Christmas huh? A time where you spend time with family and friends, regardless of who you are. I guess it doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas or not, but what is important is that the spirit of Christmas is celebrated.
Hence why I am 400kms away from anyone, in a town that doesn’t really celebrate Christmas is beyond me. So I went off, celebrating one of my favourite festivals alone. And it turned out to be alright!
Pre-christmas was spent with my girlfriend and my parents. On Saturday I went to Pavilion and bought Christmas gifts. Ferragamo for her, Kiehl’s for me. And nothing for anyone else. Haha. Sunday I flew out to Perlis onboard a semi-empty flight. I guess Alor Setar on a Sunday night is not really top on anyone's list.
On Monday the thought occurred to me that its not going to be fun staying in the hotel room, racking up room service charges and staying in and stay fat. There really isn’t much things to do here in the first place! So off I went to Kuala Perlis and bought a ferry ticket to the paradise island which ive never been to before – Langkawi.
Syed provided me with a number for car rental. At first I thought id rent a convertible, but my rational and logical thinking outlined the fact that Malaysia has hot balmy weather, with stinging sun rays, a condition not really suited for convertibles. So I rented a 4X4 in the end. I could’ve rented a cheaper and smaller car, but I wasn’t sure on the road conditions in Langkawi. Best be prepared, and after requesting for an X-Trail, I get a RAV4 instead.
I took the 7.30am ferry from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi. Usual Malaysian timing meant that the ferry didn’t leave at 7.30, but started boarding at 7.30. Eventually we left in the ferry which was so much more different than the rust-bucket type of ferry I took in Labuan. Glad to see that they really take care of people here.
The ferry ride took slightly over an hour and when I arrived I met the car rental guy who handed me keys to a 2 year old RAV4. Not bad at all, except that the petrol gauge was flashing and he didn’t tell me where the nearest petrol pump is. After 15minutes of nail biting “Is-It-Going-To-Run-Out” tension, I found a Petronas station and filled up. Then I made my way to The Westin for the start of my bar hopping adventures.
10 in the morning and I’m seated on the couch at The Westin’s Breeze Bar, and I was just enthralled by the view. I could see about 10 islands, a few boats from where I was perched and I must say that Langkawi must be the most beautiful place Ive ever been in Malaysia.
After breakfast I made my way around the Island. First stop was Pantai Batu Hitam, which wasn’t really nice. The typical Malaysian stalls were there as usual, selling batik, keychains and the usual touristy stuff. I found out a peculiar rule that states one individual is only allowed to bring back 5 pieces of Batik. Okay, I know you’re going to ask why is one guy going to bring back 5 pieces of Batik, but the main question is why just 5? It turns out that because its tax free, people would hoard this Batik and sell it on the Mainland. The makcik there told me that I could bring back 10, 5 from me, the other 5 from my partner. I told them Im here alone and they looked at me as if I was a creature from outer space.
"Usually people come to Langkawi with families, or their girlfriends/wives" she said.
Long story makcik, another story for another day.
I made my way to Teluk Datai, home of the Datai and Andaman resorts. I went to the Datai, had a mojito and admired the view. Its in the middle of the rainforest, and the beach is a bit secluded. Not bad, but I reckon the place is abit too quiet for my liking. I like quiet, but the Datai is so quiet it feels as if its empty. Well, I’m not surprised if it is, as im sure at RM1800++ per night for the cheapest room, it’ll be fairly exclusive.
Went to the Andaman and decided it was not to my liking. Don’t get me wrong, it is 5 stars and maybe a bit higher than the usual 5 star affair, but after you’ve been to a place like the Datai, its just a different level. The Andaman may be on a hill, but the Datai is on a different stratosphere.
I decided to go to the Four Seasons, but by chance I encountered a sign that showed where the Loaf is. If you probably know by now, the Loaf is Tun Dr.M’s Japanese bakery which serves great food. Unfortunately it is a bit small there and all the tables are always full, so I picked up some pastries and was about to go off when I saw signs showing the cable car attraction. Talk about not having a plan and going as you please!
The cable car up Gunung Mat Chincang is very famous and so I thought I’d better have a looksy. Tickets cost RM15 if you’re Malaysian but I can tell you, its worth it. Most probably the best tourist attraction in Malaysia (are there any others? Museum Kuala Perlis? Or even our Museum Negara? Labuan Underwater World? Nah). The cable car ride up was fantastic, the view just amazing. Going on the bridge, you can feel the vibrations when you step on it. The bridge is huge, solid piece of architecture, but because you’re perched so high up, I guess vibrations must be part of the deal. I wonder how they achieved that feat of engineering, without roads and lorries. They helicoptered up everything?? The trek to the bridge was quite something, and it showed me how bad my fitness has become. Still, managed to get myself some water and took the cable car down, which, in my opinion, can be quite scary at times.
I came down, in awe and inspired by the view. It really is something. Then I headed off for Tanjung Rhu.
On the way to Tanjung Rhu, I saw a small stall selling coconuts and air kelapa by the road. I stopped (thank god for 4WD traction- it was on the beach!) and enjoyed nice air kelapa with a view to die for. Can life be any better than this I thought, and soon I found out.
I continued on and stopped by the Four Seasons. And I guess I have found the most beautiful resort in Malaysia. By my standards, this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. It beats the forests of the Black Forest (a place, not the chocolate cake you idiots). It beats watching the sun set off the coast of Labuan, and it definitely is much nicer than watching the calm seas off the coast of Kota Kinabalu.
Imagine this, Im sat at the bar, mojito (again) in hand, cool wind blowing, the white sands in front of me and the deep blue ocean intersecting with the sky as far as the eye can see. Those classy white square umbrellas lined up infront on the beach, with the matching darkwood sunloungers. I sat there for hours, longer than any other hotel bars which I visited. I probably notched up a bigger bill than than the other bars ive visited but it was worth it. My dad was surprised with my barhopping antics, and I told him I’m a backpacker- with a platinum card. He wasn’t amused, and neither will my bank account as I seek to pay the bills back!
All in all, I would say that Langkawi is the most beautiful, most awe-inspiring and easiest place to move around in. I am in awe, and will definitely head back there again soon. But next time The Westin, Four Seasons and Datai is probably out of the question. Maybe I would stick it out as normal people do, but hey, no harm in dreaming eh?
Back to reality, I find myself alone in my hotel room, one with an airconditioning control which has just two presets - "Freezer" and "Off". Wi-Fi works, but shuts down when you need it the most (i.e when sending work emails) and room service is suspicously efficient. Maybe theyre cooking in the next room, who knows!
Merry Christmas all, hope everyone is happy. Im alone for another few days, lets hope I keep my sanity. Cant wait for Singapore! Woohoo! Right everyone, its time for me to crawl to bed in my freezing cold room watching Discovery Channel (again! and because the movie channel aint too good here).
Love all.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Weekend? What weekend?
the weekend!! its friday and the weekend is here. the only two (2) days of pleasure, joy and sheer rest. a time to recharge, shopping and be merry!
wrong
ive got to work through the weekend. not fun at all!
wrong
ive got to work through the weekend. not fun at all!
Monday, December 10, 2007
What's In Your Bag?
Blarrdy hell.. its been a while since Ive last blogged. My last post was in August??? thats so far back? I thought I had posted a few posts since then, but Sarah reminded me that i didnt, hence I decided in my sleepless stupor in Perlis that I should post something.
Ive actually thought of this topic a few flights back. I think I was flying to Kuantan, half asleep, half worrying about work deadlines ( as i am now) and thought of this topic. What's in your bag?
So boys and girls, here is what I have in my bag. The bag in question is my trusty backpack, which has travelled with me around everywhere I go.
1. Laptop
Absolutely neccesary in my line of work. You'll never know where you would be going next. Also important is a wireless mouse and of course, your adaptor - because batteries will be flat when you need them the most.
2. iPod or any MP3 player
Neccesary, but not vital. Keeps you entertained on those early morning flights and late night report writing/presentation production, deadline busting report.
3. Moisturiser
Yes, yes, I know you guys think its sissy-lah and lots of other things, but I dont want to look 50 when im 30. Kiehl's has got SPF15, that's enough, after all, I dont get to travel to deserts or exotic locations.
4. Phone cable
Not a charger, but the cable that allows me to charge my phone by using my laptop's USB port. Again, its important because that damn call will come when your battery is flashing.
5. Perfume
Because its better to smell of Polo Black than kepam
6. USB Thumbdrives
No, its not a typo. I wrote here thumbdrives because I have had incidents when one thumbdrive just gave up on me on a critical time. Not so fun. Always carry a backup
7. Business Cards
These things always go missing! Vital to remind people or as a form of identification.
8. Passport
Its been there since my last trip to Singapore
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
1. DVD's
For those long stretches away from home. No, not THAT kind of DVD's.
2. Noise Cancelling Earphones
Optional because of the damn early flights I take i dont need them. I'll fall asleep anywhere. Useful for longer journeys.
3. Handphone charger
Because u cant rely on the USB to charge the phone reliably.
Hope this has entertained you. Im off to bed. Ta-ra!
Ive actually thought of this topic a few flights back. I think I was flying to Kuantan, half asleep, half worrying about work deadlines ( as i am now) and thought of this topic. What's in your bag?
So boys and girls, here is what I have in my bag. The bag in question is my trusty backpack, which has travelled with me around everywhere I go.
1. Laptop
Absolutely neccesary in my line of work. You'll never know where you would be going next. Also important is a wireless mouse and of course, your adaptor - because batteries will be flat when you need them the most.
2. iPod or any MP3 player
Neccesary, but not vital. Keeps you entertained on those early morning flights and late night report writing/presentation production, deadline busting report.
3. Moisturiser
Yes, yes, I know you guys think its sissy-lah and lots of other things, but I dont want to look 50 when im 30. Kiehl's has got SPF15, that's enough, after all, I dont get to travel to deserts or exotic locations.
4. Phone cable
Not a charger, but the cable that allows me to charge my phone by using my laptop's USB port. Again, its important because that damn call will come when your battery is flashing.
5. Perfume
Because its better to smell of Polo Black than kepam
6. USB Thumbdrives
No, its not a typo. I wrote here thumbdrives because I have had incidents when one thumbdrive just gave up on me on a critical time. Not so fun. Always carry a backup
7. Business Cards
These things always go missing! Vital to remind people or as a form of identification.
8. Passport
Its been there since my last trip to Singapore
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
1. DVD's
For those long stretches away from home. No, not THAT kind of DVD's.
2. Noise Cancelling Earphones
Optional because of the damn early flights I take i dont need them. I'll fall asleep anywhere. Useful for longer journeys.
3. Handphone charger
Because u cant rely on the USB to charge the phone reliably.
Hope this has entertained you. Im off to bed. Ta-ra!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
My fotopage
By the way, just a quick one. Cawat (Aswad) messaged me whilst I was driving back home asking for the pictures from Mazlina's wedding. So in my half sleepy stupor, I have posted the pictures on
http://adlanazhar.fotopages.com
its not on flickr coz i think theyre a bunch of idiots. oh well, cant wait to get a .mac address or something, that sounds rather cool.
gotta go, im falling asleep as i type. catch u guys soon!!! spread the word around so that people can get the pictures for themselves. have fun all!!
http://adlanazhar.fotopages.com
its not on flickr coz i think theyre a bunch of idiots. oh well, cant wait to get a .mac address or something, that sounds rather cool.
gotta go, im falling asleep as i type. catch u guys soon!!! spread the word around so that people can get the pictures for themselves. have fun all!!
Monday, August 06, 2007
I'll Campro Your A$$
for those of you driving a proton car with a campro engine, be it a Waja, Gen-2 or a Neo. Does this picture ring a bell?
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(for those of you who are unfamilliar with a campro engine, one of the more annoying characteristics of the campro is that its a high-revving engine, with the power coming in at higher revs, e.g 4000rpm, which is fairly high for day to day use - hence the sheer joy of it finally kicking in once in a while)
---
picture taken from some forum poster, let me know if you want this off the site.
-------
(for those of you who are unfamilliar with a campro engine, one of the more annoying characteristics of the campro is that its a high-revving engine, with the power coming in at higher revs, e.g 4000rpm, which is fairly high for day to day use - hence the sheer joy of it finally kicking in once in a while)
---
picture taken from some forum poster, let me know if you want this off the site.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Lazy Sundays, Hazy Mondays
the weekend has come and gone. straight. just like that. no time for rest, no time for recreation, two whole days just gone in a cloud of smoke. poof! and its another monday, oh yeah, happy joy joy.
so what did i do during the weekend? well its a combination of just relaxing, makan makan and work. today, its a combination of both, as I parked myself at starbucks, hung out with Wee and my girlfriend. with my trusty kpmg laptop (ever so reliable) trying/attempting to do some work. From what I saw, there's a hell lot more work to do, and i guess im not the weekend worker type.
looking at the calender, last year, i was an intern at zaid ibrahim. how fast time flies!
i actually got lots more things to write, but i just cant be arsed. let me spend the final hours of my weekend jst chilling.
write later ppl. ciao!
so what did i do during the weekend? well its a combination of just relaxing, makan makan and work. today, its a combination of both, as I parked myself at starbucks, hung out with Wee and my girlfriend. with my trusty kpmg laptop (ever so reliable) trying/attempting to do some work. From what I saw, there's a hell lot more work to do, and i guess im not the weekend worker type.
looking at the calender, last year, i was an intern at zaid ibrahim. how fast time flies!
i actually got lots more things to write, but i just cant be arsed. let me spend the final hours of my weekend jst chilling.
write later ppl. ciao!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Adlan in LabuWonderland & LaLa Land
I flew back from Labuan after three weeks on thursday. To sum it in a few lines, its got great seafood, duty free and nice waters (during the day). Its also haunted (the whole damn island is!) and err.. yeah, that's about it! There really isnt anything else to do!! We took a cab to tour the whole island and it only took us an hour. The so called tourist attractions were, shall we say, pathetic!
I started back the normal routine working day today, adjusting myself to waking up at 6.45 in the morning, as opposed to waking up at 7.45/8 in the morning when i was there. It rained heavily today on the way to work, making the treacherous roads to Bukit Damansara even worse. Pretty slippery but as always, my trusty steed never fails me.
Work today was mostly about acclimatising back to normal. Did some revisions to my report, and that's about it. Went to California Fitness in Midvalley and Im actually suprised at how fast I can get there. I drive thru bangsar, get on the flyover and bam! Im in midvalley. Not bad.
Location-wise I'd have to say California fitness isnt too great. The only reason why im having a 14day trial there is because of the punching bag. If you notice, not many chain-gyms have got punching bags. I know there are some specialist gyms that do boxing, but i think they would a) be out of the way and b) be a bit scary. I've been to one before, and it ain't that pretty.
I notice that there is a huge difference between california fitness and fitness first in the sense that cali is a bit showy. I dont know, i guess im used to fitness first where people are more serious and the atmosphere is a bit smaller, less wide open spaces. Even the largest fitness first at the Curve is not as airy as Cali's in midvalley. The crowd is a mix, most of them are ok i guess, but there are a few serious ones. Id have to say that i see more serious 'gym freaks' in fitness first. Forlosers amateurs like me, i guess a mix between the two is needed. Don't get me started on celebrity fitness. That place feels like a club. I'm not against it or anything, but that one really made me feel a bit uncomfortable. People were looking at me ( why why why?). Maybe its only for celebrities. Maybe i was wearing last summer's gear. Who cares! I always wear an old t-shirt and some pair of shorts i find in my cupboard.
So anyway, had a good round of 'bag-punching' - is that the correct term? I can see that there are more people interested in kicking the hell out of the bag rather than punching them, but hey, everyones got their own style. I couldnt find my gloves, so i used my gym gloves and i think they work better! Of course having the gloves would be better but the gym gloves give me good support and helps protect (to a certain extent) my knuckles from having grazed skin all the way.
so yeah, im planning to blog and blog lots more, but in shorter entries, so i can do it once a night. something like a diary. I think its pretty useful so i can look back and see what's been happening.
okay people, gotta go sleep. got some work to do. by the way, Selamat Pengantin Baru to Rozana and Reza and also Mazlina and er, groom. Best wishes and Semoga Bahagia ke anak cucu.
I started back the normal routine working day today, adjusting myself to waking up at 6.45 in the morning, as opposed to waking up at 7.45/8 in the morning when i was there. It rained heavily today on the way to work, making the treacherous roads to Bukit Damansara even worse. Pretty slippery but as always, my trusty steed never fails me.
Work today was mostly about acclimatising back to normal. Did some revisions to my report, and that's about it. Went to California Fitness in Midvalley and Im actually suprised at how fast I can get there. I drive thru bangsar, get on the flyover and bam! Im in midvalley. Not bad.
Location-wise I'd have to say California fitness isnt too great. The only reason why im having a 14day trial there is because of the punching bag. If you notice, not many chain-gyms have got punching bags. I know there are some specialist gyms that do boxing, but i think they would a) be out of the way and b) be a bit scary. I've been to one before, and it ain't that pretty.
I notice that there is a huge difference between california fitness and fitness first in the sense that cali is a bit showy. I dont know, i guess im used to fitness first where people are more serious and the atmosphere is a bit smaller, less wide open spaces. Even the largest fitness first at the Curve is not as airy as Cali's in midvalley. The crowd is a mix, most of them are ok i guess, but there are a few serious ones. Id have to say that i see more serious 'gym freaks' in fitness first. For
So anyway, had a good round of 'bag-punching' - is that the correct term? I can see that there are more people interested in kicking the hell out of the bag rather than punching them, but hey, everyones got their own style. I couldnt find my gloves, so i used my gym gloves and i think they work better! Of course having the gloves would be better but the gym gloves give me good support and helps protect (to a certain extent) my knuckles from having grazed skin all the way.
so yeah, im planning to blog and blog lots more, but in shorter entries, so i can do it once a night. something like a diary. I think its pretty useful so i can look back and see what's been happening.
okay people, gotta go sleep. got some work to do. by the way, Selamat Pengantin Baru to Rozana and Reza and also Mazlina and er, groom. Best wishes and Semoga Bahagia ke anak cucu.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
3 States 8 Hours
yesterday marked the most tiring but enjoyable journey ive had on a working day.
I set off for the Low Cost Terminal around 5.15, which was awful because that meant i had to wake up at 4.30. Imagine that! It really doesnt help that the airport is far far away.
Reached the low cost terminal and checked in, and yes, its my first time flying air asia. I have flown no frills before (easyjet, and before that go airlines before they were bought by easyjet) but this is the first time i did it here. Boarding pass was in the form of a receipt and since I only had a backpack with me, and a laptop/document case holder, i didnt need to check in. I went for a coffee bean breakfast and braved the crowds for the security check in.
Now, since this is company travel, i did fork out an extra rm20 for 'xpress boarding', which pretty meant u didnt need to queue and could walk straight up the plane. being a low cost airline system, being first in line meant u get to choose which seat u wanted, and for me that'll be A1, thanks. window so that no one on my left to disturb me, and front most so that im the first one off the plane ( which i was, on both occassions).
but what i didnt expect was that malaysians really wouldnt pay rm20 for xpress boarding, and that meant my rm20 for not queueing up made me the centre of attention/anger to people as I strolled down the tarmac whilst everyone had to wait. i could feel the burn of 100 odd passengers staring at me with disgust. yeah yeah, watever.
we landed at alor setar 45mins later, the flight so quick it was almost over as soon as it started, and the new alor setar airport was nice, brand spanking new, still smells of paint. glass and steel and well planned signboards, etc. shame, if only there were more planes. I mean, not saying anything, but our plane u-turned ON THE RUNWAY to get to the terminal.
still, that was nothing until i got into a cab with Pak 'kob, whose taxi rattled me all the way to Kangar. I didnt know which was worse, the Airbus shaking when taking off, or the taxi when its doing 100km/h. Its that bad. Half the time im hoping he doesnt hit a motorcycle, the other half i hope his car doesnt disintegrate.
We reached Kangar and managed to find UPEN. Submitted my tender and then headed off to Aloq Setaq (as the locals say) to collect something from the State Treasury. I notice that Pak 'kob was banging on about speed limits, and only when i returned back to KL did i find out that apparently (correct me if im wrong) theyre quite strict with speed limits there. Oh well.
After collecting something from the State Treasury, headed off to Penang Airport where I bode farewell to Pak 'kob and hismillenium falcon taxi.
Was impressed with Penang airport, but dissapointed with the food outlets. Outside the departure lounge there was a Nandos and coffee bean, but inside they had three outlets ran by the same company serving shit food. I briefly entertained the thought of sneaking into the MAS business class lounge, but then im on a whole different airline, so, maybe not a good idea.
so took the flight back, again, it was me alone on the tarmac boarding the plane, sitting at the same seat i sat that morning (but different plane!). my only gripe was that my plane back to KL was with the Man Utd livery, and i didnt think it was a good idea to punch Ronaldo's eye before boarding, lest i damage a panel and cause an untoward incident (with me in it!).
arrived KL about 4ish and headed home for some rest. it was 8 hours on the move, quite tiring if u ask me. especially if the previous week uve been stressed about this particular thing. but now im glad its all done. yay!
-------------------------------
today i received an email from my boss. im jetting off to labuan on the 4th. my tentative return is 3weeks later. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
im thinking of getting a flight back during one of those weekends. seriously, its crazy.
well peeps, gotta go catch some zzzss.. will blog more soon (labuan may be piss boring.. then ill have to blog as much as i can!)
I set off for the Low Cost Terminal around 5.15, which was awful because that meant i had to wake up at 4.30. Imagine that! It really doesnt help that the airport is far far away.
Reached the low cost terminal and checked in, and yes, its my first time flying air asia. I have flown no frills before (easyjet, and before that go airlines before they were bought by easyjet) but this is the first time i did it here. Boarding pass was in the form of a receipt and since I only had a backpack with me, and a laptop/document case holder, i didnt need to check in. I went for a coffee bean breakfast and braved the crowds for the security check in.
Now, since this is company travel, i did fork out an extra rm20 for 'xpress boarding', which pretty meant u didnt need to queue and could walk straight up the plane. being a low cost airline system, being first in line meant u get to choose which seat u wanted, and for me that'll be A1, thanks. window so that no one on my left to disturb me, and front most so that im the first one off the plane ( which i was, on both occassions).
but what i didnt expect was that malaysians really wouldnt pay rm20 for xpress boarding, and that meant my rm20 for not queueing up made me the centre of attention/anger to people as I strolled down the tarmac whilst everyone had to wait. i could feel the burn of 100 odd passengers staring at me with disgust. yeah yeah, watever.
we landed at alor setar 45mins later, the flight so quick it was almost over as soon as it started, and the new alor setar airport was nice, brand spanking new, still smells of paint. glass and steel and well planned signboards, etc. shame, if only there were more planes. I mean, not saying anything, but our plane u-turned ON THE RUNWAY to get to the terminal.
still, that was nothing until i got into a cab with Pak 'kob, whose taxi rattled me all the way to Kangar. I didnt know which was worse, the Airbus shaking when taking off, or the taxi when its doing 100km/h. Its that bad. Half the time im hoping he doesnt hit a motorcycle, the other half i hope his car doesnt disintegrate.
We reached Kangar and managed to find UPEN. Submitted my tender and then headed off to Aloq Setaq (as the locals say) to collect something from the State Treasury. I notice that Pak 'kob was banging on about speed limits, and only when i returned back to KL did i find out that apparently (correct me if im wrong) theyre quite strict with speed limits there. Oh well.
After collecting something from the State Treasury, headed off to Penang Airport where I bode farewell to Pak 'kob and his
Was impressed with Penang airport, but dissapointed with the food outlets. Outside the departure lounge there was a Nandos and coffee bean, but inside they had three outlets ran by the same company serving shit food. I briefly entertained the thought of sneaking into the MAS business class lounge, but then im on a whole different airline, so, maybe not a good idea.
so took the flight back, again, it was me alone on the tarmac boarding the plane, sitting at the same seat i sat that morning (but different plane!). my only gripe was that my plane back to KL was with the Man Utd livery, and i didnt think it was a good idea to punch Ronaldo's eye before boarding, lest i damage a panel and cause an untoward incident (with me in it!).
arrived KL about 4ish and headed home for some rest. it was 8 hours on the move, quite tiring if u ask me. especially if the previous week uve been stressed about this particular thing. but now im glad its all done. yay!
-------------------------------
today i received an email from my boss. im jetting off to labuan on the 4th. my tentative return is 3weeks later. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
im thinking of getting a flight back during one of those weekends. seriously, its crazy.
well peeps, gotta go catch some zzzss.. will blog more soon (labuan may be piss boring.. then ill have to blog as much as i can!)
Sunday, June 24, 2007
work work work
so again, work has dominated part of my life. but I think thus far there is some sort of work-life balance. Not really balanced but its getting there I guess.
ive been yearning to go on a holiday with friends. Bali sounds nice and Phuket sounds tempting. However, time and money are two main restrictions. ive been looking at the air asia site and checking out their deals. Pretty good methinks.
talking about air asia ive booked my flights to kedah. flying off in the morning, catching a cab to perlis, then catching a cab to penang and then hopefully manage to catch the flight back to KL before 2.30. Its gonna be a tiring dayyy...
well, im going off to bed now, its wayyyy past my bed time. will blog more soon (yea yea yea i know i always say that).
ciao peeps
ive been yearning to go on a holiday with friends. Bali sounds nice and Phuket sounds tempting. However, time and money are two main restrictions. ive been looking at the air asia site and checking out their deals. Pretty good methinks.
talking about air asia ive booked my flights to kedah. flying off in the morning, catching a cab to perlis, then catching a cab to penang and then hopefully manage to catch the flight back to KL before 2.30. Its gonna be a tiring dayyy...
well, im going off to bed now, its wayyyy past my bed time. will blog more soon (yea yea yea i know i always say that).
ciao peeps
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Mid Year Review
Tell me, did you remember what happened 6 months ago? Think about it, think about what your hobbies were, where you were and what were you thinking about.
Now compare and contrast the differences between now and then. Any changes? Any new things, new outlook, new views in life?
Well if you say 'no' to all that, then maybe life is good for you and you have decided to stick with the convention and go on with it, hey thats good. For me, it has been a little bit more different.
As I wrote in my earlier earlier blogs, I have changed jobs. (Not many people know this, how so I'm not sure because I'm sure I've been telling people how much I want to change jobs. Maybe they dont listen. Haha)
Anyways yea, i have switched from Investment Banking (or 'glorified clerk' at investment banking) to consultant. Yes, yes, I know its not even been a year since I've started donning ties and made my trek to the office every 7.30am, but I had to do what I had to do - seize the opportunity and make the change.
It was a risky move, what if my new post is exactly the same like the previous one? What if it is worse? What would I do, having used my 'get out of shit job' card already?
But thank God that things have been great. I like the place, I like the people. I know its still early days, and I have told myself that there are always two sides to every story. The other side of my new story has not made itself present yet, but I think I can guess what they might be.
Everything else is going great. I'm so much happier, I look forward to doing more interesting things other than my requisite mamak stall hangouts, I frequent new and exciting places to eat and I have made some lovely new friends.
So far so good. Then maybe I was right after all.
Now that is out of the way, I have finally found a hobby that I truly like and something that I may be good at. I am now one of those 'people' you see carrying a huge camera on weekend snapping at buildings and flowers and the sort. I have found a new hobby in SLR photography.
I guess it all started from using my dad's camera at Cameron Highlands. There I learnt some stuff about shutter speeds, apertures and the like. If you head to my flickr page then you would be able to see some of the pictures that I took. I would say I am still a beginner. I dont know much about all the high tech things that all those professionals use. One more thing is the lack of photoshop. I dont use image editors at all, only to resize the pics to a manageable level.
Im using a Nikon D80, and I have got two lenses, one is the 'Kit lens' which is a 18-135 f/35 and thats pretty good for some outdoor photography and 'events' kinda thing.
My other lens is a 50mm 'standard' lens with a f/1.4. Its one of the fastest lens you can get for reasonable money. Any faster and you're probably looking at near-five figures. Apparently there is a lens built back in the 60s or something that goes f/0.95 and thats the fastest you can go... i think. So yea, that is my pride and joy, but it is a bitch to use, the pictures tend to be blurry and the only reason i need a f/1.4 is for indoor night shots, and that doesnt happen very often.
Oh by the way, I hate using flash, so yeah, thats why i need a f/1.4
ok people, I got to go, got some work to do. Ciao Bella!
Now compare and contrast the differences between now and then. Any changes? Any new things, new outlook, new views in life?
Well if you say 'no' to all that, then maybe life is good for you and you have decided to stick with the convention and go on with it, hey thats good. For me, it has been a little bit more different.
As I wrote in my earlier earlier blogs, I have changed jobs. (Not many people know this, how so I'm not sure because I'm sure I've been telling people how much I want to change jobs. Maybe they dont listen. Haha)
Anyways yea, i have switched from Investment Banking (or 'glorified clerk' at investment banking) to consultant. Yes, yes, I know its not even been a year since I've started donning ties and made my trek to the office every 7.30am, but I had to do what I had to do - seize the opportunity and make the change.
It was a risky move, what if my new post is exactly the same like the previous one? What if it is worse? What would I do, having used my 'get out of shit job' card already?
But thank God that things have been great. I like the place, I like the people. I know its still early days, and I have told myself that there are always two sides to every story. The other side of my new story has not made itself present yet, but I think I can guess what they might be.
Everything else is going great. I'm so much happier, I look forward to doing more interesting things other than my requisite mamak stall hangouts, I frequent new and exciting places to eat and I have made some lovely new friends.
So far so good. Then maybe I was right after all.
Now that is out of the way, I have finally found a hobby that I truly like and something that I may be good at. I am now one of those 'people' you see carrying a huge camera on weekend snapping at buildings and flowers and the sort. I have found a new hobby in SLR photography.
I guess it all started from using my dad's camera at Cameron Highlands. There I learnt some stuff about shutter speeds, apertures and the like. If you head to my flickr page then you would be able to see some of the pictures that I took. I would say I am still a beginner. I dont know much about all the high tech things that all those professionals use. One more thing is the lack of photoshop. I dont use image editors at all, only to resize the pics to a manageable level.
Im using a Nikon D80, and I have got two lenses, one is the 'Kit lens' which is a 18-135 f/35 and thats pretty good for some outdoor photography and 'events' kinda thing.
My other lens is a 50mm 'standard' lens with a f/1.4. Its one of the fastest lens you can get for reasonable money. Any faster and you're probably looking at near-five figures. Apparently there is a lens built back in the 60s or something that goes f/0.95 and thats the fastest you can go... i think. So yea, that is my pride and joy, but it is a bitch to use, the pictures tend to be blurry and the only reason i need a f/1.4 is for indoor night shots, and that doesnt happen very often.
Oh by the way, I hate using flash, so yeah, thats why i need a f/1.4
ok people, I got to go, got some work to do. Ciao Bella!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Idle Thumbs
As the case always is, I've had a lot of things to write earlier on when I was daydreaming/driving through the early morning traffic jam, made worse by the fact that 90% of Malaysians suddenly lose total ability to drive when a drop of rain falls. I wanted to write something about how tyres are the most important part of the car, but then realised that without the engine, the car would be just a cart. I also wanted to say that a windscreen wiper is very important, until i realised that it was important when its raining, but pretty much not of much use when its dry.
So I gave up.
Will blog after tomorrow when things are more settled. Will catch up with you all soon, and hey, do check out the flickr page, its got some nice pictures in. Hope u enjoyed the new design.
So I gave up.
Will blog after tomorrow when things are more settled. Will catch up with you all soon, and hey, do check out the flickr page, its got some nice pictures in. Hope u enjoyed the new design.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Joy, oh Fucking Joy!
I seem to have not posted anything substantial as of late. Maybe its the rather long holiday I had last week. Maybe I have something else on my mind, maybe its because I have other more pressing matters on my mind, or maybe I just dont care!
Ive always thought that the blog is a good place to vent your frustrations and anger at the world at large, knowing that the people who read your blog (if any) really doesnt care as well. Think of it like a billboard of sorts, a place where you write down anonymously about what you think and well, er, leave it there. Except in a blog's case, people know who you are, and if you live in harmonious examplary democracies such as Zimbabwe and China, one award winning thought provoking post and you'll be awarded an eternity's stay in their finest gulag. Oh joy.
I realise that lately I have been quite a pessimistic person. Sometimes I dont care. I'm stuck in a rut with my current job, I'm already the lowest paid among the lot, i dont get much benefits, I'm not healthy, I'm not lively, I indulge in too much food due to stress and too little in sports due to the lack of time, I'm not fun - i dont have a clue on what to do most weekends, and I'm living the life of a lone clerk at work, eating lunch alone sometimes due to the lack of similarly minded (and aged) friends at work (not from the lack of trying, trust me). Ever went for a week hoping it'll all go away?
Its easy to blame all on work, but i know it may be a tad unfair to do so. Maybe its me. maybe i am a boring c**t. But what do I care, I'm tired of being optimistic oh-lets-go-to-the-arts-fair-and-watch-a-foreign-arthouse-film kind of person. So what if I want to sit down at the mamak and drown my sorrows with teh ais' (kurang manis). So what if I want to go to La Bodega and just munch on the garlic mushrooms. I may not be a barrel of laughs, but hey, feel free to ignore me if you find me too boring. But what is the cause? The key of solving this mystery is to find the root of the cause. What has eroded my enjoyment of life, what has resulted me to morph into an ogre with a penchant for doing nothing at all. Has 6 months of toil and sheer dissapointment taken away my joyful spirit?
Ok, now with that off my chest, I'm going off to bed. Yes, I am that boring, and to be honest, I am blaming it on my already mentioned raison d' entrende.
Check me up in two weeks time, and see if I'm the same, or am I back to my usual self. If I am jumping for joy and starting to watch arthouse films, maybe what I said above its true.
---------------------
adlan
Ive always thought that the blog is a good place to vent your frustrations and anger at the world at large, knowing that the people who read your blog (if any) really doesnt care as well. Think of it like a billboard of sorts, a place where you write down anonymously about what you think and well, er, leave it there. Except in a blog's case, people know who you are, and if you live in harmonious examplary democracies such as Zimbabwe and China, one award winning thought provoking post and you'll be awarded an eternity's stay in their finest gulag. Oh joy.
I realise that lately I have been quite a pessimistic person. Sometimes I dont care. I'm stuck in a rut with my current job, I'm already the lowest paid among the lot, i dont get much benefits, I'm not healthy, I'm not lively, I indulge in too much food due to stress and too little in sports due to the lack of time, I'm not fun - i dont have a clue on what to do most weekends, and I'm living the life of a lone clerk at work, eating lunch alone sometimes due to the lack of similarly minded (and aged) friends at work (not from the lack of trying, trust me). Ever went for a week hoping it'll all go away?
Its easy to blame all on work, but i know it may be a tad unfair to do so. Maybe its me. maybe i am a boring c**t. But what do I care, I'm tired of being optimistic oh-lets-go-to-the-arts-fair-and-watch-a-foreign-arthouse-film kind of person. So what if I want to sit down at the mamak and drown my sorrows with teh ais' (kurang manis). So what if I want to go to La Bodega and just munch on the garlic mushrooms. I may not be a barrel of laughs, but hey, feel free to ignore me if you find me too boring. But what is the cause? The key of solving this mystery is to find the root of the cause. What has eroded my enjoyment of life, what has resulted me to morph into an ogre with a penchant for doing nothing at all. Has 6 months of toil and sheer dissapointment taken away my joyful spirit?
Ok, now with that off my chest, I'm going off to bed. Yes, I am that boring, and to be honest, I am blaming it on my already mentioned raison d' entrende.
Check me up in two weeks time, and see if I'm the same, or am I back to my usual self. If I am jumping for joy and starting to watch arthouse films, maybe what I said above its true.
---------------------
adlan
Monday, April 30, 2007
Berry Strawberry!
Cameron Highlands is Malaysia's foremost strawberry farming site in Malaysia. They serve strawberries and cream almost everywhere here!
Tea Plantation
Picture taken at Cameron Valley Bharat Tea Plantation. As the sign says... No Plucking!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
hectic
time is a luxury that i dont have.
ive kinda realised that after six months of work, that it never stops. I've had so much to do this year it is just amazing. Things that happened two weeks ago feels like ages. I forget what day it is sometimes, and there are times when i dont see sunshine for a couple of days.
I used to make it a habit of going to the gym early in the morning before work, and then have a short drive (distance, but it still takes 20mins sometimes!), but the pace has gotten considerably faster and intense that i find myself too tired to even contemplate waking up before 6.45 every morning. I have a 45minutes window after i jump out of bed to get onto the road, otherwise i will be late to officve, guaranteed.
So whats new with me? Well, as my last post has been probably nearly a month ago, nothing much to be honest. I've been doing work and work and it never seems to end. I keep telling myself its good experience, but it is tiring. Going back 10pm nearly everyday isnt a good habit, trust me, it just drains you out.
A lot of people say that going back late from work is a sign that youre not efficient. Well, I beg to differ on that. My line of work relies on the cooperation of outside parties (lawyers, most of the time) and if they submit to you 1 minute before 5.45, then i guess its just another longgg day at the office. It doesnt help if your other outside partner is 5 timezones away, and insists on endless conference calls. But i guess i cant complain. I have told myself this would be what i have to do if I want to be what I wanted to be, so c'est la vie.
On the entertainment side, not much has been happening. I spend the weekends with the lads or with my girlfriend just hanging out. Most of the time I try to do something not so strenous i.e window shopping or just lazing around. That makes me officially the most boring person there is in the world.
I envy people who could get back home on a friday and get ready for a big night out. The past couple of fridays. Ive not had a proper friday night out since i left london, so go figure. sometimes i wonder where do they get all the energy from?? Im usually okay after work but definitely not enough for a huge night out thats for sure!
Im writing this on my laptop around 1.30ish on a friday morning. how can I do so? well, i have got leave! woohoo. A day for relaxation, i must say. But since the parents are not at home and Im in charge with my trusty partner in crime, the house is a state. 3 hours after my parents left and its already a mess. They've been gone for a few days now, so you can just imagine what its like now.
My car has been okay. I was tempted to put in a few things in here and there (the first purchase i was considering was putting in the Proton R3 brakes - slotted, cross driled) but with a huge upcoming impending purchase in the horizon, i think that would have to be put off.
well people, thats all i can write for today, im getting sleepy. I may be on leave, but I am on-call for the afternoon. I have to go back to the office at some stage tomorrow, i left my laptop plug there.
till then people, cheerios!
ive kinda realised that after six months of work, that it never stops. I've had so much to do this year it is just amazing. Things that happened two weeks ago feels like ages. I forget what day it is sometimes, and there are times when i dont see sunshine for a couple of days.
I used to make it a habit of going to the gym early in the morning before work, and then have a short drive (distance, but it still takes 20mins sometimes!), but the pace has gotten considerably faster and intense that i find myself too tired to even contemplate waking up before 6.45 every morning. I have a 45minutes window after i jump out of bed to get onto the road, otherwise i will be late to officve, guaranteed.
So whats new with me? Well, as my last post has been probably nearly a month ago, nothing much to be honest. I've been doing work and work and it never seems to end. I keep telling myself its good experience, but it is tiring. Going back 10pm nearly everyday isnt a good habit, trust me, it just drains you out.
A lot of people say that going back late from work is a sign that youre not efficient. Well, I beg to differ on that. My line of work relies on the cooperation of outside parties (lawyers, most of the time) and if they submit to you 1 minute before 5.45, then i guess its just another longgg day at the office. It doesnt help if your other outside partner is 5 timezones away, and insists on endless conference calls. But i guess i cant complain. I have told myself this would be what i have to do if I want to be what I wanted to be, so c'est la vie.
On the entertainment side, not much has been happening. I spend the weekends with the lads or with my girlfriend just hanging out. Most of the time I try to do something not so strenous i.e window shopping or just lazing around. That makes me officially the most boring person there is in the world.
I envy people who could get back home on a friday and get ready for a big night out. The past couple of fridays. Ive not had a proper friday night out since i left london, so go figure. sometimes i wonder where do they get all the energy from?? Im usually okay after work but definitely not enough for a huge night out thats for sure!
Im writing this on my laptop around 1.30ish on a friday morning. how can I do so? well, i have got leave! woohoo. A day for relaxation, i must say. But since the parents are not at home and Im in charge with my trusty partner in crime, the house is a state. 3 hours after my parents left and its already a mess. They've been gone for a few days now, so you can just imagine what its like now.
My car has been okay. I was tempted to put in a few things in here and there (the first purchase i was considering was putting in the Proton R3 brakes - slotted, cross driled) but with a huge upcoming impending purchase in the horizon, i think that would have to be put off.
well people, thats all i can write for today, im getting sleepy. I may be on leave, but I am on-call for the afternoon. I have to go back to the office at some stage tomorrow, i left my laptop plug there.
till then people, cheerios!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Gong Xi Fatt.......cheh..
the four day break was what i needed. after non-stop work with no breaks in between, it was a welcome respite from the stress, tension and just sheer volume of work that ive been piled on with.
the chinese new year weekend came and went, and it was a relaxing holiday for me. of course the number spent chilling out was not as much as i hoped, but who am i to complain.
tomorrow is back to the daily grind, but a rather slow one at most. this is due to the fact that many people are on leave till the weekend, and you dont/cant expect people to get much work done.
so, back to work tomorrow. heres hoping there'll be a quiet few days till the weekend, and then,
well, then we'll think when it comes.
the chinese new year weekend came and went, and it was a relaxing holiday for me. of course the number spent chilling out was not as much as i hoped, but who am i to complain.
tomorrow is back to the daily grind, but a rather slow one at most. this is due to the fact that many people are on leave till the weekend, and you dont/cant expect people to get much work done.
so, back to work tomorrow. heres hoping there'll be a quiet few days till the weekend, and then,
well, then we'll think when it comes.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Hectic Spastic
it always begins like this.. in the morning when im driving in the traffic jam, I'll always have something to say. Then work happens and I'm stuck with work and by the time im home in front of my laptop, on the rare occassions that my wireless is up, and im logged into blogger, i run out of things to say.
it seems i cant blog on my daily stuff anymore. its all on a weekly basis now. its very very difficult to write daily, and it seems that my life is boring if compared to everyone else. I mean, seriously, i think other people do lead more exciting work lifes as compared to mine.
its either that or people have been lying. who knows eh?
Other things aside, well, i dont know. its all been normal for me. i dont know what to write. sorry.
will blog when i have the time, effort, and mood to do so. till then, its ta-ra for now!
it seems i cant blog on my daily stuff anymore. its all on a weekly basis now. its very very difficult to write daily, and it seems that my life is boring if compared to everyone else. I mean, seriously, i think other people do lead more exciting work lifes as compared to mine.
its either that or people have been lying. who knows eh?
Other things aside, well, i dont know. its all been normal for me. i dont know what to write. sorry.
will blog when i have the time, effort, and mood to do so. till then, its ta-ra for now!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
KYSAA Weekend
Saturday was the KYSAA weekend. Apparently its the second, or the third, i cant remember. All I know was it was a rather nostalgic trip back to boarding school, albeit one i only left 7 years ago.
We left KL at about 8ish, picking up Her Royal Highness from TTDI, and we quietly made our way down the NKVE, and then ELITE, and PLUS all the way down to Ayer Keroh junction (acronyms galore!). It was quiet as everybody was half asleep ( i couldnt) and fed with hash browns for breakfast.
We reached Melaka about 9.30ish, i couldve sworn trips down to Melaka used to take longer than that. I wonder why this time its so quick, i didnt speed and i for sure took the same road as before. Mysterious, maybe Melaka has moved closer to KL due to global warming.
Anyhoos.....
...when we arrived, we met up and chatted at the carpark and was ushered to Theatrette One, and were given a briefing as to the order of the day. It seemed simple enough, Career Guidance Talk, and then a session at the Great Hall, and then lunch, and AGM, and then Sports, followed by Formal Dinner and a Performance Night. Full day !
At the career guidance talk I bullshitted my way into making the students believe that I am in fact having a great job (in certain ways i am at the moment OK with my job) and hoped that at least some kid who heard me speak about doing law would end up doing law. either that or i scared them off from doing law.
after the career talk we had a talk by the president which went for a bit, and then as i played around with the spotlights, spotlighting various anatomical parts of the human body (its amazing how much u can focus the lights on someone!) i remembered that only 7 years ago that was what i would do, being the lighting guy or the backstage guy at drama competitions and all.
7 years huh?
well, i could bore you with the things that we did but i think let me just cut to the chase - 7 years is a long time. In that 7 years, a batch of students have entered and left without even knowing us. In that 7 years the school has turned from a perfect idyllic top rated "Harrow of the East" to a school that is surviving in spirit. (MCKK was originally envisioned to be Eton of the East, so being arch-rivals...)
its in a state of disrepair, the track - the best in malacca, definitely one of the best ones for a school, is peeling off and full of air bubbles. the great hall stage floor is chipped and broken, what used to be acoustically tuned wood for the best acoustics now filled up with cheap plaster as a temporary fix. Imported stage curtains as used by theatres are patched up. Tables are filled with 'carvings', seats wonky, carpets dirty, walls lifeless. whats going to happen to this school?
its no secret that the school needs money. but unless you have 20million bucks burning a hole in your pocket and a philantrophic heart (take note Mr. Abrahamovic, Ogliarchs, Dubai-based Investment Companies, African Dictators, Datuk K), thats not really gonna help. what the school needs is more support, and by joining KYSAA you can give that support. so please, do what you can and support the Alumni in meetings, gatherings etc.
We left KL at about 8ish, picking up Her Royal Highness from TTDI, and we quietly made our way down the NKVE, and then ELITE, and PLUS all the way down to Ayer Keroh junction (acronyms galore!). It was quiet as everybody was half asleep ( i couldnt) and fed with hash browns for breakfast.
We reached Melaka about 9.30ish, i couldve sworn trips down to Melaka used to take longer than that. I wonder why this time its so quick, i didnt speed and i for sure took the same road as before. Mysterious, maybe Melaka has moved closer to KL due to global warming.
Anyhoos.....
...when we arrived, we met up and chatted at the carpark and was ushered to Theatrette One, and were given a briefing as to the order of the day. It seemed simple enough, Career Guidance Talk, and then a session at the Great Hall, and then lunch, and AGM, and then Sports, followed by Formal Dinner and a Performance Night. Full day !
At the career guidance talk I bullshitted my way into making the students believe that I am in fact having a great job (in certain ways i am at the moment OK with my job) and hoped that at least some kid who heard me speak about doing law would end up doing law. either that or i scared them off from doing law.
after the career talk we had a talk by the president which went for a bit, and then as i played around with the spotlights, spotlighting various anatomical parts of the human body (its amazing how much u can focus the lights on someone!) i remembered that only 7 years ago that was what i would do, being the lighting guy or the backstage guy at drama competitions and all.
7 years huh?
well, i could bore you with the things that we did but i think let me just cut to the chase - 7 years is a long time. In that 7 years, a batch of students have entered and left without even knowing us. In that 7 years the school has turned from a perfect idyllic top rated "Harrow of the East" to a school that is surviving in spirit. (MCKK was originally envisioned to be Eton of the East, so being arch-rivals...)
its in a state of disrepair, the track - the best in malacca, definitely one of the best ones for a school, is peeling off and full of air bubbles. the great hall stage floor is chipped and broken, what used to be acoustically tuned wood for the best acoustics now filled up with cheap plaster as a temporary fix. Imported stage curtains as used by theatres are patched up. Tables are filled with 'carvings', seats wonky, carpets dirty, walls lifeless. whats going to happen to this school?
its no secret that the school needs money. but unless you have 20million bucks burning a hole in your pocket and a philantrophic heart (take note Mr. Abrahamovic, Ogliarchs, Dubai-based Investment Companies, African Dictators, Datuk K), thats not really gonna help. what the school needs is more support, and by joining KYSAA you can give that support. so please, do what you can and support the Alumni in meetings, gatherings etc.
i cant make a difference, but all of us can
kolej yayasan saad ex - residents 2007
(yes, that really is me in the middle)
kolej yayasan saad ex - residents 2007(yes, that really is me in the middle)
Friday, January 26, 2007
yesterdays blog / todays story
i wanted to write this yesterday but for some weird reason i couldnt find the energy to do so after leaving office. I've spent a cumulative 48hours from a total of 96 in the office. crazy isnt it. (based on assumptions, could be a litle bit less)
so what is new? well, ive been stuck at work. ive got no social life, i eat at the cafeteria loads, and i head to the gym ony twice.
thats about it lah i guess.
am going to KYS tommorow. looking forward to that!
till then people, toodles!
so what is new? well, ive been stuck at work. ive got no social life, i eat at the cafeteria loads, and i head to the gym ony twice.
thats about it lah i guess.
am going to KYS tommorow. looking forward to that!
till then people, toodles!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
If I Were A Car
As I dragged myself out of bed this morning, at 5.50/6am (im not too sure), I began my day with the same routine as the day before. Put on contacts, brush teeth, make sure gym bag all packed and make sure theres always an extra pair of socks in the bag (not too sure why i do this either). As I was giving the ol' pearlys a bit of shine (i.e brushing my teeth for those not in the know, or just dirrrrty minded), i thought, hey, how cool would it be if i could have like a narrator narrating what im doing. And then as i made the drive to the gym, even more sillier thoughts came to mind
"If I were a car, what would I be?" I asked myself as I sped through Federal Highway. It turns out i woke up at 6.20, and needed to rush to the gym by 7.10 if i were to ever have a substantially beneficial gym session.
what would I be ?
Due to my size, not a kancil definitely. Not a Kelisa because well, no. Im not a MyVi because im not practical.
Im not a Proton, again, size, and the fact that I may be actually be well built then some of em ( I drive a Proton, I KNOW what im talking about). Im definitely a bigger tyoe of car.
So i thought and thought and thought, I'm not a Camry, i mean, im not blowing my own horn now, but I am not THAT boring. I'm not a Honda Civic because Im not that sporty. So that rules out Alfa Romeos (as much as i would like to think Im sporty or sexy like the Alfa GT or the Brera Coupe, the line has to be drawn somewhere).
Before you guys say it, no, Im not a Innova, Unser, Vannette, or any MPV of any kind. That's just rude.
And neither am I a Lambo or a Ferarri because well, I'm not exactly known for my sporting prowess. And I'm not a Hilux or a pickup truck because I'm not really a handy man. I mean, I change tyres and lightbulbs but im useless at installing air conds and carpentry. So thats out as well.
I'm not a volvo because I dont think Im safety-minded, and I'm not a BMW because again, I'm not exactly sporty. And besides, BMWs these days look a bit 'challenging' - just like the girls i used to date, but hey, thats another story for another day.
Im no Merc because Im not that luxurious, I'm not a Ford because I'm not exactly normal am I? I'm not an Evo, although I do make a lot of noise, and I'm not a Skyline because well, its a bit, erm, square?
I'm not a Renault coz im not eccentric, and not a Citroen because i dont break down most of the time ( i do break down but not often). A Maserati, well, thats just gorgeous but that ain't me. Fiats got style, and so do I, but i think im a bit more reliable.
So that kinda narrows me down to a few more marques, and with that, I decided, if i was ever a car, I am a Land Rover Defender.
Its not the most beautiful of cars, its not the most reliable of cars and it doesnt go very fast.
But it will go on and on and on and will take up any shit thats thrown at it. Granted, it will break down, and the Toyota Pickup (choice of UN for its indestructibility) will get there first. But unlike the Toyota who knows its indestructible, the beauty of the Land Rover is that it isnt the best, but somehow for some weird reason, ends up getting somewhere (if not the destination!) And honestly, this thing has got style.
After all, under UK Law, it is classified under 'Weapons' and therefore its exports are controlled. Its used by the best special forces in the world (SAS), and is used in most military units worldwide.
And hey, if its good enough for the queen, its good enough for me.
"If I were a car, what would I be?" I asked myself as I sped through Federal Highway. It turns out i woke up at 6.20, and needed to rush to the gym by 7.10 if i were to ever have a substantially beneficial gym session.
what would I be ?
Due to my size, not a kancil definitely. Not a Kelisa because well, no. Im not a MyVi because im not practical.
Im not a Proton, again, size, and the fact that I may be actually be well built then some of em ( I drive a Proton, I KNOW what im talking about). Im definitely a bigger tyoe of car.
So i thought and thought and thought, I'm not a Camry, i mean, im not blowing my own horn now, but I am not THAT boring. I'm not a Honda Civic because Im not that sporty. So that rules out Alfa Romeos (as much as i would like to think Im sporty or sexy like the Alfa GT or the Brera Coupe, the line has to be drawn somewhere).
Before you guys say it, no, Im not a Innova, Unser, Vannette, or any MPV of any kind. That's just rude.
And neither am I a Lambo or a Ferarri because well, I'm not exactly known for my sporting prowess. And I'm not a Hilux or a pickup truck because I'm not really a handy man. I mean, I change tyres and lightbulbs but im useless at installing air conds and carpentry. So thats out as well.
I'm not a volvo because I dont think Im safety-minded, and I'm not a BMW because again, I'm not exactly sporty. And besides, BMWs these days look a bit 'challenging' - just like the girls i used to date, but hey, thats another story for another day.
Im no Merc because Im not that luxurious, I'm not a Ford because I'm not exactly normal am I? I'm not an Evo, although I do make a lot of noise, and I'm not a Skyline because well, its a bit, erm, square?
I'm not a Renault coz im not eccentric, and not a Citroen because i dont break down most of the time ( i do break down but not often). A Maserati, well, thats just gorgeous but that ain't me. Fiats got style, and so do I, but i think im a bit more reliable.
So that kinda narrows me down to a few more marques, and with that, I decided, if i was ever a car, I am a Land Rover Defender.
Its not the most beautiful of cars, its not the most reliable of cars and it doesnt go very fast.
But it will go on and on and on and will take up any shit thats thrown at it. Granted, it will break down, and the Toyota Pickup (choice of UN for its indestructibility) will get there first. But unlike the Toyota who knows its indestructible, the beauty of the Land Rover is that it isnt the best, but somehow for some weird reason, ends up getting somewhere (if not the destination!) And honestly, this thing has got style.
After all, under UK Law, it is classified under 'Weapons' and therefore its exports are controlled. Its used by the best special forces in the world (SAS), and is used in most military units worldwide.
And hey, if its good enough for the queen, its good enough for me.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Naan Ambition
So the festive season has passed, New Year has come and gone, and people who took the extended leave are back at work. The kids are back in school, the roads are jam packed, mamak stalls selling naan are full again and every business is starting to operate back at full speed. Hence, work gets busier and busier.
Ive not had much time to go online this past few days, the router decides to call in sick and not operate properly the past few days - leaving me at the mercy of my neighbour's unsecured wireless broadband (thank you!- must belanja you people naan)
so yeah, my life, is still uncool at the moment (see posts below). I dont see myself doing anything worth of note, other than just work, i guess. my weekend sees me going to class (whilst doing so, having naan for lunch), and only for the mid-day sunday to evening do i have any time to enjoy, and most of the time, its really nothing much. oh dear, i guess i dont have a life!
today i woke up at 6, and put my alarm on snooze, 5 mins later it buzzed again, and i was faced with a dilemma. sacrifice a gym session for an extra 45mins sleep, or wake up and haul my sorry ass all the way to kl and go for gym. decided that with all the naans that i had to consume, id better head to the gym before i cant fit into any more of my pants and left home at 6.40 and reached the gym at about 7ish.
gym was okay, and i found a lil cafe in Wisma SPK which does continental / american breakfasts (something that Bangunan AmBank sadly doesnt have - and they dont have naans either!) and had a nice breakfast right after gym. Perfect, except for the fact that its a 20minute drive to get less than 2kms away to my office. Braved the peak hour jam in the most congested road in Kuala Lumpur, and got in for work. Work was okay, nothing too strenous, but it wasnt quiet either.
was suprised that the new guy who came in yesterday actually left! haha, the guy only worked for a day and he left! i have no idea why, and me and nelly crammed our brains together as to the main reason the fella left but we couldnt find any! we belanja'ed him lunch, where we all had naan at the curry house in cangkat
so left office pretty early. round 6.30 and managed to get home pretty early too! for some weird reason traffic was unusually light! mysterious i say. so before i got back home i went naan-hunting and thats about it really. What a day.
Ope had said that his life is in the crossroads. Mine seems to be stuck in a rut. to be honest with you i think i really need to be more focused on what i wanna do instead of just being swayed by stories of lore. I dont know, i dont know. Lately things at work have been good for me, i think i am in the best position to gain a lot of experience and to learn things many people wouldnt be able to. Im being given blue-chip jobs and its quite cool of my director to bring me / send me for assignments which are pretty high level. Its pretty good, but the pressure is on for me to not make a mistake, i guess its one of those "all or naan-thing" kinda thing.
I was thinking about this in the car on my way back from work, alongside thoughts of Naan and Hannah Tan (not together though!), and i thought, hey, im getting into this routine already!
i actually ran out of things to say, im tired and just well, full, from that naan dinner i had. sorry for this being a boring post. im just writing whatever i have here so that i can claim to blog at least ONCE a week.
toodles people, have to go to bed and hopefully to be dreaming of hannah tan, and not naan.
ciao!
p.s - some ppls birthdays are coming up! i smell a party! or that could just be my socks. or a nice garlic naan.
NAAN COUNT - 12, Next Blog - Spot the Roti
Ive not had much time to go online this past few days, the router decides to call in sick and not operate properly the past few days - leaving me at the mercy of my neighbour's unsecured wireless broadband (thank you!- must belanja you people naan)
so yeah, my life, is still uncool at the moment (see posts below). I dont see myself doing anything worth of note, other than just work, i guess. my weekend sees me going to class (whilst doing so, having naan for lunch), and only for the mid-day sunday to evening do i have any time to enjoy, and most of the time, its really nothing much. oh dear, i guess i dont have a life!
today i woke up at 6, and put my alarm on snooze, 5 mins later it buzzed again, and i was faced with a dilemma. sacrifice a gym session for an extra 45mins sleep, or wake up and haul my sorry ass all the way to kl and go for gym. decided that with all the naans that i had to consume, id better head to the gym before i cant fit into any more of my pants and left home at 6.40 and reached the gym at about 7ish.
gym was okay, and i found a lil cafe in Wisma SPK which does continental / american breakfasts (something that Bangunan AmBank sadly doesnt have - and they dont have naans either!) and had a nice breakfast right after gym. Perfect, except for the fact that its a 20minute drive to get less than 2kms away to my office. Braved the peak hour jam in the most congested road in Kuala Lumpur, and got in for work. Work was okay, nothing too strenous, but it wasnt quiet either.
was suprised that the new guy who came in yesterday actually left! haha, the guy only worked for a day and he left! i have no idea why, and me and nelly crammed our brains together as to the main reason the fella left but we couldnt find any! we belanja'ed him lunch, where we all had naan at the curry house in cangkat
so left office pretty early. round 6.30 and managed to get home pretty early too! for some weird reason traffic was unusually light! mysterious i say. so before i got back home i went naan-hunting and thats about it really. What a day.
Ope had said that his life is in the crossroads. Mine seems to be stuck in a rut. to be honest with you i think i really need to be more focused on what i wanna do instead of just being swayed by stories of lore. I dont know, i dont know. Lately things at work have been good for me, i think i am in the best position to gain a lot of experience and to learn things many people wouldnt be able to. Im being given blue-chip jobs and its quite cool of my director to bring me / send me for assignments which are pretty high level. Its pretty good, but the pressure is on for me to not make a mistake, i guess its one of those "all or naan-thing" kinda thing.
I was thinking about this in the car on my way back from work, alongside thoughts of Naan and Hannah Tan (not together though!), and i thought, hey, im getting into this routine already!
i actually ran out of things to say, im tired and just well, full, from that naan dinner i had. sorry for this being a boring post. im just writing whatever i have here so that i can claim to blog at least ONCE a week.
toodles people, have to go to bed and hopefully to be dreaming of hannah tan, and not naan.
ciao!
p.s - some ppls birthdays are coming up! i smell a party! or that could just be my socks. or a nice garlic naan.
NAAN COUNT - 12, Next Blog - Spot the Roti
Monday, January 01, 2007
The End, The Moment, The Start
We bode farewell to 2007 in the most relaxed and chilled out of New Years Celebrations. Coinciding with Aidiladha, many KL-Lites took the opportunity of a 4 day weekend to take off from the City. Of course, those who remained, i.e me, and a few others we didnt really decide on the venue until much later. In fact, 6 hours pre-New Year to be exact.
So this time it was the Curve, and we had some pancakes beforehand, followed by the longest firework display this year (2006/2007, whichever) . It was okay i guess, but i think the lack of a impressive background, i.e the London Eye or the Petronas Twin Towers made it not as spectacular. After that, it was traffic jam, and i as stuck in the car park for about an hour. An hour just to get out!
It was my birthday a few days before that and i would like to thank all of u that came to Sanctuary (a bar, not a rehab clinic) and i had a good time. this time last year I wouldve never thought id be spending my birthday in KL, i wouldve just thought id be in London, but hey, there u go.
So many people ask me about New Year resolutions, and i think i do have some.
Most of it are the same ones people do every year, but i think this time im intending to pursue it more vigorously
1 - health - to sort it out
in other words, i better do some more exercising. apparently theres this thing called "heart disease" and apparently i may be affected by it if i dont take care of myself. oh dear.
2- money matters - sort it out too
to spend less than i earn. how could you ever spend more than you earn you might ask, but trust me, i could.
3- to love my car - for better or for worse
i should be spending more time and attention on my car, to wash it, to give it a good polish once in a while. and stop being jealous of other cars
4 - CLP - sort it out
yes, study. scary but someones gotta do it. less time galvanating, more time revising
5 - Get a good swing by the end of the year
im planning to get a good swing at the driving range by the end of the year. at the moment a 7 year old kid could hit the ball further than me, but then again get a life kiddo.
6 - Plan a better new years
im planning/suggesting that we book PNB Darby Park Suites for the Merdeka and the New Years 07;08 celebration. Why? because our new years always suck and this will be our first concious attempt at making an effort to celebrate. (all will be forgotten by march)
7 - to be wiser
I plan not to piss off to many people this year. unfortunately i do think thats pretty much impossible. I have the uncanny ability to turn an alliance into a conflict. a lot like America, but on a lesser scale
8 - To enjoy life
whether its playing futsal, dabbling in a spot of golf, or just chillin out with a few drinks at a bar, i plan to do more of this, after all, everyones gotta chill out at some point
9- worry less
life will sort itself out. ill just let things work out for itself and see where it takes me. (hopefully not into some monsoon drain!)
10 - appreciate things in Life
most of the time i fret about things that i wish i had (a sportscar, a nice apartment, Jessica Alba..) instead of what i already have. Henceforth, to celebrate life, and to enjoy KL before i get saddled with debts, a mortgage, a naggy wife (pray it doesnt happen to me!) a lazy cat (ive got one already! - the cat la, not the wife!!!), and car payments. oh, and a shit job.
So there you go people. Heres wishing u have a great New Year!
take care, peace to the world. love one, love all
pishy
So this time it was the Curve, and we had some pancakes beforehand, followed by the longest firework display this year (2006/2007, whichever) . It was okay i guess, but i think the lack of a impressive background, i.e the London Eye or the Petronas Twin Towers made it not as spectacular. After that, it was traffic jam, and i as stuck in the car park for about an hour. An hour just to get out!
It was my birthday a few days before that and i would like to thank all of u that came to Sanctuary (a bar, not a rehab clinic) and i had a good time. this time last year I wouldve never thought id be spending my birthday in KL, i wouldve just thought id be in London, but hey, there u go.
So many people ask me about New Year resolutions, and i think i do have some.
Most of it are the same ones people do every year, but i think this time im intending to pursue it more vigorously
1 - health - to sort it out
in other words, i better do some more exercising. apparently theres this thing called "heart disease" and apparently i may be affected by it if i dont take care of myself. oh dear.
2- money matters - sort it out too
to spend less than i earn. how could you ever spend more than you earn you might ask, but trust me, i could.
3- to love my car - for better or for worse
i should be spending more time and attention on my car, to wash it, to give it a good polish once in a while. and stop being jealous of other cars
4 - CLP - sort it out
yes, study. scary but someones gotta do it. less time galvanating, more time revising
5 - Get a good swing by the end of the year
im planning to get a good swing at the driving range by the end of the year. at the moment a 7 year old kid could hit the ball further than me, but then again get a life kiddo.
6 - Plan a better new years
im planning/suggesting that we book PNB Darby Park Suites for the Merdeka and the New Years 07;08 celebration. Why? because our new years always suck and this will be our first concious attempt at making an effort to celebrate. (all will be forgotten by march)
7 - to be wiser
I plan not to piss off to many people this year. unfortunately i do think thats pretty much impossible. I have the uncanny ability to turn an alliance into a conflict. a lot like America, but on a lesser scale
8 - To enjoy life
whether its playing futsal, dabbling in a spot of golf, or just chillin out with a few drinks at a bar, i plan to do more of this, after all, everyones gotta chill out at some point
9- worry less
life will sort itself out. ill just let things work out for itself and see where it takes me. (hopefully not into some monsoon drain!)
10 - appreciate things in Life
most of the time i fret about things that i wish i had (a sportscar, a nice apartment, Jessica Alba..) instead of what i already have. Henceforth, to celebrate life, and to enjoy KL before i get saddled with debts, a mortgage, a naggy wife (pray it doesnt happen to me!) a lazy cat (ive got one already! - the cat la, not the wife!!!), and car payments. oh, and a shit job.
So there you go people. Heres wishing u have a great New Year!
take care, peace to the world. love one, love all
pishy
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