monkey business

Aboo by SheezyArt

Aboo is my favorite monkey. Aboo makes me smile when all else failed. Aboo is cute but handsome at the same time. Me loves Aboo, not Aladdin.

Dinner with friends from yesteryears last night, I pondered once again on how time flies, how most people changed, for the better. And how little I changed, for better or worse. Mid life crisis should be over by the age of 26, no? Mine is prolonged, to the point of being annoying. Void filled but not without the ugly aftermath, the one I failed to clean up for and let others do it for me. I'm a disappointment to many, to myself I can't forgive. For that, I am sorry.

Am financially, physically, emotionally and mentally broke. Will look for Brains I misplaced soon, will stop listening to Heart for a short while. Embracing my fate. So what's next?

Wishing for enough happiness to keep everyone happy, everyday. You deserve to be happy. You deserve better.

Random: I have this thing for crow's feet on guys, I find them charming and nice to look at, no?

Soft Approach

“As an Islamist I cannot condone homosexuality, and I cannot render halal that which is seen as haram in Islam, anymore than I can declare alcohol to be halal. But this I can say: when confronted by things like this, we have two choices: the hard choice or the soft choice. We can take the hard line and say that homosexuals are wrong and they ought to be punished. Or we can take the soft line and say that they are a gendered minority, and while they are practicing something we do not approve, we should defend them when they come under attack and we should counsel them. As an Islamist, I choose the latter, because for me Islam is still the religion of love, not hate.”

"All over the Muslim world we see that the forces of political Islam are still on the march and working to find their way to achieving political power. But the doubts and concerns that many of us have lies in the question of what the Islamists will do when they come to power. Will this power be used for the betterment of all, or will it simply be accumulated and monopolised at the hands of the few?"

Read more here

While Watching The Naked Chef

"There could never be enough money, enough attention or - most important- enough love, because he knew how quickly it could vanish.." Charles R. Cross, on Kurt Cobain.

To understand me, it to understand the above, ha!

Grandma almost burned down the kitchen today. She forgot she was boiling a pot of water before she went out for lunch with Acu. She felt bad the whole day. Near-missed on the fifth of Raya.

Friends all over talked about how their Raya is not as fun as before, like when they were way younger. In my case, Raya still has lots to offer. Sparklers, fireworks, all play and no work, and of course food food food! To explain is to bore, like Mom I'm just good at keeping myself happy. I spent too much time with kids, with 50++ cousins ranging from 1 to 33-year-old, we know not the meaning of boredom, or silence for that matter. Raya itself doesn't mean much, it's the company of loved ones; family & friends that made it one helluva joyous celebration. Saya juga pada tahun in, berjaya menunaikan solat raya buat pertama kalinya, yay!

I am just happy, and grateful. and I can't get enough of Chris Garver's artworks. I want one!

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!!!!

Aggressors or Victims

"And I think this raises the question of how do we deal with racism? Because if there's one thing that irritates me about the discussion of racism in Malaysia it's that one side is always seen as the aggressor, and one side is always cast as the victim. And if you are a hybrid like me, then you realise that all sides can be aggressors and all sides can be victims. So I was victimised by Malay [Malaysians] and I was victimised by Chinese [Malaysians]. But I had Malay [Malaysian] friends and Chinese [Malaysian] friends.

So, the question of racism is always a personal one. How do you deal with it? You can choose to dwell on the worst, or you can choose to focus on the positive. I was in a situation where I could choose to develop profoundly anti-Chinese sentiments for the rest of my life. But I didn't want that.

And I think that's how we Malaysians will need to move on. Every Malaysian will have a story like this to tell. Because in a sense, the state of racialised politics in Malaysia means we are all victims. So do we choose to live with a discourse of victimhood, or do we grow up, and grow out of this as a nation and embrace the positive that we can find in each other? I chose the latter. That is my personal choice, it is an ethical choice and it is a political choice.. "

Interview with one of the few men whose ideas and insights speak which such profound truth , Dr. Farish Noor. Read more here

Pancit

During a mamak session, Maintenance Engineer was telling Sloppy Engineer about this conversation she had with our friend the Project Engineer

Project Engineer: My workload is too much. Too many projects but I am still underpaid, and broke. My HR sucks, bla bla bla (complaining about work)
Maintenance Engineer: Hidup ini umpama roda. Now maybe you are at the bottom side of the wheel, be patience.
Project Engineer: Ya I understand. Tapi aku rasa tayar aku pancitla, sebab asyik kat bawah je, tak penah2 kat atas pun..
Everyone: (-_-')

Flat tire. My friend, go and change tire. No point in staying. In the interim, enjoy this video from Ratatat, me likey!!

Anak Pak Farid

Date: Yesterday
Time: Lunch hour
Venue: Hospital Besar Tunku Jaafar


Going on 26: Kenapa tangan tu..
13-year-old: Patah

Going on 26: Camne boleh patah
13-year-old: Jatuh dari Tingkat 1

Going on 26: (Muka panik) CAMNE BOLEH JATUH!?! (keluar paper semalam ke? hmm)
13-year-old: Sebab terjun

Going on 26: (Muka lebih panik + pelik) KENAPA TERJUN!?!
13-year-old: :) (Senyuman manis) Sebab dah lambat

Going on 26: (WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT THE.. sambil tepuk dahi) Ya Allah.. kalau kene kepala camne?!! Naseb kene tangan je bla bla bla (terus membebel)
13-year-old: :) (Senyuman manis, sambil tiup2 tgn. Sgt comel sebenarnya budak ni)


Jumping off the First Floor, of your school building. To eliminate time wastage of having to queue
Budak2 zaman sekarang..

30 seconds

Baaaah.. Tipu ni, I strongly believe that I have a rather good 'fingering' skill, thanks to hours of playing the Riftmaster ll game online

ark on ground

Morgan Freeman: How do we change the world? 
Evan Baxter: One single act of random kindness at a time. 
Morgan Freeman: [spoken while writing A-R-K on ground with a stick] One Act, of, Random, Kindness.

Living on your own at your own place, I wish I am these three things:

1. kick-ass guitarist

2. super-good at slacklining

3. smoker

The above-mentioned(s) adalah perkara-perkara yang boleh 'baik punyaaa layaaaaan' secara bersendirian sehingga tidak sedar masa berlalu dengan begitu pantas, sekaligus tidaklah terasa bosan sangat bersendirian, imho that is. Too bad that I suck at no 1 and 2, and not interested in no 3. So I find solace in this.

I have always wanted to do something non work related, after work. 

Blowing those work steam off after work.

Coming home to my loved ones after work.

Having a bunch of friends over after work.

Friends to bitch with about work after work.

To sing our hearts out after work.

To nonsensically run or jump around the neighbourhood after work.

To just chill, after work.

Reality check:

Geographically my friends are all over the place.

Their work-times (and sometimes mine) are all around the clock.

Some work way past office hour.

Some work over the weekends and public holidays, but not on weekdays.

Plus the need to rest and sleep so badly.

So I wish I am good at slack lining, or can strum my way out of boredom to at least 10 new songs. A good book will do too. Also, the origami and LEGO sets. There's always some DVDs have yet to be watched. Or cats that need to be bathe. Plants that need to be watered. Floors that need to be polished.

Contradicting myself, I now think it is funny how I could be that bored and restless to begin with. There are always things to do. There are always things to finish.

Boredom is laziness.

on my plate

These were two days ago..

Lunchtime

Supper

L.O.V.E.L.Y 

I want I want I want

POGO POLAROID

" People who have been lamenting the death of the Polaroid will find solace in it"

"At night they would go walking

'till the breaking of the day.

The morning is for sleeping..

Through the dark street they go searching

To see God in their own way

Save the night time for your weeping..

Your weeping...

God is in the houses and god is in my head,

And all the cemeteries in London

I see god come in my garden but I don’t know what he said.

For my heart it wasn’t open..

Not open..."

- Cemeteries of London by Coldplay

Holes in Pockets

My all time most favorite song by The Verve

Currently ear-locked to: The Verve. Coldplay. The Killers. Oasis. Jason Mraz. Jack Johnson (old). Latest addition - SO7. Thank God for good music. Good music burn holes in pockets but grow and flourish happiness into souls . Note: Imported CDs are not cheap, period.

Hello 2009! You've been nice so far. Nice is good but not good enough. Please do not stay nice. 2008 had been rather fruitful, went places, did stuff - all in the name of discovering oneself, aiceh. My 2009 is - "to stand in the curiosity of life. In surrendering control, you'll create a space for possibilities to enter and treasures to flow". Ayuh.. !

On more recent news, last Saturday was nothing but great. Butters 'gitar kapok' unplugged session at Istana Budaya was BEAUTIFUUUUUL (honestly, that's exactly how I'd describe the event), great lighting, the set up and everything else and of course, a bunch of good musicians on top of all that.. (standing ovation). 

Then few minutes of Sunday were spent with them:

Gabus at Booth

Kindly read and react here.