23 years ago

To the man I barely know,

How I wish you were around to guide me through thick and thin.

Al-Fatihah.

Contentment

From my notebook,

I will try to find contentment in the paths that I must tread.
I will cease to have resentment when another moves ahead.
I will not be swayed by envy when my rival's strength is shown.
I will not deny his merit but I'll strive to prove my own.

-- Streams in the Desert Vol. 2

Just plain stupid or bad luck?

Best breakfast in Penang

Kalau mai Penang, rugi kalau tak try breakfast roti bakar ni kat Hutton Lane. The best in town bagi aku. Kedai ni ada dari zaman aku sekolah lagi. Port tempat aku lepak sebelum masuk sekolah. Kedai ni buruk gila, secluded dalam celah lorong, ada juga orang panggil kedai ni "Roti Teloq Celah Lorong" atau "Roti Koyah". Dok celah lorong saja but roti teloq ni cukup marvelous. Lazat sampai menjilat camca garpu.

Masa aku bawa family aku introduce makan kat sini, semua buat muka geli tak lalu nak makan sebab nampak macam kotoq. Tapi sekali dah makan, sekarang ni rajin pula mai nak makan kat sini. Macam dah addicted. Heaven.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

Time to recuperate and reorganize. Been working more than 60 hours this week and it's been really taxing to myself. Time to chill out a bit. Bila kelam kabut macam ni, semua serba serbi jadi tak kena and it will also indirectly effect orang-orang sekeliling kita.

Bila kita stop over to take a break, kadang-kadang kita terfikir untuk apa kita susah payah kerja selama ni? Jadi balaci siang malam. What is our motivation to keep on going forward? And also it makes us think, have I done my best? It is good enough? When will we be satisfied with what we have? Atau benda ni sememangnya is a zero-sum game. A never ending quest.

It's sometimes difficult to feel contented dengan apa yang kita ada. Dan bila apa yang kita ada dah hilang, barulah kita rasa a bit regretted sebab kita tak make full use or appreciate benda tu waktu time kita ada.

J'taime Paris

Lepas baca blog entry adik aku hari ni, tak tau pasai apa aku teringat pula pasal Europe. Aku cukup suka suasana street kat sana dulu sebab tu aku lagi prefer jalan kaki pi sana sini instead of travel naik kereta or bus. Udara pun nyaman nak sedut. Kalau jalan kaki kat Penang Road mau bertambah legam muka kena asap bas.

The songs below memang saja nak bagi adik aku tengok...nice songs, nice street vibe.



Dan ni lagu bonus untuk hari ni, mana boleh miss out on Alizée if sembang about Paris. Hehehe.

Inilah Masanya

Today is Mother's Day. So for this special day here is something from my little notebook. I copied this from somewhere years ago and don't know who the author is.

Inilah Masanya

Jika kau ingin menyintai ibu,
Cintailah ibu sekarang supaya ibu tahu,
Keindahan dan kelembutan kasih,
Yang mengukir kudus daripada sanubarimu.
Cintailah ibu sekarang,
Semasa ibu masih hidup,
Usah tunggu sehingga ibu telah pergi,
Kemudian barulah diukir di batu nesan,
Dengan kata-kata indah pada sekujur batu yang sepi.
Jika kau memiliki ingatan manis buat diri ibu,
Tunjuklah pada ibu sekarang,
Jika kau tunggu sehingga ibu mati,
Sudah pasti ibu tak dapat mendengar,
Kerna kita dibatasi kelemahan.
Oleh itu, jika kau menyintai ibu,
Walaupun hanya secebis daripada lautan hidupmu,
Lafazkan dan buktikan sekarang, sementara ibu masih hidup,
Agar ibu dapat menikmati dan menyanjunginya.

Crowd surfing

Crowd surfing paling sempoi...

Mau terpelanting mamat atas wheel chair ni...

Ponderisms

* Can you cry under water?

* How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

* Why do you have to "put your two cents in".. But it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

* Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

* Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

* If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

* Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

* Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

* Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway.

* Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?

* Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

* Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane ?

* Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

* If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

* If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

* If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

* Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

* Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Gym Membership

From my inbox,

From: Jeff Peters
Date: Wednesday 8 April 2009 10.22am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Membership Renewal

Dear David

This is a friendly reminder to let you know your gym membership expired last week. Your membership is important to us and we would like to take this opportunity to show our appreciation by offering you a 20% discount on your membership renewal. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

All the best, Jeff Peters

From: David Thorne
Date: Wednesday 8 April 2009 1.37pm
To: Jeff Peters
Subject: Re: Membership Renewal

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for your friendly reminder and the kind offer to reduce my membership by twenty percent. I own a calculator but I could not work out how to do percentages on it so have estimated that I save around $372.10 off the normal price of $420.00 - Please confirm that this is correct and I will renew my membership immediately. Also, do I get a Fitness First sports bag with towel and drinking bottle included in the price? I own my own legwarmers and headband.

Regards, David.

From: Jeff Peters
Date: Thursday 9 April 2009 10.01am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Hello David

How did you come to that amount? Our half year membership fees are actually $460 but with the 20% discount as an existing member your renewing membership fee would be only $368 for the six months saving you almost $100 off the normal price. We are not Fitness First so do not have those bags.

Cheers, Jeff

From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 April 2009 10.18am
To: Jeff Peters
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Dear Jeff

Do I get free shipping with that?

Regards, David.

From: Jeff Peters
Date: Thursday 9 April 2009 12.48pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Free shipping with what? The $368 covers your membership fees for six months.

From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 April 2009 2.26pm
To: Jeff Peters
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Dear Jeff

By the power of Greyskull that is a lot of money but I admit to being in desperate need of increasing my body strength. My ten year old child often turns the taps off in the bathroom very tightly and I have to go several days without washing. I feel bad constantly having to ask the lady from next door to come over and loosen them for me, what with her arthritis and limited wheelchair access to my apartment. To be honest, I originally joined your gym with full intentions of attending every few days but after waiting in vain for someone to offer me steroids, I began to suspect this was not going to happen and the realisation that I may have to exercise instead was, quite frankly, horrifying. My aversion to work, along with the fact one of your employees, Justin, was rather rude, telling me to 'lift this', ''push that' dulled my initial enthusiasm of becoming muscular and I stopped attending.

Regards, David.

From: Jeff Peters
Date: Friday 10 April 2009 9.17am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Hello David

Not sure how to take your email, nobody here would offer you steroids, it is illegal and none of our staff would do this. Justin is one of our most experienced trainers and if you found him rude while he was trying to be helpful and just doing his job then there are plenty of other gyms you could look at joining instead.

Cheers, Jeff

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 April 2009 10.02am
To: Jeff Peters
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Dear Jeff

Yes, I have noticed that there are many gyms in my area. I assume the low qualification requirements of fitness trainers means that there is an over supply of these buffed but essentially otherwise purposeless professionals. I knew a guy in high school who couldn't talk very well and collected sticks, he used to call the teacher 'mum' and during recess we would give him money to dance. Then sell him sticks to get our money back. He went on to become a fitness instructor so I view gyms as kind of like those factories that provide a community service by employing people with down syndrome to lick stamps and pack boxes. Except with more Spandex obviously.

Regards, David.

From: Jeff Peters
Date: Friday 10 April 2009 10.32am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Go f *ck yourself.

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 April 2009 11.38am
To: Jeff Peters
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Dear Jeff

I was, at first, quite surprised at your response; one minute you are inviting me to renew my membership and asking me for money, the next insulting me. After doing a little research however, I have learnt that mood swings are an expected side effect of steroid abuse. As another side effect is a reduction in the size of your p#$%, this gives you understandable cause to be an angry person. I have also learnt that Spandex contains carcinogenic properties so this does not bode well for yourself and your shiny friends. If I woke up one morning and my p#$% was a quarter of the size I would probably take my anger out on those around me as well. There are probably support groups or websites that could help you manage your problem more effectively and picture based books available on the subject for people with limited reading skills. When I am angry I like to Listen to music by Linkin Park . The added angst and desire to cut myself works similarly to the way firefighters fight forest fires by burning off sections, effectively canceling each other out and I find myself at peace. I understand that you guys usually listen to Pet Shop Boys or Frankie Goes to Hollywood so this may be worth a try.

Regards, David.

From: Jeff Peters
Date: Friday 10 April 2009 1.04pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

DO NOT EMAIL ME AGAIN

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 April 2009 1.15pm
To: Jeff Peters
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Ok.

From: Jeff Peters
Date: Friday 10 April 2009 1.25pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

Is that you being a smartarse or agreeing not to email me again?

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 April 2009 1.32pm
To: Jeff Peters
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Membership Renewal Due

The middle one.

2009 movies

List movie akan keluar tahun ni yang aku rasa teringin nak tengok. Lepas ni boleh laa cilok torrent dari Internet.

* X-Men Origins: Wolverine

* Star Trek

* Angels & Demons

* Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

* Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins

* G.I. Joe: The Rise of The Cobra

* Year One

* Drag Me to Hell

* 2012

* Avatar

Ironic isn't it?

From my little notebook,

Ironic isn't it?
Author - Unknown

Something to think about.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter temper, wider freeways but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more but have less, we buy more but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge but less judgement, more experts but more problems, more medicine but less wellness.
We eat and drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living but not a life, we've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbours.
We've conquered outer space but not inner space.
We've done larger things but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air but polluted the soul.
We've split the atom but not our prejudice.
We write more but learn less.
We plan more but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush but not to wait.
We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever but have less communication.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, tall men and short character, steep profits and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace but domestic warfare, more leisure but less fun, more kinds of food but less nutrition.
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, of fancier houses but broken homes.
These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies and pills that can do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stock room, a time when technology can bring this letter to you and a time when you can choose either to share this insight or just to hit delete.

Then after it all we ask, "What's the point?".
So to all that receive this, find some meaning in YOUR life and if you can't find any, put some in there and do the rest of mankind a favor and share.

A story to live by

From my inbox,

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, "If I could only see the world, I will marry you."

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: "Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine."

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life is a Gift.

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who died too early on this earth.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house because someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

"The world is your mirror, it is a reflection showing us who we really are."

Caca marba

Entry caca marba for the sake up of updating this blog.

* Back in Oz for a few weeks but will travel again sometimes in May. Banyak benda nak kena study and kerja nak kena buat sampai tak terbuat. At the moment, semua benda letak tepi sebab ada benda lain yang lebih penting dari kerja. Work is just only work. Nothing more, nothing less.

* Office politic sucks - Doesn't matter bangsa apa pun tapi kalau dah start main politik dalam office, memang sucks abis. At the moment big things are happening in the company, semua orang dah secara automatik jadi pandai & rajin, kawan pun dah boleh jadi lawan, lawan pun dah boleh jadi kawan. The knives are out. Must be very careful.

* Bongok punya omputeh - Aku park kereta tak sampai 5 minit tepi jalan kat kedai depan rumah sebab nak beli roti, dah kena saman AUD$60. Memang aku tak puas hati. Bagero watanabe punya omputeh. Bertahun aku dok sini, berlambak saja orang lain pun dok park kat situ, berpuluh kali juga aku park kat situ tak pernah pun kena saman tapi hari ni boleh pula kena. Sebuku roti paling mahal aku beli. Kena make sure makan roti sampai abis, bungkus plastik roti pun kena guna buat balut apa-apa takleh buang macam tuh saja. Baru puas hati.

* Ayam berbulu - Hampa pernah tak makan ayam berbulu? Memang macam hampeh. Tadi lunch aku beli nasi + ayam masak apa ntah kat pak Arab ni. Beli kat surau lepas sembahyang Jumaat. Sampai rumah dah dekat pukul 3:30 petang. Aku dah lapaq yang amat dah. Tengah shiok dok makan (taklaa sedap pun nasi & ayam ni) aku tengok apasal lain macam saja chicken wings ni. Belek punya belek, memang cilako laaa....penuh berbulu lagi chicken wings ni. Bukanlah bulu penuh macam ayam hidup tu tapi berbulu nipis-nipis macam bulu roma tangan tu. Berlambak-lambak bulu. Panjang-panjang pula tu. Kira pak Arab ni main hempuk saja ayam ni tak cuci bersih. Potong stim aku nak makan. Terus cancel. Mangkok punya pak Arab. Confirm aku tak beli dah kat dia.

* CBGB Online - Dulu-dulu masa zaman rock kapak teringin nak pi jenguk sini tapi tak tercapai. Even a few years ago masa kat NY dulu pun tak sempat nak singgah. CBGB ni pun dah bungkus. Tapi sekarang ni zaman internet, tak payah susah payah nak pi NY, boleh saja pi virtually. So here goes the awesomeness of CBGB online, a fantastically detailed virtual walkthrough of the whole place, from the stage to the toilets, the dressing rooms to the mixing desk. By the way, ni tempat maksiat.

* Bila tengok CBGB online tadi, teringat kat Johnny Thunders. Mamat ni ex-New York Dolls, pioneer punk rock movement early 70s. Way before Ramones, Blondie or Sex Pistol. One of his best songs, You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory. Tapi aku nak letak version Guns & Roses sebab aku lagi suka version ni. Actually bukan 100% G&R sebab bassist G&R Duff McKagan yang main segala benda dalam lagu ni....guitars, vocals, bass and drums.

Lagu ni bukan about love but actually sebab penyesalan menghisap dadah tapi hisap juga. Kan aku dah cakap omputeh ni bongok.

* Baru ada peluang dengar full album Kings Of Leon, "Only by the Night". Not bad juga depa ni. I likeddddddd. Sekarang tengah nak torrent semua back albums depa ni. Hehehe.

* Camna hampa recharge iPod Touch without laptop? Pakai USB AC charger ka? Takkan setiap kali nak charge kena bawa laptop sana sini. Letih laa macam tu. Aku dah minat pula kat menatang ni. Mula kepala otak dok start pikiaq nak beli iPhone 3G. Or Nokia E71. Or BlackBerry. Or HTC. Or ada brand/model lain macam iPhone yang lagi best? Dugaan nak perabih duit semua ni. Tapi kalau orang present aku nak saja. :P

* Dah cukup dengan benda lagha kat atas, masa untuk insaf pula. Manusia tak dapat lari dari penyakit. Ada macam-macam penyakit, penyakit fizikal, penyakit rohani, penyakit mental, etc. Ada terbaca yang katanya Allah S.W.T. menguji kita dengan penyakit kerana :
1. Allah sayang kita
2. Allah nak beri pahala pada hati yg redha dengan ujianNya
3. Allah ingin menaikkan 'darjat' hambaNya dimata Dia
4. Allah nak beri peringatan i.e. sihat sebelum sakit
5. Allah nak menjadikan ujian itu sebagai kifarah mungkin pada dosa2 kita. Wallahualam.

* Insaf lagi. Rasanya kita ni semua cukup saja makan hari-hari. Ada yang makanan berlambak sampai tak termakan, buang macam tuh saja. Ada pula yang makanan penuh kat dapur tapi tak reti-reti nak makan. Ada pula yang memilih nak makan, tak sedap or tak kena selera takmau makan. Cuba tengok video kat bawah ni, lepas tu pikiaq how lucky we are indeed.

Lepas ni, make sure makan KFC sampai licin. Kalau boleh jilat pinggan tuh sekali.

* Last but least, hari ni birthday mak. She is 80 years old today. Happy Birthday Mak. Aku tau memang dia tak akan baca benda ni tapi aku saja nak tulis juga to express my thanks and gratitude to her for everything. Every single thing. May Allah S.W.T. panjangkan lagi umur mak, beri kesihatan yang baik, kebahagian dunia akhirat dan golongkan dia dengan orang-orang yang beriman. Insya-Allah.