Written on 5/31/2004 11:04:00 pm by sikapitan
Movie review: “Lusa”
I was at the field last week getting all geared up to play footie when suddenly the boys started talking nonsense:
“ Wei,weekend ni ko buat apa?”
“Cuti kan aku plan nak tengok lusa”
“Ah orait.Sound la aku bila ko nak pergi”
“I’ll see when my brother is free…”
And they went on and on about watching this “Lusa” movie. I didn’t get it at first, until the clouds started forming up above our heads, and they started shouting “Lusa lusa lusa”..and then it dawned on me that they were referring to the much-advertised summer movie “The Day After Tomorrow”. I’m telling you, kids nowadays are getting more and more sarcastic by the day.
This movie had massive publicity going on since last month, with features on Channel V and ad campaigns showing doomsday in (u guessed it) North America! I didn’t really think much about this movie, but my mate said it was pretty good. So after the mildly-dissapointing Shrek2 (see previous entry), I wasn’t expecting much from this film. You know, massive publicity ala StarWars and HarryPotter usually means it ain’t pretty interesting and very very commercial. That’s what the industry analysts predicted. They said the movie would bomb in the cinemas. But it doesn’t seem to affect the crowd in Pyramid. Again I forgot that one important factor: School-holidays. The line was long but we managed to get tickets. No drama this time, I’m glad to say.
Directed by Roland Emmerich, the same dude who gave you IndependenceDay, this movie is about global-warming, and the devastating effect it’ll have on our Planet Earth.Apparently, global warming would lead to the ICE Age. Paradox?
Well, like IndependenceDay, it will show that in the face of adversity, the US would still lead the world! Nah, just kidding, but frankly speaking, with the exception of some set-up studio depicting downtown Tokyo, and an undistinguished looking building supposedly in the UK, the whole movie is too Americana oriented. I want to know what happen to our beloved KLCC, whether there would still be VCD-sellers promoting “Aksi Dalam Salji yang Terlampau” or would Subang folks finally get clean water coming out from their pipes. But that would take too long, and cost too much so it’ll forever remain a dream, unless our Prof. (konon) Filem decides to make our own version of “Lusa”. It can show that even in face of tidal waves, we malaysians would still stop by the roadside to gawk at accidents:)
The script for the movie is typical big-budget-action-thriller-summer-flick ala Armageddon and IndependenceDay with witty one-liners and little character. But it’s entertaining enough for me, and it kept me awake for the entire length of the movie. I’m always interested in this doomsday-scenario and this is more plausible than the stupid I-can-fly-the-space-shuttle-like-it’s-a-kancil solution to asteroid zooming down on earth (Armageddon). The hero here (DennisQuaid) at least has a full set of hair. I’ve always been impressed with his work, although it can be said he is not that popular here in Malaysia. And the kid who played his son (Jake Gyllenhal), is pretty good, emoting the right kind of facial expressions at the right time. Unlike most summer-action-flick, this one doesn’t really have A HERO!, who can stop weather or plant nuclear bomb to shift the sea patterns, thank god. The CGI for this movie is spectacular. A lot of effort has been made to make the whole movie look realistic. Kudos to the technical team. The girls behind me were basically screaching in horror as the tidalwaves pound NewYork. Heck, even MY balls shrunk at the sight of those scary clouds.
In conclusion, I have to say that you must NOT miss this one in the cinema. The special effects are truly amazing, the casts were very convincing and it has that touch of dry humour that you really need to lighten up an otherwise pretty depressing prediction of our future. Special mention to my new found screen goddess (heck,it’s my taste okaY?) Emmy Rossum who plays the oh-so-innocent-yet-so-strong Laura. I can’t believe that she’s only 18 years old! Man, she’s the IT girl for me at the moment (Sorry Jessica Alba, if it’s any consolation, she does look like you a bit).
But I wonder if the audience realizes the message that the movie’s trying to say. I guess not, because right after the movie, I hopped into my car, and forgetting all about globalwarming, selfishly drove home alone instead of carpooling with my buddy. Hey, he said it could only happen in a thousand years right?
Au revoir
Written on 5/30/2004 05:07:00 pm by sikapitan
Movie Review: Shrek 2
After battering my body playing football on Friday night, I decided to take a break from kicking a white round leather object last night and went out to catch a movie with my buddy. We left at 7.30, thinking that we had ample time for a 9 pm show. I even contemplated making a run for OU, such is my allegiance to the now-too-cool-i-have-armani shopping complex. But common sense prevailed, and we went to Pyramid instead. I can’t remember the last time I went to Pyramid to catch a movie with my mates. And last night I was reminded why I prefer OU. The place was packed like a can of sardines. I feared that we wouldn’t get to park in time, but fortunately, a space popped up (illegally, but who cares) just in time. And it was packed with people that I don’t really want to be close with. The skinny skinheads with short jeans and suspenders, the ahbengs with bell-bottoms and open chest shirts, Pyramid just reeks of groups trying to be cool and failing miserably. I’m sure if I get to know them they are all fine and dandy, but why would I want to do that? It’s my opinion that our malls are too infested with these show-offs who can’t do anything without being accompanied by at least 3 members of their posse. How many people do you need to accompany you to the toilet? It’s not like someone’s going to take a peek at your tiny (or huge, it doesn’t matter) pecker, for God’s sake. Plus, since this is the beginning of the school holidays, there was another group that entered the fray- the I’m still in school,but I’m cool enough to go out at night kids. Loud and rowdy, they reminded me of myself when I was in highschool. God, how I hate these kids and I’m pretty sure we got the same reaction back when Billabong was hip and everyone’s tuning in to Oasis. What goes around comes around.
The queue looked so bad, that we almost walk away from it all. Recon to the ticket screen showed too many red flags and a smattering of greens (red for sold out,green for limited). Only Hum Tum and You Got Served managed to remain pristine white. But we waited anyway, considering that we just paid 2 bucks for parking (penny wise, pound foolish they might say). We dismissed the 9pm show and watched in anticipation as the 11pm slot turned green then red. We were dissapointed but gambled anyway. Got to the counter, smiled our flashiest smile, and begged for mercy. “Merah jer semua kak, camaner?” “Takder la tuh” “Ala,takkan takde kot” and then silence, “Okay ada, tapi seat tepi bolehh?” “Bagi berdiri pun kitaorang tak kisah”. It turns out that the seats were excellent, not too close yet not too far. Anyway, in this modern day of stadium-seating (meaning levelled rows), you can seat anywhere and still be able to enjoy the show. Thank god we didn’t get the centre seats. Some people love it because it’s the centre of the screen (why it makes a difference I would never understand) but I loath it simply because you’ll be stuck in the middle with god-knows-who to your left and right. You could be lucky and get some nice couple (luckier if you get some nice girls,hehe) or you could be stuck with giant-man or the Brady Bunch (meaning family with kids). But hey, even cinema seatings reflect life- you never know who you’re going to get.
On to the movie. The buzz surrounding this movie is good, with critics telling everyone who bothers that it’s smart and hilarious while the customers flock to the screens in droves to catch this much-anticipated sequel. And that’s the problem with the movie to me. I don’t like raising my expectations too high but the reviews and commercial success carries with it a certain must-watch-it’s-damn-kelakar vibe to the movie. I was expecting too much, and for that I am truly to be blamed if I say that it’s not all it’s crack up to be. Let me first say that technically, the animators from Dreamworks did a brilliant job capturing the whole fairy-tale spoof setting. It still amazes me the way they managed to capture life-like emotions and yet maintain the essential cartoonish element. Disney must realize that the days of pen-animation is coming to an end.
Shrek 2 is of course the sequel to Shrek (duh). It takes place after the marriage between the cursed Princess Fiona and the ugly Ogre, Shrek. They got invited to visit the Princess’s kingdom and to be blessed by the King. So the story is practically like meet-the-parents but with wackier scenes and a kick-ass soundtrack. The main character is Shrek,of course. But the highlight of the movie must be Eddie Murphy’s Donkey and Antonio Banderas’ Puss Da Boots. Both managed to add character to what is essentially streotypical sidekick figures. The animators must be given credit for the so-cute-it-would-sell-millions-of-burgers Puss. Seriously, the commercial implication of such a cute character is enormous. The kids love it, the ladies think it’s cute while the guys buy it for their gfs. And they got the best lines in the movie.
The storyline isn’t so bad, only that it lacks the sharpness of the first movie. The dialogue though could be better considering that they’re toying with legendary characters. It’s still witty and funny. Sometimes it can be too witty, making slight jokes that our audience failed to capture. Maybe it was a mistake to catch the movie after a heavy-in-carbo dinner (waffles with ice-cream at A&W, remember them?), but I found myself yawning a couple of times.It’s not that the movie’s bad, but I wasn’t physically fit (cam nak main untuk Man u laks) to pass an objective opinion.But it is a good movie, make no mistake about that, one that’s definitely worth rm10. People were clapping at the end of the movie and all, but they clapped at the end of the 2ND Episode of Star Wars (which sucks) too so maybe we just like to clap. It’s like expecting Jennifer Connelly but getting Jennifer Jason Leigh. Cute but not beautiful (go figure).
aU REVoir
Written on 5/28/2004 12:26:00 pm by sikapitan
A big hu-ha has erupted over the demonstration on caning by prison officials at schools.You see, the government, in their never-ending quest to correct our youths decided to send burly prison officers to schools and demonstrate just what a real 'rotan' really means.I assure you, this is no smack in the butt matter as the prison officers went all the way, whipping the stuffed 'mannequin' as real-life as possible.
The idea was that this would instill fear among students. Apparently, this would discourage them from pursuing crime as an occupation:).The only problem is they don't have any conclusive scientific evidence that such method works. This is the problem with us Malaysians, we do things without thinking it through (for example, National Service-does it really make us better?).First of all,do these students know what type of crimes that allows caning as a punishment? If not, most would think that caning is only for murder and this wouldn't help the cause one bit. Secondly, do these demo really instill fear amongst students? Trust me, the bad people in this world already know that caning is painful.Most criminals commit crimes out of passion and necessity. Would knowing the consequences affect them? The ministry should carefully study the psychology of crime before pursuing this demos. Furthermore, showing corporal punishment to students would only reinforce the impression that you can hurt someone as a punishment for their actions.Students would identify caning as a legitimate means of punishment. What is the psychological impact of such views? Would they then apply physical punishment more liberally when they grow up? Would they think it's right for people to be whipped? Would they apply it to their children? These are issues that needs consideration before we continue with such demos.
However, on the positive side, such demos doesn't cost much and easily implemented at schools. There was an exhibition by prison officials in UiTM and it was quite impressive. I know i wouldn't want to get into prison, that's for sure, but i'm a good guy. Studies have shown that most criminals believe that they wouldn't get caught. So would the knowledge that prison sucks (which is known to EVERYONE-nobody can say that it's a Club Med)affect their decision to commit crimes? Go figure.
Au revoir.
Written on 5/27/2004 01:53:00 pm by sikapitan
My maid of ..i don't remember but it's more than 4 i think..years is going to leave us in a couple of weeks time.A new maid has just arrived a few days ago, and she'll be tutored on the ways of the House before my current maid leaves. In light of recent developments concerning maid abuses, i would like to add my 2 cents worth on the issue.
I've had maids ever since i was a baby.The fact that both my parents are working in KL while their families are based in Penang made it necessary for them to hire these maids.Unfortunately, our experience with maids are far from pleasant.I remember vividly the incident that occurred when i was about 4 years old.At that time, most maids are locals. This maid of mine took me out at 12 noon,in the middle of a blistering dry season, for a walk to a phone booth located 2 kms away. Now this might seem trivial to us adults,but to a 4 year old, it's like a marathon!She needed to call her 'pakwe'..and i sat there for ages while she talked.Later that evening, my temperature went off the roof, and my parents were shocked to find me hotter than boiled water.
The maid was sacked,naturally, and we got a new one whom i called 'makcik'. She's one of the best maid i've ever had, and as she was old she don't have any 'pakwe' to call. The only problem was that she indulged my sweet cravings too much. As soon as i got back from school she would present me with a bottle of the sweetest Milo you'll ever taste.That's why i was sooo chubbyyy (but at that time,it was cute) but the consequences remains till today.After her we hired foreigners for the first time, and we also experienced our first and only run-away.She went off in the middle of the night while the whole family was upstairs watching tv.We've had countless maids ever since, even one indonesian who brought GUYS in at night while we were asleep so she could satisfy her amorous needs!Imagine our shocked when we found that out.The danger to my family was ever-present.The last two maids have been great with the latest one being the best of all.
I'm sorry to say but the best maids are the not too clever ones.If they're too clever they'll find ways to sneak out at night, or make phone calls, or hide things from you.But if they're too stupid, they would be almost impossible to teach and work with, unless they're also hard-working which covers up for their lack of intelligence. Whatever you do, don't get anyone below 25 years old! They lack experience,they can't handle pressure,they can't take care of kids, can't cook, and they're horny enough to run-off with the garbage collector.
Basically, it's a matter of luck who you have as a maid.Don't stick with one you don't like,go get a new one. The problem is that we know she ain't a good maid, but we refusE to replace her, that's when we get frustrated and abuses occurs.tHIS often happens to younger maids who are promised a better life across the Straits but can't handle the workload.One of my relatives is always having trouble with his maids.Maybe because they're too demanding, but more is due to the fact that their maids are kids.
Nothing could justify the abuses meted out to Nirmala. This is not a racist comment, but i sense that it's more typical for the Chinese to be strict to their maids.Maybe it's because of their mentality of making sure their investment is worthwhile.We malays, meanwhile, can be too soft and compromising until the maids 'naik kepala'.Sigh. It's a dilemma isn't it? But it's a rich country dilemma, and for that i'm thankful for it.
Funny story: My friend are neighbours to a Chinese family with a young indon maid. One day, the employer found out that she was pregnant. So they asked my friend whether anything happen between them!Imagine being called a 'maid-fucker'.
Au revoir.
Written on 5/26/2004 01:06:00 pm by sikapitan
Movie Review: Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam
Typical me.After being away for so long from entertainment,what did i choose to watch with my gf at TGV KLCC? That's right, another Malay movie.I don't know why, in the midst of Troy, Van Helsing and Shrek2, i chose Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam. Maybe it's genetically embedded in me, but i wasn't like this before.I think, that as i grow older,i want to identify with the Malay culture. And trust me, you'll get the whole gamut of Malay culture when you watch a Malay movie at the cinemas, but not only from the movie itself, but by the audience as well.
Why do we still pride ourself as being a polite society when it is quite evident the current crop of Malay youths can't be bothered with proper manners?Talking loudly in the cinemas,catcalling whenever a 'chun' chick walks by,throwing rubbish all over,giving comments loudly as the scenes are played out ("tak tak,itu datuk dia,yang minat..."etc) and let us not forget, ringing handphones.I know this epidemic of bad manners are NOT exclusive to any particular race, but i can't comment on the others because then they would say i'm racist! And i'm sure that this is merely a case of 'kerana nila setitik rosak susu sebelanga'-most of my friends and colleagues are pretty much well-mannered. But it still annoys me sometimes that we can't even watch a movie without being interrupted. And what about the irony of girls wearing tudung canoodling with their bfs in the cinema?? I feel it's a wee bit hypocritical, but i can emphatize with them.ThE moviee..oh yeah, this IS a movie review isn't it?
Surprise surprise, i came out of the hall with nothing but praises for Shuhaimi Baba. The whole production looks professional, and the long period of production resulted in a wonderfully-executed film. What impresses me most was the cinematography, which benefitted from the use of digital technology. I like the way the two era is portrayed by the filmaker. The difference in colour tone makes the whole 60's era authentic. The sound is also well-executed, without the much-dreaded empty-dubbing-syndrome (you know,the mouth moves differently from the word spoken).Technically, this film gets the thumbs up. Except for the whole pontianak thing, which wasn't as scary as it should have been, but this movie isn't really a horror flick in the mould of others, as the storyline places the emphasis more on the drama side rather than trying to scare you off every 5 minutes.
The story basically revolves around Maya Karin's character in the 60's/70's who was killed while being pregnant by Azri Iskandar because of jealousy. As Malay folklore has it,a pregnant woman killed would return as a pontianak. So the curse continues on until the modern day, when the child returns to avenge the death of her mother. The story is well-executed,with few long gaps of emptiness so prevalent in Malay movies. The fact that this is basically an ensemble, with regular faces from theatre and tv scene making appearances, probably helps it from being boring. Maya Karin didn't have to say much,merely looking demure and seductive in the old days,innocent and confused in the modern day. This she managed to do well.It's great watching someone other than Erra! Azri Iskandar is more goodlooking sporting a moustache and rangy haircut but his acting as the smitten rich man of the pekan is pretty good.Nanu and Ida Nerina are merely sidekicks but they performed with all the conviction that only stage work can give you. Eizlan Eusoff was his normal,hensem jambu self while Kavitha Sidhu looks good and acted great as his wife.Special mention must go to ROSYAM NOR, who again showed us why he's rightly regarded as the best male actor in our industry.This time he wasn't the lead, but he stole the show as the a-little-bit-crazy stepson to azri's character.He was humorous,emotional,angry.He has played the leading man,the romantic,the crazy in his previous films and it shows. However, in such an ensemble, it's pretty difficult to achieve character development so certain relationship between characters remains a mystery.
Other than the non-scary pontianak and some choppy censorship, i would say that this is a step forward in Malaysian cinema. I only wonder if the critical success of the movie would translate to commercial success,considering that it's opening smack in the midst of summer blockbusters from Hollywood.
Conclusion: Worth the rm10 ticket price (btw, why issit RM10 at KLCC?).
aU rEVoir
Written on 5/24/2004 08:36:00 pm by sikapitan
Yes,i'm back after an 11 day hiatus into the holy land of Mecca for some spiritual cleansing.What have i missed? I don't know if anyone still bother to visit this site.But for those who have missed my daily (almost) tirade against everything and everyone, here i am, aiming to please:)
Just give me the light..
I can't say much about umrah. iT went well, alhamdulillah. The weather wasn't too bad, and i didn't experience anything physically or spiritually scary. It was a concern of mine that maybe i wasn't as prepared as i should have been, and since i'm hardly the model muslim boy, there was some nervousness as to how i would be dealt with by God (seriously, there are plenty of scary stories of pilgrims who weren't that religious getting lost,seeing things etc2).Instead, as soon as i landed in Jeddah, there was a certain calmness inside of me. Maybe it was just the fact that we were an isolated group, with no entertainment and mostly sequestered in our hotel. This went on throughout my stay there, and i managed to perform my obligations admirably well. I even enjoyed the whole experience (something i thought i would never say) and i wouldn't mind doing it every year, maybe just as a refresher on how to be a muslim!
But what concerns me now is the fact that i see no changes in me. It's hard having a critical mind because you tend to overanalyze, and you CAN'T overanalyze religion. If you do, you'll have some serious funky thoughts that could shake your belief (for UiTM law students, case example :Prof Darby). I am no more religious now than i was before, and as soon as i got back i let off a mouthful of badwords because someone drove my wheels while i was gone.This led me to think: Issit better to be a good person (but not religious,meaning not praying 5 times a day etc2) or issit better to be religious (but not a good person,meaning being nasty with others etc2)? There's argument for both. On one hand, part of being a good muslim is to be a good person (nice) but then it isn't merely enough to just be good as there are mandatory obligations imposed on you that you MUST fulfill.And you can't really chooooosee to do half and not do other (for example: "ala,aku dah semayang magrib,okay la tuh.."). I'm not the best of person (i can be mean eg.) nor the best of muslim (limited to magrib and friday prayers-pathetic me) but i'm not a bad person nor am i NOT a muslim (as i still do believe in ALLAH). sO where does that leave me?
Shoddy Saudi
I am extremely dissapointed with the Arabs, or at least those i've met and seen in Saudi. It's no wonder that they can't do anything to help the Palestinians. They are generally a selfish,impatient,too proud,lazy, inefficient lot.This is the first time i've been on a foreign road and i wished i was driving in KL! tHEY're the most impatient drivers you've ever seen! The most used equipment in the car is the HORN while the least use is the INDICATOR. tHEY Horn incessantly. They horn to change lane, to say hie, to curse. I bet if they could move the car by horning,they would have done so. I think there's a genuine relationship between Saudi car owners and their horns while the good-old indicator stalk gather dust!
And while the country might be rich, i don't see it on the ground. There's plenty of decrepit buildings,beggars and signs of undevelopment in a country the whole world depends on for oil.Why? Maybe because they're too proud and lazy. The banks only open for a few hours each day, and the stores only opens in the evening. There's no sign of economic activities during daytime. They are too dependant on an unsustainable resource that would dry up one day. What will happen then? And the workers are the unfriendliest bunch i've ever met.The porters there do not except tips below 20 ringgit!!If not, they will 'tarik muka'!
Let's not start with the government and its agencies. The Arabs in Saudi are reallly inefficient. Despite their wealth, their airports still lack organization at the basic level, and basic infrastructures. Imagine still using real WEIGHT SCALES to weigh luggages at the airport! They would take hours to just check us out of the hotels.And every work is painstakingly done in the slowest manner possible. It's not just me. From what i hear (i can't mention my sources),the Arabs are the most difficult bunch of people to work with, simply because of their inefficiency and stubborness. They have the resources to build 10 KLIAs and yet the airport in Jeddah (the main transit point for all pilgrims heading to Mekkah-which means millions of visitors each year) looks no better than any of our local airports. Maybe the sheiks are too busy grabbing the money for themselves.
Tragedy in Rafah
And while we are at the topic of Arabs, why not just look at the tragedy that has befallen the people of Rafah. Israel's troops invaded the refugee camp and kill scores of Palestinians. It's beyond doubt that they are committing war crimes. But what can the world do if the only superpower in the world is only able to say that the developments was merely 'disturbing'! U.S didn't even critize the Israelis. Why? The fact that Jewish lobbying groups are the most influential in Washington and that every successful election is dependent on strong financial backing from the Jewish community renders the U.S government as puppets to the Jews.
The world can only sit, and at best raise their voice, but they can't spank this stubborn child of mother earth.Is it a wonder that these people turn into terrorists? Haven't the U.S learn from Sept 11 and subsequent terrorist attacks (for example in Madrid) that their policies are the best recruitment call for impressionable young muslim men? If an educated,not religious Muslim boy living far far away can feel anger and be hateful towards them,what about the sons and husbands and fathers of those killed? tHIs is not only about Islam. The actions of the Israelis are crimes against humanity. No matter what god you pray to, killing innocent children cannot be right.
Back home
Maid abuse,Noritta's case, Man Utd winning the FA Cup, NS HySTeria,filled mailbox,friendster msgs and requests,summer blockbuster season opening and many more greeted me when i arrived home.I miss my house. Right now it's filled with relatives so i still haven't slept in my room yet.
Is it common among people to always get the better of others in a conversation? I noticed this amongst my relatives. For example, my grandma would say that it was really hot in Mecca, then my aunt would interject by saying that when she went there the sun was practically double it current size (i'm creatively paraphrasing and lying:) or my mom would say that the hotel had lamb everyday and her sister would say that when she was there the hotel served caviar (again,example2) everyday then my mom would say she forgot to mention that the lamb was served WITH caviar. You get my point. I just find it annoying and trivial.
Oh, did i say i was the same now as i was before i left?. I lied.
I went bald while i was there. Cue the kojak,shaolin,serenti etc2 jokes and wisecracks from my footie mates. This is your limited opportunity to see how i look like bald!Trust me,if i wasn't good-looking before, now i'm just a plain old god-awful thug ! Was i being modest???My god, maybe I HAVE change. Go figure.
Au revoir.
Written on 5/11/2004 10:05:00 pm by sikapitan
The prosecution's case in the Canny Ong murder trial appears to be settled when the accused's confession was admitted to court after the trial within a trial to ascertain its validity.The guy practically admitted to killing her.However,we should not accept confessions as it is.It must be remembered that confessions are not a plea of guilt. It is to be admitted just like any other evidence. It can be rebutted though it's difficult to see how. Many people would confess when faced with tremendous psychological pressure (not to mention physical, but i don't want to be blacklisted by the Special Branch).Thus, it is the job of the defence cousel to dispute it.We must examine every facts and details before reaching a conclusion.I had a conversation recently with an older person who was playing football with us. He was lamenting that the judiciary is not as independent as it's supposed to be. I don't think he's the only one with this view. People have almost accepted the political influence on our judiciary. "Dia anak TanSri, diam-diam jer la" etc2 are some of the comments i've heard coming from the public. It's true that the judiciary must be separated from the other government organs. However, this is difficult to accomplish in our Parliamentary system where the executive controls the legislative, which in turn can set laws regulating the judiciary (even to the extent of Constitutional Amendments). But Malaysia's judiciary is not that bad,seriously. We are better off than our east-asia neighbours, with the exception of Singapore. There's room for improvement though (yea, and it's the size of the 'white elephant'-Stadium Bkt.Jalil!).
Sorry for the readers looking for the chatterbox.It's up and running again.Have fun while i'm gone. Tried some other templates. Didn't fit this tried-and-tested Simple one. Do you guys want to see something flashier (like different colour,background images etc2)? Personally, i think the current format, though a bit boring, serves it purpose. It's easy to read, manipulate and load.Anyway, you guys are here for the comments right (except for bojed who i know is trying to flirt with me-i'm telling fR3DO!-HEHE,melawak beb)?
Making final preparations for my UMRAH or "mini-haj" to simplify matter for my non-muslim readers.I'll be gone from tomorrow for 10 days,i think (that's just me, the last to know anything in this family). Don't miss me too much (i bet you won't). By the way, god-willing, there'll be an article on blogging and bloggers coming up this Sunday (or maybe next Sunday) in the Education segment of your SundayStar. I'm asking you, readers, a favour. Please keep a copy for me.
I'm sorry. I seemed to have lost my appetite to comment! Maybe it's the fact that i'll be leaving this country to Saudi in a time where middle-east equal bombs.It's times like this that i miss my friends so much and the things we do that we take for granted. Teh-tarik at the mamaks,spin around KL,or simply talking football. So i would like to say goodbye to my friends, specifically R1N13(luv),L0nG(ciao dude,we'll miss u in LawSchool),fR3D0(sorry bout the magpies),nUb13 and dh4n4. Yeah, the list's pretty short, but if you have the quick-fire tongue that i do, you don't really make that many close friends:) And to all my "regulars", specifically BoJ3D,j4s & H4Xdy. I'll see you guys soon.
Au revoir.
Written on 5/10/2004 09:02:00 pm by sikapitan
Spent my entire time on the net today trying to get rid of the virus plaguing my computer. Thought of simply reformatting the whole pc but i seem to have misplaced the original Windows CD (i think a lot, but somehow i tend to forget a lot as well).So i proceeded to download a whole bunch of free anti-virus software. Apparently, my hard drive is filled with viruses, ranging from Trojan to Lord Of the Rings program (there is NO such program laa..i was being funnyyyy). So the software went on destroying these viruses, but NOT the one bothering me ie. the auto shutdown thingy! I'm waiting for the security patch from mIcrosoft downloading at this very moment. So i'm writing today's entry on WordPad, simply because Words takes up too much memory to work on (never thought of doing that, writing first then just pasting it online-thank you to fR3D0).
Read today in LAST WEEK’s Pancaindera (don’t ask me why) on Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam, Shuhaimi Baba’s latest offering. Don’t laugh when you read this : the Lembaga Penapisan Filem apparently made it a requirement for all Malaysian horror movies to have the ‘dream’ element ie. at the end, the whole movie was just a dream! What a JOKE! I criticized our beloved Prof. Madya’s Mistik for ending with Nisdawati waking up from a dream. Now I realized it was not because he wanted it (although watching his films i think he wouldn’t protest too much-lack of creativity being his main crime) but because our Lembaga Hitam insisted on it! In this moder age of Ju-On,Ring-0,Ring, Onion rings and every other slasher/horror Korean/Japanese/Taiwanese flick we would have been inundated with scary images to the point of being desentisized by blood and gore. Trust me, the ghosts in our movies are far from the scary ones coming from the East. We are still based on the old-school “bu-ha” method of scaring audiences. So why the need to impose the “dream” factor to movies which are already unreal to the point of being comical? The real “hantu” in Malaysia are not in the movies but in the streets! Get real Lembaga Hitam, and stop this whole charade of trying to protect Malaysians.
By the way, what is going on with the HEAT? It’s so hot since last night that by the time I woke up form sleep my tee was drenched (exaggeration la) with sweat (yea,it is sweat la wei, u perverted souls!). But that’s just typical human isn’t it? When it was raining cats and dogs just a few days ago I was complaining that the court is soaked to the point that the only game we can play which remotely resembles football requires us to slide around barefooted! The grass is always greener on the other side, but you don’t see the shit that’s in it right?
tHe whole net seems to be affected by some sort of virus which stops me from gaining access to my mail etc2 and lose my tag-board! So guys and girls…please feel free to use the good-old chatterbox. It goes to show..sometimes it’s nice to be unpopular.
Written on 5/09/2004 02:09:00 pm by sikapitan
..to all the ibu-ibu that has sacrificed a lot to raise their children, and to love them even though they cursed your existence. We might roll our eyes, and pout our lips, whenever our moms mention the good old days but i bet when we have our own kids, we will do the same and reminisce about the time we could play in the rain (i predict acid rains in the future) or rm1.20 teh tarik (destined to be as expensive as wine-heheh). So go on, be nice to your parents. Because like i always say, what goes around, comes around.
Today is sunday, which means that i'll have my hands full reading 5 different news publications we subscribed. I love the comics section on sundays. Some of my favourites are Helga, Garfield, Pre-Teens and whole bunch more. Definitely NOT my favourite is Tommy Ong's In Lighter Vein (SundayMail). Seriously,it has got to be the crappiest comic column ever seen in Malaysia. Not only is it NOT funny,which is bad enough, it also has the worst artwork i've ever seen. The standard of Malaysia's comic is really pathetic. With the exception of Lat and Reggie Lee, the rest seems unable to come up with anything remotely resembling humour. Don't get me started on the comics in PancaIndera (yes, i do read it, thank you). Ujang, despite its lack of common sense and abuse of our national language, at least can make me smile. Why oh why do we allow this fools to have their works published? And they get paid for these "creativity"? Don't simply take them because they are Malaysians. All these comics do is show Malaysians as untalented and lacking in imagination. sPAre me the agony (and column space) and just put in classic Calvin and Hobbes!
The whole shutdown virus is spreading like the flu bug ravaging my family. It's affecting Net traffic and THIS site's traffic! I cannot imagine the chaos in the future when everything's connected to the net. It doesn't matter how many security updates or how expensive your virus scan software is, as long as you're connected, you'll always be vurnerable. There are more hackers than there are security software experts. We are at their mercy. I predict that we will soon see the age of Net terrorism.
aU REVoir!
Written on 5/07/2004 09:08:00 pm by sikapitan
Sent my sis's car to the workshop today because she banged the gate to our office on her way to work yesterday. Ironic, since she just got her full license (no need to P around) on the very same day. I guess my theory's true: everyone will at least experience one accident throughout their life (unless of course you're my cousin, who has a license, but last drove a car when Anwar was still the DPM!). Then, me and fr3do had lunch at the mamak nearby, and i noticed this peculiar phenomenon that's been bothering me ever since i got my license. There we were, by the roadside, when this Merc comes around and parked right in front of us. The three occupants then opened the doors without any care in the world, hitting the brand new chevy aveo parked beside them. I hate this type of people. I try my best to avoid damaging anyone's car by opening the door slowly and in some situation, putting my hand between the two contact points.Admittedly, this was done more in the interest of protecting MY doors, but it's courtesy all the same. You wouldn't want somebody to bang your doors, so you should take care not to do the same. Which leads me to another issue: why do people have different rules when it comes to them?
I was riding in my friend's car a few months back, along the federal highway on the way to KJ. As usual there was a massive jam (ironic considering that being a HIGHWAY,such things shouldn't have occured,so a more apt name would be Federal Road). And when jams occur, there would be plenty of rallydriving going on. Somebody cut into our lane. My friend then vented out his anger by honing like
a madman and flashing the "motherf**ka" (his word, not mine). He then went on and on about lousy malaysian drivers. Suddenly, sensing that the left lane's moving faster than ours, he immediately accelerated into the tiniest gap imaginable. Thanks to the wonders of "engineered car" (funny ad btw), we managed to squeeze through. The car behind us then proceeded to horn. My friend then cursed him for being such a tight-ass. Isn't it ironic? Remember, what you give you get back (cam lagu Scorpions-what a nightmareee!).
Bojed asked for my opinion on the Malaysian music scene. Where should i start? The lack of creativity in songwriting? The generic tunes? Piracy?Lack of sex appeal (male and female-don't tell me Achik Spin's the best we've got)? Underground? Siti Nurhaliza-the dominatrix of our industry? Why we aren't buying albums? Why do we pale in comparison to our Indonesian counterpart? Our almost comical music videos? New talents or lack of it? The list's endless. So Jed, i'll try to impart my supposed wisdom little by little, when the need comes along.
On the home front, the Noritta murder trial is underway. Remember the big hu-ha when her body was found and the almost inescapable gossips surrounding the death? Considering the facts and rumours going around,my heart goes out, not to her (i'm not saying she deserves it, but her lifestyle certainly leaves much to be desired) but to her family. Can you imagine what her parents felt when they found out their daughter is hanging out at nightclubs and going out with strange men? It must be one heck of a surprise for them. Yea yea yea, don't believe the rumours. But "air takkan berkocak, kalau takda buaya" or something like that. Her parents, i bet, are devastated by these revelations. And trust me, Noritta's not alone in this situation. I've seen some of my coursemates, who comes from the smaller states, unaccustomed to urban lifestyle, struggling to adapt. They then overcompensate, going all the way to prove that they're urban enough. Clubbing,drugs,alcohol. KL can suck the life out of those unprepared. Don't be 'gayat'. It ain't cool.
The recent bombings in Greece cast a long shadow over security arrangements for the Olympics (i bet some of you didn't know that the Olympic's this year and that it will be held in Athens-it's okay, who watches the Olympics anyway?He he he). Seriously, the Olympic's just ripe for some terrorist attack. I sincerely hope nothing untoward happens.
On another note, the recent revelations of abuse by Americans on Iraqis have deflected another issue that's a thorn on Bush's ass. Where is Osama b. Laden? He seems to forget that not too long ago, Osama was America's enemy No.1.
By the way, i'm hit by some virus that shuts down my comp after an uncertain period of time. I suspect that it's the Sasser virus or in my case-Seksa virus. There it goes again! Au revoir.
Written on 5/05/2004 10:12:00 pm by sikapitan
Thank you so much Ahmad Faiz b. Mohammad (i usually don't mention names) for wasting my time signing up for some complicated namesdatabase crap! And thanks to all the ladies who thinks i need penis enlargement. It's a miracle how my manhood can be the talk of the cyberworld. Duh. Ever since i've put up my mailing add on my blog i've been bombarded by spam. Spam here doesn't mean sex-pam, but considering the perverted junks filling up my mailbox, i wouldn't say that it's not. Unwanted emails are a bane to those living in the cyberworld. I've always been safe from this because i don't register for anything online and i don't interest any advertisers anyway (since i'm only a minor,who's uneducated and has no interest-email profile). But now i've experienced first-hand what spam is all about, and it pisses me off!Get rid of spam!Say no to Uncle Sam..eih..over pulak:)
Movie Review: Starsky and Hutch
It's been a while (go to the archives and find movie reviews) since i've seen a good movie. Now, what is meant by a good movie? Some are good because it makes you think (cue minority report) and some are good because it makes you cry (cue..entahlah..Sembilu?:)) while others are good simply because of the actors (cue Tomb Raider and miss jolie-crap movie,stunning heroine). And then there's comedy. There are those that's really witty and sarcastic and intelligent (cue Hi-Fidelity or MountRushmore) and then there's Starsky and Hutch. It reeks of stupidity and that is why I think it's good. Much in the same vein of There's Something About Mary (only lessss..much less..funnier), it's basically slapstick and rapid-fire dialogues all the way. It has a cliche plotline and the most streotypical miami-jew-druglord ever seen in this new millennium. The editing by our very own Lembaga Hitam (let's just leave it at that) makes some scene disjointed. But the point of the movie is NOT the storyline or the technical side or the action. What makes a comedy, funny? Simple: It will make you laugh. So that's why 30 1st dates sucks and Starsky rocks. It made me laugh. Worth paying the full amount, and get yourself a popcorn (my standard have realllllyyy droppeedddd).
On a more personal note, thanks Jas for her continued interest on the topic of hotpants and football pitch. However, i would like her to take notice, and read the entire entry again. The crux of the issue was NEVER about girls PLAYING football in hotpants:) Never did i mention in any way about girls coming along to play football. But hey, war and games makes me sane (huh??). Thanks a lot.
Don't ever be discouraged from stating your opinions. And yeah, i know you can carry your own couch (joking joking joking):P Aiyah, there i go again. I just can't let things go. It's one of my weaknesses. I once got into a heated argument with my AUNT of all people just because of our ASB bonus! Please forgive me.
Au revoir.
Written on 5/04/2004 10:36:00 am by sikapitan
..for the two who died while camping out in the mountains of Gunung Rajah. The mothers would surely find it hard to contemplate how their sons could die while camping. Most of us live out our daily routines without considering that at any time, we might leave this world. Going out to buy groceries, walking back from school, playing football, mowing the lawn...people have died while doing these. So the danger of going camping is inherently more than going bowling. Should that stop people from doing outdoor activities? My mother always say "buat apa gaduh nak pi panjat bukit/snorkelling/travelling etc2" everytime something like this occurs. I disagree. Without these adventurers, we would still think that the world is flat, or we're the centre of the universe, or that Pam's breast is natural..(huh?). Anyway, my point is this: without them going out climbing mountains,deep-diving, exploring etc2, our life would be duller. So celebrate these people as adventurers, not fool-hardy souls. I wouldn't climb a mountain, but i wish someone else does.
Read in the news today about the headmistress who went 'loco' and hit out a male teacher. Some might see this as a something akin of a joke, and i have to admit, i laughed a bit while reading this news. But more troubling is the fact that a person in charged of shaping our children could explode like she did. I've always believed that somehow, most Malaysians have some sort of mental illness. I'm serious. We don't open up, we strive to be a polite society. There's some serious pent-up anger inside Malaysians. We smile, but deep inside we're scowling. The fast-paced development in the last 20 years leaves many Malaysians unprepared. I don't think there are any credible soci0-economic-mental study of the effect of modernization on Malaysians. There's a constant conflict between what's real and what's ideal. The social constraint upon Malaysians make us unable to properly realize our emotions. Watch out, we could have our very own massacre in the near future, God forbid.
On a personal note, according to my dictionary, sexist means "a person who treats other people,especially women, unfairly because of their sex...". The key word here is unfairly. Who decides what is fair? I try not to explain my entries and leave it as it may, but jas here seems to misunderstood my point. I'm not stopping anyone from wearing hotpants. Go ahead. But dress accordingly. Pepatah melayu (improvised):masuk ke zouk,berjoget. masuk ke masjid,berzikir (derived from "masuk ke kandang lembu bla bla bla" meaning that you've got to adapt). And if you noticed, i'm actually critising the male psyche for being so blue. We are weak! (kesian la kitaorg) So if encouraging girls to stay out from being sexually harassed is unfair, then by all means, i am a sexist. But remember, don't ask your bf to carry that couch for you. Let's be fair,shall we?:)
One more week to Umrah.Gotta start reading some books.
Written on 5/03/2004 01:11:00 pm by sikapitan
Just a question to all my beloved (*ehem ehem*) readers : if you're a guy, would you bring your gf to your football (or any other sport) match? If you're a girl, would you want to go to these testoterone induced arenas? I'm just wondering cos the guys i'm playing football with at night are bringing in girls to watch the game. It's just weird. On one hand, they want their gfs to see them banging in goals (fat chance of that happening if i'm defending *wink wink*) but on the other hand they get too distracted by us gawking at their chicks that they lose focus. My gf always wanted to follow me to a game, but i've always said that it's not the right place for beautiful girls to be at. I'm serious, and i'm not being a sexist.
Despite the leaps and bounds the fairer sex have made they are still viewed by men as sex objects. Being a part of the the male clique during these games, i witnessed (though not necessarily participate *wink wink*) the almost inevitable perverted conversation whenever an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. Even if we don't say anything, i can sense the thoughts from my frens. You can't really blame the guys. Unlike shopping malls,or campuses, a football pitch is almost exclusively a male domain. So whenever a girl is among the crowd, she would stand out. Even guys who are not really into this 'ushaing' girls habit (like me *ehem ehem*) would notice. What do you expect? Oh yeah, maybe it's just me, but i noticed that they like to dress up as well when they come to watch a match. Why would they want to do that? Seriously, i think some are looking for attention. I don't know their motive. It's a football pitch for god's sake. Leave your spaghetti-straps and hot-pants for a night out to Zouk!
So the conclusion is this: Guys, don't bring your gf to the pitch, unless of course she's really unattractive (let's just call a spade,a spade) or it's a tournament etc2 where you know they'll be other girls or you know the rest of the guys playing with you. Girls, don't pressure your partner to bring you to a game, and if you do go, save the MNG top or the MissSelfridge skirt for another day, okay? I've got enough pressure trying to win the game without the added burden of looking good while doing it *wink wink*.
Oh yeah, have you guys seen the brutal pictures of American soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners? It's outrageous. It's a major blow to the nation that proclaims itself as the saviour of the world. Even the british are on it. I don't know, but i sort of expected this to happen. Both sides are casualties of war. I bet psychologist have done researches on this, but the effect of prolonged combat operations in a hostile environment would certainly lead to some form of psychological effect. Soldiers are only human. Like in Vietnam, the atrocities during warfare were basically a form of venting out some serious psychological issues. What's the solution? Don't have wars:)
When's Uitm going to start? I miss my mates, lectures and most importantly,my girl. Jiwang? You bet.
Written on 5/02/2004 04:30:00 pm by sikapitan
I don't know if this is of any relevance, but every time i watch a Man Utd game with my friend Fr3dO at the mamaks, man u would lose. I'm not joking. I seriously think that perhaps by watching these games with him, i have ruined united's season!luckily i didn't watch the F.A cUP semis with him, or we would have gone on trophyless (yea yea..macam la Milwall tuh lubuk sangat).And that's the beauty of football supporters. We all have our rituals and quirks. I used to watch European games wearing my 97/98 double banner. I know of some who wears red the whole match day. Girls tell us that we are crazy; but coming from the same species who adores pasting their face with animal by-products, i wouldn't put much weight into their thoughts:) Why do men, in general,love sports?
Maybe it's because sports reflects life in its very essence. Take football as an example. We have the good guys (MAN UTD) and the bad guys (any other team),trying to succeed within sets of rules and boundaries. Of course, just like in life, it's not a level playing field. We have the rich and the poor, the smart and the stupid, the talented and the untalented. We have those who finds life so easy, just like it's so easy for Ronaldinho to juggle the ball, and we have those who work hard their entire life,without gettiing recognition and reward,like Nicky Butt. We have the referees, who aren't always there to see everything. We have players cheating,celebrating,bragging (arsenal,arsenal and arsenal). We've got drama, we've got the unexpected (Monaco v Real) and sometimes we might be lucky enough to witness actual physical violence (standup arsenal thugs). We've got injuries, and deaths. The only thing missing is sex. Which is why we turn to porn, another one of men's favourite pasttime, but that's a story for another day.
On a global note, the cold war has officially ended with 10 new countries (mostly members of the former Soviet bloc) joining the European Union. I don't know, but i think that the world is more dangerous nowadays than it ever was. At least during the Cold war, we had a clear demarcation between the two blocs, and each one so evenly poised that the threat of a global nuclear war was never really on the cards. Now, the line between bad and good and everything in between are not so clear. We have only one major superpower, who are led by an ignorant cowboy with a penchant for the deathpenalty and stupidity. The threat is more global. Every country is not spared from the wrath of terrorism. The new enemy to this world is terrorism. They are the silent forces operating beyond the shadows of conventional warfare. Children are trained to hate, women are taught to blow themselves up. What's more dangerous is not the method, but the reason. The spirit of jihad, tugging at the heart of Muslims, have led to a narrow-minded approach towards solving the social inequality existing in the world today. We only see hatred, not tolerance. We prefer to fight with bombs rather than our mind. If the arabs realize their immense power as the main supplier of oil in the world market, and join forces to co-operate,much like NATO, then we no longer have to rely on the US as our saviour. But no, it's better to take the money, and let everything else takes care of itself. We have the most number of followers in the world, and yet the jews are controlling the global economy. Mind over matter.
Written on 5/01/2004 11:20:00 am by sikapitan
I guess with the new petrol price increase i'll be staying home more and more. Or alternatively, i'll develop very thick skin to ask my friends to pick me up ("wahh..cantik la steering kau.."). Or better yet, i could try something unimaginable, walking. I used to walk to shops and take buses to play Counter-stRIke at 15 when i was in secondary school. Secondary school..*sigh*..we used to walk a lot during those days. Now,(and i do mean at this very moment i'm typing this entry) i'm lazy to walk even to the NasiLemak Kelantan stall right beside my house to get me some brunch. Here i am, a fit *ehem ehem* 21 year old, telling everyone that I'm lazy to walk 25 metres to get some food. The Africans who struggle with a slice of bread a day would be hopping-mad at me, but i'm not alone. Everywhere around the world, developing countries experience this "manjaness" syndrome. With improving standard of living, it's natural to find youths who are more pampered than babies wearing pampers (huh?). I know someone, or do i know someone who knew someone (biasala,rumoursss) that can't stand the sun, so he tinted his whole car window black, and prefers sleeping in his car with the air-cond on rather than sleeping under a fan. Never mind the fact that he could die while sleeping, his comfort takes precedence. uNbelievable?Believe it. So maybe this price increase (of two sens per litre-which means my full tank would be more than rm50-arghh!) is just a government exercise in making us healthier by encouraging us to walk or use the public transport. Unfortunately, i would rather stay at home, put in some frozen pizza in the microwave, and watch some mindless comedy on StarWorld (yea laa..sebenarnya Astro Ria:P).
On a more global note, the US troops are retreating from the now-bloody town of Falujjah. The US forces encountered something that they encountered 40 years ago-locals who are more passionate about the battle than they are. I'm suggesting that the troops do not have enough motivation to make their far superior skills and armoury counts. Despite me being against US policies under Bush, i respect soldiers.Soldiers risks their lives to further political causes initiated by 'suits' contemplating "strategies" and "axis oif evils" in the confines of air-conditioned rooms. They are all warriors,Americans and Iraqis alike, fighting a war they never wanted. I sense another Vietnam in the making.
But what about those americans who torture Iraqi prisoners? CNBC released pictures showing Iraqi detainees stripped naked and forced to simulate sexual acts. It troubling not only to me but also the US's policy makers. Here they are, championing freedom from oppression, when their men are happily flounting, not only the Geneva Convention, but also every standard of decency. However, the troops frustation must also be understood. Nothing said or done could justify such treatments, but nothing could justify the mutilation of American security consultants a few weeks ago. An eye for an eye perhaps? This is the price of war.
Local news: Nasha's spycam genius was sentenced to 6 months jail. It's appaling that our justice system fails to acknowledge that the biggest crime to an individual is the loss of control over oneself. I think they treat this as merely a case of trespass, while in fact the repercussions of his action carries more weight than the court contemplated. I recently met a local celebrity whose nude pictures appeared on the net during the 90s,sparking controversies and hu-ha all over the country. I feel awkward talking to her, or even acknowledging her as the mental image is ingrained in my mind. Imagine going through that your entire life.
sOOrryyy for not updating the blog for two days. Been busy with work.thanks for all the support. Aurevoir.
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