Hens in the coop are clucking

I can't work properly lately, the hens in the coop are clucking. Each bring stories, some sad, some funny, some you wish you didn't never got the chance to hear.

See, the coop's trying to rid some hens away, saying the hens are not churning out enough eggs and dedak costs too high. So for the coop to sustain, some hens must learn to fly.

And that's all of what the coop is telling to the hens. And that's why the hens are clucking.

See the hens are not really afraid to fly, but before they do they would prefer to have a full explanation on what's going on in the coop - hey, even hens wants timely information nowadays. But the coop's keeping a lot of secret.

I'm gonna go back and watch Chicken Run on VCD. Hopefully I'll be inspired...

p/s: This entry is actually a vent-out, I'm-whining piece. Peace!

It's OK to do something stupid sometimes

Me did something stupid last night. A real tragic blooper!

Am too embarassed to blog about it here. I rather do the review on the USB massager we just received from Targus...

Anyway my theme song for today is Aiyacaramba! which goes very Mexicanly like this:

Aiyacaramba!
Aiyacaramba!
Itsokay to do something stupid sometimes...
 
Aiyacaramba!
Aiyacaramba!
Itsokay to do something stupid sometimes...  ai yee ba!

Sometimes I hate my job...

Like I just said, sometimes I hate my job.

This morning I attended a launching of a website. This particular website belongs to Tasputra Perkim, an organization running a day care training centre for children with special needs.

At one point, seeing the kids - some visually impaired, others hard at hearing, some mentally challenged and others with certain disabilities - makes me think as if God favours me over them.

Isn't that totally selfish? Perasan, rather. Cannot be like dat one oh...

Actually, come to think about it, I suspect God favours them more. From what I see, these kids seemed to be able to cope with their surrounding, regardless that they're the ones so-called lacking.

I saw them greeting the guests with genuine smiles (a feat hard to achieve by a couple of PR ladies I've met), making music (some of them can follow tempo better than some of the wannabes auditioning for Akademi Fantasi ok..), and having fun with Adibah Noor (MC and guest entertainer for the launch - she did it pro bono!).

Life seems good for them, thanks to the TP team - btw donations can be done online click this.

I think at times we are the unfortunate lot compared to these children. We had to cope with a garden of stress, we had the misery of gaining understanding to words like "war" and "famine", and we are always making mistakes then suffer through consequences.  

I guess everybody win some, and lose some - Tuhan Maha Adil.

Ooh... that's me being deep y'all.. uh huh...

 
p/s: Another reason why I hate my job: I have a night assignment tonight! - don't I always, lately eh? This time I have to go watch I, Robot and *sigh* write a review about it. The thing is, I hate going to movies alone!!! I hate going to movies alone!!! I hate going to movies alone!!! I hate going to movies alone!!! I hate going to movies alone!!! OK, OK, I know you get it...

Budak/Sayang/Buttercup/Pudding

For a long time I wanted to load some photos of this cat who once graced our house with her presence...







Nice of Sue to adopt her - which reminds me: Sue! I'll be passing you catfood soon!

p/s: Yeah, yeah, I'm hooked to posting photos on me blog! Anyway, shutterbugs, click on the word next to this word UN to find out about this international photography contest that offers a USD20,000 for the golden winner! (Hmm, it's about time I get to tell people that the web is still worth surfing... )

Janji rock? Nope... "Janji rock sampai tua!"

Big name, Search is. Ask any X-gen, they'll know. They'll say that's the real deal. 
 
If you grew up listening to Search, you'll know Rozana, you'll know Nirmala, you'll know Isabella.  If you like Search even more when they do hard rock, you'll know Emmanuel.

(If you have to ask who are all these people I mentioned above - please go get a hobby, nerd-san!)
 
Last Sunday the joint known for its shitty service, Planet Hollywood was packed like every Monday is a national holiday - thanks to Amy, Nasir, Din, Kid and newly-recruited star-drummer Lola, plus keyboardist Firdaus. Yep, Search is in town!


This photo's taken using Alcatel One Touch 835, a phone that will force its user to subscribe to GPRS service to transfer data - yep, no infrared no Bluetooth, no PC link cable. Cropped it to 50% of actual size prior to loading it so that my blog won't bloat. 
 
And your's truly - a long-time (since 1990), loyal (I don't dig Wings) fan, lucky enough to escape the long queue outside and the RM35 cover charge - was there.
 
For the record, I would have paid the RM35 anytime - hey they're the biggest rock act in the archipelago! But it's so happened that I got connections, this time in a form of a kind-hearted, handsome guy. Thanks a million, budak cute!
 
It was 10:45PM when the group finally got on stage. The crowd - everyone on the dance floor, everyone on the stools and chairs and tables and bar and staircase, and everyone who's stepping on everyone else's toes (literally) - welcomed them with the glass-breaking (again, literally) noise that they deserved.
 
The group immediately started their performance with their usual extraordinary flair, enticing the crowd - damn those rock-kapak fans - they had to sing along so loudly I could hardly hear Amy's vox! Yet who could blame them - Search, over the years has accumulated an impressive repertoire, each album studded with songs not easily forgotten by fans.
 
Me, I let my mind flash the lyrics like timely-coloured karaoke fonts and give the pleasure to the singer do the singing.
 
Personally Amy is by far the most charismatic front-line figure that I have ever seen. The paragon of glam-rock and a constant superfluousness, he's got everything one would need to be a rockstar - above all, he's got the voice.
 
When the band delivered Kejora I told myself, finally, I can go back and "RIP".
 
This track is under my best gile list (along with Layar Bahtera, Gadis Misteri and Pawana) and when the group did not get to play it during their recent KL concert (the one they did with Godbless at Stadium Merdeka) I went home babbling curses in my sleep!
 
Perhaps it was a mistake to berth so closely to Firdaus. The way his fingers run across the keyboard is really more pain than joy to watch cause with every stroke I realized that I'll probably will never get to his level.
 
Half-way through the first set, Din suddenly put down his machine and went off-stage. The band went on till break-time regardless of his departure.
 
During break we found out that Din had breathing problems. Back for the second set, Amy announced though Din had succumbed, the show will go on.
 
"Janji...?" he dared us. And we screamed back, "...ROCK!"
 
"Janji rock sampai tua*..." he corrected us.
 
And the band rocked on.
 
 
* During Search's Sunday Night Live show last weekend, Amy, in one of his on-stage musings announced that he'll turn 46 come this July 28th, hence the cheeky, new tagline. Apparently Amy, once he starts talking, it'll be some time before he realizes that he should stop and let the show continue. This time Amy ranted for more than five minutes before Nasir, with a sincere smile, professionally tug him on his shoulder and whispered something along the lines of  "Aku panggil kau ni sebab nak suruh kau stop..."

One of the good things in life is...

... earning enough dough to self-finance a trip to Sarawak Rainforest Music Festival!

I always go on a trip during my birthday - this year, I decided to turn 26 at a place where I can find good music, good food and most importantly, good company.

For good company, I chose to visit my sister who's currently finishing a two-months contract in Kuching's Holiday Inn. Luck is on my side cause two good friends, who're just as crazy about good music and ready for adventure came along.



For good food, I got a good dose of Sarawak's famous crab cooked with black pepper, umai, laksa, mee kolok and mee sapi on a daily basis. Since I also survived the sea cucumber drenced with oyster sauce plus deep fried soft seashell crabs combo, I think Kuching suits me - four days of their standard gastronomical offering did not do anything nasty to my system.

For good music, I presented my worn ears and soul with the dish made ready by the Sarawak Rainforest Music Festival organizers. This event, held every year on the second week of July is a wonderful excuse to channel your measly earnings on a two-way ticket to Kuching.

I especially enjoyed the workshop conducted by the Zimbabwe's Black Umfolos (who taught us audience that we can sing acapella.. and kill someone at the same time!) and the New Zealand Haka gang Te Vaka (whose representative said that the reason why they slap their thighs so hard is to tell others that they can hurt themselves more than anyone can hurt them).

Of course, the performances of Mohram plus Samba Sunda jam and Mas Y Mas got me dancing in the forest, under the star, amidst a lovely crowd that reached a number close to 10,000 people!

That I managed to get my butt off the field of Sarawak Cultural Village after the finale concert then raced all the way back to arrive in hometown Ipoh on the same auspicious day is one heck of a bonus!

It's ze moz vonderful birthday present ever. If anyone's game to go next year, let me know!


p/s: The only slack during trip: shared a flight with Australian Idol Guy Sebastian on our way to Kuching (morning) - and bumped into him again at Wisma Tun Jugah (afternoon), and caught his performance at Tribes (evening). He didn't change his outfit at all for the whole day... we suspect the body odor stench that polluted the boarding area earlier could be...

In mourning

Am wearing black again, this time for personal reasons. Kept remembering the tune Pak Teh, the main character in the recent play I caught at MTC, Ghazal Party Queen which goes like this:

Dulu cantik
Sekarang carik
Kenapa?
Mengapa?
Dimana?

And the three mice in Babe proclaims, "A tragic day." Heavy is the heart which suffered life.

This is Day Three

Today is Day Three.

The effects are somewhat wearing off.

Already?!

Looking for a way out - maybe.

A recheck required.

My poor heart bleeds...

Faizal Hussein, You will always be my darlingest crush!

And I have moved on...


p/s: Happy Birthday P!

Bintang RTM, Who Will Win, Malaysian Idol, Audition, Akademi Fantasia... anymore to add?

Excuse me kind sir, madame, do you happen to know why these shows are bamboozling our TV channels - all at the same time - as if that's all Malaysians with handphones with talents for SMSing live for?

Blast the goat, nowadays it's hard to flick through channels without bumping into at least one blurb of these "talent-search plus reality-tv with a twist of personal communications mobile technology" concoction.

Moshi mosh, does anyone still understand the meaning of terms like "redundancy", "pushing it", "overkill", and "bloody boring, typical and unimaginative" anymore?

What baffled me most is that all these shows rely on the viewers to spend money and send SMS to vote for their favourite contestant (favourite, schmavourite indeed!). Otherwise the show loses its element of interactivity with the "real market of listeners and music buyers".

I don't know about y'all out there, but I'm not gonna waste even se amah* on such thing! Why should I? (I hear Huzir Sulaiman whispers, "Because they would be grateful!")

Yet some people would - vote via SMS I mean - why? There must be something in these shows that zombied people into participating in all these SMS-voting frenzy!

Is it the need to a part of the decision-making process? Are we talking about self-empowerment here?

Like, sure, it's just an SMS, just one vote - but one vote still does makes a difference, yes? That's it then - everybody's voting because everyone thinks his/her vote is needed to cancel out some other idiot's vote. Right?

What, no? Cause contestant number 156 is your second cousin's boyfriend's schoolmate in Form Three... I seeee...

Ugh, to think I gotta come up with a feature article reporting on this particular phenomenon. Can I be kind?


* Bukan kadar caj SMS sebenar.