Maniac

This morning I saw for the first time something that even the most experienced mat rempit would shy away from.

One motorcyclist was doing the macarena with his hand while riding a kapcai (small motorbike) like he's as immortal as Edward Cullen, terrorising the middle and fast lanes, making car drivers jam their foot on the brakes.

Nearly causing cars and other bikes bump into each other, I saw the maniac swerving left and right - I truly suspect he's either drunk or high on something - and I waited. I waited for something to happen.

Then it happened.

Nope, he did not crash.

Nope, he did not stop.

In fact, the other motorists simply drove away from him, and the road parted in front of him like it did in Bruce Almighty (you know, the movie with Jim Carrie and Jennifer Aniston).

So did he make full use of the opportunity?

You guessed right. He didn't.

He simply switched lane, zipping about as he goes, and began to terrorise the other motorists on the slower lanes pulak.

Like I said, maniac.

CP+2012

I know I should be posting about CP+ 2012 sooner, but like I said, some new policies are crampin my bloggin here. I'm not gonna rant about who launched what, cause I'm sure by now you've read about 'em elsewhere.

In any case, I still would like to put it on record that Camera & Photo Imaging Show 2012 (CP+2012) is one event I really would like to attend again in the future. I wish you all were there with me.

The event was held from 9-12 February at Pacifico Yokohama. The event location is a lot like Putrajaya, a lot of big buildings surrounding it, and you hardly see anyone on the street. CP+2012 was held in a building that feels a lot like Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

You'd be impressed with the good VIP folks who officiated the event. They were punctual, even when some of the VIPs had to come with tongkat and walking aid to make it to the stage. Four speeches, all Japanese, none of them long, each given with enough excitement and emotion that you sort of get the idea that they were very glad to be there, to be part of the event, and that the event is an important one in so many levels.

You'd be impressed with the organiser. Though there were few documents in English and almost all the signages were in Japanese, they make it up by putting up floor plans and arrows to lead the clueless like me. The ushers were also helpful, they try hard to give you that very spot to capture that shots you need of the exhibition, lead you to people who could translate, and most importantly, give press two hours to properly go through the exhibition before opening it to public.

I went into the minimalist press room, and got some brochures and press kits in English. The managers there also gave me the Wi-Fi password, a locker and key and a URL where I can find more CP+ info in English which was updated daily.

You'd be impressed with the exhibitors. The promoters welcome you to their booth, lead you to the most exciting part first so that you won't miss their most important offering. They too hardly speak English, but those who can stayed with you patiently with the kind of interest to make you feel like you are the only one visiting their booth, and answered your question as best as they can. None of them said, "Don't know?" or "Not sure." Even the girls who were handing leaflets do it with vim and uber politeness, and when they do not understand you, they try again and again to get some ideas of what you are talking about.

I'm glad I got the chance to see all the new Nikon cameras a day before, as the crowd lining up to see D800 and D800E was very, very long. Besides Nikon's activities I spent a long time at Canon's booth, Olympus product demo, the Sony gallery, the Casio fashion show, the Pentax's photoshoot... I also talked to the SD Association and CF/XQD booth reps for a trends story. Some of the journos went to all the booth to collect the cute stuff they were giving away. No pens, no lanyards. A lot of bags, memory cards, thumb drives and Hello Kitty-ish stuff. (The guys in the team dumped a number of stuff to me, as some of the giveaways were deemed too perempuan (girlish) for their liking. Being the only rose among the thorn, I took em lah.)

You'd be impressed with the mainly Japanese crowd. Thousands of them came early, waited patiently and entered courteously. No mob, no running, no pushing, no queue cutting, no being impolite to others. It's hard to imagine the PC Fair crowd to be like this.

The show is not the biggest tech expo I've been to, there were only over 120 exhibitors. But their offerings were extensive and 55 new products were introduced for the first time there. As for accessories, the kind of things you see, you don't get to see a lot of them here, let alone under one roof like that. 65,120 people came to the show, which ran over 4 days, which is 130% increase from last year.

I was tempted to buy some lens filter and those soft silicone straps for my Olympus PEN. But I just could not afford it. So I hope next year I'll be there again, richer not to mention fitter.

This Chicken wanna strangle those Siths

The dark side. Yep, the one Darth Vader got into. You know, the Jedi turned Sith. Only some of them dark side fellas were never a Jedi to begin with, nor are they as good as a Sith potrayed in the Phantom Menace.

You see, us Chickens have to face these Siths everyday, and most of them are as fake as the LV bags you can find at Chinatown. They look good, say nice things, but overall, no essence, no quality. No wonder my aunts still go to those expensive boutique stores for their handbags. If I have that much money, I'd prolly do the same.

The thing is with these Siths, they ask a lot from you. Even when you're hardly a Farmer nor his henchman. They just don't get that we're just Chickens. Ones who lay eggs for the Farmer to use or abuse.

The other thing about these Siths, some of them are not only stupid, but they're rude too. The rude part makes me sick the most. Having been a Chicken for ten years now, I get that some of them are just beginning and learning still, but once in a while when This Chicken meets those so called experienced Siths and they still act dumb and bodoh sombong about it, that just don't rub me the right way.

Maybe I'm just being, as one friend put it, a "cantankerous otai Chicken". Too old to put up with nonsense. The ones who keep saying, "I don't remember being that stupid or rude at that age."

Or it's just me having hormone imbalance.

In any case, I feel like slaying some Siths with my lightsaber. Where's my lightsaber again?

Owh man.

Addiction to the point of...

Two friends gave me new perspectives on the word "addiction" today.

Early in the morning a friend called apologising for not picking up my call last night. I thought it was magnanimous of her to do so, as she usually text if she's busy, and she knows I won't hold it against her.

Turns out she has news to share, and it was of her younger brother who had just gotten out of jail for drug abuse. "I worry about his addiction, how long he'll stay clean. That's why last night we were out at this health therapy place, where they promise to help him build a stronger self to fight the addiction."

One guy once told me that only 1 in 100 ex-addict gets the full-recovery batch. Others tend to stay clean, then relapse, then clean again, then they go for harder/softer drugs, depending on how easy it is to get supplies. He said, "Even when you're clean, the longing is there. It's like missing the love of your life, and once you know the feeling of being in fantasy land, like Peter Pan, you'd want to return and get lost in it once again. And you tell yourself, just this one time, and that one time tend to last."

Later in the office, another friend shows up with a pair of new shoes. "It was RM559, and I got it for RM55.90. Tangs was having a sale!"

"You're such a lucky shopper!" retorts another colleague.

"You're such a bad influence!" goes my reply.

"What to do, tis my addiction..."

Don't you just wish it is as easy as that. Stay away from drugs. It'll kill your loved ones first, then, if you're lucky, it'll kill you.

Better, luckier

Last year was OK for me. I mean, I didn't think it had that many episodes that I can't roll over and forget about it after a day of brooding, and I had lots of cool stuff happening to me and my family so overall, it was OK.

I think this year will be better. And I'm gonna be luckier.

Last year, I did one or two things that I did feel 'kembang' (proud) internally. So this year, I'm gonna do more of those.

Last year, I managed to control myself a tad better with the help of understanding family and friends of course, so this year, I'm gonna try and be better at that on my own.

Last year, a few lucky episodes (e.g deciding not to take train then found out commuters got stuck for hours on the news, was at the right place at the right time, won lucky draws, got the part time maid to agree to come do my house eventhough my request was very last minute). This year, more!

2012 is going to be a great year!

Feels just like UiTM all over again

If you studied, or even visited just one time the UiTM (formerly ITM), you would likely have an inkling what the security guards there are like.

Anal.

Superlatively anal.

Anal-itical.

Anal-icious to death.

Yep. They are the little Napoleans we all love to hate, and the give us more than enough reasons to do so.

Today at the coop I nearly got caught by the security guards for not complying to a little rule they've recently enforced.

And I fibbed (OK told 'em half truths).

I ran. I stowed away behind a friend.

I just didn't want to be caught. I've gone through enough times back in UiTM scribbling my name in the little black book belonging to numerous security guards there for breaking rules.

I'm don't want to start that here. I don't want to be in inked on anyone's book as an offender. As the pompuan who did not do this/that.

But I think they'll remember my face. I've been here too long to go unnoticed. I'm one of those faces that read, "You can intimidate me. You can make me do your bidding. You can show me just how powerful you are."

Oh crap. I think I'm in trouble. Should I start wearing make-up?

RIP Simoncelli

As a follower of MotoGP I'm not sure what to post here about the recent death of agressive, young rider, Marco Simoncelli.

I call him Rossi's brother cause they kinda look the same at one point (back when Simoncelli has slightly shorter hair and Rossi was doing his big hairdo). They even share a couple notable traits when it comes to competing: be brave, push the limits.

Yet IMHO a stark difference between these two riders is the fact that one is calculative, the younger one relies a lot on luck and faith. OK, it's not like Rossi has not crashed before. All of them do. Him, Simoncelli, Stoner, Hayden, Edwards, Pedrosa (oh who could forgot this year's incident that got some folks riled up when only Simoncelli was penalised... but I wouldn't go out to defend his "dangerous manouvre" either cause I'm not a rider, let alone a pro one)... who am I to judge?

All things aside, Simoncelli is a great rider. I mean, was.

Rest in peace.

p/s: A colleague of mine started a conversation about how the world is getting more grim, and the grim reaper is bla bla bla... (I was mentally blocking my ears and singing the Sesame Street theme song by then)...

Count with Sesame Street

My first love when it comes to Sesame Street is the Count. I mean, Batty Bat is simply classic. But John John count or what?



I feel like a kid once again!