Written on 6/26/2004 11:31:00 am by sikapitan
It rained yesterday here in USJ.The mildest drops of liquid from the sky,smack in the middle of friday prayers.It was a short affair,lasting no more than five minutes,but the more pressing matter is the quality of the raindrops falling on our heads.Just looking at my car after the "attack" was enough to convince me that we shouldn't dance in the rain just yet. The haze situation enveloping our nation has made the air quality so bad that the merest raindrop carries with it countless dirt particles.My car, which was in "pristine" condition (kkkeke..bukan saya cuci pun),turned into a "contractor's car" (you know..all dirt and stuff). What's more alarming is the thickness of the dried dirt on the car's surface.Imagine it drying up in our hair,seeping through our skin.What's worse is the fact that we can't predict it's going to rain or not because the sky's hazy all day long.
It would be helpful if we know what our Air Pollution Index is like.The Air Pollution Index is an international standard to measure air quality, with 0 being the healthiest and above 300 being "you're better of smoking". Oh wait, our API is part of classified documents covered by the Official Secrets Act now isn't it? Now why would they want to classify that? Go figure, but I wouldn't hang out at Coffee Bean too much if I were you.
Euro drama
After the hotly-contested and very very entertaining Quarter-final encounter between England and Portugal yesterday (see previous entry for some emotional,poyo account of the match), today's match appears sombre in contrast.If yesterday's match was Jessica Simpson, France v. Greece was Lisa Simpson. It got so boring that I slept after 10 minutes.Actually I was dead beat tired after a heavy dinner with the staffs and some karaoke after that. All I know about the game was that France, the reigning champion,has bowed out of the competition. One solitary goal by the Greeks were enough to dispose of the pre-tournament favourite. I've always said that in modern football, tactical intelligence,hard-work and a high-fitness level can stifle the most creative of endeavours.
And what's with TV3 and their QUATER-FINAL. Where's the R? If a famous national TV station can make such simple mistake, is it any wonder that we have people spelling Necklace as Neckless?
Akademi Fantasia
Haha..yesterday Kaer was reprimanded by Ramli M.S for bringing too much RnB feel into an a-go-go song.I smelled that he was a one-trick pony from the very first concert (Read the review in entry entitled Heaven In TVland). The second concert (for which I didn't have time to really write a review), where he sang Zainal's Ikhlas Tapi Jauh, again saw him slithering his way out of the high-pitch required in the chorus but nobody noticed it because of his wonderful tone. I like his voice, it has a very urban quality about it, and his whole package is saleable. But he can't keep on turning every sound around to suit his voice, for that would mean that there'll be no improvement. Don't compare him with Vince. Vince made every song his,yes, but at the same time the melody was never lost. I just hope that sooner rather later, everyone can take out the blinds covering their eyes (or more accurately, the cotton buds out of their eardrums) and recognize Kaer for what he really is - a nice,sensitive,spoilt,formerly soft (i have a theory about that) guy with wonderful tone BUT limited range. I really want him to do well, because of the simple fact that Malaysia don't need another soapy balladist in the mould of the oh-so-sickening Khai. He needs to be brave enough to tackle the notes. Oh yeah, could somebody just smack the annoying Anding out of the house.
Written on 6/25/2004 12:38:00 pm by sikapitan
And so the quest has ended. The struggle against all bad and evil has perished in the cruelest way possible. The shining knights in white failed to summon up their spirit and were duly dispatched by an enemy stronger in character, more willing to attack. While the blood spilling on the field cannot be dismissed so easily, it is the plunge of the swords into the hearts of millions of dreamers that cannot be forgotten. We had a dream. A dream of glory and immortality. And for most of the battle that dream was still alive, thriving in fact. And when the enemy’s knight of all knights left the battlefield looking befuddled and weary, we were chanting our heroes, believing that perhaps finally, they may fight another battle and go on to lift the souls of their believers. But as so often the case with this nation, hindsight rather than foresight rules the battle plan. When the young warrior drew first blood so early in the battle, despite losing their most prized fighter so early in the game, there was hope of a massacre. However, the general, astute though he may be in bedding the fair ladies and double-dealing, cannot conjure up the necessary tactical know-how to seize on the moment.
Instead, the knights were forced against the wall, fending off waves after waves of attack. The enemy’s own prodigal son, the latest of a long line of skillful fighter, were suitably subdued by the pace and ferocity of the black knight manning the left flank. As the enemy moved in for the kill, the general thought it would be wise to pull their most gifted swordsman in place of a water carrier, thinking perhaps the best way to win is to defend. Another brave, strong-willed knight was withdrawn near the end of the battle. For those believers up in the hills looking down on the battle, it represents the most cowardly of act, and disastrous in nature. The impetus so long missing from the knights was now truly lost. It is inevitable that the attacks by the enemies would breach the mighty walls guarding the sacred ground behind a thin white line. And when it burst, the enemy had no less than 6 attackers surrounding our besieged heroes. The merest of swordplay cut the hearts of the believers so deep that they never recovered.
The momentum clearly on the enemy, they moved in for the kill. And it took an old enemy to show what it’s like to attack forcefully, shrugging off a weak resistance by the water carrier, before striking the sword with such venom that the wall almost burst. The dream looked as if it’ll end right then and there, but somehow, our heroes managed to draw blood, right at the death. The dream was still alive.
The warriors, battle-weary and all, had to summon their nerves for the most honorable and simplest way to end the battle- a jousting competition. Their captain was the man they look for inspiration. A man used to attention and pressure. Handsome, dashing, hard-working - he represents the most ideal of all leaders of man. And yet his talent, plenty though they may be, was never impressive in its essence. On this night, he failed yet again, missing the target by miles. Dreamers despair. Enemies rejoice. But when the man who so forcefully drew second blood for the enemy missed, we had reason to hope. In the end, it could not be avoided. The more talented and worthy opponents won the battle. Some might say jousting is unfair as it represents more of luck than skill. But for me, it is the ultimate of all battles, where the sum of a person can be measured. One on one, with the weight of a nation on your shoulder, surely nothing else can compare to the drama and excitement of it. Is he a hero, or merely a warrior? On this night, at the end of the battle of all battles, the heroes are not wearing the whites of England.
Well, at least now my predictions aren’t as far-off as I feared it might be, what with Italy already out of the tournament. What, you didn’t know I was talking about football? Tsk tsk. Go figure.
p/s: It was fun watching the game with the footie mates.There was never a dull moment.Thanks guys
Written on 6/22/2004 01:13:00 pm by sikapitan
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Hazy Days...Thursday Friday Hazy Days...Saturday Sunday Hazy Days..oh what a way, to start my day, sucking it with you! These days are daa daa daa darrkkk..OH HAZY DAYS..these days are daaa daa daa daaarrkkk (sung to the tune of Happy Days from the show..HAPPY DAYS LAAA!)
Yea well,that is the perfect example of why i'm still stuck at home writing lyrics in a blog instead of a studio writing a hit for Siti.iT SUCKS, but so do this current haze situation enveloping Kuala Lumpur.
I'm sorry for not updating the blog for quite some time, although i know that most of my readers are probably busy with the start of the new semester. I was busy the past weekend, spending 3 days at Genting for my company's convention. Even missed out on football (too tired) and Akademi Fantasia (heard it was great).
I got back yesterday morning and was shocked to find the mist at the top of Genting following me down to KL! No, seriously, I didn't think much of it at first because I was used to seeing "kabus" at Genting every day. But as soon as I rolled down my car window to pay the toll, the unmistakable smell of fumes and smoke filled my lungs. Oh,not again!
We had this major haze problem a few years back, and the pharmacies' made a killing selling face mask. I remember one kid coming to school with those military type of gas-mask, and if this current spell continues it wouldn't be long before you start having trouble recognizing people in the street (because they're all wearing face mask)! Girls with moustache can breath a sigh of relief (yea, i'm pretty mean). So do bank robbers or any other crook for that matter.
Only when we're faced with thousands of masked men and women that we appreciate the power of facial expressions. It's hard to judge what another person is thinking if we can't see his face. Can we sue the Indon government for this crime against mother nature?
On a more personal note,I've started my new sem in UiTM in typical fashion- i skipped my first class on the first day and i promise this won't be the last time. See, I don't really enjoy lectures that much because I can't see the board without contacts and I find the monotous drone of lectures to be utterly boring. I skipped one too many classes every sem, and last sem i got into trouble with one lecturer. I can be naive and say that "this is not high-school, you cannot force us to go..." but there's a reason for taking down attendance. I accept that fact. I know it's wrong to skip class, and it could be detrimental to my education future. But that's the forbidden fruit for me and you know what they say about forbidden fruit- The more you can't get it, the more you want it.
Written on 6/17/2004 09:10:00 pm by sikapitan
Or should I insist on the U (for university) part. tODAY is the registration day for the new semester and typically, it wasn't smooth sailing.
First of all,the place was jam-packed with cars from States all over Malaysia. Typical of the Admin to lump in everything over the course of a few days when in fact we've had 3 months of holidays and that the NS trainees were gone weeks ago. Can't they like register us 5 days earlier and avoid the hassle of traffic jams? And if you've never been to UiTM, you cannot imagine the difficulties of a jam INSIDE ITM. ITm was founded eons ago, when dinosaurs still exist (hahah), on some mountain. Now, perhaps the builders were thinking of some nice green pasture with beautiful flora and fauna for us to study in, but they never thought that by the time their children goes to itm, they'll be driving cars. The problem lies in the fact that the road system in ITM cannot be expanded like other universities located on flatlands. Nowadays, there are more (lots more) student driving than lecturers. The rate of wealth accumulation by Malays are not proportionate to the rate of development in ITM. Simply put, we cannot cope with the number of vehicles in ITM. I was lucky in that I arrived earlier than the others (earlier than i imagined-subang was relatively jam free at 9). But on the way out, the picture was less than rosy. An old Datsun broke down by the side of the main road in ITM, turning it into a single lane. Now, if being in a jam isn't bad enough, you've got to imagine being in a jam ON a hill.Thank god for automatic transmission:P
Furthermore, what's the point of online registration if you've still got to go and queue up for someone's signature? Fine, if there's a need to check, I understand. But the point of online registration is to allow the students to register WITHOUT going to register, geddit? Basically, the online registration was only to confirm that you're still in the Uni. But on the bright sight, the Q was much shorter and it wasn't as bad as last sem, where the Admin made a mockery out of the whole concept of pre-registration.
Movie Review: Honey
Hey, start of a new sem means I get to see my gf! So we did the typical thing and went to catch a movie at OU.
wHY do people react differently when you shop with your gf? They don't stare as much, which makes it easier for me to pick out clothes. When I'm out with my mates,I try to avoid getting anything or if I do I would rush simply because it's weird to ask your guy mate to wait in front of the fitting room. Hey, i'm homophobic.
Oh,we decided to watch Honey. Actually, I persuaded her to watch it, saying that Riddick and Punisher would be too violentwhen in fact I wanted to see it for one reason and one reason only- Jessica Alba.
To sum up the movie - the longest video clip ever. The whole movie's about hiphop dancing and phat beats. Thankfully I enjoy hiphop and dance, so it wasn't much of a bore.But the storyline's mediocre, more suited to Hallmark than HBO. But it's got a great soundtrack though, and the choreography is pretty tight.
At the end of it all,there's only one reason and one reason only to catch this movie - Jessica Alba. She's superchun.Enuff said.
Au ReVoir
Written on 6/14/2004 03:02:00 pm by sikapitan
The last weekend was great if you’re a fan of Malaysian television. We have slowly emerged from the doldrums of typical Malay programming to the age of interactive TV. When Astro came to the scene, it was seen as merely to supplant the normal terrestrial TV because of lack of local content. But the past few years have seen Astro slowly increasing not only the amount but more importantly, the quality of its in-house programs with smart marketing strategy and creative take on Malay shows. Suddenly, ‘free TV’ is no longer the first choice (local content=Malay shows) and people prefer Ria to RtM or TV3. The emergence of new, funky TV stations like ntv7 and 8tv added more competition in this field. That’s good news for consumers like us. While RtM is still sticking to its sickly kampong Bintang RtM; Astro’s jewel in the crown Akademi Fantasia, ntv7’s copycat Auditions, and now 8tv’s Malaysian Idol has raised the stake for all the stations, offering interactivity and more importantly, the addictive factor.
And if that’s not enough, the past weekend saw the start of Euro 2004, arguably the second most-watched football tournament after the World Cup. So to summarize the past weekend, today’s entry will probably be one of the longest ever, encompassing three TV events this past weekend, in the order of appearance.
I thought we were a shy lot…
I always thought that Malaysians are more reserved than our Western counterparts. We are pretty shy when it comes to showing off our talents and such. I mean, when I was in high-school, if the teacher asked someone from the class who’s interested in singing the national anthem during assembly, the only reaction she’ll get is silence even though half the class harbors hope of being the next Mariah or even Misha. But judging from the lot who goes to audition for Malaysian Idol, we are as shameless as the worst American Idol could offer.
I’m talking about the funny dudes and dudettes who tried to sing but only managed to make us squirm, or in my case, laugh my ass off. What were they thinking? Surely they would know that they sound as bad as my cat when she’s hungry. I would have thought the broken mirrors and glasses at their house would give them the clue that they can’t sing if their life depends on it. But hey, it makes for great TV. It wouldn’t be funny if everyone there can sing like Siti now would it? I think that somewhere in our heart, we have this desire to see others foul up, if you catch my drift. It brings confidence to us. Why else do you think we like watching America’s Funniest Home Video or Punk’d? It brings us temporary closure for our insecurities. We rejoice at other people’s foolishness. Hey, it’s just my psycho-analysis that’s most probably crap anyway.
I’m actually not concerned with the fools who can’t sing in Malaysian Idol. I think the judges are not up to par. Roslan Aziz is supposed to act like the Simon of the group, being mean and all, but I think he sometimes goes toooo far, if that’s possible. While Simon IS mean, his comments are actually truthful and honest. Roslan not only appears to try too hard to say mean things (but apparently, he’s that type of person), he seems hell-bent on destroying the confidence of the contestants even BEFORE they sang. Let’s not start with Fauziah Latiff, cute though she is. Merely smiling and saying “I have to say no” is not good enough! At least the MakSalleh dude seems to know what he’s doing.
But hey, maybe I’ll grow to like them.
AFUNDI Aznil…
Dah demam? The much-hyped about second season of Akademi Fantasia is truly underway after the first concert last Saturday. Held at the MPPJ Hall, the show is grander and more elaborate compared to the first. However, I’m surprised that there are a few bits of empty seats. Did Astro miscalculate when they decided to swell their coffers by charging RM20 for entry? I think that they should pace themselves better next time, rather than lumping every profit-driven ideas into this season. Not only are they making MALAY youths waste their money on the whole SMS chat thing in channel 15, now they charging twice the price of a movie ticket to catch THEIR show. I mean, 20 bucks might not seem much to most readers, but try being the family to one of the contestants. 5 family members equal RM100 per week, spread out over an average of 4 weeks would mean 400 per month, not inclusive of traveling fare and more importantly, prepaid top-ups! But hey, just milk the cow while she’s still there.
It started on the wrong note when due to technical foul-ups the show was delayed by 15 minutes. My relatives, who coincidentally were visiting us from Penang, were ready to start a riot! My grandma asked me to call Astro, while my family was busy keeping things calm. Hey, so they’ve got the fever. But once it started, everyone kept quiet and concentrated on the proceedings.
AZNIL is one of the best when it comes to hosting such events. Seriously, he’s damn witty and can come up with spontaneous jokes and banter with the audience- all key elements to make a show enjoyable. I can’t believe they consider putting in the flabby Cit-Cat Azwan. The panel of critics for the night includes Rashid Sibir (the man who brought us the awfully melodramatic Pondok Buruk drama and over-hyped-but-disappointing Laila Isabella), Awie (former ‘Hero Sepanjang Zaman’ and ex-boyfriend to my ex…hahah) and finally Kudsia Kahar (so if she can comment on the contestants, why shouldn’t I?),
Farah
The show started off with this lady from KL singing Seandainya Masih Ada Cinta. I always thought that she has a great voice, but on that night, she was pretty disappointing. The problem is in her pacing. She peaked too early in the first chorus, leaving no higher note for the standard ‘menjerit’ final chorus. Plus, her voice didn’t cut through during the verses, leaving me wondering what the heck she’s singing about. Pity, because I think she has potential. And who the heck gave her those pants?
Zahid
Personal favorite simply because he’s the least soft among the guys. His strongest attribute-laidback attitude and cheeky character- is also his drawback. Singing Percayakan Siti, he controlled the stage like a pro, knowing where to look and when, but his playful character resulted in him losing concentration when singing. I like him because he seems as honest as anyone who knows there are cameras everywhere recording your moves can be. I think he can sing better though.
Zarina
Now, for those who are confused with Aznil’s banter with her that night, let me try to put some idea into your head. As rumors have it, she was Khai’s gf before that Panasonic guy entered AF last season and became a buaya. Her entry into this season’s Akademi was “guaranteed” as “compensation” for Khai leaving her. Personally, I think Khai sucks. He doesn’t have a great voice and he looks more like Yusri Che Lah than Yusry KRU so she shouldn’t think too much about it and get on with her life. Singing Mencintaimu by KrisDayanti, she showed tremendous vocal power and control. This is what Farah was lacking. Zarina understood the concept of pacing yourself for the final chorus instead of hitting the high-notes so early in the song. Unfortunately, I sense a little arrogance and ego in her, but hey, I’m arrogant and egoistic as well!
Bob
Yea yea, he sang well. In fact, he sang brilliantly. But I can’t get over my perception that he sometimes hams it up in front of the camera in the Diari Akademi to attract votes. If that’s his natural character, then I don’t like his natural character. I don’t like it when people order others to do this and that, or simply be a busybody, which is how I view dude. Sorry.
Edlin
Singing Bintang Hati, she was nervous and frankly speaking, can’t compare with the rest of the girls. Plus, she keeps on crying during the Diari shows that I simply loath the sight of her. I mean, you know that cameras are everywhere, so why must you be the drama queen and pour your heart out at places where it’s obvious there’s gonna be a camera? To get votes perhaps?Pretty? Haih, how one man’s Picasso can be another’s Pistachio.
Fitri
Poyo. That’s how I would describe this softy. With his over-enthusiastic dance move, the song Jerat was destined to be murdered by this fashion designer. Too concerned with appearance, not only during concert but also everyday till it becomes a hindrance to his talent for singing. His whole persona is fake, too deliberate. A great song was totally reduced to the level of Tora-tora commercial with his jiggling shoulders and shaking hairdo.
Nurul
I feared for this girl because she didn’t sound too good during Friday’s rehearsal. But she aced it during the concert. Singin Sejakku Bertemu Padamu, she showed great stage presence, wonderful dancing ability and surprisingly, confidence. This is what they call “kecik-kecik cili padi”. She should word harder at controlling her emotions in Diari if she wants to go far.
Anding
This is another one that I really hate. Not only he’s soft, he’s damn fake as well. He made Jika Kau Bercinta Lagi sound like some rock opera, what with his fake deep voice and dance moves. Dude, you’re singing the rock version so stop being a boy band. Like Fitri, he controls himself too much till it looks unnatural. Forget about the singing because he’s the worst after Fitri. Failure to control pitching and bad adlibbing cost him dearly. One that I wouldn’t want to see not only in Akademi but anywhere as well!
Mas
Not the sharpest of character this Mas, but her foolishness and blurness makes her a crowd favourite. Singing Permata Biru, she showed great character and determination. But like Kudsia said, what if she was given a mellower tune?
Adam
Future member of KRU? Sounds like Yusry, dresses like them….10 years ago! Not enough originality, from his voice to his style. Trying to hard to succeed can have a reverse effect in that you’re not seen as genuine enough. But I think he’s honestly doing what he thinks is good for himself so I’ll give him credit for that. Vocally, the song Lafazkanlah is not enough of a challenge for him, yet he still makes pitching mistakes. Plus, he should properly think out the moves for the whole song because sometimes the sequence looks disjointed.
Linda
Brilliant vocals to a difficult song. Still having trouble with the tempo, but give her a ballad and she’ll bring everyone to the cleaners! Set to stay, not only because she’s talented, but because of her attitude. She gets on with her work and stayed away from all the melodrama. Cool.
Kaer
My sis’s favorite. Seriously, this is one spoilt child. He’s exactly like someone I know a long time ago. In fact, I sense a little bit of softness in his character. But attitude wise, he’s up there with Linda and Adam. Working hard and let the drama unfolds itself. The song Januari is right up his alley and yet I believe that he was playing it safe that night. Either that, or he’s a one trick pony who can’t hit the high-notes because the final chorus in that song requires you to really work out your lungs but he didn’t even push up into a higher note. But he’ll also go far simply because the urban girls would vote for him
All in all, they’re way more talented as a group than last year’s bunch. However, there’s too many fake tears and dramas so early in the show that I think there’s a lack of honesty in some of them. Good luck for the forthcoming week.
ARGH..Memang dasar Liverfool
At the time of writing this, I’m still in shock over what transpired this early morning. England, leading and containing France for so long, bottled it at the final hurdle.
Frank Lampard scored a great header in the first half from a classic Beckham curling free-kick from the right after he won it with some fair bit of play-acting. England managed to contain the most dangerous man in a football pitch, Henry, and his predecessor, the balding but classy Zidane. France had plenty of possession and wonderful play, but the final ball wasn’t up to the mark. Sven’s strategy of placing two backs of four and relying on quick counterattacks paid off in the second half when the brilliant Rooney rode out Gallas’ challenge and stormed towards the penalty area. If only he looked up and sees Vassell (coming on for the ineffective Owen) way open on the right and squared the ball to him. But he just forged ahead with his pace and power, pushing the ball past Silvestre, who’s trailing leg, caught the Evertonian and brought him down. Cue the Old Man U rivalry between captain David Beckham and clownish Fabien Barthez. The Frenchman has probably seen how Beckham takes his kicks during training and I wasn’t surprised that he guessed right. Beckham is no Cantona or Shearer when it comes to penalties.
But still, with minutes to go, England looked set to win their opening game against the arrogant French. As they say, “Malang Tidak Berbau” but in this case I can smell the stench of the lousiest striker in the Premiership, mister Emile ‘Quick,Strong,Useless’ Heskey. He conceded a silly foul. Zidane stepped up, and curled in a delightful freekick past the steady James. England was rattled, France smelled blood and fear. From the kick-off, Gerrard (is this a Liverpool conspiracy to screw up England?) inexplicably passed the ball back to his keeper without looking. And who was there to pounce on this? Thierry Henry, for so long being kept in the dark by the brilliant Gary Neville, latched on to the ball, pushing it beyond James who had no choice but to just whacked the silly guy. Up steps Zidane. Now here’s the mark of the truly talented that Beckham will never achieve. Deep into extra time, with England supporters riling him, Zinedine ‘I’m so skillful I don’t even have to dribble’ Zidane coolly placed the ball at the zone no keeper could save.
Another disappointment. I must get used to this, what with Man Utd. screwing up last year. Well, there are still 2 games to go. Go three lions! Show the world how boring you are.
Au ReVoIr
Written on 6/12/2004 08:03:00 pm by sikapitan
Football's back in my mind with the Euro 2004 just hours away form kicking off with host Portugal entertaining the hardworking, tenacious Greeks. After weeks without any live football,the arrival of the European Chamipionship would surely be regarded as godsend to most red-blooded males.Employers should beware that productivity would suffer,wives should accept that they'll be sleeping alone for a month,and mamak stalls owner can put in the downpayment for a new Beemer.The Euro and World Cup are more than just some tournament. Its social repercussions are far-reaching.Dads sneaking out,not for karaoke and GROs,but for England and Owen. It's amazing that the machoest guys could be the most 'sissy-sounding' during football. "Gila,Zidane chun beb" "Wow,look at those feet" "I love England!" "Don't break my heart wei!" "Beautiful,just beautiful". Other than sex, football is the most talked-about conversation between guys (informal survey of...ermm..1 group..hehe).
Don't forget that the tournament also draws in its fair amount of non-football-loving but gambling addicted souls into the equation.Gambling is part and parcel of every society,and while most would certainly be wary of entering a casino,they are not that easily dismissive of betting on a sporting event.I'm not proud of this,but when i was in high-school i used to be a small-time bookie in my classroom.Not that many clients,but we're open and transparent.I made 50 bucks at the end of worldcup 98, which is easy money all the way.And that i guess is the main temptation of gambling.It provides you with the opportunity to realize your dream.
I always fantasized about suddenly being given a load of cash and it'll always remain a fantasy.But betting allows you to make that wish come true!I know someone, God save him,who's an avid bookie.And he makes around 10 to 20k per week, on a SLOW weekend.He doesn't bet, at least not that much, but the bookie fees that he gets is enough to maintain the lifestyle of the rich.I AM tempted.Don't ever try to rationalize with them.Remember: the fact that someone can earn 100k per week just by placing it right makes it harder for you to resist. Don't think too much about it,because then it'll suddenly seems okay.Common argument:This is not really gambling,because there's a fair amount of skill in picking teams. Don't delve on thiS.jUst say NO.Once you start, there's no stopping you,especially if you win on the first go.
Btw,i've always been an England guy since Euro 96, where Macca looks every bit the world class winger that he was (where is he now?-Man City!!!hahaha).But they'll have it rough with France in their group.Semis prediction:Portugal,France,Italy and one underdog..maybe Sweden.Hey, i got my WorldCup 2002 all wrong so don't place bets just based on my opinion!
Don't vote for BOB
aH..ANOTHER addictive tv show to coincide with the Euro; AKADEMI FANTASIA.haha..sometimes i'm a little bit embarassed at how enthusiastic i can be with this show.Thank god the timings are different from Euro games.
Just my opinion:What the heck are the guys up to?With the xception of Zahid, the rest are damn soft.And annoying!Especially fatty,softy,loud Bob.Oh yeah, can i vote OUT Dr.Syer Kawi.I just hate this whole motivation segment.Shouting out 'I CAN DO IT' and what nots is just plain ridiculous..and dangerous considering they should take care of their voice.
Written on 6/11/2004 09:30:00 am by sikapitan
Foooh. Sorry for not updating the blog. The regulars must be pretty annoyed that I’ve not been updating it everyday like I used to. I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with some stuff. Frankly speaking, I’m only just having my HOLIDAYS since I got back from Mecca. Before that I was busy with work and all. The problem is that once you get into this holiday mode your mind stops functioning like normal. I’ve been lazing around so much, and watching too much TV that my mind stopped being critical! I find it hard to criticize anything or anyone. The news hasn’t helped much. It’s the same old thing : Noritta and her lifestyle, Iraq and their bombings, NS propaganda and Malaysian football getting trashed…again!
This past two weeks my hours in front of the computer have been mostly to complete translating an English book into B.Melayu. Believe me; it’s harder than it sounds. Apparently, I’m not that good at writing in B.M either. You see, we all take B.M for granted. It is our mother tongue, and we tend to equate being able to speak a language as being in command of it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. After leaving high-school, I don’t remember writing anything in B.M (minus the love poems, lyrics, letters to gf etc2) and if I did, it would be colloquial B.M rather than formal B.M.
The National Education Policy, set years ago (when 20 sen= weekly allowance), stipulates that B.M should be the medium of communication in school. However, this resulted in a decline in our English standard. In recent years, efforts have been made to correct past mistakes which includes teaching Science in English. The problem, as I see it (lepaking with high school boys playing football has other benefits besides feeling damn old), is that our youths are not only poor in English but also Bahasa. The standard of both language have deteriorate to the point of being farcical. We always associate the Chinese with speaking English well, while the Malays are the champion of Bahasa. But are they really speaking English and Bahasa?
Interesting fact: 10 languages die out every year. Now, I’m not suggesting that Bahasa is heading towards extinction in the near future, but if efforts are not made to rectify the situation, then it’ll come much sooner than we expect. In fact, even our English is not proper English. Grammatical error is a foregone conclusion. The mixture of Malay words, or even worse, words that don’t exist (eg. Rempit) has created the phenomenon known as ‘Manglish’. While I am proud of the fact that we have our own version of English, it shouldn’t be encouraged as it will only lead to more mistakes in the future. I understand that English, being a global language is adaptable and in fact, it has changed a lot from the old days. Look at the Jamaicans, for example. They speak in their own slang but IT IS English. I’m just scared that the day will come when a bellboy speaks English but the Englishman can’t understand what the hell he’s talking about.
But what about Bahasa? The adoption of English terms into our language is part of the problem. Even the government has got in the act, for example replacing the perfectly formal-sounding ‘belanjawan’ to the lazy ‘bajet’.Or TV3 and their confusing "Karnival Sure Heboh". So don't be surprised if you get a letter "Sure tuan faham my problem". What gives? Me, who has always been proud of my ‘karangan’ and ‘cerpen’ at school, struggle to translate even the phrase ‘water for life’! Imagine what others, less able students, would write?
It should be a wake-up call to the government that the problem not only lies in English, but also Bahasa! The students are confused till they become poor at both! Saying “I can give it to you laaaa” is fine, unique to us, but I draw the line at “Boleh give one laaaa” .
Err…I know some readers would say that I’m not writing perfect English either. The only perfect person I know is Mr. Nobody.
Btw, welcome to new readers. Just to clear the air, I’m not married but you can be married at heart now can you?
Au Revoir
Written on 6/07/2004 09:35:00 pm by sikapitan
No,sorry.I'm not going to "gossip" about my friends.At least,not today:)But along the way i might implicate certain people doing certain things that they don't want to be implicated with,so hopefully they don't get mad and end up implicated for my murder:)tOO complicated to be implicated?(HUH?-don't worry, sometimes my hands move faster than my brain). Today,i want to talk about the phenomenon known as FRIENDSTER (jeng jeng jeng)!
It all started when my little sis sent a friend's request through the mail (e not snail) early this year.bEING the rebel (konon) for all things happening,especially if my sis's involved in it,i wanted to just reject the damn thing.But she kept on persisting (exaggerate) that i joined this community. So i did, and at first she was my only friend. I didn't think much of it for a couple of days,but slowly i found my old "friends" and after a while i just can't stop looking for them.
Why do we search for old friends anyway?If they were really my friends they would have been on my phonebook or something, but they're not.So are theY REALLY friends?Or are they more like acquaintances?Seriously,sometimes i get friend's request from people that i've never spoken to in high-school, and i trust, will never ever speak to.So what gives?Is friendster merely a medium for us to assuage our fear of being lonely?Do we collect them (friends la) as a way of saying that we are not alone in this world and that we're popular?
Maybe i'm touching on some nerves here,but i've read testimonies for one of my ex-schoolmate, and it's not even close to what he really is.I've posted everything that's written about me,bad or good, but fortunately, everyone likes to play nice in friendster even though i know for sure some of them hate my guts.It's all sugary nice and sweet,but isn't it just a way to boost our self-confidence?Trust me,sometimes it's the prettiest people who craves for acknowledgement, so don't be surprise if you see people collecting testis and then showing it off to everyone (haha,that sounds weird,collecting testis..hahha).
Friendster also serves another,more sinister purpose, and that is for the buayas out there to meet girls.It's pretty pathetic i tell you.Guys would just write in to be friends with pretty gurls with the hope that one day they'll score.Hey,come to think of it,maybe it does work for other people.No,seriously.I'm looking at it from my P.O.V.It's hard for me to call someone chun,so the ones i say are chun most probably are too popular,or too busy,or already with someone to ever be bothered with this whole shenanigans.But i know of friends who have met others through friendster,old mates from school who have turned from ugly duckling to something else and they hit it off.Maybe it does make others happy..all the best then.But i do know that gurls sometimes get msgs that's perverse in nature,and i suspect that quite a number of them loves the attention.But beware of the fact that there's some real psychos out there.
If you guys don't know what friendster is...ehmm..what planet are you from?No lah...joking.But seriously,for me,friendster's just a way to promo my blog,so most of my readers know about this site from friendster.I try to only request from people that i know,or i'm supposed to know,or i know from someone i know and finally,i better know.
ERmmm,but if anyone here looks like ShuQi,Dian etc2...kekeek..stop it,i'm not single...
the mind of the married man sucks!
Au Revoir
Written on 6/05/2004 11:59:00 pm by sikapitan
It's been a while since i write just for the sake of rambling about nothing. The past few weeks, even months have been filled with issues and reviews and seriousness that i simply forget to just have fun with my blog. True, i've always tried to be humourous or witty (TRIED..whether i failed or not is up to you) in my writing, but the issues have been pretty serious, with the exceptions of movie reviews and such. So today's entry will be as non-serious as possible, but knowing me, i'll probably be serious in something anyway.
What a stupid ad..
Have you guys seen this ad where Hetty Sarlene (local artiste-don't ask me how i know.suffice to say that my house's not short of Mangga,URTV or MediaHiburan) and this maksalleh chick started talking about this face powder. The one thing that they highlighted during the ad was the fact that this one has MIRRORS with it!Look, i'm no girl, but i know for a fact that ladies had portable vanity mirrors in their purse long before i was born. So what gives??? And does using the maksalleh in the ad suppose to make ladies want to buy this bullshit product? Tell me some other stupid ads that you think should be in the never-been-made dustbin. I'm sure there's plenty here in TVland.
Pageant pigeon
Did you guys catch the missuniverse show? Surprise surprise, Australia won. I was rooting for Paraguay, but it's quite obvious that she's lacking a bit up there. Each of the five finalist were suppose to write questions for each other and missParaguay not only failed to answer hers well, she asked her competition three words to describe themselve! And what about poor old Malaysia? The only time Malaysians will ever be in the top three is if we do it in another Berjaya resort (like when Lina Teoh got in-for god's sake,she's got baggy eyes!). I'm sorry to say but the state of our contestants is laughable. Yes, they're not bad-looking, but my aunt ain't bad-looking herself and i'm not saying she should be MissAnything! My point is this..it's just embarassing to us if we keep on sending people that don't reflect the fact that we Malaysians can be as pretty as anyone else in this world.Yeah yeah, you guys will say that it's because the government ban Malays from entering, and i agree with the contention that some Malays are really world-beaters when it comes to looks, but so are the Chinese!I've seen prettier Chinese girls in Giant than last year's winner!Malaysia has beautiful Malays,Chinese,Indians,Eurasians etcs.Don't believe me? Just go to any mall during the weekends.I'll bet you'll find someone more attractive than the ones they keep on sending every year.They should be getting the top of the crop.No matter what race you are i'm sure there's someone pretty enough to win something.
Akademi Fantasia
It seems like someone from Astro read my blog (hey,i can wish can i?). This year's contestants for Malaysia's premier (forget the copycat Audition) talent competition-Akademi Fantasia- has 8 people from the Borneo (i think). Remember when i wrote that if there's no talent in Melaka then there shouldn't be one from Melaka? I didn't know it would get this far. It's a monopoly of Borneos out there....i don't know how the Peninsular Folks would react to this. Would the viewership be affected?
And what about the new place? It looks more like a studio than a house. Success is a double-edge sword. The second season brought with it sponsors for everything, from kitchen utensils to curtains. It's losing its street, hard-life feel. Now, it looks better than some 4 star hotels. Oh yeah, you guys should check out this motivator dude,some Dr. Mamak. He's really funny in the non-laughing way! He keeps on shouting and moving his hands like he has "sawan".
The good days are numbered
Oh yeah,some readers (but i doubt it) might notice that this entry's written at 12 midnight. What am i doing in front of the comp on a weekend night? BESIDES the fact that i'm pretty lacking in the social arena, the much-hyped about USJ11 free-futsal is slowly dying. MPsj have decided to limit the spotlight from 7.30pm till 11.30pm. So no more playing footie till 3-4am. It's probably our fault as well. Some of the guys, whom i cannot name for fear of being whacked (kidding), will pump up their stereos(indians and their hiphop,Chinese with their fengtau,Malays who drive go clubbing) or revved up their bike(here comes the Malay rempits) late into the night. Surely the neighbours would complain. That's the problem with most of our youths. They lack the civic concsiousness to do something right. It's already handed to them on a silver platter. A FREE futsal court,that you can play anytime you want,and they took it for granted. They left garbages strewn all over the pitch, they are noisy, they lack respect. But the problem is, where would this kids go now? To the clubs maybe, mamak, or to their gf's house.They would definitely NOT go back to their house. It took so much hard work for them just to sneak out,i tell you:) It's a social dilemma that the government need to address. . So go figure.
Au ReVoIR
Written on 6/04/2004 12:12:00 pm by sikapitan
Movie Review:Troy
Adapted from Homer's poem (no,i've never read it either but it's certainly NOT from the simpsons ok?), this much-hyped about summer offering has been blighted by production problems that led to cost-overrun.Is that why the film seems to be lacking in promo as compared to Shrek2 or "Lusa"? Anyway, set in way Before Christ (B.C laaa), Troy certainly would be compared to another modern-day interpretation of the old days, Gladiator, although Troy is way before Roman empire came to being. Gladiator was a classic, and anyone who hasn't seen it is missing one of the all-time epics. Could we say the same about Troy?
I decided to catch this film right at the end of its life on our movie screens.I don't know why i didn't try to watch it sooner, preferring to catch Shrek2 and Lusa. Maybe it's the thought of watching a bunch of guys in skirts don't really appeal to me:)
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the same fella who brought you thePerfectStorm,this movie is set during the days of Troy and Sparta, two nation-states that has been enemies for so long. Peace is in the air, with Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson),leader of Sparta and Priam (excellently portrayed by the melancholic O'Toole) agreeing not to attack each other. But Prince Paris, son of Priam, can't keep his dick in his pants and started banging Menelaus' wife while they were there as peace envoys! Helen the horny wife,played by stunning newcomer Diane Kruger, decided to run away to Troy with the Trojans. Menelaus,of course,was raging mad and called on his big bro,Agamemnon,who is the kings of all kings to join him in battle. So basically the "greatest war man has ever seen" was started because some young punk's active sexlife and an old dude's greed for power. Told you that every conflict has some sexual undertones to it.
50 000 greeks were set to war on Troy. Joining them is the brooding Brad Pitt,who plays the best warrior known to man, Achilles.After that it's just men killing men with a smattering of sex thrown into it. Eric Bana, who plays the Prince of Troy, really buffed up for this movie, but even Hector, the best warrior for Troy can't beat the realllyyy buff Brad Pitt. There must be some steroids involved. Bloom looked considerably skinny by comparison to Bana and Pitt.Interesting if anyone realized that the conflict started because of lust,continued because of greed,and ended because of religion.Have we learn from history?I think not.
The film looks expensive,as the production paid the price for wanting to show every detail in close-ups.The scripts ain't so bad, even containing some memorable lines that i believe should be learnt by everyone:). This is a testoterone filled film,reeking with machoness and sexiness that the guys just lapped up and ladies adore. But this is no Gladiator. It lacks the intimate feel,the drama,the sense of being there that Gladiator brings to audience.Make no mistake, this is one good movie,but it'll never be an epic. The old Helen of Troy tells a more compelling story. The filmmakers tried to tell too much within a short time.
And unfortunately for them, this film,relatively tanked at the box-office.After 3 weeks, it only managed to get us$109 million, far below the us$200 million budget. Don't worry, it won't lose money, due to international screenings and DVD sales but it'll probably put off another idea of doing an epic. Basically, men in skirts lost out to a green mean ogre and some tidalwaves.I really wanted this one to do well, but it seems like the idea of watching the three "sexiest" men in hollywood isn't as appealing as watching a cat with a blade or ice melting. Go figure.
My problem isn't with the film,but with the rating. In the US,this movie is rated R but here in Malaysia it's U!!!hOW THE heck it managed to get Umum is beyond me. Even i flinched a bit at the sight of Achilles doing his smackDown right at the shoulder of his enemies. And what about the partial nudity?I was extremely surprised at the sight of breast on our movie screen. What is going on?? Is the commercial value of the film overrides the "oh-so-sacred" censorship requirements?Why the double standard? I see little kids in the cinemas watching BradPitt sleeping with two naked women, and trust me, everyone can see that they're naked. Breasts for god's sake! When was the last time you saw one (or two) at TGV????
Au ReVoir
Written on 6/01/2004 09:05:00 pm by sikapitan
Alrite,considering that every day the front page of our local dailies would talk about the recent University intake result,it's only a matter of time before i put in my 2 cents worth.
Summary of the problem: Recently, the results for applications to IPTA's were announced.Unfortunately, for the STPM students, there seems to be some weird results with top students not getting the course that they applied for while some didn't even get ANY offer! Imagine scoring 4.0 and be offered a place in some far-away-unknown university to study marine biology!
Ibn Khaldun (i think) said that the key to a successful civilization is justice. If there's a sense of justice amongst the people,then they would be motivated to succeed.In this case, surely the students feel that there has been no justice and such feelings can breed discontent, even hatred, towards the government in particular,Malaysians in general.The point they're trying to make is that why others with lower grades get to do the course of their choice while they're stuck with fiberwood technology (what the heck issat?) or some other stupid course. Certainly, in the case of medicine, i understand that they're limited places available, but don't offer them something that would insult their intelligence. Aren't we short of pharmacists? Why not offer them something like that instead of useless (relatively of course) courses?
Another thing that has to be considered is the disparity between matriculation students and STPM students.The internal examinations done by matrics students cannot compare with our STPM, which is externally set.I'm not putting down matrics students but it's unfair that the bulk of places offered went to matrics students (allegedly). A CGPA of 4.0 can't even get you a decent course nowadays! What does that say to our future school-leavers?That they shouldn't bother going to form 6? Is it fair that in the midst of shortages of doctors and other professionals,we turn away brilliant students and instead offer them the chance to study 'ikan' or 'batang kayu'? It's not the rejection that pisses me off, because maybe there's a good reason for that (eg. lack of space) but more of the insult of being told that they have to study in some far-away Kolej that no one has heard of. What are the future prospects of graduates of marine biology for god's sake?Is it any wonder that we have so many brilliant young minds leaving the country for S'pore? Somebody even wrote in to say that the S'pore government sponsored HIM to pursue his education! If he's good enough for Singapore....
And why the lack of space to study medicine? What is the government doing to solve this problem? Are they just going to say "nope,kelas tak cukup"? Fine,if they don't feel like incrasing the capacity of our local institutions,why not offer the students places in private universities, local and even foreign. Make it easier for them to get scholarships.
It's not like we don't have the money. After all, we just spent rm500 million (official figures,so add another 100 mill in the equation) over 3 months on some over-hyped but utterly useless "summer camp". 500 million can get you a new faculty,facilities and some nice lecturers who can turn out graduates that can serve the nation well into the future. Instead,the money is going into producing more couples. A visit to UItm'S campus in S.alam showed that the NS was successful in closing the bond, not between races, but between sexes! Cheit cheit. It's our money folks, so make some noise!
The government should expect that this would turn into a racial issue.After all,theStar is controlled by MCA and they're expected to make noise when most who failed to get into the course of their choice are Chinese. Don't act surprised.
Au ReVoIr
Posts
