December 31, 2008
25 words
And OH8 went by just like that! *snaps*
teluk kalong rush, painballs, meeting beeboo, sunburst madness, the casablanca incident, pesta rave pantai, adventures in dimsum land, pasta sorcery, pinoy binge, l'enfant terrible paige.
Posted by kahjin at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 17, 2008
Richard Wright, 28 July 1943 - 15 September 2008
Sad news indeed, the keyboard maestro of Pink Floyd has passed on upon his battle with cancer.
From the bottom of me heart, thank you for the wicked tunes Rick, and that great gig in the sky.
Your musical legacy will live on forever.
Reactions
David Gilmour
Roger Waters
Posted by kahjin at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 09, 2008
Can't access malaysiakini.com?
I'm sure tons of you readers have not been able to access the site as of 0100hrs this morning. Well, here it is:
TMnet's DNS has *somewhat* prevented domain resolution to malaysiakini.com.
I've not tried other public dns addresses but changing the default should work.
Posted by kahjin at 05:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 31, 2007
25 words
In continuing fashion, here's my take on 2007.
Evolved from carbonara to wicked fusilli, the art of chilling out, Bali escapade, heartbreak, rekindled hobbies, career progress, Bob the bonsai, the wedding, deciphering women!
Posted by kahjin at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
December 29, 2007
Meet the Nasi Pattaya from Hell
Had it for lunch earlier today and just look at how the chef/dark gods have charmingly desecrated my fave grub:
Was struck with such awe that I couldn't help but to gape... and pictered it.
I ate it, eventually.
Posted by kahjin at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
December 27, 2007
Of Horoscopes and Herbs
Added a chinese version earlier today to my facebook profile and I came across the following:
Wednesday, December 26
There are big changes coming in your lifestyle. Unusual changes in your love life, diet or exercise schedule could lead to powerful and positive changes in your well being. You may find there is an alternative healthcare option that involves an unpleasant-tasting herb.
The last part totally cracked me up.
Freaked mesself out as much too... can't agree it was unpleasant though.
Oh and Merry Natal!
Posted by kahjin at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 10, 2007
dark side of the rainbow
I've just experienced a... how do i put it... a mindfuck... perfect synchronicity. Here's how it all started...
Pink Floyd IS the shit. Nuff' said. So it's only natural that i'd dig around for facts leading up to dark side of the moon (concept album mah!), and what better source than a dsotm wiki aye?
So a few weeks ago i finally came about reading up about it, and something struck me as I went on. Dark side of the rainbow... the synopsis caught my attention immediately. Recalling the lyrics of dsotm, holy shit, it does make fucking sense!!!
Needless to say lah, I dashed to the nearest record store and got mesself a copy of Victor Fleming's the Wizard of Oz circa 1939.
Fast forward to tonight. I gather my homies, readied the booze (no mj very fucking unfortunately), laid out the album's inlay, and flipped the lights. Upon the third lion's roar, i unleashed the first track.
An hour and a half plus later, i was left stunned, and it wasn't just the kegs of asahi super dry (egads, NO MJ!!!). I won't explain much (just watch/listen to it for yourself), but everything fell into place, and i'm not shitting you dear reader. Dorothy's balancing act, TGGITS's crescendo towards the tornado... all jig-sawwed, somehow!
So anyway, here are some links that will guide you throughout the entire show.
Dark Side of Oz
The Definitive List
If i was gonna do this again, i'd have the following prepared:
(a) your birds of a feather that flock together
(b) le good stuff (there's only one)
(c) booze
(d) a printed narration from either websites listed above
(e) an open mind, don't watch the movie as it is
Have fun kids!
Posted by kahjin at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 31, 2006
25 words
An annual attempt to ruminate 2006.
An unheralded loss equally matched by a prodigious find, newfound love for old classics, inspiring riffs, compression sessions, my own roof, riding that first wave
Posted by kahjin at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 25, 2006
when you're in bed, you're dead
If you haven't read Tuesdays with Morrie I'd suggest you pick it up from the nearest bookstore. My only regret is not having read this gem when I first heard about it years ago!
Morrie sez...
"When you learn how to die, you learn how to live."
So stop watching the bold and the beautiful and get the f*ck out ;)
Merry Christmas folks!
Posted by kahjin at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 31, 2005
25 words, part three
Hard to imagine another year has just whizzed by eh? As always in tradition, here's my review for oh-five in 25 words...
Found my diamond in the rough, ditched ye old 8210, more white hair, R.I.P. Pete and Geoff, darn shutter still not clicking enough!
Cheers everyone!
Posted by kahjin at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 29, 2005
8.2 on the scale...
Just a while ago I thought my bumm was suffering from some weird ass (pun intended) spasm. The room didn't go bonkers, so it was pretty oblivious to me. Just called up my folks in Tanjung Bungah, house rocked, but all seems fine now. Hope I don't find the papers tomorrow splashed with more tragedies... readers, please pray for everyone...
Posted by kahjin at 01:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
January 30, 2005
HOWTO enjoy your weekend afternoons...
I rekindled my interest in cooking over Christmas last year. A colleague threw a fantastic potluck then, and I was given the pleasure to prepare a personal favourite - fettuccine carbonara! Eve had a hand in helping me out initially (thanks woman!), and I've been flying solo ever since ;)
So anyway here's a checklist of what's needed for a single serving:
0.1 You're flat broke and desperately hungry, but happen to have all of the ingredients in your kitchen cabinet ;D
0.2 Your favourite station blasting in the background. Virgin radio preferred for Sunday afternoons
1.0 Fettuccine
2.0 Olive oil
3.0 Bacon strips
4.0 A can of Campbell's cheese and herbs spaghetti sauce
5.0 Full cream milk (heard it makes the white sauce a little creamier)
6.0 Cheese slices
7.0 Button mushrooms (totally optional)
I'd usually start with the bacon first. It's not difficult to prepare them so I'll skip the details. If there's one thing I learned, it's not to overcook them, unless you want it extra crispy. So stop frying the moment it turns brownish.
If you want mushrooms this would be a good time to prepare them, so start slicing already.
Here comes the tricky part - getting the sauce right. I haven't had the oppertunity to use heavy cream, so that can of cheese and herbs would have to do for now. Don't worry it's close to the real thing :P So anyway pop that can open and dump the contents (and the sliced shrooms if any) into the heated pan. But don't discard the can yet, fill it with 3/4 of water and pour it into the mix. Perform the same with milk. Keep stirring till boiling point. When it does happen, unwrap those cheese slices, tear it to little bits and toss them into the mélange. Stir well until sauce is smooth and thick. As you do this, it's a good idea to take a few sips from the ladle to make sure you get the taste right. Personally I'd use 3-4 slices.
Time to fix 'em fettuccine. Depending on the sort you buy, always RTFM. Here's something the instructions don't usually mention: always pour a reasonable amount of olive oil into the boiling pot, before placing the pasta. This will prevent the fettucinne from sticking to each other like a yarn ball when you drain them, after a good boil.
At this point, transfer the warm pasta into a serving plate, followed by the sauce (still warm, hopefully!). Don't forget to chuck in the bacon we fried earlier to complete the look.
Cool, now marvel at your culinary creation for awhile (take pictures, mom would be so proud!) before chowing down :)
Posted by kahjin at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
January 04, 2005
25 words, part deux
Did it for 03, so here's looking at 04!
Shutter didn't click enough, got my bogu, inzense.com, career facelift, fell in love, but fell out hard, moody piano jam, family love + support, improvised carbonara.
Think I can continue blogging now :)
Posted by kahjin at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
November 09, 2004
Firefox 1.0
It's here, and for goodness sake ditch 'the other' browser! Save mozilla and mirrors some traffic and download torrents instead!
Posted by kahjin at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
October 25, 2004
HOWTO enjoy your weeknights...
why, with my exclusive brew of hot chocolate of course! :) For anyone who's had Cadbury's hot choc mix, we all can agree on one thing - it's awfully bland :P Can't really expect much from a packet filled with fine sugar and cocoa, now can we?
This is where Hershey's choc fudge comes in. For some reason, it tastes better to dump the fudge (as much as you want, really) after the mix. Stir it up, until it resembles kitty litter. Mmm maybe not a good example, but you get the picture.
Now that you have that lump (whoops did it again :P), pour in a little of that water you boiled earlier, say 1/4 of the mug, and stir well. Once it looks even and all, proceed by filling it to the brim. And uh... enjoy the rest of your night!
Now all i'm left with is to figure out the frothiness.
Posted by kahjin at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
September 28, 2004
Rasa Sayang no more?
Before anyone picks up the papers tomorrow and reads about it, allow me to break this sad piece of news to you folks:
The Rasa Sayang Resort we all have come to know and love, is closing down...
Well, at least for the next two years for a whole new look, that is. I'm not talking about renovations, they're tearing it down.
Dad sounded a little dismayed when he told me about it earlier this evening. I can't help but to share his thoughts. Having been attached with the resort for a good 27 years plus, he's got every right to feel that way. Then again it was inevitable; rooms hadn't been renovated for the past 12 years, and to make things worse the foundation is said to be giving way. So before another Highland Towers occur, maybe it's about time for a newer resort.
I don't recall much about spending a great deal of time at the resort, except for the fact that it has this HUGE tree house in front of the new wing. Scares me to think that I've actually gone beyond the platforms and up to the branches above, once upon a time :) And then I think about the bizarre mishaps Dad told us once, that involved unfortunate para-sailers gliding past the resort and straight onto main roads, coconut trees, apartment buildings across the street, lol you name it :D
So three cheers to the resort that had stood out from the rest, and over the decades, charmed and made lasting impressions to all who had visited Penang island.
Posted by kahjin at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
August 03, 2004
The Cubicle
I came in this morning, and found nice 'lil calculator and a Lipton mug on my desk... hmm that can't be good :P
I'd never thought this would happen, but I fell for a prank my colleagues pulled on me over lunch, which gave me a freakkin' heart relapse, those bastiches! You guys should really consider a career option in... local theatre for a start :P Regardless, I still feel like an idiot :D
Posted by kahjin at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
May 26, 2004
It's a long story
Okay before I start posting any further, let me just do a little upgrade to 3.0
Posted by kahjin at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
March 17, 2004
Enjoyed Incubus
Made it to the venue as early as 1700hrs, so no suprise when I ended up a few feet away from stage :)
"Dude, great start!", I thought.
The opening act made it just in time for their part at 2030hrs, and wow, both bands did get the ball rolling... but just a tad too far! Let's just put it this way, by the time 60's TV was done (I mean c'mon, 60's TV?!), I was left a sorry figure, mostly for being at the wrong end of pogo mishaps!
"Listen, you've already gotten this far, so don't quite on me now", aye... just keep that in mind!
Many moons later, the screams were at its loudest - they're finally here! And just when everyone thought that the moment had arrived, it was...!
Jason Lo with a friendly public service announcement :D
Opening track - Megalomaniac
"Oh god, here we go again..."
The songlist did not disappoint. Pardon Me didn't make it as much as everyone would've wished, but with numbers like Vitamin or even Idiot Box, who cares?!
I'll just cut to the chase here. After almost two hours of rocking out, the evening finally ended on a sweet note (so sweet, I can't remember the title of that track! */me smacks forehead* a little help here guys?) Also, unless I've taken too many blows to the head already last night, it was indeed a huge surprise when Brandon picked up a guitar, and led the band with Pantomime. Beautiful piece, and it's just too bad it didn't make it to the album. Oh well...
IMMHO, the concert was every rock kaki's wet dream come true. I gave LP a pass last year, but judging from comments about comparisons between the two gigs, I'm just glad I didn't miss this one out.
Bottom line, Incubus came, saw and rocked KL. And to everyone else who for some reason couldn't make it last night, wished you were there.
:)
Posted by kahjin at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
January 14, 2004
I want my new year back!
2 weeks for a new entry this year... tsk! TSK!
Ushering the new year proved to be not much of a holiday. Within the first half of the month I already had been to Penang, Kulim, Kangar, and finally here I am in Kota Bahru.
But not that I'm complaining :)
4 sites in 7 1/2 days. Now that's a scary schedule especially when Murphy's Law linger around every project. Of course it had to happen, in Penang!
So I boot up the rack up as I normally would to begin deployment. But eh what's this, a yellow exclamationed triangle tells me I should check out the event viewer.
"Mmm, not good",
So I have a look anyway, and woah, bad blocks galore! But what's there to panic? Winblow's got scandisk... it fixes... stuff! So I schedule it for the next reboot, restarted, and never saw the login screen ever again :-\
But wait, W2KS does have recovery mode! Right after booting from the cd, I enter the setup, and chose to perform the recovery automatically. Just about then, Murphy struck, again.
"Oh well, time for a reinstallation then",
Alas, that didn't work either after the format stalled at 0% for ages. So without any other solutions to ascertain, there was only one conclusion to draw that I had long dreaded:
"The harddisk's a goner, and I don't have a spare, aiiiieeeeeee!!!",
After much discussion and debate about the situation with my project manager, I finally had the green light to purchase a replacement from the distributor, which fortunately had a local branch. It was all smooth sailing from then on.
"Pheeeyeeewww...",
So, about the things I've learned over the course of this project:
1. Rural districts yield unique cuisines, so it's good to be an all rounder
2. Get plenty of rest, doze early, lest your chances of screwing up is inevitable!
3. Goverment servants are a puntual bunch, both clocking in and out
4. Always carry a spare!
5. Clear and concise briefings are always a plus. Some humour would shed uneasiness and even doubt. Aaah I love giving taklimats :)
6. Server rooms are bitching cold, so bring a jacket!
7. If you're stumped and not even a local bomoh could help, don't hesitate to "phone home"
Kota Bahru looks good at the moment, should be signing the project off soon. Can't wait to be back.
Posted by kahjin at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 31, 2003
25 words
Here's my shot at describing oh-three in exactly 25 words.
I still procastinate. Though life is not exactly on a standstill, soliitariety is. Made friends, lost none, but new ones are hard to come by.
Have a safe new year, world!
Posted by kahjin at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
December 24, 2003
flogged
I'm finally about to leave the office. Work schedule for this and the weeks to come are going to be extremely hectic.
Right after the new year it's going to be a work roadtrip up north, way north. I've never driven around Perlis before, so hopefully the experience would perk me up a little after all the driving.
At least I have some time off for Christmas.
"Ho ho ho"
I have pics taken from Bangkok and Singapore recently during a business trip so hopefully they'll be up by the next entry. The royal palace was amazing.
Kay better be driving off now before I start to write on and on and on... :)
Posted by kahjin at 01:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
November 28, 2003
fedora + vmware = winxp
Been running fedora on my workstation for a couple of weeks now, so I figured, why not take the next step in installing VMware to host winxp altogether!
So far? So good! I'm totally psyched!
Posted by kahjin at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
November 13, 2003
Freaky Friendster
If there's one website i'd like to avoid now it's Friendster! But too late! Thanks to Evelyn, it's been nonstop browsing (yes, i'm nosy) for the past week! And it's not stopping! In fact, I have gallery #57 on the other browser right now!
Negativity aside, what I love about it though, is the number of friends (old and new) that i've managed to unearth throughout my personal network. Lol it's unbelievable! Ed, on the other hand had finally tracked the somewhat elusive Jun Juan (old highschool kaki) for the moolah he owed him years back. Glad that reaped him some dividends.
Posted by kahjin at 04:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
November 06, 2003
State Your Needs
It's funny how meeting simple, specific requirements from clients can be so easily overlooked. From a technical point of view, that's just so damn frustrating.
Like a lug nut that doesn't exactly fit into its wrench when changing a flat tyre, all this under a blazing hot afternoon sun, in the middle of KL traffic, and everyone's just either cursing at you or just penning down your number plate in the hopes of striking it big time, and everyone else is just too busy to play good samaritan, and even if somebody did it's probably one of those cutthroat tow truckers.
I love drama :)
Posted by kahjin at 05:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 31, 2003
Spam, anyone?
It's not that October was uneventful, it's just me being me :)
Hell, looks like there's a new breed of spam, and it's flooding my guestbook already! Ciplaks! This is just as bad as clearing up the crap that fills my hotmail account every morning, if not worse! Good thing MT's working on it.
And to think that this was going to be a quick entry!
Posted by kahjin at 01:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 22, 2003
ManYoo v Ars
Here's an idea for Premiership goalies to rattle penalty takers. But then again, Lehmann should patent his 'goal line dance' before everyone starts pulling off a Riverdance cameo. Of course it's been proven to work, just ask van Nistelrooij, 2/2 already! Aaarrgh!!!
Highlight of the game? van Nistie at the receiving end of some 'brotherly love' from the Gunners after the final whistle. Gosh, it's so painfully funny to watch it in slomo. Wonder if that's downloadable somewhere.
Posted by kahjin at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 15, 2003
Itnesertnig
Received this email from a friend earlier today.
"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe."
Did anyone get what the header above said? Apparently it doesn't work well with words that has more than 10 letters in it, does it? :)
Posted by kahjin at 06:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
August 12, 2003
New Shell
Forgive the last hiatus! Had one of those occasional mind blogs. Hurhur get it? Mind blocks? Oh nevermind...
In case if anyone was wondering, I didn't win those tickets, some other dude got it :( As expected, the concert was a sellout according to the review on the star last week. Just reading it alone gave me the goosers. Last on the songlist was Creep. Sigh, I need some kleenex...
The new place; heh I love it! Got this killer view of the horizon i've always wanted in my room, plus with the sunshine creeping up right behind my bed every morning, who the hell needs alarm clocks!? On top of it all, i've finally ridded snoozing! It's like,
"Mmm, sun's up"
*turns head righ, looks at time*
*turns head back, admires horizon*
"Good morning world!!!"
Can't say it's all good when the haze swoops in though.
I've never had a housemate who is musically involved before, so when Anne (pyscho rave chick) got herself a piano, man that was it... jam time!!! First session couldn't be any better, played Garota De Ipanema (The Girl From Ipanema). Nothing close to Jobim and Gilberto mind you. The atmosphere was right, at times it felt as though we were chilling in Havana, sparing the cigars :) Planning to have the song recorded for downloads, so i'll note it here when it's done. Meanwhile, it's more picking on the guitar, bossa nova style!
Keiko sessions in the dojo are getting less and less tiring (minus the haya suburi warm up, that's done a hundred times in a row!), which is a good thing, since the idea is to use less brawn. Aquiring the correct grip on the shinai is something i'm still working on. Yeah, it's that technical :D Accidents? Got my head bashed real hard (itai desu!) last Saturday when my spar partner misjudged his distance, twice :-\ No cuts, but it still stings, occasionally. Lol expressions from sempais and senseis were priceless though...
other guy : MENNNN!!!!!
me: *parries... in vain!*
sfx: *THWACKK!!!*
crowd: grimaces and goes "Ouuuuwwwww..."
me: ...
Gonna catch SWAT later tonight, now that's gonna be some good sheeet.
Posted by kahjin at 05:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
July 25, 2003
Rakkii!
Know that Radiohead competition by Red104.9? Well, i'm just about 3 hours away to find out if i'm heading to Tokyo for this year's SummerSonic gig! The list of performers are amazing... even Blondie and Cheap Trick are making appearences!
I still can't believe my luck. (egads! There There is playing on Radiostorm now! Good omen?) The coincidental shock is still sinking in. Picture this:
I drive into my parking lot, and just as I was about to leave the car Terry goes on and mentions the que to call would be right after the coming song. So I grab my bag, and ran straight to the office. Situation turned for the worse when I found out that there wasn't a radio around in the entire office! After some thorough searching, I gave up, looked at the time, waited a few seconds, and finally decided to give it a shot.
First call, engaged.
Second call, ditto.
Third call,
Some Guy: Congratulations! Dr. Lurve on the line, can I have your name and number please.
me: Hurh? I'm the 9th caller?
Dr. Lurve: Why yes you are!
me: (still bummed, but provides personal details anyway and goes on to win the cd and that chance)
And that was it. Mmm still radioless, guess i'll have to listen for the announcement in the car. Erk, it's beginning to rain!
Posted by kahjin at 03:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 18, 2003
Adios, Instant Cafe Theatre
I'm still trying to convince myself that the story running on the front page news of The Star is nothing more than a bad, bad joke.
How could it be?! I was already praying for a sequel right after I stepped out of the theatre! After some more reading, it was this ridiculous complaint that sparked everything.
"Bolehwood Awards teater komedi yang melampau" my ass! Get real, if it really was spreading social ills, i'm pretty damn sure a racial riot would've broke out there and then! Very Malaysian, isn't it? Find a little bit of Westernism, release the dogs.
This does not bode well. Is it just a matter of time before the censorship board get their hands on local theatre?
Posted by kahjin at 04:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
July 09, 2003
'Tis been a long time coming!
Oooh, first post of the month :P
I'm less than a month away before I:
i. move in to the new place
ii. get homeless!
Only kidding about the latter :) The last few attempts of house hunting has been futile. It seems that the new apartments over in SS2 has been snapped up with new tenants! Aiieee, and just a few weeks ago units were splashed all over the classifieds. Talk about bad timing. On the other hand, there's already a room up for grabs at Anne's place in Pantai Hillpark aka TrafficJam Jaya. Grrr, but should I go for it?!
Had my first kendo class over the weekend. The results? Sore arms and a stretched back. I gotta admit it, prancing around with shinais swinging is no easy task. Coordinating my footing (feels like doing the tango at times!) and my striking alignment is going to take some time, not to mention the customs involved in this quasi-spiritual exercise. Like all beginners, screw ups are bound to happen. For one, I had my head bashed when my partner misjudged his distance. Itai-desu! Good thing we're not using steel cold katanas.
Shit, i'm already late for my next lesson.
Posted by kahjin at 06:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
June 30, 2003
Cramming in
Erh, what else can I say? The last few weeks was more than just busy - strenuous! Without going into much detail, the demo was fruitful (2 tier firewall with remote vpn site!), but so 11th hour. Glad that's all over with now.
Lesse... oh yeah, songwriters' 9! :P
Typical Malaysian scenario; the show started a couple of hours from the intended time! At least the good seats made up for it. I'm lazy, so let's just skip to the highlights eh? :)
As I recall, the only thing I could relate to Julian Mokhtar is that little dream catcher hanging off his ax and that wah-yanking jingle from (the now defunct) WowFM. Here's a little flashback :P
"WowFM, according to Julian Mokhtar - waaaaaauuuu wakk wouuuuuuuuuoo...", okay so that was a really bad impression.
Aye, but to listen to his stuff live? Let's just say I wasn't the only one who was blown away that night. Not to take credit away from the other two performers, but from the word go Jamie and Julian could well had brought the house down with riff exchanges of country and blues. What a feast that was! Open mic, hmm well it wasn't as fun as the one they had last, but there were these couple of guys who played and sang brilliantly. Think Zwan and Ah Niu on crack :D Edwin and Albert I believe their names were.
I've been listening to a lot of bossa nova lately, especially on the road after work. Takes alot off my mind. Gosh, am I always in the blue? One of the elements I find appealing about this genre is the visual stimulation it projects from each record. Just close your eyes, and listen. By then, your mind takes flight and wallah! The fusion of samba and jazz has never been this beautiful. Personal recommendations include:
Aiiee Doomi More is hot! You guys should catch the latest Charlie's Angels in all its semi blonde glory :)
Posted by kahjin at 06:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 13, 2003
Dude, what's with that hockey mask? *BRRRNNNGGG!!!*
Woohoo, no personal horror stories to tell today.
The Actor's Studio in Plaza Putra is no more. Such a pity, after all that is the place for most theatre and musical afficionados alike. On top of that though, you really have to feel for the staff there. Imagine having all of your personal memorabilia destroyed in front of your very own eyes. Well, at least they have a branch in Bangsar.
Come to think about it, it's a blessing I don't work in the city - it's so damn prone to flash floods!
Called up NBT a while ago but the damn answering machine kept picking up my call. Hope they got my reservation message for Songwriters' tomorrow night. According to the newsletter there ought to be a guitar duel between Julian Mokhtar and Jamie Wilson :) Coo. Jamie Wilson? Buhwhodat??? Think i'll find out soon enough.
*update* Hah they called up! Table for three it is then.
Posted by kahjin at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
June 11, 2003
Woncha' be my neighbour...
Remember that water issue a few entries ago? Well nothing has changed, but he situation sort of took a turn for the worse last night, at least to the folks next door.
I wasn't at home then, but Jon and Eddy were at the receiving end of a hair drying lecture from a very cross neighbour. So what was that all about? Apparently water that welled up inside the wall between our houses gave way into his living room, damaging whatever that was in its way. Tough luck.
IMHO he should've reserved all that screaming for the owner. What an asshole.
"Wah if I was in a bad mood I would've smashed his fukkin' face", good thing Jon didn't lose it.
Posted by kahjin at 07:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Scary Upgrades
Coo, the upgrade finished without any problems... yet. Let's see if saving this entry works. No 500 messages please!
Posted by kahjin at 06:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 03, 2003
Strange Tales #101
For once, I am starting to notice a pattern of freak accidents unfold around me.
Let's back up, last Friday would probably be the worst of the lot. The air conditioner in my room hasn't been turned on in a while, so naturally Hock made a quick check on the filter. A tad quick...
Climbing onto the window grill, he made his way up, studied the filter, and leapt down, but guess what, onwards to the ceiling fan at full blast!!!
*THUNKKK!!!*
That happened while I was in the room next door. Hearing that at first wasn't bad. I thought, oh well he might have knocked my cd tower over. But that idea quickly dissolved when mom cried out hysterically. I rushed to the room.
All I recalled upon getting there was the swaying ceiling fan, and Hock clutching his bloodied forehead.
"Oh god...", blood was everywhere.
"How the hell?!", questions-later-just-stop-the-goddamn-bleed!
Everything happened so quickly. While I grabbed a towel to bandage the gash Fiona and Kae had already prepared an ice wrap downstairs. Good thinking. Within minutes we were already at the hospital... there was no time to lose, the towel was getting soaked by the minute.
Hock was calm and composed during the whole ordeal. Can't say the same for myself though :P Then it finally happened. The nurse unwrapped the towel, revealing a 2 inch gash, probably half a cm deep... and a badly cut right ear. Ugh.
13 stitches and many worrying moments later we were outta there. Glad to say he's fine now.
So anyway here is the edition for today at work. Edmond, my programmer had the underside of his tongue pierced while eating... an ubi kentang (fried 'tatoes) would you believe it. 5 tissue papers were needed to stop the bleeding. And as for me, well this happened simultaneously while Edmond was waving frantically in panic.
Feeling this sharp pain on my right toe, I removed my shoes and socks to have a look. Nothing at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it looked as if someone had performed acupuncture using a strand of hair on my toe!
"What the fark?!", and I thought Edmond's case was bizarre!
Posted by kahjin at 04:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
May 30, 2003
TGIF
Looks like trainings are conducted twice a week at the JCKL in Taman Seputeh, which is good since it's nearby. I'll be meeting a rep tomorrow at the dojo, hopefully with a good outcome like making it for the coming intake next month!
Fingers crossed!
Go watch Finding Nemo. So good, i'm catching it again next week.
Posted by kahjin at 04:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
May 29, 2003
Hajime!
I've just had a brief phone conversation with the president of the Malaysian division, and let's just say I made a good start in taking up my first martial arts sport - Kendo!
This has been a long time coming. I was supposed to do something about it like right after I got back from Tokyo last year, but never got my act together. Take this blog for example! :D rofl
From what he says, response from the public has grown lately... in fact it was so overwhelming that nowadays they can only afford intakes every 3 months. And to think that not too long ago they had to invite folks to join them... pfft!
So just how did I come across kendo? Lol hang on to your seats :)
Does anyone remember that game 'Budokan' back in the 286 days of vga splendour? Yeah well, that's how. I thought then, "Man, what a cool discipline this would be to practice!" But as I continued to use it in tournaments, I kept getting my butt kicked by half nekkid tonfa wielding brutes. So much for head splitting shinais. Ended up using nunchakus instead for the rest of the game.
That was a decade ago.
Now, I know I'm not taking this up because of the 'cool factor' involved in putting on a bogu :P (dare I say that is just a plus?) There is so much more to this sport. Some would ask, what do I exactly get in return for all this? I only have one thing in mind...
Zanshin
Ah, Fiona just called up... watching Finding Nemo tonight with the rest! Hmm I wonder if they've already gotten tickets for the show.
update : gawd, it's a midnight show at mid valley :P everywhere else is sold out!
Posted by kahjin at 06:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
May 28, 2003
Hisashiburi!
Woah, exactly a week since my last entry.
Yes yes i'm alive and well. S'pore wasn't that bad, though the same cannot be said for the hotels and the economy in general there. Meals in the coffee house was weird, felt like I had the whole place to myself!
Being the thoughtful glutton I am here's what I had the other day at some kopitiam in Alexandria (dine in while you're there!) - claypot laksa! No kidding! Mind you, this is not your average laksa. What makes it so special is the curry which they serve together with their home made noodles. Mmmmh umaai-desu!
Juve and Milan are at it tonight, hopefully it won't be another boring Serie A game. Notice how stadiums (especially in the delle alpi!) tend to echo cheers from the crowd?
Cheers eD, you finally got it done.
Posted by kahjin at 06:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
May 21, 2003
I need water damnit!
I feel as though i've been living in a refugee camp for the past couple of days. The only tap that doesn't ooze drops comes from the kitchen. Even taking a bath now feels like a workout! Imagine having to drag pails of water from the kitchen tap through stairs and rooms, over and over again. Grrr... just 2 more months till the contract ends! Can't wait. Fiona spotted some new and neat looking apartments opposite Desa Kiara so I'll be checking the place out soon.
I'm heading to Singapore tomorrow again so erh... could I get a little prayer from everyone? :) It's just going to be 2 days, but what worries me is that the site that i'll be working in is apparently near a sars hotspot... remember that wet market case? I'm not being paranoid or anything, but a quick check in WHO today revealed nothing promising. Oh well... you know what they say when your time is up.
Posted by kahjin at 07:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
May 19, 2003
Me fail cooking? That's unpossible!
Thank you Chief Wiggum that will be all.
Unlike my other trips back to Penang, the last one was more productive. Mom has always been a kitchen extraordinaire so I thought it was about time that I learned something from her cooking!
So yesterday morning with all the ingrediants available I was ready to prepare my first dish, fettuccine bolognese - chinese style!
"Never trust recipe books, your tongue does a better job", just some of the wise words mom would remind me from time to time.
The 'class' went extremely well, since mom was around to guide me along the way. An hour later the dish was ready, and... *sips ladle* hey not bad for a first timer! How so? Well nobody fell ill so that's good enough for me.
Posted by kahjin at 01:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
May 18, 2003
After all that hype...
it was all down to one simple decision, the left door, or the right one. That Architect guy is one helluva long-winded mofo. I would have said the same for the Oracle, but ah she's one sweet lady :) erm, no pun intended.
Judging from how the scenes quickly transitioned from one to another I think alot of footage was surely missing. Take the superbowl trailer for example. During the car chase scene an agent leaps onto several cars but in the movie he crashed just one. I'm sure there must be more but that would have to wait till the DVD comes out. While the interest is still there at least i've got the animatrix to look forward to.
Posted by kahjin at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
May 15, 2003
It's an all Italian final folks!
Just watched the repeat, and woah that match had quite a nail grinding last 5 minutes. Zizou pulled one back for Real, so for a moment there another goal looked so inevitable! Raul could have won it, but the poor lad totally headed wide. I'm tipping Juve to lift the title at Old Trafford, their game was pure determination, nothing less.
Btw Happy Wesak to those who have celebrated. I was down in Taiping this morning to do just that. Other than the usual prayers and blessings the day was pretty much the same. Heading to me alma mater for lunch tommorow so I'm really looking forward to that. It's been a while... 6 years already!
Posted by kahjin at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
May 14, 2003
Urh what the?!
As if four hours felt any different from reaching the island within an hour less. Mental note to self, take slower drives from now on.
I was 'saman-free' during the journey until the last toll where speed limits were bound to 90. The road block on the bridge truly caught me off guard. Who in the nine hells would have least expect them lards to be in their striking white uniforms, flagging cars down at 2 in the morning?! Well I sure friggin' didn't.
Car's back in the workshop, again. Initial damage assessments indicate broken engine mounts, a mildly damaged radiator, and a 'warped' engine bay. In other words repairs are not going to come cheap. Little did I know about my bonnet though, and according to the mechanic the hood could have taken flight anytime since the safety hook was KOed... scaaaarry! Hey wait a tick, that did happen to Dad last month... oeerrr SCAAAAAARRRRRRRRYYYY!
Speaking of which... heck, here's what happened. Back in highschool I purchased this really evil looking Spawn action figure. To me, you could only do 2 things with it; either take it out and worship it above your computer monitor, or simply leave it as it is, intact.
Treating it like the latter was difficult over the years, it was kind of like resisting any temptations to rip open a long lost Christmas present. Of course I had a reason for that 'mental torture'. I was thinking, who knows, maybe I'll come across some nut who is willing to fork out handsomely for a hunk of nicely molded plastic in the future!
But that's beside the point. When I popped over to the display cabinet this morning to admire the figures, there it was... oh how proudly it stood amongst the rest - unpackaged!!!
"*%^#@* Holy Mother of... hey if it had to be opened I should have been the one to do it!"
Of all people Dad turned out to be the one responsible for the 'desecration'. I almost gave him an earful, but Hock had already done that earlier it seemed :D ROFL
Oh well... at least it didn't happen to my priceless comic collection.
Note to self; secure comics and make sure it doesn't end up in a charity drive.
Posted by kahjin at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
May 13, 2003
Riuh-rendah
"PAS or Barisan, either way we're screwed for sure..."
Such is the musical Instant Cafe Theatre dished out last night :) Comedy does sell. I have to admit it, I've never seen Jo Kukathas perform before, so after last night I'd say she is one very versatile actress! One minute she was Miss Ambrosia LaLa, another as a Minister of Records (i'm just as boggled as you are), and next as a mamak stall owner! Simply can't wait for the Bolehwood Awards, and that is just a couple of months away! In case if you were wondering, the play was about what it would have been like if the ICT cast had taken over Malaysia's one and only news network. Just imagine if it happened for real!
Earlier in the show, Ramli Ibrahim performed a graceful balance of Odissi and Bharatanatyam. He did not disappoint. I must say, never having seen anything like that before makes me think of all the other dances Melvin Khoo (pretty sure that's his name) had done and that I have missed! Even if that was a few years ago, the critics really had a field day on their reviews.
Sean Ghazi was a real suprise package. I've already seen his part as a closet gay in Spilt Gravy on Rice, so when it came to singing I obviously wasn't in the know about what he was capable of. I wouldn't have guessed it, but he gave one heck of a show.
I didn't forget my camera this time, so here are the pictures. I apologize if they look like crap, my hands definately didn't make a good camera stand.
I'll be driving down to Penang tonight for the long weekend off. I don't know about you guys, but long night journeys open me up a little. Personally I'd start to think about what goes on in the houses of people working in those plantations I pass along the highway.
"What cooking for dinner?"
"Bedtime kids!"
"Damn 'kitoes!"
"Not bad for a days' work..."
just a thought.
Posted by kahjin at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Lomo-ganza!
It's in! Scans courtesy of Sharon. She was nice enough to send me her pictures too, so check them out here. Have to rush off to work now. Will write about Riuh! upon my return.
Posted by kahjin at 01:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
May 12, 2003
Over the weekend
The Premier League season came to an end last night. 6 teams played their respective matches as if they were cup finals, which was very interesting to watch. Trevor Brooking did a fine job in his temporary role as manager, but in the end not even Di Canio's heroics was enough to pull them through.
For Chelsea and Liverpool, it was a fine line between the Champions League and the UEFA cup. I thought Chelsea fully deserved the win. Van Nistelrooij's penalty earned him the golden boot award, which also in turn booked Blackburn a spot in next season's UEFA cup instead of Everton. Gosh, and everyone else thinks football revolves around 22 players and a round object.
Caught Chicken Parts 9 at the Actor's Studio last Saturday, since Actorlympics was totally sold out. The experience was so precarious at first we didn't have a clue what was going on. I wouldn't think of it as a play at all... more like an orgy of audio and visual torture in the name of art. One of them was conceptual though, based on a poem written by Jerome Kugan (which was one of the open mic performers the other day!). As for the sequel, i'd probably attend it if I'm not required to impair my hearing.
Oh yeah, more Redang pictures have been addded. I'll upload the scanned lomo shots tommorow.
Brand New Heavies are due to perform in KL! At least that's what my housemate told me last night. Tickets upon confirmation anyone?
Posted by kahjin at 03:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
May 09, 2003
Music to me Ears
Monica scored a couple of invites (God bless you child!) earlier yesterday to No Black Tie for an acoustic performance, having interviewed Pete Teo for her magazine a week ago. Getting there was a problem in the first place, KL was afterall unfamiliar territory to me. Found it after a couple of rounds along Starhill, and there it was, sitting in the dark, back lanes of Jalan Nagasari.
The pub was cozy in a sense, loud crowds and cold beers strewn down onto every table. Having already missed the first half hour of the show, we were quickly ushered to press section of the room. Nice spot. All that's missing then was my camera and the md player. Bootlegging is never a crime mind you. If you ask me the local music scene definately needs to have more light shed over it.
There were four of them on stage, unfortunately the only two names I can confidently recall is Pete himself and Mia Palencia. What a voice she has. The other two new comers were not short of talent either. Eugene had all of his songs sung in Mandarin, typical Jay Chow style :) Mai Chern (think I got that right) on the other hand was playing stuff which reminded me alot of Tracy Chapman, minus the strong vocals.
The session ended many songs later, memorable ones include Pete's very facetious number called Rhapsody in Blue. But it was all not to end there, open mic was just a few minutes away.
That was when the real fun began. Nothing sardonic really. There were a few good acts along the way (not forgetting those piano pieces by Shannon!) but the one that brought the house down was performed by this guy who appears to be the stage technician. Both songs were based on true accounts in his life. The first one had to do with Bob Dylon I think. It's about how he approached 'the man' for an autograph only to be chased away with a
"Fuck off, i'm not Dylon, Dylon's left the house...",
Poor dude. Well at least everyone's laughing about it now. The second song had a tamil theme to it. Funniest of the lot. This one had to do with a medical student who commited suicide after failing his entrance exam for the third time. There was this part in the song when the poor soul took the jump off a bridge...
"Ammaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrhhh!!!",
ROFL heads and fists were banging on tables when that one came along. And what a finale that was. By then it was almost 3 in the friggin morning! But it surely didn't feel like it until I locked the front door.
What I had witnessed last night really inspired me in more ways than one. I feel as though i've been living in a box all the while. Time to find the lid.
"Thank you for coming ladies and gents, see you guys in the next one!"
Posted by kahjin at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
May 08, 2003
Redang Pics
Alrighty folks grab your drool buckets and head here. This would have to do for now until I find the time to prepare a photo journal for the trip.
I'll upload the lomo shots as soon as I get the album back. Yeah it kinda went on tour right after development :)
Posted by kahjin at 05:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
May 07, 2003
Bad Moon Rising
Looks like my ride needs another visit to the workshop :-\
I took a wrong turn somewhere in Cyberjaya last Sunday night, and as I proceeded to make a hasty U turn the car went over this really deep trench (15cm?) across the road! My heart was in a million pieces after that high jump attempt.
Know that feeling when the plane lands on the runway? That's how my car behaves now upon ignition. Not good.
Grrr May is one month I want to move out from asap.
Posted by kahjin at 06:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
May 06, 2003
Peace at last!
Freakkin-woohoo-yay! I've finally nailed that damn VPN project! The past week was nothing but work, work and more work. What a breather... at least I can lead a normal life now.
Posted by kahjin at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
April 30, 2003
Excuse me sir, your total bill comes to...
an amount of RM730!? The things I could have spent on with that money! Ooh here's one of them, the Kompakt Automat! Grrroaaaaans!
Good news is that the car should be ready as early as this coming Friday. Now that's a relief. It bothers me sometimes knowing that I don't have a car to get around for now, especially after work. Ooerrr... that's right, just how am I going back later on!?
Posted by kahjin at 01:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
April 29, 2003
And on to the other stuff
Mishaps aside! I've not been spared by my workload. Grrr it piled up while I was away. Thank God I don't need any of those IN/OUT paper trays, that can be such a depressing sight at times! Cool, I finally got my first lomocamera. The fine folks at the Click Project didn't have any of the regular stock left that evening, but after much persuasion I managed to a special edition version of the supersampler. Nothing special about it though, except for the fact that it's black in colour and comes with a free roll of film. Good thing it doesn't cost extra. Durh hope I wasn't taken for a sucker.
"Well there goes the last of our faulty cams"
Before I 'story' you people about the Redang escapade, here's something that happened to me earlier after the trip.
It's not very often that you experience 2 different dreams in a night. Well, at least for me. The first one had a moral to it. Okay, so it's going to sound wacky, but that's what dreams are all about innit?
Apparently I was part of an infantry unit in medieval Europe, engaged in a battle against what looked like orcs (they looked nothing like the ones from LOTR) After the dust has settled, I stumbled upon what looked like a pretty elegant looking sword still sheathed upon one of the piles of bodies.
I remember fiddling with it, but never got to swing it around due to the fact the hilt was missing. All I remember next was having dinner with the royal family I had served. It wasn't a big one, there were around 6-8 of us at the table, and for that matter I guessed I must have been knight's squire? I really wouldn't know. While everyone was ranting among themselves about the victory, I waved to the prince (looked like Charles!) to grab his attention. As I then presented his majesty with the blade, his eyes lit up, and soon everyone's attention were drawn to us. He then began to explain the importance of this blade and its history, and that one day ages ago it mysteriously vanished from a display cabinet which he pointed to not far from where I was.
Okay so here comes that really absurd twist. Before I could catch my breath upon the blade's significance, the Queen (no shit, she looked like old Queen E herself!) out of nowhere comes over to Charles and bluntly suggests that the blade is to be auctioned off for a ridiculous sum of money, and that the earnings would be shared. She didn't say among who though, but I definately could tell I wasn't on the list. Without hesitating the Prince agreed to do so, to my astonishment! The dream pretty much ended on that note, so here's the moral:
some things are best kept to yourself!
I remember having another vision about the Prince and his spouse, but that one is totally out of the picture. No, there weren't any bronco rides involved, if you know what I mean :P and no, the missus didn't look anything like Ms Parker Bowles or Diana.
The second dream which I had were of current state... sort of. I was on the Internet, browsing my highschool alumni's webpage. One of the pages I went to had a list of essays plucked from exams and other competitions. OKay, so what about them? Actually, it was the title of one particular entry by Teik Suan (Saints 97!) which read "Starchildren".
"Starchildren!?", yeah, and all I could think of at that time was the alias Billy Corgan had used for his band. I never got to download the essay to read it, but I had this gut feeling that it would had been plagarised, should the album had been a 'conceptual' one, like what was done for Machina for example. Mmm... is something trying to tell me to give that album a listen?
Oh there was another interesting essay too, it had something to do with Man Utd. ROFL!
Allrighty enough hallucinating already, onwards to those 3 days!
Posted by kahjin at 05:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Crashed...
my car an hour ago just as I was about to leave for my presentation. Nothing really serious though, cracked headlight (arrrgh my new crystal heads!!!), dented bonnet and a broken front bumper. If you ask me it was about time I got rid of that EG bumper.
The guy I bumped was a junior police officer, but he was cool about the whole thing. We agreed not to lodge a report so I painfully gave him the $$$ for his repairs. Things couldn't possibly get any worse than it already is.
Good thing my folks are coming over this Thursday with the other car. Hock needs to look for a place to stay so I'll be helping him to look around for one over the weekend.
Shit really happens when you're in a rush.
Posted by kahjin at 05:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 22, 2003
Redang here I come!
Did some light shopping over the weekend for the trip. What's missing now is my supersampler lomocam. Interested? There's a lomography 'ambassador' here in PJ, Damansara Uptown to be exact. Check out their homepage here. Photography will never be the same ever again. Read on their 10 rules for a clearer picture. Simply made me go "now why haven't I thought of this before?!" Marketing smokescreen or philosophical imagery, I cannot really tell, but my notion tilts for the latter.
This would be my first trip to any east coast island. So, as you can tell expectations are high :) Just can't go wrong with 2 cameras hanging around my neck now can I? So I'm really hoping for some happening landscape pictures.
What worries me now is the weather lately. Really, I'd rather be stung by sea rambutans than letting the rain ruin my trip there. Of course, suffering from both misfortunes wouldn't do me any good either.
Kay, gotta go get that supasamplah. Will write about the trip when I return! Hopefully all nicely tanned :D
Posted by kahjin at 03:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 18, 2003
"We will kill them all........most of them."
No guesses on who that quote was from :D Here's one of my favourite reads from the site, an interesing anonym sent in by a reader.
"I recently suggested a word to pseudodictionary.com
al-Sahafism
noun
The speech delivery method and mannerism of Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf where he states a lie so defiantly that the listener begins to question whether it is himself or the speaker who is crazy.
Also
verb
al-Sahaf, al-Sahafed, al-Sahafing
To lie with the utmost defiance.
noun
al-Sahaf
A lie that is so unbelievable that it becomes a piece of fictional art.
Usage example:
Michael Jackson said in an interview that he had only one plastic surgery.
That was a good bit of al-Sahafism.
-- Dyske"
Don't al-Sahaf me lar...
Posted by kahjin at 06:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 17, 2003
Excessively Pulsating...
are the words that would best describe the match this morning. Had to stay up late, but it was so worth it! The match had everything... great goals (Henry's second really shouldn't have counted though), Campbell's ejection and a great comeback by Man Utd!
While I was still fuming at the linesman's decision not to flag for an offside (really damn tension, clenched fists were already cracking my knuckles... c'mon he couldn't even tell between an inch and a mile!) the camera shifts focus to Solskjaer's run on the right. Before you know it he swings in a deep cross, and Giggs levels it!
Heh the usually calm and composed Arsene Wanker was so full of expressions after that goal. It really caught the pundit's and TV station's attention! All that swearing and cursing... rofl lip reading can be so fun.
I don't think i've seen a championship title decided by goal difference, assuming that both teams win their remaining games. Arsenal has the upper hand by a goal for now, but all that will change in weeks to come. Check out the table at Soccernet here.
Posted by kahjin at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 02, 2003
Today...
will be the first day for the rest of your life. Nice one Spacey... procastinations aside.
All that needs to be done now is the way the blog index looks.
And then I have that photo journal of my last trip to Tokyo to manage. ..
Posted by kahjin at 06:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)