I'm getting kinda worried that all this non-active duty will result in swelling in the abdominal area. (read: boroi) I need to break sweat. Jom lari kat Seremban 2.


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Monday, August 01, 2005

Pelan Tindakan Bersepadu

As a soon-to-be appointed servant of the Big G, I think I gotta practice making procedures and other crappy documents just so 'it looks nice'. And since I have approximately 28 days to go on my extended and unexpected long holiday, I've got to lay out a plan to counter my boredom in the coming weeks. Trust me, it's booorringgg to stay at home when everyone else is working. I'm barely surviving the week. Add to that the point that you're jobless with no income for the month just makes you feel like flipping burgers at the nearest 7-Eleven.
Anyhow, here is my Pelan Tindakan Bersepadu (Joint Action Plan) for the month of August, which basically comprises of the list of DVDs that are left hanging in my possession and waiting for a rainy day to be watched. Well, fret not DVD! You will be watched! So by 29th of August, everything in the list below will be watched. (plus a few more that will be added) And who knows, maybe i'll have a small award ceremony to reward the movies that help occupy my time. The movies/shows are (drum rolls):

Movies:
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
Coach Carter
The Interpreter
Raging Bull
Birth
Apocalypse Now Redux (this is 4 hour marathon. Pray i'll survive)
Sideways
The Hunted
House of D
The Perfect Score

TV Series / Mini-series
Angels in America (Chapter 4-6)
Lost (Full season - outsourced from Popo)
Desperate Housewives (Full season - outsourced from Jeg)
Arrested Development (this is a bloody riot! Full season - also from Popo)

okaylah, just so i don't look like a dumb-ass...i'll throw in a book as well:

Book:
Lord of the Flies (EE's recommendation. maybe she knows her kid brother's keen for Lost and Survivor TV series)

so i've got August pretty much settled, eh? pass the popcorn please.


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