Happy 23rd birthday to myself.
Pathetic, I know
Anyway last night I spend the night at Emma’s house in Ampang. I needed a break from everything. We sorted out our lives. We did some work and ended up talking bout her boyfriend and my miserable love life. It was nice to catch up with friends and all.

Before I went to bed, I switched off my phone since the battery alarm was already beeping. And when I woke up this morning I was surprised to see 2 of the nicest people (well one is the nicest the other is still uncertain) wishing me ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ and all.

So anyway.
So far I have only one due birthday celebration to be held in Kuala Kangsar (under the Big Tree). Dress code Marie Antoinette (instead of losing her head at the end of the 'party', she'll be getting one).



I’ll be there as Jeanne St Remy de Lamotte Valois



the night she got that necklace (she'll be getting herself a 'pearl necklace' at the end of the party) from Boehmer and Bassenge, heheheh.

That or the night Eva Peron stood at the Balcony of that Casa Rosada to give her speech or something.

As for celebrations in KL I don’t think I have the mood since my gaji is not banked in yet.
Plus, ‘23’ is not ‘17’.

So here is a list of the people who’ve wished me:

29th March

Amier in Australia
Chikabee (myspace)
Coffee (myspace)
Wei Lim (myspace)
Dalin Alisha (myspace)
Ashruff (myspace)
Paris (myspace)
Coffee (myspace)
Azreezal Hafidz
Lily
Emma

30th March

Emma
Che Mie (4 times!!)
Norein
Husni
Mulder
Hazel
Amier in Australia
Adam (myspace)
Kochi (friendster)
Mimie in Cyberjaya
Megat Alfie
Lil Ziesha
Maggie Tan
Bedfordgal35

images via austrianantoinette.tripod.com, www.metroactive.com and movies.yahoo.com

A few nights ago I went to MCOBA President’s Night hosted by Tunku Adnan at The Royal Lake Club (yes, with Che Mie).
It was very interesting (I wouldn’t say fun since I was so kenyang gile amat sangat)
I met Reza Arif, Sharizal Md Sidek, Azri Aziz (my batch members), Wawa, Kichi, Concon, Apek, erm.. who else.. ramai lagilah. The hall was not quite full as there were many tables left unfilled. Anyway the food was okay (the fettuccini tasted like plain flour, but edible lah).
We sat at the back, somewhere between the fettuccini and the soup. The idea was to grab as much food as possible. Hehehhe.
I saw TAB's watch. A Cartier's Santos which I just loved to bits. Tunku Vic nye watch pun smart gak. Cartier's Tank I think.
Hehehehe.

Anyway,
Tomorrow is my birthday. Officially, as appeared in my i.c, it’s supposed to be todaylah, but since my dad was too busy to double-check the date with my mum, he registered my birthday on the 29th instead of the 30th.

So I’m 23 years old tomorrow.
How does if feel to be 23?
Weirdly nice. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know how to explain it.

Anyway happy birthday to:
Acai (27th March 1983)
Khidir (30th March 1983)
Keanu (2nd April 1983)

The rest nanti aku wish jugak. I need to find that stupid calendar of mine.

Sungguh bodoh sekali
it took me a few months to figure out mane komen semua pergi
so from today onwards semua org boleh komen

A few weeks back, when I attend the much-needed class for my driving test, my instructor tells me that she can’t come the next day. She has to see a ‘bomoh’ in Kuala Lumpur since she is having problems sleeping since her body itches every night for the past few nights.

She convince me that this particular ‘bomoh’ is good since she has to queue up for hours just to see him. She is convinced that dia ‘dibuat orang’.

A few months back, I receive the news that one of my favorite grandaunts has cancer. She too seeks the help of a ‘bomoh’, not the same one, to ‘cure the cancer’. The bomoh tells her (despite the fact that a few days earlier a doctor tells her that she has cancer) that dia ‘disembur oleh puntianak’.

Another grandaunt has to dress her 2-year-old daughter in black for one year due to some bomoh’s predictions. Failing to do so will result to my grandaunt losing her daughter to ‘orang bunian’. The daughter has to change her name to ‘buruk’ during that one-year period.

I don’t know what is happening to the world today. Day in day out you watch information on diseases on TV, yet we resort to ‘bomohs’ to help us cure these so called ‘buatan orang’/’sembur dengan puntianak’/ ‘orang bunian culik’. Are we living in denial?


For some people, knowing the truth is not exactly ‘their cup of tea’. They prefer to listen to these ‘bomohs’ instead of religiously taking the pills/medications given by the doctors.

To the driving instructor, I tell her that maybe her liver is not functioning well, thus resulting the body to itch (it happens to my late grandmother, she is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer), to that favorite grandaunt of mine, the one with breast cancer, I just feel like smacking her sober. She has an ‘anak saudara’ in KL who is a doctor. We tell her every week to go and meet the ‘anak saudara’ to get further treatment. To date, she still refuses to accept the fact that she has cancer. To that other grandaunt her daughter actually has Infantile eczema.

I’m not denying the existence of this so-called black magic phenomenon in the Malay Culture. But, we have to make full use of progress as well. Ape guna we hantar our kids to universities if by the end of the day we still resort to this practice of trusting the bomohs. We have to belief in modern medicine jugak.

So make your choice. Nak mati dengan bomoh ke atau nak mati lepas we try as hard as we can.

In a few weeks time I will make my yearly pilgrimage back to Kuala Kangsar, home to Malay College Kuala Kangsar.

Despite initial doubts of whether I’ll be driving or ‘tumpang’-ing Che Mie, (driving = spending some needed time alone with a certain gentleman, ‘tumpang’-ing= laughter laced roadtrip), I have prepared enough things to make my stay in Kuala Kangsar…erm…I wanna use the word ‘chic’, but lets just stick to ‘interesting’.

A few teachers of mine back in Kuala Kangsar have insisted that I book a room soon since Kuala Kangsar does not have that many hotels (3, I think). Why stay at the hotel when you can stay for free in college? Simple. Some of us may have special needs that can only be fulfilled in the privacy provided by these hotels. Some need to blow their hair, other simply need to blow.

I need to bring some toiletries and towels and thongs (for feet) to avoid accidents and mishaps when taking shower inside the infamous door-less toilets of MCKK (in case rooms are all fully booked). I nearly died when I had no shorts to shower in (underwear in the shower? No, definitely not my style), during the Centennial Celebration.

Also, we will be bringing enough ‘beauty’ products (moisturizer -damn hot-lah Kuala Kangsar, mineral water-nak beli kat KK? Good luck trying to park your car in KK during OBW, hair dryer-because we’re worth it?) to face the harsh reality of that beauty driven,disciminating school (only those who’re fair were favored, I didn’t discover the benefit of Estee Lauder White Light back then, so sadly I too was discriminated)

Food is optional since I need to fit into my ‘weird’ looking green and white cardigan, to be worn in case suddenly God decides to bless the town with rain. Shoes? Loafers, since we are all too lazy and too busy to be tying our own shoes. Pants? Khakis, lots of ‘em, with (erm) crested polo t-shirts.

Sunglasses? A must. To avoid being recognized by unwanted people. The bigger the better.

Spiritual preparations?

This is very important in case one of your friends turn out to be pigging his way through life, get married, become a millionaire. Thus, one shall have to go with an open mind and deep, deep faith, (preferably deeper than Madonna’s the night she performed You Must Love Me life in front of Millions of Viewers, Oscar 1997).

Case in point, one old boy nearly lost his breath when he found out that his ‘friends’ when he was in college got married without telling him. He can very well say goodbye to you know what.

Last but never the least cash, see you don’t have to be spending all of them in Kuala Kangsar, God forbid if you plan to do so, since there’s hardly anything worth buying there. You should be extra careful with your cash. Case in point, moi circa 2004, OBW.

Current students are driven by money, apparently someone started this rumor that the old boys have private ATM machines in their wallets, thus prompted the current boys to attack the Old Boys viciously. I ran out of cash 2 hours before going back to KL. Not very good.

Places to be seen at in Kuala Kangsar

1. Yut Loy, very famous for its delicious food. Come early or you‘ll be forced to wait for 2 hours just to get a seat. I seriously think they should re-open the first floor dining area to accommodate the growing number of visitors during OBW. Eat as much as possible. Halal? Do we look like we care?

2. Big Field. Under those trees preferably to avoid premature ageing. Mingle with captains of industries and if you’re lucky, Maria Farida.

3. Kota Lama. Tres Chic. A plus if you have a summer house there.

4. The balconies of Big School.

5. The cendol stalls. One word. Tradition, tradition, tradition


Places NOT to be seen at in Kuala Kangsar

1. Lembah with current boys, unless you’re a father or a brother of a current boy. Read: Micheal Jackson

2. Bus stand, trying to catch the 2.30 bus to Ipoh. Get a car or well, rent one. It’s very, very worth it.

3. Bukit Chandan visiting museums and such. God, this is not a field trip and it should not be one.

4. In bed with any of the current boys. Read: Micheal Jackson

Music

1. Soul Asylum: Runaway Train

2. Anything by Chicago

3. Pearl Jam

4. Goo-goo Dolls

5. Hotel California (“…you can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave…”)

Things that you should not bring to Kuala Kangsar on OBW

1. Your wife/girlfriends/beau/partner. You don’t want them to wonder aimlessly when you’re talking to Tunku Adnan do you? Besides, a weekend alone in KL with their best friends might be just what they need.

2. Any old pictures taken when you’re in Koleq. There’s a limit to being sentimental.

3. Emotional Baggage.

Billie Myers
Kiss the rain

Hello
Can you hear me?
Am I gettin' through to you?
Hello
Is it late there?
There's a laughter on the line
Are you sure you're there alone?
Cause I'm tryin' to explain
Somethin's wrong
Ya just don't sound the same
Why don't you, why don't you
Go outside, go outside

Chorus:
Kiss the rain
Whenever you need me
Kiss the rain
Whenever I'm gone, too long.
If your lips
Feel lonely and thirsty
Kiss the rain
And wait for the dawn.
Keep in mind
We're under the same skies
And the nights
As empty for me, as for you
If ya feel
You can't wait till mornin'
Kiss the rain
Kiss the rain
Kiss the rain

Hello
Do you miss me?
I hear you say you do
But not the way I'm missin' you
What's new?
How's the weather?
Is it stormy where you are?
Cause I'm so close but it feels like you're so far
Oh would it mean anything
If you knew what I'm left imagining
In my mind, in my mind
Would you go, would you go
Kiss the rain
And you'd fall over me
Think of me, think of me, think of me, only me

Repeat Chorus

Kiss the rain, kiss the rain
Kiss the rain, kiss the rain
Hello Can ya hear me? Can ya hear me? Can ya hear me?

"Could it be any harder to say goodbye
live without you,
Could it be any harder to watch you go, to face what's true
If I only had one more day

Well I'd jump at the chance
We'd drink and we'd dance
And I'd listen close to your every word,
As if it's your last, but I know it's your last,
Cause today, oh, you're gone

Like sand on my feet
The smell of sweet perfume
You stick to me forever baby
I wish you didn't go,
I wish you didn't go,
I wish you didn't go away
To touch you again,
With life in your hands.
It couldn't be any harder.. harder.. harder"


Image via picturequest.com

A few nights ago my friends and I went on a late night excursion to Bangsar. We headed to our usual place, Pelita Nasi Kandar. Bangsar was filled with adolescents celebrating their SPM victories/failures. We had to practically get botox just to blend in.

As I stared at the clubs and pubs, I couldn’t help but wondering, whatever happens to my youth.

I mean I’m still 22 and working, happy (?) and well, enjoying it. But somehow I feel tired and I just want to lay my mattress in the middle of everything and sleep my youth off.

Most of my 22 year old friends are busy planning what to wear to their next party while I on the other hand was busy figuring out what to wear to my alumni’s President’s Night, KL’s equivalent to the FORBES Top 500 Dinner.

I looked at the table across me and saw three guys talking and taking their time. Smoking, drinking and all. And there I was trying to finish my food as soon as I could so that I could get home early and sleep.

I wonder.

Why do we force ourselves to be old when youth is all the elders crave?

When they pulled her out of the bathtub, her clothes were drenched in blood. Blood and water. The police took the paper from her hand and placed it in one of the clear bags meant for evidence. The manager said she paid in cash. The cleaner heard her crying last night.
She had dirty blonde hair. He face sunken. She looked like she hasn’t had anything for a week. She had a suitcase, the manager said to the policeman. He clothes were dirty, with and without blood. A hooker said the policeman, looking at the letter, the suitcase (filled with jeans and t-shirts. And a picture of her family.

“One of them white kids from Alabama,” said the guy who was standing behind the yellow tape.
“She looks like a hooker,” said the cleaner
“She was mental,” said the policeman

They all assumed that they knew everything about her.

They didn’t know that 40 bucks was all she had last nite. They didn’t know that underneath that jeans and t-shirts she had a dress. They didn’t know that she was from a small town on Ohio. They didn’t know bout the conversation that she had with her mother 3 weeks ago before she took the bus down to California. They didn’t know that she had a dream. A dream so big that life was meaningless without it. They didn’t know that she cried every night, thinking of her little brother and her mother.

They didn’t know that she ran away from home.

Call you up in the middle of the night
Like a firefly without a light
You were there like a slow torch burning
I was a key that could use a little turning

So tired that I couldn't even sleep
So many secrets I couldn't keep
Promised myself I wouldn't weep
One more promise I couldn't keep

It seems no one can help me now
I'm in too deep
There's no way out
This time I have really led myself astray

CHORUS
Runaway train never going back
Wrong way on a one way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here no there

Can you help me remember how to smile
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded
Life's mystery seems so faded

I can go where no one else can go
I know what no one else knows
Here I am just drownin' in the rain
With a ticket for a runaway train

Everything is cut and dry
Day and night, earth and sky
Somehow I just don't believe it

CHORUS

Bought a ticket for a runaway train
Like a madman laughin' at the rain
Little out of touch, little insane
Just easier than dealing with the pain

Runaway train never comin' back
Runaway train tearin' up the track
Runaway train burnin' in my veins
Runaway but it always seems the same

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always one reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memory seeps from my veins
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there

So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
And the storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lie
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

Shit
Suddenly feeling sedih sangat
I dunno why but lately, since the OBW is just around the corner
Terasa nak balik sangat kat koleq
Damn

BTW
I’m going back to Kuala Kangsar on the 14th sampai 16th of April
For the OBW.
Might be driving

And yes, I have a license already
(I’ll tell you bout the very very scary experience soon)
as of now
I’m too tired to even sleep

Damn, it's that familiar song again

" Don't love me for fun girl,
Let me be the one girl..."

Hmmmm
Shit!
Now I seriously miss Koleq

I've waited 6 years to see you again and I don't mind waiting forever just to have you looking at me

Sunset over the Straits of Malacca

In excerpts II, we will talk about one of my best birthday parties thrown by my parents.

Well, this happened when I was about 2-3 years old. My parents, my brother and I celebrated my birthday by the beach. I think it was somewhere in Melaka. It was so damn best. A simple cake and surrounded by my family. Mase tuh I still remember our family car. A Daihatsu yang so kecik, and no airconds ye. Mase tu mane ade panas-panas macam sekarang and seriously it was so damn smart.

So anyway, the celebration was held dekat one of those beaches in Melaka. I still remember there were these boats yang people used for regattas and all. Ade siap dragon-dragon motifs lagi.

Memang best.

Mase potong cake, the sun was macam nak terbenam dah and we were in this really beautiful orangy light and seriously I would trade everything that I have rite now to be in that place and time again.

Mak and Abah, I love you so very much. Thanks for being the best parents. And to my adik-adik, despite my foul mouth, I love you guys to bits.

Image via www.pulau-pangkor.com

My Song

in these corners
are hidden secrets
that may never be explain
and may never be spoken

for when the dawn comes
oh ye sun so faithsull shines
brightly with you the day
the secrets are all tucked away

rise oh we
the bearer of the torch, in thee
we put our hopes and dreams
for with eternal lights you gleam

"Out of what scum, and up from what abyss,
Had they arrived--these rags of memory. "
Alma Mater by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Til I hear it from you by Gin Blossoms

I’ve been staying off sugar since 2001. Partly because of the fact I get really nauseous after having certain amount of sugar in my body. Hence the ‘limau ais takde gula’ and the no sugar policy I’ve been practicing.

Tapi lately I really need to get myself a really huge chocolate. Damn

Seriously keinginan sugar yang amat melampau.

Harituh mase Che Mie’s party I finished of the chocolate tiramisu/cake/ice-cream/sinfull thing yang was on the table before we went back.

But fear not, heheheh
Since my birthday is around the corner (hint, hint), I’ve this dream where I would like makan a whole tub (bathtub) of chocolate with weird looking candles and weird looking people around me. Ala-ala a birthday party thrown by P.T. Barnum. Maybe that’s the sign that I’m craving something that I can’t have? Erk!

Anyway since my birthday is around the corner (again).

I would like to write a few excerpts from my life
Kinda like a countdown to my birthday lah

So here we go,

These happened when I was in F3 back when I was in MCKK. Well I made a big deal about my birthday and all. So the seniors (well some of them) ended up throwing me three birthday parties:

I: by Alek (98) and Alek (99), in front of the library after prep. Mase tuh I was kinda surprised since I was not that rapat ngan these people. I think Wariz was there as well. I was rapat ngan Alek and Wariz pun sebab we were in the debating team. It was kinda weird but cool since ade jugak orang yang ingatkan my birthday mase tuh.

II. by Fairul and some seniors which I seriously tak ingat. It was in conjunction with Acai’s birthday. So we had the usual stuff (cake and all)

III. by my senior dorm. I had a row with Zaha a few days earlier so I had to apologize to him before we could cut the cake. Hahhhaaha. It was kinda very menakutkan since they told me in a way that I thot the dorm (f3) kena ‘Night Court’. Hehehe. Scary Mary!

And here’s a shameless list of what I want for my birthday (it’s easier since you guys don’t have to figure out what to get and what not to get kan, heheheh. It’s not like anybody read this shit anyway)

i. A freaking watch
ii. Books.
iii. T shirts
iv. Chocolates (lots of ‘em)
v. A day off (I wish lah kan)
vi. Erm…anything, surprise me. Hahhaahah.
vii. A freaking GF (since my mum dah tanye “Mane girlfriend kau?”
viii. a certain banker

image from www.robineau.co.uk

Will never learn

TV3

The mother
Jackie Kennedy



The daughter
Carolyn Bessette

and



The fleeting spirit
Ali McGraw

(Image via Image Source, Exblog and John Robert Powers)

14. When you argue and fight with them, but still cant get them out of your mind(yeah, all the time)

13. When your on the phone with them late at night and they hang up but you miss them already when it was just five minutes ago ( we don't actually talk. we never sms)

12. You read their texts over and over again (but when we do, i'd keep those sms-es)

11. You walk really slow when you're with them (kinda)

10. You feel shy whenever you're with them (hahhaah, yeah, all the time)

9. When you think about them, your heart beats faster and faster (yup)

8. You smile when you hear their voice (this one too)

7. When you look at them, you can't see the other people around
you... all you see is him/her (hardly)

6. You start listening to slow songs, while thinking of them (that's the song i'm listening to rite now)

5. They become all you think about (6 years. I've been thinking about that person for the past 6 years)

4. You get high just from their scent and there kiss (scent yes, kiss erm.. i can't remember)

3. You realize that you're always smiling to yourself when you think about them (nope. that would be stupid. than again, reading this is kinda stupid as well)

2. You would do anything for them (hell, yeah!)

1. While reading this, there was one person on your mind the whole time (hmmm)

The recent increase of petrol price has definitely caused an uproar. We have experienced approximately 12 ‘harga minyak naik’ announcements since 1980’s. We can’t blame the government for that since government is doing the very best they can to avoid Malaysian from paying the actual price of oil, which is around RM 3.00 per liter.

We should be kind of thankful that we’re not living in Oslo or something where the price of oil/petrol/gas per liter can reach up to RM 7.00 (I know, I know income-per-capita and all. But still).

One of the reasons for the increase of oil price (according to the government) is that they (the government) feel that it is wise to spend the money (previously for subsidizing oil, which amounted up to RM 4.4 bil. per year) to improve the public transport system.

Which is kind of good. Considering that we, as Malaysian should use the public transportation more often (to avoid among others, the horrendous Jalan Tun Razak traffic jam every Friday).


Anyway

I would like to suggest a few steps that the government can take to further save the country’s money. These suggestions may not reach the Parliament, but hopefully, it will help Malaysia to be a better country. Besides, shouldn’t we all be patriotic?

i. Stop spending huge amount of money on unnecessary stuff like ‘Pasu Bunga Di Tepi Jalan’ that are used once every ‘persidangan’. We can always resort to just ‘tanam bunga’ on the curb itself instead of using the ‘pasu’. Besides the ‘pasu’ are so dangerous and very distracting to motorists.

ii. Stop building another ‘pusat persidangan antarabangsa’ or international convention center. Seriously. We have the Putrajaya Convention Center, Mines Convention Center, Berjaya Times Square Convention Center and the KL Convention Center. I know, I know that these places are booked until the year 2020, but seriously how many convention centers do we really need? Besides, we have that old and traditional PWTC which to me is a gorgeous building and should be utilized more often. It should be a national brand where if people say,
“Oh where is it going to be held?”
“Oh, You know Putra World”

‘For the time being that’s all on ‘how the country can save more money’

The next segment is going to be on how the country can spend the ‘saved money’

i. Improve the infrastructure of schools throughout Malaysia. Isn’t education everything?

ii. Help the poor. As one of the most developed countries in South East Asia, there should be no excuse for poverty. Help these poor people and ‘Untukmu’ will just be another passé TV programs.

iii. Continue the KL-Ipoh double-track railway project. This project will further help to develop both these cities. People in Ipoh can work in KL and vice versa. Traveling would be fun and ‘Cuti-Cuti Malaysia’ can be so easy and relaxing.

That’s all for now.

And for those of you who don't know, Malaysia has no say what so ever in the price of crude oil per barrel since Malaysia is not a member of OPEC and we don’t really have a major control in the world oil production/market.
These are the members of OPEC
Algeria
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Kuwait
Libya
Nigeria
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
UAE
And
Venezuela

According to my friend who’s working for Esso.
Read more about

OPEC

It pays to GOOGLE.