1430

This is my 2nd post today.. or is it?

Here's something that some people might not know. In the Islamic calendar, a new day is NOT when the sun rises, but when the sun sets and today, is the first day in the Hijriyyah calendar. i.e. its new year's day! Muslims worldwide refer this day as Awal Muharram, the first day of the month Muharram (kinda like January)

The Hijriyyah calendar is lunar-based, and began when the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions moved (Hijrah - thus the term Hijriyyah) from Mecca to Medina, approximately 1430 years ago.

Of course, people don't celebrate Awal Muharram like people celebrate New Year's Day. It is much more significant than a celebration. It is a sign of moving (hijrah) from bad to good, and from good to better. I've been reading a lot of the al-Quran recently and I realized that one of the recurring verse means something like : "God will be with those who seek to improve in their deeds". So in spirit of Awal Muharram, lets keep improving until we reach 'the best'. God will be with us, and He is the best guide that man can ever depend on.

OK, lesson's over.

Now on to the second part : reflections...

Have I moved to become a better person over the last 1 year?

In many ways, yes. I've learnt a lot more about religions, my religion in particular, and about life in general. I believe I have the most faith in my religion this year as compared to the last 22 years (minus the childhood years) and I would largely credit that to me getting into reading the al-Quran, something that I am ashamed to say I had neglected for quite a while. And this time, I tried to understand it more as I read and had learnt a lot as a result. Alhamdulillah, God had shown me the light and given me the chance to redeem myself.

And then there is also that part of me that which I tried to change but, well...did't manage to. I need to try (and pray!) harder

Also, I'm engaged =) So that's definitely a move for the better. I thank God for allowing the process to be carried out as smoothly as it did for I truly understand now, everything is rightfully and truly His.

I think I can

What with all the postings supposed to be coming soon, I've had many people, close families and former teachers alike, telling me how I have it easy. Everyone goes around saying : "Oh, you can ask your parents to get you posted anywhere you want." True enough, my parents do have some ties to the mob higher ups around here. In fact, they once told me they'd do something about my posting so that I'll get somewhere nearer to home (and far from Borneo).

I spent some time thinking about it.

Yes, I can..but then, should I? I understand that this is something that many people do these days be it for getting their postings, or even to win a tender for a certain project. The scale might be different, but the two of them are actually the same thing. And it occurred to me, if I were to say 'yes', I would be unjust to every other people out there who don't have that certain link people refer to as 'cable'. Especially so to my friends from my institution.

Whether big or small, stuff like this is a form of corruption, i.e. using the advantages you have or your own selfish gains. Many people do this, and I can't really blame them either. It's basic human nature to want to save your own skin. And it made me realize the purpose of all the do's and don'ts we have in religion :

to suppress those negative human nature so we can be better individuals.

And my religion (and probably every other) forbids corruption be it in any shape or form, for obvious reasons, I might add. The lesson; stay true to the teachings of our religion. If everyone does, I'm sure the world will be a much better place for everyone.

The following day, I politely declined their offer. Just because people do it, it doesn't mean its' right. Just because I can, it doesn't mean I should.

I think I can, performed by the legendary Japanese rock band, The Pillows

Best I ever had

Ever had a murtabak? If your answer is anything, anything at all but 'I've had the murtabak they sell in Pekan', then I would have to take your answer as a 'no' because nothing - absopositively nothing - says murtabak quite like the murtabak they have in Pekan. It is the epitome of what can be considered as a murtabak.

There are 2 restaurants which sells these murtabak but one of them only operates during Ramadan. The one that's open all-year round is called Murtabak Mengkasar. The restaurant thrives selling ONLY murtabak and still people go there everyday.

The murtabak we have here in Pekan, looks just a bit different than what the other parts of Malaysia consider a murtabak

Behold! This is a murtabak! Whatever you might have eaten, isn't .

but in terms of its texture and taste, hoo boy, it's like heaven and earth. Also similar to most other self-proclaimed murtabak is that it is served, and should be eaten with pickled onion. I hate onions and I sure am no big fan of the colour pink, but somehow this is the one type of onion I am to tolerate and like.

Most people I know.... actually, everybody I know eats the murtabak with chilli sauce. I'd say that the thing isn't complete without chilli sauce.

If there was one thing that would make me happily say I'm proud to have been born in Pekan, is that the murtabak here is the best in the country. I'd give it a 5/5, and for a mere RM5, it's a steal. If you ever come around these parts, stop by and give it a try. Caution : once you do, you won't ever consider anything but this as a murtabak




*Best I ever had is a song performed by Vertical Horizon.

Crazy Train

Some time last week. A cousin of mine asked me whether I be interested in going with him To Malacca. Me, who'd do just about anything to take a break from home gave a quick yes. And that lead to what I can sum up as a crazy 2 day holiday away from home. The whole deal is rather lengthy so here's the long short of it :

Day 1

Arrived at Malacca at about 1. Had lunch with the cousin and later parted ways. I was only informed that he was 'going to meet a certain someone'. Totally classified stuff, see.

I thought about walking around town but oh how naive of me to think that possible. The road in Malacca (and probably anywhere in Malaysia that I can think of) is very on-foot unfriendly.

Malacca city centre is suprisingly jam packed with vehicle despite it being a Monday but the traffic grows thin as the sun sets.

Saw Sue Fin and her sister. They introduced me to a fine bubble tea. Good. Not as good as in Wellington (cause they don't have vanilla, apparently), but good nonetheless. Recommended to anyone with the slightest interest in bubble tea.

The plan was supposed to meet her, have a drink or two and then split, but I ended up tagging along with the sisters for the most part. I bet by the end of the day they must've been annoyed by me messing around with their shopping...hehe. Sorry

Accidentally ran into Justin! Of all the places, the world really isn't that big after all. Highlight of the event - He told me he saw Sue Fin the day before. I said : "she's around (Mahkota)", to which he replied : "I know, she lives in Melaka". I had to say it 3 times before he finally understood what I was getting at. Funny.

Toilets! Is that too blatant? Ok, maybe I should say..washrooms. I went to 3 different washrooms. 2 in Mahkota and 1 in Melaka Sentral. I'm not sure about the ladies washroom, but the guys, you know how the doors in the stalls always had something (usually indecent stuff) written or drawn on it right? Well, all 3 that I went to had decidedly gay remarks all over the door. That's right, all of them, all over the door, which leads me to 2 hypotheses :

• most guys in Malacca are gay, or
• most gays like to go to Malacca.

Ate at a restaurant aptly named 'Chicken Rice Ball' for it sells 'chicken rice ball.' Wait. What exactly is a 'chicken rice ball'?. It can only mean

• rice ball with chicken filling, or at least tastes like chicken, or
• its a chicken rice with chicken balls (not likely)

It turns out that its the former. The linguist in me protests, but I digress. Also, the dish was out so we only had the normal chicken rice.

Melaka Sentral is the best station I've been to. There's lots of shops and restaurants, its clean, bright, not as crowded as KL sentral and the surau is very comfortable.

I realized that I'd forgotten to use my camera. Dank. Reached the cousin's place just over 1a.m. Slighlty later that planned.

Day 2

Invited the cousin for a trip to the beach. Him driving of course. I wouldn't be caught dead driving somebody else's car (had a trauma). I wanted to go to Cherating. He didn't want to because TC was nearer. In the end, the one who drives, wins. Fine, a beach is a beach.

If yesterday taught me something, its 'use thy camera!'.

Went to McD for some snacks as we walk along the beach. Saw a familiar face as I walked out of McD. I wasn't too sure so I hesitated to wave, but my hand moved even before my brain could send the message. I turns out that I wasn't wrong

As if meeting Justin in Malacca wasn't surprising enough. Yes. That's Qi Su. She's from Johor, on a holiday with her family and friends. Truly a chance encounter. Further proves that the world really is a small place.

And thats our snack. My treat of couse, since I'm the older of the two. Haha.

By the way, here's 'the cousin'

The wave was bigger than usual that day so I had to take some snapshots of it, even if I had to risk my life wading through the water.

Look behind ye!

But when I turned, its gone...

Also, I really should remember to not bring my wallet when I go to the beach. The wallet, and everything in it was soaking wet. Fortunately, no casualties.

TC was not bad, I hadn't been there in ages though the authorities could probably do better in collecting the rubbish. That being said, the blame ultimately goes to the people who litter in the first place. Also this particular group is part of the problem...

beach monkeys. You read that right. Beach Monkey.

The night before I went home was spent on countless hours of reading Eyeshield 21. I think it was about 2 a.m that I submitted to the spell of sleepiness.

A rather long post, for a rather crazy 2 days holiday. One that I was seriously in need of or I'd seriously go crazy.




*Crazy Train is a song performed by Ozzy Osbourne

Here In My Home

I came across this piece of art done by fellow Malaysian whom at the time, I knew only as bem69 at his DevianART page and it instantly clicked with me. It is a perfect summation of what being a Malaysian is (whether you think is good or bad, is totally up to you). We are a community of different colours, culture, beliefs, practices, (I could go on and on and on again about this so I think I'll just stop there) yet all of us stand under this one flag.

Oh.. one more thing. It turned out that dude bem69's real name is the same as mine. Talk about coincidence.


Here In My Home - Various artists. If you're a Malaysian and have yet to hear this song, I'd really suggest you do. Its free for download here

My sacrifice

Exactly a week ago, we celebrated what most people know in Malaysia as Hari Raya Korban (lit. Big Day of Sacrifice). My family celebrated it in our kampung in Baling, Kedah. They had a cow sacrificed there. The whole process of sacrificing the cow is done at the butchery (by the folks there, no less) but the rest of it, which involves separating the flesh from the bones, mincing the meat into fine think slices and cutting them bones are left to the family.

I wish I could post some photos of it, but they are potentially graphic and with me having low tolerance to massive volume of blood, I think I'll pass. Heck, I kept my distance from where they did all that stuff. I feel kind of bad about it now, but if i were to get close, I'd feel worse then .Weird is that I don't seem to have a problem if its my own blood though. Anyways, many know of this day, but there are equally as many who do not know how it originated.

The history of sacrifice dates back to the very beginnings of mankind, when the Adam's two sons offered their respective sacrifice to God. This however, isn't where the story starts. It began much later, during the era of the prophet Ibrahim (also referred as Abraham in some cultures). The prophet Ibrahim and his son, Ismail (Ishmel) were instructed by God to rebuild the Ka'aba - the structure to which present day Muslims face during their prayers - on the foundations where the first man, Adam had originally built it in ages past.

Upon the completion of the Ka'aba, Ibrahim saw a dream in which he slit the throat of his son as a sacrifice to God. Unsure of whether it was an order from God or merely a dream, he consulted his son Ismail (Ishmel), to which he responded : "My father, do what has been told by God, God willing, you will find me among the patients".

Just as Ibrahim wanted to sacrifice his son, God, most merciful that He is replaced Ismail with a kibas (a kind of sheep)*. This event serves as a testament that there is no cost to great for the cause of God and Ibrahim and his son Ismail has shown that their faith to God was so strong that they would surrender everything, be it their own life of the life of one they love for God.

We probably don't have it in us to go to the extent that they did, but sacrifice can come in many way. Going to the 'ulu' places, far from the confort of civilisation to teach could be a sacrifice as well, if you know what I mean...haha.

*note : just to clarify, the sacrifice (ie. the cow) isn't for God, rather, it is the act of sacrificing is what is dedicated to God, for He, most glorious that He is needs not from us.




My sacrifice, performed by Creed.

Livin' on a prayer

"Every living being will taste death"

A cousin of mine, Abang Kamil got caught in a horrible accident which claimed his life late last night, December 10, 08. He was a very good person and his demise will be sorely missed.

Its times like these that you can't help but to feel how fragile a person really is. The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says that the average lifespan for his people is around the age of 60. 60 years... I'm already over the age of 20 so mathematically speaking, I've got another 2/3 of my lifespan to look forward to. But then again, my late cousin passed away when he was barely 50 so one can never be too sure.

One thing is for certain though - we will all, at one point or another, leave this world. And its because we don't know when our time will come, that we must prepare ourselves for the life promised after this life is over. Our actions in our current life dictates the very consequences that awaits us in the next life, and that life is by far more important than this one. A fact, for those who wants to think.

They say time waits for no man. Likewise, death too, doesn't. So live today as if your life would end tomorrow. And remember - the only thing that can help us to a better tomorrow is our prayer today.

Livin' on a prayer - performed by Bon Jovi

To all my Friends

To all my Friends,

I wish I could tell you how much I'm glad to have known the lot of you, but my feelings towards you simply cannot be put into words. I am glad that we have met and I really hope that at some point our paths will cross again. Thank you for all the memories you have blessed me with, for being friends with me these past 5 years, even when there were moments of ups and downs. You, my Friends, won't simply be just memories because you are a part of my soul.

To all my Friends...

Thank You

I remember you

In a shocking turn of event, yesterday was my birthday. And some kind souls remembered! Your names shall be etched in this here blog for me to remember for as long as this page exists.

(earliest to latest)

Spoken

Makcik Timah
Mak

via text message

Nodi nee
Leny kun
Soya chan
Kudi nee
Ah Seng kun
Manan chan aka Manchan

..and I believe there were some wishes on my newly opened facebook account, though I'm still confused on how to use that site. I think I saw these people sent their wishes

Nasaru kun
Indra san (didn't see that coming)
Alin san
Fatin san
Shim kun

and I think thats about it. Thanks a whole bunch everyone. You're totally the greatest. I'll try to make it up to you some day. Cheerio



I remember you, as performed by YUI

Freebird

Within a matter of weeks, my 5 over years of tertiary education will be coming to a close. I'll be a free bird (at least before getting posted). Way back when, the very thought of this would've made me happy. Now, however, there's that part of me that wishes for it to not end now. Honestly, I haven't had a lot friends up till I came to IPBA. Well, I probably still don't have as much friends as however-you-are do, but the ones I have now is plenty by my standards.

I understand that once this is all over, everybody, me included, will have our own lives to attend to. Everything that I am in IPBA, all the friends I've gained, the things I've done during the 5 and a half year course will be nothing but distant memories within a couple of years. I had similar feelings when leaving Wellington last year, but knowing that I will be seeing my old friends again in IPBA made it not quite as painful.

The situation is a bit different now. The thought of not being able to see most of the people I care about again, scares me. I've made some good friends here, and I don't want to lose them. Fortunately, there is a little something called the internet and hopefully that could at least keep us from being totally cut apart. We humans always take things for granted - it isn't until we nearly lose the things we have that we realize how much we should cherish them while we still can.

To all my friends I've met these past 5 years - thank you



Freebird, performed by Lynird Skynird

The Red-coloured Promise - part II

Guess what, its finally official. I'm going to get engaged to my special lady some time next month. Bet nobody expected that. Hah. Anyways, its just an engagement so if you're expecting to get and invitation for a kenduri or something, I'm sorry because THERE WILL BE NO SUCH THING. Also, I don't think an engagement is much of a big deal (though I realize that many people think so. Dude.....whatever). The real deal - the wedding, won't be taking place anytime soon. Most probably late next year. If you're reading this now, then you may consider yourself invited. Cheerio



The Red-coloured Promise (茜色の約束, performed by IKIMONOGAKARI

I'm so sick

What is the proof of one's manliness. Is it by having manly, hulking musk? or is it having killer good looks? From what I can tell, you don't need either. Here's a guide on some of the things you can do to make your manliness really shine! Go ahead, read up. Its perfectly FREE*

The Manly Thing To Do #1

As every good man knows, there's nothing that can make you any more manlier than smoking. But wait, there really is! Simply smoking is for the losers. Real manly men smoke and throw the buds and ashes on the carpet, on the road, anywhere really, except for the ashtray. Of course, what better way to flaunt your manliness than to throw them in the kitchen sink and clog the thing up. Ah, the mark of a TRUE man! Remember this well, if you dispose cigarette buds properly, then you're a sissy.

The Manly Thing To Do #2

Real man knows how to turn even the most seemingly useless items into profit. Take a look at this useless looking rubbish bin. By keeping unwanted items inside without throwing them away for some time, a man can start his own maggot farm. Congratulations sir! You now have a property of your own. Before you know it, you'll be able to export those maggots to all corners of the world and fill your pockets with lotsa cash. And I bet the ladies would be all over you then. Genius! So you see, it isn't always about the brauns. A real man need to have the brains, as well as the ability to have the cash rolling in with minimal effort.

The Manly Thing To Do #3

Lets face it, a real manly man should never do the dishes. They leave that to their ladies. But what if you are still single you ask? Why, of course the reasonable thing to do would be to leave the dishes in the kitchen until you get married - at which point you can tell your wife to clean that thing you've left in the kitchen 3 years ago. That, or you could also donate those fungus you've grown for medicinal purposes. Now that's how a REAL man should be!

The Manly Thing To D0 #4

Unfortunately, the free trial ends here. Did you find the guide to be useful? Interested in knowing more? For additional methods on how to further strut your manliness, please consult the author. Your own suggestions would also be highly valued for the upcoming release of the book 'How To Be a Real Man'

*For promotional purposes only. You may not make illegal copies of this guide




ps: starting from now I'll link the song title which I base my titles on.

I'm so sick, performed by flyleaf

Driver's High

Two days ago...

Manan (a.k.a Hadi) : Wei, ho nak gi rumah Guna x esok?
Me : Wokay, why not?

So the following day (which was yesterday), Manan, Star and myself went to Seremban by bus. The rest of us, Ah Seng, Shim and Syahir, went by car instead. Long story short, we got to Guna's house and were treated with lovely food, courtesy of Guna's mom's home cooking. Then somebody came up with the idea : hey, lets go to Vilo's house next! And so we did, and more food we had, though I could barely eat anymore since I was totally unprepared for this.

Once we were done there, somebody came up with another idea : hey, lets go down to Malacca. Zaini's place! And so we did. Yet another unexpected turn of events. We did pretty much nothing there by the way. Oh well, at least we got to eat some pretty good food before eventually going back to KL. And so that trip to Seremban turned out to be longer than I expected. Much longer really thanks to all the 'detours' we had. It would have been better if I wasn't very ill-informed of the plan. Still, its totally not bad at all.. aside from frequently running into raving lunatics on the road.

Please, please, drive safe people. Remember, the road has traffic lights and lanes for a reez.




Driver's high, performed by L'arc~en~ciel

A new beginning

Ok, I've decided that I'm going to make a splinter blog for all things video game. This blog will be mostly about all other stuff (not that I do much else other than video games anyway, but still..). If you're interested, please check out http://gaminwatch.blogspot.com/. There's pretty much nothing yet now but I'll try to update it soon.

Oh btw, I'm looking for some people to contribute to the blog too. So if you're interested, or acquainted to someone who might, just give me the word. Thanks

A new beginning, sung by Stephen Gately (I think that was his name)

The time has come

Its that time of year again. What am I talking about? video game season of course. The release calendar is just crazy between this time and December. Last year, I bought 6 or 7 games around this time. While I don't expect that I'll be toppling that record this year, the sheer amount of quality games going to be released this year (and also the ones already released) for this year's gaming season is astounding. I look forward to playing all those games that I've long awaited for so expect some reviews coming up soon. Oh, I should also rewrite that review of tales of vesperia. That one was a lil too crappy innit?

Anyways, here's how my future reviews are going to work. I will review the game strictly for what it is. Which really boils down to whether I had a good, quality time with the game. Don't expect to see me critically dissecting the game. I'll leave that to the pros at IGN or GameSpot.



The time has come, performed by Shoot HG feat. Shyboy

Before I Forget

I am really bad at remembering stuff, particularly those which involve numbers. Heck, I don't remember my own phone number. This also extends to dates. Honestly speaking, the only person's birthday I could remember at the top of my head would be my special lady's birthday - and even that is probably because its very easy to remember (April 23rd, ie. 23/4... 2 3 4, see).

Today, 26/10 is actually my father's birthday. As usual, I forgot about it. If it wasn't for my mom's cynical text message, I probably still wouldn't know about it well till now. I feel really bad about this so before I forget, I'm going to make this note here:

Dad's birthday is on October the 26th. I'll try to remember this next year.

So I'll tell you now, if I don't remember your birthday (whoever you may be), its not because I don't care about you enough, its just that my brain can't process numbers well. My apologies.




Before I Forget, performed by Stricken

Najibu reviews - Tales of Vesperia

I have written about this game in my previous post, but here's my final impression about the game upon finally completing it.

Lets start with the most obvious aspect of the game - the graphics. Vesperia uses a highly slick anime-inspired cel-shaded technic that makes it look more like a 2D anime than a 3D video game. The game....erm... you know what, forget all that.

This is a truly amazing JRPG. I like it a lot. And I haven't been liking JRPG a whole lot lately. The story, while simplistic is long and captivating. Plus, its the only game in its kind that allows you to play with 3 other friends. How do you beat that?! OK, that's it. If you have a 360, then stop reading this. Go out there, buy this game, and start playing. Chances are you'll spend a good couple of weeks stuck on this game. Its that good. Trust me.

I give it 4/5 Najibu points!

The Wheels of Fate

Yesterday was quite a day. I promised my special lady that I would meet her at KL Sentral for berbuka puasa at Subway. Of course, no one could anticipate what was going to happen next. On the way back from school, our car got punctured (by natural causes, I presume) and so we spend quite some time to get that tire changed. The spare tire, while not totally out of comission, wasn't fully functional either. It had too little air. A note to all you drivers out there. Always, always remember to check you spare tire often. You'll never know when you need it. So then, there was a need to stop at the gas station to fill some air. Oh, it was around this time that I realized I totally forgot about Asar prayer. Bummer...

With the tire problem out of the way, the driver (Ali G) left me somewhere close to Universiti Station cause I needed to get on an LRT to get to Sentral. I got on the thing right in the nick of time. If I had arrived at the station even a second later, then I would definitely have missed it. So I got to Sentral at about 6.40. Still some time left for me to perform my prayer. I saw Soya first and then headed to the surau. Lo and behold, my friend from my school days was standing there in front of me. I haven't met her for a few years and KL Sentral would probably the place which I least expected to see her. Wow, pleasant suprises are actually...well..pleasant.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that how each sequence of event leads to another. If the tire didn't get punctured, if we hadn't need to fill in the spare tire with air, if I could't get on that LRT, and if I performed my prayer at school, I probably wouldn't have seen my friend there. Now I know why they call it the 'wheels of fate'.




The Wheels of Fate - 暁の車 - performed by See-Saw in their album, Dream Field

Gamin' Watch! - September edition

Last week, I went and had my monthly visit to the local video game store Gamer's Hideout just to see if theres anything new. Well, that visip ended up having me picking up not just one, but two games at once. I really can't tell what got me into doing that. Suffice to say, I was just powerless to resist the temptation of good video games. Of course, at the time I couldn't say for sure whether those two games are any good. After spending some good time with it, here's what I have to say about them:

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is a sequel of sorts to Viva Pinata (du-uh), that game from two years ago. However, saying its a full fledged sequel ain't really quite right. Perhaps thats why Rare (the developer) decided to just add a sub-title rather than just calling it Viva Pinata 2..

That's not to say that the game is no good because theres just no other game quite like it. Don't let the cute and cuddly look of the pinatas to fool you into thinking this is a kids game - the gameplay can be very demanding yet at the same time satisfying. A gamer who does not like this game is, well...lets just face it, don't even call yourself a gamer. Just play the game, you'll know what I mean.

The other game I bought was Tales of Vesperia. After my frustration with Lost Odyssey, I find it hard to bring myself to buy yet another Japanese RPG - it doesn't suite my taste anymore of late. It was fortunate that I gave this game the benifit of a doubt because it turned out to be completely awesome.

The game has some issues though. My main gripe with it comes from the fact that its a Japanese RPG, and it shows. The story can be summarised as JRPG template 6 or 7. It didn't exactly drop my jaw but the way it presented is so good that I was able to look pass that problem. It is probably the closest thing to an interactive anime. The characters, to me, are the most lovable bunch since Final Fantasy 7. The game also has a good sense of humor which had me totally excited to listen what the characters are gonna say next.

I also fell in love with the game's battle system. It plays like a dumbed down fighting game, but with just enough depth to keep battles interesting. The boss fights are also the highlight of the game. If you are even remotely into Japanese RPGs or find it hard to pick one up because they don't change much since 15 years ago, you should defintely give this one a try. For me, it reinvigorated my love of not only the genre but also of anime.

Now, I should probably restrain myself from buying another game until Fable 2 comes out later next month. To all the gamers - Happy gaming!

The Red-Coloured Promise

For the first time, things are looking a bit more concrete. What am I talking about? Why, marriage of course. Seems that my parents given me the green light to marry my special lady - provided that I have enough ka-ching to do so. In other words, the marriage probably won't materialize anytime soon. Not at least within a year or so. But hey, I've got their permission so I ain't complaining. Besides, who wants to get married with an empty pocket anyways (except maybe if you're marrying a multi-millionaire!).

On a totally unrelated news. I went to my cousin's wedding recently, and it was ludicrously grand. I can't even hope to have that kind of reception even if I've worked myself to death for the next 7 year (and note spend a penny within those 7 years). Will probably add some pics from the wedding when I manage to get my hands on some.

Holidays is coming to a close...oh well...

[edit : Sept 14, 08] It took a while but here are the pics. Credits to my cousin Peyjal, the cameraman. This is the story of Kak Aelya's wedding with...uh...what was his name now........ I really can't remember. Sorry pal

The bride and groom has entered the building

Me and my cousin Hilmy. I think we were looking at ourselves on the projection screen

The king and queen.... and their fanners (?)

Kak Aelya's parents, Pak Kasim & Mak Andak

Giving their speech. Caterer advertising service included

Nodi and Abang Buyong attentively listening...

And here are some pictures after the ceremony ended

Daya and me wearing what others call TESL uniform. Iqi tried to make and appearance but failed. Too bad son. Try again next time

My cousins. Too bad I myself couldn't make in into the pictures. My, how everyone has grown...

...and thats a wrap. The next wedding report could very well be that of my own =)

*The Red-Coloured Promise (茜色の約束) by いきものがかり

I Write Sins Not Tragedies

I got locked out of my own house yesterday morning... and I had to go to school in about an hour or so. When a man is out options, the solution usually isn't pretty : I saw this little guy... and he helped knock on the door. Knocked down that is...

Never leave the house without one of these outside..

Look closely and you can see the extinguisher's fingerprints on the door.

3 knocks later, the door was opened. It was like magic I tell you.

P/S: Thank you Soya for motivating me to go to school, even if it means breaking the door open ;p

I Write Sins Not Tragedies by PANIC! At The Disco

Blitzkrieg Bob

First week of practicum felt like a blitzkreg attack from out of nowhere with sledgehammer to the face. An XXL sledgehammer at that, too. Let me explain the process step-by-step to make it easier for you to understand:

• The part where the sledgehammer was swung was that Sunday before prac started. I knew it was coming straight at me but I was powerless to dodge it. The only thing I could do was wait for the impending slam and hope it won’t hurt too much.
• The next moment, the hammer hits and on that moment, the pain was unbearable. That was practically how the 5 first days felt. There’s a truck-load of things to be done. The lesson plans, organizing the portfolio and of course, dealing with the kids at school were just a few things that I had to bear with. And let’s not forget the icing on the cake. It’s chock-full of artificial sweeteners that its diabetic inducing; afternoon school sealed my fate of staying at hostel every Monday to Friday. Bye-bye McD, be-bye movies…
• And of finally, the last stage - the after effect of the hit. Everything went dark. Maybe a few stars were visible. And then everything just stopped there and then. The pain was gone. So are all the other senses. The next thing I realize is that I was laying down on the floor. Hey, the first week is over and done with and it felt all to short. Not that I hoped it would felt any longer, mind you.
  

And that’s the whole process. Here I am, waiting for the next 11 blows and hoping that by the end of it, my brain would still be functioning with all the screws still intact.

* Blitzkrieg Bob, by the American punk Rock band, The Ramones

The Tale That You Were In

June 19, 2008. On this day, my friend Sue Fin turned 23. I will always rember this day. Unfortunately, her birthday has little to do with it because on the same day, one of my consoles died on me. June 19, 2008, my PS3 has ceased to operate... yet again. Then again, the ps3 has never failed to dissapoint me. The first game I had on the ps3 (resistance) was mediocre at best. After Resistance, I was only using the PS3 to play PS2 games for over a year as no new games caught my attention (and even if there were, I'd prefer to buy them for the 360 anyways - achievement junkie). Just before the end of last year, it got broken once because of a sudden electrical surge in my apartment. EB Wellington was kind enough to had it sorted for me and I got a replacement from Sony NZ just before I left the windy city.

Power lights on, screen completely blank... its broken alright

That is not where the streak of bad luck ended for the console though. The thing weighs a hefty 7.5kg and there simply wasn't place for something as small yet as heavy as that in my bag. As much as I didn't want to, I had to part ways my PS3 at the airport. I had my ex-housemate Kurt posted to me through NZ Post. To my horror, it costs me 250nzd. Thats roughly around RM600. All seems fine after that, until I came to another shocking realization when I went to pick up the console at the LCCT terminal. I had to pay taxes for shipping the thing into the country! I told the customs officer that it was a sed item so I ended up having to pay RM150, instead of RM500 which I was supposed to pay had it been a new item.

The streak ended when PS3 game drought came to a close, which is when I bought Uncharted, and then Devil May Cry 3. The console finally had its chance of redeeming itself through the presence of Rock Band. After 3 months waiting, the PS3 had another chance to prove itself. Metal Gear Solid 4 was released on June 12. I enjoyed MGS4 immensely. I finished the game in just 2 days and immediately began my second play through. Now, approximately a week after I bought the game. The PS3 has failed me yet again. It powers on but the friggin thing just won't boot. Darn, I was so upset. Hopefully GamersHideout will be willing to accept a PS3 for repairs. Don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon though. I've invested too much money on the PS3 that I don't even have enough to get it fixed. Sigh....

*The Tale That You Were In - 君がいた物語(kimigaitamonogatari) - by See-Saw

Take This Life

I watched the whole 7 videos of Giantbomb's 'How to build a bomb' , and my impression is, I am extremely jealous . Oh btw, for those of who aren't keeping up with video game news, Giantbomb.com is a gaming website made by former employees of gaming news giant Gamespot.com, after a senior member (and Giantbomb founder) got 'retired' from Gamespot. On to what I was saying, I was jealous because they have everything that I could only dream of

• a job which revolves around video games.....check
• an office full of game/movie posters..............check
• multiple lcds and consoles for sytem link......check
• a comfy looking couch opposite a big lcd, rigged to various gaming consoles..............................check
• office mates whocan play and appreciate games...........................................check

The list goes on. Me, on the other hand, I'm stuck in my life not being able to have even half of the luxury they have. That does it, I'm gonna get me enough money to start up a gaming shop! Or at least I want to have a gaming studio in my house. Of course, theres that 1 problem - I still won't have people to play with me. Oh the woes of a lonesome gamer (T_T)




* Take This Life by In Flames

Thank U

A few months back my xbox360 went caput. Because it is almost impossible to get it officially fixed by Microsoft, I had to resort to less than official measures. Through some extensive search on the lowyat.net forums, I found Mr. Dominic 'DreamyGhost' Choy. The guy lives Kuantan, not too far from where I live (Pekan) and has a pretty good track record of fixing dead 360's. So we arranged to get my 360 fixed and he said he'd do it for 120. A very reasonable price. Unfortunately, the 360 died yet again after a couple of weeks. I called Mr. Choy and he told me to send it back to him. That, I did, and he fixed it again only to have it broken again not long after that. I gave up.

Now, after more than 4 months, he still insists on reparing that console of mine. I've always thought of it as a lost cause and told him its alright. His reply was 'you oredy paid me, so its my job to fix it'. I was wowed by his honesty and sense of duty. With that kind of attitude, I don't see him having trouble getting promotions with his job. We should take a lesson from Mr. Choy and be as honest with our duty as he is. Thank you very much Mr. Choy.

*Thank U is a song by Alanis Morissette.

Love & Truth

The world hasn't really been a safe place to live in lately with all the disasters happening all over the globe. We should remember that while we are living in the comfort of our houses, there are those unlucky souls out there who are currently seeking refuge in shelters, without having anything to eat. These people need help. The truth is, they are just waiting for someone, anyone, to lend them a hand and show them a little love. We need to show these folks some love, people. I just did - by donating some money. It wasn't really much, merely RM500. A small price to pay if that could make the lives of the unfortunate people in Sichuan, China better. Let it be known to the world, Najibu is such a generous person. I am proud to be me.

Authors note : The post is a big fat lie. I never did donate any money to anyone like I claimed in the above post, well...at least not intentionally. If you want to know the real story, look for the truth. Its somewhere above :)

*Love & Truth is a single by YUI and is the theme song for the movie Closed Note

2008's shopping list

(in no particular order)

-Ninja Gaiden 2
-Prince of Persia
-Metal Gear Solid 4
-Farcry 2
-Fable 2
-Soul Calibur 4
-Gears of War 2
-Too Human
-Supreme Commander
-Beyond Good & Evil 2

....are currently what I seriously feel like buying. The average price of games in Malaysia are between 160-230 so lets take the midpoint and say each game costs 190. And 190 x 10 = 1900. THATS RM1900! I'm gonna have to start thinking which games I should throw out of that list. That, or I may have to start eating instant noodle and drink tap water everyday from now on.

[edit] instead of delisting anything, I have one more that I want to add to that list. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. That takes it to a total of RM2090. Ouch

Go Speed Racer, Go!

I don't usually talk about movies in this blog of mine, but after watching a movie for THREE times (yes, 3!), it would be kinda wrong for me not to blog about it. Heck, I wouldn't mind watching it again even now. To say that Speed Racer is that good is an understatement - its just . freaking . awesome.

"Speed Racer is ahead of its competitors in every possible way..."

Speed Racer is shot entirely in front of a canvas, that means most of the things that viewers see on screen are computer-generated images (thats CGI for the more IT literate). Unlike most movies which looks to impress (or even fool) us with photo-realistic images, Speed Racer is completely unabashful with its use of CGI. Everything looks as fake as can be. For the most part, the film employs a cartoony look to it. At certain points, the film could even pass for a pop-up art in a picture book, with 2D images layered on top of one another in the background. The visual style is a unique and fresh take on CGI - far different than that in conventional movies. Despite its lack of realism, the visual style is fits the film perfectly, given the nature of it's source material. I can't seem to imagine the film done any other way.

Speaking of realism, while what is shown on screen is far from real, the story is quite the opposite. Beneath the overly colourful visuals and seemingly lighthearted tone of the film is a pretty heavy story. I won't go into the details of the story, but suffice to say, some of the themes that the film brings forward got me thinking, "hey, what if this is the case real life too!".The actors and actresses are also commendable for potraying believable characters (when they need to anyways) despite having oddly unreal names. I mean, Pops and Mom Racer?? What kind of names are those?

Perhaps what completely win me over is the way the movie is delivered. True to it's name, the movie is fast. I was amazed by how much backstory I was exposed to in the film's intro, during the course of a single race. The movie has a series of flashbacks and lengthy one on one dialogue scenes but they never seem to bore me thanks to the amazing presentation and delivery. I really can't explain this, its something you have to see for yourself to appreciate. There is never a dull moment in Speed Racer, and for a movie that goes for 135 minutes (thats approximately 2hours and 15 minutes), thats saying a lot.

If you were to watch it critically (as I did), you could see that the film is a full package. An immersive universe, over the top action sequences, family drama, humor, a wii-bit of romance, mysterious characters, moral values, a likable (and also hatable) cast of characters and a chimpanzee, all delivered in a slick style that easily outclasses any movie I have ever seen. Theres just no reason not to like this movie. If by some case that you don't, then you must be a bad person. In a world overrun with conventional and generic movies, Speed Racer slips over and under the competition and serves as a testament of how truly innovative a film can be. Let me just say it again, Speed Racer is just. freaking . awesome .

Now begins the countdown to its impending November dvd/blu-ray releases.

*Go Speed Racer, Go! is the theme song of the Speed Racer anime and its real-life silver screen adaptation

welcome home

After the previous holiday (sometime in March, maybe), I had never went home once... for certain reasons. Reason 1) Most of the time, theres nobody at home. Reason 2) I can't spend too much time playing video games. Finally, reason 3) I don't like watering the plants. Something that I must do almost everyday at home. Now I don't mind cleaning the house, sweeping, vacuuming, whatever, you name it. But watering the plants, that is the one thing that I can't bear with. Well, I guess I could if theres only three or four pots to water, but when theres a garden full of them, it get tedious real quick. It also doesn't help that the water pressure has been really low around these parts these days. Heres hoping that it rains occasionally to help me get through the holidays while keeping my sanity intact.

welcome home is a song by Coheed & Cambria

Understand....

...carries a very heavy meaning. E.g : When someone says to you, "I don't like so & so" and you replied "I understand", do you think that you could really feel the same way as the person talking to you. I don't think so. Emotion is something that is unique to oneself and is not something that can be shared, or at least not on the same level. Therefore, if you ever thought that you really understood someone, you'd best think again.


*Understand is a single by YUI

Give it all

Calling all Japanese language student/enthusiasts! visit http://www.japanesepod101.com/ (site courtesy of a fellow (former) Japanese language student) for a session of self-directed learning on the language. Do not hesitate to educate yourself.


*give it all is a song made famous by Rise Against

white flag

Up until a while ago, I had the idea that in order to do well for my assessments here, I have to make it exactly like what the examiner had in mind. I could have never been more wrong. Wrongest, even. It seems that, for some reasons or another, some of the examiners here haven’t the slightest clue of what they really, truly, and absolutely want. On one day, they can tell you as clear as day of what they want to see in your assignment, only to tell you to do it some other way on the next day. Such fickleness never fail amuse me, except that most of the time the amusement is heavily pancaked by amount of stress generated from examiner’s aforementioned fickleness.

Which brings me to the question : are we, the product of such system going to end up using the same system yet again when facing the challenges of educating the future generation? Will we raise the white flag and succumb to the wheel that we have been chained to? Or might we find the courage to break free and start a revolution. I sure hope that’s the case. But then again, it is all too often that we hear cases which points out that it is almost a nature for human beings to pass on the suffering that one has endured to another. Had it not been the case, there wouldn’t have been the term ‘bully’, right…

life*

Yesterday, I had arrived home from a very exhausting trip. The trip to my friend Wani's wedding took me and some other boys up north to Gurun, Kedah from KL (and some of us from Seremban). We stayed there for only a couple of hours or so before heading back home. As much as I'd like to write about it, I haven't transferred the pics taken from the wedding so that will have to wait for another time.

I'll have to admit tho, there is a little envy in seeing a friend at your age already married. It makes me question : why can't I?? Of course, I kinda know what kind of answers I'll get bombarded with if I were to voice out that question. Something along the lines of:

1. you're still too young... look at x, he married at abt your age and see where he is now

2. sure, if you least 20k then go ahead...
3. you?? marriage?? wahahahaha
4. nice try, come back and ask again after 3 years..

or better still...

5. *ignores and continues to read paper*

ah...such is the cold harsh realities of life. Unfair!!


[UPDATE]

I did ask my parents the question and the answer I got was none of the above. Instead, it was :

"Wait till you graduate, then we talk..."

Thats it, I'm going to courts mammoth!!



*life is a song made famous YUI

Go with the flow

For some unknown reasons, there is suddenly a live wireless connection in my room. Free internet in my room. Yeah! Sure, the thing hiccups once in a while and its not all that fast, but hey, its free so I ain't complaining. This also means that my blog will be up and running again. expect another update sometime soon....ok, maybe not soon....see how la

ENGLISH OF THE DEAD!!

picture taken from g4's site

If you think its the title of some B rate movie, you are WRONG. Its something much, much more bizzare. Take a moment and pick a guess. Go ahead... I'll give you all 5 spaces to think.
...................
...................
...................
...................
...................
All done? Ok, now for the moment of truth. 'English of the dead' is the title for an upcoming DS game. In it, you battle hordes of zombies by.... translating Japanese sentences into English! Let me give a close up on how the gameplay works. When the zombie hordes close in on your DS screens, texts in Japanese will pop up on screen. When this happens, players will have to quickly rewrite the text in English. What follows is the zombies' death but not before they scream the English text. What a way to go. Hilarious, but at the same time revolutionary in its own right. The Japanese sure are good at making quirky games but most of the time, they seem to be able to sell. Look at brain training or cooking mama for instance. As a future teacher, one can't help but to wonder if this game might be a good tool for learning English. Hrmm...

SUPERBORED

Read above.

ASK FOR MORE

After 1 month hiatus, Najibu is now back to write more seemingly unnecessary blog post. Also, with the coming of new year, I figure I should give the page it's much needed facelift. It might not be drastically different than the previous one but if you're looking for for a page with cloyingly cute decoratives or goth-like whatever, you've got the wrong page dude...cos I'm all for plainness. Is there even a real word??

I wanna dash through the little stuffs that I might have written about if I had the virtue to over the last 1 month :

IPBA....

has not changed much, for better or for worse.

SCUD....

needs abang Am to be around more - the other cook can't cook!

DIFFERENT GENDERS...

are equally good at gossiping.

encode and decode meaning differently and usually conflict ensues...

FRIENDS....

are those people who don't talk bad about you or your girlfriend behind your back.

THE PS3....

is finally showing some promise now that my xbox360 is broken

DEVIL MAY CRY 4....

conviced me that purple is the color.

p/s: Happy chinese new year to you, whoever you may be. I'm grateful for you reading this semi-rant post. Have a nice day

double oh seven

2007 has ended, so here's a quick recap of the year that was for me :

Academic life

I think I've improved a bit in this area. Before, I would've waited last minute to do my assignments and usually just borrow research materials from someone else. Not the case in 2007, and for that I'm glad. Overall grade still haven't change much tho..still the average person I am (can't escape that curse). Perhaps the most significant academic improvement of 2007 was Japanese language. Yeah, I'm so in love with kanji.

Hobbies & interests

Manga/anime used to be on top of my interests, gaming second and music a distant second but 2007 saw some change of priorities. Currently, video game reigns supreme on top, music goes up a notch to second place and manga/anime after that. I've also seemingly gave up on my ideas to one day draw my own manga. Its sad but I had to let it go. Also, 2007 was also the best gaming year since, like, ever. Some noteworthy games includes C&C3, Bioshock, CoD4, Forza Motorsport, Mass Effect, Okami. Thats just a few, and considering theres lots others that I haven't played yet, 2007 will forever be remembered as the year of the game...at least for me.

Social life

OK, maybe not so much improvement here. Notice the words 'not so much' there...so at least there is some. For starters, its the only year that I attend gatherings, open houses and sports days regularly. I even picked up a new sport that I'm liking now. Ultimate frisbee rocks! Hope to be able to play with the ppl in IPBA soon.

Thats pretty much the gist of 2007. Oh, I might be a couple of days too late but happy 2008 people. May we have another great year ahead of us