To be continued

If 2012 is a movie, this will be the time for credit roll. Actually there is a movie 2012, which I just watched  for the 100th time last night on RTM2. It's a decent movie IMO, elaborate CGI coupled with interesting storyline plus the deep themes such as sacrifice do make up for the silly idea of 2012 apocalypse itself. The movie ends with a pleasant closure, that's what I like the most.

Anyways, back to 2012, the year. It's been an unproductive year. Certainly not my favourite year. Many things were thought but very few were done. I achieved almost nothing, though a few good stuff did happen. Travel-wise, I've covered Singapore, Kota Kinabalu (to be revisited in 2013), and the backwater of Negeri Sembilan.

Around this time last year I made a promise to myself that I would change myself before I turned 20. I left the teen years 2 months back but I'm still my usual underachieving self. Heck I even failed to update this blog to match last year's record - 36 posts in 7 months. This year, 34 posts in 12 months.

Therefore I reluctantly wrapped that resolution for good, not that I've given up. I will start 2013 with a proper plan to achieve greatness (lol) by 21. That may include some trips I guess just to help me open up my mind. Perhaps a trip to the land down under? We'll see.

Thanks for the memories 2012, I'm not hesitant to leave you behind.

So 2013, here we go. I'll think of the year as the point of make or break for me. Here's to a year full of promises ahead.

Welcome 2013!

Tribute to Op Ed

I mentioned long ago about some good blogs that merit following. These are actually informative blogs that are in good hands of responsible and credible bloggers.

One of them was OpEd, addressed at remgold.blogspot.com.

The blog was run by a Mr. Reme who went by pseudonym remgold. A journalist himself, he frequently wrote about an array of issues ranging from his hobby notaphily to his op Ed on political issues.

Remgold also wrote just as good on technology, which was one of the reasons for me to take proper note on his blog.

A part from that, I also liked his writings about his hometown Singapore and his second home Malaysia too.

His style of writing, which was simple and unpretentious actually attracted me to closely follow his writing. Though a silent reader, once in a while I'd drop a few comments.

Unfortunately remgold seems to have called it quits. I don't know the reason, but Op Ed was left without updates until it finally became private some time ago. That was it. It is over.

The blog was closed once in 2010 I guess but was reopened. I'm not sure if bro remgold would do the same now, but I hope he does. I really like the blog. If you are reading this 'pork chic' rem, I hope you can resume ngobrol-ing soon. But if that's not possible, thank you for having shared your knowledge these past few years.

Of floods and friends

I watched in no shock the news on floods hitting the east coast states. So far Terengganu tolled the highest number of victims with 6000 people stranded in 92 evacuation centres across the state. Followed by Kelantan with 3000 victims and Pahang with a certain number. Do you count Pahang into east coast anyway?

I don't know about the other towns, but Kuala Terengganu wasn't showered today. The weather was damp and gloomy of course, but there were hardly rain drops. I think the clouds take a day off today unwrapping their gifts.

So we planned it good to have an outing today. Me and my mates from school went for a round of bowling. I wish I had a photo to show but I was faring well today, to think that I last played almost 3 years ago. The first few frames were mine to lead (my score was 23, but still) before a pal hit the first spare of the game, followed by a strike. Mine came a bit later, after another contender's.

Their spares and strikes kind of gave me a mental pressure you know partly because I can't predict to have mine coming, and because I don't even know how to throw for one, in fact I don't even know how to throw properly. That's weird thinking, but you should have seen me throw the ball in the first place!

Still, it was a nice outing. We went afterwards for some aliment of Terengganu's kitchen. I had a bowl of laksam followed by a plate of nasi minyak and a glass of tea. I convinced my friend, who hails from Selangor and attends a uni here to try laksam but I think all I did was mess with his taste buds. Well, he didn't mention his detestation of sambal belacan, nor did I think that the gravy was salty as he said it was. In the end I took his gravy and mixed it with mine while he ordered nasi minyak.  I guess we Terengganu folks have distinctive tongues that not only speak but also taste differently from the folks from the rest of the country.

It's 1:33 am and drizzling right now.

Another thing

I forgot to write about this.

The iPod touch replacement unit I got was working perfectly..until roughly a month after collection, it failed too.

Problem was it stopped recharging at 20 % battery level and as a result, it had to be put on life support all the time. On top of that, it had to be reset every now and then so that it could run iOS 6 without crashing horribly.

So for the second time, I brought my iPod touch to the Machines Service Centre with a new kind of problem to report.  Fortunately the replacement unit had 3 months warranty and it had 2 months away before due.

A week after that, I went to collect the new iPod touch and that's how I bought 1 iPod but they gave me 3.

Kudos to Machines and Apple for being pinpoint in services tho I hope I won't be visiting them again in near future, what more since their coffee maker was always unserviceable upon my visits.

The Mentalist

Since I'm still awaiting a replacement of my lappy, I had to kill my time returning to my old hobby watching TV. Once in a while, the good programs come along that can actually hold me on the couch without boredom. But that isn't often.

Anyways a housemate places his computer in the living room complete with a set of speakers, which make a good substitute to the TV. So what he watches, I watch too. Recently we started watching this TV series known as The Mentalist, which I shamely admit had not heard of before. It is a good series by my standards.

In this series, the main character Patrick Jane is a pro fraud who made a living being a psychic. After his family were murdered by a serial killer Red John who he dissed on a TV show, Jane denounced his old self and started helping the police with the ultimate goal of catching his family's slayer.

By the way Red John is an undisclosed character, his name is an alias, and he never shows his face on screen.

So to those familiar with the show, let me offer a theory, which is based on the pic below.

Patrick Jane is Red John. Because in the pic, he is shown with a bright and dark side. Note how he slightly leaned his face into the dark side, with Red John's signature bloody smiley in the same side at the background.

Makes sense? No, I don't believe it myself. But still, a nice interpretation of the picture no?

How I started the holiday on the wrong foot

I took advantage from AirAsia's promo deals last month to buy a ticket to Kuala Terengganu for the year-end break. So the early morning of 22/12, a friend and I took the 5.00 am shuttle bus from KL Sentral to LCCT, we arrived at LCCT at 6.00 am.

Suddenly my tummy grumbled which meant I had to get a tube of chi kit teck aun from a nearby kiosk. That, plus loitering around the terminal brought us to 6.30 am, which was 10 mins to departure and is usually more than enough to get us thru screening to the gate.

Unfortunately we undermined an earlier email from airasia about the crowd at the airport during holiday seasons, apparently because they didn't mention about it being huge and I was being my usual laid back self. Thus we were stuck in a mile long of queues.

Things got worse with a pack of ignorant travelers ahead in my queue who were in infinite loop with the scanner. Their bags were being scanned and re-scanned for countless times giving us at the back eternity of waiting. What irked me is the aviation security personnel didn't care to inform those people about what can and cannot go thru the screening. 5 minutes past boarding time, I was holding my anger while my friend in the other line was running from the security post to the gate. I could swear I was gripping my punch so hard I trembled. 3 minutes later, I finally made it thru the post and had to run to the closed gate, which of course was stupid. With me were 2 ladies who did all the talking and persuading with the gate personnel to allow us to board, which of course were to no avail. The personnel were unprofessional, taking in low voice and seemed clueless about what to do with such situation. After it was certain I've certainly missed the flight, I simply walked away thru the security post again, tried to find those who screwed me up earlier, and discreetly flipped a finger.

In the end, I hitched a ride with my friend who was already on the way to Terengganu.
And that's how I started the holiday on the wrong foot.

AFK

Like an introductory paragraph, a post title always gives a hard time to think of.

Anyways, I'm home. Perhaps the last before the chritsmas and new year break, but can't really guarantee that since my bedroom was refurnished with a new bed set with mattress at least a few inches higher than the one at my apartment. MH 1338 on 23/11 was delayed by almost an hour. Probably something to do with technical probs not unfamiliar with the old B734 (9M-MMJ). Flight was full to the brim, factored by the weekend and the haj pilgrims heading home. I forgot how terrible it was waiting for baggage at the carousel. Took me almost 30 mins yesterday.

And I'm parting ways with my laptop. This machine will be inherited to my sister. A year together and has been helpful in too many occasions. Its replacement is still being considered by I'm seriously thinking of a tablet just to have a change of wind (directly translated from a Malay idiom).

So hours from now I'll be away from keyboard for at least a month. January would be a month of shopping I guess with a possible iPad and a camera (i'm no hipster, just an aircraft spotter) at the top of the list, plus a trip to Bandung. God help me to hold my wallet tight close away from unnecessary spending until then.

Signing off.

The departed

A year use of laptop has made me realise a few things.

First, laptops aren't that portable. Decades ago people thought that ATUR was portable, the bulky phone wired to an even bulkier base, yeah that was convenient. People thought the same of the early Olivetti laptops. Portable in the sense that you can carry them anywhere. And as mobile phones got reduced to thin, relatively small bars of metals, the PCs also went from screen, keyboards, mice, and CPUs to simple touchable screens we know as tablets yet more powerful. Anything bigger or thicker than that doesn't get to be called portable, mobile anymore.

Second, laptops almost can't be upgraded to fit the time. If you bought a laptop in 2011 you can't beef it up to be of 2012 specs. You can try but it may be as good as buying a new whole set. I stocked in a 4GB RAM few months back in hope that a 6GB RAM would allow me to run NFS The Run without lags or crashes...but to no avail.

I can't upgrade the graphics or even the processor because it's a laptop. This is the major drawback.

I used to play PlayStation (1 and 2) and consoles are usually designed to be 'new' for at least a few years. We got to play the latest and the best along that period, which was good enough compared to buying a laptop that would outdate a week after your purchase.

Third, better get a desktop. They're upgradeable, more customisable, you can't bring them anywhere but who plays games anywhere? Some snobs or some hardcore geeks perhaps and the latter may be forgivable.

Fourth, might as well get a console. My PS2 has gone kaput since I got into boarding school and despite a MYR150 fix, it went back kaput in matter of weeks. Totally a waste of money, perhaps the biggest before the Nokia 5800 purchase came along in 2010. Anyways, I haven't got the PS3 upgrade because, I don't know, I got so confused since the past 2 years. So PS3 might sound good but then again, people buy consoles because they could last a few years, and PS3 has been around for a few years. Rumour is Sony is already in labour pains and the PlayStation family will grow anytime soon with the birth of PS4.

Fifth, might also get a tablet. Let's see how my habit would change if I replace my lappy with an iPad (screw you Samsung, you copied others I'd never support an arrogant copycat).

Browsing Internet won't change. Reading books won't change. Playing games won't change. 

Watching movies, err. Listening music, hmm.

The last two might be quite hard thanks to iTunes sync, and I need a proper PC to run iTunes, and since I will have ditched my lappy, I'll either ask my pals to let their PCs be surrogates to my iTunes or sync once a month only when I get home. This has been in my mind since my mom called and asked me to bring the laptop along when I come home next weekend because my sis urgently needs one now for her final matriculation semester and I would get a replacement in the new year. 

October round-up

1. Two re-exams. One passed and one pending results.

2. The iTouch failed just days before the warranty was due. Problem was it couldn't sync and charge when connected to the PC. At first I was gonna just let it be since it did sometimes work like usual. But then I decided that was foolish. So brought it down to Machines Service Centre in Mid Valley and boy the iPod almost had its last laugh on me when it worked just fine when tested by the serviceman. Luckily a few attempts later the problem showed up. And that's how I got a replacement unit from Apple.

3. Machines Svc Centre is very neat and nice, like the service. But they have to keep an eye on the coffee machine, the ingredients ran out both times I went there.

Both are today's events (24 Oct MYT) :

4. It's my birthday!

5. Apple iPad mini and iPad with Retina display. iPad mini appeals more to me since it's more portable and the cellular version 16 GB is cheaper than the wifi only 16GB iPad with Retina display - very dull name, by the way.

6. I hope this year's Eid Adha will be more meatish than the yesteryear's.

iPhone 5

It would take someone a few thousands of miles away from people to not know that Apple has unveiled its 6th iPhone.

Let me say something about the iPhone as an amateur observer of mobile tech.

First of all, I like the design. Sure it doesn't depart much from the previous iPhones 4 and 4S, but hell don't fix the unbroken. Furthermore I've had in my palms the iPhone's archrival the Galaxy S3 for quite some time and personally I think it's a tad too big for me. No way I could use the Samsung with a hand. Though I haven't held iPhone 5 yet, since it just got longer, than nothing much different from the 4S. And the quality, well, it's Apple, enough said.

Second, I like the display. Retina display. Much better than again, the S3. The S3 still looks a bit grainy from a comfortable distance. Even the iTouch bests S3 in this aspect IMO.

Third, the other stuff that are absent from the iPhone which I resent. No NFC, no wireless charging, no excessive camera features, no openness in sharing, and no Google Maps (the Apple Maps is shitty). Seriously while they do make a better phone, have the folks at Cupertino not heard of the S3 or even for that sake, Nokia Lumia 920?

I agree that Apple wants to stay simple while optimising every function it packs into the iPhone, but it won't hurt to up the game a little on fancy stuff. Nokia's 920 has got wireless charging, while we're still not sure that will actually work and if it does, will it do good, they've got people holding their cards from flying on the counters in Apple Stores. Not to mention the S3 which is currently the best smartphone I've ever tried.

But if Apple wants to make up to the missed stuff, let me suggest something. Openness. Let people choose their ringtones and alerts from Music, cut open a slot for SDcard, enable sharing via Bluetooth, and to top all that, cheaper accessories, especially since Apple has replaced the 30-pin connector with the new Lightning connector. USD29 for the adapter? What a rip-off.

On a side note, I still like Apple over the other brands, because of the experience, which is the only area Apple is in the lead.

September's first

OK, first of all, I didn't have enough with The Dark Knight Rises. I watched it again a few days after the opening with my friends, who later asked me to watch it again which was the third for me. Waste of money if the movie hasn't been so awesome.

Now about the recent Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Aidilfitri became duller by year. This year was perhaps the worst one I had so far. I've had many  uneventful rayas like in 2004 when the heavy rain trapped us family in the village forcing us to extend the stay, with wet attire for the whole day. But it was fun. I had fun. We had much time to chat and enjoy the delicacies, sometimes while watching funny TV shows (yes, I see no wrong in keeping the TV on with guests around) and the kids playing around enjoying the raya like they should, while living up the raya mood.

But this year, everybody wanted to catch up with time as if there was no tomorrow. Everybody wanted to move fast to avoid the jams. Everybody didn't want to enjoy the many delicious foods for fear of fats. What the heck? This is raya, a once-a-year occasion. Enjoy yourselves, if you want to let loose, this is the time. I am still upset by the fact of how many hours spent on un-busy roads instead of visiting people and how few open houses I went to compared to the previous years.

 I think we forget what raya is all about; having joy and fun.

MH1335

Finally I got to get into the Boeing Sky Interior. The aircraft was 9M-MLO, which is unconventional to be given such registration since MAS' BSI 738s are designated with the 9M-MX- series registrarion. But then, this isn't MAS' aircraft. ML- series 738s belong to BBAM, a leasing co. Apparently, 9M-ML-M,N,O,P,Q and R will be fitted with BSI.

The Sky Interior is really good. It's comfortable, at least on row 5, that is known to have generous legroom. The seats are covered in leather and are very plush, perhaps because the aircraft is indeed new to the fleet, aging less than 2 months. The lights are a nice feat too, they dim to blue during take-off and landing, and lighten up to yellow/orange during level flight. It's somehow soothing. Didn't bother the IFE since they didn't even provide the headset, and my unit was faulty anyway. It kept crashing whenever I chose the menu. Maybe the system just isn't meant to work on short-haul flights, I don't know. I looked like an idiot pressing the touch screen hardly to see some visual. It just restarted and wouldn't let me navigate past the menu tray.

Overall it was a comfortable flight. Plus, I think it's worth the ticket price compared to a flight with the Red Side.

MH1336

I've been travelling home with MAS more nowadays out of my support for the national carrier. *scoffs. Besides, I'm collecting Enrich miles now, especially since they've been holding promotions for miles giveaways. So far, I've accumulated enough points to redeem a free ticket to a domestic or regional flight. Not bad for a very infrequent flyer.

Anyway, I've always hoped to try one of MAS' MX- series 738s, which feature Boeing Sky Interior. It's a lot better than the cabin found on ML- and FF- series 738s, not to mention the aging 734s.

Unfortunately, I have to continue trying. For the last couple of months, I never got into the MX-, which is a source of my frustration.

And if you ask me between MAS and FireFly on domestic, I'd unhesitatingly choose the latter; more convenient. Reason being? Better refreshments. While MAS serves salted peanuts and guava/orange juice, FireFly offers muffins,or cakes, or tarts with the juice. No big deal with the cabin crew service, on a short-haul route, you won't even notice the difference between airlines.

Ramadhan 1433

Just finished performing tarawih. Unlike yesteryear when we had to walk half a kilometre to the nearest mosque, this year we only have to step down a few stairs to the apartment's musalla. The apartment management has devised its own Ramadhan program this year and invite us over for the breaking fast and tarawih.

Tonight, the apartment owner, who made the initiatives, was present at the prayers after coming back from Makkah. In his robe, he came forward and spoke of a few words on livening the musalla even outside tarawih and Ramadhan. But that's not the point. The point is, when I saw he stood up and took the mic, it reminded me of Ustaz K, the school's surau, the tarawih in the surau, and the breaking fast at the Dewan Makan, everything about Ramadhan, school version.

Suddenly I realised, that no matter how low-profile (ha ha) I think I was in school, I still am a part of it, and proud of the fact. That no matter how bummy I was in school, I did have moments there, that I deeply miss. And that no matter how alone I thought I was, I always had the luxury of friends, who I'm always fond of.

Funny how a post about Ramadhan ends up of me missing the school, again.

The Dark Knight Rises

Being a big fan of the Batman franchise, I couldn't help myself but to book a ticket for The Dark Knight Rises weeks before it opened on July 19th. Of course, if not because of the classes, I would book a ticket to see the flick on its first screening, which was on 1100 hours at GSC Paradigm Mall.

So how was it?

The epicness and grandiose have no limits. I admit the plot is quite common especially towards the end, but Chris Nolan did a great job weaving it to a point that I was so engrossed in the scenes and couldn't care to think of what's next.

Anyway, I'm not going to review the movie, and since writing further will spoil it for those who haven't had a chance to the cinema, let me finish it here.

"The legend ends."

Bad days

Things aren't really going in my way nowadays. Almost everyday I wake up to live another boring and a bit (currently) frustrating life.

And almost every night I feel not like sleeping just to see if the day can get any good at the end, which never does happen.

It's a vicious cycle. I'm not saying I've given up, though I kind of a few months back, costing me two F results in hand. By giving up I mean in studies. Not because it's hard, not at all, considering my line of engineering requires no actual critical thinking. But I just found it boring, so I kind of stopped taking in. Instead, I spent time on movies and TV series (Family Guy fan here). Furthermore, I don't want to be a tool, or a human wiki. You know, people who you can ask stuff or make use of. Who are married to their laptops and books.

Thing is, I feel underachieving. In fact, I feel deprived of stuff to do. I live a day no different than the other. Wake up, go to class, do some social, eat, sleep, eat, a bit of listening to the increasingly boring lectures, go home, get online, eat, and sleep. Sadly and unfortunately, the weekends are no different. I can assure you there's not any thrill in between.

I've often said I want to change my life before I hit the 20s. Apparently, very little progress, if any, I've made since I last said I want to become awesome.

I don't know what's wrong. Perhaps I think and worry too much.

Clarification

I was looking for something about my school when I stumbled across this blog post.

"..sejarahnya cam nie, dulu tahun 1992(xsilap) skola nie da mule da dibina dan pas siap akan dinamakan Sekolah Menengah Sains Alam Shah, which mean skola laki je, then disebabkan kontraktor yg sering bertukar, skola nie akhirnya disiapkan pd tahun 2000. mse nie name skola turut bertukar sebab name yg asal telah diambil oleh skola yg len di tgh KL which is.....
SM Sains Alam Shah (ASIS)... then terpaksa lah skola aq jadik SM Sains Hulu Selangor." 

I doubt this. First of all, in the official accounts, ASiS was established following the vacancy on the Sekolah Alam Shah's campus in Cheras, after SAS moved to Putrajaya and had its name changed to Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah. That was in 2003, three years after Semashur construction completed. So by the time Semashur opened its gates, the name 'SM Sains Alam Shah' was still available, but the school wasn't named so, probably because it was never meant to be.

Second, why would the education ministry build another Alam Shah down in Hulu Selangor, a boys' school, when they already had one in Cheras? That would be redundant. The same can be said about ASiS; that was at first questioned of its relevance to exist while there's another school almost identical operating in Putrajaya. But, as it appeared to be, ASiS was an answer to the ministry's contemplation on what to do with the still serviceable buildings once housing SAS.


For the record, there are three schools which bear the name of Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah; ASiS, SAS and Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (KISAS), in Klang.

Anyway if anyone is in a better know, do share.

Wordless Wednesday

Gold, silver glitter as world economy dims

Go and read the news. The world economy is going down a bumpy road now. Eurozone crisis takes turn for the worse, India and China are facing slowdown. Reports also mention that the prices for two precious metals; gold and silver; have increased around 3%.

Darn. I think those people are right, should start getting into gold. 

Pelangi hujan

Akar nibong meresap,
Akar mati dalam perahu,
Terbakar kampung kelihatan asap,
Terbakar hati siapa yang tahu.


-Anwar Ibrahim, 1997.

p/s : people call him many things, but one that Anwar surely be is a fine toastmaster.

House

A report I read recently said that by 2020 (that's only 8 years away), a Malaysian will have to garner RM12k monthly to own a house. Bloody hell. I'm in prospect for a job at 2015 (the soonest), and by that time me still a freshie can only rake up the max maybe RM6k a month. But that is of course all work and no play plus a little bit of moonlighting.

Then I did some more research. And God, a single storey terrace in Kelana Jaya cost RM400+k! I currently live around the vicinity so I can say I know the house's condition well and from the looks of it, I thought it just cost RM100+k the most.

Suddenly there's wise in my plan of serving in rural areas. Low cost of living, less urban problems, and closer to mother nature. Where living a healthy lifestyle doesn't cost you a fortune.

It's gonna be tough but then life is a struggle, quoting a tuition Cikgu from my school days.

1.0041 years

The idea for me to blog came when I was lazing around jobless waiting for my SPM results. At first, I was just going with the flow of having a "place to express ourselves" (it's silly and stupid).

Then while patching up stuff for my first blog, I stumbled across a few bloggers which have generated incomes from merely blogging. Thinking that my parents were quite reluctant for me to get a job, I figured that I might get some cash from blogging as well.

That was when I read a lot about blogging and stuff. Getting to know nuffnang, advertlets, innity, traffic, pinging, SEO, etc. Got to know many interesting blogs too ie obefiend, kujie, tehtarikgelasbesar, noktahhitam.

Long story cut short, it didn't work out. I'm not quite sure why, but I thought it was me refusing to become attention whores begging people to click the ads. If you're one of them who keep asking your readers to click on the many ads on your fancy, colourful with auto-play blogs, quit it please.

Anyways, it's good that I could keep this blog this long. I've had a few blogs before but somehow at a point, I ran out of gas and just thought it's better to delete the blog before someone I know found it and laughed at my silly posts.

I don't write for traffic. I know I couldn't write well so I just keep this blog to myself. But if by any chance someone does read this, thank you. At least this poor blog gets a visitor or two once in a blue moon.

And here's for perhaps another good few years ahead. Cheers!

Test

This is a test post.

Hari-hari MAS

One of my instructors once recalled the events prior to the Malaya-Singapore Airways (MSA) tear up into MAS and SIA. He told us that then Deputy PM Tun Ismail was the one who met with some of MSA staff in Singapore to talk about the idea of having a national airline for Malaysia. That was around mid 1972. Tun Ismail briefed and poached these future 'co-founders' of MAS. My instructor went into details about the story, including the piece about the masquerade they put up to keep things below MSA's radar. Tun Ismail used his powers to immediately issue them Malaysian citizenship. If you care to read the news, applying for a Malaysian citizenship is an ordeal to many. Just some years back I read about an elderly foreigner who was awarded citizenship just days before he/she died!

Anyway, in my instructors' accounts, they mass-resigned from MSA and moved to KL in June 1972. They helped set up the airline, from scratch until it's ready to soar the skies on October 1972. Tun Ismail himself launched MAS. Qantas was also involved in the set up (the ties continue, today they help sponsor MAS to join oneworld). This instructor said that MAS had its most glorious days when Tan Sri Abd Aziz was MD. Once, Tan Sri Aziz wanted to visit one of the hangars. Of course, the managers didn't want to look bad they ordered the hangars to be cleaned. So when the MD came down, he noticed that the floor was shiny wet. Instead of complimenting, he was angered. "So if I never came here to visit, you would never clean the mess, is it?". He then said that he would come back later, this time without prior notice. Say, with an MD that dedicated, which company would have problem? Never in those years the company skipped bonus.

Nevertheless, many of them earliest staff took good care of MAS. "We were nothing, we were bullied (by the older, bigger airlines), but we went through". To an extent, they might have regarded MAS as their own child. They watched it grew. From Fokker 27 to Boeing 777. From Hangar 01 to Hangar 06. From Subang to Sepang. From striking red wau logo to the blue and red one.

Now that their child is sick and ill, wonder what do they feel?

Wordless Saturday

Offload

Sold my underused Nokia 5800. Don't know it it's worth the sale, but at least I stood firm on the price.

Furthermore, I got the idea of how it's like selling stuff to people.

Anyway, my phone has served me for 2 years, yet I don't miss it. It's a fair phone and despite a technology relic of 4 years ago, it doesn't compare too bad with today's line-up of smartphones, hardware wise.

Thing is, I'm not much of a socialiser or a geek to make full use of the phone. On top of that, I hate Symbian OS. That's the thing that makes the phone obsolete despite its fair hardware offering. God, as I've been used with the smooth and seamless iOS, Symbian is such a slug!

You don't know the power of the..err, window shopping (?)

Went out to just accompany a friend who wanted to buy something.

"Yes, let's go out but no buying anything, money is left little already to last until the 30th."

Was somehow lured into Toys R Us.

Saw a rack of Star Wars stuff.

Ended up spending my 1-week food budget.

How did that even happen?

SPM

I took my SPM in 2009. It was dreadful. Thinking back I wonder how I managed to pull myself together going thru the mounting pressure. First there was the hectic rush for the forgotten facts and formulae, then the ambient tense building up. But what bothered me quite much was the black-out at my block on the last days the semester (which were a few days into SPM). Just something I didn't want to remember my final moments at school with.

Most of us boarders also skipped the Eid Adha holiday that year since it interfered with the exam schedule. Good God the school knew how to keep us sane. Cows were slaughtered and thus a large buffet spread. The only time the dining hall knew to cook good food instead of the usual gulag-approved dish I guess.

All boys and no girls did help I think, cause at least none of us broke down at the most challenging times (though I'm pretty sure every one of us did, but too man to show it out).

Awaiting the results, I knew I wouldn't perform brilliantly that I just took it calm. I did have a dream a few nights before the announcement though, that I would get it all right except for one. It was right. It was biology. Still, I picked up the results with only a tinge of thrill. Maybe it's because of the numerous pre-exam tests I took that I treated my SPM results in equal nonchalance.

Nevertheless we made way into the top 10 public schools that year, although far from our number one target and a lil bit dropping from the previous year.

So for the SPM dudes tomorrow is your day guys. You screwed it up, doesn't matter cos I'm sure you yourself know that smart people don't come from school. Though most of them do. And be yourself, scrap the dogma and indoctrination. I don't know if that crappy advice helps, but hey don't listen to me, listen to your intuition.

P/s : heard that DPM Muhyiddin is announcing the results at our school tomorrow, a bright hint that ASiS may have well overtaken SASER this year as the numero uno. If it's true, then I guess the 8 years of trying and failing has finally come to fruition. Let's just wait for tomorrow.

Update : 1. Nah, in fact the 2009 record remains unchallenged. Also, the grand ole schools, the likes of MCKK, STAR, SDAR, have pitched up quite fairly to the upper spots. Interesting.

2. Principal Idrus may disagree to the notion that we should aim for the top spot, since he said that the performance put up by us is far more important. Agree sir, and we should stop obsessing to the academic, but rather focusing more in other areas of character building.

Self delusion

Suddenly what I hold firm to is shaken to the roots.

Have you ever questioned everything? Think of the unthinkable? Because I do right now.

Who am I actually? Why am I here? What if I stop doing stuff I never miss?
How do I actually justify myself? When is this ending or is it perpetual? Where am I heading?

Funny how our mind navigates thru every thinkable space while our heart stagnates to the same ol belief.

iOS 5.1

What's with the camera shortcut? I think Apple better sticks with the old unlock swipe design. Now it's camera shortcut. Next they may cram in mail, then Fb, then Twitter shortcuts.

God forbid.

Somehow I've a bad hunch on this and the slow yet imminent possible departure from the 'minimalist' way Steve Jobs himself paved.

p/s : I'm eyeing an upgrade. I feel inferior with only iPod to toy with while others have iPhones and iPads.

p/s/s : I think my battery life improved quite significantly with iOS 5.1.

Long live the king

So tomorrow is a big day for Malaysians and The Reds among them.

This is a possible stepping stone for both Cardiff and Liverpool who have in common a long rich history in English football but apparently fail to perpetuate the past glory.

Just so you know, as a Malaysian, I love and commend the way Dato TG brand his club Cardiff. Seriously, not many people would emblazon the name of their country on their football team's jersey. What more if the FC is from a foreign country.

However as possible as it may be, that is because the club hasn't found a sponsor yet. "So instead of leaving the jersey plain blank, why don't we put up 'Malaysia' and garner instant support and publicity from my fellow countrymen?", said Dato' TG maybe.

Does it work on me? Well, I have to be honest. The owner may be Malaysian, but that doesn't change a fact that the club is not associated to me at all. I don't have a share, don't come from Cardiff, and honestly never gave a damn about the club. Heck, I don't know even a chap in the squad.

Hence makes me supporting the club hypocritical.

#YNWA.

Singapore Air Show

So I spent last weekend down south. In a small country perpetually frowned upon by my fellow Malaysians.

As it happened this country is also a marvel instance of the South East Asia. Singapore is a perfectionist nation. The moment I touched down at Changi, everything seemed to be at least twice as great as what's there in Malaysia.

The airport is awesome, fine architecture meets smart style. Except the viewing mall, it is as like it was built as an afterthought. Cannot really view the taxiing planes with the windows feet apart from the seating floor.

For sure, I think I paid good money for Singapore Air Show this year. SGD 21 (MYR52.11). Lots of goodies, and even those were the remainder of the lot already grabbed by visitors on the first day the event opened for public.

Smokey Bandits are awesome. They did a sterling job at Changi. If we are to take pride on something over Singapore's considerably mighty military, it is our skilful MiG 29N skippers.

Oh yes, bumped into Singapore's ex-PM Goh Chok Tong on the way out from the airshow. At first I thought it was President Tony Tan due to the white hairline, but a later research did enlighten.

Of course there should be a little snag too. I missed C-17 static display, B-52 Strato, Jackie Chan's new Embraer, Dreamliner (darn), and a chance to board Singapore Airlines' parked B747.

Too bad I didn't bring any camera. And in case there's question in where was my iPod in this time of need for pix and some documentation, it blacked out over a month ago. In fact, just came home from Machines. This little culprit is fine now but none can be said for the next months to come beyond its warranty.

It's so hard now

It's almost safe to say that I would blog only when I'm at home.

Came home penniless. My bank card went haywire the day I was leaving for home. Not fretting tho, since my card is due to be replaced anyway. Got it when I was a juvenile, so it's time to go adult.

Which reminds me of my plan of resetting my path of life before stepping into the realm of adulthood. Surely a lot easier said than done.

For the start, I think I should stop having the luxury of too many spare time. Gotta get rid of the excessive bedtime. Problem is, what to do then? It's going to be new hobbies, which I still don't have any idea on. Furthermore, they're going to cost some dime. More thinking. Tink tonk. :P

Talking about life's accomplishments, I thought of taking a pilot course. If I do, I'm taking a 90 deg turn. But of course, only when the chances are made available by MAS or any other airlines. Not going for AirAsia, what more private courses. It's not that I'm not happy or grateful with what I have now, but I don't want to be an old man, filled with regret..(LOL Inception mode)...waiting to die alone(?).

And by the way, saw 'Mohammad : The God Messenger' on TV Al-Hijrah last night. Though I never watched it, I instantly knew the movie at the sight of Anthony Quinn as Hamzah. This man is legendary. Played a lot of Muslim figures, but not a Muslim himself. Or was he? Nevertheless, he did pronounce the 'syahadat' when his character Omar Mukhtar was about to be hanged in 'The Lion of The Desert'.

It's maulud nabi. "Oh Allah, send your peace and blessings, to the final Prophet. And his family, and companions, and his followers."

ps : If you haven't watched Inception, please do. Then you can be equals with the intelligent. ha3

Enjoy the little things

After the unbecoming MH 1339 flight, I thought I'd never board Malaysia Airlines again, at least until I get my very own MAS ID, which means I get to buy tickets at a fraction of the actual price.

With the Chinese new year approaching, I didn't even think of going home, reason being I just had my year-end break and I'm already booked for a home trip on late February.

Until last minute, a call from the 'headquarters' came in. Yeah, so my parents were sponsoring me again. As I explained that I don't really need this break, and that bus tickets wouldn't be available anymore this late, and that even AirAsia tix would be darn expensive, again, MAS was the obvious choice.

MH 1336, in a rare occurence, was served by B737-800 (9M-FFA) today. From its reg number, we know that it was formerly in FireFly fleet, until MAS' lordship membered by among others Mr. AirAsia himself ominously chose to do away with FireFly jet operations.

From FlightAware.com

Nevertheless, aircraft is newer hence much better than the old B734. As usual, I managed to procure seat 5F, which by far is the best Economy seat on the plane other than 5A. Talk about vast legroom, and windows.

The economy class was filled to the brim I guess, but the business remained for the 1%.

And then as the plane was taxiing, came the surprise. For the first time in my real life, I saw an A380! Call me an aviation geek, but it was literally breathtaking. A6-EDJ, operated by Emirates was taxiing to the gate with my eyes stuck on it. I did mention before that I was a little bit frustrated to miss it the first time weeks ago. Well, my wait is over. I can peacefully quit my TAME training now. ha ha.

There's another thing. At 25000 feet, another beautiful sight; not one, but two rainbows. I always wondered how would it be to get up close with rainbows, well now, we were flying just over them! The childhood in me finally found peace.

You see, things don't need to be extravagant to impress us. As 'Tallahassee' said, enjoy the little things.

MH1339

After some contemplation, I decided to take a plane back to KL. Initially, of course I preferred bus for the sake of saving a bit since more travelling is on the line this year. Then my father started to jump in the think box and offered to comp the tix for me. Well, what else could I ask for?

He specifically wanted me to take the MAS' late noon flight. Not wanting to cut my holiday short even for a few hours, I took the last flight of the day. MH1339, scheduled to depart on 2105 hrs, January 3rd. Bad decision.

It's a love-hate relationship.

MH1339 that night was served by 9M-MMV and surprisingly, light loaded. Less than 20 pax. Perhaps just a little over 10 I guess. In the business cabin, only two persons checked in, Terengganu Education EXCO Mr Razif Abd Rahman and his friend.

Clad in the old B737 seat, I thought it was the virtue of the light load that the pax were served drinks pre-flight. Then I caught an ominous sight. The engineering crew, few of them, in the cockpit. Later the PIC made the dreaded announcement that I met with a few swear words, "(Intro)..(technical glitch yeah yeah)..we will inform you of the latest development in the next 30 minutes. Thank you". 30 minutes wait, not for take-off but latest announcement!

I spent the half an hour chatting with an elderly beside me. That night my mood despite being ruined, was good I managed to maintain my affability to strangers. Not long though, the pakcik from Johor fell asleep minutes before take-off. Yeah, finally a take-off at 2205 hrs.

My original plan was to take the airport coach to KL Sentral then catch the last LRT before picking up the last RapidKL bus of the day. That way I could save a lot of money rather than taking the RM64 per ride airport cab. Now I was off my own plan and the plan itself was scrapped for good.

Disembarked around 2300 hrs, further irritated for failing to spot the DXB-KUL Emirates A380 which was instead replaced by B777 that night. So much for a happy new year eh?

Really we plan, God decides. The black Waja airport cab was my ride. Again, I think I was so smooth in talking the driver and I had a chat throughout the ride.

Now I understand why people are so animus with delays.

#mas