*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*
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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
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
Monday, February 25, 2008
Tidakkah Kau Terfikir....
* Kenapa kedai makan melayu mesti ada kucing??? Kadang-kadang, kucingnya berkurap dan berkudis tapi tiada usaha untuk menghalau kucing-kucing ini yang menggaru bulu-bulunya yang mungkin melayang masuk makanan kita. Hakikatnya, tidak semua orang gemarkan kucing sebagaimana tidak semua kucing gemarkan orang.
* Kenapa filem Tamil hampir selalu memperjuangkan cinta yang agak mustahil? Tapi cinta itu pasti akan berjaya melalui perbincangan yang mengambil masa lima minit di akhir cerita dan menjadikan semua pergaduhan yang memerlukan hero itu untuk terbang sana sini agak pointless serta kekayaan melampau bapa pihak perempuan takde faedahnya... Hakikatnya, aku tetap akan tengok juga sambil terpinga-pinga seronok
* Kenapa orang muda Malaysia lebih kenal Barack Obama dan Pervez Musharraf daripada Shafie Afdal dan Azmi Khalid? Hakikatnya, internet membuka minda kami dengan terlalu luas dan global sehingga kami hampir tidak peduli tentang yang di sini. Maka, gunakanlah internet dengan sebaik mungkin untuk menaip "Malaysia" kerana Yahoo dan Google juga ada maklumat tentang negara ini.
* Kenapa kanak-kanak di bandar tidak bermain layang-layang dan gasing lagi? Hakikatnya, PS2 yang lebih mahal tapi mungkin hanya mampu bertahan selama layang-layang dan gasing itu juga merupakan cara terbaik untuk mengunci anak di dalam rumah dan jauh dari penculik-penculik. Maka, mungkin boleh dicipta perisian PS2 yang berunsur permainan tradisional supaya anak-anak ini tahu cara terbaik untuk menerbangkan layang-layang itu dengan tinggi apabila mereka perlu berdepan situasi itu kelak.
* Kenapa di Malaysia, ia promosikan krim pemutih kulit tapi di barat, beriya pula menjual self-tanning solutions? Hakikatnya, kita hanya melihat kecantikan melalui apa yang dipromosikan oleh syarikat korporat konglomerat sebegini yang cuba memenuhi pendapat masyarakat sekeliling tentang erti kecantikan. Dalam erti kata lain, mudah benar kita terpengaruh dengan pemasaran sebegini kerana ia ditetapkan orang sekeliling kita (di Malaysia, kau cantik bila kau putih dan di barat, kau cantik bila kau tanned, padahal semuanya manusia juga). Maka, kecewalah dgn diri sendiri apabila hasilnya tidak sama dengan Fasha Sandha atau Zhang Zhi Yi tanpa melihat cermin dengan tepat untuk sedar bahawa inilah realiti dan yang terpantul itu adalah anda yang mencuba pengomersialan secara DIY.
* Kenapa filem Tamil hampir selalu memperjuangkan cinta yang agak mustahil? Tapi cinta itu pasti akan berjaya melalui perbincangan yang mengambil masa lima minit di akhir cerita dan menjadikan semua pergaduhan yang memerlukan hero itu untuk terbang sana sini agak pointless serta kekayaan melampau bapa pihak perempuan takde faedahnya... Hakikatnya, aku tetap akan tengok juga sambil terpinga-pinga seronok
* Kenapa orang muda Malaysia lebih kenal Barack Obama dan Pervez Musharraf daripada Shafie Afdal dan Azmi Khalid? Hakikatnya, internet membuka minda kami dengan terlalu luas dan global sehingga kami hampir tidak peduli tentang yang di sini. Maka, gunakanlah internet dengan sebaik mungkin untuk menaip "Malaysia" kerana Yahoo dan Google juga ada maklumat tentang negara ini.
* Kenapa kanak-kanak di bandar tidak bermain layang-layang dan gasing lagi? Hakikatnya, PS2 yang lebih mahal tapi mungkin hanya mampu bertahan selama layang-layang dan gasing itu juga merupakan cara terbaik untuk mengunci anak di dalam rumah dan jauh dari penculik-penculik. Maka, mungkin boleh dicipta perisian PS2 yang berunsur permainan tradisional supaya anak-anak ini tahu cara terbaik untuk menerbangkan layang-layang itu dengan tinggi apabila mereka perlu berdepan situasi itu kelak.
* Kenapa di Malaysia, ia promosikan krim pemutih kulit tapi di barat, beriya pula menjual self-tanning solutions? Hakikatnya, kita hanya melihat kecantikan melalui apa yang dipromosikan oleh syarikat korporat konglomerat sebegini yang cuba memenuhi pendapat masyarakat sekeliling tentang erti kecantikan. Dalam erti kata lain, mudah benar kita terpengaruh dengan pemasaran sebegini kerana ia ditetapkan orang sekeliling kita (di Malaysia, kau cantik bila kau putih dan di barat, kau cantik bila kau tanned, padahal semuanya manusia juga). Maka, kecewalah dgn diri sendiri apabila hasilnya tidak sama dengan Fasha Sandha atau Zhang Zhi Yi tanpa melihat cermin dengan tepat untuk sedar bahawa inilah realiti dan yang terpantul itu adalah anda yang mencuba pengomersialan secara DIY.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Retrospect
I've been tagged by Nisa and I was pretty bored too.. hahahaha. Anyway, it's all about being a reflective practitioner regardless of what your practices might be...
10 years ago………..
The beginning of many beautiful friendships started when I was 13 where almost all of them lasted until today as we kept in touch constantly. My friends from my schooling years help me to always feel a sense of youth and relevant to the nature of my being. In other words, they help to define me and my lifelah. Besides that, I can clearly remember that I was very adamant on not going to any boarding schools despite the relatively good results and being the cool parents that they are, mummy and daddy just let me be. 13 was also the age when I knew the meaning of being serious and focused on the future by setting my aims and future career path (",)
5 years ago………
Was still dealing the loss of my arwah daddy (honestly,it's never going to be easy). I also worked in my mama's shop and earning some bucks to support self. Coming to IPBA was another defining moment of my life where I learnt how to become a thinker and a progressor.
1 year ago………
Was full of mixed emotions... Around this time, I was back in Sydney after a long holiday in Malaysia. Learnt that the relationship I had was based on lies, felt wasted and promised to stay focused on studies (Alhamdulillah for the diversion). Alhamdulillah again for the great house mates with whom I got to share laughter and tears, the fantastic lecturers (miss Dan O'Brien, Rod Lane, Ilija Casule & George Cooney in particular)and exhausting learning experiences...
Yesterday I was…….
hanging out for lunch at Makbul TTDI with Nina, Durra, Aimi and Nisya after LTP's tutorial where we got banged quite badly by Miss Lum (tidakkah kau penat?). Attended this really inspiring seminar on teachers' accountability by Mrs Vasantha Mallar before going to Gulai Kampung for a roti canai for tea. Blogged a bit and went for dinner... plainly said, it was all about makan :p
5 snacks I enjoy………
1. hotdog
2. burger
3. rojak pasembor
4. fifi and aidid's food (apa-apa sahaja just to annoy them
5. cheesecakes
5 songs I know all the words to…….
1. Ayu- V.E
2. Dil To Pagal Hai (tidakkah kau terkejut?)
3. Ordinary People- John Legend
4. Negaraku
5. Dilanda Cinta- Shanon Shah
5 bad habits………
1. fusses over trivial things (e.g expects matched set of cutlery di kedai makan)
2. procrastinates
3. listens to music loudly (ganggu orang!)
4. cuts into a discussion or conversation abruptly
5. often makes remarks about everything regardless of whether you're interested to know or not :p
5 biggest joy…….
1. Family (Mummy, Fifi, Aidid, Sunny)
2. Close friends
3. Good books
4. Great Music
5. Knowing that all of my loved ones are happy :)
5 favourite toys……..
1. my handphones
2. my PC
3. nina's lappy
4. aidid's race cars
5. fifi's vast collection of barbie dolls
5 favourite tv shows…….
1. Rove
2. Chaser's War On Everything
3. Majalah 3
4. Spongebob Squarepants
5. Kevin Hill
10 years ago………..
The beginning of many beautiful friendships started when I was 13 where almost all of them lasted until today as we kept in touch constantly. My friends from my schooling years help me to always feel a sense of youth and relevant to the nature of my being. In other words, they help to define me and my lifelah. Besides that, I can clearly remember that I was very adamant on not going to any boarding schools despite the relatively good results and being the cool parents that they are, mummy and daddy just let me be. 13 was also the age when I knew the meaning of being serious and focused on the future by setting my aims and future career path (",)
5 years ago………
Was still dealing the loss of my arwah daddy (honestly,it's never going to be easy). I also worked in my mama's shop and earning some bucks to support self. Coming to IPBA was another defining moment of my life where I learnt how to become a thinker and a progressor.
1 year ago………
Was full of mixed emotions... Around this time, I was back in Sydney after a long holiday in Malaysia. Learnt that the relationship I had was based on lies, felt wasted and promised to stay focused on studies (Alhamdulillah for the diversion). Alhamdulillah again for the great house mates with whom I got to share laughter and tears, the fantastic lecturers (miss Dan O'Brien, Rod Lane, Ilija Casule & George Cooney in particular)and exhausting learning experiences...
Yesterday I was…….
hanging out for lunch at Makbul TTDI with Nina, Durra, Aimi and Nisya after LTP's tutorial where we got banged quite badly by Miss Lum (tidakkah kau penat?). Attended this really inspiring seminar on teachers' accountability by Mrs Vasantha Mallar before going to Gulai Kampung for a roti canai for tea. Blogged a bit and went for dinner... plainly said, it was all about makan :p
5 snacks I enjoy………
1. hotdog
2. burger
3. rojak pasembor
4. fifi and aidid's food (apa-apa sahaja just to annoy them
5. cheesecakes
5 songs I know all the words to…….
1. Ayu- V.E
2. Dil To Pagal Hai (tidakkah kau terkejut?)
3. Ordinary People- John Legend
4. Negaraku
5. Dilanda Cinta- Shanon Shah
5 bad habits………
1. fusses over trivial things (e.g expects matched set of cutlery di kedai makan)
2. procrastinates
3. listens to music loudly (ganggu orang!)
4. cuts into a discussion or conversation abruptly
5. often makes remarks about everything regardless of whether you're interested to know or not :p
5 biggest joy…….
1. Family (Mummy, Fifi, Aidid, Sunny)
2. Close friends
3. Good books
4. Great Music
5. Knowing that all of my loved ones are happy :)
5 favourite toys……..
1. my handphones
2. my PC
3. nina's lappy
4. aidid's race cars
5. fifi's vast collection of barbie dolls
5 favourite tv shows…….
1. Rove
2. Chaser's War On Everything
3. Majalah 3
4. Spongebob Squarepants
5. Kevin Hill
It's An Unfair World
Yesterday, I was talking or rather, chatting to a good friend who I've known for almost 5 years now. He is one who always has a great view on various issues so much so that I just love listening to him because more often than not, our views would be the total opposites but we will agree to disagree in the most funny way (knowing how uptight and headstrong I can be, that's a pretty big surprise aye?).
But his one view on the topic of our conversation yesterday was something I could not and, if I may add, refuse to comprehend, considering how much leadership work he has handled before. Well, it went like this or something to the same effect...
T: So why do you want to try so hard? Just so you know after 23 years of living, you ought to know that it's an unfair world. In Malaysia, it's an unfair system. Just deal with it
I almost caught my tongue, or rather my finger, after absorbing this opinion of his. Okay, I agree that the world has been an unfair place but why is that when you CAN change something, you simply refuse to? We talk so much about changing or shaping the new generation but we ourselves hold a principle in our mind that things are stagnant and there's nothing we can do about it.
His pessimistic view was rather hard for me to swallow as it does reflect that some people are actually holding back the needed change. Pardon the euphemism but if we're going to remain this ignorant, how can we ever make the world a better place? Small things are parts to a bigger dimension, small changes are the vehicle to a broader one. If you can't believe in the possibilities, it will remain the world as it is today.
It's an unfair world because we choose to make it so. Ye, aku frustrated :(
But his one view on the topic of our conversation yesterday was something I could not and, if I may add, refuse to comprehend, considering how much leadership work he has handled before. Well, it went like this or something to the same effect...
T: So why do you want to try so hard? Just so you know after 23 years of living, you ought to know that it's an unfair world. In Malaysia, it's an unfair system. Just deal with it
I almost caught my tongue, or rather my finger, after absorbing this opinion of his. Okay, I agree that the world has been an unfair place but why is that when you CAN change something, you simply refuse to? We talk so much about changing or shaping the new generation but we ourselves hold a principle in our mind that things are stagnant and there's nothing we can do about it.
His pessimistic view was rather hard for me to swallow as it does reflect that some people are actually holding back the needed change. Pardon the euphemism but if we're going to remain this ignorant, how can we ever make the world a better place? Small things are parts to a bigger dimension, small changes are the vehicle to a broader one. If you can't believe in the possibilities, it will remain the world as it is today.
It's an unfair world because we choose to make it so. Ye, aku frustrated :(
You're Perfect
It's never the wrong look in your eyes,
The Innocence and freedom I seek,
In the long Wilted life I've lived,
The rows of Sorrows never borrowed,
Always mine to Claim in a mute minute,
Always sole to a lone Soul,
Time and again, it yearns for Perfection,
That eventually came in You...
Maybe this Innocence won't last,
My Wilt will end the next second,
Cautioned by excitement of other Charms,
The Sorrows will then be sold earnestly,
Nothing will be to be Claimed as mine,
Of Souls flying upon the soaring skjavascript:void(0)
Publish Posty,
Time and again, Perfection redefined,
But You will always be my Perfection
*for all my loved ones, beauty is defined in you*
The Innocence and freedom I seek,
In the long Wilted life I've lived,
The rows of Sorrows never borrowed,
Always mine to Claim in a mute minute,
Always sole to a lone Soul,
Time and again, it yearns for Perfection,
That eventually came in You...
Maybe this Innocence won't last,
My Wilt will end the next second,
Cautioned by excitement of other Charms,
The Sorrows will then be sold earnestly,
Nothing will be to be Claimed as mine,
Of Souls flying upon the soaring skjavascript:void(0)
Publish Posty,
Time and again, Perfection redefined,
But You will always be my Perfection
*for all my loved ones, beauty is defined in you*
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Ten Songs Of Significantly Interesting Beats To Be Remembered
This is just a random list I have decided to come up with to celebrate almost ten years of serious music appreciation (hahaha!). Okay, maybe not that random as I've spent two weeks thinking about this list. It's definitely not easy to decide and I faced difficulties in determining a criteria but I made the ultimate choice a day ago (you must be wondering why I have a lot of time in my hands... the answer is I actually don't.. haha) FYI, songs may be chosen for a variety of reason, from compact and impossible music arrangements to the creative energy channeled in the song. Interesting might not mean good or revolutionary but just defining enough for a know-nothing person like me, so pardon the quite limited repertoire of music. Anyway, tidakkah kau teruja juga untuk tahu? So, here it goeslah in no particular order
1) One Thing- Amerie
2) Agua De Belen- Poncho Sanchez
3) 99 Problems- Jay Z
4) Seven Nation Army- White Stripes
5) Summertime- Miles Davies
6) Joget Pahang- P.Ramlee
7) Used To Love You- John Legend
8) Song 2- Blur
9) I Want You Back- Jackson Five
10) Wannabe- Spice Girls
For all those out there raising an eyebrow over this short list, do care enough to relate your selections. Those who smile over the triviality of this list can now move on with their lives as usual and not break a blood vein trying to compile this obscure part of life (waaa... sarcastically deep tak daku?)
1) One Thing- Amerie
2) Agua De Belen- Poncho Sanchez
3) 99 Problems- Jay Z
4) Seven Nation Army- White Stripes
5) Summertime- Miles Davies
6) Joget Pahang- P.Ramlee
7) Used To Love You- John Legend
8) Song 2- Blur
9) I Want You Back- Jackson Five
10) Wannabe- Spice Girls
For all those out there raising an eyebrow over this short list, do care enough to relate your selections. Those who smile over the triviality of this list can now move on with their lives as usual and not break a blood vein trying to compile this obscure part of life (waaa... sarcastically deep tak daku?)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Bila Ana Jahat
Caution: Ana was in one of her bitchy, post-PMS moods when she experienced all these so she had to wait until she is finally rational after a looong bath and a cup of good Vittoria coffee. This might come quite delayed but all the more still relevant to anybody out there who has experienced any kind of frustration of the same sort.
I have a certain set of pre-conceptions of how customer service should be provided to clients primarily because clients pay money for the service while the person who serves would ideally represent their organisation/corporation. Though, I often ask myself if I'm setting the standards too high for these people who rightfully do not owe me anything at all. Okay, to give you a clearer idea, I'll just relate a situation where I was pretty pissed off with the service and simply couldn't tolerate the lack of professionalism or politeness. So, you tell me whether I am fussy or some people just don't know how to treat others.
A blazing hot afternoon at Bangsar:
I was accompanying Durra to do an important banking transaction at a bank, naturally. As the electronic beeper alerts us that we should proceed to counter 6, we dutifully approach the empty counter and a stocky man at counter 5 looked at us with a half-effort glance and said "counter 5, counter 5.. counter 6 kan kosong" (like, hallo! how are we suppose to know?? knowing how busy bank counters can be, i thought we were supposed to wait patiently like all good citizens should do). Being the sweet, little creatures that we are, we followed the instruction and Durra went on with the transaction.
Pakcik : Ni nak buat apa ni?
Ana : Nak withdraw duit
Pakcik : Owwh.. takde kad ke? (sly look)
Ana : Hurrmmmm... nak aktifkan akaun kembali sebab dah dua tahun tak guna akaun
(if you're wondering why I'm talking, Durra was diam and not answering, so I did)
Pakcik : Okay... tapi kena masukkan duit dalam akaun juga. Keluar dan masuk
Ana : Owwhh... ye ke? Saya diberitahu hanya perlu keluarkan duit di kaunter
Pakcik : Tak tahulah.. Kadang-kadang orang ni bagi maklumat lain-lain. Suka hatilah
Ana : Transaksi masuk sudah pernah buat dalam masa terdekat ni sebenarnya
Pakcik : owwhhh... dah buat??? oklah.. suka hatilah (asks for the forms and IC)
Pakcik checks the forms and insisted that Durra should put some money into the account regardless of the information I gave. (lantak kaulah, pakcik)
After a few moments of trying to authorise the forms, he seemed to face some difficulties...
Pakcik : Ni macam mana ni? Sign tak match pun... Bila buat akaun ni, sign sama tak?
Durra : Errr... tak sama rasanya. Sebab dah lama buat and tak pernah guna buku akaun
Pakcik : Ye ke?? You all ni buat saya rasa tak sedap hatilah.. Sebab yelah, orang suka tipu pakai akaun orang lain ni, terutamanya orang pencen punya. Sekejap saya tanya pegawai saya.. yang ni, kita tak boleh main lepas sahaja
(Bisik hati kecil Ana sementara pakcik in his selipar jepun goes on to meet his pegawai: Hallo, pakcik! On that account book, it did state that Durra was born in 1985, takkan dah pencen kot??! Plus, the ic number in it matches with her IC yang terang-terang ada mukanya. Kalau ye pun the fault is hers for not having the same sign, you shouldn't have said yang you tak sedap hati seolah-olah you are making a direct accusation that my friend is a delinquent)
Pakcik: oklah, you datang lepas sejam... kita kena tunggu fax dari cawangan lama you. You pergilah makan dulu ke ape ke... Lepas sejam, you boleh datang balik (dengan lagak ketua kampung pisang)
After an hour or so, we came back and I decided not to accompany Durra at the counter now for fear that I would make comments on how easy the problem can be solved and he shouldn't have treated us as an unnecessary fuss. Luckily, Durra was served by another person who appeared very professional despite his apparent young age. Still, the pakcik selipar jepun felt obliged to shout out the necessary procedures from his counter 5 to counter 9 as if the guy who was handling Durra's transaction didn't have the brains to do it(the guy did seem pretty annoyed, mind you), causing the whole bank to know that Durra didn't have a matched signature.
Pakcik selipar jepun went on to call Durra to his counter to give a short ceramah on how much trouble they went through because of this and why she shouldn't change her signature. I just looked on from where I was seated in the waiting area because by then, I was keen on taking his selipar jepun and turning it into soup for him to drink so that he can learn how to treat people with a level of professionalism as this is not a transaction in Kedai Pau Pak Abu where you can say anything and I wouldn't care.
Well, it wasn't so much of what he said but rather the way he said it that made me feel that I will never open a bank account in that bank. If you're so lazy to please your clients, then try to ask for another position where you can wear selipar jepun and I wouldn't give a rat's ass. . And they say that "our principle is that our customers are always right"... Yeah, right!
I have a certain set of pre-conceptions of how customer service should be provided to clients primarily because clients pay money for the service while the person who serves would ideally represent their organisation/corporation. Though, I often ask myself if I'm setting the standards too high for these people who rightfully do not owe me anything at all. Okay, to give you a clearer idea, I'll just relate a situation where I was pretty pissed off with the service and simply couldn't tolerate the lack of professionalism or politeness. So, you tell me whether I am fussy or some people just don't know how to treat others.
A blazing hot afternoon at Bangsar:
I was accompanying Durra to do an important banking transaction at a bank, naturally. As the electronic beeper alerts us that we should proceed to counter 6, we dutifully approach the empty counter and a stocky man at counter 5 looked at us with a half-effort glance and said "counter 5, counter 5.. counter 6 kan kosong" (like, hallo! how are we suppose to know?? knowing how busy bank counters can be, i thought we were supposed to wait patiently like all good citizens should do). Being the sweet, little creatures that we are, we followed the instruction and Durra went on with the transaction.
Pakcik : Ni nak buat apa ni?
Ana : Nak withdraw duit
Pakcik : Owwh.. takde kad ke? (sly look)
Ana : Hurrmmmm... nak aktifkan akaun kembali sebab dah dua tahun tak guna akaun
(if you're wondering why I'm talking, Durra was diam and not answering, so I did)
Pakcik : Okay... tapi kena masukkan duit dalam akaun juga. Keluar dan masuk
Ana : Owwhh... ye ke? Saya diberitahu hanya perlu keluarkan duit di kaunter
Pakcik : Tak tahulah.. Kadang-kadang orang ni bagi maklumat lain-lain. Suka hatilah
Ana : Transaksi masuk sudah pernah buat dalam masa terdekat ni sebenarnya
Pakcik : owwhhh... dah buat??? oklah.. suka hatilah (asks for the forms and IC)
Pakcik checks the forms and insisted that Durra should put some money into the account regardless of the information I gave. (lantak kaulah, pakcik)
After a few moments of trying to authorise the forms, he seemed to face some difficulties...
Pakcik : Ni macam mana ni? Sign tak match pun... Bila buat akaun ni, sign sama tak?
Durra : Errr... tak sama rasanya. Sebab dah lama buat and tak pernah guna buku akaun
Pakcik : Ye ke?? You all ni buat saya rasa tak sedap hatilah.. Sebab yelah, orang suka tipu pakai akaun orang lain ni, terutamanya orang pencen punya. Sekejap saya tanya pegawai saya.. yang ni, kita tak boleh main lepas sahaja
(Bisik hati kecil Ana sementara pakcik in his selipar jepun goes on to meet his pegawai: Hallo, pakcik! On that account book, it did state that Durra was born in 1985, takkan dah pencen kot??! Plus, the ic number in it matches with her IC yang terang-terang ada mukanya. Kalau ye pun the fault is hers for not having the same sign, you shouldn't have said yang you tak sedap hati seolah-olah you are making a direct accusation that my friend is a delinquent)
Pakcik: oklah, you datang lepas sejam... kita kena tunggu fax dari cawangan lama you. You pergilah makan dulu ke ape ke... Lepas sejam, you boleh datang balik (dengan lagak ketua kampung pisang)
After an hour or so, we came back and I decided not to accompany Durra at the counter now for fear that I would make comments on how easy the problem can be solved and he shouldn't have treated us as an unnecessary fuss. Luckily, Durra was served by another person who appeared very professional despite his apparent young age. Still, the pakcik selipar jepun felt obliged to shout out the necessary procedures from his counter 5 to counter 9 as if the guy who was handling Durra's transaction didn't have the brains to do it(the guy did seem pretty annoyed, mind you), causing the whole bank to know that Durra didn't have a matched signature.
Pakcik selipar jepun went on to call Durra to his counter to give a short ceramah on how much trouble they went through because of this and why she shouldn't change her signature. I just looked on from where I was seated in the waiting area because by then, I was keen on taking his selipar jepun and turning it into soup for him to drink so that he can learn how to treat people with a level of professionalism as this is not a transaction in Kedai Pau Pak Abu where you can say anything and I wouldn't care.
Well, it wasn't so much of what he said but rather the way he said it that made me feel that I will never open a bank account in that bank. If you're so lazy to please your clients, then try to ask for another position where you can wear selipar jepun and I wouldn't give a rat's ass. . And they say that "our principle is that our customers are always right"... Yeah, right!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sharing Is Caring
I know that phrase holds a lot of true meanings to it but I have to admit that I'm a type of person who finds it very hard to share things with people I'm not in a comfortable level with. My close friends might know that I don't mind going the extra mile because I sincerely care for them yet for others, I often get this bisikan hati jahat that goes 'alaaaa.... mana boleh??? i susah-susah ja berusaha selama ni tau. Mana boleh kongsi???'
Thus why I find it hard to work academically in groups, especially when it's not with the preferred few who can stand my sudden aggressiveness when defending my ideas and commenting on the others. Yes, I do get suddenly worked up when it concerns the outcome and quality of m work. I'm still learning to place myself in a position where I'm not always right and not only my idea sells but knowing myself, I know I'm gonna be too focused on getting it done the way I want that I'll end up devising it konon-konon up to my standards (yang takdelah best pun). But Insya Allah, I'll try harder in the future and do remind me when I get too insensitive when I say "Eh, kau rasa idea kau ni valid ke untuk benda yang kita buat ni?"
Still on sharing, I was blessed with superb house mates while living in Sydney and honestly, I really miss hanging out with them. I do see them everyday but it's not the same without the breakfast sessions and the late nights we had in our own little place we can truly call our own home. Rindu kamu, Nisa, Syada and Durra(not that I don't LOVE living with Nina now:p) At least, they know how fanatical I am about the toilets cleanliness, picking up your own hair in the bathroom and washing the dishes in the sink (tidakkah kau terasa?)
Anyway, I think sharing is caring only if you really care. If not, it would be sharing is tiring or sharing is boring... Owh well, I hope you got my point :)
Thus why I find it hard to work academically in groups, especially when it's not with the preferred few who can stand my sudden aggressiveness when defending my ideas and commenting on the others. Yes, I do get suddenly worked up when it concerns the outcome and quality of m work. I'm still learning to place myself in a position where I'm not always right and not only my idea sells but knowing myself, I know I'm gonna be too focused on getting it done the way I want that I'll end up devising it konon-konon up to my standards (yang takdelah best pun). But Insya Allah, I'll try harder in the future and do remind me when I get too insensitive when I say "Eh, kau rasa idea kau ni valid ke untuk benda yang kita buat ni?"
Still on sharing, I was blessed with superb house mates while living in Sydney and honestly, I really miss hanging out with them. I do see them everyday but it's not the same without the breakfast sessions and the late nights we had in our own little place we can truly call our own home. Rindu kamu, Nisa, Syada and Durra(not that I don't LOVE living with Nina now:p) At least, they know how fanatical I am about the toilets cleanliness, picking up your own hair in the bathroom and washing the dishes in the sink (tidakkah kau terasa?)
Anyway, I think sharing is caring only if you really care. If not, it would be sharing is tiring or sharing is boring... Owh well, I hope you got my point :)
Perihal Cengkerik Dan Ketam
Situasi 1: Satu pagi yang hening tapi panas di dalam Dewan Kuliah A di saat aku energetic walaupun tidur sejam sahaja malam sbelumnya (tidakkah kau gusar?)
Encik NZR: You know they say, manusia ni rambut sama hitam...
(being good and well trained Malaysian students, you will feel obliged to sambung his ayat)
Us: Hati lain-lain
Encik NZR: Nolaaaa... gigi lain-lain. When they want to identify your body, they look at your teeth and dental record, not at your liver.
(kedengaran unggas dan cengkerik malam memecah kesunyian yang awkward)
Situasi 2: Pagi yang redup tapi ada cicak yang bercorak seolah-olah tatu orang Maori (kau ingat cicak tak tahu erti cool?) berselindung di sebalik langsir berwarna pic di Dewan Kuliah A yang juga dikenali dengan nama DKA
Encik NHL: Jarod, you try to book DKA for this Friday's mass tutorial... If you can't, then go to Plan B (holds silence).. book the DKB. If you still can't, then try Plan C (holds silence).. book the DKC (sambil tersengih girang)(kelihatan seekor ketam janggal melintas secara senget di khalayak ramai)
Kering hatiku mendapat pensyarah begini...
Encik NZR: You know they say, manusia ni rambut sama hitam...
(being good and well trained Malaysian students, you will feel obliged to sambung his ayat)
Us: Hati lain-lain
Encik NZR: Nolaaaa... gigi lain-lain. When they want to identify your body, they look at your teeth and dental record, not at your liver.
(kedengaran unggas dan cengkerik malam memecah kesunyian yang awkward)
Situasi 2: Pagi yang redup tapi ada cicak yang bercorak seolah-olah tatu orang Maori (kau ingat cicak tak tahu erti cool?) berselindung di sebalik langsir berwarna pic di Dewan Kuliah A yang juga dikenali dengan nama DKA
Encik NHL: Jarod, you try to book DKA for this Friday's mass tutorial... If you can't, then go to Plan B (holds silence).. book the DKB. If you still can't, then try Plan C (holds silence).. book the DKC (sambil tersengih girang)(kelihatan seekor ketam janggal melintas secara senget di khalayak ramai)
Kering hatiku mendapat pensyarah begini...
Perubahan Yang Boleh Dipercayai
Bagi yang telah lama mengenali saya, pastinya anda mengetahui bahawa saya mudah teruja apabila berbicara tentang politik sehingga saya yakin pasti ada yang berdoa dalam diam agar saya akan segera berhenti membincangkan tentang isu-isu yang selalunya berpanjangan dan berlarutan menjadi perdebatan, lazimnya kerana waktu yang selalu dipilih adalah ketika kami duduk di meja makan/kopi :p Peliknya, saya tidak pula melobi mana-mana parti politik yang wujud di Malaysia malah saya lebih kerap membicarakan tentang suasana politik di luar negara untuk mencetuskan perbandingan dari segi ketelusan dan pengendalian dalaman.
Sebenarnya, saya tidaklah terlalu obses dengan isu-isu ini kerana niat saya cumalah untuk meningkatkan kesedaran politik dalam diri dan juga rakan-rakan tetapi saya selalu berasa terpanggil untuk melihat sebab di sebalik mengapa golongan muda di negara ini secara amnya kurang mengambil tahu mengenai senario semasa berbanding dengan mereka yang seusia kami sekitar 1940-an sehingga lewat 1980-an yang tdak pernah gentar untuk menyuarakan pendapat mereka dalam isu berkaitan politik, tidak kiralah sebagai pemerhati luar atau gerakan dalaman. Saya hanya berharap agar apa yang bakal diutarakan seterusnya di sini mampu membuka minda kita tentang betapa jauh tapi pentingnya kesedaran berpolitik dan tanggungjawab yang dipegang oleh generasi muda di Malaysia, khususnya golongan intelektual yang amat diperlukan untuk membantu mengubah sedikit sebanyak warna politik di sini. Saya juga harap anda faham bahawa ia bukanlah kebenaran yang paling nyata tentang senario politik Malaysia kerana ia hanya pendapat peribadi yang dicetus dari rangkuman pemerhatian, pengamatan serta perbandingan.
Mungkin ada antara anda yang tersenyum sinis kerana menyedari durasi masa di mana kesenyapan politik (jika dibandingkan dengan dekad-dekad sebelumnya) mula melanda negara ini adalah ketika kita di bawah pengendalian Perdana Menteri Ke-4 namun bagi saya, ia bukanlah suatu situasi yang wujud hasil halangan berekspresi secara terbuka tetapi lebih kepada kerana keselesaan hidup yang dilalui membuatkan kita sedikit leka dan lupa untuk melihat belakang kembali dan melihat sebab sebenar di sebalik kemakmuran hari ini. Ramai yang tidak mengetahui, contohnya, Tun Dr M juga pernah dibuang keahliannya daripada UMNO selama 3 tahun dari tahun 1969-1972 kerana menyuarakan pendapatnya secara terang-terangan mengenai beberapa isu dalaman serta apa yang dilihat sebagai sebab "kepincangan" pengendalian UMNO ketika itu. Pemuda UMNO (seolah-olah mereka bukan sebahagian dari petubuhan itu) di banyak kawasan sepakat mengeluarkan memorandum untuk menyatakan sokongan mereka terhadap Dr M dan menyarankan keahliannya diterima serta merta sekiranya permohonan dilakukan. Apabila Tun Abdul Razak menjadi Perdana Menteri, Dr M pula yang menjadi tonggak utama kerajaan seperti beliau tidak pernah ditidakkan oleh pertubuhan yang dinaunginya itu.
Ya, ia adalah tidak adil untuk meyalahkan pihak lain di atas keengganan kami untuk mengambil tahu perihal politik Malaysia tapi secara terus-terang, kami tidak pernah dididik dengan kesedaran untuk menjadikan medan tersebut sebagai tempat untuk mengubah nasib serta memperbaiki taraf kehidupan kami. Pada kami, hanya kemajuan ekonomi yang mampu menjana mobiliti sosial dan hal lain boleh dikendalikan oleh pihak yang "bertanggungjawab". Justeru anda melihat anak-anak muda seperti segelintir rakan-rakan saya yang masih belum mendaftar sebagai pengundi walaupun sudah layak berbuat demikian sejak beberapa tahun dahulu dan ada pula yang awal-awal lagi sudah bercadang untuk tidur sahaja di rumah pada hari pengundian kerana tidak menyedar betapa besarya kuasa yang mereka pegang dengan undian mereka. Saya boleh menerima rungutan kecil anda bahawa kita tidak punya banyak pilihan yang bagus untuk dilakukan (one is focused on getting to the Moon with a Rocket while the other seems earthed in turning us into the Land Of The Rising Sun [In Law]) tetapi saya percaya bahawa sekiranya kita gagal untuk menggunakan kuasa yang kita ada, kita telah mengkhianati datuk nenek kita yang bergolok gadai untuk memastikan kita mampu mengecapi apa yang kita miliki sekarang dan juga turut hilang hak untuk mencorakkan masa depan Malaysia untuk anak-anak kita kelak kerana temoh 5 tahun pada tangan yang salah boleh menyebabkan kerosakan yang akan mengambil masa yang terlalu lama untuk diperbaiki.
Tidak dapat dinafikan juga bahawa kerenah dan tingkah laku sesetengah ahli politik juga menjadikan arena ini dilihat sebagai sesuatu yang agak mengecewakan dan tidak memangkinkan kemajuan mana-mana pihak. Lewat 1990-an serta abad baru ni menyaksikan beberapa percakaran kuasa politik yang sedikit sebanyak telah menjejaskan kualiti kepimpinan di dalam parti masing-masing dan membawa kesan ke atas keyakinan rakyat terhadap kerajaan mahupun barisan pembangkang. "Kami tahu apa yang kami lakukan, anda tidak perlu mempersoalkan kami" merupakan antara mesej terselindung dalam kebanyakan jawapan mereka yang berpengaruh ini terhadap teguran-teguran kecil kami tetapi hasil kerja mereka sering tampak tergesa-gesa atau cetek tahap pemikirannya. Keengganan pihak dalaman untuk mempersoalkan kesilapan dan kesalahan yang dilakukan demi untuk menjaga kepentingan masing-masing menyebabkan perkara ini akan terus berlaku dalam kitaran kegagalan yang tidak terhenti. Jika tiada sesiapa yang selantang Tengku Razaleigh untuk bertanya secara terbuka selepas melihat beliau tersingkir (walaupun diterima semula) kerana tidak mahu kehilangan peluang menaiki strata kerajaan, saya rasa kita tidak dapatlah menyalahkan pucuk kepimpinan sebagai memberikan tekanan pula.
Kesan daripada situasi tersebut pula mungkin dapat dilihat pada kemunculan penulis-penulis blog sosio-ekonomi yang secara terang-terangan atau berkias mempersoalkan serta membincangkan kepincangan yang dapat dikesan namun suara mereka pula dikekang dengan ancaman penahanan di bawah akta ISA dan sebagainya (seraya saya teringat kepada wartawan tersohor, A Samad Ismail yang pernah 3 kali ditahan malah sekali pernah dituduh komunis dek kelantangannya di akhbar- kepada anda yang menulis kerana anda percaya kepada tanggungjawab anda, teruskan usaha kerana Tuhan bersama mereka yang jujur dan ikhlas). Ini menambahkan lagi keyakinan kami bahawa suara kami tidak dihargai dan pendapat kami tiada nilainya selagi kami tidak bergelar Yang Berhormat yang dipilih oleh 34% pengundi yang keluar mengundi di kawasan tersebut. Mungkin kami kurang ilmu kami kerana kami muda atau kami kurang akal kerana kami peduli mengenai sesuatu yang kami tidak fahami tapi apa yang kami perhati, bila anda bergaduh, anda tidak pula bergaduh untuk kami sebaliknya untuk diri sendiri... Maka apa gunanya perjuangan ini? Saya masih mencari jawapan yang pasti dan saya amat berharap untuk menemui dalam masa yang terdekat ini bersama anda.
Sebenarnya, saya tidaklah terlalu obses dengan isu-isu ini kerana niat saya cumalah untuk meningkatkan kesedaran politik dalam diri dan juga rakan-rakan tetapi saya selalu berasa terpanggil untuk melihat sebab di sebalik mengapa golongan muda di negara ini secara amnya kurang mengambil tahu mengenai senario semasa berbanding dengan mereka yang seusia kami sekitar 1940-an sehingga lewat 1980-an yang tdak pernah gentar untuk menyuarakan pendapat mereka dalam isu berkaitan politik, tidak kiralah sebagai pemerhati luar atau gerakan dalaman. Saya hanya berharap agar apa yang bakal diutarakan seterusnya di sini mampu membuka minda kita tentang betapa jauh tapi pentingnya kesedaran berpolitik dan tanggungjawab yang dipegang oleh generasi muda di Malaysia, khususnya golongan intelektual yang amat diperlukan untuk membantu mengubah sedikit sebanyak warna politik di sini. Saya juga harap anda faham bahawa ia bukanlah kebenaran yang paling nyata tentang senario politik Malaysia kerana ia hanya pendapat peribadi yang dicetus dari rangkuman pemerhatian, pengamatan serta perbandingan.
Mungkin ada antara anda yang tersenyum sinis kerana menyedari durasi masa di mana kesenyapan politik (jika dibandingkan dengan dekad-dekad sebelumnya) mula melanda negara ini adalah ketika kita di bawah pengendalian Perdana Menteri Ke-4 namun bagi saya, ia bukanlah suatu situasi yang wujud hasil halangan berekspresi secara terbuka tetapi lebih kepada kerana keselesaan hidup yang dilalui membuatkan kita sedikit leka dan lupa untuk melihat belakang kembali dan melihat sebab sebenar di sebalik kemakmuran hari ini. Ramai yang tidak mengetahui, contohnya, Tun Dr M juga pernah dibuang keahliannya daripada UMNO selama 3 tahun dari tahun 1969-1972 kerana menyuarakan pendapatnya secara terang-terangan mengenai beberapa isu dalaman serta apa yang dilihat sebagai sebab "kepincangan" pengendalian UMNO ketika itu. Pemuda UMNO (seolah-olah mereka bukan sebahagian dari petubuhan itu) di banyak kawasan sepakat mengeluarkan memorandum untuk menyatakan sokongan mereka terhadap Dr M dan menyarankan keahliannya diterima serta merta sekiranya permohonan dilakukan. Apabila Tun Abdul Razak menjadi Perdana Menteri, Dr M pula yang menjadi tonggak utama kerajaan seperti beliau tidak pernah ditidakkan oleh pertubuhan yang dinaunginya itu.
Ya, ia adalah tidak adil untuk meyalahkan pihak lain di atas keengganan kami untuk mengambil tahu perihal politik Malaysia tapi secara terus-terang, kami tidak pernah dididik dengan kesedaran untuk menjadikan medan tersebut sebagai tempat untuk mengubah nasib serta memperbaiki taraf kehidupan kami. Pada kami, hanya kemajuan ekonomi yang mampu menjana mobiliti sosial dan hal lain boleh dikendalikan oleh pihak yang "bertanggungjawab". Justeru anda melihat anak-anak muda seperti segelintir rakan-rakan saya yang masih belum mendaftar sebagai pengundi walaupun sudah layak berbuat demikian sejak beberapa tahun dahulu dan ada pula yang awal-awal lagi sudah bercadang untuk tidur sahaja di rumah pada hari pengundian kerana tidak menyedar betapa besarya kuasa yang mereka pegang dengan undian mereka. Saya boleh menerima rungutan kecil anda bahawa kita tidak punya banyak pilihan yang bagus untuk dilakukan (one is focused on getting to the Moon with a Rocket while the other seems earthed in turning us into the Land Of The Rising Sun [In Law]) tetapi saya percaya bahawa sekiranya kita gagal untuk menggunakan kuasa yang kita ada, kita telah mengkhianati datuk nenek kita yang bergolok gadai untuk memastikan kita mampu mengecapi apa yang kita miliki sekarang dan juga turut hilang hak untuk mencorakkan masa depan Malaysia untuk anak-anak kita kelak kerana temoh 5 tahun pada tangan yang salah boleh menyebabkan kerosakan yang akan mengambil masa yang terlalu lama untuk diperbaiki.
Tidak dapat dinafikan juga bahawa kerenah dan tingkah laku sesetengah ahli politik juga menjadikan arena ini dilihat sebagai sesuatu yang agak mengecewakan dan tidak memangkinkan kemajuan mana-mana pihak. Lewat 1990-an serta abad baru ni menyaksikan beberapa percakaran kuasa politik yang sedikit sebanyak telah menjejaskan kualiti kepimpinan di dalam parti masing-masing dan membawa kesan ke atas keyakinan rakyat terhadap kerajaan mahupun barisan pembangkang. "Kami tahu apa yang kami lakukan, anda tidak perlu mempersoalkan kami" merupakan antara mesej terselindung dalam kebanyakan jawapan mereka yang berpengaruh ini terhadap teguran-teguran kecil kami tetapi hasil kerja mereka sering tampak tergesa-gesa atau cetek tahap pemikirannya. Keengganan pihak dalaman untuk mempersoalkan kesilapan dan kesalahan yang dilakukan demi untuk menjaga kepentingan masing-masing menyebabkan perkara ini akan terus berlaku dalam kitaran kegagalan yang tidak terhenti. Jika tiada sesiapa yang selantang Tengku Razaleigh untuk bertanya secara terbuka selepas melihat beliau tersingkir (walaupun diterima semula) kerana tidak mahu kehilangan peluang menaiki strata kerajaan, saya rasa kita tidak dapatlah menyalahkan pucuk kepimpinan sebagai memberikan tekanan pula.
Kesan daripada situasi tersebut pula mungkin dapat dilihat pada kemunculan penulis-penulis blog sosio-ekonomi yang secara terang-terangan atau berkias mempersoalkan serta membincangkan kepincangan yang dapat dikesan namun suara mereka pula dikekang dengan ancaman penahanan di bawah akta ISA dan sebagainya (seraya saya teringat kepada wartawan tersohor, A Samad Ismail yang pernah 3 kali ditahan malah sekali pernah dituduh komunis dek kelantangannya di akhbar- kepada anda yang menulis kerana anda percaya kepada tanggungjawab anda, teruskan usaha kerana Tuhan bersama mereka yang jujur dan ikhlas). Ini menambahkan lagi keyakinan kami bahawa suara kami tidak dihargai dan pendapat kami tiada nilainya selagi kami tidak bergelar Yang Berhormat yang dipilih oleh 34% pengundi yang keluar mengundi di kawasan tersebut. Mungkin kami kurang ilmu kami kerana kami muda atau kami kurang akal kerana kami peduli mengenai sesuatu yang kami tidak fahami tapi apa yang kami perhati, bila anda bergaduh, anda tidak pula bergaduh untuk kami sebaliknya untuk diri sendiri... Maka apa gunanya perjuangan ini? Saya masih mencari jawapan yang pasti dan saya amat berharap untuk menemui dalam masa yang terdekat ini bersama anda.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Of Certain In Denials Phase
We were having this random conversation in the car the other day as we were heading to Bangsar. Apparently, we were all sort of in a slight denial that we're all going to be teachers in a year time (yakah??) so we started giving each other some other career that is suitable to their faces, character and how they look in baju kurungs
Aimi:
Ana and Nina thought she would be in a PR post somewhere in an entertainment company
Nisya thought she would also be a PR manager but in some other domains
Nisya:
Ana, Aimi and Nina all thought she would be a secretary of some big shot CEO who is fussy but appreciates her ;P
Nina:
Ana, Nisya and Aimi all thought she looks like a teacher in tudung but like a garang, tomboyish engineer who has to visit sites without it.. ahahaha
Ana:
Aimi thought she would have a serious job like an "encountant"
Nina thought she would be a DJ (nisya tanya "in baju kurung?")
Nisya thought she would be in advertising
Looks like I'm the most unpredictable onelah... Why?
Aimi:
Ana and Nina thought she would be in a PR post somewhere in an entertainment company
Nisya thought she would also be a PR manager but in some other domains
Nisya:
Ana, Aimi and Nina all thought she would be a secretary of some big shot CEO who is fussy but appreciates her ;P
Nina:
Ana, Nisya and Aimi all thought she looks like a teacher in tudung but like a garang, tomboyish engineer who has to visit sites without it.. ahahaha
Ana:
Aimi thought she would have a serious job like an "encountant"
Nina thought she would be a DJ (nisya tanya "in baju kurung?")
Nisya thought she would be in advertising
Looks like I'm the most unpredictable onelah... Why?
Aku Rimas Dengan Facebook
One day, facebook will face its doomsday because of the many application requests people have to either ignore or approve in order to sort out their lives and keep their friends... They will.. Trust me, they will.
Muahahahahaha... I obviously am tortured with the 400 requests I have to go through in the next 3 hours.
Muahahahahaha... I obviously am tortured with the 400 requests I have to go through in the next 3 hours.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The Wicked Ones!
Thanks to Nina's trip to Singapore, I've been introduced to the very progressive sounding percussion band that calls them "Wicked Aura Batucada"... Have a look at their clip and be enthralled with their beats. They're releasing their first indie album around February but I'm not sure whether it will reach our shores "legally". Anyway, i heard that they're coming down to Malaysia in August for the Festival Gendang in Genting... So, we'll see :)
*them doing a number called Funky Cherry Bomb*
ps: John Legend, the man himself will be coming down to KL for Sunburst Fest on the 15th March 2008! RM200 will be the price of the tix... Other performers said to take center stage are Incubus, The Roots (wohooo!), Atilia, Joe Flizzow etc
*them doing a number called Funky Cherry Bomb*
ps: John Legend, the man himself will be coming down to KL for Sunburst Fest on the 15th March 2008! RM200 will be the price of the tix... Other performers said to take center stage are Incubus, The Roots (wohooo!), Atilia, Joe Flizzow etc
Prank Gone Wrong
Imagine a room stuffed with 125 people, fanning and whispering to each other, moving about at their seats restlessly, perspiring away and staring blindly into a space called the board... Yes, that's a normal scenario in my Dewan Kuliahs here in IPBA. Somehow all the lectures seem to take place that way. I know that I really need to stop drawing unnecessary attention onto myself in the lecture hall but I find it extremely hard to keep quiet and focus on the lecture when it has been a 3 hour affair with the lecture hall being inconducive for the well being of any human form.
Besides the usual loud smart arse remarks that I pepper on the mistakes or funny stuff that the lecturer says in front (like saying 'there's only one mistakes'), I am also always guilty of pointing out any of the noticed "abnormal" things that my coursemates around my seat do in a not-meant-to-be-loud voice so, it's shared by others too thus my small time reputation as a prankster. But I always remember to choose who I want to usik and what ways would be the most suitable one which would result in me making a fool out of myself more than the person being targeted so that the person don't feel victimised (yes, i do analyse the way I make jokes)
So last Tuesday, I thought it was only padan muka sendiri when Dr Chandran, who was actually giving quite an interesting/entertaining lecture, caught me at the usual backbencher spot doing a funny chicken-like dance to the sound of Nisha' unsilent phone that rang at that time. So instead of the joke being on Nisha' because I was going "waaah... bestya, ada irama boleh menari-nari" in a Sin Chan manner with my hands all over the place, Dr Chandran actually smiled and said 'Is there anything interesting going on at the back?? I can see that we have people who are very talented in dancing.. Maybe she wants to share with all of us in front here". Nina and Aimi laughing uncontrollably while Alin and 'Ainur making it a point of "advising" me on my mistake certainly didn't help too because probably half of the cohort knew who the culprit was by then :p Soooo maluuuuu....
Despite all of those time when I attracted attention by sneezing ultra loudly (it's beyond my control) and actually doing my moral responsibility of ensuring that my dear friends don't fall asleep during these important lectures, this would be the best disaster I have caused upon myself. And guess what? Durra had to do the dance when the both of us bumped into Dr Chandran today and he just smiled while I bashfully siku her perut (padan muka kau!). Ana, stop being the smart arse prankster that you are because the pranks can get back at you.. I want to be a quiet student after this and only talk when asked to. When you are not a good student, how do you expect to be a teacher then kan?
We'll see how long that resolution is gonna lastlaaa
Besides the usual loud smart arse remarks that I pepper on the mistakes or funny stuff that the lecturer says in front (like saying 'there's only one mistakes'), I am also always guilty of pointing out any of the noticed "abnormal" things that my coursemates around my seat do in a not-meant-to-be-loud voice so, it's shared by others too thus my small time reputation as a prankster. But I always remember to choose who I want to usik and what ways would be the most suitable one which would result in me making a fool out of myself more than the person being targeted so that the person don't feel victimised (yes, i do analyse the way I make jokes)
So last Tuesday, I thought it was only padan muka sendiri when Dr Chandran, who was actually giving quite an interesting/entertaining lecture, caught me at the usual backbencher spot doing a funny chicken-like dance to the sound of Nisha' unsilent phone that rang at that time. So instead of the joke being on Nisha' because I was going "waaah... bestya, ada irama boleh menari-nari" in a Sin Chan manner with my hands all over the place, Dr Chandran actually smiled and said 'Is there anything interesting going on at the back?? I can see that we have people who are very talented in dancing.. Maybe she wants to share with all of us in front here". Nina and Aimi laughing uncontrollably while Alin and 'Ainur making it a point of "advising" me on my mistake certainly didn't help too because probably half of the cohort knew who the culprit was by then :p Soooo maluuuuu....
Despite all of those time when I attracted attention by sneezing ultra loudly (it's beyond my control) and actually doing my moral responsibility of ensuring that my dear friends don't fall asleep during these important lectures, this would be the best disaster I have caused upon myself. And guess what? Durra had to do the dance when the both of us bumped into Dr Chandran today and he just smiled while I bashfully siku her perut (padan muka kau!). Ana, stop being the smart arse prankster that you are because the pranks can get back at you.. I want to be a quiet student after this and only talk when asked to. When you are not a good student, how do you expect to be a teacher then kan?
We'll see how long that resolution is gonna lastlaaa
At Least, We're Better Than Ghana
Yes, this is an insider joke for those who have seen the infamous and controversial standup comedy by Jit Murad back in 2005. Jit relates how when he and his brother gets fed up about the Malaysian system, the only consolation they have is that at least we're better than Ghana who gained independence in the same year as we did but seems to be lagging economically as well as in ensuring peace. But hey, whoever wants to be compared to Ghana in the first place????
I hate to ask this question but do you think that there might be some country out there that compares themself to us, "no worries.. at least, we're better than Malaysia"? Well, it really is typical for people returning from abroad to sit down over a cup of coffee and rant about how much Malaysia is lagging behind all those developed countries that we've been to. I noticed the pattern that is quite imminent when I hang out with Mii, Nina, Nisya and Durra.. or with anyone who has been overseas for that matter. The complaints would range from cars refusing to stop at the pedestrian crossing at Telawi (or anywhere else) to how we feel most insecure in our own nation. I remember being frustrated before I left but the feeling has been growing ever since.
Does it mean that we're cocky?? Or we're plainly ungrateful or better said, 'lupa diri"? I've asked myself that question almost each time I make a comment about my frustration over the system or lifestyle here. Come to think of it, 2 years is hardly a long time but I felt that it has been an eye opener for me to realise that life can be better if we choose to change it. It gave me a sense of how much of my previous 20 years ca be improve in many aspects if only things were slightly "easier" for the general public who has an average earning income of RM2500 a month in this country (and not those who might spend the same amount just buying their monthly beauty supplies). Thus, it's actually so frustrating when people tell me off when I try to do something different/beneficial because they believe that one person CANNOT make a difference.
The economic divide might seem like it's still under control but I see/hear about people still eating rice with salt while others use only imported salt from the Mediterranean seas. Do we really want to wait for Malaysia to stoop to India and China's level that are prospering at the international business domain yet still fail to ensure that all of their citizens are taken care of and lead a healthy lifestyle?? For that matter, I just want to highlight that Malaysia has indeed been indulging in a lot of projects (like the space expedition) that could've waited until we really can afford it. What's the use of being able to have someone seeing the world from outer space with a budget amounting to billions when there are underprivileged kids in Telumpik who haven't seen a proper solar system model that costs RM150 each to enrich their understandng of the world around them?
Change is the only believable and needed thing now. In other words, I just hope that we will always have the chance to say "Well, at least we're better than Ghanalaaa"
I hate to ask this question but do you think that there might be some country out there that compares themself to us, "no worries.. at least, we're better than Malaysia"? Well, it really is typical for people returning from abroad to sit down over a cup of coffee and rant about how much Malaysia is lagging behind all those developed countries that we've been to. I noticed the pattern that is quite imminent when I hang out with Mii, Nina, Nisya and Durra.. or with anyone who has been overseas for that matter. The complaints would range from cars refusing to stop at the pedestrian crossing at Telawi (or anywhere else) to how we feel most insecure in our own nation. I remember being frustrated before I left but the feeling has been growing ever since.
Does it mean that we're cocky?? Or we're plainly ungrateful or better said, 'lupa diri"? I've asked myself that question almost each time I make a comment about my frustration over the system or lifestyle here. Come to think of it, 2 years is hardly a long time but I felt that it has been an eye opener for me to realise that life can be better if we choose to change it. It gave me a sense of how much of my previous 20 years ca be improve in many aspects if only things were slightly "easier" for the general public who has an average earning income of RM2500 a month in this country (and not those who might spend the same amount just buying their monthly beauty supplies). Thus, it's actually so frustrating when people tell me off when I try to do something different/beneficial because they believe that one person CANNOT make a difference.
The economic divide might seem like it's still under control but I see/hear about people still eating rice with salt while others use only imported salt from the Mediterranean seas. Do we really want to wait for Malaysia to stoop to India and China's level that are prospering at the international business domain yet still fail to ensure that all of their citizens are taken care of and lead a healthy lifestyle?? For that matter, I just want to highlight that Malaysia has indeed been indulging in a lot of projects (like the space expedition) that could've waited until we really can afford it. What's the use of being able to have someone seeing the world from outer space with a budget amounting to billions when there are underprivileged kids in Telumpik who haven't seen a proper solar system model that costs RM150 each to enrich their understandng of the world around them?
Change is the only believable and needed thing now. In other words, I just hope that we will always have the chance to say "Well, at least we're better than Ghanalaaa"
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Montague Said...
A person called Lady Mary Wortley Montague said that "No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting"... Terima kasih, Lady Montague for capturing what I feel most of the time.
I'm currently reading the collected short stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez which is a compilation of stories of among his earliest up to some of the most recent ones... macam nak nangis because IPBA (surpisingly) has it. So, last night I was dwelling on his very, very experimental (even for this period of time, I suppose) stories of death that was looked upon from several different angle. I think Marquez is indeed a genius, too much to contain in words sometimes. I think the way he plays with prose is terribly enticing for my oft-shackled to rules mind. Yes, I do understand that everything I read has been translated from Spanish but I also believe that good translators do capture the soul of the original writers.
I'm only half way through the stories (there's about 20 in it) and I'm already considering to buy the book. But there's Kam Raslan's Confessions of An Old Boy and Farish A. Noor's From Majapahit to Putrajaya to but (both would cost me around RM75).. Dina Azman's I'm A Muslim would probably be readily accessible soon through Nina (hehehehe). I'm also planning to read everything by Pramoedya Ananta Toer that I can get my hands on after this....
I know, I'm ambitious but ambition is good!
I'm currently reading the collected short stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez which is a compilation of stories of among his earliest up to some of the most recent ones... macam nak nangis because IPBA (surpisingly) has it. So, last night I was dwelling on his very, very experimental (even for this period of time, I suppose) stories of death that was looked upon from several different angle. I think Marquez is indeed a genius, too much to contain in words sometimes. I think the way he plays with prose is terribly enticing for my oft-shackled to rules mind. Yes, I do understand that everything I read has been translated from Spanish but I also believe that good translators do capture the soul of the original writers.
I'm only half way through the stories (there's about 20 in it) and I'm already considering to buy the book. But there's Kam Raslan's Confessions of An Old Boy and Farish A. Noor's From Majapahit to Putrajaya to but (both would cost me around RM75).. Dina Azman's I'm A Muslim would probably be readily accessible soon through Nina (hehehehe). I'm also planning to read everything by Pramoedya Ananta Toer that I can get my hands on after this....
I know, I'm ambitious but ambition is good!
Turn Off The Switch
Is it just me or has the amount of people calling themselves "artists" or even "artiste" has practically doubled or maybe tripled ever since I left?? It's funny how people are generally more interested in the glamorous world nowadays, everybody is a singer/actor... I came across this guy who went on to introduce himself as "I'm Ali, I'm a librarian by profession, a poet at mind, a musician by numbers and a guitarist at heart".. hurrmmm... okaaaaayyy.. rightttt.. awkward... crabs passing by...
Well, I don't intend to put people down but what drives me crazy is that the quantity does not come with quality. Arts is a channel of expression but don't try tooooo hard to express yourself because it can be daunting on the others. Select a forte and be really good in it before you venture into other areas because unless you're Jit Murad or Zahim Al-Bakri, you rarely have the ability to do everything and even these people I've mentioned don't do everything. I reluctantly tune in to some of the Malaysian series on the free tv (since Mummy doesn't believe in Astro) and each time, I feel nauseated by the extent to which everything is overdone from their hair, make up to their acting skills (is it even skills that they're showing?)
Some of the people in the mainstream media do not even do well what they are professed to do. I hate to quote names but one of the people who really can't act but appears on tv regularly has got to be this "actress" who acts in Jelatang, Puteri and featured in Jangan Pandang Belakang. Probably she is pretty but I certainly doubt that she has the talent. If we continue giving oppotunities to those who don't deserve it rightfully, this so-called industry will fail to progress further as it should.
Looks like I'll just have to stick to stuff at KLPac and continue to stay insane through attending underground music events or watching independent movies so that I can judge what's better for me rather than just bitching about how mainstream is not my favourite stream. Because sometimes, I have the tendency to be different just for the sake of it.
Well, I don't intend to put people down but what drives me crazy is that the quantity does not come with quality. Arts is a channel of expression but don't try tooooo hard to express yourself because it can be daunting on the others. Select a forte and be really good in it before you venture into other areas because unless you're Jit Murad or Zahim Al-Bakri, you rarely have the ability to do everything and even these people I've mentioned don't do everything. I reluctantly tune in to some of the Malaysian series on the free tv (since Mummy doesn't believe in Astro) and each time, I feel nauseated by the extent to which everything is overdone from their hair, make up to their acting skills (is it even skills that they're showing?)
Some of the people in the mainstream media do not even do well what they are professed to do. I hate to quote names but one of the people who really can't act but appears on tv regularly has got to be this "actress" who acts in Jelatang, Puteri and featured in Jangan Pandang Belakang. Probably she is pretty but I certainly doubt that she has the talent. If we continue giving oppotunities to those who don't deserve it rightfully, this so-called industry will fail to progress further as it should.
Looks like I'll just have to stick to stuff at KLPac and continue to stay insane through attending underground music events or watching independent movies so that I can judge what's better for me rather than just bitching about how mainstream is not my favourite stream. Because sometimes, I have the tendency to be different just for the sake of it.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
It's Been A While
I feel so guilty of hogging a space on the web and not updating it... macam semakkan tempatlah, more or less :p
my life has been great since I came back although I must say I got tired of answering to people why I am so thin... Believe me, it is beyond my control.. I tried very hard but I just can't seem to become a little chubbier.. But this new self is also alright whaaattt???
I just got a new haircut about three weeks ago. Pretty drastic, I must say and I cursed pakcik Ming Wai (my hairdresser) for cutting it this short but I got good responses for it despite me actually crying my eyes out the night I got the haircut... haha
Met most of the INFs, was pretty interesting to meet people you've only been talking to through the online medium.. They're a crazy bunch, something I need to get used to (I think.. hehehe). Looking forward to a lot of things in the future for all of us :)
Adapting to IPBA has been a little crazy too. The first week I was very moody and poor Nina had to deal with me all day and all night. Yes, nina is my roommate (yeah!). I think she is the only humanly form refuge I can really depend on here in IPBA (owh, durra and nisya too :p). We had a few problems sorting out our places here in the hostel and some of us nearly got into a dispute if we hadn't chose to confront each other about it. Thankfully, we managed to clear things out and we also managed to identify the "culprit" who has maliciously tried to deceive all of us with her stunts... people, people.. IPBA has only started for two weeks and all the dramas are already out :p
And I've been guilty of indulging myself in a lot of angauness.. Should stop before it gets out of hand and I "endanger" myself. Sometimes, a little crush develops itself overnight through thoughts we choose to feed to it. I am only concerned about being a little too hasty that it will merimaskan the other party.. so for the time being, Ana should just take it slow ya?? :)
Owwh, well... You might be bored reading about all these stuff but I promise to continue updating this blog with something more substantial in the near future (waaahhh, macam berkhidmat untuk kerajaan pulak).. until then, toodles
my life has been great since I came back although I must say I got tired of answering to people why I am so thin... Believe me, it is beyond my control.. I tried very hard but I just can't seem to become a little chubbier.. But this new self is also alright whaaattt???
I just got a new haircut about three weeks ago. Pretty drastic, I must say and I cursed pakcik Ming Wai (my hairdresser) for cutting it this short but I got good responses for it despite me actually crying my eyes out the night I got the haircut... haha
Met most of the INFs, was pretty interesting to meet people you've only been talking to through the online medium.. They're a crazy bunch, something I need to get used to (I think.. hehehe). Looking forward to a lot of things in the future for all of us :)
Adapting to IPBA has been a little crazy too. The first week I was very moody and poor Nina had to deal with me all day and all night. Yes, nina is my roommate (yeah!). I think she is the only humanly form refuge I can really depend on here in IPBA (owh, durra and nisya too :p). We had a few problems sorting out our places here in the hostel and some of us nearly got into a dispute if we hadn't chose to confront each other about it. Thankfully, we managed to clear things out and we also managed to identify the "culprit" who has maliciously tried to deceive all of us with her stunts... people, people.. IPBA has only started for two weeks and all the dramas are already out :p
And I've been guilty of indulging myself in a lot of angauness.. Should stop before it gets out of hand and I "endanger" myself. Sometimes, a little crush develops itself overnight through thoughts we choose to feed to it. I am only concerned about being a little too hasty that it will merimaskan the other party.. so for the time being, Ana should just take it slow ya?? :)
Owwh, well... You might be bored reading about all these stuff but I promise to continue updating this blog with something more substantial in the near future (waaahhh, macam berkhidmat untuk kerajaan pulak).. until then, toodles
Friday, December 14, 2007
Surreal..
In 7 hours time, i will board my flight back to Malaysia.. It's been a wonderful ride and I would do it again if I had the chance :)
Selamat Tinggal, Sydney... for now :p
Selamat Tinggal, Sydney... for now :p
Sunday, December 09, 2007
And She's Good!
My dad listens to some of Los Zafiros' songs but I never did hear or know much about them. Just happened to google them today out of curiosity and found this video on youtube. This song is titled "Y Sabes Bien" and it's about a good girl (as the title suggests) who the guy is in love with. It's one of their biggest hits as at the peak of their success, they were Cuba's (or South America, in general) biggest chart topper next to The Beatles. I love the simple but sincere words they used in the songs. Kau berani buat harmony camni?? hahahaha
(To all the people who I've annoyed by sending them the link to the video, I'm "sorry" ;p)
Distressed
I've been thinking long and hard whether I should be writing about this issue. Someone told me that I shouldn't and I was very afraid myself that I do not have enough information or knowledge to talk about this but it keeps running through my mind despite me heavily teling myself not to think about it.
I cannot sit still and laugh at jokes when my nation is in distress. It's a ballooning issue and I have a strong feeling that it would not end soon. The most depressing part is that the both ethnic race (damn, we're all supposed to be just Malaysians) that are having this feud between them are parts of me. To think of it rationally, it shouldn't have been a racial issue. If one group comes forward with their petition, it should be something that the other groups should respect and try to understand why there is such a dissatisfaction within the nation. If a sibling complains to the mother/father, do we go and kick him in the head? If you do so, all I can say is that means you probably come from a family with troubles and not enough emotional support.
I was very disturbed with a few bulletins in my social network webpages written by Malays saying that they are racist and they are proud of that fact. Some wrote that the other races should go back to where they come from. If South Africa asks the Malays there to go back to their country, do you think it's fair? If Australia or United Kingdom asks the Malaysians there to go back to where they came from or Malaysians getting hassled all around the world for not belonging where they are despite having the expertise and knowledge to improve themselves, how would you feel? For all Malaysians, there is no home other than Malaysia. Stop telling people to go back where they came from because even you (in retrospect) might not belong where you said you do.
We're all in this together. Stop saying that you don't care because you should. This petition that came after another one by a separate ethnic movement about 7 years ago is an alarming sign. It is not enough to think of it as a phase because although some claims seemed pretty much far-fetched, others might have a strong case. Stop thinking that one is more superior than the others because honestly, we're no different from one another. The earth belongs to God and we were sent to govern it with harmony and equality. And we are obliged to do wholeheartedly regardless of our differences.
I cannot sit still and laugh at jokes when my nation is in distress. It's a ballooning issue and I have a strong feeling that it would not end soon. The most depressing part is that the both ethnic race (damn, we're all supposed to be just Malaysians) that are having this feud between them are parts of me. To think of it rationally, it shouldn't have been a racial issue. If one group comes forward with their petition, it should be something that the other groups should respect and try to understand why there is such a dissatisfaction within the nation. If a sibling complains to the mother/father, do we go and kick him in the head? If you do so, all I can say is that means you probably come from a family with troubles and not enough emotional support.
I was very disturbed with a few bulletins in my social network webpages written by Malays saying that they are racist and they are proud of that fact. Some wrote that the other races should go back to where they come from. If South Africa asks the Malays there to go back to their country, do you think it's fair? If Australia or United Kingdom asks the Malaysians there to go back to where they came from or Malaysians getting hassled all around the world for not belonging where they are despite having the expertise and knowledge to improve themselves, how would you feel? For all Malaysians, there is no home other than Malaysia. Stop telling people to go back where they came from because even you (in retrospect) might not belong where you said you do.
We're all in this together. Stop saying that you don't care because you should. This petition that came after another one by a separate ethnic movement about 7 years ago is an alarming sign. It is not enough to think of it as a phase because although some claims seemed pretty much far-fetched, others might have a strong case. Stop thinking that one is more superior than the others because honestly, we're no different from one another. The earth belongs to God and we were sent to govern it with harmony and equality. And we are obliged to do wholeheartedly regardless of our differences.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Of Many Illusions
I was out with Durra, Fariza and Syada to Borders yesterday to do a little vital reading, accompanied with a cup of coffee to complete the mood. The posse read completely different things, I was tuned in to Rolling Stones and Blender (that features Jiggaman on the cover this month) the whole while, Fariza was very much into the gossip mags (gossip girls.. XOXO.. haha), Syada was attempting another book by a thai writer who wrote a book she has just finished reading and Durra was flipping through anything that was within reach. Owhh... yeah! I just realised that I have this annoying habit of laughing out loud and making remarks about the things I read.. Even worse, I constantly have the urge to share it with anyone who's willing (or not) to hear it. Will keep in mind to only say what I think when it's relevant and smart :p
After 2 hours, we decided to go back and it was about to rain heavily then. So in order to drift my mind away from the impending storm, I created this silly game of matching my friends to a certain celebrity.. It started in Borders actually when I saw Beyonce on a cover and told Fariza that I love Beyonce and would like to be her while Fariza wants to be Posh! So here is a list of a few nominations we came up with.. haha
Durra, Ana (and later at home, Nisa) decided that Fariza's character is like:
a) Julia Roberts
b) Jessica Simpson
Ana, Nisa and Fariza decided that Durra's character is like:
a) Reese Witherspoon
b) Reene Zelleweger
Nisa, Durra and Fariza decided that Ana's character is like:
a) Jennifer Lopez
b) Katie Holmes
Ana, Durra and Fariza decided that Nisa's character is like:
a) Oprah Winfrey
b) Queen Latifah
Durra, Ana, Nisa and Fariza decided that Syada's character is like:
a) Rosario Dawson
b) Anne Hathaway
Ana, Durra and Nisa decided that Tasha's character is like:
a) Delta Goodrem
b) Ellen Pompei
Yeah, that was how random the conversation was and how bored we all were.. I guess your friends are the best one after your mum to say who you are (are they?)..haha.
After 2 hours, we decided to go back and it was about to rain heavily then. So in order to drift my mind away from the impending storm, I created this silly game of matching my friends to a certain celebrity.. It started in Borders actually when I saw Beyonce on a cover and told Fariza that I love Beyonce and would like to be her while Fariza wants to be Posh! So here is a list of a few nominations we came up with.. haha
Durra, Ana (and later at home, Nisa) decided that Fariza's character is like:
a) Julia Roberts
b) Jessica Simpson
Ana, Nisa and Fariza decided that Durra's character is like:
a) Reese Witherspoon
b) Reene Zelleweger
Nisa, Durra and Fariza decided that Ana's character is like:
a) Jennifer Lopez
b) Katie Holmes
Ana, Durra and Fariza decided that Nisa's character is like:
a) Oprah Winfrey
b) Queen Latifah
Durra, Ana, Nisa and Fariza decided that Syada's character is like:
a) Rosario Dawson
b) Anne Hathaway
Ana, Durra and Nisa decided that Tasha's character is like:
a) Delta Goodrem
b) Ellen Pompei
Yeah, that was how random the conversation was and how bored we all were.. I guess your friends are the best one after your mum to say who you are (are they?)..haha.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
5 Peratus
I've always been a fan of the hip hop genre and I often feel that the music is pure because they speak of what bothers them and why it does. I've grown to further loving the genre after I discovered that many of the rappers I listen to are Muslims. So you hear songs like "Allahu Akbar" by Brand Nubian and rappers having names like Rakim Allah. Other namely famous Muslim rappers would be Busta Rhymes, Mobb Depp and Nas. Fine, I thought I was listening to great and profound stuff while deepening my understanding about the beauty of my faith. i'm listening to another Muslim, I thought it would be alright.... right??
Boy, was I wrong... I've heard one of Wu Tang Clan's song (which I unfortunately can't remember) making a reference to the ignorant 85% but I didn't know anything about it and just bopped my head along to the beat. Apparently, I was indeed ignorant although I would strongly like to make a point that I'm not included in what Method Man was referring to. What he was talking about is the philosophy of the 5 Percenters Movement who call themselves Muslims but not the way Sunnis and Syiahs or even Sufis practices them. So, I decided to run a small research for my own awareness and probably yours too.
Ok, here's a quick run through of the movement. They're now known as The Nation of God and Earth which is a splinter from the Nation of Islam group and believe that black people are the true leaders of the world. They have a doctrine that believes black man can personify god through meditation and culture. For them, ALLAH is essentially an acronym of Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm, Head thus referring to the human body or self. They call themselves the 5 Percenters because there are 85% of the ignorant/blind population who are blinded by 10% of the knowing teachers who refuse to teach the 85% the real deal. Only the 5% gets the real philosophy of the world and they are the privileged ones. They memorise the Divine Alphabet and Supreme Mathematics which are popularised through rapping in the NY streets by the founder of the movement, Clarence 13X (also later calls himself Allah the Father)
They see themselves as god, so now you understand why a rapper usually has a bigger ego than all of the seven seas combined? This attitude can be hypothetically channelled through a historical connection between rap and this organisation who claims they are not a black supremacist movement. What worries me the most is that some kid out there is going to listen to these songs by rappers who claim that they are Muslims and be confused about the real teaching of Islam. I'm sensitive about saying what really constitutes the teachings of Islam but this is strictly out of the line. Islam is not a religion exclusively for black man, it's for everyone.
My ignorance has thankfully forced me to learn more and not to just nod my head to whatever I hear. It urges me to think about what I hear and to think before i emulate. I hope all of those who heart this genre would achieve an understanding about why there is such an egocentric and egoistical approach/attitude in the songs and comprehend the degree of its relativity to our practice as a Muslim, especially if you happen to make a career of it.
*just for the record, some members of the Roots are sunnis and Mos Def is a Sunni too :)*
Boy, was I wrong... I've heard one of Wu Tang Clan's song (which I unfortunately can't remember) making a reference to the ignorant 85% but I didn't know anything about it and just bopped my head along to the beat. Apparently, I was indeed ignorant although I would strongly like to make a point that I'm not included in what Method Man was referring to. What he was talking about is the philosophy of the 5 Percenters Movement who call themselves Muslims but not the way Sunnis and Syiahs or even Sufis practices them. So, I decided to run a small research for my own awareness and probably yours too.
Ok, here's a quick run through of the movement. They're now known as The Nation of God and Earth which is a splinter from the Nation of Islam group and believe that black people are the true leaders of the world. They have a doctrine that believes black man can personify god through meditation and culture. For them, ALLAH is essentially an acronym of Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm, Head thus referring to the human body or self. They call themselves the 5 Percenters because there are 85% of the ignorant/blind population who are blinded by 10% of the knowing teachers who refuse to teach the 85% the real deal. Only the 5% gets the real philosophy of the world and they are the privileged ones. They memorise the Divine Alphabet and Supreme Mathematics which are popularised through rapping in the NY streets by the founder of the movement, Clarence 13X (also later calls himself Allah the Father)
They see themselves as god, so now you understand why a rapper usually has a bigger ego than all of the seven seas combined? This attitude can be hypothetically channelled through a historical connection between rap and this organisation who claims they are not a black supremacist movement. What worries me the most is that some kid out there is going to listen to these songs by rappers who claim that they are Muslims and be confused about the real teaching of Islam. I'm sensitive about saying what really constitutes the teachings of Islam but this is strictly out of the line. Islam is not a religion exclusively for black man, it's for everyone.
My ignorance has thankfully forced me to learn more and not to just nod my head to whatever I hear. It urges me to think about what I hear and to think before i emulate. I hope all of those who heart this genre would achieve an understanding about why there is such an egocentric and egoistical approach/attitude in the songs and comprehend the degree of its relativity to our practice as a Muslim, especially if you happen to make a career of it.
*just for the record, some members of the Roots are sunnis and Mos Def is a Sunni too :)*
Why Do We Forget?
Remember when we broke up the last time? We swore that we will stay away from love, swore that we will wait for that person to come knocking on our door to tell us that he/she has changed their way and finally realise that we were the one in the first place. Then in a few months, we find ourselves daydreaming about another person and all those promises to oneself seem to be blown away with the short time that went along?
Call me a cynic but judging from personal and some closest friends' experiences, I refuse to believe that a person will put a lost love ahead of themselves and devote their time to it, no matter how hard we tell ourselves to. I fanatically think that love is essential to life but I also think sanity and rationale is the fundamentals of life. Well, it might take some people years to fall out of love but to make a statement that "I will never love again" is going to be a-caught-in-the-spur-of-the-moment action that will haunt you, particularly when you start to feel some interest for another person. When this feeling blooms, it's such an embarassment to yourself and the people around you for saying all those things you've said when you were heart broken.
So, whenever you're caught in such adversity, stop telling yourself that this is the end because for all you know, it might be the beginning of a new life. Some people will have to go through a lot of pain to find happiness, some people find them in a single strike. Keep that in mind and get a grip of yourself so that the world and you can move forward.
p/s: no one loves a cry baby.
*this is a reflection of my current feelings despite feeling lost in love just a few months ago. It has nothing to do with any other poor sufferring souls out there*
Call me a cynic but judging from personal and some closest friends' experiences, I refuse to believe that a person will put a lost love ahead of themselves and devote their time to it, no matter how hard we tell ourselves to. I fanatically think that love is essential to life but I also think sanity and rationale is the fundamentals of life. Well, it might take some people years to fall out of love but to make a statement that "I will never love again" is going to be a-caught-in-the-spur-of-the-moment action that will haunt you, particularly when you start to feel some interest for another person. When this feeling blooms, it's such an embarassment to yourself and the people around you for saying all those things you've said when you were heart broken.
So, whenever you're caught in such adversity, stop telling yourself that this is the end because for all you know, it might be the beginning of a new life. Some people will have to go through a lot of pain to find happiness, some people find them in a single strike. Keep that in mind and get a grip of yourself so that the world and you can move forward.
p/s: no one loves a cry baby.
*this is a reflection of my current feelings despite feeling lost in love just a few months ago. It has nothing to do with any other poor sufferring souls out there*
Monday, December 03, 2007
Ceritera Cinta :)
Sampai hati nobody told me that Lah replaced Rio Febian to sing a duet with Jaclyn Victor in Separuh Akhir Muzik-Muzik 22 for Ceritera Cinta. I just happened to stumble upon the video on youtube today after about two weeks it was aired on TV3.
I liked it very much even if there are bits and pieces that might not be top quality stuff (2nd chorus was a bit here and there). The two final chorus and bridge was great!Jac strut her stuff but of course all of us can see that wasn't her 110%. Lah was exceptionally good too. I know some of you are smiling going, "Ana, you're biased." No, I'm not. I won't say Lah did a better job than Rio because that's not fair on either side as they need not be compared. This combination, however, did work quite well and I wonder if Lah is still going to sing the song in the finals (yes, they got through because this is, indeed, a composition that needs to be acknowledged)
All the best to Jaclyn Victor... We need you to win again :)
I liked it very much even if there are bits and pieces that might not be top quality stuff (2nd chorus was a bit here and there). The two final chorus and bridge was great!Jac strut her stuff but of course all of us can see that wasn't her 110%. Lah was exceptionally good too. I know some of you are smiling going, "Ana, you're biased." No, I'm not. I won't say Lah did a better job than Rio because that's not fair on either side as they need not be compared. This combination, however, did work quite well and I wonder if Lah is still going to sing the song in the finals (yes, they got through because this is, indeed, a composition that needs to be acknowledged)
All the best to Jaclyn Victor... We need you to win again :)
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Freaky Sunday
What a freaking coincidence?
How many times in life do you come across a person who has the same first name as you do, aged the same and taking up the same course which would necessarily mean that the both of you are going to share the same vocation in the near future??? Due to the cosmic strength of the Internet to find anything anywhere at anytime, I came across this person who shares all these criteria with me and also fancies writing as well as having her pictures taken (even if I personally prefer snapping my own pictures). Though, the difference between us might be that (I suspect) she is more musically gifted (the comparative “more” used there does not in any way indicate that I’m musically gifted by any nature at all :p)
Funny how much similarly different we can be in this world… hehe
How many times in life do you come across a person who has the same first name as you do, aged the same and taking up the same course which would necessarily mean that the both of you are going to share the same vocation in the near future??? Due to the cosmic strength of the Internet to find anything anywhere at anytime, I came across this person who shares all these criteria with me and also fancies writing as well as having her pictures taken (even if I personally prefer snapping my own pictures). Though, the difference between us might be that (I suspect) she is more musically gifted (the comparative “more” used there does not in any way indicate that I’m musically gifted by any nature at all :p)
Funny how much similarly different we can be in this world… hehe
Siapa Yuna?
Feel intrigued by the sounds of Yuna especially if you enjoy the likes of Corrine Bailey Rae, Norah Jones and bits of Colbie Caillat.. Sile, sile jamu selera ;)
Out Of the Box
I'm currently reading the collection of best short stories written by Franz Kafka and I'm strangely struggling very hard to keep up with it. I won't try to deny it, I seriously don't get him or his strange innuendoes of human flaws and falsehood in living. I feel choked by the way he clearly describes something yet his direct intentions remain unclear. I hate it that I have to make my own sense of everything and give every single incident my own personal understanding. But I think it might be that I'm just not used to the genre and subconsciously, I do not want to suit myself to it.
Some of my friends might know that I have this weird fascination over Indian and Chinese writers, especially of those living/had lived in Western countries. I seem to think that I can borrow their cap for a while and try to configure my thoughts according to theirs because we have the solidarity of coming from an Eastern country with all its mores and moral but realistically, it's a modern cut-throat world where these traditions cannot seem to survive. These dilemmas are something I think I can identify with even if I was just living in Malaysia because it encapsulates the possible ways I'm threatened to drive my life.
But the thing is that, usually these Eastern-Western clash is a potrayal of a real world where these writers somehow try to tell you how to function and how to act. They provide you with implicitly hidden solutions to life and I think I've been groomed to function in what is real and tangible that I find it very hard to accept the lessons immaculately postulated by the Metamorphosis of Kafka's Gregor Samsa or the Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice's Lestat.
I wished that I was more open-minded and I wished that I can somehow tell myself to stop refraining to read the stories until they're finished. I guess education is going to be a lifelong process for me indeed and I hope to see the day that I will stop despising people for not writing the way I want them to... :p
Some of my friends might know that I have this weird fascination over Indian and Chinese writers, especially of those living/had lived in Western countries. I seem to think that I can borrow their cap for a while and try to configure my thoughts according to theirs because we have the solidarity of coming from an Eastern country with all its mores and moral but realistically, it's a modern cut-throat world where these traditions cannot seem to survive. These dilemmas are something I think I can identify with even if I was just living in Malaysia because it encapsulates the possible ways I'm threatened to drive my life.
But the thing is that, usually these Eastern-Western clash is a potrayal of a real world where these writers somehow try to tell you how to function and how to act. They provide you with implicitly hidden solutions to life and I think I've been groomed to function in what is real and tangible that I find it very hard to accept the lessons immaculately postulated by the Metamorphosis of Kafka's Gregor Samsa or the Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice's Lestat.
I wished that I was more open-minded and I wished that I can somehow tell myself to stop refraining to read the stories until they're finished. I guess education is going to be a lifelong process for me indeed and I hope to see the day that I will stop despising people for not writing the way I want them to... :p
The Shift
This past week has been a truly different vibe for the country with the change of government that has taken place on last Saturday. The ALP, under the leadership of Kevin Rudd has lived up to their promise by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol (yippe doo!), drawing up early plans of service withdrawals from Iraq and iniating proposals of scraping the IR Laws. Although the changes in the government policy is yet to be felt, it is quite clear that the Australian knew what they wanted and stuck with that opinion. The Ruddster was definitely a key point in ALP winning the elections because I believe that the former leader, Kim Beazley didn't have the appeal that Kev Sev had.. You can just understand that opinion just by seeing the nicknames he has. Rudd is a self-confessed dork and I can see why he appeals :)
The struggle of the Liberals to change came as swift as their loss to ALP last Saturday with the newly elected leader, Brendan Nelson among others stating his support for gay marriages (which has always been something Liberals has taken a stand against). I see this as a sudden and desperate, if I may use the word, attempt to show that Liberals are progressive and not mundanely conservative. Well, considering it is among the first statements made by someone who could have been the Prime Minister (if Howard and Costello weren't in the running), it signifies a certain importance and underlying message that the party is trying to deliver. Well, the fact that Nelson was chosen over Turnbull in the first place got me off my seats because Nelson was formerly a union leader strongly connected to the ALP (with snippets of video in the news showing him blazing into a microphone, shouting that he will never vote Liberals!). A perfect example of how politics is neither dogmatic nor sacred.
It's been a refreshing experience watching a real political transition (i think revolution is too strong of a word considering they always change their leaders when needed). Here, the promises for the election were concrete and absolute, they say what they want to change and how they want to change it and how much it would cost the nation. Back home, the promises are "untuk membina bangsa yang lebih berwawasan dan berjaya" or "untuk memantapkan ekonomi negara", vaguely described without any elaborations or the slightest hint of plans. Probably the only concrete thing we have is the posters and banners, which a political commentator in SMH easily laughed off as a reminiscent of Australia in the 1950s up to 1970s. Haha.. I let out a nervous laugh too when I realised how backwards the mentality is. Well, if it really is an election based on how many posters each contending party can put up, maybe we should just teach our kids how to count rather than how to crtically think.
The struggle of the Liberals to change came as swift as their loss to ALP last Saturday with the newly elected leader, Brendan Nelson among others stating his support for gay marriages (which has always been something Liberals has taken a stand against). I see this as a sudden and desperate, if I may use the word, attempt to show that Liberals are progressive and not mundanely conservative. Well, considering it is among the first statements made by someone who could have been the Prime Minister (if Howard and Costello weren't in the running), it signifies a certain importance and underlying message that the party is trying to deliver. Well, the fact that Nelson was chosen over Turnbull in the first place got me off my seats because Nelson was formerly a union leader strongly connected to the ALP (with snippets of video in the news showing him blazing into a microphone, shouting that he will never vote Liberals!). A perfect example of how politics is neither dogmatic nor sacred.
It's been a refreshing experience watching a real political transition (i think revolution is too strong of a word considering they always change their leaders when needed). Here, the promises for the election were concrete and absolute, they say what they want to change and how they want to change it and how much it would cost the nation. Back home, the promises are "untuk membina bangsa yang lebih berwawasan dan berjaya" or "untuk memantapkan ekonomi negara", vaguely described without any elaborations or the slightest hint of plans. Probably the only concrete thing we have is the posters and banners, which a political commentator in SMH easily laughed off as a reminiscent of Australia in the 1950s up to 1970s. Haha.. I let out a nervous laugh too when I realised how backwards the mentality is. Well, if it really is an election based on how many posters each contending party can put up, maybe we should just teach our kids how to count rather than how to crtically think.
Top 5 Holiday Destination
I keenly read the Traveller sections in SMH every weekend dreaming about where I want to go for holidays if I have the money. As expected, I change them every week depending on what is featured, so much so that I think I could live up to the philosophy that "The World Is Your Playground". If money is no object, I think I would like to visit one country (or a few regions) from each continent. I obviously have a lot of time in my hands so I have thought about each of this selection carefully ;p
North America: Probably want to visit Philadelphia and New York the most. Philadelphia for the spectacular grafitti and the respect that they give to the art. (Sometimes I wonder why don't we all appreciate it and see it as a healthy channel of expression but that's a whole different story). New York for the cultural setting and the opportunity to experience the hustle and bustle of a true city without the overpowering stench of glamourous life.
South America: Want to go to Brazil!!! Want to experience the magic of Rio de Janeiro and groove to the original jive of latin music, just imagining it makes me feel cool already (hahahaha!). Want to swim in the beautiful coastal beach at Sao Paulo, visit the Amazon and see the river with my own eyes..
Africa: I was divided between a few options but I ultimately decided that I should visit Zanzibar which used to be a part of Tanzania. I first came across Zanzibar on Amazing Race: All Star and was immediately fascinated by the charm of Zanzibar City. The city has a mixture of Africans, Arabs and Indians with a majority of them being Muslims. So food wouldn't be a problem. Zanzibar is considerably much more stable compared to their other neighbouring countries and boasts their beautiful, serene resorts as one of the most private and best in the world.
*muka berangan memikirkan percutian*
Europe: This is another tough call but I think first and foremost, I would like to visit France. It's just that the country seems to ooze sexiness and happiness that's almost unbelievable. It would be nice to visit the Disneyland there and try to lepak at the cafes, gobbling down every buttery pastry they have. I heard that they are racist and insensitive to the idea of religion but I also heard somewhere else that they are among the most tolerant people in the world. So it looks like I have to go there to judge for myself, eyh??
Asia: Would probably like to visit India first before I go to other places in the continent. In particular, I think it would be great to be able to visit the village in the Thirunevelli district of Tamilnadu where my grandfather came from about 60 years ago when he was only 15. My grandparents only went back once after that and my grandmother said that we were lucky that we were born in Malaysia but I won't go on with the details because it might be a bit sensitive. I also heard that visiting India is like visiting a whole continent by itself hence the Sub-continent nick that they have... It probably doesn't cost as much as visiting some other places and I'm also thrilled at the prospect of catching SRK live.. wohooo!
Australia: Been there, done that.. haha (amboi, sombong!)
Now, I'm tagging these people to know their favourite destination according to the 5 continents (or any islands In the South Pacific region)
1) Nina Yayang
2) Tasha Harun
3) Soya Chan
4) Cek Suhana
5) Alin Becks (walaupun kamu sibuk dgn assignment.. ekekeke)
North America: Probably want to visit Philadelphia and New York the most. Philadelphia for the spectacular grafitti and the respect that they give to the art. (Sometimes I wonder why don't we all appreciate it and see it as a healthy channel of expression but that's a whole different story). New York for the cultural setting and the opportunity to experience the hustle and bustle of a true city without the overpowering stench of glamourous life.
South America: Want to go to Brazil!!! Want to experience the magic of Rio de Janeiro and groove to the original jive of latin music, just imagining it makes me feel cool already (hahahaha!). Want to swim in the beautiful coastal beach at Sao Paulo, visit the Amazon and see the river with my own eyes..
Africa: I was divided between a few options but I ultimately decided that I should visit Zanzibar which used to be a part of Tanzania. I first came across Zanzibar on Amazing Race: All Star and was immediately fascinated by the charm of Zanzibar City. The city has a mixture of Africans, Arabs and Indians with a majority of them being Muslims. So food wouldn't be a problem. Zanzibar is considerably much more stable compared to their other neighbouring countries and boasts their beautiful, serene resorts as one of the most private and best in the world.
*muka berangan memikirkan percutian*
Europe: This is another tough call but I think first and foremost, I would like to visit France. It's just that the country seems to ooze sexiness and happiness that's almost unbelievable. It would be nice to visit the Disneyland there and try to lepak at the cafes, gobbling down every buttery pastry they have. I heard that they are racist and insensitive to the idea of religion but I also heard somewhere else that they are among the most tolerant people in the world. So it looks like I have to go there to judge for myself, eyh??
Asia: Would probably like to visit India first before I go to other places in the continent. In particular, I think it would be great to be able to visit the village in the Thirunevelli district of Tamilnadu where my grandfather came from about 60 years ago when he was only 15. My grandparents only went back once after that and my grandmother said that we were lucky that we were born in Malaysia but I won't go on with the details because it might be a bit sensitive. I also heard that visiting India is like visiting a whole continent by itself hence the Sub-continent nick that they have... It probably doesn't cost as much as visiting some other places and I'm also thrilled at the prospect of catching SRK live.. wohooo!
Australia: Been there, done that.. haha (amboi, sombong!)
Now, I'm tagging these people to know their favourite destination according to the 5 continents (or any islands In the South Pacific region)
1) Nina Yayang
2) Tasha Harun
3) Soya Chan
4) Cek Suhana
5) Alin Becks (walaupun kamu sibuk dgn assignment.. ekekeke)
Finally!
I've been haunted by another commercial jingle and have been singing the bits that's featured in it. The ad I'm talking about is the IPod Touch one where there's a girl singing "Music is my girlfriend, Music is my boyfriend, Music is my dead end and lalalalala". So out of curiosity I googled it today and found out after 3 weeks of constant singing that it's actually a full length song sung by a group called CSS entitled "Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex" (adik, takde tajuk lain ke???). But it is darn catchy and I love the cheekiness of the song. Macam comel dan boleh menari bersama clumsily with your friends... (nina, jom, jom! hahaha.)
Have A Watch!
*nak download lagu ni but terkejut pulak mummyku melihat lagu bertajuk begini dlm playlist anak dia.. haha*
Have A Watch!
*nak download lagu ni but terkejut pulak mummyku melihat lagu bertajuk begini dlm playlist anak dia.. haha*
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Seeing Doubles
I must be so into the idea of returning home because I honestly saw some familiar faces here in uni, MC or around Sydney..
a) Abang Boost who looks like Imran Ajmain
b) A chick who looks like Kak Yasrina shopping kat Myers
c) Abang yang study kat library who looks like Sean Ghazi
d) Abang Cina at Paddy's Market who looks like Shah
e) A high school girl who looks like Norjuma (minus the hijab)
random.... i know
a) Abang Boost who looks like Imran Ajmain
b) A chick who looks like Kak Yasrina shopping kat Myers
c) Abang yang study kat library who looks like Sean Ghazi
d) Abang Cina at Paddy's Market who looks like Shah
e) A high school girl who looks like Norjuma (minus the hijab)
random.... i know
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Random Act Of Kindness
We went to buy boxes to pack our stuff that needs to be sent home by airfreight. So we braved ourselves to walk a 3km distance today to go to 1, Talavera Road (untuk anak-anakku di Sydney, that's from Culloden Road to Sambal at Lane Cove..jauh tu!) and found Pack Send situated in the middle of nowhere. When we FINALLY reached the office, the guy at the reception greeted us with a warm smile. He just looks like a typical Aussie bloke and talked like one too... haha
Dah walked for an hour tu, penat jugaklah kan so we kinda took our time in choosing the boxes we need. We were all half-panting, I think but the three of us kept our cool. After choosing the boxes, each of us had 4 boxes to bring back and the guy who looks like he should be called Tim looked at us quite amazedly
Tim: Did you guys drive here?
Us: Nope (smiles)
Tim: Then how are you gonna bring all of these back?
Us: We'll probably walk...or take a bus
Tim: *muka terkejut and ran to the back of the shop.. came back and said* I will send you guys back because I can't imagine the three of you bringing these boxes on your own
Us: erkkk.... *equally terkejut, didn't have the time to say anything*
Tim: I'll meet you guys outside
Us: *terkebil-kebil and speechless but grateful*
When he dropped us home, he enthusiastically waved goodbye to the three of us and you should just look at our beaming faces. You see, it doesn't require too much to be remembered. Tim only sent us back on a 5 minutes journey back to our place but his help did meant quite a lot especially because he was a stranger and he was not obliged to do so for us. It turns out a random act of kindness is that random after all :)
Dah walked for an hour tu, penat jugaklah kan so we kinda took our time in choosing the boxes we need. We were all half-panting, I think but the three of us kept our cool. After choosing the boxes, each of us had 4 boxes to bring back and the guy who looks like he should be called Tim looked at us quite amazedly
Tim: Did you guys drive here?
Us: Nope (smiles)
Tim: Then how are you gonna bring all of these back?
Us: We'll probably walk...or take a bus
Tim: *muka terkejut and ran to the back of the shop.. came back and said* I will send you guys back because I can't imagine the three of you bringing these boxes on your own
Us: erkkk.... *equally terkejut, didn't have the time to say anything*
Tim: I'll meet you guys outside
Us: *terkebil-kebil and speechless but grateful*
When he dropped us home, he enthusiastically waved goodbye to the three of us and you should just look at our beaming faces. You see, it doesn't require too much to be remembered. Tim only sent us back on a 5 minutes journey back to our place but his help did meant quite a lot especially because he was a stranger and he was not obliged to do so for us. It turns out a random act of kindness is that random after all :)
Save The Last Dance
Little Waltz- Basia Bulat
you and I, we make a grand salute
stare at each other like lost little birds across the room
and I remember the way you looked
I learned how to dance, but I'd never shown it to you
my love,
I know I was wrong, but you know that you'll always be
my love
stay for a while while our leaves are still green
please, for me
I know I tried, but it's hard sometimes
the roots don't take, it takes a while
and you pull at the strings
but they're broken, it seems
the dance isn't over for me, no
my love,
I know I was wrong, but you know that you'll always be
my love
stay for a while while our leaves are still green
please, for me
*they used this song for Volkswagon EOS ad in Australia and I can only imagine why but the song has haunted me ever since I've first listened to it. I just had to google it straight away and found out that it's a song from a London-based folk singer, Basia Bulat. I think the lyrics is just too beautiful. Hope to serenade someone with this song somewhere in the future.. hehe*
*another advertisement song that I love is the one used in the Sony Smile Shutter Camera ad as you can tune in to here owwwhhhh.. i'm such a tv junkie.. haha*
you and I, we make a grand salute
stare at each other like lost little birds across the room
and I remember the way you looked
I learned how to dance, but I'd never shown it to you
my love,
I know I was wrong, but you know that you'll always be
my love
stay for a while while our leaves are still green
please, for me
I know I tried, but it's hard sometimes
the roots don't take, it takes a while
and you pull at the strings
but they're broken, it seems
the dance isn't over for me, no
my love,
I know I was wrong, but you know that you'll always be
my love
stay for a while while our leaves are still green
please, for me
*they used this song for Volkswagon EOS ad in Australia and I can only imagine why but the song has haunted me ever since I've first listened to it. I just had to google it straight away and found out that it's a song from a London-based folk singer, Basia Bulat. I think the lyrics is just too beautiful. Hope to serenade someone with this song somewhere in the future.. hehe*
*another advertisement song that I love is the one used in the Sony Smile Shutter Camera ad as you can tune in to here owwwhhhh.. i'm such a tv junkie.. haha*
An Ode To Lost Love
I'm staring outside the window,
The rain keeps telling me,
That I've lost you forever,
And you're no longer my strength,
I remember how we loved but
I've taken you for granted,
When you're irreplaceable to me,
I've done all these mistakes,
But you'll always be the love of my life,
For being in love with you,
Has been the gift of my life...
The rain keeps telling me,
That I've lost you forever,
And you're no longer my strength,
I remember how we loved but
I've taken you for granted,
When you're irreplaceable to me,
I've done all these mistakes,
But you'll always be the love of my life,
For being in love with you,
Has been the gift of my life...
Saturday, November 24, 2007
3 Minggu Lagi..
I went to pick up my flight tickets yesterday (muahaha).. Found out that I'll be sandwiched between Fariza and Jul Li on the flight home but that's all good. Also got some souvenirs for family and neighbours (mak dah miskin, nyah!) hehe.. It's a funny sensation, achieving this notion that I'll be going back for good. Time flew quite amazingly quick and I didn't even realised half of the time I've spent here.
Don't get me wrong, I heart KL even if I love Syd. But understanding that a certain lack of privacy and some prevailing intrusion into life by family and relatives will occur again, hurrrmmm *sigh* I love my family, of course but when you go back again, you won't be totally independent. You'll have to seek consultation on every single thing (that's for me, at least) and after two years or so of not doing so, I reckon you sort of "forget" how it works.. haha
But I'm looking forward to spend some time browsing through what's brewing in the Malaysian music scene (notice I said brewing and not ageing), attending more events (kenduri, family gatherings, music etc.) & looking for potholes (hehe). Also looking forward to meet my fellow INFs who some I haven't met in two years, some I haven't actually met at all(aku dah penat menaip dgn korang.. hahaha)
wowo.. so much to do, so much time left...
Don't get me wrong, I heart KL even if I love Syd. But understanding that a certain lack of privacy and some prevailing intrusion into life by family and relatives will occur again, hurrrmmm *sigh* I love my family, of course but when you go back again, you won't be totally independent. You'll have to seek consultation on every single thing (that's for me, at least) and after two years or so of not doing so, I reckon you sort of "forget" how it works.. haha
But I'm looking forward to spend some time browsing through what's brewing in the Malaysian music scene (notice I said brewing and not ageing), attending more events (kenduri, family gatherings, music etc.) & looking for potholes (hehe). Also looking forward to meet my fellow INFs who some I haven't met in two years, some I haven't actually met at all(aku dah penat menaip dgn korang.. hahaha)
wowo.. so much to do, so much time left...
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sometimes...
Sometimes, you grow so familiar with each other that you forget to acknowledge that the other soul has a sensitive feeling. Sometimes, it's hard to just pretend and put on a straight face when that occurs. Sometimes you feel that your friends would rather do something else than being with you and you are left far away in the midst of everything. This shouldn't happen after years of being friends but it still does. Blame it on the monthly aches or the moon, it's all the same when it feels bad that you have said or done something to offend/hurt each other. I guess this is what happens to married couples when they think that their partner is taking them for granted...
*this is just a reflection... i'm alright*
*this is just a reflection... i'm alright*
Changes
I am currently reading The Heart of A Woman by Maya Angelou, which is the forth installment of her five series biography. Somehow, I've read the previous three with different appreciation for her personality, as if I am getting to know three separate persons. I never grew accustomed to reading them in a continuum which I taught only appropriate because somehow, she just seem so segmented and transformed in her ideals and approach to life in the each decade of life she has endured. Seems pretty untrue huh? These honest accounts of her life which are often dissimilar in tone although highly comparable to Toni Morrison's subject matters teach us to appreciate changes sometimes just for the sake of it. It made me realise that as a community as well as a person, we all change with the course of time although some of us would rather deny this, undoubtedly for the fear of resolute time ticking.
In this book, the African Americans are still striving to receive the treatment they deserve in their own country. They are still being associated to their own land (ie Africa) regardless of the fact that they may have been the 13th generation of Americans. It might not be the same in Malaysia but accepting changes becomes terribly important for us and realising that having apparent privileges compared to others in a country does not bridge us closer but instead drifts us apart regardless of how neutral or noble our intentions are. It proved right in the United State about 50 years ago as the changes brought upon by the people has commandered a milestone of achievement. It did took the United States tremendously long to achieve the idea of equality (I still think they have not fully) and I can only wonder how long it would take for us to change. I want you to think of the word "us" and determine who that is before asking yourselves, has there really been an "us" anyway...
Just like the words of Tupac in Changes
"It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive."
In this book, the African Americans are still striving to receive the treatment they deserve in their own country. They are still being associated to their own land (ie Africa) regardless of the fact that they may have been the 13th generation of Americans. It might not be the same in Malaysia but accepting changes becomes terribly important for us and realising that having apparent privileges compared to others in a country does not bridge us closer but instead drifts us apart regardless of how neutral or noble our intentions are. It proved right in the United State about 50 years ago as the changes brought upon by the people has commandered a milestone of achievement. It did took the United States tremendously long to achieve the idea of equality (I still think they have not fully) and I can only wonder how long it would take for us to change. I want you to think of the word "us" and determine who that is before asking yourselves, has there really been an "us" anyway...
Just like the words of Tupac in Changes
"It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive."
Monday, November 19, 2007
Me
Which Sesame Street Character Are You? | |
 | You are part Elmo. You are lovable and ticklish, and always inquisitive. Sometimes, though, your excitement about the world can make you seem childish, naive, and occasionally irritating to others. |
 | You are part Cookie Monster. You are a glutton. You often make attempts at controlling yourself, but why stop yourself from getting what you really want? Cookies. Inside, you are sensitive and vulnerable and it just may be the source of your problems. |
| Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com | |
Friday, November 16, 2007
I'm An Addict
*I've grown addicted to avocados!!! It is overtaking my life.. I can't seem to get by without it. I hope it's just a phase because avocados cost a trizillion in Malaysia. Maybe I should stock up on all I can eat now... Try it on toast or as dips. It's definitely a healthier option for us. The picture I have above is mashed avocados with slices of tomatoes, onions and lime juice with a twang of taco sauce served as a dip for cracked pepper crackers... nyum nyum*
*I just got hold of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love In The Time of Cholera from the library. This book is just soooo dense and I think because it is translated from Spanish, too many things need to be explained in greater pain in order to avoid the story to lose its essence. Currently, I feel my life is being consumed by the complicated characters in the book and the keen acknowledgement of death with its certainty or life with its uncertainty. I heard that they've turned this book into a movie and I would like to see how the screenplay is done because this is quite a tough book with highly complex characters. I'm a romantic addict in addition to an avocado addict. No wonder my housies say I'm skema (not that it's bad :p)*
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
P.D.A
This is a hard subject to tackle and I know it's kind of risky to talk about this, in case it backfires in the future but I feel obliged to get this out of my head. We all know that there's always two sides to a coin, heads or tails. In some things, the distinction might be blurred yet in others, it simply explains itself effortlessly, like when I say that not everyone appreciates a public display of affection everywhere and everytime.
When we talk about this, some of us can be taken as guilty for having done it at some point of life, regardless of whether as a married couple or not. But we all glare at the over displaying of these affections. It's really hard to say how much is too much but I think it is necessary sometimes to consider your surroundings and the people there. I understand that an awful lot of time, we get so immersed in love and forget everyone else but hey, we tolerate you most of the times so spare us some of the wayang.
It's unavoidable to hear people targetting some of these proprietors of PDAs when their relationship breaks up, saying "Well, it still didn't last regardless of how much you want everybody to know". I'm struggling to keep myself objective here but my eyes are telling my brain that they have endured too much all this while :P Just one thing, keep it in right dosages to have everyone, especially yourself happy...
When we talk about this, some of us can be taken as guilty for having done it at some point of life, regardless of whether as a married couple or not. But we all glare at the over displaying of these affections. It's really hard to say how much is too much but I think it is necessary sometimes to consider your surroundings and the people there. I understand that an awful lot of time, we get so immersed in love and forget everyone else but hey, we tolerate you most of the times so spare us some of the wayang.
It's unavoidable to hear people targetting some of these proprietors of PDAs when their relationship breaks up, saying "Well, it still didn't last regardless of how much you want everybody to know". I'm struggling to keep myself objective here but my eyes are telling my brain that they have endured too much all this while :P Just one thing, keep it in right dosages to have everyone, especially yourself happy...
Footballer Of The Year (and The Heart)
I love Kaka, sometimes for the wrong reasons but we will all have to accept the fact that he is a truly good player. Hearing that he is the favourite to win the coveted Footballer of the Year award adds to the need to continue loving him. Ok, ok.. I admit that I adore him mostly for that jet black hair and gorgeous, gorgeous face :P Plus the fact that he was still a "V" when he got married recently. How cute is that considering he look that good and comes from Brasilia with hot chicks basically just popping around EVERYWHERE... If he can do it, why not all of us out here? You Go, Kaka!
I know I shouldn't be focusing on the private side of his life outside the field but it's just so tempting to continue googling him and have pictures of him clad in Armani suits (drool). No wonder guys hate it when we watch football with them (jeleslah tu!).. haha
Apa C.L.A.Z?
Thanks to the ever-updating Souldeliters (angkat topi kepada Fauzan), I stumbled upon this link and discovered the sounds and voices behind a song called "Bukan"... For the time being, there's only one songlah but I tell you, OKlah this one, very 90s R&B, I think.. Lagu to pujuk your girlfriend if she's sulking when you accidently scolded her (yeah, s**t happens)... There are parts in the songs that can be a little bit weird but it's tolerable after a few listens. I think the voices sound terribly familiar but can't say anythinglah because it's not confirmed. Is this supposed to be a secret project or something(ala-ala Tyco circa 2000 kot)???
Just hope all that happens will continue to happen, not something that passes by with the wind and gone in a split second..
to have a listen, go to http://amp.channelv.com/CLAZ and drop comments :)
Just hope all that happens will continue to happen, not something that passes by with the wind and gone in a split second..
to have a listen, go to http://amp.channelv.com/CLAZ and drop comments :)
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Ray Of Light
As regretted, I'm gonna have to miss deepavalli yet again this year. Since it's the fifth year after the passing of my dad, the family can actually celebrate it in a grand scale again but sadly I won't be there. My mum and siblings celebrated the night of Deepavalli at Kajang (at my dad's aunts place) and after having their breakfast, they would be leaving for Karak where my grandad and grandmum decides to celeberate this year.
I remember Deepavalli quite vividly mostly due to the extremity of colourful celebration. Because we used to celebrate it in Cameron Highlands, the atmosphere was one of serenity trapped in a bottle of festivities. Our family house is situated at the end of the so-called civilised road that further leads to some indigeneous villages and an old temple deeply situated in a used-to-be tea plantation farm. The road to my grandparents place can only accomodate one car at a time and there's no buses nearby. From the main road, we would have to walk for about an hour or take a 15 minutes drive. But that doesn't stop my tata, patti, mamas, attes, chittapas and chittis from conjuring such an elaborate festival.
We would start the mornings with taking an oil bath. My patti strongly insist that she would pour the first amount of oil that touches our heads personally before we would carry on doing it ourselves. My mum reluctantly agrees to this ritual but my dad assures her every year that we are not doing a religious rite but rather only a cultural one. After that dreaded oil bath that my mum only allows to be placed on the head for us and that always causes my cousins to grow envious of us smelling better (:P), we would all supposedly required to touch our elders feet but since we are not allowed to do that, my siblings and I would salam and kiss our grandparents' hands. We noticed that we were odd compared to our cousins but it didn't matter much at that time because the RM5o in the ang pau given by tata and the RM20 by patti erased all of our differences.
Then comes the elaborate breakfast with everything Indian under the sun.. the tosai, idlis, chutneys, varuvals, curries, fresh lassies.. too much, too much. Since my tata owns his own poultry and goats, my dad is assigned the duty to slaughter around 12 fat chickens and 2 goats the day before because there's no other muslims in sight. He would complain about it every single time and my b****y aunt once said "who asked you to marry a malay then?".. huhu.. panas. Everything here used to be so darn fresh. Every single fruit you can think of grows just nearby and is easily pluckable. After the filling breakfast, the whole family would gather in front of the television watching the latest Tamil (hail Rajni!) movies on the VCR because until Astro came along, our home could only receive some blurred reception from RTM1 and 2. My aunts and uncles would make a lot of noise during this time trying to catch up on their lost times together and we, the kids used to get a scolding for tuning up the volume. Hey, we want to hear the Muthu's theme song okay?
Now, all the cousins have grown up. Four of the 18 of us are married and have kids. Some are too little to be included into our memories. Some of us got lost in translation and decided to resolute to silence. When we occasionally meet nowadays, it's the polite smile with the polite "how are you?" and the somewhat impolite "why are you so thin?? your mother never feed you rice, is it?" (no, that's not an insult, it's just how we say hi). Although we still keep regular contact, it just doesn't feel the same anymore. My tata and patti have also moved in with my uncle so that they can get regular treatment at the hospital which would otherwise be quite impossible if they still lived in CH. So, even our family house is only left haunted with the memory of our laughters and tears. I'm not saying Deepavalli is no longer fun, it's just that we all have changed due to time and that's just the way the world is.
Though, my parents have always been asked about how they work things out successfully and I consider myself as lucky to have been raised in these continuum of culture. In retrospect, the culture weren't really as different as it seems to be. All we need is a little bit of tolerance in between our practices. Everybody had to sacrifice some little parts of their life for each other in our family and it did turn out quite well. I remember my mum once said "If I ever get the chance to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing about marrying into this family"...
I remember Deepavalli quite vividly mostly due to the extremity of colourful celebration. Because we used to celebrate it in Cameron Highlands, the atmosphere was one of serenity trapped in a bottle of festivities. Our family house is situated at the end of the so-called civilised road that further leads to some indigeneous villages and an old temple deeply situated in a used-to-be tea plantation farm. The road to my grandparents place can only accomodate one car at a time and there's no buses nearby. From the main road, we would have to walk for about an hour or take a 15 minutes drive. But that doesn't stop my tata, patti, mamas, attes, chittapas and chittis from conjuring such an elaborate festival.
We would start the mornings with taking an oil bath. My patti strongly insist that she would pour the first amount of oil that touches our heads personally before we would carry on doing it ourselves. My mum reluctantly agrees to this ritual but my dad assures her every year that we are not doing a religious rite but rather only a cultural one. After that dreaded oil bath that my mum only allows to be placed on the head for us and that always causes my cousins to grow envious of us smelling better (:P), we would all supposedly required to touch our elders feet but since we are not allowed to do that, my siblings and I would salam and kiss our grandparents' hands. We noticed that we were odd compared to our cousins but it didn't matter much at that time because the RM5o in the ang pau given by tata and the RM20 by patti erased all of our differences.
Then comes the elaborate breakfast with everything Indian under the sun.. the tosai, idlis, chutneys, varuvals, curries, fresh lassies.. too much, too much. Since my tata owns his own poultry and goats, my dad is assigned the duty to slaughter around 12 fat chickens and 2 goats the day before because there's no other muslims in sight. He would complain about it every single time and my b****y aunt once said "who asked you to marry a malay then?".. huhu.. panas. Everything here used to be so darn fresh. Every single fruit you can think of grows just nearby and is easily pluckable. After the filling breakfast, the whole family would gather in front of the television watching the latest Tamil (hail Rajni!) movies on the VCR because until Astro came along, our home could only receive some blurred reception from RTM1 and 2. My aunts and uncles would make a lot of noise during this time trying to catch up on their lost times together and we, the kids used to get a scolding for tuning up the volume. Hey, we want to hear the Muthu's theme song okay?
Now, all the cousins have grown up. Four of the 18 of us are married and have kids. Some are too little to be included into our memories. Some of us got lost in translation and decided to resolute to silence. When we occasionally meet nowadays, it's the polite smile with the polite "how are you?" and the somewhat impolite "why are you so thin?? your mother never feed you rice, is it?" (no, that's not an insult, it's just how we say hi). Although we still keep regular contact, it just doesn't feel the same anymore. My tata and patti have also moved in with my uncle so that they can get regular treatment at the hospital which would otherwise be quite impossible if they still lived in CH. So, even our family house is only left haunted with the memory of our laughters and tears. I'm not saying Deepavalli is no longer fun, it's just that we all have changed due to time and that's just the way the world is.
Though, my parents have always been asked about how they work things out successfully and I consider myself as lucky to have been raised in these continuum of culture. In retrospect, the culture weren't really as different as it seems to be. All we need is a little bit of tolerance in between our practices. Everybody had to sacrifice some little parts of their life for each other in our family and it did turn out quite well. I remember my mum once said "If I ever get the chance to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing about marrying into this family"...
Confessions Of A Tragic Music Lover
Yes, this is a story that’s partly about a discovery, a revelation, the coming-out-of-the-closet equivalent of confessions from a tragic music lover. People, I’m 22 years old and I still love V.E as much as the first time I heard those voices in “Just A Friend”. As hard as I try to stay away from that fact, I still not-so-secretly listen to their songs everyday. Yes, I probably need to grow up and only listen to Thelonious Monk, Outlandish or Raul Midon by now but I seriously cannot leave the playlist I call “Malaysia’s Best” alone.
If you think Extreme Pleasure is one the best albums ever produced in Malaysia for its time, please look to your left and right first before enthusiastically raising your hands. I think neither V.E nor Ruffedge managed to again capture the magic from that album into their works thereafter. I mean, who can forget the bouncy and crazeeee “Creep” or the sweet but cheeky “Touch, Kiss, Hug, Love”? Not to mention the song that never fails to make my day- Yes, Ayu.. the song that made me cut classes when I was in Form 5 so that I can catch the video on NTV7 at 10am and 12pm. It’s like a magic potion, always continues to mark the top of my various top 10s themed charts.Maybe it's because the person who wrote this song was my personal favourite or maybe because the song is so melodically light that it hardly touches a riff when it touches your heart. For me, it mysteriously seems to fit under the “Top Ten Inspirational Songs”, “Top Ten Jiwa Berbunga Songs”, “Top Ten Songs I Want To Remembered By” (cewah.. nyampaaah.. perasan kan?), “Top Ten Songs My Husband Needs To Master”... I assure you that the list goes on and on.
I don’t know why but when I hear to that album, I often feel "young" and giggly again (haha! 22 years old is old). I can still remember the date I bought the album, 28th December 2002. That was around two months after my dad passed away. Besides my mother, siblings and my then-bf, that album managed to make me smile again. I know that seems like a huge statement but it did... Apparently, it took four men to sing to make me feel something again. At that time of life, almost nobody ever heard about V.E. They've just released that album in August and didn't really achieve the real limelight until probably when "Khayalan" (which was really only borderline good) was included into Extreme Pleasure Extra
After that, things just got from good to better in many frontiers for the now five piece group even when it meant they were to find their way independently. All the more, they did everything from scratch and reached what they've aspired for after quite a long wait. They didn't catapult to stardom just like that as assumed by many. Their journey was one of gradual achievements in musical endeavours and I see it from afar as someone keen enough to give attention, someone positive enough to accept a few disappointments, someone brave enough to continue expressing my interest (hehe..). "V.E For You" was V.E's first album and it did set a different vibe to them although it was a very safe release with most songs sounding like how V.E should be when I wished it was something of what they could be. Still, they bagged the best vocals at AIM which was a darn big thing and I still talk about it until today!
And because of this interest, I've also happened to know some of the wackiest people in town... People, we know who we are and don't try to deny it... hahahahahaha. The friendship we've built was based on this but I guess it bloomed into many more things. I'm glad I have got the chance to know you people and continue to learn new things with all of you.
So when the whole world starts bumping to the new sounds of discovery, I think I have been, still am and will probably still will be pretty content listening to V.E singing me Good Morning during the sunrise and finishing my day off with a lullaby telling me how it's gonna be a Good Night... regardless of whether it's 4 or 5 or 3.
If you think Extreme Pleasure is one the best albums ever produced in Malaysia for its time, please look to your left and right first before enthusiastically raising your hands. I think neither V.E nor Ruffedge managed to again capture the magic from that album into their works thereafter. I mean, who can forget the bouncy and crazeeee “Creep” or the sweet but cheeky “Touch, Kiss, Hug, Love”? Not to mention the song that never fails to make my day- Yes, Ayu.. the song that made me cut classes when I was in Form 5 so that I can catch the video on NTV7 at 10am and 12pm. It’s like a magic potion, always continues to mark the top of my various top 10s themed charts.Maybe it's because the person who wrote this song was my personal favourite or maybe because the song is so melodically light that it hardly touches a riff when it touches your heart. For me, it mysteriously seems to fit under the “Top Ten Inspirational Songs”, “Top Ten Jiwa Berbunga Songs”, “Top Ten Songs I Want To Remembered By” (cewah.. nyampaaah.. perasan kan?), “Top Ten Songs My Husband Needs To Master”... I assure you that the list goes on and on.
I don’t know why but when I hear to that album, I often feel "young" and giggly again (haha! 22 years old is old). I can still remember the date I bought the album, 28th December 2002. That was around two months after my dad passed away. Besides my mother, siblings and my then-bf, that album managed to make me smile again. I know that seems like a huge statement but it did... Apparently, it took four men to sing to make me feel something again. At that time of life, almost nobody ever heard about V.E. They've just released that album in August and didn't really achieve the real limelight until probably when "Khayalan" (which was really only borderline good) was included into Extreme Pleasure Extra
After that, things just got from good to better in many frontiers for the now five piece group even when it meant they were to find their way independently. All the more, they did everything from scratch and reached what they've aspired for after quite a long wait. They didn't catapult to stardom just like that as assumed by many. Their journey was one of gradual achievements in musical endeavours and I see it from afar as someone keen enough to give attention, someone positive enough to accept a few disappointments, someone brave enough to continue expressing my interest (hehe..). "V.E For You" was V.E's first album and it did set a different vibe to them although it was a very safe release with most songs sounding like how V.E should be when I wished it was something of what they could be. Still, they bagged the best vocals at AIM which was a darn big thing and I still talk about it until today!
And because of this interest, I've also happened to know some of the wackiest people in town... People, we know who we are and don't try to deny it... hahahahahaha. The friendship we've built was based on this but I guess it bloomed into many more things. I'm glad I have got the chance to know you people and continue to learn new things with all of you.
So when the whole world starts bumping to the new sounds of discovery, I think I have been, still am and will probably still will be pretty content listening to V.E singing me Good Morning during the sunrise and finishing my day off with a lullaby telling me how it's gonna be a Good Night... regardless of whether it's 4 or 5 or 3.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Be Sure To Catch This!
I tolerate The Beatles. I like The Beatles. I love The Beatles! I heart The Beatles!!!
Which ever one you are, be sure to catch this latest movie in the cinema called "Across The Universe" that is based on music by The Beatles. I wish my life is like The Beatles' music too but unfortunately, real life is hardly made up to be so dramatic. Owwh, wait... I think I have a song that summarises my life now.. "Help! I just need somebody, Help! Not just anybody... Help! You know I need someone, Help!"
Which ever one you are, be sure to catch this latest movie in the cinema called "Across The Universe" that is based on music by The Beatles. I wish my life is like The Beatles' music too but unfortunately, real life is hardly made up to be so dramatic. Owwh, wait... I think I have a song that summarises my life now.. "Help! I just need somebody, Help! Not just anybody... Help! You know I need someone, Help!"
Desperate Sangat Ke Ana?
It was kinda hot today so I decided to wear this really small and nipis baby-t which my mum bought for me to wear in summer before I came back to Sydney this year.. Because it has a picture of a cute bear holding a red, cushiony heart with the words "I Need Hugs and Kisses", it makes me think it was probably meant for kids sebenarnya thus I seldom wear it.. I guess only kids can get away with that degree of cuteness kot. I'm 22 and I don't really say that anyone except to my mum and nina. It's not that I do not appreciate my mum's taste but I guess I haven't been using it that often as somehow I knew I would get this from my "beloved" housemates...
N: Tak pernah nampak pun baju ni
Me: hurm, yeah... I seldom wear it..
N: "I need hugs and kisses".. desperate sangat ke kau ni, ana?
Me: wey, mummy bought thislaaa (my only defense and the truth, btw!)
N: hahaha... yelah tu
D: hahahaha... kelakoooo arrr...
Me: (makian berirama diselangi gelak tawa ria)
S: (smiles politely, probably at the degree of "humility" her housemates have)
I guess mum really does "know" best...
N: Tak pernah nampak pun baju ni
Me: hurm, yeah... I seldom wear it..
N: "I need hugs and kisses".. desperate sangat ke kau ni, ana?
Me: wey, mummy bought thislaaa (my only defense and the truth, btw!)
N: hahaha... yelah tu
D: hahahaha... kelakoooo arrr...
Me: (makian berirama diselangi gelak tawa ria)
S: (smiles politely, probably at the degree of "humility" her housemates have)
I guess mum really does "know" best...
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