Allan's Brother

It has become a little bit of a pet peeve with me. Being referred to as Allan's brother is a little bit of a thorn in my side. As if I did not exist or defined by my own merit. Being defined as a person by the infamy of my brother's exploits. Its like I don't matter at all... well at least until I am inroduced as Allan's brother. Bloody hell.. even my client, inroduced me to her friends as Allan's brother! Egads!

Perspective

At a friend's farewell dinner last friday, I had the pleasure of meeting a bunch of new people. They were mostly expats sitting on my table. Amongst them, Patrick is officially Malaysian, but I think he used to live abroad for most of his life. He is married to Debbie, who is British but born here in Malaysia and live the better part of her life here. They met at the Wimbledon tournament. Anyway... the fact was that they love it here in Malaysia. Peter and Tina, also British, have lived in Asia longer than they have in their homeland. They share many of the same sentiments as the expats on the table. They extolled the virtues of living in this country for most of the evening and I listened in facination.

You see, I have been a little disanchanted with Malaysia of late. Whilst I love it here, I feel something is fundamentally wrong with the fabric of society. We sit miles away from the typical situation in Carcosa, socialising, speaking well of others, enjoying the company over great food and good wine. I cannot help but feel that whilst the expats that we were there that night and that they trully believed what they feel about Malaysia, they cannot really understand the underlying rasicm that is so tightly woven into our society. Gaining some perspective from our expat friends helps a little.

Unfortunately, some twat will so easily change all that. Today, I experienced one. I drive behind this fella. We wait at a junction to turn left. We do at the next opportunity. He however decides to almost immediately stop by the roadside after making the bend! I toot at hime in disgust, noticing the many NO PARKING/NO WAITING roadsigns along that road. As I make my way past him, he comes out of his car and gives me a great big intimidating stare and a posture of violence. Is it just me or are our Malay friends getting a tad more violent in nature these days. Maybe the rethoric brandished by the idiots in Umno is rubbing off afterall. I pray for us all... The day will come when it will all come to a head. How can it not?

Halo Effect

Just finished watching a 20 minute online demonstration of the iPhone. To say I want one is an understatement! Only problem is, it ain't here yet. The lucky fellas in the states have about 170 hours left to wait, but it will be at least 6 more months before I can claim one for my own. What I felt right after the demo video, was obvious, I want one now. But knowing I cannot get one yet, something deep within my consumer minded mind was shouting, GO BUY a MAC now. Easy pay it! 12 instalments on a RM5000 macbook is a pittance a month! Go buy. Satiate that need. Go buy NOW.

I guess I should avoid watching anymore Apple demo videos for a while....

Boiling Point

You will first see the water churn, strange things are happening to the water you have just put to boil. The air trapped in the water starts to get agitated and form tiny bubbles which float quickly to the surface. The once lifeless water is not bursting with new found energy, it becomes more syrupy to the eye. Its funny, watching water boil because while a great many things are happening to the precious liquid, it does seem to take forever to reach the boiling point. Its a slow build-up of energy transfered through the heating elements through the kettle into the water, until it suddenly bursts with such intensity it almost always catches you in surprise despite the inevitably of it. This my friends is the boiling point!

My colleagues and I are kind of experiencing this same phenomenon at the moment.

We started the year with a niggling fear of a slow-down. Us advertising guys are usually the first to get hit with a slow-down in the economy. Clients hold back budgets, reigning in spending to protect their bottomlines. Wether this is the right thing to do is a topic for another discussion. We couldn't be more wrong. We have been busy as bees and it has in a way taken us by surprise. A little heat never killed anyone and we were all quite happy taking on the numerous projects thrown our way. Start the year well we say, and the rest of the year should take care of itself.

Just like the water first introduced to the flame, we got buzzed. We got excited. We were however clueless to the inevitable boiling point.

This is my fear. When will we reach that point? When will we cease to enjoy our ourselves in our work and lose our cohesion? I fear the time is quite near.

Lembeh Straits - Manado

Back from Lembeh with many happy memories. Only problem is the getting there and back.

To those who have never been to Manado to dive, I really recommend it as there is so much to see on every dive.

Check out my piccies on my site: Lembeh

A BRUSH WITH FAME

I felt really good last week. Really good. I have always mantained that there is no such thing as an original idea. It is foolish and naive to even think we have an original idea, when we have more than 5 billion other people on this earth thinking and creating all the time. So why was I so happy last week?

My "original" idea won a CANNES GOLDEN LION! The award is likened to winning a Grammy Award or an Oscar, and the LIONS are one of the most coveted advertising awards in the world. Unfortunately, my client didn't think it was so, because they rejected the idea a couple of months ago when we made a pitch for another part of the Toyota business. The idea was destined to the rubbish heap, until the awards were announced last week. it seemed, that my idea was "stolen" from me, by the agency who did a series of ads for VW in Germany.

Sigh.. a momentary brush with fame, bringing me no reward except for the small reward of knowing that I was also capable of winning a major award. See the ads for yourselves..


Here is my ad..

This is the idea "stolen" from me! Grin!!

A NEW DIET

Ahh.. one finds the strangest muses. Things of exceptional beauty, of wonderful noise or of thrilling adventure. I found my muse in my hunger. Let me explain. Today is my inaugural day, starting a new diet. My objective is to lose at least 5 kilos, and take control of my body in a way I have never done before. All this Boot Camping I have been doing has raised my fitness levels and I feel my body getting stronger. However, I can still do with a few kilos shed of my mid section. Maybe there is a ripping six-pack hidden away under all that fat. So, I have signed up with Vince to do what is called "Metabolic Profilling". It's basically a diet which does a couple of things. First off, let me say that this is not a fad diet. Its a long term change in the way I eat and I should be better for it in the long term. Losing weight is a wonderful by product.

First, I takes into account the kind of metabolic profile you are. People are generally protein or carb efficient. Some do fall in between (that is a different story). This will tell you what to eat and what not to eat according to what your body is most effiecient in metabolising. What isn't metabolised gets stored! Secondly, it makes you eat healthier and more aware of what we consume. I guess McD's has lost my custom. Hahaha..

Anyways, I have decided to post my journal pertaining to my Metabolic Profiling diet here for all to see.

Day 1.
I find it very funny that I feel totally hungry all the time. The meals that I have eaten can be considered fairly large. Try eating 1 and one half cups of oats. Its pretty filling. Two hours later, I had an apple, and another two ought hours flew by when I had lunch which comprised of a healthy (1 cup) protion of rice, 2 cups of veg and some baked chicken breast. I once said, that I like my breasts in between satin sheets, and I guess my past has come back to haunt me. Then came the cellery sticks with a some peanut butter. OK. The point is, this more food than I normally consume anyway. A lot blander, but in term of volume, pretty compaarable to my normal diet. In fact, I felt absolutely fine when in Phuket on a recent business trip. Being awfully busy meant eating next to nothing for hours at end. And yet I did not feel the hunger I feel right now as I write this entry. Maybe its the water. We have to consume half a reservoir of water a day. More water than an average Kalahari Dessert dweller consumes in a month I am sure. Maybe the water does more than help the body remove toxins and such. As a side effect, the water actually makes our digestive system more effective, hence the quickening of our stomach's ability to digest the food available. I am most interested to see what come out of my rear tomorrow morning. If copius amounts of crap emerges, then I must be wrong in my assumptions. So I am hungry. Very hungry.

Incredible how time flies!

Its been a while since Chui and I returned from Bali. Much has happened since our return both on work and personal fronts. The biggest change has been time. Or the severe lack of it. So much to do so little time.

Ok, before I forget what I have been up to the last three months, here they are in point form:

* Bootcamp has become very hard.
* Siem Reap and Angkor Watt was a wonderful experience.
* I have much more on my plate now at work. Basically translates to more stress.
* We had to cancel our next holiday to Bangkok because of this.
* I will still be going to Manila with the boys.
* I modified my car.

When I find a little more time.. I will tell you a little more.

Bali Again

The last time we were at Bali, some bloody terrorists blew themselves, some locals and some tourists up! They blew away more than a few lives that time, because they also destroyed the already delicate peace found on the tranquil island. With many tourists staying away because of this, Bali is suffering. My guess is that the island depends almost entirely on tourism. Almost all Balinese are somehow or related to the business.

Chui and I were undeterred and went ahead with our second trip to Bali in three months. Moans of "sepi" ("quiet" in Bahasa Indonesia) reverberated in almost every conversation we had with the locals. Most of the slack is taken up by more domestic visits from Jakarta.. so all was not lost. But the hustle and bustle and the vigour was somehow missing. Even the traditional Balinese sport of bargaining is no longer conducted with as much will to win. It is not a fair game anymore because some vendors are getting a little desparate. And it wasn't that much fun for us either, since it did our conscience little good by taking advantage of their desparation.

But I have hope. Bali will bounce back, and that I am sure of it. To those reading this blog and have considered going to Bali but is too afraid, I laud you to put aside your fears and go. Afterall.. terrorist bombs can happen just about anywhere. Even in KL.

Ode to Chris...

Continued from here


There is a guy named Chris
loves to take the piss
He's invisible on skype
And seems to have forgotten to type
We can only assume he's gone a miss..

MINI ONE

She’s the ONE for me.

Have you ever been lucky enough to have dated three gorgeous sisters? Salivate at this prospect for a second or two. First up is a feisty, rocker chick on speed. Beautiful and fire-breathing at the same time. Think Monica Bellucci and Courtney Love rolled into one and there you have her. Every time you see her, she is begging you to ride her – hard.
With her, there never is a second to spare, as every moment counts. Great, except that in no time, you’re tired out and wondering whether you have satisfied her at all. She barely misses you as you leave her dancing the night away at the club.

But no matter, because at home waiting is her babelicious – and alluring – second sister.

Sister two is 100% glam. She would definitely win a Miss Universe title if she bothered to enter. She is always dressed for the occasion and oozes confidence and sexuality. Men flock to her like bees to honey. When she speaks, men hang on to her every word, breathing in unison with her as she weaves a spell that makes other women wonder what the hell hit them as their men wander from their sides.

My problem is... can I really be with a woman who is the centre of attention all the time? Do I always have to call her in advance to match her wardrobe just in case I look like an absolute twat next to her? Can I live with this inferiority complex day in and day out?

Which leads me to sister number three. Think clichés. Bespectacled, quiet and purposeful, she’s the pretty librarian with a down-to-earth nature whose beauty is overshadowed by the overt attractions of her older siblings.

Yet being with her feels just right. She is tolerant with a forgiving nature that makes all those around her feel at ease, being equally at home nursing a teh tarik at a mamak stall or spending a night at the opera. Sister three is the sort you can take anywhere and do anything with – and not have to think too much about it.

Well, the Mini ONE is the third sister (and the others – are the S JCW and the Cabriolet, respectively). The ONE, was – pardon the pun – the one I most enjoyed driving.

It has the looks and the handling to match her more expensive sisters with none of the foibles attached to them. Equipped with one of the nicest 5-speed manual gearboxes I have used in recent memory, with short positive throws, she makes great use of the 90 bhp churned out by the 1.6 litre engine.

Under spec-ing the Mini ONE with thinner run flats has made it the most comfortable and quietest ride in the Mini range. On paper, the ONE should theoretically possess the least amount of grip, but I feel it’s actually a good thing. Instead of losing grip all of a sudden (a usual problem with bigger lower profiled tyres), the thinner tyres on the ONE loses grip progressively with its front wheels under-steering instead of the more violent snap over-steer when the limits of adhesion are reached.

Objectively speaking, the Mini still has a few flaws. Seats that don’t seem to be able to be adjusted right, tiny buttons, gimmicky instrument layout, super small boot, and lousy fuel consumption. Most other cars would be crucified for these flaws, but not the Mini. It somehow manages to send your attentions to what are right about it, so much so that you find yourself forgiving the car quite easily.

Most importantly, the Mini ONE reminded me why I love driving. So much so that I began, unconsciously, to take the longest routes to any destination, all the time enjoyed every minute of it.

Feeling Blue

Inspired by Nigel.. I decided to go buy a bluetooth headset. Funny how I manage to resist the temptation of buying one much earlier considering the fact that I have been using bluetooth enabled phones for over 5 years now. Maybe it used to be because of the price, which kind of negated the must have versus value proposition for me, until now. Priced at only RM210 my newest gadget is way cool. I have mated the bugger with not only my mobile, but also with both of my macs enabling me to chat away using traditional calls as well as Skype and so on.

Yeah.. Skype or iChat is soooo much more a joy to use with the headset, as I no longer need to sit infront of my computer to talk. I can now Skype lying in bed or sitting on the loo. It is liberating to say the least. Huzzah for bluetooth!

Validation.

Validation. Why is it, we all need to be validated? I mean, we need to be reminded by our peers and loved ones on how much we mean to them. Or how well we do, or how good we are at something. Deep down I know what I am made off. I know my talents and I know my limitations. But yet, unless someone reminds me of my good or bad, I feel empty. Funny isn't it?

I heard today that someone said that I was not a very nice guy. That I was a snake. Which kinda led me to writing this. So, despite what I know about myself, and how I conduct my life, there is just no pleasing some people. I guess it would be a lot easier to be labled as a bad guy. Then I won't have to try so hard to please people all the time. Heh. Heh.. Just call me Evil Dude. The new bad boy in town. Ok ok.. need a reality check. So....

Do we really need to be validated? No. But it feels great when one gets some. As long as its good! Hahaha..

:)

Poo!

Months of intense preparation down the drain. We had to cancel the event we have been planning for a client because our government decided that we all have to mourn the loss of the PM's wife. Its all very good and all, mourning.. but sometimes it gets ridiculous. A whole month! For the PM's wife?

We had to write off more than 800K because of the loss.. hmm.. sounds like we are also made to lose!

Anyways.. its all over now.. just one week before the event. So close.

Musings

Sitting in front of my computer. Staring blankly at the screen. Thinking what to say or type. Blogging is hard when nothing really significant happens in your life. Sometimes things do happen, and you get lazy, putting off the task till it becomes too late or too passe to put down in bytes. So, what has been happening in my life lately? Besides the recent trip to Bali, not very much actually. Nothing significant is happening professionaly either, which leads me to conclude that I am either becoming more and more de-sensitised to goings on, that is my life, or nothing really significant has actually happened. Or.. has it?

So, is Ricky Martin really gay? Snigger.. Do we really care? There is so much happening around us these days. Actually, come to think of it, nothing more actually happened today than it did ten years ago. I guess we just hear about it much quicker and more effectively. So, is life so bleak? Are we all going to be killed either by some tsunami, earthquake, avian flu or dengue or some mutha-fucking terrorists bomb? In retrospect, no. Life isn't so bleak. In fact, life is pretty darn good. So am I happy then. Well... I guess you can say that on the whole I am happy. I have food on the table. I travel. I have this computer to write nonsense on. I have my friends. My family. Life isn't so bad at all. (This blog is.. hahaha) But I also have my regrets. But heck. I am happy now.. and this is no time to dwell in regret.

So to all you who read this blog. Let me tell you that you are significant in my life. You are not forgotten. You contribute to my happiness and general well being. I salute you!

More Bali Photos

Some friends have asked for some above water photos I took in Bali. So here they are.



More can be found in Bali Above Water

Bali

We returned from Bali with great memoriesof the people, the culture, the great diving and wonderful food. Bombings not withstanding. Will I return? I most certainly will. The sooner the better.

I have posted some of the pictures that I took in and around Tulamben in case you are interested.

Bali Underwater

The Balinese people need us now more than ever. They are a peaceful people, and they do not deserve the attacks that they have suffered. If you can put aside your fears, I hope you will find yourselves there for your next holiday.

Time Flies..

Time really flies.. just checked and I last posted at the start of June. In case you are wondering, the management relented after a bloody battle of wits and minds. We have our messaging back!

I turned 35 yesterday. So yes.. to those who have already reached this milestone, you will readily agree with me that time indeed does seem to fly by seamingly without any resistance what so ever with linear acceleration. I have been kind of bummed lately. I always feel melancholic and reflective at about this time of year (and Christmas). Generally just a real pain to those around me with my mood swings and my constant groaning. This year however.. I have something totally concrete to blame. It is a mid-life crisis. How can brother?!! You only 35 mah... Well.. I think with my lifestyle, I will probably die around 70. So, 35 is exactly half that.. hence the crisis.

Only bother is. I cannot afford the obilgatory Porsche.. YET. Darnit.. I guess I will have to wait for my tiga-suku crisis for that to happen. Still, this problem has got me thinking. Why haven't I reached any of those goals I set out for myself when I was a mere lad? Its no use reflecting on what could have been I guess, and it is probably much more effective, if I channeled my energies instead to the future. No matter how short it seems to be getting.

I was telling a good friend lately about what I have done and achieved and so on and in reflection, I have achieved quite a bit. At least she seemed to think so. But analysing what I have done in the past 15 years or so, I realise that most of my notable achievements came quite early. So it seems, while time flies and accelerates through time.. my achievements started of with a bang and is slowly decelerating. Aiks. i thought this blog was supposed to be therapuetic.

It would seem I have little time left. Time to get of my arse and do something worthy!

p.s. someone forgot to wish me on my birthday (first time in 15 years).. if you are reading this.. I was quite dissapointed!

Big Brother is Watching!

My office suddely became quite sucky!

Why? Well.. they have suddenly turned orwellian and decided to do a big brother on us. First, they blocked all access to any instant messenger. Yesterday evening we discovered they have even started to block access to certain sites. Geez. I can understand them blocking sex sites and stuff but they have blocked even yahoo. Sigh...

Looks like the days in this office looks numbered for me. Dunno why it makes me angry when they do these things. Simple everday liberties that were available suddenly dissapear. The bandy excuses like "we need to prevent hackers" and "productivity". I have this to say. Hackers worth their salt will easily break any firewall if they are any good or if they want to. Secondly, I do not see productivity was bad when we had IM. Sheesh..

From Hell and Back

To those who watched Liverpool's most magnificient Champion's League win yesterday, you'd understand. Trailing 3 nil at halftime, thoughts were ringing in my head. "You shouldn't have jinxed them!" "You should have gone to sleep and wake up to glory". Think about it really. It was an unsurmountable task of herculean proportions. Even the most adventurest Hollywood script writers would not have scripted Liverpool's come back from despair in a more dramtic fashion.

What can I write that hasn't already been said?

Let's just pray UEFA does the right thing and let us defend the cup next year. Liverpool FC has already done its part!