Cicakman, A New Hope......NOT!

It's been more than 20 days since I last updated my blog. Not that I don't want to, I was busy with work. Plus, the last four days, I was struggling to log into my blog account! Somehow or rather, I had problems with the password or something. Niways, I'm back!

These past weeks, I've been getting rave reviews on this movie called Cicakman. Entertainment editors, reporters just can't stop talking about it. It has hit RM4million, thus far. Last week, when I was in Kuala Terengganu, my colleagues, who have watched the movie, were laughing by themselves just because they remembered a scene from the movie. It really got me thinking.

"Maybe this is it...the movie that will break the pathetic mould that has been gripping our local movie standard...Finally, I can be proud of another Malaysian product (Nicole David is the other one)"

So, last Sunday, I did the unthinkable. I went to watch Cicakman. Went with my girlfriend. Tickets were free anyway, in case you were wondering. So, had my popcorn, chacos and a large coke with me, anxiously waiting for the reel to roll. I noticed a lot of parents were duped by their kids to join the bandwagon, as well. 99% Malay and 1% dan lain-lain category. After a few movie trailers, a couple of lousy ads and 20 minutes past the actual movie time, the movie actually started.

Opening was okay. Tiru spiderman movie. I'm still okay with it. As long as you improvise with what you're copying. Then, Apek (Hairi), Yusry (Danny) and Fasha's (Tania) characters were introduced. Hairi@Cicakman was the gelabah character, Danny was the cool one and Tania was the supposedly nice and innocent girl character. All of them works with Klon Technology Corp. owns by Prof. Klon. Both the guys work in the lab and Tania as the secretary. I don't know why but, Metrofulus (it's name of the city in the movie) was not based on KL, but New York cum London. Winter la konon. I guess the producer was not proud of our own city, I don't know la. Fine. 10 minutes have passed, the same characters were still on the screen! Believe it or not, in the same period, we know how Hairi becomes Cicakman, already!

"What happen to other characters la?" I was beginning to feel uneasy. The story flow was bad already.

Suddenly, Aznil (Prof. Klon), AC Mizal and Adlin Aman Ramly (Ginger Boys) came into the picture. Prof. Klon character was a combination of Harvey Two Face and The Riddler of Batman. And the Ginger Boys was obviously copied from the twin character of the Matrix movie. Prof. Klon was obviously the villain of the movie and the Ginger Boys were his henchmen. As usual, the villain wants to take control of the city/country. In this movie, it was via clonning (duh!?) By replacing all the ministers with his clones, he could take control of the city. I guess Prof. Klon has never heard of the word 'BRIBERY'. Simple plot actually.

Earlier, our two boys were working in their lab on an antidote called Virus 266. They suspected their boss were into something mischievious when they saw the news on TV. Out of the blue, Hairi and Danny wanted to get behind the action. A few days later, Hairi found out that he had superpowers. And become Cicakman. Also, they got to know that Hairi's body cells were slowly turning into cicak cells. And in a matter of time, he will become a cicak fully! At the same time, Cicakman must stop Prof. Klon, save Metrofulus and his friends who later became hostages.

Can he do it? I didn't really care. We actually left after about an hour in the theatre. I just couldn't take it anymore as the screenplay was really bad. And my blood was boiling to the max. Clearly, I was too disappointed with the whole thing that I couldn't wait any longer. No point of wanting to watch the ending coz it might make things worse for me.

Another local movie that didn't even meet the BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A MOVIE.

1) 5 minutes = Opening
2) 10-15 minutes = Introduce all characters and a bit of background (FAILED)
3) Next 15 minutes = connect all the characters into the story (SO-SO)
4) Next 30 minutes = storyline (FAILED)
5) 15-20 minutes = problems/issues (SIMPLE)
6) 15 minutes = solve problem/issues (SIMPLE)
7) 5-10 minutes = The End (THANK GOD!)

All in all, I have to say that the idea of the movie was not bad. Eventough, it was another clone of the Spiderman movie. The CGI was okay. the cinematography was good, though. However, the screenplay was t e r r i b l e. The acting was bad. Directing was bad, too. Aznil was overacting throughout the movie. Jokes were not really funny. That happens when Apek had to follow scripts.

The problem with our filming industry is the screenplay. We suck at it, big time. We have to admit that WE ARE BAD AT TELLING STORIES. We might have the ideas but we're poor at putting them on screen. Ever since the P. Ramlee era, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel. Is there still hope out there? I don't know, I really hope so. For the time being, we're dangling our hopes with Cicakman.

VERDICT : 4.5 out of 10

CATEGORY : A "must-not-see-and-if-you-did-you're-a-dumbass" movie.

I Feel Good .....Not!

Meet Mr. Eye Bags

6 days gone since coming back to Malaysia. 2 words to describe my feelings then and even now, Down and Out! Been coughing like a dog since. Flu is flowing like the River Nile. Voice is somewhere between James Brown and Kathleen Turner. Work is not helping. Life's sucks at the moment.

And I thought running away from the crazy weather of London City was the best thing to do. Believe it or not, my first day of work after a 2 week off, I got an MC! No voice was coming out of my throat. Anyway, I got real busy with work that I didn't have time to write any new post. Since today is Friday, so things are slowing down a bit, can curi-curi some time la. My cough is so bad that since Last Sunday till today, I can hardly sleep at night. Just when I doze off a bit, I would start coughing like crazy that automatically awakes me. Getting a 2 hour straight of sleep is a blessing these days. I feel like crap. Now I know how zombies feel, I guess...

When The Spurs Go Marching In - My Almost Perfect Sunday!

Have not had such a perfect day than last Sunday. Era un giorno quasi perfetto!

26th of November 2006, a date to remember. The journey started around 12.25pm, me and my bro-in-law, nearly missed the 12.31pm train had it arrived on time. It took us an hour and a half and changed 3 trains just to reach our destination. Since the first station, I've noticed several Tottenham Hotspur supporters joining our ride already. And, it was a totally different situation when we reached at the White Hart Lane as thousands of supporters were swarming the nearby area! What a view, what a scenario! Never have I been surrounded with so many Spurs supporters. There were 3 shops, 1 megastore and countless stalls selling Spurs merchandise around the White Hart Lane Stadium and all of them were packed with people. I was informed earlier that THFC will be selling it's 3rd kit/brown kit a day earlier, and I was very much hoping that it would be available on the day we were there. Sadly, the brown kit was sold out in one day! And believe or not, I had to line-up just to GET INSIDE the Spurs Megastore, and let's not even talk about the payment part.5 minutes before the match started, we were still outside the stadium, buying hot chocolates. The weather was getting colder, around 8 degrees, thus the need to heat up our bodies. After that, we were busy looking for the east stand entrance, the location of our seating area. The stadium stewards were very helpful and made everything easy for us. As we were walking inside the stadium, the suspense was getting unbearable. My heart was pumping faster and faster as I ran up the stairs. And when I saw the White Hart Lane ground for the very first time, the feeling was breathless. I can't really put it in words how great my feeling was, at that time. One has to experience it oneself to understand it. Obviously, it was totally different than watching via TV! Never had I imagined I will be at the White Hart Lane stadium, one day, and get to watch Spurs playing! And at the same time get to see their famous players like Keane, Defoe, Berbatov, Lennon, Dawson playing! Woweeeee!25 minutes into the game, Spurs weren't really hungry and paid the price. Wigan was leading, 0-1. The crowd became restless. But, almost at the end of the first half, Defoe did his magic and once the ball hit the net, the whole stadium erupted! The feeling was superb! Everybody was jumping with joy. The best part was, as we were still celebrating, the second goal came 90 seconds later with a fine goal by Berbatov. A very good ending for the first half, indeed. This was went I did most of my photo opps. Did call Abang Najib, all the way in Malaysia, just to check whether he was watching the game, as well. As for the second half, Spurs werre playing more defensively with King and Dawson in cruise control. Ironically, it ended almost the same as the first half, Spurs scored another goal, at the last minute. This time it was Lennon who did the damage. 3-1 was the final score. Almost a perfect game, I would say. I just couldn't believe as I got to watch 3 Spurs goals right in front of my eyes. Everybody was happy and started singing their hearts out. I wish I could join them if only knew the lyrics. Plus, their accent was just too pekat, so it was hard to understand, actually. I wish Abang Najib and Leonard were with me at that time, too.

While we were walking out of the stadium, we bumped into the White Hart Lane's Executive Box. Guess what? It's the place where the players would come out from the stadium. Another lifetime opportunity! I quickly ran to a nearby convenient store and bought a marker. Whizzed back the box and squeezed my way through the crowd and stood at the front line and waited for the stars to come out. Half an hour passed by, felt like the temperature was getting lower by the minute, but it was worth it. Edgar Davids was the first to come out, he looked quite masam. Guess he was unhappy coz he wasn't playing. Ledley King was second, he looked tired but was still nice to everybody. Third was Michael Dawson. A very warm and very friendly guy. He was very happy to accomodate with everyone's request. Lastly, it was Pascal Chimbonda, he was limping a bit, maybe because of the game but still nice and friendly.

"Good game you had just now, bro." Those were the words I uttered to him.

That was the last person that I could wait as it was getting late and I couldn't make my bro-in-law wait any longer. So, we strolled back to the nearest train station and headed our way home.

Last Sunday, I knew it was going to be great, even before it happened. I knew the experience would be a lifetime. I expected such great day. However, turned out, it was better than I expected. I got more than I bargained for, much, much more. I was hoping that I could watch Spurs score a goal and win. In the end, I got to see 3 goals and Spurs winning the game. Another pleasant surprise was the opportunity to meet some of the Spurs players! It never occured to me it would happen but it did. I was so blessed that day, as it was almost a perfect day, for me.

God willing, I will be back, one day.

From White Hart Lane With Love

What's wrong with London! Everybody in the house is suffering from either flu or sore throat or fever. I myself is suffering from flu. Makes me wanna stay home and not exploring London further. The worst person that got hit is my youngest daughter, Sofiah, she has all of them. Weather really sucks here!

Anyway, visited White Hart Lane 2 days ago. To my surprise, North London looked quite scary as the place looked like Brooklyn, New York! A lot of old buildings and graffitis everywhere. The town looked a bit like under developed, as well. I saw more blacks than white people. And that could mean one thing, more poor people here than the rich. Going back to THFC, what an experience it was! It took me a while to actually believe I was standing at the entrance of the stadium. After snapping tonnes of photos, I went to the Spurs Shop and that made me go wild again! The range of merchandise thay have was unbelievable. From the jerseys to baby Ts, caps, books, ties, and even baby's stuff, like bips and milk bottles! Me and my girlfriend spent almost 2 hours there. Abang Najib got his wish as I bought everything what he had pesan earlier. I wish Abang Najib was there with me, too. Both of us would have gone berserk! Perhaps, one fine day. By the way, he was here years back. And I'm sure things were very much different then. The sad thing about my entry this time is that I can't post my Spurs visit pix as I can't download the photos from my hp to my sis' laptop. I will, once I get back to Malaysia.Last night, 6 of us went to watch Casino Royale. Me, my partner, my sis, her husband and 2 other friends. It's the second time for me and my sayang, actually as mentioned in my earlier post. Why watched twice? Well, first, to check out some scenes that were censored in Malaysia, nothing much actually. Second, I get to claim that I watched a James Bond movie in London! Hahahaa...

Tonight, my sis and her husband are hosting a dinner for their Malaysian friends here. So, all the women will be busy cooking later today. As for tomorrow, we're heading to Bicester, a place that is famous for it's factory outlet stores. So, shopping time la esok! Hopefully, I get to buy some cheap Bally shoes.

So, that's the update thus far. Need to take a bath. It's been 2 days since. Jadi mcm kambing lak aku kat sini!

7 Degrees of Bloody Cold Weather!

It's been 4 days since I touched down in London. And it's been 4 days of bloody cold winter weather. Personally, I'm not facing any weather shock here, since I had mine during my university years in the U.S, years ago, I feel pity for my kids and my girlfriend, though. It's their first time experiencing winter. However, looking at their smiley faces, I'm guessing their enjoying it, so far. Rosy cheeks and red noses for all 3 of them. A very cute sight, no doubt! London has been exactly how I imagined it would be. Dull and full of old buildings. And the people here aren't as friendly as the Americans. Surprisingly, the drivers here, reminded me a lot of the Malaysian drivers! Sheer madness and bloody rude! However, the plus point here is the shopping! A shopping haven this place is. Buying designer brands in Malaysia looks stupid to me, now! The prices for designer brands in Malaysia are just too much compared to here. In London, the prices and the designs are relatively much, much cheaper and better.Yesterday, we went to FCUK, NEXT, ZARA, Lillywhites, Topshop and many more stores in London. Topshop at Oxford Circus London was huge, it took me 20 minutes just to find Topman! I can't remember how many floors the store has. They even have Mini Topshop, for babies! Really enjoyed walking at the Bond Street and Oxford Street, though it rained a bit, for a while. Visited Hard Rock Casino and Planet Hollywood London, too. Today, I plan to go to North London. Probably it will be just me and my girlfriend. As for my two kids and my mom, they will just rest at home, today. This time, my sister won't be following as she has to work, so, hope it won't be that hard travelling via the tube on our own, today. White Hart Lane, here I come! Till then, Ta...Ta.

London, Baby!

People! I'm off to London tomorrow. 2 weeks vacation. Will update whenever I can, in London baby! See ya!

James Bond Begins

Had the opportunity of a lifetime last night. Got to watch the preview of the latest James Bond flick, Casino Royale! What an experience and what a movie it turned out to be. However, I must say that it didn't really hit MY mark, (it's trailer made me expect more)but it was very entertaining. I must say the approach was very different than other Bond movies. A very daring move by the 007 franchise owners.

It was a story of how it all started. Just when he was promoted to double-O status. Bond was meaner, more human but still suave. Rookie mistakes here and there, but this was to show that he was still green at that time. Great action and the script was near perfect. I assumed it must have been very challenging for the director but he did very well. I just love how the chemistry between James Bond and Vesper Lynd developed. Both acted very, very well. But, at some point, the movie went a bit slow. Probably due to the story turned into a love story for a while. Superb soundtrack, too. All in all, I think Daniel Craig was almost perfect being James Bond in this movie.

I would give a rating of 8.5. Don't expect the usual Bond stuff and it is definitely a must-see movie and worth the 2 1/2 hour!

Visit Malaysia Year 2007 - Petai Edition Part I

Don't really know what the mat sallehs call it but, here in Malaysia we call it Petai. In my family, when I was small, this delicacy was a no-no for kids. That really got me curious at that time, being a kid and all. Till now, I never knew what was it all about, I'm guessing the smell. I finally got the go-ahead when I was around 16 or 17 years old. Very nice actually the taste. Udang Masak Sambal Petai is one of the best dish to go with white rice. BUT, after a few hours, your toilet bowl will be pissing on you for the excellent smell coming out from ya! No doubt, that's the only downfall of having petai. Interestingly, I got some additional info. The one that might make you think twice of NOT HAVING petai in your diet.

I got this article from a website, directhere.com.

Petai contain three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose - Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS(premenstrual syndrome)
Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see petai as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) :
Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking:
Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine", eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%"

Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, you see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

So guys, throw away the old apple phrase and change to the new version, the Malaysian version - A Petai a day keeps the doctor away (probably your partner too!)

A Great Man

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. He would have been 60 years old, today, if he was still alive. He passed away 3 years ago, of heart attack.

If I have to summarize my dad in 2 words, it would be STRICT yet LOVING. That was my father's character. He was a man with principles. As long as I can remember him, I have never seen him miss a prayer. A pious man he was and yet open. A very hardworking and an honest person, as well. He was a government employee throughout his career. From an English teacher to the Secretary General of Kedah Sports Council, a span of more than 30 years. He was also a quiet man and liked to be seen as serious with others. And yet, there was a part in him that made him a jovial person but mostly, just, within our family circle. I can still remember back when me and my sister were still small, he would loved to wrestle with me on the bed and my sister would come and rescue me from him! Sometimes my mom would join the tussle, as well! Those were my good old times with my father. Another way of him showing his love is via gifts as he seldom give with his words. Maybe it was his upbringing.

He was also a loving husband. He was very close with my mother. They were inseparable. He loved my mom so much, that anyone could tell. They would be doing things and going places together. He even presented my mom a beautiful poem, describing how much he loved her, a few months before he left. He cared for my mom, even, up till when he was hospitalised on that fateful day. Once, my mom told me,

"I am very proud of having bapak as my husband. He took care of me, very well. And during we were together, I never regretted, even a second, as I had given my best to him."

I envy what he and my mom had during their marriage. I wish, one day, I will experience it. Great man he was, and if only I am half of him. My dad, my idol.

"Happy Birthday, bapak!"

Al-fatihah.

From Boston to Kuala Kedah

Had a pleasant surprise yesterday. Doug, my dad's old family friend, came down to Malaysia and visited us. My late dad first met him in 1968. He was with the Peace Corp. then. They were good buddies. He left Malaysia somewhere in 1971. But, they still kept in touch with each other via mails and telephone calls. He and Andrea, his wife, came down last weekend for a wedding, held in Langkawi Island. He also paid a visit to my dad's grave in Alor Setar. He respects my dad so much, that he actually tried fasting this year, in honour of my dad. A true friend he is.

Back in the early 90s, I was in the States, studying. Being a 20 year old guy, who was never been away from family, and suddenly found himself thousand of miles away from home, stranded in St.Louis, Missouri (more like misery!) in bloody cold end of December of 93, wasn't a good start to my staying there! Had no one. Felt really alone. Homesick to the max! Most of my seniors over there weren't much of a help either. Really hated those f#@%ers! After my first few days there, had a conversation with my dad via the phone. Shared with him my thoughts and tribulations. So he told me to call a friend of his. An American, by the name of Douglas Rae. That wasn't my first time hearing the name, but somehow or rather, it was pleasant to hear it again. Got his number, but initially I was a little reluctant to call him. Had my doubts, I mean, I've never spoken to him, let alone sharing my feelings.

Somehow, I did, eventually, at 3am! To my surprise, he was extremely pleasant. A very nice friend, indeed. He was very warm and made me feel relax. I felt, as if, I've known him long before! He shared with me his story when he was about my age. Turned out, we actually had the same experience! Well, almost the same. He was around my age when he was posted to Kuala Kedah back in the late 60s. Imagine then! The culture shock he had to endure during that time. No clean water, no electricity, no phone lines. His house was almost a shack. He had to cycle 20km just to get to Alor Setar town! And only a handful could converse in english! I can't imagine how he survived the period. Luckily, I guess, he met my father then.

He made me appreciate what I had at that time. He made me stronger inside. I hope tp repay his kindness, one day. I, eventually, dropped by Boston and paid him a visit, a year later. And that was another great experience all-together!

7th Day of Separation

Last Saturday was the fifth day of Raya. Got up late, really late. Bored as hell. Exactly 7 days without my girlfriend and daughters around. My daughters were still not back yet from their trip. My girlfriend was not back yet, either. Luckily I have my mom around.

Had lunch at my auntie's place in Kelana Jaya. Good lunch. Gloomy weather, though. I guess the damped condition outside created the extra appetite for everybody. After that, had nothing much to do as my cousin was not around. If not, we would have been battling our way with his PS2. Winning Eleven is the best football game, ever!

So, guess what I did? Played poker for a while. Took me just a few rounds to go broke. So, I turned myself into a semi-pro photographer, pulak! I took some pictures of the house backyard with my Nokia N73. My uncle was my assistant cum model. Interestingly, I got some cool pix! Very impressed with its picture quality. Check them out!
Well, at least, it helped me to kill the time. Luckily, my girlfriend was coming back the next day.

Quiet Riot and Raya

Me cousins and me self

Back from my hometown this morning. Gone for 5 days. Had 2 hectic days of Raya celebration. And 1 Good break.

This year's Raya, few things I missed. Like, the traffic jam at the PLUS highway, which was a good thing. Opted to travel via air, this time. A friend told me, he was driving 20kph at the highway for 2 and a half hours! Yikes! Also, the sky was clear, no haze! Really missed the haze when I was away....NOT!
My late dad. Missed him so much!(since 2003, actually) I did visit his grave. I'm blessed coz my mom is still around. The absence of my sister and her family, who now resides in London. Lastly, I missed my 2 beautiful angels since, this year, it's their mom's turn to celebrate their Raya with.

Sigh.

Me mom, Chak and Chu Sengkuang, kuah rojak & peanuts!

On the contrary, a few things were pleasant and new. After travelling for about 50 minutes, at the speed of 422.31kph, my 'Now, Everyone Can Fly' plane, finally touched down at the Alor Setar airport. Upon disembarking from the plane, I had a pleasant surprise! A brand new airport all together! Quite nice. 2 storey building some more you know! Very impressive, indeed. I just hope they know how to maintain it. Malaysians have the habit of building stuff and let it die after a few years. Less than 10 hours later, I celebrated Deepavali with some family friends. Had a good time and, not forgetting, the delicious food. Yummy! Auntie Patma's chicken curry is da best! Also, my favorite auntie's chocolate cake! Apart from it's weird shape and all, Aunt Che Pah's choc cake is one of the best ever!

And, during raya eve, got to main mercun with my family. Firecrackers rock! Heheheee... really enjoyed blewing up stuff! Funny thing was, it was an all-adult affair...nobody was below 12 years of age! Took my thoughts back when I was a kid. Aah! the good old days.

Normally, when I go back to Alor Setar, me and my buddies would go to Yasmeen Restaurant to meet up. Over the years, it became our favourite meeting place. Apart from its strategic location, its superb food made it a hit for everyone. How it grew from just another restaurant to 'A Must Go And Eat If You're Back In Alor Setar' eating place was phenomenal! It was a shock for me at first as the restaurant was packed to the brim, from 7pm - 3am, NON-STOP! Quite chaotic and almost looked like a riot at times. From the first day till the second day of Raya, I lepak there with my buddies from 12 midnight till 3am. And I noticed, 15-20 people would line-up to order the food. Shockingly, this queue would remain the same length for as long as I was there! To be in a pack restaurant, in Alor Setar, at 3am, is revolutionary! And the best part was, on normal days, Alor Setar would be dead by 9.30pm.

Buka puasa at Yasmeen Restaurant

Oh well... other than that, it was quite a quiet Raya.

Selamat Hari Raya & Happy Deepavali

I would like to wish all my muslim friends and readers, wherever you are, Selamat Hari Raya/Eid Mubarak! And to all my hindu friends and readers, Happy Diwali! Others, have a good break. Drive safely and have a good celebration. I will be back to my hometown, for a couple of days. Be back next week. So till then, SEE YA!!!

Hooters Are Here!

ACHTUNG!

To all the straight, women loving, red-blooded, guys in Malaysia, Hooters are here!!! Well, Hooters magazine, that is. I know... I can't believe it, either. Until a colleague of mine showed me one. Right smack on my face. His face was beaming and full of pride, when he showed me his proud belonging (magazine la!, what were you thinking?). The moment was so joyous for the two of us that it made us looked like a couple of kids that just got a candy or something.

"Dude, like where did you get this?!", my voice was almost at the top of my lungs, when I uttered the question.

"I got it off the shelf in Mid Valley!"

"Whoa, that's, only, like a couple of kms away". So near, yet so far.

Yes, mom, I know it's puasa month, and it's not appropriate to talk about this, blah blah blah. But, gimme a break la. So, to any guys out there, so far, only 2 places that these gems were spotted, NZ Magazine Shop, Mid Valley and Mynews.com, KLCC. Get them fast before somebody from you know where, finds out about it and ban it from existence ever in Malaysia. I don't wanna go so explicit on the content, but, one word - S..U..P..E..R..B!

So, guess where I'm gonna break my fast, today?

Grrrrreat Scot! The Haze Is Here To Stay!

Believe it or not, this picture was taken, around 7.30am today, while I was driving to work! It's exactly the same scenario 9 days ago from my previous post. Can't even remember the last time I saw the clear sky. God! I've forgotten how the sun looks like, or how bright the moon would shine at night!.... sigh. Makes you appreciate things you actually take for granted before. I guess it's God's way of telling us be thankful.

I myself, is feeling stuffy already. No wonder puasa wasn't that tough this year, had haze to fill in my stomach! Yucks! So pathetic...

Movie Website Review

Last week, I checked out for year end hot new movies in the internet. Browsing my firefox, I bumped into several movie website, movies.com, rottentomates.com, movietickets.com, futuremovies.co.uk, even our own local gsc.com.my and several others. Quite nice and very informative. I especially like movies.com website, very easy and clear cut. Others are a bit ceramuk and messy. So I came across the must see movies line-up, like Transformers, Casino Royale, Open Season, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning AND lastly, our very own Cicakman (what a pathetic title to begin with)

So, I checked each movie's website. Wanted to view the movie trailers and whatever interesting. Transformers' website was cool! There was a contest where you can actually submit a line for Optimus Prime to speak in the movie, can you believe that?? Way cool! The trailer was good as well, although a bit short, but I got the glimpse of what to come this 7.4.07. Can't wait! Next, was Open Season. Cute website. Targeting kids, obviously, it offers...er kids stuff. The trailer was fun, as well. Spontaneously, I had the urge to bring my daughters to watch it once it's out.

Casino Royale was next. Very, very cool and suave website. The trailer was breathtaking. God! Made me wanna be the guy! You can actually download the trailer to PSPs. The soundtrack was superb, as well. It has online James Bond game, too. And guess what? The website offers poker game online, as well! With so much offerings, and I totally believe, a super cool James Bond movie this going to be, I will be among the first, lining up at the movies come Nov 17...in London! Coincidently, I'll be leaving for the city on that day!

Next, was Cicakman. An ambitious website, I would say. Nice graphics. BUT as usual, Malaysians like to do it halfway. Very disappointing in terms of what it offers. Several options were made available in the website, like, About the Film, Downloads, Gallery, Trailer, Get Updates and etc. I checked all of them and almost everything replied with COMING SOON. And this was from a movie that was supposed to be out very soon. Except for Downloads, which only offers one pathetic wallpaper of Cicakman himself, nothing else worked. The website was not user friendly as well. The screens kept overlapping on each other. Overall, it's a total embarassment to our local movie scenes. I can bet that the movie will be half baked as well.

Sigh, still waiting for that day, when I get to be proud of our own local stuff.

The Return of the Biggie!

Okay guys, the wait has ended. The Malay Mail Big Walk 2006 is back! Back with a bang! In a break from tradition, the upcoming Biggie on Dec 16 at Dataran Merdeka, will be held in the evening, from 3pm till midnight. First time ever being done in Malaysia! Participants can kick back after the race, soak up the carnival atmosphere and party the night away! Also, in line with the new 'youth-centric' outlook, the Malay Mail Big Walk 2006 will have a new category, which is called Fun Walk, open to everybody. Forms will come out on the 18th of October onwards in the Malay Mail. For more info, check out www.mmail.com.my

Can't wait to join the walk and be a part of history!

Yikes! It's Friday the 13th...again.

Yesterday, A friend of mine reminded me of Friday the 13th. Making a pathetic hantu sound, he thought he could make my heart tremble. Although, Jason did come into my mind for a second. One of the scariest movie I've ever seen.

"Bro, your face alone is enough to scare people, ok! hahahahaa..." He didn't seem amuse with my remark.

Just for fun, I did some findings on Friday the 13th. Did you know that in 2005, Friday the 13th came only once. In 2006, Friday the 13th comes twice, in January and October. Same will be for 2007 but back to once in 2008. Fascinating. So, how did this myth start? Googling my way in the cyberspace, I found that, apparently, friday the 13th is considered the unluckiest of days in many superstitions, unless, you were born on that day itself, in which case, it's you're lucky day! Hmmm... interesting. I dug deeper.

Did you know that fear of friday the 13th, is called paraskavedekatriaphobia, a phobia of the number thirteen. Amazing! Never knew such word exist in the first place and how can anyone come up with such name? Plus the origin of Friday the 13th has many versions. One of them is that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit on Friday. It is also linked to the fact that there were 13 people at the last supper Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday.

Another belief suggested that it originated from a Norse Myth, about 12 Gods having a feast. Loki, the uninvited guest, gate crashed the party and arranged Hod, the blind God of Darkness, to shoot Baldur, the God of Joy and Gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Baldur was killed and as a result, Earth plunged into darkness.

Frigg

Also, 'Friday' was named after Frigg or Frigga, the Norse Goddess of Marriage. She was confused with the Goddess of Love, Freya, who later identified with Friday.
Freya (not bad, eh?)

When the Norsemen and Germanic tribes became christians, Freya was to be banished to the mountains as a witch. Soon after, Friday was known as Witches of Sabbath. And it was believed that on this day, 12 witches and the Devil met. 13 evil spirits Annual Convention, I guess.

Well, at the end of the day, it's all up to us whether to believe. Personally, I believe that God gives us the wisdom to think and choose what to believe. In Islam, ironically, Friday is the chief of all days. And Friday is the day of worship. The day to remember all the blessings that God has bestowed on us. Well, I guess, one has to respect one's opinion. For me, one thing's for sure, THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY! Yeehhaaaa!!!

Seha Passed Away

Pagi tadi ada member called me and informed of the bad news. Norsehah Abu Bakar, or famously known as Seha from the group Freedom, sadly, passed away this morning kat GH.

Jenazah akan dibawa balik ke rumah Abangnya, di No.9 Jalan Kesuma 2, Taman Kesuma Ampang. Insyaallah, akan dikebumikan selepas zohor, hari ini.

Sesiapa nak pergi melawat, do so, by this afternoon. Al-Fatihah.

Seiring dan Sejalan, No More.

Had a lengthy discussion with a friend of mine, yesterday. Apparently, she was on the verge of getting a divorce. The D word is no stranger to myself. What amazed me was how she spoke in a very cool manner. Not that she was heartless or anything, but how she sounded so firm. Tried to share my thoughts with her, of how hell it would be if she decided to go ahead with the divorce. Financially, mentally and physically she will be drained out. And this won't just affect her, but her 8 year old girl and a baby son, too. As a friend, I tried to talk her out of it, scaring her a bit, but she sounded adamant with her decision. She tried to justify her option by sharing with me her torments.

"Being married for more than 10 years and suffering halfway through it, wasn't a joyride", she muttered.

Apparently, she was lying to herself for 5 years in order to save their marriage. And marriage is suppose to bring out the best in you, but in her case, more of hindering of her true self from coming out. Now that's mental torture. Plus, eventhough they worked in the same industry, and yet, there was no true communications between them. Sad but true.

Divorce rate among the Malays are bloody high. In 2004, a total of 16,509 were recorded, compared to year 2000, with 13,536 cases. A staggering 21% increase in 4 years! In 2004, Selangor leads the pack, with 3,136 cases and shockingly, Kelantan comes in second, with 1,952 followed by Johor, 1,690.

http://www.kpwkm.gov.my/panel/Upload/Jad%206.4.pdf

Before we hung up, I wished her well and all the happiness. She was calm, eventhough I could tell from her voice, she was under immense stress. I knew she had to make the decision, come what may. I guess, sometimes, in some cases, separation is the best.

Grrrrreat Scot! The Haze Is Back!

This morning, I was in Scotland. Driving to my office in Glasgow. With all the morning mist, felt really cold. I guess winter is coming. Ah! can't wait for the snow to visit the highlands, again. What a wonderful White Raya we're gonna have this year...NOT!

Wait a minute, I'm not in Scotland! Stupid KL haze again! Surely the scenery helped a lot with my dream. My nose is stuffed, my eyes are watery, throat is choked! What the hell is going on here?? It's been 8 years since the first haze blanketed Malaysia, why aren't the Government doing anything? For God's sake, I've never been to Scotland, but it surely felt that way this morning. Sigh...I just hope we're not having white hazy raya, this 24th.

Proton Syndrome in Local Film Industry

Here we go, again! Not another Proton case! I'm just pissed off with all these stupid regulations. And I'm tired of this pathetic mentality. This time it's FINAS. It has set a wajib tayang policy, for cinema operators to screen seven Malaysian made films in November and December. As a result, operators must allocate their biggest halls for our local flicks and give foreign movies the backseat. What the hell, la? It just doesn't make sense.

Why? Why do we need such protection? Why must FINAS do this? Can't they see what's happening with Proton now? It's been over 20 years, and they still can't walk without the Government holding their hand. Don't FINAS see they are spoiling the industry? Like what Dr. M used to say, look at the root of the problem.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? Our local movies SUCK! And we don't want to admit it.

HENCE? No support from local crowd.

HOW TO CURE? Do homework and make good quality movies la, if possible to go and sell to overseas market, as well.

Here are some of my interesting findings-

1) Like what I've wrote previously (Creativity Limited?), our film makers are only looking at ways of making quick-money. They don't care about the long term. Same as the pathetic Proton Co.

2) Our film makers don't do extensive research or homework before producing a film. Same as Proton, just look at their R&D. s...a...d.

3) Our film industry people can't get a job outside the country, be it directing or acting (except for Datuk Michelle Yeoh and Angelica Lee) Same as Proton. Can't sell their cars outside the country as well (except for Australia and war torn country, Iraq, itu pun jadi kereta polis!)

4) Films produced nowadays - lack quality, bad directing, pathetic acting, sad script, etc. Hey guess what? Same as Proton. Lack quality, bad parts, sad engine, etc.

5) Same actors, use over and over again. Example: hero - Rosyam Noor, Awie & Yusri. Proton, same car models, produce since 1985 till today. Example: model - Iswara, Wira

6) Both need Government intervention to survive. Wajib tayang and car import tax.

Can you see the resemblance?

I know it's easier to just say than done, but that's the real truth. When are we going to learn to face the facts, pick up the pieces and stand on our own? It's time to grow out of this mentality. I'm proud to be a Malaysian and I'm sure as hell want to be proud of our local made products! But I don't see that in the next change!

To Err Is Human, To Buy Is To Waste?

A funny thing happened to me yesterday. Nah, I won’t call it funny, perhaps fascinating would describe it best. Really made me think. Puasa as usual. Didn’t wake up for sahur, though. Too tired. Needed the extra hour of sleep. Hugging my bolster and just when I though it was still early... RRRRRRIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGG!!!!

6.05am* Got up and did the usual morning stuff.

8.15am* At the office.

9.47am* Stomach started to keroncong. Another 9 hours plus to go...aaaarrrrggghhhh!

FAST-FORWARD

5.03pm* Getting ready to go back.

A minute later, all of a sudden, with my stomach sounded like a rock concert already, my mind started to wander. A place so special. A place where millions of people pushing and shoving each other. Sort of a mini riot. Regardless the age or sex, human beings give no respect to each other anymore. Mothers abandon their kids, husbands forget about their wives. Everybody is too busy, concentrating on just one thing - FOOD!

Well, I may sound a bit extra exaggerating. But that's how Bazaar Ramadhan looks like through my eyes. I guess, my being extra hungry didn't help. I guess, the smell of ayam percik, ikan terubuk bakar, murtabak kambing and air kelapa muda create the hallucination. I don't know. But despite all these 'hell break loose' situations, nothing beats the joy of walking from stall to stall, choosing my favourite dish or dessert.

So, there I was at USJ4 Bazaar Ramadhan, after an hour and a half battling my way through the KL traffic. I almost left my car unlock due to the tantalizing aroma coming from the stalls. Suddenly, it hit me. Only RM6 left in my wallet!

"What can I get with a measly six bucks!"

I didn't know whether to cry or to scream. I knew my mom had prepared food at home, but still, the ayam percik and satay were driving me crazy! In the end, I only got air bandung, a few currypuffs and a murtabak. Sad. I was cursing at myself non-stop, while walking back to my car. If only I had more money. Me and my carelessness.

7.06pm* Buka puasa time! Not a second wasted, I wrestled my way through the dishes. Pajeri nenas, pari bakar, gulai siput, ayam masak madu and air kelapa muda never knew what hit them! Delicious!

7.47pm* Stomach bloated, I felt like I couldn't even lift a finger. And just like that, another puasa day was gone.

As I was about to leave my table and wash my hands, I gazed through the main table. Among the empty plates, and glasses, I saw something that made my eyes popped! My currypuffs and murtabak, neatly on a plate. God! I realized that I didn't even touch them. And there I was feeling so bloody-full, so kenyang! Questions began to pop inside my head.

"What if I had more money earlier?"

"What if I didn't forget to withdraw my money?"

...what if I had bought more food? Who's gonna finish them?"

What ifs. This incident might look trivial to someone else, but for me, it really hit me. Earlier, I was this thoughtless person, looking for food to feast my eyes and stomach. Never once thinking of the wastages I would incur. Not a second, thinking about being in the spirit of Ramadhan. I was a totally different person then. I let my hunger dictated me. And I'm sure that moment of madness didn't just hit me. What if there's another a hundred more like me, or a thousand more like me? Think of all the food that we'll be wasting. Better to use the money or food to feed the orphans or something. I felt remorse. What a test.

Sigh.

It's almost five o'clock, again.

I guess, later, walking through the "millions of people" won't be the same again. I hope...