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I am currently resisting the urge to write about the current state of our country’s political circus. The SDs, the live debate (shame on the foam foot in mouth blunder by the BN minister when he aimed below the belt), the 2-year power transition ‘agreement’ (which have since seen challenges from within the party), the arrest of the xDPM (not to mention the time before the deadline and oh, the force - 15 vehicles plus SWAT-style apprehension - that’s what you get for going “against the order of nature”! Whoa!), the arrest of RPK (who, btw, has quite a sizeable following himself), the mystery of the missing PI, the startling allegations, the obvious yet ignored new leads, all these and most of all, the ridiculous mockery of our country’s judiciary/legal system. No one is above the law you say? The ruling party, and everyone within, are making themselves look really bad. And whose fault is that?

Oops. Did I say I was trying not to write something?

Since returning home about a week ago, I noticed that the most-frequently spoken word among my friends and family members was “petrol”. My car’s full tank of fuel now costs a digit extra, and that’s something that cannot be ignored. Last week I took leave to exercise my right as a Malaysian citizen (even PRs who have been residing in the country for more than 50 years are not entitled to such right!). I went to the post office (the same one where I registered to be voter) to collect my RM625 petrol rebate.

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I want to thank you guys for subscribing to my blog and dropping by every once in a while to check for updates. You have no idea how happy I feel when I’ve got people telling me to update my site. It feels nice to have my work appreciated online - both in writing and photography. As some of you may know, I have been doing a little bit of traveling; that’s the reason why I couldn’t update as often as I used to. Besides, from the start of 2008, I have been assigned to a new project that required me to clock in extra OT to get my work done. That left me with only weekends to update my blog - provided I stayed home and had no plans.

Last week, I took advantage of the long weekend and flew to Medan for a holiday. Lake Toba was beautiful, our hotel was beautiful. We stayed in three different hotels (or rather, guesthouses) throughout our trip, all of which were super cheap but good, except for one - the one we stayed in on the first night. It was dirt cheap, and the spartan room had only a bed, a washroom and nothing else. No table, no air-conditioning, no windows. Compared to the hotel I stayed in Bali (US$40/night), this one cost us only Rp40,000 a night. That’s about RM13.00! Super duper cheap ok. I can’t believe I spent a night there myself. It was quite an achievement. Here’s a photo taken from the room door (more photos later):

I’ve always loved traveling. When I was younger I didn’t have the means to go travel on my own. I managed to save some money since I started working and I was determined to fulfill my travel desires. To be honest, after my trip last weekend, I’m feeling a little tired from all that traveling already. Now that I can focus on my project, I actually feel quite relieved. I’ve just started to look at a new module which I have to work on today, and I’ll have to complete it by mid of next month. I’m glad things are falling nicely into place, considering I’m not gonna travel anywhere anymore in the foreseeable future. (Not to mention, the figures in my bank account are in the reds already… lol)

2008 has been kind to me so far. I made new friends, went to new places and picked up a new language. I remember not too long ago, I went gaa-gaa over this particular girl that I had even thought of postponing all my travel plans hoping that we’ll get to travel together. Come to think of it, it was a pretty silly idea. Anyway, as things didn’t work out between us, I decided that it was time to get real. AirAsia had been my best friend in the past 2 months, and Indonesia had been my choice of destination on two occasions. The people in Indonesia are really friendly and hospitable - especially after you’re done bargaining for a good price (for whatever services that they’re providing). All the beca (trishaws) drivers I encountered in Medan were friendly people. And I spoke not only in Bahasa, but also Mandarin and even Hokkien to the locals in Medan! It felt just like home!

The trip also brought me to three new friends, all of whom were great travel companions. We watched each other’s back and had a lot of fun. I was kinda sad that we had to part ways at the end of the trip. Then again, I guess I must get used to it by now. The last time I went to Siem Reap, I traveled with 4 other people - 3 of whom I barely knew. We got along very well and it was a good trip, but we rarely hanged out after returning to Malaysia anyway. Who knows, maybe my next trip will be with a bunch of new friends altogether? Oh well ;). Having humbly traveled to these destinations so far, I can’t help but feel grateful that Malaysia was always the better, much cleaner country. In Siem Reap for example, children run to you barefooted to ask for money. In Medan and Bali, the roads are dirty and dusty. So despite all the bad stuff I say about Malaysia, to a certain extent I am still grateful. But of course, there’s always room for improvement.

Last night’s flight was delayed twice. It’s unsurprising already, isn’t it? That’s what I heard. AirAsia’s night flights always get delayed to save trips. I guess that’s the price we pay for cheap airfares! Note to self: Never ever book night AirAsia flights anymore! I reached home at about 4:00am. I just had to take half a day off today. In fact I am dead tired right now. So good night and have a good week ahead!

P/s. I love my Jap language school. I had to skip a lesson last week and they just called me today to ask me to attend a ‘catch-up’ session 45 minutes before class this week. It is to fill me in with whatever I had missed last week. I certainly didn’t expect this!

I got up early to a peacefully beautiful, serene Saturday morning. It was an important day not only for the country, but me, my family, and my friends. It also marks the first time I’m exercising my right as a citizen. This is where I was born, where I grew up, and was thoroughly bred. This is my home, so there’s no reason why I should not bother. As I was approaching the school where I would be casting my vote, I noticed a group of BN supporters near the entrance. They had banners, posters and a canopy set up there. No booths or canopies belonging to any other parties was in sight though.

A few policemen were standing outside the school gate and the parking area had its perimeter secured with yellow tapes that read “Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia” (Election Commission of Malaysia). While driving past the school looking for a parking, I couldn’t help but notice other voters walking towards and out of the school. Most men came in slacks and jeans. I began to wonder if I was being a tad too under-dressed for this solemn occasion. Looking for a parking was a breeze, as voters normally left immediately after they were done voting anyway. I parked further up the road, next to a field which I knew very well.

The booth to check voters’ particulars was located just opposite the guard house in the school compound. I thought it was compulsory to line up there so I joined the queue. I later realized that I already had all the information I needed when I checked my status online last week. An usher directed me to my polling station and I quickly shuffled across the hallway after thanking him. I tried to grasp the entire process flow - from the entrance into the classroom until the exit - by observing others. There were also guidelines put up near where we were queuing. After presenting my IC, its number and my full name were read out loud by an EC official so that they could be heard by other officials on duty in the room.

With my IC and voting slips in hand, I proceeded to one of the two designated tables to mark my votes. I carefully walked past in front of the first table because someone was already there. A pencil sharpener was prepared on each table for convenience when needed. Once finished, I made my way to the ballot boxes and dropped my slips accordingly. The whole process was smoothly over within 2 minutes. While on my way out I saw familiar faces, one of whom was my schoolmate. We smiled as I walked past the policemen at the entrance. More and more people were coming then, many with their children tagging along.

Anyway, I am glad to have fulfilled one of my biggest responsibilities as a Rakyat on this day. Our votes may not necessarily be significant individually, but they certainly are collectively.

Have a good weekend guys :)

P/s. I heard that it’s best to stay home tonight and tomorrow. Coming from the older folks, I am sure they have a valid concern…

[Update@9th March: Wow… The results are telling, aren’t they? My family and I were following the developments since last night. I’m curious if BN - in particular, our PM - is getting the People’s message. It’s a wake up call, so buck up!]

[Warning: In an atypically-narrowband fashion, this post is going to be a long Proton-rant.] So, the new Saga a.k.a. BLM is supposed to be Proton’s best offering yet. *Clap clap*. Coupled with ultra-low pricing - a luxury that the national carmaker has long enjoyed (with no end in sight), no wonder the waiting period for the new car has now stretched to as long as 6 months. I’ve seen the car in flesh several times and I must admit it does not look too bad at all. Crash tests have shown that the car’s pretty safe. Sounds like a perfect combination - safe, good-looking, cheap. Would I consider buying one? Nope. I’ll tell you why.

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I can honestly tell you, Narrowband has lost his blogging steam (if you haven’t already noticed) - no thanks to heavy workload and off-working hours activities. I worked late on most days, and when I don’t, I head down to the gym. Jap classes are on Wednesdays, but I missed the payment deadline for the first group (whose classes commenced last week, and had *all* places filled up!!). Therefore mine will begin next week. Bummer!

Anyway, I’ve been out shopping during the weekends. Y’know it’s time to upgrade my wardrobe, now that a new year is coming soon. Besides, the sales is really something you can’t ignore. Hahaha. And so is the PC Fair, too…

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I left my office slightly early and even braced the pouring rain to get to the KL Convention Center for the acoustic installment of Live and Loud KL 2007 last Thursday. Dayang Nurfaizah, Rick Price and James Morrison were to perform that night - acoustic style. There is something about me and acoustic performances. I enjoy listening to clean, undistorted sounds of the acoustic guitar and piano.

It rained so heavily that evening but thankfully the traffic wasn’t that bad. The toughest hurdle I encountered was the floods. Water levels were so high that my car could easily pass as an amphibian vehicle. I once read that in order to prevent your car from breaking down in a flood, you gotta shift to low gear, keep the revs high and steadily drive through the water. I forgot why, but that’s what I did. I couldn’t risk missing the show. Of course lah, I paid for it mah!
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I once mentioned that I would not be able to update my blog so often anymore since taking up employment. Like I predicted, I have little time for writing or reading blogs now. Luckily tomorrow is an off-day. I don’t feel like writing about anything in particular today. It’s been a while since I rambled aimlessly.

I’d like start with a quick health report - Narrowband.org’s traffic health report. Haha. I am absolutely thrilled beyond words that the graphs show an upwardly trend, despite the lack of updates. But as much as I’m happy with the graphs, I am utterly disgusted at how some of the hits got here. Hundreds of hits were via search engines with keywords like ‘nurin’, ‘jazlin’, ‘email’, ‘photo’, ‘nurin’s operation’ (!!), ‘picture’, etc.

Since the news reported that Nurin’s autopsy photos have been leaked on to the Internet, people have been searching high and low for them. I haven’t seen or received any of the photos - I’m not interested. It’s disturbing to know that people *do* want to see them. If I had my way, I’d bar all incoming hits from these sicktards because my site does not welcome them.

Let’s move on to something less depressing now. Did you watch the blast-off of Bolehland’s first Angkasawan? You know, despite the rising crime rates, mismanagement of public funds, and unequal economic opportunity that are not uncommon in Malaysia, I still stood and watched the lift-off in admiration and support for Dr Sheikh Muszaphar. I came out of the gym, went to a nearby HSL electrical store and picked my favorite LCD TV just in time for the launch. I resumed my workout shortly after the rocket disappeared into outer atmosphere.

I used to be among those who opposed the idea of sending a Bolehan into space. I didn’t think it was a good idea. In fact, I still believe that the money could have been better spent on something more practical and ’socially-relevant’. Some people even say it’s not Malaysia Boleh, but rather, Malaysia Ringgit Boleh! Nevertheless, watching the live telecast of a fellow countryman being launched into space was an amazing experience. I felt an unusually strong sense of belonging - I felt ‘connected’. I felt Malaysian. After all, I’m a Malaysian by any other name.

In the same vein, and true to the muhibbah spirit, I’d like to wish all my Muslim readers and friends Selamat Hari Raya, and to the rest of you, happy holidays!

P/s: I’ll be flying across the causeway for a 3-week assignment, so expect erratic updates. (LOL… not like it hasn’t been erratic already…)

Having seen so many photos and reviews on the newly-opened Pavilion in KL, I am pleased to say that I have now, finally, been there myself. What a shopping paradise it is. But the highlight of my visit to the mall today has nothing to do with shopping… it’s something much more mouth-watering than that. I bought these J.Co donuts…:

There were about 15 people in the queue when I decided to join in. It took me more than half an hour to buy them, would you believe it? By the time I reached the counter, the length of the queue had already doubled. Amazing!!!

Now excuse me while I go grab a bite…

Happy Sunday, everyone! ;)

P/s: Lewis Hamilton will take this year’s Drivers’ title… almost surely…

Edit @ 1206hrs: To view photos of the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, feel free to check out these Narrowband.org-endorsed links:-
1. Pavilion Kuala Lumpur (Undebug.org)
2. The Pavilion Jump (Smashpop.net)

There’re possibly hundreds or even thousands of related entries and photos on the Internet but these links are abit more special. They are taken from my Blogroll! Now who says it doesn’t pay to be blogrolled by Narrowband… lol!

I just read the paper and had lunch. The horrifying discovery of Nurin Jazlin’s body was received with gritted teeth by many of us, and deliberate denials by the parents, even after the DNA test concluded that the body found in the sports bag was indeed that of Nurin’s. Yesterday, Nurin’s father finally (after a long silence in a car together with his elder brother Jasni) uttered, “Enough. Bring my daughter home. I do not want her to be cut up again.” Therefore, a second DNA test will no longer be necessary.

Nurin’s father must have mustered a lot of courage, before finally giving in. There was no use denying anymore, as various tests have sufficiently confirmed the girl’s identity. My heart sank. And the nation shares his grief. As if losing a daughter to a psychopath is not enough, now everyone - including the police - is wondering why did Nurin’s parents let her wander alone in the night market. I don’t know what to say… *shakes head*. It is said that the family’s home wasn’t very spacious, so the children often went out to play. In any case, although it may seem like the parents have been negligent, I think it is unfair to question their parenting. It’s like blaming rape victims for ‘dressing provocatively’.

Anyway, Nurin’s murder shall serve as a grim reminder that our country, though peaceful, progressive and gemilang as it may seem, is home to some of the sickest paedophiles around.