IpOhWaLlA iNc

was the weekend after christmas

2011-12-27T21:50:00.002Z

and it was a good weekend!! had good food, with good drink in the company of really good friends... and tomorrow it's back to work for 3 days before the new year celebrations.

so hows it been? as expected... not really...looking forward to 2012.. i don't really know how to say it so far.. still trying to gather myself from one whirlwind, and wondering if it's gonna be a little smoother ride then 2011.... or would i prefer it to be more of a rollercoaster?

let u know in a few weeks!

tracks

2011-11-27T21:51:00.003Z

a blistery week is forecast ahead... and somehow it all still feels too serene. a busy week seems to be looming ahead, but yet the psyche is at peace... am i in denial, or have i taken procrastination to a level too far behind in its' possible sense? winter looms even closer, but i keep feeling a new dawn is on the horizon.

maybe it's just the apprehension towards the new year, but there are no plans as of yet for what may come. some plans need to be thought of, but yet it seems to far and to vague to be of any concern just yet...

maybe some clues and even questions could arise in the next couple of weeks to come....and hope is eternal!!

week 2

2011-05-31T21:19:00.002+01:00

in case anyone is still reading this blog.. no there was no week one hehe... it's just an update from a very very busy month back... i spent the most of it chasing documents across international borders, and then back and forth to several recruitment agents.... and finally landed a job at an IT asset management warehouse, which mainly deals in resale and/or recycling.

It's a pretty straightforward job, but it's a bit far out of London. travelling time is not a problem.. cost is though. so hopefully when the overtime hours start to kick in, it'll be worth it. otherwise the hunt will have to be relaunched.

time will tell!

cool ideas

2011-04-08T15:03:00.000+01:00

saw this online on one of the sites i regularly keep track off.. and am constantly amazed at the things people come up with...

the following was one of the top 10 IKEA-hacks of 2010....

IKEA Hackers: Bedroom dress boys

but top prize for last year goes to the young genius who had to create his ideas out of sheer necessity!

IKEA Hackers: Turn your studio apartment into a 1 bedroom with P...

sweet!

MixTape.me

2011-04-05T15:18:00.001+01:00

found a site that lets you create your own playlists and play em ... no downloads needed... all u do is create an account, and ur set to go.. free!...

MixTape.me

so far so good.. some drawbacks of course... you need to know the songs you want to add... and as all databases go.. you don't always get the right match (sometimes it's live versions.. unless of course that's your style) or the system can't find your song.....

likey so far!

high drama

2011-03-27T19:31:00.001+01:00

u know sometimes u read news n u go.... Hhmm wonder what it was like there?

well yesterday there was a peaceful rally in London against the cuts , so there was a march, some talks ... all in all a rather festive feel to it.

of course when people flock together, they end up becoming a mob. a bunch of folks decided to do a Bahrain n occupy Trafalgar Square. alls well, nothing wrong with a sit in.

then another bunch of people decided to start targetting certain establishments , blaming them for avoiding taxes etc hence some vandalism in Oxford Street.

and where were we in all of this? no no, not the march but we wanted to do some shopping , n ended up in regent street, somewhere in between the fun mob n the yobs. so day went on mostly without drama , there was even some bagpipers n folks in costume.

late about 6 pm ish things started to get edgy. could somehow feel it in the air. so we thought of making a last stop at a sport store in Piccadilly, lo n behold there was a large presence of riot police.

we were still in the store when the fire alarm went of n we were evacuated! drama. noise outside! smoke in the air! we were part of news!!

once outside the police actually directed us away from the mob n we passed an alley right behind the store. some idiot had set fire to a vehicle (eavesdropped on a bobby for this juicy bit :p) n there was a crowd of morons busy taking pictures with their phones(!!!) ... we made a dash for it though. did consider stopping by tesco for some milk , but decided otherwise.

Jas n me then hightailed it outta there. headed towards the tube station at green park, yup after a roundabout way.

funny thing though, after reading about budget cuts n peoples plight , the only outcome of the rally n the mob that I perceived was more expenditure by the goby in cleaning up the mess left by these folks.

learn a new thing each day...

2011-03-13T11:11:00.009Z

went out for a TT session with Mex...and while messing around with the cam.. realised that i had forgotten to use a simple technique that i had read about early when i started fiddling around with me cam....sigh... guess this proves that there's no stopping learning as long as u keep pluggin' away!

going for a St Patricks Day parade today, with initial hope that i'd be able to garner some cool parade-y shots.. but woke this morning and the damn sky is overcast... siiggghh.. mother nature pulls another one over the bbc weather team again!

well, lets see if i can get some kind of result later!

update : bloody hell... not only overcast it rained for about half an hour n still very gloomy, skyline was actually obscured during that time... boo so no point heading into the city cos by the time we get there, the parade would be at it's tail end... talk about a dampener.... in more ways then one.

guess it's plan B then.. look for an irish bar n get some Stout to celebrate St P day!!

tale of two world cups

2011-03-09T22:49:00.005Z

tis was not long days past that i was sitting in a pub with me mates n bro watching the footie world cup, and somehow while it doesn't too long back, as i sat watching the cricket world cup matches last sunday... it somehow feels weirdly similar yet hugely different... not making much sense am i?

hehe .. well for starters never had much chance to follow cricket on tv as the local satelite tv provider (read : ASS-TRO) charged and still continue to charge unworldly amounts to subscribe to major events. hence, lack of coverage mostly equaled losing touch with the sport. but here, with most chances to watch it (on tv when i get the odd chance) on broadband over streaming websites (since i don't own a tv) i've re-kindled my shool-days connection with it! woohoo...

there have been some awesome matches so far... the Irish giving the English proper beating, the English drawing the Indians with a thrilling game, New Zealand upsetting the Pakistanis... will there be more? i hope so!!

on another note, hey it's St Patrick's Day celebration and Parade in London this weekend! woohoo... prob got chance to get some pics of some cool party-scene or even floats (dare i hope) at the least some drunk tourists probably competing with the locals over who can be more Irish! :D hopefully this weeks sunny weather holds!

hmmmmmm

2011-02-25T21:51:00.002Z

wow.. why has it been so long since my last post? wonder why eh....was it cos i was home most of the time? doubt it .. cos i do go out here n there... heck couple of weeks back i was at a travel technology exhibition for two days... fun stuff.. learnt a lot...

been going here n there for pics as well... but no posts....

i think it's down to being bored of sitting in front of the laptop.... mostly i'm here either busy searching and applying for jobs, downloading n watching tv series.... or just plain being an active member of the social media.....

so from here on .. let's re-kick start this journey. and look forward to new updates from myself soon! and if there's nothing in the next few days .. someone lemme know :P

pics

2010-11-26T20:33:00.007Z

last weekend we went to visit a chum of mine from school. he's been over here in the UK about 8 years now, finished his studies n been working for a while. settled down pretty nicely, n misses home, but i don't think he will go home. odd thing is, he says every year they been saying it's time to go back next year...and according to the wife she's heard that every year for the last five.

back where i asked him... to bolehland? and yes i did catch him hesitating...but i'm not against him or any other fellow malaysian who wants to return to do so. but i realised when i came over a few months back, it's one thing to uproot yourself and move to another country on the opposite side of the world, but it's another thing altogether to pack up after spending some time to move back.

why? u miss so many things back home (well i don't miss much .... yet, but that's the usual argument) food, people, places etc. sure u do! but then i miss a lot of places i've been and want to go back to.

why? everything back home also so maju adi (progressed already)... yeah but is it the same? will u be able to fit in back home the way you've been living and earning over here (or anywhere else non-bolehland).

well i donno. i've got pals who have moved back.... n regretted it. some haven't. was i being naughty in asking my friend that question? not really, cos in all fairness, i was just gathering as much feedback as possible, about the emotions and rationale behind making such a decision when the time comes for me to ponder the same scenario. till then.. i'll keep on clicking and typing!

happy thanksgiving all!

gloomy

2010-11-11T13:52:00.002Z

the outlook... nah .. just the weather outside. seems the last few days have seen some solidly cloudy days, with the occasional shower, and the temperature is dropping steadily. today however it's been pouring ... yes u read it right... not the usual english drizzle and light rain but downpour equivalent to tropical showers back home. and the wind.... wow... it feels like sitting in a car wash during the blow dry cycle with the windows down.... that strong and loud!

but as all gloom there is always light at the end of the tunnel... in this case the weekend. forecast is sunny and with me just coming out of a sore throat and fever slump myself, sunny weather looks to be a good outcome all around!

yeay!!

complete!

2010-10-27T15:57:00.001+01:00

hahah broadband finally on! and me is online.. so officially here's the unofficial first blog from here in Stratford!!

well not much to say but Ello there!! :D

more to come!

normal life resumes

2010-10-14T19:02:00.002+01:00

yes if relocating is considered normal hehe.. well initial relo was to move across the world, n then the next one is to move into a new place... so now that is done! and after the last couple weeks, it seems life has settled into a normal sort of style...except for the lack of broadband, all else is in place.. and now we're just waiting the arrival of our next home-mate..my wifey's bro is coming up to london as he also just got employed here in London. so it's more normal then ever, as it's the original trio in penang are soon to reconvene!!

at home

2010-09-22T18:48:00.000+01:00

so as the semester comes to an end, my wifey needed to look for a new place. luck has it the my bro-in-law also moving here so we can get an aprment together. After a lot of searching n heartache we finally got out own place.

it's furnished with the minimum furniture n appliances, so we manger to clean up n then move in with minimum fuss. our stuff is still in storage, but slowly the place is beginning to resemble our own home.

oh added bonus is a great view, as we are on the 7th floor facing the up n coming olympic grounds. pics soon to follow once we choose n install the broadband.

happy 33 to me

2010-09-09T17:12:00.004+01:00

yes it's another milestone... and this year my wifey took me for a holiday to Hamburg to enjoy an excellent outing with a good friend and his family. we had an excellent time and am even more in love with Hamburg the 2nd time around. now i realise more n more why Balley keeps saying "Hamburg mein perle"

(trying out an app introduced to my by BK Chu. Hope you like it :))

Hamburg Trip 2010 Slideshow: Deepak Sharma’s trip from London, United Kingdom to Hamburg, Germany was created by TripAdvisor. See another Hamburg slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

"we all dream of a team of carraghers"....

2010-09-05T01:02:00.010+01:00

as the song goes... indeed befitting of the man himself, nay the legend he has become!

it's late and i'm too sleepy to write right now... so here are the pics. commentary and details on the morrow then!

alrite.. here's the updates:

the day started really early and after getting the morning train, was in Liverpool for breakfast at 9.30. spent some time going around the stores in Liverpool One, and decided to get my matchday memorabilia there.

made my way there by bus about 11-ish. more and more people turned up, and at 12.30, they opened the turnstiles into the ground.

after a match which raised GBP 25K for the 23 Foundation (Jamie's charity) they had some presentations, and then the teams took to the ground to warm up.

Dudek was the first to appear, and he was duly given a standing ovation by the crowd.

well, then the whole team were out, and not forgetting Everton too, who had some of their former stars in Lee Carsley, Francis Jeffers (bbooo) etc with their current stars (Arteta, Osmen, Hibbert, to name a few).

but two young uns caught everyones eyes. Jamie's kids were having a good kick-about at the Kop end. the boy, got some good shots, but the gal, well she's got her father's tackling skills, nicking the ball of her brother with some tenacity at times.

a major surprise to all the crowd was the appearance of Reds captain Stevie G, who wasn't expected to turn up (after leading England to beat Bulgaria 4-0 just the previous night in Wembley, and was supposed to be heading to Switzerland for the next match). Together with former Reds Jason McAteer, Gary Mcallister, Danny Murphy, Michael Owen, Emile Heskey, Stephen Warnock, Stephen Wright, Steve Finnan, David Thompson and Luis Garcia, they warmed up with current stars such as Joe Cole, Ryan Babel, Jay Spearing and new boys Paul Konchesky, Jonjo Shelvy, Suso, etc.

so onto the next parts, after the lineup were presented to the crowd, came the normal (to the Kop at least) pregame rituals. the giant flag was passed from one end to the other.... and then passed to the lower terrace where it was passed over ME!! heheh woo was so cool!

then i managed to get a few more pre-match shots of Jerzy thanking the crowd who were singing his song, and then of Carra himself, before putting away the camera to join the Kop in the awesome rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone! i could have just died happy there hehe.

well then it was on to the game! i kept my camera at this stage cos i wanted to enjoy the match! yes hard to imagine but i just had to hehe. luckily i did, cos in the 2nd minute Luis Garcia opened scoring with a beauty from the left!! he looks like he never left. Owen kept getting boos each time he touched the ball, but after about half hour, they turned to cheers (well in most part at least). Stevie was subbed after 10 minutes to be replaced by pal Danny Murphy who had a good game as well. and turns out, ex LFC manager Gerrard Houllier was in sitting next to current boss Roy Hodgson in the dugout!

it was great! and the game was played at mostly good pace, not entirely a friendy with some good tackles going in, and some comedic moments by both sides (Lee Carsley wanting a penalty, but not given, referee gave him a yellow and a smack at the back of his head haha, Macca and Mcateer goofing around, Carra scoring an own goal penalty!) classic. each time Macca had the ball, the crowd would yell "Shooooot!" even though he was in his own half while facing his own goal haha.

it was also cool to see the new guns in action. Joe Cole was superb with his passing, and Babel is fast! towards the end, there were a lot of subs used (a lot of new uns from the academy, and some new signings). Paul Konchesky looks to be able to fit in well on left defence, and new signing Suso looks lethal although he only had like 10 minutes play.

in the end it was a great fun outing, with a good atmosphere, good end result, and good fun day! got back to London by 9 ish, and now can't wait to get to another match! a proper competitive one this time!

first of many

2010-09-03T22:36:00.002+01:00

well hopefully at least. i am looking forward to tomorrows day trip out of London, as i'm making my way up north attend a certain match celebrating a certain long serving player of a certain beloved club of mine :D

so although it's a day trip but i am soooo excited, to be able to see some of the greats in action, cheer some past heroes and maybe boo a couple of traitors (yes that's you Owen) :p

all goes to plan then this time tomorrow i should have some pics up yeay!

different

2010-08-27T19:07:00.007+01:00

as days pass here, u initially take notice of all the small things here that you wouldn't normally see in everyday life. i mean granted a lot of the things are different like public transport, weather, culture, food etc. but actually these actually lend itself to effect other items.

exhibit a: this stack of books here in the picture. usually at home, you'd have to pay a hefty amount to get a chance to read these 10 books, even if you buy from the second hand/charity/novelty stores.

and how much did i kena, u ask? GBP 9.90. for the whole stack. not each, all!

like sheesh. i know back home we pay extra taxes for foreign books, but u'd think second hand stuff should be at least cheaper but it's much cheaper here. and from what i hear, there are other shops which give em for a cheaper rate.

and one good thing is, with the public transport (tube etc) you have more then enough time to read, and you'll be able to get thru the book faster then usual also heheh.

exhibit b : on my left i present an ordinary glass. wait let me correct myself. it's a McDonald contour glass which at home u get after buying a Contour Meal (Large value meal + Sundae), but here u get it with just a large meal! well it's no biggie, just u know ... you don't need to pay so much eh? (disclaimer here: take it at a 1:1 la)

well, until next time then!

mia

2010-08-26T11:54:00.001+01:00

yes i admit! been slacking off major league style... so is this the new layout? nah... just been fiddling around... trying somethings.. see how it looks... but i think i'm back on the bandwagon now? hehehe...

no the blog did not die, no i did not get cutoff from the internet... so give it a few days, but i should have the new and final (i hope) template sorted out!!

in the blue corner....

2010-07-25T13:03:00.013+01:00

here's a quick shot of the new heavyweight .. sitting peacefully in the blue corner....the Airbus A 380!

there were a whole lot of planes on display, and some great airshows. To be up close n personal with those engineering marvels, and to hear them roar, scream and screech across the sky while flipping and slicing their way through the clouds was AWESOME! Blowback from the A 380's takeoff and the smell of burnt rubber lingering in the air after it landed .... all this a mere 500 feet away from the crowd!

more pics to follow :)

hhmm trying out diff layouts and settings, but seems the same pic you can't view in the cropped version. So here's the original shot (the cropped version now on Flickr).

have wings, can fly

2010-07-24T01:19:00.003+01:00

Yeay.. first official weekend of London starts today (last week was in Glasgow :p) n started off with a get-together with a friendi who was down from Hull.. yes the one and only G made an appearence to meet us , well technically she's down to attend the AR Rahman concert but i guess we'll take it.

After some malaysian food in the city, we proceeded to meet Ling at Planet Hollywood... n she made us our drinks. Lepak-ed(!) there for a bit.. had another round n then cabut back by tube (sigh... no mamak. terus balik about 11 ish).

Tomorrow is promising to be a more fun day!

We're going down to Farnborough to check out the bi-annual airshow. Ooh. many new planes on show, and some old one, with airshows etc to look forward to. (http://www.farnborough.com/Site/Content/Farnborough2010/default.aspx)

Sunday should be a short trip to the RAF Museum for history lesson involving planes again!! Yeay!

phew

2010-07-22T01:25:00.005+01:00

finally .. here i am .. after two months of hokey-pokeying around, getting stuff packed, moved, cleared, sold, etc etc; finally here i am ....

where? in a land far away from home . yet close to home as the heart can be. London, England. The motherland if u know what i mean. so what am i doing here? well officially i'm a bum. means me is lookin for some form of employment. unofficially? woohoo loong holiday!

after getting here n meeting the missus (she didn't like the hat :( ) n spending a few days with her, I headed off north to see Glasgow with a close friend. Saw the highlands. Felt the call. And heck, i think i'm gonna be going up there again. it's awesomely beautiful. plain, natural beauty. superb. weather was shite as it was pissing down the day we went on our day trip, but magically, stopped at each stop we were scheduled to make.

To my pals who think i've fallen off the side of the earth.. hang on there. not just yet. just only managed to get somewhat settled and got me back online. so keep tuned folks. I have not forgotten u guys :) Cheers from 10 000 km away :)

what the...

2010-06-15T18:05:00.002+01:00

heheh just kidding.. it's been a whirlwind few weeks of packing, cleaning, throwing, sorting... and this is just the clothes in the cupboard....not to mention the remainder of the apartment sigh.... well anyway who am i kidding.

it's full steam ahead now.. and the countdown seems to be blazing across the screen of my days like a mistakenly pulled wire (aka Lost where Sawyer pulls the wire n Sayeed saves em by running away with .. )wait a minute.. i'm digressing here.

so news is out .. the days are getting shorter.. and what do i do ..escape! to the east hahah getaway from the chaos for some RnR before coming home n wiping the apartment floor clean!! well figuratively speaking anyway.

so... hopefully when the smoke clears on June 30th.. i'll be left standing with the keys n access card in hand to pass it over to my landlord. till later...

Plans

2010-05-22T18:31:00.003+01:00

since my last post, i had planned to do a bunch of stuff, which needed doing. but i don't know if i'm turning into procrastinator maximus or just can't get my head straight or just can't sit my butt down to do them? hhmmm

wanted to get a new layout for this blog (thanks Chu for the ideas) but kept putting it off, wanted to get some paperwork done, haven't even gotten to em. needed to settle some mechanical gizmos around the house, but my tools are gathering dust. wanted to do some DIY, but i guess it ended up being DDIY.

so where does that leave me? chasing time? don't think so... that seems to be in abundance. organising myself? always thought i was pretty good at that.
lazy? maybe. distracted?

sorry my mind was elsewhere hehe. So..

thinking back, this weekend also brings to close about the last 6 years of my life. it comes in the form of series finales of two long running TV series of which i am a huge fan and ardent follower (more on that in my other blog).

got me a long weekend from today onwards. would i be able to make full use of it? here's to kicking it off with a saying from a very wise man dressed in white and green, with a logo on his chest and a glass helmet to compliment his green wings, "To Infinity... AND Beyond!!"

time

2010-05-11T05:17:00.002+01:00

soo many things to do, so little time.. or is it.. or am i just not plannning properly? attention all over the place, can it be called attention then? hehe

well hope it's get clearer in the next few weeks... in the meantime,,, summers already in full swing...yeay!!

2010

2010-03-31T14:08:00.002+01:00

wow it's already end of Q1.. literally. boy it's flown by eh... in that short time i've managed to squeeze a trip in to see my wifey in the motherland....with a side trip to Madrid n Lisbon, and then managed to get back into the rhythm of working life... apparently it ain't that easy.

Thoughts about seeking newer pastures, in this case foreign pastures, while the effort has been ongoing, is taking time. So what's next? how much more online applications can i keep sending out before frustration sets in? who knows... hasn't set in yet :p

How long before i get bored of my current job, which is getting a little edgy already? Politicking from across the seas, selective budget restraints and lack of conviction n clarity on this side of the ocean all seems to be slowly building up. Am I already not bothered with my current job? I hope not! I still feel i give more then the required 100%, but is it enough?

time will tell... but then .. it's up to me decide on the time line!

2010-03-03T13:16:00.002Z

sigh... been like this for the last few WEEKS.... i know it's not as bad as some parts of the world... but for our normal weather.. this ain't!!

this is night weather... and with the tropical humidity to add to the mix! thankfully it rained a couple of nights back, but it's not getting cooler just yet. Meteorological dept says it's gonna be another MONTH .. aarrghh... sick of having 3-5 showers a day! sit in front of the PC at home and i'm sweating within 3 minutes.... com on alredy. RAIN RAIN RAIN!!!

not making enough money

2010-02-28T18:34:00.002Z

my wifey used to love to listen to THR (local station currently owned by Astro) on weeknights cos they had 4 hours of Hindi/Punjabi songs / request radio program. While i used to get really (really) annoyed at the DJs for all the yapping and the consistently crappy ads... i found the occasional change from the other stations a very welcome switch.

However, couple of weeks back, after i got back from my 2 month period of here, not here, here again, not here... i tuned into THR a few times during weekends to hear..... no Hindi songs. Initially thought i had the days mixed up or some programming reshuffle had happened.. but after a few more attempts....i thought to myself.. hhmm lets google it up.

and this is what i found

well while i was smirking to myself, i was also aghast that there would be nothing else but repeated songs on other stations.
Oddest thing was though, this statement from the radio station itself...

in an SMS response, said it was “not axing the programme as Hindi songs are being played in between (HUH?)

and this one

The simple reason is it is not making money. However, Hindi Power will continue over the airwaves in the East Coast.

what the....

with all the crappy ads they had and still not make enough money? If so cancel altogether la.. why have it on east coast and not west coast? what's the rationale? i donno. Do you?

My guess is, that in a minority race of people in this nation, the even smaller minority in the race have been sidelined with a whallop. Never mind that the appeal for Bollywood music is huge amongst our nation's majority race.

Well for me, i found the best alternative( large thanks to my pal Balley and to my wifey for reminding me haha).
BBC Asian Network

Channel is in English (strong British accents) and mixed regularly with Hindi and Punjabi, 24 hours (instead of 4!! ps:screw you THR) and it's more awesome!!
(only downside is this is online la, so no crusing around town singing along to the latest melody from Mumbai )

movies!

2010-02-27T12:14:00.002Z

most of u guys now i'm a bit of a movie minded maniac-y individual... so i've decided to add a different outlet for my movie news etc....

so for all me mates who wanna get updates etc on movies, series etc, and wanna share reviews etc please go check it out!

http://ipohwallamoviemania.blogspot.com/

caught!

2010-01-24T18:59:00.007Z

finally!

Xmas Xchange Ndeed

2009-12-26T07:47:00.005Z

Hhmmm had an office Xmas do yesterday. Well firstly I need to wish all a merry Xmas. Now on to biz.

With all the usual food and fun, we received the following for door gifts :

yes it's bath/shower gel.

So on to the xchange. Mind u we were told to get minimum rm 15. N this is wat I got :

'no comment'

wat a december...

2009-12-16T05:06:00.003Z

wow...been way too long ... and been too much happening that i haven't uploaded, updated or pinged about...
well for starters after a 3-day training, two weddings, with an overseas holiday thrown in for good measure all in all put me waaay off my internet connections

so in summary i've been bhangra'd, been desi'd, been trained, signed up to tweet n also wave, so here's to my re-connection to the world wide web!!

day off... or is it??

2009-11-09T01:48:00.003Z

phew.. what a long week. off the back of working a long week (4-days!) then covering a colleague on Sunday (makes 5!!) ok wat... at least got 3 more days off... or do i?

right now i'm sitting in Kia, getting my car serviced @ 130K. well it hasn't touched the magical number yet, but really really close la. so why not wait? well between the next few weekends of not being around and like a millions small things to do at home, i don't foresee any other free day ahead.

so i guess this will set me up good for the next few weekends traveling down south. phew .... deep breath.. phew...

and the award goes to...

2009-11-03T17:47:00.002Z

yes it's the biggest clearest outdoor live game display in a foodcourt/mamak/bar ever!

was in Kay-El a couple of weeks back and met up with ma dudes... and wow.. was dumbstruck ....and it was clear too.. not grainy like some foodcourts around here that project onto a wall.... fuyoh! wonder wat the atmosphere is like to watch a live match there....

phew...

2009-10-13T17:56:00.002+01:00

where have the days gone by..?? wow.. been awhile since last posting something here.

nothing new though... sleepy days ahead, supposed to enjoy my off days, but the damn flu bug finally got me down.... been fighting it off since Thursday... so here's to another double dose of meds n vitamins.... should sort it out by the time i need to be back to work....

on the flipside.... Fall is here... means the TV series are back! woo hoo...

a weekend off

2009-09-29T16:34:00.004+01:00

last weekend i met up with the "sifu's" of clicky-clicky and went for a sharing (more of an edu) session...the usual suspects below:

sifu 1.... who also doubled up as the lightman, deflector man, etc.

sifu 2 .... sifu with the "biggest" cannon

sifu 3.... model!!

(BIG BIG TQ to FY cos without model, no shoot!)

drive back last week

2009-09-28T09:27:00.003+01:00

was coming home last mid-week and due to the holiday situation, i got into a few crawls over the span of 3-4 days. so was hoping for a smooth drive back when 15 minutes onto the highway, i heard a traffic announcement about an overturned trailer blocking the highway about 9 km ahead.... lo and withhold the traffic started to snarl up just ahead of me....

as i was preparing myself for the next minutes, or hours ahead i suddenly realized i had my camera with me... so to pass the kilometers and minutes away.... click! click!... experimenting etc...

and was please with some cool shots... the one below is of my fellow passenger for this ride....

some of the others i posted to my flickr

published!!

2009-09-25T09:04:00.004+01:00

yeay! today we got confirmation my babes masters project paper is finally published in an online science journal.. Science Direct to be exact.... woo hoo ... international beb!!

far far away

2009-09-22T14:47:00.003+01:00

last saturday my babes took a long flight to start a new part of her life adventure, which i always kid her to be part of 'my' retirement plan... well this leg is a long one, 3 years minimum actually.
here's to wishing you all the best for ur work from here on, jaan.

so of course she's left to start her research, and i'll now start my search to be able to join her.. all in due time if course. i miss her of course, but due to technology, i AM glad that i'm able to see her and speak to her each day. i miss her of course, but at the same time it's bachelor time again ;p

hopefully time flies by fast, cos i got my MAS tickets at a rate cheaper then AirAsiaX (thanks Vicknaes for the heads up!!) due to a special promotional rate they were having just last weekend, so i'll be flying in to see ma babes on January end!

most of the titles we won't see here

2009-09-17T12:50:00.002+01:00

read an article today for the International Film Festival held in Toronto lately... very nice read.. but while going thru some of the reviews, i realise that most of em ain't gonna see the light of day in Bolehland..

excerpt from the article:

It’s where George Clooney (here with “Up in the Air” and “The Men Who Stare at Goats”) and Oprah Winfrey (fronting for the Sundance hit “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”) sell the celebrity goods, giving journalists 10 minutes of face time and sidelined fans high-wattage smiles. It’s also where Werner Herzog unveiled one of the best movies of his career (“Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans”) and one of the worst (“My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?”).

makes u wonder how far our so called society has progressed socially and artistically. I always snicker at the anti-piracy ad in local cinemas, u know which one i'm talking about. It's got the tagline "malaysia produces great movies...." while burning a poster of .. wait for it... Cicakman....

need i say more.

so anyway, go ahead, take a read of the full article and if even half of the movies in that festival make it here, i'll put my movie downloads on hold for 2 days. heck, i may even go internet-less for a whole day ..... any takers?

special day

2009-09-11T17:17:00.004+01:00

we don't normally do cakes, nor are we big on flowers, choco's or parties. So sometimes we try to surprise each other with simple means to usher in special occasions.

so tonight my jaan wanted to grab some desert on the way home, but missed the turning and gave up on the idea. and voila! inspired, i rushed out after she dozed off, and returned in time to wake her up with with this>

I love you jaan. here's to spending another adventurous, joyful year ahead with you. MUAH!!

sslluurrpp! hhhmmm

2009-08-15T12:28:00.000+01:00

THANKS AMAR!!! woohoo heheheh

fake trailer actually ends up in pre-production

2009-08-12T03:28:00.003+01:00

remember last years Tarantino - Rodriguez's tribute film "Grindhouse" which was two movies back-to-back paying homage to slash flicks of the old.. it had a trailer in between the two movies (which was of cause a fake trailer). but this latest piece of news is more than interesting to say! set to be released sometime in 2010... (synopsis from comingsoon.net is attached below the article)

The Big Surprise - 'Machete': Weirdest Cast Ever?

It started as a joke, but one of the fake trailers from 2008's "Grindhouse" is becoming a real movie. Robert Rodriguez, the director of "Desperado," "Sin City" and the "Spy Kids" trilogy, has begun work on "Machete," which began as a preview that ran before his "Planet Terror" segment of the double-feature he made with Quentin Tarantino.

For the full-length movie, Rodriguez has assembled one of the most eclectic casts ever: Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Don Johnson and Lindsay Lohan. They will join the stars of the original trailer: Danny Trejo, Jeff Fahey and Cheech Marin.

In the movie, Machete (Trejo), a former Mexican Federales, is hired to assassinate a corrupt senator (De Niro). But then he is double-crossed and pursued by a government agent (Alba). Lohan plays a gun-wielding socialite who comes to Machete's aid, and Seagal plays a drug lord from his past. Filming has already begun in Austin, TX, and it will most likely hit theaters next year.

(From Comingsoon.net)

The feature version of the trailer finds Machete (Trejo) a renegade former Mexican Federale, roaming the streets of Texas after a shakedown from drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal). Reluctantly, Machete takes an offer from spin doctor Benz (Fahey) to assassinate McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) a corrupt Senator. Double crossed and on the run Machete braves the odds with the help of Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a saucy taco slinger, Padre (Cheech Marin) his "holy" brother, and April (Lindsay Lohan) a socialite with a penchant for guns. All while being tracked by Sartana (Jessica Alba), a sexy ICE agent with a special interest in the blade slinger.

extreme indeed!

2009-08-11T16:11:00.001+01:00

Woah... Yesterday was in cold storage... and happened upon this odd flavour of a quite fav snack. N since it HAS been a while since I had this fav snack , why not test it out.

The wife was in agreement, so once home the test was on.

Wow. As the name suggests it is extreme indeed! Not one for the faint hearted , this one packed quite a wallop per crunchy bite. Hhhmmmm syok! But it did cost me some good night kisses as the mrs could not stand the strong smell of this new flavour.

As I soon found out later, seems my bottom lip too was to suffer. Numbness! Dang. But well worth it. Never since a certain chilli limon flav have I been content with chips. Now where can I get some Mountain Dew?

Love Aaj Kal

2009-08-02T18:09:00.004+01:00

we went to see a new movie playing .. and had family come along as well... thought it would be an ok movie so why not...

with Saif Ali Khan being the current "top" star and Deepika Padukone as the sweet new thing...turned out to be a great movie. While most people would call it a love story, it was different. The main theme (which talks about love now and then...) was very creatively depicted, with good dialogue n superb shots. Nice "twist" to an eaverage love story, full entertainment.

Superb! Fantastic!!

go watch!!

waaaaa

2009-07-31T10:12:00.000+01:00

new update :
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/31/nation/4427187&sec=nation

Datuk nabbed in drug bust

GEORGE TOWN: A 52-year-old Datuk was among five men arrested during a drug bust in Sungai Dua in which police seized one million Erimin 5 pills worth RM20mil.

Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob said all the suspects were from Penang except for the Datuk, a businessman who is involved in a tyre business in Selangor.

He said the Datuk has five previous convictions including theft, firearms and corruption.

On Tuesday night, policemen from the Bukit Aman and Penang Narcotics Crime Investigation Department raided a lorry parked behind a restaurant in Sungai Dua at 11.30pm and found the Erimin pills.

Big haul: Police showing some of the Erimin 5 pills and part of the RM558,013 in cash seized during a drug bust in Sungai Dua, George Town on Tuesday night

Police surprised five men, including the Datuk, who were transferring the drugs in boxes from the lorry to a car.

Police seized 10 boxes containing one million Erimin pills and 374gm of powdered ketamine from the suspects, aged 20 to 50.

DCP Ayub said police had been monitoring the syndicate for five months before conducting the raid.

“We believe the syndicate used the Penang International Airport as their hub in importing the pills from Taiwan.”

DCP Ayub said they are trying to determine how the pills were smuggled into the country without being detected when the consignment arrived at the cargo terminal.

He said the pills, all packed in a blister strip of 10, would be sold at RM20 a pill.

In a follow-up raid, police arrested eight more suspects — six men and two women — at different locations in the state.

“Some RM3.5mil worth of goods were seized from all 13 suspects including RM558,013 in cash,” DCP Ayub said.

The goods included nine cars — two Mercedes-Benzes, a BMW, two Hondas, a Toyota Wish, a Perodua Myvi, a Proton and a Volkswagen — worth approximately RM1.9mil, six luxury watches worth RM741,000, some RM218,435 in jewellery and electrical appliances worth RM30,000.

DCP Ayub said that besides the Datuk, four other suspects had criminal records, mainly drug-related cases.

The Datuk and six others have been held under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the mandatory death sentence on conviction.

The remaining six have been remanded until Aug 4 as they are being investigated under Section 3(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (Special Preventive Measures) 1985.

late night drama...

2009-07-28T18:35:00.003+01:00

so for those who saw my Facebook status...know what these pics are about...

for those who didn't... go read my status message in FB!

UPDATE: this was my update in FB -

woah late nite drama.... 3 suspicious looking vans, suddenly out of the blu 4 cars zoom in, a footchase is on! lots of shouting , guns waving about etc... spills onto the main road... brakes squealing ...more people running... no it's not a new cop show on TV.. happened 20 minutes ago behind the shoplots behind my apartment!!

2nd UPDATE : it was a drug bust!! >

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/30/nation/4419301&sec=nation

game day!

2009-07-28T08:07:00.001+01:00

woo hoo .. the day arrived.. and with the tickets in hand i set off with some close friends and relatives.. onwards to watch the game. and boy was it worth it!! atmosphere was electric, crowd was good, some excellent display from the reds and a thumping for the lions! what more can i say!!
well now the appetite is whet. the drive is fueled. and hunger pangs have begun.... what else can top this off? well to Anfield (on a game day) of course! woo hoo...

some pics below of the day>

going south

2009-07-24T20:19:00.001+01:00

geographical speaking that is...

woo hoo.. heading to Singapore for the weekend... really looking forward to it.... my beloved Reds are in town for the next leg of the pre-season Asia Tour.

hopefully can get some nice shots.... more importantly hope to enjoy a smashing time!!

conversations

2009-07-23T10:06:00.007+01:00

i had an interesting exchange with my friend, who seemed pretty distracted today after finishing lunch... went exactly like this:

me : "Pau?"

friend: "what how?"

(tried my luck further)
"Chiat Hau! = he's another colleague

"WHAT Chiat Hau?!?"

"Lee Chiat Hau laaa" (wahahahah)

eerr.......

O.O

return of the mammals...

2009-07-14T16:39:00.002+01:00

managed to catch the third installment of everyone's fave ice age mammals... heheh boy it was fun!

Hero was of course Buck (marvelously characterized by Simon Pegg ... those going huh would be wise to think back to Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Run Fat Boy Run and most recently the reboot of Star Trek as his other outings)!!

while not reaching the earlier heights of the previous two prequels, this one had more then it's fair share of laughs ..(even had me missus in stitches at some parts... no mean feat that!)

so while i did miss the Depp/Bale outing (hope to catch tat soon) next up should be Harry Potter's latest.
Anyone wanna join me on Thursday?

Green Lantern cast

2009-07-11T10:19:00.002+01:00

caught this interesting bit of news on the web today ...

Ryan Reynolds cast as "Green Lantern"

Source: Reuters Fri Jul 10, 2009, 11:18 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After an intense months-long search, Warner Bros. has chosen Ryan Reynolds to play the title character in "Green Lantern," the studio's live-action movie based on the DC Comics hero.

Reynolds and his representatives entered negotiations for the part Friday, after the studio held two rounds of screen tests for the actor, Bradley Cooper and Jared Leto. Justin Timberlake also did a screen test.

The film is being directed by Martin Campbell and produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti.

One reason for the lengthy search process was that De Line, Campbell and the studio each had a different favorite among the finalists, making it difficult to come to a consensus.

If the deal is completed, it would make Reynolds the only actor to have played heroes for both Marvel and DC. He recently starred in a comic-book movie, 20th Century Fox's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," in which he played Deadpool, also known as the Merc with a Mouth. The character is being developed for a spin-off in which Reynolds will star. He also played Marvel's vampire hunter Hannibal King in "Blade: Trinity."

"Lantern" is Reynolds second stab at a DC Comics hero. A few years ago, he was attached to play the comic company's speedster "The Flash."

(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)

yes .. he of Van Wilder fame is set to be the next superhero movie star... questions is .. will he be able to carry of the movie by himself? previous roles in superhero movies has him as a supporting character (Blade III, Wolverine). Looking forward to it though ...

nobody loves him....

2009-07-08T13:48:00.001+01:00

well wel.. in this already crazy transfer market.. we've recently seen SAF going for a free on a maybe past due date striker and the response from my pals haven't been all that hot.. seems they may be sharing a sentiment right from OT...

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
No one wants an Owen shirt

Soccernet staff

It's lucky for Michael Owen that Sir Alex Ferguson rates him, because Manchester United supporters certainly do not. Since he signed on Friday, the club shop has yet to receive a single request for an Owen shirt.

Owen: no one likes him. (Empics)

This evidences just how widely the dissatisfaction with his purchase is felt; very few supporters feel that he is good enough to play for the team, and just as many are resentful of having an ex-Liverpool player in the squad.

An employee at United's megastore commented that:

"We haven't got his number yet, which might have had an effect, [but] we are not expecting a big demand even when that is known. As far as I know, no one has asked for [it]".

i swear my car is a decepticon....

2009-06-29T18:02:00.002+01:00

damn i knew it.. all the while he was threatening.. and today i found him out! it's proven!... son-of-a-gun knew i had some extra cash this month .... and just in time for my appointment to check on some noises in the car..... found out i had to change some essential (read : expensive) parts due to wean tear.. aarrggghhhh....sigh .. now need some extra overtime....

sad day in the entertainment world

2009-06-26T13:55:00.004+01:00

wow i didn't realise that some time has passed since my last post.. which was about the passing of an 70s icon... and last friday two more icons have passed as well. One was a TV icon who battled her last days against cancer, the other was a musical legend (yes i'll say it.. no matter what he was accused of) who changed the music industry almost singlehandedly.

RIP Michael Jackson

RIP Farah Fawcett

'Grasshopper' is no more

2009-06-04T18:37:00.002+01:00

Actor David Carradine found dead in Bangkok (AP)

BANGKOK - Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room and was believed to have committed suicide.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.

For full story see the article in this Yahoo article.

what did u d this weekend?

2009-06-02T15:56:00.004+01:00

after a while, since i returned from my trip around central Europe with the missus, i had a weekend in Penang (last 2 weekends involved going home to see the parents, going for a photo workshop etc).

So i had a nice relaxing Sunday with my wifey, relaxed, watched a DVD at home just the basic lepak!

Monday was badminton day, woo hoo, nice to workout after a month out of action! and then we took an evening drive after she got back from work, and went to check out the Penang Floral Fest. not bad, but the range there seems limited. Cool bonsai and orchids though.

Tuesday was equally nice. Chu needed to get some shots for some project of his, so me and George tagged along.

Went to this waterfall>

it's almost on the other side of the island, about a 5 minute trek from the main road, and it's quietly cool. best part is u can't hear the road or lorries on it once u'r there.

well need to make a trip back there without the camera...

We then made our way down to Balik Pulau for some famous Asam Laksa... ooh sedapnya!!

hehehe. guess there's much more to find in Penang.

bloody executives

2009-05-23T02:50:00.002+01:00

yes yes it's a rant again .... this time against tv executives who are more concerned with the ratings numbers then actual quality content of the show.

Tis the time of the year when some shows wind down, and reach the end of their respective journeys, while some need to be actually pushed out the proverbial studio doors. Some however, get the rug pulled out from under them, get shoved into a small packing box, and get shipped to some smaller channel for syndication!

We've seen some great shows run it's course :
ER - 15 seasons,
Boston Legal - 5 seasons,
My Name is Earl - 4 seasons,
Without A Trace - 7 seasons
Prison Break had a good run of 4 seasons,
while Terminator : Sarah Connor Chronicles was done after 2 seasons.

But the biggest shockers were some of the shows i actually enjoyed watching cos they were damn good!
> Eleventh Hour (1season!)
> Reaper (2 seasons! but this one i saw coming...)
> Life (2 seasons!)
> Life on Mars (1 bloody good season!!)

sigh.... when will these idiots realise that Nielsen ratings is not the only way to judge the shows they have....
now we look towards the fall lineup to see what kind of replacements they have.

back in action...

2009-05-20T17:45:00.004+01:00

woo hoo hooo..... woah... what a last few weeks.... my wifey and i covered 6 cities in 4 countries over 18 days.... had some great times with some old friends in both Amsterdam and Hamburg, made some cool friends in Amsterdam, while in the process met up some old friends in London and Liverpool.... ooh ooh speaking of Liverpool......

i went there....

yup ... u be ur bottom dollar i was there ... oops sorry honey .. WE were there hehe.... ;) met a couple of legends... literally! woohoohooooo

waah ... it was a good holiday... pricey cos of the dang exchange rate, but worth the experiences and time sent...so lots of pics to go thru and delete / censor ... bills to settle....etc... life is back to normal .. for now.

oh there's also the small matter of waiting a few more days for our health to be given a clean bill due to a certain global influenza pandemic which started the day we reached in London.

so in summary >
London seems very busy, but it's nice too
Liverpool was nice, need to go back for a proper longer visit of the city and maybe catch a game (!)
Amsterdam was my favorite! nice city, great blend or greens , water and the ancient city itself.
Berlin was historical, but interesting
Hamburg is nice. i'd definitely recommend it to all
Paris is overated. i mean the cuture and history is nice... but i didn't get the vibe there.

Cheus for now..

all falling into place

2009-04-21T19:27:00.002+01:00

yes... it's time.. close to my holiday!... and finally all my transport and hotel is finally confirmed and booked (almost all....still need to reserve the train times, but as long as got my EU Rail pass i'm good!).

Now i really can't wait for friday!! Europe here I come!!

seriously!

2009-04-14T22:00:00.003+01:00

4 - 4

so we bow out of the UEFA Champions league after losing to Chelski on 5-7 agregate... damn what a game... taking a 2-0 lead into half time, then letting in a soft flick on from Fugly....and a thunderbolt from Alex....to setup a frenetic last 15 minutes... where the Reds came back twice to cancel out the away goals scored in Anfield. but fatty had to pop up with the final killer goal! damn damn damn.

well at least we went out fighting! Go get em Arsenal!

YNWA

introducing my own 'Jean Grey"

2009-04-10T06:53:00.005+01:00

Last week my hot stuff of a wifey went to try for first time at a "mahal" punya hair salon... turns out she got a good deal, and the dude was pretty good (her words). I was busy stuffing my face at Kim Gary's hehe.

I like the result! so what u folks thing? should i go get myself some Cyclops looking shades or what? need to match her wei....

kena la...

2009-04-08T21:53:00.002+01:00

undone by set pieces at corners, and not even from the first choice right back some more.... aiyo.. and the two stars were kept in the pockets!!... hands up to Essien, he had a stellar game in keeping Stevie G quiet... well now a huge huge mountain to climb in the second leg? can we pull it off?? remains to be seen!

YNWA

big change for actor

2009-04-07T18:40:00.003+01:00

was watching House tonight and got a great great shock when one of the main characters was found dead by suicide! wow.. so sudden... but then a bigger shock! see why HERE.... wow who'd have thought eh...

phew.. late late late

2009-04-04T19:41:00.003+01:00

woo hooooo back on top (even for 24 hours at least) when Yossi Benayoun popped up to score a vital goal late in injury time. After hitting the post 4 times in the first half, and pulling off master saves from keeper Schwarzer, the game looked to be heading for a stalemate when a late cameo ensured the Reds leave with all 3 points!! (full report, click on pic courtesy of Soccernet)

0 - 1

YNWA

way before it's time

2009-04-04T08:40:00.006+01:00

well that's the common line given by one of thos broadcasting companies when they decide to end a series/show due to lack of ratings response from the viewers.

yes folks, another series has come to an end. i just watched the series finale of a very enjoyable cop drama with a science fiction twist with excellent 70s soundtrack music. the 17th episode. of it's only season. shame right? and it's not even on malaysian tv (but now that it has been shutdown, Astro will be showing it soon!!) well to those who are not into watching downloaded shows, go ahead. give it a chance. see if you don't like it. bet you will love it!

Life on Mars is an american remake of a British series which won great acclaim in the UK. The story of a cop from 2008 who gets in an accident and wakes up in 1973 is a simple premise, which actually turned out some good 17 episodes.

but unfortunately like so many before this (re: Jericho, Journeyman, Arrested Development, The Black Donnellys, Dirty Sexy Money, Rome[only two seasons tsk tsk], etc etc etc) this series was not meant to last. Somehow strong storylines and good casting is worth naught compared to viewer ratings and revenue. SIGH!!

latest news is even shows with several season are in danger of being shown the dreaded finale curtain are like Chuck, Reaper, Sarah Connor Chronicles and Dollhouse. well lets see what happens along the way.

lots of bots!!

2009-04-04T04:08:00.003+01:00

Yahoo! today released a list of the robots included in the follow up relelase to the 08 summer blockbuster Transformers. ready for the sequel?

well here's the automated cast's list:

AUTOBOTS
OPTIMUS PRIME: The Autobots' leader - alternate form: Peterbilt truck .
IRONHIDE: Weapons specialist - GMC Topkick.
RATCHET: Medic - Hummer H2.
BUMBLEBEE: Friend and mode of transportation for Sam Witwicky - 2010 Chevorlet Camaro.
ARCEE: A female Autobot - motorcycle.
SIDESWIPE: A Lamborghini in the toy line, here he transforms into a silver Corvette Stingray concept car.
JETFIRE: An older Decepticon who switches sides - SR71 Blackbird jet.
JOLT: The original toy was a Decepticon, but in the movie he's a good guy - Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.
SKID & MUDFLAP: a.k.a. "The Twins" - Chevrolet Beat and Trax concept cars.

DECEPTICONS
STARSCREAM: Formerly Megatron's second in command, he escaped at the end of the first movie; F-22 Raptor jet.
SCORPONOK: The mechanical scorpion that attacked the American troops in the desert.
THE FALLEN: One of the original Transformers, he's called "the most elemental bad guy" by the screenwriters.
SIDEWAYS: The Audi R8 seen crashing through a building in the trailer.
SOUNDWAVE: A cassette player in the original toys; his alternate mode will be a communications satellite.
RAVAGE: A four-legged, cat-like robot.
THE DOCTOR: A spider-like crawling robot.
WHEELIE: A small, radio-controlled truck.
DEMOLISHER: One of the Constructicons that transform into construction vehicles.
DEVASTATOR: A giant robot formed by the Constructicons joining together; individually, they are: Scavenger, Scrapper, Hightower, Longhaul, Rampage, Overload and Mixmaster.

For those who missed the trailer / teaser, go on ahead to the Apple site for a taste of the impending summer release!

closure

2009-04-04T03:59:00.002+01:00

wow.. last night my babe n i watched the supposed finale to the Fast & Furious franchise.... (but who knows right?) and i was not disappointed at all!! (even she loved it!!) after the letdown called Tokyo Drift this installament was superb!! more muscle cars, great race scenes, a stronger story line, and some out right improved performances by both Walker and Diesel makes for some awesome movie.

some folks didn't like it... too bad. i loved it!

next week : Defiance. I've got good hopes on that one.

clicky clicky

2009-03-29T16:25:00.003+01:00

went down to the Canon sale today.. was looking to see if can get a deal on a point-n-shoot for the missus.... she not too keen on luggin around a DSLR or even a G10.. so we go see la...

and tadaaaaaa introducing the newest member of our home gadgets!!

cost wise made sense... had lots of cool features.... and also they didn't have the 100IS .. so ini pun boleh la.... the dude even sweetened the deal with a 4GB memory card.. ok ma!

Another one bites the dust....

2009-03-23T09:28:00.004Z

Congrats to my pal Mr Yew in officially (by govt rules) getting the woman of his dreams to be called Mrs Yew now. Next step... the actual wedding. :P

Congrats again and may this be the beginning of a wonderful journey ahead!!

blazing goals!!

2009-03-23T09:25:00.001Z

5 - 0

Holy shooting soccer stars Batman.... ...

heheh wow 5 goals... after a great week the red tide continues to sweep their opponents away....woo hoo...

YNWA

brit wit

2009-03-22T04:38:00.002Z

was reading through some of the online papers after last night amazing string of results (which by the way will mean nothing if we can't make sure of 3 points ourselves) and saw this comment ::

"I blame Liverpool for wearing grey shirts.

Chapman, Manchester, England"

hehehe... for those who know their footie almancs.... the Mancs had a period where they lost heavily when they wore an awful grey away strip!

Good luck tonight to the Reds!!

Summer's looming ahead....

2009-03-20T10:34:00.002Z

well well tis the time of the year.... when the blockbusters are due... and my oh my this year it seems to be coming up fast .... and furious..... dang didn't want to do that but well wha better way to start off the countdown ....(oh yeah instead of listing the US/international release dates... i'll do the local ones instead... yes yes i know lame rite)

> THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT : 02-Apr
> FAST AND FURIOUS 4 : 02-Apr
> Defiance : 09-Apr
> X-MEN ORIGINS : WOLVERINE : 30-Apr **
> STAR TREK : 08-May **
> NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 : 21-May
> TERMINATOR SALVATION : 28-May
> STATE OF PLAY : 11-June
> TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN : 26-June
> ICE AGE 3 : DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS : 02-July
> DUPLICITY : 09-July
> 2012 : 09-July
> HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE : 16-July
> G.I JOE: RISE OF COBRA : 07-Aug
> UP : 20-Aug
> THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 : 27-Aug

so .. as they say get ur popcorn ready .. honey, get enough sleep cos the marathon's gonna start... and anyone interested lemme know .. cos i'll be booking in advance... no sms's this time around...leceh...this should be more then enough notice in advance...

** (dang .. won't be here to watch it) - hhmm maybe i'll catch it on a foreign release date hhmmmm

RIP Natasha

2009-03-19T04:13:00.003Z

The gifted actress Natasha Richardson died Wednesday leaving behind husband Liam Neeson and 2 sons. She was injured in a skiing accident, suffering a head injury on a beginner's slope. Detailed news available here.

4-1!! 4-1!!!

2009-03-15T03:03:00.002Z

MU 1 - 4 Liverpool

I can't believe it!! What a performance.. what a display.. wow..... superb. It was billed to be the game of the season.... with so much at stake for Liverpool ... and my did they turn up.

wow.

for the second time in a week, the Reds (yes we are the reds, not u guys... although your own website claims yourselves to be Reds.... you guys are the "Red Devils" or "Devils" .. please try to remember that?) came out of a fixture against a footballing world giant (quote from John Dykes) scoring 4 goals.

And to make it sweeter, this was a game won simply with more desire. MU were sluggish, but to say the Reds won because MU was playing poorly (as I am sure some of the media in the UK will be saying) is ridiculous!! Liverpool wanted it more, and refused to be beat down. Even after going behind, we came back and boy did it affect the Devils.

wow

ah time to savour it! time to enjoy it! time to gloat for doing a double over the Mancs!

best ever....

2009-03-14T10:28:00.004Z

have u guys ever tasted this? no..... probably you wouldn't have unless you

a) are in Australia
b) happen to shop in Cold Storage in Penang

well i found it in when i was (a), and LOVED it to bits!! And the i found it in (b). So go try it. You'll never look at local Ginger Beer ever the same way again.

great result

2009-03-10T22:27:00.001Z

Liverpool 4 - 0 Real Madrid

superb! fantastic! clinical!.. wow.. i'm buzzing and can't sleep!! heheheh .... more to follow.

memory remains...

2009-03-09T15:19:00.002Z

last saturday i went down to the neighborhood mamak food joint... haven't been here for a while, but as it was late and a little hungry, my wifey said why not.

So we ordered our roti and milo/teh tarik etc... and midway thru the meal, the counter chief taps me on the shoulder. "Long time no see", he says....

now flashback to about 2 months back.....

Late dinner, a friend was with us, and we ordered. She ordered nasi lemak, which is usually available after 10.30 pm, which was still 45 minutes away. The waiter said it was already available then, so after confirming we waited. Our roti etc came and we ate. 10 pm turned to 10.15 and still no nasi lemak. we kept calling the waiter, so much so we almost had a direct line to his mom's home line in Chennai. Finally we were told that nasi lemak would only be ready AFTER10.30, so furiously we ordered a replacement roti goreng. of course that took a further 20-30 minutes to arrive. well suffice to say we vented on the cashier chief about the shoddy treament.....

(back to current time)

then he says "boss, because of the roti the other day , so long never come to the shop bla bla.. all apologetic etc" WAHWHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

damn ... revenge is superb....serve the shop for right eh!! lesson to the makan shop : don't lie to the customers. when they stop coming u suffer!

there's jam... and then there's....

2009-03-05T09:11:00.004Z

sigh... last weekend a pal of mine was going up to Cameron Highlands for a weekend getaway.. so i asked him to get me a bottle of fresh strawberry jam....... trust me this jam is great with crackers or even with bread....

so this is what he got me...

aahh bliss!! dream come true! crackers here i come!!!!

now i had forgotten a few weeks ago another pal mentioned that he was going, and i had naturally ordered the same (so i ordered two cos i forgot that i had already ordered this one)....... and he got me this...

it's jelly! not fresh! factory made! in PENANG!!!! aaarrrggghhhh

dude... there's jam....... and then there is jam......

and then normal service resumes

2009-02-28T17:56:00.002Z

BBLLEEEEEEEGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!

sigh... to lose is part of the game, but to play with such pathetic display was down right sad.....come on my beloved reds.... when are you going to wake up... we've now wasted a great opening to the season... right as the race was reaching the final bend.....only way to achieve glory was to ensure 3 points... but we couldn't even score when we had the chances .... aaiiiiyyyyyaaaaaaa

finally .. some good news....

2009-02-26T04:00:00.004Z

finallly after all those miserable draws.. which we should have won ... comes a good solid performance to stop the rampant spaniards....

0 - 1

diminutive midfielder Yossi Benayoun (yes he's Israeli) leaps free in the defense to head home a precious away goal 8 minutes from the end of the first leg tie, setting it up favourably for the Reds to look forward to the return leg in two weeks time.

YES!!

and the winners are

2009-02-23T09:40:00.003Z

Now as a self proclaimed movie buff...(no one is actually going to give u the title... duh!) obviously the Oscars like most award shows represent the pinnacle of the industries achievements. But close to as i was for boycotting this years showcase..... come on! how can the highest grossing movie of the year (number 2 all time) not be nominated for best picture or best director, and you think if ledger was alive would he win it let alone be nominated?.......but i watched it anyway.... cheering on the underdogs Slumdog (pun intended) and enjoying host Hugh Jackman's mostly solo act. So for those of you who actually worked this morning (sike!) and missed it... here are the results!

(taken from the official OSCAR.com site)

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Sean Penn
MILK

Kate Winslet
THE READER

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Departures

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

THE DARK KNIGHT

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

SMILE PINKI

MAN ON WIRE

Heath Ledger
THE DARK KNIGHT

SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND)

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DUCHESS

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

La Maison en Petits Cubes

WALL-E

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

MILK

Penelope Cruz
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

can weekends be productive?

2009-02-22T08:58:00.001Z

i wonder... usually people say have a good weekend... and on Mondays it's usually have a productive week ahead...... why can't it be a productive weekend?

i had a rather productive weekend... saturday went by quick thanks to the exam i sat for.. but the evening turned out to be quite relaxing... went for a bit of shopping... my honey managed to source out some pants in preparation for our holiday in 2 mths time....quite easily i might add....and we bought some books in mph (got vouchers spend la... sale some more; oh yeah George, i think i saw the 'item' u were talking about the other day) and had a good dinner!

Sunday was better. (After sleeping in rather late) we cleared out some junk from the study... spring cleaning was in effect!... wonder how the next couple of days will be? uusefull? or will i opt to revert to my couch potato status.... hhmm remains to be seen!

weddings etc

2009-02-17T09:44:00.002Z

last week another school friend of mine got married, but unfortunately i couldn't attend. so here's to Prakash and his new bride, wishing the both of you all the best to ur many years ahead.
Today i got another wedding card from another uni mate of mine... hhmmm looks like wedding season is about to kick into full swing. Hope this time i can attend that wedding.

Why go you ask? aren't they all the same? you dress up, attend the wedding, eat and then go home....well to me it's also a chance to meet some old friends, catch up (since most of them are not in penang) and it also becomes a semi-holiday for me and my better half.

hhmm maybe this time can get some interesting shots.... lets see la...

Friday night

2009-02-01T02:17:00.002Z

after a relatively good day at the office, i was looking to heaed back anf relax, when i found the rear tyre of my NSR flat. dang it! well it was due as it is an old bike, and i don't know when the previous owner last changed tyres/tubes. so balik with the brotherhood la!

so next day , thanks to our very own grease monkey Alex Poi, i got my wheels fixed! woo hoo... back on the saddle mate!

Pictures pictures...

2009-01-28T10:15:00.004Z

CNY is here.. and with it cam days off..... pre-CNY .. and also post CNY ..... so apa lagi jalan jalan la.... here are some pics from my trip to Langkawi with my permanent model before CNY... and also Pantai Kerachut for a hike.... and after that in Taiping for the weekend after CNY....

Jack's Back!!

2009-01-12T17:11:00.003Z

oooh i was waiting for this for a while.. and he's now back. Jack Bauer, he is!
Season 7 kicked off with a 2-hour episode last night, and another 2 hours tonight. I've managed to watch it and ooooohhhhh yeah baby he's back!

now i know it's not everyones cup of chai, but 24 is, in my opinion, the best currently-running show on the tube. and it's season 7!! woo hoo.. took a while to start off, but there was a 2-hour show in December to bridge seasons 6 & 7 , called Redemption. but now it's game on a gain.

CTu is dismantled, Jack is facing Senate Hearings, America has it's first woman president, and .... and.... this is the kicker - Tony Almeida is back!! (yeah i know i know.. fans of the show will say he was killed but then again.....this is the shows with twists about twists!!

2009 just got better!!

talent, it seems has no bounds...

2009-01-10T09:03:00.004Z

i watched it yesterday after almost 2 week of disappointment from Cathay Cineplexes..... it was finally on at BJ complex instead.

Loved it!! he has always been an actor first, entertainer second... and this time he goes further. raw emotions, pure anger displayed.... and the dedication in getting his body ... hhmmm Aamir rocks!! and the movie is outstanding too.

lesson of the day

2009-01-09T19:12:00.002Z

heheh yeah i had to learn the hard way...was messing around today trying out some changes etc for on some templates... and poof! lost my original template setup!! all becos i never bothered to click on the backup option... dang it... dang it... well after some mollygagging i managed to restore my blog back to somewhat it's original look hahahahhaha.... learnt it indeed!!

Welcome 2009!!

2008-12-31T15:55:00.003Z

yes it's the start of another 365 days....will it be grueling, who knows? will be filled with excitement? again who knows? so in advance all i can wish for is for all of joy, health and happiness for my wife Jasmin, and to everyone else, good health and good fortunes!

as the 08 was drawing to a close, what better way then to spend it with friends and family? we took a trip down to KL and spent some good moments, while wishing we could meet many more of our friends and other members of the family.

oh and for the benefit of those who don't know i have a blog, i'll post these up on facebook (where else) as well....

Merry Christmas to one and all

2008-12-25T16:13:00.002Z

May this christmas bring lots of joy and happiness to one and all... and in the spirit of the big jolly ol fella himself :

HO HO HO !!

IT Dinner 2008 - E & O Hotel PG

2008-12-18T17:41:00.009Z

last friday I attended my dept dinner for first time in 3 years.... so was rather looking forward to it...theme was IT Photography Awards... so there was a competition where we submitted entries, but sadly none of mine were nominated. goes to show that i still have a lot to learn. Here are some of the entries i submitted:

1. Sydney Harbour at night

2. Brisbane square

3. My Precious

4. Paul

5. Taipei eye

6. Metalworks in Taipei

So on to the function proper, there was a lot of dressed up folk, some good food (i ate Ostrich!! meat for the 1st time -> damn it's good!!!) and lots of photo Ops. Joel Chu was on hand to take some great snaps, while there was some official photo setup done for the night... see below:

thanks for the laughs

2008-12-15T05:50:00.005Z

Two comedic talents on the US tv scene have moved on to other projects.

I'll definitely miss Amy Poehler who has completed her 7th season on hit show Saturday Night Live. Most memorable for me will be her Weekend Update segments with Seth Meyers. Comic timing coupled with outlandish comments, Amy kicked ass! Her replacement has big shoes to fill indeed.

Also moving on is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart reporting correspondent Rob Riggle. Not known to many outside the fans of the show, Rob is a wacky character, usually bewildering his interviewees with some slapstick and sudden kung fu moves.

Back again.. from another break HA!!

2008-12-14T13:25:00.002Z

yes yes i deserve it all... all the "what la.. where u go .." (this is wishful thinking that a lot of people read my blog!)

so what happened in between? trip to SG for a hol, studied for an exam, went for a friend's wedding in Malacca, sat and passed my exam, then went for a holiday in Koh Samui .. hhmm not bad for a busy month!

what's next? who knows? my manager has left to another role, we are in the middle of an economic uncertainty globally, i've grown a beard, attended the dept annual dinner, tried ostrich meat, etc.

Wonder if i can squeeze in some more activities before the new year?

$34.50

2008-11-12T20:44:00.005Z

No no he didn't do that one, but my goodness he is the current best selling stand-up in the world. Yes folks i'm talking about the one and only Russell Peters!

We took a trip down to watch his second coming to Singapore (previous trip in 06) as part of the Red,White & Brown tour. My wife, who wasn't previously a huge fan, came along to check him out, and was instantly transformed! We met up with G there, and while Joel couldn't make it, my cousin Sachin was more then glad to take up the extra ticket.

It was a sellout, as they organised an extra show based on ticket sales.

Russell Rocks!!!

and yes this post is delayed too.. hahaha but the next one is up to date.... who knows i may even summarise all that has happened in the past month!

Nim & Tracy do the "I Do's"

2008-11-12T20:39:00.009Z

((This post has been waaay delayed, but it has been a busy month! Sorry Nim hehehe))

my pal from faculty, though two batches my junior, but a close pal finally took the next step when Nimalan wed his sweetheart of many years, Tracy, in a simple yet joyous occasion in the Assumption Church in PJ just recently.

From the beaming bride, to the proud mother of the groom, to the happy atmosphere generated by the friends and family, it was a simple celebration of the union. Below are some of the pics i (Thani too) managed to snap.

Here's to the beginning of a wonderful journey together you two!

And at the dinner.....

back from a blog-break

2008-11-12T20:37:00.002Z

yes i admit i was a little lazy past few days since the last post. but here i am!

lots of things have happened, and the next few days are busy as well, so i should be able to put up a few posts in the next few hours, before going AWOL again on friday onwards hehehe.

oh did anyone realise? 2008 just zoomed past and 09 is just around the corner? well looky looky.... gonna be another fast one i suppose....

VERY short work week

2008-10-29T17:02:00.003Z

hehehe yes that's right this week is a short work week for me.... but then i'm making it even shorter.... a close friend of mine, a co-movie-freakazoid partner in crime is getting hitched to the woman of his dreams this saturday in KL, and we're gonna be attending!

i know he's probably not going to be free enuff to read this post till way after the ceremonies, so i'll post the full details when i'm back.

oh did i mention....on sunday i'm headed way way south to our neighbour country... why may you ask.... well since we don't get any quality performances/concerts/shows/plays here in bolehland.... i had to make do with what i could.... no way was i going to miss a show by Russell Peters eh....

so catch you guys next week!

mind of a genius? maybe, but i would like to peek into it...

2008-10-28T06:27:00.003Z

caught an interesting article this morning, an excerpt from an interview done with the manager of a certain opposition club. now while he has been the scourge of scousers for many years, i do find his interviews, and writings to be one of great experiences and knowledge of a man who has indeed had his fair share of em.

yes George, we're talking about ur fav , Sir Alex..... interesting read this one....

From The Times

October 28, 2008

Alex Ferguson: why I don't pray - and other Manchester United secrets

In an exclusive interview, the Manchester United manager offers candid reflections on his remarkable career - and sets his retirement date

Headlines from across the web

2008-10-27T02:43:00.012Z

As you all know Liverpool were decidedly the better team against Chelsea, not allowing them to dictate play, pumping high balls rather then play us off the park, and were limited to long range shots. Xabi Alonso's goal at 10 minutes was eventually the decider, as Liverpool matched and controlled a major portion of the game!

Here are a collection of the headlines from various news portals:

From The Times

October 27, 2008

Luiz Felipe Scolari rues the end of home rule with defeat to Liverpool

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

The Independent:

Liverpool storm the Bridge

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

By Glenn Moore
Monday, 27 October 2008

The Sun

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

By STEVEN HOWARD at Stamford Bridge

Published: 26 Oct 2008

Soccernet

Chelsea 0 - 1 Liverpool

Liverpool end Chelsea's 86-game unbeaten home record

Referee Webb calls skippers Gerrard and Terry to calm their players.
Updated: October 26, 2008, 3:53 PM UK

Premier League - Liverpool end Chelsea run

Eurosport - Mon, 27 Oct 09:51:00 2008

FourFourTwo

86 and out as Chelsea lose to Liverpool

Reuters - Yesterday, 19:09

So now as the naysayers proclaim that one win in Oct doesn't win the title for us, i say it feels damn good though. Lets see how it goes till christmas, then i'll get really excited! On to Portsmouth then!

YNWA