Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Penghibur Jalanan


Yeay! Selepas 15 bulan sebab kesibukan melampau, akhirnya dapat release single kedua Amir Jahari - Penghibur Jalanan.

Am so proud of this song because of a few reasons.

Satu, sebab Amir dapat buktikan Tanpamu is no one hit wonder. Memang lagu ni korang layan confirm lain! Tadi preview di Hot FM pun sambutan luar jangkaan. Ramai kata best gila...

Secondly sebab ni sebenarnya lagu yang Amir da lama tulis, dua tahun lebih kot. Ni lagu cerita dia ketika zaman busking, orang kata dia mengemis, menghina dia. So for me this song is very personal. Tapi takde la sedih-sedih. Lagu ni lagu happy sebab mesej dia, cuma pemberitahuan yang dia penghibur jalanan - and he's proud of his art.

Thirdly sebab Penghibur Jalanan is also the title of his debut album yang tengah disiapkan.

I am so happy... korang layan preview lagu dia tengok camna. Korang suka tak?

And kalao suka mintak la mintak kat your favourite radio stations ye...

PS - jangan lupa like atau komen di video ni ek.

Friday, September 07, 2012

Memang Kak Nam!


Aiyo! Siapa yang kak Nam sangat ni! Siang tadi dapat BBM, skali ada yang sampai kan kat Facebook bagai katakan lagu Gangnam Style tu menghina Islam.

Selepas skodeng sana sini, rupanya, ada lagi blog bagai mengetengahkan Gangnam Style bermaksud 'Aku Adalah Yahudi'.

Matilah korang ni... takde keja sangat ke. Sah penipuan semua. Cuba baca translation lirik dia sebelum wat posting camtu. Paham apa maksudnya.

Gangnam tu kawasan orang kaya kat Seoul, dan Gangnam Style merujuk kepada perangai orang berangan kaya. Tu je. Cis... sempat gak korang wat ilhamkan karya fiction ek.

Sunday, September 02, 2012

Najibelieber

Sedang layan Twitter tiba-tiba perasan ada recommendation untuk follow orang tepi. Kekadang layan gak, mana tau jumpa member lama yang ada dalam network followers/follow kawan-kawan. Tengah godek layan terperasan ni.


Er...

Pening sat terbayang Malaysia diperintah Belieber. (sila nangis)

Tapi check Perdana Menteri nya Twitter, takde pon. Orang lain pakai kot, sebab recommendation tu atas nama, bukan Twitter account. Heh... terkejut jap.

Saturday, September 01, 2012

Opah Kak Nam Style

Tau kan Gangnam Style tu apa. Kalau tatau, I really don't know what to say, but kembali ke dalam gua yang anda duduki dan bertapa. Sila Youtube dan Google cepat ye - natang tu da 90 juta views kot. Masa aku tengok baru nak cecah 30 juta.

Apapun, sah K-Pop ni membahayakan. Especially Gangnam Style. Buktinya?


But this whole Gangnam Style craze is getting slightly out of hand. Or maybe sebab aku perasan mainstream sangat kot bila da ramai dah suka aku rasa bosan.

But if you're a movie freak, and remember The Shining, take a look at this - The Psyning.


Wednesday, August 29, 2012

A mother's love


Isn't that sweet? Manis kan tengok kucing ni. Ni masa makan kat Dagang Avenue.

Aku perasan ibu kucing ni dulu. Then masa aku dekat, aku nampak dia jump up alert. Rupanya anak dia tidur kat sudut tu. Alahai... comelnya. The little kitten had it's chin propped up by the edge of the wall and sleeping away oblivious to everyone and everything.

Masa aku nak dekat kucing tu, cause I really love animals... this kid, aku rasa budak dalam maybe lima tahun yang berlari satu kedai, meluru ke arah kucing tu. Lom sempat aku nak beri reaksi apa-apa, budak tu sepak ibu kucing tu.

Aku naik hantu lah! Sudah memang untuk kaum Cina pun Hungry Ghost Festival... apa lagi... aku naik hangin meroyan. Budak kecik tak budak kecik. Mak bapak dia yang berdekatakan dah lah tak jaga anak meka berkeliaran cam sakai mana ntah... kang kena kidnap baru nak nangis. Lum agi biadap menjerit melalak cam kena rasuk 18 jin. Ni nak sepak pijak kucing. What the FUCK??!!!

"HOI! Ko sepak kucing tu lagi... aku sepak ko!"

Dalam geram dan marah, tak sempat nak tapis mulut. Budak tak budak... I really don't get how kids today are so STUPID and IGNORANT and just totally messed up.

Budak tu pandang aku, pastu naikkan kaki nak pijak kucing tu.

"WEI ANAK HARAM PUKIMAK! Mak bapak ko mana ni... tak ajar ke???" (masa tu tak perasan mak ayah dia dalam 10 feet away).

"Ko pijak tengok, aku pijak ko.. kimak tol!!!"

Kali ni aku da bangun, tangan dah naik.

Takde la aku nak terajang anak orang. Tapi sebab kemarahan yang amat tengok kucing tu tak pasal kena sepak pijak... memang aa I had to do something. The part I couldn't take was the mother cat just got up and blocked her kitten to make sure her baby was safe.

Budak tu dengar aku naik suara, tangan pun nak terbang, lari dok balik ngan mak bapak dia. Bapak dak tu perasan, jeling aku.

Member aku tegur, sabar.. aku naikkan suara supaya bapak budak tu leh dengar.

"Tak paham mak bapak skang tak reti nak ajar anak. Kucing nak pijak sepak.. esok jadi pembunuh kucing nak meraih simpati!"

Bapak dia malu sikit kot.. pandang ke bawah buat bodoh.

Yang sakit hatinya... ten minutes later that fucked up kid came again to kick the cat!!!!

Kali ni aku memang da bangun nak sepak budak tu.

"HOI!!!!"

Terus budak tu lari kelam kabut balik mak bapak dia. Aku da marah sangat pandang arah mak bapak dia - and meka wat bodoh je. WHAT THE FUCK???

I love kids. I seriously do. But I hate dumbass parents yang tak reti jaga anak dan tak reti disiplinkan anak. Kalau dulu aku wat camtu, sepantas kilat, bapak aku da keluarkan tali pinggang dan ZASST sekali kot.

Kelmarin kat Ikea pun sama. Perempuan sorang ni bak dua anak beratur. Aku tengok dia bawak budak bagi dia jalan dulu depan aku sebab line panjang, dan aku tengok laki dia tegur apa tah pastu berambus.

Kesian la dia nak jaga sorang, so aku senyum bagi dia jalan dulu.

Dah lah tak ucap thank you ke apa. Anak perempuan dia diam, well behaved. Anak laki dia... ya ampun. Memang kes rasuk. Menjerit sepak terajang apa saja. Aku diam memula. Pastu budak tu sepak aku sekali tak pasal-pasal. Aku gigit lidah tahan. Mak dia perasan setakat tarik anak dia tak marah anak dia ke mintak maap.

Strike one. Second time... wat agi. Budak tu lompat jerit cam monyet kena sula and he hit me again! Cam kes naik sawan... ada sorang agi yang beratur pun kena. Memang tak sakit lah... at least not pada kaki aku. Sakit hati memang... tahap gaban!

Diam lagi... pas da beli air tuk bebudak semua, tengah bak botol mineral penuh tangan aku... perempuan yang da abih tu, tak jalan sebab terhegeh masuk duit dalam wallet. So I stood a little behind her and waited for her to move sebab masa tu ramai sangat takleh gerak. Anak dia lompat, jerit, this time tersepak aku AGAIN! Hampir melayan empat botol mineral aku pegang.

Aku dah geram, perempuan tu pandang aku, again tak cakap apa-apa setakat anak dia.

"Can you PLEASE take care of that devil child of yours. If you don't know how to take care of your children... next time, use a FUCKING condom!!!"

Ok... I was rude. But seriously, I think couples should seriously need to be tested for intelligence before they are allowed to breed. Pffft!!! The best thing? Dia tarik anak dia dan jeling aku. Lahanat!

Kesimpulan? Kekadang binatang lebih cerdik dari manusia. Lebih tahu camna nak jaga anak.


Monday, August 27, 2012

Raya Raya Raya

Oleh kerana aku masuk raya saja demam hari tu... memang tak lah aku nak beraya ke rumah orang. Jadi penyebar virus je keja!

Setakat ni pun dua rumah je sempat aku lawat. Jadi bila dapat pelawaan akak Umie nak beraya, apa lagi... tu lah peluang nak catch up ngan kengkawan lama. Maklumlah... sudah tak kerja sebagai wartawan ni... dah lah fokus lebih pada bidang muzik... lama tak jumpa ramai kengkawan dari bidang filem dan TV.

Sempat snappy pics sikit...celah celah catch up session dengan teman-teman pelakon dan wartawan.






I am glad despite leaving the journalism field, I still have many real friends among the industry yang genuinely kawan dengan aku on a personal level.

Always nice to know that in a very plastic industry, friendship does still exist.

Plus, they're also a source of inspiration for me to be more creative and keep pushing the limits when it comes to creativity.

Always good to be reminded of why I'm doing all this in the first place after 16 years.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

My baby

Other people spend money on their car... clothes... you know the usual stuff.

Me?

I'm a geek! I rarely spend on things, but I have my favourite things I splurge on too. One of it is of course my retro toy collection.

The other - is music. Yes, bersepah bilik aku ngan beribu CD.

The other thing I would spend on - are my geek tech toys. Like my smartphones.

So since I got my Blackberry Porsche Design P'9981, I've been looking for the right case. Hado! Kena beli yang custom specially made. Finally found this place selling original Porsche Design cases. Woohoo!

Sakit, sakit gak. Tapi lagi sakit tak abihkan duit tu, phone yang mahai tuh calar bagai kang.

Puas!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Drag Queen Barbie

Sebab bosan hari ni dengan demam bagai time raya... ni saja layan something I've been meaning to share.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the FIRST drag queen Barbie!



The 'drag queen' Barbie as it's called is NOT Ken in heels. It's just Barbie, styled as a crossdresser.

Designed by New York City based designers, The Blonds (comprising of David and Phillipe), Barbie is based on Philippe's crossdressing style, as you can see from above. The faux fur and sparkly bustier short dress is inspired from a piece from The Blonds' previous fashion collection.




And this... is Philippe and David, with Phillipe wearing the dress that inspired the look.


Too bad they didn't really dress up Ken as a woman. Now THAT would be interesting.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

Tau kan hari ni hari apa? Gila tatau...

Kalau tatau, ntah apa aa nak cakap. Kepada semua teman-teman beragama Islam, nak wish selamat hari  raya Aidilfitri.. maaf zahir dan batin.

Bukan SHRMZB ye. Tu stok bodoh pemalas gila je nak taip macam tu. Sumpah  nak meroyan tengok ada bangsa wish camtu. Walaupun kita paham maksud akronim tu, sumpah gila tak ikhlas.

Ye lah... kalau zaman dulu, call ke... hantar kad ke... wish in person ke. Skang BBM pun leh broadcast je... tweet pun copy and paste pon leh pepanjang dan alter. Tapi masih kemalasan tahap cipap berlendir! Matilah...

Anyway... dalam digital age ni pun... aku nak bagi kad raya... sat na...


Ok... salah kad. Lawak hambar. Ni wat semua kengkawan yang baca ni. Have a safe drive back to your kampungs, and back home ok, tak kisah lah Selasa Rabu ke...ujung minggu depan ke.

Jangan main mercun, dan jangan overdose rendang bagai. Dan kalau ada extra, tapau la.


Monday, August 13, 2012

Stop 114A



Mulai jam 12 tengah malam sebentar lagi, for 24 hours, you will notice a lot of Malaysian Internet users including top local cyberspace personalities, as well as websites share the message to Stop 114A.

Tak tahu apa tu 114A? Kempen Stop 114A adalah sokongan kami semua terhadap usage Centre for Independent Journalism untuk hentikan akta yang tak masuk akal!

Mulai 31 Julai lalu, akta itu telah berkuatkuasa, and with it comes possible horrible repercussions.

Dari benda kecik dari kawan main tweetjack ataupun just leave a nasty message using YOUR Facebook account - YOU are liable to be prosecuted. Ko yang bertanggungjawan membuktikan identiti online anda di curi atau terima padahnya.

In other words, it's sort of like guilty until proven innocent.

Tak kisah la orang perseorangan, ataupun suatu badan, you can be victim of 114A.

Bayangkan, kalau ko tidak moderate blog untuk vet comments. Sebarang komen yang boleh diambil tindakan undang-undang - anda lah bertanggungjawab!

Tak takut lagi? Bayangkan ada orang curi all your info, and start a Facebook account yang menghina tu ni... and then sangkut dengan authorities. Guess who's in trouble?

Banyak cara anda mungkin menjadi mangsa akta zalim ini. Jangan berdiam saja. Gunakan platform apa saja yang boleh, from forums, blog atau Twitter dan sebarkan pesanan ini.

Tindakan kami untuk 24 jam berbeza-beza. Ada yang akan blackout - atau mendiamkan diri. Kira tidak tweet atau update status apa sekalipun.

Ramai sudah tukar profile picture akaun social networking mereka sama ada ke warna hitam saja, ataupun menggunakan logo atau kata kata Stop 114A.

For more info on Stop 114A dan bagaimana anda dapat join in - CLICK HERE!

Secara peribadi - aku akan meneruskan tweet dan sebagainya. Cuma segalanya akan di lengkapi dengan hashtag #Stop114A.

Come on guys. Fight for your freedom!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Loser!!!


Today I'm just angry. Yes, that person in the picture - is just that. Sakit jiwa pikir ada gak jantan camni leh main ngan budak bawah umur pastu leaps macam tu je.

Am too angry at the moment reading it. Korang layan baca sendiri saja kisah jantan kat atas tu.

KLIK sini untuk bacaan Bahasa Malaysia or CLICK here to read about it in English.

I'm so glad however we got #BrightFutureRapeOK trending on Twitter. Let's hope all the bowling associations take note of this case and ban him for life since the courts apparently did not take this case seriously.

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Teh botol

Korang biasa ke pasar Ramadhan beli apa?

Orang jawapan standard cakap la seribu satu jenis makanan ke minuman kan?

Hari ni kali pertama aku jejak pasar Ramadhan setelah puasa pun nak datang dekat ngan penghujungnya dah. Eh kira more than halfway la...

Anyway aku serious aku tak ada keinginan nak makan something specific, tapi ikut kawan-kawan meronda ke tapak pasar Ramadhan di Seksyen 13 Shah Alam nak cari extra juadah buat berbuka.

Jalan punya jalan, tak ada satu pun benda aku teringin nak rasa ke apa. Tak ada selera langsung lah, pendek kata.

Until... I saw... this.


Siapa dah jejak Indonesia tau lah ni apa kan. Teh botol Sosro. The first drink I had when I first landed in Jakarta YEARS ago.

Merata jual. Dia air teh - dalam botol. Bila minum chilled, memang best.

Aku nampak beberapa botol. Sepuluh to be exact. Orang tu pun cakap, alang-alang sampai semua 22 botol saja. Sekali ngan kotak.

Aku pun angkut saja lah. Heh! Senang kan?

But I love my Teh Botol.

Cukup stok tahan sampai habis puasa. Well not really... guess I'll go look for some more.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Our golden boy

Today I got to exercise my PRIVILEGE of being a Malaysian by going to the airport to welcome our national sporting hero, Datuk Lee Chong Wei. Such a beautiful moment to see Malaysians of all ages, races and religions gather to welcome home our own Olympic silver medallist.

Salute, Datuk Lee Chong Wei.

Pasni naik Tan Sri ye... hik.



Tapi dalam kegembiraan ada juga benda menyakitkan hati. Contohnya... sampai airport, bukan ramai fans pun ada. Sedih gak... time Harimau Malaya, ramai gila.

Masa Datuk Lee Chong Wei, I would say less than 500 fans yang betul-betul gathered to welcome him home.

Tapi takpe. Janji semangat. UNFORTUNATELY, fans dan media yang rilek je... jadi bengang sebab perangai pegawai MSN yang overdose feeling glam apit dia kiri kanan.

Pemain negara lain dan coaches semua cam buat tak nampak, dan terus menghalang orang dekat sebab masa tu media nak amik gambar, semua pegawai atasan MSN nak enter frame masuk gambar. Haram leh dapat sekeping pun of Datuk Lee Chong Wei tanpa yang nak numpang.

But what's sadder... is this...


I don't think it was Datuk Lee Chong Wei's goal to win a gold for RM4 million. He's first of all a millionaire. Secondly, he is probably more proud to be Malaysian than the idiot who thought up this headline.

Yes. Being patriotic doesn't have a price tag you morons!


PS - The first tweet Datuk Lee Chong Wei tweeted was that he was sorry. That alone tells you what kind of person he is. And the fact the paper would never be apologetic for their stupidity - too reveals what kind of people run it.

Monday, August 06, 2012

Pride!

Malaysians are VERY patriotic! Semalam layan badminton, final for men's single for the Olympics. Kira nak tengok Datuk Lee Chong Wei main dengan harapan merangkul emas. Walaupun gagal, yesterday was amazing in terms of the spirit of Malaysians.

Kat rumah, kedai.. merata, orang semangat gila. Lebih semangat dari Janji Ditepati. Matilah... anyway...

Aku terkejut gak sebab retweets aku gila babas semalam. Biarpun lepas kalah... still.. tengok lah semangat orang Malaysia.





Dan yang paling power! Sebab impressed gila, aku pun tweet ni... Datuk Lee Chong Wei for Prime Minister (jangan ada yang meroyan kata bodoh nak amik sportsman jadi Perdana Menteri ke bangsa lain ke apa - read the WHOLE tweet) - look at the number of retweets. Masa aku blog ni pun masih naik lagi. Aiyo!


This is truly the Malaysian spirit. Walaupun kalah Malaysia to China for the gold - but I am no less PROUD to be a Malaysian.


PS - #ThankYouLeeChongWei trending No. 3 worldwide, manakala Malaysians sampai No. 7 dan Lee Chong Wei No. 8. Lin Dan paling kuat worldwide pun baru No. 9.

Sunday, August 05, 2012

Blackberry 10 Dev Alpha

Yesterday went for the best buka puasa event so far, organized by BBUGMY - or the Blackberry Users Group of Malaysia.

It was a nicely executed event that really treated the kids from the orphanages as the VVIPs of the event, and personally I think that's missing from most events who use the less fortunate as a token to prove they're doing charity work.

Tapi yang pentingnya, yesterday I got a sneak peek of the Blackberry 10 coming up with the Blackberry 10 Dev Alpha (the engineering test set). Awesome!!!


The photo on top is the back view of the Alpha compared to my Blackberry Porsche P'9981. And below is a comparison with the iPhone.


It's not just the design that amazed me. Designs for touch screen phones are pretty generic, but the edge of the Alpha is that really is light, but packs a punch in performance. Because this was a developer's set, it's still not complete (just for developers to build apps with).

Still, I got to test the cameras, the multitasking feature... it's super fast with no lag.



Can't wait for it to come out... yes, I'm a Blackberry fan, and while I hate touchscreen phones, I definitely would get this.

Still have to wait ages though since the release apparently is early 2013. Still, having had a go at it, I'm super excited!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

36


Yes. I am 36 today.

Syukur ke atas segala pemberianNya. 36 years of life, blessings in abundance to give thanks for.

Today - is the best birthday present I could have - my dad, mom and sister - the best family anyone could ever have, the things I do for a living which I love that sometimes I feel like it's a crime to get paid for because I enjoy it so much (but I still need to eat) and the lovely people that surround me in the people who love and care for me for who I am.

I ask for nothing this year - only the chance to thank God for everything he's blessed me with.

This is the first birthday in MANY years I have reasons to be nothing BUT happy.

Kali pertama dalam begitu lama aku tak sedih ke stress ke sakit hati ke...

I'm just happy.

Not all of my dreams have been met yet... but it's alright. I'm just enjoying the journey.

Thanks everyone for the HUNDREDS of wishes through Facebook, Twitter (sampai kena limit aku nak reply), BBM, SMS etc. You guys rock and you guys made today - just that little bit more special.

Hugs all around!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Serenity

Hari ni aku tergerak nak wat posting.

Tiada gambar, atau cerita seram atau glamer. Just entry yang menyelam perasaan aku pada saat ini.

Ini bukan cerita cinta. Tapi cerita mengenai persahabatan.

I had two BEST friends. I use caps sebab nak tunjukkan how amazing they were in my life. We were family - jenis kawan hidup mati bersama.

Along - the eldest was the first person I cut off from my life. Aku sedih sebenarnya nak 'putuskan' persahabatan kami. Aku kenal dia tak silap aku 1996 ke 1997. Zaman zaman IRC katanya.

Along ni baik orangnya, happy go lucky dan gila-gila. Dia kelebihan dia tahap kesabaran gaban! Apa pun dia lalui, dia terima sahaja. Biar umur dia setahun lebih dari aku, tapi dia lah the baby of the group. Sebab aku dan si bongsu yang kena jaga dia.

Sayangnya kerjaya dia dulu bagus... pastu dia nak kejar impian dia. Mungkin kelakar, tapi da keja korporat, dia nya secret dream - was to cut hair and style. Very cerita Zohan.

Tapi memang dia ada bakat. So dia tinggalkan dunia dia yang financially stable dan belajar. Kami berikan sokongan, walaopon tak tentu masa depan.

Tapi sebab perangai dia senang percaya orang, dan mengalah, dan terlalu positif pada bulan jatuh ke riba, aku geram dia takleh dengar nasihat dan bosan bertahun lamanya dengar masalah dia yang sama - aku berkeras dia pilih jalan yang betul supaya dia stabil.

Yelah... kita semakin meningkat umur. Tanggungjawab... masa depan...

Dia masih macam tu.

Kira kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang.

Sebab fed up, aku pilih putuskan persabahatan kami sebab tak tahan perangai dia yang terlalu sambil lewa sampai hidup dia tak tentu arah.

Aku masih amik tahu melalui mutual friends keadaan dia...tapi semakin teruk. Dia sekarang sudah bertahun membawa teksi sambil buat kerja sambilan untuk hidup.

Seorang lagi, si bongsu. Dia ni aku suka kawan ngan dia sebab dia dari awal 90an aku kenal dia, perangai dia sama gila ngan aku. Ko cakap le adventure ke benda paling gila - kami pernah tag team wat. Dia ni a year younger than me, but maturity level dia jauh dari Along.

Dia merantau, keluarga tak penah amik pot pasal dia cukup segala ke tidak dari zaman dia belajar UiTM tanpa PTPTN sehingga dia keja club ujung minggu nak sara hidup sendiri.

Aku sujud cara dia bertahan untuk hidup. Kira dia memang fighter.

Dia hidup hasil usaha dia sendiri, dan dia seorang yang kreatif dan pemikiran out of the box.

Bila rezeki dia mula mencurah, tiba-tiba keluarga dia yang tak amik pot dia, start la mintak dia sumbang tuh ni pada keluarga. Tak salah... tapi...

Kini dia hidup dengan menghabiskan rezeki dia untuk family yang tak penah amik pot dia, dan orang orang yang amik kesempatan dia.

Bila ditegur, dia masih berdegil cara dia. Dan aku serik tengok dia asik kena memacam.

Again - dia like Along, cam takde halatuju hidup kekadang. Tak focus. They know what's wrong with their lives but they don't want to change it. So aku malas dan serik tengok episode berulang macam Along.

Terbaru malam taxi member cakap dia da tunang. Benda baik patutnya kan? Tapi bukan... sebab dia tak nak pun benda tu pun tapi dipaksa keluarga/nak prove something. Again, proses abihkan hasil rezeki dia banyak... and sambil tu, dia abihkan banyak duit lagi untuk mengambil hati yang dia bebetul nak.

You know what I mean...Bongsu... pikir.

Ye... kami bertiga memang macam adik beradik. Kami tiga memang degil. Kami nampak salah orang bukan salah sendiri.

Tapi hidup aku ada halatuju. Bukan benda materialistik aku kejar. Aku hidup ni ada dua target.

Satu untuk bagi mak ayah aku bangga pencapaian aku, dan punya kemampuan berikan mereka segalanya yang boleh untuk cuba walau sikit pun, membalas jasa mereka membesarkan aku. Memang banyak pengorbanan mereka dan terlalu banyak dugaan dalam hidup mereka selama ini.

Keduanya, bila aku pergi, aku ingin meninggalkan kesan pada mereka sekeliling aku.

Ketika arwah Yasmin Ahmad pergi, aku memang emotional breakdown sebab arwah lah tempat aku mengadu dan menceritakan masalah hidup aku. Dia la orang paling tepat menasihati aku dan membimbing aku untuk lebih matang.

Aku nekad sejak pemergian arwah untuk lebih menghargai hidup dan lebih berusaha untuk meninggalkan a mark on the lives of others around me. I saw how many lives arwah touched masa pemergiannya... and to me she is someone amazing. I aspire to be like her.

I cut ties with two best friends not because I felt I was better than them.

I was in the same situation.

Despite it all though, dengan bazirkan masa dengan bercinta yang berakhir dengan air mata, to being backstabbed by people who were close to me but only planned to use me - I wanted a better life. Not materialistically - but in terms of maximizing my potential and being all I could be.

So in the last few years, I started taking stock of my life, and stopping contact with people I felt did not contribute to my betterment. I wanted to be a better person, and I needed focus away from the problems of others.

Today my dreams are taking shape. But tonight, catching up with some long lost friends who I've reconnected with, I am sad to hear my two best friends - are not doing any better and have in fact deteriorated in terms of their life direction.

I pray for them... I still love them as my family. And I hope, one day... our paths will cross again.

Air dicincang tak akan putus kan?

I just pray every day that they will eventually find their way. I can't show it to them anymore.

They have to live their lives and make up their own decisions. I will always hope it will be the best.

As for other 'friends' in the past - I've forgiven - but will never forget what happened.

I've moved on...


"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, 
Courage to change the things I can, 
And wisdom to know the difference."




Along.... Bongsu... please, please change for the better. I love you guys, and you are my family and I want the best for you. I hate seeing what has happened to you guys, and I now feel like I haven't been a friend for not being there - even though I HAD to do it to try and make something out of my life.

We'll always be a family. Kami adik beradik sampai bila bila. Please. Make the right decisions with your life.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Dreams

When I was fresh out of school after SPM, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life.

Admit it, a lot of us KNOW what we want... we just never know how to go about it. Thus making it unreachable but by imagination, thus making it improbable, thus... leaving us no option but to deal with a 'reality' that leaves us with something that wasn't in our list of 'wants'.

I wanted to be everything everyone else grew up wanting to be - fireman, doctor, lawyer, engineer...secret agent and rockstar. The usual stuff.

When I finished SPM - honestly I had no clue to what I wanted to be... I liked writing - hated the whole syllabus of mass comms I heard friends told about. My other love was music.

And a friend aroused my interest when he suggested we go for sound and audio engineering which I had no clue about.

Like everyone else (back then at least), we didn't know what the music making process was like. Nope. No Internet back then (starting to feel REALLY old). Didn't have a clue what a sound engineer did. The first time I stepped into studio at Ocean Institute of Audio Technology - my second ever (after dropping by SAE (Sound and Audio Engineering) college in PJ - I knew I wanted to make music or have something to do with the studios.

It was a magical feeling. I knew I was in love! With music!

So I enrolled, and also almost graduated (had to repeat two papers) for my Diploma.

When I started working, I zoomed through doing practical work as production crew and eventually various jobs to do with sound, but nothing that took me to the studio.

Somehow, after changing my minds several times, I went for my second love - journalism. With no right qualifications, I learnt my way from the bottom as a cadet journalist.

After some 16 years, I quit journalism to go full time into social media - and music... after dabbling in things since I started blogging that opened new avenues, added with the contacts I had made in the entertainment business (as well as the wealth of knowledge).

Now - it's come full circle.

I have finally made the decision...to open my own studio.


No, this is not a picture of it. Want it to look something like this though.

And my groundwork has already begun. Hopefully I'll be able to own my own little training center. Recording and performing studio, dance studio and much more in one, incorporating what I've learned through the years about social media.

I don't know how it'll go, but this is the happiest I've been for the longest time.

I feel like I'm home. I feel like I'm stepping into the studio again.. some 18 years ago.

Am praying this will be a success and I can contribute more the Malaysian music industry...

...especially since my studio will not only be open to the local music industry community - but also FREE for grooming and scouting new talents. Can't wait!


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Random musings

Kadang-kadang... terpikir balik masa aku keja sebagai wartawan. Rindu gak.

Mana taknya. Tu lah kerja aku selama lebih 16 tahun. Tu lah minat aku. Penulisan. Mencari fakta. Membongkar rahsia. Bukan gosip saja ye... memang kalau hidup tuk tu je, tak ke mana.

Bila sudah keluar bidang kewartawanan ni, sudah pasti terasa tiba-tiba ada yang sudah tak pandang, walaopon aku masih keja di cabang lain industri hiburan.

Takpe la... tu nampak sangat jelas siapa yang mempergunakan kita ketika kita mempunyai kepentingan peribadi terhadap nak kawan kita.

Tapi jujur syukur selama ini, ramai teman anak seni yang masih keep in touch, ataupun tak sombong langsung walaupun aku mungkin tak dapat 'membantu' mereka dalam promosikan kerjaya mereka.

Semalam ada meeting kat Curve, tuk projek terbaru. Sebab semalam hujan, dan biasalah satu KL jam bila camtu, nampaknya ramai warga bandar mengambil keputusan berteduh di mall-mall berhampiran. Kat Curve saja, aku serempak ramai kawan-kawan dari industri hiburan. Ramai orang sebalik tabir, pengurusan...band.

Selepas selesai meeting pun da jam 8. Jalan nak menghala ke tempat letak keta, serempak ngan Awal dan Scha ditemani pengurus Awal, Lina. Sungguh lama tak berjumpa dengan mereka dah. Ye lah... masa wedding pun tak dijemput (sebab masa tu pun transition period).

Dok borak jap, Shaheizy Sam lak lalu... adoi. Jadi sesi lepak agik aa.


Had a meeting at Diana Danielle's home pastu. Yeay... dengar dia dan Fazura akan bersama membintangi pilem baru. Me likey!

Eh melalut ke mana takde halatuju cita ni.

Actually, it's a long winding way of saying, no matter what happens in this business, orang nak take advantage ke, dah puas take advantage ke... takpe. Ramai not camtu. Dalam line keja apa pun ada yang ikhlas dan ada yang tak. That's life.

I write this not with any sort of bitterness, but happiness.

Aku sekarang dalam proses settlekan business. God willing by the end of 2012 - I'm going to have something BIG to call my own.

Sunday, July 08, 2012

School of horror

Selepas berhenti reheat minum setelah selesai ekspedisi ke Mimaland, kami di bawa orang kampung ke satu lagi lokasi meka recommend. Sebuah 'institusi pengajian' yang telah di abaikan.

Institusi itu telah pun di pindahkan ke sebuah lokasi berdekatan, tapi bangunan besar lama itu masih nampak baru. Mengikut check kat Internet, tempat tu buka sekitar lewat 90an dan berpindah pertengahan 2000an.

Sampai sahaja, bulu roma aku da naik semua. Seb baik cukur... kalau tak entah bulu apa lagi naik. Matilah ko sempat lawak hambar.

Kami pun mendaki jalan yang curam naik bukit di mana bangunan tu berada. Sampai saja, kami nampak tempat tu bahaya dengan kaca pecah dan memacam lagi benda bersepah. Ni keja budak mana ke druggie entah yang strip metal and wiring from the structure lah ni.


We walked through this place, and sumpah, I kept hearing... sounds. Bunyi jenis apa? Well ketika lulu kelas dan asrama... setiap bilik, dengar saja bunyi benda tersepak... pergerakan... macam ada saga yang mengintai kami lulu setiap bilik.


There were several floors to explore and memang since this area is off limits dan tak penah di jelajahi, walaupun oleh kumpulan paranormal lain (orang kampung kata meka mintak izin tak dapek), I won't name the place. But fuck... memang keras gila tempat ni.

Orang kata Mimaland tu ni... aku gi tak rasa pe pun. Lom masuk sini da menggila aku... aku sumpah nervous dan berusaha tidak terpisah dengan kumpulan sebab seram sejuk semacam. Broke out in cold sweat... and kept hearing movements... noises and my senses picked up we were being 'followed' and 'watched'.


Apart from debris and broken glass, there was faces everywhere. Taik kelawar ke apa...

"Jin suka lah tempat macam ni... kotor" Alamak.. siapa wat statement tu... dang!


The first real place I freaked out at was this spot.


Kami tengah lalu corridor bila perasan a part of the suspended ceiling dah gave way, revealing a hall/room/corridor on top. Tapi takde jalan naik. Ketika kami nak balk tu salah naik tangga, we came across a stairway yang was boarded up tak bagi kita access the top floor.

I was sitting resting a bit away from the corridor, facing the spot, looking up that corridor. Mazidul bersama beberapa orang slightly further off, exploring some rooms at the end. Adam dan beberapa orang turun tangga ke bawah.

For some reason aku rasa something there... suddenly ada bunyi benda 'jatuh'. Ke dicampak... dari atas.

Terkejut gak aku.. tapi aku diam. Sebab sebelum ni banyak benda aku dengar cam takde sapa tegur.

"Apa bunyi tu? Joe... ko sepak benda ke?"

Rupanya Mazidul dan beberapa orang tu pun dengar that sound. No explanation... we kept exploring.


The place was like a maze! Gila siot.. camna students cari japan meka. Psycho abih tempt ni memang leh wat rumah hantu ke set filem seram.

Salah seorang guide kami, dan Adam and I turun sini.


Aku jadi serabut. Serious cam tak tentu arah. Sebab aku paling belakang, dan torchlight aku dah hado... aku panggil Adam jangan jalan laju sangat. Lantai basah... bocor ke sebab hujan ntah. Dark Water sangat. I felt something behind me... 

When we got to the end of the corridor and we met the team again, they decided to come and join us in the area. Apparently they thought it was a good location to set up for the 'test'.


Again they had a 'communication' session. Memang betul... tempt tu keras. Benda yang cakap tu memang marah... jahat... dan seperti di sangka, dia bukan sorang. Dang!

Dia refuse nak cakap apa selain mengiyakan, menidakkan pertanyaan Adam... serta meludah dan menghalau kami.

The team carried out temperature readings, and I saw the meters myself how drastically the temperature went up. Gila...

This, and that Adam saw someone cross a corridor, entering a 'doorway' which was really a stone wall.. was not the most pleasant of experiences.

Entah apa visual dan rakaman yang team Entiti 666 dapat, but tak sabar tengok. It's going to be interesting if they managed to catch anything. This place is a mindfuck, and it kind of reveals why they just abandoned the whole building and locked it up.

Oh by the way.. ni masa balik aku snap.


Entah siapa punya pacat tertinggal. Aku nya kot.. tapi masa aku check pas kat kedai minum tu takde... so tatau aa siapa lagi kena. Kenyang gila rupanya...

So we left the place after a few hours. My senses drained me working overtime. I hate that place. It's an evil feeling that came with it... 


Again kalau korang nak tau lebih, check out nanti update dari Mazidul atau Entiti 666. Join us for the next trip - seriously... pictures and words.. don't summarize the feelings you get on these paranormal expeditions. Kalau nak tau lebih, tanya aku hat Comments, or tweet me at @klubbkiddkl atau let tanya gak kat @Adamvai

Saturday, July 07, 2012

Mimaland - I'm back

Semalam memang malam aku takkan lupakan.

Istimewa nya... sebab buat kali pertama secara sahnya, aku mengikuti ekspedisi paranormal kumpulan Entiti 666, atas pelawaan Adam.

Sebelum ni banyak borak je pasal pengalaman dan pandangan... aku bab ni bukan expert. Jauh agi...tak secubit pun pengetahuan ramai orang keliling aku tang bab ni.

Tapi kira korang baca blog aku, kalau penah khatam dari mula, tau lah aku ni jenis leh nampak benda dan banyak kali alami benda-benda camni.

Aku penah singgah masa meka wat ekspedisi ke rumah terbiar di Klang.. penah blog pun kan?

Tapi kali ni secara sah aku menjadi sebahagian kumpulan mereka seramai lapan orang in total.

Dan destinasi kami?



Erm... tengok papan tanda pun confirm tak hirau kan? Tapi suasana malam gelap dalam hutan, aku pakai Blackberry aku saja nak snap pics, so jangan expect gambar tahap Power Rangers tahap DSLR la. Apapun, kami tiba pas melalui jalan yang kalahkan Camel Trophy (retro reference gitu).

Walaupun destinasi kami sebuah tempat yang banyak kenangan bagi aku... sungguh berubah sudah kawasan persekitaran sehingga kalau campak aku sana tanpa bagitau mana pun aku takkan cam.

Dengan bantuan orang kampung sana... kami pun tiba di... 



...Mimaland. Taman tema pertama di Malaysia yang dibuka sekitar lewat 70an dan bertahan sehingga awal 90an. Memang vogue aa zaman tu. Sunway Lagoon? Tak wujud pun... dan kira Mimaland ni pada yang tatau, memang advanced gila for its time. Tu yang ramai suka shooting sana.. dari Gila Gila Remaja... ke Mekanik kalau tak silap aku.

Sebab tutup? ... selepas kejadian seorang pelancong Singapura meninggal di kawasan kolam renang (dengar bab slide tu) dan kemudian diikuti tempatnya yang jadi mangsa tanah runtuh... diikuti saman dari pelbagai pihak - dengar khabarnya mereka terus bungkus saja. Tempat tu sekarang milik Magnum Corporation.

Di luar, sebelum jejak masuk, tambah sikit cerita 'urban legend' dari orang kampung sana. Memacam la... nak senang A to Z ada saja cita orang nampak/mengalami benda. Ini selain cerita yang tersebar di Internet.

So kami melangkah masuk dengan mixed expectations.

Personally for me - it was homecoming. I nearly drowned in Mimaland.

Umur aku ketika itu mungkin 8 atau 9 tahun. Naik slide paling tinggi. Kawan keluarga nya keja lah paksa aku. Bila aku landing dalam pool, the impact tu gila babiks... dan aku terhantuk pala kat lantai ke dinding kolam and momentarily passed out sehingga ada yang tarik aku keluar. Memang masuk air la...impak sampai hari ni aku masih leh rasa that moment.

Tu antara sebab aku nak join expedition malam semalam. Nak sangat see the place I had happy.. and a traumatic experience.

Anyway sambung cita.. masuk je.. ni benda pertama nampak dekat kawasan guardhouse.


Van terbiar ni banyak ada gambar kat Internet sudah. Tapi tak penah ada shot malam - sehingga sekarang that is.

And aku tengok kebanyakan gambar di Internet di ambil di Mimaland sekadar di pintu masuk dan kawasan berdekatan itu. Besar wo tempat... tapi mesti ramai tak berani menjelajah. Ye lah... masuk pun bukan sebarangan. Nak curi masuk? Cari nahas. Kang tak keluar.

Anyway... kami dibawa orang kampung untuk menjelajah.


Sejuk saja tempat... tapi segalanya ditutupi hutan yang 'memakan' tapak Mimaland ni. Memang most of the structures hidden by the growth da. The moon was bright though and everything was bright. We started dalam tengah malam.. dan menjelajah selama dua jam lebih.

Kami berjalan ke kawasan tasik yang dulu naik bot kayuh... (nostalgia sat sebab penah naik). Dekat 30 tahun tak jejak... cam tak caya tengok tempat ni dah hancur camni.

Juga ke kawasan dewan/skating rink yang dikatakan keras. Secara peribadi aku tak rasa apa-apa pun. Tenang sebenarnya di Mimaland ni. 'Radar' aku tak berbunyi langsung. 

Tapi aku kebelakangan ini dapat rasa yang betul betul kuat saja, atau yang tidak elok. Dan di sini, aku rasa kami 'diperhatikan' tapi tiada perasaan takut. Adalah perkampungan di sini kot... tapi bukan yang buruk buruk...

The Entiti 666 team later explored the old chalets. Ada satu bilk dikatakan ada pelancong berbangsa Cina ditemui mati dalam katil. Kata orang kampung... So kumpulan pun masuk untuk meletakkan equipment untuk test paranormal activity there. Ni luar kawasan bilik...  masuk pun kena redah semak samun.





The last pic tu, bed frame katil yang di mana katanya pelancong tu was found dead.

Anyway, sambil mereka memasan peralatan, aku dan dua tiga lagi orang kampung gerak beberapa ratus meter kehadapan. Ada main office chalet lama.


Kira mahal lah ni zaman tu. Kira four or five star punya harga gak lak. Ingat... zaman tu, nasi lemak sekolah pun 50 sen je, air sirap ke apa baru 20 sen sama dengan kuih semua. Harga wayang pun RM3 (masuk Mimaland pun sama harga untuk dewasa kot).

Anyway... I joined up back with them selepas meka siapkan rakaman untuk mengesan aktiviti. Ketika tu, mereka bersiap nak teruskan 'berkomunikasi'.


Nak pendekkan cerita, seperti di sangka.. takde lah benda 'buruk' di sini. Keras di Mimaland dakwaan ramai, memang rasanya tak berasas. Berpenghuni - yes. Berhantu? No. Ada beza.

Anyway, ni lah souvenir yang aku dapat - cuma sedar masa gi minum pas kami selesai.


Siot nya pacat (kot lah pacat). Sedar sedar (tak rasa apa pun) kaki aku berdarah... tapi... luka tak ada. Kesan gigitan? Ada kot... mmm... entah.

Banyak lagi gambar dan insiden di rakamkan, tapi rasanya aku biarkan kumpulan Entiti 666 dan Mazidul je explain lebih terperinci dalam blog meka. 

Personally for me, I felt a sense of happiness, peace and calm. And surprisingly... sadness. A whole lot of sadness. Emotionally because of nostalgia perhaps. But then again, it was overwhelming in another way. Entah kenapa emosi macam tu yang aku dapat rasakan dari tempt orang selalu katakana keras dan serum. Tak pernah...

Psychologically, seram sebab hutan.. gelap... dan kawasan tertinggal. Tu je. Tapi that's just in the head. Paranormal wise, jujur aku cakap, aku rasa seperti kalau aku duduk sana malam-malam pun, aku takkan takut. Bukan cakap je.. cuma... yang aku takut satu je. Yang aku tak nak tinggalkan tempat tu. Yang faham... faham lah...

Aku simpan niat nak jelajah Mimaland lagi kalau di beri peluang - tapi kali ini nak ketika siang. Aku tak dapat ke kawasan kolam renang dan gelungsur mana aku hampir lemas sebab jauh, dan the whole area memang too heavy growth da nak tembus dalam satu malam. Juga kawasan Maze dah tak wujud... dan Dinosaur Park ke haper yang ada dulu pun banyak da covered by the forest.


PS - Selepas Mimaland, kami ke satu lagi lokasi. Babiks horror walaupun tak sangka tempat tu camtu. Sat aku update.


PPS - Untuk lebih info ekspedisi paranormal termasuk penjelajahan di Mimaland dan banyak lagi tempat, usha blog Mazidul Akmal dan Entiti 666. Nak join pun leh...