Monthly Archive

After three butt-numbing hours at a friendly neighbourhood Internet Cafe, I made my home slowly, mind still reeling from the sudden change of atmosphere. Came to a road, and stood there, suddenly undecided whether to cross it or not.

Neighbour’s rather cute son calls from nearby bus stop, “Where are you going?”. “I dunno,” I replied, still in that  befuddled, confused state. He laughed at my answer and beckoned.

I made my way over and sat beside him. Turns out, he was waiting for a bus to take him to the city centre. Works at one of the chic watering holes at Asian Heritage Row. We start talking the usual shit (how is ur mother….public transport sucks…very hot these days)

A somewhat battered looking Proton Saga pulls up in front of the bus stop. Three rather sinister looking males in their late 30s to mid 40s in the car. Two alighted and went past us to the shops behind. The driver remained.

Cute boy said, “These guys look like bad guys from old Malay movies.” Laughter burst forth, then I restrained myself, wondering if driver actually heard the boy’s words. (Apparently he didn’t).

Then I told the boy. “Hey, you conjured up images of A.Galak, A Rahim and their horrrible laugh.”

 ”Who are they?” boy asks. 

“Never mind. Before your time. Anyway, it is to speculate and assume things about people we’ve never met before. Imagine, others might have their own first impressions about us”

Boy was quiet for a while. Then..”You are right. We don’t know everybody, and we can’t make assumptions about people we don’t know.”

“Hey,(he continues) imagine everyone knows everyone in the world…like a World without Strangers?” I stared at him….hmm…interesting thought.

I said, “Then mass communication would have to change and adapt. Communication would no longer be able to be impersonal…..bla bla bla….but if you ask me, I think it would be quite tiring. Just imagine how many people you have to greet every morning as you leave your house? Hi Joe, Hi Kak Wan, Hi Uncle Lim, Hi Shake…..whew!

He grimaced, “Yeah, you are right. I already dislike making conversation with too many people. I think I’ll just wear a T-Shirt that says

HI EVERYONE. I’M WEARING THIS T-SHIRT BECAUSE I DON’T FEEL LIKE GREETING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.

Developing events seem to have triggered a demand for custom-made t-shirts with slogans. Not just slogans but slogans with attitude.

What am I but a slave to trend. I decided there must be something to it all, otherwise how would the intrepid t-shirt sellers in Bangsar Village make decent money hawking t-shirts with kick-ass appeal, like SAMSING on a Samsung logo, Highly Sinister Banking Corporation for HSBC and the like.

Been thinking about a certain theme though, just to make those t-shirts with current appeal. TV Smith’s Uncle Ho might even like this idea, after the spectacular failure of his pirate DVD venture.

Some Slogan Suggestions:

1) Cobra Sultan. (Picture on t-shirt front shows a Ophiophagus hannah with a royal yellow Tanjak on its head)

2) Berkahwin dengan Jin.

3) Razak Baginda’s News Vendor…..and Proud of It

4) Razak Baginda’s Friendly Neighbourhood Security Guy.

5) PDRM’s Official C4 Supplier…..(t-shirt back reads…Semtex and other RDX based explosive also available)

6) Damansara Dark History Neighbourhood Tour Guide

7)  I went to Buddha Bar with Altantuya

8)  Last Parisian Escapade with a Mongolian Model

9) Private Investigator Services (t-shirt back copy reads Intimidation and Extortion service also available)

10) I played badminton with with a trial judge

11) I went for a holiday with the Chief Justice (y’all think anyone remembers this?)

12) High Profile DPP (t-shirt back copy reads…available one weeknight for badminton game)

13) Before you kill me I suicide first…

14) You Blew Me, now Let me Blow You….Up

15) Close Encounters of the UTK Kind

16) Private Investigation Services (t-shirt back reads Specialise in Nightly Visit to Hotel Rooms)

Ah….somebody stop me….

Hey all! I am back, a much rejuvenated, relaxed (slept 10 hours last night) and raring to go. Thanks for all the nice words n support during my three weeks of endless mental masturbation, rejection of ideas, back to drawing board, persevering through sheer hell.

Learnt a lot of life lessons during this time. Loyalty, dedication, unconditional kindness n love, the depth of friendship, tough love, how dogged determination and hard work will not fail u.

Twice in the past 5 days, I was saved from disaster by totally unexpected acts of kindness by two friends. To these two, i’d like to express my profound gratitude. You guys rock!!

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Also, I’d like to tell u guys (those who don’t know anyway) that tomorrow, the Green Fest takes place at Forest Research Institute of Malaysia in Kepong, Selangor.

I’ll be going there armed with a camera, and I hope to learn some new ways to contribute to the environmental cause. Each of us Earthlings have a duty to do so, so why don’t u guys head that way.

The Star newspaper seems to be involved in a big way (mebbe press sponsor). I’ve been seeing lots of articles during the past week about acitivies lined up. Read some of them here. Also, here’s the diary of events.

So those with family, bring your kids over to FRIM tomorrow. It will be a very nice way to spend your Sunday amidst the rich biodiversity of the FRIM grounds. See y’all there!

I’ve hit the proverbial wall as I write this. I am under serious deadline. The final show is next week and I am still stuck at half-baked ideas. For the past four hours I’ve been trying to perah otak.

Worked some…but i think I need a breather. So here I am. None of you would understand right now. But then I’m not making myself clear am I. I am afflicted with creative block. What an ambitious phrase. I’m afraid I am not 10% of that what that phrase promises.

 Aaaaaaargh! Generating original ideas is so freaking hard!!!! And I’m constipated….no one can help me but me. Can I have some mental laxative please? I’m well and truly screwed.

It’s all over the news (read here and here) in Malaysia. The Prime Minister gets hitched this Saturday. Rather attractive woman I must say. Pak Lah’s wedding is indeed a nice, happy news for us all. He said his bride Jean Danker or Jeanne Abdullah as she will now be known, can take care of him.

We Malaysians must indeed rejoice that a lonely man gets a partner to get older with. Congrats, best wishes and all those sort of things to Pak Lah and family.

As “children” of Malaysia, we kids certainly welcome the addition to the first family, a fact that the Prime Minister laughed off a few months ago when intrepid bloggers who (sometimes) can’t be shut up with a phone call broke the story. Ah….RPK. One of ‘em here as a cheeky reminder. Tsk Tsk Sheih…naughty but accurate.

Uncle Sam(y) of course has to outdo everyone else and he does it in style with a poem. Cool!

Now, the wedding will apparently be a small, family-only affair…oops sorry, wrong choice of words….i mean to say occasion. I applaud. It is indeed only dignified for two middle-aged people to want to marry without pomp and ceremony. Anyway, Raja Nazrin of Perak got married in a simple ceremony recently too, and spared the state coffers; a rare and refreshing gesture of circumspection from Malaysia’s royalty.

I think it is kinda sweet of the old guy to publicly say he fell in love…recently. Forgive me, whenever someone gets hitched, I always go into this teasing mode. Sheesh! Simply can’t help it. Well why not? Love knows no age….though a friend once said the older you are when u fall in love, the more troublesome it is.

Outgoing British PM Tony Blair actually had a baby while in office (his wife Cherie, rather). Which starts me speculating about my hitherto straightlaced view of No 10, Downing Street. Sitting Prime Ministers actually do it in the official residence eh? With their wives too….hmm.

Sorry I digressed too far away…

I wonder though, if this means Pak Lah will have a second honeymoon in three years…

Ah…Monday morning is greeted by another somber news. Bernama reported that Loga Arumugam (above, 3rd from right) of the hit Malaysian band Alleycats passed away after a battle with lung cancer. My condolences to David, his brother and his family.

The band whose songs many Malaysians at least 30 years of age and above must have sung or hummed to at least once in their lifetime, has lost an energetic, entertaining member.

Alleycats was one of the few multi-racial bands that delivered hits after hits during the late 70s, 80s and 90s in Bahasa Malaysia at a time when a non-Malay’s fluency in the language was a source of bemusement.

Who can forget songs like Suara Kekasih, Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu, Kerana Kau and the anthem of the 1990 KL SEA Games that was saw one of the best SEA Games showing by the Malaysian contingent, Thanks For The Memories. My own personal favourite was Sekuntum Mawar Merah.

 Farewell Loga, and TrimaKasaaaaaaayyyy for the Songs !

Update! The AG says the trial is postponed ‘cos Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Salehuddin Saidin who was leading the prosecution team had been seen playing badminton with trial judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin. - Bernama 

Aiyo!! Why laa? One little badminton game between two legal types, a giant mistake culminating in postponement of trial. Thing is, why was this not brought to the AG’s attention earlier.

However, I “like” this sudden attention to ethics on the judiciary and AG’s Chambers’ parts. There was a time in the Malaysia’s recent past lawyers and judges could on a holiday together.   Read the rest of this entry »

Viewing the world through camera lenses alters your perception in more ways than you know. I made this happy discovery quite a while ago, and this fuelled my love affair ever since. I have certainly started paying more attention to the little things around me in the recent years.

Malaysia is one of the biodiversity capitals of the world, so it certainly is home to many many bird species. I’d like to share some pictures of birds i found in my surroundings, and hopefully, you readers can help me name some of them. Here we go….

This bird was on a tree in front of Rumah Universiti, University Malaya in KL. It turned around a few seconds later n I got a closer shot….below.

Interesting bird. Could this be of the magpie family? I have not seen its like since. But hey, I live in Kuala Lumpur and I’m very lucky to see anything other than crows, pigeons, mynahs and house sparrows.

The one below is one I would have missed if it did not move. It was pretty small and heartbreakingly beautiful. See for yourself.

The above pic is also of the same type of bird (CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT SPECIES?) that I took at dusk at the Lake Gardens in Seremban. I think they may be bulbuls. Could be Olive Winged Bulbul or Yellow Vented Bulbul.

This pristine white confection of a bird is smaller than half my palm. This dainty little thing is a Java Sparrow, and I saw it not in the wild but at the kiddy zoo at Zoo Negara.

This pair found while walking at the KL Lake Gardens. Couldn’t get a better picture because I couldn’t get any closer and my hands were shaking. Looks like something of the sparrow family but I’m not ornithologist so enlighten me please.

This is a common bird that is lovely to look at. The Black-naped Oriole. I used to see it often in neighbourhoods with lots of trees and of course parks. Seen it near my house as a matter of fact, but these birds always stay far enough away to make it difficult for amateur old me to photograph.

I do have a collection of bird pictures from my forays around towns, villages and jungles. I’ll post more of them when I can. Meanwhile, enjoy yourselves ogling these winged darlings.

This site has some info of local birds that helped me a little.

 The day when water supply and distribution in Malaysia is totally privatised may not be a long way off, at the rate the rumbles r being felt. Selangor MB Dr Khir Toyo says the state government is looking at the forming a consortium to manage the water resource, supply and distribution.

 Selangor and Johor are the two states who have privatised water treatment and distribution in the country so far. The water demand in Selangor has increased almost exponentially in the last 15 years as steady migration to Klang Valley and increased industrial activities form the main reasons.

Now, this move will inevitably result in higher tariffs. Of course, you, you, you and YOU reading this will be screaming FOUL! But the reality is, water is a precious resource and we have taken it for granted for a long long time, thanks to government subsidies that kept it low.

 There WILL come a day, and it will not be long now, that the same government responsible for the 30 sen increase in petrol price would do the same with water supply subsidy. Mind you, we already have one of the lowest clean water tariffs in the region.

The Star reader Darren Khoo wrote a piece today expressing his hope that this won’t happen, but I must say I’m not optimistic about it. The reality is, the cost of treating and supplying water is spiralling (at least in the Klang Valley region)

The Selangor Dam in Kuala Kubu Baru was the last dammable place in Selangor and today it has three treatment plants run by Puncak Niaga and Splash. But the demand projections of 10 years ago predicted that after this year, Selangor would have to buy water from another state to meet the spiralling demand and a repeat of the 1998 water crisis.

Hence the Pahang water transfer pipeline project that drew a lot of brickbats from environmentalists for its ecological and social impact. Why does it have to come to this?

Because the government deems that its cozened citizens should be cozened further until they (the govt can’t bear the burden of subsidy) and then they will yank the rug from under the rakyat. Only one way to beat this people. Learn to treasure water.

I was told by a visiting French water treatment consultant in the 90s that we had it easy here. The French apparently paid the equivalent of RM5 per cubic metre of water when we were paying 50 sen. In Penang, domestic user rate is 31 sen.

Yes yes…the price of everything is going up these days. It will always be the middle class who will feel the pinch the most. However, water and energy rate increase will also have an accellerater effect on a lot of goods and services. In the long run, prudent water supply management and changing of our habits can only help us.

I will do my part today by bathing only once day : )