Aim Less

So.

What was the story? I think I need to pick up from where I left off but I'm not exactly sure what was my core objective of the previous entry. Seriously, I need another journal to record my thoughts so that I can remember and write them into this journal. Maybe then I need another journal to record my bits of emotions so that I can remember and write them into that earlier journal for this journal.

Reminders, are basically what I need. Might as well hire myself a hot personal secretary. She must be good in 'reminding' me.

Reading my previous story, I think the story can be concluded with just that. Who's gonna criticize me anyway for not finishing a story properly. I want to move on with something else. If you wanna hear more about that story, call me up and we can have chat over coffee - you're buying.

But I don't have a story to tell today.

Just ranting aimlessly so I can feel that I have updated this blog a little bit more frequent that usual.

Probably I should put a picture or something.

Maybe later.

Earth Hour Speech

Last time I wrote an entry was February 13th? And instead of looking for a date, I wrote geeky stuffs online where only the most amazing people on Earth, yes that's you, read?

Anyway, let's pick up where we left off - and the timing is perfect because I had a meeting that is particularly related to what I wish to discuss (or I just simply tell you stuffs without expecting any comebacks) here today.

"Why"

Well, people often tell you stuffs about being green, sustainable, save the planet, etc whether through the media, government campaign, random conversation with strangers, etc. Hence, you may often come to a point asking yourself the followings:

1. Is it true that the Earth is dying if we continue throwing away plastics?
2. Do we really have to recycle stuffs, switch off lights, save water, etc at home?
3. Will it work?
4. Do I care?

Anyway, I'm not sure how important the questions above in terms of achieving green - our whatever objective you have personally. For me, it's common sense, if you wish to know, Google is just one-click-and-a-series-of-typing-then-pick-one-link-and-hope-it-is-the-right-link away.

What I wish to share with you today is far more interesting, at which all the above questions are to be made obsolete and being green is irrelevant to discuss no more - and Earth is happy to have us for a much longer time.

I had a meeting with a potential client last week. Most of the time, I only get to meet managerial level staffs for briefing. Last week was kind of special - I get to meet the MD of the company. I shall keep the identity anonymous for this entry. To me, getting the opportunity to speak to the ultimate decision maker is quite a great one. However, the thing I wish to highlight here is not about the person I met with but about the spur of interesting thoughts that was inspired by his vision and intellectual provisions.

We talked about developing a new lifestyle.

No red, blue and green recycling bins. No "no plastic day". Certainly no shutting the light off or an hour in a year.

How do we create a new 'green' lifestyle that is so acceptable into your life that is not intrusive and doesn't require effort and ultimately - sustainable?

It's interesting when you attempt to this perspective because you start thinking (or probably just me alone) that what are actually doing now that are, in fact, already sustainable?

How about instead of changing our lifestyles, we change our surroundings?

For example, water efficiency. We need to shower, do the dishes, washing machine, etc. Today, you can find anywhere in the market cool things like efficient shower heads, water efficient dishwasher or washing machine. Sure, if you have money you would have bought that stuffs and probably along the way you'd save 50% of your monthly water bill, which equates for SYABAS current rate to about RM18 savings per month for an average household (Our water is that cheap?!).

So why bother?

Let's put it this way, if you don't save your water, you're putting more stress of increasing demand to the water supplier (well, you know because of increasing population and increase usage of activities done here and there). Hence, by 2014, if our water supply industry does not improve their production or efficiency, there'll be significant price hike on the water tariff rate and water policy overhaul. Hence, see Australia (unless you are not informed of this news, please google "water restrictions in Australia").

This is the very core essence of sustainability.

Anyway, getting back to the story...

Well, to be continued. This has been pretty lengthy for my personal capacity for one entry. Until next time.

Happy Earth Hour people!

Not Sure if it's Cool or Nerdy

First, I build the building forms. I get the window and wall sizes right - which both are pretty critical for solar fenestration. I'm not very strict on space height and width. Although it is good to have them all as close to being perfect. Nonetheless, it should be fine as long I think the built model is sufficiently representative of the building design.

Preliminary Development

Next thing in line is to set up the building parameters - internal and external. I like to separate the internal factors into two categories: architectural and mechanical. These two categories cover factors such as building materials, surface finishes, materials specifications, air conditioning systems requirements, internal load which covers space operations, human factor, etc.

To put simply, I give a sort of an educated guess that the building shall be occupied by a cetain amount of people on daily basis through typical office hours at which they will enjoy nice cool space in a building that is built of standard brickwall and tinted windows.

I hope that is simple enough.

Detailed Design

Now the boring part is over, we can continue to the more depressing part of this exercise - running simulation. Basically, it's pretty easy - because all I have to do is, assuming all settings are defaulted, click a button.

Let's have an example - simulating daylight.

To make my life a little bit more difficult, I set my own sky model - what kind of sky I would like to have for my model. I mean, sure I'll have the local sky condition but I need to set whether it's during the brightest day of the year or the dark gloomy sky we have right after a heavy rain. Then I set the time and date of which I would like to have my data.

Simple stuffs. Even a monkey could do it.

Simulation Output

Now, I have all the data that I supposedly need and like any profession that deals with ridiculous amount of numbers, how we intepret and present them is arguably the most important matter of all. Hence, I make them look nicer and easier for general understanding.

For example, image below shows in a typical bedroom floor plan of a residential unit, the level of Daylight Factor (DF) available around the interior space. In other words, how good a room can get good daylighting. Good DF should be around 1 to 5, I think.

Data Representation

I think that is simple enough to follow.

What's the point of all of this? I mean, the 'how' is not as important as 'why' I have to do all this stuffs. We'll get into that on the next entry.

Yes, hooray! More cool stuffs are coming up!

Green Drinks KL

I wouldn't say that I'm the most sociable person out there nor I am the greatest conversationist. This notion may be applicable for both of my personal and professional lives. Some recent events have confirmed that notion. I'm not the worse either (I think) so I am grateful for that.

Nevertheless, for today, or possibly only ever, I am refering to my professional life and how the previously mentioned notion is effecting it.

Although.

I'm not exactly refering to my primary work operation. This is more about the stuffs I'm trying to do for extracurricular points - things that I do outside my working hours relating to this 'green' stuffs.

...

Okay I'm spending too much time building up a story that I don't think worth a 'refined' introduction. In fact, reading back, it was pointless and irrelevant.

Basically, I recently went to a social drink for 'green' enthusiasts in KL. It is held on every last Tuesday of the month at The Apartment, KL, I think. Well, I'm not very sure - the event held last month was my first and I'm looking forward to my second visit later this month.

So, let me paint you a picture: a group of 'green' enthusiasts get together every month discussing about 'green' stuffs.

My previous first visit was interesting. My last social drink event before that (and coincidentally on green stuffs too) was about two years ago in Wellington. I think today I am intellectually better and have sharper focus as previously at times I tend to zone-out in the middle of a heavy conversation. I do that less now.

Anyway, I think it's pretty cool they have this in KL every month. There's a Facebook group about this. You can search 'Green Drinks KL' there. I'm not entirely sure if I fit in well in the group. Seriously, these are hardcore 'green' enthusiasts - in DOTA terms, I am possibly at Level 7 (I just earn my first ultimate ftw!) and most of them are somewhere around Level 22.

Truthfully, I quite enjoy being around this 'green' fanatics from various background - philosophy, anthropology, science, etc. I am also happy for myself that I still have this hunger to learn more about this 'green' stuffs. I hope I can keep this up.

I would really love to share with you a video presented during that event:



Fruit for thoughts.

Morning Vertigo

Let's call him Sentul. Well, as in Brooklyn, Paris, Jordan and Sydney, this guy is named after a rather popular city. Born and raised in Ampang, Sentul grew up with enough love and education a modern KL life could offer to the city's own son. As fate was kind to him, as per my own writing permits so, he then became, rightfully so, an adult with a great heart and intellect so charismatic you'd wish he mention your name in his conversations with his other brainy friends. Not because you wish to be heard among the great minds in the country. No. It's just because he has also a very beautiful voice.

Talented bastard.

But hey, this is fictional writing. And by the way, he has ocean blue eyes.

If you haven't attempted to picture him yet, let's say he has that boy-next-door kinda physical look, say Pierre Andre but with personality as 'bubbly' as Aznil's but with less make-up.

Today, he's 29 years old, single (or secretly involved with a partner) and at this moment of you reading this exact line, imagine him on an expensive, as in KLCC-expensive, penthouse balcony looking over the crowded KL rats racing, a very slow race in fact, back and forth through Jalan Ampang at 8am.

He's still in his pyjamas. Yes, he enjoys being the very few adults in this country, or probably this decade, who still wears pyjamas to bed. Sipping his hot tea with honey - clover, of course - his eyes caught a long stream of cars, motorcycles and cranky van drivers waiting behind the main entrance gate of the opposite office tower causing massive angry trails spreading over Jalan Ampang.

Should he be worried that he's supposed to be down there opening the gate?

Go Green

Have I actually told anyone that I'm actually a green building consultant? I think I did. Just thought I didn't conveyed it well enough. I mean, many may have lost in those bomoh's analogy, high performance building shits, modelling, etc.

To put simply, sure, I'm a green building consultant.

This 'green' label has been quite an 'in' trend going on these days. While money is still some sort of source for higher social status, being 'green' seems to be heading the same direction too. Although I'm speculating that within the origin of this trend, 'green' is just simply an excuse for poor people to have some value in society.

Stranger A: "Why are you walking instead of going by car?"
Green B: "I want to save fuel so that less CO2 is produced and pollute the air."
Traitor C: "Nah, B is broke."
Green B: "F**k you C"

Well, I don't really care really why are you 'green' anyway. The more reason you think you have to be green means better business for my 'green' industry.

But, personally, I don't like the word 'green'. It's misleading and its too trendy to be taken seriously. Not that I don't like the rather 'glamourous' environment I'm living in, but it's just starting to deviate from my core purpose of my work. Well, if you still think I'm actually a green building consultant, you should read the whole entry again, or go back to school and learn to read between the lines.

Nevertheless, I care very little. Ego is a small price to pay to earn my next pay. However, I still wish the small amount of readers here to understand the true meaning of 'green'.

But, there is no true meaning of green anyway except its just a colour used to paint trees or your vommit. And oh it's also a colour typically associted with envy and jealousy (ahh what wonder a simple research could bring).

Let's use Brundtland's idea in 1987, that sustainable development, or perhaps 'green' development, meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs.

So.

I'll break the above definition down for you:

1. "..meets the need of present.."
2. "..without compromising the ability of future generation.."
3. "..to meet their own needs.."

Mm, I think i gonna stop here. This is going well for me and my brain is starting to shut down. I'd prefer to continue this when I'm more refreshed.

Until then, go green.

The Science of Romantic Evening

I’ve always been a big believer in numbers. I also take step directions pretty seriously – well, not as in I’d be pissed off if anybody skipped step 2 but I respect the time and effort pulled off by the kind lady who spent countless hours figuring out the simplest way and the most understandable approach to put up a chair from IKEA.

Although this entry is not about step directions – it’s about numbers. Statistic may fall under it but I still don’t have the proper ‘umbrella’ term for the thing I wanted to tell you about. For now, let’s take it as it’s about numbers.

Lux level at your classroom : 400 lux
Lux ratio for highlighting a Mona Lisa on your wall : 10 to 1
Minimum background sound level at your office : 5 dBa

I’m not very sure if these figures even intrigued you in any way. Nevertheless, numbers matter. I hate to spoil your first spark with your girlfriend but romantic settings can be calculated and reinvented. She can experience the same spark with another guy – you just got lucky to run by her that time. Although timing too can be estimated too but I’d prefer not to go too far by saying I can customize fate.

When I’m trying to say here is you can have a romantic dinner by taking care of the followings:

Ambient lux level : 50 lux
Humidity : 45%
Lux ratio of you and the background : 7 to 1
Background music level : 30 dBa

And of course a dozen of other stuffs just to compliment the above factors. Why the above figures matter? Because you probably can only get 50 lux at a secluded away-from-shopping-centres fine dining restaurants. Higher lux level will not keep her relax for too long – lower would just increase her anxiety. Anything above 60% humidity will cause your brain to think this is just another average day and it bores her. 45% will have better probability of making her excited. If the lux ratio is higher, she may have difficulties keeping her focus at you. Anything lower, you’ll be as bland as the tasteless wallpaper they have at the background.

A perfect date?

Maybe, but it helps. If only I have a girl to experiment this with.

P.S. The above specified 'magic' figures are not necessarily justified. I'm too lazy to run a quick research about anything at the moment. Although they may not be too far off though.

The Smurfs Had it Before

A couple of days has become about 2 weeks. I'm pretty bad in estimating my own time. Oh well, no one's hurt so that's cool.

I'm not changing anything at the moment. While I'm trying to keep away the thought that no one actually cares, the item on today's blog to-do list is that I have something to say (or write), apparently. Well, rather than babbling on and on about what I have in mind about selecting the colour of the curtains, I think this is more refreshing.

People often ask me, "Am I doing this green enough?". Given the nature of my 'professional' life, I get that pretty much now and then. You can also probably guess that they're just joking around anyway. I don't think they're expecting a blue (or green) ribbon by just not using plastic bags to carry out a 1.5l bottle of Coke out from Giant. A pat of on the back perhaps?

To be honest, what do you feel when they refused you plastic bags when you're checking out a gazillion items from the store? Although I don't think there's any store refusing to give their customers plastic bags since the alternative is that they charge you for it.

But the point I'm getting at is, do you feel that you have done something good? Or do you feel something as if you have done a little bit of sacrifice for something that you can't actually feel?

I mean, congratulations to many of you that feel proud or fulfilling when you throw old newspaper into the correct recycling bin. It's not that I'm saying it's not good enough although I bet some of you geniuses can sense some condescending tone over there. Truthfully, I sincerely think it's good to see many civillians starting to have some conscience and do something about this 'green' stuffs - true story.

Honestly, I do occasionally think about the environment, i.e. refuse plastic bags, throw correct stuffs into the correct recycling bins, etc. But I feel good about them, and for me, if you still can't catch my previous drifts and turns, feeling good is not the right way to feel.

What's the right feeling then?

Nothing.

Yes, we should feel nothing when we do all these 'green' stuffs. Because it should not matter. 'Green' is just a word, or a term, invented by humans to represent sustainability. The major objective is to sustain, and to sustain is what we've been wanting to do all this while. It's not something new. That's what humanity has been developing us for centuries - to sustain ourselves as whatever we wish to be as long as we can.

You know who's green? The Smurfs. Yes, I know they're, in fact, blue but truly, they are 'green'. Self-sustainable community. They have been living just among themselves, creating and providing food in the community for decades without any need of having any sort of fish to be shipped from thousands of kilometres away. They integrate trees and earth forms into their architectural designs. They produce minimal CO2 from wood burning but they compensate with planting back trees. They are net zero carbon community and you have never heard them bitchin' about being green.

Being 'green' is not something hip or new. It's what we've done for centuries as human beings - to be sustainable. The Egpytians built the pyramids to last for thousand of years. Our grandparents scolded us if we waste food. The economy is built to last for not 100 years but, if possible, until that super giant meteor strikes again.

Being sustainable is not something new. We have savings because we want to have some money to splurge when you're holidaying in Venice when you're 50. Now, we have to save some plastic bags, metal waste, fuel, etc because if you don't, Venice probably will not be there anymore.

Maybe I'm exagerrating, but at least it's not as exciting.

And This is Only Step 1

This looks better. Let's leave it for a couple of days and see whether it'll stay or not.

The Theme Stays Though

On second, or third, thought, this doesn't look right.

Sigh.

Step 1

Check!

Entry in 3 Minutes

This will be a short entry because this is pretty much I can afford right now. I will not read back the things I've written here to check whether it's grammatically correct or the flow does not serve the purpose of this entry. Although I will do simple speell checking and some occasional 'backspacing' to resort to alternative verbs or nouns.

What's with the rush?

Nothing.

I just felt if I practice writing this way, my usual average time consumed to produce an entry can be greatly reduced. I have big plans. Well, probably just one at the moment. A big one at least. For this blog, not for myself. No love yet in my life. Until that happen, then we can talk about big plans for myself.

Big plan for this blog.

It's about time I convert this blog into something much better. Although that was always the dream for any blogger to make their blog much better everyday. But no I'm not changing anything small like that. It's big. How big? Like your momma's ass.

Ok. That's a cheap shot, but I'll stand by it.

All I can say for now is that this black background will be removed. Replace, since if you remove a colour you cannot let it be empty. Unless, nothingness is actually the colour black. So removing it won't make a difference.

It'll be in a different colour.

I'll also remove all content. Yes, it's that big.

I have a different direction for this blog for next year. 2011 is coming and I'm making changes.

Blamo!

Item One, Check!

I have a few things in mind lately. Well, I mean, more than usual. At least more than an average male brain can handle. I was once informed females can handle numerous tasks better than the male counterparts. I'll give my benefit of the doubt that it is true and hence here I am overwhelmed by a measly amount of stuffs in the head.

Get sorted.

That's possibly the theme for today. Ever since me as a cute little boy, I've also tried to fill my 24 hours day with as many stuffs as possible. Although that may not be true, I'm attempting to highlight that I prefer my plates to be filled with varieties whilst quality is preserved.

If forced, I'm leaning to quantity. Well, I want quality but most of the times I get quantity. I'm pretty sure that many of us have gone through that phase where they believe that they are purple but the fact is that they are very yellow and there's not much they can do about it because that's what they are and we appreciate yellow rather than them trying too hard to be purple.

Getting back to the little boy, I wish a lot of things - as do any greedy human beings. However, I have come to the point where even with very few things, I can't queue all items and check them out properly and efficiently.

I need to go back to Uni and get myself a degree in sorting things out.

Alternatively, I just need an organizer - or an iPhone.

Four Years and Counting

I started this blog since exactly 4 years ago. 230 entries written with 610 comments received (for once, this time the stats referred is actually true). This can be translated to 1.1 entries per week and 2.65 comments per entry.

I'm not really sure what can I do with these numbers.

Statistics is supposed to help me scientificly interpret the subject of the data obtained - or something along that line. Should I be concerned whether I need to improve the entry rate per week? Maybe I wasn't concerned because the story that the numbers tell does not reflect anything I'm supposed to be concerned of.

Maybe I was referring to the wrong data.

How about this - to date, I've only produced 23 entries in the year 2010. That is well below my average annual production, not even half. Should I be concerned now?

I had my most productive year in 2008 with entries stacking up to 76 posts. I had a lot of stuffs going on that year. Lots of casual time too.

This is not my best year. Not that my bad blogging year means I have a bad personal year.

I'm just having slight difficulties finding time to comfortably sit (or lay) down and write. I do hope to improve soon though.

Maybe with a new layout!

Hopefully next year will be better. And my last year's aim for this blog still stands - to save the very human's civilization.

It's been 4 years. I will keep this going.

It's Just a Car, Is it Not?

I'm not sure if I can call it my first car. I had a car before, which was a nice fourth generation 1977 Mazda 323. I used it for my entire INTEC years which spanned for almost 2 years.

Good times.

A modest 4-speed manual that runs with a cute 900cc engine. While a decent Honda Accord takes off up to a 100kmh in 6 seconds, mine took 6 minutes on a long flat road. Oh yea, its red in colour. Fierce.

It was my dad's first car, sort of. He had another one before but he never called it his first because it didn't last long enough (heheheheheheh). After a few years, he upgraded to a nice brand new Proton Saga in marine blue, while the old car (back then it was still young) was passed on to my mom. Soon as our family progressed, the car was then passed on to my eldest sister before years afterward my brother got to use it. My turn arrived in early 2003, and hence my adventure with the red stallion began.

But today is not about my precious red old Mazda.

Today, I wish to introduce to you - Isabelle.


Say hello, honey. You'll be in here a lot more in the future.

Unless Aliens Come and Visit

Question
It is now more than 50 years since independence. For how long do the Malays expect to be treated as special and different from the other citizens?

Answer
For as long as the Chinese and Indians prefer to be identified with their countries of origins. For as long as they want to keep their home languages and their schools.

---

This was taken from Tun Mahathir's blog entry today in which he was supposed to present a talk in Melbourne. Nevertheless, for my personal use today, I will only apply the mentioned paragraph.

Does it not make sense to you?

It made perfect sense to me. It's kinda like a two-edge sword kinda response. The spoon-fed analogy for Malay's rights does not fit in this context. It's not about developing a 'weaker' group of people, nor about preserving rights of the owner of the land, nor even about equality among all. Although I wish to say it's about a win-win situation for everyone, but presenting it without context will make it as worthless as a 18 karat diamond ring without a girl to propose to.

Context.

No I will not share you with one. I have my own context. As it developed from my childhood, raised in a modern Malay community by not-so-Malay-ish parents and later moved to a relatively more conservative environment, reached puberty in the Malay-intensive high school, developed intellectual properties in progressively mixed cultural atmosphere, and later in a more foreign land with more foreign surroundings, and so on. Those are my own context.

It is difficult to share context. Lets leave it at that.

Why did I called it a two-edge sword?

Because if both opposing ends push to defend themselves, winning will mean death for the other. Hence, war can never stop, unless someone wins, which the outcome will not be good for half of the community, and then their children will then grow up promising vengence - as all good movies like to tell us.

However, if one of them actually loosen their grip slowly, giving confidence to the person at the opposing end to do the same, the sword will sooner or later drop and the only thing left between the two is just empty space, full of great potential to be filled with great things, like hugs or potentially bad things too. But to the very least, no blood is shed. Don't we all like that?

Let me attempt to approach this in a way I'm more familiar with.

Sustainability.

You cannot be sustainable with you alone, nor with your own race, community, country, or whatever group you like to be associated in. Sustainability can only be achieved when everyone understands the same language. And by language, I don't mean the thing that come out from your mouth that seems to be transmitting some information to the intended parties. Language, as I wish to intend its meaning in the previous paragraph, is where all of us can understand all of us, without the use of words, body gestures, or even inactivities.

We don't have to learn other people's language to be a good companion. You don't have to learn other people's culture to respect whatever their believes are. All we need to know is that as long you understand their existence, they will, with God bless, understand you as well. Sustainability is possible when everyone understands each other.

That's the ultimate key. If only you understand what understand is in this context, which again only applies to my own.

Your great great grandchildren can only enjoy driving a nice Toyota by the beautiful seaside motorway if we start the effort to understand everyone else. Whatever your choice you made today will impact them in so many ways - and lets hope its a positive impact. I wish to elaborate further on this but my intellectual output for today has reached its daily limit.

Nevertheless, let me leave you with this: Don't do anything for yourself, your family or even your loved ones. Instead, do it for humanity, period - then therefore yourself, your family and your loved ones will naturally be in good care.

And God. Yes, God. Do it for God.

Bomoh and its Equivalent

Plan changes. I don't like that too much. I blame bad planning instead of fate. Nevertheless, there were many times fate, or qadar if you prefer, have been favourable upon my bad plannings. There were countless mistakes made in life but there're always silver linings. Fate has been kind.

So where fate has brought me today?

It's been two months since I started in a green building consultancy firm. I get to do what I've always wanted to do - which is to develop high performance building. I was employed specially for modelling. Yes, you read that right - modelling, no shit.

Specifically, building modelling. I do daylighting, energy, CFD modelling as well as develop water efficient solutions. If you don't know what modelling, in this context, exactly is, you may drop me a comment and ask me about it.

Or I can just tell you right now.

Modelling in this context is a simulation approach to building design. In other words, we predict the performance of the building before it is built. For example, daylighting modelling means we predict how indoor daylighting will look like, in terms of graphics and amount of lighting available, inside the building. This building modelling is done using computer software, i.e. Ecotect, 3Ds Max, Light Studio, Radiance (which I currently use as a plugin in Virtual Environment). It's no rocket science but I still think it's pretty cool.

So, give me a building design, preferably in proper architectural drawings. I'll run it down my simulation program whichever you want to know. Should daylighting, for example, is your curiosity, I'll be able to tell you that how much area inside your building will receive excellent daylighting, i.e. Daylight Factor above 3.5, and also identify which part that criticially requires assistance from electric lighting, which I will then provide how much electric lighting you need, i.e assuming a set of fluorescent lighting of total 48W provides approximately a well distributed 500 lux around the 100sqm.

This sounds a wee bit like engineering. In most cases, it is true. However, I'm still waiting for a project where we can address more sensitive subjects, i.e. art galleries, museum, etc. There's a significant factor that differentiate your experience in different spaces. Light levels, light CRI, carbon content, humidity, temperature, etc. Those factors can be quantified and I wish soon enough I would be able to participate in such projects that require such extensive assessment.

That's a bit of preview about what I do for a living nowadays. It was a bit exaggerated. My job is mundane most of the time. Modelling is only fun when I can actually solve things. Most of the time my numbers were not at all within logical range and no where near credible as a proper estimation. Ye la kan who would want to hire a bomoh that cannot predict whether you'll win that nombor ekor or not. Bad example but you get what I mean.

Perhaps, I'm not that exactly different than a bomoh. Added with high-technology gadgets, with a bowl filled with clear flower-scented water, I will be able to tell you that, "Hotel enchek nanti akan jadi sangat bagus, tapi mungkin sedikit panas. Saya cadangkan ambil tangkal ini, tanam kat belakang rumah enchek selama 2 bulan lengkap. Kemudian order la gelas dua lapis untuk ganti selapis gelas yang enchek guna untuk hotel enchek tu. Pastu gali balik tangkal tu dan letak kat celah2 gelas tu nanti ye. Kompem sejuk elok seronok pengunjung datang,"

Alternatively, I can do actual building modelling for a much higher fee.

My Colourful Fishes Inspire Better

Did anyone noticed how skinny my fishes are these days?

There's a lot of things that I would like to do these days. Who doesn't? I mean, in life, people would like to fill theirs with happy stuffs as much as they possibly can. Let it be in terms of quality or quantity, objects of possession or frantic experiences, giving or receiving, et cetera. I would like to fill my life with happy stuffs, such as this.

Writing is still one of my happy things I like to do. Time, no, convenience does not allow me to do so. Well, I've that used that excuse for a lot of things. Friends, exercising, family, etc. To me, busy is not a good excuse. I use it occasionally but hear me here that I'm not that fond of seeing myself being careless in time management.

Hence, here I am trying to work my way back to what was my weekly, if not daily, source of mental apple pie.

So, today I am writing a review. Please allow me to start the next paragraph with a bolded title.

Inspire the 10-Year-Old Me

I went to watch Tun Mahathir The Musical early last week. Credit to Ainee and Kerel for the awesome seating. I came in my formal shirt and pants as any nice gentleman would attend the theatre - especially a high profile biographical play. Plenty of beautiful ladies around the multi-tiered hall and nicely dressed pakcik and makcik attending the show to witness their beloved former national leader celebrated in a play. It was a nice atmosphere for a show of this stature. It was about Tun Mahathir and I had high expectation for a play about a leader of his magnitude.

Well, suffice to say I was frustratingly disappointed (note the two adjectives applied). I won't say whether I am or not a big fan of the man, but impartiality would not credit my feelings otherwise.

I can forgive the following things:
1. Pre-recorded musics
2. Excessive stage performers
3. Glare-prone lighting directions
4. Amateur-ish scripts
5. Cheap background video editing

However, the very essence of a biographical play is whether it inspires or not. Failure to do so defeats the purpose of crafting a high-profile play of a high-profile person on a high-profile stage.

It was like watching an educational film, the kind that you show to primary school kids to learn about our nation's rich histories - our leader is good, our enemies are bad, all he did was right and whatever his enemies did was wrong. This is a stage where intellectual people attend to be inspired by great works of our local playmakers. We (as it seems now that I openly claim that I am in fact an intellectual person) would like to be respected with stories where process of thoughts is challenged and our minds can tingle in excitement from learning the ultra-wide human perspectives. Alternatively, at the end of a good play, I would hope to feel that I should go to a bookstore and read more about what he did.

However, I felt I could have settled with my jeans and collared T-shirts and probably a dewan sekolah rendah (you know the kind that you have to merge a row of classes, rearrange the desks and chairs to make space for the general assembly) would have been a suitable stage for the quality of the play, with me as a 10 years old with my school friends as their marginally interested audience, although we're forced by our educators to go through the 3 hours of torture as punishment for wearing jeans to school.

I came with a wish to be inspired. A leader inspires and his story should be inspiring. I was not inspired by any part of the play. All I learnt from the play was Teh Halia seems quite nice and I shall try it soon.

Even the beautiful lady sat behind me left at half time. You see that, 'bad play'? You made my potentially future wife/scandal ran away.

Just Say Hello is Good Enough

I think I just saw some cobwebs around the corners of this blog.

I already cleaned it up and I hope I can return to my writing habit again. I do enjoy writing. I just recently very occupied with a lot of things.

First, I am currently employed. I think it's been a month. Then secondly, I am getting myself a car - which will arrive in two weeks.

I'm not here to tell these stories yet. That's for next week. I just want to move the previous not-so-happy-ish article further down.

Until then, I'm thinking of redecorating. Hopefully I can turn this into something that I can do for a longer time.

I Smell GAS

I was passing through the living room when my dad was watching the news on the idiot box, I saw a news report on the gathering organized by Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu, or GAS. Something happened during the gathering, I'm not too sure.

I'm not really a news watcher nor do I read newspaper exclusively. I occasionally caught some glimpses of something on something and casually move on - which glorify my ignorance on local politics (nor exactly I'm a professional on international ones) and nation's top 10 baby dumpers. Hence, as usual, I glimpsed and moved on.

Nevertheless, as that short stint of news exposure lingered inside my head, I thought I should attempt to not appear too ignorant in this entry. I then did a small, no, tiny research what is this all about.

...

Nah, I'll do that later.

That news triggered a quote I once read by Mother Teresa, "I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."

Not that I compare Samy Vellu with war or anything as such. I was just wondering how people can detest an invidual so much that he, as a person, was antied out completely. Maybe at this point, GAS members, if they're reading this, would love to lend me their 497 pages of list of those reasons (and I'm sure that list was done on A3 papers).

Oh by the way, there's Gerakan Anti-Mugilan on Facebook.

I'm okay with anti-crime, anti-corruption, anti-slavery, etc. Wait, no. I'm not. I'm for pro-peace, pro-transparency, pro-equality, etc.

This was also mentioned too in that The Secret book, I think. I don't have that a good memory but I'm pretty sure it's there. Be that as the book may crap be (seriously read this book to a child in Africa and they will grab that book from you and cook it with salty rock for flavour), the more you talk about bad things, eventually bad things will happen to you. Something like, "I don't want to be fat," and saying that a few hundred times, a fatty you will be.

What I'm trying to say is, it is just not that all effective to promote such campaign, even it has a cool acronym. Gerakan Anti-Barisan Nasional or GABAN probably could steer some interest from me at 6-year-old.

GAS just steer the human nature of opposing something, which we tend to do in most cases because it is easier to not like something rather than liking it. Well, maybe, I'm not too sure. Or perhaps, humans tend to say things about what they don't like rather things that they do like. Or maybe something like that saying where we only realize that something is missing when we don't have it anymore.

What I'm trying to say, again, is that fighting to overthrow an individual is a bad, or ugly, message to the kids, or perhaps people in general. The act is short term (it's something like when it is done, you either figure what is next or pick another loser to depose), lack of positive revolution, and demean us as civilized people.

How can I do it better? Well, I don't really know. I'm not an expert in politics nor I think I'm in the position to formulate the world peace guidelines. It's just easier for me to dislike this kind of thing and say something about it, you know?