Xien

I've moved! =D

2011-02-18T13:43:00.000+08:00

http://eongxien.wordpress.com/

New home. New style. New posts. =D

A-Word

2010-01-08T10:44:00.000+08:00

One word - could polarize opinions, spark endless debates, hog the headlines, keep the courts busy, fill up stadiums and now torch a church. If one would ever doubt the power of God, one whould at least realize His importance that even the choice of Him being addressed is of higher importance than more crucial issues. To some, at least.

On the other hand, we're preaching "One Malaysia". When will we ever learn?

Muse - Undisclosed Desires

2009-10-12T22:39:00.000+08:00

My favourite song off their new album:

How Google Is Taking Over Our Lives

2009-10-12T15:30:00.003+08:00

(More appropriately, how Google took over my life. Gahh...)

Gone are the days you use Yahoo for your searches. You use Google.
Gone are the days you use Hotmail for your mails. You use Gmail.
Gone are the days you download your documents to view it on Microsoft Office. You use Google Docs.
Gone are the days you use IE to surf. You use Google Chrome.
Gone are the days calendar is something personal. You use Google Calendar.
Gone are the days you get your news bites from clicking on Refresh. You use Google Reader.
Gone are the days you use ICQ for a quick chat. You still use MSN & Yahoo(Not quite there yet, GoogleChat ;) )
Gone are the days you have to download videos to watch them. You use Google-owned Youtube.
Gone are the days you blog in Blogger. You use Google-owned Blogger, with image hosting by another Google-owned product, Picasa.
Gone are the days you open up Paint to draw a map to your house for your housewarming. You use Google Maps.
Gone are the days you purchase a dedicated GPS unit for your car. You download Google Maps into your mobile that allows you to save your 'favourite places' online.
Gone are the days where public surveillance is a thing of FBIs and CIAs. You use Google Earth.
Gone are the days Small/Medium Enterprise spend much on servers/hardwares for their intranet. They use Google Apps.
Gone are the days you use Friendster, Facebook & Myspace. Oh wait, you still use them.

Wait 'til they release Google Phone, Google OS & takes over Facebook.

Conspiracy, anybody?

(500) Days of Summer

2009-10-08T10:07:00.006+08:00

More often than not, romantic comedies are associated to being cliched and overly-dramatic. Hardly surprising as along with action blockbusters, the genre is the most sell-able and overpopulated. But as far as commercialism goes, the directors usually are more concerned of their paycheques and thus forgot to make a movie. That's why, it come as a great surprise that (500) Days of Summer, a rom com flick actually made it to the IMDB Top 250 (Fyi, only seasoned movie-goers are allowed to contribute votes here.). Upon knowing that the movie has arrived at our shores, I immediately booked a pair of tickets.

[Strangely, only TGV Sunway Pyramid is showing this movie, which is a shame because (500) Days of Summer is very, very good. ]

The essence of a good romantic comedy is, well in its romance and comedic elements. In terms of laughs, you won't find the usual slapstick humour and instead there are plenty of memorable (Some witty) scenes. 2 particular scenes stick in my head, but I won't spoil it for you but in case you're wondering, one involves dancing while the other expectations. ;-)

Nonetheless what makes (500) so good is that it captures the emotions of falling in and out of love so well. Time and time again you (Especially guys ;-) ) will find yourself in reminiscence of how you felt in different stages of love. It never fails tto put a warmth in your heart. In terms of storyline, what they succeed that most other rom coms failed is that they created a story that is believable and everybody could relate to. On top of that, the performances of the leads are top notch and the chemistry they had rival even that of Butler/Heigl in The Ugly Truth.

Although rarely mentioned, imo what separates a great movie than the decent ones is in the soundtrack. In a mixture of indie bands, a couple heavyweights (Feist!) and the Smiths =D, they have assembled a list of songs that fit their respective scenes perfectly. So memorable they are that when listening to the soundtrack, I was brought back to the world of Summer.

So if you haven't seen it already, go go go before the limited showtimes run out! Bring your significant other, your loved ones or even your best friend. This movie is best seen in the cinemas and even better, go share it with someone close to you.

Whoever you go with, do not miss this gem.

Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)

2009-08-27T22:47:00.004+08:00

The thing about working in the IT line is that you'll be facing the computer screen 99% of the time. Sometimes the job could be a little mundane, especially dealing with repetitive works (Maintaining master data for example). So to keep myself going these days, I put on my earphones just to get a little ommphhh.

In a way, I've been listening to lots of music than I ever did before. So I was thinking of starting a series of album reviews. I've been trying to source some less mainstream albums, guess this is a good opportunity to recommend some to you guys.
So, this happens to be the first album I loaded onto the lappy. All of my mp3s are in an external drive and DT just happened to release this.

Never was a true DT fan, but this one had me loop for numerous times. BC&SL leans a lot towards modern metal with progressive elements. The album starts off heavy with a 15-minute epic A Nightmare to Remember and a riff to die for. Easily the best song on the album, the song goes on to each section or "sub-song" without losing momentum. Yes momentum's what define an epic. Then the album goes into A Rite of Passage and Wither, 2 rather friendly tunes. The former has an addictive hook and has modern metal influence over it. Wither is a slow burner that could have made it to our radio even. With The Shattered Fortress next, we're back to epic mode and apparently this is the closure to Portnoy's 5 song suite. Having only to Octavarium onwards, I could only recognize a couple of riffs/motifs but this song gets my seal of epic approval, with the solos no less. Some of the changes in the song are simply brilliant. Not a big fan of Lebrie's vocals, but the performance here is top notch. The Best of Times was written in tribute to Portnoy's father with a beautiful prelude. The final song, The Count of Tuscany with its chorus, you have to wonder what they have been listening to. Pure headbanger in the 1st half of the song and in the 2nd half closes the album perfectly. You'll have to listen to know what I mean, the middle intermission has a little David Gilmour/Pink Floyd rubbing onto it.

The thing about BC&SL is that even being progressive, none of those elements felt forced and instead fits into the song with purpose... something I believe the band is good for. However, the album is not without its flaws, especially in terms of lyrics which I found a little cliched and could have been better. Also, this could be an acquired taste, but Portnoy should really keep the growling to the minimum... it works sometimes, but other times... well, keep drumming. ;)

Nonetheless, that's really nitpicking and shouldn't really hinder anyone from giving this album a try. Try it (If you haven't already!) if you love metal or even rock, really.

Funeral

2009-08-16T21:00:00.001+08:00

Yasmin, we miss you.

Hola!

2009-08-09T17:49:00.002+08:00

I wish I could blog as often as I like, but recent events have got me so occupied that I'm so glad to have this Sunday all to myself. In fact, I have been updating the Leo Club's blog more often than I this, darn!

Working life has been smooth so far, the pressure is slowly piling up and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn't be overwhelmed. Still in the process of settling down and getting comfortable. Really glad that I'm in a good working environment and have seniors to guide me along the way. I'm counting my luck that I have yet to work OT and have time for other things over the weekend.

Speaking of weekend, went for camping yesterday. It was our first camp in 2 years! And the shortest one yet. We came home all burned out but it was fun reliving the old days. It's so rare to have the lot of us together, what with everybody spread out across the globe. Though, I have a feeling that this could be our last overnight camp for many years. But hopefully this doesn't mean the next time we do it, there would be kids and families around ho ho ho.

Still waiting the get my hands on the pictures. Until then, take care everybody!

If I Were A Bot

2009-07-11T19:14:00.001+08:00

Get Your Cyborg Name

Awesome. =D

Summertime!

2009-07-09T21:56:00.005+08:00

While everybody's still stuck in the Transformers hype (How anybody could watch this more than twice is beyond me, let alone 4,5 times etc... =.=" ), I'm anticipating this sleeper hits:

Public Enemies featuring Johnny Depp & Christian Bale.

Pixar's Up (Don't watch it in 3D btw ;) Else Disney will continue releasing whatever they make in 3D... argh.). =D

And finally, Quentin Tarantino's 5th film World War 2 flick Inglourius Basterds:

As for Ice Age, I fell asleep during the 2nd movie. =P

I love summer. =)

Monopoly Time

2009-07-04T22:59:00.001+08:00

Last week The Hong Kong leos of The Peak gave us a monopoly set as a gift. So after this month's GM:

Quite addictive you see. =D

Final Chapter

2009-07-01T00:54:00.005+08:00

Our final activity for the fiscal year and it was the funnest one. =D
Will be some time before our next trip, but I'm already looking forward to it, why not? =)

Anniversary Celebration

2009-06-19T00:20:00.006+08:00

Finally, our first 'real' (;D) anniversary. Had a simple celebration at a local restaurant, Pizza Uno. Nothing spectacular, just two of us and dinner. =)

Mandatory opening camwhore picture

Pot Luck - Cream of Tomato, a tad creamier to my liking though

Gambas Con Ajo - Prawn Tapa

Calzone - Dear said she always wanted to try this traditional pizza but found out that it wasn't really our thing hah.

Romeo Special =)

Tiramisu

Then a chillout at Luna =)

Mandatory closing camwhore picture

Japanese Film Festival

2009-06-18T11:45:00.008+08:00

The annual Japanese Film Festival is back, and the highlight of the event this time is the winner of Academy Awards' Best Foreign Film, The Departures (Okuribito). Some of the other films look promising as well, but I wonder why isn't the Departures getting more show time? They're charging patrons at normal rate (The others at the usual RM5 rate) yet there are so limited show times. Reckon there are substantial audience for the movie to run for at least a week perhaps?

If you haven't heard about the Departures, here's the captioned trailer (Arghh... The HD thing screws up my page alignment.)

Full list of the movies could be found here:
http://www.gsc.com.my/RD/upcoming2.asp?search=jff09

Lesson in Love

2009-06-18T00:23:00.005+08:00

The thing about love is that it's natural and never forced. God's gift, I believe. Nobody is taught how to love nor does love has any prerequisites, yet it's a firm part of our instinct. There are self-help guides aplenty out there, yet the only true experience of love is hands-on. Hence why only a few get it right the first time around whilst some others fall on their faces. How we wish we could foresee what is to unfold but by not knowing is the only way we could learn.

Just a year ago I stepped into this new territory with the perception that love is simple as then I believed (Still do) that everything could be simple if you want it to be. Alas, that does not take into account external factors that have their way to complicate things.

Guess that's when I learn.

For one, I've learnt that it hurts from time to time. It could be for many reasons, but it only hurts because you care. And if you care, it means you are, the least genuine.

Long distance, as they would tell you, takes more effort than one could imagine. In fact, they could throw an endless list of case studies just to draw to one conclusion - it's impossible. Or close to. But... know the slogan for Adidas? Impossible is nothing. In fact, impossibility is nothing but a limit set mentally. In this case, long distance takes a degree of trust, so does your limit accommodates it? Problem is, if you set a limit, you will eventually meet it and not be able to break it. In fact, the negativity in this issue is so huge that some people even give up mentally before attempting it.

Yet, I do not buy it.

I always believe that small obstacles are part of the journey to bigger things. Since light would never exist without darkness; perhaps, togetherness would not exist without separation. Doesn't make sense eh? The irony in us is that we would not appreciate what we have until we have the fear of losing it. Companionship - regardless if it is relationship, friendship or family - is the easiest to be taken for granted. Perhaps a small test such as mine goes a long way to build a stronger bond.

And that is what I believe in all these while. Even in the darkest of all unknown territories, as long as there is a glimpse of light, it is always worth holding on for. Whether it is optimistic hope or simply naive hope, your call. But wishful thinking it is certainly not. Because we will fight for it. =)
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Pardon the mindless ramblings. Once in a while I have a brain fart that I feel needs to be expressed in words. Hopefully it doesn't sound emo or whatever. =P

Homecook Meals

2009-06-17T16:13:00.004+08:00

Last week, dear and I had a sudden urge to cook (Read: She cook & I keipo) and went on a spree to prepare our meals. =D

The end result was... absolutely fant... well... you be the judge:

Cooking Meatballs - I personally made them wan ok?! My precious little balls.

Dear chopping some parsley! =P

Boiling the fettuccines - Easy job, of course I gao dim lar.

The end result - Fettuccine in Tomato Sauce with Meatballs =D

Then few days later dear was hit by the itchy hand syndrome and decided to experiment with some fresh fish given by a friend's mom:

East meets west - Actually I have no idea what this is. (Sorry dear! =p)

Then we made some olio and re-heated the leftover meatballs with a touch of class (Just an extra slice of cheeselar.):

My favourite pasta dish - Garlic, Olive Oil, some chillies and you're set.

And probably the best-looking meatballs we'll ever make. Love the cheese in them. =D

360 Turn

2009-06-16T17:27:00.002+08:00

Having stayed idle for so much of the year, come July my life would be given a 360 degree spin. A kick in the ass, if you will.

Basically, back to reality.

Such is life, where every now and then you're chucked into a foreign train. We wish we could stop it, but could never do so and soon accepting the fate. It's through these where we learn and grow up. Perhaps I'm not ready for it, but then again I always wondered, who is? It's a phase of life where we (well... most of us) dread the most and where 'carefree' takes a new meaning to our lives. It may be a small (Yet necessary) step in life, but to me it's a leap to a new world where my ideas, dreams and principles and put to test.

Of course, I'm not taking it negatively. I relish the chance to finally get out of the comfort zone. Plus, whatever challenges that await me is getting me hyped up already although it might take some time to get used to.

I'm on a fast-moving train but wherever my destination be, it shouldn't stop me from enjoying every inch of the trip. =)

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PS: Somehow all these thoughts make me miss the blogging days where I share slice of my life. Haven't done that as often as, say... when I started out. Think I need to start a Project 5957302827 as well. ;)

Point is, time to get to work.

50mm

2009-05-24T17:19:00.003+08:00

When my uncle lent me his camera, he told me he fitted it with a 50mm camera and it's a good lens to start with. With limited experience with photography then, I thought it wouldn't matter what lens it came with.

However, I soon find out that with a fixed focal length (As in, no zoom), there is so much you could do. For example, if your subject is too far from you, you have to zoom in the old-fashion way - take a few steps ahead. It's bit of a nuisance initially, but I soon got around to it. In fact, it's fun and forces you to think about your composition a lot more other than just "Snap-and-I-will-crop-in-photoshop". In fact, after some research, I found out that these lenses are sharper and quicker than the standard zoom kit lenses that come with SLRs these days.

Here are some of the nicer shots:

Still learning... =)

《葉問》

2009-05-24T02:18:00.001+08:00

Easily the best scene of the movie. =)

Shame that I have only seen this recently, when everyone around me raved about it. Go watch it if you haven't already. ;)

Random

2009-04-22T15:57:00.007+08:00

Uploaded these photos from my phone today... pretty much covers most events of the past few months. =D

Celebrating Ming Kee's 21st Birthday

Steamboat dinner and Lou Sang with Leo Club of KLCU

Visit to Leprosy Centre in conjunction of the World Leprosy Day

Chilling out at a beach-side lounge in Penang

Basically what we ate almost everyday during the SAP course lolx

There is this tranquility not found in other bookstores than Kinokuniya that I really like. Sorta zen-like feeling lol

Celebrating Siew Ling's 22nd, notice the camwhores and OJ's kamahameha? =D

Performing with Zeolite at Motion in Groove II

Celebrating Kar Wai's birthday

The monthly GM - Look who's not paying attention xD

As we've found our new meeting location at The Otomotif College (TOC), we were treated to a nice visit by Lion Nicholas... Reckon that could have been modified for Pimp My Ride =D

And finally...

Celebrating Dear's 21st...

Poker Face

2009-04-17T00:49:00.002+08:00

Once in a while, you come across a singer that steals your heart the minute you notice them. I wasn't that into Lady Gaga as it seems to be part of the trend in commercial music that relies heavily on computerized & semi-80s synths sounds... which I utterly dislike, argh.

Last week Pragash came over and showed us this acoustic version of Poker Face. Slight theatric, slight anarchic, slight jazzy and a whole lotta brilliance. I was won over.

Shows how talent could be overshadowed by commercialism though. *Sigh*

BENAYOUNNN!

2009-04-05T02:57:00.004+08:00

Funny how earlier tonight during yum cha session I said that as a Liverpool fan I've gotten countless heart attacks from their late comebacks, late goals, late wins etc... We've done it again tonight.

Thanks to Fulham's new signing - "the crossbar" (Take note Rafa, next trasfer target.), Liverpool were denied from scoring countless time and it looked like the match was destined to a draw.

2 minutes into injury time, frustration starts kicking in for not making the most of United's slip.

Then one lovely pass from Babel to Gerrard. Gerrard lost possesion and the ball fell to Benayoun...

One touch... one strike... and then GOAL!

90 minutes of frustration were gone in a flash just like that. Replaced by a sense of relief and excitement, I couldn't be any happier.

This pic says it all:

We'll see how United fare tomorrow - Vidic, Rooney & Scholes suspended. Berbatov injured while Tevez still lacking of breath. It doesn't get any more exciting than this.

Go Villa! =D

Sushi Day

2009-04-02T17:14:00.005+08:00

Always wanted to make them and finally did 2 days ago. Surprisingly hard as they make it look ridiculously easy on video. Dear was much better at them as my butterfingers failed me lolx. =.="

And The Reds Go Marching In

2009-03-24T00:53:00.004+08:00

Definitely the best time of the season (Yet!) for any Liverpool fan. Brilliant results, Rafa signing (Finally!) his contract and Parry leaving at the end of the season.

After a disappointing January, I guess we deserve the chance to bask into the joyful mood, despite the title race far from being over. =D
Any Liverpool fan could tell you what it means to defeat, let alone trash, their arch-rivals. My damaged voice cords could testify to that. =)

*Keeps fingers crossed that the scums would drop even more points*

dSLR Exposure

2009-03-17T01:15:00.005+08:00

Hehe last CNY my uncle actually let me borrow his old D70 home (He's got that lovely D300 fyi!) but I'm guilty of not putting it to good use. Finally last week after the SAP course (We got certified btw! Hahah!), I brought it to Kuantan with me and see what it do.

Still learning... My uncle lent me 4 reference book and I'm still going through the first. Lots of new things to learn but hopefully I'll get more opportunities to take it out more often. ;)

To-do-list:
1) Get my resume updated and submit for jobs.
2) Get a proper mic and eVa's first demo done.

Check out the slightly update version of Idiocracy, still shaky though :

Thanks senpai for taking the vidddd! But btw, why is your blog locked? O.o"

And since I'm free for the time being, expect some updates this week. =D

Goodness in Simplicity

2009-03-06T11:06:00.003+08:00

The other day my parents brought back a simple yet delicious drink recipe from their gym. Well, it's basically blending bananas with V-Soy.

It turned out to be beyond delicious, and I loved it! The texture is not unlike a banana smoothie, yet it's taste isn't like the artificial banana flavour you get out there. =D

To make it even better, I froze the bananas and tried blending it today. Perfect. =D

Reckon you could add 1 or 2 ice-cubes to further freeze the drink. Else, a low-fat vanilla ice-cream could bring it to milk shake territory. Likewise, you could add some muesli and serve it as a meal replacement. ;)

G.I.M. II

2009-02-18T23:22:00.004+08:00

Haven't got a good opportunity blog these days, so I'll make full use of this one. Firstly, I wanna offer my sincere apologies to all my friends who felt that I have been - one way or another - neglect them, skip gatherings or rarely keep in contact. It's really not my desire to neglect you guys... SAP course started last week and as it's a full-time course, (10am -6pm class on weekdays) it's occupying much of my life now. And then with 2 gigs slotted in the middle of the course, I'm trying my best to juggle them all. I know it's not an excuse, so I'm sorting my life out. Thus until then, I hope that you could understand. =)

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Secondly, on the 1st of March Sunday, my J-Rock band Zeolite will be performing for Groove In Motion II gig. It's our first gig and my first time playing J-rock(Probably the last too. ;D ).

Dig the poster... =D

Map to Connection

Cya there!!!

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Last but not least, here are a couple of videos from our gig at Taylor's College on Valentine Eve. =) Only jammed with them once prior to the gig but I reckon we did a decent job hahah. And yeah we've gotten a name in "EvA", no longer "UniSA All Stars" LOL!

Cover of "Absolutely (Story of A Girl)" by EvA

And the debut of our original hehe:

"Idiocracy" by EvA

Enjoyyyy. =)

I'm Back!

2009-01-20T00:52:00.003+08:00

A belated Happy New Year to everybody! =)

After 3 long weeks of ~~world tour with loads of groupies~~ holiday. Went for a trip to Indonesia during the Christmas period and then Thailand on a separate trip last week. Both trips were awesome. =) To those who tried to reach me, I'm really sorry for not picking up the phone. Didn't want to burden you guys with roaming charges.

A couple of pics from both trips:

Bali

Bangkok

I'll save the updates for the next post then! Tata!

Dessert's Bar

2008-12-14T17:04:00.005+08:00

Woke up on the wrong side of bed few days ago and needed something to cure the blues. What other remedy than ice-cream? Obviously. =) To satisfy the craving, dear and I went to Dessert's Bar @ Subang Parade.
2 scoops of ice-cream (Rum & Raisin and Macha Azuki) for RM8 [They even have dear's favourite, black sesame ice-cream.]. =D

Enjoyed it til the last spoonful of ice-cream bliss. Anybody up for a dessert party? =P

Come one, come all!!!

2008-12-08T14:04:00.004+08:00

Dear all... I've been quite busy for the past 2 weeks, for the were so many tasks and activities taking up a whole load of time. Leo events, food fair sponsorship, trips and yumcha sessions or squeeze into each other. The next 2 weeks would probably be the same, but hopefully less hectic.

Anyway, we've got this Charity Food and Fun Fair event coming up next month. Although I won't be there personally (How I wish I could! =/ Oh well...), but please, please, please, please do your best to help us out. If you're willing to even buy one book of coupons, it would ease our burden by the load... seriously. And if you're able to attend the event, you'll definitely have a good time. Plus, it's for charity! When was the last time you did something for charity hehe?

Date: 4th January 2009 (Sunday)
Time: 7.00am - 1.00pm
Venue: Taman Bandar SS2 (Opposite Maybank, Next to Medan Selera SS2) [Google Map & Photo]
Facebook Event

What you can do to help:

1. Join The Fun!
The least you could do is make yourself available on that day and come for the fun! There would be lots of food, items and entertainment for you to indulge in. And all of these are in the name of charity!
We are currently pre-selling coupon booklets, hence if you're interested, kindly contact one of the following committee members:

Leo Chia Sheng Wei - 012-6025735 (chiasw09@gmail.com)
Leo Sam Tan Sun Pei - 012-2083629/016-2559878 (sptan_sunpei@yahoo.com)
Leo Tan Eong Xien - 012-3390284 (ig.lzfreak87@gmail.com)

I'm sure we could arrange a COD around Klang Valley should you pre-order the coupons, so don't hesitate to get them early! After all, our Leos are everywhere. =)

1.1 If you couldn't make it... =(
We understand there are the lot of you who want to be there but:
A) You're in overseas.
B) You're occupied.
C) Sunday is a sleeping day for you...

...So fret not! On the day of the event, we plan to invite the children from Praise Emmanuel Children's Home (PECH) to join us. Hence, instead of buying the coupons and keep it, you could sponsor the children's expenses! Trust us, even a RM10 or RM20 sponsor would help a great deal! Whether you want to Maybank2u, Paypal or Snail Mail etc etc... just contact one of the above Leos and we shall get back to you!

2. Tell Your Friends & Family!
Post this on your blog, inform you family and invite your friends through the Facebook Event!

We need as much awareness as we could get and we believe that out of the 10 people you tell, at least 1 would be interested in the event. Soooooo... it's time to put your address list to good use and spread the word!

3. Sponsor Food or Give Us Stuff To Sell!
If you love cooking/baking, you could help by sponsoring some food items such as Fried Bihun, Sushi, Cakes etc! We understand that cost might be a problem, if you do not wish to fully sponsor the item, you could partially sponsor them. Just contact us and we'll give you the details!

Likewise, if you have old magazines or 2nd hand items that you think contain value, donate to us and we'll put it up on our jumble sale! Of course, don't just throw us old newspaper... =P

4. Volunteer Manpower!
Being a huge event, we need lots of manpower to organize the food items, to sell them and also to clean up! If you're free and would like to volunteer yourself, let us know! We'll be extremely grateful if you do!

Roarrrr!

2008-11-23T13:41:00.002+08:00

Heath Ledger for a posthumous Oscar. =D

SPCA Visit

2008-11-15T02:32:00.005+08:00

Hola... I'm back! =D

Last Sunday, our Leo Club organized a visit to SPCA (Abbreviation for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) shelter at Ampang. After the last zoo visit, the prospect of looking after dogs excited me (Although I had to wash some smelly bowls then. =X). My first visit to SPCA... huh!

When we got there, we registered ourselves and immediately after, we were assigned to a job.

Keng Mun registering himself

Kitty welcoming us to SPCA - she looks frighten though hahah

The shelter - in it is the kennel for the bigger dogs

We were asked to separate the meat from cooked chicken necks. The separated meat are to be given to the puppies while the bones to the big dogs. There was a whole big pile of chicken necks lying on the table waiting to be separated, gosh... could you imagine how many chickens were slaughtered to provide lunch for the dogs? =/ It's good to be at the top of the food chain.

The dogs in the background discussing what they're gonna have for lunch

In SPCA, almost every dog is given a name and the caretaker actually remembers their name! O.o This one is Popo I think?
Ohhh... in return we named one of the dogs... Samantha... for various reasons =P

After preparing the food, the staff told us to feed the dogs. I thought it should be fun to, but it was a huge challenge at first. When you open door to the kennel, the dogs would rush to you - some waiting to be fed, some trying to leave. =.=" After a kennel or 2, I got the hang of it and it was really fun watching the dogs enjoying their meal.

Keng Mun & Joshua - Keng Mun missed out the dog standing next to him lolx!

Friendly Cage Wrestling - Naughty little pups tsk tsk...

This would make a good "Adopt Me" advertisement, but seriously, if you're looking for a pet dog, try adopting one at SPCA. They are all super cute and cuddly. =D

After feeding, it was bathing time hehe. Since it looked like it was gonna rain heavily, the staff only bathed 2 dogs.

The staff giving us a little demonstration - this one is a little scared of water... the dog, not the stuff.

Our turn! - Do you know just how lucky you are to be bathed by 6 people lolx!?

When we were done with the bathing part, there weren't much left for us to do. So we took a group photo and said our goodbyes.

Can you read "fun fun fun" written all over us? xD

I honestly wished we could stay a little longer with the dogs but too bad, we gotta attend to our monsters of our own that lives in our stomachs. Lunch time!

There's always a next time I guess. =D (Next time, try to come lar Kok Chiang hahah!)

UniSA Prom Night

2008-11-04T13:10:00.004+08:00

I've been bitten by the gigging bug and am now itching to perform again lolx.

So, last Saturday I had a chance to perform with Atif's band. Originally, my friend Calvin was supposed to play but due to scheduling conflicts he introduced me to the band. Thanks Calvin!

The gig was quite fun, although there weren't many in the audience and there were a number of screw-ups hahah. All in the name of fun, though. =) Secretly though, I wished the people from our course (UTS) were there too, it would've been fun, with the swimming pool and all hahah.

Oh well... here are some pictures [Special thanks to dear for her support and fern fern for her pictures! =D] and a video! =D

The Band - (l-r) Xien (Gtr), Pragash (Voc), Godesh (Bass), Atif (Drums), Chris (Gtr)

Rock rock rock!!!

UniSA All Stars - for the lack of a better name lolx

Hehe... Our favourite lecturer RC Ho! xD Together with Huey Shan

Watch in HD (Might take some time to load, but it's worthwhile! =D)

Kagrra - Utakata

2008-10-30T21:56:00.003+08:00

Currently addicted to this song... Love how well the Koto blends with the band. =) I'm definitely gonna hunt for their albums when I'm free. =D

Utakata - Kagrra,

※願いは貴方に降り注ぐ
そっと悲しみを越えて
いつか再び出会えると
泣いていた貴方の横顔想うよ※

ゆるり時は流れて
遥か昔の事を憶(おも)うよ
あの日に観た星は　何より輝いて
永遠を確かに感じて

(※くり返し)

抱かれて　儚く散った憶(おも)いは
鮮やかに咲き誇る華のよう
過ぎ行く季節を幾度巡れば
この声は貴方に聞こえるだろう

出会いそして別れを
幾ら繰り返しても　流れる
涙に何時(いつ)の日か　溺れてしまう程
胸の中貴方で溢れて

願いは貴方に降り注ぐ
巡る運命の果てに
いつか再び出会えると
信じてるこの念(おも)いを今唄ってる

抱かれて　儚く散った憶いは
鮮やかに咲き誇る華のよう
過ぎ行く季節を幾度巡れば
この声は貴方に聞こえるの
たとえば　この背に羽があるなら
旅立った貴方を追いかけて
途切れた記憶の糸を繋げて
もう一度貴方を抱きしめたくて

願いは貴方に降り注ぐ
そっと悲しみを越えて

Been very busy lately... regular updates shall commence soon. =)

Classics - If I Ain't Got You

2008-10-19T15:19:00.002+08:00

If I Aint Got You - Alicia Keys

Some people live for the fortune
Some people live just for the fame
Some people live for the power, yeah
Some people live just to play the game

Some people think that the physical things
Define what's within
And I've been there before
But that life's a bore
So full of the superficial

Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you baby
If I ain't got you baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you, Yeah

Some people search for a fountain
That promises forever young
Some people need three dozen roses
And that's the only way to prove you love them
Hand me the world on a silver platter
And what good would it be
With no one to share
With no one who truly cares for me

If I ain't got you with me baby
So nothing in this whole wide world don't mean a thing
If I ain't got you with me baby

A modern classic, love it for its timeless simplicity and beauty.

... See what i mean?

2008-10-17T15:34:00.001+08:00

'Under the table' hahah.

Working Hard

2008-10-17T14:24:00.001+08:00

... Kononnya ngek ngek ngek...

Quotables

2008-10-14T03:05:00.002+08:00

For the past few days, I've been watching a few of my all-time favourites movies. Like any good flicks, there are plenty of memorable quotes:

"Now you're looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled."

"As your leader, I encourage you from time to time, and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so, but allow me to convince you and I promise you right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo. Except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is... I collect your fucking head. Just like this fucker here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the fucking time!"

"我最恨日本人了。"
"你之所以打不穿木头，是因为出手前，你已经认输!"

"Do you know what they call the quarter-pounder with cheese in France? ... Royale with Cheese"
"I'ma get medieval on your ass." (Sheng Wei and I ROFL'd at this one lolx!)

Meet My Friends

2008-10-11T02:21:00.002+08:00

Hahah... the minute I saw these on Lowyat, I knew I had to get them hahah...
Well, they're actually my *ahem* photography subjects. =P
Or guilty pleasure... whatever you call it lolx.

A tripod comes in handy for shots like these. xD
But aren't they just adorable.

X-Japan

2008-10-08T12:51:00.005+08:00

Weekend.mp3 - X-Japan

I hear a knock on the door
激しくせまる
失いかけた意Rのなかで
おまえがささやく
追いつめられた心溶かす
g色の肖像
切り刻まれたを映しだす

Dき乱れた hateful black heart
心にせまる
研ぎ澄まされた transient feeling
人波の中
ヒステリックにざわめくLに
止まらない妞
胸に抱きしめ孤独を色どる

I've nothing to lose［Love me till the end］
Except your heart
I've nothing to lose［Love me till the end］
Except your heart

手首を流れる血をおまえの体に
jみつけると一瞬のうちに更みがえる
に界を
ざされ笑いながら逃げてゆく
おまえの姿を
つめる膜い堪长盲皮

Week End
Week End Week End
Week End I'm at my wits end
Week End

Week End Week End
Week End I'm at my wits end△

(くりかえし)

I hear a knock on the door
激しくせまる
失いかけた意Rのなかで
おまえがささやく
冷たい指先のばし
冥丝冥扭
赤く染まった凶荬虮Г筏幛

をつめながらふるえる体に
流れはじめた透き通る血を
青白いおまえの心に
ませ幻に消えて行く最後の妞
拾い集めて血の海にまどろむ
Week End Week End

Week End
I still love you
Week End
But I cannot carry on
手首を流れる血をおまえの体に
みつけると一瞬のうちに更みがえる
に界を
ざされ笑いながら逃げてゆく
おまえの姿を
つめる膜い骏欷盲皮

Rusty Nail

Fullhouse Lifestyle Store and Cafe

2008-09-30T16:40:00.007+08:00

Damn long never post makan stuff d hahahah... Here's one (I think lahhh...) worthy of a post:

So yesterday was the first day of our holiday, dear dear and I (My new makan partner hahahah... I'm really getting fatter these days. >.<) went to check out this fairly new commercial centre called: 牛车水. Niu Ze Xui is a commercial hub similar - though a class above - to Petaling Street and is located at Ara Damansara. With a good mixture of commercialized chained food stores and small fashion boutiques, it's supposed to be a happening place for dining and shopping. Unfortunately, it was pretty dead yesterday (Perhaps it would be more lively at night, but I really doubt so). Nonetheless, there was a unique restaurant that caught our eyes:

Tada! There's no way you could miss this pretty restaurant

Aerial look at the first floor - lovely isn't it? There are more downstairs and I suggest you bring a camera if you like to pose or camwhore around hahah... seriously (Applicable for girls only... as well as guys who are in touch with their inner feminity. Glam rockers too.). xD

The first thing you notice about their interior is that everything is white!

Being a "lifestyle store and cafe", it has a mini-boutique too

We sat at the balcony area, which was quiet and peaceful (Afternoon nobody mahh).

The menu contains a good mix of western and asian food. Our attention were caught by the set lunches, which include a main course, a soup, a drink and an ice-cream. Price is around RM15++. Quite affordable.

My iced-lemon tea and Mushroom Cappucino Soup

My main course - Chicken Chop =D

Dear's Fish Fillets

The food is not bad. What I like about them is that they're presented very well. A lot of afford is put into decorating it, which made it looks more classy than it should be. Well done.
The fish sauce is pretty creamy, which some would really love but it's not really my cup of tea. It does taste good though, but like Cabonara, I could only take so much of cream sauce. The Chicken Chop tastes just right with a slight peppery spicy hint. Again, love the presentation. =D

Dessert - Yam Ice-cream... I like =P

The view from our balcony hahah - would've been great if this was at somewhere in KL, but I'm not complaining.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the place. The food is good, presentation is great and the interior is really lovely. The price is affordable too, so it shouldn't break your wallet if you choose to go all out. =)
It's really a shame that the poor walk-in traffic of niu ze xui may affect their business, because they seem to do everything right. Would really love to see more of these types of stores opened around Klang Valley.

Anyway, if you would like to try out the restaurant, Google the map to niu ze xui. It shouldn't be too hard to find if you know how to get to Kelana Jaya or Saujana area. It's somewhere in between those 2 areas.

As for dear... I think she's quite happy with the place:

Love At First Sight

2008-09-30T16:18:00.004+08:00

I for one do not believe in love at first sight.

However... once in awhile it does occur.

Why the skeptism?

Because love takes time, patience and understanding.

But sometimes,

somehow...you just know there is love in it without the time, patience blah blah blah...

It's a form of guilty pleasure and itsn't easy to hold back the feelings.

And... it occured to me...

Honestly... I feel guilty. =/

But how can you not fall for a beauty like these:

Boy... imagine the guilt I have towards my wallet... =(

And those are only entry-level models.

There are of course, the high-end models, which I think are destinated to be my lusting objects for the rest of my life.

Classics - Hallelujah

2008-09-26T15:17:00.005+08:00

Once in awhile, you would come across songs which its lasting quality would grow after repeated listens. It's as if they would grow with you that every time you listen to them, you hear or learn something new. Here's one of my all-time favourites, Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah:

Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

Well I heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
Well it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Well Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
she tied you to her kitchen chair
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Well baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew ya
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you?
And remember when I moved in you?
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Well maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who'd outdrew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Originally by Leonard Cohen, Jeff made this cover his and possibly his most well-known song. His take of the song is pretty much stripped down to his voice and guitar, just like how he would perform it live.

Although there are several religious interpretations of the song, I tend to treat it as a relationship/love song (I'm not a religious person to begin with hah!). And what with sexual-themed lyrics such as "but remember when I moved in you...... every breath we drew was hallelujah", one can't help but perceive it that way. Well, I did wonder for some time and yesterday I had to check, and true enough Buckley called it a homage to hallelujah of orgasm lolx.

Still, how you interpret it depends on the individual and in the end it's a song about life, faith and love. And it's how Buckley sings it that really gets me. So beautiful. So heartfelt. So much emotion.

Especially the ending falsetto, simply beautiful. The climax.

Environmental Project @ PECH

2008-09-22T00:04:00.007+08:00

Yesterday was a really, really hectic day. It all started in the morning at 11 when I fetched dear and her cousin to Pyramid. Straight after that, I joined the j-rock (Yet to decide on a name lolx!) band for 2 hours of jamming. It was a fun one, really but there was so much feedback going on yesterday for some reason that my ears were humming for the rest of the day. After that, we went for yumcha/lunch and tried to decide on a band name. We started with some decent names, but as we got further, we started throwing some idiotic names lolx. In the end, we all had an assignment - to decide a name with the number "Six" or "6" or "51x" etc... Any suggestion, guys? lolx!

Then at 5, I went to join the Leo's at PECH (Abbreviation for Praise Emmanuel Children's Home) for Kan Sha's environmental project. Trust me, entertaining kids (Emphasis on the prural!) is very taxing and tiring, although fun at the same time.

The project ended at 7 and I rushed home for mom's birthday dinner at Pavillion KL. Well, the dinner was really sub-par, but it's the occassion that matters hah. Just realize we didn't have any cake this year lolx.

Well... that's no the end of the day yet. At night, I joined the scouts gang for yum cha/dim sum at Sri Petaling as the Singapore people are back. We stayed there until 2 something in the morning lolx... By the time I got home it's almost 3.

Almost burnt out, to be honest.

Anyway, as per title, this post's about the PECH visit hahah... So, here we go...
------------------------------
Well, the PECH project that Kan Sha organized was to basically teaching the kids how to grow plants. The experiment he wanted the kids to do was simple, basically giving each kid 2 set of beans to grow. For the first set you would give it lots of love and attention to the plants (Basically talking to them, giving them more attention etc lolx...) while the others are left alone to grow by themselves. If the experiment is successful, you should see the first set of plants to grow faster than the other set. Not sure how true this it lolx, but we shall see soon. =)

So yesterday, we arrived at the children's home at 5 sharp (Sheng Wei and I arrived on time and were the earliest, miracously LOL! All thanks to Lion Tan Teoh's emphasis on punctuality hahah. =P). While waiting for the rest to arrive, we played and have fun with the kids. You have to marvel at the energy these kids have, they could play all day and never get tired lolx.

2 of the mischievous kids there hahah... they're really fun to play with though

When the rest finally arrived, Kan Sha started gathering the kids around and telling them what to do. The kids listened obediently and were really interested in planting. After that, the kids were given 2 empty bottle bases to fill them up with cotton, water and green beans lolx. They were told to draw a smiling face on one and a sad face on the other. The smiling face indicates the one you should constantly communicate with. The kids got it done really quickly, with the help of the Leos. After placing all their plants on the table, the kids went back into the house.

Kan Sha giving instructions to the kids while...

...they listen obediently.

The leos who prepared and cut the empty bottles - while feeding the mosquitoes =P

The kids having fun on the swing with Joshua and Edison

All the plants were placed on a table outside and left to grow

Anyway, meet my new friend... mei mei hehe:

Mei Mei and her bottles

She's really adorable and friendly. Although I have seen her during the last visits, I never really talked to her as she was less talkative than the rest. So, yesterday I asked her what her name was, and she replied,
"我的名字叫雪美，白雪的雪，美丽的美。。。"
So I told her my name, "我叫贤，泳贤。。。"
"哈？咸涩(Ham Sap)的咸？"
After that, she kept telling me that,"Yerrr...你很咸涩，每次看到女子就会很爱她..." lolx. So geraaammmmm hahah. xD
Reminds me of primary school where they used to call me 永远咸涩 lolx!

Love her natural and innocent smile - of which many of us have lost as we grow older

Look at how captivated they are to Kan Sha's poster hahah

Before the end of the project, Kan Sha explained to the kids about the planting again. After that, we took a group photo and left the place.

Although it was pretty taxing to take care all the kids, it was really fun and I had great time. =) Hopefully other members would take the initiative to organize more activities, and if it's at PECH, I'll be more than happy to see the kids again hehe...

Plus, it makes me feel purposeful as a human being. At least, I know I've contributed - little but something - to the society. =)

Smile!

2008-09-20T19:58:00.002+08:00

Never forget to smile everyday, for it could bring happiness to someone who needs it.
Do something good whenever you get the opportunity, for it could bring happiness to yourself too.

Hehe busy day. Currently on the way to celebrate mom's birthday.

Zoo Negara Trip

2008-09-18T00:10:00.003+08:00

Hahah... another Back-To-The-Future post.

Well, I went for Zoo Trip with the Leos in the 3rd week of the mid-year break - 13th of July to be precise lolx! Our purpose there was to do some volunteer work, and at the same time to get a free entrance to our beloved national zoo hahah.

Rise and shine =D

Zoo entrance - of course, we used the side-entrance instead hahah...

So, we arrived at the zoo early in the morning and the Zoo officials gave their briefing. Basically, we were separated to 2 groups - one to be located at the reptile section, while the other to be put in charge of helping out the birds section. Sheng Wei, Jia Yi, Samantha, Edison and I were put to the birds section (Read: Fun! Fun! Fun! xD).

When we reached the birds section, we were assigned to our jobs immediately. Jia Yi and Sheng Wei were in charge of preparing bird food. Edison and I were in charge of the cleaning up (More on that later!) while Samantha was in charge of feeding lolx! xD
Well, the jobs we were assigned to seem to be easy, but really, Edison and I had to clean up the bowls and pails that were used by the birds. There was even one pail that was filled with what seemed like a bucket of vomit lolx. Not only it looks like it, the texture and the smell... the smell was horriiiibbblleeee. Still, we did what we were supposed to do and did it as fast as we could to get it over with. I think Edison had to wash similarly smelly pails and bins. Didn't see him complaining either hahah. But I swear to God you could puke if you look at it long enough. Honestly, I didn't want to know what it was as at the time, "Ignorance is Bliss" as long as I clean it lolx.

Come to think of it now, it's probably bird shit lolx. Just knowing the fact that the zookeepers have to go through all these in a day's work make me appreciate them and their work. =)

Anyway we had our short break, which I spent most of it strolling around the zoo:

Us leaving for our short break

Giraffes - I always find them to be sexy yet cute lolx.

The name slipped my mind but err... what do you call these again?

A kid getting a closer touch on the animal.

Looks like Jia Yi

One of the mischievous elephants - Jia Yi's favourite hahah

After the break, it's back to work. This time, Edison and I were in charge of cleaning up the garden. No more smelly pails this time, thankfully. Anyway, in the midst of the cleaning up, we found a little snake, to which one of the zookeepers asked us, "Kamu tahu tangkap ular kah?" Of course tak tau lar!!! Budak bandar yang duduk di depan kaca komputer 24/7 mana tau? lolx

Well, in the end, he caught the snake and taught us the proper method to do so. The little snake is probably few inches long, but never underestimate its poisonous venom lolx.

Anyway work resumed and as soon as we were done, we went to help out Jia Yi and Sheng Wei with their food preparation (Nothing complex larr... just tearing bread into pieces lolx).

A newborn bird kept in the cage - Welcome to your beautiful home =D

Sheng Wei and Jia Yi - so fake larrr... =P

Tearing bread so that it would be more edible and presentable to the birds - just the way they like it

So, when we were done with all our work, the zookeeper brought us around the private cages of the zoo and even took out a bird for us to play with. Just when we were about the leave, the zookeeper brought us a hornbill to take photos with. The bird was really obedient and a few of us even tried to kiss it hahah. Luckily it wasn't hostile lolx. Apparently the bird is an endangered species and currently protected in our country. Poor fella. =(

We took a few snaps and said our goodbyes to the friendly zookeepers.

Sheng Wei playing with his black little bird... errrr...

This peacock has beautiful blue-ish neon-like fur (*Hums* She's buzzing just like... neon... neonnn...) xD

Getting intimate with the hornbill hahah

The zookeeper who caught the snake

The large throat stores food in it - if you're wondering, its texture is like rubber and he doesn't feel much when you squeeze it lolx

A silly goose lolx -quack quackkk...

Deer - check out his fashionable hat/cape/wig lolx!

Spongebob Sam-pants - "No Sam, sponge isn't an animal!"

We continued strolling around the zoo before rendezvous with the other group. We had lunch together and exchanged our job experience at our respective sections.

After lunch, we took a group photo and left.

Group photo before we left the place

We actually love the zoo experience that we were talking about organizing another outing. So far it hasn't happen, but definitely looking forward to it hahah.

And ohhh... Sam composed a song for our zoo outing and Edison, I and Sam kept singing during the outing lolx. It goes something like this:

Let's go to the zoo,
There's lots of things to do,
The Zebra and the tall Giraffe is playing by the pool,
What else did they do?
They went to look for Moo,
Who was very cool,
And they went...
Mooooo...Mooooo...Mooooo...

LOLx! xD
Copyright reserved. =P

The Day The Earth Stood Still

2008-09-17T01:48:00.002+08:00

Watch this preview:
http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/09/15/must-watch-extended-the-day-the-earth-stood-still-preview/
It's a remake of a 50s sci-fi classic featuring Keanu Reeves. Although I have not seen the original, the preview caught my attention. Not a huge sci-fi fan myself, but I love it when the good ones hit the theaters. The ones that are thought-provoking yet exciting on the surface level.

Since we're on the subject of movies, I couldn't wait for Quantum of Solace. Admittedly, neither a fan of Casino Royale nor Bond in general but the trailer looks promising. Then again, all trailers look promising. xD

LOL!

2008-09-16T01:44:00.002+08:00

Few weeks ago I posted a video that featured exaggerated football commentary. Now, here's another scenario:
What if you put fans in charge of commentary on a match that features possibly the bittiest rivalry in English football history?

Well the answer is - LOL! xD

Plurk

2008-09-09T17:06:00.003+08:00

In my shameless, never-ending quest to publish my life in the virtual world (Nolahhh... of course not.), I've joined Plurk. Perhaps it would give me an excuse not to blog often.

Actually I'm not sure if it's even a good idea, but hey... no harm trying right hahahah. xD
Do check back often, though! It should be interesting to know what time I'll be taking my showers, dumps, piss etc...... I reckon.

Next thing to try - Chrome.
And we shall see if Google gives Firefox a run for their money hahah.

Listening : Snow Patrol - Signal Fire

Langkawi Trip

2008-09-09T01:16:00.003+08:00

Had this draft post in my blogger account for more than a month! Hahahah... time to publish it, along with my Zoo and Bangkok trips that happened during my mid-year break. Honestly, I had my share of adventure and fun during that holiday... lots of pics and stories to share. ;) Check back my blog these few days for more updates. =D

------

The first trip that I went for on the start of our one-month break was Langkawi with unimates. To be honest, there isn't much to do in Langkawi, but at the end of the day, it's always the company that matters. And what a largeeeee company it was lolx (Our biggest class trip so far lolx! Anybody remembers our quintet Malacca trip hohoho...it was a flop, but still it was fun and ermmm... is adventurous the right word lolx?)!

We rented an apartment which could ngam ngam fit all of us (Probably around 14 of us maybe lolx?). We spent most of the first day exploring the town and beach. On the 2nd day we went for snorkeling, which although expensive, was quite fun actually. The highlight of the trip though is that on both nights, we drank a lot and played games (Rephrase: We played games that involves a lot of drinking hahahah... it was funny to see some usually-serious friends get tipsy.). Thank goodness I haven't lost touch with my counting skills hahahhaha... =P

Ohhh... not to forget the first night where we hid each other's slippers and forced each other to do silly stuff hahah. xP (Kai Loon, of everybody, of course happy larrr...)

There's always time to pose lolx. xD

The seafood restaurant where we had our 2nd night's dinner.

On the last day, we wanted to try the cable car but it was closed due to rain. We ended up exploring the place, which was well developed and maintained. Lots of photogenic spots too. xD Before we left for the airport, we managed to hike onto one of the parks on Langkawi. Apparently, there are several campsites in the area, not bad for the adventurous ones. The waterfall there is also a beautiful spot for phototaking sessions. =)

Our last day at the beach. Basically, almost everybody got thrown into the sea hahah.

Beautiful Slippers

The mini-zoo we visited on the last day

Manja mouuu...

One of the lovely spots hehe... We exchanged our camera with Eng Yoong & Annie's hahah... basically they took our photos while we took theirs. xD

Mingkee trying to make a new friend in Monkey

Motherly love =)

When we made our way to the top of the waterfall =D

... and then below.

Like I've said, there's always time to pose lolx. xD

Bye bye Langkawiiii...

Everything in the trip went according to plan, and I must thank the people who took the initiative to plan, organize and drive us around. Otherwise, it would've been a mess. Let's hope that we could organize another trip before everybody goes their own way ya?! xD

Blu

2008-09-08T01:24:00.002+08:00

I understand that the flick may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really can't get enough of Wall-E. At the moment, I'm waiting for it to be released in high-def. I'm sure it will look even more awesome that it was in the cinema, especially the outer-space (The aurora woooo....) scene. Geeky, I know... but every pixel is a beauty in itself hahaha. =P
Still, the film's the reason I love it so much. It's soooo good that it even in IMDB's fan-voted all-time Top 250 films. (Currently at #29, before LOTR:TTT. The Dark Knight's at #3. One's a children's film, the other's a superhero... not bad, eh?)
For now, I could only settle with Youtube trailers:

It'll be released on Blu in November... can't wait... can't wait. xD

Viva La Vida

2008-09-03T12:38:00.002+08:00

Currently hooked to this song by Coldplay. =D

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemies eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can not explain
Once you know there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world
(Ohhh)

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People could not believe what I'd become
Revolutionaries Wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can not explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world
(Ohhhhh Ohhh Ohhh)

Hear Jerusalem bells are ringings
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can not explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
Oooooh Oooooh Oooooh

Wheels

2008-08-31T14:37:00.008+08:00

I remember the anime Honey & Clover, where ferris wheel (Wheels in general actually) is constantly and prominently featured throughout. I've always thought that the wheels in the series symbolize the purpose of life, in which when one character falls in love, the wheel would start spinning. Vice-versa, of course.

In some ways, it's true.
You start thinking about things you've never thought before.
You start doing things you wouldn't have attempted on before.
You start seeing things from a different perspective.
You start worrying for the other.

Although life's too short to worry about the future, it's never too short to plan. After all, they are all but thoughts that don't cost a dime. Frankly, I love the heart-to-heart talks. I love the sharing of dreams and goals.

However, this shift in the course of life hasn't been entirely smooth.
There are things you have to forgo, priorities that have been overlooked.
Like many other things in life, it's always important to strike a balance.
I guess it wasn't as easy as I've always thought.
Like I've said, you start thinking about things you've never thought before.

Still, if good things in life are worth fighting for, great things are even more.
I'll continue to search for the flat pavement for my spinning wheel, and treasure every ground of the route that leads to the it.

Anyway, the main character in H&C once noted that he never understood the purpose of it, until one day he realize that it's actually a perfect opportunity for couples to spend their time together, high above in the skies. It was a beautiful evening, indeed. =)

------

And oh... happy independence day, Malaysians! Heheee...

Wall-E

2008-08-30T14:15:00.005+08:00

Ever since Toy Story - other than Cars - I've seen every Pixar feature film right up to last year's Ratatouille. Last week, I went to watch this year's Pixar film - Wall-E and loveeeddd it so much. Go watch it if you haven't. =D

Why I Wall-E so much:
1) Great storytelling. Pixar films are always been known for its brilliant storytelling, but this is different. With barely more than a few one lines between the main leads, the story's both compelling and emotional. Action speaks louder than words, after all.
2) Classic love story in its simplest and purest form. If you could take the a homogenous character and the most mundane setting you could think of and tell a story of love, you know you have something special.
3) Fictitious world of Wall-E. There're times that think of the perfect utopia for mankind, where we're free from any form of work and stress. That perfect utopia is depicted in film and puts a question mark on our desire. What I like about the film is that it doesn't get too preachy with its environmental lessons, but it does give the viewers something to think about.
4) Beautiful animation and camera work. Everything from the robots to the aurora are rendered so beautifully that it stops you from watching it as an animated feature. And they even included some camera tricks such as depth of field, manual focus and floating-camera-in-space (Apparently they tried to emulate the use of camera in space hahah...). Although some tricks look forced, it does add to the overall realism.
5) Soundtrack. I love the use of 50s jazz tunes as it gives the movie a touch of class.

In the modern day cinema, Hollywood blockbusters are often associated with mindless, pop-corn entertainment where else art films are treated as intuitive though boring. However, once in a while, there'll be a film that not only is entertaining on the surface, but leaves the audience something to think or appreciate about. Although with some children-movie-cliches (It's a children movie after all), Wall-E is definitely one of them. Verdict, a great movie for all ages, yet brilliant on all levels.

And yeahhh... I love the Presto short film in the beginning. The bunny's sooooo cute. xD

9*/10*

Goodbye

2008-08-26T22:09:00.002+08:00

When I received the news of your passing, I was in state of shock and sadness for days. Flashes of our early scouting days and jamming sessions came into my mind. Although I wasn't that close to you, I knew that I've lost a great friend and brother Scout (Once a Scout, Always a Scout... our motto).

I remember our first Operasi Burung Hantu (OBH), where we were placed at the same spot by the road. Far opposite us was probably a helipad and I remember us asking each other if what we saw was an UFO or just a helicopter hahah.
Of course, I won't forget the off-the-record chao kei sessions.
Post-graduation, I was lucky enough to jammed and performed with you. Being the easygoing and passionate person that you were, you were so easy and fun to work with although you were just starting on the bass.

To my dearest friend Ju Liang, wherever you may be, take care and rest in peace. In your blog, you once said that if everyone else ran the 10m track, you had to run the longer one due to your sickness. Although you never really made it to the desired finishing line, you've gotten further than many could manage. I admire by your determination and strength that even in the darkest days, you could still hold on to your faith and belief. I resent the fact that I stopped reading your blog last year but though it's late to catch up on past happenings, it's never to late to learn and be inspired from your story. You have touched us.

Goodbye Ah Liang Zai. Looking forward to the day where we meet and jam again. =)

Gerraaaarrrddddd

2008-08-24T02:44:00.005+08:00

The interesting thing about watching footie on one of those Middle East channels is the commentary. Whenever there's a goal, they would celebrate with much excitement and emotion in the most exaggerated way. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but at times it's hilarious.

So, when Gerrard scored a last minute match-winner against Middlesbrough last night, all hell broke loose:

Though, take nothing away from Stevie as it was brilliant goal (Plus a superb long pass from Alonso).

Didn't watch the match anyway, was having my late dinner.

桜

2008-08-20T01:00:00.000+08:00

I like songs that could calm your soul, especially ones that creates a serenity mood. They are the best companions in unwinding yourself after a long day.

I've first heard of this song in the Japanese class last month and loved it instantly. Sung by Moriyama Naotarou and simply titled Sakura (Cherry Blossoms, in case you didn't know. ;) ). Although I barely understand the lyrics, it's one of those songs that even without the comprehension of the lyrics could convey its message (If I'm not mistaken, it's a song about life, friendship and parting from it.). Simply beautiful.

Here are the lyrics (Control V-ed from a blog):
僕らはきっと待ってる　君とまた会える日々を
さくら並木の道の上で　手を振り叫ぶよ
どんなに苦しい時も　君は笑っているから
挫けそうになりかけても　頑張れる気がしたよ

霞みゆく景色の中に　あの日の唄が聴こえる

さくら　さくら　今、咲き誇る
刹那に散りゆく運命と知って
さらば友よ　旅立ちの刻　変わらないその想いを　今

今なら言えるだろうか　偽りのない言葉
輝ける君の未来を願う　本当の言葉

移りゆく街はまるで　僕らを急かすように

さくら　さくら　ただ舞い落ちる
いつか生まれ変わる瞬間を信じ
泣くな友よ　今惜別の時　飾らないあの笑顔で　さあ

さくら　さくら　いざ舞い上がれ
永遠にさんざめく光を浴びて
さらば友よ　またこの場所で会おう
さくら舞い散る道の上で

I believe that this song is also taught in other Japanese classes in the world, perhaps that explains the popularity of it? I also believe there's a Chinese cover, anybody knows the singer? =D

Return From Hiatus?

2008-08-19T01:07:00.003+08:00

Here's a brief update after... err... a month of not updating... =P

Sorry for the long hiatus. Leo Club activities, classes & assignment as well as my social life have taken a huge chunk of my life that I feel detached from the virtual world. (Not really larrr... still read all your blogs through my RSS Reader =P)

This week is no exception, as on the weekend we would be conducting our own focus groups for Application Market Research subject. I've volunteered to be the moderator. =D After years of working with research-related company, it's great to actually put myself in the shoes of the moderators. Not the most challenging job but it's definitely something exciting and new. =D Lots of meetings and training to attend though!

Sad thing I have to skip the Leo's Joint Installation for the assignment. Oh well... at least there won't be the weekly 11am meetings at SBS from next week onwards hahah! Though, I still got some work and mini projects to work on. Will attend to them after this week. =)
Paintball... KL Food Trip... Anniversary Dinner... Rock Climbing... and of course the community service projects... It's gonna be an eventful fiscal year hehe.

I guess that's all for a brief update. Really sorry for updating and thanks to the whole lot of you who actually bothered to check back and then bothered me to blog. =) I'll try to get back to my blogging routine after the dust has settled and by then, I'll have lots and lots of stuff to update. ;)

For now... looking forward to an exciting week. Weeeee....

Oh yeahhhhh... did I mention that The Dark Knight was amazing? lolx... I've already figured out what I'm gonna get for Christmas hahahahhhh... TDK Blu-ray! ;D

Listening : Shania Twain - From This Moment On

TDK Roxxor!

2008-07-18T12:19:00.002+08:00

Went to catch The Dark Knight's premiere on Wednesday midnight and OH MY GOSH, it was bloody epic. As high as my expectations were, they were all surpassed. And Heath Ledger... you have to watch the movie to see how brilliant he was.

Not gonna spoil anything. Go watch the movie. If you need any reason, read my last post. =D

First Month

2008-07-17T00:00:00.001+08:00

Although half of our first month was spent away from each other,
It has made the other half a lot more sweeter,
Previously I never knew the purpose of celebrating mini occasions such as this,
Now I understood that it's not only to celebrate,
But also to cherish every moment we've spent,
And to look back & appreciate how far we've come,
As time passes by so fast,
It's easy to take things for granted,
But like a reel of film every single frame carriers a small yet important part of a larger story,
Our story,
I will never forget the chapters we've written so far,
Thanks for everything...

Here's to many more months, chapters and frames to come,
Happy one month anniversary, dear. =)

------------

Miss ya so much, dear. =)

------------

PS: Although this post is dedicated to my dear, please don't feel cold and leave some nice comments yaaaa... [Narcissism mode off]
PSS: May not be the best place to say this, but it has been on my chest for awhile... Does anybody see the irony in the phrase "monthly anniversary" hehe lolx?

It's All Part of the Plan

2008-07-15T23:14:00.002+08:00

Sneak Preview tickets. =D

Tonight's entertainment: Batman Begins at my place and then midnight show for The Dark Knight.

(Anyway, Thursday shows seem to be sold out already O.o Get your tickets early if you wanna watch the caped crusader!)

Kota Kinabalu Trip Pt.4

2008-07-13T23:22:00.004+08:00

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4]

Gotta get this over with, so I could continue with more posts on recent trips LOL!

Anyway on the last night of the trip - after we got back from the exhausting climb - we went to have grilled fish & stingray for supper/dinner right after we freshen ourselves up at Borneo's Backpackers. The meal itself was overpriced, not to mention it tasted so-so.

Right after supper, we walked back to the backpacker's lodge. We were about to sleep (I was laying the blanket on my feet already lolx) when Teck Looi and Sheng Wei were arguing jokingly about whether big or small bottles are served when you order a bucket of beer lolx. One of them were saying "If you don't believe, then we go out now lar," then the other said, "Oklar, let's go lar," and got out from bed.

I thought they were joking but even Wei Keat got down from his double decker lolx! So the 8 of us went for a drink in a nearby pub lolx. It wasn't a long drink though, as the pub had to be closed at 1am, which is earlier than KL pubs. =.="
Ordered a few bottles of beer and a cocktail. As we were completely exhausted that night too, we slept darn well.

The next morning we had beefball noodles for breakfast and went to a nearby morning market to shop. It was pretty crowded, although there weren't much to buy, we bought some last minute souvenirs.

Crowded...

Some love miniature duck made of coconut shells

Lovely Tortoise

By afternoon, we pretty much walked the entire market. As we didn't have anything planned, we were split into 3 groups, as some of them wanted to explore the area. As for me, Wei Keat, Sam and Jia Yi, we stayed back and chit-chatted while waiting for the rest to be back.
By evening, we took a bus to the airport.

View of the gloomy sky from the hotel's balcony

Not wanting to be forgotten by the locals, we continued to joke, laugh and do lots of stupid things at the airport lolx!
And then Jia Yi and I were almost denied from entry to the airplane. If you remember, I actually threw away both our visas on the first day LOL! The immigration officer didn't really want to let us go and actually asked us if we have any relatives in Sabah, so we could stay with them for a night or so lolx. We were like, "Har? Tak boleh larr... mesti balik," lolx. After some pleading and explanation, he finally let us in.

We actually had a lovely rainbow to bid us farewell lolx. Didn't know photography wasn't allowed when we are boarding the plane lolx, but managed to snap this one.

On the way back... (I really didn't kap the stewardess =P)

When we touched down at LCCT, it was back to reality. After 5 days of losing touch with all happenings back home, it was a bit hard to knock ourselves back. We were basically in holiday mood then. Lucky for me, I had Monday to rest, before going back for classes on Tuesday. But I never really recovered from the holiday mood ever since lolx...

The trip was really that fun. Ask if I would go for another trip with the same bunch of people, my answer is a definitive yes. =D
'til then, I miss the fresh air, the silliness and the carefree laughter.

陶喆 - 天天

2008-07-12T02:37:00.003+08:00

Few weeks ago mom and I dug out some old CDs and one of them was a pirated copy of David Tao songs. Old songs mostly. Haven't listened to them for some time, I ripped it out and played it in my car almost every day.
This song 天天 came out as my favourite as it has a very nice, slow ballad-y and r&b feel. Even more so recently as it feels like it's speaking to me.

太陽天(或)下雨天
人擠人的咖啡店
找一個能想你舒服的角落
看著情人肩靠肩
慢慢轉開我視線
yeh yeh ~ ~
有個女孩讓我好想念
我的心已經飛到這個城市的另一邊
想看著你我愛的臉
把心裏的感情都對你說
那馬路上天天都在塞
而每個人天天在忍耐
沒有你日子很黑白
原來這樣就是戀愛
我想要你在我身邊
分享生命中的一切
我想要天天說天天說
天天對你說我有多愛你
太陽天(或)下雨天
人擠人的咖啡店
找一個能想你舒服的角落
看著情人肩靠肩
慢慢轉開我視線
yeh yeh ~ ~
有個女孩讓我好想念
我的心已經飛到這個城市的另一邊
想看著你我愛的臉
把心裏的感情都對你說
那馬路上天天都在塞
而每個人天天在忍耐
沒有你日子很黑白
原來這樣就是戀愛
我想要你在我身邊
分享生命中的一切
我想要天天說天天說
天天對你說我有多愛你
那馬路上天天都在塞
而每個人天天在忍耐
沒有你日子很黑白
原來這樣就是戀愛
我想要你在我身邊
分享生命中的一切
我想要天天說天天說
天天對你說我有多愛你
天天說 I love you BABY

PS: DT still looks chubby then hahah. =D

Viva España!

2008-07-09T01:01:00.000+08:00

It was amazing watching my favourite player scoring the winning goal during the Euro 2008 final... in Bangkok no less. =P Although the goal was partly due to the error in Lahm and Lehmann's judgement, it showcased Torres' speed, skill and striker instincts. If anything, Torres proved that he could be as good, if not better than his partner-in-crime, Villa. Of course, credits must be given to the winner of the Golden Boot who scored an unstoppable hattrick in the opener match against Russia. The image of Torres and Villa celebrating their first goal against Russia is still vivid in my mind.

Not to forget the brilliant cast of mid-fielders that include Iniesta, Xavi, Silva, Fabregas. A special mention has to be given to Senna, whom in the Italy match was outstanding - providing great defence and attacking passes at the same time made Buffon to perform world-class saves with his long-range shots. And also, Xabi Alonso, who was top class in the Greece match.

And then on the defending side there was Capdevilla, Sergio Ramos, Marchena and the heart of defence, Puyol. There's no way we could forget their captain, the great Iker Casillas. Although as a goalkeeper he didn't have much to do in the Germany match, his leadership and ball distribution has inspired the team much more than we would know. Not to forget he was the hero in the penalty shootout against Italy, by saving 2 shots.

Now that the young players have tasted glory, they are definitely craving for more. The greatest prize, though will be the World Cup in 2010. It's then they will be tested against a tougher competition that include South America, African and English (That is, if they qualify lolx) teams. Plus, by then the young Spanish team would have improved and matured. Definitely one to anticipate because frankly, I don't think we have seen enough of the Torres-Villa combo.

'til then, Viva España!

Back To Normal Life

2008-07-08T02:18:00.003+08:00

For the past few weeks I've been out far too often that my mom noted that I've treated my home like a hotel (Coz the only time I was at home was sleeping time lolx). Just got back from a Bangkok trip last Friday and Langkawi the previous week (Lots of stuff to blog about lolx!). It was hectic and tiring but it was fun. =D It's coming to an end though, as some of my friends who were studying abroad have returned to their studies. Plus, dear is back at Indo for 2 weeks (Gonna miss her so much =( ) so I have plenty of time to kill over here (Yumcha, anyone?).

For the first time in some time, I spent the entire day doing nothing. Surfed the net, played Fifa and went out to buy stuff. Not sure if it sounds weird, but I shop alone occasionally and actually enjoy it. Even if it's walking aimlessly in a mall, I find it a luxury that prioritizes oneself and allows one's thoughts to flow, despite all the distractions. I guess being a semi-introvert has something to do with it. Well, with tonight's 'getaway' I ended up with a movie (Sweeney Todd!), album (John Mayer's new live album. Sounds good so far, might even review it. ;) ) and a magazine (Reader's Digest). Will keep me occupied for some time, I guess. =D

As tempting as it is to lazy around like that, I don't intend to spent the rest of my holidays procrastinating. It's the perfect time to get my stuff and priorities sorted out. There's the Leo Club stuff to handle, the jamming sessions to juggle with and the online/photoshop stuff & projects I need to finish.

Come to think of it, I have tasks aplenty on my to-do list and 2 weeks isn't a long time. Need proper time management lolx... =)

7 Reasons Why TDK Would be the Bomb

2008-07-07T01:53:00.009+08:00

If you've been reading my blog, you would know that I have been anticipating the new Batman movie since last year. With only less than 2 weeks to go, the wait would finally be over. Honestly, I'm not a huge Batman fan, but after Batman Begins I became one. Christopher Nolan's version of Batman clearly surpasses all other superhero movies and dare I say it, Tim Burton's original Batman. The box office success and loyal fanbase testify to it. Now, Nolan's back with a sequel - simply titled The Dark Knight - and introduction of Batman's archrival - The Joker. Along with possibly the most adventurous viral marketing yet, it's hard to see how TDK could fail. I may have bought the hype but there are some logical reasons to believe in it. Here are them:

1. Christopher Nolan When Warner decided to revive the Batman franchise, they took the risk by enlisting the job to a relatively unknown director, Christopher Nolan. The risk paid off. With Batman Begins, he did a fantastic job in creating a film that describes Bruce Wayne's journey to the caped crusader. Not only he delivered a superb yet dark introduction to Batman, he also gave us characters we could emphasize and latch on.
The premise of plot in TDK is transformation of district attorney Harvey Dent to villain Two-Face with several sub-plots squeezed in between. With 2 prominent characters of the Batman universe being introduced, we shall see how Nolan tackle the challenge of delivery especially in terms of pace. Though, considering the successful partnership with his brother Jonathan in the Prestige, it is hard too see how the script could go wrong.

2. The cast from Batman Begins returns Who, other than Christian Bale could pull off the role of a rich playboy who doubles as a vigilante protector so well? Then you have Michael Caine as Wayne's British-slanged butler, Gary Oldman as one of the few committed policeman and Morgan Freeman as Batman's supplier of weapons. What's missing though, is Batman's love interest Katie Holmes who will be replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal. That aside, what more can you ask from a perfectly casted lineup?

3. Introduction of the Joker When the first proper trailer of the Dark Knight was released, everybody was impressed by the late-Heath Ledger's performance. It is said that TDK would push Ledger to A-List of Hollywood actors, but sadly his death couldn't have come at a worse time.
With only the trailers as reference, Ledger has given us a Joker who is sinister, deranged, frightening and violent. It's no surprise that it's even darker than Jack Nicholson (Of the first Batman movie) or Mark Hamill's (Of the animated series we used to watch on telly on Sunday mornings lolx!) versions that it's gonna throw all superhero movie stereotypes out of the window.
The Joker is given a superb costume and makeup. Talk about attention to details. If anything, Ledger's Joker is going to retain the most memorable villain title and knowing Ledger, he'd put everything he has into the performance.

"... in their desperation, they turned to a man they didn't fully understand. Some men aren't looking for anything logical - they can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."
- Alfred -

"Starting tonight, people will die. I'm a man of my word."
- the Joker -

RIP Heath!

4. Zimmer & Howard to reprise their roles for OST Any movie lover shall be able to tell you the importance of John Williams' scores to Star Wars movie. Similarly, legendary composer Hans Zimmer teamed up with James Newton Howard and gave us an epic soundtrack for Batman Begins. Howard is responsible for capturing the dramatic mood of the movie while Zimmer delivers the action scores. The film score superbly blends electronic music with orchestra music and has an unmistakable "Batman" feel. Not much of a film score fan myself, I can't explain the epic-ness of the score, just listen to the Imeem widget I placed on the blog lolx. =P
Don't just take my word for it, the score was sampled over and over again for many other movies and TV series.

5. Because we haven't seen all of the movie yet!!! As all attention is focused on the Joker, it's easy to forget another villain would make his appearance - Two Face. Even as the release date draws closer, no one other than the cast and crew (And some lucky press members who got an early preview of the movie.) knows how Two Face looks like. We were given a split-second shot of Harvey Dent's transformation into Two Face and a short Internet teaser so far, but there isn't any official photo released. Definitely reminds one of how Heath's Joker was kept secret until the first trailer. Talk about being teased!
Although there are many photoshopped fan arts floating on the net, actor Aaron Eckhart who plays Harvey Dent/Two-Face says that Nolan's version is darker and scarier. Remember after months of teasing fans, the Joker was finally revealed to the public? Everybody was both impressed and frightened. I guess we could expect a similar reaction in the cinema. For now though, we could only guess.

6. The Viral Hype! If there was any main reason why people were hyped (Me included lolx) for the movie, it's the viral marketing. The marketing people behind the Dark Knight has gone all the way with viral this time, inviting fans of the movie to participate in mock activities. So far, we have seen "the Joker" recruiting his army (Those lucky few who responded to the recruitment actually received goodies and a real phone to receive instructions from "the Joker" wtf!"), "Harvey Dent" launching a nationwide electoral campaign, "the Joker" organizing a scavenger hunt (Which ultimately led to a free theater viewing of the 2nd official trailer.) and Gotham City election for District Attorney. Not to forget the mock websites that include The Gotham Times, Pizzeria, Gotham News Channel etc... With so much excitement taking place even before the premiere, it's hard not to get hyped.
Although the hype generated is enormous, many have noted the pitfall of viral marketing where only existing fans would get hyped. Though true, never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth as these hyped fans would continue to spread the word to their friends and so forth. Probably why I'm posting this lolx.
On paper, these fans are far more credible than conventional marketing techniques. Thus, that makes me credible... so, believe me. =P

7. Batman: Gotham Knight Like the Animatrix, a direct-to-DVD series titled Batman: Gotham Knight will be released before The Dark Knight. Animated by top Japanese animation studios, the mini series will see the return of Kevin Conroy (Who voiced Bruce Wayne/Batman in the animated series) in the voiceover role of Batman. The 6-episode series is set between the events of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Although this seem like a quick cash-in from the movie, Gotham Knight allows the writers to explore certain aspects of the Batman franchise & character development that couldn't be fitted into the length of a full-length movie.
Early reviews so far have been promising. Good thing as I've placed an order for the blu-ray version last month lolx!
Gotham Knight would be released on July 8th (Tomorrow!) and by Amazon's shipping standards, it should arrive on August. Bahhhh...

---------------------------
There you go... 7 reasons why The Dark Knight would be the BOMB (To quote Samantha lolx!)! Given the amount of hype, it's hard to imagine how it would bomb the box office. I even planned to watch the movie at least twice. First time to enjoy the hype while second time to properly sit down and analyze the movie. If it is indeed as good as it is hyped to me, a 3rd viewing is possible lolx! =D

This summer has been good for movie lovers so far, Iron Man was great while Kung Fu Panda was pretty good imo. Then, we have Wall-E and Hell Boy 2 to look forward to. On the down side though, Narnia, Incredible Hulk, Wanted & Indiana Jones were passable while the Happening was a total disappointment (Wtf happened, Shyamalan?!) but at least this time is much better than last year's trio of triquels. Plus, we will finally get to see The Dark Knight. What an awesome summer. Can't wait. =D

=)

2008-06-20T12:26:00.002+08:00

Lovely flowers... For a lovely occassion. :)

Vote for Harvey Dent

2008-06-11T13:27:00.005+08:00

With a little more than a month to go until the premiere of The Dark Knight, the viral marketing strikes again... and probably for the last time. This time, it's the Gotham City election for District Attorney. After months of 'campaigning' (The lucky folks in the States get to experience the mock campaign though!), it's time for citizens of Gotham City to vote. Of course, you're eligible to vote as well!

Just log on to http://www.gothamelectionboard.com/ and register yourself as a voter. ;)

This has got to be the coolest viral marketing ever

Anyway, the election is only opened until June 12th, you have a little more than one day to act (Do it with the Batman Begins soundtrack playing in background btw ;) )! In case you're wondering, I voted for Harvey Dent. =)

For more news of Gotham City, check out Gotham Cable News (GCN)(ZOMGWTFBBQ!!!!!!) or Harvey Dent's website.

And in case you're wondering, The Dark Knight premieres on July 17th.

Kota Kinabalu Trip Pt.3

2008-06-06T11:08:00.003+08:00

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4]

Aiks... long overdue post lolx... Just received Sheng Wei's photos... some pre-Laban Rata pics:

5km d... don't play play...

We're finally at ~~Mordor~~ Laban Rata

... and to make sure we got it right lolx!

It's really not that cold lar hahah
...wait till there's wind

-------------------------------------------------------------
So, barely with enough sleep, we woke up at around 2am. After a light breakfast, we embarked our final journey towards Low's Peak.

We're in luck as it used to be colder than that

Well, to put it bluntly, we made it to the top lolx. Supposingly, it is an easy task to get up there but it took me lots of breaks to catch my breath again. Sheng Wei said I should pick up swimming, as it teaches one how to breathe properly while walking. Aikkss... which is true as even back in the days of running laps (Those were the days lar hahah), I was always the first one to lose my breath. Another mistake was taking too many breaks, which sort of breaks the flow and spirit, which cost us a lot of time.
Plus, I and Sheng Wei were supposed to carry out the buddy system where both of us carry one bag and take turns carrying it. I carried it for like the first 5 minutes and cannot tahan immediately lolx! He ended up carrying it for the rest of the journey. =.=" Thanks Sheng Wei lolx.
Anyway here are some pics, I don't think words are enough to describe how beautiful the peak was and how relief/proud we felt when we were finally at the peak hahah.

8km - Kok Chiang in awe of the journey he took.
While I'm in the background meditating rofl!

At a hut on the way to the Peak

We were supposed to catch the sunrise on the peak but lolx... we didn't manage to see it

We're almost there! - Our route on the journey to the peak's guided by a white rope
Walk away from it at your peril as there's no telling where you could end up in pitch black

I see the peak!!!! - Look at how crowded it is lolx... by the time we got there though, it was empty. Good timing for us as we took our time taking photos lolx!

8.5km - I can feel the zen... ermm... I mean the sun already lolx.

At the bottom of Low's Peak, we met up with Wei Keat that group, who were on their way down already. OMG not sure if it was the Red Bull or the knowledge that the destination is just a climb away, it gave me a sudden burst of energy to rush my way up LOL!

It must be the Red Bull hahahah. Bring one up if you're to climb. xD

Climbing our way to the peak and......

......Finally - Low's Peak!

Like I've said, we took our time with photos hahah:

I like this one!!! Check out Kok Chiang's 'monster' companion hahah...

Kota Kinabalu at a glance - I'm at the top of the world weeee!

Some climbers scaling down the peak

I wonder where would you end up if you fall into the abyss? Centre of the earth?

Time to leave the place before it gets too warm =)

Leaving with satisfied minds

This is our porter cum guide - Check out his climbing 'shoes' hahah

The dangerous part - one slip and it's truly the end of your journey lolx
When we were scaling the mountain, it was pitch black that you won't notice that you were literally at cliff lolx.

Back at Borneo's Backpackers - Our souvenir!

Well... our journey back to Kinabalu Park was alright, marred only by the presence of rain. I can't believe it still rained after I threw the raincoat. Dumbass me. =.=" And I almost sprain both my ankles lolx. Thankfully though, everybody arrived in 1 piece hahah.

Shall continue Part 4 next time, would be a short one I promise. Final pic of the day - taken with Kok Chiang's 350/400D (Couldn't remember) no less - undoubtedly my favourite:

Weeeeeee.... Nicked from Facebook, though!

Thank You Pak Lalalala!

2008-06-04T21:14:00.002+08:00

Latest news of price hike: RM0.05 per sms.
Full tank: RM120
Getting stuck in the queue with thousands of other Malaysians: Priceless.

Lol can u feel the kiasuness alr lolx?

Sparkling High

2008-06-03T16:01:00.004+08:00

I was thinking...

Is it just opportunity that arises and urges you to take that risk?
Is it really just a blessing in disguise when you are derailed from your actual journey?
Is it mere coincidence that the radio actually talks to you through songs?
Is it with the sudden burst of courage, one could perform the unexpected?
Is it yet another coincidence that you meet an unexpected friend in pasar malam? (Of course not lar, duh LOL ;P)
Is it just chemistry that could draw one much closer to the another?

Or is it fate that really brings everything together? Or the desire? Or that special magic?

Or is it the combination of everything?
The chemistry, the timing, the desire, the magic, the fate, the love...

Sometimes you have to wonder if there's a higher power that dictates your everyday life - twisting, turning and making it into a box of chocolate (Forrest Gump ;) ). But when the chocolates are exceptionally sweet, you could almost feel your heart melting with them. Those are the very, very special moments in life.

Treasure them, forever.

I know I will. =)

Liverpool No.9

2008-05-31T18:04:00.001+08:00

So, which team would you be supporting coming Euro? =D

(Anybody here understands enough Spanish to translate the video lolx?!)

Sheng Wei

2008-05-17T16:03:00.001+08:00

Hahahah...

Kota Kinabalu Trip Pt.2

2008-05-16T22:44:00.010+08:00

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4]

On the 2nd morning, we were taken to Kinabalu Park by bus. 88km away from Kinabalu town and about 1,500 metres above sea level, the temperature at the park was comparable to that of Cameron Highlands. In other words, fresh air. =D
We checked in and had our lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Road leading to the park

Our guide - JC. Notably for his skit with our leader "Roy" lololx xD

And finally, the restaurant who would probably never forget our overly loud chatter xD

Well, lunch was decent. As we walked back from the restaurant, poor Amylin realized that her purse is missing, along with ICs and driving license. We tried looking along the road but to no avail, she ended up hitching a ride to a nearby police station to lodge a report. Bummer, really. And it didn't help when it started to rain.
It didn't end there though as when we walked back Jia Yi realized that she has misplaced her visa too LOL! xD
She knew she no longer had it but was struggling to remember the last place she left it. But I knew. xD She gave it to me on the first day and I accidentally threw it away along with my visa ROFL! Although there's a chance that we would face some hiccups at the custom, we actually laughed over it. Visa missing d still so happy. xD

Because our lodge was a distance away, we had to take shelter at the reception. The rain lasted a long time but we were enjoying our time at the reception with 儿童节 chocolate wafer biscuits. xD Don't know or don't even remember what it is? Next time I belanja you hahah. Brings back memories. =P

Still, we couldn't wait any longer and Roy decided to make full use of his RM10 raincoat:

The RM10 raincoat xD

Sheng Wei and I had our own individual raincoats, so we were protected from the rain. I have a funny vid of them walking under the raincoat, will upload it one day lololx. xD

Back in our room

We had our dinner at a different restaurants, and after a fair share of lame jokes (Which attracted even more attention from the workers lolx.) and games, we called it a day.

The next would be our big day. =D

-------------------------------------------------------------

By 7am we were pretty much awaken as we wanted to embark on our journey as early as possible to avoid the rain. Just as most other climbers, our climb would be spread to 2 days and a night stay on the middle of the mountain. Basically, the aim is to reach the check point, Laban Rata (About 3000+ metres above sea level. Low's Peak, our goal is at about 4000+. The total journey covered is estimated at 8.5km.) by evening. Have a good rest and get a good night sleep. Then you'll be awaken at around 1 to 2am to continue the climb. Yup, you'll be spending most of the 2nd half climb in darkness. The goal is to reach the peak as soon as possible to catch a glimpse of sunrise. All I hoped though, is to actually make it to the peak lolx!

Anyway after a filling breakfast buffet, we got ourselves tongkats and porter-cum-guides (The tongkats helped a lot. Do not embark the journey without them. =D As for porters I doubt you would really need them unless you're carrying a load up.). We were ready by 9am. =D

Kok Chiang & I - The peak looks so awfully puny

A random climber getting ready for the adventure

We then took a short bus trip to the starting point of the Timpohon route (The other is the Mesilau route. I'm not too sure about the distinct differences between both routes but if you're interested, there are plenty of bloggers who have taken the Timpohon route up and then the Mesilau down. Or vice versa.)

The starting and finishing point of the trip

We started the climb basically by walking down the stairs lol
The first few kilometres of the route is still covered in greens.

Roy with his extra large Chocolate-Banana Pocky Stick xD
This is not a lame joke lolx! We actually had them the day before. Check it out and you'll know what I'm talking about hahah.

We're halfway there already, yay! xD
(l-r) Amylin, Daniel, Sheng Wei, Mei Yan, Kok Chiang

For every kilometres leading to the Laban Rata, there would be at least a pondok with toilets. We usually stop at each pondok for a quick rest and at each pondok we would be greeted by squirrels. O.o These squirrels are swift in their actions and are practically unafraid of our presence.

They're so fast that it's almost impossible to get a decent shot

Yes, in a split second it stole some finger food from Daniel's lunchbox lol!

Here's where the solid soil and greens gave way to muddy ones and less plants. Air was getting misty as well.

Almost there - less than 2 kilometres to Laban Rata =)

We reached Laban Rata at about 3pm, which is about 6 hours lolx although Wei Keat, Teck Looi, Jia Yi and Samantha arrived much earlier. The temperature was still around 10 degree celcius if I'm not mistaken.
Before the climb, our guide JC told us to get a shower as soon as we get there to take advantage of the limited heated water. So, Sheng Wei and I took his advice. There were only 2 cubicles for shower, so he took one and I took the other next to his.
Can't wait to get a nice hot shower, we were pretty much stumped to find that the taps weren't label. O.o We had to try both both to see which is supplies hot water but there weren't hot water zomg! Sheng Wei said the right tap was the hot one and rightly so, there were a few drops of warm water when I turned it. After that, it's all ice-freezing cold water. =.=" I kid you not when I say it's ice-freezing! It's so cold that even a few drops on your body could get you screaming... literally. We had no choice but to make do with what have loh, and we were screaming like mad omg. =.=" Could only imagine what others would think of us rofl.
After the shower, we headed back to our room and related our story with the rest lolx. Still, Wei Keat took a shower, which after it he came back and told us that, "The hot water tap is on the left. You just have to wait for little while," OMGWTFBBQ! Kena conned d. T.T

We then took a nap then. I took Panadols before napping as I felt a slight headache already. Just a precaution to prevent a fever on the next morning. Altitude sickness can really screw your journey (Or your life) to the peak, so don't take the risk. ;)

We woke up for a quick dinner. By then Laban Rata was overcrowded that some guests had no rooms to sleep in. Blame it on the mismanagement and stubbornness of some people, but when can you do when they're already halfway through the climb.

By 9pm, most guests were going to bed except for us rofl. We actually kept the door opened and continued with our chatter and laughter until the point we were being complained against by next-door neighbour lolx. We must have been labeled the "ignorant bunch of kids" hahah. xD

Didn't want to create any more trouble, we closed the door and crashed out.

The exceptionally noisy room - Couldn't help but leave a mark everywhere in Kota Kinabalu lolx

I had some trouble sleeping. Had a deja vu feeling of anxiety in addition to feeling excited.
Then again, I thought "The first 6km was easy, the next 2 shouldn't be too far off eh?"

I sincerely hoped I was right. Without realizing it, I dozed off.

Watching : What Happens In Vegas
Listening : 張學友 - 在你身邊

Work Hard, Play Harder

2008-05-11T23:40:00.001+08:00

After seeing mingkee blogging on her phone i tot of trying it too lolx.
Fyi, i cudnt find a proper stream of d pool match. Hence d blues. 1-0 Wigan pls score lolx.

TRAIL-ER

2008-04-28T23:50:00.003+08:00

OMG OMG OMG... I'm on the verge of rushing my Advertising & Promotion progress report but I'm currently distracted by another form of marketing, in a bad way.

We all know that Warner has pushed the limits for The Dark Knight when it comes to viral/online marketing. I haven't been following the campaigns actively but this has pushed the button:
Why So Serious - It's All Part Of The Plan

On every portrait you click, you would get a message :

Gather with 300 of your closest friends at this exact spot on April 28th.

You'll need to be in contact with a partner-in-crime who has online access to relay your instructions once you're there. These instructions will give you the TRAIL to follow, but be sure to look both ways when crossing the street; we wouldn't want you to make an unscheduled visit to the ER now, would we?

Put on a smile and plan to spend about an hour or so bonding with your fellow clowns.

Check back here often for updates or changes.

...along with name of the city and a Google Earth coordinate. If you read the message above carefully, you'ill notice the words TRAIL and ER are in capital. OMGWTFBBQ! Does that mean they're getting a preview of a new The Dark Knight Trailer??!!! When would we get to see it?!

Dammit, gotta hand it to the geniuses behind this campaign. Never has a movie's advertising/marketing campaign hype me up so badly that I'm wanna watch it on its premiere.

More on the viral marketing next entry!

For now, I'll struggle to even try to complete my assignment asap.

Blast From The Past

2008-04-27T13:57:00.008+08:00

Few days ago, I had a sudden urge to dig up my standard 5 personal homepage, only to find that it no longer exist (What the funk Angelfire?!) although the only page that remains prior to the recent deletion is the "Welcome to Tan Eong Xien's 3rd Home Page!!" front page roflmao!

Created by copy and pasta from a Dragon Ball Kamehameha animated gif LOL! Jenius betul! xD
Kwok Wei, if you're reading this - Brings back memories eh?!

So I dug up a more recent website. To my surprise I found that I actually started blogging since 2003 (Form 4?) when the blog culture has yet to catch up with most of us lolx. That aside, it was fun to see how much one has progressed and matured (Or at least, I like to think so) since then.

It's a bit of an embarrassment though! I mean it's the "My gosh, was that even me?!" type of embarrassment.

Interested? =P Not silly enough to post the link here, but if you Google my first name (Without spaces), you would get a list of stuff - created by me no less - on the first page muahahaha. ;) I smell the narcissism already. =P

Kota Kinabalu Trip Pt.1

2008-04-24T01:48:00.011+08:00

Here's the long-awaited KK Trip entry lolx. I really should have posted this during the 1 week break but was lazy... ahh, still lazy at the moment but it's now or never. Really.

Anyway, part 1 will be about the trip before the hike. Will try to keep it simple, so here we go...

------------

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4]

Some time late last year, Sheng Wei told me and Wei Keat that he was going for a trip to KK with the Leo's. Unfortunately after they made the bookings (Fortunate for us), a few pulled out and they were looking for people to replace them. Didn't take us long enough to make the decision. Finals aren't around the corner, and I don't think our mid-term would clash with trip. Parents' permission and all set! We were in the troop. =D

At that point though, I thought the Mt.KK hike was just another hike but my parents kept asking me if I'm really sure about it and kept pestering me to work out. After some online research and friends' recounts, I understood what their concerns were about. I'm particularly doubtful of my fitness really because firstly,

1) I've been slacking off heavily since high school.

Gone the days where I was at my fittest self, where being put into endless runs wasn't a huge problem. Which brings me to problem number 2,

2) I still wasn't fit even in my fittest self.

Damn. Doesn't help at all when I know I have some breathing difficulties in the past. Thin air. Extremely cold temperature. Altitude sickness. Rain (Didn't help that it was raining almost everyday in KL). Any one of these can really screw your climb up. If you track back my past blog entries, you would find one titles "Anxiety". I was indeed in anxiety as the trip drew closer.

Didn't help at all when we skipped all but one practices. xD

My other concern is that I don't really know half of the troop as they were merely acquaintance. Alright, get this. There are a total 10 of us. 4 of us were CHS scouts and knew each other well already. And then there were 3 ex-DU Leos. 3 older KLU Leos. What if out troop's split into 3 groups throughout the trip lolx! But it was a minor, silly concern. Right after our first practice at Bt.Kiara, we had breakfast at McDs. Although it was the first time some of us met, we ended up chatting like old friends for hours. xD Main topic? Food and no, it's not what you are and want to think about. =P

Alright, fast-forward to the trip.

Much to our delight, we arrived at KK Airport safely and on time. As soon as we entered the arrival gate, we were brought to check in at our backpackers' lodge. Never one to have high expectations on anything associated with economical and backpackers, I was surprised to find place was more than a decent accommodation - nicely decorated, proper bedrooms and clean shower rooms. =D Perhaps I had a misguided perception of backpackers' accommodations but compared to the other similar premises around the area, it's definitely one of the better ones. If you're interested, it's called the Borneo's Backpackers.

Lovely Place to Stay In =D

KK welcomes you - at Jesselton Point Jetty

As soon as we unloaded, we set off to explore the town. There's not much to it in the day, so after lunch, we took a boat ride to one of the smaller islands, Pulau Sapi I think. The snorkeling wasn't much to shout about as the water as clear as your nearby river and the fishes were pretty much dull and uninteresting. Plus, the water was extremely salty that we ended up stone-skipping lolx.

9th PJ Scout Bunch =D
Alright get this - (l-r) Wei Keat (2004 Troop Leader), Teck Looi (2000 TL), Sheng Wei (2004 A-TL)
Time to bury my head somewhere lolx.

Rest of the group deciding our next destination

On our way to Pulau Sapi

The return journey was memorable though lolx! It was drizzling and we were practically freezing with the continuous wind. Then the boat ride against the wind was like wave after wave of sonic thrust against your body. xD A great way to prepare yourself for the freezing temperatures on the peak, eh.

Teck Looi hanging on to whatever he has. It was that freezing, really! xD

So we went back to wash up and for the rest of the evening, we strolled around the town and had an expensive seafood dinner. It was worth it though, considering the seafood was much fresher than what you could get in KL. Then it was yumcha at ~~McDs~~ Burger King until the wee hours before we call it a day.

Our first dish =D And last photo of food for the night... because... well, you know... fingers too busy xD

KK's Sg Wang - Jakun betul =.="

If there was a noticeable difference between the nightlife in KL and KK is that other than the odd clubs/pubs here and there, there's virtually no mamak for the midnight cravings. O.o We were strolling in casual wear -short pants, slippers etc- and the local residents gave us a kind of look that suggests, "Isn't the beach closed already?" Another difference between both cities is that life's very slow over there and drivers are very polite. Now I know why Kendrick (Sabahan) drives so slow and casually lolx. We KL people are a real stressful bunch.

Packing for the night - cozy leh? 10 in a room and thankfully (Apparently) there wasn't any choir performance that night. xD
Not so thankfully, it only last till that night only. xD

So end of day 1. Personally, much of my first day was spent lugging onto the anxiety and trying to shove it aside. I didn't know why I was that afraid, perhaps it's the guilt for not practising before the trip. I was pretty much phased out for the day. Though, as it goes, much of it was drown in laughter. I guess I've grown accustomed to the group and found my optimistic-self again.

It was gonna be ok. =D

------------

At this point, I realize (yet again) that I've wrote too much. =.=" I'll save Day 2 for the next entry. =D

Clarkson Spells Danger

2008-04-21T00:13:00.002+08:00

This is why I love Top Gear:

On a sidenote, it is said that for the past decade we humans have progressed a lot. In the 90s, people generally watch the telly as a past time. Yet for the past few days I spent most of my hours watching Youtube and Vimeo videos... no difference there eh?

And what happened to Justin Hawkins and The Darkness? (Admittedly I've never heard of their 2nd studio album except one of the live previews. It was terrible. A shame, though cause they had the potential.)

Kemahiran Hidup

2008-04-20T15:08:00.002+08:00

For the past 6 days, I'm proud of myself for doing absolutely nothing. No jamming/gigs, no yum chas, only an outing... well, basically spent most of it surfing the net and sleeping. Haven't had the luxury for a while now, the last time I complained against a holiday being boring was 2 years ago? lol. Not complaining now, instead treasuring every lazying minute I get now hahah.

So... I was thinking that I should use this week to brush up on my guitar skills. With nothing else in mind, it's the best time to work on scales and techniques. But on Wednesday, right after I grab a cup of water downstairs, the guitar won't sing anymore. *The Horror!!!* I thought my 3-year-old cable gave up on me, but it turns out it wasn't as my old Pacifica works fine with the setup. It's definitely the guitar. =(

I took the cable jack out and as I predicted, one of the wires broke off from the joint. Good news - it's a quick fix. Bad news - soldering. =_____________=

The last and only time I used the soldering iron was in Form3's Kemahiran Hidup class. Oh dear, if there was a person you wouldn't trust with your electronics, kerja kaju, jahitans, masakans, it's me lolx. xD (Hey, I rmb my jahitan wasn't too bad ok! lolx.)

Seeing that I have enough free time, I thought I should solder it myself and went to buy the whole set (And it wasn't cheap *Slaps forehead*). When I was about to desolder, I realize that the iron wasn't heating. O.o Tried a few plug points, didn't work.

Broken unit. *_____________________________________*

Exchanged for a working one next day. I got home and started work. Knocked it off in around 10 minutes? (Thanks to dad for being the 3rd hand lololx)

So much effort for a small job. *Smacks forehead 10 times*

The surgery that was delayed

The half-assed "not-even-considered-a-job job"

I was thinking, since I have the whole kit, I might as well as plan for my next soldering project. *Hangat Hangat Tahi Ayam type of Semangat hahah* After playing my good old Pacifica, I'm toying with the idea of throwing in a pair of fresh pickups and replace its electronics. =D Even with my love for Fender-style guitars, I still have a soft spot for humbucker-equipped guitars for the heavier stuff.

But it won't be too soon... kinda broke atm. =____________=

And oh, you would be thinking I'm back to my guitar practice schedule right? xD I did... yesterday and broke the high E string. =_________________________________= (Kinda expected it though, it was rusting like hell. lol)

Oh well... =(
a good polish is in the way, please don't fail me again me love.

Pixel Love

2008-04-19T02:57:00.002+08:00

It's amazing what digital technology could do these days. With passion, experience, a consumer camcorder and a bit of creativity, you could create a professional-looking music video. Check this out:

Farrah - Can't Kick The Habit from Lojinx on Vimeo
Britpop + 80s Synth + No-brainer Rock = What's not to like =D

PS: I think the embedded video is a scaled-down version of the original. Click on the link above to view it in its HD glory. =D Watch it in full screen. ;) Enjoy!

Muse - HAARP Live From Wembley

2008-04-02T00:05:00.003+08:00

Ah memories memories...
Listening to Muse's latest live album sure brings back memories of their gig in Kuala Lumpur more than a year ago. =D The energy, passion and sheer power - despite the poor acoustics - translate well into the CD format. Knights of Cydonia and Hysteria remind me of the pushing and crazy headbangs ~~where Fatxiong was so close to losing his shoes~~. And then the out-of-tune "OURRRRR TIMEEEEE ISSSSSS RUNNIINNNNGNGGG OUUUUTTTTT!!!" singing and over-the-top jumping & headbanging.

Initially, I wanted to wait for the official release of the CD+DVD package, but I guess I couldn't. =P Still, if anybody sees a copy of the album locally, let me know!
Will get it in a heartbeat. xD
Oh, if you're wondering what in the bloody universe HAARP stands for, well it's basically an abbreviation for High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program.Random as hell. >.<" Listening : MUSE - HAARP Live From Wembley
Watching : X-Japan - 2008 Reunion　破滅に向かってー破壊の夜

Netvibes

2008-03-29T00:07:00.001+08:00

A bit jakun here, but I have only recently discover the wonders of RSS Feeds LOL! Now only I know, you don't have to click on every blog link you have to check for updates... =.="

Just wondering, what RSS readers are you using (If you are, that is.)? So far pretty satisfied with Netvibes. =D
PS: If you don't see your blog on my list, fret not. I can't, for some reason, add some of your blog into my list. I'm thinking it's because of the custom template of some blogs that's blocking the RSS feed? Anybody knows any way to get around it? Or is it because the owner has disabled RSS feed???

Watching : Don Juan DeMarco
Listening : X-Japan - Blue Blood

Of Pride and Joy

2008-03-24T15:14:00.003+08:00

The last 5 days has been a total escape from reality. We lost touch with all forms of news/happenings, left all our work/study worries back home (Save for some untimely phone calls on the first day =.=") and had soooooo much fun.

Yup, the trip to Kota Kinabalu was a blast. Honestly, there isn't much you could do there but it was the people I went with that makes the difference. We laughed so much that I would be hard pressed to think of a moment where there isn't one. xD

A big thanks to Daniel, Amylin & Kok Chiang for successfully organizing this trip. =D And then Samantha and Mei Yan whose parents were kind enough to send us to the airport and back respectively.

Oh yeah, if you're wondering... all of us made it to Low's Peak. =D
Also, thanks everybody for the advices, encouragements & wishes! Wouldn't have made it without your help. =D

Anyway will save this trip for the next post. Soooooooo much to blog about : From the bus trip to LCCT where passengers were staring at us, to the time where we were complained against for being noisy at Laban Rata, right up to yesterday where Jia Yi & I were almost denied entry to the flight for losing our visas. xD

So, keep an eye for my blog on your RSS Reader. ;)

For now... back to reality...
MANU 3 - LIV 0
ARGGHHHHhHhHHhhhHhOMGWTFBBQ@#!@#%^$%%#...

Listening : Robben Ford & The Blue Line - Robben Ford & The Blue Line

Anxiety

2008-03-18T23:09:00.003+08:00

Tomorrow's the day we would be flying to Kota Kinabalu. Gonna be my first time to the east coast xD but I can't stop thinking about hiking Mt.Kinabalu. As much as I'm excited about it, I'm pretty anxious of what's to come. On one hand, everybody I know who climbed Mt.Kinabalu managed the daunting task; on the other hand though, I read about stories about people giving up on the way to the peak, hikes screwed up by altitude sickness etc... and it doesn't help that I'm overweight and totally out-of-shape... arghh. xD

When was the last time I trained anyway? 4 years ago probably... shite...

So ppl, please pray for us that we would reach Low's Peak (Highest peak on Mt.Kinabalu) successfully. =)

Listening : Alicia Keys - The Diary of Alicia Keys

Spidey =D

2008-03-15T22:07:00.003+08:00

A course mate of mine has this Spidey pencil casing that I fancied for some time. It's really cute and unique.

Few days ago, she was sitting in front of me, and for some reason her pencil was sticking out of the case. It looked pretty wrong from my angle cause...

Well...

Ok ok... sorry for wasting your 60 seconds... I want Batman pencil casing though! Got mou?

Listening : X-Japan - IV
Watching : What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Winds of Change

2008-03-09T11:20:00.005+08:00

What a night it was yesterday lol. Everybody knew that the BN would have a hard time winning the state seats but very few expected the opposition to take 4 states (& keeping Kelantan)in the process.

Cheers to all Malaysians who came out to do the right thing. It shows that the extent of people's discontent towards the government could not even be stopped by brining the election forward or dirty tactics. For 4 years, the people have suffered from false promises, unusually high inflation rate, hiking petrol & toll prices, and worrying security issues. I believe that most of us subscribes to BN's motto "Keep changing" but questions "Does the opposition have the power and integrity (Was taught how to make good use of this word yesterday ;) ) to make things better for the people?" I guess that remains to be seen, but what's sure is that BN is never going to deliver it. It shows that the people are supporting the opposition not because that they are sure results could be delivered instantly, but the fact the we have completely lost faith in our government. Finally we have seen the democracy in Malaysia - it's the people the government should be afraid of, not that other way!

Also for once, I'm very proud to be a Malaysian. The voice of the people is shared by all 3 major races and the fact that we stood up together is a testament of unity in Malaysians. In a way, you could say that Pak Lah has united the people by failing us lolx.Once again, cheers to everybody who voted for a single cause regardless of racial factors.

Nonetheless, there are still people who should've been booted out from politics ages ago retaining their position... most notably, our Mat 'Cemerlang' Khairy. Also, the sad thing is Pak Lah would not admit the cause of the downfall in his party - lack of leadership. If this was some other country, the PM would've stepped down in shame. Nonetheless, good riddance of some *cough*VALU-able*cough* ministers. Plus, I'm happy that BN has failed to achieve 2/3 majority in the parliament. As Tun Mahathir has said, democracy needs an strong opposition to serve as a mirror for the governing party. The mirror is delivered! No more lonely days in the parliament. xD

On a minor note, even with the strong tide in the political tsunami, I was pretty frustrated with our local media. RTM and all were still displaying victories in Sabah & Sarawak (WTF?!) when all of us are make known of the results in Penang. To scared to display your defeat? I know that our media is party-owned but the fact that BN would do anything to retain their position worried us. Plus, there were reports of TV3 newscasters making racial slurs and such. Disappointing. =.="

Well, not gonna let that taint the rakyat's victory. The winds of change have blown hard on the governing party and let's hope it would bring forth positive changes to the country. To the opposition, we have put our trust in you so please don't flush it down the loo like how BN did. Please give us that glimmer of hope that Malaysia could still move on and that our visions of a corruption-free nation is not merely a dream.

Here's to next 50 years of independence, cheers!

New Setup

2008-03-04T21:54:00.003+08:00

Did 2 quick recordings with my new setup last week :
[Apologies in advance for the guitar buzzing and the School of Rock theme rip-off. =P ]

Enjoy! xD

Of Hollywood and Scandals

2008-02-25T22:56:00.009+08:00

I guess we all know all about probably the hottest news in Chinese entertainment for the past few weeks. =D

It seems that people are separated into 2 fractions - "Edison deserves it!" and "Edison is innocent, blame it on the dumb b!tches who were more than willing to pose!"

I couldn't really careless, honestly but I do wonder how that Twin Gillian reacted to the string of events. She seemed really upset when some bastard secretly filmed her in the changing room. Oh waiittt... are those tears even real?! xD

But sadly, with Edison announcing his departure, the showbiz has suffer a g... wait, what did we lose? In fact, it's good riddance man! He's probably a mediocre actor at best and his attitude leaves a lot to be desired. Now I wonder if Twins could still sell themselves... well, you know, kill 2 birds with one stone lol.

Ok ok... I probably come across as shallow in this post. Usually I don't really give a toss about such scandals, after all it's their lives and I've got so much more to worry about. I do feel pity (A little lah) for the 'victims' (Can't be considered as victims right? They asked for it anyway!) but I'm delighted that one of the outcomes would actually affect me in the future (Bollocks, really).

Apparently, Mr.Edison's cameo appearance in The Dark Knight was pulled as a result and his role was replaced with a Singaporean actor (Lucky fella! xD).

What this means is that, come Summer this year, we would be able to enjoy Heath Ledger's last movie without the sight of Edison. Can't wait to see Christopher Nolan's version of The Joker in cinemas.

***PS: Alright, this is actually a sorry excuse for my inability to write a tribute to Heath Ledger. So yeah... I guess this post does come across as being shallow.

[End of ramblings]

RIP Mr.Ledger

Internship

2008-02-19T23:27:00.001+08:00

Thinking how my last 2 months were spent, it is daunting to return to the routine 8 to 5 boring lifestyle. I hardly consider myself as the hardworking type and I really don't like the idea of waking in the morning and knowing how your day would be spent on. Even less so with waking up early in the morning, so it comes as a surprise that I felt sour on the last day as an intern.

My job scope could be briefly described as a combination of simple clerical tasks, competitor analysis through online search, running up and down to complete miscellaneous errands & sitting in front of the computer doing absolutely nothing (Which I very, absolutely, bloody dread! Nothing is worse than waiting for time to pass you by. I know because I've experienced it in my previous job.) Admittedly, there's only so little one could learn in a brief period, but I took whatever I could. It was an experience just to witness how working life in the corporate world is, eg how people interact with each other and all. I also had a first hand experience of what and how a marketing department functions. I was also lucky enough to participate in a couple of its events, first the PC Fair exhibition and next the CEO Breakfast.

What I truly miss though, is the people. I'm really lucky to have great seniors who took care of me and made sure I learn something. I got to meet some other colleagues who were equally friendly and it made me feel like home. Honestly, it's one thing I didn't expect at all before I signed up. In fact, I had the slightest fear that people in the working world are cold and superficial (Silly, huh?). It weren't for the people I've met, I would've felt completely different about leaving the company.

I remember when I first entered the company, my boss asked, "What do you expect from the internship?" Honestly, I didn't know how to answer that question as I came without any expectations (Judging on other people's mixed past experience with internship.). But as time goes, I figured out that for personal development and understanding of myself, I wanted to put all my beliefs and motto - that have brought me so far - to test. I'm glad that they have stood the test and it has reassured that I'm heading down the right path.

For that, I'm very thankful for the experience. I couldn't have asked for more.

--------

Some pictures: (Hopefully I'm not violating anything lolx!)

My workstation - the company emphasizes heavily on data security that's why it has become a norm that each employee work desk is neat, tidy and free from potential of information stealing.

The office - open concept... notice the lack of cubicles?

That's me pretending to work xD Doing a fine job I must say. =P

Presentation on Graduation Day - Could've been really nerve wrecking if weren't for the absence of my boss and MD

Group Photo

(l-r) The other intern Kai Shen, me, HR Manager & TBS's Alicia

Some of the great friends I've met - 2 of them actually came for the graduation even when they had work to do, how lovely. =D

My seniors - there is one more who was busy at that time, and of course my boss who was sick, unfortunately ;)

To everybody at Ricoh: Thanks for guiding me along the way and pampering me. All the best to you guys and hopefully we will meet in the near future. =D

Michael Wong Never Apart Genting Concert

2008-02-14T00:55:00.008+08:00

My parents are fans of Guang Liang and bought 2 tickets to his show on the 12th of January. It happened that my uncle had free tickets and gave us 2 to us, so we ended up watching as well. =D

It was a good concert, wasn't the best but Michael Wong did his bad to entertain his crowd. 2 songs originally by Guang Liang Pin Guan, Zhang Xin & Xiang Jian Ni sure bring backs memories. =)

We got 3rd row from the front and while it's close to the stage, our area was far away on the right. Can't complain though!

Most of his songs were love songs, but all of them were delivered with energy.

With Guest Maggie Chiang
They did an awesome duet of Sandy Lam's Zhi Shao Hai You Ni =D
The other guest of the show, on the other hand though, was forgettable. =P

At one point of the show, he got down the stage to shake as many audience's hands he could. By the time he got to our section, his song was about to end and he had to skip us. =(
All I got was a blurry picture.

The audience was attentive to Michael's request to see everybody's glowsticks.

Not content with one encore, the hardcore fans stayed and shouted for a second encore when most of the audience has left.
Being the sporting and gentleman he is, Michael reappeared on stage even when his band has already left. He played snippets of 4 songs accompanied only by his piano. Definitely the high point of the entire show.

Earlier in the show, Michael has said that he was toying with the idea of organizing a solo concert with him and none other than his piano. As the second encore has proven, his idea would definitely work well with his song and even a non-fan like me would love to see the show.

Some videos from the second encore:

Ru Guo Ni Hai Ai Wo 如果你还爱我

Di Yi Ci 第一次

Tong Hua 童話

If he embarks with the solo gig and you're hesitating if it's worth the ticket admission, don't! In fact, the piano itself is more than sufficient as he got his voice and songs to shine.

Inner Demons

2008-01-16T22:14:00.000+08:00

Dream Interpretation:

Ghost
In general, ghosts symbolizes aspects of yourself that you fear. This may involve a painful memory, guilt, or some repressed thoughts. You may be afraid of death and dying. Alternatively, ghosts are representative of something that is no longer obtainable or within reach. It indicates a feeling of disconnection from life and society. This dream may be a calling for you to move on and abandon your outdated modes of thinking and behavior.
http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/g.htm

Perhaps the last time I've seen a ghost in a dream was during childhood, or perhaps there were more since but just weren't memorable. I had one yesterday. While it is funny to think how the dream went now, it was frightening enough that it woke me up from an otherwise a good evening nap.

I've always believed that dreams are a subliminal or an alternative representation of our current state of mind. True enough, a search on Google revealed that ghost in dreams is a symbol of fear in reality, which has haunted me for the past few days. An inner fear. Insecurity. In the dream, I was held back by the ghost, perhaps symbolizing the unwillingness in me to move on. In fact, this had led me to some actions that even I'm baffled at. Truly WTF moments, in other words.

When I fully understood my dream and more importantly, my fears... I didn't know how I should get over it. Or if I could ever rebuild the confidence lost. It wasn't the worst I've faced though so giving up wasn't out of the window.

As I woke up this morning, I knew it was gonna be a long day ahead. Hoping for the best while expecting the worst, I casted my doubts aside and looked forward to it.

Thank God, it paid off. :)

PS: If you're wondering who the ghost was in my dreams... well, I've just recently seen the original Japanese version of The Ring... Ringu. =D Sadako.

PSS: And oh.... my day went pretty well. :D Gerrard scored a hat-trick against Luton & I'm getting better with Fifa 2008 (3-0 against Marseille ; 3-1 Bayern München on Be A Pro mode with Torres. =D Professional mode on both games... you know how n00b I am with footie games. xD) after a week on non-stop playing.

Listening : Carpenters - Singles 1969-1981

Whole Lotta Zep

2007-12-22T02:07:00.000+08:00

When my all-time favourite band announced a one-off reunion gig earlier this year, I knew I was not gonna be one of the lucky few to be able to catch that show in flesh. But with the capabilities of the Internet, I knew it was not impossible to catch a glimpse of what could've been the greatest gig of my life.

A day after the concert, I was armed with full anticipation and started browsing for media and audience videos on Youtube (Where else LOLx?!). One of the first videos I found was the first number of the night. Led Zeppelin's set started with the large screen displaying what appears to be a 70s footage of a Led Zeppelin news report. When the reporter introduced the band members, large roars were heard from the audience, obviously having waited for years or even decades for this reunion. Even with all the hype surrounding the reunion, honestly I didn't have huge expectations as previous outings proved to be disasters for the band. I was hoping for the best but at the same time keeping a realistic expectation.

When the hype dust settled, it still remains to be seen if the band once named "Main Power Battery of the 70s" still has the juice to burn through a full Zep setlist. As soon as the news report introduction video ended, the band blasted through the PA system with Good Times, Bad Times... their first hit from their debut album. In fact, I'm hard pressed to find a better way to start that gig! Even with the poor visual/audio quality on Youtube, I could feel the electricity of the gig miles and hours away. It was not 100% Vintage Zep, as they had to tune a semitone down while Plant had to 'sing' most of his parts rather than using his trademark scream. But that's to be expected as the band already (Or going to be) in their 60s and believe me when I say this is the closest they will ever get to be as good as they were!

Top: Led Zeppelin: Early Days.
Bottom: Led Zeppelin & Jason Bonham: 10-12-2007 Backstage before reunion gig.

I tracked down a number of good videos, but the quality on Youtube left a lot to the imagination. Fortunately, Slowburn released his recording of the gig and to my surprise, the recording is pretty good and does capture the overall feel of the gig. I was still skeptical when I read on the news that a fan claimed that this reunion is better than their "Knebworth 1979" show, which imo is amazing for the band's almost-telepathy communication. But when I heard the gig, I had to agree.

Plant still has what it takes to be Zeppelin frontman, Jimmy Page is much more tighter than he is in the 80s/90s and certainly a lot less sloppy while John Paul Jones is still JPJ, classy and works hard to keep the band together. The not-so-new addition to the band, Jason Bonham is an amazing touch. Like his father, he plays the drums with amazing power and speed, yet retaining the groove. He obviously has great respect for his father's music and playing. Don't take my word for it, Foo Fighters/nirvana's Dave Grohl was one of the celebrity audience who once said he would "kill just to get the Zeppelin Reunion gig" praised young Bonham's playing and said, "I think he was even better than me,"

If you're wondering what the fuss is all about, watch this. xD

The highlight of the show, for me was Kashmir - their last song before the double encores of Whole Lotta Love & Rock and Roll respectively. I admit I never had much liking for the song when I first heard it, but as time goes by, I start to uncover the magic. I'm sure every Zephead would agree that Kashmir's song meant to be played live, and being an epic-slow-burner rock song, the band had to be really tight to pull it off perfectly. They did it in their Knebworth show, and they did it again on last Monday! The band's locked together so tight that it's almost unreal. Plant, hitting all the high notes the song again, lent a special feel to the song, with Bonham throwing in all sorts of Bonham-eque fills towards the end of the song. How they managed to pull if off so seamlessly still puzzles me... but one thing is sure, is that the rock 'dinosaurs' live up to their name - Hammer of the Gods.

It is said that if the band liked the reunion, they would come back for more shows. They've expressed positive response to the gig and the critics are favourable, so really, what are they waiting for? Give us a Led Zeppelin World Tour!

In the meantime though, I have congratulate the quartet Plant/Page/Jones/Bonham for putting so much effort for the reunion. Apparently they began rehearsing early this year and strived to achieve perfection in order to avoid another disappointment. Well it has paid off! As a die-hard fan for 5 years (Since Form 4 lolx!), I couldn't be more impressed. Thank you for giving me so much over the years and more!

People described Zeppelin music in the 70s as waves and waves of sonic assaults to the mind. I could assure you, that even with the sophisticated and technical music today, it still is.

Listening: Led Zeppelin - Reunion
Robert Plant & Allison Krauss - Raising Sand
Watching: Baccano!

Tag Tag Tag...

2007-12-21T16:19:00.000+08:00

Damn potong stim... you see, yesterday we had a day off for Hari Raya Haji (I actually Wiki'd it to know more abt Haji but accidentally wiki'd "Mohd Haji" =.=" Don't ask...) and again on Tuesday for Christmas. Can't they just declare public holiday for Friday and Monday? =.="

Wishful thinking...

...but some of my seniors are taking a day off on Monday or today... or even on both days!

Anyway, I said I was not gonna do anymore tags... but I need this to kill time. 4.50pm now, 25 minutes more to go lolx! xD

(Overdued) Tag by Ivan

4 Jobs I have had in my life :-
Tele-surveyor (If there's such title hah... first and longest job I had xD)
Site Coordinator
Promoter (For like... 3 days? xD)
Intern (3 weeks and counting)

4 Places I have lived:-
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (Lived there since I was born & moved out when I was in St.4)
Bandar Utama (Twice, once in st.4 and currently since form 2. Soon to be a 3rd time hah)
Kelana Jaya (Kelana Puteri Condo)
Asia Jaya (Istara Condo, much better than the previous one with well-maintained facilities.)

4 Countries I have been to on vacation:-
First ever trip overseas was to China in Form 3 (All paid by dad's good friend. Went during Chinese New Year to Shen Yang & Harbin. Although the tour guide said winter that year was warmer in comparison to previous years, it still felt like hell was indeed freezing over.)
Then Japan after PMR (Really miss this one...)
New Zealand during my foundation year (Great place for a relaxation type of vacation. The scenery's as beautiful as they have described. We went there during summer and it was still chill-y... perfect weather but I couldn't imagine it during winter.)
And finally, Hong Kong last year (If you're an avid fan of TVB Dramas, you're definitely gonna recognize some landmarks lolx. Not a bad trip, really.)

4 of my Favourite Foods:- (Currently)
Mom's Cooking
Japanese Food
Italian Food - Pasta & Pizza Dai Suki!
Penang Food

4 Places I would rather be right now:-
Home
Ermm... Anywhere
But
Here

4 Friends I’m going to tag:-
Forget it. xD

Done!

10 more minutes to go... *Yay*

Hajime Restaurant

2007-12-21T00:06:00.000+08:00

On Sunday, we had a double celebration (For dad's success in the Pikom Annual IT Awards) at Hajime Restaurant. When my mom asked me to suggest a place for dinner, I thought of going for Japanese and a-la-carte (No more buffet lolx). After some doing some research through forums and flogs, I've decided to try this restaurant based of its ambience & food quality. If you're wondering, Hajime is basically a bungalow located at Jalan Damai, KL and only a 5-minute drive from KLCC. Check out the website for the map.

Hajime - With snowflakes deco sprinkled all over it

The Bungalow

We booked a tatami table for the authenticity =D

Appetizer

Salmon Miso Soup - Really sweet with the addition of the salmon, pretty good.

Shake (Salmon) Sashimi - Very tender and fresh. This is perhaps the best salmon sashimi I've tasted lolx. Highly recommended if it's your thing.

Dad taking a slice of the sashimi. My parents were never fan of raw food but I've sort of become an influence on their taste lol.

Black Spider Maki - A sushi roll with Soft-Shell Crab. Pretty good as well... if you prefer eel, try the Golden Dragon Maki instead.

Kani (Crab) Tempura - Basically one of the lesser pricey item on the menu but not really worth it imo... you can't eat the shell, so you're basically left with 2 pairs of legs lolx... I would say it's not bad, but not something I would return for.

Cold Udon - The waitress basically recommended udon for cold noodles and soba for hot. Never tried cold udon before, I though I should give this one a try. Honestly, it's not my cup of tea, but I never was a fan of cold noodles. Perhaps the hot soba would be a better choice?

Hajime Bento Ha - Basically a large (Really large!) bento with a variety selection of tempura and sashimi. Not bad really, but even when I say I like sashimi, I still can't take all types of raw seafood =.=" They have lots of different bentos, and judging from the pics on their website, there're some good ones. If Tempura & Sashimi is your thing, go for this Bento "Ha". =D

Unajyu - This one is reallllyyyyy good! You're given a generous piece of Unagi on top of a egg-sprinkled flavoured rice. And you're given a bowl of miso soup too. Highly recommended!

Wagyu Roll - RM35 but only comes with 3 puny pieces of Wagyu beef. If you must try the Wagyu, go for the 100g one, which is RM85. This, you can hardly taste the beef lolx.

Our table after the dinner xD Scrumptious dinner but like most Jap food, not quite filling. Just nice for me though.

Wasabi ice-cream with ogura ice-cream on the right - Both are really good, love the Ogura. The wasabi tastes great surprisingly, creamy at the same time as hot as your average wasabi. For a lack of better word, very 刺激. xD

While the food's pretty pricey (Our bill came to around RM300 that night.), it's really fresh and good. If you love Jap food and don't mind forking out a little for good ones, Hajime Restaurant's should well be in your list. Good food, good service, good ambience... what more can you ask? =D

Here's a random pic to end the post. =P

Listening : Robert Plant & Allison Krauss - Raising Sand
Watching : Baccano!

Thank You!

2007-12-19T01:15:00.000+08:00

A big thanks to those who took the trouble to call, SMS, IM, send a Friendster/Facebook /Lowyat message to wish me a happy birthday. =) And I'm pretty surprised by some who made it a point to wish at 12am sharp... I'm really really grateful, thanks!

Anyway, sorry for not updating my humble blog. Since my internship started at Ricoh, I haven't had much time for my personal time and the mood to sit down to blog about it. Rest assured that I have some stuff in the cans and since Hari Raya Haji & Christmas are around the corner, I'ill be adding a few new posts. Promise. =)

Before I leave, I would like to recommend this duet album to everyone:

Robert Plant & Allison Krauss - Raising Sand

If you're unaware of both singers, here's a brief introduction. Robert Plant is the lead singer of Led Zeppelin who for the years post-Zeppelin has enjoyed a successful solo career. While his contemporaries such as Clapton, Phil Collins, Sting resort to ballads or smooth jazz, Robert Plant has always insisted on experimenting and pushing the envelopes of rock music. Allison Krauss, on the other hand is an American bluegrass/country singer. Admitted, I never heard of her previous work, but this album has definitely generated some interest in doing so.

The music of Raising Sand could be described as country-folk-ish with a wee bit of tribal flavour as heard in Robert Plant and The Strange Sensations' "Mighty Rearranger". In fact, I would compare it with Norah Jones' Feels Like Home. While the tone of the album is very mellow, it is not in any way monotonous. Highly recommended. =)

Listening : Led Zeppelin Reunion (10-12-2007)
Watching : Baccano!

Guess The Song

2007-11-27T01:36:00.000+08:00

Sorry for lack of updates, have been busy with work and much of the remaining time was spent on Sonar. =D

Meanwhile, try to guess what song the following drum intro is taken from:

powered by ODEO

Hint: The song was released about a year ago today and the artist is one of my favourite male singer/songwriter/guitarist. ;)
Recorded with NS's Piccolo Kit if you're wondering. ;)

My First Kit

2007-11-15T00:25:00.000+08:00

My first drumkit arrived yesterday... =D
... in my mailbox. =D

A Virtual Drumkit though. I was surfing around last week and remembered Natural Studio's softwares that I used to use. I thought of stopping by the website to see if there's any new updates but found out that the owner is planning on closing down the business and was running a final run of the kit. Admittedly, I was on the fence on getting the kit for some time as I didn't have the proper software or hardware for that matter to utilize it. O_o But if was a final run of 100 copies, with 5 left the last time I checked.

So, that's how my most expensive impulse buying came about... 50 pounds gone in an instant. =/
Haven't got a chance to play with it so far. Gotta clear up my Hard Disk first to make room for 5DVDs (Around 20GB? O_o). Will probably install it properly and learn how to use it next weeklar... hopefully the learning curve isn't too steep. xD If you're interested in the product, check out their website for a free version of the drum kit. Not too bad I would say. I've personally used it for my last song. =P
An interesting note: According to the website, the NS_Kit strives to be as realistic as possible to a real kit in the sense that if you're able to play it on a real kit, you're able to play it on the drums.

Though I wonder, why didn't they go to the extent to sample sounds like sloppy hits, breaking drumsticks, dropping drumsticks etc...

I mean, if it could be done on rea...

err...

then again, scratch that...
later somebody terasa. xD

Just jokin'. =P
Real drummers roXXxORrr!!! xD

Listening : Gamma Ray - Heading for Tomorrow and Dream Healer(live 1993) [Thanks to that Gamma Ray freak =.=" ]
Watching : Potemayo

Democracy - Malaysian Style

2007-11-12T01:01:00.000+08:00

We live in a democratic country... or that's what the garmen wants us to believe.

Take a look at the video below:

What started as a peaceful rally to protest against corruption in the upcoming General Election ended up with FRU firing water cannons and tear-gas at participants. It didn't stop the rally though, which went on and as they handed the Memorandum to the King's secretary, the participants dispersed, peacefully.

Yet, the event was barely highlighted in the local press. Look at what was on the headlines of the political-controlled the Star, "Ministry looking into cross-subsidy to keep fuel prices down". Some even under-reported the number of participants of the rally at 3000 people (When the actual figure lies somewhere 30,000-40,000), suggesting that it was a small protest. Media censorship FTW eh? Mana media transparency then? Perhaps we should even start doubting what we have studied in our history chapters.

It's about time BN realize that they have lost the rakyat's faith and we are all tired of their empty promises and dirty tactics to eliminate the opposition. If they had nothing to lose, why would they deny the permit for the rally? Why would they resort to police force?

Still, it remains to be seen how the garmen would react to the rally. Kudos to the people who stepped up to belief while others - me included - sat out comfortably for whatever reasons. Nonetheless one can't help but wonder if our dear Information Minister is prepared to answer media questions. When asked why wasn't the rally allowed, he blatantly replied,

"They were unnecessary because general election had been held without fail in this country."

And proceeded to say,

“Malaysia is not Myanmar or Pakistan. It is a democratic country"

With just 2 sentences he has insult himself, the opposition parties, the rakyat, and even foreign parties.

Welcome to Malaysia... or shall we say, Bolehland/Bodoland?

Baby Ethan

2007-11-06T23:26:00.000+08:00

If you're in need of a quick fix to put a smile back to your face (Say, after you did horribly for your International Marketing paper. =D ), here a good video to watch. =)

82 seconds of pure gold. =) Don't waste paper unnecessarily though!

If this is not enough search for "Wii laugh" and "Baby Ally Whatever" videos, guaranteed to cheer you up for the rest of the day. Forward if you love them.

Anyway, just gotten hold of a *ahem* copy of the yet-to-be-released James Taylor live album, "One Man Band". Amazing album, with James Taylor stripping his set down to his voice, guitar, a pianist and occasional backing from a choir. His voice has aged very well and became much smoother without losing the subtle quality. This album has leaped to be one of my favourites tonight with only one listen. Highly recommended to anyone who loves music. =)

Listening : James Taylor - One Man Band