Be Kind, Rewind!!

It's been a while since I watched such a small yet sincere movie like this. The primary reasons for me watching this movie were firstly, my comel Mos Def as the main man of the movie and the second would be the owh-so-talented Michel Gondry who is the director as well as producer. Upon hearing this combination (and Jack Black+Danny Glover combo), I instinctively knew that this movie would be great and that it was.

The movie revolves around the lives of Mike (Mos Def-ku) and Jerry (Jack Black) who live in the little town of Passaic, NY. Mike helps his foster father (Danny Glover) run a small VHS rental store called Be Kind, Rewind in a 100 year old building which is facing the possibility of being torn down and be relocated in the projects. So Mr Fletcher, the foster father decides to do research on how to save the business and hands over the responsibility for a few days to Mike. While Mr. Flecther was away, Jerry somehow got magnatised and ruined all the VHS in the store. So when a customer comes in with a request for a Ghostbuster VHS, Mike had to come up with all kinds of idea and finally chose to do his own version of the movie in an amateurish way. The thing is that people loved their work and more requests came for more videos! So from a small tak laku VHS store, people lined up for the sweded version of movies like Rush Hour 2, Space Odyssey and Boyz n The Hood(ye, sweded as in the verbified form of the noun "Sweden"- jack black created the term and that should explain the illogical manner of it). However, it wasn't all good and they still couldn't get enough funding to save the little place. Sedih :(

I recommend this movie for those who love movies with heart and little, true moments in life. It's not going to be super-inspirational like some coaching movie but I left the cinema with a wonderful sense of delight in my heart. Although the crowd in the cinema did not share my enthusiasm (I was laughing all the way and couldn't understand why these people aren't getting the jokes!!!), I truly enjoyed it. I say from now on, "let's be kind, rewind"

Where Memory Should Match The Video

I tell you, this is the funniest thing yet to be uncovered during this pre-election run. lawak... lawak.. lawak..



Obama, this is one heck of an advantage for you :)

Taking The Leap

How bloody lucky can you be to just see someone and straight away know that they are your soul mate and partner for life? That you don't have to bother to try anything, you don't even need to know if he/she is taken or not, you don't even need to know if he/she is a real human being... You just know that God (being the Supreme Being that He is) fashioned everything in a manner that this person was made for you, and only for you while other obstacles can stand in the way and be completely irrelevant.

I'm reading A Leap of Love by Catherine Lim (owwwwhhh... don't you just love her??!). It's a story of love between Li Ann and Jeremy, two strangers whose love for each other will (presumably) withstand the test of time and prying eyes. Set on every 29th February which only happens once in four years (just in case you didn't notice), they promise to meet each other up at the same cafe, same time, same table regardless of the circumstances. I've only read right up to Chapter 6 (after Li-ann's first encounter with Jeremy)but I have this achy feeling in my heart that this story will not end the way I want it to (yes, let's use the concept of foreshadowing- sila rujuk Literature Appreciation for Dummies.)

Owh well, I would have been finished reading it by tomorrow (I think).. We'll see whether love is, after all, the moving cause in life. For the time being, I want to bask in the glory of love (gaya King Julian of Madagascar)

On a slightly different note, I've just finished reading Dina Zaman's I Am Muslim... I was moved with Dina's honesty but I have to admit that I was a little bit surprised by some her discoveries/experiences which were liberally handled. Yet again, I feel that Dina Zaman is a thinker who knows what she's dealing with thus she can deal handle it without qualms because she has strong beliefs. I guess that is clearly reflected in the heavy nuances of the rationality and the practicality of the beautiful religion each time she faces such a situation. That would be an indicator that this book wants to deal with you as you are, like a normal human being with dilemmas and queries. Islam itu agama yang syumul and I think that is the whole point of the book. Thank You, Dina for exploring forbidden frontiers and boldly re-telling them for Malaysians as well as being a representative of Malaysian Muslims-no matter which type we call ourselves-

We're All In This Together

I was thinking that I should open a few fan clubs since I don't have the proper channels to vent my love and passion for the subjects. Kalau buka fan club, perlulah ada ahli-ahli kan??? So, there will be a few members eligible for exclusive invitation and yang lain, can send a written letter or just an sms would do fine too :p

1) The Raslan Brothers FC
invitation extended to: Rosyada Sulaiman and Syajaratuddurrah Mohd Khairuddi

2) The Crocs Haters Club
invitation extended to: Nur Amanina Abdul Samad, Syajaratuddurrah Mohd Khairuddi and The Mother

3) The Coffee Cart FC
invitation extended to: Khairun Nisa Kamaruddin

4) The I Need More Sleep Club
invitation extended to: Nur Amanina Abdul Samad, Muhammad Nabil Nor Kamal and Muhammad Yassir Shah Abdul Aziz

5) The 30 Hari Mencari Cinta Club
invitation extended to: Syajaratuddurrah Mohd Khairuddi, Muhammad Nabil Nor Kamal and Khairun Nisa Kamaruddin

6) The I Love Benefit Cosmetics Club
invitation extended to Aimi Mahfuzah Mohd Kamalludeen

7) The La Zeez FC
invitation extended to: Muhammad Asraf Baharuddin, Hisham Hussain and Muhammad Nabil Nor Kamal

8) The Devi's Corner FC
invitation extended to: Aimi Mahfuzah Kamalludeen, Nur Amanina Abdul Samad, Syajaratuddurrah Mohd Khairuddi and Ungku Khairunnisa Ungku Mohd Nordin

9) The I Miss Sydney Club
invitation extended to: Khairun Nisa Kamaruddin, Syajaratuddurrah Mohd Khairuddi and Rosyada Sulaiman

10) The John Legend is My Panacea Club
no invitation will be provided due to extreme degree of selfishness

It Doesn't Take Much

It doesn't take much to steal my heart,
It's probably just a twinkle in your eyes,
When they catch the sight of me in them,
Or that cute, boyish smile on your lips,
When it stops moving as I speak,
It can also be the slight caress,
When your fingers happens to brush mine,
Or it can simply be the way you move,
To the melody of our favourite song,
The one we silently agreed to make as ours,
When we both watered the hope for a possible love :)

(but seriously, it doesn't take much... :p)

The Sun Has Burst For 2008

*Took a taxi from KL Sentral and arrived at Polo Pavillion, Bukit Kiara when the rain was really heavy but it didn't deter my spirit... That was around 5.30pm, thought it should be called Rainburst instead... Owh well, I'm lucky that I was just in time for George Clinton and P/Funk*

*George Clinton at the Sky Stage was great, aku yang tak berapa mengerti funk ni pun can jive to their beat and join in the funk. Their strength was the ability to attract the crowds attention... No corny "terima kasihs" and "apa khabars", just pure music satisfaction. pakcik george clinton dah tua, okaaaay but he made all these youngsters' leg loose and obliged to shake to the funk.. ouh, dah 7pm... baik run to Era Stage for Raul Midon*

*Raul Midon was the third reason why I insisted on going to Sunburst, even if it means braving it alone. He was all I thought he would be... Simply entertaining. Luckily, he sang more songs from State Of Mind like Waited All My Life (nangis plis!), my-all-time-favourite-Sunshine, State of Mind and Suddenly. He also sang I've Got All The Answers from his sophomore album. But the thing is that the Malaysian crowd wasn't really familiar with his name and those watching him were pretty much going "mamat ni best tapi siapa dia ek??"... It was proof enough when a girl said to her boyfriend upon seeing him being lead down the stage "eh, eh... dia butalah, awak!"... ye, Raul Midon is a blind Latin Soul Jazz musician but at least, they can consider the experience watching a blind man being that good on the guitars as educational ler*

*Bumped into Lynn and Pojan after finished watching Raul Midon (thankful, thankful). They were intending to catch Midon but came a bit too late as the Era Stage was punctual unlike all the other stages. Lynn muka kecewa sikit but she has already watched him in Java Jazz Festival so tak rugilah sangat kot. We decided to just lepak2 as Sky Stage had Joe Flizzow and Hitz Stage was hosting One Buck Short. Watched Joe Flizzow from afar, kagum juge dgn Hip Hop Is Dead yang dimelayukan. Was more interested in watching people walking around like they're going swimming while some Malays proudly sipping on Tuborg. A music festival is all about the music, not about being happening*

*Lynn left early as she was bored and was willing to let go of John Legend. So, I lepaked with Pojan and went over to Sky Stage to catch The Roots after Joe Flizzow's set. The Roots of course was reason number 2 for the festival. Gileeeerrrr best! Loved the percussion set by ?uestlove and Kirk Douglas was the man too. Enche Black Thought's skills are unquestionable, terubat sakit hati missed their performance in Sydney. They sang a string of medleys as well as their owh-so-famous- U Got Me Unfortunately, there was this 40 year short mat salleh guy who was a little bit of a wannabe menari sebelah aku dengan awek cinanya, holding a cup of beer. I was dancing to the beat sambil tengok2 kalau beer tu tumpah ke atas bajuku (pakcik, arak itu haram untuk aku). There were also this bunch of kids smoking weed in the middle of the crowd and I say it's weed because I doubt teenage boys grin sheepishly when they pass around their normal ciggies*

*Pojan suggested that we should just lepak at the Sky Stage where John Legend will be performing next while Incognito performs at the Sun Stage next to us. We rushed to the front and managed to secure such a beautiful spot. I warned Pojan beforehand that he shouldn't be surprised if I suddenly cried when the man appears on stage... I swear that might be the longest hour I've waited on, my back hurts and Pojan was having some problems balancing.. hahaha.*

*The time came but there was some problems with the sound system. We patiently waited as the problem was being overcome by the conflicting persons. There were chants of "We want John" and "John Legend" going on, pressuring the technicians to complete their tasks a.s.a.p. Alas, we were still waiting even after 15 minutes of the scheduled time which was already an hour off (instead of 10pm, the show was pushed to 11pm). When the man finally came out, Mr Legend received the loudest roar from his fans and they all sang along to his songs. I was expecting the crowd to not know his songs and just being there for the sake of attending the fest but I was damn wrong. These people really could sing to every single song, regardless of whether it's a single or not. I was totally blown away by John Legend's talents and his ability to ooze sexiness through his moves or voice. He didn't say much, he just sang song after song (just like the way I love it). He had a balanced mix of songs from both Get Lifted and Once Again, those choices proving the man knows his crowd. Being the lucky ones in front, I managed to see him up close and shook his hand when he came down to greet us (he was handsome gileeer!!). I just decided to sink in his voice for that 1 hour and so, whiling away in the dream came true moments.*

*After John finished his set, I was ready to leave but Nabil was still on the way to pick me up so I stayed on to watch Incubus with Pojan. Bumped into Syai and Cici (loving gila, saya tak tahu puuuuun), borak sekejap and left when Nabil sampai with Sally at Bukit Kiara. Went to La Zeez for supper and still couldn't believe that I just watched John Legend live! Slept with a smile*

*Sunburst 2009 has a lot to live up to... Manalah tahu ada Jamie Foxx or Usher or Stevie Wonder (wah, wah, semuanya list personal favourites ni!) We'll see what awaits next year. Kalau cuti sekolah, bolehlah menyusul*

Books Galore

My room mate, Sayda gave the most earnest type of laughter when she discovered that the first purchase I made when the allowance came in was a book I've been eyeing on for a while... (owh, nina did so too!). To tell you the absolute truth, I found that the money was well spent and that was the best purchase I've made this month. And let me assure you that I have been spending quite a bit despite my new years' resolution to start saving more money for the future (damn it!)... hahaha

Anyway, a friend requested through another friend of mine that I should update the books I've bought or have read so that the former can get some recommendations which was actually kind of sweet but puzzling, don't you think so? Pressure tak kau?? Ngeh ngeh ngeh...

So far, I've finished reading a book I bought three weeks ago, Confessions of An Old Boy: Adventures of Dato' Halim by Kam "Gorgeous" Raslan(the brother of Karim "Handsome" Raslan). I think the main character in the book, Dato' Halim must be the oldest Malay male bimbo you'll ever come across in your life and I find it surprising that it is not a true person, although Kam does acknowledge that he is a fiction based on truth. Dato' Hamid is a man who is not afraid to be weak when he have too but will never appear to be on the losing side. And he owes it all to The Wife, of course... I feel this is simply one of the best books I've read thanks to the fluid language as well as the clever portrayal of the characters so much so that you feel they are one of our uncles/aunts/friends.

Another book I've recently read is the much awaited release of Glimpses by the very vivacious Adibah Amin who resumes the style of As I Was Passing(1)&(2) which compiles the bits and pieces of living here in Malaysia. Considering it has been almost 30 years since the highly recognised As I Was Passing series were published, it's of little wonder why Glimpses is selling like hot cake as I think people are eager to know if Malaysia has in fact change in any way, at least in Adibah's eye. I'll just tell you that As I Was Passing is still very much relevant while Glimpses only helps to put it in new perspective. It's not of comparison as Glimpses could easily be As I Was Passing (3). However, one thing I can assure you is that there is almost no doubt about Adibah's ability to relate her experience like she's your best friend while writing in what seems like an effortless manner to capture the readers interest to continue exploring her thoughts. Quoting Amir Muhammad in the pre-face, "if you had a neighbour like Adibah, you wouldn't want to live elsewhere"

Before both Glimpses and Confessions of An Old Boy, I've only just finished reading A.Samad Ismail: Journalism and Politics that was a gateway to the not-so-long-time-ago when Malayans/Malaysians still had the romantics of an ideal political system garnered by all, irrelevant of their race. Compiled in the book are a few newspaper articles written by the man himself as well as some other essays about him written by people in his life, namely his colleagues and one from his wife. Hardly any regret was expressed by any of them about working with a man who has a reputation of being hot-tempered and crass because they all knew they worked for perfection and for a common cause (which is what we all should keep in our heart when we function in an organisation). Reading his wife's recount was also a revelation of how much love can stand the test of time or obstacle. A. Samad Ismail was and is still is a Malaysian intellect who questions the right stuff and gets the right answers for all of us, even if it comes with a price.

I also made a discovery about Paulo Coelho when Sayda introduced him to me and just then, I remembered that a lot other people have also recommended him to me. Some of them strongly suggested that I'd definitely love him and indeed, that I did. I finished reading Like The Flowing River in just 5 hours and I truly enjoyed his view on the world. His views made me feel somewhat.... normal, if I may use that word. He is a proof that optimism is the core of humanity and compassion is a result of devotion to what you believe. Aku teruja giler masa baca and felt that Paulo was saying all the right words while pressing all my right buttons. A simply moving piece...

I'm currently reading The Writer and The World: Essays by V.S Naipaul which is essentially a collection of his experiences all around the world and his reflection of it. I've been immersed in the thick book and been carrying it around despite the weight. I won't ever question his Nobel Laureate title because this is a man of different calibre than the others I've read.
In between that book, I've sneaked in a Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas' book titled Eh, Wat Yu Talking: Chronicles of Malay Humour which I just bought yesterday. As a keen fan of Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas' works, I must say since I don't know him personally, I'm surprised that he has this incredible sense of humour and the ability to shed that scholarly cloak that he has wrapped around him... I'm only have way through the book and already I'm smiling to myself when I remember any of the jokes. Not bad for an accidental comedian, eyh??

Some of you must be bored to death reading all these details, so tell you what? Bore me back with list of books you've recently read or mere suggestions... Then, we'll call it even :p