Anecdotes of my passing...

The news of the poor boy who got beaten up by bullies in a religious school seemed to have struck another nerve yet again in the psyche of gentle Malaysians. The bullies supposedly trampled and stepped on the boy and the attack was unprovoked. In my humble opinion, it is always some sort of provocation that really brings out the worst in a man. I find it hard to believe that the attack was totally "unprovoked". However, it could also be a "provocation" that wasn't really the poor boy's fault. Maybe he looked too handsome that the bullies can't take it.. Maybe he had a really sweet dimpled smile that just grates on the bullies' nerves. I don't know the true story, only the one painted in the media. So I can't say for sure, but it's just a hunch. That said, this sad incident is yet another in our illustrious religious school's amazing track record for getting its students aggressed and killed. Remember the incident last year where a student was gang-bullied by his seniors resulting in his death? The school wanted to cover-up the incident and told the parents that the boy was sick, etc...but in sooth, he was bullied to his death. The pranks the seniors pulled on him resulted in him dying. Does the school owned up even after their feeble cover-up plot was discovered and laid out in the open? NO!

Funny, how these schools are supposed to be "RELIGIOUS" schools yet the students are worse off than those from even correctional schools like Henry Gurney. I wonder what kind of deviant religion being taught and circulated around these schools. Makes you wonder where those religious zealots chanting 'infidel' and recruiting youngsters to blow themselves up in show of their fanaticism on their twisted ideology. I do hope that Malaysia does not end to be another cradle for Islamist fanatics or any other terrorists for that matter regardless of creed. I do hope the authorities will take stern action to ensure that these sort of untoward incident won't happen again. My empathy for the poor boy lying on the hospital bed now.







Happy Birthday, Debbie! :)

Stay cute babe! Many happy returns of the day! You're a sweet Barbie. :)

Did some shopping at Midvalley today. Went with Dad to Ace's Hardware to check out some wares. The new barbeque grill looked fantastic. It comes with a big grill and it was double-stacked. It also has a side bar to fry small items. And it came at a whooping RM 7k++.

Bought 2 pairs of shoes and a sandal. Big sale going on. Only one pair for me and the sandals and other pair of shoe was my brother's. His feet is growing to be much larger than mine. Then it was pretty much enough of shopping for me. The crowd grew larger and the atmosphere was just too uncomfortable. Went for some book shopping and got myself a few titles. Bought Lweis Carroll's complete works, Mammon Inc. by Hwee Hwee Tan, Creatures Big and Small by James Herriot, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon(been wanting to get this for a long time now, but deliberated) and yea..i guess that's all. No wait, got the full omnibus edition of Sherlock Holmes for my brother too. So, I guess that's enough spending in one day.

Had lunch at Sate King. The burger was pretty good. The meat was chunky and the sate sauce wasn't over-dripping. The free Arabic sates were quite delicious as well. They reminded me of Pringles' Sour Cream and Onion flavour. Only the fries were stale and pale.


Went to Ikea too later. The crowd was large but the furnitures were great. Makes me wanna get a new chair for my pc. I think I deserved a new one. Oh yea, should anyone come a visit, don't forget to try the ice-cream of RM1 each. It's real creamy and I must say it's better than McDonald's cone. Go go go. :)

Spent the entire day resting and sleeping basically. Body had some rash, but it's gone now. Yea...that was some rash to watch Macarena alright.

Wouldn't touch the pool, nor would go near it. Enough of water for a few days. I decided to clear the larder of all forms of packeted and ready-to-eat processed food. Watched some tv, and caught up with backdated news before taking another journey down dreamville.

Woke up to the sound of more TV, and then it's back to snacking and munching.

Slept again. Like a baby.....

Also, checked my mage but as it turned out, it was already armageddon. My mage didn't survive the arma. My guild mage was in much better condition, and my defense in place before I left was still as strong as ever. This goes to show how important defensive stacking is along with a good defensive assignment of item and spell.

Yes, our time at Redang comes to an end. It was fun while it lasted. For those who are still virgin to this island, please pay a visit soon. You'll appreciate its beauty and grace.

Tired........tired....

Bed, here I come.

Initially, I wasn't really looking forward to this trip. I was tired from all types of travelling and I had wanted to quiet moment to soothe my jet-lagged legs. Not to mention, my weary body and mind too. But then again, I'm glad I made it because I had fun there. I also managed to get some form of relaxation done too.


Nevertheless, I enjoyed my stay there. I truly had some wonderful moments. Managed to contemplate some issues, managed to get some rest. Life of a beach bum is truly something indeed. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a little dose of tonic to enjoy life. Funny, my house in Penang wasn't this enjoyable. Maybe it's because the water here is much clearer and the air much much fresher.

Redang
The shining sun that blazes scorched
That wraps all around with heat so warm,
The bright rays that shine Nature's beauty like a torch
In all magnificent displays and forms.

The swaying palm trees that adorn the beach
The noni trees that provide the shade,
The creamy white sand that tickles your feet
This is a Paradise, a gift God made.

The gentle waves lapping up the shore
The pristine waters so clear and blue
The tender wind that tells the lore
On the richness of Nature's breath-taking view.

Time seems to have deserted here
A lifestyle thrives that of Adam and Eve,
Carefully reminding us ovf things that were
To live life full before we leave.

A shrine for all that time forgot,
A hope for all in a brighter future
A place where friendships are made and forged,
A melting pot of worldly cultures.

A pause in our journey
As we roll Life's dice,
A gem among the common and ordinary,
Redang is truly a paradise.

We had to wait for about an hour at the quiet bus depot before 4 vans of our operator came to pick us up and brought us to their "hq" which actually turned out to be some double-storey house converted into a rest area before launching us to the jetty. The house next door was the actual "hq" which rought translates to a sorry excuse of an office. We were told to get into our shorts and sandals as the likelihood of getting wet was high.

One note of observation though: The life here seemed really laid-back and there are hardly many cars on the roads. The buildings were all old and looked deserted. Not many bright and big establishments save for the Astaka supermarket located beside the bus depot.

We were then transferred and relocated to a jetty via vans from the "hq". Here, at the jetty we can see schools of fish actually swimming in the clear water. A few jetties were located along the stretch of beach with each jetty representing a particular resort in Redang. A few souvenir stalls were close-by peddling the usual fares of trinkets and personalized T-shirts that hardly seem novel enough to warrant purchase.

We had to wait for more than an hour until the boat arrived at about 9.40. The journey was amazingly chronicled with bouts of excitement as well as tragedy. The first 40 minutes were pretty much ordinary like any other boat journeys, except the water was turqoise. We coulds see apertures of sunlight thoruhg billowing clouds and the sea interspersed with tiny dots of islands here and there.

Then we sailed right into a heavy bout of shower which had everyone soaking wet. The crowd started moving towards the enclosed area of the boat leaving a few attempting to brave the water in the open area. Before long, the skies cleared and as we approached our destination, more islands were apparent all around. Some with huge boulders and scant vegetation, some with a lot of lush vegetation, and none showed any sign of human habitation. The sea water was so pristine we could see right through.

Before long, Redang beckoned...We were greeted by creamy white sand, that felt like icing sugar on our feet... And that my readers...is paradise.

The bus with the name Transnasional emblazoned on its side departed at approximately 10 p.m. Scores of anxious parents were there, seeing their offspring taking on a journey to the quiet and rustic setting of the east coast or more specifically, Pulau Redang. They were there; from the wait till the flag-off.Quietly, I smiled inside. Somehow, they either had very caring and/or protective guardians, or the offsprings were relatively less-travelled. Not that I'm a big traveller myself. :) I would actually love to backpack around the globe...if my wallet permits it, but alas!

Alright, back to the journey...

We took a less than familiar route, our journey brought us to Segamat, Tangkak, and other relatively quiet towns until we reached Kuala Terengganu. We made a few stops, the first of which was to allow the driver to catch a quick meal at a very dirty eatery with even dirtier toilets. And the nerve to charge 20cents for such infested and war-torn toilets. Then, we were off again and somewhere around 3 something (I was asleep), we made another stop. We reached K.T. at around 5.30 a.m. The journey took approximately 7 hours.

Due to the late answer that I received from Kenneth, I've yet to reschedule my timetable. I've planned my week out, but since I didn't know that the trip was to begin on Tuesday, I guess my plan just went out the window.

Yea, going to Pulau Redang... (at least i think that's the one...what was it again?) Hmm...nice sandy beaches, fantastic spas, pristine water, amazing sea-life,....maybe even skimpy bikinis? :)

Will try to keep a day-to-day update of this trip. No promises though. And yea, pictures. :)

I also didn't know that this was a joint-collaboration with another class. As far as i was told, it was supposed to be a class trip. Oh well, i guess I'm not really looking forward to it then. : /


Edit : Yes, it was Redang.

I have been so out of touch with the local news scene. I've read about the boy who skipped NS and also the poor man , Mangal was it (?) who was unjustly punished. It's only too bad he had limited resources at his disposal. I wished that the person being unjustly punished would have been some rich tycoon who would take our incompetent and crony-family government to court. Yea, sue those creeps in our higher office.

Hmm..did I mention that I do not like our Minister of Internal Security....


Also, it's been heartening to read about Kylie and her successful surgery to remove the lump in her breast. May her experience be an eye-opener to all. Please go for your regular screenings.


Today is also an auspicious day for Buddhists. Happy Wesak Day to all! And a nice Sunday too! :)





Isn't she lovely.... isn't she wonderful....

Cheers!

Scene 1

ANAKIN: Sometimes, I wonder what's happening to the Jedi Order . . . I think this war is destroying the principles of the Republic.

PADME: Have you ever considered that we may be on the wrong side?

ANAKIN: What do you mean?

PADME: What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?

ANAKIN: I don't believe that. And you're sounding like a Separatist!

PADME: Anakin, this war represents a failure to listen . . . Now, you're closer to the Chancellor than anyone. Please, please ask him to stop the fighting and let diplomacy resume.

ANAKIN: Don't ask me to do that, Padme. Make a motion in the Senate, where that kind of a request belongs.

PADME: What is it?

ANAKIN: Nothing.

PADME: Don't do this . . . don't shut me out. Let me help you.

PADME: Hold me . . . like you did by the lake on Naboo, so long ago . . . when there was nothing but our love ... No politics, no plotting ... no war.

And they embraced...



Scene 2

ANAKIN: Padme, I saw your ship . . .

PADME: Oh, Anakin!

ANAKIN: It's all right, you're safe now. What are you doing out here?

PADME: I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things.

ANAKIN: What things?

PADME: He said you have turned to the dark side . . . that you killed younglings.

ANAKIN: Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me.

PADME: He cares about us.

ANAKIN: Us??! PADME: He knows . . . He wants to help you.

PADME: Anakin, all I want is your love.

ANAKIN: Love won't save you, Padme. Only my new powers can do that.

PADME: At what cost? You are a good person. Don't do this.

ANAKIN: I won't lose you the way I lost my mother! I've become more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of and I've done it for you. To protect you.

PADME: Come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can.

ANAKIN: Don't you see, we don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be.

PADME: I don't believe what I'm hearing . . . Obi-Wan was right. You've changed.

ANAKIN: I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me.

PADME: I don't know you anymore. Anakin, you're breaking my heart. I'll never stop loving you, but you are going down a path I can't follow. *

ANAKIN: Because of Obi-Wan?

PADME: Because of what you've done . . . what you plan to do. Stop, stop now. Come back! I love you.

ANAKIN: (seeing Obi-Wan) Liar!

PADME turns around and. sees OBI-WAN standing in the doorway of the Naboo Cruiser.

PADME: No!

ANAKIN: You're with him. You've betrayed me! You brought him here to kill me!

PADME: NO! Anakin. I swear ... I ...

ANAKIN reaches out, and PADME grabs her throat as she starts to choke.


It was this scene 2 that I felt the most emotion in the entire movie. It is this human element that made Episode 4 so enduring. When Padme broke down in * you could actually feel the emotion that was so empowering. Truly, Natalie Portman is an accomplished actress, and way above her peers, with wannabe stars like Linday Lohan, Amanda Bynes, and Hillary Duff. It's just too bad that her scenes in this movie was so limited. Her acting talents were not fully utilized. There was more emphasis on the action scenes. Hayden was in his element the moment he turned to the Dark Side. That was the most natural acting that I could see from him, and the earlier scenes with him calling Master, Master towards his Jedi peers wasn't very convincing. He plays the brooding, evil apprentice of Darth Sidious much better.

Having seen the final episode that gave birth to Darth Vader, I have come to a conclusion. The money was well-spent and my 2 hour plus was not wasted. Not wasted at all.

In this third instalment of the 6-part saga, we see how young Anakin transforms into one of the most enigmatic evil lord of all time, Darth Vader. With his imposing frame and an trademark heavy-breathing, he sends a chilling image and is not one to be trifled with, what's more with his death-choke abilities and agility with a light-sabre. This time we get to see how Anakin lost his limbs and is refitted with mechanical ones and finally the placing of his helmet which in my opinion is his strongest brand presence. As the shiny helmet slowly comes down and crowns his head; we get the impression that this is pretty much like any beauty pageant show with a difference. And as the table slowly rises to stand Darth Vader upright, that was the highlight of the whole episode I to III. Then come the heavy breathing.... That's Darth Vader. You better remember it. And yes, lovely Amidala died. She died of a broken heart. :( My heart weeps for you.

I digress. I am urging all to watch the movie and enjoy yourselves. It's pure sci-fi with mind-blowing special effects. The diverse settings and characters will offer a lot of food for thought. Even the weapons, droids and machines might be a premonition of what our future lies.

In the meantime, I want to get my midichlorian count checked.


P.S. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader has the highest known midichlorian count, much higher than that of Master Yoda and Darth Sidious.

I've given it some thought and I felt that I should share it with the rest of the world. Well, in case fellow Malaysians haven't guessed it already, the local commercial movie scene is very very very very very terrible. I use the term commercial because our indie movies are the raves of the international film festivals. Soppy load of crap like the nauseating Sembilu saga (now they have it in a serial form......in the high-school-type of setting ala Smallville) and the slap-stick porridge of sad jokes, the Senario franchise are sadly lacking in many aspects that have made even budget films using low-tech gadgetry in poor countries like Indonesia, and Thailand a Ben Hur. I have nothing against love stories, heck, I love love stories (pardon the pun) but our movies just don't have the "IT" factor. There is no chemistry, no passion, no feeling, no emotion. Everything looks wooden and scripted. I've watched Iranian movies that really moved me. And they had children playing parts that would've put many of our "veteran" actor and actressess to shame. Which brings me to.....



1. Quality of actor/actresses/directors

I'm of the opinion that our actors and actresses are highly-overrated. Their roles are very much stereotyped and lack the emotion to get into character. Our potpourri of films with basically the same storyline year in year out doesn't help them much either in helping them develop their acting skills. Most of these "Stars" are talent-spotted, not at theatrical performances or operatic houses, bur rather they were picked to model and parade products. It is only after this that they get this brainwave that they have "IT". They have the star power! Star quality! Then, they begin by getting small roles in advertisements and move on the big screen with teeny-bopper movies. They establish their fan base who praise the ground they walk upon not because of their superior acting skills but rather the ability of their make-up artists to doll them up. Hence, it's actually the make-up artists that are the true stars of our cinema. Every big star started small...by getting advertisements, extras in serials...then graduate to higher grounds of cinematic glory. Stars like Denzel Washingto for example started by playing drama in theates. This is the factor that separates our stars from that of other places. They start at the right places. They KNOW how to act, carry themself, portray a character, get into the groove...etc. Ours however are multi-faceted with skills in most of their portfolios. Things you read like, Ms. So and So is a vj/actress/host/model...bla bla. You don't catch fantastic actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Cruise doing a whole lot of vj'ing/modelling/hosting...bla bla. They know what their good at, and they keep improving themselves. Ok ok, they may do a little hosting at awards and all, but that's all. They stick to their specialty. Their talents. Ours prefer to hog the spotlight. Who holds the biggest portfolio is the biggest star seems to be the tagline for our artistes. Enough of our amateur up-coming stars, let's move on to the already established ones. There are fantastic actors and actresses whom I give credit like Erma Fatima, Azean Irdawati, Eman Manan, but these select few are about the tip of the iceberg. The submerged ones should just stay submerged. The only quality that they have is pretty much looking photogenic on the camera. 'Nuff said.

This brings me to the directors. Now if directors with resources but terrible talent like our Datuk Yusof Haslam keeps churning out tragically (stupid) love stories, our actors and actresses will never be able to assume roles that may enhance their skills. No doubt, these movies bring in the cash, but at least do a better job of it. And the sad part of it is, THERE are people watching it. I suppose this is where the star factor comes in. Majority of these mindless zombies seem to originate from a certain sector of our society that doesn't seem to appreciate art. One could argue that it is art from a certain viewpoint, but I'm sure you'll agree with me that slapping your turd on a piece of paper and saying that it's an art is harder to swallow. Perhaps these cinema-goers are in the cinema for altogether different reason.... hmm... Now that's PG 13.


2. Soundtrack/Sound technology

I you'd notice many of our local serials and movies lack sound to bring out the atmosphere. The usage of these sound is confined to only crucial parts of the movie/series. Just take any B-rated movie off the shelf from Hollywood and they would have a better sound system than our 5-star movies. Each scene needs to evoke more than 1 sense to really heighten and surround the viewers. Even simple scenes could benefit from a simple sound like a small flute solo when the camera rolls in on the sprawling view of the meadows... you know, small details like that. Instead, we get sounds of crickets and sometimes no sound at all when such scenes are played. There is no emotion. The screen is dead. Heck, my eyes hurt! They hurt so bad!

Soundtrack. Now this is something that should always be carefully thought of by the producers and directors. A soundtrack can help float a movie like it did for The Bodyguard featuring the amazing I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston. The climax of the scene had this song played. And the raw emotion that overtake your senses when you see Kevin Costner rush towards Whitney to save her from the bullet. With this powerful song playing in the background...now that's theatre of the senses. Do we get this here? No...we have songs, yes, but they don't evoke this kind of emotion from viewers. Then there is the Titanic. Need I say more?


3. Camera and film rolls.





Having said all that, I'm looking forward to seeing Episode III. Don't even get me started on the disparity between that movie with our mountain princess movie....

Isn't she lovely...

Amidala,

Thy speak like the wind that blows
Rustles the leaves and trembles the boughs
Thy grace that lights the earth
Kisses the eyes and springs the mirth
Thy gaze so lovingly deep
Caresses the soul, makes me weep.

Thy time was brief
Forever loved yet a thousand grief
A driving Force of Love
Thine enigma from heavens above.

As we lay our wreaths
Upon thy solemn and sacred grave
Tears awash, with bated breaths
Thy being the altar for the pure and brave.

Hopes torn asunder
Chaos and strife everywhere
Thy death the making of Vader
Upon thee I swear his death!

No more thy wise and trusty counsel
A faithful companion, a fair damsel
Oh, how we mourn and grieve
The Queen of Jedi, you are my Eve.



- Inaesb 2005 -

I huff and I puff and I blow the house down...


It's HOT! Very very hot! I have to bathe like 5 to 6 times.....ahhh...

Does anyone feel the heat? Not feel the love...feel the HEAT. The blistering boiling heat. I think my skin is drowning in its sweat...that's more than enough moisturizing that i need.

Anyone knows the rain dance? I'm willing to try anything....

I'll try to post more pictures in when I can have them here.

Meanwhile, let me rant about the still-hot-and-humid as ever weather that we are having. Yea yea, I know, give it a break, we should be thankful bla bla....this is the tropics, it's paradise....bla bla. Even Datuk Badawi's predecessor once said that we should be thankful for our weather because the humidity helps moisturise our skin. I find that kinda true. Dry weather, or low humidity can do wonders on your lips and face. I've had chapped lips, lip cuts, and dry skin when the moisture in the air is low. As if the ads in the media isn't enough to fire our sensibility askew with its myriad of advertisements and amazing claims of wonder. Dove incorporates 1/4 moisturizer in their products...or at least that's what you've been told. In truth, I've actually used them way back when I was in primary school. Back then, Dove was practically unheard of in Malaysia. Pretty much of the toiletries my family used were basically alien here. This shouldn't be misconstrued that we don't use known brands here. We did and still do. LuX was one of them. I actually grew up using glycerin transparent soaps. I remember how I used to amazed at its translucence. Alright, back to the topic at hand, Dove International and our ASEAN-region Dove actually do have its discrepancies. The rationale behind this disparity is that locally-sourced ingredients are incorporated to lower costs and establish a local identity by using local ingredients. There's nothing wrong with this and all, but upon closer inspection, you'll find that the main soaping agent are totally different among others. I guess consumer awareness isn't as good as it is overseas. I'm not waxing lyrical about the wonders of first-world countries, but matters such as these are close to me especially when it involves the ones that I care. I'm only highlighting one of the many products that are in the market that while meeting local consumer standards and inspections, but totally lacking in international regulation and bodies.

When it comes to foodstuff, products such as Twisties and Pringles come to mind. (I'm typing straight off my mind here...help me) Twisties is actually only sold in Malaysia because it doesn't pass international regulations. Also, if you've tasted the newer "locally-made" Pringles, they taste totally different from the Pringles of yore. :/

I hate it.... Bring back the old days.....

New York City  

Peeking!  

Statue of Liberty 

Grand Central 

Grand Central 

Grand Central 

Times Square 

Times Square