Summer 2010: Oh, hell.. why not

The month after my eurotrip started as a time of nothingness. Nothing to do, while everyone waited their turn to fly back to Malaysia for the holidays.

A lot of my friends' housing contract ends at the end of July, but they would only leave the UK in late August or early September. Therefore, a number of them crashed in my house throughout this period.

A lot of guys in one house yet nothing to do... woke up, played some PS, watched some movies.. yada yada. So whatever idea that came up, such as "hey, lets ..(fill in blanks)..", was always supported with a Oh, hell.. why not.

Few of the highlights include,

A fishing trip to the North of Wales! A friend of a friend would supply everything we need for an overnight camping and fishing trip, the remaining three of us had minimal fishing experience.

Oh, hell.. why not.

The site was far from sunny beaches. It was hard rocky edges drenched in cold rain.

Me and a friend went hiking on the edges of the sea, climbing and hopping from rock to rock, far out from camp and back. One stayed in the camp and slept for most of the time. Leaving the avid fisherman to battle a sea-lion to haul in food for the day.

In the end, we spent a total of 200 pounds only to eat 4 mackerels.

Back from the trip was some time in Manchester.. Someone suggested that we spend a night out in town as 'gentlemen' to celebrate a friends graduation.

Oh, hell.. why not

Next, was the trip to send my friend to Heathrow airport, London. In London, we met a Malay prostitute who offered us a night in her apartment. Unfortunately, we declined. After having dinner in the famous Tinseltown restaurant, we were ready to head back to Manchester.

"There are some great nudist beaches in Brighton, two hours south of London" said a friend.

Oh, hell.. why not.

Nude people don't come out at night so we decided to spend the night on the beach. On arrival, we saw a group of guys lighting up a campfire. We wanted one as well.

We drove around town looking for something to burn. Surprisingly, there were a stack of construction planks next to a bin. We loaded them into the car, found some discarded boxes as well and we were good to go.

Few hours later, as the fire died out... I said "Ive never been to Portsmouth, its only an hour west of here".

Oh, hell.. why not.

We drove an hour to Portsmouth at 5 in the morning. Parked the car in Portsmouth and slept till 9. Woked up and walked around Portsmouth till about noon. My friend still wanted to see the beaches of Brighton. We got back in the car and drove back to the east.

We did not find any nudist beach. Oh, hell

From there we headed back to Manchester where I spent a few more days before my flight back to Malaysia. I was almost broke at this point but it was money well spent. It turned out to be a rather interesting month after all.

Summer 2010: Eurotrip

I would say that my last summer holidays felt like the most fulfilling holiday Ive had in a long long while. The holiday lasted close to four months and I don't think there was a single dull moment through it all.

I'm just gonna list down the things that happened for my future reference's. Don't expect to read of any new epiphanies ....

Kicking off at the start of summer was my euro trip!! First leg of the journey covers Krakow-Stockholm-Oslo.

Krakow was beautiful and warm. The city's appeal come mostly from its medieval history. Parts of the fortress wall still surround the inner city. It gave me the rare opportunity to get a glimpse of what it would have been like living in one of those medieval towns. I also went underground into an ancient salt mine that is rumored to be the inspiration behind the Mines of Moria in The Lord of The Rings.

On top of that, I got free accommodation and tip top hospitality from my host, Peter. A polish guy who is into Amy Search and nashid music (he doesn't understand the language btw).

From there I flew to Stockholm. The last time i was there the temperature was -15c. The weather was more bearable this time around and yet still too cold to feel like summer. Nevertheless, there is a certain charm about Stockholm. The city feels almost archipelago like and the hop-on hop-off ferries are one of the best ways of getting around.

Next up, Oslo. The city of Oslo is not as dense as most other European cities. There was part of an old fortress wall on top a hill that looks over the Oslo bay which i enjoyed. Sorry to say, but it is one of the more forgettable places ive seen so far. What i will remember though, is eating whale meat stew. Much to my surprise is that whales have red meat - complete with a beefy flavor.

A week on the road got me bummed. From Oslo I head back to Manchester for a week of rest and preparation for my Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam trip.

Paris is much like London or Kuala Lumpur in my point of view. Being a Metropolitan city, it drains my energy just by being there. A source of energy however, would be French girls. hehe. As expected from the fashion capital of the world I suppose. People who actually shop would enjoy Paris more than i did. Spent the last night in Paris on top of the Eiffel tower. The view from there was amazing. The city looked like an ocean of gold coins below my feet.

En-route to Amsterdam lies the city of Brussels. First striking feature of Belgium is that it doesn't have its own language. Belgium is a small country in between giants like France, Germany and Holland. Its interesting to imagine Belgium's origin as a rouge town formed by people from those three giant states. It must have only been a stopover town for travelers. Brussels itself was alright, but not one of my top picks. Chocolate and waffles galore.

From Brussels, I got the bus into Holland. One one side of the road was a vast expense of farmland. On the other, a vast expense of open sea. The sea was on higher ground. (Try imagine sitting by the beach, but instead of looking down to the sea, you'd have to look up to the sea). A few hours later I finally got into Amsterdam....

Amsterdam oh Amsterdam....

no further comment ;)

6th sense, 7th sense, 8th sense.. how many senses is really out there?

I was thinking about human senses the other day. These senses are what we use to define our world. What we can sense, we believe.

Then again animals are able to sense things that we couldn't; like a coming earthquake or tsunami. So what else cant we sense? Like in the 6th sense movie, it defined the 6th sense as being able to see ghost.

Then i stumbled on a documentary on tv: The possibility of life in other planets.

It showed that the discovery of life in areas of earth with no sunlight and (if not mistaken) no oxygen has opened up the possibility of life existing in any atmospheric condition - no matter how hostile it may seem. These lifeforms would just look different from what we are accustomed to as they would have to adapt to different conditions.

However, one scientist predicted that if there were life somewhere else, It would look similar to those on earth.

Reason being that in concept, our organs are already picking up on the smallest unit of elements in the universe. Our eyes are designed to capture photons of light. Our ears pick up on the vibration of molecules around us. Our nose and mouth identifies the chemical composition of these molecules or atoms of materials. Our touch could feel energy in the form of heat.

Then when we study animals, we identify some of them to be blind or deaf. Those animals have less senses than us.

Well, Isn't it arrogant for us humans to assume that we are sensing everything there is to experience in the universe?

Why is it that only the things that we can see, feel, smell, touch and hear be considered a fact. Why is it that only things that could be proven to these five senses be considered the truth.

Try imagine that we were a species without the sense of sight. And perhaps one person, for some reason, is able to. If he told us that the sun rise into the sky everyday.. would we believe him? or would he just be ridiculed?

So, could it be possible that there are things right in front of us that we could not experience? Something that we just could not comprehend. Like people telling us about light when everyone is blind.

Scientist now are able to study light, sound waves, molecules etc. But there might be things that are not made of atoms nor plasma nor any elements we have yet to identify. Something that could be defined as things of another dimension.

If these elements are out there and we are not able to sense it...

who are we to dismiss its existence.

and...what if these elements are what supernatural beings are made of?

The system

We were playing Pro Evo Soccer (PES) on the PS3 the other day. After each match we became increasingly competitive about who wins, forcing us to do our best every time we play. Nevertheless, some times it seems like it just wont hit the back of the net no matter how hard we try. No matter how precise we setup the opportunity.

Which begs the question "why??!!!"

Then my friend mentioned "its all in the system". I had no idea what 'the system' meant at that moment.

I retreated into myself for some time trying to figure out what 'the system' means. Obviously its referring to the PES system. What is the 'PES system'??

well, its a system that allows me to input my decision (via action) into the system to produce an outcome or consequence that affects the PES match.

Does that mean that im part of 'the PES system'?

Then again, my opponent had to input his decision in order to make the same outcome possible.

Does this mean that we are part of 'the PES system'??

We are designed into the system as the system was designed to allow us to input our decision.

Following defeat in a match, we naturally wanted something to blame. Therefore we would blame it on the 'PES system'... (ignoring the fact that we are in fact part of the system. I decided on my actions and affected whether i won or lost) .The system that was designed to decide who wins or who loses in any particular match.

Then i started to wonder deeper into my thoughts,

The guy who made the 'PES system' must have been a genius to produce a system that enabled me to decide on something and let my decision affect the outcome of the match. He designed it so that when i decide to press shoot, the player would shoot the ball and hopefully the ball would hit the back of the net.

But the system was designed in the limited context of a football match. I could not have punched another player in the face even if i wanted and decided to.

In order for that to happen, the games designer would have to design a new system that allow me to punch another player when i decide to. The more opportunity for me to make my own decision, the more real the game becomes.

For a game to be totally real, the system would have to be designed so that we could do whatever we feel like doing. Which is actually doable in real life; We could do whatever we want to do.

So is real life a system?

Real life is still a system because it allows me to decide on something and let my decision affect the outcome.

You cant argue that there is no system, because there is a system that allows us to make our decision. The act of making a decision is within the design of the system.

As i mentioned earlier, we are part of the system. This is because im not the only one capable of making a decision. My decision and similarly your decision would affect a single outcome. There can not be more than 1 outcome. As seen through the win or lose of the PES match.

Therefore, i am part of 'the system', you are part of 'the system' and everything that we could see touch and act upon is part of 'the system'. Everything is part of 'the system' because everything was designed to allow us to to make a decision. Our decision is part of 'the system', and the outcome was allowed to happen because 'the system' was designed to allow it to happen.

If you insist that there is no system, then you are not 'thinking'. Because thought was allowed for in 'the system' in order for you to make a decision. The system goes like this:

Thought > Decision > Action > Reaction.

If you believe that everything is merely action and reaction, then there is no thought. If you believe that you are thinking and making your own decision.. then the above system is right. Is it not?

Like the 'PES system's designer, The designer of 'The system' would have to be a genius.

Then, at this point of thought, these words from the Koran struck me....

(I cant quote where ive heard it from, but im pretty sure ive heard it before)

If you think, then you will find god.

Dont try to figure out god. For he cant be comprehended. Thats why god asked us to think..not necessarily about anything in particular..but think about thinking. Then you can see that god must exist.

God is the creator of everything you see around you.

There must be a system that binds everything around us. Everything is part of 'the system' that allowed us to think and make decisions. And all systems must have its creator.

God is in you. God is in everything around you.

God is the very concept of 'the system' itself, We are also part of 'the system', everything around us is part of 'the system'.

Man was given the characteristics of god

First and foremost, we were given the ability to think. We are also given the ability to create. Not just static objects, but create systems as well.

Not only is Allah a genius for creating 'the system', he was even smart enough to tell us about the whole concept of 'the system'. Amongst countless other things he told us.

Science and Islam goes hand in hand, because Islam is a way of understanding the system, and science is also a way of understanding the system.

Isnt it all beautifully made and tied together? :)

In essence Money isn't a necessity, its a control mechanism

im currently reading this book called The Ascent of Money which traces the history of money from the current day to its origins. Although i haven't completed it, I got through half the book ; so ive got a rough idea of how money started to be. While i was thinking about it, i came to a weird realization;

In essence Money isn't a necessity, its a control mechanism.

Just like Law, money became a necessity out of lack of self control within society. Governments control money and therefore, controls society...

Im not a economic student or anything like that, but hear me out.

Lets start with the basic money system,

Someone needs to buy food. Therefore he needs a job. Lets say he gets a job within the construction industry, as an architect. He works in a firm who gets a government project. The government funds the project, the firm gets their fee, he gets his salary and buys food.

We know that the government controls supply of money - because inflation can happen. The government needs to do this because they're trying to buy things from other countries as well.

Lets look at early civilization now,

The reason anyone would have to buy anything in the first place is because the original owner of the 'food' for instance wouldn't want to give their food away for free due to him not wanting to part with the fruits of his labour. Who can blame him, if the beggar asking food from him is a slacker who didnt contribute anything to the produce of food and only wants to eat it. So, the food seller is greedy for not wanting to give things away for free and the beggar is lazy for not doing any work.

In a perfect society, everyone would strive to contribute to society by various means of working, and the fruits of their labour would be shared equally. Rendering money useless.

But as soon as a greedy person hogs his produce and expect something in return (even if greed is a responsive act against laziness), trade will begin. Once trade begins.. money would have to follow.

Therefore, money was inevitably created as a control mechanism to regulate the greedy and the lazy. Without greed and laziness, money wouldn't have been necessary.

Implications of money as a control mechanism goes far beyond my capabilities to talk about with what limited knowledge i have, but it is something to ponder on.

p.s. not sure if i made my arguments strong enough. I could make more points.. but that would require more thinking on the subject which i have not done and haven't got the time to..

Blood dance

Had one of the coolest dream last night..

I dreamt that i was part of a mafia group which was going through some internal problems.

Dont quite remember the first part, but a couple of guys assassinated members of the same group.

Scene 1

The next day, there was a meeting organized in a theatre hall (imagine suits and red carpet event). To my suprise, the guys attended the event as well. They were sitting in a row. A bold move on their part.

Then, a man from a couple of rows behind them got up and pulled out a gun. Aimed at one of their heads, pulled the trigger *bang*. Unfortunately the shot missed and ended up killing a woman in the front row. Her arm flew to the stage and within minutes there was a pool of blood.

Never the less, dancers came out and continued performing. A dancer in white perform a dance on top of the pool of blood. The dance was performed in a smooth circular motion. Her body was close to the floor and her hands and legs keeps sweeping across the floor. No one else realised it, but what she was actually doing is drawing out Japanese symbols in the pool of blood. A coded message to someone.

Scene 2

The next thing i knew, I was suppose to hide weapons around the building for some upcoming fight. I hid a bunch of katanas in the toilet that was connected through a corridor behind the seating area (not very hidden when i think about it). So, as i was walking about in the corridor, i saw a bunch of thugs loitering in the emergency exit staircase area. They were extorting money from Justin Timberlake (wtf?).

I asked a couple of friends.. "should we help him?". One of them said that we should because he was a fan.

We confronted the thugs with a "let him go.. or else.." line. Cliché, I know. They wouldn't back down and we ended up in a fight. It was a 4 on 4. As my friends attended to the other 3, I grabbed one of them by the collar and pulled him down to the floor. As he laid down there, i reached for his throat and choked him.

And that was the end of the dream... not much sense and a whole lot of violence. It even had that dark gloomy atmosphere going on.

Well, i cant make sense of that. Need help on this one guys.

If she's here

I'm devastated,

My girlfriend might have to decline four top university offers just because she needs to stay in Malaysia in order to get her PR. Damn, the government is keeping my happiness away from me. I need my pursuit of happyness.

My life would be much better if she managed to get her PR before September and study here in the UK.

If she's here, i would look forward to weekends. Wouldn't mind travelling back and forth for hours just to see her. I know she would cook for me all my favourite dishes. She knows what i like. She's a terrific cook :)

If she's here, I'd have someone to speak my mind to. I wonder about the little things that people dont bother to think about. If i voice out what im thinking all the time, id just be an annoying bitch - but she listens to me passionately. I know shes not just pretending to listen because she contributes to the conversation as well. Only smart people can contribute to the conversation :)

If she's here, we would travel to all the interesting places together. She enjoys the natural world as much as i do. We could travel to the frozen north, lay down on the southern beaches, stare into the universe through the clear night sky on board a cruise ship and so much more. When where in cities, we would seek out the la sagrada familia, experience the guggenheim museum or simply enjoy the childishness of Disney Land. Because we love the same things in the world :)

If she's here, I'd take good care of her. Id make sure she gets the love and attention she needs. Lift her up when shes feeling down. Help her with her homework. Tuck her in on cold winter nights. Because shes my baby :)

If she's here, she would take good care of me. She would make sure I get the love and affection I need. Lift me up when Im feeling down. Help me with my homework. Tuck me in on cold winter nights. Because im her baby :)

When im with her its just bliss. No action nor words are needed. Simply being around her makes me happy. I've found someone who loves me for me, and I love her for her.

Although she might not be able to be with me right now, although I have to wait a couple of years before I'd be with her again, im sure the wait will be well worth it.

The world's a theatre, the earth a stage

its been a very arty spring for me, got a lil bit of that theatre lifestyle.

I played one song as part of a skit. I did not act in it.. just merely played as a musician in a bar..... Though it gave me a hint of what it is like to be part of a theatre production. The experience might have hit me hard due to the fact that i have never seen a play in a proper venue before.. and the first time i do, im in it.

Arrived early for a full rehearsal. Practice getting in and out of stage, positioning, lights etc. Before you know it.. seven hours has passed, and its time for the show.

There must have been about 50 people running around backstage. Perfecting their actions so as not to screw up during the actual show. Backstage has a very unique position in a production. Its where all the mess, confusion and clutter is. Hidden away from the view of the audience. All they see is a smooth crisp show.

Backstage is where you would find people practising their lines, putting on costumes and getting ideas for some last minute improvisations.

From the backstage, performers have to make the journey towards the stage wings [the most interesting place in my opinion]. This is where all the emotions are. Its a dark narrow alley on both sides of the stage. Scarcely lit by lights from the stage, creating a strong contrast of light and shadows. Its a place people and props wait moments before getting on stage - squeezing through each other, chasing precious seconds with their eyes fix on stage, not to miss a cue.

Anxiety could be clearly seen on everyone's faces.

Getting on stage was liberating in a way. All those time spent practising comes down to one final moment. The crowd reduced to figures in the darkness. Leave all your anxieties aside. When your on stage, there is no right or wrong.. whatever happens, the show must go on. Therefore, all you could do is to enjoy the moment.

I've been performing as a band on stage plenty of times, acted in a couple of school plays.. but there was a distinctly different energy to theatre.

Perhaps it was the old Victorian ceiling with chandeliers dangling down from it.

Perhaps its the hustle and bustle backstage.

Perhaps its knowing that every second of what you do matters.

Perhaps it was the way the curtains open before you - revealing a crowd all suited up.

Perhaps it was the hundreds of stage lights interplaying with each other - exaggerating every emotion that makes a scene.

I understand now why a lot of people leave their field of expertise for life in theatre. Even great actors speak of theatre fondly.

It is a truly unique experience.

False sense of rightfulness

I never start a bog entry knowing what to say... just rambling on till i get to my point..

Hot issue going on at the moment; the organization I was involved in is under attack by a Malaysian "Islamic" society in Manchester. I couldn't believe the level of the accusation they put on us.

Few weeks ago, words were going around amongst the "Islamic" society that our organization promoted alcohol during our last event. Shocking news considering that it's false news... but all was well when the head of the "Islamic" society (from here on referred to as Isociety) got in contact with our organization to clarify things.

so we thought....

Then out of the blue, we got news that the Isociety signed a petition amongst their members with intent to tarnish our name, and sent it straight to the Malaysian student department. They even went so far as to write to an Ustaz, asking him to take action on us. It felt like a stab to the back.

First key point here ; in Islam, the sin for false accusation is worse than murder. So it saddens me to know that people use the name of Islam [acting high and mighty] meddling around in peoples affair trying to tarnish peoples reputation. Its shocking how they use "Islam" to justify their wrong doings.

It was bad enough that we lacked this Isociety's support (as fellow Malaysians) for the event. I would assume that members of the Isociety was advised not to support us as we were deemed sinful. I wouldn't have mind the non-attendance as it was their right to live however they choose to... so be it they choose to live detached from the real world. Its when they try to control the life of others that bothers me.

But don't they know, that when they act with the name of Islam, they risk ruining the name of Islam itself? They act with a false sense of rightfulness. They attack us on the assumption that we are sinners. They seek to ban all things they perceive as sinful.

That is not how Islam works.

They dont even know what a gig is.

Islam is an educated religion. Education here refers to understanding. Understanding of the world, people, culture, other religion etc. Muslims are ordered to study everything there is to study - not to condemn everything they do not understand.

Islam is about self control. In a mixed religious society, it is an even greater triumph to be able to control ones self from consuming alcohol while still respecting religions that do.

- You don't ban a whole event just because your not suppose to drink. It isn't a drinking event anyway. [we did not promote or sell alcohol during the event, but the local British bands drank]

So.......... go on living under your rock if you want to, go on trying to force people to live as you do, go on trying to stop the world from spinning, go on accusing people as you wish..

but do not do it under the name of Islam.

There are far better ways to promote Islam than this.

Back on stage

I got a new bass :D

About 2 weeks ago, Couple was scheduled to perform in Manchester. As they arrived in Stansted, en route to Manchester, their bassist got a call from Malaysia with news that his mother got admitted into ICU. Knowing this, he made a tough decision to get the next flight home. It was the right choice on his part. He made it just in time to see his mother before she passed away.

The other band members stayed and was determined to keep the show going - all they needed is a replacement bassist. I was reluctant to play for them at first. Haven't touched an actual bass in ages. Honestly, I might have been a better bassist a couple of years back.

A bassist friend in the area volunteered and saved the day. He was available to play all the big events in the Couple UK tour but could not make it for some of the smaller gigs.

So, the band asked me again and I decided to step up to the challenge. After all, it was just small gigs and would be a perfect stepping stone for me back into the world of music. Never the less, It was still thrilling and terrifying.

I've been wanting to buy a bass for quite some time, and as events unfold, I stopped procrastinating and actually bought a bass.

[Sexy lil thing. A Jackson bass with well rounded deep sounds and various tone setting]

Was scheduled to play two pub gigs in London. Had to learn eight songs for the first gig, and eight more for the next. All that in 3 days.. and it got rather confusing. They day came for us to perform, whether I was ready or not.

Personally I think I did okay on the first, but not so good for the second. Lucky for me the band and the crowd were nice and didn't go down hard on me. hehe

At the end of the day, I cherished the opportunity given...Its not every day you get to perform with such well known bands.

In the course of things, I managed to relive the joy of performing as a band, awakened the sleeping bassist inside of me, and got myself a new bass to practice with.

When the next opportunity arises, I'd be ready.

If u want to do it, do it right

Attended a Malaysian Night in Liverpool last saturday,

It was my first time attending a Malaysian night. My expectations were high since i heard that it was a sit-down event with performances going on on stage. I was thinking of it as something rather formal akin to a wedding banquet in a hotel. They charged 8-10 pounds per entry anyway.

The event has got everything in place ; there were performances, an emcee, lucky draws, Chinese meal, etc. But i was very disappointed on the execution of all those elements of the event.

The hall was filled with the circular tables as expected, but it was left bare. They laid a square coloured paper in the middle, with smaller different coloured paper around the table as place mats. They served the Chinese food in aluminium foil take-away trays with the plastic covers merely placed under it. The food did not look or taste eight pounds.

The emcee has a flat tone, the lucky draw gifts were bought from the pound shop and left unwrapped.. exposing its cheap contents for all to see.

The sound technician didn't know what he was suppose to do, the main performing band......

If you want to do it, do it right.

Since I was just involved in organizing an event, this really got me thinking about the act of organizing an event,

Firstly, and most importantly, I realize the importance of having a vision for what the event could/should be. As the Malaysian night event thought me, its not about the elements that make an event but rather the execution of it. Just getting by does not cut it.

In order for an event to be executed well, the project manager has to divide the event into smaller elements and put under the supervision of elected team members. Therefore it is extremely important that the team members be chosen wisely. Every individual in the team must also share the vision and passion for the event.

The chosen individuals then has to be dedicated and knowledgeable about their responsibilities. In educational terms, everyone must aim for an A, rather than just going for a pass.

Some may argue that the lack of funding is the main cause of not doing things properly, but that is what designers are for really - making things happen in the best possible manner with whatever budget allocated to them. 'Designers' here is not limited to visual designers, this includes designing a nice sound or designing a nice flow of events etc.

As a team of organizers, it is also important to realize and discuss the details and the smaller bits and pieces that make up the event. For example, a greeting smile at the door might just make or break the entire event.

The whole is made out of smaller elements, therefore everyone in the team is responsible in making a successful event.

and I was blessed to be able to be part of a great team.

Cheers.

Our Menu

Me and Ska have almost been together for 5 years now and we always eat well :)

We would rather travel for miles for good food than eat at any crappy restaurant near by. Therefore, we tend to stick to the restaurants and foods that we know will taste good.

Over the years, we have pretty much narrowed down the menu to this ;

Fatmawati - Nasi Daging empal

Shih Lin - XXL Crispy chicken

Shih Lin - Seafood tempura

Anywhere propper - Dim Sum

Ah Hong - Kam heong Sotong

Ah Hong - Dry Butter Prawn

Ah Hong - Hokkien mee

Stevens - Chicken Chop

Stevens - Lamb Chop

Uptown - Yong Tau Foo

Sisters - Crispy popia

Hakim - Nasi Ayam kuah campur + papodom

Man chong kam - Nasi Ayam

Jusco Food court - Claypot Chicken Rice

Penang Mari - Sar Hor Fun [no longer available]

Red Quali - almost every dish [no longer available]

Jati dormitory - Nasi Lemak

Road Side - Rojak & Cendol

Ikea - Meatball

Ikea - Daim Cake

Ikea - Curry puff

Subang Ria - Won ton Mee

Subang Ria - Hakka Mee

Subang Ria - Kuew teow + Fried Yong Tau Foo

Nandos - Quarter Chicken meal

Al-rawsha - Anything Lamb

Restaurant Sambal Hijau - Nasi Campur + Sambal Hijau

Jaipur - Apom

Kedai Kopi - Beef keow teow Shah Alam

Pucuk Paku - Cantonese noodle

Idaman - Tom Yam

Idaman - Kari hijau

Maulana - Nasi Goreng Kambing [Ska je suka :p]

Pak Li - Nasi Ayam Lemon

Seoul Garden - Korean Buffet

Awana Resort - Burger [best burger i have ever tasted. boo Carls Jr.]

Wong Solo - Ayam penyet

Tony Roma's - Ribs + Baked Beans

McDonald's - [Fillet o Fish & Sundae for me] - [Chicken McDelux & Fries for Ska]

Fillet Mignon steak is over rated.

The places aren't high end to any degree, but as they say, the best food are hawker foods.

By going back over and over again, these places and food develop a sentimental memory for me. I could never eat there without thinking of ska. So im posting this as a check list of what to eat when we're [since ska is coming to the uk] back home in Malaysia :)

Every stranger is a person

It was a very disserty weekend,

I had to distribute a questionnaire from house to house for a survey on home energy... I admit that the topic isn't as interesting as a dissertation could be, but I needed to know about environmental design in this part of the world. Would be a waste of money if i travelled all the way here to learn what i could have at home.

Decided to distribute it personally house by house because I was hoping for a better response rate, rather than sending it out by mail.. only got 20 respondents in two days though.

Anyhow, it was quite an interesting experience meeting random people in their own environment.

I went to a high-end area on Saturday. People there were nice - i guess its because most of them were educated people and knew what i had to do for my research.

Went into the house of a landscape architect. It was a lovely place with full height glass doors opening to a back garden. Then, oddly finding a women and her mum who were both on benefits living in a house without central heating in the high-end area as well [but her cats were extremely healthy].

Then on Sunday I targeted the lower-end houses. Was almost demoralized by how unfriendly people in that area were. Most of them were middle eastern/Indian etc. sheesh...A lot of the immigrants don't even speak English!

things got better in the later half of the day.. Locals and students were always willing to answer the survey. I was pleasantly surprised a couple of times when i said, "I'm doing a quick survey", and their immediate reaction was; "would you like to come in for tea?". Haha.

Met a 63 year old man who lived in the same house since he was born. He started out trying to act tough.. "I don't like people knocking on my door promoting, distributing flyers etc" ..... "are you sure its only gonna take 5 minutes?"

Ended up spending half an hour with him. Showed me his living room... talked about how the area changed in 50 years and so on.

It was kinda fun... Frustrating at times.. but all good. Its like the world is one big party. Just chat up random strangers and you'd get a nice story from every one of them. After all, every stranger around you has a unique story of their own.

Extra curricular activities....

I've done a lot of extra curricular activities in my life.There are a lot of reasons one should take part in these extra curricular activities - and i don't mean just the school ones.

I'm posting this cause my sister posted a note in facebook about having to choose what you want to do for the rest of your life at a very tender age. It begins by choosing your subject in high school. From there you have to narrow down your scope further when you choose a course for uni - and it all takes place before you reach 18. A lot of people i know start reconsidering half way through the course.

Im not saying extra curricular activity solves the problem, but by joining these activities, you get to test out different job scopes. It keeps your options open... Usually when people decide not to pursue the career they studied for.. they often fall back to those things they've done through these extra curricular activities. This may include joining an animation team, going into events management or just setting up a business.

It is like falling back onto your hobbies.. but its different - hobbies can be done alone. In my definition of 'extra curricular activitiy' [ECA] it requires some sort of interaction with people. I guess im defining ECA as: a non-profit organization that any group of people can band together and set up in order to achieve certain targets or goals.

For example.. i was in a band and worked towards performing to a crowd, i was in scouts and we worked to organize events for the younger ones, I joined a marching troop to win the national tournament, I joined a group of people to organize a gig, or even something as simple as organizing a barbecue.

All of it helps in getting through the 25 years you spend preparing yourself to get a job. In fact it adds the colour to life. Cant imagine people who study hard since they were 7, day in and day out to achieve grades at school. Because doing these ECAs' actually does make you a better person. I do in fact believe that i managed to score the scholarship just on the basis that I have gotten myself involved in a lot of ECA's.

By joining in these ECA it develops organizational skills, social skills... general knowledge etc.

It develops your social skills unlike you would develop it by partying or at clubs. It gives you the capability to actually make something happen... and it gives you a sense of achievement.

I cant point out exactly what I've learnt from them, but i sure as hell wouldn't want to go through life without them.

Why do i think all the time?

I already know that i think a lot all the time. I would question everything.

Then one day.. i found myself thinking of ;

"why do i think all the time?".

I figured that the best way for me to figure it out is to map out my thinking process.

Thus, I had to track my thoughts every step of the way.

and this is how it goes...

[Experiment to test the way that i think:]

Stage 1 [test a scenario]

for example,

If I hear someone say "is that a fish?",

with my natural tendencies to want to know things and my scientific way of thinking ...

my brain would go to this imaginary cabinet of data and look for the letter "f".

Scroll through all the animal list and find the folder 'fish'.

my brain would then look up all things i know about fish.

Find something i dont know...

Then It would trigger the reaction question; "how can I figure this thing out."

Then I would plan an experiment..figuring each step in detail.

(got forbids, there's something about the experiment that i don't know.. and my brain would try to figure that out... and come back to the fish later)

So after i figure out in detail the appropriate experiment to test this thing about 'fish' that is unknown to me. My brain would simulate the experiment mentally and then provide me with the most logical answer.

Stage 2

My mind would then drift to a random-but-connected issue.. such as:

"what if this new discovery, of this thing about 'fish', would change the world?"

then the process to answer my second question would be:

..........................." test if people will still eat fish knowing what I have just discovered"

.........or............. "test if fish might be produced in a different way to be able to feed the poor"

.......or.............. "test if fish might be made into rocket fuel" etc etc

..then after I've figure out the appropriate thing to test ... my brain would simulate the test. Mister Brain of mine could then , provide me the answer to the question:

"what if this discovery, of this thing about 'fish', would change the world?"

Stage 3

My mind will then lead me to the next random-but-connected question. Which will lead to the next random-but-connected question, to the next, then the next and so on.

Stage 4 [conclusion]

So, with this path of natural thinking i have. I would never run out of questions until I've figure out everything there is to find out in the world. There is still the possibility that one of my mental experiments is flawed too. So i can never have nothing to wonder about.

[experiment concluded]

So u see guys... thats what i found out when i was thingking of:

'Why do i think all the time?'.

Well, Thats just how my mind works; A series of random-but-connected question that never ends. So, the answer to my question"why do i think all the time?"is:

" Because I love to find out about everything"

Therefore, I would always tend to space out. But the speed at which this process of

"Question-Experiment-Imagined Answer-New Question" cycles through my head is so fast, that if someone were to ask me "what are you thinking about?"

The answer i would give that person would most definitely sound like the most random thing. When it is in fact a highly organised step-by-step thinking process.

p.s

Its hard for me to finish this posting particularly. Because the questions keep coming. Such as:

"why did i imagine a cabinet of data?"

"what are the implications of my thinking process towards the way i interact with the world?"

"what are the implications of my thinking process towards the way i interact with people?"

"How does other people think? The same process as myself?"

"Am I thinking so much?"

So i better just end it before i go crazy (-_-")

I should probably make a PhD report out of this.

Stage for 100 pounds.. possible?

Feels like a long time since i last posted something.

Been really busy with submissions and what not so I didn't have the time to write anything.

And all those while great ideas of things in the world that i would like to comment on came to mind . Would have had four or five nice ones.

But as life in the real world is more important... all i did was take mental notes, thinking to myself "id write about that after the submission!". Well, submissions over and i seem to have misplaced my mental notes. Arghhhh!!

Well, im just gonna bash out what ive been up to this last few weeks...

WARNING : If your hoping to read something insightful or great by any means, Stop here.

This post is just me blabbering about myself for myself.

Its not enough that i have design work and a dissertation ... i also got myself involved with KNUKE. A young enterprise that brings Malaysian bands to perform in the UK.

I know its called an ENTERPRISE, but the going ons of it in the UK runs more like a student society. Everyone does the work for free and in some cases even puts out their own cash. Since it runs like a student society, we are dead broke in funds.

There's gonna be this band called 'Couple' coming to perform in Manchester in March and im in charge of stage design and hall design. Decided id take it up to add more variety to my portfolio, and its always nice doing something real for a change.

I am tasked to bring the stage and the hall to a proper level of gig. Its a massive hall by the way - It fits a crowd of 500. The project manager comes to me with his dreams of what the gig should be like. He tells me of how he wants a press conference area, VIP area in the hall, an area where the TV company can set up their cameras to shoot the event and a nice stage with backdrops and lights.

To be honest, with a budget of a hundred pounds.. and an average delivery cost of 50 pounds..ive only got enough money to get basic lights for the stage..

would be interesting to see what i could come up with tho..

Ole English Architecture

ohh dammit, the English system....

I did my Architecture BSc back in Malaysia. It was tiring.. filled with sleepless nights and the nights that I did sleep was under/on/around a drafting table. It was packed. They cramp in so many information into a five month semester. And you'd get two of those every year.

So, naturally after four years of that i was drained and needed a change of scene. I applied to continue my studies in the UK.

The system here is different. They don't treat a year as having 2 semester but instead treat it as a single study year. Meaning, there's only 1 final submission a year!! Easier right?

Furthermore, a degree in the Malaysian system would have you do an urban redesign project [think city planning] in the 1st semester, a freaking high rise in the second semester, and a building complex project in the final year [goes thru 2 semesters].

Now, lets look at the English system ; For the first year, I had to design a component [component e.g brick or cladding panel system] and an architectural installation. In the final year I would probably have to design a large building.

lets put that side by side

---Malaysia--------------English-----

1. City Planning--------Brick/panel etc

2. Skyscraper ---------installation

3. Building complex ---Large Building

need I show you the gap of difference and complexity?

But somehow here I'm struggling more. Because we are doing much much much less complex projects.. the level of detail that they look into here is much much much more. Say spending three months on a brick for instance [in comparison to a city]... in those three months they would have you explore the contents of the brick. Break it down into its core materials yada yada. Not enough with that.. they're gonna ask you about the emotion of the brick. What would you feel if you were touching the brick? What if it were a whole wall of bricks? Were not even studying it from an engineering point of view.

The first tutorial for the installation, i tried my best to keep it minimal.. i proposed two walls.. and a step. Their comment : they are too many things going on... [wtf? it's just 3 planes].

The architecture here is much more arty. More artistic. Like they say, its harder to do less.

...and i am not arty.... i am not artistic.. so please god, help me.

p.s. I'm not sure which is a better education system though. I don't know how being more artistic is going to help me in the working world..... a topic for a whole different posting.

You don't work for money. Money makes you work.

Its a strange strange world were living in,

Lets say someone works in a government office... by the time he's 55+ years old. he's gonna retire.

If everything went well while he was working.. he'd have about 20 years to enjoy his life.

He probably spent half a decade of his life learning and studying for that job. If he were like the lot of us.. he would have probably taken a loan for it.

Therefore... he spent 25 years learning how to work. And that 25 years of knowledge is used for 25 years before he retires... and half of his working years, [about 10 years] is going to be used to pay back the loans he had taken up while he was studying.

.. if your still with me.... that means he only got 15 effective years of work. Because 10 years of that is just to pay back his study loan..

so, he studied for 25 years... work 10 years to pay off his study loan...work 15 years to get some money to enjoy after he retires.. and have about 20 years to enjoy that money.

This might be true for everyone of us. ... and to think of it, its all for money.

There has got to be a better way to live life.

Cheers. live long and prosper :)

World against Islam. Why?

I really don't get it..

There are 2 sects that often in the Islam-hating group of people. One are the Christians... and the second are the atheist. For sake of argument.....I wont try to defend Islam in this blog because i know my knowledge isn't deep enough for me to defend it properly.

First up are the Christians arguments.

They often see Islamic laws [or the Islamic punishment for disobeying laws] as cruel and violent. But in the bible, punishment for committing adultery is also by death [levictus 20:10]. Same goes to homosexuals. And to chop off your hands that commit crime.

They say that Islam oppresses women. But again you can find numerous text that look down on women in the bible. Statement; "i permit no women to teach of have authority over men; she is to keep silent" [1 tim 2].

They also say that Islam dignifies the killing of other religions. In fact, the bible mentions in Deut 17:2-7, that Christians needs to stone disbelievers to death.

I know that these statements might have sounded this way because they were taken out of context. Well, how do you think Muslims feel?

Next the Atheist,

I truly support Science and the development of it. Nothing about a truth proven by science is more enlightening.... But, then they come up with the all god are lies concept.

While I was trying to find sources for their claims, i found numerous videos that tries to disprove the bible. After they disprove the bible... they conclude ; Christian, Jews and Muslims are a scam.... wtf? In science terms... its like im studying a goldfish and concluding that crabs are fish.

Atheist, if you are afraid of Muslims.. then you should be afraid of the Christians as much.

And if you would like to say that all gods are lies... please show me how did you come up to the conclusion for Islam.

And I'm not interested at arguments like "there is no prove of heaven".... cause there is also nothing to prove heaven doesn't exist. Same goes for a lot of other things mentioned in the book... cant prove it.. cant disprove it etc. No use arguing along those lines.

I don't obey a religion just because I have to. I don't follow orders blindly....and i believe in science. The thing about Islam is that it doesn't go against science.... and for a book that old to be accurate with science...is what makes me believe in it.... along with the things that couldn't be proved or disproved.

So why is the world targeting its hate onto Islam??

p.s No offence to anyone in this posting. Just an outburst of the anti-Islamic things i see going around in youtube.

"You are the best" i say.... "but why" she ask... (-_-' )

Ska asked me to list, countless number of times... "why is she better than someone else?". And it cannot include things that relates to me such as "you treat me well".... or "you make me happy". I'm very bad at elaborating. I can only summarize things... so this question was particularly hard for me to answer. Not at all because she lacks the qualities, but i just don't know how to elaborate from say "you are a good person" and break it down to what makes a good person good etc.

Since, i cant come up with it.. she has finally decided to help me out with it :p

plays piano

can design

speak 4 languages

sensitive to her surrounding

pretty

can write

cooks well

Doesn't litter

have high morale and ethical morale grounds

got boobs

grounded

low maintenance

And im sure the list goes on. Thanks dear ;)

Skilled and Talented

This post goes out to my baby :D

My girl has just gotten university offers to East London and Nottingham. I would say Nottingham since it's way closer to me than London is. She was always doubting herself and being the in-secure lil thing she is, she worries too much... but I've always believed in her. I knew she could do it. She has amazing writing skills. And she critiques well too. So there is no way she couldn't secure a spot in a masters course ;)

I honestly believe that everyone is talented. The more talent you have, the easier it is to develop skills in a particular field.

Some skills may not generate as much money as others.. but i reckon it would still guarantee a comfortable living [don't get greedy]. The problem lie in people not finding/utilising their god given talents. Most people try to force themselves down a certain route or follow trends....usually with monetary gains in mind. These people often struggle just to keep up with their talented counterparts [far from excelling], thus don't live up to their full potential.

Another important thing to remember is that humans are social creatures. For millions of years people have congregated to pull together resources and skills. Therefore, you don't have know everything. All you really need is a few skills. Focus on it, and your pretty much sorted for life.

What I'm saying is.... don't worry yourself if you don't score in school. Don't worry if you cant draw. Don't worry if you cant count. For there is at least one thing that you are talented at. FIND IT AND DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS.

Interesting thing is, finding it is easier than you think... it is usually in your interests, your hobbies and in the things you like. Wouldn't that be the dream? - Doing what you like, getting paid for it, and feeling good about yourself.

p.s To parents out there ; let kids explore their hobbies and interest for that is where their talents lie.

Time machine...when will u get here?

Did you ever do something and regretted it for the rest of your life?

I am for the greater part of my life a loner.. and i always go with the flow. Whatever life gives me, I enjoy the process of making it work for me. One thing will naturally lead to another, so i don't have much to regret about.

Never the less, this system doesn't work very well when it involves other people. I might have a pretty good IQ... but my EQ is just horrible [I even make jokes at funerals]. When it comes to people.. u cant just right the wrongs u made. You cant hack the concrete and recast it... and a bond between people cant be engineered to be as strong as stone.

But most importantly, no two people are the same. Its not as easy as replacing the broken part with something else. When its gone... its gone. It isn't as easy as using fillers to hide cracks in the wall. The emotional crack will still remain..... and it is worst of all, when u are responsible for those cracks.

Sometimes I can never realize the impact of my actions until I seen it in retrospect. But by then, the damage is done. You could do everything you can to mend the wounds and strengthen the bonds... but you can never determine the outcome.

The best you can do is to hope for the best... and learn... learn from your mistakes and never ever repeat it again. For the damage you've done, would hurt yourself twice as hard.

and leave you with an inconsolable regret...... then you'd wish u had a time machine.

I dont tell stories... so why the blog?

So, i have a blog now. How digital am i??!! (*v *)

Thanks to my lovely girlfriend [who created this blog for me - all i have to do is fill it up],

She and whomever gives a damn about what goes on in my peculiar, slightly odd and sometimes seem just blank head would have a glimpse of what goes on inside.

Not really sure what a blog is for..where does the border lie between delightful insights and just plain ranting....

I could talk about world peace, or my experiences studying half way around the world, or food, or the trip i just came back from, or architecture.... maybe just a daily check of whats going on in my head. So many things i would have written about... but now i cant recall.

My mind is too occupied figuring out why the coldest time of the year isn't during the shortest day of the year in which case the earth would have tilted furthers from the sun... or why people are so into jeans.. or why are there so much talk and tales of dinosaurs but the ones before them, the "mammal-like-reptiles" are seldom spoken of...[most of them might already have an answer though].... and equally odd things that people dont bother to think about

that i cant remember things about myself in order to to answer a simple questions like "tell-me-about-yourself"....

Thats it!!! Id use this blog so I can recall events that happen to me, weird things in my head that could make me rich (when the time is right) etc etc.

so, Its gonna be about me, for my personal benefit..... me, me, me, myself and I.

Whomever wants to join me, in the ride which is adam, is welcomed to do so.

p.s thank you dear, this blog might be more useful than i thought ;)