Empty Rooms

I've always hated Raya, everyone leaves during Raya, the hospital is empty too, seeing the empty corridors just reminds me on how empty and alone each of us really are when facing our own demons. Maybe I'll make an effort this year or the next, see my cousins, aunts uncles, nieces and nephews. This raya in HUKM, next raya in KL, will be sending everyone back on the bus for Raya so I can dedicate my time to my mum.

A Tropical Paradise in unchartered waters

Had to drive up to Lumut again for another meeting. I was determined to do something a little different this time, I just didn't know what.
I've probably driven to Lumut more than 100 times. I stop at the same places and eat at the same places. I've seen the road change many times and noticed all the new things that happen along the route.
On the way there I decided to make a quick detour. I remember seeing an Alfa 33 at a used car dealer and wanted to check it out. Sure I saw it many moons ago but decide to just take a chance anyway. Well the 33 wasn't there but there was an Alfa GTV sprint, It was in a condition that I can describe as looking it's age, and at Rm15k it wasn't a bargain you couldn't walk away from.
Got to Manjung and proceeded to buy lunch. It's so strange that the food is bungkused in black plastic bags. I mean what is it supposed to be? Maybe I walked in to a restaurant and walked out with a couple of DVD's?
So got through the meeting with the constant worry that things would fall through and finished with sometime to spare before dinner. Headed of to Billion which was having a sale, picked up a few things for Kimi and me and headed back to the Manjung office to kill some time before buka puasa, was hoping to get to Ah Choon's to get some crispy kalamari but it was closed, at which time I just decide to head back to KayEl and hope to find somewhere useful to eat along the way.
For years and years I remember always passing a restaurant near the Bidor toll, and always telling myself to check out. In the desert of bad food, this place, aptly named Coconut Island, is an oasis of good cooking and fresh ingredients. I'll update soon enough, hopefully with photos as i'll be back there soon.

Photos update

drip drip drop

At the hospital tonight, just waiting on the drip to run out and be there if need be, its hard being here, its hard seeing your parent falling down a slippery slope, and you having to take care of them, not difficult physically, while draining, it's just hard, coz you can't imagine that this is the way its supposed to be. Well where there is light... there is hope, unfortunately darkness lives on the edge of the light.

Babainanabrades

Well, at least that's what kimi said. My mom's two closest brothers, travelled here a few weeks ago, just to spend time with their sister, my mom.
Usually we would take them around, Langkawi, Pangkor, Tioman, etc. but that wasn't why they were here. They were here unknown to them to most probably say their goodbyes. It seemed surreal at first, while they were hugging and kisssing, my mom bawling her eyes out, but I guess she knew.
It was silent in the car halfway to the airport, and them we started to chat about mundane things like cars, tolls and airplanes like men do. We talked all through parking, check-in, and waiting..
Then their flight opened on the screen, it was time to go. The conversation turned to what was unsaid, with what being implied being heard.
So goodbye and have a nice flight, if we meet again, things will probably be different, no matter which way the pendulum swings. It is as they say... an end of an era, without the need to say it.

ixus 80 missus

Bought a Canon Ixus 80IS as a surprise belated birthday present for the missus, in pretty pink too, got it at Ampang Park from a dude who's been there for ages and always as good deals, so from a list of RM999 I got it down to RM896, while adding a 4GB High Speed SD Card, a leather pouch and a few other interesting accessories. She liked it very much, it's so much fun to see the look on her face when she's suprised and happy.
Sure theres an 85IS and a 90IS but the reviews online seem to point to their predecessor being better, something about too many pixels on the CCD

heres the camera from the view of a N93i


and some test photos

I didn't know cows came in black?!

Went to check on my custom leather seats. Ooh aah! Can't wait till their fitted, just hope their comfortable, with built in fans, and custome padding, I hope they are, will make the pug look good too, well I hope. So what do you think?

Driving me insane...

It was time for my annual insanity drive, this is the second year Ive done this, this years turnout was better than last years, last year was 3 people...3 cars, this year I had 7 people in 4 cars.   Met up with everyone  at Dunkin Donuts at the Sg Besi Toll at 10:15, left around 10:30, headed to Seremban, which is surprisingly near when you are not in a hurry,  then to Kuala Kelawang where it feels strange and eerie heading into a town just before midnight and all the petrol stations are closed, we stopped for coffee and a bite, and left around midnight and headed through the mountain pass through to Ampang ensuring to be in the 'middle of nowhere' during 'the middle of the night'






Heres what it looks like, it's not that its dangerous, or theres no cellphone coverage, or that its been the scene of body dumping in gruesome murders of washed out rock stars, whats scary is whats in your head, if you let yourself think, and imagine. that is how we drive ourselves insane, yet could be the only way to keep our sanity

Out of the box

I bought myself an N93i a year ago, but after getting the screen replaced twice, and then having the shop crack the outer cover, I gave up and put in back in the box, I was quite happy with my 6650-Slide but it seemed such a waste, so I sent it for repair at my regular shop, now I bought this thing in Subang which is not my regular shop and you know what..... customer service in Malaysia still sucks, which is why I patronise only establishment who make an effort in customer service. So my regular shop is in Pandan and I have bought more than 10 phones from this guy, and recommend to friends and family and everyone is happy with him, so I decided finally to send the N93i for a final repair, before I splash out dough to by a new phone.

So I spent all of RM250, got the screen and case replaced, and again I am very happy with this guy, so happy in fact that I'll be buying two phones for other people before raya. If anyone wants his contact details I'll happily send them to you, but it is in Pandan Indah. So here it is being charged and transferring media while being photographed by my isight. The world is good again, I'm glad I took it out of the box.

The guitar solo is back

Was watching MTV all last night, and there was a lot of rock on and I heard something I liked, a common theme that linked all the songs..... the guitar solo is back, sure its just some minor shredding, and scaling..... so will we see the return of the Guitar God?
Finally grunge and emo is dead, if I hear another emo song I'll kill myself! oh that's what emo is all about.

Twas discussing music a couple of days ago with a hip-hopper, and he was trying to summarize the spirit of emo, I said it was like goth but without the attitude, and he summed it up nicely as "mudah putus asa".... go figure.

Insomnia

Ive been a bit melancholic lately, missing everyone, hoping to keep in touch with everyone I know, this seems to happen every ramadan, though it's probably down to low blood sugar which sends me in a downward spiral of depression and insomnia that feed of each other.

I probably haven't slept probably in days, which I really should, I'll try tonight. Ive armed myself with some chamomile tea, maybe it's kimi that keeps kicking me out of bed. I really need a solution for this, It was a hard struggle to get myself fairly normal, I can't keep showing up to work hours late, if I even bother looking like a zombie.