Hello World

2010-04-03T15:21:00.001+08:00

2010-02-04T18:55:00.000+08:00

Random Piece : I'm a little rusty

2009-12-15T22:37:00.002+08:00

It has been a few months since I last touched my brushes. Need a break from the workload. Watercolour and Photoshop. Please view full. Compression kills.

Things You Take For Granted : The Fuel Gauge

2009-12-15T15:33:00.003+08:00

Notice where the fuel pump extends out? This works on most cars to tell you where exactly the fuel cap is. Doesn't quite work on Peroduas however. If the pump extends to the right, then the fuel cap should be on the right side. Some manufacturers place arrows to indicate the position, but it depends. Useful information especially if you're renting a car for the first time and can't figure out where the fuel cap is when you reach the petrol station. At least you wouldn't have to strain your neck.

Photo credits : Steve Salt on flickr

GT5 seems worth the wait

2009-12-13T14:33:00.001+08:00

Will be out in spring 2010

Back From The Dead

2009-12-11T10:02:00.003+08:00

Four weeks and it's finally over. Good luck to those taking Chinese, Geography or some other subjects. Nearly five years and now I'm done with school. It feels great right now, but I'm not sure how long this feeling is going to last. I have a lot of things on my to-do list and that includes putting the finishing touches for 'Bintang'. The Editors couldn't manage to publish it in time, so why not give our best if it's going to be late anyway. You can't blame them. Publishing a magazine is not that easy considering the amount of work you have to do. So, school leavers, do expect to get your copy together with your results. I guess most of us have already planned on hanging out, wasting our time, sleeping, hanging out, sleeping, hanging out, sleeping... Oh, and did I forget to mention sleeping?

No I don't think so. Sleeping would be the last thing on our priority list. After all, most of us are more on the diligent side. Right? From what I've heard, most plan to work, learn how to drive, learn a new language, and go to the gym and PUMP SOME IRON, BABY! Gosh, even saying that gives you the urge to lift them dumbbells eh? I look forward to seeing you guys turn into mini-Ryan Reynolds. And maybe then you could go for the X-Men auditions.

Anyway, thought SPM and STPM was depressing? Man, you have not seen what kindergarten is like. My neighbours have moved out and they left a stack of magazines behind. Unfortunately magazine also includes children work books. And children work books mean a lot of funny stuff. And I just could not resist posting this.

So boys and girls, lets learn how to write and say numbers. Number 1 is too easy so lets go straight to number 2 and so on...

Follow me - Two, two, two, two....

Good.

Now, do the same for number three. I do not want to see any mutated potatoes...

By the time you get to number 4, kindergarten children just go Berserk!
"Four, four, four, four....arghhbhbhbbhghbbghhbhghghbthg!!!!!!!"

And you have absolutely no idea what it is like to write the number five.

That should be all for now. I've got a magazine to be done so, see you in the next post.

If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch

2009-11-14T16:15:00.000+08:00

You must first invent the universe

2009-11-11T21:30:00.003+08:00

You know what would be awesome?

Having one of these.

A Honda Rebel

source

What You Need At A Time Like This

2009-11-05T17:47:00.011+08:00

+-2-[di(phenyl)methylsulfinyl]acetamide

MODAFINIL

Which is better known as Provigil. Modafinil is a compound which is widely used by air force pilots to stay sharp so they don't crash and die pointlessly. It is used to treat ADHD and fatigue. But let's focus on the latter. Tired of pulling all-nighters for the not-so-distant SPM/STPM? Here's the solution - PROVIGIL

Before we go on, do take note that provigil is a drug. Steroids for the brain. Provigil helps you to stay alert for long hours, even up to twenty hours straight. Now you can finish studying all your subjects in a single day, eh? No sweat. You can forget coffee, Livita, Red Bull or Brand's essence of chicken.

Some take provigil to become smarter. But it doesn't work like that. What it does is, it gives you a mental boost. Just what you need to grasp those scientific concepts, memorise historical facts, and learn to solve mathematical problems in these last few days. Don't get too excited though, because 30 pills would make your wallet $135 lighter. That is RM 462.24. And you don't become smarter after the drug wears off, just to remind you once again. It only gets worse from here.

Side effects include multiple sclerosis, uncontrollable sweating, panic attacks, depression, late periods, low sperm counts, terrible acne, terrible back pains, weight gain, hair loss, yeast infection, muscular dystrophy, premature senility, erectile dysfunction, cardiac arrest, visual impairment, speech problems, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, bronchitis, chronic kidney conditions, uncontrollable bladder, urinary tract infection, diabetes, dwarfism, gastroesophageal disease, ulcers, migraine headaches, Lyme disease, cerebral palsy and anxiety. Kidding...

The only possible side effects are agitation, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, aggressiveness, confusion, nervousness, tremor, palpitations, sleep disturbance, nausea and diarrhea. Nothing to worry about.

Let's get real. Provigil is not the way to go. Instead, exercise, eat right, learn new things and get enough sleep. You know better than I do. And when you're feeling stressed out, you know you can always turn to your creator.

As for now, I would be happy to get a good night's sleep...

Is this it?

2009-10-10T23:51:00.001+08:00

Is this what Imran was talking about? Because I think it is a joke. Or is it?

Pecipta 2009

2009-10-09T22:32:00.005+08:00

...was a disappointment. I have to be honest. You expect spectacular inventions and gadgets, but you get less than that. The inventions were not what you would call innovative, creative or practical. It doesn't surprise me if you say the standard of our colleges are bad. I've always tried to get myself to be optimistic but what I saw today didn't do any help. But let's try to be optimistic anyway. Well, I can say I had a good time with my friends today.

Among the exhibits were a 'modern congkak' which I don't understand why they had to make it, a fire fighting machine, a segway like invention called golleq, a not so necessary car door cloth roof, and a flexible jacket with a tent attached to it which is too small for a normal adult. We had good kebab for lunch and visited the Petronas Art Gallery for fun.

Mold, scale model, and prototype.

The Fire Fighter

Its like a segway, only with a single ball underneath,

The thing on the door is supposed to help you stay dry while openning the umbrella.

The grey sheet behind is a tent.

A leech

Leeches

More leeches

A personal favourite

What happens when you divide by zero?

2009-10-09T18:55:00.005+08:00

This is a response to Allan's question. If you do care, go ahead and find out what happens when you divide zero by zero. Is it 1, 0 or undefined? Of course, these pictures are not to be taken seriously.

A is the new A1!

2009-10-03T11:06:00.002+08:00

That's right, no more A1s, A2s, B3s and so on. There's a new grading system where

1A = A
2A = A-
3B = B+
4B = B
5C = C+
6C = C
7D = D
8E = E
9G = G

Old ones are on the left, new ones are on the right. And, an A+ is given if you perform exceptionally well.

Do It Like Them Russians

2009-10-02T21:26:00.002+08:00

A very unique way of warming up.

Lots and lots of submission and grappling techniques.

Three Thousand Words and Counting...

2009-10-02T17:55:00.009+08:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think it's more than that. These are pictures from our not so recent photo shoot for the school magazine. I have to admit, the photo shoot was done in a bit of a hurry (notice the people in the background), but credits to the photographer for these pictures. It's not easy conducting a photoshoot. Credits to the editorial board as well then. I somehow gained a few pounds in these pictures, don't you think?

To those who are in any of these pictures, feel free to grab it. And, if you're not but you would still like to do so, go ahead. This is after all, my last year in BB. Pictures like this will bring back good memories. I have also uploaded these on facebook, so feel free to tag anyone you like. Also, click to enlarge.

Pelanduk

5 Budi

Prefects

Alfa Bravo Charlie

2009-09-19T12:45:00.006+08:00

You know sometimes when you get confused whether a person is pronouncing the alphabets 'B', 'D', or 'P' because they just sound too similar. It can be frustrating at times. That is when we then option for things like 'B' for ball, 'D' for donkey, and 'P' for panda maybe. Teachers use this to give answers for MCQs (multiple choice questions). Yes, it is easy to understand but that doesn't sound too cool now, does it? Watch movies like Die Hard and you'll probably notice there is a certain system for naming alphabets (which is ten times cooler and makes you sound like a total bad ass). The NATO phonetic alphabets . The military uses this to transmit messages through radio. You can say, it is used internationally.

A - Alfa
B - Bravo
C - Charlie
D - Delta
E - Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H - Hotel
I - India
J - Juliet
K - Kilo
L - Lima
M - Mike
N - November
O - Oscar
P - Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S - Sierra
T - Tango
U - Uniform
V - Victor
W - Whiskey
X - X-ray
Y - Yankee
Z - Zulu

Now that you know, you can use it while spelling something out through the phone. Until then, Hotel Alfa Victor Echo Foxtrot Uniform November!

Thank You

2009-09-09T21:50:00.003+08:00

I would like to thank all of you for the numerous birthday wishes today. And also for the presents. It means a lot to me.

I'm officially seventeen now and am looking forward to a meaningful life. There are so many of you I have to thank, I guess it would be a lot easier to thank all of you in one shot.

Once again,

THANK YOU

MERDEKA

2009-08-31T10:50:00.004+08:00

Selamat menyambut ulang tahun kemerdekaan Malaysia yang ke-52.

Do you love your country?

I know I do.

It's Ironic That I'm Posting This

2009-08-24T22:18:00.001+08:00

HAHA

How The Magazine Cover Was Done?

2009-08-21T18:53:00.005+08:00

What magazine cover?
Bintang

Just a few simple steps. I used a normal school tie (borrowed from my neighbour, Shankaran), a notice board, A4 papers, a camera, pins, Photoshop and plenty of sunlight. This isn't my best work but hey, what is done is done. I'll just be happy about it.

I pinned the tie to the notice board, opened up the windows, took a picture of it, and God helped me. I just fluked it. Pictured below is my beloved point-and-shoot camera. An SLR would be great though.

the result

Divider Designs

2009-08-19T22:28:00.004+08:00

Dividers for the Bintang (BBBSS's) annual magazine 2009. Tell me what you think.

Masuk bakul angkat sendiri kan Amal?

Five Science Photoshoot

2009-08-18T21:36:00.014+08:00

All photos have been taken for our Five Science (1,2 and 3) class profile. All photos have been re sized. If you do want the original and bigger photos or your pictures are not published here, e-mail me at arif_eca@yahoo.co.uk. I will reply ASAP.

Thanks to Philip, Hazim, Sai Khong and Voon Sheng for their contribution in the class profile.

Baby Paper Ninja Turtle. Credits to Imran.

Feel free to grab your photos ;)

Do You Know This Man?

2009-07-21T17:12:00.000+08:00

Tweel - Michelin's Airless Tires

2009-07-06T21:42:00.002+08:00

A Commercial for Origami Enthusiasts

2009-06-29T18:09:00.003+08:00

asics :D

Magazine Cover

2009-06-28T20:40:00.002+08:00

Does this ring a bell? Fortunately, my third entry was chosen as our school magazine cover. I'd like to say a big thank you to all of you who have gave me useful feedback and comments. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Some minor adjustments were made to fix some flaws and fulfill certain requirements (normal school tie for instance). I decided to give it a slightly fresher look by using sans serif fonts, repositioning the tie since it was clearly unbalanced in the earlier design, and some other changes you might notice. I'd just like to thank all of you one more time. I owe you one.

The Stig Revealed

2009-06-26T17:28:00.002+08:00

For real?

What to call it?

2009-06-25T21:09:00.002+08:00

The Malaysian government has decided to use the term selsema babi because saying Influenza A H1N1 doesn't make us brave Malaysians scared enough.

Apparently Malaysians are more offended when they hear babi.

Random Thought : Ageing

2009-06-16T17:15:00.002+08:00

You don't stop playing because you grow old.

You grow old because you stop playing.

Eh?

Petaminx

2009-06-15T18:24:00.002+08:00

Hardest Rubik's cube?

find out more

Random thought : Daredevils

2009-06-13T21:06:00.005+08:00

Have you been reading the papers lately? Because I've noticed some probably, ignorant reader suggestions.

"Set up tournaments at the Sepang Circuit for our road daredevils so they don't harm the safety of others."

That's just ridiculous. Really, why waste money on such a thing? Are we expecting the daredevils to participate in proper racing cars? You see if I were them, i wouldn't want to scratch that newly done paint job, or the massive 19 inch wheels, or lose the loosely fitted 'GT wing'. So who's going to sponsor a race car for our daredevils? Power Root? Talking about sponsors, will this so called tournament be able to publicise itself?

Seriously.

Are we actually planning on honouring people like this? First, there was the idea of sending the drug addicts to an island and providing them with free drugs so they could get high. Then there was the idea of setting up race circuits for Mat Rempits. And now there's this.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but the races held in our country, like the MME(Merdeka Millenium Endurance), don't seem to draw big crowds. And the MME is full of Porches, Lotuses, a couple of Z4s, sooped up Hondas, and Protons. Really, are we expecting good feedback for this daredevil tournament?

Now let's just assume our daredevils are daring enough to use their own cars. There'll be a bunch of people turning up in their modded Civics, Wiras, Gen 2s and Kancils. If we're lucky enough, probably some Evos or Skylines. Now in Japan GT (which is around the corner), there's basically the GT300 and GT500 for the cars below 300hp and 500hp respectively. But for our daredevil tournament, let's just make it one category. "The Wannabe Racers". It saves more time. I can already imagine Kancils with tires flying across the track when it hits the apex of a corner. And probably some turned turtle. But let's just get real.

The cost. Fuel, tyres and insurance. You can't afford all that without sponsors.

Have any solutions? Maybe set certain days as track days at Sepang. How about the other states? Let's not build a new circuit right now, it might just collapse like the Terengganu stadium. Or just let the daredevils race like hooligans on the track. No insurance, paramedics, whatsoever. If they die, they die. Wait, that actually sounds like a good idea. The law enforcers can sit back and watch them prosecute themselves. Yeah that's better.

Marry Poppins Goes Techno

2009-06-13T21:01:00.002+08:00

Link : Fagottron's channel

Test Yourself

2009-06-12T21:53:00.002+08:00

heeeee :D

Random Image : Squirrels and Math

2009-06-12T18:51:00.003+08:00

My add math project. Yes, I can be very lame.

original image

Catching Up With Time

2009-06-12T18:11:00.006+08:00

You see I'm not so good at keeping up with current issues. Only today, I managed to snap some shots of the recently collapsed building, big old blue Jaya. There are signs saying "DEMOLITION IN PROGRESS" but there seems to be nothing done for now. Maybe they'll just let it rot and demolish by itself. .

CSI : Jaya

How many cranes do you see?

Piles of concrete and construction bars

And not to forget, Kopal's request. Here's your picture ;)

Kopal & Hadi

Centre of Excellence?

2009-06-09T09:43:00.010+08:00

Recently dad and I decided to visit our local car maker. The one that makes the bigger cars. Proton. Specifically, we visited the 'Proton Centre of Excellence' in Shah Alam. Just thought we had to check out how dear old proton has been doing after twenty four years in the business, with fifteen models which weren't all successful. And I am glad to say, I wasn't disappointed.

First, we had a looksy at the showroom. You get the same old 'Waja's 'Persona's, 'Perdana's and 'Gen 2's showcased. But we were just interested in the brand new Exora. It comes in two trims, but we didn't bother asking more. It has a 1.6 litre engine, which doesn't sound too promising for a car this big. Neither of us know much about MPVs, but from the outside, it was pleasing to the eyes. Oh and the luggage space was, uh, quite huge with the seats folded down.

L-R : Persona, Perdana, Exora, Savvy, Gen 2, Satria Neo

"You fold it, then fold it again. Like origami."

Testing the driver's seat

Feeling bored, we decided to explore the so called centre of excellence. We saw some display models but decided to ignore them first.

I have to say, it was a nice place. They had a state of the art cafeteria, energy-saving escalators, and some kind of futuristic garden where usually men in suits and neckties would hang out, just in case you need a little breather.

"Yes we do have our own centre of excellence sir, just in case you didn't know"

" Metal orbs and concrete, now that would make a natural looking garden."

The state of the art cafeteria. Now that is one huge trophy you got there.

From the cafeteria you could see the service centre.

No offence, but why didn't Proton channel more of the money into R&D?

We then decided to look at the models displayed at the centre of excellence. I tried to get some good shots, but I'm not not much of a photographer. I spent one hour there. Dad wasn't interested so he relaxed at the showroom.

The first thing I noticed was a small Savvy which was used for the 'Peninsular Malaysia Fuel Economy Record'. Then there were other Proton models which were considered the pinnacle of Proton's achievement. The Saga, it's younger brother, the Wira, Satria Neo, Waja, Perdana, and Gen 2. Also showcased were two Lotus models, the Europa and the Elise. Just to show that we own Lotus. Yes we do, Malaysia boleh, OK. Let's just say, I had fun with my camera.

Our little hero

Desire? Hell yeah. The doors were locked anyway.

The chassis of the new Saga. The only thing present in the cockpit were the steering wheel and handbrake lever.

"Yeah!!! Lulus!!! In your face political correctness!"

The very first Saga built in 1985. Little Saga's older brother.

"I am the T-800, Cyberdyne's System Model 101. My mission is to protect you"

Lotus Europa. You have no idea how low a sports car can be, until you get close to one.

"I remember having one these, yeah the, uhm.....estate version."

The hydro aluminium chassis of the Lotus Elise and what covers it.

Like anyone with enough common sense, we just went back home later on.

Monsieur T-800

2009-06-07T13:22:00.002+08:00

If the time travel machine accidentally sent the T-800 to back in time, to France.

Random Image : A Bucketload of Awesomeness

2009-05-30T22:52:00.002+08:00

Now this is what I call awesome.

Prefects' Camp

2009-05-09T21:56:00.010+08:00

Camp was fun. I had a good time the whole three days and two nights. Tried the 'flying fox', repelling, walked in the dark, got to know a wannabe racer, did some jungle trekking(more of a stroll in the park), bathed in egg yolk, and spent time with amazing people. I had a blast. Thanks to everyone for making this an unforgettable experience.

The last batch to the resort. We became street performers for a moment.
clockwise from top right : Imran, Nicholas, me, Leonard, Muzzamir, Mun Wai

Rambo auditions - part 1

Rambo auditions - part 2

This is what happens when you don't get food.
L-R : Nabil, me, Muzzamir, Imran.

Last moments in the best room ever.
Front - Back : Imran, Muzzamir, Leonard, Pervinan, Amit.

An oven during the day, a fridge by midnight.

Manhunt.
Clockwise from top left : Ashraf, Ali, Brandon, Shazmi, Ammar, Muzaffar

L-R : Me, Ali Nejim, Ammar, Nicholas, Ashraf, Muzaffar, Edwin

And some more group pictures....

Photos by Imran and me.

BBBS 48th Annual Sports Day

2009-04-27T18:00:00.015+08:00

With banners flying in the sun, the colours bleed into one. If you have noticed, that was part of the lyrics of the 2006 Doha Games theme song, 'Together Now' performed by Jackie Cheung. It is a wonderful song. Those words are how I would describe our recent sports day.

It was a wonderful day, with everybody in high spirits. Banners and flags were flying in the sky - red, blue, yellow, green and purple. People were cheering for their respective houses, basically everybody had something to do in the midst of all that hype. It was the 48th annual Sports Day of the Bukit Bintang Boys Secondary School. Some say it was the best one ever. Glad to hear that.

Pelanduk. That's my sports house name. It's mouse deer in English. Doesn't sound too intimidating eh? Bright Yellow. That's how we stand out from the crowd. All the trainings we had, all the times we spent finishing up the mascot, the flags and the banners, it was all worth it. We were second this year. Not entirely proud of it, but hey, you can't always be first. There's always second, third, fourth, fifth and so on.

We did great this year. I'm glad the athletes came for the trainings I held every Monday and Thursday, including the ones during the holidays. Most of them had a podium finish. These guys deserve some recognition. Just in case any of you athletes are reading this, congratulations once again, you did a good job. Don't blame yourself if you didn't get a podium finish. What matters more is the spirit of competition, the dedication, and hardwork. I guess it would be even more appropriate if I mention who these wonderful athletes are.

Airul Amin (Class 1 : High Jump - Gold)

Krithan a/l Krishnan (Class 1 : Discus - Silver; Shot putt - Bronze)

Jude Anthony De Cruz (Class 1 : Shot putt - Gold; Javelin - Bronze)

Naufal Jafny b. Rafii (Class 2 : High jump - Bronze; 100m - Bronze; 400m relays - Silver)

Amirrudin Jamaluddin (Class 2 : Shot putt - Bronze)

Muhammad Mifzal (Class 2 : Long jump - Bronze)

Rebecca (Girls : Shot putt - Gold; Long jump - Gold; 100m - Gold; 200m - Gold)

Sherlene (Girls : Shot putt - Bronze; Long jump - Bronze; 200m - Silver; 400m - Gold)

Timothy Delcan (Class 1 : 200m - Bronze; 400m relays - Bronze)

Nik Aidil (Class 1 : 100m - Silver; 400m relays - Bronze; 100m relays - Bronze)

Ng Yuen Sern (Class 1 : 400m - Silver; 400m relays - Bronze)

Chandraysh (Class2 : 400m - Gold; 800m - Silver; 400m relays - Silver)

Thiban (Class 2 : 800m - Bronze; 400m relays - Silver; 100m relays - Bronze)

Azman (Class 1 : 100m relays - Bronze)

Muhammad Ariff (Class 1 : 400m relays - Bronze)

Faiz Alias (Class 2 : 400m relays - Silver)

Shah Mirza (Class 1 : 100m relays - Bronze)

Sasindran (Class 1 : 100m relays -Bronze)

Syabil (Class 2 : 100m relays - Bronze)

Sharul (Class 2 : 100m relays - Bronze)

Aqari (Class 2 : 800m; 100m relays - Bronze)

Amirul Adnan (1500m open)

Mohanraj (1500m open)

Akmal (1500m open)

Fiqri (Class 1 : 800m)

Dinesh (Class 1 : 800m)

Harwinder (Class 1 : 400m)

Pei Fen (Girls : 100m)

Thank you once again. Also to mention, we obtained second place for the tug of war. With the help of these few strong men.

Nik Aidil Isyaq b. Nik Ahmed Mazlan

Jude Anthony De Cruz

Muhamad Amirul b. Adnan

Khalif b. Noor Roslizam

Shahnizam b. Amir Shariffudin

Krithan a/l Krishnan

Yujavikram a/l Ponnusamy

Teo Kah Xiong

Muhammad Redzuan b. Raflis

Ernie b. Azizan

Muhammad Syafique b. Azhar

Muhammad Shamil Shah

And not to forget, our cheer team, lead by Sasindran. You guys did great, I have absolutely no idea how we ended up fourth.

Sasindran a/l Mahendran (captain)

Nik Aidil Isyaq b. Nik Ahmed Mazlan

Mohd. Kamarol b. Mohamad Kahar

Ng Yuen Sern

Khalif b. Noor Roslizam

Muhammad Shah Mirza b. Dharma

Mitchell Wong Chew San

Choong Pei Fen

Rebecca Praveena

Wee Vian Sherlene

With the sports day over, I deeply feel that I owe these few people a little something. Couldn't have done it without you guys. Here are some of the house members whom I would like to thank personally.

Nik Aidil. An awesome assistant, an awesome athlete and an awesome cheerleader. It was fun working with you. Dah tak boleh ponteng kelas dah Nik. I couldn't have done it without your help.

Sherlene. The best secretary I ever had, very efficient, very fast. Not only that, you were a great athlete. Striving to the finish line for the 400m sprint. You were amazing. You have high spirits. Keep it up. Aja aja fighting!

Muhammad Imran. Our handyman. One word : rope master. Thanks for all the time and energy you spent. We might have had no decoration at all if it wasn't for you.

Yeong Shen. Assistant Handyman. Also good with the ropes. Although you were very busy with the scouts you still managed to slit in some time for us. Thanks.

Sasindran. Our cheerleading captain. Sasi, you made awesome lyrics, awesome coreography and one more thing, you CAN dance. I mean it.

Rebecca. Super athlete. Four golds, now thats superb. Thanks also for helping out with the props. And thanks for actually buying the cloth for the costumes.

Pei Fen. For putting up with me. I know you didn't enjoy those training sessions. But hey, you did come. And I'm very proud of that. Also, good job in the 100m sprint.

Shamil Shah. For training our contingent. I have absolutely no knowledge about marching and the commands. You were a big help buddy.

Amin. Also for the marching. I understand you were very busy with the police cadet. You perfected the boys even more. Good to have someone who actually knew what he was doing.

Teachers. Pn. Norhafizan, Pn. Ernie, Pn. Mahiran, Pn. Tan Lian Sim, Pn. Ng Siu Heng, Miss Vany, Cik Nurul Naimah, and MR. MANI!

To all of you who have helped, thank you very much. I hope you had a great experience, I hope you enjoyed sports day. To the Pelanduk members, you're up for a treat. To all the students of BBBS, I hope you guys had a good time. Congratulations to Beruang who obtained first place, Seladang second, Gajah fourth, and Harimau fifth. It was a good fight.

Now, if we could have put that much effort in this one day event (including preparations along the way), I believe we could do the same in anything that we are trying to achieve. To us students, it is time to focus on our studies. Make the school proud. Exams are around the corner, you know what to do.

Pelanduk is the best. Period

Cover Entries

2009-03-21T18:46:00.003+08:00

Here are some of my entries for this year's school magazine cover design competition. It's the 48th edition this year. There's not much of a theme to my designs. The first two designs are just concepts. The pictures will be changed to suit the school magazine (I'm short of sources). You might notice that the pictures I used don't seem to make any connection at all. I'd really appreciate your feedback. Just be open when you comment.

Futsal!

2009-03-20T21:22:00.002+08:00

Played futsal this morning at Sports Plaza. Together with Muzzamir, his brother, Farhan, Shah Mirza, Azizul, and a couple of La Salle guys. We had a good time.

Who next?

2009-03-19T10:53:00.003+08:00

Came across this while I was browsing..

I'm not sure about you, but the song's stuck in my head now.

'Who next? your mother..' ( :

Random Thought : Atheists

2009-03-04T21:40:00.004+08:00

As Malaysians, we pledge belief in God. So what about the Malaysian atheists?

Random Thought : Reflection

2009-03-04T21:29:00.004+08:00

I'm just going to post anything that comes to mind. No specific topic. They might be questions, opinions, whatsoever.

If you think that your friends only come to you when they need you, and you don't like it, look at the way you treat God. Don't you do the same?

Its Raining Ninjas!

2009-02-22T21:20:00.003+08:00

That's Rain, training for the upcoming film 'Ninja Assassin'. The film's going to be released somewhere this year. I don't know much about it yet, but it might be worth watching.

Rain pants a lot when he works out(just in case you didn't notice). The work out he's doing is similar to the one done by the actors of 300. Especially the one with the truck tyre. It's an intense work out with very little oxygen involved. So, you get more oxygen debt and that basically explains why he pants so much. He's a bit too lean, but that fits his role as Raizo, a ninja.

I'm not a fan of Rain, but this might be worth watching. Let's just wait for the film.

Rocky Balboa

2009-01-05T16:32:00.011+08:00

I watched Rocky Balboa (2006) a few days ago. It's a beautifully done movie. Once you start watching, you'll realise that the story isn't only about boxing. The story portrays the fighting spirit in humans, the importance of human relation, the importance of a family, going the distance no matter what people say, and the will and determination to succeed. I've watched this movie again and again and it still gives me that sudden urge to pursue whatever I want. Give it working out, or getting things done. Thinking about it again and again, I'm just amazed by Stallone's talent. That man not only starred in this 6th installment of the Rocky series, but also wrote and directed the film. Not bad for man who's turning 63 this year eh?

The character Rocky Balboa is very well thought. He moves you. This is possibly the only sports film that could make you go emotional. I don't know how many of you have watched Rocky Balboa, so I don't want to spoil the story for you. Compared to the Rambo series, which also stars Sylvester Stallone (as John Rambo), the salt of the earth Rocky Balboa would still be the character that I prefer. Come to think of it, Rocky Balboa is actually a pretty good role model. There was once when I actually wanted to become like him. It's up to you to believe that.

Other than the fact that the character was well thought, the movie also contains many memorable 'get back on your feet' quotes. They must have cracked their heads thinking about these lines. And as usual, I'd list them (you saw this coming, didn't you?). All quotes were obtained form IMDb

.........

Rocky Balboa: Ya know they always say if you live in one place long enough, you are that place.

..........

Rocky Balboa: Yo, don't I got some rights?

Boxing Commissioner: What rights do you think you're referring to?

Rocky Balboa: Rights, like in that official piece of paper they wrote down the street there?

Boxing Commissioner: That's the Bill of Rights.

Rocky Balboa: Yeah, yeah. Bill of Rights. Don't it say something about going after what makes you happy?

Boxing Commissioner: No, that's the pursuit of happiness. But what's your point

Rocky Balboa: My point is I'm pursuing something and nobody looks too happy about it.

Boxing Commissioner: But... we're just looking out for your interests.

Rocky Balboa: I appreciate that, but maybe you're looking out for your interests just a little bit more. I mean you shouldn't be asking people to come down here and pay the freight on something they paid, it still ain't good enough, I mean you think that's right? I mean maybe you're doing your job but why you gotta stop me from doing mine? Cause if you're willing to go through all the battling you got to go through to get where you want to get, who's got the right to stop you? I mean maybe some of you guys got something you never finished, something you really want to do, something you never said to someone, something... and you're told no, even after you paid your dues? Who's got the right to tell you that, who? Nobody! It's your right to listen to your gut, it ain't nobody's right to say no after you earned the right to be where you want to be and do what you want to do!... You know, the older I get the more things I gotta leave behind, that's life. The only thing I'm asking you guys to leave on the table... is what's right.

..........

Rocky Balboa: Hey yo, champ. Aren't you a little scared?

Mason 'The Line' Dixon: I don't get scared. [walks away]

Rocky Balboa: [turns and walks away with his son] You know, I think you try harder when you're scared... That's when it's worked best for me.

............

Rocky Balboa: You ain't gonna believe this, but you used to fit right here. [taps on the inside of his hand]

Rocky Balboa: I'd hold you up to say to your mother, "this kid's gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid's gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew." And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watching you, every day was like a privilege. Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you're no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow. Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that! I'm always gonna love you no matter what. No matter what happens. You're my son and you're my blood. You're the best thing in my life. But until you start believing in yourself, ya ain't gonna have a life. Don't forget to visit your mother.

..........

Marie: It doesn't matter how this looks to other people. If this is something you gotta do, then you do it. Fighters fight.

..........

Marie: The last thing to age on somebody is their heart

..........

OK, so that's it. I hope you enjoyed the post. And, do watch the movie if you have a chance. It's worth it. Trust me.

2009 Resolution

2009-01-05T16:22:00.002+08:00

We usually set goals for a new year : shed a few pounds, get into shape, study harder, get a promotion, spend more time with our family, and so many others you can name. But for this year, I only have one resolution. And that is to be a man of my word. This may sound too general, but I believe that once you keep holding on to your promises, even the ones to yourself, everything else just goes along with it. Hopefully 2009 will be a good year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-01T10:34:00.001+08:00

2008 says goodbye.

10 Skills You Need to Succeed at Almost Anything

2008-12-28T15:07:00.005+08:00

This article is written by Dustin Wax on Lifehack

What does it take to succeed? A positive attitude? Well, sure, but that’s hardly enough. The Law of Attraction? The Secret? These ideas might act as spurs to action, but without the action itself, they don’t do much.

Success, however it’s defined, takes action, and taking good and appropriate action takes skills. Some of these skills (not enough, though) are taught in school (not well enough, either), others are taught on the job, and still others we learn from general life experience.

Below is a list of general skills that will help anyone get ahead in practically any field, from running a company to running a gardening club. Of course, there are skills specific to each field as well – but my concern here is with the skills that translate across disciplines, the ones that can be learned by anyone in any position.

1. Public Speaking
The ability to speak clearly, persuasively, and forcefully in front of an audience– whether an audience of 1 or of thousands – is one of the most important skills anyone can develop. People who are effective speakers come across as more comfortable with themselves, more confident, and more attractive to be around. Being able to speak effectively means you can sell anything – products, of course, but also ideas, ideologies, worldviews. And yourself – which means more opportunities for career advancement, bigger clients, or business funding.

2. Writing
Writing well offers many of the same advantages that speaking well offers: good writers are better at selling products, ideas, and themselves than poor writers. Learning to write well involves not just mastery of grammar but the development of the ability to organize one’s thoughts into a coherent form and target it to an audience in the most effective way possible. Given the huge amount of text generated by almost every transaction – from court briefs and legislation running into the thousands of pages to those foot-long receipts you get when you buy gum these days – a person who is a master of the written word can expect doors...

For the complete article, click here

2009 Honda City

2008-12-28T12:45:00.003+08:00

The Honda City has already been officially launched in Malaysia! I know its a bit too late because I didn't care about all the hype. Like the Panamera, I think it's not every one's idea of beauty. Prices range from RM84,000 to RM 89,000.

For more info, visit Paul Tan's

Stitches

2008-12-28T12:01:00.003+08:00

That's my dad's scar after the surgery. And no, he didn't go bald.

What an utter disappointment.

Anyway, just to remind you, that is not a bruise, my dad has this huge mole on his forehead.

And by the way, lets hope the PMR students get good results.

Random Thought : Resolutions and Dreams

2008-12-24T21:32:00.005+08:00

New year is in a week or so. I have a lot of things in mind. I want to make resolutions and make sure I be a man of my word this time. I'll be taking SPM next year. My head is pretty messed up(although it is physically clear).

I know it's too early to think about my first vehicle, but I have always dreamed of having a Vespa. A black 1967 Vespa Sprint specifically. It will probably be hard to find once I've got my license.

I don't dream of going that fast on a motorbike. Not in the busy streets of PJ and KL. I want something economical, especially in times like this. I like the Vespa because it has character. The round head lamp, those little white wall tyres, and the small body frame. Come on, just look at it. I don't know much about bikes or scooters, but hey, this one looks awesome.

Please, if you know anyone who could get a great deal for a Vespa, I'd like to hear from you ;)

And for a car, I'd like a 1978 Volkswagen Golf MK1 GTI. I am a fan of Porsche and Subaru. But in the early working years, dreaming of any of those two would be futile.I'd option for a Golf instead. Yes, the new Golfs look better, the Mini is a cool small car, and I can't really go fast in this old Golf. Heck, there might even be no more of these when I have enough cash for one.

The small tyres draw my attention, the bright red paint looks like tomato sauce, and those round lights are just so...retro. This picture shows a modified version with wide tyres. I'd prefer to keep it in its original state though.
Well, that's all for now. AND, I'd really like to know what your ideal car/bike would be. Don't hesitate to tell me.

Vespa original image by damonabnormal on flickr
golf picture by DigitalK on flickr

New Hair Cut

2008-12-22T09:40:00.007+08:00

Prepare to burst in laughter...

If you're not laughing than maybe I have a very bad sense of humour. My father is going for surgery this Wednesday, so he'll end up bald for sure. I just want to make him feel normal when he's around me.

Basically my head looks very round right now, like an egg. It'll probably take a few weeks for me to regain my original hairstyle. So for now, laugh while you still can. I couldn't stand a sight of myself in the mirror without laughing right now.

Anyway, I hope I made your day.

And I've made an account at flickr. Check it out. Don't hesitate to comment. You could just give your opinion in my shoutbox. I put my links at the bottom, so maybe you people haven't realised it. Even if I were you, I wouldn't bother to scroll down XD.

I'm a bit into photography right now. I've ditched my pencils and brushes for my camera. It's just an entry-level digital camera, and my skills are below average. So don't expect spectacular images from me.

And one more thing, I feel much better after letting go now. Although it wasn't easy.

"And the hardest apart
Was letting go not taking part
Was the hardest part
And the strangest thing
Was waiting for that bell to ring
It was the strangest start.."

-The Hardest Part by Coldplay

Until then, goodbye :)

Going Places : Acheh

2008-12-12T18:22:00.038+08:00

26th December is just around the corner. A few more days and it will be four years since the devastating tsunami tragedy in 2004. Acheh has changed a lot now. It's in better shape.

I visited Acheh again this year. You could refer to my first post for last year's trip. We had a shorter stay this time since most of us the members of Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia(ISMA) had a lot of things going on back home, mostly work. We were accompanied by students of Universiti Malaya(UM), Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor(KUIS), and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa(UIA). The original plan was to stay there for a week, but then it was shortened to three days. Minus the travel time, we only spent twenty-four hours at the orphanage. The students however, stayed until the 14th to give a motivational course to the orphans. Although we didn't stay for long, I still had a great time.

So here goes.

Day 1 09/12/2008
My father and I packed the night before. I brought along two T-shirts and two pairs of pants. Same goes with my father. Since we didn't bring much, we both used one bag only. We changed our Ringgit for Rupiahs.
RM 1 = Rp 3,055.74
And if you were to go to Acheh, do remember to bring an electric socket adaptor.

We were at the Taman Paramount LRT station by 11.45am and at KL Sentral 15 minutes later. I met Brandon Lau there. Later we took a bus to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal(LCCT). Both tickets were RM8 each. I sat beside a stranger in the bus. A man whom I presumed to be in has 50's. We moved at quarter past twelve. He was no longer a stranger to me after ten seconds. His name was Muhammad, a pensioner who was on his way to Cambodia. Our purpose of travel was similar. To perform the Qurban and to help the needy. He knew a lot of stuff and did most of the talking during our conversation. I just sat and listened to everything he said. Old people sure do know a lot of stuff. Our conversation was mainly about the landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa.

We were at the LCCT an hour later. We prayed and had lunch. By 3:00pm, we've already checked in. The flight was scheduled at 4:00pm but was delayed due to weather conditions. We ended up boarding the plane at 6:00pm. Forty-five minutes later we took off. It was a seventy-five minute flight.

We reached the Sultan Iskandar Muda airport by 7:55pm(Malaysian time) and 6:55pm(Acheh time). I shall now follow the latter. The bus was already waiting for us at the airport. We hit the road at half past seven. Same bus service as last year, CV Pelangi. We stopped at 'Seulawah Indah', a simple restaurant a few hours from the airport. We didn't stay long as we were still miles away from the orphanage.

That's Afiq in the last picture.

Back in the bus by 10:10pm, we headed straight to the orphanage. Since we had a long journey ahead, we slept, leaving the bus driver and his co-driver in peace. We stopped by a mosque around 12 o'clock, performed Isya' and Maghrib together.

Day 2 10/12/2008
After 8 hours in the bus, we finally reached the orphanage at three in the morning. As expected, the villagers were already busy slaughtering the cows and distributing them into parts. We unloaded our baggage, changed our clothes, and joined in. The orphans still recognised me even after one year of being apart. Some have furthered their studies outside but most of them were still in the orphanage. It was good to see old friends again. I met Jabbar, Rafsan, Luqman, Ariel, Rizal, Abrar, Sabri, and a lot more. They easily became friends with the college students. Despite the fact that we all just met each other, there was already a special bond between everyone.

The villagers have started working a few hours before we arrived. We had a lot of work to be done. We then took a catnap and went to the mosque for Subuh. By 5:00am, we still had 17 more cows to go. This year there were 39 cows and 7 sheeps all together. Of course, forty-six animals are a handful, so some were slaughtered elsewhere. The meat was enough to be distributed to seven villages.

I helped them pack the meat into plastic bags. Each plastic had 2 chunks of meat, a bit of the stomach(or more specifically the reticulum), a bit of the intestine, and a bit of the lungs. The villagers started coming in at 8 o'clock. Before Eidul Adha, they were each given coupons so they could claim one plastic bag per coupon. They were extremely happy since meat is quite hard to obtain in the village. It's more like high class food.
And just when we thought it was all done, we still had 5 more cows to go by noon. What amazed me most was that the villagers have been working since midnight. This meant that they have been working for twelve hours straight. And they didn't seem to be tired at all.
Not one bit.
There was no circumcision program this year, so we didn't bring any doctors along. And that meant no medical check up for the villagers. While waiting for villagers to come and claim their part, I sat and talked with one of the villagers. He worked in Malaysia for two years as a construction site worker. He worked in Johor for two years and was a big fan of P. Ramlee. After Zuhr, we all had lunch together except for a few men who were still busy slaughtering. It was already 3 o'clock by then. So that makes fifteen hours of work, non stop. We then took a rest while some of us distributed meat to the villagers. Everything was done by 4:00pm.

The college students were to conduct a motivational course by tomorrow, so we had to clean up the orphanage. Holes had to be patched, muck had to be removed, drains had to be cleared, blood had to be washed off, chairs and tables had to be cleaned, and banners had to be put up. The members of ISMA went to town to buy souvenirs since we were going to leave tomorrow. I didn't follow as I had to help with the cleaning up. We were done by 6:15pm, then rushed to the mosque for Maghrib. Although Acheh is one hour behind Malaysia, Maghrib began at 6:30.

The ISMA members were still downtown by that time. Probably on their way back. Later we had dinner and the college students had a meeting with Pak Hamdani regarding tomorrow's activity. I had to pack already. They proceeded to a briefing with the orphans on tomorrow's activity. This was followed by an ice-breaking session. Changes were made since the orphans had school tomorrow. Apparently they do not have holidays for Eidul Adha. We dosed off at ten.

Day 3 11/12/2008
The bus arrived at 4:00am, just ready when we were. We said goodbye and left at a quarter to five. This was going to be another long journey. An hour later we stopped for Subuh, and not long after that, for breakfast. Now we were heading to Banda Acheh, to see the famous Baitur Rahman Mosque. Nearby the mosque was the abandoned ship, which, of course, we visited too. Unlike last year, visitors can now venture on the ship until the top deck for an unlimited time. And it's all for free.

This ship is called PLTD Apung. PLTD is short for Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Diesel. It's supposed to supply electrical energy to remote areas. Weighing 2600 tonnes, it was sent 5 km away from the U Lee Lheue beach(It was originally a few miles offshore). According to the locals, it would take three months for the ship to travel such a distance, but the tsunami did it all in just fifteen minutes.

Nearby the ship was a small museum with a few facts and pictures of the tsunami.
On the way to the mosque, I couldn't help but notice the colourful campaign banners all around. I wasn't sure whether the elections were around the corner or whether it has just ended. One thing for sure is the campaign atmosphere is just like Malaysia's. Banners and fliers were everywhere. Sign boards, lamp posts, trees, you name it.

I also spotted something extra...
At the Baitur Rahman Mosque, we performed Zuhr And Asar. We had twenty minutes to meet up again at the bus. Afiq and I used the remaining ten minutes we had to take pictures of the Mosque. Forgive me for the bad photos, I'm not a professional photographer.
Just when we were about to rush to the bus, an old lady asked for our help. She was a beggar. She needed us to help her to the gate of the mosque. We had to rush, but then we would feel very guilty if we left her just like that. All her children died in the tsunami, leaving her with no one to depend on. We also got to know a girl, but then we forgot to ask her name. She was, very nice of course. We were five minutes late and apologised to the rest.

Near the airport was a restaurant. We had lunch there. They served us cucumber juice as soon as we arrived. We didn't order it, probably comes free. The juice was cooling, thanks to the cooling nature of cucumber. You neither need ice, nor do you need to put it in the fridge.
The airport is newly refurbished, much better than the last time we came. Our flight was scheduled at 5:00pm and thank god, there were no delays this time. I got the window seat this time. I purposely chose the one beside the plane's right wing. The aerofoil show mesmerised me. The spoilers, oh my god. The stewardesses then gave the safety briefing. Sometimes, it looks like they're dancing. I enjoyed the view from above.

We reached Malaysia at 7:15pm(Malaysian time). We prayed and said goodbye to each other. Afiq, my father, and I took the bus straight to KL Sentral. We arrived an hour later, and hopped on the LRT to Taman Paramount. We were home by 9:30pm. Afiq stayed at his uncle's house, which is just behind mine.

I had a good time. It was nice being friends with strangers. It was a good journey. And if all goes well, I will be going to Cambodia next year.

Goodbye

2008-12-08T21:13:00.003+08:00

I'll be in Acheh from tomorrow until Thursday. Till then, goodbye ;)

Chuck Norris

2008-12-04T21:21:00.005+08:00

Just type in 'google Chuck Norris' in the google search engine, click on 'I'm Feeling Lucky', and see for yourself what happens next. If you don't get the joke, learn more about Chuck Noris :)

Top photo by locke15 on flickr

9

2008-12-03T16:18:00.007+08:00

I was messing around with the calculator and discovered a few little things about the number 9.
So, lets take any multiple of 9. The sum of all the digits in the number will always be 9. 18 for instance.
Add up both the digits in 18
1+8 = 9

OK. Now lets try some bigger number. 117.
1+1+7 = 9

and an even bigger number, 5886
5+8+8+6 = 27
now, don't think its over yet.
add up 2 and 7
2+7 = 9

And just in case you're a bit competitive, take 70,788,069
7+0+7+8+8+0+6+9 = 45
4+5 = 9

And here's a different one. Take any multiple of 9, add it with any number from 1 to 10. Remember, 1 to 10 only. Do the same thing as the above, add up all the digits. And you will get that number you added with the multiple of 9. OK, here we go.

9+1 = 10
1+0 = 1

another one,
63 + 8 = 71
7+1 = 8

and another one,
58,923 + 6 = 58929
5+8+9+2+9 = 33
3+3 = 6

Lets take 10,

2,889 + 10 = 2,899
2+8+9+9 = 28
2+8 = 10

Thats all for today :)

Take 10 years off Your Car's Appearance

2008-12-01T08:09:00.001+08:00

Everything is from Diseno-art.com

With the world economy in virtual freefall there's bound to be a huge number of gearheads who have had to put aside their plans to trade up to a better vehicle, or upgrade their existing car on an extensive scale. However there is also a large percentage who still have some spare change to put into their pride and joy and make some improvements, while still keeping the wallet happy.If you happen to own an older vehicle which is in need of a revamp, and is worthy of some time, money and effort here's some ideas which can take years off it's appearance.

Comprehensive Cleaning
It's pretty obvious but a really good wash, wax and full interior cleanup can make a huge difference to a cars appearance. Often when people give their car a wash they neglect the details. This includes the badging, the black rubber window surrounds, the windows, door handles, door jams, and various other trim. A plastic rejuvenator can make faded black plastic look almost new within a few minutes, and applying a water dispersing treatment (like RainX) to the exterior of the windows helps to make them glisten like new. A good wax can bring faded and lightly scuffed paintwork back to life (if possible use a colored wax which closely matches the paint color).

Replica or Lightly Used Wheels

Instead of buying expensive designer alloy wheels which are often not to everyones taste, and therefore can affect resale, why not try looking for used or replica wheels which match the make of your vehicle. For example, if you have a BMW 3 Series with 15 inch wheel fitted as standard - try looking for 18 inch wheels taken off a higher spec 3 Series. It could save you money and will almost certainly be a good style match with your car.

Color Code your Bumpers

Often optional trim packages from manufacturers will include 'body colored bumpers'. This basically means that they took the time to do what they should have done in the first place. It's amazing the difference a simple color match can make. Look at any modern car and you'll be hard pressed to find one which has large black plastic bumpers. There's a reason - they're ugly. If you're competent, and I mean competent, then you can attempt it yourself with a spray can (depending on the surface size). If not a quick trip to a body shop should get the job done.

Halo Headlights

Halo headlights are available for a wide variety of makes and models. They are work especially well on older vehicles which lack the more recent reflector style headlights. They often cost less than standard replacement headlight units and are usually an absolute breeze to fit. Once installed they can instantly take years off a cars appearance. Another benefit to halo headlights is that they often appear to have come factory fitted and therefore provide a subtle yet effective upgrade.

Trim from Newer Models

If you happen to live close to a scrapyard or have some time to trawl through ebay why not try looking for some trim from facelifted versions of your car. Obviously if your car is the final year model then this idea isn't going to work. But if you have an early model there could be some trim elements which were upgraded during the lifespan of the model. Many of these will just bolt on in place of the old part (be careful though because some won't!).

Take a look

2008-11-29T22:33:00.001+08:00

Hey Sherlene. Check this out. You might want to change your mind on that Vanquish. Here is an Aston Martin Vantage.

Photos by Tommy Chang on flickr

Where are we going?

2008-11-29T17:24:00.000+08:00

Lately I've been asking myself, "What is life?" Is it our journey to success? Is it a game? Is it about the people around us? Our friends and family? Or the reason of life is simply unknown to us. On Thursday, I went to the MBPJ library to look for books that might answer my question. I didn't really find any, but I came across an interesting book. 'I never metaphor i didn't like' by Dr. Mardy Grothe. It is basically a compilation of similes, metaphors, analogies and quotes.
Although there were only metaphors and similes of what life is, I still find them to be quite helpful. I'm sure we all remember the famous "Life is like a box of chocolates" in 'Forest Gump'. These are the kind of quotes and similes that seem to draw my attention. I found a few good ones from the book itself. And they are in this post.
Before you go through some of them, please be reminded that they are just similes and metaphors. They are meant to give that extra fuel in your life when you're down in the dumps. Since we humans are prone to mistakes, they might be wrong or they might be right. So don't take them too seriously. And just for your information, the word simile is related to the word similar. It was derived from a Latin word similis meaning 'like'. Here are some I found :

"Life is the art of Drawing without an eraser."

-John W. Gardner

"Life is a long lesson in humility."

-James M. Barrie

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

"Life is a tragedy when seen in close up, but a comedy in long shot."

-Charles Chaplin

"Life is a verb, not a noun."

-Charlotte Perkins Gilman written in 1904

"In life, as in football, you won't go far unless you know where the goalposts are."

-Arnold H. Glasgow

"Life is like a sewer, what you get out of it depends on what you put into it."

-Tom Lehrer

"Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep."

-Carl Sandburg

"Life is a journey, but don't worry, you'll find a parking spot at the end."

-Isaac Asimov

I hope these were quite helpful to you. However, these didn't answer my question at all. I finally realised what a fool I was for not referring to the Quran. How can I be so forgetful? The answer was in Surah Az-Zariyat, verse 56.
Here goes:

"I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me."

51:56

'I', and 'Me' of course, in reference to Allah SWT. Here is the interpretation of the verse by Yusuf Ali :

"Creation is not for idle sport or play. Allah has a serious purpose behind it, which, in our imperfect state, we can only express by saying that each creature is given a chance of development and progress towards the goal, which is Allah. Allah is the source and centre of all power, and all goodness, and our progress depends upon our putting ourselves into accord with His will. This is His service. It is not of any benefit to Him."

So i guess that's it. We're here to serve God. This just makes me wonder if we ever have done as God has told us to.

Porsche Panamera

2008-11-23T17:52:00.000+08:00

It's finally here. The Porsche styling is distinctive but it doesn't really look like a luxury sedan. Well, that's what I think. I just looks a bit unbalanced. The rear view is good, but the side profile, I don't know. I certainly hope it will look better in time like the Cayenne. Maybe its not every ones idea of beauty, not yet.

Links

2008-11-20T22:03:00.000+08:00

If you are running out of interesting websites to visit, I have a few here that might be interesting :
TOXEL.COM - Creative inventions, advertisements etc.
Dark Roasted Blend - Mixed links & images.
Oddee - Odd and Bizarre pictures and videos.
Cracked.com - American Humor and random topics.
Best Pics Around - The name says it all.
Freaking News - Photoshop based site.
See Mike Draw - Short comics
Neatorama - Interesting pictures, videos, links etc.
Hemmy.net - Interesting pictures, videos, links etc.
Worth1000 - Photoshop and photography competition and gallery.

Enjoy them :)

Lego Tumbler

2008-11-19T23:19:00.000+08:00

It has been a very long time since I last touched my Lego box. It was bought in 1995. Apparently they're still in good shape. I tried to make the tumbler from 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight'. Yes, this is very childish. However, there were no black blocks, so I used blue instead. There was also a shortage of parts so I had to compromise. The toughest part was of course the split front wings where it somehow...separates. If you think this looks very different from the original, I don't blame you. Because it is indeed different. Whatever it is, I would really appreciate it if you were to comment or give your opinion on this subject.

Bateman...or Batman?

2008-11-13T20:33:00.000+08:00

That was Patrick Bateman(Christian Bale) from American Psycho. Coincidentally he played Patrick Bateman who's surname sounds very similar to Batman. In American Psycho, Patrick Bateman is a murdering psychopath who kills for no apparent reason, sometimes for really small matters such as jealousy. He even tried to kill a cat by the way. By day he works at a bank and by night he goes on a killing spree. The movie differs a lot from the book and the movie seems to jump easily from scene to scene. As seen from this clip, it is obvious that Bateman has no intentions of keeping his activities discreet. Now imagine if Bateman met The Joker. Hmmm. Overall the story is well told. However, there are a few scenes which you might not want to watch. The story includes elements of racism, materialism, chauvinism, etc. I do recommend you read the book or watch the movie if you have a taste for murdering psychopaths.

Baby Car Logos

2008-11-13T20:03:00.000+08:00

These car logos are supposed to be fierce, menacing, and intimidating: prancing horse(Ferrari), raging bull(Lamborghini), trident(Maserati), and leaping jaguar(Jaguar). But the guys at minichamp have a different idea. This is what they would look like if they were less intimidating and cuter. Apparently they replaced the prancing horse with a pony, the raging bull with a calf, the trident with a fork and the leaping jaguar with a baby jaguar.

Car Names

2008-11-09T10:21:00.000+08:00

Maybe some of us haven't noticed, but Americans are the best when it comes to car names. Take a look : Dodge Viper, Dodge Charger, Plymouth Barracuda, Corvette Stingray, Pontiac Firebird, Ford Mustang, and Plymouth Superbird. Names that intimidate - all things that bite, sting, or stampede while for the Firebird, is, erm, on fire, I guess. Although their cars aren't usually the best, their names sound great. Europeans on the other hand, come up with number combinations : BMW 325i, Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz 190E, Peugeot 206, etc. And when they try to get creative with animals, they end up having names like Fiat Panda and VW Rabbit... And for tuning companies like Gemballa(Porsche Specialist), names like Extremo, and Avalanche pop out. That sounds cool but an avalanche is something that kills people, usually in a big number. So maybe next time they'll come up with Gemballa Birdflu or something similar. And the Japanese, yes they do have nice names like the Lancer, Skyline, Fairlady, Impreza, etc. However, some are just trying too hard, like the Honda Life Dunk, the Mazda Bongo Friendee, and the Big Thumb.

If you wonder what names of certain car manufacturers and models mean, or how they originated, here's a short list :

BMW - Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Factories).

Lamborgihini Murcielago - Bat(Spanish); Really suits batman by the way.

Lamborghini Gallardo - Striking(Spanish)

Lamborghini Estoque - Sword(Spanish)

Lamborghini Miura - name of a famous bull fighter

Mitsubishi Starion - It was originally named Stallion, some spelling error made it Starion.

Subaru - Pleiades(Cluster of more than 300 stars)

If you do have any, please do notify me.

Random piece : Moby Dick

2008-10-27T22:05:00.001+08:00

I put a bit of effort in this one to get a neat finish at the front end of the car. It's done using black watercolour, pencils, and pens. Although I do think the front tyre is a bit off. It's a Porsche 935 (1977) by the way.

Sweetest word

2008-10-01T20:57:00.000+08:00

I realised something. People like to learn foreign languages. A lot. French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and a whole lot more. The ability to converse in multiple languages is a valuable asset to anyone who possesses it. It could win you more friends, help you gain some respect, and save you in situations you never expect. I certainly don't posses this ability but anyone who does is certainly lucky. But no matter what language you speak, the sweetest word to a person's ears would be his or her own name. So lets start remembering people's names. That's certainly a lesson for me.

Look at me!

2008-09-23T22:00:00.000+08:00

It's human nature to be selfish. Truth is, people are only interested in themselves. It's always 'I, my, me, mine, and myself'. We try to deny this fact, but denying the truth is just impossible. If given a group photo of your class or the school yearbook, who's picture would you look for first? If given a name list, who's name would you look for first? We would all search for our own picture and name. And once we found it, nothing else matters.
It is a matter of feeling that you belong to a society, or a matter that your presence is felt and known by others. Even when conversing with others, you might notice that the conversation only sparks if the topic is favoured by the other person, even if you don't like that particular topic. People like to be appreciated, to feel important, or to feel that their ideas are being accepted. You might be talking to a person regarding his interests or hobbies(which you do not favour). He will enjoy expressing his thoughts, telling his experience, why he likes it, and such. But you on the other hand, would be nodding, just approving what he is saying. In the end, he'll thank you for having a good conversation (even if you did not say much). The key is to listen, people want their thoughts to be heard. The same thing applies when you are having an argument. No one cares about what you say. People know their own problems more than you do. So let them talk. Just listen to their thoughts and put yourself in their shoes. Because interrupting someones thoughts in an argument would just spark a bigger flame. You don't want that to happen.

When I'm supposed to be studying

2008-09-18T22:12:00.000+08:00

That's our Malaysian flag during the independence day celebration we had at school. It was all fine until the pieces slowly fell apart. It actually shows the state of our country right now. You get the message, we have to fix it. I know we can make Malaysia a better place.
You know accident rates are quite high in Malaysia. These are the reasons why:
-Malaysian drivers think they're professional race car drivers
-Malaysian Motorcyclist think they're stunt riders
-And Malaysian pedestrians think they're superman
Apparently I'm the Malaysian pedestrian

Here's my design for this year's school magazine cover. Feel free to comment.

09/09

2008-09-09T16:56:00.001+08:00

It's my birthday today. I didn't expect much actually, but then things turned out differently. I'm very thankful to have such a great family, great friends and great teachers. I usually don't get presents but this time it was different. I'd like to thank god for letting me live until now. I'm not sure how many years I have left. But I've already used 16 years of it. I don't know if I have really used these 16 years wisely. Although it was a school day, this was the best birthday I've ever had. I'd like to thank :

Ashwin for the post
Syed for the 5 gifts(I'll treasure it as promised)
Sherlene for the die cast model(How do you know I like Porsches?)
Kopal for the candle and some snowball thing
Puan Suhaibah for the chocolates
Azman, Farhan, Edy, Shah and Airul for the card and RM10
Puan Aznida for the Baju Melayu buttons
Brian for the small statue
All the others for remembering. I appreciate it.

THANK YOU very much

Now I owe all these people presents. So tell me your birth date OK.

Random Piece : Lotus

2008-09-01T16:26:00.001+08:00

I worked a bit on the shadows this time. Just to make the car stick to the ground. It's a Lotus F1 from the 1970s by the way. Minus the huge rear wing.

Put Your Hands Up In The Air!

2008-08-29T18:59:00.000+08:00

Clockwise from top left : Yelena Isinbayeva, pole vault; Michael Phelps, swimming; Usain Bolt,athletics.

So do you notice the similarities in all three pictures? Yes, all of the athletes have their hands in the air. I think this is a natural reaction for human beings. To express happiness, joy, and excitement. I'm sure we put our hands up in the air when we won anything, accomplished a goal, or the fact that we are just happy.

Well actually monkeys do this as well. XD

I don't know what to say...

2008-08-27T22:14:00.000+08:00

This is just some random picture I found. Let the picture do the talking.

Lightning Bolt

2008-08-22T21:34:00.000+08:00

Usain Bolt beat Michael Johnson's record of 19.32 seconds with a mere difference of 0.02 seconds. His 200m record was 19.30 seconds and I'm sure he could go faster than that. I just don't know what to say, but this man is amazing! 2 world records in one Olympic game. I think America doesn't have anymore hopes in beating China in the medal collections since Jamaica is dominating the track events. Heck, they even made a blunder in both men and women category for the 4X100m relay. Well, Jamaica is surely celebrating right now. The Olympics is going to end soon though so I'm looking forward to a great closing ceremony. :)

Top: Johnson clocking 19.32 during the 1996 Olympics at Atlanta;
Bottom : Bolt celebrating after beating Johnson's record time.

A combo pic of the Baton failing as it was passed to Tyson Gay by Darvis Patton during the 4X100m relay

Photo Source :
Michael Johnson : RobH3 on flickr
Usain Bolt : Ned Vizzini on flickr
4x100m relay : AFP

Monkey King and The Olympics

2008-08-14T21:07:00.000+08:00

Watch it.

Just in case you haven't noticed. Some sports events are represented in this animation by each character such as :

Monkey King (Sūn Wùkōng) - Javelin (when he throws his magic staff to help pig)

Pig (Zhū Bājiè) - Hammer Throw(where he throws the monster), hurdles, pole vault, gymnast (while in the sea monster's mouth), and marathon.

River ogre (Shā Wùjìng) - Karate/Taekwondo/any martial art, diving, and swimming.

08/08/08

2008-08-07T21:30:00.000+08:00

Olympics Tomorrow. Put aside all the political confusion and air pollution. Start competing already.

Random Piece : When Joker and Mad Hatter Have Babies

2008-08-07T19:14:00.002+08:00

OK. This is supposed to be the joker. But I gave him a hat for no reason. It was a 5 minute sketch I did while waiting for the next lesson in class. I haven't watched the Dark Knight yet though. But I'm looking forward to it.

Going Places : Port Dickson

2008-07-27T21:22:00.002+08:00

Photo by my dad

Instead of the beach, I visited a race track - I went go-carting. RM15 for 8 laps. It was fun. I ungracefully crashed a few times. I was lucky that the track was empty or I would have gone on a killing spree. Oh, and I finished my add math homework while on vacation. I woke up at seven the next morning, played some basketball, rented a bicycle, went swimming, and slid down a huge water slide. Like the ones you see in theme parks.

But then, I had class...

BBBS 50th Anniversary Dinner Concert

2008-07-22T22:28:00.000+08:00

Free Advertisement

2008-07-01T20:56:00.000+08:00

Found this at the front gate when I came back from school.

It's free advertisement. XD

Just shows how important language is.

Family Day

2008-06-24T19:25:00.000+08:00

Random Work : Earth Saviours

2008-06-24T19:18:00.001+08:00

Done for Rajah. Just tell me what you think about it.

Round up

2008-06-19T20:59:00.000+08:00

I haven't been posting for quite a while it seems. I've been going to the hospital frequently to take care of my grandma. She fell down and broke her leg. Every time I visit her I'll be thinking about how we'll end up being when we're old. You know, being brittle and dependable on others. Going back to being a kid, just with an older body. From being strong and energetic adults to fragile old versions of ourselves. That's just what I think. She'll be out of the hospital in a few days though. Just be careful alright, grandma. ;)

I entered some poster drawing competition yesterday.I got consolation prize. I was happy though as I never entered such competitions. My exam results are OK, I'm healthy, I'm young, I'm still strong, I have a family, I have friends. I guess that makes me happy enough. :). Mr. Agis retires tomorrow. I owe him a lot. Happy retirement to him.

It's World Environment Day

2008-06-05T20:52:00.000+08:00

I just realised it. Thanks to some environment themed calendar. We still got a few hours left to do our part. But wait, I'm using electricity currently. -_- . Just remember, it's World Environment Day. The other days of the year should be polluting the earth day....

Impreza Coupe

2008-06-05T18:26:00.001+08:00

I have to admit. It looks great. It's some collaboration with Toyota to make a RWD coupe.It might be out in 2010. MIGHT.

Random Piece : Uragano

2008-06-04T20:26:00.002+08:00

Another SUV, yeah. I don't have anything to write, so I might as well upload a picture. I call it a 'Lancia Uragano'. Uragano is hurricane in Italian. And Lancia, that's a car manufacture from Italy. I really need some hardcore critique. I need to get better at this. Just tell me anything about it alright. Be downright honest please. I wouldn't mind.

The Nissan GTR is Great. But an SUV GTR?

2008-06-03T23:00:00.001+08:00

This is what some unknown source shows what the Nissan GTR(SUV) might look like. I heard that they're making this as a rival to the Porsche Cayenne (the Porsche SUV). They're not really talented off-roaders, but this kind of car seems to be a trend nowadays (Gas Guzzling super huge SUVs which are used on city roads). Whatever it is, if these spy shots are real, I guess Nissan has to try harder. Just look at the Cayenne. They made the GTR look great. I guess they can make that happen on the SUV version.

I wasn't really pleased with what I saw, so I came up with my own quick rendition of what I would like it to look like. I did in in 45 minutes, so I'm sorry for the messy work. It's done in Photoshop CS2. Just tell me what you think about it.

Random Piece : Pit Stop

2008-06-02T19:10:00.001+08:00

A 30 minute painting. It's my excuse for all the messy lines. I never drew humans and cars together so I thought I would give it a shot. Bonfire is weird name. Yes, I know. And if you're wondering what kind of car is that. It's a kit car. Like Caterhams. The kind of cars you can buy in pieces and build it in your garage. I'll make another version coloured with Photoshop as soon as I can.

Random Piece : Smokescren

2008-06-02T18:41:00.001+08:00

These 2 pieces has been done last year actually. But I just thought I'd upload it. The one on the top is an unpainted version. But somehow edited in Photoshop. And the one on the bottom is mmmm, I looked back at it and thought 'This could use some Bunchos' and tadaa, that's the result. One more thing is that I did this on My exercise book(you can notice the horizontal blue lines). So that quite explains the blotchy paint. Do tell me which version you like better though.

It's the Holidays and I'm on A Movie Marathon

2008-05-31T21:27:00.001+08:00

It's been a week since the holidays but I haven't been really doing anything. Well, I bought those hand grip thingy and a punching bag. So I basically have something to punch and kick now. For this whole week, I've been watching movies. 4 movies. Namely 'Rambo 4', 'I Am Legend', '300',and 'The Longest Yard'. Yes, these movies have been out for quite a while, but good pirated DVDs come in stores pretty late(the ones with good image and sound quality). This is what I've got to say about the movies I've watched.

Rambo 4
See Stallone as Rambo kick ass and blow people's heads off. He is getting old, but trust me, this movie would not disappoint action movie goers. It's a bit gory though.
Moral of the story : Don't make Rambo Angry. And don't mess with Burmese soldiers.

I Am Legend
Robert Neville(Will Smith) lives all alone in NY city with mutated humans in abandoned buildings. See how a person breaks down emotionally when there's no one else to talk to.
Moral of the story : Don't be a loner. You'll end up depressed.

300
Didn't really turn out as good as I expected it to be. Maybe I shouldn't have watched Rambo first. But compared to Rambo 4, 300 actually has a good storyline. There's also a lot of Persian monsters which makes the movie a bit too fictional(It was supposed to be history right?)
Moral of the story : Bring more people to war next time.

The Longest Yard
Got to say, this was the only comedic movie I bought. Had a good laugh. Just put Adam Sandler and *poof*, it's a funny movie.
Moral of the story : Does it have any?

Random Piece : Monkey King

2008-05-27T22:34:00.001+08:00

Here it is. Sun Wukong! I was inspired to draw this after watching 'The Forbidden Kingdom'. Do comment on it please. (point out the mistakes that I've done)
:)

Going Places : Camp in Sabak Bernam

2008-05-27T20:25:00.002+08:00

Just came back from camp yesterday. It was fun. I should say it was great. Camps like this bring you back to your roots. It reminds you of what you really need to focus on to be a better person. It is no other than finding yourself. the only way to do it is to get guidance from god. Trust me.

The very first day

Went to school to pass up the permission form. I planned to skip but gah, I had to go. It was teacher's day celebration anyways. Ashwin didn't come (everyone saw that coming). I didn't even get to watch the performances as I had to go back early. Never mind the performances are usually about the same. Mom picked me up. Nicholas went home with me. We had lunch then set off to the Kelana Jaya stadium. We arrived around 12.30, together with the students of SMK Taman Medan. Made a couple of new friends. By 1.00, all participants were there. The teacher advisor made us skip Friday Prayers. I couldn't believe myself. so I did Zuhr when we reached the destination. The journey took 2 1/2 Hours. Sat next to Muzaffar. He slept after one hour, so I was kind off lonely. The La Salle students behind us slept as well. I dozed off half an hour later. I was shocked when we arrived. I expected the camp to be in the middle of some forest. Turns out we have to camp at the field of SMK Sungai Besar. The school is huge. You could get lost in it. We set up the tent. Well, basically Nicholas did. Thank you Nicholas :). We then had dinner and at night we were separated into groups. I can't really name all my team mates . Shows how inconsiderate I am. I remember Azroy, Ariff, Nizam, Badruddin, Syafiq, another Syafiq,Haziq, Roslan, Bazlyn, Azwa, Nadia, Sabrina, Asyakirin, and three more girls. Sorry I can't really remember. :(. Nicholas was in group 2, I was in group 3 and Muzaffar was in group 4. Made our flag, motto and the normal things you do when you get sorted into groups. It was bed time at 11. But I ended up sleeping at 1.30AM. Thanks to my camp neighbours. They were singing and joking around.

The tiring second day

Woke up at 4.30 to Nicholas hand phone. It was some AK47 alarm. So I woke up thinking some riot was going on. Muz and I went to bathe for the first time at the camp. They just put 6 tanks of water and covered the place with some canvas. We were lucky to wake up early so we could bathe peacefully. We had Subuh later on. Aerobics, at 7.30. Got to say I hate aerobics. It makes you look like some wacko dancing your heart out. Screw that, we then had something called 'Eksplorasi'. Something like Explorace. This Eksplorasi made the prefect's camp treasure hunt look like a game for kids. 20 checkpoints. Ranging from areas inside the school and out side of it. That included a civic hall, a police station, an orphanage, an old folk's home, a mosque, some abandoned shop by the road and many other places. We ran like mad people. The locals must have thought we've lost our minds. The Eksplorasi started at 9.00 and we finished at 12.00. 3 hours. Fewh.I was glad that I could actually rest off my feet when we finished. Had lunch, bathed, and Zuhr. We had some talk on leadership later on. Balloon bursting at 6.00. And dinner. The talk that night was boring . They should have hired a better speaker. She was teaching us as if we were primary school kids. I was so glad when we were allowed to sleep. The night was warm and humid. I was really hoping for it to rain. But it didn't. Its amazing how Nicholas and Muzaffar can sleep so easily. Eventually, I managed to sleep. Yay me.

The boring third day

We did the same thing in the morning. I woke up at 5.00. Which is half an hour since Nich's phone alarm went off. sorry Nich. I was too tired. All we had this day was boring talks. How to handle meetings, and how to be a group leader. We had some meeting simulation which was boring. Our group had to do it on stage. We were lucky that the audience actually showed some support. Thank you people. Talent show that night! I was expecting dancing and singing and stuff you see at talent show. We had to do some advertising for products that we came up with. We had to do women's clothing. So I was feeling pretty blank. I couldn't think of anything. Finally, we came up with high heels. There were 20 groups, so it ended at 12.30. THEN, we got to sleep. :D

The final day

No aerobics. Yay. I woke up to find out that Nich's phone was off. I wonder how I managed to wake up. Muzaffar and I set up the hall for Subuh. The facilitator's late. So was everyone else. All participants cleaned up the school for the coming closing ceremony. The ceremony was not fun at all. No performances, the MCs were like prepared speakers. It was boring so Bazlyn and I joked about everything we saw. So we were not that bored. Thank you Lyn! Anyways, the ceremony finished at 12.00 and we started signing each others part of our torn flag. Bye bye people. Nice knowing you. Our bus arrived at 1.30. Slept in the bus.Reached the stadium at 3.30. Sent Nicholas to school. And I'm finally home.

I would like to apologize if I forgot to mention any names

I would like to thank Nicholas for setting his phone alarm

I would like to thank my new made friends for making the camp enjoyable

And I would like to thank you for reading this post (It makes me feel appreciated)

Looks like 'thing to do' number 2 is done. 'Thing to do' number 1 is in the next post. :)

Random Thought : Camp and The Holidays

2008-05-22T20:33:00.001+08:00

Exams are over. I'll be going to Sabak Bernam tomorrow for some leadership camp. I have to go to school tomorrow for some reason. Today I took out my old PlayStation X just to enjoy the old games. Got to say the games are still as entertaining as they used to be. Just that the graphics look funny, and so does the physics realism.

Here's a list of things I plan to do for the holidays :
- Make a drawing of Sun Wukong (the monkey king)
- Go for this leadership camp and get over with it
- Get my room organized
- Build up my stamina
- Study

(the possibility of the thing getting done descends as you go down the list.)

Thing is, I'll try to enjoy the holidays. I hope you will too. Above is a picture of 4 Budi 2008. Feel free to grab it.

The Forbidden Kingdom

2008-05-18T18:43:00.000+08:00

I was supposed to study, but instead I watched 'Forbidden Kingdom'. Yes, it has been quite a while since the movie was released. I wasn't really interested in buying the DVD, as I thought it was going be boring. Just two kung fu fighting actors merged in one film (Jackie Chan and Jet Li). Turns out it's pretty good. You can read reviews on this film. Some say it's total nonsense. But honestly, I was impressed at the very start of the film itself. The intro brings you back to the nostalgic era of the old kung fu films. Showcasing pictures of Bruce Lee, and the not so popular kung fu stars. The story follows an American boy who's obsessed with the old Chinese kung fu films. He gets chased by gangsters, falls from a building with some magical staff, and *poof*, he's somewhere a few hundred years ago in ancient China. And the story goes on from there. Do expect a lot of Chinese folklore and philosophies. I bought the Chinese version with subtitles. Do not buy the English version. Jet Li sounds funny talking in English (that kind of ruins his serious image). And unexpectedly, you'll see the monkey king (Sun Wukong). Whatever it is , I do think it was worth watching. It was definitely more than what I expected.

My rating : ***

Happy Teachers' Day

2008-05-16T17:28:00.001+08:00

I cannot believe I actually forgot today is teachers' day. Sorry. The exams got me caught up. Anyways, I would really like to thank you all for teaching me. You're a teacher, cheer up, you educate the new generation . I'm breaking my own rules as I post this teacher's day post. This may sound hypocritical but I really do appreciate what you have done. Keep on teaching.

RIP Mr. Boler

2008-04-29T19:08:00.000+08:00

1919-2008
In memory of Mr. David Boler. The best Headmaster of SMK(L) Bukit Bintang. Mention Bukit Bintang Boys School and people think of him (especially the elders). There can never be the next Mr. Boler, but we can always be the first of ourselves.Rest in peace Mr. Boler.

Random Piece : 917

2008-03-29T16:00:00.004+08:00

I just discovered one thing, I like Porsches, especially the 911. The light weight and power efficiency are a huge advantage. One can say, the designers at Porsche are pretty lazy, because since the first 911 until now, the 911 has not really changed in appearance. It has changed, but just not that drastically - Inclined head lamps, flared wheel arches. But I certainly love them. Unlike the BMW 5 series and Lamborghini Murcielago and other expensive cars, the 911 is not what you would call sophisticated. It's just coupe styling, short wheelbase, round headlamps, a curvy rear body, and there you go, you get a Porsche. Above is my rendering of the 1970 Porsche 917. Yes, it is not accurate.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

2008-03-11T15:19:00.001+08:00

I know I'm pretty late but hey, Gran Turismo 5 is still something new in the news. This is just the prologue of course. There will be many more cars in the full version(Maybe released in 2009 or later). The graphics are obviously revolutionary but you'll have to get a Playstation 3, sadly. There'll be tons of new features in the new game, Gran Turismo TV, in car display, more than 6 cars in a single race and a whole lot more for you to enjoy. Some may compare Gran Turismo to Forza Motorsport, but to me, they are two different things. :)

Here's a video of the game. enjoy...