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MALAYSIAN IDIOT
Feel free to rummage through the garbage. Who knows, you might find something valuable buried underneath the mountain of trash. Oh, and if you do find something interesting, let me know, will ya?
I'm one of those html illiterate people, so my layout is nothing to shout about. Hopefully the content is better! ; )
last modified Oct 21, 2003 at 0:59 +
Last Saturday was the time for iftar with some old friends.
Putrajaya Lake Club was the venue and the guests were my old friends from Sydney. The whole bunch of wacky wierdos are back!!! It has been quite some time since I last saw some of them, so it was good to finally meet up.
I think people naturally drift apart. After graduation you go your separate ways, sometimes never to meet again. Well, we all drifted apart but at least we made the effort to keep in touch, and what better time to do so than in Ramadhan, the month of forgiveness?
There was a lot of catching up to do – developments to be updated, wives and husbands to be introduced, babies and children to be cuddled.
When you reminisce about the past, the years just seem to fly away. It almost feels like you are still there at Coogee beach, watching Seman, “the bravest Malay boy” ™ or maybe the stupidest, ;) attempt his daredevil dive from the top of the cliff. One slip and he’s going to end up as a red splotch on the rocks!! He did it successfully though, that bloody idiot. I don’t think anybody will attempt the feat now. The authorities have quite sensibly fenced up the area to prevent more death defying acts.
Yeah. Those were the days. Now we are slightly older, slightly more mature. Wait, what’s that I see? Is that a mischievous glint in the eye? Perhaps the daredevil in us is not quite dead after all!!
For us bachelors, invitations to iftar is a godsend. An invitation means that you don’t have to buy food or even cook to break fast. It is a quite considerable saving when you consider the expenses associated with Ramadhan. In my case, the main expenditure would be for duit raya.
You see, kids nowadays are more discerning. They are not like we were. When I was a kid, I would be thankful to receive any duit raya. No amount is too little. Everything is gratefully accepted.
But now? Now, the kids have their own expectations. They expect a certain amount and any amount below that is simply unacceptable!! Woe betide you if you dare put any coins in the raya envelope!
The kids are not slow to show their displeasure too. They don’t even have the decency to wait until they’re out of sight before ripping open the envelope. “Wah. Five ringgit only? Kedekut!!!”
Yes, there is a certain expectation and as someone with a horde of younger relatives, the dent in your wallet could be quite considerable.
And don’t let me get started on the kids coming from nowhere like a pack of wolves, intent on only one thing – duit raya!! They descend on house after house like a swarm of locusts, barely touching the food before they ask to leave – the implicit suggestion being that they are just there for the duit raya!! My mother once asked such a group, “Adik semua ni datang dari mana?”. She thought they must be from the kampung itself. After all, it’s hard to keep track of all the neighbour’s children. Imagine her surprise when they told her they came from another area. In fact, they had to take a bus to come here!! Now, that’s a well oiled money making machine!! Ahhh…If only adults could do the same thing…. I’ll probably end up earning more than I spend for the whole month!!!
Seriously, the whole concept of duit raya has now been skewed out of proportions. Can we just go back to the old days when any amount is acceptable? The day when closer ties and forgiveness is much more important than money?
No? I guess not… Is this the price you pay for progress?
Hmmmph!!!
Once a year, during the month of Ramadhan, our organisation would hold a buka puasa event for the staff. This would also be an opportunity for the staff to get up close and personal with the president, not that most of them are there for that!! Hint: most of them are there for the f_ _ d!!
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The arrival of the President accompanied by senior staff.
"Alamak, lambatnya orang tua ni jalan. Aku dah lapar ni!!!"
"Hmmm... Have I finished going through the draft of the Entertainment Act?"
or, more likely..
"Hmmm... Apa makanan dia serve hari ni ya?"
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Stray Hand Opening The Lid Of The Serving Dome: "Udang masak sambal tumis!! Nyam!! Nyam!!"
Waiter: "Gatalnya tangaaaan. Aku lepuk kang budak ni baru tau!!"
Apparently, TGV Suria KLCC and TGV Sunway Pyramid will be organizing a Lord of the Rings Movie Marathon scheduled on the 19th of December 2003 starting at 11 pm and ending at 10 am. That’s a whopping ten hours of non-stop movie action, people!!
Now, news of this marathon has brought back fond memories of my own student days in Sydney where I use to go these movie marathons too. Back then, the cinema would be mostly populated by teenagers. They would get off the bus, dressed in pajamas, hugging their pillows, wrapped in their blankets – all ready for the movie marathon.
It was a real festive atmosphere inside the cinema. Mats were spread out all over the place. The favourite spot would have to be the space directly in front of the big screen. The viewers would just lounge around, chatting and munching snacks. Of course, they all keep quiet during the screening itself, with the crackle of chips and sipping of drinks the only sound to interfere with the screening.
The movies selected are invariably as follows: one brand new release, one slightly recent movie and another older movie. The older movie is normally sandwiched in the middle, which I think is a good idea. Why? For the first movie you are normally all alert; but when it comes to the second movie, you are already a bit drowsy because of the late hour and the darkness surrounding you. However, when it is time for the third movie you have recovered your vigour somewhat – after all, it is almost morning!! – so you will enjoy the screening again.
Back to the Lord of the Rings Movie Marathon. Now, I know a lot of people - outside and inside the blogosphere - have already bought their tickets for the marathon. In fact they are probably planning to meet up during the screening itself – sort of a reunion and blogger’s meet all rolled into one.
But sadly, I most probably won’t be there. Why? First, I’m told that the tickets are sold out (too lazy to verify this, so don’t go and shoot me if I’m wrong, okay?).
Second, my viewing pattern during movie marathons has never changed. I would normally watch the first movie, sleep halfway though the second movie and then watch the third movie. The. Pattern. Never. Changes. It has been that way for all my movie marathons. And remember, that was for normal length movies!! That’s about one and a half hour per movie. As we all know LotR is substantially longer than that!! At three hours per movie – oooh… I shudder at the prospect!!! So, movie marathons are quite wasted on me.. Hehehe..
Third, I have the VCDs for the first two LotR movies so I don’t really need to see them again. I just want to see the latest one.
But then again, I might be persuaded to join the throng of LotR fans out there in watching the movie marathon if I were to get my hands on a ticket.. So, here I go, cap in hand…
“Please, generous sirs and madams.. Is there anyone with a spare ticket out there willing to help out this poor old soul? God bless you all…” ;)
I did it!! I finally did it!! I have managed to brave the perils, the dangers, the pitfalls of the threat that is… THE BUKA PUASA HOTEL BUFFET!
Was I put off by my first horrible experience at the buka puasa hotel buffet? Heck, no!!! Like a punch drunk boxer, I just went on - no looking back, no retreat and certainly no surrender!!
So, where did I go this time? The first time was at Marriott but today it’s Palace of the Golden Horses.
A man enjoying his food.
Photo courtesy of docteejay.
Palace of the Golden Horses has a much wider selection for it’s buffet spread compared to Marriott. In addition to the normal Malay and Western fare, they also have Japanese food and stalls preparing such sumptuous food like roast lamb, murtabak, chicken rice and various noodles.
The fresh seafood selection was quite extensive as well but somehow, I was not tempted at all to sample the food. Wonder why, eh?
Alas, some of the food was not as delicious as expected. I was quite disappointed with the tempura. It was quite soggy and not as crunchy as I expected. Probably because the batter was too thin, I think. The noodles too were a big letdown. Too bland for my liking. Likewise, the bubur lambuk. Certainly not suited for my palate!!
Other than that, the food was okay. But still, at the price they’re charging, I expect nothing less than tasty food all around!!
Now, the acid test….. I’m at home, resting. Any rumblings of discontent from my tummy? None so far. In fact, it is purring contentedly. Yes!! No more puking my guts out!! Whoo hoo!!!! Operation Buka Puasa Hotel Buffet 2 is a success!!!
Kill Bill is the latest offering from famed Hollywood director, Quentin Tarantino. As with all his previous movies, violence is still the main theme.
But Pulp Fiction, this ain’t. With Pulp Fiction, the violence is interspersed with humour and wit. In Kill Bill, the lines aren’t that witty and the scenes are just not that funny. What you get is a headlong ride on the Violence Express.
This time around, Tarantino has migrated from guns to swords and martial arts. Yes, Tarantino is yet another of those Hong Kong influenced Hollywood directors, swayed by the Eastern promise. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s kind of refreshing to see Uma Thurman strutting around, samurai sword in hand, decapitating the baddies or maybe cutting off a limb or two, just for fun.
The storyline is relatively simple - a straightforward story of revenge. Sometimes I feel like I’m watching a cartoon, albeit a very violent cartoon – that’s how simple and straightforward the story was!
In Kill Bill, Uma Thurman is a former member of a gang of assassins. When she tried to leave the gang, they come around and tried to shot off her head, after beating her within an inch of her, life of course. And this was while she was preparing to say her wedding vows in a chapel, no less!!!
As they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or should I say a woman you tried to kill? Hmmm… Doesn’t have that ring to it.. Anyway, Uma slipped into a coma, only to awaken four years later with one thing in her mind. If you think it’s chocolate fudge sundae, then you’re wrong. It’s R-E-V-E-N-G-E, a dish best served cold.
You can guess what happens next. Uma, or should I say Black Mamba, goes on a killing spree in an attempt to mop up the assassin gang. The authorities will have run out of body bags by the time Black Mamba gets her revenge!!
Apparently, one movie is not enough to contain all the violence. So, they have Kill Bill 2 in the pipeline.
Get Kill Bill from your friendly neighbourhood illegal VCD seller if you are one of those people who can totally immerse yourself in senseless violence without any redeeming features whatsoever. Go on, it might just be your cup of tea.
Picture this…. Ten strangers. A rain drenched, stormy night. A dilapidated motel. What does this bring to mind?
An Alfred Hitchcock movie? The Bates Motel from Psycho? Is Norman Bates hanging around just behind the shower curtain, butcher knife in hand, ready to slaughter the unsuspecting victim with senseless cruelty?
No. The movie is not Psycho. It’s Identity. And the director is not Alfred Hitchcock, it’s James Mangold. James who? Same here. I’ve never heard of the guy before but I like what he’s done here.
This is one of those whodunits, where people drop dead like flies, where behind every corner lurks a potential murderer. Is he the killer? Or is she? Or is it both of them? Maybe it’s someone else?
For ten strangers stranded in an out of way motel, the answer could be the difference between death and survival.
John Cusack plays the lead role as Ed Dakota, a worn out ex-cop who is now a limo driver. A combination of accidents and freak weather contrives to bring him and the other strangers together.
Strangers? Are they really strangers? Little do they know it, but they are connected by a peculiar twist of fate.
I think this movie is a good example of a whodunit movie. The weather helps to create a spooky atmosphere – dark, somber, sodden – just perfect for the thriller. A few touches of the unexplainable keeps the identity of the murderer hidden in a smog of mystery. You are kept constantly guessing as to the identity of the killer.
And like all good whodunits, there are more twists and turns in the plot than there is in a winding road. Keep close attention to the ending. What a sting in the tail!!!
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