What better time for me to be posting this series. These pictures reflect my current mood as i think what the future may bring for me tomorrow. I screwed up at work (though unintended) and i think it is only right for me to be facing the music. If only the person singing knows what he's doing; then it wouldnt be so bad now would it? But then again, in this "perfect" world that we live in, theres only so much that could go right. Bleurgh...
These pictures are completely uneditted and i personally like how it turned out. I hope you like it too.
If only it is always this beautiful everytime i rain.
Recently, i was deeply honoured to be a part of Almir's birthday celebration. It was a mini meetup for the MRF (classified my ass) boys. We had supper at Al-Azhar followed by cake cutting session at Kent Ridge Park. Sian, Ben, Nizar, Is and of course Almir were there. Boy, have we all grown up. Everyone's moved on and gone to do a whole lot of adult stuff and i am truly happy for all of them. I was all ears when they tell me about their lifes but somehow, deep inside, i couldnt help but feel that ive lost something that i could never retrieve.
Dont get me wrong; i am proud of all of them and to what they have achieved. But with all due respect to each and everyone of them, id rather they not. I still would like to think that they have not moved on and that they are all still my bunk mates. I still would like to have them doing section movement, deployments and running around in MOPP 4 in the hot afternoon sun with me. I still would like to have them as my fellow compatriots getting screwed by Encik together. I still would like to go jogging with Ben in the middle of the nite. I still would like watch Sian play mahjong. I still would like to have a fag with Almir at the "DRC". I still would like to screw 4th with Is. And i still would like to bitch about Encik in bed with Nizar.
And inevitably, there is the story about Encik M. Our leader in the MRF back in the old days. We shuddered thinking and talking about him. But as much as we all hate to admit it, this man has left a crater in our lifes. I'd be lying if i tell you he had not. He shaped me and showed me the way to confidence and leadership capabilities. He is definitely not perfect but then theres only so much that 1 man could possibly do.
But then this entry is not about Encik. It is not about how 3rd Platoon has finally moved on into adult life neither. It is in fact about friendship; its about our bond that we shared and how much we have sacrificed to stick together. We went through a lot within the short duration of our miserable NS life; more than people would ever give credit for. How "kilat" we were, or how fit, or how garang we became, or how sore our butts were after doing a few hundred squats with our loaded bags and rifles. But that was all in the past and this history will never repeat itself.... ever.
It is my pleasure to tell you that it has really been an honour to have been a part of this team. Ive really missed you guys.
PS: Encik always say that people will never understand the amount of shit that we go through. How did he know? Ive never fully appreciated that notion, not until today. Hua!
3 of my favourite ladies of the moment, namely Yuna, Zee Avi and Hunny Madu. Dont you just love the wonders of Youtube and its capability of showcasing works by the unknown? These days, almost anyone can afford a webcam (even the ugly ones)(i was referring to myself, jangan terasa eh?). And almost everyone is within reach of the internet. So it is really that simple. Pick up a guitar, steal some chords (that others have painstakingly try to find by themselves so as to satisfy your "cover"-ing needs) from the net, Google the lyrics to your favourite song and off you go. Special talent is optional. It is really that simple.
But these 3 ladies that ive mentioned; they are truly the saviour to my eardrums and to the future of the internet. They are the perfect epiphany of Asian talent, clearly setting the benchmark and inspiring the new and the eager.
This video is of Yuna's hit single, Yang Sebenarnya. I love her voice. It reminds me of Nora Jones.
Oh oh, you so have to listen to this one. This is another one of Yuna's songs called Rocket.
Im having difficulty trying to find the original video for this song by Zee Avi. Its called Kantoi. The song, im sure you have heard being played repeatedly on the radio (if you havent then i suppose its about time you get out from your tempurung). Dont flame me aight, but honestly i just love her accent. Very cute.
This is a cover that Zee Avi did, in collaboration with a friend, Azwar Rashid.
And lastly, Hunny Madu. You can check out her nonsense, i mean videos here. Though its very, very hard to see, underneath all the craziness, lies talent. Her voice never fails to have some effect on my bulu romer... roma.. roma irama, whatever. I like her voice, its nice.
So there you have it. Talent at its purest. I'm just glad that there are real talent coming from Youtube or from the internet for that matter; being showcased and made known to the public and getting the recognition that they truly deserve. Eat that Ashley Simpson, Paris Hilton, Britne.... ok i'll stop. But whatever it is, im just happy for these 3 and i sincerely hope that they will go far. All the best.
PS: Since we're in the topic of talent and all, how could i possibly leave out my own friend right? This is a video of Wan Tabr, in his fullest glory of merepekness. I hate to admit it, but i love this video. Enjoy
My life in the past 5 days simplified; audit, sleep in the station, audit, sleep in the station, audit, air pistol training, fetch Mas, eat durians and get ripped off, sleep for 3 hours, road trip to Malaysia with the family and finally sleep like a log on Sunday. So as reluctant as i was to step into THIS foreign land, like most of the other things in life, i just have no choice.
The country.
The masjid.
The rules
In the masjid praying.
My brother and my cousins showing patriotism in all the wrong directions; it runs in the family i guess.
This flimsy bridge was strong enough to carry the weight of my cousins and myself; tested and proven.
They named a village after this canal, can you imagine? Gross.
Dinner was maggie goreng as usual for me. And this was the place that i saw "sup gearbox" (which literally translate to Gear Box Soup) being served for the very first time. Gross. My cousin said that its actually liver, but then again, no one listens to him.
And this is him, whom we never listen to (but we still love you cuz). By the way, he's having a conventional sup kambing. Where else do they serve their soup with a straw do u know?
Well at least they have Jusco. I love Jusco. The mall has everything and almost everything is the same price as Singapore, but in Ringgit Malaysia =)
Jean Perry Pillow for RM24 anyone? I bought only 1 because my boot was already full. Sorry Mirza ;p
B having a hard time choosing her quilt cover.
All in all, we had a fun time in Malaysia; just the perfect getaway for my exhausted body. And the food is just marvelous. We went to visit some relatives in the kampung area somewhere in Yongpeng and coincidentally, they had a "Pasar Malam" going on over there. Unlike Singapore, this was the real shiznit; the authentic pasar malam. Mas had Penang Laksa while i had everything else. I know i should have taken some pictures there but i was afraid of getting mugged. What a waste. Im definitely going to Jusco again to do more shopping in the near future. Anyone fancy a short road trip?
No names shall be mentioned but vivid description is a plenty. If you feel like in the mood for mediocre tasting food with a Hollywood celebrity price, go to this place. This place is crap. The durians that they sell taste like crap. Uncle crappy who serves you comes with a complementary "sialan" face, its on the house yaw'll. And did i mentioned, the durians here are crappy? You can most definitely get better tasting durians in Geylang, which is just a couple of blocks down the road. And its definitely gonna be cheaper. $50 per durian, WTF? What fertilizer did you use for this fruit; steroids? I'd rather spent the money at Prive along Keppel Bay Dr. At least you know where your money is going and the staff that serves you are forever smiling. 2 thumbs down for this place (boo!). Go for it if you got crappy taste.
PS: Lain kali, nak minta tolong biar ikhlas because Mas certainly did it willingly.
I just read this entry from Holly Jean's blog about how right here in our very own beloved country called Singapore, non-consensual sex between husband and wife are not considered as illegal unless under "extreme limited scenarios", what ever that means. Yes, i just found that out too. You can read more details here.
I believe Holy Jean has done a wonderful job in spreading this piece of news on her blog and i feel that it is only my duty to help her spread the word. Hopefully, only in numbers can we help to influence our lawmakers to reconsider. Also, at the same time we can also help to create awareness within our society. So im calling out to all my readers to help sign the petition here:
It really doesnt take too much time or effort and the best part is that you have the privilege of anonymity when you sign up. So please, do your part and help.
PS: In a country of over 4 million people, i am only number 00849 to have signed up for this petition.
In the middle of the night, where else could i possible satisfy my sudden craving for chocolat? Besides 7-11, Cheers, Petrol Stations or any other 24hr retails? Yup, you've guessed it. MUSTAFA!! When i got there, a whole array of chocolate greeted me; aisle after aisle worth of sinful pleasure. The initial plan was to grab and go, but i think i took a good 15 minutes to finally decide on one. In the end, i settled for the Creme Brulee. Have yet to taste it, though. Maybe later...
I recently had this pleasant surprise in the form of an email that ive received from a very, very old friend. Her name is Nathalie and she's from Brussels, Belgium. I'd like to share an excerpt of my reply to her. The topic of conversation was about growing old.
"Well, i have answered my calling. Ive always said that id never want to ever grow up. But then i've realised that Peter Pan dont really exist and Michael Jackson's dead. So thats when the inevitable sets in. Thats when i told myself that the only way that ill ever grow old is to do it in style. I would like to grow old beautifully. You know how some old folks are just so gross (forgive me for being so brusque). But really they are. And there are those selected few who are just so sweet. They exude this natural charm that you can never be able to resist. Im not referring to physical attributes here. Im talking about character, personality, knowledge etc. Not trying to be bias, but i'd certainly like to grow old just like my late grandmother. She was such a charming person breeming with softness and love. But its easier said than done thats for sure. But then, it is a dream nonetheless and this dream dont seem too far-fetched. And it is certainly better than being in denial. I know quite a number of people who are like that unfortunately and like i said, it is kinda gross. To me, to be in denial of oneself is just as good as having no soul, pathetic and weak. These kind of people will never go very far.
So back to the topic, i certainly have yielded, succumbed, gave in. Weekends are not specifically meant for beer binging anymore (i do that everyday these days - kidding). The weekend crowd in Orchard Rd looks disgusting. The weekend crowd in everywhere else in Singapore looks disgusting. My younger cousins have already hit puberty/going for their National Service/gotten married/have their own kids. My baby brother bought his own TV. My ex-teachers have started looking really, really old. And lastly, the biggest spat to my face would be the fact that some of my friends have already started to die on me. That reality screamed in my ears with so much force, beckoning me to accept the truth that i am human afterall. So like i said, thats when the inevitability sets in and the sooner i embrace this notion, the easier it is for me to be able to move on. I think."
Perhaps it was the fact that my body was still aching from the last gym session. Perhaps it was the rainy weather. Perhaps, being the pemalas that i am... i almost didnt want to leave the solace of my own room (even though it was the weekends + payday). But knowing me, i could never keep still at a particular place for too long. My choices were quite straightforward thankfully; either Zouk or every other thing in this world. I opt for the latter. Off i went to meet up with boys to bowl. Initially we wanted to bowl at Kallang Leisure Park. But just by driving along the carpark, the crowd was enough to put us off. The entire carpark was full can you imagine? SO Plan B was to go to ECP. Unsurprisingly, there was a long que ahead of us. I gave them my name and number and they said they'd call the moment there is an empty lane. So off we went again; a Plan B for the original Plan B (Would that be Plan C?). So anyways Plan BB/C was to go and play pool. Another EXPECTED turn of event, there was a waiting list for pool too. YAY! Luckily the wait wasnt too long. So we had a couple of games before the nice people from the bowling alley gave me a call. So off we went yet again to the bowling alley. Despite the fact that this place has been around for quite some time and despite the fact that the balls were all bopeng-ed and the lanes were unstable and the pins fall as and when they like, we still had fun playing. The ambience gave a very nostalgic feel and that difference in environment gave me a personal breath of fresh air. Bowling in East Coast Park was nice; and doing it with good friends was just a bonus.
PS: We had a special guest, the drummer from the local band "Merah", Amer, also joined us and he scored the highest, power giler...
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