Blood suckaaaa.....
So, I've been reading twilight as i mentioned last time. usually i read it at nite before i go to sleep, excluding last weekend. my review of the book so far... not bad at all. there's a lot of hint of sarcasms between the girl and the vampire lover, funny, but it's still a bit too mushy. but, i was having more fun reading about the other characters and their origins.
however, the whole mood of my reading was completely great as it has been very cloudy with 3% sunlight throughout the whole 2 weeks. yeps... Bintulu is totally pulling a Seattle.
would i recommend the book to others? yeps... read it, then watch the movie. there's some part of the movie is actually better than the book, but there's also some parts of the book which is better than the movie. it's intriguing, and... entertaining.
Mt Kinabalu my 2nd time.....
so yes, this Sunday, it'll mark my second time climbing up Mt Kinabalu. last time i climbed up the majestic beauty i only had 1 week of training and i was 19 yrs old. in other words, i was fairly fit.
I'm not so sure about now, however, one thing i know for a fact, to conquer her, its all about Mind Over Matter. as ridiculous some may think it is, it's the huge truth. you have to be positive, and visualize yourself conquering her, and coming back down to tell the stories to your friends and family.
with one week to go, i dont have the time to be pessimistic. especially knowing the fact that there's gonna be another 18 people needing my hope and motivation. i shouldn't have scared them on how difficult the climb was really. darn it. well looks like i really have to pep talk to everyone definitely.
Dreams....
Everyone has dreams... and i think, it's best that if the dream is a GOOD purpose, the purpose for the better, they should always pursue it, no matter how their life is during that time. should they be young, old, married, engaged, kids, grandchildren... GO.
DONT ever, EVER say 'oh well, i tried'. you tried once, doesnt mean Allah doesnt want you to try again. He has always given you CHOICES. everything is in your hand whether you want to make a difference or not, and dont let no one, NO ONE, take that dream away.
Everyone has dreams... they need it... to keep on living, to keep on knowing... that they lived... lived with meaning, and everything was their choice. When you want something SO much... SOO damn MUCH, 4As in UPSR, 8As in PMR, all As in SPM, study in the USA, the whole world, the whole universe, will conspire to inspire you, and help you get what you wanted SO SOOOO much.
never let anyone take your dreams away, and never let anyone tell you, you cant fulfill it... no one.
just something i need to tell everyone as well as myself. a reminder, a lesson, a prayer.....
Sunday, January 11, 2009
I'm updating... with NEWS and Random Thoughts!!!
Hey guys!!!!!!!!
Honestly, I'm really sorry i havent updated for so long!
And now I am updating, i just dont know where to start! I'm quite psyched to talk about everything since Raya last year, but there's just too much to talk about, i cant even keep track. but no worries, i'm gonna make it a point again now. Will make a point to update like usual, Thursday nights.
Last time i thought being on Shift would make it easier for me to update, turns out, that's not the case. I still go to work during my offdays and fall asleep early at nite to wake up early in the morning.
so, here's short random thoughts i can think of now
1. Damn... Abe updates more than i DO!!! now you know you suck at updating blogs when Abe does that. but at least tak seteruk Faidz or Todi.
2. I'm proud to say, i bought 3 items that i've been eying on for the past 3 months, and they are:-
a. Ipod Touch
So looked everywhere for a cheaper ipod touch, of which initially i wanted to buy a Nano. Then, after 3 months of browsing to the point my fiance (yes, take a good look at that word of which i shall explain later), i got an ipod 1st generation, first hand in KK for... now get this.... RM 600!!!! RM 700 including the leather casing. Amazing!! they dont even have that offer in KL and Miri! well... if they did, i couldnt find one. the differencen with 2nd generation is only, 1. it doesnt have speakers 2. the body is flat (i guess the curved one is where the speaker is ) 3. it has an external volume control. oh well.. RM 600 to RM 900 beats all that anytime.
b. Swiss Laptop Bag
I've been browsing for a good laptop bag for 3 months because my old bag was slowly tearing asunder (i dont know if i used that word correctly... haha). i keep seeing this nice reddish black doctor like laptop bag which costs RM 350. I've been eying it since October or maybe even earlier. then... my laptop bag strap broke... and a miracle happened... i went to the same bag, of which no one bought, at the same store, for RM 295!
c. A pair of good running shoes
Well, I remembered last time when i ran with my dear classmate Meredith Langille and she told me i need a good pair of running shoes. one thing i hate about running shoes, they're mad ugly. i was so very loyal with my red walking shoes by Puma which i transformed into a pair of running shoes and lasted for 2 years. So, since mid last year i've been browsing, and since now i got a good pair of walking shoes (my loving adidas hemp sneakers), i decided to buy a good pair of running shoes. guess what i found... 50% off on Reebok's running shoes... RM 120 total. the feeling? AWESOME!
yes... im a guy who takes an average 3 months to buy something after heavy decision... USUALLY. sometimes there are some cases where im unable to filter, and usually it involves people poisoning me to buy it. if you need something, might as well it takes time and heavy consideration.
3. Have you guys heard of Arctic Monkeys?
Well i've been listening to it for a while, and for those who dont know about them, i think it's time i share with them how awesome they are!! seriously, listen to them, fresh, cool, and chilled. I would recommend Mardy Bum, Certain Kind of Romance, Despair in the Departure Lounge, Fake Tales of San Francisco.
Listening to it is just such super bliss and keeps you in the mood. if you havent heard of them, GO!!! the Kooks arent that bad too, but i'm still in all for Arctic Monkeys.
4. IP Man... watch it!
well... first time i saw the name of the movie outside a theater, i thought it was I.P Man. as in, some stupid hong kong comedy called 'Heyyyyy I'm Internet Provider Man! no sweat if you have no reception, IP Man will save the day by applying to you through the legal government process!!'.
Sadly, it wasnt. it was actually a very freaking awesome movie. it's actually chinese pronunciation, Yip-Man. the movie was based on Bruce Lee's Master, Yip-Man, master of Wing Chun Martial arts. the movie wasnt like the typical martial arts movie. it minimizes on the special effects as much as they can to ensure a more gripping and real feel to it. definitely best movie to close with 2008.
here's the coolest thing, Wing Chun was a martial arts that was created by a woman. so, dont under estimate women, and ladies, if Wing Chun can kick ass and have an art under her name, so can you guys.
5. I now have 2 aquariums!
Yes, I have 2 aquarium. it was initially because sometime in November, my house was almost robbed. lucky the police were doing their rounds so they saw our fence were cut open and woke us up. they said we were completely hypnotized like the previous house that was hit before us.
after that, we lived in fear, and yes, sometimes i just dont understand why is would there be people breaking into your house and put you and your family on knife point without any feeling of remorse and yet enjoy while doing it. i curse those people and pray may God teach them one day. yes, bintulu's crime rate these days are crazy with people end up being tied up and their family threatened.
anyway, after that, we tried as much as we can to protect the house with prayers and all, and one of the things people said was, to protect our house from hypnotism, was keep 'ikan puyu' in the house. so, from there, i tried looking for ikan puyu, but in the end, ended up with a 4' x 1' x 2' aquarium with a lots of cute fish and no puyu as the shop there didnt sell any. not long after that, about 1 month after, me an myhousemates bumped into another store that SELLS the puyu, but we also bumped into a huge ass aquarium, about 4' x 2' x 4' 1/2". yeps... it's huge. now we have a huge family in the big ass aquarium, and i have a black and red Oscar Fish, which has evil written all over him. we decide to name him George.
George is awesome, we fed him little fish, big fish, and also, yesterday, i gave him a baby frog. he ate all of them... clean. every time during feeding time, i get excited and i have 'The Eye of the tiger' playing in my head in the background.
btw... we bought the Puyu as well... and dear god... he's ugly. anything it takes to have my house protected.
6. damn i miss my writings....
Dear god, i do miss my writings honestly. without it, i cant create any random thoughts, which means, ive stunted my creativity a bit. i need to write as often as i can and let my thoughts wander effortlessly!
7. anyone watched twilight??
So yes, has anyone watched the movie 'twilight'? i went to watch it without any knowledge and thought the movie was so very very high school-ish....... but then, there were still some characters, some plots, some stories that were left unsaid and unexplained. then i found out it was actually based on a book called 'the twilight saga'.
i wont say it was a bad movie, but it has kept me aching to read the book. but i would say the movie was entertaining and leaves you wanting to know more, hence, i had one of my friends to buy the book in KL, got it today, and going to read it soon. i also heard all of Stephenie Meyers books, the writer of the twilight saga, are all sold out. i was lucky to get it. yes... the madness has been unleashed and now, it starts.
8. I'm gonna climb up Mt Kinabalu for the second time in my life!!
Alrites guys, i climbed it once, and im gonna be climbing it the 2nd time. and honestly, i think this climb is gonna be super difficult! now i'm less fit than i used to be, older, and i do less sports. so, i've been training as much as i can by jogging, hiking, and doing jump ropes as much as i can. it's gonna be ass difficult i know. but i'm going to do my best and get up there the 2nd time, so wish me luck. and this time, the party is about 18 ppl. last time i did it, it was only 5 ppl and we completed it quite fast (as commented by the guide). but... i have to remind myself, this is NOT a race. NOT a race NOT a race. wish me luck guys!
9. Faidz... u ooold
Dude... honestly, i cant believe you're 27, and i cant believe, we're all gonna be 27! crazy. we're getting old ppl... things just gets more complicated, but everyone gets wiser... hopefully. so dude... Happy bday bee-yotch.
10. this is THE news!
SO, here's the BIG news.
I'm now engaged. sorry if most of you guys dont know. i kept it on quite on the low side until im engaged. now everythings good, i would like to invite everyone i know from my times in Sekolah Alam Shah, Uniten, RPI, and now working with a 'company', to my wedding in KK in June. please do buy your tickets now, and having you to my wedding is definitely an honor. please do make it and tell me early on my facebook or msg me on yahoo/msn, or sms/call me if you have my number.
PLEASE do come.
Date : 6th June 2008
Location : Somewhere in Kota Kinabalu Sabah
i know both my fiance and i are very honored to have you as guests, and at the same time coming for my wedding, you can have the time to travel around KK and learn more about this state and the people. there's so many activities to do here, you wont regret it insya Allah.
so please, DATANG!!!!!!!!
Finally... I apologize again i have not been updating for a while, but i would like to thank you so much to everyone who kept reminding me too, and it is such an honor to know that there's actually so many people reading my writings and actually enjoy it. some say it's fresh, some say it's different, i say... thank you. i'm just trying to be myself and make people enjoy reading it at the same time.
Catcha in the next update!!!!!
Here are some pics....
my team got 2nd in a local Paintball competition
see that cool guy on the furthest left... yep... he rocked it....
my team got 2nd in the local Treasure Hunt Competition!! And yes! proof of how good i can look in an afro!!
this is my fiance :)
my engagement....
my loving family, Raya 2008. wonder where i'll be Raya-ing next year. missing them already.
my awesome aquarium....
little orcish george....
ikan puyu's very shy... maybe coz he's ugly....
Hey guys!!!!!!!!
Honestly, I'm really sorry i havent updated for so long!
And now I am updating, i just dont know where to start! I'm quite psyched to talk about everything since Raya last year, but there's just too much to talk about, i cant even keep track. but no worries, i'm gonna make it a point again now. Will make a point to update like usual, Thursday nights.
Last time i thought being on Shift would make it easier for me to update, turns out, that's not the case. I still go to work during my offdays and fall asleep early at nite to wake up early in the morning.
so, here's short random thoughts i can think of now
1. Damn... Abe updates more than i DO!!! now you know you suck at updating blogs when Abe does that. but at least tak seteruk Faidz or Todi.
2. I'm proud to say, i bought 3 items that i've been eying on for the past 3 months, and they are:-
a. Ipod Touch
So looked everywhere for a cheaper ipod touch, of which initially i wanted to buy a Nano. Then, after 3 months of browsing to the point my fiance (yes, take a good look at that word of which i shall explain later), i got an ipod 1st generation, first hand in KK for... now get this.... RM 600!!!! RM 700 including the leather casing. Amazing!! they dont even have that offer in KL and Miri! well... if they did, i couldnt find one. the differencen with 2nd generation is only, 1. it doesnt have speakers 2. the body is flat (i guess the curved one is where the speaker is ) 3. it has an external volume control. oh well.. RM 600 to RM 900 beats all that anytime.
b. Swiss Laptop Bag
I've been browsing for a good laptop bag for 3 months because my old bag was slowly tearing asunder (i dont know if i used that word correctly... haha). i keep seeing this nice reddish black doctor like laptop bag which costs RM 350. I've been eying it since October or maybe even earlier. then... my laptop bag strap broke... and a miracle happened... i went to the same bag, of which no one bought, at the same store, for RM 295!
c. A pair of good running shoes
Well, I remembered last time when i ran with my dear classmate Meredith Langille and she told me i need a good pair of running shoes. one thing i hate about running shoes, they're mad ugly. i was so very loyal with my red walking shoes by Puma which i transformed into a pair of running shoes and lasted for 2 years. So, since mid last year i've been browsing, and since now i got a good pair of walking shoes (my loving adidas hemp sneakers), i decided to buy a good pair of running shoes. guess what i found... 50% off on Reebok's running shoes... RM 120 total. the feeling? AWESOME!
yes... im a guy who takes an average 3 months to buy something after heavy decision... USUALLY. sometimes there are some cases where im unable to filter, and usually it involves people poisoning me to buy it. if you need something, might as well it takes time and heavy consideration.
3. Have you guys heard of Arctic Monkeys?
Well i've been listening to it for a while, and for those who dont know about them, i think it's time i share with them how awesome they are!! seriously, listen to them, fresh, cool, and chilled. I would recommend Mardy Bum, Certain Kind of Romance, Despair in the Departure Lounge, Fake Tales of San Francisco.
Listening to it is just such super bliss and keeps you in the mood. if you havent heard of them, GO!!! the Kooks arent that bad too, but i'm still in all for Arctic Monkeys.
4. IP Man... watch it!
well... first time i saw the name of the movie outside a theater, i thought it was I.P Man. as in, some stupid hong kong comedy called 'Heyyyyy I'm Internet Provider Man! no sweat if you have no reception, IP Man will save the day by applying to you through the legal government process!!'.
Sadly, it wasnt. it was actually a very freaking awesome movie. it's actually chinese pronunciation, Yip-Man. the movie was based on Bruce Lee's Master, Yip-Man, master of Wing Chun Martial arts. the movie wasnt like the typical martial arts movie. it minimizes on the special effects as much as they can to ensure a more gripping and real feel to it. definitely best movie to close with 2008.
here's the coolest thing, Wing Chun was a martial arts that was created by a woman. so, dont under estimate women, and ladies, if Wing Chun can kick ass and have an art under her name, so can you guys.
5. I now have 2 aquariums!
Yes, I have 2 aquarium. it was initially because sometime in November, my house was almost robbed. lucky the police were doing their rounds so they saw our fence were cut open and woke us up. they said we were completely hypnotized like the previous house that was hit before us.
after that, we lived in fear, and yes, sometimes i just dont understand why is would there be people breaking into your house and put you and your family on knife point without any feeling of remorse and yet enjoy while doing it. i curse those people and pray may God teach them one day. yes, bintulu's crime rate these days are crazy with people end up being tied up and their family threatened.
anyway, after that, we tried as much as we can to protect the house with prayers and all, and one of the things people said was, to protect our house from hypnotism, was keep 'ikan puyu' in the house. so, from there, i tried looking for ikan puyu, but in the end, ended up with a 4' x 1' x 2' aquarium with a lots of cute fish and no puyu as the shop there didnt sell any. not long after that, about 1 month after, me an myhousemates bumped into another store that SELLS the puyu, but we also bumped into a huge ass aquarium, about 4' x 2' x 4' 1/2". yeps... it's huge. now we have a huge family in the big ass aquarium, and i have a black and red Oscar Fish, which has evil written all over him. we decide to name him George.
George is awesome, we fed him little fish, big fish, and also, yesterday, i gave him a baby frog. he ate all of them... clean. every time during feeding time, i get excited and i have 'The Eye of the tiger' playing in my head in the background.
btw... we bought the Puyu as well... and dear god... he's ugly. anything it takes to have my house protected.
6. damn i miss my writings....
Dear god, i do miss my writings honestly. without it, i cant create any random thoughts, which means, ive stunted my creativity a bit. i need to write as often as i can and let my thoughts wander effortlessly!
7. anyone watched twilight??
So yes, has anyone watched the movie 'twilight'? i went to watch it without any knowledge and thought the movie was so very very high school-ish....... but then, there were still some characters, some plots, some stories that were left unsaid and unexplained. then i found out it was actually based on a book called 'the twilight saga'.
i wont say it was a bad movie, but it has kept me aching to read the book. but i would say the movie was entertaining and leaves you wanting to know more, hence, i had one of my friends to buy the book in KL, got it today, and going to read it soon. i also heard all of Stephenie Meyers books, the writer of the twilight saga, are all sold out. i was lucky to get it. yes... the madness has been unleashed and now, it starts.
8. I'm gonna climb up Mt Kinabalu for the second time in my life!!
Alrites guys, i climbed it once, and im gonna be climbing it the 2nd time. and honestly, i think this climb is gonna be super difficult! now i'm less fit than i used to be, older, and i do less sports. so, i've been training as much as i can by jogging, hiking, and doing jump ropes as much as i can. it's gonna be ass difficult i know. but i'm going to do my best and get up there the 2nd time, so wish me luck. and this time, the party is about 18 ppl. last time i did it, it was only 5 ppl and we completed it quite fast (as commented by the guide). but... i have to remind myself, this is NOT a race. NOT a race NOT a race. wish me luck guys!
9. Faidz... u ooold
Dude... honestly, i cant believe you're 27, and i cant believe, we're all gonna be 27! crazy. we're getting old ppl... things just gets more complicated, but everyone gets wiser... hopefully. so dude... Happy bday bee-yotch.
10. this is THE news!
SO, here's the BIG news.
I'm now engaged. sorry if most of you guys dont know. i kept it on quite on the low side until im engaged. now everythings good, i would like to invite everyone i know from my times in Sekolah Alam Shah, Uniten, RPI, and now working with a 'company', to my wedding in KK in June. please do buy your tickets now, and having you to my wedding is definitely an honor. please do make it and tell me early on my facebook or msg me on yahoo/msn, or sms/call me if you have my number.
PLEASE do come.
Date : 6th June 2008
Location : Somewhere in Kota Kinabalu Sabah
i know both my fiance and i are very honored to have you as guests, and at the same time coming for my wedding, you can have the time to travel around KK and learn more about this state and the people. there's so many activities to do here, you wont regret it insya Allah.
so please, DATANG!!!!!!!!
Finally... I apologize again i have not been updating for a while, but i would like to thank you so much to everyone who kept reminding me too, and it is such an honor to know that there's actually so many people reading my writings and actually enjoy it. some say it's fresh, some say it's different, i say... thank you. i'm just trying to be myself and make people enjoy reading it at the same time.
Catcha in the next update!!!!!
Here are some pics....
my team got 2nd in a local Paintball competition
see that cool guy on the furthest left... yep... he rocked it....
my team got 2nd in the local Treasure Hunt Competition!! And yes! proof of how good i can look in an afro!!
this is my fiance :)
my engagement....
my loving family, Raya 2008. wonder where i'll be Raya-ing next year. missing them already.
my awesome aquarium....
little orcish george....
ikan puyu's very shy... maybe coz he's ugly....
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Ketupat dan Rendang.....
Dear all,
i'm writing this on the night of Raya. It's usually the night where our phone lines are all jammed up because almost every single muslim in Malaysia, yang puasa ke tak, sends all these text message of wishes.
So, to not contribute to that jammed up network, I would like to bid to everyone with a typical ucapan from URTV
Saya, Mohd Irfan Mahmud ingin mengucapkan Slamat Hari Raya dan Ribuan Maaf Zahir & Batin. Bila makan ketupat rendang tuh, ingat2 la saya, kalau memandu tuh, kalau ngantuk, berhenti la ek! kehkehkehkeh.
I hope that sounds perfectly spot on. i only dont have the typical picture with baju melayu beside the pokok bunga.
have a great raya guys. muslim or not, malay or not, it's a time to celebrate. Selamat Hari Raya again, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.
Dear all,
i'm writing this on the night of Raya. It's usually the night where our phone lines are all jammed up because almost every single muslim in Malaysia, yang puasa ke tak, sends all these text message of wishes.
So, to not contribute to that jammed up network, I would like to bid to everyone with a typical ucapan from URTV
Saya, Mohd Irfan Mahmud ingin mengucapkan Slamat Hari Raya dan Ribuan Maaf Zahir & Batin. Bila makan ketupat rendang tuh, ingat2 la saya, kalau memandu tuh, kalau ngantuk, berhenti la ek! kehkehkehkeh.
I hope that sounds perfectly spot on. i only dont have the typical picture with baju melayu beside the pokok bunga.
have a great raya guys. muslim or not, malay or not, it's a time to celebrate. Selamat Hari Raya again, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Holiday....
What an update of the zombie huh? anyway, i'm back in my lovely hometown of which I will always love no matter where i am... Kota Kinabalu.
So many things have been going on these days in this world from the United States major economy drop, current world market for fuel dropping, to the very volatile political state of our own country.
Honestly, I would so love to blog about all these especially on our own country, but to be honest my knowledge of our country's politics, especially our own country's historical political journey is very minute compared to others like Rocky's Bru, Marina Mahathir, Jebat Must Die, KickdeFella, etc etc. I've learned from my point of view, a very wise man, that it is best you learn more about our country's political history and her journey and just scream out 'Reformasi'. it's so much deeper than that. My only advice to my readers are, do research, learn about our history, and keep yourself updated on news from blogs, online news, both on the government and opposition side and do not ever make judgment if you are engulfed in anger.
plus, to blog about it will spoil my holiday raya mood... so i'll blog about more of a Raya thing....
Soul searching again....
So far, every year I've made a point during Ramadhan since i started working to do as much donation as I can and tell people about it not to brag but in hope that it will affect others to do the same for the needy and remind themselves how lucky they are, to have what they have during breaking fast, to know they have new clean clothes on their back and to know that they have someone who loves and care for them.
This Ramadhan was probably one of the most emotional time I've felt in my soul. With the help of my beloved mom who works for Baitulmal, she helped me distribute the donations through some of their own events. This year the money I collected among three people including myself was split into two. half to be given to 22 kids among the orphans and fakir miskin, the other half given to a group of island villagers of Pulau Gaya categorized as fakir miskin mostly elderly.
The first half, the kids, I've been to school a school that, honest to say probably the second poorest school i've seen in my life, even compared to the one in Tatau in Sarawak. I was told however, the condition it is now is far better than what it used to be where the students' tables were only plywood, and one of the classes once had only ground dirt as the floor.
the little girl who's being taken care by her sister while her other sibling has been given away....
one of the 3 yatim piatu (has no parents at all) and now living with the grandfather
The old school....
the new school....
A teacher introduced all the kids one by one as they came over to me to receive their gifts handed out. The first one... the first child... almost dropped me down to my knees and cry my eyes out with all the snots. It was only a very little girl, i think around 7-8 yrs old. an orphan without both parents, and currently being taken care of by her own elder sister, of whom i was told had to quit school. they actually have a younger sibling, but they had to give the sibling away as the sister could not afford to take care of more kids. the teacher... while explaining this, was already crying. it was so difficult to hold in my cool as some of the mothers attending were also crying their eyes out.
most of the kids were fatherless child where the fathers left them. and most of them come to school using a boat from a nearby island. during low tide, they had to help the boatmen to push the boats across and come to school dirty, but that's considered lucky. sometimes they couldnt even come to school. and i started question myself, for not being thankful at times going to school or work feeling bored in car with the radio volume at the max while these kids had to go on a chartered sampan. and believe me, i think i'm not the only person who think so. sometimes we throw away unfinished food after dinner when in actuality, you can pack it up nicely and place it in the oven or microwave the next day, sometimes even 2 days after. and yet we overlook this sometimes.
my friends, take your time to ponder of the things you do, the doorgifts you get at work or events, things you buy just for fun and couldnt even care less of, and compare it to these children, to these people. see that you are far better off compared to them. dont be too choosy of what you eat and what you wear. go out there and do this yourself, to an orphanage, to an old folks home and sit with them, learn more about them and look back to what you have.
Well the next day I went to Pulau Gaya. For most of you who dont know, Pulau Gaya is right off the coast of Kota Kinabalu probably about 10 minutes away from the port. Pulau Gaya has always been perceived by the locals as the island of immigrants, the Sicily for filipino immigrants, the Macau for filipino gangsters. It is the biggest island of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Island parks in KK and yet one of the least commercialized for tourism. and im willing to bet, about 90% of the KK locals here has never ever visited Pulau Gaya.
this is the Immigrant side...
What most people also dont know about the Island is, it actually is also a residence for real locals of the Bajau ethnic group since the British colonization. Currently it has roughly 500 local villagers staying on the island. there's 2 mosques on the island and one primary school and one secondary school. and almost all these houses, including the mosques and the schools, are on water. now... how cool is that?
my initial thoughts of the village was that it would be dirty, and turns out the only dirty part of the island is the immigrant area while the locals and the school areas is pristine. yes there is some clutter here and there, but i think that's from when people were still unaware of cleanliness back then. now they even have nettings that trap the trash before it goes to shore. cool huh? and again, honestly, the school is probably one of the most beautiful school i've ever seen in Malaysia, period. like, it's a school surrounded by ocean!! who wont think it's cool??? the goverment has helped the schools to also look like a resort! yeps... at that time in my mind, damn it would be so cool to go to school here. only thing is i realized the kids could not skip class... as they're surrounded by the ocean and to silently get out of school is get a boat. yeps.
These are the schools... on water!!
the local village... see the contrast between the immigrants side?
Well, part of the donation was distributed to the villagers here who have been categorized as fakir miskin. regardless how poor these people are, most of them were always smiling, and even though age has caught up with them, they still managed to walk stalwartly, shake my hand, and carry that huge sack of rice. and we complain with the fact that we have all the facilities within short driving range. these people has to look for someone to hitch a boat ride to even go to the bank or watch a movie... and they're not even complaining.
These are the local villagers of Pulau Gaya....
it warms me up and lifted me a bit to see this and i hope, this short stories and pictures will give you a thousand words and create a spark within you... to always be thankful, and fortunate of what you have, and with what you have, also help those who in need, for their prayers that go to you would be one of the most 'makbul' ones.
Finally, I would like to thank Yusland Radin and Dayana Aishah for all your contribution as well to help our muslim brothers and sisters in need in this month of Ramadhan. On behalf of them, thank you so much.
well then... it's the night of the 27th Ramadhan everyone... dont forget to do your late night prayers guys!
and for the non muslims, have a great weekend!!
I'm gonna try my best to post one before the night of Syawal and wish everyone a great Aidilfitri but in the mean time, kalau sibuk sangat...
I would like to wish everyone a very Selamat Hari Raya and a Happy Holidays to all muslims and non muslims. and to everyone regardless religion, age, race, i would like to sincerely apologize for anything that i might have done to make you uncomfortable or maybe even hurt you. I sincerely apologize to everyone. for my mistake, comes from my own carelessness and the good things I do comes from Him and His blessing.
Slamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Happy Eid Mubarak!!!
What an update of the zombie huh? anyway, i'm back in my lovely hometown of which I will always love no matter where i am... Kota Kinabalu.
So many things have been going on these days in this world from the United States major economy drop, current world market for fuel dropping, to the very volatile political state of our own country.
Honestly, I would so love to blog about all these especially on our own country, but to be honest my knowledge of our country's politics, especially our own country's historical political journey is very minute compared to others like Rocky's Bru, Marina Mahathir, Jebat Must Die, KickdeFella, etc etc. I've learned from my point of view, a very wise man, that it is best you learn more about our country's political history and her journey and just scream out 'Reformasi'. it's so much deeper than that. My only advice to my readers are, do research, learn about our history, and keep yourself updated on news from blogs, online news, both on the government and opposition side and do not ever make judgment if you are engulfed in anger.
plus, to blog about it will spoil my holiday raya mood... so i'll blog about more of a Raya thing....
Soul searching again....
So far, every year I've made a point during Ramadhan since i started working to do as much donation as I can and tell people about it not to brag but in hope that it will affect others to do the same for the needy and remind themselves how lucky they are, to have what they have during breaking fast, to know they have new clean clothes on their back and to know that they have someone who loves and care for them.
This Ramadhan was probably one of the most emotional time I've felt in my soul. With the help of my beloved mom who works for Baitulmal, she helped me distribute the donations through some of their own events. This year the money I collected among three people including myself was split into two. half to be given to 22 kids among the orphans and fakir miskin, the other half given to a group of island villagers of Pulau Gaya categorized as fakir miskin mostly elderly.
The first half, the kids, I've been to school a school that, honest to say probably the second poorest school i've seen in my life, even compared to the one in Tatau in Sarawak. I was told however, the condition it is now is far better than what it used to be where the students' tables were only plywood, and one of the classes once had only ground dirt as the floor.
the little girl who's being taken care by her sister while her other sibling has been given away....
one of the 3 yatim piatu (has no parents at all) and now living with the grandfather
The old school....
the new school....
A teacher introduced all the kids one by one as they came over to me to receive their gifts handed out. The first one... the first child... almost dropped me down to my knees and cry my eyes out with all the snots. It was only a very little girl, i think around 7-8 yrs old. an orphan without both parents, and currently being taken care of by her own elder sister, of whom i was told had to quit school. they actually have a younger sibling, but they had to give the sibling away as the sister could not afford to take care of more kids. the teacher... while explaining this, was already crying. it was so difficult to hold in my cool as some of the mothers attending were also crying their eyes out.
most of the kids were fatherless child where the fathers left them. and most of them come to school using a boat from a nearby island. during low tide, they had to help the boatmen to push the boats across and come to school dirty, but that's considered lucky. sometimes they couldnt even come to school. and i started question myself, for not being thankful at times going to school or work feeling bored in car with the radio volume at the max while these kids had to go on a chartered sampan. and believe me, i think i'm not the only person who think so. sometimes we throw away unfinished food after dinner when in actuality, you can pack it up nicely and place it in the oven or microwave the next day, sometimes even 2 days after. and yet we overlook this sometimes.
my friends, take your time to ponder of the things you do, the doorgifts you get at work or events, things you buy just for fun and couldnt even care less of, and compare it to these children, to these people. see that you are far better off compared to them. dont be too choosy of what you eat and what you wear. go out there and do this yourself, to an orphanage, to an old folks home and sit with them, learn more about them and look back to what you have.
Well the next day I went to Pulau Gaya. For most of you who dont know, Pulau Gaya is right off the coast of Kota Kinabalu probably about 10 minutes away from the port. Pulau Gaya has always been perceived by the locals as the island of immigrants, the Sicily for filipino immigrants, the Macau for filipino gangsters. It is the biggest island of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Island parks in KK and yet one of the least commercialized for tourism. and im willing to bet, about 90% of the KK locals here has never ever visited Pulau Gaya.
this is the Immigrant side...
What most people also dont know about the Island is, it actually is also a residence for real locals of the Bajau ethnic group since the British colonization. Currently it has roughly 500 local villagers staying on the island. there's 2 mosques on the island and one primary school and one secondary school. and almost all these houses, including the mosques and the schools, are on water. now... how cool is that?
my initial thoughts of the village was that it would be dirty, and turns out the only dirty part of the island is the immigrant area while the locals and the school areas is pristine. yes there is some clutter here and there, but i think that's from when people were still unaware of cleanliness back then. now they even have nettings that trap the trash before it goes to shore. cool huh? and again, honestly, the school is probably one of the most beautiful school i've ever seen in Malaysia, period. like, it's a school surrounded by ocean!! who wont think it's cool??? the goverment has helped the schools to also look like a resort! yeps... at that time in my mind, damn it would be so cool to go to school here. only thing is i realized the kids could not skip class... as they're surrounded by the ocean and to silently get out of school is get a boat. yeps.
These are the schools... on water!!
the local village... see the contrast between the immigrants side?
Well, part of the donation was distributed to the villagers here who have been categorized as fakir miskin. regardless how poor these people are, most of them were always smiling, and even though age has caught up with them, they still managed to walk stalwartly, shake my hand, and carry that huge sack of rice. and we complain with the fact that we have all the facilities within short driving range. these people has to look for someone to hitch a boat ride to even go to the bank or watch a movie... and they're not even complaining.
These are the local villagers of Pulau Gaya....
it warms me up and lifted me a bit to see this and i hope, this short stories and pictures will give you a thousand words and create a spark within you... to always be thankful, and fortunate of what you have, and with what you have, also help those who in need, for their prayers that go to you would be one of the most 'makbul' ones.
Finally, I would like to thank Yusland Radin and Dayana Aishah for all your contribution as well to help our muslim brothers and sisters in need in this month of Ramadhan. On behalf of them, thank you so much.
well then... it's the night of the 27th Ramadhan everyone... dont forget to do your late night prayers guys!
and for the non muslims, have a great weekend!!
I'm gonna try my best to post one before the night of Syawal and wish everyone a great Aidilfitri but in the mean time, kalau sibuk sangat...
I would like to wish everyone a very Selamat Hari Raya and a Happy Holidays to all muslims and non muslims. and to everyone regardless religion, age, race, i would like to sincerely apologize for anything that i might have done to make you uncomfortable or maybe even hurt you. I sincerely apologize to everyone. for my mistake, comes from my own carelessness and the good things I do comes from Him and His blessing.
Slamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Happy Eid Mubarak!!!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
locusts???.......
okay... i dont think i'm seeing things... BUT lately... honestly... i've been seeing a LOT of locusts here in Bintulu. it's not like there's a huge swarm of them coming in buzzing, eating the trees and crops and all the plants here. but honestly, weirdly... i have been seeing a number of them in so many places.
i remember one of God's wrath upon unbelievers and sinners was having locusts eat their crops and anything eatable by them. So it did got me thinking a bit. although there's no crops here in Bintulu, but there is an abundance of kelapa sawit... they might eat those. or heck, maybe even our clothes. scary seriously.
i hope it's just a coincidence.
How to defend yourself from a zombie attack....
okay... seriously... i bumped into this like SUPERCOOL website, and honestly i dont even care how dorky u might think i am coz i think you'd definitely think it's like super cool as well.
it's this website called HowStuffWorks, and everyday, when i surf that site, there's always like a super cool fact, like top 10 computer virus of all time (they taught me how does the Trojan Virus worked... HAH! bet most of you didnt know that!!snort), Top 10 scariest hotels of all time, and the coolest thing of all... i bumped into this one when i was about to sleep after sahur. yes people... sahur is important. one gulp is still good enough.
but anyway... about the website... i bumped into 'How Zombies Work'.
like seriously man... they know it kinda doesnt actually exist, but they researched it anyway!! now seriously... how awesome is that. i have a soft spot for zombies u know. always imagined what would it be like if there's like a zombie attack and you're like running away from a throng of them and you're like the only 20% people in that area who were still alive trying to figure out how to save mankind (my guess is definitely to procreate... A LOT).
a brief history summarized by Moi on zombies.
turns out guys, this zombie thing actually comes from Haiti. the word 'zombie' could've possibly been derived from the haitian word 'jumbie' meaning 'ghost' or nzambi from the congo word meaning 'spirit of the dead person'.
i actually think it might've been derived from a group of delinquents where one of them looks like a retard and coincidentally his name is zabie, or jomie or something, and his gang was having fun by saying 'duuuude... that stupid guy's pulling a zabie!!' of course in haitian slang which probably sounds so much cooler which created a tipping point that eventually created the word in the dictionary later on... hence... zombie. yeah... i think mine's more convincing. and yo... stop pulling a zabie while you're reading this... sheesh.
and well basically, the 'bokor' or the sorceress poison this individual until their reach a coma state like dead... u know, like Romeo & Juliet thing... where Juliet drinks that fake potion thing (another thought crossed my mind on this). yeah... and so when the person drinks that, they wake up in the grave only to be dugged out by the sorceress dude who in the end claim they brought them back to life so they have to devote their life to him. so yess... that the short summary of zombie history.
now, if in god's green earth, one day, there's really is a zombie attack, like the ones in the movies... what do you have to do? (the ones in italic are my own thoughts)
1. Don't panic. (yeah right, try having a horde of zombies, probably your own mom or kid trying to eat you up. try not panicking in that zone of mind)
2. Get away from the zombies. Most of the time, you can move faster than they can. (unless if the zombie version of the new Dawn of the Dead or 28 days later. if you're not fit... i consider you excess luggage man. so start working out!)
3. Gather food, water, an emergency radio, flashlights and weapons, and retreat to a secure location. (this is really important. radio to look for signs of life, flashlight to find out where you're pooping, weapons to crack open the can of food coz obviously, in these dire times... you cant find a can opener. i wonder how'd they do it on tv. there u go... one more on the list... a swiss knife!)
4. If possible, retreat to a shopping mall, general retail store or other location where you'll have easy access to food and supplies. (oh man... if i was a kid... this would be heaven. all the toys, the DVDs, man. well actually, if i was an adult too, that would still be pretty damn cool. can you imagine being stuck in something like Midvalley Megamall?? AWESOME!)
5. Stay away from densely populated areas, where the infestation is likely to be heaviest. (well i dont have to worry much then... Bintulu's probably a bit too lame for the zombies to live in)
6. Barricade all entrances and stay put at all costs. (dude.. have you even SEEN a zombie movie? they'd get through ANYWAY sooner or later!!)
7. Don't get surrounded or backed into a corner or other enclosed space. (at this point, just think of, being bitten by zombies is relative... it's not a virus, it's just evolution, and you're being proactive. that way, even if you're a zombie , you're probably zombie-CEO material)
8. Remember that anyone bitten or killed by a zombie will become a threat to you and your party. (i believe this man... u dont wanna see you're own little baby suddenly running around looking like a gremlin who ate after midnite... no sir you dont)
9. Wait patiently for rescue and make long-term preparations for your survival. (may i suggest burn all the dead or rip out their clothes to make a hug 'X' sign, or if you have more access something that reads 'Help I am a Survivor', or 'you come pick me up and i give you good lovin')
Of course... dont go into the common mistakes guys...
1. Sheltering in a vehicle to which you do not have the keys
2. Leaving blades, cudgels or other basic weapons out for zombies to find
3. Teaching zombies how to use firearms (this would be so funny)
4. Giving your only weapon to anyone who is hysterical (i suggest bring a zombie dvd movie with you as a surviving guide as well... it helps)
5. Retreating to a basement or cellar without taking supplies with you (OR a can opener!!)
6. Getting into an elevator in a building infested with zombies (go into the see through elevator, and some keroncong song pops out while you see them eating your bestfriend isnt exactly relaxing)
7. Letting personal feelings and arguments get in the way of survival (reality TV applies as well, maybe try form an alliance, and vote one person to be the scapegoat for you to run away if they get hysterical (refer to point no. 4))
See... there's something you probably dont know much about zombies before. HAH! who's the dork now!!!???
okay... i dont think i'm seeing things... BUT lately... honestly... i've been seeing a LOT of locusts here in Bintulu. it's not like there's a huge swarm of them coming in buzzing, eating the trees and crops and all the plants here. but honestly, weirdly... i have been seeing a number of them in so many places.
i remember one of God's wrath upon unbelievers and sinners was having locusts eat their crops and anything eatable by them. So it did got me thinking a bit. although there's no crops here in Bintulu, but there is an abundance of kelapa sawit... they might eat those. or heck, maybe even our clothes. scary seriously.
i hope it's just a coincidence.
How to defend yourself from a zombie attack....
okay... seriously... i bumped into this like SUPERCOOL website, and honestly i dont even care how dorky u might think i am coz i think you'd definitely think it's like super cool as well.
it's this website called HowStuffWorks, and everyday, when i surf that site, there's always like a super cool fact, like top 10 computer virus of all time (they taught me how does the Trojan Virus worked... HAH! bet most of you didnt know that!!snort), Top 10 scariest hotels of all time, and the coolest thing of all... i bumped into this one when i was about to sleep after sahur. yes people... sahur is important. one gulp is still good enough.
but anyway... about the website... i bumped into 'How Zombies Work'.
like seriously man... they know it kinda doesnt actually exist, but they researched it anyway!! now seriously... how awesome is that. i have a soft spot for zombies u know. always imagined what would it be like if there's like a zombie attack and you're like running away from a throng of them and you're like the only 20% people in that area who were still alive trying to figure out how to save mankind (my guess is definitely to procreate... A LOT).
a brief history summarized by Moi on zombies.
turns out guys, this zombie thing actually comes from Haiti. the word 'zombie' could've possibly been derived from the haitian word 'jumbie' meaning 'ghost' or nzambi from the congo word meaning 'spirit of the dead person'.
i actually think it might've been derived from a group of delinquents where one of them looks like a retard and coincidentally his name is zabie, or jomie or something, and his gang was having fun by saying 'duuuude... that stupid guy's pulling a zabie!!' of course in haitian slang which probably sounds so much cooler which created a tipping point that eventually created the word in the dictionary later on... hence... zombie. yeah... i think mine's more convincing. and yo... stop pulling a zabie while you're reading this... sheesh.
and well basically, the 'bokor' or the sorceress poison this individual until their reach a coma state like dead... u know, like Romeo & Juliet thing... where Juliet drinks that fake potion thing (another thought crossed my mind on this). yeah... and so when the person drinks that, they wake up in the grave only to be dugged out by the sorceress dude who in the end claim they brought them back to life so they have to devote their life to him. so yess... that the short summary of zombie history.
now, if in god's green earth, one day, there's really is a zombie attack, like the ones in the movies... what do you have to do? (the ones in italic are my own thoughts)
1. Don't panic. (yeah right, try having a horde of zombies, probably your own mom or kid trying to eat you up. try not panicking in that zone of mind)
2. Get away from the zombies. Most of the time, you can move faster than they can. (unless if the zombie version of the new Dawn of the Dead or 28 days later. if you're not fit... i consider you excess luggage man. so start working out!)
3. Gather food, water, an emergency radio, flashlights and weapons, and retreat to a secure location. (this is really important. radio to look for signs of life, flashlight to find out where you're pooping, weapons to crack open the can of food coz obviously, in these dire times... you cant find a can opener. i wonder how'd they do it on tv. there u go... one more on the list... a swiss knife!)
4. If possible, retreat to a shopping mall, general retail store or other location where you'll have easy access to food and supplies. (oh man... if i was a kid... this would be heaven. all the toys, the DVDs, man. well actually, if i was an adult too, that would still be pretty damn cool. can you imagine being stuck in something like Midvalley Megamall?? AWESOME!)
5. Stay away from densely populated areas, where the infestation is likely to be heaviest. (well i dont have to worry much then... Bintulu's probably a bit too lame for the zombies to live in)
6. Barricade all entrances and stay put at all costs. (dude.. have you even SEEN a zombie movie? they'd get through ANYWAY sooner or later!!)
7. Don't get surrounded or backed into a corner or other enclosed space. (at this point, just think of, being bitten by zombies is relative... it's not a virus, it's just evolution, and you're being proactive. that way, even if you're a zombie , you're probably zombie-CEO material)
8. Remember that anyone bitten or killed by a zombie will become a threat to you and your party. (i believe this man... u dont wanna see you're own little baby suddenly running around looking like a gremlin who ate after midnite... no sir you dont)
9. Wait patiently for rescue and make long-term preparations for your survival. (may i suggest burn all the dead or rip out their clothes to make a hug 'X' sign, or if you have more access something that reads 'Help I am a Survivor', or 'you come pick me up and i give you good lovin')
Of course... dont go into the common mistakes guys...
1. Sheltering in a vehicle to which you do not have the keys
2. Leaving blades, cudgels or other basic weapons out for zombies to find
3. Teaching zombies how to use firearms (this would be so funny)
4. Giving your only weapon to anyone who is hysterical (i suggest bring a zombie dvd movie with you as a surviving guide as well... it helps)
5. Retreating to a basement or cellar without taking supplies with you (OR a can opener!!)
6. Getting into an elevator in a building infested with zombies (go into the see through elevator, and some keroncong song pops out while you see them eating your bestfriend isnt exactly relaxing)
7. Letting personal feelings and arguments get in the way of survival (reality TV applies as well, maybe try form an alliance, and vote one person to be the scapegoat for you to run away if they get hysterical (refer to point no. 4))
See... there's something you probably dont know much about zombies before. HAH! who's the dork now!!!???
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