Blackboard

nakupenda zanzibar

2008-03-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

zanzibar

it's a cold day, the rain came in a high volume and it's been raining quite a bit lately, the frogs are mate calling and my legs are cramping from the cold and it's making me want to snack unnecessarily. today made me think of zanzibar and the visit we made 5 years ago. couldn't help but fall for the simplicity and romance of nostalgia at every corner we turned. nabil and majid (pictures below) came to visit us along with their parents who are our dear friends, two weeks ago. they travelled 13 hours from zanzibar and brought together with them the swahili language that will be embedded in us for a while. majid, the one with the pacifier taught me shum shum which translates to kiss kiss.

New Malaysian Cabinet line-up 2008

2008-03-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

Managed to compile list of the new ministers and the major shuffle and shrinkage of the cabinet from Bernama News on television.

Perdana Menteri/Menteri Kewangan

Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Timb. Perdana Menteri/Menteri Pertahanan

Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak

Menteri Kerja Raya

Datuk Ir Mohd Zin Mohd

Menteri Air, Tenaga dan Komunikasi

Dato Shaziman Abu Mansor

Menteri Kesihatan

Dato Liow Tion Lai

Menteri Penerangan

Ahmad Shabery Cheek

Menteri Sumber Manusia

Dr S. Subramanian

Menteri Perdagangan Dlm Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna

Datuk Sharil Abdul Samad

Menteri Kemajuan Luar Bandar

Tan Seri Mohd Mohd Taib

Menteri Belia dan Sukan

Datuk Ismail Sabri

Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan

Datuk Ong Ka Chuan

Menteri Dlm Negeri

Dato Sri Syed Hamid Albar

Menteri Pendidikan

Dato Sri Hishamuddin

Menteri Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi

Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui

Menteri Luar Negeri

Dato Seri Utama Rais Yatim

Menteri Kebudayaan, Kesenian dan Warisan

Datuk Shafie Apdal

Menteri Pengajian Tinggi

Dato Seri Mohd Khaleed Nordin

Menteri Perlancongan

Dato Azalina

Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan

Dato Zulhasnan Rafique

Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar

Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas

Menteri Sains dan Teknologi dan Inovasi

Datuk Dr Maximus Johnity

Menteri Pengangkutan

Datuk Ong Tee Keat

Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat

Dato Dr Ng Yen Yen

Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani

Dato Mustapha Mohd

Menteri Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi

Dato Noh Omar

crash into me

2008-03-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

highway driving with coffee and fries at 3a.m.

baked not fried

2008-03-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

ayah is finally done with his treatment and now we are all waiting... waiting till the end of the week to find out the outcome of the monster. and it's baked not fried tempe for this newly health conscious person that he has become. baked = hilarious.

"Bahasa itu sekadar Mekanisma"

2008-02-26T23:20:00.000-08:00

Bali '08

In the last couple of days, i've been editing some articles and i came across this particular one that is so worth the forwarding. The context? Malaysia's 50th birthday.

By Idlan Rabihah bt. Zakaria

Kawan aku bilang, kalau mahu bicara soal merdeka, kenapa tidak dibuat dalam bahasa ibunda?

Aku balas, aku kata, aku tak mampu nak lahirkan ekspresi diri dalam Bahasa Malaysia. “Sindrom “I sound stupid in Malay kah,” ujarnya berjenaka.

Aku balas, aku kata, ini soal ingin sampaikan maksud. Dalam konteks ini, aku kata, bahasa itu sekadar mekanisma. Bagi aku, bahasa itu jiwa bangsa, jawabnya. Walau berjalan di Kota London, New York, Paris atau Perth sekalipun, baik kita Melayu, India atau Cina, kita semua mesti toleh dan respon kalau orang bercakap Bahasa Malaysia.
Membuat aku lantas berfikir, jika bahasa jiwa bangsa, maka sudah tentu Bahasa Malaysia jiwa bukan bagi bangsa Melayu, tetapi bangsa Malaysia. Namun, tanpa menerjah apa jua sekalipun soal politik dan politikus, apakah maknanya Bangsa Malaysia itu?

Kita terlalu taksub soal asal usul etnik kita.  Kita terlalu pakukan diri kita dengan satu antara tiga: Melayu, India atau Cina.  Ini semua akibat peninggalan penjajah, kita kata. Penjajah yang tidak mahu kita bersatu menentang mereka, lantas diasingkan kita.  Biar satu campur satu campur satu tetap menjadi tiga; tidak sekali satu campur satu campur satu menjadi satu.  Kita disogok dengan syak wasangka. Kita diajar bahawa yang kaya itu Cina,  yang malas itu Melayu,  yang miskin itu India.  Kita ucapkan semua itu bagaikan ianya mentera, akhirnya walaupun tidak benar, jadinya kita percaya.
Sudah lima puluh tahun, hampir, jasad negara kita ini dikatakan merdeka. Tapi jiwa kita bagaimana? Di mana makna merdeka itu jika kita masih menangguk pada definisi diri kita yang diberikan oleh penjajah, yang berkiblatkan personal agenda mereka yang sudah berkubur sekian lama? Kalau kita benar benar merdeka, tidakkah ia bermakna kita sudah mampu tinggalkan itu semua?

Ya, aku tahu. Aku ini, memang pandai cakap saja. Balik balik, bahasa penjajah juga yang aku guna. Tapi jangan lupa. Bagi aku, bahasa cuma mekanisma.

Bila kita bicara soal merdeka, kita bicara soal demokrasi. The right to choose, itulah dia makna merdeka;  the right to choose, itulah dia hak yang mengorbankan jutaan nyawa.  Dasarnya,  demokrasi itu menganugerahkan hak menentukan pimpinan dan hala tuju negara ke tangan rakyat jelata.  Tidak seperti dijajah dahulu,  kita dipaksa dan hanya mampu mengeluh dan menerima.  Sekarang ini, mereka bilang pada kita, nah, ambillah kertas ini, pangkahlah di mana kau mahu, kami akur akan pilihanmu, begitulah natijahnya.

Tapi, jika kamu tidak pangkah aku, kata si dia, kampungmu tidak akan ada kemudahan.  Jika kamu tidak pangkah aku, kamu akan sengsara.  Jika kamu tidak pangkah aku, projek ini aku berikan kepada yang memangkah.  Jadi di mana letaknya hak itu, jika kita disogok dengan ketakutan bila ingin membuat pilihan sendiri?
Terkejutkah kamu jika aku kata, kita kini tidak percaya akan ketelusan ideologi yang dikatakan mulia ini; ideologi yang terlalu ramai bermatian mempertahankannya? Pasti tidak. Tapi apa makna merdeka kalau kita tidak bebas menentukan apa yang kita mahu? Apa makna merdeka kalau kita masih ditindas mereka yang mempunyai wang dan kuasa?

Kadang-kadang aku rasa, Malaysia ini seperti anak muda yang dipaksa untuk dewasa, hingga dia terlupa untuk menikmati zaman kanak-kanaknya. Namun itulah pengorbanan ibunda untuk anak-anaknya; agar mereka tetap sejajar dengan rakan-rakan di luar sana.
Aku masih mencari apakah yang boleh kita guna sebagai raksa untuk mengukur sejauh mana kita merdeka. Apakah cukup dengan si kembar dua mencakar langit di tengah kota? Atau berapa supermarket Tesco sudah muncul di pinggir pinggir desa? Aku pasti jawapannya berkait dengan kita: aku, kau dan dia.
Jiwa kita ini, apakah jiwa kita ini jiwa yang merdeka? Apakah aku sebenarnya merdeka, dan jika ya, dari siapa? Aku terlalu muda untuk faham apa itu penjajah, tapi aku sering diingatkan bahawa aku patut bersyukur aku lahir dalam dunia merdeka. Alhamdulillah.
Lima puluh tahun, mungkin bukan tempoh yang singkat dalam usia manusia.  Namun masih lagi anak-anakkan kalau kita bicara soal negara.  Aku rindu kamu, Malaysia.

PKR

2008-02-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

my modjo is finally back after three weeks of slumber. hoorah! i see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. i see it i see it...

so i've just returned from an incredible excursion... in light of the general elections coming up, i took a trip down to political lane and ended up standing behind a crowd full of opposition supporters.a little bit living on the edge, being malay and all, one should not risk and take chances by displaying support for the opposition party for fear of being locked up in Sg Buloh since you are SUPPOSE to support the governing party. full stop. sad but true and with the current stale yet staggering situation, i had plenty of reasons to go and hear Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim (DSAI)speak.

whole experience in a nutshell: defying

two representatives spoke prior to DSAI and all three spoke with rigour, conviction and optimism like any other political representatives (Note:Pak Lah and his peeps not included in this group of speakers!).the air that filled the night just in that small spot located for PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) was enough to let the booming voices echo throughout the lane of Seksyen 17's pasar malam. and yet, as i looked around to see who are the faces that demand political upheaval were none other than the chinese and indian folks. disappointed at the absence of malays, who majority of them live in the area, not to mention patrons of the pasar as well (and there's a huge mosque nearby too), my mind kept toying with the word "complacent". over and over again.

When DSAI arrived, the crowd inched closer to get a better glimpse of the man who was once the financial minister and deputy prime minister who has now turned into the biggest enemy BN has ever known. He spoke like a true campaigner, comedic, assuring and a fighter and with all these mashed together, i could not help but admire the leadership qualities this man possess. It very much felt like a typical castro-ish socialist mini movement that is truly fighting for the underdog, wanting changes that are drastic enough to turn things around. there were some truth and sense with the nit-picking he did over members of BN and it was at this point i felt a little strange. i liked what i heard and the voice that i heard simply because i knew there was nothing else that i could hang on to. he had that gung ho leader quality and he knew how to string his words together, the crowd he was tackling and stressing on the visions he has. it was all mind boggling especially with his 6 years of imprisonment for corruption and i knew this man is capable of campaigning even back in the day when he became the major voice of Universiti Malaya's student movement. he knew he had in him since the 70's... and despite all that, i am truly anxious and curious to see Malaysia lead by him. what did it for me was the flyer that was handed out, it had writings in english, chinese and tamil. now THAT is unity baby! will it ever happen? will BN be overturned? my gut feeling says it may take a generation to finally have a different party ruling the country ...aiseyman! how lah like this?!

movie time

2008-02-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

Disappointing!

saw Jumper last week with the gang and unless you have nothing else to watch, then this is an option. highly recommend that you try not to watch it unless you are really really and i mean REALLY bored! and only if you think hayden christensen is really really hot.his hotness in this movie is just plain blonde and rachel bilson is very much in her OC character. a movie with very minimal plot and pointless with no reason for the existence of most of the characters. the only good thing about this film is the teleporting effects when hayden and his sidekick start fighting from one place to another. cheh!

Oscar Oscar watch!

kudos to the coen brothers for another explosive and intelligent film. running time is a little long but so worth the watch. Javier Bardem plays the ultra cool, cold blooded and benevolent devil may care assassin, with really absurd methods of killing. brilliant dialogue between him and a shop keeper, dark yet sympathetic. awesome!

juno juno juno!don't be deceived by the cover/poster and think oh not another teen movie! that was what i had thought initially and man was i wrong! the chemistry between the teenage to-be-mom and the so-called boyfriend is hilarious with a pinch of sweetness that doesn't spell tacky at all. Ellen Page plays the character admirably and pulled it off too well till i practically wanted to grab the nearest brush so i could comb her hair.

cinematography and direction of the film is great. unpredictable and the plot... full of unexpected grandoise. it made me want to fall in love again... and james mcavoy, simply beautiful and charming as always. looking out for Wanted. super hot casts!

HOT DVDs

witty, sharp and clever script and robert downey jr has never played a role better than the one in this, well at least that's what i thought. awesome with a real sherlock twist plus the humor. dark yet hilarious and you'd be surprise with val kilmer's role in this one especially when you've been so used to seeing him as batman or just action/drama sort of character.

... falls under the list of- 'i can watch this over and over again'. no matter what!

love the 60's era? this one is for you. fashion, make up and false eyelash was a huge part of edie sedgewick, andy warhol's muse at his factory. sienna miller did justice but honestly, was hoping to see more of warhol but the movie, like the title, focused on edie. perhaps someone should get down to making a movie about warhol soon.

Future watch

tower of power

2008-02-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

plagued by major crisis, shit scared of the consequences. fear of fearing for the unknown slowly takes its toll and not knowing how to survive it is ticking like a bomb. memories memories memories. clashing identity make up accompanied with such strong energy boasts these characters in which becomes the propeller of differring institutions. wither wither wither away.

song mix up

2008-02-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

the next time you listen alicia keys "wreckless love" from her latest album, replace the word wreckless with breakfast... :D

sugar, spice and everything nice

2008-02-17T23:30:00.000-08:00

"i've made an appointment with the psychiatrist..." he said

woke up on sunday feeling slightly on the heavy side. everyone around is falling ill and i feel helpless but that wasn't going to stop me from making sunday lunch. so the menu for the day was rice pilaf, moghul chicken curry with cucumber and mint riata. my dad needed to feel good again so lunch with him and the family was the only way to perk him up. nothing's better than cranking up the stereo to jimi's hits and cooking with a bottle of heiny...

moghul chicken curry

whole chicken, chopped
3 tbsp curry powder, make paste by mixing some water
6 cloves
6 cardammoms
4 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp cashew nuts
2 tbsp raisins/sultanas
1/2 can of tomato paste
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
potatoes (additional)

1. fry onions and garlic til soft
2.cook the cloves, cardammoms, star anise and cinnamon together with the onion.
3.once the fragrant of the spices fills the air (you may start salivating as well), pour in the paste.
4. let the paste cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly.
5. pour the tomato paste and add some water and make gravy out of the mixture.
6. let the mixture boil and add chicken. you can add the potatoes too.
7. after 15 mins, add the cashew and raisins. place the lid on and let cook for another 20 mins or so, or until chicken is cooked. add salt to taste
8. voila, you should be done by now

rice pilaf

1 chopped onion
3 cloves
3 crushed/semi crushed cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 1/2 cups of Basmathi rice
4 cups of chicken stock

1. Fry onions with the spices
2. mix rice into the pot, together with the onions and spices
3. add stock and let cook for 15 mins or so

cucumber riata

1 whole cucumber, the inner/seed part removed and then chopped
1 cup of plain yoghurt
2 sprigs of mint leaves, minced
salt

1. all you need to do is mix all the ingredients together and you'll have a very minty and refreshing dish.

cooking can be so utterly and uberly therapeutic...!

st valentine's

2008-02-13T01:36:00.000-08:00

love is a beautiful thing and to be in love is a process that is indescribable. the closest understanding of love is probably listening to songs of the Beatles (well at least for me). sometimes you might catch yourself off guard by being in love with love rather than the person that you are in love with. chemistry and vibrations can be things that are so difficult to explain unless you are dr. love. lust for some can be dangerous and awesome... but love is beautiful when you know you don't need a doctor's degree to feel it and we are greatly fortunate to be able to feel it, what it makes us do and how it makes us think.

Philosophy of Love
"With the catching, is the end of the pleasures of the chase. - Abraham Lincoln

Personal Love
"If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile- the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. - Unknown

Cynical Love
"Parrots, tortoises and redwoods live a longer life than men do. Men, a longer life than dogs do. And dogs- have generally a longer life than love does. --Edna St. Vincent Millay

i'm not such a huge fan of valentine's day. along with some folks, i fall under the category of thinking that it's overrated. the day of love should be whatever day you want it to be and should not be dictated by a specific date. and shit!! florists around the globe just go overboard with the prices of roses! i've seen some bloke spend a thousand ringgit on roses!

but the best bit about this day - ... the chocolates *huge grin* and to see people around me celebrate their love. happy loving! to my family and friends, i love you... i can never say it enough...

smooth criminal - whacko jacko

2008-02-13T01:26:00.000-08:00

not only was this an awesome, the bass guitar to this song is freaking SEXY! go listen and you'll know what i mean...!aaoow!

As He Came Into The Window

It Was The Sound Of A Crescendo

He Came Into Her Apartment

He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet

She Ran Underneath The Table

He Could See She Was Unable

So She Ran Into The Bedroom

She Was Struck Down, It Was Her Doom

Annie Are You OK?

So, Annie Are You OK

Are You OK,

Annie Annie Are You OK?

So, Annie Are You OK Are You OK,

Annie Annie Are You OK? So, Annie Are You OK?

Are You OK, Annie? Annie Are You OK?

So, Annie Are You Ok, Are You Ok, Annie?

(Annie Are You OK?)

(Will You Tell Us That You're OK?)

(There's A Sign In The Window)

(That He Struck You - A Crescendo Annie)

(He Came Into Your Apartment)

(He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet)

(Then You Ran Into The Bedroom)

(You Were Struck Down)

(It Was Your Doom)

You've Been Hit By You've Been Hit By

A Smooth Criminal

So They Came Into The Outway It Was Sunday

What A Black Day

Mouth To Mouth Resus Citation Sounding Heartbeats s Your Doom-Annie!

Aaow!!!

black symphony

2008-02-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

back from bali, cold and missing so many elements in life that was once before.
woke up this morning, dropped sniffles off and drove to the closest coffee spot for the daily dose of americano with an extra shot. met an old friend from actor's studio, who surprisingly remembered my name and shamefully i forgot her's. dope! out of the blue she says she can't believe my name is my name which isn't exactly my fullname. a nickname. so i told her my first name and she was like *gasp* "really?? all the while i thought it was sholana..."

sigh... not only did that NOT make my day, i walked into one of the bookstores after the coffee to checkout some references for my current writing and this person standing next to me was singing 'the shape of my heart' (yeah! that song by the backstreet boys) out loud... karoake room is just around the corner dude! totally uncool for the bookstore to play that sort of music at that time of the morning.

horrifying and to top it off, i nearly lost control of the brakes to the car today...

elections are coming up and i have not registered... i don't see why i have to but perhaps to save the sanity of malaysiaku gemilang, i will. for the sake of it although i know it ain't gonna change a thing. driving around today to no apparent destination (yes, one of my many favourite things to do) it's sad to think that malaysiaku gemilang does not have a voice and that we the young generation that we are, do not have the courage to fight. our status as a democratic country is redundant and surprisingly, we are aware of it. we are automatically sedated by the brainwash of newspapers and national television. thank god for astro. a lot of us are fleeing away from malaysiaku gemilang and when articles are written about what malaysiaku gemilang mean to us, i have read nothing that is concrete enough for me to be proud of.

we are afraid to claim the rights to our own civilizations and traditions just because it's not muslim enough or just plain not good enough because it is borrowed. and we claim that we are no more of a third world country but if you take into account of those in kelantan and terrenganu and the harsh reality of traffic jams after 6pm every evening, developed isn't the right terminology. forget the skyscrappers and shopping malls. our reading community is close to 0%... and i'm not surprised if suddenly i'm not able to blog anymore. policing is what you are good at together with keeping us locked and repressed.

on a lighter note, i bought some CDs at an awesome price... yup, malaysiaku gemilang!!

*craving for foo fighters live!!!

the need to feel alive...

2008-01-30T22:11:00.000-08:00

"give me heart shaped bruises and tooth paste kisses"

little ms sniffles

2008-01-28T01:39:00.000-08:00

how you've grown... heehee. your zest for life is incredible... keep the party and music playing baby, according to your ryhthm and flow. no one else but yours. i love you lots and lots eventhough you hated keano the cat :P my baby angel, good luck with life and your future undertakings. i'm always always here whenever you need me. happy thoughts all the way! muakses

much a do about nothing...

2008-01-25T08:49:00.000-08:00

i'm thinking maybe i should dissolve a particular plant into a solution so that i wouldn't have to look at it every single day... it's wilting and i've started hating it. a coward way of solving the problem, i know but i did try. it stares at my face, as if telling me it needs all the attention...
but i'm tired. tired of watering it with care and sowing it with fresh fertilizers every morning. maybe i shouldn't kill it but maybe i should just walk away... yes, walk away.

the best of 2007

2008-01-25T03:32:00.000-08:00

1. catching Red Hot Chilli Peppers & Incubus in concert, with awesome view
2. running for the 10km vancouver sun run under 48mins
3. getting lost and the near death experience up in Whistler
4. living in vancouver
5. speaking to my mother after 8 months of silence

Silence is Tender

2008-01-25T03:31:00.000-08:00

Stems from the heart
The immense tenderness
When the glow glows
Beyond ordinary existence
Beyond all that is normal

Lightness of being
Deepens within the living body
Construction of the inner organs
Beyond understanding
Beyond all that is normal

I watched you

Incapable to comprehend
Call for me, said my organ
For I long to caress
Beyond love
Beyond all that is normal

eternally yours

2008-01-25T03:29:00.000-08:00

The journey never ends and it continues to make moments… many moments of different kinds. Sometimes, well most of the time you don't exactly know where and when it begins but it continues to enfold itself without you knowing it. And then you wake up, not knowing the direction, left, right, centre… whichever. There should never be controlled and narrowed concepts. Sometimes emptiness is all I feel.
The last month ended in a most reluctant way… mother nature wanted me to face challenges a little bit more… always testing.

A few days ago, someone said 'it's never a commitment". Nothing in life is a commitment and it hit me so hard. It is true that nothing in life should be a commitment. Whatever we get ourselves into should not be seen as a commitment, better off not to be seen that way and I understand it well enough. It will be complete when it is not seen as 'work' but selfless vocation. Society has built us to think of commitment the way it is and mother nature says otherwise.
Atok left us on Sunday and I can only pray and wish that he is safe. Missing him can be quite a torture and having to put a brave face on has not been easy. All I think about is him, miss and regret. So much regret and atok, maafkanlah saya, beribu-ribu ampun kerana tak dapat jumpa atok dan tak jawab telepon bila atok telefon suzi hari tu. I am truly sorry.

I miss the way you tuck me in, your atok way.
I miss going for drives with you in your Renault.
I miss your smell.
I miss how you cut my finger nails.
I miss how you make nestum, your atok way
I miss eating with you and how you tell me to never rush with my food and to always always take my time.
I miss how you tell me off whenever I start singing while eating
I miss hearing you play the accordion and I hate the fact that I didn't know that the last time I saw you play was the very last time I heard you
I miss how you always took me to the barber for my haircuts
I miss how you would hide the sweet box under your bed for me so that mama won't scold me
I miss how you got annoyed whenever I start jumping on your bed, singing "go go shut the door"
I miss hearing you in the mornings and playing Arabic music at full volume selepas subuh
I miss watching you
But most of all… I miss having the you and me moments.

Atok you taught me so much, much more than any man in my life. And I love you more than any man. You taught me love. Your love was selfless and I will always treasure that. I hope you heard me when I visited you yesterday. I felt nothing more but missing you and at the same time rested upon the fact that your home is filled with tranquility.

Prince - PLANET EARTH

2007-07-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

One of the most surprising news this summer in the music industry is Prince's way of marketing his latest album. Instead of selling his record to big music labels and retailers, he crossed all boundaries and gave away his latest album Planet Earth for free with the UK's Daily Mail on Sunday. Not only was it free for the British fans, it is now available on the internet for download (courtesy of the brits that got it for free) and of course I took the liberty of click clicking. Talk about direct marketing!

I have been a huge fan of Prince since the days of Purple Rain and he has not failed his fans with each album released and I predict this album to be one of the best summer albums of '07. The aspect of this newly released album should not only be looked upon his tracks and melodies but also note the sound production and engineering. Superb quality and the bas guitar in each track is Prince's signature element. It is as though he lives and breathes their every tune and hence singing unpredictable melodies.Brilliant.

Many retailers have condemend this bold move and he is receiving bad criticism by record industries almost every hour but so what... At least the majority of us are listening to his songs for free and think of him as another music legend. He is my living music legend.

Lucky Number 2

2007-07-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

2 nights ago...

i was consumed by the midnight air like a scavenging owl. my mother's first art exhibition was scheduled for the 13th of July and i wont be there to witness her first solo exhibition. the whole night i found myself rummaging through my negative energy, talking to myself and slowly drowning like a sinking wooden boat, with a huge hole in the middle. i didn't know why i was still in vancouver and the rationale self kept talking yiddish. i was transported back to certain events and life with the family. i haven't seen my mother for more than a year...

life is all about being positive... but how much positive energy can one have?!can't wait to go to Bali

this has been in the computer for at least 2 months. for all you Mayer fans, this was the best i could do with the pictures. next concert up, Silverchair with the boys. and in case you were wondering, nope, did not see Mayer's airhead girlfriend around.

few nights after Mayer, we caught Filipino Comedian, Jo Koy who is just super hilarious! some day this guy will be huge! orange chiiiiikennn unberivabarrrrr!!!

my favourite boys

Exceptional Human Beings

2007-07-04T00:08:00.000-07:00

Running The Sahara

On February 20, Charlie, Ray and Kevin touched the Red Sea, just a few hours before sunset. Their quest had lasted 111 days and taken them through 6 countries: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Egypt. By the team’s daily GPS record, they had traveled over 4,300 miles (6,920 kilometers). They fought through injury and extreme fatigue to reach their goal, which changed them forever.

Charlie Engle meets the children of a local village.

These last days of the expedition were emblematic of the entire expedition, with highs and lows, camaraderie and solitude, and encounters with both the natural wonders and teeming societies of Africa. Over their quest, the runners learned that it was necessary for them and their team to avoid fighting against the elements served up by the Sahara, because the immeasurable power of the continent will always win out. Instead, they learned how to adapt to their climate and surroundings as best they could, in order to make the steady progress that each of the 111 days required of their minds and bodies. Thus, they were able to save their energy for their physical achievement, which led to success as measured by their achievement and the depth of their experience.Whether it was encounters with the Tuaregs of Niger or running through the wondrous Pyramids of Giza, the experiences endure.

The children that received them with shouts of greeting and ran alongside them refreshed and renewed their vigor in every country. The lands they visited mixed natural beauty with the harshest living conditions: from the solitude of the Tenere Desert to the bustling heat of Dakar, Senegal, and the overwhelming crush of Cairo, Africa’s largest metropolis. Every location along the way provided its own challenge and held a unique reward for the three explorers and their team.And now the expedition has concluded.Successful.Life-changing.Incredible, but true.More than ever, the runners and their team are committed to the land and people they visited. The international media has turned its eye to the expedition’s achievement, including the attention and support that they are bringing to the water crisis in Africa through H2O Africa. This fall, the film Running the Sahara will premiere to tell the story of this unprecedented quest.

Check out these people's effort in creating the awareness of Africa's struggle for water at http://www.h20africa.org/

Complex Beings

2007-06-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Enough is enough!!! Paris Hilton was on Larry King last night and i nearly flipped!!! News Headline: Paris had hair extensions right after her release!!... like shit she did, i mean, c'mon!!!

have u googled today?

i love google. can u imagine yahooing? or just saying: have you yahooed today?

was at the gym yesterday and while i was on the bicycle, pretending i was cycling for the Tour the France with some hotshot blood pumping song on the podpod, i see this girl hopping on the treadmill with a copy of US Weekly in her hand. She puts the magazine on the front board and the title read, "How Superstars Get Thin". She starts walking and then jogging on the mill and i thought she was going to flip through the pages like any other person would. But amazingly though, the magazine stays put and she continued her workout and that magazine was just staring right back at her. talk about motivation! i don't quite like the idea of working out to look like the stars or maybe she has some other motive. i don't know, but i found myself quickly passing judgement on her and i felt horrible... horrible horrible horrible!

hey i put some new shoes on and suddenly everthing's right.

2007-06-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

the past one month or so has been a little crazy... not so little but just crazy!

henry was here for almost 3 weeks and having him was a blast!! we realized that the three of us make good housemates but too bad, this was probably the only time we'll ever get to do this since we'll be moving to kl and kl adds up to more events and less quality time. nevermind. the three of us treasured our moments even more... i think :D he made me want to go back to melbourne so so badly!!

after 3 weeks of having henry around, it was time for us to leave for europe. henry left for melbourne and we left for europe on the same day. europe was spent with the in-laws and spending time with them was a change from the normal blah in vancouver. and so the breakdown of the visit is as such;

1st leg - Athens, Greece (5 days)

Arrived in Athens, Greece to catch the Champions League and of course, we rooted for Milan!!!! KAKA KAKA KAKA ALL THE WAY!!! Atmosphere was simply amazing! Too many liverpool fans left broken hearted. too many liverpool fans came without organizing accommodation and ended up sleeping outside the stadium. respect! kean jin, a huge liverpool fan, met us in athens and spent the rest of the athens trip with us.
Visited ancient Greek historical sites including the famous Acropolis, museums and beautiful quaint islands. went absolutely MAD with jewellery shopping. too cheap! food was cheap and so was transport!! a liveable place indeed. a very laid back city and it felt like KL 20 years ago. ancient sites sprawl this city left, right and center with little room for high rise buildings. traffic is crazy and vespa ruled this place. there were pink, white, blue, black and ipod white vespas!! i so wanted one!!!!

2nd leg - Nice, Cannes, St Tropez & Monaco (7days)

Nice, France. a gorgeous gorgeous place with freaking BLUE and i'm talking REALLY REALLY BLUE water on the french riviera!! i have never seen anything so beautiful in my life such as the view on the promenade de anglais.

rented a car and drove to st tropez, where we saw humungous boats owned by very very wealthy people. sick!! st tropez was flashy but in a relaxed manner. still, shops like dior, escada, prada dorned the narrow stoned paved streets of tropez. again, sick!!
we also drove to CANNES hoping to catch glamourous peeps during the cannes film festival but of course!!! we arrived at the wrong time. we were too late since we arrived when most of them had already gone home. but nonetheless, we saw the red carpet. that's good enough :P

I was so in love with NICE!! it's so relaxed and just plain easy. the glamour and hype of this place is prominent but less obvious if you choose not to be surrounded by it. its filled with romance and nostalgia everywhere we walked... you stumble upon old folks walking around the city, buying bread at the boulangeries and sipping espresso all day long. chill house music plays in most of the luxurious cabs and they love their foreigners.

From Nice, we also drove to Monaco and we happened to catch the Grand Prix and Prince Albert drove by us in his unpredictable Toyota hybrid 2 door. very impressive for someone like him and.After all the hype of the rich and glamour and just plain gorgeous environments and atmos, we proceeded to Paris by TRAIN for more touristy adventure. by this time, i'm totally knackered from waking up at 730am every morning and visiting places the whole day!

3rd and final leg - Paris (10 days)

Paris... romantic, chaotic, fast and busy. well, that's what i think after coming from pretty laid back cities. no doubt Paris is what it is but i still think it's just like any other main cities of the world. being there the second time was very different since most of us opted for less touristy spots. no more going to the louvre, notre dame and the eiffel tower. BUT architecture of the opera house, arc de triomphe and the administration buildings was amazing! Gallerie lafayette gave me a headache. can u imagine a building dedicated to women only??!!! simply insane.
saw three rounds of tennis at the roland garros and got super tanned. saw NADAL!!!! and also justin-henin... seeing Nadal live and really close left us hanging and ezra secretly wants to be just like him. justin made me believe that nothing is impossible!!

after all the tennis and shopping galore, we left the city for the suburb Marne de Vallee, 10 minutes away from Euro Disney and most of our Paris trip was spent at this manicured suburb which gave quite a relaxing effect after all the holiday hype.

i left europe feeling more inspired than ever. i see more colours and yearned to put them on canvas. i am also able to feel more colours and i hope to get on with some dance workshops this summer before heading home. Athens, Nice and Paris made an impact... a huge one. throughout the holiday our mouths were hanging open from screaming out loud for being able to do the things we enjoy most!!!!! F*&$ YEAH!!!

still terribly jetlag...

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY AYAH!!!

2007-05-19T01:42:00.000-07:00

AYAH,

i know you read my blog sometimes and i hope you read this one!!!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY AYAH!!!!! we wish we could be there but know this! NEXT YEAR is going to a big blasst!!!!!

if Man Utd wins the FA CUP, you'll know that they did that just for you!!

lots and lost of love,

suz and ez

we are all queen of shebas

2007-05-19T01:21:00.000-07:00

it's been a really really really long time since the last time i wrote. so much has happened and it's all henry's fault! muahahahaha... just kidding. well, not really. since his arrival 2 and a half weeks ago, my blogging concentration has lost its way... plenty of pics next time and plenty more crap as well.

tonite matt asked me a question.

matt: so what's your blog about? haven't seen it in a while
suz: urrrmmmm... hmmmm. that's funny. it's about anything really. actually, i wanted to bla bla bla ( i lost my concentration completely due to the great amount of laughing and lost of focus due to .... ya ya ya this isn't going any where)

note:excessive use of 'lost' and 'concetration' due to the lack of.... hahahahaha

so yeah. great events happened the past few weeks. historical ones too. tomorrow we leave for europe.

the tragic game

2007-05-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

we lost we lost we lost!!... how can that be???????????ggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Man Utd, i stood by you and you let me down... i blame Heinze and Brown for the lack in defense. stopid! nonetheless, today's game was a good game to watch and they played football like how it should be played. the boys played with respect and that, i loike!

here's my mock letter to Ferguson:

Dear Fergie,

i send my apologies to a dream that was really really close. me and thousands other United fans are at lost. perhaps the 1999 victory may come again in the next season. congratulations on making it this far and it pains and upsets me that all the hard work went down the drain in just one game. who can blame the intensity of playing at an away venue and the rain didn't help. Milan fans were roaring and yet Utd still kept on trying. kudos to the boys for making it this far, it has indeed been a while. but if we don't see you in the next season, know that you will always be a legend and a kick ass manager!

perhaps we should have seen Saha and Smith on the field. perhaps... and maybe, just maybe we all could be roaring at Athens. oh well, lets hope for the best for the premiership. let me hear you say ... GGGRRRRR!!!

Sincerely,
a moody loyal United fan
xox

i thank my father for keeping me alive with the drive of football since the tender age of 11. a very cute moment was when he surprised me with a poster of scholes, andy cole and giggs with their signatures for my birthday. sweetness i thought, and the naive teenager fell for the mock autographs which of course he had forged. from then on, i lived only knowing that Man Utd is the best and these days, i wake up to a husband whose only pride and joy are his Utd boys. skysports is definitely making huge clickclick internet money from ezra!! :P

Despite the tragic game, our lives still goes on and i have a bunch of other things to do.

Here's to Kaka, Dida and Gattuso in Athens. they were on FIRE!! i am surely not supporting Liverpool with this one!!

Off to pick up HENRY AT THE AIRPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT WOOT!!

HoHo&AhYip's Bday and "BobMarley" day

2007-04-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

a little burst of sunlight makes us all a little crazy here in vancouver.

happy birthday Vince and Damian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

happy birthday ming!!

2007-04-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

the many faces of ming... minum boleh, makan boleh, ka-la-OK pun boleh!!

happy happy happy birthday ming!! if you think this is one day late, whateverla!! we're on a diffrent time zone here so it's canada time ok! hope you had a good day and many more great birthdays to come and we sincerely hope that you are feeling better after the recent event - suez

the eager beavers and the stalker

2007-04-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Did the Vancouver Sun Run today and managed to run the full 10Km under an hour without any stoppage time or brisk walks!!! aaaauuuufff aaauuufff aaauuufff!!! this feeling is soooo good and i predict it will carry on for a couple of days. hell yeah!!!but of course, i am suffering from really bad bad muscle cramps and ez is putting up with my adoi adoi adoi and aaaahhh, sakit sakit sakit complains!! poor him.

ezra, damian and i woke up this morning feeling very very very nervous about the run. we weren't clear about a few things and i did the hollywood act by telling them and myself that i will be walking the first half and then pecut the second half. ezra and i were banking on Damian to finish before us since he signed up for a faster estimated finish time compared to ours. we signed up two groups lower to Damian's. we were such eager beavers, waited for nearly an hour before the start in the damn blinking cold.

as the gun went off, Damian went ahead and we took our time. had my ipod on and the moment Bob Sinclair was playing, i felt excited and started to jog. i followed this guy that looked pretty serious about his running and had a good pace and so i stalked him. i stalked and found that i couldn't stop. after the 5km mark, i lost the serious runner cos by now he started to pecut and so i had to find a new one which i did and i stalked again. lost him too and i stalked a new one. and so this stalking thing went on till the finish line. i became a serious stalker! ezra and damian were behind me and they took pictures of bands performing along the way and enjoyed the free drinks! they're made for each other. so farnee, two specky malaysian guys just having a go at the sun run. i decided to push myself real hard at the final km and it felt SO FARKING BRILLIANT to cross the finish line as a stalker with sore thighs... HOORAY!!! malaysia boleh la!!

my two buddies arrived 20mins after... and we decided to cab it back home. home was only 10mins walking distance. tsk tsk tsk. 10km can but 10mins, naaahh.let's naik cab je la!

go wiki vancouver sun run now! more pictures in the next post and thanks so much guys for the birthday wishes!! love love love!!

march babies

2007-03-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

so this month has been pretty hectic... from just celebrating birthdays!! the past three weekends have been jammed packed with activities and spending money! i would die if money really grew on trees. die die die!!! it's worse than hari raya and christmas put together BUT it has never ever been this crazily good!! today's featured people of this blog has made me truly truly happy and absolutely marvelous!!... and we all share birthdays in the same month! it started of with iman, the tallest one in the group and then melissa last week and mine this week. if we measure our heights and the dates that fall along with our birthdays... it's a perfect DO RE MI. tall-medium-short. iman-mel-suz. soon enough, we'll be harmonizing our laughs.... shiet, this brand of crazy is too good! to a long lasting friendship!

i look forward to my weekends like an over eager bunny but my weekdays, the mellow of it all turns me into a numbskull. so this week i have been mulling over my age and how it keeps getting older but nothing physically changes to remind me of my age. therefore i am trap sometimes but with the help and support of those around me, i am able to keep myself sane.

it's really odd... this feeling of confusion. i know i chose this path to be away from what i have always been used to. but yet, there's a disturbing peacefulness that takes me back three steps behind and i curl at every thought of what used to be really good. my family. it's still good but who am i kidding. tomorrow i turn 25, canadian time and this year, i will be breathing the new year on a foreign land. this speck of moment that i am borrowing temporarily gets me unstable once in a while. once in a while. everything here is borrowed and at this age, i do want a concrete and permanent belonging. its funny how when i was a girl, i had dreams. i made promises with myself. but being the unpredictable person that i am, i skipped a few promises and as it turns out, i am taking my time with this adventure of mine. but that never stopped me from having dreams. new dreams. dreams gets your through the tough times.

this will be my first birthday with ezra and i would like to take this moment to appreciate you for you deserve this and many more. you have been the only person who has stood by me and held my hand through the toughest moments in this past year/last year. i am thankful and grateful for having you with me through the emptiness of losing my memories of what used to be the coolest family. i know i have put you in many many of my suzi spots, the crying, the anger, the confused and troubled times. but hell, we laugh and dance and sing like its the last day!! you are my QUICKER PICKER UPPER! i love you. you have honestly made me remember only the good times and made me hardly remember the shitty and lonely ones. yeah... what shitty ones huh? and the best part is... i forget that we're married. that you're my husband. and you are my husband but the young spirit in us likes to think otherwise. we are both in huge denial over the technicalities and formalities of being husband and wife but that's okay for now. truly madly deeply, you will always be my boyfriend. huge smile.

this will be my first birthday away from the family.oh no wait, my second but mak was in melbourne to celebrate that year with me. and now she's not. not because i am far away but because she chose to be far away. birthdays were always an occasion and surprisingly, i have been able to remember the presents for every single year. both mak and ayah knew how to grip the weakness in me and i always end up feeling very very special at the stroke of midnight into my birthday. presents were always under my pillow. and i always went 'oh-my-god-oh-my-god-OH-MY-GOD!!!' every year without fail and the next day was usually a day of shopping or nails with mak. they were my birthday fairies. very nice it was...

i miss my ayah, riam and meme. i know there'll be plenty more birthdays to celebrate with you guys but i think this year is probably the most poignant next to the hard-hitting 30th birthday and DAAAAAAMMMNN!!!i'm not liking the look of that number right now! ayah, i hope the skype is fixed so you can make the birthday promise come true! miss you guys too much!!

this year i received my first birthday package from my in-laws. such a sweet surprise and i am constantly reminded of how truly lucky i am to have the best in-laws in town. i don't think i'll ever have those nightmares of having evil mother-in-law/family-in-laws or P.Ramlee like in-laws. i think i'm lucky...

the trio

2007-03-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

congratulations to riam on achieving such great results for her SPM!! i know this is a late wish but better now than never!! i truly am proud of you and we all know how shitty SPM is. your dedication and hardwork was admirable, nothing NOTHING compared to how i treated SPM during my time and i salute you!!! hoooray!! and to all your friends as well, send them my hugs for braving through the ridiculous malaysian education system. you will soon realize how useless your results are and that SPM is just a scam so you will take education seriously. bah!! big BAH!! for me, it was a worthless piece of paper that was meant for many worthless heartaches. i'm so excited about you and CIMP and going to Melbourne which means more melbourne trips for me!!!muahahaha... CIMP is so much fun and you'll love some of the teachers. i hope you get Mr Tan, he taught me english and was super super super nice!!! he was the one who introduced me to RK Narayan. and then and then and then, when you get to melb, we can hang out together when i visit you!! many many many awesome places!! and henry!!! we can meet henry!! man, melbourne was good. miss henry and jo ... miss them so much. we had such great fun hanging out together. saturday nights at bliss and curing hangovers on sundays at cafe sweethearts, having plain fun and of course the daily routine of work/school (oh bother!). i truly hope and i'm sure you'll have wonderful moments in melbourne, if not 10 times better!!

my best buds for life

doing what we do best... jump little children. SAY C-H-E-E-S-E!

khim!... where the hell are you? i left you at the club and i haven't seen you since!hope you're still making big bucks in melbourne!

melbourne reunites old besties. muakses to arnaz!

jo blo.. i miss you so much! can't believe you're a mama now

out to an 80's party. there was always some where to go! we went as Miami Vice characters.

to good ol' times! TO COOKING, EATING, DRINKING and EACH OTHER!!! GIANT XOXOX!

not so white sandy beach and glorious sun

2007-03-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

i miss the sun, the islands, diving, the salty ocean and burning lots of calories with heavy ass tanks. li yen, where ever you may be right now, scotland/switzerland/germany, you were my bestest dive partner and i can not thank you enough. plenty of love from me to you. ms.really all the way!!hoot hoot!

i want my saturday nights and my sunday mornings back again

2007-03-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.k-osmusic.com/home.asp

this latest K-OS album... i'm playing it over and over and over and oovvvvvvvvvveeerrr again (i think it's 5 times in a row now) and i know soon enough i'm gonna get sick of it. but right now at this very moment, i love it.

last week...the last one

2007-03-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

24th February 2007...

Jamie Foxx jamie jamie jamie foxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!!! he does not need any review!!!! simply.... aaaaaaaaahhh... how shall i describe it? i would have to deduce my vocabulary to paris hilton's standard and say, "it was so hawt!" (twirl blond locks around forefinger)... he started off with some comic lines. from Prince to OJ Simpson and all the way to Britney Spears. it got the crowd laughing their asses off and it got mine nearly falling off the seat. he then continued the night away with songs from the Upredictable album with a Grammy like stage set up. also, he got dressed up as Ray Charles and sang a bit of Georgia on the piano and that was superb. he didn't forget to mention the oscar he recieved for that which, got the pakcik pakcik and makcik makcik hitam hollering at the top of their lungs including us!!! we're partly hitam mah!! security was tight on this performance and cameras weren't allowed but i did manage to steal some quick ones. he sang to ezra and i too many times i swear my ears are still burning from all that ... hawtness!! riam, we were seated on the exact seats as Incubus!!

his grammy like entrance

nearly got my camera snatched

singing... "S-E-X"... it was hilarious and seconds later, this girl starts to strip.

that's all folks... will blog again when not too lazy. no more concert blogs from now till May. no more money!!dang...

last week

2007-03-01T16:51:00.000-08:00

22nd February 2007...

Wolfmother was a neither here nor there sort of performance. i was so excited and anxious before the show just because i thought they were really good. i was a huge fan! i love their album and practically know lyrics (maybe not all, perhaps 78%... yea... ) to their songs. i use to think they were a band from this generation to come close to sounding like Led Zeppelin but.... i was proved wrong went we saw them live. the venue was packed, it was a sell out performance and i even bought their god damn expansive t-shirt but honestly i thought they were o-k. i've seen better rock performances and i was quietly disappointed and could not stop feeling it till i finally went to bed that night. that night, wolfmother sounded like any ordinary college band and... i don't think i can carry on. i was no more their huge fan. am still a fan but not that huge. but boy!!! right left and center was filled with that heavenly smell of grass. ahaks!

the band from where we were

in the middle of "woman"

rock on wolf-ma-ther!

last week

2007-03-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

To those who take the extra time from your internet surf surf and browse browse to read my blog, thanks from the bottom of my pulpit for dropping by. it's so much easier now that i know i have actual readers... blogging makes more sense now peeps!

alright folks. LAST WEEK HAS BEEN AN ORGY OF... CONCERTS!!! my fingers are way too excited to type and they're dying to express the experiences gained from the ridiculously awesome (...haha ridiculously awesome?? hmmmm, love it!) time that i had from watching.... ok ok... so yeah,

i saw....

1 - TENACIOUS D... okay, maybe you're not too familiar with them but hello!! main front man is jack freaking black OKAY!!!

2 - WOLFMOTHERRRRRRRRRRRR

last but not least, the superbly hot and firingly finger licking licious.... (firingly??? muahahaha, it just gets better!)

3 - ladies.... i saw JAMIE FOXX!!!... madness huh?!!

ok ok, of course all this would not have happened if my most favourite person didn't go the extra mile to surprise me with these tickets and i thank you thank you thank you thank you from now till the rest of my life for making sure i had an awesome awesome AWEsome AWESOMELY BRILLIANT TIME!!! thanks baby muuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaahhhhh!
before anyone (esp you riam. yes you :P) starts hating me for boasting about what a lovely time i had, well, i do apologize but i ain't gonna sit around and keep my mouth shut y'all!!.. but seriously, sorry. don't you just hate me... :P

21st of February 2007...

Tenacious D as a band was full of energy and was pretty much enigmatic with their audience. their performance was a cross between their latest movie "the pick of destiny" and a bit of your typical musical show but with their own rock songs that knocked your socks off!! you see, their main tagline is - the greatest band on earth - ... sheesh huh? but very jack blackish and just seeing him live was just fantasticle. not only was he funny but he just loved his audience which i think is the best quality any famous person should have. so humble. i felt so appreciated (hehe) there were plenty of cock jokes and much of the conversation between black and gass were tied around the kahones, anti-feminine perhaps but damn! nothing beats hilarious!!! the stage set up was their 'living room' and scene changes included being in hell and getting stoned with a live bong! here are some cool cool super cool shots from our seats.

a made up guitar skit

his royal highness, Jack Black the tembam

check out kyle's guitar

in the living room

Jack Black dancing with God of Heavy Metal from Hell

from our seats and the rest of the vancouver fans

Oscar Oscar the Oscars...

2007-02-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

last night was a huge night for Kodak Theathre and also for vancouver. i was shocked to learn that some folks here take this event pretty seriously... some restaurants had the oscar themed going on and our friends Brandon and Katie participated in one and got dressed up to celebrate it. not too sure how the night went but ezra and i decided to stay in and enjoy the oscars in between household chores hehe.

this year's oscar was impressive compared to last year's. i adore ellen and she did a pretty good job warming up the crowd and also viewers at home. she was so down to earth and watching her host last night was just like watching her talk show. i particularly liked how the night started with the nominee montage, saying a few words about nothing else but the oscars. it was impressive how it was also an international event, having plenty more international movie people featured this time around but i was quietly upset with Clint Eastwood's oscar presentation to Ennio Morricone and how the translations were done in such a non-chalant manner. the guy is such a musical icon and that's all he got? bad job Eastwood. shame on you. what was up with that...? Morricone's thank you speech to his wife was so sweet that it made me tear a little. shame on me. the flow of the night was way better than last year's which i thought was a little too political with having Jon Stewart as the host but he was a good host nonetheless. last night was a delight to watch simply because it was filled with comedy and ... fun. the theme, celebrate the nominee was appropriate enough so no one was left out but isn't that what the oscar should be about to begin with? and not to forget, the superb dance performance by Pilobolus Dance troupe which had provided the special graphic effects on movie titles with smooth lines and transitions. As for the Oscar winners, i take my hat off to Forest Whitaker, Helen Mirren and also J-Hud with her impressive win which means Beyonce is now officially singled out. boohoo. But Alan Arkin for his perfomance in Little Miss Sunshine was i thought, any american man could have won that. It should have gone to our man Djimon for Black Diamond!!!!! argh! that was an upset.and Departed for director and movie of the year??? don't get me wrong, i love and i mean absolutely love the movie but i didn't think it was that good to win an oscar especially when it was an adaptation of Infernal Affairs!!.... major disappointment there. but t hen again, other nominees for Best Motion Picture doesn't give you much room to decide on an alternative. Babel, The Queen, Little Miss Sunshine... (did i leave anyone out?)... a little shaky huh?

apart from that, i learned that some on the stars came with hybrid cars to support the fight for a green earth which was sponsored by Al-Gore himself. ever since watching The Inconvenient Truth and hearing more horrible weather news and numerious turn of events, i have come to realize how serious the issue of global warming really is. i have come to a point where i fear the future conditions and knowing there will be a possiblity of not knowing where to run and hide.

i can't seem to post photos...!!! argh. maybe next time. the moment blogger isn't too troublesome and i'm able to post photos, will post exciting blog about last week. so much happened!

gong xi gong xi & the reunion dinner

2007-02-18T02:41:00.000-08:00

ezra woke up this morning to catch the man utd v. reading game and i joined him during second half which i could hardly open my eyes to. he told me what the score was and i remember being honestly disappointed but then that feeling quickly vanished when i learned they were playing for the FA Cup. phewph!... guys lets just focus on EPL this season and forget the rest... maybe and perhaps champions league just cos there are two eager people who have already purchased tickets for the finals and should not be disappointed!!...god damn no! god help me puhlease if it doesn't work out cos i would have to face a monster for at least a month... wow, i actually mentioned god twice...

went back to bed after the game and woke up late in the afternoon. this jetlag is evil! had late lunch at bojangles and then called melissa and then got invited for a reunion dinner hosted by nadeem and iman and then i was like oh wow! really?? yay, dinner is sorted then! (i was just happy i didn't have to cook) and then we walked back home and then did some internet jiggy mijiggy and then left for dinner. (haha.. that was fun, and then... and then... and then!!)

dinner was so good. the company was great and food was excellent. being around nadeem, iman, melissa and sahil was just filled with so much warmth and comfort that it felt so close to home. we brought the yee sang and had steamboat throughout the rest of the night. shisha was on the house and chai was homemade. nadeem and iman reminded me of the beautiful moments spent in tanzania. thanks guys for dinner and the hiphop session!! we both had an awesome time!!... we truly did.

the yee sang

the dinner table

the after dinner session

sahil and nadeem

iman brewing the delicious chai

yup... you guessed it!

red ladies from L-R iman, melissa and suz

the one that was late... andrew

the bubbly

suez

the life savers lolly

GONG XI FA CHAI FOLKS!

abang's wedding...

2007-02-17T02:15:00.000-08:00

group pic please!

family at KB

ezra, ayah & alex at KB

bridal entourage

at sime darby with joyce, pikers, weiyi & sueshien

Home...

2007-01-20T23:46:00.000-08:00

i've been packing since days ago. .. pack pack pack. i pack non stop and now the brain is dead.. freak. riam and i leave tomorrow morning and will transit in japan for one night. our journey will take two days and will arrive in kl on tuesday. argh! kl food.... glorious glorious yummylicious food! so fantasticle!

the packing got the better of me and vocabulary is suddenly limited... shitty.

why the hell did i blog...? brain dead, confused and... forget it.

america... a meh dee ka

2007-01-11T00:35:00.000-08:00

you confuse me sometimes. the government... sheesh. i'm surrounded by news and late night shows that does absolutely nothing but remind me of how much more idiotic you can be. well, at least they're doing it out in the open and using freedom of speech and press to the fullest. america, you scare me with your politics and your phobias. the glamour A+ beauties bling blingers on the screen are puppets who need no one else but US to play with. stop blaming the million clickers and flashes that fall upon you. you survive because of tabloids. G.W.B. ... please, just stop your cravings for another Nam and eat chocolates instead. and Harpo, stop being so self absorbed and stop thinking you're Mother Theresa cos you ain't gonna be another saviour... nah-ah it ain't happenin shorteh.

goodness. all this negative energy not good. not good. think happy happy happy thoughts. shit i'm confusing myself here. stop it. ooo, what do we do without your tv shows america?! the only product (can i say mass produced just like everything else from this continent that Columbus claimed to be the first person to set foot on ...?) that i send kisses to. damn, my mind is confused. i sound...angry. shit. again suz, happy!!

but canada i love. you snowed this morning and i realized i truly like you. i'm not ready to say goodbye just yet cos you're too beautiful. here are some shots i took of you today. riam, cam whoring with you today was faaa aaarrrr neeee eeee!!!!

matcha soy latte rocks!! Tenacious D in february... hee haa!!

Oyakadon...

2007-01-09T23:04:00.000-08:00

you one funny man...! to 2007 and more years to come. !ok happy happy ok!

2007...

2007-01-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

started pretty slow. i mean really slow. it was cold and the cold is depressing. it still is but i hope it comes to an end as soon as possible. i miss the sun and kl though kl is only liveable in a week or so. the traffic will kill you and so will the heat. but the food... urgh! outrageously awesome! ok, so this year... dump the resolutions and let time and good will surround me. be happy happy happy and fill my days with happy thoughts. resolutions?... come June/July, i'd be saying shiiiittt, it's not working and i'm still the same lazy ass potato sleeper that i am. nothing's change if you expect it to. let it come, just let it come and be happy! yeah... be happy. i think i love myself but i also think it's not enough. yeah yeah ok ok full stop

picture time

thanks ayah for G7. me pictures looking more like annie leibovitz. watch out! heeheehee

love u riam. thanks for staying on a while more.