PR Status for Illegal Philippinos in Sabah???????

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/28/nation/18152025&sec=nation



I just couldn't believe it! How can this happen? I mean the Federal Government plan to do this??? At the expense of local Sabahans??? Now I understand why the uncles in the coffee shop keeps complaining about federal government.



How to show our objection in this case??????????? Oh speaking of which, the famous MP is in the limelight on this issue again. I felt sorry that all those who wear bow-tie cox the bow-tie wearing politicians are definitely not the right example of wise and thoughtful person that you guys are normally associated with.

Flying High up in the Sky

Due to work, flied quite frequently. Been through some lousy flight with strong turbulence or kids crying (no offense to those with crying kids), rude passenger who keep talking like they are at their own house and stuff. However, like the feeling being on a plane though nowadays I tend to sleep immediately I'm in the plane, which is a blessing, in a way. Guess I like the feeling of being high up in the sky and looking at the beautiful sunset and made me realize how timid I am in this whole universe. Also like the tranquility inside the flight sans the disturbance mentioned above of course. Speaking of which sometimes I get the similar calm excitement (yeah...another oxymoronic terms) when it's raining and cold. Now it strengthen my believe that most of the time, it's not really the place you are at that determines your feeling or liking but more than often it's the people you are with that really matters. Neither flying or raining, I do feel that now. Oh... minus the flight turbulence though....

And yeah... my friend Erin will be embarking on a new journey this coming Sunday and I wish her all the best in her future endeavour. Take care. Will miss the fun arguing "intellectually" with you haha...

Couch Surfing (CS) and Hospitality Club (HC) - Friends II

With Emma, taken in the Uncle Tan's place in Gum Gum, Mile 16, Sandakan

Emma is a great guest and we chatted a lot while she joined me travelling back to Sandakan, from both our interest in movies, musics and her stories about her own travel, life and Scandinavian countries in general. She's definitely welcomed back here anytime!!! I'm sure Hezrina will agree to this too.

Hey, Emma, the pics above is what I promised to send to you. You can copy it here. Take care and keep in touch.

I Committed a SERIOUS Mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I admit I am never good with dates, hence never remember birthdays very well. And yeah...this includes the fact that I only remember without fault the birthday of one of my best buddies Lily recently.

However, for Sherry's case, it's not that I forgot her birthday but I forgot when the day came!!! I remembered well the date but when the day came, it completely eluded me. Blame me for being too busy with works and occupied with something else maybe?

Auntie Sherry changed from babysitting other people's baby in a nursery to babysitting her own.

Anyway, I wanna apologize to Auntie Sherry for forgetting to wish her Happy Birthday on her big day and I wanna dedicate this lame post to her as the mean to make it up haha.....

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY

Still remember this? I know, it's ages!!!

Love's in The Air - Oh.. or rather babies are in the air

For the past few days, I have been cornered by the word baby. Not that I had one or going to have one but the news about baby, the baby visiting activities filled up my daily task hehe....

Starting from the cute little god-daughter of mine, Olivia who stole everyone's heart to the recently check-in baby girl Carmen of Andrew to Kathy and also the baby-in-coming news from the ever joyful J, it's babies in the air!!!!

Baby Olivia

Mummy Sherry and Olivia

Uncle Ah Tan and Olivia

Auntie Julia and Olivia

"What's the earth with all its art, verse, music, worth-

Compared with love found, gained, and kept?" ~ Robert Browning

B, I found, gained and keeping.

Over The Rainbow

Took the pics below while driving along the Shantung Road and stopped my car to take the pic. The rainbow was formed across the whole horizon, framing a half circle while it's still drizzling.

I believe the Chinese sayings, 雨过天晴. Not only it will be a nice day ahead but the rainbow will be some sort of signs of hope which is coming on the way.

I believe somewhere over the rainbow, there lies a hope and that's where I will be. It's a new chapter and definitely a much looking-forwarded one.

Also to some of my friends who's embarking on a whole new journey, all the best!!!

What A Simple Gesture/Things Can Do?

It's amazing sometimes how a simple thing/possession can do for you. The little stuff can do incredible things, i.e. evoking your feelings, change your perspective on something, distract your attention from your mundane boring life etc...

The famous chicken pau eaten while on the way back to Sandakan. Taken on the dashboard of my car.

Perfect Monday

I used to dread Mondays, being the first working day after the enjoyable 2 days break (oh.. for those who still work on Sat, sorry yeah....). But given a new perspective of looking at things, it can't be that bad.

My previous Monday and yesterday were a testatment to that. So, from now on, there'll be no Monday blues but perfecto Monday instead!!!

小情歌 - 苏打绿 (A Little Love Song - Soda Green)

Fresh from winning the 2007 Taiwan Golden Melody Awards for Best Group and Best Composer after scoring 7 nominations, A Little Love Song by Soda Green.

小情歌 - 苏打绿

A Little Love Song - Soda Green

这是一首简单的小情歌

唱着人们心肠的曲折

我想我很快乐 当有你的温热

脚边的空气转了

这是一首简单的小情歌

唱着我们心头的白鸽

我想我很适合 当一个歌颂者

青春在风中飘着

你知道 就算大雨让这座城市颠倒

我会给你怀抱

受不了 看见你背影来到

写下我度秒如年难捱的离骚

就算整个世界被寂寞绑票

我也不会奔跑

逃不了 最后谁也都苍老

写下我时间和琴声交错的城堡

Try this link for the sampling : http://www.7yin.com/play_ok/9a87897f93fdf80f.htm

Shopping Therapy - Prequel Part 2

Bought this is Miri while wandering around the Bintang Shopping Complex before bumped into Sabrina and her sister, Michelle who were there to attend their bro's graduation from Curtin U. Yeah, speaking about that, they haven't send me the pics we took together in the Grand Old Lady. Come on, send the pics, Sabrina!!!

OK, the album above is good. Sean is well-known in theatre which I had watched a few when I was still working in KL. He had a small role in Anna and the King, the Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fatt edition too. Recently crowned as the Best Newcomer in AIM Awards, the album is a trip back to the nostalgic lane with tunes made familiar by P.Ramlee and gang. Some notable new tunes are Semalam and Kuimpikan Bintang which are the tracks that stand out. A cheeky fun song called "Dengar Ini Cerita" featuring Ida Nerina and Adibah Noor is no less fun than P. Ramlee's version in the movie Hujan Pagi. My personal fave is "Rambutnya Hitam, Matanya Galak".

Shopping Therapy - Prequel Part 1

The CDs were bought in Miri International Jazz Festival, both in 2006 and 2007. I bougt the Boogieology by Lluis Coloma in 2006 during the 1st festival and with their comeback this year, I bought their latest CD which "surprisingly" come with track No. 1 named "Goin' to Malaysia". Clever Coloma huh?

Bought 2 CDs of George Washing Machine as well. And I was delighted to know that the original song of P. Ramlee's, forgot the name was originally a folk tune from Italy called Isle of Capri dated back to 1934.

The Jack Johnson CD was bought in Hanoi, Vietnam. At USD2, the double CD was worth every single dollar I paid as it comes with a nice wooden packaging and lyrics.

Shopping Therapy?

Was in KL few days ago and being the bookish nerd I am, my routine hang-out in shopping malls will be bookstore and CD store. This time around, I broke my record by buying all the stuff above. Oh... one CD is actually liangmoi's and another one a gift from Borobodur from PT. 2 travelogue, 1 novel, 1 language started kit (I must be crazy!) and 3 Chinese short essays compilations from Kinokuniya, KLCC and Borders, The Curve.

Mukhsin

I am a Yasmin Ahmad's fan. Having watched Sepet and Gubra I wouldn't want to miss the 3rd instalment of the Orked series. However, I didn't manage to catch it in the cinema (oh... these are the films where WE SHOULD ALL WATCH in cinema to support the movie industry) like what I did for the previous two. But like they said, delayed gratification is definitely worth it.

I would say in general, the movie is calculatively accurate with elements to satisty an audience like me. The opening raining scene featuring a song called "Hujan Keroncong" sang BEAUTIFULLY (I mean, really BEAUTIFULLY) by the great Adibah Noor just gets me hooked on (to add in the fact that I enjoy Malay songs all these while and recently hooked on Sean Ghazi's album...).

I think the story is familiar and relevant enough to all of us. Like what Ang Lee famously remarked "There's a brokeback mountain in each one of us, it's just that we never go there", for Mukhsin, I think it's very much spot-on to say that "There's a Mukhsin in everyone of us, it's just that we were too young to remember it or it's too hurtful to remember it"

I wouldn't want to delve into how the character was the Orked who appear later in Sepet and Gubra. Orked is 10 yo and Mukhsin is 12 yo. It's school holiday (and coincidentally I watched it and write this on the last day of the school holiday in Malaysia). The story covers the span of the holiday and how the sweet innocent love budding and blossomed between the 2 characters and due to some childish misunderstanding (well, didn't we had misunderstandings in any relationship at any stage of our life? being an adult didn't mean we didn't have childish misunderstanding anyway!!!!), they didn't bid a proper farewell, holiday ended and memories remained.

I love Mukhsin and its interesting bits:

1. Songs : Hujan Keroncong by Adibah Noor and Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me) by Nina Simone

2. Orked went to Chinese Primary School. Orked said her father sent her to Chinese school because he wants her to know Chinese language they (the parents) know Malay language. I wonder is that why I was sent to the Malay national school. No regrets though.

3. The use of some very LOCAL Malay words which you definitely not gonna use in any of the school karangan whatsoever: melaram, kumpul lemak engkau, merayap macam tak cukup tanah etc.... For me, all this create a tinge of familiarity as I didn't converse in Malay as frequent as I used to be.

4. Ho Yu Hang (another famous renowned local indie director) had a cameo though no face shown and if I'm not mistaken spoke some Hakka.

5. The movie ended with a poem in Chinese (yes, you folks out there.... it's a Chinese poem in a Malay movie) though it's not a surprise cox Sepet started with a song by Sam Hui.

6. Notable and subtly funny scenes include the one with dialogue "Bestnya jadi motorsikal" and the "Ice cream making scene" by Adibah Noor.

I dun understand though the scene where Bujang the Cat was thrown out because mencemar budaya. It killed a chicken? Those who know, please enlighten me.

Lastly I brought you the closing poem at the movie, both in Chinese (screen) and English (voice-over).

当我听到第一个爱情故事

The minute I heard my first love story

我已经开始寻觅你

I started looking for you

虽然只是一种无知的盲目

Not knowing how blind that was

你我从未相遇

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere

却仿佛早已认识很久

They're in each other all along

I WOULD SUGGEST WHY DON'T YOU WATCH THIS MOVIE AS A TRIBUTE TO OUR NATION'S 50TH YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE?

"There's a Mukhsin in everyone of us, it's just that we were too young to remember it or it's too hurtful to remember it"

DID U REMEMBER YOUR MUKHSIN?

Power Station by Maxis

Thanks to Maxis, Power Station was brought to perform in KK on June 9, 2007. Ticket available upon RM10 reload, which almost equate to free. The promotion was in haste and I think lots of people didn't know about it until it's too late. And for this case, the saying "good things didn't come free or cheap" is not that true anymore cox they're powerful, living up to their name.

The previous Astro Talent Quest winner Anthony Cheng from KK kicked off the performance. Saw his face in the background banner? Hm.... no comment.

Even if you didn't have the ticket, it's OK cox you can watch the whole concert nearby Padang Merdeka as it's open air!!! What a treat to the KK folks!!!

Phoebe (MyFM) was the MC for the concert and less irritating than the MC for the event who's in-charge of the pre-concert warm up and games session.

They belted out a list of their songs and the crowd obviously were their fans... and most of them were male audience! This is quite a rare instance as most of the time, the screaming concert go-er are mostly females while the males were enjoying and dancing if the tune is right. I guess Power Station is one of the rare group or performers whose songs were OK for the guys to like or be able to hum the whole lyrics of it without feeling embarassed about it! Even their less rock-heavy ballad numbers were well-memorised by the guys attending the concert, as proven by the loud guys singing crowd that night! Bravo!!!

Oh, they entertained the crowd request twice too!!! Firstly at the earlier part of the concert was "Chong Dong" 冲动. And towards the later part of the concert, they answered my request, yeah... MY REQUEST thanks to my loud shouting voice, they belted out half of "Thinking Of You is My Pre-sleep Habit" 想你是临睡的习惯

不甘心不放手
无情的情书
热情的沙漠
忠孝东路走九遍
你快乐所以我快乐
彩虹

I think I missed some of their rather new songs which I'm not that familiar.

It was a great mini concert and of course when it's free, it's even better hahahaha.....

Pak Lah Boleh!!!

Pak Lah is getting married on Saturday. His soon-to-be wife is his ex-sister in law, Jeanne Abdullah. Looking at the pic below, I think she looked a bit like the MCA Chief, Datuk Dr. Ng Yen Yen.

Oh, Pak Lah is married again. Looks like love is in the air. He should be getting his ilham to have the election this year. Like the Cantonese sayings... 吃著上. Congratulations Pak Lah!

Is that blushing?

Breaking and Entering (2006)

Never heard of this movie until I saw the DVD in Miri. With Jude Law, Juliette Binoche and Robin Wright Penn helmed by Anthony Minghella, I bought it without hesitation though I am prepared to a rather slow pace of plot having watched Cold Mountain and The English Patient.

Not a movie that draws out an absolute liking or hating from me. I mean the actors were great no doubt. Penn and Law's portrayal of a couples drifting apart is so real, the minimal exchanges of verbal sparring freeze the scenes as it should be. The characters are not the most likable ones especially Law is back again as the rich white guy who's so hard to hate despite all his wrongdoings, or rather his "breaking and entering". I really agreed with some of the reviews who calls the movie as sufferring from the expectations of the movie to be a teaching material with its black and white morally PC characters. Minghella's style of symbolises everything didn't help very much too though I may attribute that to his own style. I started to think he's having his own preferred actor as well, with Law and Binoche both appearing in his previous work before this.

It's interesting to see some parkour scenes here as well. Since shown in the previous James Bond movie, parkour gained quite a prominence feature in every mode of media.

The movie centres around King's Cross, London which is turning into a centre of the massive urban relanscaping effort. Camden's Lock was featured in a great deal as well and brought back my memory of my previous visit.

What keeps lingering :

1. You maybe lost and some unknown people may know better than you like the hooker character tried to portray. The fox and the fox skin left in Will's car is another testament of Minghella's symbol-using tendencies.

2. Love is no ordinary crime.

3. Lie. Steal. Cheat. Love. All intangible mess.

Home - Chris Daughtry

You don't have to be a winner to score a hit album. Daughtry did it edging the more illustrated winner and final-3 of his season, Taylor Hicks, Katherine McPhee and Elliot Yamin.

And the reason for me to love this song? Maybe the title home struck some chords in my heart cox I love another song named Home by Michael Buble.

Home - Chris Daughtry

I'm staring out into the night,

Trying to hide the pain.

I'm going to the place where love

And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.

And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain.

I'm going home,

Back to the place where I belong,

And where your love has always been enough for me.

I'm not running from.

No, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life I chose for me.

But these places and these faces are getting old

So I'm going home.

Well I'm going home.

The miles are getting longer, it seems,

The closer I get to you.

I've not always been the best man or friend for you.

But your love, remains true.

And I don't know why.

You always seem to give me another try.

So I'm going home,

Back to the place where I belong,

And where your love has always been enough for me.

I'm not running from.

No, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life I chose for me.

But these places and these faces are getting old.

Be careful what you wish for,

'Cause you just might get it all.

You just might get it all,

And then some you don't want.

Be careful what you wish for,

'Cause you just might get it all.

You just might get it all, yeah.

Oh, well I'm going home,

Back to the place where I belong,

And where your love has always been enough for me.

I'm not running from.

No, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life I chose for me.

But these places and these faces are getting old.

I said these places and these faces are getting old.

So I'm going home.

I'm going home.

How to Sell Your Country?

I guess everybody knows that it's Visit Malaysia Year 2007 targeted to lure in as many tourists as we can this year but the dampening news is that the 1st quarter target had not been met and it's worrying every single party involved. This couldn't be worse when the country has been plagued with discouraging news on cheating holiday homes, bad attitude and overcharging cabbies (sorry to those who's not involved but the bad seeds are just too many of them) and tonnes of other bad incidents.

So, besides those stuff, the most important thing is how to promote your country to other visitors? I mean when I go travelling, many people who's never been to Malaysia asks me what to recommend in Malaysia? In KL to be specific. And I was asked in places like in the middle of admiring the grandeur architechture of Angkor Wat or in the midst of enjoying the serenity of the natural wonder of Ha Long Bay boat trip.... and I have to churn out something to recommend in KL? Hmmm.... KLCC Petronas Twin Tower? Midvalley? Berjaya Times Square? From the line of example I listed you will notice it's the past-glory nominee for the once-biggest, once-largest or once-tallest man-made building with pathetically minimal soul or uniqueness to boast about. So, I recommend Taman Negara, Pahang or Melaka (or irritatingly referred to as Malacca) if they only have time in Peninsula Malaysia. Or if they have more time, go explore BORNEO!!! OKOK.... I may be biased being born in the enchanting Borneo myself but I guess no one will challenge the fact that Borneo has more special things to offer right?

OK, back to the topic, how to sell your country? And I am not referring to selling confidential secret-spy espionage we watched in the TV or movies ages ago... I mean how every country promote themselves in their tourism campaign?

To start with, Malaysia always use this tagline : MALAYSIA, TRULY ASIA (We even have our Datuk CT to belt out the most overplayed tune in national radio and TV!) Of course by using that we mean to sell our harmonious multi-cultural society

What other countries choose as their tagline/slogan? Here're some of them:

1. Thailand - Amazing Thailand

Without doubt, Thailand is amazing. Amazing land of smiles, amazing friendliness of its people, it's downright amazing. Slogan wise, it's simple and straight to the point.

2. Singapore - Uniquely Singapore

The sour grape of Malaysians will make fun of this slogan as what's uniqueness? It's their kiasu-ness of course. However, again it's the classic example of simple impactful tagline. And they have a Chinese version also which is brilliant for targetting the mainland Chinese citizens with so much money to spend! Hey Malaysian toursim topgun, don't just aim at the Middle-Eastern Arabians, the mainland Chinese are rich with cash now!!!

3. Philippines - Wow Philippines

Lack of ohmppp....if you ask me but maybe because I haven't been to the Philippines. However, it's a simple effective one.

4. Vietnam - The Hidden Charm

Oh... I wish it to remained hidden as with Myanmar too because too many tourists will hurt the charm definitely. So, it's kinda ironic huh cox I am one of the tourists even I tried to distinguish myself in every single way.

5. Laos - Jewel of the Mekong

Not an effective one if one does not know what is Mekong or understand the aesthetic beauty associated to the pulse of the Mekong Delta. Having said that, it's a nature paradise and it's my target.

6. India - Incredible India

Nice effective tagline and it's definitely perfected by the head tilting gesture of the Indian speaker. The hand-tatoo not to be mistaken to be Madonna's in her video Frozen, is spot-on. Like the whole concept of Incredible India. One of my friend visited the Northern India and the pics he took are amazing or.... incredible. Definitely a must-go.

7. Indonesia - The Ultimate in Diversity

Too simple and too long, a mouthful!!! It can do better I believe.

8. Myanmar - Mystical Myanmar

Given the house arrest of Aung San Syu Kii and the unexplored mystique of Myanmar, it's a winning simple slogan.

9. Cambodia - Home of World Heritage

I have no complain about Angkor Wat being the World Heritage but banking on that to the slogan is like putting everything in one basket. There were many world heritage now and more should be emphasised on other things Cambodia can offer. Having said that, I LOVE Cambodia especially Angkor Wat to the extend I had been there twice this year hehe.....

And for me, the winner is from the Down Under with their offensively-creative "Where the Bloody Hell Are You?" campaign which drew criticism and ban from the UK, the supposedly mother-country of the nation.

So, where the bloddy hell are you?

wake up and go travel somewhere else!!!!