Bullets

I couldn't hold on any longer so I pulled the trigger on that stuff I've been keeping an eye on for months already. It was my birthday and a birthday without a present, although late, isn't a birthday. It also doesn't matter that I pay for the present myself, I believe there is a concept called self-rewarding is it not?

I also tried to get the most accurate fuel consumption for the car I am driving, my mom's car, that is. I filled the tank full 2 days ago and started the trip meter. At 68.8km the electronic gauge came down one bar out of six. I had to wait until the trip meter reach 85.5 before I returned to the pump station and filled the tank to full again, it took 8.7 litres before the pump automatically cut off.

Means for 85.5km, the fuel used was 8.7 litres. Means the fuel consumption for the car is, give or take, 9.8 km/l. Quite surprising since I thought that Saga BLM is a fuel efficient car that can bring me at least over 10 km/l for city driving. Means I spent around RM32 per week for daily commute to work. Means RM128 per month, at least for fuel and that doesn't consider the leisure trips on weekends.

I need a motorcycle.

Red October

When the clock strikes midnight, I'll turn 21. I'm not currently fond of life but I think I should catch a break and take Z-land's Tallahassee's advice, celebrate the little things. Not hard since everything in my life right now is a little thing. I'm a little guy with big ambitions and even bigger ego, which convinces me I'll be long in this.

On a completely different note, many things happened on this day. UN was formed, Cuban missile crisis ended, The Depression period began, and Concorde flew its last commercial flight, among other things. I also share my birthday with the Liverpool boy who hates Liverpool FC, Wayne Rooney and another football personality despite being a king, is also a President, though only of FAM, the ruler of Pahang, DYMM Sultan Ahmad Shah.

Fictionally, today was also the day Red October put to sea. The day Captain Ramius sailed the marvel of Soviet into history - the wrong side of it in the eyes of the commies - leaving behind the motherland and his days as a sea legend comparable to even Davy Jones perhaps, only that he was tangible and so was Red October, that although relatively phantom, was not a ghost ship.

One day, maybe, and I hope, people will also know 24 October as the day I was born.

Cry me a river

I like to play this song before bed, often during supper. Supper for me may only be a cup of warm Nescafé to go with a few pieces of Hup Seng crackers but when this song is on play it's like dining with my other half across the table, and we're not talking, just smiling to each other while we let the lovely voice of Julie London sways us both further in the folly of love.

I hope one day that may be the real thing but of course, first I have to find someone who shares my love for classics because next in the playlist are Sinatra, Armstrong, Nat King Cole and Bublé.

Rambutan nan sebatang

When we moved in 8 years ago, I told my father we should make the empty area beside our house in the compound be made a badminton court. He seemed submitting to the idea but months later my parents started planting trees there instead. Good thing they didn't buy my idea because today we have a mini farm in our very own yard. This evening I took a walk around the trees, I'm sure my parents are quite proud to see these plants to have grown and even started to bear fruits!

This is our little farm. The closest tree is a sapodilla tree, or ciku as we call it. There are fruits but too small, only half of my knuckle. Behind it is the kaffir lime, or limau purut. Then the rambutan and few other small plants. The rambutan tree has started bearing fruits, which is great. Plus, it's cool to be able to pick a fruit fresh from the tree, and that tree is just literally a few footsteps away.

Limau purut. I don't know why it's too hard to find this kind of lime at the markets. 

Chilli. In standard Malay is called cili, but we in Terengganu commonly call it 'lada'. Still baffles me of why the difference.

Serai kayu. Literally 'wooden lemongrass'. The young leaves are delicious ulam (salad) material. Look at the banana trees behind. They don't even look like living. The only plants yet to bear fruit. Quite a letdown since I always like bananas. Perhaps it's the soil. Our home site foundation is soil layered on sand so maybe some plants can grow but the lack of minerals may take toll on their fertility.

Anyways here is a story. So I was walking around the trees when I saw a handful of red, lush rambutans hanging but there was no pruner so I improvised with a broomstick. It worked and I got to eat a fresh rambutan, was tasty so i plucked and ate another, when I wanted to pluck the third one my father saw me chewing. Spontaneously he said to me, "I thought you are fasting today". Ha ha I forgot we were fasting today to mark the wukuf at Arafah, a part of hajj pilgrimage. Fortunately according to the ustazs, unintentional eating wouldn't void fasting. 

Happy Eid Adha everyone. :)

Speaking Poleng

My mum's hometown is located in inland Setiu, which is about 40 km from our home in Kuala Terengganu. The village's name is Kampung Pelong but my father and his friends used to corrupt the word to Poland (Poleng in Trengganuspeak) instead because the only difference is the position of the vowels and it sounds a lot cool to say "I'm going back to Poland" then Pelong. Plus, despite a foreign nation, Poland is of course better known than Pelong even until today.

Pelong also has a very unique dialect. The people don't speak Terengganu let alone standard Bahasa. It's not even close to Kelantan, but perhaps shares vocabulary with Bahasa Ulu.

For example, when one's talking about the hot weather. "Why is it so hot today?"

In standard Bahasa, that would be "Apa pasal panas sangat hari ni?"

In Trengganuspeak that would come out as "Bakpe panah do'oh hari ning?"

But at the tongues of Pelong folks, that would sound as "Bakpi ar panah amak hare ney?"

I once brought a close friend to Pelong and he was trying hard not to laugh everytime he heard us talk.

Fantasy

Liverpool are having their best start for God knows how many years. The form has been good, 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss out of 6 games. Which makes us top of the league right now. Honestly this may be our best chance yet to win the title.

We've got a top notch ball stopper in Mignolet and world class striking duo in Sturridge and Suaréz. Now with the Manchester clubs seem struggling with their new managers, and Mourinho haven't yet shown his so-called God-like managing prowess at Chelsea, our main competitors should be between Ozil and Tottenham. Heck, we may cruise our way to our 19th title and give those stinky-mouthed critics a slap in their stinky mouths.

But is it too early? Yeah, I think it's too early.

Cannibals

I am always overpowered by a sense of sadness and guilt when I stumble across the less fortunate among us.

Just now I saw a man in a wheelchair doing groceries in a supermarket. His appearance made it clear how hard has life struck on him. He was wearing a washed out shirt, with worn out pants and shoes, and even sadder, his wheelchair was also in a bad shape with the fabric backrest almost completely torn out. His face was expressionless, so calm but his eyes tell people enough of his adversities.

And the same question struck me, "What is the government doing? What is the Jabatan Kebajikan doing? What is the minister doing? What has this poor man's wakil rakyat done for him?". What happened to the lots of money saved from the fuel subsidy reduction? Where does the excessive cash from the exorbitant car taxes go to? Shouldn't the money go back to the rakyat especially the neediest among us?

That is why I'm so furious about the embezzlement of the 1Azam fund. Millions siphoned out from the fund for the use of a few crooks? What the hell? With the money they buy expensive goods for themselves, cars, houses, clothes, women. Just how screwed up can a man be? Stealing from the people with almost nothing, maybe like the man in the wheel chair. How could he drive a luxurious car while there are people who commute in rotten wheelchairs. How could they dine in Dorsia-ish restaurants while there are people who have to scavenge the bins for a speck of someone else's dinner leftover. How could they wear sharp dresses daily while some people are lucky enough to have one shirt for a year. And even more lah*nat, all with the money stolen from the latter. Bloody twisted and I hope the culprits get the heaviest of punishment if not in the courts of law, in the hereafter.