Malaysians from all walks of life have chosen to grieve in their own way over the death of filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad.
A graphic designer and street artist who only wanted to be known as Jeng decided to share his feelings with the world in the form of a mural as tribute to the award-winning film director.
“The mural is my personal tribute to Yasmin. I do not know her personally but I have been following her work since Sepet,” he said, adding that he has watched the film seven times.
Two street artists paid tribute to award-winning director Yasmin Ahmad by painting a mural of her and a crying boy along the banks of the Klang River by the Pasar Seni LRT station in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. Graffiti artists Jeng and Kioue drew the mural although they did not know Yasmin personally.
On Sunday evening, just a few hours after Yasmin was laid to rest, Jeng made his way to the Klang River beside the Pasar Seni LRT station here and left a mark that many Malaysians appreciated, if the responses to the images posted on Facebook and Twitter are anything to go by.
The mural took Jeng slightly more than three hours to complete.
“I started painting at 4pm and Kioue (a fellow street artist) came over later to join me. He painted a wailing boy to complement my portrait of Yasmin,” said Jeng.
“A few tourists came by and talked to us.
“A couple from Switzerland were keen to listen about Malaysia and about Yasmin’s contribution to the local film industry,” he added.
Inside, was a beautiful article, written by Feride Hikmat on kak Min.
Outside however was this 'polite' reference.
Without being emotional, I can only say this.
There is nothing untrue about it. And there is nothing unethical about it.
But you know what... it's also uncouth, uncalled for and unassumingly ignores the sensitivity of the situation and any sense of respect to the family of kak Min.
Not to mention kes kecut telur takde byline on that story. Ball-less! And the play on innuendo. Why not cita penuh since ko da tak hormat the memory of her, or the sensitivity of her family? Cakap je.. dia ni sex op ke apa! Kenapa nak insinuate? Tak berani? Why play on innunedo and taboo since that article imply lain? Are they really that stupid?
Tanah masih merah, they play on society's stigma and prejudices, to conjure up a story that guarantees their paper sells. And memang it sold well. No one could get their hands on it. Laku sangat Kosmo! hari ni.
Congratulations Kosmo! For one day of heartlessness, I hope it was worth it.
Let's all congratulate Kosmo! Send in your letters, emails and calls this way!
PENGARANG KOSMO! 46M, Jalan Lima, Off Jalan Chan Sow Lin, 55200 Kuala Lumpur berita@kosmo.com.my Tel: 03 92214001 ext 508 & 506 Fax: 03 92218590
Spread the word! Make sure everyone you know does it. Do it repeatedly! Ask nicely for an apology. Not to us. But to her family and the memory of Yasmin Ahmad. A brave woman who would have told them off to their face if they had dared do it (obviously they didn't) if she was still alive.
Bloggers - spread the word! Join this Facebook tribute group for fans of Yasmin too, by CLICKING HERE!
Kosmo!... for all their claims of balls - now you know who doesn't have them.
PS - A friend told me he has already emailed them. Yasmin would have thanked you with a hug Fendie. Member dia lak call to complain - and you know what response he got? They laughed at him over the complaint. Seriously... a news organisation? You sure?
PPS - Aku di Melaka da. Nak update aktiviti sini, but tunggu je lah later today. I think this deserves more attention.
PPPS - If you guys want to read my tribute to Yasmin (tapi kalao orang baca blog, it's going to sound familiar) CLICK HERE. And kalao nak baca a heartfelt tribute in Utusan (out Tuesday) CLICK HERE! - by Syazwan - a friend who USED to work at Kosmo! now at Astro Awani (good career move!) I know how much he misses Yasmin too. Also, read Marina Mahathir's comments on Kosmo!'s fantastic bit of journalism by CLICKING HERE!
Finally, I can sort out my emotions, my thoughts. Sort of.
Semalam actually, I felt a bit, well.. lain semacam. I don't know. Teringat arwah Loloq. How they said 72 hours observation and pada hari ketiga... well, you know... and then sama tempat lak kat Damansara Specialist Hospital.
Called kak Fati. Dia ngan family masa tuh about kol 8 lebih tengah dinner kat 1 Utama dinner. They had been at the hospital and were going back to the hospital. So janji nak jumpa meka later, as thought nak temankan mereka kejap. Leh borak borak, cheer the family up ke...
Was held up sebab janji kengkawan nak jumpa and all sebab ada hal nak uruskan. Time wasted cause semua called off.
Was passing Section 17 in PJ, minutes from the hospital when got a call from Juita, bini Pacai.
"Babe. Did you hear?"
"What?"
"Yasmin's gone. Harith just told me."
FUCK!!!! Aku masa tuh start mengigil. Then the SMSes came in to confirm. Started shivering and bak keta cam orang gila nak sampai hospital cepat sikit. Like I could have done anything.
Exactly a month since Michael Jackson passed on, also at the same age as Yasmin at 51, another person who has inspired so much love - has passed on.
Sampai hospital mengigil satu badan, palpitations started and broke down when saw Nani at entrance of Emergency.
Yana dan Leysha took me to the third floor where everyone was. Saw kak Fati ngan Shuhami Baba. Hugged mummy and broke down again. Had to sit down to calm myself.
Took about 15 minutes to compose myself.
"The family is very distraught, and we have to be strong for them, Joe," kata kak Fati.
So went out for a smoke nak tenangkan diri. Fuck again! Lupa nak top up phone yang da abih gayut AND da abih rokok. Dalam kelam kabut tak sempat stop nak top up semua yang perlu.
Sial tol. Bummed a ciggy from Emran and chilled out. Elly sampai and aku bak dia naik atas. Na take my mind off things, pinjam laptop dia update status Twitter je.
Then Jac sampai. Aduh... another round. And one by one people started arriving. Aznil... then kengkawan media lain.
An hour or two later, it was over. Meka bak jenazah balik ke rumah family.
Went for a drink with Elly, Wafa and friend.
Sampai umah 3 lebih pagik, tak dapat tidur. Entah. Cam something just not right. I don't believe any of it actually happened.
Bersengkang mata sampai pagi. Dapat info from kak Fati, then jumpa As skali gerak. Sampai kat Masjid Abu Bakar As-Siddiq kat SS19 da ramai orang.
Aku dok tepi je. It just didn't feel right. It hasn't sunk in kak Min is gone.
Masa meka nak bak jenazah kuar bak masuk van. the family ask for non-Muslim family and friends to come forward bagi peluang. I just stood by the van jenazah. When the body came close to me, aku just started crying imagining kak Min inside. It's just not right.
Aku masa tu semput jap, seb baik As drive.
Sampai kat tanah perkuburan kat USJ22, I couldn't cry anymore. Masa meka lowered the body into the grave, I just stared. My mind was a blank.
Mak Inom passed out when they started the talkin, and didn't get up even after it was all over. Yasmin's hubby pun nak rebah masa meka started throwing earth into the grave... everyone didn't cry as much as the moment in the hospital.
I knew what they felt. I felt it too. It was disbelief that Yasmin was gone.
Aku walked about 800 metres or so ke station Petronas berdekatan. Amik ko jalan kaki bawah panas terik. Had a drink. Stared at the funeral going on in the distance. Couldn't absorb.
Made way back pastuh. Didn't meet, or talk to anyone else. Balik, terus tidur. 24 hours of all this drained me, and pressure aku pun naik ngan tak cukup tidur.
After a couple of hours, kena lak wat two articles on kak Min's passing.
Aku bab tulis articles ni laju je. But kali ni, didn't know what to write, or how to write it. Felt my writing wasn't good enough to do justice to the memory of kak Min.
Finished it hours later.
Ni update blog ni masih keletihan, dan dalam keadaan tak percaya still.
I miss kak Min.
You want to know something? Iklan ni by Yasmin... it was something that I remembered the most.
Masa iklan ni keluar, aku ingat lagik. Years ago. Masa tu tengah layan TV ngan orang tua aku. Terus membuat aku fikir. Ada gak yang sanggup layan orang tua mereka camnih. I looked at my parents and realised they were my priority in life.
And that's the thing about kak Min. If you knew her, she kept preaching love. And she spread it to everyone who knew her. If you didn't personally have the chance, her films, her writing, her commercials... they were extensions of who she was. What she was all about.
Letih. Watching a string of Yasmin's beautiful work on ads she's done in the past. Go to Youtube, and laugh or cry with them. As a tribute. In memory of her. And feel what she wanted you to feel.
To be proud of who you are. Malaysian - be it Malay, Chinese, Indian, or any other race. To love your parents no matter what. To appreciate family.
Am going to rest now... but just want to share one last thing with you guys. This is kak Min's commercial which runs in Singapore.
And that's all for now. Need rest. Esok kena gi office kejap, and then kena rush to Melaka. Be safe guys. Love all of you. Hugs.
Just woke after a few hours sleep. Going back to sleep again for a while some more after this. Saja nak habiskan kerja, and finish some ideas which have to be put to paper. Or to Wordpad to be more exact. Well, you never know what hours you get an idea or two kan...
Siang tadi, headed to KL. Planned nak drop by soon to be office number two. Tapi dapat call kata tak perlu, so headed straight to KL. Damn! I hate Friday traffic. It's like the only day where EVERYONE goes out for no reason or something sebab time ni la yang paling busy. Kalau hujan lagi gila. So I gave thanks for little blessings lah that it didn't rain.
Supposed to meet Stanly kat Pavilion. Dia singgah KL jap from Kuching, nak pick up his aunt yang discharged from Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Dia nak make a mad dash back to the airport, and catch the next flight back pastuh. Aiyo.. ko hengat naik teksi ke nok, sesenang camtuh.
Tapi tujuan jumpa Stanly sebab dia nak pass 'birthday cake' aku. Heh... da orang tau aku ni gila kek lapis Sarawak. Rasanya apa yang dia bawak?
Seketul besar dia pass camtuh je.
I like! Er... no I didn't just put in on the floor, tu je tempat nak amik pic, plus it's shrink wrapped!
Thanks Stan.. walaopon delayed but I guess it's the thought that counts. Jumpa dia pon tak sampai sepuluh minit, then rushed nearby ke Istana Budaya. Nok!!! Aku tak reti potong cantik cantik sial!!! Takpe la... janji sedap! Heh!
Bob dan Syuib da balik dari LA. Sorry tak sempat snappy, but the final count is si gold medals, two silvers, and two plaques. Lepak with them for half an hour borak sebab meka touchdown je kena kompol ada reception thing at Istana Budaya. Biasalah event kementerian. Syuib ajak lepak. Gila.. sah sah belum rasa effect jet lag.
Pas abih, headed in the ridiculous jam ke Damansara Specialist Hospital. Can you believe it took almost TWO hours to get there. Jalan Tun Razak is so whacked.
Sampai pon da gelap. Aku call beberapa orang kengkawan before going in. Nak tengok any developments. Kalao tak malas nak masuk menyemak. Tujuan nak dapat update je... bukan nak pose sakan.
Got word that nothing has changed. Kak Min is still under observation, so guys, keep praying for her safety and health.
Aku headed for home sebab tak larat. Damn jams give me migraine. Dapat reply from project person. Next week kena put things together. Syukur ada time nak set things up cause just got the quotes from the dancers and all. Arranging over 100 dancers for a seven day event in the middle of town is NOT easy. Nanti aku update on developments. Kalao ikutkan, by next week, things should more or less be finalised and I can slowly unveil details.
By the way, pas bebudak Akademi Fantasia finish with the reunion in Kuching, they'll be headed to Melaka for shooting AF Raya lak. I will be going there on Sunday, or Monday, depending on how I settle work here cause aku dijemput tuk wat cameo sekali dengan Reza. Scene aku tak silap, libatkan Hafiz, Aril and Akim. Tak ingat...
Eh by the way. Balik balik, seperti biasa, dekat dengan katil ada one of my babies. Let me introduce you to Jack.
Jack was an abused puppy rescued and cared for by the SPCA. Korang remember tak my entry dulu?
I had Mickey and Princess, my other two pups. Princess passed away. Memang sedih gila time tuh. Tapi masa tu, lepak ngan kak Min we were talking about some stuff, and I mentioned my beloved pet da mati.
Few days later she called me up, and said there's a beautiful pup kat Bangsar Shopping Center tak silap aku, at an SPCA event. It had this sad, pleading look. She felt so moved by it, and called me immediately and said I should give it a loving home.
Masa tu aku kelam kabut keja, so I promised to check things out.
Ujung minggu tuh, my sis came home for the weekend. First thing dia cakap on the phone masa nak sampai, she said she had a 'present' from kak Min. Aku menjerit da agak! Apparently kak Min, called my sis, and the went to BSC together and she got Jack for me, and asked my sister to take him home as my Christmas present.
And when my sis sampai rumah, she opened the car door to reveal - Jack. Kesian masa tuh bulu pendek, tempang sebab previous owner dia memang kejam gila. Sepak bagai sampai camtuh. The poor dog has trust issues sebab da kena abused camtuh.
A couple of years or so later, Jack is now one helluva furball. He's happy, and rules the house, nak makan pon demand. Heh... Mickey sampai kena buli ngan dia, but they appreciate each other's company.
Korang ingat tak masa Mukhsin, orang kecoh pasal bilal yang pegang anjing? They didn't see the scene in Muallaf where Datuk Rahim Razali potrayed a Datuk yang siap bela anjing.
If people understood things and didn't just jump to judge, they would realise that she was showing that in Gubra, it was compassion to animals - as the poor stray dog da tempang after being hit, and the only reason the person came in contact was to avoid the dog from being hit again. Compassion people... !!!!
In Muallaf, it was to remind Muslims that it's not condoned by Islam to deal with canines and how the hypocritical rich 'forget'. Very different but relevant.
I don't understand why there are some people who are still condemning her, especially in this hour when anyone with a heart would feel for her, her husband, her parents, her family and her friends. Korang ni esok lusa, Tuhan nak tunjuk, barulah rasa...
Yes, kak Min gave me Jack. But she got my sister to pick it up. She wanted to give the dog a home. And I also believe she knew how sad I was when I lost my Princess. Thank you kak Min, for showing me that your movies have always been based on simple truths you believe in.
Kak Min berkali kali mintak aku amik pic nak let her know how Jack is doing. Kak Min, get well fast. Jack sihat, and I so want the person who saved him to see how he is now....
Just back from the Damansara Specialist Hospital. Kat rumah Mont Kiara sekarang.
Waiting for a late meeting with dancers tuk another project in a while kat Hartamas Square.
Letih...
The whole staying at the hospital for four hours or so in that condition... erm... not a fun experience.
Aku memang risau keadaan kak Min, but malas nak gi awal, sebab knew it would be a circus. With every Thong, Dev and Harith there. And true enough... weird why these kind of kejadian pun ada yang nak menyemak. Bersangka baik jelah... orang risau genuinely.
Aku dok tepi je, sempat sembang ngan Datuk Seri Farid Ridzuan and Farisha Pawanteh jap dapat updates.
About 9.20pm, parents kak Min sampai hospital. Apparently they flew in from Langkawi. Her father looked tired, while her mom was just in tear. Aduh... Friends who got to see her after the operation tadik filled us in. Malas nak masuk nak kaco, so dapat updates je.
Now kak Min will be under observation for the next 24 hours. And if she passes that, it will be extended until she's really out of the danger zone.
The actual situation?
Well, apparently she did pass out during a presentation masa di Sri Pentas. Yes, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and husband and TV3 staff pon ada.
Stupidly, fodder for rumours, someone pronounced her as well... you know...
She did stop breathing said some, other said her pulse was strong.
Bottomline is they revived her and she was carted in for an operation to remove blood in the brain. Something to do with her blood pressure and all. Moka aku nih cam medical specialist ke nak tau.
Anyway, pas operation tadik, she was declared stabil, tapi kritikal. Don't know what that means, but masa gerak just a while ago tengah malam, her heartbeat was still irregular, and she is still hooked on life support.
Me and a couple of friends decided to balik dulu, pas jumpa Nani. Kak Fati and family gi supper sambil pujuk Nani balik cause she insisted on going back to the hospital. Guess esok abih kerja je nak lari balik hospital lagik.
Worried.
If you guys have been reading my blog for some time now, you know how special kak Min is to my family and I. All of us pray for her speedy recovery, and I ask you guys do the same in your own way.
Kak Min has been there for me many times, by phone, or when she manages to spare her precious little time to hear my problems. She is an amazing listener, and sometimes, through her silence, offers me more options and advice...
I introduced her to my sister for the first BMW Shorties that my sis was handing, where kak Min became the judge and she became acquainted to my sis too.
We both love her to bits, and it's sad news, keadaan kak Min sekarang.
Sorry takde pics ke apa, but I don't think it's appropriate for me nak snap around area hospital. Plus on top of that, I think those who know what I think of kak Min all this while, you don't need pics to illustrate it. Hopefully will have more cheery news to share with you guys soon on kak Min.
PS - Read the online new for updates. I know some of my media friends are still at the hospital ready to cover any developments. Please get your news from reliable sources, not witnesses or rumours. People who circulated rumours that she had passed on are just butt stupid.
PPS - Remember flash mob post? It's on! Confirmed today! And it's going to be BIG!
PPPS - And I start August for something else as senior writer. Aduh... banyak nya projek nak wat lagik ni... doakan segalanya berjalan lancar. Hugs to all of you.
PETALING JAYA: Critically-acclaimed movie and TV commercial director Yasmin Ahmad was admitted to hospital after feeling unwell during a presentation she was giving at TV3.
She was taken to the Intensive Care Unit at the Damansara Specialist Hospital, where she is now on life support and in stable condition. She is still unconscious.
She is believed to have suffered a stroke and was in a coma for a short while before doctors there successfully revived her.
Hospital authorities have not confirmed anything.
A host of Malaysian personalities are at the hospital now, including pop diva Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and husband Datuk Khalid Jiwa, Suria FM’s Engku Emran, TV3 CEO Farid Jamaluddin, and indie filmmakers James Lee, Pete Teo, Liew Seng Tat.
Yasmin, 51, the director of Sepet, is particularly well known for the community message commercials she directed for Petronas.
She began her career in advertising as a copywriter at Ogilvy & Mather, eventually rising to creative director at Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur.
Her movies have won many international awards and have been screened at the Berlin, San Francisco, Singapore and Cannes international film festivals.
Last November, she was inducted into the inaugural Malaysian Advertising Hall of Fame by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia
Guys.. please pray for kak Min. Am on the way to the hospital now. Really sad. All I heard are rumours that she apparently stopped breathing for 20 minutes after she suffered a stroke. Word is right now she is being operated.
Will update you guys on further developments. Check my Twitter status for any updates as well from the hospital.
Aduh... aku baca pon pening. But what was worse was Juita's update tadik at 7.15pm on Twitter.
"so-called scuba unit refuse to dive into lake to look for drowned stuntman at Mines. fear of drowning themselves? sigh..."
Like what the... for the sake of Eddie's family, please pray that he be found.. no matter what.
Aduh... these sort of things shouldn't happen. Wonder if the damn Bollywood movie is any good even.
Humph... anyway... erm.. just a note for all Akademi Fantasia fans. The kids are all in Sarawak for the reunion this Saturday. And if you guys have nothing over the weekend, Ahad lak ada Jom Heboh which is going to have quite a few artistes participating. So people in the Land of the Hornbill - it's time to PAR-TAY!!!
Me? I'm going to sleep soon... had my Transformers marathon (not the movie ok, the 1984 original animated series, season one).
Malas betul nak update entry hari ni. Trying to be productive.. so something's gotta give.
Awal pagik da bangun pas cukup tido sebab turned in early. Finished off a couple of articles for the paper, and had lunch before it was to KLCC for a meeting in Menara Maxis.
Hasilnya? Puas!
Getting to do something I really want to do! Another project for J². Yeay! Can't say what it is yet, but korang layan je video nih and get a clue. It's called a flash mob, a different variety from what you saw with KL Freeze ages ago in Pavilion. Actually picked up this video when it was just uploaded...
Dropped by the office and finished off some work. No hanging out or doing charity work for ungrateful dogs no more. Yeay for that too.
Ni besok nak abihkan sikit agik presentation. Very the keparat. Eh corporate. Tak larat nak gi rakaman Mega Raya Astro. Esok je la aku update more ok, guys..
Lambat update hari ni. Bukan apa... nak abihkan keja. Gawd! I forgot how much of a sense of accomplishment and kepuasan I get when I write articles. Heh.. aduh. Ni lama tak bebetul tulis nih da rusty sikit. Siap writer's block.
But finally got it done and puas sangat.
Ni yang rindu nak go back to writing full time nih (apart from a million and one things I want to do).
Anyway, was writing something on the Shout! Awards held last Friday night, when a friend of mine pointed out something to me.
And so I scoped out the catch-up TV on 8TV's website, and yes, I found it! Nothing sensasi la sangat. Just kelakar.
Orang said we'll never see so many things on Malaysian TV, but now I can proudly point out that I've spotted one people thought will never happen. Two guys doing a mouth to mouth kiss. Boleh?
Ni masa bebudak Bunkface diumumkan pemenang Ultimate Shout Awards. Time tuh semua happy bagai and so excited, I guess they, and their friends hilang bearing jap, pelok ciom pipi bagai. So salah aim, ada yang ciommolot lak. Amik ko! Ni screen shot.
Words fail me... scary muka!
Kalao nak tengok for yourselves, CLICK HERE and watch Part 10 about midway, before the end performance of Sean Kingston yang bosan dan nan hado, tak nyanyi pon.
Seriously....
PS - My sis came back tadik and gave me my birthday present. Medical insurance, not exactly a Hummer, but still the best birthday present aku dapat. I know she cares for me, and that's the best thing I could get.
Dengar dari Syuib, si manager Bob, total awards Bob enam emas, dua silver and two overall category grand titles. Tengah tunggu pengesahan apa lagik yang dia menang.
Bangga ahli kelab Pelita! Apapon, congratulations to all Malaysian representatives termasuk Sarah dan Hasmidar as well as the rest. You guys make us proud!
Ni some pics from Syuib. All pics belong to Bob Mesra Entertainment.
Will keep you guys posted on more info coming in. Apapon, Syuib dan Bob nya birthday pun in July, so tak sabar meka balik tuk raikan birthday kita semua bersama. We have reason to celebrate for sure!
CLICK HERE for official results list from WCOPA site.
Damn! I slept at only 6am this morning, and bangun kol 5 petang! Amik ko! Sebelas jam hibernasi!
Semalam gi Shout!. Erm... it was ok. Too loud - and no, I'm not too old. I've been to all the MTV Awards (except the last one) and survived concerts like Avril and Slipknot, and even Westlife, so I doubt I'm past screaming crowds or audio systems pumping inhuman levels of sound.
But ada je yag tak kena. It was good, and also bad. How do you describe it... Just definitely not worth having to go through the jam with the Manchester United training going on next door.
It's like a great performance for Jac, baru nak emo in rememberance of Michael, and then you had Reefa bounce out disrupting the whole feel of things. Like... WTF???!!!
It was like everyone buying into the hype of Bunkface (respect to them - idop budak Klang... orang kampung aku tuh!) but turning zombified masa Estranged put on one of the best performances of the night.
Basically - a potentially good event, but riddled with many WTF moments.
Pesawat were the real hit of the night, but kenapa la ada orang lonjat lonjat jerit jerit sebelom tuh. Tak perlu sangat!
Tak bother sangat. In fact, caught the show, while spending a lot of time with Gaya, Afdlin and Mamat Khalid and their wives apart from other friends who were left blurred out by a lot of what went on that night.
In fact had more fun when Upin and Ipin menang award... boleh? One of the highlights for sure?
Sean Kingston? Overrated, oversweaty, overmiming and just plain overweight. Period. Nyanyi pon tak setakat YEAHHH YEAHHH and uhmmm... and one or two more lines on top of the CD. Bosan nak mampos! So much for the closing act.
Sapa agik yang ok ek. The performers worthy of a mention were Bunkface, Nikki (though Shila was a WTF moment), One Buck Short, Joe Flizzow.. and a few more. Caprice and a few others would do good to learn how not to just randomly shout into a mic. Oh well...
The crowd? Let's not even go there.
Layan je la pics. By the way, if you guys dulu ada baca pasal these Chanel gun heels I so loved (and convinced Faz to get them, here she is wearing them to the first public event in Malaysia they've been seen in. Don't know if she's the first person in the country to have these shoes, but berani cakap she is the first to have them in all three colours, epecially these black and whites.
Heel-ing power
Ngan adik dia Jojo.
Aku bangga kata dia the first int he country to wear these black and white Lagerfeld creations. READ HERE n my posting in January masa aku naik gila pasal kasut nih. And here's Madonna wearing her end of last year.
By the way, the ones Faz are wearing are the limited edition ones, unlike the more common black and silver versions.
Ok, now on to the rest of the pics.
The Chong family - no Vince but with younger bro
Datuk Sheila Majid
Yellow fever! Nikki after performance
Hot chicks Faz and Marsha
The Pesawat boys were so in demand last night - motif AirAsia punya topi? Part time job ke sebenarnya? Matilah!
Cheryl looking sweet
Shidi bak beg tuh sesuatuh sangat!
Sebenarnya pegang beg bini tuh
Joe's got Flava
The Estranged family
And the last picture I have is this. When you take a look at it, just tell me, what the hell is wrong with this picture??!!!
Yes, that's Jehan. In a hat that defies all logic or reason for being worn. Doubt his bad hair day could have been that bad sampai pakai camtuh.
PS - Thanks Muckcheek @ Yasmin for the serunding. Sweetest birthday present I've had in a longtime. Tak penah orang Poslaju aku serunding within a day before. And the card from you and the rest of the family was such a beautiful thought too. Hugs to all of you for it!
PPS - Dapat berita dari Syuib on the World Championship of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. Malaysians masih teruskan saingan dalam final. Dilla, Wilson and Iza made it to the finals of all the modelling categories, while Artistana Group made it to the finals of the dance category.
In vocals, Bob, Sarah Raisuddin, Hasmidar made it into one solo, and two duet categories for the finals. More info as news comes in. Malaysia boleh! KEPITA boleh! Heh!
So.. finally hit 33 today. It's supposed to be a power number, and good things are supposed to be coming. Tapi kenapa la I feel so pessimistic.
Hate birthdays. Period. Almost every birthday I've had, has some bad memory attached to it. Not say there haven't been good ones, but my birthdays are usually the suckiest, no matter how family and friends try to cheer me up.
Maybe it's cause I feel I've outlived my supposed perpetual age. But some would just say I'm vain about getting older.
Tak kisah pon. As Aaliyah put it so beautifully to tune, age ain't nothing but a number. Still.. oh well.
I think the major problem for me is age becomes a measure of what I've succeeded in doing thus far. Kira penilaian diri lah. And the past year? Not very happy. Sorting things out, and getting back on my feet took up a lot of time. And recovery is still slow, though some signs of positivity.
Oh well.. I think I'll just sleep it off until my 34th is over.
At least finally I can say that my favourite song by my all time favourite band Smashing Pumpkins is now relevant to me, even though it has always reflected sentiments of my life.
Thanks to family and friends who wished me over instant message, SMS, Myspace and Facebook as well as in chat here and so on. You guys are the reason for me continuing this journey still with some spirit left in me.
Hard to be positive. I mean, Jesus died on the cross at the age of 33. What hope is there for me? (what the f*ck am I going on about). Oh well... here's to whatever's left of this horrible.. I mean beautiful day.
33 - Smashing Pumpkins Speak to me in a language I can hear Humour me before I have to go Deep in thought I forgive everyone As the cluttered streets greet me once again I know I can't be late Supper's waiting on the table Tomorrow's just an excuse away So I pull my collar up and face the cold On my own The earth laughs beneath my heavy feet At the blasphemy in my old jangly walk Steeple guide me to my heart and home The sun is out and up and down again I know I'll make it Love can last forever Graceful swans of never topple to the earth And you Can make it last Forever you You can make it last, forever you Can make it last And for a moment I lose myself Wrapped up in the pleasures of the world I've journeyed here and there and back again But in the same old haunts I still find my friends Mysteries not ready to reveal Sympathies I'm ready to return I'll make the effort, love can last forever Graceful swans of never topple to the earth Tomorrow's just an excuse Tomorrow's just an excuse And you can make it last, forever you You can make it last Forever you Can make it last Forever you
Argh!!! Walaopon hari ni kaki terseliuh rasa ok dari malam semalam sebab rested in bed the whole day (this is something I'd love to do everyday - spend in bed lah, not twist my ankle), woke up to a sore throat.
Cipet betol la! Rasa macam nak selsema! Skang pikir nak selsema je, pikir H1N1. Sial tol panikkan diri sendiri. Tapi no fever nothing. Just a little sore throat, and baru start sniffles sikit. Should be nothing.
Tak wat per pon ari nih.
Cuma belah malam kuar ngan abang Bad gi makan kat William's (which I still think is overrated cause the food is so-so, but pricey cam nak telan emas) dan borak borak jerk.
Then seperti dijanjikan jumpa bebudak kat Pelita Hartamas about 1am pas meka semua abih tengok wayang. Sebelom tuh meka ada meeting tuk Rumah Terbuka AF (aka AF Raya). Meka da dapat briefing synopsis.. abih aku kena usik ngan bebudak pasal my role in the show. Aiyo.. tanak la berlakon lagik. Sempat tak nak tarik diri. Aduh.
But anyway it was fun just hanging out with them. For a moment, rasa macam dalam Akademi.
Aku awal-awal tau meka da abih nak tengok wayang, da hantar SMS yang ajak minum pas abih dengan final sentence, "AWAS siapa yang tidak hadirkan diri dengan alasan memacam".
Heh.. terus panik. Qhaud call, then Nana, then Hafiz.
Found out Claudia dan Akim takde. Claudia balik terus tak join meka pon tuk movie, Akim kata ada sound check haper ntah and si Aril MIA tatau dia gih mana.
But cukup semua yang lain hadir kan diri (Isma lak takde sebab nak tunaikan tanggungjawab sebagai isteri katanya - matilah!!!... tak sabar tunggu malam Jumaat ke - lari!!! Abih pasni aku kena carot ngan laki bini speku) Kecoh. It was therapeutic to be with them. Positive energy is good!
Nak tidur la skang. Got lunch appointment. Mintak mintak kaki aku da better. Malas tol bak keta manual dalam keadaan camni kalao jam.
PS - The results of the competition are out. Boo! I didn't win. Oh well, takde rezeki. Jangan la tanya kenapa.. mana aku tau kalao orang lain pilih pemenang. Takpe... just hope you guys not too disappointed after all your effort. Apapon, thanks a million to all of you who voted for me sampai aku first in that sense. Hugs to all! Rasa cam Mawi lak jadik pilihan ramai tapi bukan pilihan juri...
Siang-siang da keluar ke Sungai Buloh atas urusan peribadi.
Finish at noon, terus head to venue launch album Hafiz. Well, supposed to be album Hafiz, but lagu Hafiz baru lima - including Masih Jelas. Empat lagik 'bonus track' kesemua lagu final yang lain.
Aduh... apa malas ke kedekut nih. Da lagu dalam Masih Jelas memang ok! Worth the buy - but awat empat lagu baru je (ketepikan Masih Jelas). Wat la album bebetul!
Honestly, I think fans are being well... shortchanged. Sebagai peminat Hafiz, mesti ada yang terasa. Yerlah.. nama album dia, pastuh kongsi ngan orang lain. Bukan like it's collaborations ke apa. Apa la salah AESB wat album mini dia je kalao budget tak mengizinkan full album. Apa main tumpang tumpang nih?
And then peminat bebudak lain cam Aril, Akim, Isma dan Yazid camna? Adakah mereka patut beli album yang takde nama orang meka support? Yang cuma menampilkan lagu yang da memang circulating on the Internet via free download.
Sapa yang untung? Bebudak ni untung ke, pihak lain?
Oh well... tu korang sebagai peminat... ingat pesan Nabil je. Lu fikir la sendiri! It's your money. I'm not saying the album is not worth it - because it is. But pihak pengurusan pikir la panjang sikit lain kali dan bukan tuk kaut keuntungan buta camnih.
Me personally think that Masih Jelas should be an album of its own. It deserves to be! Kalao nak wat mini album, jangan la malas studio version Masih Jelas plus four new songs je and then nak main sumbat tangkap mat sumbat semua lagu final lain kat dalam - dan harapkan peminat beli lak. Kalao malas camni baik single.
And then kalao nak alasan muatkan lagu bebudak lain, wat la album ala ala album EVO series dulu yang menampilkan studio recording and lagu baru non-finalists.
Kalao tidak pon, jangan la tipu peminat. Album Ratu dulu yang menampilkan lagu orang lain - digelar album 'Ratu And Friends'. Apek punya album pun pakai Apek and Family. Oh well... things people do. Ingat Maestro da takde, elok lagik perjalanan masa depan bebudak nih. Ado?
Apapon, happy to see the kids. Miss all of them. Aku tak snap banyak sangat pics masa event. Just a few before, and some after. Before tuh bebudak lain bersiap, Hafiz tengah rehearse, so sorry kalao starting tak banyak pics Hafiz. Masa lepak after tuh ada lah.
Anyway by the end of it, spoke to Hafiz's mom. Glad we had that talk ma'am. Heh! Matilah aku kan ting tong.
Ok la... korang layan pics. Banyak ni. Balas dendam lama tak bagi korang banyak camnih.
First batch ni masa Hafiz rehearse bebudak tengah get ready. By the way, Reza dok touch up sebab dia pengacara majlis.
Aku warning awal-awal dulu, kalao nak kebas pics kat sini - aku izinkan HANYA KALAO korang nak simpan dalam PC wat koleksi peribadi! Tapi kalao nak republish kat forum lain, atau blog ke website lain, anda sama sekali DILARANG - membuang, crop, edit watermark aku, dan mesti MESTI kredit DAN link klubbkidd.com! Kalao tak awas hidup korang! And I'm not joking!
Ni some of the guests. M Nasir, Aidit and Ad were among those who worked on the album. Eh Acis pon ada. Heh. Tapi yang best Ad bukan datang sorang. Biasalah. Pengantin baru. Berkepit je. Matilah aku Suria ko jangan carut aku... gurau je!
And these last photos, were of bebudak layan gila. Saja nak amik candid gila gila pose. Tapi yang pentingnya, blur banyak sebab bebudak ni tak koser nak pose. Asik gerak je. Merasalah cam ulat bulu semua, tak reti dok diam.
In the end joined them for a few photos, sambil kita buli Isma. Kesian lak dia kena tarik rambut, kena cubit pipi. Sabar ek Isma. Skali skala adik beradik buli si akak, apa salahnya. Buli manja tuh!
Pas abih, rush back again to Sungai Buloh nak settlekan hal sana again. Finish about 9pm, gi lak layan pra tonton filem Setem.
Featuring a stellar cast in Rashidi Ishak, Vanida Imran, Bront Palare, Afdlin Shauki, Que Haidar, Sathia, Harun Salim Bachik, Aziz Sattar, Jalalludin Hassan, Corrie, Diana Danielle, Kanchana Devi... ramai gila lah.
My verdict? Worth the RM10 for sure.
It was ok, but kalao ko nak aku describe, this would be the type of movie I would spend RM10 on without regretting, but tak feeling hype nak kompang semua kengkawan tuk tengok.
The good parts, it was funny in some parts (cue Afdlin as sheikh going "Fatimaaaa!!!") Also some good acting from a few characters. Loved Que, Afdlin, Bront, Sathia (walaopon kekadang irritating lak).
There were also some good visual effects.
The bad parts?
Cliched and trying too hard in some parts. And check out time Bront nya character si Burn nak kena bakar tuh bab final tuh. Is it me or masa api merebak ke arah dia, you can see his feet and he's already in a fire suit? Matilah!
Also boo to the editor, who has no idea of storytelling for most parts making it lengthy and overdrawn here and there, dan too many one liners sumbat sana sini at times, and too little actual development of principal characters, so in the end, you really couldn't give a toss about what happened to them (which like the whole plot - is so unlikely and far fetched even for a fictitious piece of work)
Anyhoo, go check out the movie la. Kalao korang nak aku describe, imagine Baik Punya Cilok, with a touch of Los and Foun, and then campor ngan Melayu nya take of the 'Oceans' series (11, 12 and 13).
I would give it a three and a half stars out of five. Kalao nak banding Razak Mohaideen punya usual stuff, this is in the five star league dah in comparison. I still think Kabir Bhatia should stick to melancholic drama as that's his forte, though this is a decent effort.
For more on Setem - CLICK HERE for the official website.
Heh.. ok la... aku nak tidur. Kaki terliuh siang tadik. Dah bengkak ni. It'll take a day or two to heal...
Need rest. Esok ada meeting and all. Tak larat kot... see how.
