I can’t believe I left my last entrée on such a morbid note. It’s time to change that. Let’s have a chat, shall we?
Let’s start off with the movies. Have you seen Zorro 2? No. Of course not, because it doesn’t exists. The latest installment to the Banderas – Zeta Jones movie collaboration is originally titled ‘The Legend of Zorro’. But why do they change it to Zorro 2? Well, my theory is the public (and I mean specifically the Malaysian one) have a difficult time differentiating between the words ‘Mask’ and ‘Legend’, so in order to avoid confusion and thinking that the studio is merely re-releasing the first movie for, oh I don’t know, the festive season maybe, they just re-market it as Zorro 2. That is why, if you take a look at the promotion billboard at the local cinemas, the numeral 2 looks so distastefully fake and out of sync with the rest of the repertoire. The same thing, I am sure, does not happen at the US.
I don’t get to watch a lot of movies lately due to the lack of opportunities but I did manage to catch Goal! recently and my what a brilliant movie. Finally, football has a decent movie to be represented with. I’ve seen almost all of the previous cock-ups and I have to say the one with Sylvester Stallone in it is the worst. It may have Pele but a horrible movie nevertheless. This one is a breath of fresh air. It catches the true essence of what makes football exciting. With Newcastle, The Toon Army and St James’ Park as its backdrop is just pure genius. But the most amusing part is when David Beckham came on screen because in front of me, there’s a row of 5 girls sitting and they just shrieked when David B made his 2 minute cameo. It wasn’t even on a football pitch. Just a few dopey lines but my, these girls were jumping up and down in their seats. I couldn’t help but have a chuckle myself.
Now let’s talk about the festive season. As you all know, Raya is just around the corner. But, unless you’re a Hindu, you tend to forget that Deepavali is dropping by first. I know I do. One of the reasons is promotion. You know how shopping malls like to dress up their centre court according with the festive themes when times like these come around. It would be silly for them not to. So when I dropped by at Suria KLCC recently they have this ala kampung style décor with artificial wooden houses built closely together. Along with a group of people playing congkak at a corner this could only remind you of one thing – Hari Raya. Then I went to One Utama 2 and they have a huge sprawling wooden platform with the words ‘Cahaya Lembaran’ emblazoned on the centre edifice. This too would aptly remind you about Hari Raya. And at these two giant shopping malls you could likely hear classic Raya tunes from the late P. Ramlee, Saloma and Sudirman playing in the background. This too would add to the Raya feel. But what about Deepavali? Apart from the small kolum you would see at the entrance at Cold Storage, I couldn’t remember anything else. And want to know the funny thing is? You could easily associate Hari Raya with Raya tunes. Even for Chinese New Year you could recall some Gong Xi songs but for Deepavali? What? Deepavali doesn’t even have a theme song! The poor buggers. And we brag about so much about Malaysia being multicultural and everything. Can’t even find a theme song for Deepavali. So embarrassing. For accreditation purposes, I would like to point out that Harith Iskandar first conned me with this idea.
In other insignificant news in my life, my left thumb is sore, which disables me from playing Winning Eleven 9 for the time being. Another futsal nightie is due tomorrow and it bugs me that it’ll be again at Sunway for two consecutive weeks. So far leh! My streamyx connection suddenly feels like dial up lately and I find it unbelievable that the Jalan Tun Razak gridlock could start as early as 12.30 pm. It makes me wonder whether some of these KL people actually go to work or not. And how could anyone resist the Pussycat Dolls of the music scene. If money is no object, I would certainly like to hire them to be center stage for my bachelor party. Accompanied of course, with some Playboy bunnies. Ooh what a night that would be. I just hope the future missus wouldn't mind.
I better stop here. I’m rambling too much. Cheers.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Friday, October 21, 2005
Datin Seri Endon:The Passing
It’s another brand new day here in Kuala Lumpur but sadly it’s a grey one. A gloom that has engulfed the city following the passing away of Datin Seri Endon, namely Malaysia’s First Lady. The late wife of the current Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi.
Her death is inevitable, I’m afraid. Having struggling with breast cancer, you know it would come sooner or later. But nobody ever dared spoke of it because deep in our hearts, all we Malaysians were vying for a miracle. But not all hopes come true.
Even though it is definitely a sad day for the country, the question remains to be with the widower, the Prime Minister himself. The lost of your life long companion is never easy but unlike other people, he doesn’t have the luxury to mourn for an indefinite period. He still has to run the country. Maybe it’s not fair but he for one cannot lose sight nor the concentration to be objective in his work, for the good of the Malaysian public, even in the tragic event such as this. He, of all people, should have realized this. We sympathize with him as man, but we desperately need him as our leader.
All hear for the PM.
Her death is inevitable, I’m afraid. Having struggling with breast cancer, you know it would come sooner or later. But nobody ever dared spoke of it because deep in our hearts, all we Malaysians were vying for a miracle. But not all hopes come true.
Even though it is definitely a sad day for the country, the question remains to be with the widower, the Prime Minister himself. The lost of your life long companion is never easy but unlike other people, he doesn’t have the luxury to mourn for an indefinite period. He still has to run the country. Maybe it’s not fair but he for one cannot lose sight nor the concentration to be objective in his work, for the good of the Malaysian public, even in the tragic event such as this. He, of all people, should have realized this. We sympathize with him as man, but we desperately need him as our leader.
All hear for the PM.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
My Fried Router
This entrée is dedicated to Tomok who earlier today hit my blog 10 times in the hope that I’ve updated it. Well, here’s your treat, mate. Dengan ini aku berharap kau takde nak cari alasan lagi untuk tak buat keje dan makan gaji buta.
So the only reason I have been absent from the online community recently is because my ADSL router was fried.
Almost a week ago Gombak was hit with the worst thunderstorm in a very long time. Such it that one lightning struck too close to home that it produced a surge strong enough to knock my router dead. Maybe some of you would accuse of me not being careful and take the decency to switch off all electronic devices in the event of such thunderstorms. I’m guilty of that. But my router was connected to a lightning isolator which gave a 100% guarantee from lightning surges. Want to know a strange thing? The lightning isolator is unscathed. And my wireless router which also connected to it also survived the onslaught. So what’s the problem? What ‘killed’ my router? It was still the lightning but the surge did not come through the power line. It came through the phone line. Evident? My fixed phone line went kaput too. It was a dead giveaway. So while the phone line was fixed the next day with a quick call to Telekom, nothing could be done to fix my internet connectivity until I buy a new router. That came yesterday but then came another problem. I have trouble setting up the damn thing. For an IT graduate to not know how to set up a router is troublingly insulting. It’s like a professional football player not knowing how to take a penalty. I fiddled with everything but it still wouldn’t connect with streamyx. I went to bed an unsatisfied man. Today, I came back and tried again. And again, to no avail. I tried calling the store’s tech support but nobody picked up. With the knowledge that I can work this somehow made me to continue trying. Until about 30 minutes to buka puasa, something happened – it connected. I was perplexed. I have tried this configuration many times before to no success but suddenly – oh yes, there could only be one explanation. The streamyx line also went kaput during the thunderstorm and it has just been rectified. Soooo, so so so so so, I am once again connected to the vast electronic world and am a happy man. Whew…
This is more like a on-the-spot entrée. I’ll probably write some better stories after this. This is just to get Tomok off my back. Nah, dah hepi noq?
Oh yeah, it's my friend Gambit's birthday tomorrow so his petite girlfriend Mawar decided to throw a small party or something to commemorate the event. So, I'll be headed to Ampang tonight and if I happen to pick up a dandy young girl, I'll let you know. Arriverderci, i miei amici.
So the only reason I have been absent from the online community recently is because my ADSL router was fried.
Almost a week ago Gombak was hit with the worst thunderstorm in a very long time. Such it that one lightning struck too close to home that it produced a surge strong enough to knock my router dead. Maybe some of you would accuse of me not being careful and take the decency to switch off all electronic devices in the event of such thunderstorms. I’m guilty of that. But my router was connected to a lightning isolator which gave a 100% guarantee from lightning surges. Want to know a strange thing? The lightning isolator is unscathed. And my wireless router which also connected to it also survived the onslaught. So what’s the problem? What ‘killed’ my router? It was still the lightning but the surge did not come through the power line. It came through the phone line. Evident? My fixed phone line went kaput too. It was a dead giveaway. So while the phone line was fixed the next day with a quick call to Telekom, nothing could be done to fix my internet connectivity until I buy a new router. That came yesterday but then came another problem. I have trouble setting up the damn thing. For an IT graduate to not know how to set up a router is troublingly insulting. It’s like a professional football player not knowing how to take a penalty. I fiddled with everything but it still wouldn’t connect with streamyx. I went to bed an unsatisfied man. Today, I came back and tried again. And again, to no avail. I tried calling the store’s tech support but nobody picked up. With the knowledge that I can work this somehow made me to continue trying. Until about 30 minutes to buka puasa, something happened – it connected. I was perplexed. I have tried this configuration many times before to no success but suddenly – oh yes, there could only be one explanation. The streamyx line also went kaput during the thunderstorm and it has just been rectified. Soooo, so so so so so, I am once again connected to the vast electronic world and am a happy man. Whew…
This is more like a on-the-spot entrée. I’ll probably write some better stories after this. This is just to get Tomok off my back. Nah, dah hepi noq?
Oh yeah, it's my friend Gambit's birthday tomorrow so his petite girlfriend Mawar decided to throw a small party or something to commemorate the event. So, I'll be headed to Ampang tonight and if I happen to pick up a dandy young girl, I'll let you know. Arriverderci, i miei amici.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
A Feast 'supposedly' Fit for a King
In The Star, dated October 13, 2005, Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad says hotels are overcharging for the breaking of fast buffet during Ramadhan. He was commenting on a statement by the Malaysian Hoteliers Association that hotels would stick to their decision to charge RM100 or more for the breaking of fast buffet. And I quote, “I think consumers will have their opinion. Consumers have the right to make a choice. But again, I will say RM100 is too high” end quote.
Well, for today I went for such a buffet. It was at the PJ Hilton. Although it is quite a delightful evening, I’m gonna go with Michael Toyad on this one and agree with him that RM100 for a Ramadan buffet is a bit over the top. But I’m not really complaining because all of this was the treat of none other than the wacky but successful mat saleh Colin Edmonds. A close acquaintance of my father. And he does this every puasa month. I first attended it two years ago and I arrived late back then, probably being too engrossed in my work during my industrial training years to realize the time. And I even had the nerve to drive all the way from Setiawangsa to PJ. Last year I couldn’t make it because Ramadhan coincided with the final examinations so I was stuck at Tronoh. This year I decided to make amends by arriving at least a half an hour early. But fate had other ideas, once again. Since driving would be a suicidal option as I had discovered, I boarded the trusty Putra. Halfway through the journey the train stopped for a half hour because of a “pencerobohan trek” from KL Sentral to Bangsar. What are the odds, eh?
Now, returning to the Hilton, I managed to arrive just a little over 7, which is commendable. And the place was packed. I mean to the brim. It almost looks like a high-class pasar malam. One of the first downside of this RM100 dinner. The second downside is the food. There’s a whole lot of variety but it’s Malaysian themed, meaning you will find nasi ayam, beef rendang, ikan bakar, curry puffs and bubur lambuk. I mean, it’s good, being Malaysian and all but you can get these same stuff at a local pasar ramadhan. And I’m sure the cost is well below the RM100 mark. But of course, it’s the same scenario in all of the hotels throughout the Klang Valley. I don’t know where they do their research on Malaysian’s preference for food but for RM100 I want more than udang sambal tumis and a whole section dedicated to kerabu. I want lasagnas, pizzas, beef bacon, crème brule, cheesecakes, pies, a wide variety of pastries and 10 different flavors of Haagen Dazs ice cream. But one saving point at the Hilton was the presence of my favorite section – the grill. Thankfully they do serve lamb chops and roast beef. Slither them with black pepper and mushroom sauce and voila, I was a happy boy. But back at the table I was once again saddened. There’s not much room to maneuver because of the packed floor. One just has to make do.
So was it worth it? I’d say yes. But just because someone else was paying for it. It was a nice change of environment but had it been my pocket money, I’d be knocking my head on the table. If I had to make a choice, I’d prefer Chili’s. So my advice for this Ramadhan month – avoid the PJ Hilton.
Another interesting issue that caught my attention earlier tonight was the conversation my family had with Ms Geraldine, Colin’s wife. We were talking about marriage and she pointed out the changing trends that’s happening today. During our grandparents’ time, marriage was like during the age of 17 to 19. Our parents moved on to a slightly older age, which is about early 20s before deciding to get married. But nowadays, ask any 20 something man or woman and they will answer, “Please don’t ask me about marriage,”
It’s true isn’t it? Quite strangely so. Even I give that kind of answer when people approach me about it. Most people my age who I know are either married to his or her high-school sweetheart or their girlfriend or boyfriends during their university years. Others who are currently in a relationship are still happy with their partners but the question of marriage is a surreal one for them. I mean, most of us still live with our parents. I’m still being taken care of. How can I financially support another human being? It’s a frightful thought. And don’t start talking about love to me. Biggest misconception of all time. The one thing I do find these 20-something-let’s-get-married people have in common is that either the bride or the groom has wealthy parents. If they don’t, well I guess they’re just plain idiots. So unless you have an RM20 million trust fund locked up somewhere, marriage is not the wisest option right now. This, of course, mainly applies to us 20-something people who watched too many TV and Hollywood romantic movies.
Well, there’s my update. Not really a bombshell topic but I guess it’ll do. It’s another Friday. Another futsal night. Albeit being all the way at Sunway. It sucks not to have a steady source of income. Makes you lose out on the fun stuff living in the city. Money is what makes the world goes around you know. People who say money is the root of all evil don’t have any. Have you ever seen a man get upset when he receives his monthly paycheck? No. He has a big, fat fucking smile.
UTP Alumni is having a buka puasa dinner this 22nd. Would I be interested? Well, for starters I don’t know most of the people that will be attending. Second, most of them would probably arrive with their husbands or wives and may be even children, sporting designer clothes and Chanel handbags and tell stories about their recent job in Dubai and their holiday at Cape Verde. As for me, on the other hand, am partner-less, jobless and not exactly have Prince Williams’ looks to charm the crowd despite my shortcomings. So, no, I am certainly not interested. I would consider had it been an invitation involving just my batch but the alumni? I probably wouldn’t even take a raincheck.
Oh my, I’m turning quite the bitter person aren’t I? Well, my apologies. I do hope you have a good weekend. And for those who only read my blog during office hours, hey, guess what? It’s Monday again.
Well, for today I went for such a buffet. It was at the PJ Hilton. Although it is quite a delightful evening, I’m gonna go with Michael Toyad on this one and agree with him that RM100 for a Ramadan buffet is a bit over the top. But I’m not really complaining because all of this was the treat of none other than the wacky but successful mat saleh Colin Edmonds. A close acquaintance of my father. And he does this every puasa month. I first attended it two years ago and I arrived late back then, probably being too engrossed in my work during my industrial training years to realize the time. And I even had the nerve to drive all the way from Setiawangsa to PJ. Last year I couldn’t make it because Ramadhan coincided with the final examinations so I was stuck at Tronoh. This year I decided to make amends by arriving at least a half an hour early. But fate had other ideas, once again. Since driving would be a suicidal option as I had discovered, I boarded the trusty Putra. Halfway through the journey the train stopped for a half hour because of a “pencerobohan trek” from KL Sentral to Bangsar. What are the odds, eh?
Now, returning to the Hilton, I managed to arrive just a little over 7, which is commendable. And the place was packed. I mean to the brim. It almost looks like a high-class pasar malam. One of the first downside of this RM100 dinner. The second downside is the food. There’s a whole lot of variety but it’s Malaysian themed, meaning you will find nasi ayam, beef rendang, ikan bakar, curry puffs and bubur lambuk. I mean, it’s good, being Malaysian and all but you can get these same stuff at a local pasar ramadhan. And I’m sure the cost is well below the RM100 mark. But of course, it’s the same scenario in all of the hotels throughout the Klang Valley. I don’t know where they do their research on Malaysian’s preference for food but for RM100 I want more than udang sambal tumis and a whole section dedicated to kerabu. I want lasagnas, pizzas, beef bacon, crème brule, cheesecakes, pies, a wide variety of pastries and 10 different flavors of Haagen Dazs ice cream. But one saving point at the Hilton was the presence of my favorite section – the grill. Thankfully they do serve lamb chops and roast beef. Slither them with black pepper and mushroom sauce and voila, I was a happy boy. But back at the table I was once again saddened. There’s not much room to maneuver because of the packed floor. One just has to make do.
So was it worth it? I’d say yes. But just because someone else was paying for it. It was a nice change of environment but had it been my pocket money, I’d be knocking my head on the table. If I had to make a choice, I’d prefer Chili’s. So my advice for this Ramadhan month – avoid the PJ Hilton.
Another interesting issue that caught my attention earlier tonight was the conversation my family had with Ms Geraldine, Colin’s wife. We were talking about marriage and she pointed out the changing trends that’s happening today. During our grandparents’ time, marriage was like during the age of 17 to 19. Our parents moved on to a slightly older age, which is about early 20s before deciding to get married. But nowadays, ask any 20 something man or woman and they will answer, “Please don’t ask me about marriage,”
It’s true isn’t it? Quite strangely so. Even I give that kind of answer when people approach me about it. Most people my age who I know are either married to his or her high-school sweetheart or their girlfriend or boyfriends during their university years. Others who are currently in a relationship are still happy with their partners but the question of marriage is a surreal one for them. I mean, most of us still live with our parents. I’m still being taken care of. How can I financially support another human being? It’s a frightful thought. And don’t start talking about love to me. Biggest misconception of all time. The one thing I do find these 20-something-let’s-get-married people have in common is that either the bride or the groom has wealthy parents. If they don’t, well I guess they’re just plain idiots. So unless you have an RM20 million trust fund locked up somewhere, marriage is not the wisest option right now. This, of course, mainly applies to us 20-something people who watched too many TV and Hollywood romantic movies.
Well, there’s my update. Not really a bombshell topic but I guess it’ll do. It’s another Friday. Another futsal night. Albeit being all the way at Sunway. It sucks not to have a steady source of income. Makes you lose out on the fun stuff living in the city. Money is what makes the world goes around you know. People who say money is the root of all evil don’t have any. Have you ever seen a man get upset when he receives his monthly paycheck? No. He has a big, fat fucking smile.
UTP Alumni is having a buka puasa dinner this 22nd. Would I be interested? Well, for starters I don’t know most of the people that will be attending. Second, most of them would probably arrive with their husbands or wives and may be even children, sporting designer clothes and Chanel handbags and tell stories about their recent job in Dubai and their holiday at Cape Verde. As for me, on the other hand, am partner-less, jobless and not exactly have Prince Williams’ looks to charm the crowd despite my shortcomings. So, no, I am certainly not interested. I would consider had it been an invitation involving just my batch but the alumni? I probably wouldn’t even take a raincheck.
Oh my, I’m turning quite the bitter person aren’t I? Well, my apologies. I do hope you have a good weekend. And for those who only read my blog during office hours, hey, guess what? It’s Monday again.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Ramadhan is here
A little over 2 years ago, I usually start my day by writing a chain mail to the lahanat community every time after sahur. Or was it laharnat? Anyway, I would write some overzealous story for the day until the sun comes out and that'll be my queue for the showers. Today, however, I find myself blogging. It's the new trend I suppose. Although the lahanat community, or the febeles group as it's now properly known, still exists. Despite not being the haphazard humdinger it used to be.
It's the first day of Ramadhan. The fasting month for Muslims all around the world. Basically that means there will be no more after-office-hours chilling sessions at Lotus for a good month or so (taking into consideration the Raya period).
Supposedly being a good Muslim boy, one would've thought that I had accompanied my father for the month's first terawih at the nearby surau. Well, I didn't. Instead I went for an hour of futsal at Ampang against some people Gambit had made contact with at work. We were quite effectively beaten. Or as the Malay saying goes "kena titik". It felt really shitty but come to think of it, it served us right.
Aah it's Subuh. Well people, have a nice opening day of puasa at the office. But I'm sure it's not something new for some of my lady friends who have been busy ganti-ing their previous puasa for the past 2 weeks or so. Good day and good luck.
It's the first day of Ramadhan. The fasting month for Muslims all around the world. Basically that means there will be no more after-office-hours chilling sessions at Lotus for a good month or so (taking into consideration the Raya period).
Supposedly being a good Muslim boy, one would've thought that I had accompanied my father for the month's first terawih at the nearby surau. Well, I didn't. Instead I went for an hour of futsal at Ampang against some people Gambit had made contact with at work. We were quite effectively beaten. Or as the Malay saying goes "kena titik". It felt really shitty but come to think of it, it served us right.
Aah it's Subuh. Well people, have a nice opening day of puasa at the office. But I'm sure it's not something new for some of my lady friends who have been busy ganti-ing their previous puasa for the past 2 weeks or so. Good day and good luck.
Monday, October 03, 2005
The Teluk Batik Trip
The only chance of a Monday morning to make any sense is to have a blasting weekend before that and the whole of Monday off to ponder about it. Fortunately enough, I happen to fall into that category this morning.
The weekend started off on Friday night with a trip to Bangsar with the UTP lads of Din, Big Show, Mon, Hadi and Ijam. Din was kindly enough to treat us with some western dining to serve as a purpose to have a small gathering and catching up. And it worked. When there’s food, it always works with guys. Soon after, we, except for Din and Ijam, decided to hit a round of bowling at Cosmic Bowl Mid Valley. After a few lucky bowls towards the end, I managed to scrape second place of 85 points after initially occupying last place at the beginning. Hadi took first with a total of 117 points. He obviously had practice sessions with his girlfriend. For the rest of us, it was probably the second time in our lives to be at a bowling alley. I know it was for me.
We find ourselves at the parking lot at around 12.30 am. All of them decided to head home but I find midnight still too early to call it a night. Fortunately, Gambit called for another Winning 11 tourney at my place. Well, game on.
At around 2 am, Ridhu, Gambit and 2lang arrived and it wasn’t long before we find ourselves engrossed in front of the TV screen with joypads in our hands. We had 2 tournaments of 4 teams and I ended up 3rd and 4th respectively. My Barcelona notched up a win, a draw and a lost while my Totti-led Roma drew one and lost the rest. This was obvious proof that my Winning 11 skills still need a lot of work. Our sessions ended at around 6 am and only then did I felt it was time to draw the curtains to a close. Although, it’s already a brand new day for most people in the world. And since I made a promise to go to Perak that very afternoon, my sleeping time was really limited.
I managed to get 4 hours of sleep and by the time I woke up, the house was already buzzing for the Taman Harmonis housewives gathering which my mother will be hosting this time around. It’s a fortnightly meeting I think and my house is the ‘lucky’ candidate this weekend. So my mother was busy preparing laksa, apple pie and fruit pudding among others. It made me feel guilty somehow for me to leave the scene to go brouhaha somewhere in Perak. But then again, I am not the kind of guy who likes to go around breaking promises. So, as I left home, depriving my mother of moral support and a helping son, another journey awaits me.
My destination was Teluk Batik. A girl was having a barbeque party by the beach to celebrate her birthday and I was cordially invited. That girl goes by the name of Fira. I don’t usually attend birthday parties so far away but a beach party sounds too enticing.
So there I was, heading to Teluk Batik. But I wasn’t heading alone. I’ll be making a slight detour to pick up a passenger to keep me company during the journey. But she was more than a passenger. I received my invitation through her. And she is Aritha. Ah yes, just me and Aritha. Sadly though, we will be the only invited guests coming from outside of Perak. The rest of the Febeles group couldn’t make it. Either they are living too far away or had other matters to attend to. The fact that it was Aritha who invited me was one of the reasons that I am willing to travel so far out to attend a birthday party. The sound of her voice tells you how badly she needed a break from the city life. And who am I to be if not to realize that wish of hers? Back to that familiar scenario, aren’t we? Oh yes, Faizad Male Escorts, at your service.
Our journey to Perak was, well, I wouldn’t say uneventful. To start off, she did give me a little bit of stick for arriving at her place an hour late. I had to make a last minute visit to the local grocery store to pick up some onions for my mother just when I was about to leave the house. I even had my RM2 ala cowboy hat on. Okay, it’s not really mine. It’s Sasa’s which I borrowed for, I don’t know, maybe more than a year now. Anyway, initially I thought this trip will take about 4 hours. But we did it in 5 because, due to some persistent persuasion I had succumbed to Aritha’s idea of being a little bit ‘adventurous’. So after a brief at Tapah’s R&R where we grabbed some food and at the same time satisfied Aritha’s craving for ‘mee kari’, we took the Tapah exit and hoping to find a short cut to Teluk Batik, bypassing Gopeng and Batu Gajah, and coming out through Sitiawan by the means of Tapah Road. But as expected, things don’t always go according to plan because at one point, we did find ourselves unintentionally heading back to Kuala Lumpur. We only realize we were thrown off-course by the time we realize we were driving through Bidor, which indicated we were moving South rather than North-West. But we managed to recover our bearings but we never did found Tapah Road. All this should trigger my male genes with annoyance and frustration but surprisingly, I find the experience quite interesting. The highway does provide a quick and efficient traveling mean but it’s also very dull. Meanwhile, the old roads have more life to it. Along the way we came across small villages, some paddy fields and acres of oil palm plantations, which is the only mind-numbing side to this ‘adventurous’ gig.
We finally reached our destination at around 8 pm. By then it was obviously too dark to have a dip in the sea. But that didn’t stop us. Although I myself only dared to dip my feet, people like Izzu and Aritha still couldn’t resist to go all the way albeit the closure of public facilities to provide fresh water for rinsing purposes since sunset. This may sound funny but standing by the seaside in the dark while small waves rolled against the beach is a calming experience. The cool breeze only adds to the delight. It’s just you, the sea, a few small time fishermen in their boats a little far out, the stars and the moon.
We finally had our barbeque feast later on and the usual chit-chatting that ensues. I kept quiet because most of time I couldn’t understand what they’re talking about. I guess being the only straight guy in the group tends to result that way. But nevertheless, their conversation can be interesting and fun, and I sometimes find myself laughing for no apparent reason.
As we drift later into the night, the plan was to slowly pack up and head back to UTP. A good 50 minute journey too. But, almost half-expectedly, everyone except for a few suddenly felt too malas to endure the long trip and probably too buoyed by the ocean breeze that a new plan to spend the night at the beach suddenly popped out of the blue. To me the plan sounds outrageous but exciting nevertheless. To be fair, my 4 hours of sleeping time the night before and the long drive from KL also began to take its toll on me. I didn’t think I was 100% fit for the drive back to UTP. So while most of the group head out to find a place to spend the night, I and a few others stayed back at ‘camp’. But since mosquitoes began to attack us relentlessly, we decided to pack things up while waiting the other group’s return. “It’s easier to kemas when there are fewer people around,”
I guess that’s true. But when I said ‘we’, I didn’t really include ‘me’ in that paraphrase. Because I didn’t know what to do that could help. They look so effective cleaning up that I was afraid of being a nuisance by just trying to lend a hand. But now when thinking about it, that does sounds rather selfish and foolish of me.
Anyhow, after, I think close to half an hour, the venture group returned and bearing, I suppose good news. They found an available chalet nearby. So it’s done then, we’re spending the night.
The chalet is nothing elaborate. There are a few beds, an air-conditioning unit, a dressing table and a side table. No TV, no closet. But it’s sufficient. We just want to have a place to sleep. But the funny thing is, nobody except for Aritha and me were properly prepared to have a sleepover. We had our toiletries and extra clothes with us but for the rest, what they had was what they were wearing. But I didn’t think that deterred them much. Which now leads me to Ezy.
Ezy is the other straight girl apart from Aritha in that group that night although she had to detest the notion that she’s a lesbian all night long just because she had short hair. Ezy is quite the lovely girl. I’ll give her a 7 out of 10. Fair complexion and a figure that would turn any man’s head. Although she does have a rasping personality. All evening, she had a baby-T and a burgundy pareo on. If this wasn’t already a delight to see, imagine my gaping expression when she asked me for my extra shorts as she had nothing else to wear for the night. At that point only a fool would turn such a request down. To see your shorts on a bodyline as good as Ezy’s would only make you think, “Oh God, that looks incredibly sexy”. I had this silly grin on me throughout the night. If only nights like these would come more often. The only downside was that I didn’t get to sleep beside her.
Come morning, the other outrageous plan to go to Pangkor was scrapped because everyone woke up at 11 am. Surprise, surprise. So we only had time to pick ourselves up, check-out and had lunch at Lumut. I haven’t been to Lumut for quite some time and it’s pleasant to see that the new jetty is in place and running. It poses a stark improvement. It looks better and proper. And I think the bustling weekend crowd gladly appreciates it.
We head back to UTP at around 3 pm. I decided against returning straight to KL because it was just too warm for a long drive it’s uncomfortable. Besides, how bad can an afternoon at UTP can be? While I dropped off Aritha at V3 for her to grab a drink with some guy and head to Fira’s later on, I made my way to V4. I was walking towards Izzu’s place when I thought of Ara. As I dialed her number, I could only hope she’s in UTP. It turned out I wasn’t so lucky. She was all the way at Shah Alam and would only probably be at UTP by nightfall. I was hoping to be on the highway on my way back come by then so that’s scuppered. I try to think of someone else, preferably a hot looking girl that I could ask for an evening drink but to no avail. There’s no one else. I thought of Siti Nabilah but fat chance of that happening. Well, I guess a chat with Izzu would do. And that was what I ended up doing. Although Arip was also present. Finally someone I can talk about man stuff with.
It’s about 6.30 pm that I asked Arip to be whisked around UTP since being stuck indoors seems boring. So off we went to the field for the Inter-Village Sports Tournament. Funny, UTP looks deserted and I asked Arip why. He said that most of the students just received their tri-monthly scholarships last Thursday so chances they are throwing cash all around Ipoh. Bummer. There I was hoping for a crowd and yet there was none.
Upon arrival at the field it struck me that that was the first time I set foot on the new field since its upgrading. It now even has 2 proper futsal courts. Very impressive though I doubt it’s enough. Futsal is the new crave nowadays and 2 just ain’t enough. But matter suddenly turned worse when the event had already ended by the time Arip and I reached there. What was left was the prize-giving ceremony. Well, it’s better than nothing so we stayed. As we chilled I noticed how peaceful UTP is. There’s this huge open field, there’s the blowing wind, clear skies and laughter in the background. There are no skyscrapers in sight and the speeding vehicles in the distance are more visual than auditory nuisance. Being so long away from UTP I didn’t realize what I was missing. The breather from the hectic life of KL suddenly felt so welcoming. Freshmans won the overall title (again, not surprisingly) but to me chilling at the sides was the highlight.
As the time indicates way past 7, I guess it’s time to bid UTP au revoir. If I’m lucky, I could make it home just in time for Liverpool vs. Chelsea. So I messaged Aritha telling to get ready but she suggested we have dinner first. Hmm, I guess that’ll be fine. I was feeling hungry too anyway. Maybe I’ll just catch Final Score. Besides, it’s probably going to be another dull 0-0.
So we had our dinner at the place in front of UTP’s main entrance. The place where they once had this awesome nasi telur bungkus. I said ‘once’ because it’s now no longer awesome. It’s still quite good but it used to be better. And then, while we having dinner, the most unexpected thing happened. Siti Nabilah walked in. It was like the most refreshing view I had in a long time. She no longer had that permed hair of hers. It’s now back to her long straight. But still beautiful nonetheless. She wasn’t having dinner there but just ‘tapau’ing. With her jeans and t-shirt accompanying her black-framed glasses, I’m guessing she’s preparing for a good night of studying. She’s a brilliant student. Last time I checked, her CGPA was in the first-class zone. Brain and beauty. The 2B criteria. Just awesome. Of course, I didn’t have the nerve to walk up to her and strike a conversation. I was in such a mess I was in no condition to make a good first impression. Looking at a mirror, I would probably run away from myself. So I ended up just appreciating from afar. So close yet so far. Miss so-out-of-my-league. Well, the bare sight of her is the only thing I could hope for. Twice I’ve been back to UTP this year and on both occasion I get to catch a glimpse of her. I would deem that as very lucky. Striking a conversation would amount to a pandemonium. Seeing her drive off in her grey Kancil would probably be the last time I’ll see her. Unless Lady Luck has other ideas.
After dinner, it was definitely time to head home. It’s already 9.30 pm. Anfield will be missed. We had our goodbyes and we hit the open roads once again. This time there’s no adventurous gig. I just wanna get home with no surprises. And since Aritha made slight fun of me earlier for driving too slow on the way back from Lumut, I had to step on the throttle a bit more. Which in turn capitates me more of my conversation ability. As you’d probably know, guys really have trouble multi-tasking, especially when it involves driving. The point I was driving slower was so that I can have a decent conversation. And since I wasn’t a big help then imagine my condition now. That fact that it was raining didn’t help either. So it ended up once again with Aritha doing all the talking while I could only do the listening. It annoyed her, of course but what to do? To me, just having her in the passenger seat already gave me much comfort but I could understand her frustration.
We reached Bandar Utama close to midnight. Aritha was in a slight hurry to get into the house as she has to go to work the next day. For me, I was just tired from the driving but felt personally pleased that Valerie had been a good girl throughout the journey.
As I watched Aritha walked into her sister’s house, I couldn’t help but appreciate how much I enjoyed Aritha’s company. I wish there could be more occasions such as these. Breathing in the silent air I dialed Gambit’s number, hoping for another chilling session. But she’s with Mawar. Haih, Mawar, Mawar. I guess there’s nothing left but to head back home myself.
The half hour trip back was unusually silent without Aritha’s voice constantly entertaining me with her stories. Thankfully the road was clear so there wasn’t much hassle with the traffic. Overall I think it was quite a successful trip. I had fun and that’s the most important part. And I have the whole of Monday to recover. Lucky me. Oh by the way, Chelsea trounced Liverpool at Anfield 4-1. As a consolation, I managed to catch Geremi’s goal just in time.
The weekend started off on Friday night with a trip to Bangsar with the UTP lads of Din, Big Show, Mon, Hadi and Ijam. Din was kindly enough to treat us with some western dining to serve as a purpose to have a small gathering and catching up. And it worked. When there’s food, it always works with guys. Soon after, we, except for Din and Ijam, decided to hit a round of bowling at Cosmic Bowl Mid Valley. After a few lucky bowls towards the end, I managed to scrape second place of 85 points after initially occupying last place at the beginning. Hadi took first with a total of 117 points. He obviously had practice sessions with his girlfriend. For the rest of us, it was probably the second time in our lives to be at a bowling alley. I know it was for me.
We find ourselves at the parking lot at around 12.30 am. All of them decided to head home but I find midnight still too early to call it a night. Fortunately, Gambit called for another Winning 11 tourney at my place. Well, game on.
At around 2 am, Ridhu, Gambit and 2lang arrived and it wasn’t long before we find ourselves engrossed in front of the TV screen with joypads in our hands. We had 2 tournaments of 4 teams and I ended up 3rd and 4th respectively. My Barcelona notched up a win, a draw and a lost while my Totti-led Roma drew one and lost the rest. This was obvious proof that my Winning 11 skills still need a lot of work. Our sessions ended at around 6 am and only then did I felt it was time to draw the curtains to a close. Although, it’s already a brand new day for most people in the world. And since I made a promise to go to Perak that very afternoon, my sleeping time was really limited.
I managed to get 4 hours of sleep and by the time I woke up, the house was already buzzing for the Taman Harmonis housewives gathering which my mother will be hosting this time around. It’s a fortnightly meeting I think and my house is the ‘lucky’ candidate this weekend. So my mother was busy preparing laksa, apple pie and fruit pudding among others. It made me feel guilty somehow for me to leave the scene to go brouhaha somewhere in Perak. But then again, I am not the kind of guy who likes to go around breaking promises. So, as I left home, depriving my mother of moral support and a helping son, another journey awaits me.
My destination was Teluk Batik. A girl was having a barbeque party by the beach to celebrate her birthday and I was cordially invited. That girl goes by the name of Fira. I don’t usually attend birthday parties so far away but a beach party sounds too enticing.
So there I was, heading to Teluk Batik. But I wasn’t heading alone. I’ll be making a slight detour to pick up a passenger to keep me company during the journey. But she was more than a passenger. I received my invitation through her. And she is Aritha. Ah yes, just me and Aritha. Sadly though, we will be the only invited guests coming from outside of Perak. The rest of the Febeles group couldn’t make it. Either they are living too far away or had other matters to attend to. The fact that it was Aritha who invited me was one of the reasons that I am willing to travel so far out to attend a birthday party. The sound of her voice tells you how badly she needed a break from the city life. And who am I to be if not to realize that wish of hers? Back to that familiar scenario, aren’t we? Oh yes, Faizad Male Escorts, at your service.
Our journey to Perak was, well, I wouldn’t say uneventful. To start off, she did give me a little bit of stick for arriving at her place an hour late. I had to make a last minute visit to the local grocery store to pick up some onions for my mother just when I was about to leave the house. I even had my RM2 ala cowboy hat on. Okay, it’s not really mine. It’s Sasa’s which I borrowed for, I don’t know, maybe more than a year now. Anyway, initially I thought this trip will take about 4 hours. But we did it in 5 because, due to some persistent persuasion I had succumbed to Aritha’s idea of being a little bit ‘adventurous’. So after a brief at Tapah’s R&R where we grabbed some food and at the same time satisfied Aritha’s craving for ‘mee kari’, we took the Tapah exit and hoping to find a short cut to Teluk Batik, bypassing Gopeng and Batu Gajah, and coming out through Sitiawan by the means of Tapah Road. But as expected, things don’t always go according to plan because at one point, we did find ourselves unintentionally heading back to Kuala Lumpur. We only realize we were thrown off-course by the time we realize we were driving through Bidor, which indicated we were moving South rather than North-West. But we managed to recover our bearings but we never did found Tapah Road. All this should trigger my male genes with annoyance and frustration but surprisingly, I find the experience quite interesting. The highway does provide a quick and efficient traveling mean but it’s also very dull. Meanwhile, the old roads have more life to it. Along the way we came across small villages, some paddy fields and acres of oil palm plantations, which is the only mind-numbing side to this ‘adventurous’ gig.
We finally reached our destination at around 8 pm. By then it was obviously too dark to have a dip in the sea. But that didn’t stop us. Although I myself only dared to dip my feet, people like Izzu and Aritha still couldn’t resist to go all the way albeit the closure of public facilities to provide fresh water for rinsing purposes since sunset. This may sound funny but standing by the seaside in the dark while small waves rolled against the beach is a calming experience. The cool breeze only adds to the delight. It’s just you, the sea, a few small time fishermen in their boats a little far out, the stars and the moon.
We finally had our barbeque feast later on and the usual chit-chatting that ensues. I kept quiet because most of time I couldn’t understand what they’re talking about. I guess being the only straight guy in the group tends to result that way. But nevertheless, their conversation can be interesting and fun, and I sometimes find myself laughing for no apparent reason.
As we drift later into the night, the plan was to slowly pack up and head back to UTP. A good 50 minute journey too. But, almost half-expectedly, everyone except for a few suddenly felt too malas to endure the long trip and probably too buoyed by the ocean breeze that a new plan to spend the night at the beach suddenly popped out of the blue. To me the plan sounds outrageous but exciting nevertheless. To be fair, my 4 hours of sleeping time the night before and the long drive from KL also began to take its toll on me. I didn’t think I was 100% fit for the drive back to UTP. So while most of the group head out to find a place to spend the night, I and a few others stayed back at ‘camp’. But since mosquitoes began to attack us relentlessly, we decided to pack things up while waiting the other group’s return. “It’s easier to kemas when there are fewer people around,”
I guess that’s true. But when I said ‘we’, I didn’t really include ‘me’ in that paraphrase. Because I didn’t know what to do that could help. They look so effective cleaning up that I was afraid of being a nuisance by just trying to lend a hand. But now when thinking about it, that does sounds rather selfish and foolish of me.
Anyhow, after, I think close to half an hour, the venture group returned and bearing, I suppose good news. They found an available chalet nearby. So it’s done then, we’re spending the night.
The chalet is nothing elaborate. There are a few beds, an air-conditioning unit, a dressing table and a side table. No TV, no closet. But it’s sufficient. We just want to have a place to sleep. But the funny thing is, nobody except for Aritha and me were properly prepared to have a sleepover. We had our toiletries and extra clothes with us but for the rest, what they had was what they were wearing. But I didn’t think that deterred them much. Which now leads me to Ezy.
Ezy is the other straight girl apart from Aritha in that group that night although she had to detest the notion that she’s a lesbian all night long just because she had short hair. Ezy is quite the lovely girl. I’ll give her a 7 out of 10. Fair complexion and a figure that would turn any man’s head. Although she does have a rasping personality. All evening, she had a baby-T and a burgundy pareo on. If this wasn’t already a delight to see, imagine my gaping expression when she asked me for my extra shorts as she had nothing else to wear for the night. At that point only a fool would turn such a request down. To see your shorts on a bodyline as good as Ezy’s would only make you think, “Oh God, that looks incredibly sexy”. I had this silly grin on me throughout the night. If only nights like these would come more often. The only downside was that I didn’t get to sleep beside her.
Come morning, the other outrageous plan to go to Pangkor was scrapped because everyone woke up at 11 am. Surprise, surprise. So we only had time to pick ourselves up, check-out and had lunch at Lumut. I haven’t been to Lumut for quite some time and it’s pleasant to see that the new jetty is in place and running. It poses a stark improvement. It looks better and proper. And I think the bustling weekend crowd gladly appreciates it.
We head back to UTP at around 3 pm. I decided against returning straight to KL because it was just too warm for a long drive it’s uncomfortable. Besides, how bad can an afternoon at UTP can be? While I dropped off Aritha at V3 for her to grab a drink with some guy and head to Fira’s later on, I made my way to V4. I was walking towards Izzu’s place when I thought of Ara. As I dialed her number, I could only hope she’s in UTP. It turned out I wasn’t so lucky. She was all the way at Shah Alam and would only probably be at UTP by nightfall. I was hoping to be on the highway on my way back come by then so that’s scuppered. I try to think of someone else, preferably a hot looking girl that I could ask for an evening drink but to no avail. There’s no one else. I thought of Siti Nabilah but fat chance of that happening. Well, I guess a chat with Izzu would do. And that was what I ended up doing. Although Arip was also present. Finally someone I can talk about man stuff with.
It’s about 6.30 pm that I asked Arip to be whisked around UTP since being stuck indoors seems boring. So off we went to the field for the Inter-Village Sports Tournament. Funny, UTP looks deserted and I asked Arip why. He said that most of the students just received their tri-monthly scholarships last Thursday so chances they are throwing cash all around Ipoh. Bummer. There I was hoping for a crowd and yet there was none.
Upon arrival at the field it struck me that that was the first time I set foot on the new field since its upgrading. It now even has 2 proper futsal courts. Very impressive though I doubt it’s enough. Futsal is the new crave nowadays and 2 just ain’t enough. But matter suddenly turned worse when the event had already ended by the time Arip and I reached there. What was left was the prize-giving ceremony. Well, it’s better than nothing so we stayed. As we chilled I noticed how peaceful UTP is. There’s this huge open field, there’s the blowing wind, clear skies and laughter in the background. There are no skyscrapers in sight and the speeding vehicles in the distance are more visual than auditory nuisance. Being so long away from UTP I didn’t realize what I was missing. The breather from the hectic life of KL suddenly felt so welcoming. Freshmans won the overall title (again, not surprisingly) but to me chilling at the sides was the highlight.
As the time indicates way past 7, I guess it’s time to bid UTP au revoir. If I’m lucky, I could make it home just in time for Liverpool vs. Chelsea. So I messaged Aritha telling to get ready but she suggested we have dinner first. Hmm, I guess that’ll be fine. I was feeling hungry too anyway. Maybe I’ll just catch Final Score. Besides, it’s probably going to be another dull 0-0.
So we had our dinner at the place in front of UTP’s main entrance. The place where they once had this awesome nasi telur bungkus. I said ‘once’ because it’s now no longer awesome. It’s still quite good but it used to be better. And then, while we having dinner, the most unexpected thing happened. Siti Nabilah walked in. It was like the most refreshing view I had in a long time. She no longer had that permed hair of hers. It’s now back to her long straight. But still beautiful nonetheless. She wasn’t having dinner there but just ‘tapau’ing. With her jeans and t-shirt accompanying her black-framed glasses, I’m guessing she’s preparing for a good night of studying. She’s a brilliant student. Last time I checked, her CGPA was in the first-class zone. Brain and beauty. The 2B criteria. Just awesome. Of course, I didn’t have the nerve to walk up to her and strike a conversation. I was in such a mess I was in no condition to make a good first impression. Looking at a mirror, I would probably run away from myself. So I ended up just appreciating from afar. So close yet so far. Miss so-out-of-my-league. Well, the bare sight of her is the only thing I could hope for. Twice I’ve been back to UTP this year and on both occasion I get to catch a glimpse of her. I would deem that as very lucky. Striking a conversation would amount to a pandemonium. Seeing her drive off in her grey Kancil would probably be the last time I’ll see her. Unless Lady Luck has other ideas.
After dinner, it was definitely time to head home. It’s already 9.30 pm. Anfield will be missed. We had our goodbyes and we hit the open roads once again. This time there’s no adventurous gig. I just wanna get home with no surprises. And since Aritha made slight fun of me earlier for driving too slow on the way back from Lumut, I had to step on the throttle a bit more. Which in turn capitates me more of my conversation ability. As you’d probably know, guys really have trouble multi-tasking, especially when it involves driving. The point I was driving slower was so that I can have a decent conversation. And since I wasn’t a big help then imagine my condition now. That fact that it was raining didn’t help either. So it ended up once again with Aritha doing all the talking while I could only do the listening. It annoyed her, of course but what to do? To me, just having her in the passenger seat already gave me much comfort but I could understand her frustration.
We reached Bandar Utama close to midnight. Aritha was in a slight hurry to get into the house as she has to go to work the next day. For me, I was just tired from the driving but felt personally pleased that Valerie had been a good girl throughout the journey.
As I watched Aritha walked into her sister’s house, I couldn’t help but appreciate how much I enjoyed Aritha’s company. I wish there could be more occasions such as these. Breathing in the silent air I dialed Gambit’s number, hoping for another chilling session. But she’s with Mawar. Haih, Mawar, Mawar. I guess there’s nothing left but to head back home myself.
The half hour trip back was unusually silent without Aritha’s voice constantly entertaining me with her stories. Thankfully the road was clear so there wasn’t much hassle with the traffic. Overall I think it was quite a successful trip. I had fun and that’s the most important part. And I have the whole of Monday to recover. Lucky me. Oh by the way, Chelsea trounced Liverpool at Anfield 4-1. As a consolation, I managed to catch Geremi’s goal just in time.
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