It is that time of the year again when every living football fans around the world look at each other and ask themselves, “Now, what?”
Summer is here and that means football season is over. On a happy note, I am certainly over the moon with Chelsea’s achievement in conquering the English Premiership and although in view of envy, I would’ve liked to see Milan triumph but the European Champions League Final was truly one of the enjoyable ones I’ve seen in years. But, unlike last year when we had Euro 2004 to cherish, this year there’s, well, nothing. At best I could point out are the World Cup qualifiers and the Confed… no that’s not even worth mentioning.
Other than that, there’s noting much to commemorate about in June. If I am a 17 year old living in a place called Orange County then yes, summer would be the time of the year for me. School’s out for months, I could put on my shorts, head to the beach and watch scantily clad young blondes playing beach volleyball. But here in Malaysia, those things do not happen. As far as we Easterners are concerned, who gives a fuck about summer? I mean, school’s out but that just makes it more irritating because my places of tranquility of Starbucks and TGV couldn’t offer me privacy and decency for a few weeks. I have to compete with adolescents. Weather is warm, as always. And no, there are no people with the likes of Carmen Electra or Tara Reid playing beach volleyball along the beaches of Port Dickson.
So, what is there to look forward to in June? Today’s the 5th and I’ve already spent the first week diving in my study notes and textbooks to get through my mid term examination and, yes, I agree with you it was not the best way to start off a brand new month.
Confounded at a certain point, I decided to pursue that long awaited quest of mine, that is to discover Kuala Lumpur. I mean, really discovering it. People have always said to me that there a lot of interesting things going on in this city. One only has to know where to find it. And that has always been my stumbling block. I don’t know where or how to get the best out of living here. All this while I’ve always been to the same ol’, same ol’ dining joint, shopping malls and movie cineplexes. I tell you, I’m getting tired of it. I want to try something new, something different, something exotic. I want, when my friends are talking about something, I would like to say, “I know this great place where you can…” or “You should try this place at etc. because it’s absolutely brilliant,”
It was with this notion that I bought myself the latest copy of a local magazine called KLue. It’s its 80th issue and I just realized what a fabulous magazine it is. It’s been circulating for ages but being an ignorant bastard that I am sometimes, I viewed it as another lame excuse for marketing purposes. I quaintly categorized it in the so-called “lifestyle” magazines. Boy was I wrong.
First of all, it has gone through an upgrade where now it is thicker, the paper quality is better and it’s color end to end. And what I love the most are the things inside. Inside is the kind of information that I have been longing for years now. The detailed guide of how to enjoy life in Kuala Lumpur. It listed all the wonderful dining spots, live musical performances, art exhibitions and festivals, theaters, oh you name it, all in the vicinity of Klang Valley. Being a magazine and published every month, you can bet that it’s very much up to date. And the best part of all? It only cost RM5.
The only thing I don’t like about it is that it leaked a secret that I only came to have known about 2 weeks ago. The location of Rahsia. But I guess a good thing like that should be shared to the public. I just it was done more subtlety.
Come to think of it, June, so far, is ain’t that bad. I mean, I rekindled my relationship with Chili’s since, oh I don’t know, months maybe. And recently, on the 1st of June to be exact, was Ara’s birthday. So I decided to SMS her a birthday wish. I didn’t expect to receive a reply but I did and it read, “Thank you babe :)”. I read that and I thought, wow, I was someone’s babe. I was Ara’s babe. For a brief moment in time there, I was Ara’s babe. I was more than happy to take that as a compliment. It was really flattering. Made me felt good for days.
Maybe it’s wrong of me to diss June so prematurely. There certainly some things to look forward to at the cinemas with Batman Begins and Mr. and Mrs. Smith lining up soon. The French Art Festival is really intriguing and I definitely want to check that out. And, hopefully, to top off the month of June, get out on a few dates through my Uniten connection. I left the dating scene for quite some time already and it should be fun to get a few under the belt. It’s not that I’m looking for a relationship or anything but just a little company over a nice quaint dinner during the weekends. With my new bound knowledge things should get pretty interesting but that’s a whole new blog entirely.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Room Service Deliveries
For the past week or so there’s a group of people dressed in red T-shirts and black trousers pestering people about at the Putra LRT KLCC station. I usually ignore these types of people because this kind of behavior could only come from people looking for donations for the poor and disabled or trying to sell you something which you never heard of before but somehow “essential” to your needs. But there’s something different about this group of people. They appear somewhat more professional and organized. Plus there seems to be a Caucasian being the head of things. That is always a good indication. However, they only appear during the evening rush hour which by then, I am in a naturally exhausted state and just want to get home before being further sandwiched in the passenger car of the train. But I managed to get a peek at one of the brochures they were handing out and they read ‘Room Service Deliveries’. That got me thinking. If it is what the name suggests, then I am really impressed because the idea behind it is just absolutely brilliant. Room service for the masses.
Profoundly curious, I intentionally allowed myself to be held up by one of these people in red last Thursday just to find out exactly what they are offering. And my suspicion were proven. Basically they have come to an agreement with a few restaurants around Kuala Lumpur to be the delivery folks for whichever customers, who are just painstakingly lazy to move their ass around to get a decent meal, have them delivered right onto their doorstep. But the best part is, those restaurants I mentioned earlier, are not your regular mamak establishments or Kg. Baru’s Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa cliques. Oh no no, to illustrate, let me entertain you with a list of their known current associates:
- Alexis
- Bangles
- Chili's
- Chinoz
- Dome
- La Bodega
- Modesto's
- Planet Hollywood
You catch my drift? As you may realize, these are not calang-calang restaurants you know. These are fine restaurants offering fine food. And to have them delivered right to your front door? Call me painstakingly lazy too but to ditch KL traffic and parking fees out of the equation and treat myself to some Chili’s Cheesesteak Sandwich and Molten Chocolate Cake in the comfort of my living room? Hey, I’d give my vote anytime. But one of the few catches is you have to place an order amounting more than RM50 to be qualified. But as they their target market are “medium and high income earners”, who’s trippin’?
But one monumental sad fact is, for me at least, they don’t deliver all the way to Gombak. Sad but true. They deliver to Wangsa Maju though but Batu 6 is tad bit out of reach. It is one of the few instances where living in Gombak disappoints me. I love the quiet environment when it’s nighttime and traveling to Genting Highlands is almost no hassle at all but I just can’t order Dome from my own bed.
But seriously, even though I am geographically incapable of enjoying their services I still think this thing has a tremendous potential. It’s one of those ideas when, upon hearing it, you go, “Now why didn’t I thought of that?”. The same case when RotiBoy exploded into the scene. The secret behind their success is so simple it’s ridiculous. They just make buns for crying out loud! But one thing they got right is the aroma. After a tiring evening shift and 6 hours after you had your lunch, the heavenly fragrance of a freshly baked Mexican bun from RotiBoy is much too tempting. You only remember your diet regime after you finish licking bread crumbs from your hands and mouth.
Final word: for those of you living in the center of the metropolis which is Kuala Lumpur or its immediate vicinity, be it known that I envy you beyond words. So if one day, I somehow stumbled upon your lovely home and ask the question, “Can we order in?”, don’t be surprised if I don’t dial for Pizza Hut or McDonald’s.
Chelsea: El Champione
This is a piece that I should’ve done weeks ago but here it is, finally, the tribute to the new champions of England, Chelsea Football Club.
It is a very satisfying feeling indeed to be finally crowned Premiership champions. It’s been a long time coming, oh believe me, a long time coming. I’ve waited 9 years (a joke compared to those original supporters who waited 50) for this to happen. I knew it would come one day since I said to myself, “Hmm, I think my uncle mentioned something about this Ruud Gullit being a great player or something. I guess I’ll take this club as the English club I’ll support. What’s the name again? Chelsea?”
From that moment on, I never looked back. Along the years I was at the receiving end of friendly insults even when amazing players like Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Marcel Desailly donned the blue colors of London and graced the field majestically because unless Chelsea win something significant, they always be associated with the words, ‘so close yet so far’. And as far as Manchester United, Arsenal and co-evidently Liverpool are concerned, the Premiership and the Champions League are the only two to be qualified as significant. Well, now we have one in the bag. And the duel at Old Trafford recently was truly an icing on the cake. Not only did we comprehensively beat them 3-1 and dominated the game, we also broke their previous record of most points and clean sheets gained in a single Premiership season. To add insult to injury, there was no Terry, no Duff, no Robben, no Drogba, no Bridge and no Ferreira while theirs’ was at full strength. They can argue that the 5-3 drubbing at Stamford Bridge a few years back was purely bad luck and a certain Massimo Taibi was the epitome of all faults on that fateful evening but last Wednesday, the sky was truly grey at Manchester. And glorious Chelsea stood out like sunshine.
It’s a shame the same cannot be said for the Champions League. Last season’s achievement was not bettered. It was disappointing but not really hurtful once you take everything into context. As a matter of fact, it does serve as a kind of a motivation come August. A target yet to be achieved. Should’ve we won the quadruple, it could have been less interesting next season. Certainly winning things for the first time is really exciting rather than defending them. There’s the revenge at Newcastle in the FA Cup to look forward to and Liverpool is just a plain nuisance. I used to like Liverpool because my brother and uncle support them. Well, you count those days long gone.
But, truly, the person I’d like to credit most is the current manager, a Portuguese that goes by the name of Jose Mourinho. Gullit, Vialli, Ranieri were certainly exciting times but it is the Mourinho era that things have become meaningful.
As a final word, I would once again toast a tribute and salute to Chelsea FC, its staff and players for a wonderful 2004/2005 season. May the glory continue into 2006 and beyond. And with Mr. Abramovich’s millions, I wish the excitement will start in summer. Adriano, anyone?
What's In A Name?
Now, I have an interesting story to tell you. This happened last week. You see, it was my sister’s 21st birthday and the whole family decided to go out and celebrate. We went to Maju Palace, a quaint Chinese restaurant at Maju Junction and the meal was surprisingly pleasant. The occasion was, as expected, fun and enjoyable but what really made it an unforgettable event to me that night was the conversation at the table.
I don’t know why but only after more than 20 years did this thing came up. It was the about the siblings’ names i.e. us. The whole quadruple. 3 boys and 1 girl. Our mother finally laid the story before us, revealing behind-the-scenes facts which neither any of us had ever thought of asking about for the past 2 decades.
Fadhlan, the eldest, had his inspired from a legendary Islamic figure. Our father came up with this and it was naturally appropriate that the patriarch decides the name for the first-born. As the name originated from the Arabs thus it too was spelled in their alphabet. There was a indecisive moment initially whether to put faz-lan or fadh-lan on the birth certificate. The latter was chosen because it gave a more sense of power and authority. 26 years later on, we all agreed it is still the right choice.
My sister’s name has a much more colourful background. Her name was inspired from a 70’s Malaysian movie entitled ‘Abang’ and Her Majesty The Queen of Jordan at that time. Our mother played around with those two names and came up with Faradila. Not bad, eh?
The youngest one, Fawwaz, was the easiest. His name came from a book listing Muslim baby names which includes all their wonderful meanings. Fawwaz translates to ‘The Successful One’. Lot less dramatic but admirable enough.
Of course my name is which I am most interested in. For all these years, I have always thought my name originated from the word ‘faiz’ which also translates from Arabic as ‘The Successful One’. Literally this is correct, but it was never the intention when my mother picked the name 'Faizad' for me. I never saw this one coming but my name is actually inspired from, get this, Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, current Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.
When I first heard this I couldn’t believe it myself. The story? Well, apparently during her high school years, the then young Sharizat was already a leading character at Tunku Kurshiah College. Being a junior at the time, my mother couldn’t help but look up and admire her. “We used to call her Kak Ijat,” my mother told me. It wasn’t long before she decided to name one of her children ‘Ijat’ one day. Well, guess which bundle of joy that received that privilege? It was due to the fact that our father wanted to maintain all his children to have names beginning with the letter ‘F’ and the name ‘Faizat’ just sounds wrong that I ended up with Faizad. Don’t get me wrong I have no complaints against my name, I practically love it but should I’ve been born a girl, I can almost assure you that I would be named Shahrizat.
As of now, I have to view Dato’ Seri Shahrizat in a different light. Along the years I couldn’t say I’ve always agreed with her on things, with regards to her opinions and principles. She’s currently one of the iconic figures of women in Malaysia and she achieved this by always be the first to fight for women’s right and freedom. Being a man I couldn’t help but come up with a cynical “What now?” response every time she launches a new campaign or seminar on women. Well, I couldn’t now. Now I have to acknowledge and support all of her efforts because, uite frankly, downgrading her would mean downgrading myself. It's just how I see it. I mean, in a way, I am a part of her, albeit only her name. It’s more like an ethical issue for me. My mother respects her enough to name me after her. It would only seem rational that I follow suit. Respect thee. I don't usually grant my respect out whimsically but I couldn't put an argument here. But please, inspired from a woman, my name is, but wear pink and watch Oprah, I still would not.
I don’t know why but only after more than 20 years did this thing came up. It was the about the siblings’ names i.e. us. The whole quadruple. 3 boys and 1 girl. Our mother finally laid the story before us, revealing behind-the-scenes facts which neither any of us had ever thought of asking about for the past 2 decades.
Fadhlan, the eldest, had his inspired from a legendary Islamic figure. Our father came up with this and it was naturally appropriate that the patriarch decides the name for the first-born. As the name originated from the Arabs thus it too was spelled in their alphabet. There was a indecisive moment initially whether to put faz-lan or fadh-lan on the birth certificate. The latter was chosen because it gave a more sense of power and authority. 26 years later on, we all agreed it is still the right choice.
My sister’s name has a much more colourful background. Her name was inspired from a 70’s Malaysian movie entitled ‘Abang’ and Her Majesty The Queen of Jordan at that time. Our mother played around with those two names and came up with Faradila. Not bad, eh?
The youngest one, Fawwaz, was the easiest. His name came from a book listing Muslim baby names which includes all their wonderful meanings. Fawwaz translates to ‘The Successful One’. Lot less dramatic but admirable enough.
Of course my name is which I am most interested in. For all these years, I have always thought my name originated from the word ‘faiz’ which also translates from Arabic as ‘The Successful One’. Literally this is correct, but it was never the intention when my mother picked the name 'Faizad' for me. I never saw this one coming but my name is actually inspired from, get this, Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, current Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.
When I first heard this I couldn’t believe it myself. The story? Well, apparently during her high school years, the then young Sharizat was already a leading character at Tunku Kurshiah College. Being a junior at the time, my mother couldn’t help but look up and admire her. “We used to call her Kak Ijat,” my mother told me. It wasn’t long before she decided to name one of her children ‘Ijat’ one day. Well, guess which bundle of joy that received that privilege? It was due to the fact that our father wanted to maintain all his children to have names beginning with the letter ‘F’ and the name ‘Faizat’ just sounds wrong that I ended up with Faizad. Don’t get me wrong I have no complaints against my name, I practically love it but should I’ve been born a girl, I can almost assure you that I would be named Shahrizat.
As of now, I have to view Dato’ Seri Shahrizat in a different light. Along the years I couldn’t say I’ve always agreed with her on things, with regards to her opinions and principles. She’s currently one of the iconic figures of women in Malaysia and she achieved this by always be the first to fight for women’s right and freedom. Being a man I couldn’t help but come up with a cynical “What now?” response every time she launches a new campaign or seminar on women. Well, I couldn’t now. Now I have to acknowledge and support all of her efforts because, uite frankly, downgrading her would mean downgrading myself. It's just how I see it. I mean, in a way, I am a part of her, albeit only her name. It’s more like an ethical issue for me. My mother respects her enough to name me after her. It would only seem rational that I follow suit. Respect thee. I don't usually grant my respect out whimsically but I couldn't put an argument here. But please, inspired from a woman, my name is, but wear pink and watch Oprah, I still would not.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Hope Springs
When I arrived at class, 25 minutes early, yesterday morning I felt rather ironic because was not supposed to start until 10 am and there I was, unintentionally became the first student to be present at 9.35am. Then I realized I brought the wrong set of lecture materials. The one specifically prepared for that day’s lesson was sitting nicely in my room. I couldn’t help but feel rather stupid while I was banging my head repeatedly onto the table. This is going to be one long week.
Earlier that day Chelsea had already lost to Liverpool and being somber is the least of my worries. My favorite team lost, I didn’t have enough sleep and I brought along 2-inch thick paper which is going to be useless for the whole day. Fearing the worst, I was expecting something bad to happen at every turn of events. Fortunately however, things turned out better soon after wards.
I managed to get through the day’s lessons without much of a hassle, I reminded myself that Chelsea ARE the Premiership champions and the best news of all, the package is finally delivered. It was obvious on everyone’s gleaming faces this morning.
I still have lot of revision to do but hey, it’s all in day’s work.
Earlier that day Chelsea had already lost to Liverpool and being somber is the least of my worries. My favorite team lost, I didn’t have enough sleep and I brought along 2-inch thick paper which is going to be useless for the whole day. Fearing the worst, I was expecting something bad to happen at every turn of events. Fortunately however, things turned out better soon after wards.
I managed to get through the day’s lessons without much of a hassle, I reminded myself that Chelsea ARE the Premiership champions and the best news of all, the package is finally delivered. It was obvious on everyone’s gleaming faces this morning.
I still have lot of revision to do but hey, it’s all in day’s work.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Gutted
An accounting quiz was to be held last week during class. It was delayed ever since. Today it finally came and after a few quick revisions I was brimming with confidence on doing well. When the marks were tallied in the end, I had the lowest score among the 7 students. It felt horrible. It was like being hit in the gut. Just like when Chelsea lost to then newly-promoted Charlton Athletic couple of seasons back during Vialli’s reign. To top this disappointment off, I have to belanja the lecturer lunch as part of an earlier deal for the lowest scoring student. And guess what he wants for lunch? Chili’s. Chili’s I tell you! Bloody fuckin’ Chili’s! Even I hadn’t had Chili’s for 3 months. Now I have to belanja someone something which I myself crave? Oh ain’t that just peachy.
The only compensation I have is that I like the guy. He’s very laid back and quite a joker. So I really hope that all this is just one mean joke. Nevertheless, I still feel I owe him something for not performing, even above my own standards. Fortunately enough Chelsea will travel to Anfield later tonight for the Champions League Semi-final 2nd leg. Nothing better to cheer up oneself than an enticing football match. I just hope Chelsea wins tonight. If not, then I will be one upset man come tomorrow morning with a bad case of crankiness from a lack of sleep.
The only compensation I have is that I like the guy. He’s very laid back and quite a joker. So I really hope that all this is just one mean joke. Nevertheless, I still feel I owe him something for not performing, even above my own standards. Fortunately enough Chelsea will travel to Anfield later tonight for the Champions League Semi-final 2nd leg. Nothing better to cheer up oneself than an enticing football match. I just hope Chelsea wins tonight. If not, then I will be one upset man come tomorrow morning with a bad case of crankiness from a lack of sleep.
Stealing Beauty
I consider myself a man who appreciates beauty. That is why I have a picture of Yasmin Hani coyly perched on a white sofa on the back of my bedroom door. Well, that was last week. Nowadays I have the May and Choy twins locked in each other’s arms in erotic embrace. That is also why when I had the chance to test drive the new BMW 3 series a.k.a. the E90 at Bukit Kiara Equestrian I gave no second thoughts.
Arguably the most anticipated car in the first quarter of 2005 in Malaysia, the E90 is truly a remarkable piece of automotive brilliance. Not only did it have the looks but also the handling and power to match it.
So when I was on my way to a Putra LRT station, my eye caught a 2005 Honda CR-V parked beside the road. As usual I couldn’t help but wonder what could have possibly prompted the owner to purchase such a bland looking vehicle? I admit the previous model was quite a catch and looked very appealing but in all logical sense, the newer model should, must be presented in a more enticing package. Sadly, it isn’t so in this CR-V case. The 2005 version looks boring and the least bit of exciting. You actually have to tell people that it is brand new or otherwise they wouldn’t know. Then I realized something else.
The CR-V is not the lone case in this country. There are many instances where the first time you lay your eyes on them you know it is a horrifying looking car and yet sales continue to venture into the thousands every three months. The best example would be the Hyundai Accent. It is so hideous I would get no nearer than 30 feet of it. How about the Hyundai Sonata? Many people say that it looks like the Jaguar XJ or X-Type. Well, those people are wrong. It TRIED to look like an XJ or an X-Type but failed miserably. It is fair to say the Sonata is for the people who couldn’t afford a brand new Jag but could settle for a poor imitation of it. Although the upcoming model does looks better but one couldn't help noticing too much resemblance to the Mazda 6. Setting Korean cars aside, let’s move to a premium car which in this case I would like to point out the new BMW 5 series. Again, the handling and luxurious features are truly in a class of its own but I must say the styling just couldn’t be more off. It looks so bulky. While the previous models emphasized on sleekness, this one just looks like a Sega Saturn rather than a Sony Playstation. While video gamers have a better sense in preferring the Playstation compared to the Saturn, the same couldn’t be said about BMW enthusiasts. They would buy anything with the BMW logo on it. Regardless of beauty or logical sense. And don't get me started on the 1 Series.
Moving back to our local market I would like to point out the Toyota Avanza. For the first quarter of 2005 this is the second highest selling vehicle in Malaysia, inclusive of imported and locally produced cars. The top rank belongs to the Proton Wira Aeroback 1.3 (A). The Avanza effectively beat, never mind the imported brands, but also the Waja, the Gen.2, the Kancil and the Kelisa. You should notice that in the road nowadays they are practically everywhere. And yet, when you look at them, I don’t think that the first thing that crosses your mind is, “Oh look at that! It’s so beautiful! I have to get one of those!”. The wheels are too small, the stumped rear is an eyesore, the bodywork looks more fragile than a Coca-Cola can and the worst part is Malaysians still buy them in the bucket loads because “they’re new”. Well, I’m pretty sure that tagline would only work in the first 6 weeks and then it just becomes another unattractive and uninspiring vehicle count. And when something ridiculous happens at large it is almost certain Americans are no so far off the picture. Chevrolet is launching a direct rival to the Avanza. It’s called the Spark. It’s going to be cheap, practical and hugely successful despite the fact that it looks like a high-strung bug.
After considering all this, I came to the obvious conclusion that Malaysians generally have a poor sense of taste when it comes to buying cars. Rather than accepting this fact throughout, I did a little survey of my own, just to prove my instincts that there are some of us who really know what makes a beautiful and worthy car.
So I began asking around some of my closest friends. The results were more than comforting. Of course, my male counterparts have no problems at all when it comes to automotive pristine. My schoolmate Gambit prefers the Aston Martin Vanquish. Jedeh thinks the Mazda RX-8 and Mazda 6 are a catch. Big Show likes the X5. Tomok fancies the Altezza. So with that settled, I moved to more daring grounds and asked the women. Since I suspect women don’t consider the styling of their vehicle among the top priorities in their lives compared to Dior's new line of make up or Chanel's Spring/Summer handbag collection. Should I come across a dodgy response, it would surely come from this group of people undoubtedly. Turns out I was wrong. Zalina thinks the new Porches were gorgeous. Jes wouldn’t mind driving around in a BMW or Merc Cabrio. Way back I remembered Sasa just fell in love the Porsche Cayenne, Aritha thinks the new VW Beetle cute and Regina practically drooled when the word R34 Skyline is mentioned.
All in all I think I am fortunate to have associates who know and appreciate beautiful cars. But what is the explanation behind all those 4-whell craps scattered everywhere on Malaysian roads? Well, one good reason I can think of is money. Malaysians, in general, prefer to shop, particularly with cars, with monetary factors in their minds. Hence, the Avanzas and purple colored Gen.2s. Also practicality, which explains the cargo-like Unsers. One couldn't really blame them but despite all this I still think Malaysians should improve on their sense of vehicle appreciation because just like any other investments, a good car is worth the money even though you have to spend a little extra for it. I am a firm believer of that. Fortunately, so does my father.
Malaysians still lack the knowledge of reliability, build quality and depreciation value when it comes to purchasing cars. Space and affordability are the ONLY points of concern. Sure, they will argue that all they want is something to get them from point A to point B. But what if after 6 months, that ‘something’ could only get you halfway through to point B because it broke down while on its way? What is by the time you return to point A, you found out the headlights suddenly went dead and you can’t travel around at night during the weekend because the spare parts shop will open only the coming Monday? Then comes the electric windows that wouldn't wind down, the hollow dashboard and the vibrating steering wheel everytime the speedometer reaches 80 km/h.
As a final word, I would like to hand out certain advices for those who are contemplating on acquiring a new car. Avoid the Skodas because they define ugly, avoid French cars because they’ll broke down even before you turn on the ignition, avoid the Hyundai unless it’s the Getz, avoid Chevrolets unless it’s the Aveo, Japanese makes are always reliable although styling can be a hindrance sometimes, Kias are no better than Proton or Peroduas and if you have a problem on how to chose a good looking car, bring along a 12-year0old boy and let him tell you which car he would like to be driven to school with without being feeling embarrassed. Previously owned cars which are more than 5 years old are bound to have problems. Those aged more than 10 years are likely to spend more time in the car repair shop than in your driveway in the first few months should you choose to purchase it. And you can figure out the costs.
Faizad's Mini Cool Wall Cool Cars
(Clockwise from top right) Porsche Boxster S, Mazda 6,VW Beetle, BMW 3 Series (E90), Toyota Altezza, Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
(Clockwise from top) Merc CLK Cabriolet, Jaguar X-Type, BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne S, Jaguar XJ Uncool Cars
(Clockwise from top right) Toyota Avanza, Chevrolet Spark, Honda CR-V, Toyota Unser, Hyundai Sonata, BMW 5 Series
Arguably the most anticipated car in the first quarter of 2005 in Malaysia, the E90 is truly a remarkable piece of automotive brilliance. Not only did it have the looks but also the handling and power to match it.
So when I was on my way to a Putra LRT station, my eye caught a 2005 Honda CR-V parked beside the road. As usual I couldn’t help but wonder what could have possibly prompted the owner to purchase such a bland looking vehicle? I admit the previous model was quite a catch and looked very appealing but in all logical sense, the newer model should, must be presented in a more enticing package. Sadly, it isn’t so in this CR-V case. The 2005 version looks boring and the least bit of exciting. You actually have to tell people that it is brand new or otherwise they wouldn’t know. Then I realized something else.
The CR-V is not the lone case in this country. There are many instances where the first time you lay your eyes on them you know it is a horrifying looking car and yet sales continue to venture into the thousands every three months. The best example would be the Hyundai Accent. It is so hideous I would get no nearer than 30 feet of it. How about the Hyundai Sonata? Many people say that it looks like the Jaguar XJ or X-Type. Well, those people are wrong. It TRIED to look like an XJ or an X-Type but failed miserably. It is fair to say the Sonata is for the people who couldn’t afford a brand new Jag but could settle for a poor imitation of it. Although the upcoming model does looks better but one couldn't help noticing too much resemblance to the Mazda 6. Setting Korean cars aside, let’s move to a premium car which in this case I would like to point out the new BMW 5 series. Again, the handling and luxurious features are truly in a class of its own but I must say the styling just couldn’t be more off. It looks so bulky. While the previous models emphasized on sleekness, this one just looks like a Sega Saturn rather than a Sony Playstation. While video gamers have a better sense in preferring the Playstation compared to the Saturn, the same couldn’t be said about BMW enthusiasts. They would buy anything with the BMW logo on it. Regardless of beauty or logical sense. And don't get me started on the 1 Series.
Moving back to our local market I would like to point out the Toyota Avanza. For the first quarter of 2005 this is the second highest selling vehicle in Malaysia, inclusive of imported and locally produced cars. The top rank belongs to the Proton Wira Aeroback 1.3 (A). The Avanza effectively beat, never mind the imported brands, but also the Waja, the Gen.2, the Kancil and the Kelisa. You should notice that in the road nowadays they are practically everywhere. And yet, when you look at them, I don’t think that the first thing that crosses your mind is, “Oh look at that! It’s so beautiful! I have to get one of those!”. The wheels are too small, the stumped rear is an eyesore, the bodywork looks more fragile than a Coca-Cola can and the worst part is Malaysians still buy them in the bucket loads because “they’re new”. Well, I’m pretty sure that tagline would only work in the first 6 weeks and then it just becomes another unattractive and uninspiring vehicle count. And when something ridiculous happens at large it is almost certain Americans are no so far off the picture. Chevrolet is launching a direct rival to the Avanza. It’s called the Spark. It’s going to be cheap, practical and hugely successful despite the fact that it looks like a high-strung bug.
After considering all this, I came to the obvious conclusion that Malaysians generally have a poor sense of taste when it comes to buying cars. Rather than accepting this fact throughout, I did a little survey of my own, just to prove my instincts that there are some of us who really know what makes a beautiful and worthy car.
So I began asking around some of my closest friends. The results were more than comforting. Of course, my male counterparts have no problems at all when it comes to automotive pristine. My schoolmate Gambit prefers the Aston Martin Vanquish. Jedeh thinks the Mazda RX-8 and Mazda 6 are a catch. Big Show likes the X5. Tomok fancies the Altezza. So with that settled, I moved to more daring grounds and asked the women. Since I suspect women don’t consider the styling of their vehicle among the top priorities in their lives compared to Dior's new line of make up or Chanel's Spring/Summer handbag collection. Should I come across a dodgy response, it would surely come from this group of people undoubtedly. Turns out I was wrong. Zalina thinks the new Porches were gorgeous. Jes wouldn’t mind driving around in a BMW or Merc Cabrio. Way back I remembered Sasa just fell in love the Porsche Cayenne, Aritha thinks the new VW Beetle cute and Regina practically drooled when the word R34 Skyline is mentioned.
All in all I think I am fortunate to have associates who know and appreciate beautiful cars. But what is the explanation behind all those 4-whell craps scattered everywhere on Malaysian roads? Well, one good reason I can think of is money. Malaysians, in general, prefer to shop, particularly with cars, with monetary factors in their minds. Hence, the Avanzas and purple colored Gen.2s. Also practicality, which explains the cargo-like Unsers. One couldn't really blame them but despite all this I still think Malaysians should improve on their sense of vehicle appreciation because just like any other investments, a good car is worth the money even though you have to spend a little extra for it. I am a firm believer of that. Fortunately, so does my father.
Malaysians still lack the knowledge of reliability, build quality and depreciation value when it comes to purchasing cars. Space and affordability are the ONLY points of concern. Sure, they will argue that all they want is something to get them from point A to point B. But what if after 6 months, that ‘something’ could only get you halfway through to point B because it broke down while on its way? What is by the time you return to point A, you found out the headlights suddenly went dead and you can’t travel around at night during the weekend because the spare parts shop will open only the coming Monday? Then comes the electric windows that wouldn't wind down, the hollow dashboard and the vibrating steering wheel everytime the speedometer reaches 80 km/h.
As a final word, I would like to hand out certain advices for those who are contemplating on acquiring a new car. Avoid the Skodas because they define ugly, avoid French cars because they’ll broke down even before you turn on the ignition, avoid the Hyundai unless it’s the Getz, avoid Chevrolets unless it’s the Aveo, Japanese makes are always reliable although styling can be a hindrance sometimes, Kias are no better than Proton or Peroduas and if you have a problem on how to chose a good looking car, bring along a 12-year0old boy and let him tell you which car he would like to be driven to school with without being feeling embarrassed. Previously owned cars which are more than 5 years old are bound to have problems. Those aged more than 10 years are likely to spend more time in the car repair shop than in your driveway in the first few months should you choose to purchase it. And you can figure out the costs.
(Clockwise from top right) Toyota Avanza, Chevrolet Spark, Honda CR-V, Toyota Unser, Hyundai Sonata, BMW 5 Series
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Insomniac
On Monday I had an “Oh shit! What time is it?” morning. My day usually starts at 7.30am should my class begins at 9.30am. I give myself ample time to get ready in the first hour and to travel in the second. All this include buffer time which means time to go view the morning KL skylight from my bedroom window and to enjoy Eurosport while sipping my morning coffee before driving off with Valerie. So even though I woke up at 7.45, there is still no cause for alarm. But on Monday, the answer to my “Oh shit!” question was 8.25am. There was certainly a cause for alarm.
Everything had to be done double-time. ‘Make haste’ as one would put it. That would be the reason that I was almost panting and beads of sweat were rolling off my forehead. Even though 10 minutes late, I kept my cool in taking my seat. And then I realized I forgot to shave. I now looked like Keanu Reeves on the Tonight Show. Naturally good looking but lack of facial hair care just put people off.
As for today, it is the second time for the past 3 weeks I felt sleepy during class. The first time was yesterday. When this happens, my mind and focus is about 70% of its sharpness. As you’ve may guessed it, this is not good.
Well, there is a pretty simple explanation to all this. It is lack of sleep.
The thing is, I already spend my whole weekdays going to class. During the night I do the assigned homework. I usually finish around 12 or 1 and that should be a peachy time for me to go to bed, right? Wrong. Well, at least for me I think. This is when I catch up with the primetime reruns on TV that I missed earlier. When that finishes, it’s time for live football matches. Now those I could not possibly miss. If I miss those, I would wake up an unhappy man the next morning. Only then, I would doze off…usually with the TV still on (my mother hates it when this happens but that’s a different story). So if I’m lucky, I would get around 4 hours of sleep.
The amiable solution would be to recover during the weekends but come on, the weekends are the fun part. This is when you go out and spend leisure time. At night? Well, if you’d check out the latest ad by Astro promoting its sports channels, the tagline says, “From dusk till dawn”. And it’s beautifully true. 7 to 1 is the English Premiership double header, 1 to 3 is the Italian Serie A coverage and the Spanish Primera Liga took over from 4 to 6.
I know this is medically unhealthy. Only recently I heard on the radio that an adult needs to sleep at least 6 hours a day to reduce the likelihood of getting diabetic. This, of course, came from a study done by a group of overseas university students. I did not take the information wholly but it did make me stop and think.
But one thing that bothers me most when I don’t have enough sleep is dreams. You see, based on my personal experience, when you sleep when your body forces you to i.e. your are so tired that the body just shuts down to recharge its batteries (this usually happens when you fall asleep when you are not planning to) which is what I’m experiencing right now, it is very much likely you would not experience any night dreams. My theory is that the brain has used up all it energy (well, not all because then you would be braindead) that it becomes incapable to generate dreams anymore. It just focuses on revitalizing itself. I’m a firm believer in this because when I decide, “Alright, I’m going to bed”, I wake up the next morning with a memory of sweet (although sometimes weird) dreams. Just like last Monday when I became so frustrated with my inability to complete my homework because I was stumped halfway through I decided to call it a day. Although my nightly adventure feels very similar to John Constantine’s life where I was battling demons with the coolness of expression it was still a proper dream.
Ah, here we go…insomnia - chronic inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for an adequate length of time. I think I have this. Oh dear, the word ‘chronic’ doesn’t sound too good does it? Well too bad because I still haven’t done today’s homework and there’s a test tomorrow. Later on Chelsea will be entertaining Liverpool in the Champions League Semi-final first leg. Oh the inhumanity!
For the readers, please note that the author is now giggling uncontrollably and it is unclear whether this is caused by a surge of excitement or a clear sign that he is on the verge of insanity.
Everything had to be done double-time. ‘Make haste’ as one would put it. That would be the reason that I was almost panting and beads of sweat were rolling off my forehead. Even though 10 minutes late, I kept my cool in taking my seat. And then I realized I forgot to shave. I now looked like Keanu Reeves on the Tonight Show. Naturally good looking but lack of facial hair care just put people off.
As for today, it is the second time for the past 3 weeks I felt sleepy during class. The first time was yesterday. When this happens, my mind and focus is about 70% of its sharpness. As you’ve may guessed it, this is not good.
Well, there is a pretty simple explanation to all this. It is lack of sleep.
The thing is, I already spend my whole weekdays going to class. During the night I do the assigned homework. I usually finish around 12 or 1 and that should be a peachy time for me to go to bed, right? Wrong. Well, at least for me I think. This is when I catch up with the primetime reruns on TV that I missed earlier. When that finishes, it’s time for live football matches. Now those I could not possibly miss. If I miss those, I would wake up an unhappy man the next morning. Only then, I would doze off…usually with the TV still on (my mother hates it when this happens but that’s a different story). So if I’m lucky, I would get around 4 hours of sleep.
The amiable solution would be to recover during the weekends but come on, the weekends are the fun part. This is when you go out and spend leisure time. At night? Well, if you’d check out the latest ad by Astro promoting its sports channels, the tagline says, “From dusk till dawn”. And it’s beautifully true. 7 to 1 is the English Premiership double header, 1 to 3 is the Italian Serie A coverage and the Spanish Primera Liga took over from 4 to 6.
I know this is medically unhealthy. Only recently I heard on the radio that an adult needs to sleep at least 6 hours a day to reduce the likelihood of getting diabetic. This, of course, came from a study done by a group of overseas university students. I did not take the information wholly but it did make me stop and think.
But one thing that bothers me most when I don’t have enough sleep is dreams. You see, based on my personal experience, when you sleep when your body forces you to i.e. your are so tired that the body just shuts down to recharge its batteries (this usually happens when you fall asleep when you are not planning to) which is what I’m experiencing right now, it is very much likely you would not experience any night dreams. My theory is that the brain has used up all it energy (well, not all because then you would be braindead) that it becomes incapable to generate dreams anymore. It just focuses on revitalizing itself. I’m a firm believer in this because when I decide, “Alright, I’m going to bed”, I wake up the next morning with a memory of sweet (although sometimes weird) dreams. Just like last Monday when I became so frustrated with my inability to complete my homework because I was stumped halfway through I decided to call it a day. Although my nightly adventure feels very similar to John Constantine’s life where I was battling demons with the coolness of expression it was still a proper dream.
Ah, here we go…insomnia - chronic inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for an adequate length of time. I think I have this. Oh dear, the word ‘chronic’ doesn’t sound too good does it? Well too bad because I still haven’t done today’s homework and there’s a test tomorrow. Later on Chelsea will be entertaining Liverpool in the Champions League Semi-final first leg. Oh the inhumanity!
For the readers, please note that the author is now giggling uncontrollably and it is unclear whether this is caused by a surge of excitement or a clear sign that he is on the verge of insanity.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Fine Dining
Allan and Barbara Pease pointed that men (as opposed to females, not extra terrestrials) need a certain amount of “fire-gazing” time after a long and tiring day at work. The Peases also said that nowadays fire-gazing is no longer, you know, gazing at the fire per se, as in the stone ages. The variation has evolved but the ritual is still the same which is to do a form of activity which would effectively detach the mind from the day’s earlier commitment and doing it so in utter silence. This could be achieved by watching the TV, read the newspaper or checking e-mails. Of course, being a male, I indulge in some of these activities myself. After a whole day of listening to lectures, upon arrival at home I treat myself to the knowledge of what’s happening to the world at large by browsing through the day’s newspaper and flicking through the sports channel on ASTRO. If I have any extra energy, I would poignantly make myself a nice drink. And all this is done without a single word ever leaving my mouth. At this point I thought, I am feeling fine and fabulous as all my fire-gazing needs are fulfilled. That is until today’s lunchtime.
It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The sky is clear and no Hindustani movies on TV. After yesterday’s night out with the family at Sri Hartamas until a little bit past midnight I woke up understandably late today. It was half past 9 and it’s not really late but my father thinks otherwise. Anyway, after lingering around the house with only one eye open I finally managed to prep myself and got treated to a late breakfast. Out of no definite purpose I stumbled into the kitchen and there I saw on the cooking table was a whole fresh siakap (as I understand is Australian Barramundi or just sea bass in English). This to me was a welcome sight. I always refer the siakap as a delicacy. To have one later that day is enticing enough. However, 5 hours later when lunch is served I looked upon the perfectly prepared steamed siakap on the dining table and I felt no excitement. It felt weird and so I took a bite. The taste and texture was gorgeous as usual and yet I felt drab. It was troubling because there I was and not enjoying my meal. There had to be some sort of explanation. Then it occurred to me. I was bored with my food. And the solution wasn’t that hard to figure out. It is fine food.
Recalling my life for the past few months I haven’t been to a fine restaurant for quite some time. This is fire-gazing need. My “long day at work” was having home-cooked meals and the occasional roti naan at Haji Tapah. Somewhere in between is the Colonel’s recipe for fried chickens and a double layered burger called the Big Mac. At this point how much I miss the calming experience of dressing up for dinner and sitting in a relaxing ambience where the waitress or waiter stood by your table, soft spokenly introducing themselves and recommends the day’s chef special with a welcoming smile accompanied by a classical music in the background. As much as I miss the Renaissance or the Regent, I must say the place I miss most is Chili’s. Even though there’s neither calming ambience nor classical music vibrating through the air, the food is just awesome and the service is top notch.
The irony is the reason I no longer have the opportunity to dine at these wonderful places is time. I just don’t have enough of it. I’m in KL 24/7 and yet no time to enjoy the city. When I was at UTP, 240 km away from KL, I would come back at least once in two months and have a very enjoyable meal at a fine restaurant with a few of my friends. I had less time back then and yet I managed. Now, and here, it isn’t so. How come? One obvious reason I could think of is since my usual suspects of friends are now full time employees of various companies the only time to go out and have fun is during the weekends. And, I know you all agree with me on this, the weekend crowd at KL is no fun. During the varsity years, I would come back during the semester breaks and my outings are usually done during the weekdays when the rest of the worker bees are tucked nicely in their respective offices. I used to laugh at them. Now it seems less funny.
There’s only one way out of this. I need to fulfill this urge. I refuse to use the word ‘mengidam’ because I do not want to be in the same category as a woman who is 5 months pregnant. Sadly though, it already Sunday evening and still have a few assignments to work on which means this nuisance will trouble me for the whole of next and the next should I not do something about it. Haih…I tell you this indulgence business really can be bothersome but when you get your hands on it, bellissima, mucho magnifico.
It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The sky is clear and no Hindustani movies on TV. After yesterday’s night out with the family at Sri Hartamas until a little bit past midnight I woke up understandably late today. It was half past 9 and it’s not really late but my father thinks otherwise. Anyway, after lingering around the house with only one eye open I finally managed to prep myself and got treated to a late breakfast. Out of no definite purpose I stumbled into the kitchen and there I saw on the cooking table was a whole fresh siakap (as I understand is Australian Barramundi or just sea bass in English). This to me was a welcome sight. I always refer the siakap as a delicacy. To have one later that day is enticing enough. However, 5 hours later when lunch is served I looked upon the perfectly prepared steamed siakap on the dining table and I felt no excitement. It felt weird and so I took a bite. The taste and texture was gorgeous as usual and yet I felt drab. It was troubling because there I was and not enjoying my meal. There had to be some sort of explanation. Then it occurred to me. I was bored with my food. And the solution wasn’t that hard to figure out. It is fine food.
Recalling my life for the past few months I haven’t been to a fine restaurant for quite some time. This is fire-gazing need. My “long day at work” was having home-cooked meals and the occasional roti naan at Haji Tapah. Somewhere in between is the Colonel’s recipe for fried chickens and a double layered burger called the Big Mac. At this point how much I miss the calming experience of dressing up for dinner and sitting in a relaxing ambience where the waitress or waiter stood by your table, soft spokenly introducing themselves and recommends the day’s chef special with a welcoming smile accompanied by a classical music in the background. As much as I miss the Renaissance or the Regent, I must say the place I miss most is Chili’s. Even though there’s neither calming ambience nor classical music vibrating through the air, the food is just awesome and the service is top notch.
The irony is the reason I no longer have the opportunity to dine at these wonderful places is time. I just don’t have enough of it. I’m in KL 24/7 and yet no time to enjoy the city. When I was at UTP, 240 km away from KL, I would come back at least once in two months and have a very enjoyable meal at a fine restaurant with a few of my friends. I had less time back then and yet I managed. Now, and here, it isn’t so. How come? One obvious reason I could think of is since my usual suspects of friends are now full time employees of various companies the only time to go out and have fun is during the weekends. And, I know you all agree with me on this, the weekend crowd at KL is no fun. During the varsity years, I would come back during the semester breaks and my outings are usually done during the weekdays when the rest of the worker bees are tucked nicely in their respective offices. I used to laugh at them. Now it seems less funny.
There’s only one way out of this. I need to fulfill this urge. I refuse to use the word ‘mengidam’ because I do not want to be in the same category as a woman who is 5 months pregnant. Sadly though, it already Sunday evening and still have a few assignments to work on which means this nuisance will trouble me for the whole of next and the next should I not do something about it. Haih…I tell you this indulgence business really can be bothersome but when you get your hands on it, bellissima, mucho magnifico.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
7 Days of MICPA
It’s late evening here in Gombak. The sky is clear and although there is no sound of birds singing nor children laughing, the ambience is of comfort and somewhat reassuring. After spending my whole weekend doing accounting homework I’d say it’s a very welcome setting.
It is now about a week since my CPA programme has started and you know what? I love it. Absolutely giddy. Really, I do and I don’t mean it in a sarcastic way.
Well, for starters, it’s nice to have something to look forward to when you wake up every morning. For the past 3 months, the very first thing that pops into my head when I wake up is, “What’s for breakfast?”. Nowadays, it’s back to, “What time is it?”. Or when I think I overslept, it's "Oh shit, what time is it?". Only then I think about breakfast. The classes starts quite late too, about 9.30/10.00, and it does help to avoid the morning rush hour. Back in the internship days I used to love driving off with Valerie in the still of the mornings. With minor traffic along my way, it was indeed pleasant. Now it’s even better. I get morning walks. Albeit it is in the vicinity of KLCC where the air comprises more of exhaust fumes rather than healthy fresh air. But what makes this all more intriguing is what actually happens in class.
You see, since my high school days, I was never considered a talented boy when it comes to accounting subjects. That’s why I avoided the 10th optional subject of accounting during my SPM years despite people all around kept saying it’s senang. Same thing happened again during my study at UTP. A minor in Financial Management or Corporate Management? As I always associate the words ‘financial’ and ‘accounting’ together I opted for corporate. 2nd year it caught up with me again. Business Accounting was the subject and as predicted, I sucked. I did not fail but I sucked. Years later, here it is yet again. But this time I said to myself, I am trying to be an accountant so that means knowing accounting stuff and by hell if that is what it takes, then I’ll give it my best shot? And guess what? I no longer sucked. As a matter of fact, I’m breezing. I am enjoying doing accounting stuff. Now who would’ve guessed that? Same thing with Business Law. Facts are actually sticking in my head. And taxation? I understood it so much that thoughts of arguments are popping in my head. To tell you the truth, I could hardly believe this myself. I know it’s still too early and everything but with the state I’m in right now, things are looking promising. I, for one, couldn’t help but feel optimistic. The only sad so far was that I had to sacrifice my weekend to do homework. It’s a bit frustrating but in order to achieve that long term goal, I guess I could cut down on some of my funtime. Besides, having fun was what I was doing for the past 3 months.
It is now about a week since my CPA programme has started and you know what? I love it. Absolutely giddy. Really, I do and I don’t mean it in a sarcastic way.
Well, for starters, it’s nice to have something to look forward to when you wake up every morning. For the past 3 months, the very first thing that pops into my head when I wake up is, “What’s for breakfast?”. Nowadays, it’s back to, “What time is it?”. Or when I think I overslept, it's "Oh shit, what time is it?". Only then I think about breakfast. The classes starts quite late too, about 9.30/10.00, and it does help to avoid the morning rush hour. Back in the internship days I used to love driving off with Valerie in the still of the mornings. With minor traffic along my way, it was indeed pleasant. Now it’s even better. I get morning walks. Albeit it is in the vicinity of KLCC where the air comprises more of exhaust fumes rather than healthy fresh air. But what makes this all more intriguing is what actually happens in class.
You see, since my high school days, I was never considered a talented boy when it comes to accounting subjects. That’s why I avoided the 10th optional subject of accounting during my SPM years despite people all around kept saying it’s senang. Same thing happened again during my study at UTP. A minor in Financial Management or Corporate Management? As I always associate the words ‘financial’ and ‘accounting’ together I opted for corporate. 2nd year it caught up with me again. Business Accounting was the subject and as predicted, I sucked. I did not fail but I sucked. Years later, here it is yet again. But this time I said to myself, I am trying to be an accountant so that means knowing accounting stuff and by hell if that is what it takes, then I’ll give it my best shot? And guess what? I no longer sucked. As a matter of fact, I’m breezing. I am enjoying doing accounting stuff. Now who would’ve guessed that? Same thing with Business Law. Facts are actually sticking in my head. And taxation? I understood it so much that thoughts of arguments are popping in my head. To tell you the truth, I could hardly believe this myself. I know it’s still too early and everything but with the state I’m in right now, things are looking promising. I, for one, couldn’t help but feel optimistic. The only sad so far was that I had to sacrifice my weekend to do homework. It’s a bit frustrating but in order to achieve that long term goal, I guess I could cut down on some of my funtime. Besides, having fun was what I was doing for the past 3 months.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
The First Time We've Met?
Sasa just forwarded me an interesting link to a Berita Harian news article. It’s about a UTP student who had just gotten married to his chatting partner. I can tell you 2 things what I think about this:
1) I think it’s cute that there are people out there who actually find their life partners through cyberspace.
2) I also think it’s quite sad.
Just think about it. How do you answer when your first son or daughter came up to you one day and asks, “So tell me, dad, how you and mom meet?”
For starters, you can’t lie to your children. So I imagine the response would go somewhere along these lines:
“Well, we were introduced by a mutual friend,”
“Really? Who?”
“He was my roommate,”
“Cool. So what happens next? You asked mom out for a date? Where’d you go?”
“Erm, no where,”
“What do you mean ‘no where’?”
“Well, we chatted and …”
“Of course you did. That’s what people do on dates. They talk…,”
“… in cyberspace”
“…,”
Your final words trailed off and sounded distant. By this time you have come to realize that your child’s face expression has turned into disbelief. This is due to the fact that his/her mind had gone numb. When you finally decided to reopen your mouth, your son/daughter had apparently left the room.
You see, I don’t want to tell my children that the first time I met their mother was a full 2 months after we started chatting with each other. Quite honestly, I think it’s rather embarrassing. One day, when I receive such a question, I would very much like to reply, “I met your mother on a train journey to Toulouse. I saw her gazing out of the window into the silent night. Thinking it would be a sin to let a beautiful woman like her sitting all alone in the corner so I decided to offer her a little company. The rest was magic”.
Or something like this, “I was driving home late from work at night and I saw this young woman all crumpled up by herself. Obviously cold from the pouring rain. Sympathizing, I offered her a ride home. She never had to take the bus again after that,”
Now that is how you’re suppose to tell that magical story to your first kid. Although my personal favorite has to be, “… I was caught sneaking in your mother’s house when she cornered me in the stables. We got off to a sword duel and, naturally, I won. Just for the fun of it, I snipped off her dress so that she wouldn’t run after me as I was making my escape. I think she was caught breathless after the experience. ‘Vigoruos’, I believe, was the word she used to describe me,”. This, of course, would only happen in small town in Mexico and the father was apparently local town hero that goes by the name of Zorro. Do that in this modern age and time, it could only lead to breaking an entry and sexual harassment charges in court.
Well, back to the original couple, I guess it’s fate that ended being with each other. No matter how they met in the first place. As one old Italian man once said, when asked what does he think about fate, “Destino?” while taking a puff from his old pipe. He then said something in Italian which he immediately repeated in English, “… it is written in the stars,” pointing to the night sky with his worn out cane. “Capische?”. Agreeing, I nodded, “capische…”
But I really do hope I don’t end up in that chat-friend-cyberspace-IRC-messenger-ICQ nonsense. Oh crap, I guess that rules out Siti Nabilah doesn’t it?
Dated April 3rd, 2005. taken from http://www.bharian.com.my
Apparently, this stuff is real. No shit.
Perkahwinan abadikan adat Melayu-Pakistan
Oleh Fadzlena Jafar
TIDAK ramai yang memandang serius hubungan di ruang internet yang bermula dengan sembang atau chit-chat. Tanpa mengenali suara dan wajah rakan sembang itu, sesiapa saja boleh menyamar. Oleh itu, kebanyakan pengguna ruang berkenaan sekadar `bermain' atau bersembang kosong untuk mengisi masa lapang.
Namun, berlainan dengan Nursuziana Zulkifli, 24 dan Mohd Amin Mohd Din, 25, yang membina mahligai bahagia selepas berkenalan di ruang siber lebih setahun lalu. Ikatan yang termeterai kukuh pada 13 Mac lalu itu pada asalnya bermula sebagai rakan sembang sebelum masing-masing mengambil keputusan untuk melafaz janji setia.
"Kami diperkenalkan oleh rakan sebilik saya sekitar Ogos 2003. Ketika itu saya masih belajar di Universiti Teknologi Petronas. Tetapi kami tidak pernah bersua kerana perkenalan hanya setakat di ruang siber. Namun, selepas dua bulan berchatting, kami dapat merasakan ada keserasian antara kami.
"Oleh itu pada Oktober tahun sama, saya berkunjung ke rumah Suzi untuk berkenalan dengan lebih rapat. Berani? Tidak juga<--May I just say that to me, this is the most amusing part of the article. Walaupun kami tidak pernah berjumpa saya dapat rasakan dialah wanita idaman saya. Jadi, saya tetapkan hati untuk bertemu dia," kata Mohd Amin ketika ditemui pada majlis resepsi yang diadakan di Hotel Radius International Kuala Lumpur (KL), baru-baru ini.
Nursuziana berkata, mereka menjalin hubungan jarak jauh menerusi internet kerana ketika itu masing-masing masih belajar di universiti, iaitu beliau di Universiti Multimedia Melaka, manakala Mohd Amin di Tronoh, Perak.
Begitu pun, Mohd Amin yang kini bertugas selaku Jurutera Perisian di sebuah syarikat di ibu kota menganggap pertemuan beliau dengan Nursuziana sebagai takdir memandangkan mereka mengambil tempoh yang singkat sebelum mengambil kata sepakat untuk mendirikan rumah tangga.
Menarik mengenai perkahwinan pasangan sama cantik sama padan ini, majlis perkahwinan mereka dirancang begitu rapi bagi menggambarkan pertemuan dua budaya berbeza Melayu-Pakistan. Ini kerana keluarga Mohd Amin berasal daripada keturunan Pakistan, manakala Nursuziana Melayu Pulau Pinang.
"Saya mendapat idea untuk meraikan ikatan dua hati ini dengan mengadakan majlis perkahwinan dua budaya. Kami mahu pastikan majlis ini menjadi kenangan seumur hidup, jadi setiap perancangan dilakukan dengan teliti.
Di Pulau Pinang, tema warna majlis ialah kuning keemasan dan di Kuala Lumpur pula, merah hati.
"Oleh itu, tema yang kami pilih ini membabitkan semua sekali iaitu daripada barang hantaran, pakaian pengantin hinggalah kepada pelamin dan hiasan. Hantaran saya disediakan ibu saudara, Mami Norjan dan anaknya, manakala sebelah suami pula digubah ibu Amin, Sakena Anvar," kata Nursuziana yang kini bertugas selaku Eksekutif Perhubungan Awam di Hotel Radius International KL.
Pihak pengantin perempuan menyediakan 14 dulang hantaran dan lelaki pula sebanyak 11 dulang. Selain itu, turut disediakan wang hantaran berjumlah RM10,000(despite all the convenience of the Internet, this gal still cost a hefty 10G) dan mas kahwin sebanyak RM200.
Jika di Pulau Pinang, majlis yang diadakan mendapat sentuhan butik andaman Nani Puncak Kasih, tetapi untuk majlis di sebelah pihak lelaki busana lengha dan sherwani diimport khas dari New Delhi.
Majlis resepsi yang diadakan di Kuala Lumpur turut mendapat tajaan HWH (M) Sdn Bhd bagi hiasan pelamin, bunga, hiasan meja dan bilik pengantin. Malah, pasangan berkenaan juga bernasib baik kerana beberapa kemudahan seperti kek pengantin dan bilik mempelai ditaja pihak hotel yang juga majikan Nursuziana.
Nursuziana berkata, pada majlis berkenaan pihaknya turut mengadakan beberapa adat unik yang kini jarang diamalkan dalam perkahwinan masyarakat Islam Pakistan. Antaranya, sebaik mempelai keluar dari kereta bapa pengantin lelaki membaling duit syiling ke arah pengantin sebagai tanda restu.
"Adat berkenaan juga melambangkan bahawa bagi keluarga pengantin lelaki wang ringgit tidak lagi berharga jika dibandingkan dengan kegembiraan untuk menerima menantu mereka. Adat ini semakin dilupakan oleh masyarakat Islam Pakistan hari ini, jadi kami cuba mengembalikan suasana itu.
"Selepas itu, apabila pengantin duduk di pelamin, ibu pengantin lelaki akan membuka untaian kalungan bunga yang menutupi muka kedua mempelai lalu menyuapkan titisan susu sebagai manisan. Ini juga satu adat yang penting dalam budaya Pakistan," katanya.
Satu lagi adat menarik masyarakat berkenaan yang dipertontonkan pada majlis perkahwinan itu ialah acara merebut cincin di dalam sebalang air berwarna keruh yang juga dipenuhi barang lain. Bagi masyarakat berkenaan sekiranya pengantin perempuan yang berjaya mendapat cincin itu, maka beliau akan menjadi pasangan yang lebih dominan. Tetapi jika sebaliknya, dipercayai rumah tangga yang baru dibina akan sentiasa harmoni.
Majlis itu diserikan lagi dengan kehadiran penyanyi tempatan yang terkenal dengan irama Bollywood, Hassan dan tarian banghra. Bagi memperkukuhkan gabungan dua budaya, santapan yang dihidangkan untuk tetamu turut mengambil kira konsep berkenaan iaitu nasi minyak, aloo gobbi, acar buah, ayam madu, daging kurma, dhai (dadih sayur-sayuran) dan pemanis mulut pula krim karamel.
1) I think it’s cute that there are people out there who actually find their life partners through cyberspace.
2) I also think it’s quite sad.
Just think about it. How do you answer when your first son or daughter came up to you one day and asks, “So tell me, dad, how you and mom meet?”
For starters, you can’t lie to your children. So I imagine the response would go somewhere along these lines:
“Well, we were introduced by a mutual friend,”
“Really? Who?”
“He was my roommate,”
“Cool. So what happens next? You asked mom out for a date? Where’d you go?”
“Erm, no where,”
“What do you mean ‘no where’?”
“Well, we chatted and …”
“Of course you did. That’s what people do on dates. They talk…,”
“… in cyberspace”
“…,”
Your final words trailed off and sounded distant. By this time you have come to realize that your child’s face expression has turned into disbelief. This is due to the fact that his/her mind had gone numb. When you finally decided to reopen your mouth, your son/daughter had apparently left the room.
You see, I don’t want to tell my children that the first time I met their mother was a full 2 months after we started chatting with each other. Quite honestly, I think it’s rather embarrassing. One day, when I receive such a question, I would very much like to reply, “I met your mother on a train journey to Toulouse. I saw her gazing out of the window into the silent night. Thinking it would be a sin to let a beautiful woman like her sitting all alone in the corner so I decided to offer her a little company. The rest was magic”.
Or something like this, “I was driving home late from work at night and I saw this young woman all crumpled up by herself. Obviously cold from the pouring rain. Sympathizing, I offered her a ride home. She never had to take the bus again after that,”
Now that is how you’re suppose to tell that magical story to your first kid. Although my personal favorite has to be, “… I was caught sneaking in your mother’s house when she cornered me in the stables. We got off to a sword duel and, naturally, I won. Just for the fun of it, I snipped off her dress so that she wouldn’t run after me as I was making my escape. I think she was caught breathless after the experience. ‘Vigoruos’, I believe, was the word she used to describe me,”. This, of course, would only happen in small town in Mexico and the father was apparently local town hero that goes by the name of Zorro. Do that in this modern age and time, it could only lead to breaking an entry and sexual harassment charges in court.
Well, back to the original couple, I guess it’s fate that ended being with each other. No matter how they met in the first place. As one old Italian man once said, when asked what does he think about fate, “Destino?” while taking a puff from his old pipe. He then said something in Italian which he immediately repeated in English, “… it is written in the stars,” pointing to the night sky with his worn out cane. “Capische?”. Agreeing, I nodded, “capische…”
But I really do hope I don’t end up in that chat-friend-cyberspace-IRC-messenger-ICQ nonsense. Oh crap, I guess that rules out Siti Nabilah doesn’t it?
Dated April 3rd, 2005. taken from http://www.bharian.com.my
Apparently, this stuff is real. No shit.
Perkahwinan abadikan adat Melayu-Pakistan
Oleh Fadzlena Jafar
TIDAK ramai yang memandang serius hubungan di ruang internet yang bermula dengan sembang atau chit-chat. Tanpa mengenali suara dan wajah rakan sembang itu, sesiapa saja boleh menyamar. Oleh itu, kebanyakan pengguna ruang berkenaan sekadar `bermain' atau bersembang kosong untuk mengisi masa lapang.
Namun, berlainan dengan Nursuziana Zulkifli, 24 dan Mohd Amin Mohd Din, 25, yang membina mahligai bahagia selepas berkenalan di ruang siber lebih setahun lalu. Ikatan yang termeterai kukuh pada 13 Mac lalu itu pada asalnya bermula sebagai rakan sembang sebelum masing-masing mengambil keputusan untuk melafaz janji setia.
"Kami diperkenalkan oleh rakan sebilik saya sekitar Ogos 2003. Ketika itu saya masih belajar di Universiti Teknologi Petronas. Tetapi kami tidak pernah bersua kerana perkenalan hanya setakat di ruang siber. Namun, selepas dua bulan berchatting, kami dapat merasakan ada keserasian antara kami.
"Oleh itu pada Oktober tahun sama, saya berkunjung ke rumah Suzi untuk berkenalan dengan lebih rapat. Berani? Tidak juga<--May I just say that to me, this is the most amusing part of the article. Walaupun kami tidak pernah berjumpa saya dapat rasakan dialah wanita idaman saya. Jadi, saya tetapkan hati untuk bertemu dia," kata Mohd Amin ketika ditemui pada majlis resepsi yang diadakan di Hotel Radius International Kuala Lumpur (KL), baru-baru ini.
Nursuziana berkata, mereka menjalin hubungan jarak jauh menerusi internet kerana ketika itu masing-masing masih belajar di universiti, iaitu beliau di Universiti Multimedia Melaka, manakala Mohd Amin di Tronoh, Perak.
Begitu pun, Mohd Amin yang kini bertugas selaku Jurutera Perisian di sebuah syarikat di ibu kota menganggap pertemuan beliau dengan Nursuziana sebagai takdir memandangkan mereka mengambil tempoh yang singkat sebelum mengambil kata sepakat untuk mendirikan rumah tangga.
Menarik mengenai perkahwinan pasangan sama cantik sama padan ini, majlis perkahwinan mereka dirancang begitu rapi bagi menggambarkan pertemuan dua budaya berbeza Melayu-Pakistan. Ini kerana keluarga Mohd Amin berasal daripada keturunan Pakistan, manakala Nursuziana Melayu Pulau Pinang.
"Saya mendapat idea untuk meraikan ikatan dua hati ini dengan mengadakan majlis perkahwinan dua budaya. Kami mahu pastikan majlis ini menjadi kenangan seumur hidup, jadi setiap perancangan dilakukan dengan teliti.
Di Pulau Pinang, tema warna majlis ialah kuning keemasan dan di Kuala Lumpur pula, merah hati.
"Oleh itu, tema yang kami pilih ini membabitkan semua sekali iaitu daripada barang hantaran, pakaian pengantin hinggalah kepada pelamin dan hiasan. Hantaran saya disediakan ibu saudara, Mami Norjan dan anaknya, manakala sebelah suami pula digubah ibu Amin, Sakena Anvar," kata Nursuziana yang kini bertugas selaku Eksekutif Perhubungan Awam di Hotel Radius International KL.
Pihak pengantin perempuan menyediakan 14 dulang hantaran dan lelaki pula sebanyak 11 dulang. Selain itu, turut disediakan wang hantaran berjumlah RM10,000(despite all the convenience of the Internet, this gal still cost a hefty 10G) dan mas kahwin sebanyak RM200.
Jika di Pulau Pinang, majlis yang diadakan mendapat sentuhan butik andaman Nani Puncak Kasih, tetapi untuk majlis di sebelah pihak lelaki busana lengha dan sherwani diimport khas dari New Delhi.
Majlis resepsi yang diadakan di Kuala Lumpur turut mendapat tajaan HWH (M) Sdn Bhd bagi hiasan pelamin, bunga, hiasan meja dan bilik pengantin. Malah, pasangan berkenaan juga bernasib baik kerana beberapa kemudahan seperti kek pengantin dan bilik mempelai ditaja pihak hotel yang juga majikan Nursuziana.
Nursuziana berkata, pada majlis berkenaan pihaknya turut mengadakan beberapa adat unik yang kini jarang diamalkan dalam perkahwinan masyarakat Islam Pakistan. Antaranya, sebaik mempelai keluar dari kereta bapa pengantin lelaki membaling duit syiling ke arah pengantin sebagai tanda restu.
"Adat berkenaan juga melambangkan bahawa bagi keluarga pengantin lelaki wang ringgit tidak lagi berharga jika dibandingkan dengan kegembiraan untuk menerima menantu mereka. Adat ini semakin dilupakan oleh masyarakat Islam Pakistan hari ini, jadi kami cuba mengembalikan suasana itu.
"Selepas itu, apabila pengantin duduk di pelamin, ibu pengantin lelaki akan membuka untaian kalungan bunga yang menutupi muka kedua mempelai lalu menyuapkan titisan susu sebagai manisan. Ini juga satu adat yang penting dalam budaya Pakistan," katanya.
Satu lagi adat menarik masyarakat berkenaan yang dipertontonkan pada majlis perkahwinan itu ialah acara merebut cincin di dalam sebalang air berwarna keruh yang juga dipenuhi barang lain. Bagi masyarakat berkenaan sekiranya pengantin perempuan yang berjaya mendapat cincin itu, maka beliau akan menjadi pasangan yang lebih dominan. Tetapi jika sebaliknya, dipercayai rumah tangga yang baru dibina akan sentiasa harmoni.
Majlis itu diserikan lagi dengan kehadiran penyanyi tempatan yang terkenal dengan irama Bollywood, Hassan dan tarian banghra. Bagi memperkukuhkan gabungan dua budaya, santapan yang dihidangkan untuk tetamu turut mengambil kira konsep berkenaan iaitu nasi minyak, aloo gobbi, acar buah, ayam madu, daging kurma, dhai (dadih sayur-sayuran) dan pemanis mulut pula krim karamel.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
The Career Talk and Peer Pressure in Marriage
It’s 11.42 pm on a Monday. I turned on the tap of my bathroom sink and the water was chillingly cold. I couldn’t help myself but smile. You see, it has been raining constantly during the weekend. Something that hasn’t happened in more than a few months. That could only mean one thing…the end of the dry season. Usually when I turned on the tap, be it 3 o’clock in the morning even, the water is at best warm. During the day time, well, let’s just say that I would not be surprised if I could boil an egg with it.
So, with the Earth finally beginning to distance itself a bit from the Sun, I must say I couldn’t be happier. Well, it’s more grey and wet nowadays but, hey, I much prefer it this way.
In exactly 7 days my ACCA program will commence. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the wheels are finally turning. In about time too. It’s been about 3 months I have been loitering and doing nothing. Well, not really nothing, just things that I find amusing and fun to do. Sometimes things are not that amusing but still I had to do. In any case, I’m feeling rather excited because lately the sense of boredom and loneliness has been settling in more frequently than I would like. It is an obvious indication that it is time I need something big to put in my life. An agenda. A sense of purpose. In this case financial management and taxation laws. All of previous students and even current ones that I have met has something bad to say about the program. Usually that it is difficult and take a lot of your free time. Erm, make that all of your free time. Still, despite all this, I am undeterred and sort of, dare I say it, motivated by it. I guess it began when Mr. Faiz, a partner at PWC, said these words:
“…after that, there is no end on how far you can go,”
“that” referring to succeeding in becoming a CPA. At that moment I thought, that’s the best damn plan I have ever heard of. Sure it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be stressful. It’s going to be long hours and hard work. Not to mention no social life. Relationships? Only with my colleagues if I’m lucky. But if it means an Aston Martin and an Avenue K apartment in the future, I’d say it’s worth a shot. Some people have doubts. I have ambition.
Now, moving on to other matters, yesterday while I was cruising at 70 km/h along the streets of Kuala Lumpur, one disturbing thought hit me. It concerns the matter pertaining the words ‘peer pressure’. What it means is you are pressured into doing something that you at first were not willing to do but since everybody else around you is doing it, you thought, what the hell, I’ll join in. Usually ignoring the fact whether it’s right or wrong. I have been subjected to numerous types of peer pressures during my teenage years. Fortunately though, I managed to keep myself away from the really bad ones. Meaning sex, drugs and alcohol. Hell I don’t even smoke. Ain’t I a pretty boy then? Tsk. Anyway, some less harmful influences I permit myself into such as going out illegally at night during my time at boarding school and watch Zahid and Co perform every weekend during a certain period last year. But all this is just mincemeat. I never really give them much thought because the matter of fact is, they were never significant issues in my life worth pondering about. That is, until yesterday when a certain word just suddenly popped into my head. It was the dreaded ‘M’ word…..Marriage.
Back then, when it was about a new bicycle, a red New York Yankee cap or SMS-ing your friend 10 times through because is still cheaper than actually calling him or her, those are all phases. Bicycles stored away when you learn to take public transport. Fred Durst suddenly became yesterday’s news and SMS is...well, still going strong I suppose. But marriage? Whoa, that one stays…forever. You see, I can deal if all my friends have IPods. I can deal if all of them had tried this fabulous new restaurant which I haven’t time to go to just yet and had a great time. I can deal if all of them visited Venice one way or another. But if all of them gets married. The only thing I can say is ‘Oh shait…’.
When people get married, they change. It’s a known fact. That’s why it’s called settling down because that’s what it is…settling down. The spouse or family becomes their number one priority. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that when you do get together, it becomes awkward because conversation topics of single people and married people differ too much. It’s like oil and water. If you can’t even agree on a decent conversation, don’t even think of going out together. It will only end in confusion.
But of course, it’s still bearable if only a couple of your friends were in that situation. But then one day you realize, more and more are getting married until someday you are left as the only one. You keep going to these people’s weddings and every time you attend them you get the Bridget Jones treatment. Soon enough you begin to despise weddings. But you can’t hate your friends. Their next steps in life cannot be perceived as poison in yours. So, the question is, when you are in that kind of situation, what do you do? It’s pretty daunting isn’t it? Scary even. Well, for one, you can get married too and have those lovely talks about your latest island vacation or the new schools you plan to enroll you children in. But wouldn’t that be you’re getting married because everyone else is doing it? What happened to the journey of finding true love? What if you’re marriage crumbles after 2 years because of incompatibility? Questions after questions after questions. There is no end you know. So far, I have yet to come to that situation thankfully. But the possibility of it coming one day is not far fetched. The problem is for me now is I’m not even slightly interested in marriage. But I do have friends who are in serious relationships and you would expect them to lead somewhere. Some even put a deadline on their days of being a bachelor. These are signs. Signs which are putting me in discomfort.
…
Well, I can tell you one thing though, I am spending too much time dwelling on this thought. Which makes even more sense for me to go out, meet new people and attract me to different things. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet someone. Someone’s who’s charming and beautiful and knows that the Louvre is not a name of a dessert. And maybe in the end, the one to start this entire peer pressure marriage thing is me. Now wouldn’t that be an interesting turn of events?
So, with the Earth finally beginning to distance itself a bit from the Sun, I must say I couldn’t be happier. Well, it’s more grey and wet nowadays but, hey, I much prefer it this way.
In exactly 7 days my ACCA program will commence. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the wheels are finally turning. In about time too. It’s been about 3 months I have been loitering and doing nothing. Well, not really nothing, just things that I find amusing and fun to do. Sometimes things are not that amusing but still I had to do. In any case, I’m feeling rather excited because lately the sense of boredom and loneliness has been settling in more frequently than I would like. It is an obvious indication that it is time I need something big to put in my life. An agenda. A sense of purpose. In this case financial management and taxation laws. All of previous students and even current ones that I have met has something bad to say about the program. Usually that it is difficult and take a lot of your free time. Erm, make that all of your free time. Still, despite all this, I am undeterred and sort of, dare I say it, motivated by it. I guess it began when Mr. Faiz, a partner at PWC, said these words:
“…after that, there is no end on how far you can go,”
“that” referring to succeeding in becoming a CPA. At that moment I thought, that’s the best damn plan I have ever heard of. Sure it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be stressful. It’s going to be long hours and hard work. Not to mention no social life. Relationships? Only with my colleagues if I’m lucky. But if it means an Aston Martin and an Avenue K apartment in the future, I’d say it’s worth a shot. Some people have doubts. I have ambition.
Now, moving on to other matters, yesterday while I was cruising at 70 km/h along the streets of Kuala Lumpur, one disturbing thought hit me. It concerns the matter pertaining the words ‘peer pressure’. What it means is you are pressured into doing something that you at first were not willing to do but since everybody else around you is doing it, you thought, what the hell, I’ll join in. Usually ignoring the fact whether it’s right or wrong. I have been subjected to numerous types of peer pressures during my teenage years. Fortunately though, I managed to keep myself away from the really bad ones. Meaning sex, drugs and alcohol. Hell I don’t even smoke. Ain’t I a pretty boy then? Tsk. Anyway, some less harmful influences I permit myself into such as going out illegally at night during my time at boarding school and watch Zahid and Co perform every weekend during a certain period last year. But all this is just mincemeat. I never really give them much thought because the matter of fact is, they were never significant issues in my life worth pondering about. That is, until yesterday when a certain word just suddenly popped into my head. It was the dreaded ‘M’ word…..Marriage.
Back then, when it was about a new bicycle, a red New York Yankee cap or SMS-ing your friend 10 times through because is still cheaper than actually calling him or her, those are all phases. Bicycles stored away when you learn to take public transport. Fred Durst suddenly became yesterday’s news and SMS is...well, still going strong I suppose. But marriage? Whoa, that one stays…forever. You see, I can deal if all my friends have IPods. I can deal if all of them had tried this fabulous new restaurant which I haven’t time to go to just yet and had a great time. I can deal if all of them visited Venice one way or another. But if all of them gets married. The only thing I can say is ‘Oh shait…’.
When people get married, they change. It’s a known fact. That’s why it’s called settling down because that’s what it is…settling down. The spouse or family becomes their number one priority. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that when you do get together, it becomes awkward because conversation topics of single people and married people differ too much. It’s like oil and water. If you can’t even agree on a decent conversation, don’t even think of going out together. It will only end in confusion.
But of course, it’s still bearable if only a couple of your friends were in that situation. But then one day you realize, more and more are getting married until someday you are left as the only one. You keep going to these people’s weddings and every time you attend them you get the Bridget Jones treatment. Soon enough you begin to despise weddings. But you can’t hate your friends. Their next steps in life cannot be perceived as poison in yours. So, the question is, when you are in that kind of situation, what do you do? It’s pretty daunting isn’t it? Scary even. Well, for one, you can get married too and have those lovely talks about your latest island vacation or the new schools you plan to enroll you children in. But wouldn’t that be you’re getting married because everyone else is doing it? What happened to the journey of finding true love? What if you’re marriage crumbles after 2 years because of incompatibility? Questions after questions after questions. There is no end you know. So far, I have yet to come to that situation thankfully. But the possibility of it coming one day is not far fetched. The problem is for me now is I’m not even slightly interested in marriage. But I do have friends who are in serious relationships and you would expect them to lead somewhere. Some even put a deadline on their days of being a bachelor. These are signs. Signs which are putting me in discomfort.
…
Well, I can tell you one thing though, I am spending too much time dwelling on this thought. Which makes even more sense for me to go out, meet new people and attract me to different things. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet someone. Someone’s who’s charming and beautiful and knows that the Louvre is not a name of a dessert. And maybe in the end, the one to start this entire peer pressure marriage thing is me. Now wouldn’t that be an interesting turn of events?
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Unpoetic and a touch of Black
This is my 3rd attempt on the opening for this blog entry. By this time I have given up on being poetic. This, I’m afraid, would be my least poetic blog.
The last time I updated anything was March 1st. Today is the 19th. For those who don’t know maths, that’s a bloody long time. I just had to put something before I myself go mad looking at the page’s inactiveness.
For starters, I couldn’t find an interesting topic to discuss. That itself is already poor. So, I might just end up describing what I have done today and that is rather dull. Not that I haven’t done anything but I would prefer some zest in my storytelling. That’d be more interesting.
Anyway, I’d like to say that I had sex with Carmen Electra today. 3 times in fact. In the morning, afternoon, dusk and preferably more later tonight. Well, it’s still only 11. But the matter of truth is I couldn’t. The most obvious reason would be that there’s no way in hell Carmen knows me let alone have sex with me.
I did, however, went to Sepang to catch the Formula 1 qualifying session. One embarrassing fact is despite my brother’s involvement with Sauber for the past 2 years or so, I, the younger brother, have yet to catch a live race. This is due to people talking of how Sepang gets insanely hot and you could hardly enjoy the race as trying to breath under the intense heat. So I thought, well then, I’m better off at home sitting in my sofa with a cold beverage in my hand. That’s how it has been for the past few years. Then suddenly yesterday, my brother asked me to come along as he got extra complimentary tickets. What the hell, right? It’s free so might as well go. And you now what? I had no single regrets.
Hearing the V10s live is an unbelievable experience. The TV just doesn’t do justice no matter how big the size is. There are a few things in this world that just couldn’t be described by words and I can honestly say this is one of them. The shrieking sound of the engines as it blasts off is just unforgettable. I was trembling in joy. But sadly, I probably couldn’t make it to the race tomorrow. That would be something. But for next year, I want to make sure that I’ll be there.
Apart from that, the MiGs were equally impressive. I saw Eiwa present too but I find myself restraining from calling out to her. I wonder why. Oh I also met Farhan. Ara’s ex. Turns out she’s my cousin’s boyfriend. Well, at least it confirmed my suspicion. It turns out all this while the talk of the other girl happens to be my cousin. How weird my world is turning into. My mortal fear is whether they’ll decide to get married one day. Now that would be really weird. And what if they don’t? They broke up and my cousin is left broken hearted? Oh hell this is too much for me at the moment. Change of topic…
Still at Sepang, I came across this absolutely beautiful Petronas booth girl. Graceful poise, heavenly smile, sumptuous body, adorable hands and her fragrance is beyond words. I just hope she doesn’t smoke. Or be over 23 for that matter.
In other unrelated news, the Genting trip might still be on. Probably next week after weeks of delay. My ACCA program starts April 4th. My maid is terribly sick and had to be warded at the hospital which means I have to once again don the title of Desperate Housewife. “Housewife” meaning I have to take care of the family laundry, get breakfast/lunch on my own (probably even trying out some of Jamie Oliver’s work while I’m at it), take care of the cats, the plants and everything else that needed attention around the house. If only the title Man of the House brings me the luxury of taking care of 5 cheerleaders like Tommy Lee Jones, that would’ve been sweet. “Desperate” meaning I have to once again neglect all of my daily pleasures to divert my attention to house chores. Just when I’m thinking of getting myself a haircut. You see I usually go to Suria but since Jantzen shut its operation there I have to go all the way to Mid Valley. And I just hate how the traffic is during weekends. And there’s still the question of Hitch and Sepet.
More unrelated news, I just found out Datuk Michelle Yeoh is engaged to Jean Todt. By that, I regard her as the most successful Malaysian that I know.
And some lapuk news, I did get to meet Ity and I DID get to cubit her pipi. Haha I have meant to do that a long time. Sad part is I only get to spend time with her for just about 15 minutes or so. Same thing happened with Jes. She was leaving for Bintulu and I was able to meet her for just about 30 minutes. Not that great I tell you. It’s been about a week already. I wonder how she’s doing.
Oh crap. I think I’ve ran out of ideas. Oh yeah, Chelsea beat Barcelona recently so joy there.
My cousin was blessed with a new born baby 2 days ago which inevitably made everyone in the family notched up a level in terms of seniority. The ‘kakak’ becomes ‘makcik’ and the ‘makcik’ becomes ‘nenek’. Blimey.
That had to be the worst blog entry ever to grace my page. But nevertheless, commendably lengthy. Well, cheerio to all.
The last time I updated anything was March 1st. Today is the 19th. For those who don’t know maths, that’s a bloody long time. I just had to put something before I myself go mad looking at the page’s inactiveness.
For starters, I couldn’t find an interesting topic to discuss. That itself is already poor. So, I might just end up describing what I have done today and that is rather dull. Not that I haven’t done anything but I would prefer some zest in my storytelling. That’d be more interesting.
Anyway, I’d like to say that I had sex with Carmen Electra today. 3 times in fact. In the morning, afternoon, dusk and preferably more later tonight. Well, it’s still only 11. But the matter of truth is I couldn’t. The most obvious reason would be that there’s no way in hell Carmen knows me let alone have sex with me.
I did, however, went to Sepang to catch the Formula 1 qualifying session. One embarrassing fact is despite my brother’s involvement with Sauber for the past 2 years or so, I, the younger brother, have yet to catch a live race. This is due to people talking of how Sepang gets insanely hot and you could hardly enjoy the race as trying to breath under the intense heat. So I thought, well then, I’m better off at home sitting in my sofa with a cold beverage in my hand. That’s how it has been for the past few years. Then suddenly yesterday, my brother asked me to come along as he got extra complimentary tickets. What the hell, right? It’s free so might as well go. And you now what? I had no single regrets.
Hearing the V10s live is an unbelievable experience. The TV just doesn’t do justice no matter how big the size is. There are a few things in this world that just couldn’t be described by words and I can honestly say this is one of them. The shrieking sound of the engines as it blasts off is just unforgettable. I was trembling in joy. But sadly, I probably couldn’t make it to the race tomorrow. That would be something. But for next year, I want to make sure that I’ll be there.
Apart from that, the MiGs were equally impressive. I saw Eiwa present too but I find myself restraining from calling out to her. I wonder why. Oh I also met Farhan. Ara’s ex. Turns out she’s my cousin’s boyfriend. Well, at least it confirmed my suspicion. It turns out all this while the talk of the other girl happens to be my cousin. How weird my world is turning into. My mortal fear is whether they’ll decide to get married one day. Now that would be really weird. And what if they don’t? They broke up and my cousin is left broken hearted? Oh hell this is too much for me at the moment. Change of topic…
Still at Sepang, I came across this absolutely beautiful Petronas booth girl. Graceful poise, heavenly smile, sumptuous body, adorable hands and her fragrance is beyond words. I just hope she doesn’t smoke. Or be over 23 for that matter.
In other unrelated news, the Genting trip might still be on. Probably next week after weeks of delay. My ACCA program starts April 4th. My maid is terribly sick and had to be warded at the hospital which means I have to once again don the title of Desperate Housewife. “Housewife” meaning I have to take care of the family laundry, get breakfast/lunch on my own (probably even trying out some of Jamie Oliver’s work while I’m at it), take care of the cats, the plants and everything else that needed attention around the house. If only the title Man of the House brings me the luxury of taking care of 5 cheerleaders like Tommy Lee Jones, that would’ve been sweet. “Desperate” meaning I have to once again neglect all of my daily pleasures to divert my attention to house chores. Just when I’m thinking of getting myself a haircut. You see I usually go to Suria but since Jantzen shut its operation there I have to go all the way to Mid Valley. And I just hate how the traffic is during weekends. And there’s still the question of Hitch and Sepet.
More unrelated news, I just found out Datuk Michelle Yeoh is engaged to Jean Todt. By that, I regard her as the most successful Malaysian that I know.
And some lapuk news, I did get to meet Ity and I DID get to cubit her pipi. Haha I have meant to do that a long time. Sad part is I only get to spend time with her for just about 15 minutes or so. Same thing happened with Jes. She was leaving for Bintulu and I was able to meet her for just about 30 minutes. Not that great I tell you. It’s been about a week already. I wonder how she’s doing.
Oh crap. I think I’ve ran out of ideas. Oh yeah, Chelsea beat Barcelona recently so joy there.
My cousin was blessed with a new born baby 2 days ago which inevitably made everyone in the family notched up a level in terms of seniority. The ‘kakak’ becomes ‘makcik’ and the ‘makcik’ becomes ‘nenek’. Blimey.
That had to be the worst blog entry ever to grace my page. But nevertheless, commendably lengthy. Well, cheerio to all.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
The 77th, Keanu and Two Lovely Ladies that I'm about to meet
Now, being down in despair up until the 79th minute, I was getting ready for bed. But when the tables were suddenly turned, adrenaline rushed through my veins and I was fresh immediately. Of course, in an upbeat mood after seeing the Carling Cup aloft above John Terry’s head, I find myself flicking trough Astro at 2 o’clock in the morning. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon Aliens and Dreamcatcher. Oh and guess what? The Milan derby was on soon after. But of course, when the time shows 4.30 am, I usually couldn’t keep my eyes open. Sure enough, I dozed off, sprawling in front of the TV even before halftime (no big regrets there because Milan won by a marginal 1-0).
When I got up at noon the next day, wait, it was technically the same day, so, erm, 7 hours later, I decided that I got to watch Constantine before the cinemas end its run. So, there I was, cruising along the causeway towards One Utama when a radio DJ of Red started to announce the winners list of the Academy Awards. In a split second I realized that I just slept through a live telecast of the Academy Awards earlier in the morning. I just went, “Oh shit!!”. With my left hand on the steering wheel and my right hand up against my mouth, I just kept wondering how the hell could I have forgotten about this? I saw the Golden Globes, I saw the Grammys, even a few minutes of Bafta but I missed the big one? It was so absurd. Now, sitting there, I did not just realized that I missed the live telecast but now I know who the big winners were. Even if I do catch a repeat later that night (which I did), the surprise element would no longer be there. Haih…
Oh well, at least Constantine was amusing. Lucifer was funny in a devilish way and Gabriel reminded me of Cate Blanchett in the Aviator.
Enough with the grumbling, it is time for some, well, I shall say rather exciting news. If everything goes to plan, I will be entertaining two distinguished guests this week. One will be traveling from the North and the other from the South.
The North gal is of course Jesmin Jamel and it’s always fun when comes down here. ETA should be tomorrow or the day after but nothing is sure yet until she confirms it. And as usual, I have no idea where to take her jalan-jalan except to KLCC where she’ll be reporting for duty. However, one thing’s for sure with Jes is that every time I pick her up at Subang, the moment steps into the car she would declare her state of hunger and demands to be fed A.S.A.P. In Jes’ case, that means immediately. I have seen her in a state of hunger before and it ain’t pretty. So, just better to, you know, feed her…
The lady from the South will be Ity Nadira. This lady has been planning to come to KL since before the supposedly PD trip, which was before the tsunami incident and that means around the end of December. Well, it’s March now and seeing her face again would be much of a pleasure. But, again, I really don’t know where to take her jalan- jalan also since her best entourage, Sasa has to attend an RHB hi-tea thingy and until that party’s over, it is up to me to whisk Ity Nadira. Apart from the main shopping complexes located conveniently around the city, I don’t know what else that could interest her. Well, at least I can on Apau for a few ideas. Unless if it’s BB then I have to count myself out. No bloody hell am I going to bring my ass there.
I guess that’s it for now. Hopefully more will come next time around. If you’ll excuse me, I have loads of O.C., Desperate Housewives and CSIs to watch. They’re suffocating my HD.
When I got up at noon the next day, wait, it was technically the same day, so, erm, 7 hours later, I decided that I got to watch Constantine before the cinemas end its run. So, there I was, cruising along the causeway towards One Utama when a radio DJ of Red started to announce the winners list of the Academy Awards. In a split second I realized that I just slept through a live telecast of the Academy Awards earlier in the morning. I just went, “Oh shit!!”. With my left hand on the steering wheel and my right hand up against my mouth, I just kept wondering how the hell could I have forgotten about this? I saw the Golden Globes, I saw the Grammys, even a few minutes of Bafta but I missed the big one? It was so absurd. Now, sitting there, I did not just realized that I missed the live telecast but now I know who the big winners were. Even if I do catch a repeat later that night (which I did), the surprise element would no longer be there. Haih…
Oh well, at least Constantine was amusing. Lucifer was funny in a devilish way and Gabriel reminded me of Cate Blanchett in the Aviator.
Enough with the grumbling, it is time for some, well, I shall say rather exciting news. If everything goes to plan, I will be entertaining two distinguished guests this week. One will be traveling from the North and the other from the South.
The North gal is of course Jesmin Jamel and it’s always fun when comes down here. ETA should be tomorrow or the day after but nothing is sure yet until she confirms it. And as usual, I have no idea where to take her jalan-jalan except to KLCC where she’ll be reporting for duty. However, one thing’s for sure with Jes is that every time I pick her up at Subang, the moment steps into the car she would declare her state of hunger and demands to be fed A.S.A.P. In Jes’ case, that means immediately. I have seen her in a state of hunger before and it ain’t pretty. So, just better to, you know, feed her…
The lady from the South will be Ity Nadira. This lady has been planning to come to KL since before the supposedly PD trip, which was before the tsunami incident and that means around the end of December. Well, it’s March now and seeing her face again would be much of a pleasure. But, again, I really don’t know where to take her jalan- jalan also since her best entourage, Sasa has to attend an RHB hi-tea thingy and until that party’s over, it is up to me to whisk Ity Nadira. Apart from the main shopping complexes located conveniently around the city, I don’t know what else that could interest her. Well, at least I can on Apau for a few ideas. Unless if it’s BB then I have to count myself out. No bloody hell am I going to bring my ass there.
I guess that’s it for now. Hopefully more will come next time around. If you’ll excuse me, I have loads of O.C., Desperate Housewives and CSIs to watch. They’re suffocating my HD.
Triumphant Chelsea!!
After the defeat at Newcastle and at the Nou Camp, even I, myself, had some doubts going into Sunday’s match at Cardiff. With Riise’s sharp thunderbolt inside 44 seconds, I feared the worst. Nightmares are suddenly becoming a reality. Thankfully, fate had other ideas. When Steven Gerard headed a harmless cross into his own goal, magic was restored. 3-2 it was after extra time and Chelsea have bagged its first silverware of the season. Not really much of a bragging right as Sir Alex and Monsieur Wenger couldn’t care less about the Carling Cup. Nevertheless, a trophy is still a trophy and Jose Mourinho was the toast of the Blue half of London.
Ladies and gentlemen, raise your glasses and pay tribute to Chelsea Football Club. Next will be the Premiership crown, 50 years in the waiting.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Ignorant bastards, Plaza Damas and Million Dollar Mansions
Men have always been accused by women of being ignorant or having the attention span of 2 seconds when involved in a one-on-one conversation. Well, I cannot say that my views represent all of the male species but for me, I just cannot look at a woman straight in the eyes because I will get lost in them. It hasn’t happen in a long time but recently it did. I am already aware of my inability to sustain long gazes but I thought, what the hell, maybe I’m past it. So I tried it. 2 seconds later I found myself breathing erratically and my palms sweaty. I had to return my attention to my drink just to get a grip back to reality. It seems I have NOT past it. I just cannot bring myself to look into the eyes of my love interest. They would be so beautiful that I could almost swim in them and be in absolute tranquility. And we’re just talking about the eyes, not yet the luscious lips. Oh my goodness, those lips. If only I could bring them to my fingertips….haih…enough of that.
Moving back to the real world, so, what’s new? Val’s back… to the bengkel that is. This time it the bush of the front arm. I tell you, it’s like she’s having AIDS for cars. It’s a new disease every two weeks. Luckily I have other cars available for me to drive to Plaza Damas tomorrow. Oh yes, the MyGo interview is scheduled tomorrow. But I guess it’s just a formality more than anything else. But, goodness me, do I love the place. I checked it out a couple of days ago and it was just super. Definitely 10 times better than Setiawangsa. Although, not entirely completed but already trendy stores are blossoming around the place. It’s in Sri Hartamas, what do you expect? It was class all the way. A few steps from the office, I saw this store that was still under renovation but on the glass walls was the unmistakable green logo of Starbucks. Oh, I almost cried with joy. However though, Nazreen emailed me yesterday (and a few others too) and it was an invitation to the Chartered Accountancy briefing. That was fine. But what troubled me though was the fact that the next batch was planned to start as early as mid March. Oh shait indeed. I figured the earliest they could start was 3 months from now considering the last batch started only end of last January. So, I thought, maybe I’ll have some fun at MyGo for a few months and then strip off my social life around May. Now, it seems, fate has a different plan. But nothing is decided yet. I could only conclude further hopefully by the end of next week. In the meantime, I’d probably go to Genting and get myself crazy before I retire the word ‘fun’ from my vocabulary in my dire pursuit to be an auditor. I may even have to forget about dating. Oh speaking of which, my dating plan went quite well. I just missed out on Aisha and Ara but no worries, there’s always every other weekend. I managed to get hold of the other three.
Oh, as an ending speech, I would like to express my gratitude to Aritha who had rather purposely added another item on my list of things to get when I become a millionaire, and that is a premium mansion at the Tropicana Golf and Country Resort. The houses were so huge they were ridiculous. One could park a 747 inside one of those if it weren’t for the walls inside. At least now I know where those 17-year-old kids who drive around in brand new E Classes with the P sticker on both ends of the windshield live. Anyway, should I able to purchase anything on that piece of land as much as a square foot of grass, Aritha, you’d be the first to know. Lovely as ever, and even though you criticized my taste in music, I forgive you. As for everybody else, arriverderci.
Oh by the way, I sent out invitation for a new yahoogroup. It’s febeles and I do hope those of you who has receive those, would kindly join. Till then…
Moving back to the real world, so, what’s new? Val’s back… to the bengkel that is. This time it the bush of the front arm. I tell you, it’s like she’s having AIDS for cars. It’s a new disease every two weeks. Luckily I have other cars available for me to drive to Plaza Damas tomorrow. Oh yes, the MyGo interview is scheduled tomorrow. But I guess it’s just a formality more than anything else. But, goodness me, do I love the place. I checked it out a couple of days ago and it was just super. Definitely 10 times better than Setiawangsa. Although, not entirely completed but already trendy stores are blossoming around the place. It’s in Sri Hartamas, what do you expect? It was class all the way. A few steps from the office, I saw this store that was still under renovation but on the glass walls was the unmistakable green logo of Starbucks. Oh, I almost cried with joy. However though, Nazreen emailed me yesterday (and a few others too) and it was an invitation to the Chartered Accountancy briefing. That was fine. But what troubled me though was the fact that the next batch was planned to start as early as mid March. Oh shait indeed. I figured the earliest they could start was 3 months from now considering the last batch started only end of last January. So, I thought, maybe I’ll have some fun at MyGo for a few months and then strip off my social life around May. Now, it seems, fate has a different plan. But nothing is decided yet. I could only conclude further hopefully by the end of next week. In the meantime, I’d probably go to Genting and get myself crazy before I retire the word ‘fun’ from my vocabulary in my dire pursuit to be an auditor. I may even have to forget about dating. Oh speaking of which, my dating plan went quite well. I just missed out on Aisha and Ara but no worries, there’s always every other weekend. I managed to get hold of the other three.
Oh, as an ending speech, I would like to express my gratitude to Aritha who had rather purposely added another item on my list of things to get when I become a millionaire, and that is a premium mansion at the Tropicana Golf and Country Resort. The houses were so huge they were ridiculous. One could park a 747 inside one of those if it weren’t for the walls inside. At least now I know where those 17-year-old kids who drive around in brand new E Classes with the P sticker on both ends of the windshield live. Anyway, should I able to purchase anything on that piece of land as much as a square foot of grass, Aritha, you’d be the first to know. Lovely as ever, and even though you criticized my taste in music, I forgive you. As for everybody else, arriverderci.
Oh by the way, I sent out invitation for a new yahoogroup. It’s febeles and I do hope those of you who has receive those, would kindly join. Till then…
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Shall we dance, mademoiselle?
There have been some great movies in our time but few are truly inspiring. The kind of movies that makes you want to do something just like the movie depicts right after walking out of the theater. After sitting here for awhile I could think of two good examples. The first is Woman On Top, starring Penelope Cruz and it just goes to show how cooking can be full of passion and sensuous. The second one is Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which coincidentally involves Cruz in a supporting role, tells the story of how in the middle of the Second World War there is still time for love and camaraderie with the help of a musical instrument which is the mandolin.
Watching the trailer a few months earlier, I had a pretty good feeling for Shall We Dance. Even when purchasing the cinema tickets at the counter when I had a little fun with the sweet GSC girl by the name of Suhana by saying,
“Shall We Dance,… Suhana?”
But the ‘Suhana’ trailed off under the conspicuous voice of Sasa who was apparently quirky in finding out about a new Siamese horror movie to be released at Imax. At this point, Suhana looks more grief stricken at the sudden interrogation-like questioning rather than a close colleague of Charlie (whom is a backroom staff at GSC Mid Valley Sasa was looking for).
Nevertheless, after leaving Suhana to attend other patrons without ever really asking her for a dance, which was the original plan at the time, but instead I have ticket stubs in my hand, which is not bad actually. Considering that was the initial plan before the original plan. Haih… anyway, you’d never guess who I ran into at the popcorn counter. A lady who proclaimed Afdlin Shauki was her son…it was Sarimah Ibrahim. Although obviously dressed down compared to when I saw her at Sudu, she is still stunningly beautiful. Too bad we weren’t sharing the same hall together. There was also Shebby Singh. A well built man. I had suspicion about him being a regular full back for the national team but now I take that back. One thing I could sum up is John Dykes must be one very tall person. He literally dwarfed Shebby every week in Football Focus.
Anyway, back to the movie, it was truly enjoyable. Even Sasa was less than enthusiastic at first when we decided on the movie but I knew this one came from the makers of Chicago so musical-wise, I was expecting quite a treat. Surely enough, we were swept off our feet. Even though Jennifer Lopez didn’t really excel apart from her sumptuous moves on the dance floor but you just can’t beat the dashing Richard Gere. With musical pieces such as Sway, Moon River and Book of Love accompanying in the background, it just would not go wrong.
All in all, I would say it was a very pleasant movie. A movie you wouldn’t mind watching twice at the cinema. A movie which I vote, would make an excellent first date movie. Instead of the usual kisses and poems associated with type of genre, this one focuses on appreciation. Last time I came across such a movie was Serendipity. There’s nothing more I can say except just go and watch it. And it would be a good idea to bring a partner along. I cannot guarantee a kiss by the end of the movie but I can guarantee a second date. Now, who would care to dance?
Watching the trailer a few months earlier, I had a pretty good feeling for Shall We Dance. Even when purchasing the cinema tickets at the counter when I had a little fun with the sweet GSC girl by the name of Suhana by saying,
“Shall We Dance,… Suhana?”
But the ‘Suhana’ trailed off under the conspicuous voice of Sasa who was apparently quirky in finding out about a new Siamese horror movie to be released at Imax. At this point, Suhana looks more grief stricken at the sudden interrogation-like questioning rather than a close colleague of Charlie (whom is a backroom staff at GSC Mid Valley Sasa was looking for).
Nevertheless, after leaving Suhana to attend other patrons without ever really asking her for a dance, which was the original plan at the time, but instead I have ticket stubs in my hand, which is not bad actually. Considering that was the initial plan before the original plan. Haih… anyway, you’d never guess who I ran into at the popcorn counter. A lady who proclaimed Afdlin Shauki was her son…it was Sarimah Ibrahim. Although obviously dressed down compared to when I saw her at Sudu, she is still stunningly beautiful. Too bad we weren’t sharing the same hall together. There was also Shebby Singh. A well built man. I had suspicion about him being a regular full back for the national team but now I take that back. One thing I could sum up is John Dykes must be one very tall person. He literally dwarfed Shebby every week in Football Focus.
Anyway, back to the movie, it was truly enjoyable. Even Sasa was less than enthusiastic at first when we decided on the movie but I knew this one came from the makers of Chicago so musical-wise, I was expecting quite a treat. Surely enough, we were swept off our feet. Even though Jennifer Lopez didn’t really excel apart from her sumptuous moves on the dance floor but you just can’t beat the dashing Richard Gere. With musical pieces such as Sway, Moon River and Book of Love accompanying in the background, it just would not go wrong.
All in all, I would say it was a very pleasant movie. A movie you wouldn’t mind watching twice at the cinema. A movie which I vote, would make an excellent first date movie. Instead of the usual kisses and poems associated with type of genre, this one focuses on appreciation. Last time I came across such a movie was Serendipity. There’s nothing more I can say except just go and watch it. And it would be a good idea to bring a partner along. I cannot guarantee a kiss by the end of the movie but I can guarantee a second date. Now, who would care to dance?
Thursday, February 17, 2005
The Dating Game and UFOs?
Jose Mourinho probably said it best when asked about Chelsea’s chances of capturing the mythical quadruple.
“We could win four, we could lose four. We could win one or two,”
Well, same thing could be said about my overzealous dating plan for this week. I could have four, I could have none. I could have one or two. As of now, 12.54 pm Thursday, the most likely is one. Well, it’s better than none. But all hopes are not lost. None of them are actual rejection, just postponement. Next week still holds a chance. But still, it could not stop me wonder how difficult it is to get a decent date these days. The dating game is getting complicated by the day. It used to be so easy. Nowadays, I really have to put in some effort just to slot my name in their weekly schedule.
Now, this is truly something. Years of seeing movies like Signs and Men In Black, there’s even an upcoming of War of the Worlds, mind you, last night, dare I say, I had the first ever UFO experience. Although not really conclusive but seeing strange lights in the night sky from the comfort of my own home really raised some questions.
KL was celebrating something last night and fireworks was set off everywhere. There were booming sounds all over the city. To tell you truth, without the Twin Towers, it almost looked like those CNN footages of the Gulf War at Baghdad.
I was fascinated as the skies were repeatedly flashed by the firework explosion and then my eyes caught sight something. It was two red lights. At first I thought they were commercial airplanes as I have seen many times before but they don’t appear red. They were equipped with white lights. Even though they also have red lights on their wings but they were always blinking and impossible to see from down here. What’s more, these two lights don’t seem to move. Look more like hovering. Maybe they’re helicopters. But helicopters are not supposed to linger around clouds. They are not designed to handle such altitudes. So what are they? As I was pondering, three more appeared not far from the previous two. Stars? No. There’s one in the clear part of the sky and it was white. Satellites? In close proximity within each other? Moving about up and down, left and right? I think not. So there I was, chinning myself by the window for more than a half hour. Watching them go about hovering the city of KL. I guess they too are fascinated by the fireworks display. At first it was quite disconcerting. But after awhile, it became intriguing. A bit of exciting even. Surely enough, by the time the people who started it ran out of fireworks, the lights soon faded away, one by one.
Curious, I began a search on the internet for UFO sightings in Malaysia. Surprisingly enough, there’s even an organization exists called the Center for Malaysian UFO Studies. There actually have been other sightings in this country for nearly a century ago. But the most recent reports have around the late 90’s. Nothing since the turn of the millennium. No wait, I just found some dated 2002. Well, how about that? Quite interesting really.
Oh my, I’d love to stay and tell you more but I got an appointment with Keanu in a bit while. He asked me to come along with him and go see some demons and ghosts. Hmm, I guess Halloween came very early this year.
“We could win four, we could lose four. We could win one or two,”
Well, same thing could be said about my overzealous dating plan for this week. I could have four, I could have none. I could have one or two. As of now, 12.54 pm Thursday, the most likely is one. Well, it’s better than none. But all hopes are not lost. None of them are actual rejection, just postponement. Next week still holds a chance. But still, it could not stop me wonder how difficult it is to get a decent date these days. The dating game is getting complicated by the day. It used to be so easy. Nowadays, I really have to put in some effort just to slot my name in their weekly schedule.
Now, this is truly something. Years of seeing movies like Signs and Men In Black, there’s even an upcoming of War of the Worlds, mind you, last night, dare I say, I had the first ever UFO experience. Although not really conclusive but seeing strange lights in the night sky from the comfort of my own home really raised some questions.
KL was celebrating something last night and fireworks was set off everywhere. There were booming sounds all over the city. To tell you truth, without the Twin Towers, it almost looked like those CNN footages of the Gulf War at Baghdad.
I was fascinated as the skies were repeatedly flashed by the firework explosion and then my eyes caught sight something. It was two red lights. At first I thought they were commercial airplanes as I have seen many times before but they don’t appear red. They were equipped with white lights. Even though they also have red lights on their wings but they were always blinking and impossible to see from down here. What’s more, these two lights don’t seem to move. Look more like hovering. Maybe they’re helicopters. But helicopters are not supposed to linger around clouds. They are not designed to handle such altitudes. So what are they? As I was pondering, three more appeared not far from the previous two. Stars? No. There’s one in the clear part of the sky and it was white. Satellites? In close proximity within each other? Moving about up and down, left and right? I think not. So there I was, chinning myself by the window for more than a half hour. Watching them go about hovering the city of KL. I guess they too are fascinated by the fireworks display. At first it was quite disconcerting. But after awhile, it became intriguing. A bit of exciting even. Surely enough, by the time the people who started it ran out of fireworks, the lights soon faded away, one by one.
Curious, I began a search on the internet for UFO sightings in Malaysia. Surprisingly enough, there’s even an organization exists called the Center for Malaysian UFO Studies. There actually have been other sightings in this country for nearly a century ago. But the most recent reports have around the late 90’s. Nothing since the turn of the millennium. No wait, I just found some dated 2002. Well, how about that? Quite interesting really.
Oh my, I’d love to stay and tell you more but I got an appointment with Keanu in a bit while. He asked me to come along with him and go see some demons and ghosts. Hmm, I guess Halloween came very early this year.
Monday, February 14, 2005
The East Coast Trip, Genting and A Day Called Valentine's
Lahanat punye Tomok. I’d say this is the first time my blog got spammed. I never knew the thing even existed. Blog-spam, that is.
Anyway, good news. It’s the 14th of February and that means it’s Valentine’s Day. Bad news is I have no one to share it with. Haha~ doesn’t really matter actually. I’m feeling a bit malas myself. Imagine if I had a girlfriend, then I would have to come up with some sort of surprise to mark this special occasion. Oh man, that’ll be some hassle. The one person I could think of who would have some problems this Valentine’s is Gambit. Goodness me, he would have forgotten about if I hadn’t accidentally mentioned about it two weeks ago. His first reaction was to utter the words “Oh shit” with eyes wide open and a burning ciggie casually placed between his index and middle finger of his right hand. Oh well, I just hope he has conjured up something for Mawar. She can be one unpleasant lass once upset.
So what are my plans ferr today? Well, at first I tried to persuade Zalina to belanje me dinner at Avanti at Sunway Lagoon Resort. A special Valentine’s 6 course dinner which includes a live 45-minute performance by Malaysian Idol Jaclyn Victor. How awesome is that!? But, like I said, I tried to persuade Zalina but all I got was a “Haaaa!?”. You know, those high pitched ones every time she receives surprising news. But then again, this thing cost 400 bucks so I understand the rejection. What? You think this thing cheap aa? How can maa. Indulgence is always expensive. That's why not everybody gets to enjoy it. So in the end, I just have to resign to babysit my brother who is on sick leave. Just in case he needs medical attention, I’ll be right at home.
Apart from that, I’d say things look promising ahead. I just came back from the sacred land of Kelantan which included a fascinating trip along the East Coast. I get to taste the new highway to Kuantan (well, not really new. Just new to me because it’s my first time on it since its completion). Journey was quick and far more pleasant which, in turn allowed me to make a brief stop at Cherating. It was the same beach where I came with Aritha, Zalina, Ity and Sasa to last time around. Aaah~good times. It turns out a friend of my brother had opened a place there called Cherating Cottage. A Swiss-Malay guy known during the Sauber days. Michael is the name and I learnt the equivalent of ‘bon appetite’ in French is ‘an guata’ in Swiss. Then I moved on to Kuala Terengganu just for the sake of buying kain sampin songket. But I must say we weren’t left disappointed. It has lived up to its reputation of having the finest makers in the business are trading their goods here. All at Pasar Payang. Kota Bharu was finally reached (after 13 long hours) and what better way to celebrate our arrival than stopping by Medan Selera Buluh Kubu for a nice dinner. The food was, as always, a pleasure to the taste buds. And the cheap fare is a definite welcome. The true purpose of the trip was to attend my mother’s cousin’s wedding. Sadly though, the groom to be doesn’t not bode well with the bride’s family, especially the mother (whom is my mother’s aunt). But, nothing much can be done so, mengikut kehendak anak, everybody were to accept the fate. Even if it involves a fake smile or two. But that didn’t really sadden me. What bothered me the most was the fact that my PCB was in danger. In danger of unprofessional development. Since years now the beach of PCB is being “killed” by erosion. They finally decide to take action and that was to put boulders the size of cars all along the beach. It looks hideous! Not just that it made the beach no longer a pleasant sight but it also made it un-mandi-able. It looks more like a port more than anything else. But still, that didn’t stop from people thronging the place during the Lunar New Year. It was jam packed. Reminiscent of Jalan Telawi 3 on Saturday nights. As for me, well, it is a 3 minute walk to the beach from home, how can I say no to that? I chilled there every single day. Huge cranes may be present tearing up coconut trees from the ground but there’s always time for sotong goreng and air nyior. Finally, I get to visit my grandfather’s final resting place. It was quite nice. While everybody else’ was made from cement, his was covered in marble. Adequately decorated. Well, it the least the children could do. Placed only a few steps from his eldest son. The uncle I never got to knew.
Being back home I must say I really missed Astro,especially the EPL. Not to mention the Net. I received a nice invitation from Ity for a balik-hari trip to Genting. That should be fun. I have yet to fully enjoy Genting lately. It was always brief trips. Kalau cakap Melayu, org kata ‘tak puas’. But then, late last night I received an intriguing phone call from Wawan and he too is planning a trip to Genting. But this involves the real deal of spending the night there. Two nights even. The whole weekend getaway. This should be awesome. But it’s happening this coming Friday. That would coincide with my plans of taking Ara out for a date. And possibly jeopardize my sembang-sembang session with Aida also to be on this Friday. Haih~ all seems so menarik. So how? Or as we say in Kelantan, guano? It seems I have to postpone the Ara date. A Genting escapade is too much fun to be turned down. Then, few days later, join Ity’s pack. Whoa~ a few years without a single trip to the Highlands then suddenly I’m doing back to back trips.
Oh man, I have to ditch plans with Ara? Under normal circumstances that would be categorized as crazy by any man’s standards. Haih~ I still have to work out the 4 dates I planned for this week. That should keep me occupied at least. But nothing for today. Nothing for this brisk February 14. Nevertheless, Happy Valentine’s Day to all. Good day and arrivederci (I guess the same goes to Avanti and memorable night with Jaclyn).
Anyway, good news. It’s the 14th of February and that means it’s Valentine’s Day. Bad news is I have no one to share it with. Haha~ doesn’t really matter actually. I’m feeling a bit malas myself. Imagine if I had a girlfriend, then I would have to come up with some sort of surprise to mark this special occasion. Oh man, that’ll be some hassle. The one person I could think of who would have some problems this Valentine’s is Gambit. Goodness me, he would have forgotten about if I hadn’t accidentally mentioned about it two weeks ago. His first reaction was to utter the words “Oh shit” with eyes wide open and a burning ciggie casually placed between his index and middle finger of his right hand. Oh well, I just hope he has conjured up something for Mawar. She can be one unpleasant lass once upset.
So what are my plans ferr today? Well, at first I tried to persuade Zalina to belanje me dinner at Avanti at Sunway Lagoon Resort. A special Valentine’s 6 course dinner which includes a live 45-minute performance by Malaysian Idol Jaclyn Victor. How awesome is that!? But, like I said, I tried to persuade Zalina but all I got was a “Haaaa!?”. You know, those high pitched ones every time she receives surprising news. But then again, this thing cost 400 bucks so I understand the rejection. What? You think this thing cheap aa? How can maa. Indulgence is always expensive. That's why not everybody gets to enjoy it. So in the end, I just have to resign to babysit my brother who is on sick leave. Just in case he needs medical attention, I’ll be right at home.
Apart from that, I’d say things look promising ahead. I just came back from the sacred land of Kelantan which included a fascinating trip along the East Coast. I get to taste the new highway to Kuantan (well, not really new. Just new to me because it’s my first time on it since its completion). Journey was quick and far more pleasant which, in turn allowed me to make a brief stop at Cherating. It was the same beach where I came with Aritha, Zalina, Ity and Sasa to last time around. Aaah~good times. It turns out a friend of my brother had opened a place there called Cherating Cottage. A Swiss-Malay guy known during the Sauber days. Michael is the name and I learnt the equivalent of ‘bon appetite’ in French is ‘an guata’ in Swiss. Then I moved on to Kuala Terengganu just for the sake of buying kain sampin songket. But I must say we weren’t left disappointed. It has lived up to its reputation of having the finest makers in the business are trading their goods here. All at Pasar Payang. Kota Bharu was finally reached (after 13 long hours) and what better way to celebrate our arrival than stopping by Medan Selera Buluh Kubu for a nice dinner. The food was, as always, a pleasure to the taste buds. And the cheap fare is a definite welcome. The true purpose of the trip was to attend my mother’s cousin’s wedding. Sadly though, the groom to be doesn’t not bode well with the bride’s family, especially the mother (whom is my mother’s aunt). But, nothing much can be done so, mengikut kehendak anak, everybody were to accept the fate. Even if it involves a fake smile or two. But that didn’t really sadden me. What bothered me the most was the fact that my PCB was in danger. In danger of unprofessional development. Since years now the beach of PCB is being “killed” by erosion. They finally decide to take action and that was to put boulders the size of cars all along the beach. It looks hideous! Not just that it made the beach no longer a pleasant sight but it also made it un-mandi-able. It looks more like a port more than anything else. But still, that didn’t stop from people thronging the place during the Lunar New Year. It was jam packed. Reminiscent of Jalan Telawi 3 on Saturday nights. As for me, well, it is a 3 minute walk to the beach from home, how can I say no to that? I chilled there every single day. Huge cranes may be present tearing up coconut trees from the ground but there’s always time for sotong goreng and air nyior. Finally, I get to visit my grandfather’s final resting place. It was quite nice. While everybody else’ was made from cement, his was covered in marble. Adequately decorated. Well, it the least the children could do. Placed only a few steps from his eldest son. The uncle I never got to knew.
Being back home I must say I really missed Astro,especially the EPL. Not to mention the Net. I received a nice invitation from Ity for a balik-hari trip to Genting. That should be fun. I have yet to fully enjoy Genting lately. It was always brief trips. Kalau cakap Melayu, org kata ‘tak puas’. But then, late last night I received an intriguing phone call from Wawan and he too is planning a trip to Genting. But this involves the real deal of spending the night there. Two nights even. The whole weekend getaway. This should be awesome. But it’s happening this coming Friday. That would coincide with my plans of taking Ara out for a date. And possibly jeopardize my sembang-sembang session with Aida also to be on this Friday. Haih~ all seems so menarik. So how? Or as we say in Kelantan, guano? It seems I have to postpone the Ara date. A Genting escapade is too much fun to be turned down. Then, few days later, join Ity’s pack. Whoa~ a few years without a single trip to the Highlands then suddenly I’m doing back to back trips.
Oh man, I have to ditch plans with Ara? Under normal circumstances that would be categorized as crazy by any man’s standards. Haih~ I still have to work out the 4 dates I planned for this week. That should keep me occupied at least. But nothing for today. Nothing for this brisk February 14. Nevertheless, Happy Valentine’s Day to all. Good day and arrivederci (I guess the same goes to Avanti and memorable night with Jaclyn).
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Zalina, My Saviour
“I’ll have the Monterey Chicken”
As those words filtered out of my mouth, it’s as if I was singing a song. They felt that magical.
Yes, ladies and gents, I was Chili’s again for the 2nd time in as many weeks. Last time it was in Bangsar, this time it was good ‘ol KLCC. The company was different though. I had Zalina for a change. The last good memory I had of her at that place was when we dined together during Puasa month when we did our internship. Her mother had some function later that evening and she asked me if I would mind joining her. Frankly, I was quite surprised by her sudden cordial invitation but then she uttered those magic words, “we could eat at Chili’s…” Oh honey, how could I ever say no to that?
This time it was brunch. We just got down from ESU acknowledging to them that we are well aware that it is time we pay back the amount of money that owe to Petronas that they so kindly lent to us during our stint at UTP, which I have used to purchase a few pair of shoes, a couple of designer perfumes and a some memorable trips, namely Pangkor and Penang among others. Oh, and occasional trips to Chili’s.
So, quite evidently, Apau was also there to join us in the flashy ex-students of UTP brunch. But, ah ha, there was another surprise. Zakian will be our 4th company at the table. How he wound up there, I don’t obviously know, nor care. Anyway, quite surprisingly, he was not that annoying as I’d thought he’ll be. He was a more civilized version of himself compared to when I saw him on stage at the Heritage during the Jan 2000 farewell dinner. But, I must tell you, for someone who wants to hit on Zalina, I wasn’t really impressed. I detected no charm whatsoever. Although, it is quite unfair to him because it was 3 against 1. Being members of Komuniti Lahanat, we do share a lot of inside jokes, which none of them would make sense to Zakian. One thing I do appreciate though is the fact that he didn’t try to impress me. Not like that other bloke. It was always been an issue among men whether or not to impress the male friend of your supposed love interest. It is generally agreed that it is a bad idea but some men tend to forget and once you crossed that fine line my friend, there is no turning back. Fortunately though, Zakian did not forget. And that pleases me, of course. Grateful even. But taking the whole afternoon into context alone, I have this inkling feeling that somehow Zakian and Zalina doesn’t seem right. It just doesn’t fit. Although their names are spelled almost alike and would certainly look nice on a wedding invitation card but I just feel that Zalina would be too much of a handle for Zakian. I think Zalina is slightly better off. I think he wouldn’t be able to fulfill her, or satisfy her. Simply put, I don’t think he’s good enough for her. Just like that line when Barbra Streisand told Pierce Brosnan in The Mirror Has Two Faces, “I know, I know but Robert, you’re not good enough for me” while putting her coat and slamming the door as she leaves his apartment. (I can’t help it. My mother loves the movie. She never missed it on HBO).
Well, one thing’s for sure, Zalina won’t be getting married so soon. Even when I mentioned the word ‘marriage’ she gave this oh-na-na-no gelengan kepala. The kind she gives when her other members try to persuade her to fool around at Ipoh until dawn when she will be having this important meeting early next morning. But I do wonder what will happen when Zalina does pass this British Council thingy and actually fly to UK. I guess that is, well, something to look forward to. Sweet little Zalina with an English accent. Now that is something I couldn’t quite able to imagine just yet. Oh my goodness, without realizing, I just made Zalina my theme for today’s blog. An appreciation on a sub-conscious level I suppose. Actually, it has been quite some time since I saw her. I even missed her at Sasa’s Raya banquet. So, in a way, I rindu her. Yeah, you might say that. But since she will be coming a lot to British Council in the next few coming weeks, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time for us to fool around together. Along with her accidental pocket money, there’s promise. It seems I have found a new sparring partner. Haha~
So here’s to you, Zalina. Cheers.
As those words filtered out of my mouth, it’s as if I was singing a song. They felt that magical.
Yes, ladies and gents, I was Chili’s again for the 2nd time in as many weeks. Last time it was in Bangsar, this time it was good ‘ol KLCC. The company was different though. I had Zalina for a change. The last good memory I had of her at that place was when we dined together during Puasa month when we did our internship. Her mother had some function later that evening and she asked me if I would mind joining her. Frankly, I was quite surprised by her sudden cordial invitation but then she uttered those magic words, “we could eat at Chili’s…” Oh honey, how could I ever say no to that?
This time it was brunch. We just got down from ESU acknowledging to them that we are well aware that it is time we pay back the amount of money that owe to Petronas that they so kindly lent to us during our stint at UTP, which I have used to purchase a few pair of shoes, a couple of designer perfumes and a some memorable trips, namely Pangkor and Penang among others. Oh, and occasional trips to Chili’s.
So, quite evidently, Apau was also there to join us in the flashy ex-students of UTP brunch. But, ah ha, there was another surprise. Zakian will be our 4th company at the table. How he wound up there, I don’t obviously know, nor care. Anyway, quite surprisingly, he was not that annoying as I’d thought he’ll be. He was a more civilized version of himself compared to when I saw him on stage at the Heritage during the Jan 2000 farewell dinner. But, I must tell you, for someone who wants to hit on Zalina, I wasn’t really impressed. I detected no charm whatsoever. Although, it is quite unfair to him because it was 3 against 1. Being members of Komuniti Lahanat, we do share a lot of inside jokes, which none of them would make sense to Zakian. One thing I do appreciate though is the fact that he didn’t try to impress me. Not like that other bloke. It was always been an issue among men whether or not to impress the male friend of your supposed love interest. It is generally agreed that it is a bad idea but some men tend to forget and once you crossed that fine line my friend, there is no turning back. Fortunately though, Zakian did not forget. And that pleases me, of course. Grateful even. But taking the whole afternoon into context alone, I have this inkling feeling that somehow Zakian and Zalina doesn’t seem right. It just doesn’t fit. Although their names are spelled almost alike and would certainly look nice on a wedding invitation card but I just feel that Zalina would be too much of a handle for Zakian. I think Zalina is slightly better off. I think he wouldn’t be able to fulfill her, or satisfy her. Simply put, I don’t think he’s good enough for her. Just like that line when Barbra Streisand told Pierce Brosnan in The Mirror Has Two Faces, “I know, I know but Robert, you’re not good enough for me” while putting her coat and slamming the door as she leaves his apartment. (I can’t help it. My mother loves the movie. She never missed it on HBO).
Well, one thing’s for sure, Zalina won’t be getting married so soon. Even when I mentioned the word ‘marriage’ she gave this oh-na-na-no gelengan kepala. The kind she gives when her other members try to persuade her to fool around at Ipoh until dawn when she will be having this important meeting early next morning. But I do wonder what will happen when Zalina does pass this British Council thingy and actually fly to UK. I guess that is, well, something to look forward to. Sweet little Zalina with an English accent. Now that is something I couldn’t quite able to imagine just yet. Oh my goodness, without realizing, I just made Zalina my theme for today’s blog. An appreciation on a sub-conscious level I suppose. Actually, it has been quite some time since I saw her. I even missed her at Sasa’s Raya banquet. So, in a way, I rindu her. Yeah, you might say that. But since she will be coming a lot to British Council in the next few coming weeks, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time for us to fool around together. Along with her accidental pocket money, there’s promise. It seems I have found a new sparring partner. Haha~
So here’s to you, Zalina. Cheers.
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