Something Good To Die For?

Year-end is a good time to reflect. About just
everything.

Jusst about eeeverything.

A lot's going through my mind right now. Being
too mobile used to be kind of cool, which I've
never really cared anyways, but lately it's starting
to make you sigh with agony.

(What a way to write about pain with one-liners.)

I went back to KL last weekend, hoping to get some
quality time with the housemates, only to find some
of them going back to Qalha, and a few spending their
weekends at the office.

My duration in JB's a bit unclear, too. A bit of a tussle
between bosses. Whoever wins, it's clear I will be the
collateral damage.

At this point of time, I think it's all still up in the air.

I really want to write about cheerful stuffs, anecdotes,
and everything else, but that's not the mindset that
I'm now in. So I guess this is it.

Pret-ty bl-eak.

But I'm still up for jokes, though.

SEASON'S GREETINGS?

Here's to a mediocre holidays.

I've thought about writing about the guys' wedding, but
then again, what's the point of taking pictures?

Head down to my photoblog for pictures of Fakhrin's and Jamy's
receptions.

Of course, there's always the Fotopages, too.

GILA

(DALAM BAHASA MELAYU, CRAZY)

I've been a bit inundated with work lately.

 

Up until the day i departed from my apartment in

Murray St, so much (and by 'so much', I meant a few)

had happened, yet so little time to tell.

Maybe I'll sit down and get them all on a post.

A DODGY ENDING TO A BEAUTIFUL EVENING.

We had a farewell dinner last night, a farewell to the two of
us. It's pretty awkward, actually to have a farewell and still
come in to work today.

We went to a Thai restaurant, and as usual, everybody
was chatty. Everyone was a bit (understated) boisterous. We
discussed what our further plans, whether they'll join us in
Kiyanly, and what their trip to Lumut was like.

As usual, I'm very lucky when it comes to seating arrangement.

And by lucky I meant I got to sit besides and opposite fine ladies.

(Punching the air)

Yeah, I had a great time chatting about everything under the
Australian sun. Plus, I got to exchange opinions with the favourite
staff (yep, that whom I danced with). Her accent was funny.
Everybody kept tricking her into saying 'potato' which, when she
said it, sounded more like 'po-tar-toe'.

Of course, she already knew. She never said it.

Her accent is very sexy.

As the night went on, I realised that of all the people sitting on that
table, I was probably the dullest.

Or 2nd most. There was another Malaysian there.

Yeah well, I already knew that a long time ago (before time was
invented).

But having the fact suddenly dawn on you, well that's another thing.

Let's get back to the story.

Clearly, the dinner had wine. Everyone was holding their drinks well,
except for this one new guy, who's quite a show-off even when he's
sober, and that night clearly he's had too much.

I don't like to judge people when they're drunk because that's what
alcohol does, it frees your inhibitions.

He kept ranting on and on about smoking "mary jane", playing music,
cheaper branded clothings in Jakarta, structural analysis. And he's
gesturing, flailing his arms, pointing his fingers at everybody.

I know he's indirectly promoting himself, but hey you already got
the job man.

Well, I don't think this would end well.

The conversation began well, but the drunk progressively dominated.

"What can go wrong will go wrong, with the most number of people watching."

As this guy was telling a story. Well, it was more like yelling to get the
point across, and what looked to me like his arms need to mimic a helicopter's
rotor blade.

And his hand knocked a glass full of wine.

Guess where the wine winded up?

No, not me. The girl with the accent took most of it. She was wearing
a white shirt with a grey skirt.

(I'm describing what she wore?)

I was drenched on the right side. She took most of the liquid.

The drunk kept apoligising, and clearly she was annoyed, and
the atmosphere turned sour.

It was an awkward moment. The drunk tried to jumpstart the
conversation, but everyone was already in the mindset of going
home.

As we said our goodbyes, and as I was walking towards home,
I thought,

"This is a good dinner, it ended up not to my liking, but
how I can put a positive spin to it?"

An unforgettable incident involving me, a girl, and alcohol.

Just like the movies, but without the sub-titles.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

*Grin*.

LET'S UPROOT EVERYTHING AND BE A NOMAD,
SHALL WE?

Yep.

I'm supposed to be returning to KL this friday. Actually I
can stay for another 3 weeks before I wore out my
welcome.

But I heard thru the grapevine that I won't be long in KL.
It looks like I'll be shipped off to another location.

Hmm.

*scratching head*

It's been a good run in WA, I think. Yeah, it's a good place
to work (typical Asian get-rich fantasy) and also have a
kind of balanced family upbringing.

I've been to a few migrants' houses in WA, a few of them
Malaysian, lots of 'em Singaporean. It's nice to have a chat
with them, I'm even grateful they've invited me to their
homes and lavished me with meals.

Talking to them, you'd get a sense that to them, moving
around is a constant. They'd tell you stories about their
heydays in Sydney, Melbourne, and how things have changed
over the last 15 years. And, even at their relatively advanced
age, there's even a plan to move to Arab Emirates!

Wow.

Being a "nomad" me-self, I'm quite impressed by the fact that
you can have your cake and you can eat it too, in a sense.

You could earn a better living overseas, and you can still have
a normal-ish family-bond, relatives and all those other similar
upbringing to the country that you'd left behind.

A big-up for these people who made the hijrah.

I guess it never stops, does it?

Nevertheless, different people make different decisions.

And I'd like to think I'm no different.

Does it make any difference?

*scratching head*

It's polite to say "excuse me" when you burp.

Is it also polite to say "excuse me" when you fart? (silently)

COLONY OF BIRCHMEN - MASTODON

This forest is growing faster than I can tell
Cell structure eats away at a massive swell
Seems however I'm a victim of circumstance
Hunt for ogres and dwarfs
Lion slicer

Run with death
Run with death

White faces coming closer with every step
Earth envelopes taking breath without happenstance
Carve my teeth out ripping through the sheep's head curse
Hunter gatherer
Ridden from the cave

Run with death
Run with death

Gone away
My heart's gone away
Taking everything
My heart's gone away
Take it now
Hunt for ogres and dwarfs
Lion slicer

Run with death
Run with death

Gone away
My heart's gone away
Taking everything
My heart's gone away
Take it now

Give A Man A Fish, He'll Be Fed For A Day.

How 'bout bringing him to a fish tank instead?

I Miss The Comfort Of Being Sad.

Start the day with asking your colleague,

"How ya going?"

Share a joke or an anecdote, even some things
that you saw last night.

Laugh. Some oxygen will reach your brain.

Most importantly, make a cup of coffee.

Palm the outside of the mug for warmth.

You can turn on the computer now.

It's Getting Hot In Here.
(a.k.a. Semakin Panas La, Di Sini)

40 degrees Celcius. Phew!

Just for once I'd like to meet this Celcius
guy and beat him up.

I know it's not his fault, but everyone's
boiling up and short-fused nowadays,
I don't think it matters anymore.

It gets even worse when you change the
environment from hot to cold, and a few
minutes later.. BAM!

You have a migraine.

Anyone who has experienced migraines would
reluctantly agree that migraine is a bitch.

Is it the other way round?

No disrespect to "bey-hot-ches" out there. It's
just a figure of speech.

(............)

I actually imagined I was in hell.

Well, at least it's good practice.

BAM!

Fire Drill.

12.30am was the first.

Effing ear-piercing. I actually believed there
was an actual fire spreading in one of the apartments.

All the inhabitants had to evacuate, downstairs, while
clubbers from nearby walked past, curious what the hell
was going on.

Hm. baguih jugek. Boleh cuci mata.

Fire marshalls came and verified it was alright.

Then, at 5am, there was another alarm.

I ignored it, thinking it'd be easier to be burnt in my sleep.

Of Mice And Men.

The secretary mailed us some facts
about anagram, a form of word play.

It's where you re-arrange the letters to form
another sentence.

But the challenge is to form sentences that
actually comment on the original subject.

Like,

Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one
A Decimal Point = I'm a Dot in Place

I tried it with my name, as Jim Morrison
did, and he came up with Mr Mojo Risin'.

I came up with "Mr. Na'if Hawa".

I should've seen that one coming...

BALIK QALHA.

Timbun baju atas kain.
Bundle kain, ikat kat hujung kayu.
Tanggung kayu atas bahu.
Angkat ibu jari kat tepi jalan.
Harap-harap ada kenderaan bagi tumpang.

Jeuh nih!

IF I TOLD YOU I KNEW ABOUT THE SUN AND THE MOON.

Believe it or not, the underlyings of a good story or a feature is
almost always love.

And me writing about love would almost always make people's
eyes roll.

Take a good film and dissect it.

Take out all the fancy CGIs.

The excellent soundtracks.

A brilliant cast wouldn't hurt, but still, it's secondary.

You'd eventually find 'lurv ' (cue throwing up).

The Office (US). Sure, Carell's as demented as a guy on the
devil's dandruff, and the ever loyal Dwight.

Ultimately it's about Pam and Jim.

Are they doomed? Can they be saved?

Scrubs? Self-explanatory.

Spinal Tap? A bit obscure, but still.

Click? I've quoted this, but on a whole different level, yeah.

Futurama? I initially didn't think so, but after a while, it grew a bit.

Finally.

Transformers: The Movie?

Hmm..do robots have emotion, or it's just some crazy robot thing?

I don't know.

RED BULL AIR RACE

Might be entertaining. Good time filler.

Tired?

You summed it up right.

I guess it shows.

OLD WIVES' TALES.

Somehow, a friend's comments triggered my memory.

Don't point at a rainbow.

Your finger might suddenly get amputated.

It's of dubious origin, yet it still evoked unreasonable
fear when we were young.

Crazy pork.

SKIL MEMASAK MAKIN TAJAM (YEA RIGHT)

Lipat maniam depan stove.

10 Rules of Lomography:

1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go and whenever you go.
2. Use it any time - day or night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
4. Shoot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film.
9. You don't have to know afterwards, either.
10. Don't worry about the rules.

Daylight Savings In WA Scare The Living S**t Out Of Me.

No, it's actually goth teenagers with pink bunny ears, hanging
out at the local church.

Chomei.

I could just eat it!

Not literally. That would constitute cannibalism.

Yes.

I did dream of her.

Last night.

Should I start buying 'Lohan' fish
and name it 'Lindsay'?

A Short Course In Bangla-lization (Bangla 101)

Bukan bangla dari negara Bangladesh, tapi bangla
in a sense of someone outside of where he's used
to, and adapting to alien environment, all the while
struggling to maintain some of the normality that
he'd used to.

Sometimes you'd see some group of 'B's in KLCC, all
dressed to the nines, taking pictures, posing banglas
and stuff. You'd tend to not understand their behaviour,
really but it's a reflex, actually.

I was in the neck of the woods in Gambela. The nearest
townwas 200km away,
a 4-hour bumpy ride on a barely-functioning 4WD. And
we only got to go there maybe once every one or two
weeks. When the time came to go to town, I actually took
extra care to make sure I have the best attire on. I even
sow a loose button on a clean shirt and cleaned my shoes
using a toothbrush.

Which is strange.

The conclusion is, when you're working hard and fun time is
kind of limited, you (B) would look forward to it.

The second thing I observed is that whenever B's ate, they'd
have a mountain of rice in front of them and a bottle of fizzy
drinks.

To me, that'd translate to an unfinished meal. You don't mix
food with gassed drinks, homes.

Well, when I had my meal in Kobenhavn (and here) I did
have a mountain of rice with me. And a bottle of Coke.

The iced coke tasted like heaven.

And I finished the meal.

The conclusion is, when you're a B, you'd tend to be hungrier
and thirstier than you'd normally be. You'd appreciate meals
more. It's true. You'd appreciate even the most basics of
meals.

Thirdly, although not last, is you'd see the Bs at public
phones with IDD cards (probably calling home).

I succumbed to this trait a few days ago. It's the eve of Eid,
and I have no phone in my home, so as I wandered in front
of the shops, I bought a $10 card and called home.

It's actually a good deal. You get 108 minutes.

Not bad.

As I dialled the pin code and the people walked past me on
a payphone on Hay Street, the fact suddenly dawned on me.

"Dude."

Three cheers for the general workers that flood KLIA every
day.

It seems that you can take the Bangla out of Bangladesh,
but you can never take the Bangla out of a Bangla.

That doesn't make sense.

It's the day after.

I feel kind of strange.

Today.

Actually I managed to finish some
work, and the whole office is shutting
down at noon for some away (half) day.

Kind of discomforting to know you don't
have the luxury of a week's holiday to do
what you what you want to.

It's actualy this time of year that I'd really
relax in Kedah, or do nothing for an extended
period of time (no that's not another nickname
for 'working').

It's even sobering that up until recently, I've kind
of been away for some time, physically and mentally.
I don't know if it's deliberate or some kind of reflex,
And quite ironic to find you're suddenly in tune with
everything, when you're billions of miles away from
where you should be.

Some might disagree.

It's like I never came.

(kinda lame closing line.)

-------------------------------

When you say it's dead & gone
Yes, I know you're wrong

Cut & slash, sharpest knife
It won't die

Poison cup, drank it up
It won't die

No fire, no gun, no rope, no stone
It won't die

Why you gotta shove it in my face
As if you put me in my place
Cause I don't care
If you or me is wrong or right
Ain't gonna spend another night,
In your bed...
In your bed...

Laws of man, are just pretend
They ain't mine

Love so good, love so bad
It won't die

Some talk too long, they know it all
I just smile & move on

Words ain't free, like you & me
I don't mind...

Why'd you have to be so mean & cruel,
The dogs are loose i'm on to you
You ball & ...
Chained together from the dawn to dusk,
Can't call it leavin, cause it's just

I never came....

Rotten Egg, Air Of Death

(Not a good title.)

 

Eid Mubarak comes, Eid Mubarak goes.

 

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 1428H.

 

Maaf Dzahir dan Batin.

Am I Growing Up, Or Just Plain Old.

I just found out that instead of actually typing
'online', you can type 'on9' and people would
still understand you're online.

Whoa.

Where was I all these 'years'?

Yes.

Za.

Yesza.

Yeszaa!!!

(blank.)

Au Revoir, Ramadan.

When it was the eve of Syawal, my late

grandmother would often sit at the

verandah, looking into the dark of the

horizon.

 

I was later told she kind of 'waved goodbye'

to Ramadan. With a sad feeling, of course.

 

With aged persons, it is probably the 

feeling of uncertainty of whether they'd

make it to the next Ramadan. 

 

Back then I only enjoyed Syawal. Now

not so. I prefer the month-long appreciation

that is known throughout the world.

 

It's gotten more and more challenging to

actually execute 'soum' here. Not that

it's easy to fast in KL.

 

*Mengantuk*

Letih, dol.

Dugaan.

I was served pork yesterday for dinner.

It's always shocking when you know there's pork
product on your plate. It takes courage to tell the manager
that you don't eat pork.

Even more to make him know that you can't mix them.

If I'm a character in a TV show, there'd be a swine
dancing in front of me right now, taunting me.

"You can take them aside and eat the salad"

Yeah, right.

20 minutes to go.

"It's alright guys, you can have your dinner first, I still have
a few minutes left before the sun sets"

All the while, I'm eyeing the bread, hoping they wouldn't
finish them too fast.

The time came and I gulped down a bottle of Coke and
some bread.

That gave me some major gas leakage. Burp.

When they saw that I didn't touch the plate, I explained

"I can't eat food mixed with pork"

"I will let the canteen operator know about this. I have
specifically told them to make a pork-free meal for
you. I will speak to them in the morning"

Whatever, man.

Yesterday had pretty good progress so the engineer
pushed them to test until late at night. Almost midnight.

Bugger. I hope the eatery's not closed yet.

Yep. A bit lucky. Ever reliable Strog Shawarma.

Arrived this morning, and approached by a staff.

"I have spoke to the canteen staff this morning.
They wish to inform that they regret not complying
to the request. They have no reason whatsoever not to
provide what has been asked"

Whoa?

Not Wanting To Remember, But What Can I Do?

Lab testing's pretty much the 'boring-est'
thing a person can do to earn a living.

And being a museum curator.

Or a taxidermist.

I guess there's a lot of boring jobs out
there.

The director if this facility asked me once

"How do you feel about the testing?"

"It's interesting"

"I'll ask you again after 12 runs" He remarked.

He's right. It's boring to me, heck I've only
been here for a week!

I guess for these guys, it's routine/exciting/
what-else-am-i-going-to-do?

All these Froude number, Reynolds number, scale
effect.

What about Shiri Appleby's number? When do they
going to produce that?

While I constantly remind myself somewhere,
someplace else there's always a s**ttier scenario
going on, and actually I'm a lucky man.

I beg to differ.

I'm just an ordinary guy in an extraordinary
position. That's all there is to it.

"Not so big, but still big" I remembered that
guy who bought me dinner, when I told him I was
an engineer.

I guess this post has no point in particular.

Yeah, when you're in Asia (Malaysia, e.g.) if
you're an engineer, you're kind of a hot shot.
The stock price is high.

When you're an engineer in UAE, you're just a
worker. Yes, you're just manpower, not more
than that. Take your paycheck, perform for
the duration of your contract, when the time
comes, we'll think about extending your
contract.

When you're in OZ (well, my observation) it's
a bit of both. They want you to perform, and
they want you to be happy as well. It's quite
an incentive to know they not only want to
squeeze your brain , they take care of your
brain as well.

Mental health, I meant.

So, I guess it depends on where, or what you
want to be or to do?

If I'd wanted to do just one thing, maybe I'd
hunt around.

I don't know.

At this point, I'd like to believe I'm a fool
who believes he's clever.

No harm done.

The Kindness of A Stranger.

Went to the Shawarma (again) for break fast, and
I have some kind of glitch.

I don't have any Kroner on me.

Yeah, I do have Euros, but these shopowners take
too much commission, leaving me with less Kroner,
and believe me, when you're dealing with two
currencies, it's an effing headache.

I ordered Kylling Menu, and proceeded to argue with
the guy on what the rate should be, when all of a sudden,

"I'll pay for his meal"

I was shocked.

"You want to pay for my meal?"

"It's ok. You Muslim?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm Muslim too. We're brothers."

Not that I had no money, but I didn't refuse what
he offered. I don't know why.

I said "Thanks."

"No problem" he said, patting my back as he headed
for his place in the shop.

I got my meal and joined him and his friend.

I have to admit, the situation was pretty awkward.

We made small talk.

"What's your name?"

"Ali."

"I'm Fahmi. How long you've been here?"

"Sixteen years. Are you from Indonesia?"

"Malaysia. Did you speak hindi just now?"

"It's Urdu. Pretty much the same."

We made small talk, intertwined with me
gulping down my dinner. Same with them.

As I finished my meal, I took out my business
card and handed it to him.

"Here. If you're in Malaysia, please let me know.
I will buy you dinner."

"Woow. Sure, man. You'll buy me dinner?"

"Why not. I promise. Thanks for dinner again,
Ali. You are very kind."

I walked out of the shop, amazed by the fact that
religion is really larger than life.

Only in Kobenhavn.

(Kobenhavn, Danmark.)

Into The Hollow

Avoir, Adieu, Goodnight
I’m too wrong, to get right
But I cant wait forever
I’ve always been alone
A fool believes he’s clever
Don’t you wanna go into the Hollow ?
I won’t go it alone
Aren’t you gonna follow ?

I live behind my eyes
Be sure to keep the surprise
I break what I’ve already borrowed
That’s why I always go
alone into tomorrow
Don’t you wanna go into the Hollow ?
Don’t wanna go alone, aren’t you gonna follow ?
Into the Hollow

Icht?

A few days ago (in Perth), I saw the ad for Father's Day,
you know, get your dad something cool this day, get him
this get him that.

I remembered hearing about my 'bapak', when he was
in I.C. , and he actually went to Bonn, Germany. I think that's
true. He was quite fluent in German.

And here I am, just a few hundred miles from the border of
Germany. I thought about going to Norway, UK, Germany
but I think I might stick to inside of Danmark.

But,

it'd certainly be nice to have a conversation with 'Bapak'
about where I went, and did, stuff like that.

It's a bit like showing off your battle scars.

Normal, bonding stuff.

Ah, well.

I've got Danmark's next top model here.

And she's mine.

All mine.

We're fasting tomorrow, aren't we?

Kobenhavn.

I'm Gonna Leave, I'm Gonna Leave You-u-u (Aa-aaa-a)

"Cracks in the ceiling, crooked pictures in the heart
countin' and breathin', I'm leavin' here tomorrow "

I should've posted this yesterday, actually.

KENA TRAVEL LAGI

Penat penat.

Baru balik kena berjalan lagi.

Penat dol!

We're in Perth, baby!

Kebas.

Ever sat too long on a toilet?
After you're finished with your business,
you'd get up, and suddenly there's this
searing pain in your foot, like you're
walking on pins and needles.

You'd go "ooh! ah!" and wait for the pain
to subside.

It's temporary, but while it lasted, it was
hell.

OUCH

Snohvit

Reading, and Reading.

This is one of those nostalgic posts again, so any of you

who've had their meals, might want to skip, because of the

adult content. Or the mushy-mushy, tersengih sorang-sorang

feeling sewaktu membaca (or menulis), mengingatkan kisah

lama yang berkulapuk dan berdebu.

 

Reading had been one of my favourites, and it hadn't been for

quite a long time, and recently, it's been back. Not due to the fact

that I've rediscovered them again.

 

Well, sort of.

 

 

I've realised that for me to survive in this city with even less and less

of things to do (or routines to tire me out), I had to revive some of

the things that I used to do.

 

Which is jogging.

 

 

Then I realised it was winter. Okayy, uncheck jogging, check

reading.

 

I think I'd check back jogging at summer. With these strong winds,

I'd probably end up in a ditch somewhere.

 

The point being is, I like reading when I like reading.

 

 

Even when I was a kid, I liked those cheap (well, they're not cheap

in those times) Beano and Dandy comics, mini-novels, crime

detective stuff.

 

I read Transformers comics too, which made the bulk of my comic

collection. Ghost Rider, Punisher. He's a cool guy. Partly due

to my cousin's influence. He's an avid collector, so whenever I

came to his house (I was the poor cousin :P) I went on these

reading binge. I think in some light, he'd be upset in some way

because some of those novels were quite expensive and for

collector's delight and display only.

 

ironic.

 

 

Not to say I didn't buy any, I did. Strangely enough, when it came

to actual novels, I preferred non-fictions. Hm.

In high school, I think all the rage at that time was this guy named

Ahadiat Akashah. In fact, I'm not sure if that's his real name. But

he wrote pretty good things on pulp. One of them was a book by

the title named 'Jibam'.

 

It was not that thick, that book. But it was a good read. By the time

you'd finish the book, you'd think Jibam was your neighbour.

 

Selang dua pintu.

 

 

Anyways, I was in Form 1, and this senior in Form 2, he's a prefect

and he saw me bring the book during the night prep class. I thought

for sure I was busted. It turned out he wanted to borrow it.

 

So, me being the scared junior, happily handed the book to him,

with the promise of the book turned in 2 days later.

 

It did. With a few things changed.

 

 

I wrote my name on the first page, and saw it had been covered with

liquid paper (alamak panjang gila perkataan). Then I saw another

writing covered. It was his name.

 

I guess he wanted to impress a girl, saying "Hey, I've got the book,

you want to read it? It's mine, you know?"

 

And she'd be like "Eee, best nye u nie."

 

 

From a bussiness mind, that actualy made sense.

 

 

High school's high school, after all. You don't have the budget to

buy expensive things. In fact, I'm pretty sure you're not interested

in the high-end reading stuff anyways. So all that is left is these

budget pulp fictions. Things like Bacaria, Mastika, this and that.

 

Hey, the library's always there. Which is another bone of

contention ...of mine. Nahh, forget it.

 

Anyways, it was amazing that despite of all that craziness in high

school. All the debaucheries, the extra-curricular activities (baca

surat tepi tangga la, celup selipar dalam kawah milo, tumbuk

akuarium), I still think high school managed to instil a reading

culture in us.

 

Varsity was a different gorilla altogether. Think of all the constraints

you had when you were in high school. All the things you couldn't

read.

 

The situation is now reversed. In fact, you still have another option

which is equally powerful, but viciously damaging, which is not

reading at all.

 

I knew some who took that option. It took them quite a number of

varsities to finally deduce the fact that one of the essential things

in uni (apart from all the auto functions by your brain) is reading.

 

I don't actually remember the gist of what I read during this hazy

period. I think it's because I didn't read a lot I guess.

 

I can sum it, though. Newspapers.

 

 

A lot of it. In fact, we'd stockpile it in the kitchen so high that when

the time came to actually vacate the premises, we realized

the kitchen sink was missing!

 

That's another crazy reference of time. There's too much, too little

time. But yeah, from then on, I loved reading the newspapers.

When you're unleashed into the working world, you're earning

money. And all that pent-up agression about not being able to

buy stuff (or own stuff) now can be channelled into more productive

behaviour, which is buying stuff and owning stuff.

 

It's strange how it is, when you're young and strapped for cash,

you'd crave all these shits, and when you could actually afford it,

it's not as attractive anymore.

 

Are we doomed to chase the eternal high?

 

 

I discovered, on a routine tax-paying annual thing, that you could

deduct 500 (is it eight?) from your annual if you buy books.

 

Some people would just deduct. I went out and bought books.

 

 

And kept the receipts.

 

 

I later found out that they didn't check all of those things during the

audit.

 

It doesn't really matter so much, though. I figured that whatever it

is that would snowball out of my actions, in some ways there must

be a speck that would bring some good, whenever that might

happen.

 

Okay, books books books.

 

 

First: rockstar autobiographies. I found them interesting because

they encapsulate the lifestyle that you and I can only think about

dreaming of. Well, not all of them actually.

 

When you read Jimi Hendrix's Room Full of Mirrors, you'd get a

sense of how he came to be this larger than life guitar player, this

gentle beast that endured the pain, the hardship, and suddenly

found himself adulated after only a day in England. In the end,

as cliched rock stars did, they got consumed by the drugs they

had consumed.

 

One rockstar didn't die. yet. Anthony Kiedis of the RHCP posse.

When I read his (supposedly) autobiography, I'm sure this man

deserved my 50bucks. His writing could be described as....

well, he writes well. I think he's natural at storytelling, and of course

he's the songwriter, so my comment would be redundant.

 

As far as biographies go, that's about it. Well, I suppose you could

get stuff off Wikipedia, but there's still other ways to go.

 

There's this fiction I read that was quite interesting. It's titled

'The Time-traveller's Wife'. You'd think it's not about the wife of a

time-traveller, but it actually is. And it's still interesting to read.

 

Actually, I was lucky. I read that Sarah Tan of MTV fame read the

book, so I rushed to the store and bought one.

 

Typical.

 

 

P.S. the other reading's a music festival in Reading

that i'd like to attend someday.

ANYBODY WANNA POSTCARD? LET ME KNOW.

Actually, there's an interesting story to be told,
but I guess I'll save it until....until it needs to be told.

Anyways.

don't cry.

give me a whisper...
give me a sigh...
use your illusion, 1990.

i guess some or a part of us needs to feed on that shred of
yesterday, however tattered or torn they might be.

i came back after just under a month, and witnessed so much
has changed in my household.

a guy has fallen in love and got a new 'awak'. (it cracks me up
everytime, man.)

a guy from soksek is actually getting 'hantar tanda' soon.
which shook me to the core.

anyways, all is well, matey. i guess i had extra vaccination at
birth.

what will change in the next 6 months, when i come back?

the world will be ruled by apes?

no wait.

that's already happened in the Ame-di-ca.

tension head.

went to a party last night. a 'christmas-in-july'
thing at a horse-race park.

it was interesting because i've never went to a
party before. and i've never been to a race
track before.

it was interesting.

kind of an understatement.

the theme was either costume or traditional.

it was hilarious. a guy dresed as dame edna. he
was a hit amongst the ladies.

another female staff came as vicky pollard. she
was spot on! everybody laughed.

the horse race began early, and everybody got
excited.

of course, there were a few bets placed.

it was trot-race (i think. i forgot what's the
name), and the racer's in a cart behind, dragged
by the animal.

the horse.

by 9pm, the guy in the dame edna costume got
the prize. he fought off fierce competition,
especially, from the medieval britain costume
and some weird 'european tap-dancer' costume.

next: drinking.

of course, there were plenty of red and white
and yellow beverage to pass around.

i chose black and clear. better not start here
or i'd be too 'uninhibited'.

worse, i might embarass my company.

it was interesting to see how alcohol can turn
someone from being a bit frigid, or rigid, to
a total dancefloor hogger.

i shouldn't judge. it's a cultural thing maybe.

the music's kind of lame at first, some guy
with an acoustic guitar (doesn't that ring a bell?)
playing his watered-down version of hits.

then the dj put on some head-bopping tunes.

that's when the fun got turned up all the way
to eleven.

i would have to say 'wow'.

these hot staffs can really dance! it was quite
interesting to actually see someone in office
dance that good.

especially this one chick. she's obviously HOT,
but my oh my, she owned that dancefloor like
she's going to be amputated tomorrow!

all the nuances of her face, the body language.

i think i'll stop describing now.

i wondered what it's like to be dancing with
them.

a hot girl from ireland,she's
new and she sat beside me at dinnertime. we
chatted throughout the night.

as time progressed, i said to her 'you
wanna dance?'

she said 'sure, let's go.'

we both set foot on the dance floor, and faced
each other. me in my baju melayu, she in her,
urm, attire.

we danced. well, at least she danced.i did some
movements that would maybe qualify as convulsions.

like i said, we danced.

afterwards, a staff from nigeria joined us.
she's a natural. like a duck takes to the water.

not bad. i had fun.

(understatement of the year)

how multinational could you get?

BLINDING 'HEAD-ACHE' / HEART-ACHE

Got me one of those migraine last night.

 

It was excruciatingly sudden. A pain in the back

of my neck woke me up at midnight.

 

I reached for my ointment, and put some on my

temple/nose. I hoped the pain would subside soon.

 

Around 3am, I'm still writhing in pain. It was hell.

I should've bought some panadol.

 

I don't know how, but I managed to fell asleep. I

thought if I was still enough, it wouldn't hurt that

much.

 

I woke up around 6, neck still a bit sore.

 

Right now, I'm still in some kind of numbness/

pain limbo hell.

 

I gots to buy some panadol today.

AYUH!

where was i? okay...

alamak baru nak tulih blog, member

ajak minum plak.

ok let's go to belgium beer cafe.

jangan mabok aa!

PERGH!

truth be told, when i was told that i'd be going to an overseas

assignment (way back in March), i was ecstatic. and nervous

as well. (walawei dah pandai guna 'as well').

but then the visa problem kept us from entering, and after a few

months, i was already jaded. i was like 'whatever', and just kept

going and doing the usual work in my department.

but when the news came that i was supposed to go this month.

i felt kind of afraid.i don't know why. it's like as if something's

wrong. maybe it's because i'm going to a new country. maybe

it's because i don't want to go.

maybe i don't want to.

but it's not me to back up on something. maybe i can find an

excuse later on, but i have to do this.

if i'm a superhero, i think this is my weakness.

anyways, to cut things short, my advance got slashed a third.

my tickes wasn't confirmed until the day before. isnin nak pi,

ahad petang terhegeh hegeh lagi kat agent kejar tiket. bab

packing jangan cerita la kan. but anyways, i still managed to

catch the flight.

tiket flight pun satu hal. kt tket tulis royal brunei, tp kat airport

depa inform kena queue kat MAS. gila. nasib baik aku tak tunggu

kat Row J. kalau terlepas flight malu kat orang kampung.

accompanying me to the airport was my mum. i was kinda sad to

leave her. if there's no one sending me off, i'd be fine. but mum's

hugging me tight, and naturally, a few tears were shed.

kesimpulannya dapat jugak naik flight. but kena lepak brunei 2 jam

transit. which is not to my liking. pasaipa? kerna rekod aku hilang

beg semasa transit sangat lah konsisten. kalau hilang time balik

tak la concern sangat. time p kalu ilang. aduii.

yep. by the time the plane arrived in brunei, i was the only guy

wearing a leather jacket. pa wau ya wau. sempat layan wifi sat

(ok jugek brunels ada wifi). nothing much to say except, the

airport tak hingat punya sama dengan airport karachi. serius.

maybe arkitek sama kut. agak old school.

the flight to perth was okay. i was surprised to see brunei airways

provide tv for the economy section. wow. the movie selection was

good. i watched a movie where adam sandler became a recluse

after he lost his family on 9/11. ada don cheadle sekali. i fell

asleep after halfway thru. ngantuk beb.

when the craft descended around 6.30pm, i can see the tangerine

horizon. that's when i realized, 'i'm in aussie'.

kind of understated.

perth perth perth. how do i descibe it. the airport's alright. the

immigration's kinda suspect. i was nervous and there was another

officer asking me questions. thank god, i could. and my bags all

arrived safely! wow. i was expecting some shit to occur at this

point, but i think God loves me.

as i was exiting the terminal, the coldness hit me. it's a bit cold.

it's winter, after all. i got to a taxi and got to holiday inn, and

i forgot to ask for the receipt. damm.

i checked in and went out afterwards, but that's another story.

the conclusion is that, i still have a hard time figuring out why

i am here.

hmm.

WHY DOES 'MY HEART'. FEEL SO BAD.

I don't know why.

Others envy me for this. I get chided all the time for this.

But moving closer to it, I feel...uneasy. Apprehensive, even.

I'm a wreck.

RUN TO THE HILLS!

Muhd Nazwan Ahmad Refa'in is gettin' married!

FUNNIEST JOKE YET

A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

keh keh keh.

ANOTHER GEM FROM MR. FERREL

Dude.

He cannot do any wrong these days.
'Blades Of Glory'?

Bellissimo.

I HAD A SKILL GAP ASSESSMENT SESSION TODAY. SEE THE EMPTY SPACE BELOW? THAT'S RIGHT. I DON'T DO WELL IN INTERVIEWS.

--
Spinach Is Nutritional,
Anwar Fahmi bin Ahmad Zaki

(Can You) Read My Mind.

Today's a lot of hectic for a sane person
to handle. I haven't read my horoscope yet
(wo.) but I think today's a good day,
filled with a lot of things to keep me from
thinking too much about things that haven't
been bothering me for the past 26 years (mcm
time kecik dulu selalu pikir ja ), which
tugged at my mind a lot these past couple of
months.

Then again, a sane person is the opposite
of an insane person. (Honestly, I wouldn't know the
difference)

The boss gave me a crazy project today. A
platform to be modified to cater for more oil
recovery. It's a, what, more than 10 years old?
Yup.

Seriously, it's an interesting project, and
I'm boring myself to death just typing about
it.

Why do I even bother to write today?

HEY LET'S GO TO THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR EXONERATION FROM HELL ( HE HE JUST KIDDING!)

Reunion secara rasmi akan diadakan pada 28/29 Julai di Teluk Dalam Resort Pulau Pangkor  ( http://www.pangkorresorts.com/ )

Sehubungan dengan itu, saya meminta jasa baik rakan2 sekelian agar dapat membuat keputusan secepat mungkin untuk menjoin benda ni sbb utk book resort tu, kita memerlukan deposit 50% sbg booking janji niaga. So diharap semua orang orang faham tentang kepentingan mencommitkan diri utk join benda ni. Kalau 1-2 ribu aku boleh dulukan duit dulu tapi dah 3-4 ribu mmg aku memerlukan komitmen member2 untuk mengesahkan kehadiran dengan membuat bayaran. Tolong faham situasi yang sukar ni....

Bayaran untuk  peserta bujang adalah RM 250 ( tiket feri pegi balik, makan pagi/tghari/bbq malam , chalet ). bilik cun ( view seaside)

Bagi yang berdua, bayaran adalah RM200 seorang (RM400 utk 2 orang ) - rebat diberi sbyk RM 100 utk meringankan beban. bilik kurang sikit la ( view garden) tapi pasangan mana yg nak bilik cantik boleh la bayar RM250/ sorang.(OPTIONAL)

So apa yg aku boleh harapkan agar kawan2 yg berkemampuan tu boleh la start buat pembayaran melalui
i) bayar duit kat member2 secara group ( cth : mie kutip kat man,jamy, joe,gg,wadi) and mie masukkan semua duit dlm akaun maybank aku
ii) sapa2 yg dok jauh boleh je masukkan terus dlm akaun maybank aku dengan menyertakan butir2 bayaran...boleh request no acc maybank kat aku privately

secara tak langsung, kita boleh commit benda ni cepat2 and menyenangkan aku menyusun bilik2 yg akan dibooking nanti.tolonglah hargai orang yg buat kerja ni...penat gak dlm dok bz2 ni,hehehe. tapi harap2 sikit la orang yg nak buat keputusan last minit...kalau semua orang nak decide last minit sbb tak mau commit duit..pening la kepala aku dol. memba2 jugak tapi aku tak larat nak layan orang last minit.

So diharap, rakan2 cepat2 la commit masa n duit demi menyenangkan pengurus reunion ini. pastu bagitau la membe2 lain yg tadak email ni....takkan aku nak call semua orang tanya sorang2. itu pun tak lawak jugak....

akhir kata, aku mintak maaf la sbb serius skit....bab duit dgn aku janji kita kena pegang beb.

senarai yg dah commit(berbayar) :
1) aku
2) syarol
3) chai

--------------------------------------------

*E-MAIL EXCERPT FROM pON.

Dudes & dudettes, let's make this 'appen
right here in Lumut, Perak Darul Ridzuan.

Can I have My Cake And Eat It Too?

Numero Uno

The Bonneville Salt Flats are a 159 square mile (412 km²) salt flat in
northwestern Utah. The depth of the salt has been recorded at 6 feet
( 1.8 m) in many areas. A remnant of the ancient Lake Bonneville of
glacial times, the salt flats are now public land managed by the Bureau
of Land Management. It is the largest of many salt flats located west
of the Great Salt Lake.

Each rainfall erases tire marks and flattens the densely-packed salt
pan that is inhospitable to plants. The area is extremely flat and nearly
aligned perfectly with the shape of Earth, allowing visitors to see the
curvature of the planet by producing an optical illusion that makes many
of the mountains within the vicinity appear to be floating in the air since
their bases are on the other side of the curve and thus out-of-sight.

Numero Dos

Salar de Uyuni (or: Salar de Tunupa) is with its 10,582 km².
(4,085 square miles) the world's largest salt flat. It is located in
the west Departmento of Potosí and of south of Oruro in southwest
Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, 3650 meters high. The major
minerals found in the salar are halite and gypsum.

Some 40,000 years ago, the area was part of Lake Minchin, a giant
prehistoric lake. When the lake dried, it left behind two modern lakes,
Poopó and Uru Uru, and two major salt deserts, Salar de Coipasa and
the larger Uyuni. Uyuni is roughly 25 times the size of the better-known
Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States.

Salar de Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt of which
less than 25,000 tons is extracted annually. All miners working in
the Salar belong to Colchani's cooperative. They work from dawn to
dusk and most of them do not take a lunch break in order to take
advantage of time, getting energy by chewing coca leaves.

Every November, Salar de Uyuni is also the breeding grounds for
three species of South American flamingos — Chilean, James's and
Andean. It is also a significant tourist destination; highlights include
a salt hotel and several so-called islands.

AWAT SEDAP SANGAT SUARA CEK NI?

I heard her voice a while ago, and ahh, it's like heavens has decided
to share some of their sweet nectars with us mere mortals, curling up
in misery.

She uttered complete sentences, then retracted to words.

And then duo-syllables . Followed by mono-syllables.

Lastly, just a vowel.

Repeatedly.

Will I ever hear her voice again?

'dah pukul berapa dah ni, aku dah nak masuk tidoq dah ni!'



Husna & Amran's Reception 26 May 2007, Parit Buntar

A Blessing from God.

Serius tak tipu. memang payah nak cari band
yang betui-betui sedap secara konsisten ni.

Memang payah.

Dah la QOTSA lambat lagi nak keluar 'era vulgaris'.

Tokojut aku time aku nampak 'era vulgaris'
kat feringgi haritu.

'serius ka ni?'.

berdebar-debar aku.

rm4 saja kan. aku pun grab la. mengalahkan
audiograbber plak (ops lawak nerd).

selepas bayar (for cd dan jugek DVD secara
pukal) terus aku berlari-lari anak ke kereta
seraya berkata dalam hati

'yes! yes!'

sejurus selepas meng-insert-kan cakera tuh
ke dalam player, aku pun tunggu-lah bunyi-
bunyian merdu....

the guitar came first.

and then a voice. unfamiliar.

'hmm?'

i forwarded to the second track.

again. the guitar and the unfamiliar voice.

it's not QOTSA!

i literally went up in flames. fucking shit.

padan jugak muka aku. he he.

my point being, good things come to those
who wait.

i think i've done enough waiting, though.

kena tunggu lagi ka?

the reason i'm wri'ing this piece 'ere is
the band that is known as....jeng jeng jeng.

the killers.

(applaud, please)

i think they're the best thing that's happening
in the world of rock right now. i can't find
enough superlatives, to be honest.

I listen to their songs and they evoke all kinds
of emotions available in my body and mind.

rasa sedih, rasa teruja gila nak pi kerja,
rasa bergenang air mata teringat kisah lama
(ops.), rasa nak tumbuk stereng kereta. rasa
nak drop gear dan overtake kereta kat depan.

rasa senak perut dengan lenguh kaki pun ada.

(apparently the last two aren't exactly emotions.)

these bands are the reason i turn up the
volume in my car at 7am every morning on my
way to work.

i feel sad whenever i couldn't enjoy music,
whenever i feel kind of hollow as those
acoustics travel through my ear canal.

Are the killers the savior of rock? honestly,
i don't know this, honestly. (ops.)

I can't say that I do (ops lagi.).Just like
most aspects in my life.

This is what I know, though. They tread a
thin line between 80s' music and their unique
sound. And they're doing it great. Excellent,
even.

I haven't even bought their original album
yet.

(boo.)

I think I might concentrate on music for a while.
Ambik sabbatical la dari menulis-mulis ni.

I have to heal something for a while.

I hope music works.

(disertakan do'a la, bro.)

So.

Here's a few songs that resonated with me
ev'ry morning.


EXITLUDE

Aggressively
we all defend
the role we play

Regrettably
time’s come to send
you on your way

We’ve seen it all
bonfires of trust
flash floods of pain

It doesn’t really matter
don’t you worry it’ll all work out

No it doesn’t even matter
don’t you worry what it’s all about

We hope you enjoyed your stay
It’s good to have you with us
even if it’s just for the day

We hope you enjoyed your stay
Outside the sun is shining
seems like heaven ain’t far away

It’s good to have you with us
Even if it’s just for the day

It’s good to have you with us
even if it’s just for the day

Outside the sun is shining
seems like heaven ain’t far away

It’s good to have you with us
Even if it’s just for the day

It’s good to have you with us
even if it’s just for the day

Outside the sun is shining
seems like heaven ain’t far away

=======================

BONES

Come with me.

We took a back road.
We’re gonna look at the stars.
We took a backroad in my car.
Down to the ocean,
it’s only water and sand
And in the ocean we’ll hold hands.

But I don’t really like you
apologetically dressed in the best
but on a heartbeat glide.

Without an answer,
the thunder speaks for the sky
and on the cold, wet dirt I cry
And on the cold, wet dirt I cry.

Don’t you wanna come with me?
Don’t you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It’s only natural.

A cinematic vision ensued
like the holiest dream.
It’s someone’s calling?
An angel whispers my name,
but the message relayed is the same:

“Wait till tomorrow,
you’ll be fine.”

But it’s gone to the dogs in my mind.
I always hear them
when the dead of night
omes calling to save me from this fight.
But they can never wrong this right.

Don’t you wanna come with me?
Don’t you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It’s only natural.
Don’t you wanna swim with me?
Don’t you wanna feel my skin
on your skin?
It’s only natural.

Never had a lover,
never had soul.
Never had a good time,
never got gold.

Don’t you wanna come with me?
Don’t you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It’s only natural.
Don’t you wanna swim with me?
Don’t you wanna feel my skin
on your skin?
It’s only natural.

Don’t you wanna come with me?
Don’t you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It’s only natural.

Come and take a swim with me.
Don’t you wanna feel my skin
on your skin?
It’s only natural

hey. it's Lii's page!

http://www.myspace.com/redblackstudio

http://www.myspace.com/liiproduction

http://redblackstudio.fotopages.com/

http://liiproduction.fotopages.com/

opocot!

Tajuddin Hussain thru the eyes of a D For'y.

Credits to Some for the excellent pics.

Thanks to Nyamuk too. He's a 'Ghost-Rice-Bearing'.

nama kumpulan: pendarahan dalaman.
hit song: jangan lupa asah pisau tu.
album out: november 2009 (kalendar ethiopia)
ahli kumpulan: mi, izrul, yap, afis (at the time of press, aliases
not yet available)

watch the band live at akar karya studio, uptown. (call dulu, ok.
nanti mai band takde, frust plak.)

gaya hidup yang tidak sihat #2.

pagi pagi layan sup daging.

cicah french toast.

cedera perut aku.

gaya hidup yang tak sihat.

serius.

beli dvd berkati-kati.

tapi kat rumah takdak dvd player.

bila masa nak tengok?

te-rima ka-seh che'gu!.

a few years back, i launched a tirade against a teacher
i didn't like.

i like most teachers, on the whole.

ustazah nurzuraida, she taught me arabic. she's
great.

when SRP came, she asked me to take it as an
additional subject. in the nicest possible way.

i declined. i don't know. maybe i was just being an
asshole.

being a good teacher, and possibly cus it wasn't
mandatory, she didn't push further.

now, when i think about it, i feel a sense of remorse.
like i wasn't fighting for the cause of arabs or something.

guilty.

so, ustazah nurzuraida, selamat hari guru. mintak
maaf banyak banyak.

saya budak baru belajar.

kalau salah tulong lah tunjok-kan.

me, my t5 and nasi dalca kapitan keling.

well, actually i had three other friends as well.

we ventured outside of komtar to get to the
supposedly 'legendary' nasi dalca kapitan keling.

of course, no one knew the shortest route there.

and, of course, we ended up near the jetty.

and little india (?), kedai mamak nama mustafa
kamal (?), and apa benda lagi ntah. last2 jumpa;

nasi dalca rahim (holy grail, aaaaa..)

taro nasik baek punya, pastu jalan2, sekali terjumpa
nasi dalca yang kitaorang aim nak pi tu.

rupa2nya silap kedai. panas gila.

untuk melayan hati yang syahdu, w'all (kat sapa aku cerita
ni, pelat semacam nih) layan la chinatown. layan jugak la
penang time malam. felong jugek a, bak kate orang muor.

pusing2 sampai berpeluh (habis air dalam badan tu) last2
sampai jugek komtar.

moral of the story: malu bertanya sesat jalan.

tepu dengan rona, tepu dengan kas-kas
(panang-paneng un saturazione a.k.a. la usurpadora)

traveling has taken its toll on my ride.

just a few weeks back, she had her shoes (tayar la)
replaced. it's been three years. i don't think she'd be
safe to drive with those old dubs.

thems set me back close to a grand. i parted with
the benjamins with sweating palms.

last week, the rear absorbers breathed their last breath
(duh..) and again we went to the 'tukang kereta'.

terap aku macam ni.

kbm's been a really reliable car. however, when i first
got together with kbm, the first impression was pretty
average.i remember on the first day, i found out that
the driver's door wouldn't shut properly and the boot
closure's alignment was way off.

way to go with proton.

yeah. we went to proton to sort it out. a few gremlins
appeared again after that. fender lining fell off.
windscreen cracks (which was not true. i was imagining things.)

now i think kbm's okay. or i'm simply just don't care.

or i've learnt to live with the imperfections. i think kbm's
taught me that important lesson. when the car was first
dented, i vaguely remember going berserk (keluar api).

yang paling lawak sekali kucing tidur atas kereta pun
kena marah. kih kih kih.

over the years (baru tiga tahun saja pun), i viewed the
dents and scratches as kbm's characters. it adds to
the overall personality. kalau dalam bahasa komik kira
belang tarung a.

now i don't even mind if there's a new scratch on the
car. basuh kereta pun dah jarang dah.

nasib baik kereta kaler itam.

but that's not the point.

the point being is, ultimately, a man, is the sum of all his flaws.

i found this somewhere, and i first poured over the meaning
because i want to disagree with it.

but, as surreal as it sounded, it does resonate with
whatever it is that's going through my mind.

a man is the sum of all his flaws.

a car is the sum of all its flaws.

i hope.

on another note, i suddenly found korean dramas
extremely addictive.

this is not good. not good at all. basically, the new-wave
of these rom-coms perfectly endear to my twisted taste
in things.

i'd like to buy the dvds but i almost shat myself when i saw
that it's rm80 for a 4-dvd box set. and it's here in
prangin mall. ingatkan kat penang murah. fuck.

apparently thems don't have any pirates in korea.
semua orang korea alim nih.

i guess i have to carve out my pound of flesh, don't i?