the story begins

Ada apa dengan blog?

2011-04-22T10:16:00.002+08:00

it's been ages since i last wrote on this sphere.

a lot has happened.

what's up? what's new?

i still run the pop up fashion + craft bazaar. i sat in the pemandu's national youth transformation lab. i now manage a band and i'm going to sit in teraju's lab next.

it was naziehah who pushed me to write again. apparently, my thoughts need to be documented? well, i just need an outlet to dump my thoughts.

we'll see how thing goes.

later.

2005

2009-10-21T23:00:00.002+08:00

Seseorang yang kita fikir adalah milik kita
Ternyata bukan benar-benar milik kita
Kita memiliki hatinya, cintanya
Tapi kita tidak memiliki jalan hidupnya

écoute moi

2008-08-28T13:44:00.009+08:00

oh, i may be ketinggalan zaman but i just found my school friend's youtube account. i like! maybe i need to fill my youtube account with my *cough* singing as well.

o_O

hey ... i too can sing ok!

anyways, ain's cover of david cook's the truth

oh miss palm reader, i amin you!

2008-08-07T12:36:00.004+08:00

so i had my palm read over the weekend.

i was told that i have mood swing ... that should explain the hyperactive/inattentive-ness. :op

apparently, i'm open minded, i think outside the box + i'm unconventional in my approaches. it was further revealed that i've got the talent of foreseeing the future ... lepas ni buat business fortune telling ah!

she said i already know what i want to do and the path is strong, so i should stick to it, only that there'll be two glitches. demmit!

a people's person, penyabar, can tolerate people, don't get angry easily but never cross the line or you'll face the wrath. whatever!

easily taken advantage of, need to do plastic surgery on the palm to remove this. :op

and this bit i like most! there's a probability i'll retire far away from here. w00t! w00t! nissi beach, here i come!!!

amin ...

di atas awan

2008-07-23T12:06:00.003+08:00

i'm in love

2008-06-17T11:27:00.002+08:00

you have to listen to 19 year old paris based irma's youtube clips. she's brilliant with the guitar + i just love her voice ...

new soul - yael naim cover

bubbly - colbie caillat cover

i'll be here

2008-05-10T17:38:00.001+08:00

thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

2008-05-05T16:13:00.004+08:00

http://pics.livejournal.com/morpheuse

http://www.youtube.com/fahmireza

the day after

2008-04-28T17:02:00.006+08:00

i had to endure a lot to get bijou bazaar back running. but thanks to old friends, they made the headache bearable. sayang diorang! :o)

a shout out to jefri (12 records, my primary school friend) + his business partner afizul, manda (jeumpa d'ramo owner, my a level friend) + elynor (bijou bazaar second wingman, my high school friend)

what's up? what's up? wednesday what's up?

2008-02-20T18:01:00.000+08:00

often, when i bumped into people or them who apparently used to read my blog decided to say hi to me, i'll be asked why i've ceased blogging. i'm always tempted to cook up some high drama explanation for it but i'll end up answering, "sekarang sebook la".

the truth is a social geek like myself would always have an internet outlet, somewhere. :op

true, facebook being one of them.

on the work front, i'm currently excited that we're working on a project with a graphic designer i've always admired, there's only one + i've mentioned him in one of my posts. i've always been told by people who has worked under him that he can a bitch, when it comes to work. i don't care, as long as i can learn from the best!

and i recently discovered that after midnight, my brain sports a 6 seconds lag. everything that can be processed in 1 second would then be processed in 6 seconds. say if you were to ask me a question, it'll take 6 seconds for me to register the question, another 6 seconds between fully registering the question + coming up with an answer. once i have an image or answer in my head, i'll need another 6 seconds to be able to verbalise them.

calling me late night for an intellectual discourse is definitely a bad, bad idea. unless you own a telco.

my IQ would also deminish tremendously, not that i'm smart to begin with. hence, the boys at pictionary would have an edge, past mindnight. you want an example? sure, i'll share one.

once i was asked to describe a place in london, of course i was excited because i've been to the stadium. it's a piece of cake. i started drawing a tennis court, a tennis racket, i even drew the ball flying path after being given a backhand stroke, complete with a sound effect. of course my partner was able to guess what it was ... "wimbeldon" she shouted. instead of being excited that she was able to guess the word i'm supposed to draw, my face turned white.

wembly stadium is not a lawn tennis stadium ... it's a football stadium. i bet i looked like the biggest bimbo ever at that precise moment, maybe i should bleach my hair blonde.

well i guess, i'm not that young anymore ...

oh ... knitting/crochet is the new yoga y'all!

Free People Valentine Craft Swap

2008-02-11T20:01:00.001+08:00

so i signed up for free people's valentine craft swap. my swap buddy, amy, is in her final year at temple university, philly. the package is already in the post + i just hope she'll like my craft. erk!

pure heart by san francisco based passion

new hair cut

2008-01-29T16:07:00.001+08:00

i wanted this

but i was given this

do you blame me for my lack of enthusiasm in styling my hair every morning? :op

oh sweet voice

2008-01-27T14:50:00.001+08:00

for some unknown reason, i love listening to 'summertime' on a sunday afternoon.

i quite like the cover by kuala lumpur based koko kaina as well, do look up for her on YouTube.

have a good week ahead.

2008 ahoy!

2008-01-07T20:42:00.000+08:00

i've been rudely woken up from my slumber.

*yawn*

during my months away, i found a real kick out of selling clothes + we've got a handful of regular customers (even yasmin ahmad is a repeat customer ... OMG!!! and thank you tiena + dzu + yati + hanis + sheryl for barter trading your cash with my clothes). am signing up for a short design course, we'll see how that goes. i've tried my hand at fashion DIY + am loving it as well. i'm now attracted to all things 80s. i've fallen in love with pictionary + am exploring articulate. huhu! am still a nerd, unfortunately.

why am i sharing this on the blog? i'm warning you of a probably change of voice in this sphere, if there's a come back.

oh well, happy 2008 blog world!

Paolo Nutini

2007-12-10T23:20:00.000+08:00

'cry me a river' cover

'crazy' cover

paolo nutini - these streets (acoustic)

i so love his collaboration with zazie - duo

p.s. erk! i'm not back yet. only that i so love his music, i wanted to have them at a place easily reached. hence, the post. i hope you'll enjoy his music as much as i do. :o)

2007-10-17T16:06:00.000+08:00

after 316 posts, Armageddon had arrived on the blog or so it seems. there are stories to tell, thoughts to share, still but i can no longer find the time to write here. probably it'll only be a short sabbatical, we'll see how things go.

you can still speak to me @ shamsuddinms@gmail.com.

:o)

2007-10-08T15:58:00.000+08:00

this, on the other hand, made me cry

2007-10-03T18:19:00.000+08:00

once again, i ask ...

when is the best time to ask for forgiveness?

once a year?

during festive seasons?

or while you still can?

i wish all of you reading a selamat hari raya filled with love, joy and forgiving.

a story began

2007-09-30T23:51:00.000+08:00

cute!

honey, i'm home!

2007-09-19T12:42:00.000+08:00

according to luna maya, nicholas saputra was in kalimantan, shooting, last weekend. there goes my dream, all shattered. yes! i seriously meant luna maya.

apparently to meet indonesian stars, you have to be real comot + busuk, if your baju smells of your cat it's even better (my baju had bunnyguy's smell + luna maya, appeared). on the day we were all stylo + wangi, complete with light make up, none of the indonesian stars made appearance. chet!

a picture of bunnyguy (who likes to sleep in bags, be it handbags, backpacks or suitcases), by emi

meet dewi sandra (yes ... that's my tangan at the corner, doing the enter frame)

meet pasto, an r'n'b group, under glenn fredly

and the shy keyboardist, we like!

to husbands, fiances, boyfriend and potentials, who may be reading: don't worry, the cowok2 gantang are all mine, the girls are innocent, they were forced against their will to come along with me. :op

the eloquence of silence

2007-09-07T19:31:00.000+08:00

switchfoot - crazy in love (beyonce's cover)

(note below: i actually love the cover version by 'world mestizo ensemble' feat. marian dacal ... but youtube doesn't have a video of it)

okidokk ... i'm all set for sunday + i certainly hope i'm all set for monday. i've prepared something for tomorrow + i think i can leave for mummy-o's place in a bit. woohoo!!! makan time ...

*salivating*

sigh! i had to postpone bangkok. i have to susun sepuluh jari, pinta ampun + maaf dari che tiena. hopefully, with the additional time, we can kompol more money, which should enable us to pack the whole chatuchak home.

assuming ceteris paribus, a bunch of us are leaving for jakarta next friday. woohoo!!!

during my first trip to jakarta, this year, we bumped into this particular bloke, who's seriously love struck, like it's written all over him. he didn't even realise that we were eavesdropping, registering word by word. :op

i later learnt that bunga citra lestari is the romantic interest.

phewwit!!!

he was practically floating in cloud nine, he queued for the wrong flight.

will we bump into him again? it would definitely be interesting, if we do.

i somehow regard jakarta as a romantic city. some of you might have rightly guessed why. i hope the hand above would answer my prayers...

ya Allah ya tuhan ku ...

let us bump into nicholas saputra + let him fall in love with me bekos i'm the only one in the group with no binding contract ... moreover, it is intriguing that we both like the same movie (cinema paradiso) + we both like the same author (haruki murakami) ... very the sesuai, don't you think? ... + the fact that he dreamt to be an architect since small, like wow!

so that with our union, we can bless the world with more cute children.

amin ... amin ya rabbal 'alamin

tabarakAllah hu mein hum

like magic only!

2007-09-03T08:39:00.000+08:00

to be honest i don’t believe in ghosts, neither do i believe in hocus pocus.

when i lost an amount of money, which could buy me a pair of good shoes from nine west, someone told us that there’s toyol in the vicinity, i allowed that explanation even though i don’t believe in it, i let everyone believed it because that’s way better than them being suspicious of each other. either way, people would learn from what happened to me + be extra careful with their money.

anyways, recently i had to send a document to a hardworking someone in rhb islamic bank, circa maghrib. as i was walking towards the lift, i saw a lady in a chiffon like long white dress walking into the lift. i followed behind her and stopped in my track right at the entrance …

errr … there was a strong gust of wind blowing out from the lift shaft

errr … the lift was dark

errr … the lady was not in the lift

ok … i know i consciously saw the lady because i thought to myself, what’s her problem pakai flowwy dress like that to an office and then she disappeared … is david blaine in malaysia?

visit palestine

2007-08-29T19:17:00.001+08:00

a perfect stranger is holding a screening at his place, i was forwarded the e-mail. i'm dying to go or at least get a copy of the documentary. watching the trailer alone was heartbreaking. :o(

ada apa dengan cinta?

2007-08-24T13:06:00.000+08:00

Razz forwarded the below, I felt like sharing it here...

An African proverb states, "Before you get married, keep both eyes open, and after you marry, close one eye."

Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let lust, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low self-esteem, make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes open, and don't fool yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as faults aren't really important.

Once you decide to commit to someone, over time his or her flaws, vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and differences will become more obvious. If you love your mate and want the relationship to grow and evolve, you've got to learn to close one eye and not let every little thing bother you. You and your mate have many different expectations, emotional needs, values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths. You are two unique individual children of God who have decided to share a life together.

Neither of you are perfect, but are you perfect for each other? Do you bring out the best in each other?

Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or do you compete, compare, and control?

What do you bring to the relationship? Do you bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain?

You can't take someone to the altar to alter him or her. You can't make someone love you or make someone stay.

If you develop self-esteem, spiritual discernment, and "a life", you won't find yourself making someone else responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain.

Manipulation, control, jealousy, neediness, and selfishness are not the ingredients of a thriving, healthy, loving and lasting relationship!

Seeking status, sex, wealth, and security are the wrong reasons to be in a relationship. What keeps a relationship strong?

Communication, intimacy, trust, a sense of humor, sharing household tasks, some getaway time without business or children and daily exchanges (a meal, shared activity, a hug, a call, a touch, a note).

Leave a nice message on the voicemail or send a nice email.

Sharing common goals and interests.

Growth is important. Grow together, not away from each other, giving each other space to grow without feeling insecure.

Allow your mate to have outside interest. You can't always be together. Give each other a sense of belonging and assurances of commitment. Don't try to control one another.

Learn each other's family situation. Respect his or her parents regardless.

Don't put pressure on each other for material goods. Remember for richer or for poorer. If these qualities are missing, the relationship will erode as resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty, and pain replace the passion.

The difference between 'United' and 'Untied' is where you put the I.

i leave you with indonesian's anugerah 2007 contestant singing mike's cover - cintakan membawamu kembali ... asal suara diye sedap ha?

have a brilliant weekend, everyone!

things i've done before turning 30

2007-08-23T07:48:00.000+08:00

a new addition ... played with the inflight safety demonstration kit ... ha! ... you all dah pernah try on those items ke?

she turned 21, yet again

2007-08-21T20:12:00.000+08:00

when we were small bapak always bring home a cake with 2 big candles + 1 small candle on mama's birthday. we were asked to sign '21st birthday' cards every single time. until one day emi asked, "mama beranak emi masa mama umur 11 tahun ek?".

happy 21st birthday, mama!

(images by emi)

Jakarta City Blues

2007-08-20T10:44:00.000+08:00

i'm falling in love all over again with jakarta indie music scene.

again, this trip, we sat @ a music store with one of them boys, going through what indonesia has to offer. the bloke was into free jazz + blues, + i discovered brilliant musicians from him. the damage? Rp. 690,000 worth of music cds. erk! (che'fara, i haven't forgotten my promise to you. will reply to your mail the soonest.)

i just love the fact that even in the 24 hours mc donolds they had a musician plucking an acoutic guitar; not just any syok sendiri plucking, ada soul ok!

if you don't already know him, meet indra aziz with 'jakarta city blues'

and tika, a fashion accessories designer, who has done back up singing for lauryn hill, with 'you belong to me'

but somehow, it was this song that mummy-o + myself kept singing, again and again ...

have a brilliant week ahead!

p.s. dvds bajakan are only RM 2.40 in jakarta y'all

i'm lovin it

2007-08-15T19:43:00.000+08:00

i think i'm madly in love with what i'm trying to do now. i just wish i had the 'balls' to jump into it earlier, when i had more energy.

nowadays, i go home dead knackered.

tell me, who wakes up at 3 or 4 a.m. still in their work clothes, three mornings in a row? on the first morning, i came home, ate a rambutan, sat on the couch ... the next thing i know it was 3:15 a.m. + i had the biji rambutan in my mouth still. :op

i'll be back from jakarta sunday morning. see y'all soon!

interesting ...

2007-08-12T21:57:00.000+08:00

i have this problem where i want things done fast. if i sense slow-mo-ness, i'll jump in + try help speed things up.

so i last saturday, due to accute slow-mo-ness in sight i dived in to help carry tables hoping that it'll speed things up. i zoomed in and out a shopping centre carrying tables.

when suddenly ...

jeng! jeng! jeng!

a voice went ...

jeng! jeng! jeng!

"tu laa dik, mak suruh belajar rajin-rajin, tak nak"

phewwit!!!!!

the guy actually called me "dik"!!!!! jangan marah y'all!

i leave you with float - 3 hari untuk selamanya OST

i'm off to *cough* jakarta again ... woohoo!!!

yup! i love jakarta that much! :o)

housemates

2007-08-08T18:33:00.000+08:00

seronok rupa2nya ada housemate photographer ... posing sokmo!

studio: emi's bilik tido
model: bibots
agent (for both model + photographer): wegra

the wedding

2007-08-06T13:32:00.000+08:00

the wedding went well, we had fun.

i didn't manage to buy a new attire, we made do with what we have. su cantik volunteered to do my make up for my wedding (when ever that is) if i loose 10 kg, i.e. if i get back to a uk size 6 ... canteek laa su!!!

i didn't know iskandar ibrahim is a rather animated character, i've always thought photographers are a passive and shy lot. his two years serious wedding photography produced a three months old nissan skyline gt-r ... pergh! hemsem siot!!! ... the car ofkos. i need to seriously consider a career change. :op

anyways, i'll upload wedding images once we get them from iskandar or my brother.

later later folks!

membebel

2007-08-02T10:23:00.001+08:00

izan's wedding is this weekend + i'm stressed out.

apparently baju maid of honour is too lucah + to make matter worst, there's protocol istana. why didn't they decide that it was lucah when they bought the kain? i'm not sure if i have time to cari a new baju before the wedding because office work is killing me too.

can i leave the problem here + come back to it, after i'm done with work?

to be continued ...

2007-07-30T18:40:00.000+08:00

immediately

i was 25 minutes late for 'the simpsons' ... d'oh!

i tried to wrap up early, but you don't chase customers out do you?

post 'the simpsons' teh tarik session ...

anyways, good week ahead peeps!

p.s. Forever 21 is being sued by singer and designer Gwen Stefani for infringement on designs from her L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers line ... cepat beli the baju yang diorang copy!!! :op

my simpsons avatar

2007-07-25T19:11:00.000+08:00

meet my simpsons avatar called wegra ... ye! ye!

you can create your own avatar @ www.simpsonsmovie.com ... ye! ye!

then you can post it on your blog ... ye! ye!

esok the simpsons kuar ... ye! ye!

i was just on the phone with daddy-o ... ye! ye!

esok daddy-o's getting the tickets ... ye! ye!

he better get the kapel's seats ... ye! ye!

i'm going with a dirty dozen ... ye! ye!

after that we can memburuk lantak ... ye! ye!

after memburuk lantak, i'll komplen why i haven't loss any weight ... ye! ye!

then i'll remember i haven't been dieting or exercising anyway ... ye! ye!

then i'll panic because next week is izan's wedding ... opocot!!! ... ye! ye!

i don't know why i'm this euphoric ... ye! ye!

mabbe bekos i'm 'meeting' bart ... ye! ye!

like the simpsons is my favouritest-test-test cartoon ... ye! ye!

you have a brilliant weekend ... ye! ye!

music and i

2007-07-23T18:31:00.000+08:00

"ya and her music", bapak used to complain.

during my last trip to jakarta, i bought 20 music CDs + 3 DVDs. in the process, we made friends with the boys at the music store in eX + hung out hours listening to CDs by current indonesian artistes, discussing indonesian films before izan decided she was hugry.

oh ya! when you go to a shopping mall like senayan city in jakarta, make sure you dress up all stylo, in full make up, with your hair nicely done. leave your crocs + havaianas for tanah abang or mangga dua. trust me, you have to listen to this piece of advice or you'll regret it!

the three of us went to senayan city in our tees, capri pants + slippers. as we entered the mall, we made a big u-turn out. after pulling the courage, we walked back in. it was like being at a catwalk, we felt out of place.

after a while, zurra nudged me + asked me to look to my left. finally, we spotted people sharing the same fashion sense - two helpers taking care of a few kids for their ma'am, who's shopping in coach.

yikes!

zurra noted, my decision to buy a CD is not solely based on the music but the cover design as well. so, if you want to sell your album to impulsive buyers like me, make sure you cover design is attractive. bila sampai rumah baru menyesal ...

:op

i wanna share a song by mocca with you - 'i remember'

have a brilliant week ahead, peeps!

Tiena's Tag

2007-07-20T19:43:00.000+08:00

I haven’t been bloghopping, last night I found out that Ti.e.na tagged me (I left messages, but I didn't read proper). Apparently, for each meme done, a total of RM 127 will be contributed to Darul Izzah Orphanage, Bangi. The tag was started by Idham and passed over to fellow bloggers. Betul ke?

If it’s true, then here’s mine.

1) A person is only as good as their background?

2) Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity

3) To love is to accept and embrace

4) Money makes me nervous

5) I miss Brighton

6) My way of saying I care is by doing what’s best for the other

7) I try to spread love and happiness by smiling and acknowledging

8) Pick the flowers when they’re dead?

9) To love someone is to be less about self

10) Beauty is an ecstasy, it is as simple as hunger

11) When I was thirteen, what I remember the most was making Mahsuri (Red House) loose one mark because widie + myself saw cats making out during silent hour

12) When i was twenty one, what I remember the most was the haemorrhage; when they were wheeling me to the operating theatre, I asked the gasman (what do you call them?) if we could do an ER-ish scene, so they started running and fussing over me, making up diagnosis

13) I am most happy when I’m with family and friends

14) Nothing makes me happier when I see people happy

15) If I can change one thing, I will change TQ 5050 into a Chevrolet Camaro SS

16) If smiles were gold then I'll be a ‘gold’ digger

17) Wouldn't it be nice if we could travel the world and not worry about our responsibilities back home

18) If you want to French me, I French you back with my broken French?

19) Money is not everything but everything needs money today

20) The most touching moments I have experienced is when someone wrote a song for me and sang it, and when my 4N classmates surprised me with a brown Gap cap with a note 'love you lots' on the inside, on my birthday, somehow i was really terharu then.

21) I smile when I see people happy

22) When I am happy, I don’t feel hungry

23) If only I don't have to work to pay bills but work for a passion

24) The best thing I did yesterday was playing make believe with my brother melakonkan watak orang kreatif and window dressed a shop, it turned out really good, didn’t know my brother’s that brilliant

25) If I ever write a book, I will give it this title “senandung suralaya”

26) One thing I must do before I die is do everything on my before I die to do list

27) Doing the meme, I feel like I’ve wasted 17 minutes :op

I’d like to read how Miss-Cream + Mummy-o + Stupe + Muz finish them sentences. Fire away!

riding the bajaj

2007-07-18T20:24:00.000+08:00

that's precisely how we were on the bajaj, or bajai as it's pronounced, throughout the journey to tanah abang. me being me, i had to exaggerate the shake, which had worsen the ride. :op

oh ya, meet my travel partners - izan + zurra.

the only reason i get to travel on a bajaj was both my travel partners were running low on cash + we couldn't draw money through our maybank debit card (because we did not inform the bank that we were travelling to jakarta) + we forgot our credit card's pin number (actually, i threw my pin number in the bin ages ago for fear of what i might do if i have it). teehehehe!!!

woohoo!!! i had a blast riding the bajaj, i find them fun!

if you don't already know what a bajaj is, it's the bright orange + noisy three-wheeled motorcycle-like vehicles you see scattered all over the streets of jakarta. the 'retro' mode of transportation first became popular in india where they were developed with vespa + later adopted by + built in indonesia. what is known as bajaj in indonesia are known as rickshaw in africa, moto taxi in peru + of course, tuk tuk in the neighbouring thailand.

it's the cheapest + fastest mode of travelling in jakarta, i believe. if you're doing a short distance travel, it's also the kindest way of travelling (the persistent macet in jakarta would mean it'll take ages to reach your destination + the taxi driver would only get peanuts from the time spent driving).

the ride was hot + noisy + smelly + bumpy + heart stopping; all in all a grand adventure. i loved it when my bajaj driver decided to flip a u-turn in the middle of the road + when he ignored the red light at a junction, and zig zag thru cars to cross the flow of traffic + when he went on the curb and squeezed between a sand lorry and a lamp post to avoid the macet.

if you can't afford a roller coaster holiday, i highly recommend going to jakarta for bajaj rides.

malaysian invasion ... eh?

2007-07-11T00:04:00.000+08:00

i'm curious ... what do you see in this picture?

a convergence?

... or ...

an invasion?

perhaps a blasphemy? :op

or maybe you don't understand what i'm referring to ...

izan just rang ... told me to not fong fei kei on her ... aiyeh! ... macam boleh baca my mind je ... lucky the flight has been postponed to 11 p.m. i hope i get to finish all that needs to be done + hand over weekend tasks to my office mate before i leave.

gulp!

was at yan + lin's wedding on sunday. saw allya's parents seated at the main table. after the dinner, i ran towards them to say 'hi' but immediately they were surrounded by peeps wanting to shake hands with them, so i decided to make a big u-turn. erk!

they had indonesian songs throughout the wedding - tompi, glenn fredly, maliq and d'essentials + others. but somehow, this song stuck ... 'tercipta untukku' - ungu

have a good weekend, y'all!

bee-otch

2007-07-08T14:59:00.000+08:00

i was at the movies again this weekend, with agus + mummy-o + enche dadad + razz + riz + aboy ... we saw die hard 4.0 in cineleisure + transformers again at the imax.

i learnt a new word as well - penggodam, from agus. apparently it's malay for hackers + it's been around for the past 10 years. i also learnt that 'spongebob' is actually a coral (that explains everything then).

hey! i practice live long learning ok ... on useless stuff.

:op

got 11 DVDs while waiting for mummy-o's phone call, friday eve. one of them being 'driving lessons', a charmingly offbeat coming of age british flick. the story revolves around ben - an uptight, friendless 17-year-old with an overprotective christian mom + a job helping out a wacky self proclaimed grand dame who is on the skids + prefers shakespeare to the catechism.

well, i quite like 'driving lessons'.

anyways, riz suggested a rollercoaster holiday, which enche dadad + myself seconded. if we're doing the trip, i look forward to getting the goofiest picture on the ride (even if it means having to go on the ride again + again) to add to my exisitng collection.

lets yok moh jom!

a reminder to self

2007-07-03T19:34:00.000+08:00

if you can keep your head when all about you
are losing theirs and blaming it on you
if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
but make allowance for their doubting too
if you can wait and not be tired by waiting
or being lied about, don't deal in lies
or being hated, don't give way to hating
and yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise

if you can dream - and not make dreams your master
if you can think - and not make thoughts your aim
if you can meet with triumph and disaster
and treat those two impostors just the same
if you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
or watch the things you gave your life to, broken
and stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools

if you can make one heap of all your winnings
and risk it on one turn to pitch-and-toss
and lose, and start again at your beginnings
and never breathe a word about your loss
if you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
to serve your turn long after they are gone
and so hold on when there is nothing in you
except the will which says to them, 'hold on!'

if you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue
or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you
if all men count with you, but none too much
if you can fill the unforgiving minute
with sixty seconds' worth of distance run
yours is the earth and everything that's in it
and - which is more - you'll be a man, my son!

you do know them but when you're entangled in the web you can actually forget.

sapa leh teka the title + author to this piece of poetry, i bagi sepuluh sen!

i feel like leaving you with red hot chilli pepper's my friends

take care of each other + yourself.

transformers

2007-07-02T00:36:00.000+08:00

'spiderman 3' + 'pirates of the caribbean: at world's end' + 'fantastic four: rise of the silver surfer', had left me leaving the hall unsatisfied. imagine how nervous i was stepping into the hall of my most anticipated movie, after three relatively bad experiences.

for mankind, us six stooges (read: mummy-o + daddy-o + raz + riz + en emi + meself) caught 'transformers' at 1:00 a.m.

if there is really a child inside every man, the latest actioner has the key to unleash the child within. the film is spectacularly loud + hugely entertaining + dorky cool. the plot lines were kept simple, but the snarl of action had kept me planted at the edge of my seat, even my in-case-of-an-emergency-strong-coffee was barely touched. be warned though, the movie is laced with some corny moments. yucky yucky!

honestly, this is the most fun i had at the movies, all year. 'transformers' is definitely movie of the year. i presumed the audience who saw the movie with me are on the same page on this since they applaud after the show.

i highly recommend 'transformers'!

p.s. mr dadad, it was 'to punish and enslave' instead of 'to serve and protect' on the police car, sharp eh your eyes.

the bleeding child within

2007-06-28T20:02:00.000+08:00

'the bleeding child within' is a title of the book vivienne freeman didn't get to write ...

‘snow cake’ is a charming indie film; a collaboration between british + canadian productions. sigourney weaver gave a stellar performance in the flick as linda freeman, an autistic lady, alternating between off putting brashness, engaging honesty + bursting of spontaneous, childlike behaviour.

the movie is character-focused, precise in its arc + just roomy enough to let its performers breathe expand at the languid pace the material demands. it is funny, quirky (in a good way) + ultimately uplifting.

if you like ‘beautiful mind’ or ‘by hook or by crook’, you may like ‘snow cake’.

oh ... and i love the tracks in 'snow cake'!

"same deep water as me" - i am kloot
"alright now” - free
"notteru ondo" - japanese folk song
"deep in the heart of texas" - sigourney weaver
"northern lad" - tori amos
"just looking" - stereophonics
"anthems for a seventeen year old girl" - broken social scene
"let it die" - feist
"hello sunshine" (Radio Edit) - super furry animals

so i leave you with hello sunshine by super furry animals.

have a good weekend y'all!

this weekend, i'm doing 'transformers' with a bunch of excited 28 year olds (tak mengaku 29 tu) ... transformers ... more than meet the eyes! woohoo!!!

i love you optimus prime!

and sapa berani ... gwen stefani @ 21 august 2007, lets yok jom!

she's chuffed to bits, innit

2007-06-27T00:59:00.000+08:00

i'm knackered, yet i'm chuffed to tiny bits!

remember last year, when i was going to jakarta, i kept on humming 'antara anyer dan jakarta' + i was real high.

i'm humming the song again + i'm buzzing. astro aruna has now become my closest friend (though i claim i had to give in to bapak, who loves the channel) with cecep from sinetron 'wah cantiknya!!', my latest muse. :op

i can't verbalise what's going on inside but i hope you'll like glenn fredly's cukup sudah. :o)

a certain someone rang me yesterday to remind me. woohoo!!! can't wait for 12 july + 07 september!

note to the other two monkeys: please don't forget to do your homework (hint: bangkok). ampun ya che tiena, i think i've been a gerhana ska cinta friend (i think i've gerhana ska cinta-d to a few friends too), do get well soon.

happy wednesday, peeps!

bumi manusia

2007-06-24T10:52:00.000+08:00

to me 'babel' is pure genius.

i can stare at the movie over and over again, and still be amazed at the delivery.

the movie focuses on four interrelated sets of situations + characters, with many of the events revealed out of sequence, all imminently coming toward each other + coalescing as the movie progresses. its mishmash-ed story threads is not a surprise, since 'babel' is directed by the same auteur who gave us '21 grams'.

i've been thinking, it has long been an axiom of the media that bad news sells. given a choice between a mass murder and the construction of a hospital, most people will be drawn towards the massacre. to sell titles, even if its a broadsheet, the press sensationalise bad news, at least in malaysia (zuhri may come to the publishing community's defence just about now, if he reads this).

:op

fine, reporting bad news may be a public duty; but choosing worst case scenarios all the time indicates another motive or agenda. a hint to my dear readers: a worried society is a divided society; anxiety is easier to control than confidence (be careful when met with a persistant war monger).

'babel' subtly depicts the current world climate; much of humanity is returning to the days of witches, anti-christ, and self-willed apocalypse, when most of humanity is actually just trying to make a living.

is there really a terrorist threat?

since 9/11, many western leaders insist that international terrorism is the greatest threat to world security, but the evidence simply does not support this claim. come on ... how can iraq, a country which had suffered years of 'resolution 661' by un security council, create or maintain even its weapons of mass destruction.

what's unfortunate, the so-called war on terror would only spawn new, real terror. don't you think? if only the international muslim community could learn from the american history, specifically the demonisation of the african americans, maybe then we wouldn't fall into the trap.

criticism is prejudice made plausible. mencken said "for every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong". i reckon there are some truth in that, i may be wrong too. menyesal tak buang masa baca this post?

teehehehe!!!

by the way, if you're looking for something to do, drop by galeri petronas for masnoor ramli mahmud's 'bumi manusia' exhibition of paintings with photographic images, which is currently on until 15 july 2007 at the gallery located in suria klcc, on level 3.

the title to the exhibition reminded me to one of pramoedya ananta toer's earlier work, sharing the same title. pramoedya's work has always been intense + there's always a vein of bitterness going through his plots. but reading 'bumi manusia', was like being pushed into a corner while the world was closing in on you. so when i finished, i felt as if i’d just been released from a menacing prison. i walked out, and never went back.

*tiba2 i see myself escaping the cells with michael scofield in prison break*

hi handsome!

maybe i was too young when i initially read it, maybe i misunderstood 'bumi manusia', maybe it's time to revisit.

have a good week ahead, peeps!

very funny, or just peculiar

2007-06-20T20:59:00.000+08:00

last month, cambridge university announced that it will be offering courses in etiquette.

you can chart the decline of human civilisation quite nicely in what a generation thinks necessary to teach. goodbye iliad + nash equilibrium, hello elbows off the table + don't pick your nose in public.

we're turning back into monkeys, and cambridge knows it.

so, a question i'd like to pose here: how monkey-nised are we, malaysians?

well, i don't know, you tell me.

i bought this book out of curiousity, over the weekend. londonstani is the debut novel of gautam malkani, a 30-year old not bad looking editor at london's financial times.

phewwit!

and most importantly, the back cover of the book went to describe, "no matter how much jas tries, though, it isn't enough to sleep with (wait for the ayat penting) seriously fit *cough* Samira ..."

maka ... terpaksa beli buku tersebut.

it is necessary to begin with a declaration of biases: je deteste sms shorthand.

it makes me shudder, even when i see it on the screen of a mobile phone (i'll go on a shooting rampage if anyone start sending shorthand texts). i reckon different vernaculars are best conveyed by capturing the choice of diction rather than through spelling words phonetically to convey accents.

so, opening a book to find sentences such as "your glasses r so smashed up u can't count? shud've gone 2 specsavers, innit. how many a us bredren b here?" sets off shrill alarm bells in my head.

neno! neno!

neno! neno!

neno! neno!

londonstani tells a story about certain myths of masculinity that both attract and weigh upon young men, warping their relationship with the world. the novel takes a shotgun approach, blending cultures and aphorisms and pop references at digital speed. the trouble with dumping so many things in a book is that it fractures the reading experience.

nonetheless, i have a sneaking suspicion that londonstani makes a fine novel - for younger male readers, who are familiar with the cockney accent. give this book to 17-year-olds who think novels are musty entities with no bearing on their lives, and you may well find them responding with huge enthusiasm.

in many ways, londonstani is audacious. however, the bloke-ish novel didn't work for me; londonstani makes a good sleeping pill.

sapa nak pinjam?

+ update 22.06.2007+

i feel like posting a song, so here's 'perpisahan' by anuar zain ... cik pms would know the reason behind that song choice

have a good weekend, y'all!

britain's got talent

2007-06-16T10:06:00.000+08:00

yes, agus. you're absolutely right. thanks to a lead from a friend, i've been spying "britain's got talent" itv programme. :o)

my favourites from the show:

british beatboxing talents from leeds - crew 82, they've been around + been touring the uk but haven't broken into the main stream. now they've invaded "britain's got talent".

they're brilliant!

i went bonkers listening to them.

ch-ch-check them out!

but it was kombat breakers, the talents from coventry who brought tears to my eyes. sebab pernah work with kids like them kot gwe emosi terlebih or perhaps, what simon said to them about being incredible role models.

... and adorable george with his aspiration ...

... bessie curzon's audition as well. she's definitely a west end material.

i just love damon scott's bubbles .... rather hilarious!

but you have to listen to the blingest grandma rap! ... she's funny as well.

if you're not familiar with free running, here's a group of free runners from essex who auditioned. free running was inspired by parkour, an art of movement, which was born in france. if you noticed in the introduction to the movie "casino royale", there was this dude running, freeflowing around urban constructions, he adopted parkour techniques.

the mancunians were embracing the parkour + free running movement, as i was leaving the city centre. so the boys in this clip brought back memories.

anyways, good weekend + good week ahead, y'all!

+ updated 18.06.07 + the programme ended on sunday + paul potts, the carphone warehouse singer below, won!

+ updated 19.06.07 + a quickie update, i missed the post stupe had on his alumni dinner, got my picture below! phewwit! as usual, i songlap the picture sesedap hati without permission. :op

hi stupe! good to see you + wifey again. can't believe ryan is 10 kg @ 7 months old!

awesome talent

2007-06-15T08:59:00.000+08:00

i was reduced to tears, the carphone warehouse salesman blew me away. check him out!

+ update +

azean irdawati is down with breast cancer + is short of cash for the mastectomy operation. if you or anyone you know wish to chip in + help out. buzz me for her details.

no storm lasts forever

2007-06-13T06:56:00.000+08:00

"badai pasti berlalu" is a remake of 1978 indonesian movie with the same title. the original movie was directed by teguh karya, and teddy soeriaatmadja directs the remake.

it tells a story about siska, who's heart was broken once when her fiancé cheated on her + since, she had turned bitter + cold towards men. when she pulls her courage to love again, she got hurt-ed again, and again ... kesian.

the director tried to fit too much into the 90 minutes, he failed to allow siska's story with helmi, a conman, grow, so much so i forgot to hate helmi. one scene in this remake reminded me of "cinema paradiso", well it's actually an exact photocopy of the scene from "cinema paradiso". kantoi!!!!

hehe!

if you girls want something light on a lazy sunday afternoon, i'd recommend the movie (not for the boys, they would tear their hair out watching the flick ... but brucie should see the movie, since the door to his heart had been bulldozed, i bet he can 'feel'). i wouldn't recommend mummy-o see this film though, bekos she'll definitely use up all tissue papers in the house. :op

another reason i think "badai pasti berlalu" would appeal to most readers, especially them who appreciate all things beautiful is vino goivanni bastian ...

owh!

sapa nak pinjam DVD (original ok, not bajakan) to drool over vino sila register diri di sini (this offer applies to both boys + girls).

:op

ipang - 'ada yang hilang' from OST Realita, Cinta, dan Rock 'n' Roll.

feng tau nation

2007-06-11T15:18:00.000+08:00

i haven't been doing any feng tau since the salem genting rave party in 2004. al-maklum, dah tua. last saturday, kawan punya pasal, i feng tau-ed. that same evening (or morning, rather), i made another record ... things i've done before turning 30 now includes berbaring di tengah jalan, bersebelahan one utama + lari lintang pukang apabila kerata datang menghampiri. a moral police, upon reading my post, may group me with the others in feng tau nation + label us as 'rosak akhlak' or 'social'. a cool snob may cringe at the confession of my latest things-i've-done-before-turning-30 input.

i on the other hand, i don't think its fair to judge people by them superficials. what's important to me is that a person have a good heart, they have the best intentions + they don't intentionally hurt others.

live life to the fullest (how ever you define it)!

kaer - 'izin ku pergi'

be careful what you wish for ...

2007-06-08T23:43:00.000+08:00

thursday evening, thinking that i was hilariously funny (yes! i know, au contraire ... like daftness to the core), i wrote these lyrics on cik pms's comment box ...

i'm going to find a grill to close my heart,
from the ugly and the hurt,
that can come from people you care most,
i'm going to find the grill,
and call a locksmith,

mmm tak mmm mmm tak <- beatboxing

scratch! scratch! scratch! <- garu tangan

this morning, i was locked out of office. thanks very much to her royal highness (read: myself) leaving her set of keys inside the office, the night before.

the office clan had gone straight to cyberjaya, putrajaya + bangi. i had to prepare for an 11 a.m. + 3 p.m. ... having considered all options, the best solution would be to call the locksmith.

and so i called a locksmith... no, i did not fix any grill on my heart.

lesson learnt:

be careful what you wish for
'cause you just might get it all
you just might get it all
and then some you don't want
be careful what you wish for
'cause you just might get it all
you just might get it all, yeah

sekian, untuk makluman.

life, interrupted

2007-06-07T18:21:00.000+08:00

the last time i saw zt was when wes borland was here + that was a few days before my hair went 'frizzy'.

zt came home for a week, last week, to pack baby zaara off to the uk. she managed to squeeze us into her tight schedule last thursday.

hung out with mummy-o + daddy-o both friday + saturday evenings, the lepak sessions was laced with giggle-fest + fart-fest ... err ... did i just say, fart-fest? you know, when you're no longer a semi-alien, why do friends' boyfriend + hubby burp + fart + snore freely when you're a guest? (and i'm not talking about daddy-o)

for the record, since i was brought up to be prim + proper, i was badly traumatised by the assault ok!

*sniffle*
we saw noryn aziz at alexis + most importantly "pirates of the carribean: at world's end".

OMG!!! will turner is very the hemsem!!! especially when he was at flying dutchman's helm. will must perform his duty for 10 years at sea, not allowed to set foot on land until the 10 years are up. i think if i were elizabeth, i'd be ok with the arrangement.

*berangan*
to me the latest instalment of the pirates of the carribean delivers its 'umph!' only at the final hour (time tu laa nak pegi loo! demmit!), the earlier parts were rather gorged + self-indulgent. nonetheless, the movie was wildly entertaining.

saw "hors de prix" with tiena + agus on sunday, not before having to suffer dave's deli food + getting confused because an absent someone decided to get emotional. i recommended the movie because i've seen many of audrey tautou's work + she's always been brilliant, so you can never go wrong with one of her movies.

from the poster, the title (’priceless’) and the opening credits, there is no mistaking that you are about to watch some light romantic comedy. in the style of quatre etoiles, we get to see audrey tautou playing the cynical seductress in a world of superficial wealth.

hors de prix is the cinema equivalent of that timeless fascination with watching the little bubbles in your glass of champagne as they rise; you know where it’s going, you know where it comes from, but it seems like magic none the less.

chop! i know because i've worked in a restaurant + bar tendered (back at university); in simple english i don't drink!

:op

i leave you with 'kangen' by maliq + d'essentials

p.s. there's a wedding this weekend ... imran + asma are tying the knot + don't have anything in lilac. erk ... shopping time!!!!

i know what you did last weekend

2007-06-04T23:41:00.000+08:00

originally uploaded by riz ainuddin, songlap-ed without permission by wegra.

i want to wish daddy-o a happy birthday!

didn't have the chance to wish him today, dok run around macam orang gila, baru now i get to sit + take a breathe (tammau call now, takoot interupt his hot date ngan mummy-o), but i know he secretly reads my blog + both him + mummy-o won't bocorkan my 'shining black + bling2 gold' rahsia. hep!!!! shhh!!!!!

so happy birthday, da-dad!

yang benar,

the forever21 kak wegra (to arina)

dilemma menambah sampah sarap menyemak bilik

2007-05-30T20:04:00.000+08:00

i may project the 'impulsive buyer' front to others, but i'm actually not. probably it depends on what is it i want to buy.

it took me ages + i'm still contemplating over the new 'toyboy' i supposedly want. now, i'm presented with a new offer. if i want a mamiya rb67 pro sd, my brother is willing to split the cost 50-50.

*sigh*

seagull 4a-109 idaman kalbu ...

ke patut tunggu someone fly to japan + kirim rolleiflex mini digi, the miniaturised digital replica of rolleiflex 2.8f. that way i can experiment with tlr still, albeit digital + tak yah pakai film + medium format output gaks + if i don't like what i capture, i can delete + leh terus upload gambar to my blog macam biasa. tapi 3.1 mega pixels je laa pulak ...

(banyak songeh tak?)

owh ... sungguh dilemma ...

but then ... mad-mi's coming home on 22 june, i still have time to think.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm ...

i leave you with a snippet from a tv gig 'def poetry jam' feat. lauryn hill - 'motives + thoughts'

as a man thinketh

2007-05-29T16:20:00.000+08:00

one. we are who we meet; there's us in every single soul who crosses our path in our journey.

two. people are our mirrors; we love or hate people because of what we respectively admire or despise in ourselves.

i guess, before we throw a bitch-fest in honour of someone we loathe, we ought to take a step back to look at ourselves. more often than not, we'll see a glint of us in them we despise. and that's not even the scary part. our definition of another person's behaviour or body language may not truly reflect their personal intention but our intention when wearing that same behaviour or body language.

entah lah ... perhaps not?

what thinketh you?

i have this special phobia of them snobs, does that mean i'm guilty of snobbery + that i donch like the snob in me?

mind is the master power that moulds and makes,
and man is mind, and evermore he takes
the tool of thought, and, shaping what he wills,
brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:
he thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
environment is but his looking-glass.

b shorty et caleb cunningham - 'we came to get down'

just so pinat tak kacau my blake, here's chris richardson singing 'change the world'

a good morning in vietnam

2007-05-28T01:10:00.000+08:00

i was told the best way to experience hanoi is to wake up early, that's exactly what i did.

i crackled into action at 6 am sharp, the locals were already limbering up.

i went strolling, absorbing hanoi's old quarter.

vietnam is one of the world's largest coffee exporting nation, but their production is largely focused on poor-quality beans for export as a commodity. coffee was introduced into vietnam by french colonists in the late 19th century.

i planned to greet the new day over strong traditional vietnamese coffee. "ca phe sua nong" literally means 'hot milk coffee'. armed with "a short history of tractors in ukrainian" by marina lewycka, i head for the nearest cafe.

i was very the eksyen that morning; i asked for a "black coffee, no sugar please. thank you." (pfft!)

the waitress looked at me wierd.

when i took my first sip ... umaaakkkkkk aiiiiii!!! the coffee was real strong, like mata boleh juling intensely strong.

it was ca phe sua nong for me, after.

:op

the vietnamese approach to coffee making is unique. for those on the run who slurp on starbucks or coffee beans, this kind of coffee may seem a throwback to a more leisurely era. ordering a cup of vietnamese coffee can make a japanese tea ceremony look speedy.

the coffee is brought to the table in an espresso sized cup but there is no coffee in it. instead, a metal container is perched on top and the espresso sized cup is one-third filled with condensed milk.

do you know how condensed milk came about?

condensed milk hearkens to a time when there was no refrigeration + stored milk was only available sold in cans. it was condensed to make shipping more efficient + once opened, was thinned with water for drinking or cooking.

the milk served with vietnamese coffee a.k.a. sweetened condensed milk was undiluted; thick, sweet + rich (similar to the way some of us still prepare our hot drinks with milk).

the metal container sitting on top of the espresso sized cup has two parts, the bottom half is filled with darkly roasted finely ground coffee. although two to three tablespoons of ground coffee per cup is common, it does not seem that this much coffee is used because it is compressed between two filters. hot water is poured on top + it slowly seeps through the coffee + drips onto the milk; this takes awhile. and this is not a drink to gulp.

i managed to cover half a chapter while waiting for the coffee to drip through.

loosening the lid a little will let the water run through the coffee quicker but the flavour will be weaker. as the coffee drips, it hardly disturbs the milk. there is a thick layer of white, another black + a little froth at the top. remove the metal filter + stir the layers together. the result has the texture of a good espresso + a caramel sweetness with a flavour close to good coffee ice cream.

the marriage of sweet thick milk + intense bitter coffee is sublime. each, on its own, is too intense to be enjoyed. the milk is too cloying, the coffee too strong. there is a classic yin + yang vying for attention + needing just a stir of the spoon to create an extraordinary balance.

peralatan untuk minum kopi tradisi vietnam

1. french traditional one cup coffee filter
2. demitasse spoon
3. espresso cup with saucer (untuk parking demitasse spoon)

bahan-bahan eksesori minuman kopi yang diperlukan

1. sweetened condensed milk
2. white sugar (bagi mengelakkan kejadian renjatan berlaku)

apparently, the french roast style coffees are an excellent substitute for the traditional brewing method adopted by the vietnamese.

+ i don't want to sleep alone +

late saturday evening, cik pms + myself decided to gamble + just go for whatever movie available. we saw "i don't want to sleep alone", a malaysian movie, surprise, surprise ... at least for us, directed by tsai ming-liang, who was born in kuching + made his fame in taiwan.

a minimalist flick; there's barely any dialogue but with hints of social realism. the theme is about human relationship + the need for man to find love, warmth + someone they can depend on. the movie moves very slowly, lingering on each shot sometimes for one or two minutes, probably trying to get that hypnotic effect but it didn't work for me, i couldn't 'feel' (ke pasal ada this giggling machine seated next to me?). according to baki, it was initially banned in malaysia, but the producer fought to get the film in cinemas. he further divulged a not so secret, secret that one of the actors, norman atun, was selling goreng pisang when he was spotted by tsai to be the star on his project.

the director's style has a lot of similarity with another asian auteur i've recently got 'acquainted with', apichatpong weerasethakul (the director of 'mysterious object at noon' + 'blissfully yours' + 'tropical malady' + 'syndromes and a century' ... i know, i very the ketinggalan zaman). both are masters of visual poetry + mise-en-scene + both are quiet in style, tortured souls as cik pms calls them.

the storyline? it's showing in cineleisure, go check it out.

p.s. i suddenly have 'ain't no sunshine' playing in my head ... i love the cover by freddie king

girl, interrupted

2007-05-24T19:47:00.000+08:00

Swing by Avenue K on Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur from 25 May to 25 June 2007 as British Council showcases some of the best of the UK’s design talent in a new exhibition entitled ‘Love & Money: the best of British design now’.

Love & Money features projects and designers that balance commercial success with the invention and experimentation for which Britain’s creative industries are internationally renowned. From Jaime Hewlett (Gorillaz), Rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto) to Zaha Hadid (winner of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture in 2004), the exhibition features a selection from across the range of the design industry, reflecting the best of UK’s talent in fashion, graphics, furniture and product design, architecture and engineering.

The exhibition is curated and organised jointly by the British Council and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and co- presented with the Malaysian Design Council (MDC). Sponsors include Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) and venue sponsor, Avenue K.

Details of Exhibition
Date 25 May to 25 June 2007
Time 11.00a.m to 9.00p.m (Open Mon – Sun)
Venue Atrium, Avenue K, 156 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
(Nearest Putra LRT station: KLCC)

In conjunction with the exhibition, British Council is organizing Design Dayz – two whole days dedicated to design work and designers!

Design Dayz
Date 26 May and 23 June 2007
Time 1100 to 1830
Venue Level 3, Avenue K

Taking place over two Saturdays, leading UK and local designers in the fields of digital media, fashion, graphic design, architecture, product design, manufacturing and more will talk about what they do and how they do it for both love and money.

The line-up includes Tapio Snellman of London-based digital media consultancy Neutral; Morag Myerscough of Studio Myerscough; shoemaker to the stars, Dato’ Jimmy Choo; graphic designer Kamil Yunus of Freeform Design; landscape architect Ng Sek San and more. Young urban designers will showcase their work around the talks –some of it up for grabs so bring your wallets.

Both days end with a Pecha Kucha Night, the global design networking/social event that draws the most creative talents in the most creative cities around the world. It became an instant success in the UK and currently takes place in over 50 cities around the world. This will be the first time Pecha Kucha is happening in Kuala Lumpur!

:o)

in case you're wondering what's up with wegra?

the only reason i promote the do is because the person who taught me to appreciate all things beautiful + that annual reports don't have to be boring (malaysia airlines annual report 1996/97 ... in my tiny world, back then, i thought that piece of work was a true avant-garde) is one of the speakers!

he's yale educated kamil yunus.

chec chec chec check check him out! <- an attempt at beatboxing. heh!

Design Dayz 2 Programme
Saturday, 23 June 2007
Level 3, Avenue K

1530-1630 Kamil Yunus, Freeform Design

ok, music time ... korn - falling away from me

have fun this weekend, y'all!

too much sun will burn

2007-05-23T01:49:00.000+08:00

mr 'tourist guide', hung, told me, "you've not been to vietnam, if you don't go to halong bay".

wokeigh ... halong bay, here i come!

the vietnamese name of halong bay - "vinh ha long" means "bay of the descending dragon". legend has it that when the vietnamese were under attack in some ancient time, the jade emperor sent mother dragon + her child dragons down to earth to their aid, impeding the progress of the enemy.

the mythical monsters a.k.a mrs dragon + co, in geological terms, is a combination of the wind + water that weathered the porous limestone over millions of years to create the bizarre outcrops colonised by stunted + twisted pokok2 + kayu-kayan. apparently, some plants that have adapted to live on halong's islands are found nowhere else in the world.

halong bay is like a labyrinth. it'll take more than 3 days at sea to cover the whole of halong bay, but i could only afford 5 hours.

maybe when i've made my dosh, i'll come again to explore the dense cluster of 1,969 islands + islets.

the dog looking after halong bay's cluster of islands + islets

wegra the jais undercover skodeng orang pak toh

*snigger*

the trong mai islet (above) or in vietnamese, hon trong mai, means male + female chicken island. i read, it was named so because the two islands look like a pair of chicken lovingly playing with each other above the sea. what's interesting, the islet has been christened by the struggling laymen as the 'fighting cocks'.

i call 'em the 'kissing rocks'. :op

i leave you with traffic - 'paper sun'

the littlest birds sing the prettiest songs

2007-05-18T16:15:00.000+08:00

preamble: a friend from university, fahmi, once wrote, "I've known her since 1999. Maryam's drive to learn and try new things is almost unbelievable, as with the verve she has to talk about all of them - all at once! ;p A good friend, always thoughtful and rarely says no to fun."

basically, i'm giving you a warning of what's to come ... a text diarrhoea of hanoi (and i didn't delete the last bit, for the feel good factor it brings ... teehehehe!)

jeng! jeng! jeng!

it was interesting that zaid appeared when he did. it's like he was sent to warn me, "hoih! jangan membazir duit tak tentu hala". :op

he told me to not pay more than USD 50 for an artwork unless i'm dealing with the artist directly + that i can find reproductions as well, USD 40 would be a fair price for them. he's got his eye on a gorgeous oil on canvas himself.

he was right.

we saw loads of beautiful reproductions; from van-gogh's 'branches of almond tree in bloom. saint ramy.' to lichtenstein's 'wham!'. they were mostly 60 x 80 cm thereabouts oil on canvas. (i'm good at guessing the artist game but sucked big time at the titles ... like orang siuman mana would hafal nama paintings right?)

*mata juling*

hanoi's old quarter somehow reminded me of le midi (read: southern france), but with a dash of oriental touch. while the more 'up market' area reminded me of avenue des champs-elysees (ada furla boutique summore!). i guess their architecture reflects the fact that vietnam experienced french colonialism for about 100 years and before that they were ruled by chinese dynasties for about 1,000 years.

did you ever wonder why vietnamese houses are tube like narrow + a few stories high?

well, their emperor used to charge frontage tax. therefore to minimise the tax, vietnamese built narrow houses + shop lots. what they lack in land area, they add in height. eventhough the tax had been demolished yonks ago, the vietnamese continue building narrow houses ... talking about conditioned mind. then again, looking at the quality of the structures, i'd recommend vietnamese construction workers over indonesians.
and somewhere along the line, zaid voiced out his frustration with the vietnamese. he's been around for a while to know the cost of living in hanoi but just because he's a foreigner, the asked prices were exorbitant. to me it's just classic. the way i see it, if you think they are being ridiculous, just walk (or run!!!!). no, i didn't tell him that, was there to listen.

by the way, 70% of vietnamese are atheists. the biggest religion in vietnam is buddhism, though there's two type of buddhism being practised. one is the localised buddhism, which originated from india + another localised buddhism was from china. most vietnamese muslims are in mekong delta, though there's a small community in hanoi, who are traders + restaurant operators. hence, the mosque in hanoi. vietnamese are given the freedom to practise their religion. it is common for the atheists to convert (or revert as some call it) to the religion of their partner upon marriage.

do you want more facts + figures? :op

oh ya! tomorrow, 19 may 2007 is the father of vietnam, ho chi minh's birthday.

happy birthday, uncle ho!
for the trip to halong bay, a guideline was imparted.

"if the asked price is 100,000 duong, the actual price would be about 40,000 duong. don't just pay the 100,000 duong!"

sir, yes sir!

*tabik hormat*

on my way to halong bay, guess what i saw + got excited over?

the long bien bridge over hanoi's red river, renamed so after vietnam's independence from the french colonial in 1945, which was opened to traffic in 1902 + since, pumped life into hanoi. age + its wound from war (with the americans) had meant it had to be replaced by another bridge, which construction was sponsored by the japanese government. if i'm not mistaken, the french still sponsors the conservation of long bien bridge though. why?

guess which company built the bridge?

dayde et pille

now, guess who designed the bridge?

precisely, alexandre gustave eiffel

if you're still lost ... the bridge was designed + built by the same people who designed + built eiffel tower as well as the statue of liberty!

jeng! jeng! jeng! exciting tak? :op

yeah! i'm a nerd like that.

*grin*

anyways, i leave you with jolie holland - the littlest birds

p.s. i'm home. shrek + tiena + cik pms claimed i've hitam-ed from the trip. aiyeh!

one dollar

2007-05-16T09:19:00.000+08:00

this i noticed ...

the younger vietnamese are rather money oriented; everything comes with a price tag. for example, if you seek their permission to take their photo or they pose for you + you go click click, it'll cost you USD 1.

the elderly, they just nod to give permission + smile at your camera.

run!!!! <- sebab amek gambar curik

itinerant wanderer revisited

2007-05-15T11:03:00.000+08:00

when asked what i was going to do last weekend, i replied backpacking. when asked whom i’m going with, i answered alone (boleh percaya ke?). i was met with a mixed response + i tried to leave it there, not elaborating further on the trip.

though i claimed to be a backpacker, do i look like one?

i doubt.

yup! the zara cotton voile top is currently my favourite. i bought it last year + wore it once to imtiyaz’s birthday. recently, i found it again + started wearing it at least once a week; i think it’s becoming like my infamous gap red slipper.

(my "wassup chicken!" looks like orang cacat still, before mummy-o + daddy-o go laughing at me, "rock on!" pun "rock on!" lah)

on saturday, i was having my lunch, when i bumped into a malaysian backpacker - zaid adam from AU 5 (taman dato' keramat, i pressumed).
he's an architect by training + had decided to take a year out to travel. he started his solo journey from thailand, by land. he's been in hanoi for 2 months now, where he does a voluntary work (teaches english) + a part time job as a waiter in a restaurant. he was missing home, when we met. he misses having a car to drive, going to klcc. he found vietnam frustrating, "kurang ajar" he called the people. i don't blame the vietnamese, i think i understand why they behave the way they do. anyways, zaid would be leaving for china next month. enjoy yourself + safe journey, kid!

if i were to pick a picture to describe hanoi, it would be this ...i'll catch you later, folks!

the art of noise continues

2007-05-10T19:46:00.000+08:00

someone who influenced me into experimenting with beatboxing (though i sucked big time) + admits to secretly beatbox sorang2 macam orang gila even now, introduced me to faith sfx

check this clip out - ginuwine's pony cover by faith sfx

have a brilliant weekend ya!

some old friends

2007-05-09T06:56:00.000+08:00

the picture is from riz's flickr ... curious to view the set? click here.

we were at razz + riz's new crib for makan. as per usual, i forgot my camera. i was disappointed to not see nad there. in situation like this, she'd normally be my sumber songlap gambar tanpa izin. lucky tuan rumah had his d50 out ... woohoo!!!

looking at the pictures, i think i've put on weight, by a lot!

hmmmmmm ... whatever!

ainal’s neng agreed with hefle that my new hair-do looks like jennifer lopez’s ... i wish laa kan (neng, kalo nak makan sedap kat mana2, donch be shy, just tell. i belanja semua ok).

nonetheless ... (00) <- hidung kembang

again, i made imtiyaz fall. apparently, i did not learn anything the first time round. this time, nina raised her voice at me (aiyeh! this “kakak” very afraid). lesson learnt: when you put a child down, you have to make sure they find their balance before letting go.

i also learnt how to bully friends’ kids from ainal, which i trialed on imtiyaz. i’m afraid to go all out on the bullying though seeing that there’s a pact to counter bully ainal’s kids, well when she decides to have them (hoih! it’s not their fault ok their mom’s like that).

jai + jam’s kids were polite + well behaved. it made me think that maybe what zizie said is true. if the moms are lemah lembut gemalai like nailah + jai, their kids would be well behaved. hence, if i were to have kids, they would be dead naughty. oh no ... (if i repent now + if i were to have kids they'd turn human, right?)

the food at razz + riz’s was to die for. sedap gegila! some of us (read: definitely not me ... serious!) went munching non-stop from 6 pm until 9 pm, they had to stop to catch a movie *snigger*. hefle + myself stayed until 10-ish munching on the *cough* salad.

the thought of razz’s pasta made me go all salivating, she made a mean sauce. oh and ...

... the salmon quiche

... that lindt dark chocolate cake

... the banana with chocolate chips cupcakes

... that red velvet friands (i understand why arianna went for the icing only, if i were a kid still, i would too but unfortunately i have to put an ‘adult’ front. demmit!)

... was that raspberry pie we had with the vanilla ice cream?

tak caya, view the flickr set.

if anyone wants them food for a party, you can give razz a call (riz's friend has got this big ass industrial oven for them cooking) ... i’d definitely recommend the salmon quiche + lindt dark chocolate cake ... i’d do a money back guarantee that the food is sedap. if you don’t like the food, just return the leftover to me + i’ll refund your dosh.

note to self: next makan2 session at razz + riz nyer place ... bring at least 3 plastic containers for the tapau.

+UPDATE+

refering to muz's + tiena's perli ... theme songs are very the passe oredi, i've found the theme dance for the meet

'here it goes again' by ok go

p.s. BANANA REPUBLIC IS OPENING SOON IN KLCC!!! *drooling*

the art of noise

2007-05-07T21:07:00.000+08:00

quickly now ...

the last time i saw anyone do a one man show using loop pedals like blake lewis did in this video clip was way way back in manchester, was it in greenroom? i'm not too sure. but i reckon blake's dead creative + original. he's my idol!

though i'd have to admit that it's near impossible for him to win the american idol. his music wouldn't appeal to the general masses + the final 3 girls in the competition are vocally far superior.

dah ... shooh! shooh! you gals can go on dream about chris richardson, donch kacau my blake!

later later peeps!

p.s. g78, you peeps remember our attempt at beatboxing tak masa kat sekolah dulu2? widie kompem ada, ly-d perhaps ... tersembur2 ... teehehehe!

something from the korean scene ...

eurgh! since zizie can't remember, watch this tokai university kid nyer beatboxing clip ... it's nearer to what we used to experiment, though he's far better laa of course. :op

once upon a dream

2007-05-04T10:25:00.000+08:00

precisely, we went back to visit college.

at the college co-op, me being the old school me, i had to get them ...
when there's pen + paper, you'd be able to guess what happened next ... elly + myself couldn't resist dropping by the canteen for breakfast (actually, our instinct told us that zizie, figette, ghose + nailah would be eating in the dining hall. so, there may not be enough for us. teehehehe!) ...
there was lunch served ... zizie + myself dashed for the trays, when the old girls were given proper plates. did you know that we used to eat daging kerbau because they were the cheapest meat? that was news to me + no wonder. :op
we visited 5N + guess what, i can't remember where i sat in class. i can remember us taking rugby positions in class during one of the tests. i can remember the sampan kertas competition during one heavy downpour. i can remember us playing frisbee during prep petang. i can remember hiding outside the backdoor, escaping a class + doodling. i can remember a group of us hiding in the dark + jumping to surprise ana, the first to come in + her screaming + switching off the lights to join us jump on the next person.

i can remember all that but not where i sat in class. no wonder i'm not one of them doctors + lawyers on the list. :op

we were the batch with "-" winning the anugerah pelajar mithali. as zizie put it, we were not jahat but just nakal but i guess that was not acceptable. we were the batch, which had fared best at non academic activities, with the basketball team as the first all malay team to beat an all chinese team (their pictures splashed most chinese titles but no malay or english newspaper picked the news). our school choir got banned then because the ustazahs were worried that the singing sounded like a 'church'. :opoh! 3T's unfinished finish mural is still where we painted it, though red house's much nicer mural had been replaced. demmit! the school did something to us; we all turned human. ;o)
anyways, an acoustic medley by corinne bailey rae + john legend + john mayer

have a brilliant weekend peeps!

provoked

2007-05-03T10:52:00.000+08:00

based on a real life incident, "provoked" is the story of a battered punjabi housewife and mother of two in london, who is unable to bear the brutality and repeated rapes by her alcoholic husband, sets him on fire and kills him.

if you are familiar with battered women's syndrome; through past experience perhaps, through acquaintences, friends, family members ... this is not the movie for you. strictly no, no!

i wish i brought along a pair of sunglasses. :op

to layan the melancholia ... mika - happy ending

peculiar saturday

2007-04-30T11:09:00.000+08:00

saturday evening, i took off early from work (work ends at 10:30 pm).

mummy-o's daddy-o + myself went wedding crashing in kl convention centre.

on the way to the wedding, he mentioned wanting to promote me at the wedding + instantaneously i had rings on the strategic fingers (wedding band patut kat which hand eh?).

"hi! are you ninie's friends?"

"no"

"are you dennis's friends?"

"no ... we're actually wedding crashers"

we were open about who we were at the wedding but people seemed not to believe us, assuming that we were trying to be funny (and failed).

as usual, i didn't bring my camera. our tablemates went busy taking our pictures though + told us that they'll upload the pictures onto their myspace (probably, they finally believed our claim). unfortunately, we didn't bother finding out their myspace url (do tell if you stumble upon the pictures).

nonetheless, it was a beautiful wedding, with killer dessert; i devoured two + 1/2 plates.

later that evening, daddy-o suggested karaoke. initially, we wanted to con mummy-o, telling her that we brought along our club wear + were planning to go clubbing after. unfortunately, mummy-o was better prepared. mummy-o + e-shak came in their tee + jeans, whilst daddy-o was stuck in his suit + i in my kebaya.

daddy-o brought us to this dodgy karaoke gig in yow chuan plaza i didn't know existed. the place was so dodgy that we had to witness a fight between two people + their slaggings included "gangster kampung pisang", upon which we had to sniffle our giggle.

i was excited about the karaoke session, thinking it's time for me to shine but i fell asleep as soon as i sat myself on the seats. i hope i didn't snore. (did i?)

well, i managed to sing two, three lines.

the night ended with me speeding up the ldp from kota damansara at 4 am to ...

and the world will live as one

2007-04-27T01:01:00.000+08:00

imagine - john lennon

blake lewis is my idol!

i'm working this weekend. we're holding a charity bazaar outside cineleisure for orang asli kids education fund.

if you're feeling generous, do drop by. if you want to avoid me, skip the curve this weekend. :op

things to do this weekend ...

make your way to kl international book fair 2007 ... a cambridge graduate launched his novel titled 'pulang' or something like that :op ... a fiction based on true accounts of norita shamsudin's case ... it'll be in bookstores from july but you can buy them immediately at the book fair

if you wish to do some voluntary work ... zoo negara is celebrating earth day with the theme 'Conserving the Natural Heritage at Zoo Negara' ... there'll be a big ass gotong royong on Sunday, 29/04/2007 which i'll have to miss, thanks to the curve

if arts is your thing, i recommend "EYE-llusion" @ wei-ling gallery this saturday ... i ske chin kong yee's vibrant colours

anyways, have a brilliant weekend!

i'm not handicapped yo!

2007-04-25T09:00:00.000+08:00

apparently, one fine day ...

daddy-o: arina, bunyi cow macam mana?
arina: mooo

daddy-o: bunyi dog?
arina: uf uf

daddy-o: bunyi cat?
arina: meow

daddy-o: bunyi monkey?
arina: uk uk

daddy-o: bunyi daddy macam mana?
arina: yo, what's up!

right ... daddy-o belongs to the 'animal kingdom' eh? :op

i'm easily excited over small details ...

at widie's, it was her massive covered balcony/terrace and her kitchen; i even imagined widie having a dining table at the balcony/terrace + having guests over for dinner party with candle scattered all over (kuat berangan minah ni rupa2nya).

at nor + man's, it was the fact that man used black plastic food cover (tudung saji) as outdoor lamp shades at the terrace, the pictures adorning the wall leading to their second floor. apparently, daddy-o is into gardening ... oits! bila nak start gardening ni?

at razz + riz's, it was their wall colour scheme, their comfy dining set and the whole township.

at izan + hash's, it was the reception area leading up to the apartments.

so jai + jam had a house warming in conjunction with jud's first birthday, (jam a.k.a. clock is trained an architect) you imagine my jakun-ness stepping into their crib for the first time ... i have one word, aesthetic. their house is a shrine to quirkiness, simplicity and functional minimalism.

i love the fact that the wall separating the two entrance into the kitchen and dining room was filled with a sticker mural of their two kids standing at a traditional kampung house window. i love the unfinished finish. i love the marriage of malay wood ukiran into the modern interior. i even went excited when i saw the clock hanging in their dining hall. stylo ok! :op

if you need an interior designer, i'd highly recommend jam a.k.a. clock. no, i don't charge introduction fee.

(note to self: take more pictures of your friends, not their kids!)

on a serious note, a junior from school pointed our in her blog that wong chun wai wrote in his column, asking the people of ijok to vote for barisan nasional:

As we wait to celebrate the country’s national day, the people of Ijok should vote for Parthiban, not because he is an Indian or a Malay, but because he is a Malaysian. Likewise, no one should be voting for Khalid because he is a Malay as it would be a seriously unhealthy political trend.

adeh ... deh ... deh ... so, do you understand why i've never been inspired to register to cast my votes dalam arena pilihanraya. in the past, when i vote for someone, i'll vote for a person who i believe can deliver and fights for what i believe in bukan pasal skin colour.

esok cuti ke? kalo cuti, happy cuti!

there comes a time when everyone must fly

2007-04-23T14:05:00.000+08:00

remember them?

they got engaged over the weekend, to be married in june. a whirl wind romance, it was love at first sight.

images @ ahmadimran.blogspot.com
remember them?

they were awesome, they rocked the hall. it was the best gig i had in malaysia after black eyed peas (sorry), even kanye failed to match up. we boogied to their ska + i sang along to three songs i apparently know. i thought i picked them songs up from my school days but they were recent songs. so it has to be from recent acquaintances.

images @ cik-puan-muda-stress.blogspot.com

tiena objected to my deleting of the earlier post.

so yeah ... i’m not battling anyone, period.

certainly not the two a dear friend is doing battle with ... though i have to thank one of them for thinking that i was high on weed. i had a great laugh! it was ice cream overdose + sleepiness. i don’t hate them though but if they want to hate me that is fine with me.

and yeah ... i don’t see the point of the fight to show who is more superior ... secondary school was like yonks ago. if you are the first to come out with an album, i’ll cheer for your success. if the boys are to come out with an album before you, i’ll cheer for them as well but fret not, i will not jeer at you.

why did i delete the post?

it’s too petty, too puerile. i felt like slapping myself hard after reading it. :op

true, being involved in social work depresses me; sometimes i think staying ignorant is best.

runaway love – ludacris feat mary j blidge

Pencarian 80s Cartoon Grandmaster

2007-04-19T07:17:00.000+08:00

my schoolmates who blog have started this down memory lane ‘shrub fire’, infecting everyone else on the network of friends to talk about growing up in the 80s; with a full on 80s nostalgia mode. quite a number went on to posting old pictures (lucky i can't be bothered to scan old pictures, that takes too much time, you see).

so i’m out to test your 80s cartoon knowledge (since i failed miserably on the porsche pop quiz by gravt kills, i want to be in that position of casting out questions). are you ready for the challenge?

try matching these 80s cartoon theme songs lyrics to the 80s cartoon …

1. “… more than meets the eye”

2. “… they’re the worlds most fearsome fighting team”

3. “… there’s something weird, and it don’t look good”

4. “… feel the magic, hear the roar”

5. “… he’s the greatest, he’s fantastic”

6. “… dance your cares away, worries for another day”

7. “… there’s a race to be on the top, the competition doesn’t stop”

8. “ … where will you wander? hither and yonder, letting your heart be your guide”

9. “… next time you’re feeling blue, just let a smile begin”

10. “… so much to see, waiting for you and me”

probable matching 80s cartoon:

denver the last dinosaur + fraggle rock + transformers + jem + inspector gadget + heathcliff + snorks + strawberry shortcake + ghostbusters + smurfs + care bears + gummi bears + mighty mouse + danger mouse + ducktales + my little pony and friends + spiderman + teenage mutant ninja turtles + thundercats

(go tiena! go tiena! go tiena!)

anyways, tonight i'll have my first taste of punk rock ... wish me luck!

woohoo!!! i'm 'excite'!

NoFX live in kuala lumpur

2007-04-17T00:33:00.000+08:00

About NoFX

NOFX is a punk band from San Francisco, California, United States, formed in 1983 in Los Angeles.

The original lineup included singer/bassist Fat Mike (Mike Burkett), drummer Erik Sandin, and guitarist Eric Melvin. Since 1991 (and after several line-up changes) El Hefe (real name Aaron Abeyta) has played second guitar and trumpet. The band's sound is diverse, utilising elements of punk, hardcore punk, ska, and other music genres. Their lyrics generally satirise issues such as politics, society, various subcultures, racism, the music industry, and religion.

NOFX has released 10 studio full lengths, 10 EPs, and many 7" singles. The group has sold over 6 million records worldwide, and is one of the most successful independent bands of all time.

if you're into punk rock, you should not miss the gig

if you're an arden fan of the simpsons, you should not miss the gig

if you 'love' president bush (like i do), you should not miss the gig

if you're working around klcc, instead of battling the traffic, do make your way to ruums after work this thursday

tickets are priced at RM 75 + are available at the door. the door opens from 5:30 pm. if you need further details, call zeekaa at her mobile 019.600.7813 or e-mail her at zeekaa@gmail.com

hope to see you thurday evening!

i leave you with 'franco un-american'

and snippets from 'the simpsons' featuring no fx

p.s. i donch lobe yew anymore

astaghfirullah al azim ... before peeps accidentally stumble upon my goofy pictures ... let me own up to them ... of us, on widie's blog ...
you can blame the above on star boys ... apa khabar mamat tu?
does anyone remember how does our kawad polis gila go?

i recommend all of us meet up at the 1st may 2007 do, lets keluarkan all the going to 12 years suppressed perangai bebudak. eleh! i know you want to ... don't be shy! :op

cómo estás?

2007-04-16T01:55:00.000+08:00

'besame mucho' by the brilliant cesaria avora

a corner is an intriguing element
it is not nearly the equivalent of a crossroad
yet in many ways, it is far more suggestive than one
it marks a nodal junction
it lends to a termination
it presents a beginning
and the turn around the corner extends itself

a corner is a contradiction
it may encompass as much as the above
or it may simply, just disappear around the bend

happy monday!

UPDATE: PENCARIAN LELAKI MASKULIN 2007

lets celebrate a friend's success, shall we?

we were there: nadd, razz, arianna, razz's sisters, razz's in laws + myself. riz was all jittery + fidgety on stage, he shouldn't be because sms votes had been casted; he won!

sapa yang belum congratulate them, please do so now. thank you.

as usual, these images were songlap-ed without permission from Nadd ... she didn't post the picture i took of her, probably sebab tak lawa. :o(

this is the most expensive picture ... i present to you ... the spacing out effect ... teehehehe!

miss-esp-ation

2007-04-13T09:18:00.000+08:00

friday the 13th

he's away backpacking

his guitar dah sampai rumah

his amp dah sampai rumah

are you thinking what i'm thinking?

hint (specifically for cik pms): i wanna be a rockstar!

song for the weekend: good song by blur

have a brilliant weekend!

my dome is where fate is

2007-04-10T12:18:00.000+08:00

bapak had his children’s life planned out, he wanted us to be professionals; an accountant, an engineer, a doctor and a lawyer. well, the ‘accountant’ negotiated for the cheapest ‘professional’ degree course because times were uncertain when she was going to university. otherwise, it was architecture, which would cost a bomb.

some of you would know that the older three digressed away from his plan at one point or another. my youngest sister is the only one still studying; his hope.

recently, bapak asked if my sister is planning to practice law. my sister answered no and gave her justifications; the last being going to the bar in london would cost 10 thousand quid.

bapak, defeated, went, “pegi je to the bar in london ... minum”.

woohoo!!!

dapat green light minum!!!

(NOT!!!)

anyways, since demam kanYe tak habis lagi, i leave you with ...

brand new rhymefest feat kanYe west

i will touch the sky

2007-04-09T00:08:00.000+08:00

sapa kata khairy + wifey don't hangout together anymore, they partied together tonite

to a particular government agency, thank you for censoring five songs off his song list

(****** **** ****** ****** ****** ****)

two album mash + three full songs + there wasn't even an encore?!

nevertheless

to tiena, rugi you pergi jepun

and finally, a shout out to diane + her mates, it was great fun boogie-ing with you peeps, i hope you peeps enjoy your stay in kl

i still love H.E.R. teriyakiboyz feat kanye west

p.s. words on the street, a certain group is trying to get justin timberlake to include malaysia into his june 2007 asian tour, do me a favour ... if he's coming + you're going ... at his gig, don't just sit on the bleachers throughout ... believe me, that's just plain rude ... stand up + participate ya! :o)

placid idiocy

2007-04-05T05:36:00.000+08:00

i hate to generalise, but you can always tell a person's personality by the words they use, the photos they capture, the cars they drive, the clothes they wear, the music they listen to, the books they read or don't read and, perhaps, the movies they watch too?

but once again, that's just a generalisation.

here's what i'm really trying to say - if we don't want to define ourselves by things as superficial as our appearences, we're stuck with the revolting alternative of being judged by our actions; by what we do.

which is another type of generalisation.

there are the issues of good and evil as well.

murder is evil, stopping your car to let a pedestrian cross at the zebra crossing is good. if either of these statements are news to you, you should log off your pc, grab your car keys, go to the nearest police station and turn yourself in. they'll know what to do with you there.

*snigger*

however, i wish to deal with a smaller issue. i mean what's the point of risking a brain damage over the big issues, right? so lets sweat over the small stuff, shall we?

i want to blabber about something which is neither good nor evil but by which we judge ourselves anyway. the little things we do and the countless situations we find ourselves in that conspire to make us feel like fools.

am i familiar with the feeling of idiocy?

if i had one sen for every time i felt like an idiot, i'd be filthy rich! but i bet i'd be too embarrased to open an account for my 'idiot money', let alone spend it (someone's bound to ask, how did you manage to get that many one sen + i'll have to spill, mama kata tipu berdosa).

if i were to spend it, say to buy a luxury item like a house in the sexy bukit jelutong township or an armanee tarrace appartment worth RM 700,000 cash, i'd have to carry about 70 million pieces of one sen + that would make me feel even more like an idiot (i bet it'll be news worthy, i bet it'd be on the front page of our tabloid-ish broadsheets). though the good news is i'd get another sen for it. this could be a moot point.

phewwit!

what's the gibber on idiocy all about? well, i'm getting there ...

i was walking towards my car in one utama's carpark over the weekend when a sleek Mecedes-Benz CLS 350 caught my eyes, the design went searing through my soul. i glided softly, somewhat slowly over the car, eyeing every tiny details of the design. it's been a while since i've seen anything that handsome.

kedebuk!!!

ok lah, i confess i accidentally walked into a moving car.

to the shell shocked driver + his young family, especially the crying baby, "my bad ... all apologies".

(no, i didn't dent myself)

oh ya! i shared the accident with tiena + cik pms on tuesday expecting some sort of belas kasihan, they stared blankly at me + tiena added that's expected out of me.

huh?! some friends i have ...

(note to self: in a situation like such, add a dash of drama, like pretend to pengsan or exaggerate on a non existing pain, to reap empathy from others)

and it all falls down

2007-04-03T07:10:00.000+08:00

small prints: the picture was songlap-ed without permission from a friend turned reuters photographer; nadia

i've got a short concentration span + i get bored easily. in my world things are ephemeral; i'll get all passionate about one thing + the next thing you know i'd be trying something new.

i dump junks into my blog, i think because i've lost interest.

i no longer carry my digital camera around in my handbag, i think because the pictures produced no longer surprise me.

i'm in dire need of a new 'toy boy'.

a new item on my wish list:

oh ya! if you're thinking of buying dina zaman's 'i am muslim', please do. i love the playfulness in her writing + the typo errors growing in number as you approach the final page are forgivable.

have a good day!

all falls down - kanye west

2007-03-29T16:29:00.000+08:00

posted this song in december 2005, felt like doing so again.

and WOMAD is coming to singapore between 24 to 26 august. harks!

writings on paper

2007-03-23T12:58:00.000+08:00

some may be aware that i strongly 'advocate' the "vida!" magazine; a local magazine for the stylish + intelligent (so i claim, chkononnya lah). if you fancy good writing on real issues being married into a stylo fashion magazine, "vida!" is it.

a recently launched magazine got my attention - "tell". vida!'s writings are more superior, in my humble opinion but tell is a refreshing addition, if you're into good writing that is.
incidently, on wednesday there was a book launch at the annexe + the whole tell team was there. imagine my excitement. then it click (after a few seconds of beyond words teruja-ness), dina zaman in tell is the same "i am muslim" dina zaman.

earth to wegra ... do you read me?

the do was fun, mummy-o + myself had a great laugh albeit at ourselves. i even naik sheikh with the kompang. :op
just before having to drag our feets out, a question was thrown at me, "would you like to do theatre?". unfortunately, the question found me when i was in my bimbo moment, "huh? do theatre ... on stage or sitting down watching?"

aiyoh!!! like d'uh!

(for more pictures, do visit my aunt's blog - rubyahmad.blogspot.com)

boast of quietness

2007-03-20T00:49:00.000+08:00

writings of light assult the darkness, more prodigious than meteors.
the tall unknown city takes over the countryside.
sure of my life and my death, i observe the ambitious and would like to understand them.
their day is greedy as a lariat in the air.
they speak of humanity.
my humanity is in feeling we are all voices of the same poverty.
they speak of homeland.
my homeland is the rhythm of a guitar, a few portraits, an old sword, the willow grove's prayer as evening falls.
time is living me.
more silent than my shadow, i pass through the loftily covetous multitude.
they are indispensable, singular, worthy of tomorrow.

my name is someone and anyone.
i walk slowly, like one who comes from so far away he doesn't expect to arrive.

sunday

2007-03-16T07:53:00.000+08:00

zarique, a friend from university, once described me as "she's everywhere". i was young + full of energy + ambitious then.

sunday, i tested myself to see if i'm forever21; i went around town searching for ideas + observing, went home for a bit, saw cik pms + bodyguards, squeezed wes borland in, rushed over to my brother to send his work ID, went over to skodeng riz+raz's new crib (fell head over heels with bukit jelutong's township), conquered the swing at a playground, got bossed around by the 2 year old adib + didn't know how to handle him so i ended up being his kuli, saw mukhsin + i intended to continue working late night but i fell asleep as soon as i reached home.

aiyeh! i failed miserably ...

you know, perception can be orchestrated. what's important is the voice behind it; if its loud enough or influential enough.

the retail mix in subang parade reflects the perception the outsiders have on the community in subang jaya. people kept on telling me that the perception is accurate but i know my neighbours and myself do serious bhajus shopping elsewhere. subang parade is still where we meet to socialise and hang out. despite the extensive rebranding + repositioning strategy, it fails to change how we 'use' the venue. if you ask me, the retail mix is not attractive enough (+ i'm not the type of person who'll layan lame mall events + activities). perhaps, the 'we' i'm talking about are not their target market (i'm sure one utama + klcc + mid valley + petrol kiosks in between are grateful).

if i may ask. which is the case?

the pj community are duh when it comes to art-ish, so there are no the annexe or paul's place in pj (there are art gallaries though) OR because there are no offerings like such in pj, we had no choice but to drive into kl to get the fix?

do you really need to address the wants + needs of your existing surrounding community pun to ensure traffic? i mean, what is KLPac doing in sentul? well, investment on retention + acquisition should be 50-50 so...

stop feeding me with negativity. if he wants ted baker in pj, we give him ted baker and more.

yang benar,

the penat bekerja blogger

impossible is nothing

2007-03-13T23:59:00.000+08:00

growing up to yasmin ahmad's petronas ads, i accept that you don't really have to 'sell' your product to 'buy' customer loyalty. 'playing' with their emotion works.

i quite like adidas's new campaign "impossible is nothing"; focusing on personal challenges the athletes have overcome in their rise to fame. each athelete tells their unique story through personal artwork.

i'm talking about adolf dassler's adidas not korn's adidas ok!

i leave you with some of the trailers ...

oh ya! i was surprised to find an adidas factory outlet in jaya shopping centre (thinking the place's dead), they retail quite extensive stylo adidas line (post dr martens craze, i suffered demam adidas trainers). and i so love the retro bags...

*drool*

attack of the tuneless freaks

2007-03-08T22:39:00.000+08:00

no ... not them. they're quite good, actually.

but them, them below ...

"total crap!" - mojo

"i want my money back" - nme

"worthy of your time than a contemporary like william hung" - rolling stones

"baik dengar CD diana naim" - urtv

*speechless* - cik puan muda stress

"hi weggie, suara you kelasss!" - anisism

*speechless* - ti.e.na

"do i know you?" - reshmonu

"i don't believe in words, i believe in pictures", words of magnum photographer - gilles peress.

but pictures can 'lie' too, right?

anyways, 'sonnet' by richard ashcroft

have a good friday.

busana melayu

2007-03-07T08:47:00.000+08:00

i used to wonder why dulu2 kebaya pendek sulaman nyonya are worn with pesisir batik sarong/kain lepas; particularly those with pastel tints or a one colour design with many shades of the colour, whilst kebaya pendek sulam melayu are worn with batik sarong/kain lepas, which are of darker indo-european designs or javanese earth toned designs?

last year, in jakarta, i found out that them batik sarongs/kain panjang worn by the nyonyas with their kebaya pendek were produced by java's chinese community, introducing chinese design elements + colour palette. make sense doesn't it?

today, you see a multitude of design influence in a piece of batik; with hybrid european, chinese, japanese, indian + malay world designs. the way we pakai our kebaya pendek pun, we rojak everything asalkan it's aesthetically appealing to the eyes. talking about convergence of cultures.

why the sudden blabber on batik + kebaya pendek?

izan just rang to ajak me do jakarta with kairin again in may 2007. with them, it'll be about hunting for the best musical experience, best makan + hunt for the cun-nest materials for baju. anyone wants to come with us, ajakan secara serious.

this trip i plan to hunt for kain limar since malaysia don't produce kain limar anymore. berangan nak buat baju riau pahang. phewwit!

p.s.

i forgot, i got tagged by nina ... 6 things wierd about me:

1. i eat my McD fries with ice cream.

2. i write with the margin parallel to me.

3. i remember faces extremely well, i need to meet a person only once + i'll remember their face for life but i'm crap with names. i met my schoolmate's hubby for the first time recently. i remember his face from kindergarten, i even remember his backpack + where he sat in class + that he sang nasyid at the school concert.

4. i can answer a phonecall when i'm sleeping + strike a conversation + not remember it the next morning.

5. when i'm at a counter in a bank or a shop, i have this compulsive urge to tidy the counter up if things are not in place.

6. i sometimes wave at a cat if i see them staring in my direction.

anyways, 'freak' by silverchair

grunge revival ... keluarkan your dr martens everyone. :op

life in cartoon motion

2007-03-03T23:19:00.000+08:00

my dad + his school friends meet up weekly for a game of bowling at bsc bowling alley. mom's a good bowler (she's way better than dad), so dad would make her be on his team. i'd tag along sometimes for the bihun cantonese they serve, sedap gegila ok! when i'm around, dad would wear this mischievous smile, i reckon bekos when they compare individual scores, i'd always be on the tail end, instead of him. so yeah ... my pleasure, bapak!

recently, some young bowlers sarcastically commented, “kubur dah kata mari, tak reti-reti pergi surau ke?”.

wow! talking about being rude and arrogant. perhaps, they forgot that they’d grow old too.

come on, the group would usually start bowling at 9 pm + they do berjemaah isya' before the game. what's the difference between praying in the surau near your house + a surau in bsc? we don't have any problem with our parents having some fun + socialising, why should you?

and don't you dare throw any remarks if you happen to bump into my mom + her school friends doing the midnight movies.

shooh! shooh! mind your own parents.

anyways, a recent family affair

erk! and i've been tagged by nina ...6 things wierd about me? errr ... up next.

for now, i leave you with 'grace kelly' by mika

muse-ing

2007-03-01T00:53:00.000+08:00

he was at muse

she was at muse

i wasn't

they brought the house down

he brought the car down

baz luhrmann said 'don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours', then again, he reminded to 'be careful whose advice you buy ... advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth'.

have a good day, all!

kehadapan kengkawan terchenta

2007-02-27T07:47:00.000+08:00

(photo credit: huda)

quickly

i'm agak terharu ... only a few days ago i posted an update sharing my kesedihan bekos i lost my catalogue of pictures ... i went to my e-mailbox today + saw e-mails of pictures from friends.

thanks ever so much, y'all!

korang gegila best!

and apparently my going MIA, not answering + returning calls made a few friends, old + new, worried. ampun + maaf dipinta! true, i'm in a kelam kabut state but this time round i'm facing a good problem. pray it's a prosperous year for us this year so that i can pay off my debts as well as belanja korang makan sokmo ya! :o)

to "nor ni" + not "nonie" (blur gegila right?) ... 'everybody's free (to wear sunscreen)' by baz luhrmann

i gave muse a miss on sunday, the reason being i perasan busy gegila, planning to do work sunday evening but was later tempted to see stonebay perform (got supir). i missed dinner with my girls too, i'm so sorry (i did berangan to slot you guys in, tapi kereta kene kidnap senyap2). apparently, stonebay has got an australian manager, micheal (who's the maker of junction amps) now + are recording their first album. did not boogie that night because i noticed some changes in their music arrangement, so was busy listening to the 'details'. ok lah, micheal did a good job 'ironing out' their music (but i was not happy with 'perfect love song' ending, i don't find it 'complete' yet).

i have to admit, i used to be a real snob. the first time i saw stonebay was because of cik pms, otherwise, i'd give it a miss. but they surprised me + they have the best drummer as well (when i compare them to their peers).

all in all, i reckon they are now ready for the main stream. watch out for stonebay's first album.

if you're curious, tomorrow night they'll be performing at the laundry.

please, friends who went to muse - shut up!

on sunday, at hartamas square, we bumped into quite a few people who went to muse. general feedback, it was a brilliant gig. i was at the verge of crying, then. i should have gone!

tiena, please don't let me repeat this with kanye west + gwen stefani.

*back to work*

sweet serendipity

2007-02-24T02:51:00.000+08:00

remember my cousin, imran. well, he's been away in london for quite a while now. he claimed it was for work, i suspect he wanted to be near *cough* her. ;o)

anyways, i love this picture by him.

it triggered jack johnson's 'better together' playing in my head.

what song do you hear in your mind looking at the picture?

it wasn't just the picture keeping me awake tonight. i met an old friend earlier. me smiling + not being able to sleep a wink is because of the bistro session with this old friend.

he was relating his recent experience to us.

i noted this particular pause in his naration, where his eyes sparkled + he exhaled quietly. i noted the way he lighted up when describing tiny details about *cough* her (i'm happy for you man).

you were given that 'hint' six years ago. you didn't do anything about it. today, it came knocking at your door again. don't tell me, yet again you're going to ignore?

if you ask me, i'd say ... go for it, 'girlfriend'!

anyways, baz luhrmann pesan "get to know your parents, you never know when they might be gone for good. be nice to your siblings; they're your best link to your past, and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. understand that friends come and go, except for the precious few you should hold on. work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young." and last but not least, "wear sunscreen".

have a great weekend!

take good care of each other.

post traumatic stress disorder

2007-02-23T08:37:00.000+08:00

>gambar sedih (hoih! tak de gambar lain laa)<
>photo credit: widie<

i could hardly believe it
when i heard the news today
all the pictures since two years ago are gone
i remind everyone to do back up
ofkos laa i didn't make any back up
otherwise i wouldn't be altering the lyrics, so you see it's true
so tell me all about it, tell me what a bimbo i am for not having back up
then tell me one thing more before i go

tell me how am i supposed to live without them
now that i've been lovin' them so long
how am i supposed to live without them
how am i supposed to carry on
when the catalogue of my past two years is gone

hard candy + friends

2007-02-22T15:05:00.000+08:00

"4 out of 5 doctors agree, i'm insane" ... in a getting to know conversation, would you think the other party is being funny or telling the truth?

i'm a sucker for tight, clever scripts. intelligent flick flooded with verbal sparring would get me glued to my seat (please don't ask questions then, i'd definitely ignore you, sorry).

hard candy is a two characters in a single setting film (precisely, rather difficult to pull off). hayley, a pixie-cute freckle-cheeked teen girl, in her red hooded jumper resembles little red riding hood pretending to be the bait stumbling into the big bad wolf's trap + planting a breadcrumb trail to play along with the wolf's act.

jeng! jeng! jeng!

a provocative piece, it stirs up serious questions about point of view + empathy.

it is the most disturbing work i've ever seen. it is a sick movie, demented. a lot of people would not like this film; you're left feeling filthy for having seen it. but if you're into a well scripted, well acted drama + are open to the subject matter; pedophilia (through insinuation as opposed to graphic portrayal), do give 'hard candy' a try.

if you need something light yet clever, go for 'lemony snicket's a series of unfortunate events'. similar to 'the wizard of oz', it is a film whose driving force is the inadequency of adults, even of good adults (ha! tak terfikir laa tu, gi tengok balik!). movies like them make me want to stay 'kakak', afraid of transforming into the tube of imperfect adults who cannot listen to children's voices, causing them children much pain + frustration (ok tak excuse?).

otherwise, choose 'dreamgirls' for stylo 70s bhajus (during the show, for a brief moment, i was inspired to go back to a UK size 6/8 ... only in that brief moment la tapi)! i love most of deena + effie's bhajus. *drool* do check them out!

we're your dreamgirls, boys!
we'll make you happy.
yeah...
we're your dreamgirls, boys!
we'll always care.
we're your dreamgirls...
dreamgirls will never leave you!
no, no...
and all you have to do is dream, baby,
we'll be there!

great minds discuss ideas

2007-02-20T12:42:00.000+08:00

was having breakfast with my family, when my dad threw a statement on the table.

"small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds discuss ideas"

instantaneously, the table was replaced with 'great minds'. thoughts were thrown around, concepts were discussed, ideas were born.

one day later, i'm running out of 'ideas' to discuss. help!

hence, here i am in the office (partly, running away from dad). my excuse, thursday would be too late to be our first day at work, so i'm opening the office today so that the 4th day of the chinese new year would not be our first day at work. aci tak cam tu? :op

oh ya! my 4 years younger brother has just bought a semi-D, not speculative investment this time. that caused alarms to go off. harks! incidently, 'failure to launch' has been the in topic i discuss with my mates lately.

but then there's a scientific name to 'failure to launch': agoraphobia - an anxiety disorder which primarily consists of the fear of experiencing a difficult or embarrassing situation from which the sufferer cannot escape. agoraphobics may experience severe panic attacks in situations where they feel trapped, insecure, out of control, or too far from their personal comfort zone, i.e. home.

shall i hide behind that? *snigger*

selamat tahun baru ya or dalam bahasa ong puteh, xing nian quai le!

p.s. and for tiena, agoraphobia by incubus ... nyanyi, jangan tak nyanyi!

happy narcissistic voyeur

2007-02-15T12:12:00.000+08:00

here we go again …

like most of us humans (if you’re a nonhuman + are another species of animal instead, like a donkey, tortoise, or whatever, then congratulations on learning how to read), i am always searching for answers. sometimes, i don’t even know the questions + yet i need answers. sometime i know the answers + i need the question, but that’s only when i’m watching who wants to be a millionaire (do bring your earplug if you wish to watch the show with me, thank you).

i mean, tell me, if someone’s really lying, are their pants really on fire?

if their pants are really on fire, would their knickers be on fire too?

are pants + knickers the same thing or did the person go ‘rambo’?

mind you, these are serious questions (do blame them at hanging out with married friends; excessive dosage is definitely detrimental to singletons’ mental health).

money likes money. ever put two fifty sen side by side? they look happy, don’t they? money likes to be with other money, it attracts its own.

how many people do you know who have ‘penny jars’ at home? my brother has got one. amazing how those babies fill up (even after i secretly dip my fingers in it). it ain’t by accident yo!

they have a scientific (all forms of currency actually have an electromagnetic attraction to each other) and spiritual necessity that most of us aren’t aware of; to be with each other. while there is no ‘hard’ data to back this up, it is painfully obvious to those of us who ain’t got it that the ones who do keep getting more! ever heard of the saying, money makes money? (there’ll normally be someone’s logic behind a saying)

another saying goes, money can’t buy you happiness. don’t believe them, definitely a misrepresentation from bitter people who ain’t got it. if you were found guilty in possession of ‘syabu’ (what’s that? how does it look like? i see a blank picture in my head when i heard the word) the punishment would be either pay a fine of rm 100k or face a jail term of 5 years. don’t tell me you’d find happiness in doing the jail term? well, unless that’s your thing.

then again, not everyone can find happiness (with or without money). what’s ironic, the pursuit of happiness can be one of the main sources of unhappiness itself. should you pursue ‘happiness’ at the risk of being unhappy? should you postpone enjoying 'happiness’ now, so that you’ll enjoy a total bliss like ‘happiness’ later?

if you ask me, this is your life, right here, right now, it don’t wait for you, y’all!

have a great Thursday, peeps! i might not though, 'cos i hate numbers. eurgh!

*back to work*

isi rimba

2007-02-13T23:38:00.000+08:00

the journey to adib's birthday party last sunday proved to be the most challenging journey to a two year old birthday party. at one point, i saw my car tyre rolling right on the edge of the cliff, whilst crossing another car. my heart went tergolek-golek off the cliff. (dyd, sampai hati bully kitorang cam tu ... nasib baik ada widie who took over the wheels on the journey back, otherwise i'll berkampung in the rimba)

unfortunately, as soon as i got off my car + did a drama swasta to the car park attendant showing off my trauma having to drive through the small 'denai' off a cliff, i got all smitten with isi rimba's charm. demmit!

i loved isi rimba, i loved the birthday party but i wasn't happy for being discriminated against. there was a game for husband + wife teams, being the only *cough* kakak around, i was asked to 'bibik' widie's zana.

a babysitter for hire ... anyone? someone? :op

i planned to timber into the stream, imagining a massive splash. alas, them peeps in the sungai were all 12 and below. them 20 and above were all lazing about having serious intelligent adult talk. with heavy heart i pushed my swimming 'kit' under the car seat. :op

last night i was discussing the fact that there's only 1,000 police officers in petaling jaya, taking care of 1.5 million population with my sister. she suggested maybe the national service 'graduates' could assist the police in case of blood diamond like chaos. i told her that during my younger days, i shot guns, i did bungee jumping, i went rock climbing, i went hiking + slept in hutan + all, but on sunday i freaked out when driving to isi rimba. she commented, "that's a sign of old age". ouch!

word of warning to all parents: if you invite me to your kid's birthday party + you want to give me one of them yummy party packs (i love them, i want them), make sure i'm not holding or carrying a child. in isi rimba, i went all excited when dyd handed me a party pack, i forgot i was holding imtiyaz + he fell. oops ... sorry nina!!!!!

now, gambar time...

sekian, terima kasih.

wedding songs

2007-02-09T22:41:00.000+08:00

izan : maryam, would you be my bridesmaid?

wegra : i'd be honoured! ... thanks! ... hmmmmmm ... 5 times a bridesmaid

izan : 5's a lucky number

wegra : .....

betik said since i'll be doing my fifth bridesmaid-ing, i'll only get married in 10 years time. apparently, one time bridesmaid-ing equals to 2 years 'delay'. i'm not going to stop at 5, i think i'll cap it at 7. well, 7 because my other lucky number is 22.

there's 2 spots available, now, any takers? someone? anyone? :op

for the same wedding, i was asked to compile songs. that i like, especially when adibah noor's singing for the wedding. phewwit! i'm still looking for an mp3 of 'kangen' (piano version) by maliq + d'essentials + i've found 'when i fall in love' cover by glenn fredly + dewi sandra. i somehow picture mode + adle singing the song ... pure bliss! i bet they'd deliver it better. :o)

hmmmmmm ... if i want to get mode + adle to sing that version of 'when i fall in love' at my wedding, according to betik's theory, i have another 14 years to bodek them. heh heh heh

'grow old with you' by adam sandler

sipping at the balcony

2007-02-08T08:29:00.000+08:00

sometimes we have to give up a lot of things, or take a lot of risk to pursue a dream. sometimes when we got there we realise that the dreams achieved are merely a different reality. but i guess what matters most is the process of getting there.

and on your way, never forget to take time off to look up at the stars.

i leave you with 'one night only' by jennifer hudson from dreamgirls motion picture

longest weekend ever

2007-02-05T10:06:00.000+08:00

not too long ago a pilot was detained by the police for murder. he was getting ready for work, he wasn't allowed to ring + notify the airline. living on his own, imagine the chaos. of course he was innocent, it was a mistaken identity. but since, friends call him 'murderer' anyway. :op

"oii murderer! wassup yo?!"

if you're detained, innocent or otherwise, framed or otherwise. word of advice, break your sim card. trust me on this.

never bring new found friends home, if you smoke it at home. never! even if you feel this new found friend is a best friend material. too close too fast? what's the agenda? flushing it down the loo is the best method, out the window is plain stupid.

take care of each other.

have a good week!

Update: alamak! i'm not implying anything, just a general reminder, since most of them reading that i know are generous + trusting. the best, drop the spliff eh? but if you feel you need to, be smart.

thank you

2007-02-02T14:33:00.000+08:00

acoustic 'thank you' by dido

:o)

dear friends (+ foe, if any)

with truck loads of work to do, deadlines to meet, lovers to please, friends to entertain, bombs + assorted disasters to avoid, there's really not much time we can spare to contribute to world peace, though we should all start playing a part towards global harmony + happiness.

so take your first step towards contributing to world peace - smile + have a wonderful weekend.

ta very much!

strange + beautiful

2007-01-31T23:39:00.000+08:00

thanks to youtube i'm falling in love with aqualung all over again. to many, his songs may be a tad bit too whiney but i reckon they are beautiful, in their own way.

'strange & beautiful' by aqualung

enjoy the music + have a good day off

oh ya! anyone for gwen stefani + kanye west?

p.s. boyz ii men's (not men ii gramps, tiena) stuff has got to wait, i've not downloaded them, sorry.

motownphillyness ey?

2007-01-29T10:26:00.000+08:00

we're back + i'm swamped!

widie almost died sitting next to me at the gig. she suffered having to hear my professed undying love towards shawn of BOY 11 MEN, distance saved zizie + huda. i can't write much about the gig as my blog is being watched + i have been warned that a big portion of the trip should stay off record. demmit!

i'll upload my few images from the gig + a video clip soon. i went all bonkers that night, so much so i forgot that i brought my camera. saw a lot of people as well, some i managed to tegur, a few i couldn't.

anyways, for the girls ... as promised, tattva by kula shaker

later!

music is power

2007-01-24T16:15:00.000+08:00

i can't wait for friday.

you know, when there's more than one girl from my school at a venue ... you'd definitely need an earplug. the girls may wear an innocent, quiet look ... don't be deceived. they are very the gila, weng, psycho!!! if you see a bunch of them, run for your life!!!

you donch believe?

ask the husbands + boyfriends, who were at the 10th year reunion. lucky they survived. :op

the video clip below reminded me of how secondary school was ... well, the singing in parts + turut tut pap ohh ohhh bit of it (hehe!) ... but then songs from early/mid 90s weren't as hip laa, they were agak fehlong + slow mo ya ampun ... apparently memang dari zaman tok kadok, the girls sokmo melalak ... oh well, i don't blame datin seri rosmah for loving to sing. :op

boys ii men punya pasal laa nih ...

hefle told me, last night her dream was in three parts. in one of them, she saw widie, zizie, hudrah + myself in a car heading for genting (for boys ii men, i presume). the car was having a hard time climbing, it was taking way too long to reach genting. well, i wish you could come with us too, ropies! :o)

ly-d laks going to the spital this weekend to beranak, hence no boys ii men for her. good luck, babe! donch forget the tv guide eh? ;o)

lets not wait for the next 10 years for a reunion, ey? the next reunion red house misti win! nanti miss vicky upset weh!!! do your homework, girls.

so jadi, have a smashing one this weekend peeps, 'cos i definitely will.

*lari buat kerja*