Penang Hunt '05

Just got back from Penang with speeding ticket accompany me (budget,budget). Penang-Ipoh = 1 hour was quiet a run, I might say, until the man in black caught me red-handed flying the car 160 kmh (they usually in white, damn). Kelisa = good, you won't regret it, until I went to the service centre yesterday and they charged me RM 700++. 700 + 300 = not good.

Once again, Maxis has half sponsored us to attend another treasure hunt. This time of the year, the destination was Penang. It's been three times in a row that we have done it at the North, previously Pangkor and Sg Petani, and we was wondering where would our next destination be. The North again? (I hope so, hahaha, wink, wink).

WE didn't win anything actually, not even one of us (my teamS) got hit by the lucky draw, except for Steven, beginner's luck. Maxis offered RM 30K for prizes and lucky draw. And yeah, Shaun (again), it's confirmed, he brought Toyol with him, again, this year, he won one of the biggest lucky draw prizes offered, the magnifico PS2! If not the Toyol, then what else? Come one, every damn single hunt he has hit the jackpot, luck? Oooooohhhhh, damn lucky SOB he is, huh? The first prize of the lucky draw was RM 3K travel voucher for two anywhere around the world.

However, I DID won something that night, not related to the hunt,pity them, had to watch DVD after the dinner has ended. Well, that's what happened when you insisted me to bring my small little car for a long distant hunt to my longing place, haha. Actually, they were tired anyway, they would already lie flat even if I was there.

The hunt took us through Rawang, Simpang Pulai, Ipoh and ended up in Prai. The organizer would provide each team (of four) with a tulip (a sort of map, but a lot different) and two sets of questions, one for the submission and the other for conteng-conteng. There were 30 questions, to be answered within 3 legs of the hunt, two challenges (identifying pictures and smells), 4 treasures (drinks,snacks) to be brought in and road safety questions. The most notably challenges that I've been through was in Johor, the Go-Kart challenges.

The questions either were easier this time, or we have gotten better,haha. We only flunked 5 of them (our best record before was 9), however, in any hunt, 5 was considered as not good, there are tonnes of team that could have done better, but it was our personnel achievement nonetheless.

The questions would be divided into about 8 categories, such as Anagrams (mixed words, clue such as perhaps,could be)), sounds like (clue such as I hear, noisy), backwards (clue such as recall, return). It means that whenever you read the questions, first you have to identify what categories does the question fit.

If it is anagram, you should see words like "perhaps" in the question, backwards wiil accompany by words such as "return" and so on. It was fun, of course, for new comers, it would be a pain in the ass, but a couple more, you will enjoy it definately.

Our target actually was not to win, of course, with Balan's and Shaun's team still at large (but for the first time, both of them didn't make it into top three, muahahaha), our aim was to enjoy ourselves and to hit the lucky draw. Though I didn't won anything relating to the hunt this year (as was previous previous year), I do manage to hit the Jackpot, woooohoooooo!!!!!! But that's another story.

Salon, Sepet Vs.....

……..the rest of the Malay scenes. What are the rest of the Malay Scenes? Well, it definitely not including Layar Lara, Spinning Gasing and a few countable films, but for the rest of them, the scenes included movies that were worthless to watch.

Yeah, yeah, shout all you want, you fans of Sembilu 1, 2, 3, I don’t care what you have in your mind, your heart or your mouth, the movies were just…suck.

I have never watched any of the movies before, well, maybe a bit of it, but knowing the plot, it doesn’t matter anyway. I mean, wasn’t it obviously stupid for the couple whose relationship not approved by the girl’s brother to wait for seven years while the brother served his sentences in prison? Get married la during that time you buffoon. The parents approved what? Moreover, why the brother holds such a grudge anyway? It just doesn’t make sense, the plots are too weak and I’ve never heard of those stupid things before in my life.

The actors and actresses? Commercial based. You know, I was really frustrated about KL Menjerit, the sequel or prequel, I’m not sure. I really like the first one, although the cinematic, the sound are not that good, but the plot and the actors were okay, at least, they can act. Then came Erra Fazira. Well, I knew her personally, but this is business, nothing personal. I hate her act; the only thing that she could make that seems real was her tears, that’s all. Accompanied by a weak plot makes it worse.

It’s bugging me to think how in the world would someone watched Anak Mami or Gila2 Pengantin, it just, doesn’t make sense. Soal Hati was okay la, Afdlin saves a lot there. But the rest? Hmm…. still remembered when The Phantom Menace was out on the first day. Almost everywhere the tickets were out. But on that day, we, about 10 people, drove to The Mines at 8 PM, without booking or anything, asked for the tickets for the midnight show and we got the back seat, hahahaha, to think that even in the US the tickets were sold out.

There were several movies of note during those times. Rahsia, Layar Lara, Sayang Salmah, although it still doesn’t reach the good standards yet, but the plots were good, it makes people think. However, movie like Kaki Bakar was much too heavy, it was more towards the director’s ideology rather than commercial based.

Not long before, Spinning Gasing makes its way into the commercial line. There were several movies before, mostly independence, but Spinning Gasing has succeeded in making its way into the big screen, though I’ve heard after a couple of years in the dark room of Finas.

It’s a start of a new age of filming genre in Malaysia. The cinematic, the actors and the plot were good. It does reflected a bit about Malaysian nowadays, it makes the viewers think about the message that the film tried to send through. Whether it’s bullshit or not, it doesn’t matter; most of the movies around the world were bullshits this day, no matter how they said that the movies were based on true stories, yeah, right.

This year alone, we have seen Gold and Gincu, Sepet and the latest one, Salon, making their way to the cinema. I’m planning to watch Salon in a couple of days maybe. I was hoping that there will be more of these types of film. I could only pray.

BECK

I have no attention actually to start writing about a Manga. I’ve been planning too but there were too much plot, too much to tell and anyway, I don’t know which Manga that I should tell, as there are tons of manga collections in my house, either the hardcopies or the one downloaded to my PC.

Then, one day, last Monday to be exact, Apek message me early in the morning, too early in fact that I haven’t when to bath yet. He said that there’s a new Manga that he found, Beck. He recommend me to download it, and if Apek said that a Manga is good, it is good, for the both of us at least. Then, as I downloaded it in the morning during office hour, he messaged me, again, always at lunch time, to haste the download, as he has no one to share his story with, well, this better be good.

And hell ya it’s good!!! This is not the typical Manga ladies and gentleman. There’s no super power heroes, the good guys do not always win, no super-duper hot chicks, the plot was very, very good. It’s a Manga that could reflect our everyday life, not everyone, but one could tell that there’s something in the Manga that could link to their life, past and present.

It’s a story about a rock/metal/new age band that called themselves Beck. Beck is actually the name of the lead guitarist’s (Ryusuke) dog, and as their leader and founder, when asked about their band’s name, could only think of a name with his name on it, of course, the others doesn’t agree on it, and as the dog is very special (I still don’t know why it has patches on it’s body) to all of them, they decided to name it that.

The story started with how the band started, their rise, and then fall down, rises again, fall again. The bands keep breaking and get together again and again. There are so many problems to begin with, the only real talent that the band got were Taira and Ryusuke by the way, and it’s real, as I reflected it on a couple of my friends’ band. Although, of course, I could see Zack (Rage Against the Machine) as their lead singer and their bassist was like the bassist from Red Hot Chilis Paper with his pant on but the characters were original.

Not only was that, but the love story that evolved between Maho (Ryusuke’s sister) and Koyuki (the band rhythm and the main character) was very, I don’t know how to say it, but it’s different, way too different, not only to Manga, but to any others love story as well, in TV or in any love novel.

I mean, the writer could make us feel that they are really in love. He make us feel their love, he doesn’t actually shown it in the drawings or writing, ooo well, if he shows it, I don’t think the Manga could go any farther.

Maho and Koyuki character were different. Maho is a Japanese that lived in America. She’s back to Japan following his father. She is very rude (by Japanese standard), clubbing, hang out with strangers, very outspoken and all the thing that an American girl would do. Koyuki once described her as not normal (they have a fight after that).

Koyuki? Well, mat skema. He joined the band because he was persuaded by his childhood friend (he got a crush on her). His guitar skill sucks (he got better actually, but still not that good) but his voice could make the crowd listen in awed. Even Chiba (the lead singer) goyang when he heard his voice (even thought the band would kicked him out). It’s his voice that makes Maho interested into him actually at first, until she learned the other good side of him.

Then again, as Maho always kicked him around, it’s interested to know that they loved each other so much. There are tons of fan waiting to be noticed by Koyuki, and guys were drooling when they saw Maho (even Apek, haha), they still with each other. Maho doesn’t showed her love to Koyuki directly but as Ryusuke once said

“The people who are strongest outside are weakest within”

(of course, he was describing her sister to Koyuki at that time), she showed it indirectly, by getting an autograph for Koyuki, reforming the band without Koyuki’s knowledge after Ryusuke’s left and many more. It’s hard to see her open up or cry, but when she did, yeah, Ryusuke’s word does have sense at all. The way the writer builds up their relationship was worth to be read.

Of course, they are still Chiba (lead singer, the comic’s clown), Taika (bassist) and Saku (drummer), each of them has their stories to tell, and with their producers, fans and rival. There a lot of plot in this story, but it was well developed.

In other word, get it, download it, or buy it, for the Manga fans, it is worth it, it’s fun anyway.

Kidney Stone! Kidney Stone!

I still remembered the day clearly, as if it happened everyday (Nauzubillah). The day before it happened, I’ve asked Roshdi when we were in the office toilet, that I felt something moving at my ari-ari and he said

“angin je tu, kurangkan minum ais”

which was true, in normal circumstances. But for that historical day, I was preparing to go to office that day, it was around 7 at that time, when suddenly……

The pain was unbearable. It started at my kidney, then moving down towards the ari-ari on my left side. I was going to pee at that time, with my pants down of course. No, I’m not going to tell you some porn here okay :-). But there’s no pain when I’m peeing, the pain comes from the inside.

I crawled back to the living room, screaming all the way. The house was empty at that time. I managed myself to call Roshdi at that time, that the pain I felt yesterday was becoming increasingly unbearable, and I won’t be able to make it to the office.

Then, the problem of transport. I cannot straighten my body at that time, as if by bending down would make any better. Nothing I did at that time reduced the pain. I even punched myself at the kidney, but no effect. Then I remembered Zu, he was unemployed at that time, so I make the last call for the day, I called him, and asked him to pick me up.

I started to cry at that time. I found out later that everyone who has encountered the same problem as mine would react the same way. Cried, screaming and for some of them berguling-guling on their bed, and people who were with them could only watched, as they was nothing that they could do anyway. The pain……..was hell.

I went to the clinic with Zu, after remembering to put my pants up (the most tricky part). Suddenly, the pain gone! It gone suddenly as if nothing has happened. It was about an hour after I make the first call. But as Zu has already arrived, I went with him regardless. They tested my urine, and it contained blood. The doctor asked me whether I’ve got kidney stone before, and the answer is no. They referred me to Dr. Mahmud at Ampang Putri.

I went to see him, alone as Zu has something that he has to do that day. And as I’ve said before, there’s no more pain. I could drive, as slow as it can, afraid the attack would come again, and thank Allah that Ampang Putri is near.

I went to see Dr Mahmud, X-ray (something happened during the X-ray, but that’s another story) and confirmed, there’s a 4mm crystallite stone in my kidney’s tube. The picture was……as if looking at beauty and the beast. My right kidney was so cute, small, and the tube that connected it to the bladder was small and thin. To watch the creation of Allah in our body was awesome.

However, my left kidney was the beast. It was 3 times bigger, and the tube remembered me of Samy Vellu’s road, zig-zagging, bumping and some of the tube was bigger than the other. Dr Mahmud said that was because the stone travel through the tube, and as it was quite big, it got stuck sometimes at the time, which explained the bumping and zig-zagging. The kidney was bigger as the stone was currently on the door to my bladder, and the urine got stuck there, and that was the cause of the pain.

Alhamdulillah, after taking my medication, modern and traditional, after a month I was back to my old self.

What the cause of it? People tend to say it was because I hold my bladder. Although its true, yeah I never pee in public, haha (now I’m doing it), but after doing a lot of research, no one mention about the pee, it was NOT about the pee, it was because of the amount of water consumed by us everyday.

It was true. I drank fresh, clean, colourless water about once every one or two months, and I only drank about three or four glasses of water everyday. Teh tarik in the morning, nescafe during lunch, cordial in the night and if I got lucky, another teh tarik during the evening.

The process was like this. We ate everyday. The food come to our stomach, and the stomach will process the protein and carbohydrate, where the excess amount would be kicked out using the “back door”. The vitamin, calcium and all, will not be process by our stomach, it will be transferred to our kidney, where the excess will be kicked out using the urine. However, without water, how the process would end?

The excess amount that couldn’t be out would stay in the kidney, and with time, it will formed into the crystallite stone. The article wrote that it’s okay to eat, as long as the fresh water consumed is more than the food consumed, about 2 to 1. I drank fresh water right now, at first, it was hard, tasteless, but now, I can feel the sweetness of it. For you guys out there, drink, drink and drink everyday. I would never want anyone to feel the way I felt. It could save you a lot of pain.

Open Sesame

Eid has been celebrated by the Muslims around the world for almost 10 days now, and today is the second weekend. People, especially in Malaysia, would take the advantage of weekend to organize an open house, for friends and family to come and celebrate the Eid.

Usually, the organizer would send out the invitation to the ones invited a week before the event so that the invitee could organize their plan, which house to go first (because it’s the custom here to try to fill out all the invitation), how much time to spend at each house etc.

However, for this particular year, what I noticed was instead of inviting the guest at earlier date before the event, the organizer would send out the invitation ad-hoc style, the day of the event itself. This is so true as for all the open house that I’ve went, all of them invited me a few hours before the event, and some of them not even an hour before it starts! As I wrote this, I’ve just got an sms from Gap to come to his house today after Zuhur.

No, I don’t think I’m just a filler okay, hihi. Most of my friends were invited in the same way too. When I went to their house, I saw most of the invitees are friends that live nearby, or close with the organizer. The event tends to be small but for me, it was much more meaningful, as the friends could mingle out more closely together.

But I do receive an invitation from this particular friend for this Saturday open house, but she said she’s only invited selected friends. Don’t get me wrong, she’s married ;-). My point is although I’ve been invited early, but the event would be just for certain friends, ermmmm…..not so open house la :-)

However, the Eid are still long from over. Maybe they will be some that still maintained the tradition, although I’ve didn’t received any invitation for an event like that just yet. It’s weird you know, as when anyone asked me yesterday at Bai’s house whether there’s anymore open house for me to go, I said no, this is the only one today. But as I stepped out of her house, Aie called me and invited me to come to his house, pronto!

Happy

After one week at Segamat, I’m back to KL. Not too keen to get back, as if I have any choice, but here I am nonetheless. It’s a good break, one of the best Eid I’ve ever celebrated since duit raya ceased to come to my pocket.

Still in Raya mood, but come to think of it, I didn't even flinch coming to work today, promised someone to be happy ;-) . Then again, even if I didn't made that promised, I already am happy, haha. It seems ages since I ever had this kind of feeling, quite forgotten how it was nowadays, until the middle of Ramadhan somehow, slowly building up, emailing her every day, then started calling her every night since malam raya (and still emailing her). Syukur sesangat actually, having met a friend like her. We've talked a lot, and it seems there's no end to our chit-chat, there's always stories to be told. Sincerely, I do hope that our relationship continues, it's been so long since I'm really having fun, to appreciate the feeling of happiness again.....to where? Only time will tell ;-)

Alhamdulillah, the journey home towards KL encountered a little traffic. My ex-boss complained when we're having teh tarik this morning that he stuck at Senawang for almost 2? 3 hours? He started from Batu Pahat at 2 and arrived here at 8. Wow, that's a long time taken to arrived here, since the journey should have took around 3 hours at least, but 6? Hmmm, as if being from Kedah to KL, but of course, I heard that the journey home from the North were much more menguji keimanan, was it? Well, ask Bob :-).

It's November now, how fast the time goes by. Been thinking about a lot of things when I was in Segamat. Would really love to convert them into words. Think about writing yesterday, but busy with Raya, going to my Aunt's, Grandfather and Doot's house, so maybe in a couple of days there will be a major update, InsyaAllah.

Fire In the Hole

Yesterday after iftar at Bob's houses, and after watching a bit of X-Men 2, went out with Bob and Pejol to have a decent chow. Forgot to bring my medicine, but think it would be quick, decided to have it once I'm home. It was about 9.30 at that time. We went to NZ and later joined by Doot and Aie.

We talked about the good old days, and as Hari Raya is fast approaching, we talked about it as well, about what happened 15 years ago. The most unforgetful thing that is still in my mind was during Terawih. The good kids will stay on until 8 Rakaat while the not so good kid, well, they already left after Isya' over.

At that time, to go out "unnoticed" was to go cross right in front of the Jemaah's view, and the Imam of course. It will be suicidal to let your face been caught red-handed by that.The right moment would be when all of them kneel with their face down doing prayer, and then the place will be full of noises made by slippers wore on running feet. Of course, we were small at that time, it never cross our mind that they already knew who we were, with the madrasah's back saf empty and all, and, the noises of course, hihi. Morever, our housing area were so small, about 100-150 families, we all knew each other.

War began soon after. The late comers usually become the attackers, riding a bike (chopper would be an advantage) contained 2 people, the driver and the gunner. The driver usually picked among the bravest of the group, because he is the one that will make the attempt to go as near as he can to the "enemy" for the gunner to have a nice spot to shoot at. Armed usually with Moon Rockets or Thunderclaps (the latter are much preferred) and a couple of Padi we usually left the road that the battle has commence with smoke and firecracker powder will be smelt through the air.

There were also footsoldiers, sneaking their way through the side of the drain, biding their time, ambushing people (usually girls), and there's also house war, instead of riding, we stayed in the yard of someone's house, the other team in the other house, and we will exchanged fire with each other. Of course, the parents were doing Terawih at that time. The last time I played house war end-up with cops appeared in front of Jasni's gate carrying a real gun. We sticked with bikes after that (never learned huh).

We even tied Mercun Tarik at the rim of any Jemaah bike, usually the Bilal's. Before long, we will heard the popping sound accompany with a couple of curses coming from several mouth,haha.

Then it times to return to the Jemaah for the biggest event after Terawih, the morey. The morey usually contained light supper with tea or coffee. Come to think of it, we usually knew (don't know how) when the prayer was going to end. To enter back to the Jemaah, the same procedure is applied. However, when we entered, we will immediately sit at Tahiyyat Akhir position, and of course, even the blind could hear our breath which is heavy after our "ordeal". Never heard that praying will be so tiring :-) .

Ramadhan's night were the only nights that most children will have their freedom from their parents. Most parents let their kids playing around with their friends during this time. I still remembered when my mom caught me with mosquito coil inside my baju melayu pocket...

"Ooo, main mercun ek?"

...and that's that, no scolding or anything, yeah, I know they knew about my whereabout during praying time, like most parents do. Kids just want to have fun at this of year, after 11 months under close supervision. Furthermore, they are free from the devil's influence, right? Selamat Hari Raya guys.

Down With The Sickness

Been thinking about a few things that I would love to write during the weekends, however, an attack from the unseen left me stranded on my bed. It begins on late Friday afternoon, and I couldn't say that I'm fully recovered yet, freak me out a bit though.

One of my friend caught dengue yesterday, confirmed. She's been telling me how sick she was since last Wednesday when we went iftar together. I don't think it was that serious at that time. She got MC for 3 days (nothing new actually) , went back to Perak for Eid last Saturday, and been admitted yesterday, after vomitting and all.

Naturally, she's the main suspect for my predicament...... dengue? Nauzubillah. Don't think I'm prepared for it, after all, Eid is just around the corner. By the way, I'm off to Segamat today, after office hour. Maybe I'll call Shahir tonight for a late night drink. It's not like the old days, when my cousins still bachelor, we used to hang out together after doing the chores that Grandma asked us to do. Now, I'm the only one left (my cousins under me are girls, and man? only boys), single and no! Mr. Nash, no, I'm not desperate and lonely, I hate it when you said that.

So, to all of you out there, Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin. Drive carefully okay? If you're on the verge of sleeping, please stop for a while, 5 minutes rest will not make any difference, but a second you close your eyes when driving could mean closing it forever, heed my words, take care.