The CNY Cycle

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Despite having reality staring straight at your face, you can’t help but wanting a CNY that was in the past. Oh well, waking up early in the morning feeling grumpy, unsatisfied because you’re deprived of sleep and long drives to everywhere to visit everyone is the thing of the past now. Now, CNY is very much different, more or less the way I wanted it when I was young. No more waking up early and certainly no more driving around the entire island trying to visit everyone while the radio is playing CNY songs that you don’t understand. I think as you get older, CNY becomes simpler and then it fluctuates up and down.

For instance, when you’re young, CNY is all about visiting strangers relatives, reunion dinners and of course the fireworks. When you get around 20+, it takes a different swing. The visiting stops as your grandparents have moved on. Reunion dinners seem more like a get-together and fireworks these days are oblivious (legally, at least). It’s what I call the “Role-Changing Period” when parents eventually will be the grandparents that your kids will hate to wake up early for (not that they don’t like them, its just the waking up early bit). And when your parent’s time is up, that will be that period when CNY will be simple before eventually you would the reason why kids wake up early in grumpy moods to receive money :)

I think fireworks are legal again. If I’m mistaken, at least they’re not illegal anymore. Or so it seems.

Woosy Week

Waking up at 9AM on a Saturday morning with a hangover is the worst thing ever.

Chinese New Year weather is ideal for frying eggs on the road.

I like to savour my coffee and drink it slowly.

Cops give me the creeps and there are currently 3 of them in my house.

One of them uses a Nikon D70 SL-R digital camera. Grrrr…what a waste.

Getting stuck behind a lorry is frustrating especially if you’re driving a Kancil up a hill.

I think machines have started their plan for world domination. My car-radio controls the volume by itself, and sometimes even the station.

My left foot is my weapon of choice during Futsal.

I hate going clubbing if I have to wake up early the next day.

I’m a compulsive drinker when I’m drunk.

My left upper arm still aches from Futsal. I still have no idea how I got it.

It’s 2PM and I’m hungry, but the cops are occupying the dining table. Hmmpf.

Few Hours Shy of a Shuffle

Week #4 is more or less half-way thru and looking back at the workload that’s still sitting there, my initial prediction that it’s gonna be a slightly more relaxed term has turned sour. Dammit, but at least the main subject’s (Graphic Design) basic requirements are almost fulfilled. It’s usually GD that is holding us back and once a concept for GD is formulated, everything usually flows smoothly. I think.

Just 5 minutes ago I found out that ‘iPod shuffle’ has arrived in KL but Penang is still high and dry, at least until after Chinese New Year, ughhh!!! Dammit, and Ian just arrived at Penang Bridge from KL. Ahhh, there goes my chance. I hate waiting. Period.

What’s the deal with Penang being so slow in getting new products? It took Penang forever to get their stock when the iPod mini and the new iMac G5 was release. While the iPod shuffle is selling like hot cakes in KL, there’s not even a display unit in Penang. *sigh*

Spotless Sky

It’s funny how I can find myself doing absolutely nothing (nothing = downloading theO.C. and watching it) even though the deadline for my finals is slowly creeping in. Uh oh! Better start cracking up some ideas and work on it quick.

The heat is starting to get really annoying. Can you imagine how hot it is? It’s so hot, up to the point where holding the steering wheel and sitting inside a car will make you feel like a turkey cramped inside an oven with the heat at full blast. Everything you touch sizzles. Even as I type now, my palm still sizzles from holding that darn steering. Not to mention that frying pan-like seat. And I had to bluff to myself by spraying water on the windscreen to simulate rain, how pathetic. Rain! Glorious rain!! :)

In the midst of all this Sahara heat chaos, at least there’s a consolation, in the form of a public holiday on Tuesday, thanks to Thaipusam.

Here are some random thoughts:

I like to drink icy cold water. I hate warm water

Kancil is not a car.

I still use a ball mouse rather than optical.

Pink is cool to me, but I don’t want to own anything that’s pink.

I’m a banana. (A Chinese who can’t speak his native language)

Dogs are cuter because their dumber than cats. Cats are too cheeky at times.

I hate parking underneath a tree. Because of bird sh*t.

Transsexuals freak me out big time.

I work extremely hard just to be extremely lazy.

Motivational speech can motivate me easily, but I’ll forget about soon after.

I like to keep my iBook spotless. I clean it every week.

Coffee goes really really well with cigarettes. I’ve never been in one scenario when I drink coffee without a smoke.

I own a ridiculous amount of t-shirts. I stacked up the rest on my desk.

Sometimes I hate being tall.

Driving nice cars makes me hallucinate.

Happy Thaipusam.

In Full Technicolour

Yes, yes. I know. I've over used the phrase "In Full Technicolour". But hey, I've decided that's gonna be my brand...along with 100% Penang, heh :) Anyways, the site is finally up and running, *phew* after spending hours figuring out what was wrong with the HTML scripting. Go check it out at http://www.meng.cjb.net

[Note: The site is still under construction, still need lots of work. But there's a photo section worth checking...I Hope.]

A Collection of Short Stories, Part I: The Golden Years

[Note: I’m posting another “series” on this blog. All entires are written by Simran. Most of us went thru the same cycle while growing up. It’s a good read.]

On the southwest coast of Penang Island lies Ferringhi beach, a long stretch of sparkling white sand, wooden sampans, hotel resorts and middle aged white male tourists wearing tiny Speedos and showcasing their bulging bellies. You’d see stray mongrel dogs dozing off in the sun and on lazy Sundays, bronzed skin Chinese fishermen would be smoking Dunhills and playing checkers in the shade. I live a stone’s throw away from that beach in the sleepy neighbourhood of Hillside (Tanjung Bungah).

There was a small field in Hillside that was only the size of 2 backyards, but for us boys, it was like playing at Old Trafford. It was my second home, a place where I would spend most of my afternoons with my Chinese mates – Ah Gan, Chi Tuck, Kok Meng, Ian, Kheng Chuan and the others. Kicking the ball around until the sun went down. We called ourselves the Hillside gang.

Tall oak trees encircled the small grounds; you could see the roots reaching out of the ground like giant tentacles, so we used the trees as our boundary. Six huge, circular flowerpots covered the field, so we improvised by chipping the ball over the pots. There were no goalposts, so out slippers became makeshift small goals. Hobbit goals. I mean, who wants to play goalkeeper when you’re a kid? You’d be bored to death. The backs of our fake ‘Made in Thailand’ jerseys were blazoned with the names of Eric Cantona or Ian Wright, not David Seaman or Peter Schmeichel.

Those were the golden years of my life.
Losing countless balls up in those trees,
Kicking the ball straight into somebody’s house and jumping over their fence to get it back, these are the memories that are etched in my skull. We played the same field all through high-school. And those Chinese boys have been my best friends for at least 10 years now. But I think the best lesson I learnt on that pitch was not to give a sh*t about race or religion.

Written by,

Simran Latif

That Darn Rat

With such a torturous climate lingering around with no sign of downpour, one can only sense and anticipate the exit of the monkey to make way for the rooster. Yes, in a few weeks time, it’s Chinese New Year! And we’ll welcome the year of the rooster. It's that time of the year when gambling appears to be legal, strangers giving you money and food is plentiful.

Just today, my mom’s speculation was confirmed when the culprit got killed. I’m referring to a mouse, serious. How on earth did he get in? We thought we’re dealing with tiny “mickey mouse” but this scoundrel was the size of my fist. Full grown motherf**ker. I hope that rat hasn’t left a new generation somewhere around. Mom had to make me throw away that rodent, ewwww. I hate rats, thank god for the invention of latex gloves! Grrrrr, it better not be the work of that neighbour. They have the nastiest hygiene the world has ever seen.

Leap of Faith

Ever wonder why sometimes the odds might be stacked against you? I do wonder about it sometimes, wondering weather it is just pure bad luck or a bad idea that seem good at first. Just yesterday, after a late breakfast at a local McD, I decided to stop by Northam Road to pickup my December pay-check from Apple.

So there I was (with a few classmates), parked just outside Hardwicke’s Mansion where this dude thought he might pull off a spectacular leap over the divider to reach his van on the other side. Little did he know that it wasn’t gonna happen and it ain’t gonna be anywhere near spectacular. So jump he did and land he did not but he fell straight into the drain he did, hehehehehe!! The drain-line must have been at least 500m long, surrounding the mansion’s compound and he had to pick that one spot where the drain cement cover is missing, what are the odds of that? Not only that he had fallen straight into the drain, what was funny is that he tried to cover-up and pretend nothing had happened. First attempt to get out from the drain didn’t go so well, but alas he did got up…almost without a scratch and returned to his trusty van to assess the ‘damage’.

Walk With Me

“With no expectations, they’re not disappointments”.

Friends will come and go, while life only come by once. Decisions, consequences and reality impinge on us in every aspect. It’s a lonely walk down a really long stretch. Roses along the way are intended for smell, not to pick. In the end, no matter what you have done, it doesn’t really matter. It ends as swiftly as it begins.

3 Down, with 1 To Go

A chaotic week it has been so far, with so much going on, there’s hardly any time left to absorb all this. Oh great, the following week is going to be a sluggish one when all the emotions and whatever that has been running high last week will finally sink in.

As predicted on my previous entry, Sim’s party did turned out to be full-on. This frenzy of drunkens and smokers happened while just a few hundred meters away downstairs, a city council opened fire on a VCD seller who was trying escape. Since when the city council has the privilege of carrying a gun?! According to my parents, only recently they had been granted the license to carry fire-arm with them but for self-defense purposes. This was an assault! How could he open fire in a middle of Penang’s supper/late dinner session at a local coffee shop?? I suggest the government have to re-consider they’re endowment to the MPPP. Worst thing was, the bullet was shot at close range (almost at point blank) and the bullet went thru the initial target (he was only 20) and hit a 50 year old by-stander at the back while he was munching his meal. The shooter shot twice.

You called that self-defense? The VCD seller could only be armed with his plastic chair and table, how much damage can that inflict compared to a bullet?

Let's Get it Started

With 2005 almost at its full swing, schedules are getting tighter, deadlines’ closer and time is no longer at our side. Oh boy, you can’t help but predict that 2005 is gonna be a very very busy year. OK, boring self-pity aside, there’s quite a handful of ‘events’ going on this week. Let’s preview…

Number 1 on the list would definitely be Futsal on Wednesday; we’re actually fit enough to kill 1-2 hours of playtime easily with technically no problems at all. Thanks to the weekly Futsal schedule that was introduced in early December 2004. Poor Ian has to play catch-up with us. We’ll go easy on ya. Promise :)

Number 2: Simran’s farewell (for most part 2005, since he only comes back once a year) at Berjaya Hotel this Thursday. It’s supposed to be a chill-out get-together kind of thing. But I can foresee a lot of people getting drunk and ‘flying high’ (and salute to Jamaica!). Next up would be a photo shoot held earlier on Thursday, but I placed it at Number 3 for obvious reasons. It ain’t much of an event, but something less usual nonetheless.

Last but not least, the annual birthday batch extravaganza that everyone look forward to every year. Number 4 on the list and probably the highlight: Kevin’s 22nd. It’s another “supposed to be a chill-out session” but…I can see some crazy things going on. Come on, it’s a Kevin party; he throws the best parties in town despite of anything that comes in his way.

There you go, a week of absolute madness. OK, maybe not madness, but it ain’t gonna be boring, that’s for sure!

Giving All for a Brand New Day

Tanjung Bungah is back at peace with the disappearance Uncle Flasher, thank goodness. But new problems have taken place. Week #1 has finally concluded, even so, there are tones of work that needs some sorting out. Workload wise, it’s pretty manageable (it feels so, being at this current state), but it’s the stress from the graduation’s preparation that’s weighing heavily on my shoulders. I should be slacking, its only week #1!! Heheheh, but hey! It’s the final semester already, and I’ve come this far. Don’t think it’ll do any harm to push just a little harder than usual.

Been playing this song over and over again today, and even as I type this entry, this song is being played. It’s this song by Echobelly titled “To Get Me Through the Good Times” from the Gravity Pull album. Could it be because of this graduation stress? Heh!

“I joke about the bad times,

To get me through the good times,

About all those long nights, I go wading through.”

Note: I seriously recommend this song. It's so soothing, ...I think. :)

Look Ma! No Pants!

Today, I have finally settled my debt to the MPPP. And it cost me a whooping RM70. There goes my weekend, in less than 20 seconds. Oh well, at least I’m now debt-free.

Referring to yesterday’s entry; Uncle Flasher, he took his ‘showcase’ to greater heights later on that day (at night, to be precise). Like a producer for a reality TV show, I guess he thought the ratings were going down the drain and needed some spicing up. This time, one fundamental piece of his attire was completely missing.

I went to a nearby chill out spot last night for some drinks and to hang around with my friends. When the night ended, on my way back to send Kev home, we spotted Uncle Flasher still doing his thing, but this time without his pants. I mean, his pants were completely missing. “WHAT THE F**K IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Ahhh!! He’s missing today and I pray to god that a patrol car might have made a routine check-up on that road and arrested him for public exhibitionism. Go to Germany-lah if you want to behave like that.

Uncle Flasher

My eyes!! My eyes!! Arghhh, its melting…

[Pauses. OK, seriously…this is what happened, *Rewinds*]

Whoever that lives in Tanjung Bungah would most probably noticed this old and weird dude (or uncle) that has this bizarre obsession with standing just off the main road (he seems to be waiting for someone). Yes, I’m talking about that freak with the black patches around this face, swollen legs and malevolent coughs. I call him a freak now because he has found a new interest (to everyone’s despair), wanna make a guess? It has something to do with either “over-sharing” or “banana”. No?

OK, get ready for this; he’s into flashing these days. He’s not your typical trench coat flasher you see on comic strips or movies, he does in a very subtle manner, or should I say, casual? Don’t get what I mean? He just leaves his damn…errr…thing dangling there for the people across the coffee shop to see. It’s astonishing that no one gives a sh*t about it. Either their too busy with their business or they have (like me) taken him for granted. He stands there day in, day out, everyday and every night…he’s bound to be taken for granted.

I suspect he’s been up to that nauseating showcase for awhile now. Just few nights back, when I went down to the local 7-Eleven to pickup a pack of cigarettes. I spotted him on that very same spot, but since it was at night (and dark)…he got the benefit of doubt. I mean, come on, who wants to see some old dude's banana?

Hence the opening lines “My eyes!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

Good Morning!

Alright, this came to me as a complete bolt from the blue. All the while I’ve taken it for granted that I still have a couple more terms to accomplish before I graduate. Well, newsflash! This would be the final term/semester. Gah! So soon? Ah!! By March 4, I will conclude my journey at Equator. Wow, it seems just like yesterday when I entered my first class in EAA, and now I’m counting down to my final class already.

Well, the first class today was pretty boring standard and of course at the crack of dawn I had to drag myself out of bed (literally) and crawl straight to the kitchen to get my fix (ahem, its coffee!) so I can carry on doing my morning rituals (if I can remember any).

Yeap, I haven’t seen mornings since early December and it does feel weird. “Wah, mornings…so bright! My eyes!!! Arghhhhh…” and with that, I had like a billion tiny droplets of Wan Than Mee soup spilled all over my pants while having breakfast. Guess I’ll need some time to get use to mornings again.

A Quick Instant

Oh boy, 2^nd day into 2005 and already hating it. Well, to be fair…it’s the college’s schedule that I hate rather than the year. It’ll be too premature to have it judged. Monday (3^rd January) would mark the start of our first academic term for the New Year, the 2^nd installment to this 2 term semester. Here we go again, it’s almost perpetual to go thru this over and over….and over…over…and over again.

Here’s the low down, Week #1 to #4 we’ll probably do absolutely nothing. Maybe we’ll to go to the kopi-tiam library and pickup some ‘research’ yada yada yada (most of the time we’re on MSN chatting away). Just to prevent us from feeling guilty. At the end of Week #4, that’s when we start to freak out a little. Because by then, we start to structure a timetable (for time management sake) or ‘priority-list’ for my case and then finally, mid-way thru Week #5 we’ll finally pickup the pace and start doing real work. And then comes the late nights, the rush, anxiety and all the other nonsense that makes this just another term at Equator. We're not doctors, but we’re ‘on-call’ 24/7.