Dear ____,

By the time you’re reading this, you would’ve probably noticed that I have moved on. Our time together was great and very much well-spent, but I feel that I have a higher calling elsewhere. I wish you would have a good life later on without me. So, this is goodbye, highroboticerror.

 

I’m changing my URL. Not to say that wordpress allows it’s accounts to change URLs, but I created a new blog and pretty much exported (almost) everything there. I had to get rid of my Categories and Tags

So, please click HERE to see my new blog. No difference, just different URL. Hope you’d take the effort to link me up in your blogs with my new URL. Cos I sure will to link as many of you guys’ as possible.

Out of everything that I’ve talked about on this blog, I think this has to be the most significant.

Reality shows. Especially those where people have to audition and they compete against each other i.e. American Idol, Akademi Fantasia, Nescafe Kickstart. ‘Reality’ just doesn’t describe it.

Let’s start with one of the things I can’t stand about reality shows, they make too many seasons of it. America’s Next Top Model is like season 10 now. Akademi Fantasia is on season 7. Let’s start with Akademi Fantasia. Not long ago, they changed they’re host from one actor of Cicak Man, to another actor of Cicak Man. For one year, that new host went solo, and the next year, he had to be joined by a female host. I mean, did the new guy mess up that one year he was on?

After Mawi took the gold, the fun in AF is not there anymore, and just recently, they’re saying they’re going through a new transformation. Let me guess, you’re gonna have people some on stage and sing their favourite song, and have the judges.. well, judge them. Where have I heard that before?

7 seasons? I only know Mawi and maybe Zahid came home with the gold, but who were the other 5? They’re not famous aren’t they? They probably are through Malaysian media’s eyes, but what about the rest of us who couldn’t care less about something that isn’t as basic as being able to sing? Did they come up with a new album, or am I not reading the news in the right places?

I try to avoid watching these so-called reality shows and I could come up with a dozen ways how they could still run this and still make it good. For one, don’t have it every single year from when it’s been started. If it were so, there would be too many contestants and they would all pretty much seem very typical at one point, and sooner or later, all their special traits would seem pretty redundant wouldn’t it? Alternating the years would at least preserve some of it’s aesthetics.

Here’s a true story. My sister participated in Nescafe Kickstart one time. An old reality show where people who want to live their dream job can compete to get it. One time there was an event and she has to work in a group. A member of her group was suppose to get some stuff from one place to another, but she wasted a lot of time. The director told my sister to tell the camera that she’s really upset with her group member and that she’s not worthy to be in the group. Not only that, the director was arguing with my sister for her to do it. Not that there was a threat involved, I mean if she suddenly got kicked out because of some technicality that the director wasn’t happy with it. Where’s the reality in that? I can bet 100 bucks that there’s something in every episode of some reality show that is a lie, and is put there just for the drama. 

So please, while we’re all the mood for boycotts, let’s try to end this craze over singing and so-called life-changing shows where I think shouldn’t be aired oh so often. :/

From a classic favourite album from my time as a child. Listening to it brings back memories.

I saw fireworks from the freeway 
And behind closed eyes I cannot make them go away
‘Cause you were born on the fourth of july, freedom ring 
Now something on the surface it stings
I said something on the surface 
Well it kind of makes me nervous 
Who says that you deserve this
And what kind of god would serve this? 
We will cure this dirty old disease
If you’ve got the poison I’ve got the remedy

The remedy is the experience. 
This is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that it’s serious. 
This is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how you’re gonna spend 
The rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends 
When it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won’t worry my life away.

I won’t worry my life away.

I heard two men talking on the radio 
In a cross fire kind of reality show
Uncovering the ways to plan the next big attack 
They were counting down the ways to stab 
The brother in the be right back after this
The unavoidable kiss, where the minty fresh 
Death breath is sure to outlast this catastrophy
Dance with me, because if you’ve got the poison, 
I’ve got the remedy 

The remedy is the experience. 
This is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that it’s serious. 
This is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how you’re gonna spend 
The rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends 
When it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won’t worry my life away.

I won’t worry my life away.

When I fall in love I take my time
There’s no need to hurry when I’m making up my mind
You can turn off the sun but I’m still gonna shine and I’ll tell you why

Because

The remedy is the experience. 
This is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that it’s serious. 
This is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how you’re gonna spend 
The rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends 
When it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won’t worry my life away.

I won’t worry my life away.

I won’t and I won’t and I won’t

I’ve had a friend a long time ago. Nice boy, plays the guitar, loves photography, and at the same time, he loves to draw. Draw people, things. We were quite close back then.

Then he moved. To a new school, new people, new life. Like expected, he changed. We no longer talked a lot. Though, I was in his top friends list for a while, then I was gone.

While we did talk, I tried out something I never tried before. I sketched. First I tried sketching a normal cup of coffee. Then it turned into a cafe. Then it turned into a whole street view. Though, I should mention it was all done using an art tablet hooked up to Macromedia Fireworks. I can’t say it was a perfect scene. But it was the most elaborate I’ve ever done.

Then I tried some thing a bit more daring… I sketched faces, on Adobe Photoshop CS2.

No, I’m not gonna say who’s that Chinaman. 

Point is, I tried drawing things like these again on Adobe. But I never found the ability to do it again.

Not sure if it’s cos I forgot the settings I need to do pencil sketches. Or that my free hand sketching’s pretty much suck by now.

But I noticed that I could draw when I was in good terms with the friend I mentioned. After he was gone, so was my drawing ability.

So, my question is. Do your friends influence what, and how you do in things that involve skill, like drawing, firing a gun, even baking a cake? Is there some kind of psychology at work that we don’t even know about it? If so, what triggers it? The craving to learn, driven by peer pressure?

When was the last time you did something that you weren’t really into, but you could do it with hardly any problems because there’s someone in your life who’s into it?

Hello there, it’s 13:26 on 26th February. It’s a beautiful day outside with the morning just rained and the hot Malaysian sun is sleeping behind the clouds.

One this very day, is the exact 365-day mark to my unbelievably awesome time with the plush toy I love so very much…

Although, tomorrow is the official date, last year was a leap year. xD

Back to today. It’s an awesomely beautiful Thursday today and it almost seems like everyone in my house is sleeping. I woke up at 10am today to the pitter patter of rain outside. Today almost seemed to nice for me to stay inside. When I got out of my room, I found my sister sleeping in front of the TV. Apparently, she’s sick. In fact, she’s sleeping right now. I reheated the pasta dinner I had last night so I could have it for breakfast, knowing the cook in me, I took out the saucepan, olive oil, butter, chives and parsley and re-did the whole dish to become steaming hot and semi-fresh.

I had my breakfast behind my sister in front of the TV, watching an episode of Numb3rs, and a bit of Fairly Odd Parents. I’m a guy, since when do I grow up?

I guess it’s a good  day this evening  to go out for a cycle or a swim. I went cycling with Richard yesterday. Good time, seeing that I haven’t seen the bloke since I was still in school. We went to have McDonald’s, where he introduced me to Fries+McFlurry. It was good, surprisingly. Though not THAT surprisingly, seeing that I eat hot dogs with peanut butter.

We cycled back to my house cos he wanted to try out my drumset and he seems interested in buying, but he has to ask his parents first. We had lunch at the Club, and I cycled him home. Just so he won’t get lost trying to get out.

After that, I quickly got ready to go to my additional driving class. When I say additional, I mean that I’ve already used up the time I initially paid for, and I’m adding more hours, just so I’m totally prepared for the coming test. Which I don’t know when that is.

I did really well behind the wheel yesterday. Almost seemed natural. I’m surprised how much you can learn from learning to drive, but I’ll say more about that in another post

That’s pretty much the end of my day after I drove home at about 6.

Don’t underestimate the power of the Nintendo DS Lite.

The World Ends With You has to be the most awesome game ever.

Because Square Enix is the most awesome game creator ever.

Touch screen is the greatest innovation in gaming since the joystick.

This is what happens when 6 people are hanging out in a dim canteen and you go at them with a flash camera set to night mode. 

Yes. It’s the middle of the night. Be warned, ranting is imminent. Wondering why I’m still here at the computer? I’ve been reading blogs. What kind of blogs?

Those written by people who think they know everything. AKA, the new batch of science students at my old school, SMK**. I’m not keeping it a secret, I just don’t wanna say it here. Anyway, the blog written by the class who starts it all is fair enough, updates on class activities, what the teachers announced, homework assignments would help also. With a bit of hammering the little guy here and there on that blog. Depends who the blog master is, right?

Okay, I’m kinda mad right now. SO WHAT THE HELL! I’ll give in names. This bloke Vischal, or however he spells his name. Blog master (apparently) of MY old class, Jujur when I was there from 07 till 08. I know that when it was my batch in that class at the time, we didn’t get much respect. Simply cos the nerdiest, dorkiest people were in my class, but does that provide the reason to knock everyone else around when something profound happens to your class? So what if the school decides to put a French kid in your class, you start whoring him into submission by updating your blog with his entire LIFE!?

Personally, if you were in his position, I can tell that you’re gonna get sick of everything around you. I mean, what’s he gonna go home with? He was put into our COUNTRY because he’s chosen to absorb as much of our culture as possible. How would it feel if he got the wrong idea? He’ll be going home all “oh, the people over there never saw a white guy before. So, I was like a celebrity. All the girls over there wouldn’t like any guy unless he was white. And their hobby there is gossiping, playing that dance arcade game, and insulting the other races.”

Another thing, you introduce him on your blog. But you mispelled his name, and didn’t give much of a proper picture of him. YOU didn’t say anything about him. Except where he’s from, but isn’t it obvious enough that he’s French? Not only that, you were bragging about how great it was having him in your class.

You people who have the responsibility of guarding the image of our country should uphold it with your life.

Apart from all this obsession over a person of a different colour. That blog also provide points of racism and homosexuality. You find one guy you solely think by the slightest hint, that he’s gay, you start writing articles, do interviews, investigate the public to see if its true. Whether its true or not, you still publish it on the INTERNET!

And there was a quote saying that that dance arcade game is ruled by chinese. But when you put in an Indian+French combo, the chinese gets erased. Then there was the bold red lettering “Racism Rules”.

Listen here 4J, of all the people you depend on spreading the word of your culture. Why did it have to be people who support the seperation and disunitedness of your kind? Why do you accept this slander so nonchalantly?

I’m not sure how 50 Cent got into your head and told you that being bad is cool. But 50 Cent was shot. For all I know, he’s supposed to be DEAD!

By the looks of your blog. I’m sure that NONE of your teachers know of your actions. Personally, I’d be sorry if they did.

I can rant, can I?

Today was a rather meaningful day for me. I started remembering one day about 5 years ago. When my sister was doing a shoot for an episode of Nescafe Kickstart, somewhere in KL. My parents and I waited around in the area, we found a decent cafe hidden behind some palm leaves. At the time, it was about 11pm. We took a seat at a picnic table set just outside the cafe. My parents ordered some of their favourite coffee blends while I ordered a Latte. Yeah, I think I was just 13 years old back then and I knew my coffees *wink*.

I swear, it was a heavenly experience, the latte was foamed to perfection, it was sweetened just enough and the atmosphere was great even outside the cafe. My dad met the manager of the place. Nice guy, forgot his name though. He started talking to my dad about how well the business is there, day in day out. He finally asked if we wanted to go in. Naturally, I was ecstatic to discover what lies ahead beyond those tempered glass doors. He took us into a private lounge with 2 tables in it. It was finely decorated with cushioned sofas, tea lights, wall art, and a few homey touches. The whole cafe had oil paintings on canvas (oh, I love the arts ), and in a few corners there were some smelly teddy bears like they were left there by a little girl, it was so cute x). The music choice is excellent. Nothing to strong, and nothing too soft that you’d fall asleep halfway through your cuppa. I ordered the Earl Grey Milk Tea. Went home with a good dream. 

5 years later after that, I went back to the cafe. Hoping to see that nothing has changed, and good news, it hasn’t

I hopped on the LRT to KL Central. From there, I took a Monorail to Imbi/Times Square. From there, I cut through Low Yat Plaza and exited through the door next to Famous Amos. There was a street right in front of me and went straight up. I took a hard right and found a street labelled Changkat Bukit Bintang. I went down the sloping hill and found myself facing the building lot number 48. I grinned. 

I didn’t get to sit in the private lounge in the back, but I haven’t tried the regular seats. So, why not sit there right?

The first thing I did after I sat down was get back up to go to the bathroom. Let me tell you, their toilet is worth photographing. xD

It has mood.

It has character.

It has no wash hose. xD

 

My first order was the drink I tried a long time ago. The Earl Grey Milk Tea..

It failed to disappoint. It was like a cross between a latte and Teh Ais, but with a twist . It was a sweet drink, garnished with lemon zest. At every sip, it was like inhaling the sweet scent of an angel’s foot resting on the clouded floor of heaven. xD
Cups served like this, always had a cat motif on it. It’s cute, and elegant at the same time. The swirl on the top, that’s caramel sauce.

I finished the cup thinking that I don’t really want to leave with just that to go home with. So I asked for the menu again. This time, something caught my eye. It was called a Con Panna. The description says that its a shot of espresso topped with whipped cream. I was curious to try it, and let me tell you my virgin experience.

Sipping into a cup of Con Panna is like sex. First you’re given a hot, strong and steamy beginning and your pupils just dilate because you really like what you see. Then you get the foreplay when you make the first move by stirring things up. That sweet, creamy outer part needs to settle first and unveil the true colours. Loosen up that tension by giving it some sugar. Grin at it maliciously and breathe in that scent. Thrust into your activity and savour every breath-taking moment as you try to make the moment last as long as you can make it. Moving it around your mouth as you try many different ways to enjoy it. Once you’re finally out of cream, you’re left with a deeper, richer side to your experience when you’ve initiated the afterplay. Its like when you’ve got rid of that vicious urge and you just want to know what exactly made your experience so %$^damn wonderful, and it’s only the next day you start to think if you regret it or not. Although, once you’ve paid your price (RM11.75), you get exactly what you want and/or what you deserve.

I’m hoping I didn’t just turn coffee into porn, so I won’t post a photograph. But here’s a drawing…

Remember. Masturbation has been discovered as a cause of prostate cancer.

In other news, I got hungry. So, I ordered the sandwich of the day. A plate of ham, cheese and tomato sandwich served with a side of fries and ketchup. Nothing new, but nothing any less special than what the rest of the cafe had to offer. Just goes to show that the place is opened up by a true barista and not some businessman who’s trying to think one step ahead. (:

The total I spent there was RM33.99. Considering the circumstances, it’s a steal. I had to rush back to the Monorail station cos it started drizzling in KL.

I retraced my steps all the way back to Kelana Jaya LRT station. From there, I took the bus to a stop as close to my house. Which was behind the mosque my parents always go to. Turns out, the rain cloud I met at KL followed me all the way back to SS7. I was stuck in the rain at a restaurant I reviewed a while back. Restoran Rumahku. I ordered a Teh Ais (trying to renew the memory of that Earl Grey I suppose) and waited. I waited for what seemed like an hour, but only half had passed. I was replying SMS’s to Adrissa at the time, when suddenly I heard a familiar voice coming from the door. It was Shakina. Crazy coincidence for someone I haven’t seen in what seemed like years. We started talking and reminding ourselves of the time we were back in school. She mentioned she already has her P license while I’m still struggling with my L license. Even though the rain has stopped, she still insisted she drove me home.. (how awkward).

Then my day ends there with the possibility of the next time I go into the city, it would be with Shakina, cos she’s not doing anything.

And yes, I didn’t mention the name of the cafe. I like the emptiness of the place. Viva La Jupiter of the Monkey! xD

What the hell? How could a male life form be stupid enough to wear a woman’s shawl over a t-shirt, skinny jeans, fedora and sunglasses, and go to the mall with a friend? Doesn’t that make him and the friend look stupid?