Tuesday, November 20, 2012

I bet I'm not the only one asking...

... why oh why there's such thing as war and politics?

Can't everyone just be happy, braid hair, shine nails and eat grapes all day? And at night, sing at the piano, eat yesterday's leftovers and watch some TV?

I can't get that look of the father who lost his twin sons a couple of days ago when the Israeli attacked their home.

God I hate those people who fire missiles at other people. How can you sleep at night?

Israel wants truce? How come I don't believe you?

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Likes: Osman Baku

Step aside Oh My English! Osman Baku is in da house!

For those of you who feeling a lil' bit out of touch with the Malay language, Osman Baku can help. I saw one of its 13 episodes last night on RTM's TV2 - it was entertaining, above all, and educational without being preachy.

The character Osman, potrayed by Dato' Rahim Razali reminds me of my dad, my uncles, aunts, my teachers Puan Rohaya and Puan Rosni, who are all teachers (some of them retirees already) who served the nation's schoolgoers in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. They're strict, tolerate no mistake, credit you accordingly... all that in such effortless manner that you'd be swayed, rather than forced, to accept and learn.

I enjoyed the scene where Osman went to a clinic to see a doctor.



Musicman-turned-actor Achong who played the doctor did an especially great job of a yuppie who tries his best to carry on his duties respectfully despite being reprimanded for using Bahasa Rojak. I bet many of you out there have met such folks who likes mixing their terms like that, butchering the beauty of Bahasa Melayu without realising it.

Congratulations to RTM for choosing quality dramas such as Osman Baku and kudos as well to everyone involved in the making of the series.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Dear Amy Cheong

how are you doing?

I can't imagine what you're going through right now. I've never been sacked due to a moment of frustration vented via Facebook so I really don't want to simply assume. But if I were to imagine myself being in your shoes, I supposed I'd be going out of my mind, feeling full of heart ache and embarrassment, not to mention being totally upset with my own self for acting so foolishly (I think there's supposed to be a -ly though the word foolish is not usually accompanied by it, or is it?).

You see, though I'm not the type of person who aims to climb the corporate ladder (therefore would not really mind not having a swankin' senior executive job), but I do have high hopes that I'll be one of those people where other folks would describe as a nice, respectable person (therefore I'd be more upset with my own conduct than losing a job).

The kind of status update you've posted on your Facebook would not be a fitting example of what a nice person would say, but somehow the moment I saw all the apologies you've posted individually to each Twitter user who managed to find your account, repeating your apologies over and over again... I think you might just be in actuality, a nice person...! When not stressed or provoked at the very least.




Come to think of it, not too many of us can still be nice when put under a lot of stress or thoroughly provoked. Therefore I'd truly like to wish you inner calm and level-headedness (apologies for my atrocious French grammar) for your future undertakings.

(For the record I too did not find the incessant, prolonged popping of fireworks that broke dB barriers every eve of Chinese New Year an enjoyable noise, but rather than getting all worked up I pop on a pair of Sennheiser headphones and listen to Chopin instead (OK I don't really like Chopin, but you get what I mean, right?). It's all about how you deal with annoying things.. and choosing your musical repertoire. Jamiroquai, maybe.)

I hope you'll find another job, perhaps another dwelling space, both in which you need not be in interaction with things that may cause you pain.

As a Malay - as a person, mostly - I have to say I did not like what you did, but what's done is done and everyone should learn from this. If everyone out there is showing you aggression and negativity, let me be one of the few to offer you some kind words and well wishes, so that you can quickly recover and learn to be more mature in your actions. I think we all can benefit more if everyone learn from past mistakes, even if it was someone else who did it. (No wonder my dad kept saying History is important.)

Sincerely,
Your friendly neighbourhood Malaysian Malay

Monday, September 10, 2012

Apologies to all Chickens who rely on the Internet to fart eggs

Tis because This Chicken've been hogging the bandwidth playing old school 90s songs, murdering my eardrums with loud funky noises that most people know as Cake, Alanis Morissette, Weezer, Cranberries, Jamiroquai and No Doubt.

This Chicken blames self for trying to control anger like this. There should be other ways to productively combat the rise of bloodboil inside This Chicken's anatomy.

Seriously, the Farmer and Lil Napo are getting on This Chicken's frail nerves. The nerve of them to assume This Chicken is like them too! C'mon This Chicken is a chicken for heaven's sake. This Chicken only make peanuts farting eggs. Unlike them This Chicken don't make big peanuts!

How This Chicken cherish those moments Farmer becomes the ass of the Barbarians. It got him running around like a.. erm.. headless chicken when one Barbarian simply command, "Find me the honey. I want honey. You get me the honey, bunny!"

And off he goes. Here. There. Everywhere. Ask around he did, and This Chicken puts on a set of headphones and ignore the whole incident as if This Chicken do not fart eggs in this Coop.

How This Chicken cherished the moment Lil Napo suggested that This Chicken fart out a brown bugsabunny egg. How This Chicken enjoyed telling Lil Napo that This Chicken had farted out a brown bugsabunny egg two years ago but it was deemed unsexy. How This Chicken loved it when out loud it was said, "You do it."

Gosh. Stupid, weird, selfish Farmer and Lil Napo.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Selamat Hari Raya 2012

I've not been to a Bazar Ramadhan yet, and there's only a couple of days left in the month. I'm not looking forward to doing all the traveling for Raya, but I guess we gotta do what we gotta do. Likely going to eat too much, but now that I know I can resist being a glutton and deny myself retail therapy, I'm giving myself another challenge for upcoming festivity: Go easy of the food.

That's it. Folks, selamat hari raya aidilfitri and maaf zahir batin, may all of you be safe and happy.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Want to kutuk but kenot. How?

Kutuk. Malay word.

The word, which Google Translate translated to "curse" is more accurately, in this context, that is, translated into the word "bitching", as in "Mary and Melissa were bitching about Madeline when the teacher walked in".

So I feel like I want to kutuk a person for doing a few things that I don't approve, but it is Ramadhan, so I pushed the urge into my KIV box and will, scrap that, make that may or may not revisit in the future.

From blogging on Blogger I've gotten enough time to simmer down, and somehow now I see that the person is not really worth my time. Cause frankly, he is a nobody.

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Alt lyrics to Malaysia's 55th National Day Theme Song

A friend was appalled with the newly released 55th National Day Theme Song - Janji Ditepati. She says "Am I supposed to be impressed by this?"

To which I replied, "Lyrics coulda been written better..". I really didn't mind the message the song aimed to convey, but I really wished it wasn't as badly written, which I feel seems like done in haste and bad taste. I sounded as if it was done after the BR1M and Kedai1Malaysia exercise, but before things like TRX and Genovasi was announced, or those would've been mentioned in the rap part too, you wanna bet? And what about Klinik1Malaysia, Kedai Ikan 1Malaysia and Kedai Kain 1Malaysia? Doesn't merit a mention as well?

The first two lines of the original lyrics started out quite bad with the word "macam" instead of "bagai", which I feel has a bit more class when it comes to Malay literature.



The rockbottom part of the lyrics was "Janji sudah ditepati, Kini masa balas budi". OMG, I dunno where to start with these two lines. Cheesy? Too literal? No finesse? How about substituting it with "Duit sudah kita bagi, Bukan dacing jangan undi" if you must, if you really want the message to be properly and irreversibly branded onto people's mind... Apologies for this ranting but this is my opinion and the song made no doubt that it is a pro-gov song. I am one of those on the fence peeps, but music is a big part of me and I can't tolerate something this bad.
 
There's really many more ways to deliver a rephrase of Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country", which I believe to be the core idea of those two lines of super bad lyrics, but as another friend quipped, "That may be the real intention, but using Google Translate won't help!"


But instead just giving a bad comment and further dissing, I thought I might as well provide an alternative. So I started doodling at 1.31PM just now, and turns out it is not that hard to cough up a few corny lines like this, and hey, I used Google Translate too! It may not be a Loloq-esque cryptic work of art, but here's my attempt at the lyrics:

Alternative lyrics to Malaysia's 55th National Day Theme Song - Janji Ditepati
Menyusuri era baru
Melangkaui babak lalu
Kita kan terus berdiri
Setinggi iltizam hati
Walau kita berbeza
Azam kita tetap sama
Bina rakyat cemerlang
Jadi warga yang terbilang
Cita-cita yang mulia
Masyarakat yang berbudi

(Chorus)
Apa guna bersengketa
Ayuh kita wujudkan integrasi
Apa guna berseteru
Ayuh kita merdekakanlah diri

(Rap skit!)
Apa makna merdeka? Bebas dari angkara
Apa rasa merdeka? Bangga dengan Malaysia
Apakah janji kita? Pertahan bumi kita
Tepati janji kita Malaysia terus merdeka



In case you wanna sing the original, here goes (courtesy of umplife and YouTube):
Lirik Lagu Janji Ditepati: 
Macam malam ikut siang
macam bulan ikut matahari
1Malaysia terus berjuang
Janji Kita ditepati
Kata Kita dikota
Janji Kita ditepati
Hidup Rakyat Dibela
Masa Depan Diberkati
Janji sudah ditepati
Kini masa balas budi

(Chorus)
Janji siapa? Janji kita
Janji APa? Janji 1Malaysia
Janji Siapa? Janji kita
Janji Apa? Janji 1Malaysia

Ini janji kita BR1M 1Malaysia
Ini janji 1Malaysia
BR1M 1Malaysia
Kata kita dikota
Kini 1Malaysia Janji kita ditepati
Kedai 1Malaysia

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

List of things I'm trying not to do this Ramadhan

1. Curse - not matter how many s*** eggs This Chicken is told to produce
2. Get mad about anything (lousy drivers, and cyclists with marshalls on highway - you're in luck!)
3. Spend at Ramadhan bazaars (no sugary stuff, great for losing weight and real detox)
4. Buy any new clothes/shoes/etc for myself (too many baju kurungs of previous years went lonely)
5. Waste precious desktop time watching YouTube (am just gona download and watch while commuting)

OK, OK, hardly Muslimin aims, but hey, a lot of it directly puts me in conventional Ramadhan spirit, so if you don't like my list, I am OK with it (refer to item No. 2 above).

Selamat berpuasa everyone!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Too old for Twitter

I noticed that sometimes I got really smart stuff to say on Twitter, but I end up not posting those because after a reread, it ain't that smart at all. But I'm glad that most of my short ideas to shout out to the world sounds, most of the time, not that original. I rather be not original than stupid.

I think a lot can be said about one's personality when Twitter comes into play. Forcing people to write short, Twitter has made me cultivate a habit of thinking twice before posting anything, because, at the risk of sounding stupid, I'd hate it if people know me so well.

Why should you want to know more about me than necessary? I'm a nobody, and I prefer to be a nobody. If you really wana know me, come see me. Does that mean I'm too old for the Twitter generation? Surely not, right? Not when I'm the one who grew up with Windows Me?

If anyone asks me about what I think of Twitter, I guess the way I see it is Twitter allows everyone to talk to anybody and tell something to everybody. They can chat up stars and politicians, read in their conversations, join a bunch of strangers discussing something, and tolerate those who can't even do it properly.

Do I want to be part of it? I guess it is like the real life. Sometimes you just want to say something, even if it is not original or/and stupid. So I guess yes, sometimes, no, most of the times. Does that tell you more about me?

Thursday, June 21, 2012

OMG, new blog layout!

OK, OK, I may be a latecomer, now that I've gotten a short breather after that OMG moment. It's not the "OMG, something new" kinda OMG, but more like, "OMG, I'm finally doing something different to this blog after so many years of blogging on this cobweb-laden page!" kinda OMG, ya know?

Actually I logged in to post an entry - a bitchin' one that is - about Malaysian drivers who have no qualms about throwing rubbish on the roads. You know, start car, go a lil bit forward, oh! Throw a tissue paper with your snot on. Then go forward some more, oh! There's yesterday empty mineral water bottle, throw that too. Then red light, so stop. Oh! Feel like throwing something, so how about that lil dust of a thing that look so familiar but unwanted. Throw some more. You know, that kind of driver.

But I realised now that I've gotten myself a Twitter account, I can simply tweet, "Dear Malaysian driver, please do not throw rubbish while you wait for red light to turn green." In fact, I'll have a bit more characters left to add more comments to the above.

So I decided this entry would be less whiny, more productive, and a little sprinkle of luck as I change the face of the page.

Good luck myself. Heheheheheh.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Why I love the football season

Since my first Euro (the first in which I understood what off-side means), I've been enjoying the football season for a variety of reasons.

But this year's Euro, I'm enjoying it for a reason very different from before. You see being Malaysian, living in Klang Valley and being in my 30s, football season for me is a break from reality.

The sight of many men chasing a ball around the field is a pleasant one as opposed to watching men in yellow shirt doing the mob at Dataran Merdeka and Masjid Jamek area. (The one staged on the holy land nearly got all the Haj pilgrims booted out for this year's season!)

The sight of the referee chasing the men chasing the ball is way more exciting than the sight of a woman in black dress who said she's the wise voice of law yet dissed the police when her gathering went out of hand. (One time you angry with police, next you seek help from police, and you wonder why all you get is the smell of burgers on your dress?)

The sight of the infamous red card is way more pleasant than the headlines in newspaper about some student loan being freezed, then reinstated, given back to the people who never really appreciated the help before. (Heck when the loan giver offer them a chance to convert the loan into scholarship, some of them even argue that getting a 4.0 CGPA is not an attainable feat. Nevermind that some people managed to get 18, 19, or 20 straight A+s before, huh?)

I could go on. But I got a football match to catch.


Monday, May 07, 2012

Old friends, new stories

We had a potluck last Saturday, and boy it surprises each one of us that we've been friends since 1996. It's nice to note that most of us are still the same people, plus minus a few wrinkles... we are after all hitting mid 30s give or take a couple more years!

One of us will be furthering studies. Masters level, her second post-grad project, overseas. Wow.

One of us is in the midst of trying for a second kid. Wow oh wow.

One of us will be expanding her business. Triple wow.

.... Me?

Er, not doing anything special. Just getting by. Very content with the way things are. Still the cabuk reporter who's not even aiming to get promoted or gaining recognition in any way.

Do I wanna further studies? No? Why not? I'm lazy in that sense. I want to learn new things, but I'd hate the commitment to classes and exams. If I do go back to studies, can I learn how to blow glass in that furnace thing and make some nice chandeliers? Can I learn that in a week? I've always wanted a skill that can train me patience.

Do I wanna go overseas? No? Why not? Cause it reminds me of work. When I have to go overseas, many a times that means leaving my family behind. And I'd be thinking of them each time I eat the expensive meals and sleep in the posh hotel my sponsors provide. If I do go overseas, can I take my family and learn how to blow glass into nice things while they enjoy their morning coffee? Can I go, learn and enjoy the country in a month? I've always dreamt of taking a break from my job that way.

Do I want to try for a second kid? Not right now? Why not? Cause I don't think I'm that good at mothering just yet. If I do try for a second kid, can I go overseas where at the same time I get to learn how to blow glass into nice things, enjoy the country then bring back a foreign maid with me? Can I go to China and do that? I've always wanted to brush up my Mandarin.

Do I want to do something else for a living? No? Why not? Cause my work is actually more play than anything else. If I do switch careers, can I become a receptionist? Can I go overseas, learn how to blow glass into nice things, enjoy the country and earn a living doing something that warrants no worries? Maybe after I've brushed up my Mandarin, then I'll be a trilingual addition to any company...

Naah.

I like how things are.

If I continue the way I'm living now, I'd probably not accomplish much. Not contributing much, beyond being an environmentally conscious and a nice neighbour.

Must I make a mark in this world? If I die, must I be remembered for what I've achieved? Are they going to write "Siti Rosman, Pullitzer prize winner, MBA, PHD, saviour of white striped Asian eel, owner of 2,032 strong Starbuxie franchise" on my tombstone?

Probably not... Cause even if they want to, I'd doubt if they'd be able to, cause I ain't doing all that... for now.

Who knows, maybe things will change. Maybe my perspective on life will change once I hit the 40s. Maybe suddenly the moment I hit 40, I'd want people to know me, what I've done, where I've been, who I've met, what awards and accolodates I've achieved (read: mid-life crisis).

Friday, April 06, 2012

Frampton Nuttel, revisited

I was just talking about good stuff I've read with a colleague, and somehow the name Frampton Nuttel came up. Can't believe I get to tell the story of how Frampton got spooked by a simple country kid again!

Have you read The Open Window? No? Read it! You'll love it!

Friday, March 09, 2012

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.

Thursday, March 01, 2012

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.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

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.

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

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!