Lapan Hari Seminggu

Ulasan isu NFC oleh Rafizi Ramli

2012-02-01T08:01:00.000+08:00

Find me on tumblr

2011-03-24T13:55:00.001+08:00

I'm spending more time on my tumblr site now, http://lapanhari.tumblr.com

See ya!

Quitting or taking a break?

2011-03-22T08:37:00.001+08:00

Federal Highway traffic at its worth evenn the jam starts before the toll gate.

Have yoy ever lose hope in trying to get/achieve something? That you've put on so much efforts, done so many things, compromising your life and sacrificing other things to get the thing you're pursuing?

And you got tired after a while. You told yourself, it's not worth trying that it is just not meant to be yours?

Do you quit trying or just taking a break to make a stronger comeback later?

For me now, I'm just plain tired and taking a break but not sure for how long?

It's Mak Jah

2011-03-21T08:04:00.001+08:00

If you know me well enough, one of my favorite eating places for lunch is Gerai Mak Jah, which is currently located near Dewan MBSA Seksyen 27 Shah Alam.

If you want to have the bests of northern (Kedah) cuisine, you have to try eating at GMJ. My favorite is of course gulai (kari) ikan although I normally just take the gulai, not the isi. The gulai tastes like my father's!

For peeps who work or have worked in PROTON may have known GMJ since it was under a tree and of course knows Mak Jah really well. Although the business have been passed on to her daugter, Kak Piah, we still refer the place as GMJ. :-)

Yesterday, while I was there, Mak Jah was at the gerai. It is quite rare these days to see Mak Jah at the gerai since she prefers to stay at home. Talking to Mak Jah is always fun. Yesterday, she talked bout her grandchildren and their whereabouts. And Mak Jah still has good memories she could still remember, for instance, when she last saw Chaom at the gerai, which was sometimes last year.

Before I left the gerai, I asked Mak Jah to smile for the camera and she was not hesitant at all to 'strike a pose' and she was so happy to see her picture on my phone.

Right before I left the gerai Mak Jah was like extending both of her hands to salam with me, which never happened before and I gladly salam her back and I saw she was silently uttering something which I don' know what. Maybe she was praying something for me?

Anyway, thanks Mak Jah (and Kak Piah) for feeding us nice foods and this is for the album...

1903 - The Faculty cat

2011-03-19T16:26:00.001+08:00

Life has been pretty rough lately. With the demanding schedule at work and school, moral and motivation have been very low, even running seems no longer interesting.

Anyway, got to take cue from this lyrics - David Archuleta's Elevator.

I had a dream last night, I didn't know which floor to get off on. The doors, they opened on 4 and 5 and 6. And you were gone, all gone. I didn't understand, I didn't wanna know. At least I took a chance, I had to let it go

Elevator goes up, elevator come down and you just go with the flow until your feet are back on the ground. It's an endless ride. Sometimes it takes you up, sometimes it tears you down inside. But it's the butterflies that keep you feeling so alive, so alive. You gotta get back that high

And in my dream last night the doors they finally shut and I was there, somewhere alone in my reality inside an empty box that's filled with air. But I don't care, noooo. Next time I'll get it right, next time I'll be okay. I'll have a different dream tonight, tomorrow's another.

You'll never know what you're gonna get. What you don't expect will come and find you. If you laugh or cry, if you run and hide. But it's all right.

...and this is the picture of the day, taken at The Faculty, right before my Public Economics (yaaawwnn...) class.

1803 - Bright Friday morning

2011-03-18T14:27:00.000+08:00

The sun was shining brightly this morning.

The picture was taken while I was on my way to work along New Pantai Expressway.

Maher Zain - Live In Concert

2011-02-26T10:46:00.002+08:00

It was an impromptu plan last month when Hadramie asked me about Lat's Theater when I said, "daripada tengok Lat the Musical, baiklah tengok Maher Zain concert" and it was a long eagerly wait between mid-January until last night when the concert is finally here. Went to the concert with Hadramie, also as his 60th birthday treat.

MZ was great, I even got goosebumps hearing his songs live, especially Thank You Allah. He even sang the Malay version of Insyaallah and for the first time ever, he sang his latest song, Freedom, which he had just composed one and a half week ago. Crowd was supportive although lots of empty seats seen, which is in contrast to the sold-out notice made by the promoter.

The guest artists were superb, as well. The opening act was by the local nasyeed group In-Team. There were also Irfan Makki from Canada, Fazli from Indonesia (I heard he's the one who translated the Insyaallah lyrics to Malays), and there was also my favorite Mesut Kurtis, singing few songs including my favorite Burdah. The back-up stringers and percussionists were awesome, too!

In all, I enjoyed every moment of the concert as much as I enjoyed DT. Enjoyed the company of Hadramie, who sang along almost all songs throughout the concert. And definitely, it was a night to remember, Insyaallah...

Final: Oregon 19, Auburn 22

2011-01-11T13:16:00.004+08:00

Auburn's Michael Dyer made the big plays late as the Tigers snapped a late tie and won the BCS championship game, 22-19.

Hope for a better luck next year and I'm so proud of you.

Go Ducks!

T-day - The Natty, scores tied at 19

2011-01-11T13:00:00.003+08:00

Darron Thomas and Oregon have rallied to tie Auburn in the BCS title game. A Cameron Newton fumble helped Oregon rally to tie Auburn in the BCS championship game.

ORE 19 - AUB 19
(2:33 4th)

T-day - The Natty

2011-01-11T12:42:00.001+08:00

Getting Down To It
Auburn's defense has kept Oregon's speedy offense in check. Can it last?

ORE 11 - AUB 19
(6:49 4th)

T-day - The Natty

2011-01-11T12:21:00.002+08:00

Nick Fairley and the Auburn defense are holding Oregon down in the BCS title game.

ORE 11 - AUB 19
(3rd Qtr)

T-day - The Natty

2011-01-11T11:35:00.001+08:00

Gathering Speed.
The pace is quickening between Auburn and Oregon. Who'll be quicker?

Go Ducks!

ORE 11 - AUB 16
(Half)

T-day - The Natty

2011-01-11T11:05:00.003+08:00

Auburn strikes back...
The offenses are finally awake, and Cam Newton and Auburn are back on top of Oregon.

ORE 11 - AUB 16
(Half)

T-day - The Natty

2011-01-11T10:43:00.002+08:00

The offenses are finally awake as LaMichael James and Oregon answered Auburn's score

ORE 11 - AUB 7
(7:11 2nd Qtr)

T-day - The Natty

2011-01-11T10:15:00.002+08:00

0 - 0
end of 1st Qtr

Oregon Journey - BCS t-1

2011-01-10T17:22:00.002+08:00

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

Sunday marked the final non game day of the season for the Oregon Ducks, with the team going through its normal day-before-the-game routine, including a run-through (other teams have walkthroughs, but most don't play at the same tempo of Oregon).

After their final preparations at Pinnacle High School, which served as the team's practice site for the past week, the Ducks got their first look at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale and had a chance to walk around on the beautiful natural grass surface, which the Ducks can almost claim as their own. The grass seed used for overseeding the field was grown at Golden Valley Farms in Silverton.

For Oregon and Auburn, this is a field of dreams.

The squad didn't linger long, but did put on their new uniforms and took a team photo inside the facility before heading back to Scottsdale for their final night of rest before the BCS Championship Game.

A pep rally in downtown Scottsdale capped the day, with performances by Sebastian Bach, On the Rocks and Otis Day and the Knights, to name a few. Coach Kelly received the largest applause and got off a few zingers that only he could deliver. The location of the event clearly wasn't selected with Duck fans in mind as it wasn't large enough to handle the turnout.

SMOOTHIE OPERATORS
Even though the location was different for the first time this season, it probably seemed like a typical walkthrough in Eugene for the Ducks here in the desert, thanks to the efforts of Gary Bertelsen, who along with his wife Megan, delivered and distributed Ben & Jerry's smoothies like he always does after walkthroughs at Autzen Stadium.

The Bertelsens, who own and operate Ben & Jerry's stores in Eugene, spent the morning at an Arizona location blending up the traditional post practice drinks. The players were clearly surprised and impressed by their efforts and made sure to grab their same flavors they always do. Not one to brag, but the triple berry with a green straw has been a very successful choice for yours truly this fall/winter.

MONDAY'S DUCK CAST
The team hasn't broken from tradition, so Duck Feed won't either. Here is the official Duck Cast from Oregon AMS chapter president Bobby Corser:

"The Oregon Ducks have had an amazing season, but it isn't over just yet. The Ducks touched down in the desert and got right to work. The BCS National Championship is being played at University of Phoenix Stadium, which has a retractable roof, however it will be closed for the game. The temperature inside should be a comfortable 71 degrees. While the DuckCast is used to looking at weather maps and models, this forecast is somewhat simple. No rain, no wind, no any type of weather! The game will be decided by the athletes and coaches and no outside forces!

"If you're in the desert and enjoying the sunshine, the forecast for the tailgating festivities will be of interest. Temperatures will be in the lower 60s, but will be cooling off into the 50's as the evening progresses. Take a light jacket and come enjoy all the fun on Monday leading up to the game.

"Let's cheer on the Ducks and bring home one last victory!".

Go Ducks!

Work, study, play

2011-01-10T01:32:00.000+08:00

work hard,
study hard,
play hard,

Alright! That's my motto or resolution or dream, whatever you want to call it, for this year.

Work hard - it's given, nothing less than that if you want to survive or excel in Emerald.

Study hard - I hope I could maintain a CGPA of at least 3.30 for two semesters this year. Sounds scary but I will do my best to achieve this.

and Play hard - I've planned to run my first Full Marathon (26.2 miles) in Sepang this April. From there onwards, I've planned to run 4 more FMs, in K.Kinabalu, Singapore (2 times) and Penang. I will also continue doing my Half Marathon (13.1 miles) races, maybe 5 times this year, in Bukit Jalil, Bidor, Seremban, Ipoh and Taiping and handful of other short races. That means hardwork hardwork and hardwork... and injury free.

and another one, if I'm fortunate enough to date someone this year, I will date hard, as well. Errr... let's change that to 'date efficiently'. Hahahah

Ok, all the best to me!

Oregon Journey - BCS t-2

2011-01-09T06:29:00.002+08:00

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

It's almost here.

One week in Arizona is in the books and in less than 48 hours the Ducks and Auburn Tigers will play for the BCS National Championship.

Under bright sunny skies, Oregon went through what is a typical "Thursday" practice on Saturday and have just a run-through remaining on Sunday ahead of the biggest game in program history. A throng of media took in the first 20 minutes of the workout and saw a team that appeared to be genuinely having fun going through warmups.

With music blaring, several defensive backs showed off their dancing skills led by Marvin Johnson, who could give Michael Flatley a run for his money. Javes Lewis also did a little river dancing to "I'm Shipping up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys, and the group, which included Avery Patterson and Scott Grady, made a seamless transition to Salsa dancing when a Latin track came across the P.A.

For Johnson and several other seniors, this was the final full football practice of their college careers, and for some, their lives. It was great to see them enjoying the moment.

Other attendees that enjoyed their time at practice were kids from the Make A Wish Foundation, who got to meet their idols Darron Thomas and LaMichael James.

Tomorrow the team gets its first look at University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, which will host Monday's title game.

Go Ducks!

Oregon Journey - BCS t-3

2011-01-08T18:41:00.005+08:00

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

It was another sun-drenched day here in the desert, but the early portion of it was spent inside the swanky media hotel with the entire squad participating in Media Day.

You'd be hard pressed to find any member of the 100-plus Oregon roster who didn't get interviewed by somebody as every story angle that could possibly be explored appeared to be by the print, radio, television and internet folks on hand.

The Ducks were clearly the main celebrities of the hourlong session, but it was also a who's who of sports journalists, spanning from ESPN personalities to former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, who currently works as a radio host for Sirus/XM. UO players weren't the only people of interest as some smaller media types used the opportunity to interview the bigger media types.

D.J. Davis was plenty busy, fielding questions from several Oregon based and national outlets, and showed off his own interview skills by interviewing defensive end Terrell Turner for a Portland television station. Davis was rewarded for his efforts with a visit from Pardon the Interruption's Michael Wilbon, who spent a good 10 minutes just chatting with the receiver after learning of his desire to meet him.

Freshman safety Brian Jackson, who plays primarily on special teams, was one of the more sought after sound bites as UO's lone player from the State of Alabama. And speaking of sound bites, Cliff Harris lifted his self-imposed interview embargo, delivering this gem to SI.com's Stewart Mandel about the Oregon defense: "Our defense is a great white shark swimming along the ocean. Everything in front of us, we eat it up."

Following Friday's practice, several Ducks paid a visit to a local children's hospital. Look for a Walker's Pace blog about the visit shortly if it's not up already on GoDucks.com.

Until tomorrow, Go Ducks. And in the meantime, check out some of today's action from the lens of Geoff Thurner.

LaMichael James talks to ESPN's Wendi Nix during Friday's Media Day.

The most coveted crystal football there is.

DT and EA discuss the lack of originality surrounding their nicknames.

AD Rob Mullens speaks with Boston-based Pete Thamel of the New York Times.

Don't I know you? Casey Matthews talks with fledgling television reporter and former Oregon cheerleader Amanda Pflugrad.

Here's a look at the four different game program covers that will be available at the BCS Championship Game.

Duck Josh Kaddu and Pirate Mike Leach.

Nate Costa on the FOX set.

Go Ducks!

Oregon Journey - BCS t-4

2011-01-07T20:36:00.002+08:00

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football
We've reached the midpoint of our stay in Arizona ahead of Monday's BCS Championship Game, and with the weekend approaching, both schools will likely notice a steady stream of fans hitting town from this point forward.

Today was the nicest day yet from a weather standpoint, with temperatures finally nearing the mid 60s. Since Monday's hail and rain, there hasn't been a drop of precipitation here in the desert.

More Oregon support staff and families arrived today, and yet another plane with staff and band members is due in on Saturday, signaling the title game's imminence.

Players and coaches continue to go about their daily work, both on the field and in the classroom, maintaining the same approach they've taken all season in terms of preparation.

LaMichael James is staying in school but has become a pro at interviewing over the past month.

Today's press conference consisted of representatives from Oregon's offense, with coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mark Helfrich in the interview room along with D.J. Davis, Jordan Holmes, LaMichael James, Jeff Maehl and Darron Thomas.

Video from the session can be viewed at GoDucks.TV along with footage from yesterday's defensive presser.

Outside of that, all was relatively quiet here in the Valley of the Sun on Thursday.

CAPTAIN RASHAD
Former Oregon great Ahmad Rashad has been named an honorary captain for the BCS Championship Game by The National Football Foundation in partnership with the Fiesta Bowl.

Rashad, who played for the Ducks from 1969 to '71 when he was known as Bobby Moore, will share the honor with fellow College Football Hall of Famer and Auburn alum Bo Jackson. Both men will participate in the coin toss, representing their respective schools.

Primarily a running back for Oregon, Rashad set the single-game mark for all-purpose yards with 338 (249 rushing, 89 receiving) vs. Utah in 1971 - a record that stood for more than 30 years. He still ranks eighth in UO history with 2,306 career rushing yards and is tied for second with LaMichael James in career touchdowns with 36.

Go Ducks!

Back to school

2011-01-05T23:38:00.004+08:00

1st class, 1st course, 1st week, 1st semester. Surely, it does feel like a virgin, all over again...

Hari ni hari pertama kelas aku, ever, untuk Masters degree aku, kelas Makroekonomi Lanjutan. Aku gerak dari ofis tepat jam 5pm. Rush jugak lah, dengan jem sikit sebab ada dua tiga lori rosak di beberapa tempat sepanjang highway Serdang tu, lepas tu hujan lebat pulak dan aku tersesak masuk ke area Kuchai Lama (hajat nak guna NPE ke Bangsar), pastu terpaksa u-turn somewhere along Jln Klang Lama.

Sampai kelas, tepat-tepat jam 5.55pm macam tu lah. Living on the Edge gitu aku jadinya. Agaknya for the next two years, macam ni lah life aku ek? Anyway, kelas dah agak penuh waktu tu, adalh dekat 30 orang kot. Dan lepas tu, sorang demi sorang, sampailah dekat jam 7pm pun ada yang baru sampai. Adalah total dekat 70 orang cramped up dalam bilik darjah kecik tu.

Awal-awal lagi aku dah pening. Ye lah, first class, first chapter dan ajar pasal equations, derivatives semua.. aduuuhhh... memang payah aku nak tangkap. Berkarat sungguh otak aku jadinya ni. Dan aku pun macam tak percaya je how did I manage to pull it through during the undergraduate dulu, kat US pulak tu kan? Bukan takat pening pasal subject tu je, waktu lecturer aku sebut dia nak hand out 'course pro forma' pun aku dah pening. Jadahnya pro forma ni, kan?

Tengok je lah sebahagian nota aku dalam gambar tu. Aku kayuh juga lah perlahan-lahan, pahamkan mana yang tak paham, walaupun aku tetap tak paham. Nak bertanya, segan laa pulak sebab ramai sangat students nya. Tunggulah dua tiga minggu lagi bila ramai yang dah drop kelas tu nanti. Yang kelakarnya, lecturer aku kata kitorang boleh copy nota dia dari desktop kat kelas tu. Cuma, yang first class ni je dia print kan kat kitorang. Tapi dia charge 70sen. Heheheh... macam ni rupanya korok style universiti kat Malaysia nih...

Tapi waktu break, siap ada bagi sandwich tu. Yang ni aku respek sikit laa walupun roti sandwichnya tu keras dan telur inti sandwichnya pun alahai, lagi banyak taik hidung aku rasanya. Takpelah, aku datang nak study bukan nak makan.

Sekarang ni, aku tengah pening sebab lecturer aku kata buku rujukan tu tak wajib beli, mahal pun ye dekat RM400 kot. Dan dia kata, you can live without the book,
just read her notes. Tapi notes dia ringkas sangat lah pulak, dah tu notes dia direfer dari buku tu tiap chapter. Dia kata boleh pinjam kat library buat fotokopi. Aduuuhhh macam ni lecturers universiti kat Malaysia ek...

Tapi memang pengalaman hari pertama aku - blur and confused. Sampai dalam kereta, aku macam termenung je thinking why I choose this path? Dan rasa nak give up pun ada. Dan aku sedar juga yang it's all hardwork from now onwards. Sabtu pagi sementara menunggu kelas tengahari, harus aku memulun kat library. Nampak memang occupied habis aku nih all week long.

Itu je lah citer aku.

Ohh satu lagi, pagi tadi big boss aku dah signed confirmation aku, dan dia rekomen baik punya (tapi takde kenaikan pangkat laa). Dan dia ada panggil aku meeting pagi tadi, discuss portfolio baru aku, dan semakin menginci aku nak kena pindah ke Emerald Tower ni. Cuma masanya je tak tau bila, tapi kerja dah start kena buat. Hmmmm....

Ok lah, gua nak tidur dah ni, kepala berat gila. Tak pernah kepala aku kerja seteruk hari ni. Memang belajar ni lagi teruk dari kerja. Dan aku baru realized that you can't bluff your lecturer the same way you always do to your boss! Hahahah...

Oregon Journey - BCS t-6

2011-01-05T05:48:00.000+08:00

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

It's Day 3 in the Desert, but it feels like it's been longer than that because the Ducks are so well settled into their routine.

The second of six full practices here in Arizona is now in the books, and players once again hit the books this afternoon, doing their best to simulate the second day of winter term classes from their satellite campus consisting of a giant tent in a Scottsdale resort parking lot.

Weather-wise, Tuesday was the best day yet with loads of sunshine to serve as a distraction from the still cool temperatures. Oregon hit the practice field just after 10 a.m. local time to the Journey hit "Don't Stop Believing," and just like home sessions, the tunes continued throughout a brisk workout lasting less than two hours.

Today was the first day for media to get a look at the Ducks since their arrival, with just about every Oregon based outlet taking advantage of a 15-minute window at the start of practice to snap photos, roll video and basically observe 100-plus athletic guys warming up.

As is typically the case during bowl week, or before any game where the stakes are so high, practices are closed and security is tightened. On Monday, an onlooker was removed from a tree, but outside of that there have been no other breaches.

The first bowl-related press conferences are set for tomorrow with defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti and five defensive players scheduled to appear. They will follow Auburn's offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and five AU offensive players, including Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, in a group interview session at the media hotel.

David Paulson hopes to capture the same tight end magic that Stanford's Coby Fleener had in the Orange Bowl.

SCENE AT PRACTICE
Cliff Harris is a fan of chicken and waffles ... Daryle Hawkins was one of the most photographed players during the media availability thanks to his blue jersey with an orange No. 2 on it ... As if it wasn't evident during the last two regular season games, Kenjon Barner has his timing and confidence fully back after that frightening collision at Washington State ... Rob Beard was striping field goals from left, right and center hashes ... Justin Hoffman flashed great hands on a couple of grabs during 7 on 7 drills ... The video crew is a little too proud of their sweet golf cart that has a stereo and dub minus deuces.

Lunch for the players was prepared on the premises. Today's fare: Chicken and waffles.

Locals can't miss the Ducks when they roll through town this week.

Oregon Journey - BCS t-7

2011-01-04T04:57:00.001+08:00

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

The Valley of the Sun stayed true to it's name early Monday as the Ducks woke to bright, blue skies ready to begin their final week of preparation for the BCS Championship Game.

The early morning consisted of treatment, breakfast and meetings at the hotel before heading to the practice site for lifting. Practice - on a meticulously manicured sod pitch - formally got underway shortly before 11 a.m. local time. It was UO's first time practicing on grass since preseason camp back in August.

Fourth-year senior Kenny Rowe will play in his 52nd game as a Duck one week from today.

The workout was typical for a normal game week Monday, but the guys seemed to bring a little extra pent up energy to the field with them. Not sure if it was due to a change of scenery or just the anticipation of playing in the biggest football game of their lives, but the team's spirit and enthusiasm was incredibly high throughout the entire session.

The Ducks' timing off the field proved to be as good as it was on it. As soon as the team arrived back at the hotel, clouds moved in, the temperature dropped and it started to hail before switching to a light, but steady rain. Some might consider that to be perfect studying weather, which is what the team commenced doing after lunch, participating in the first day of winter term classes despite being more than 1,200 miles from campus.

Oregon has another early night in store before doing it all again on Tuesday. This time next week, they'll be playing for the national championship.

PRACTICE OBSERVATIONS
Bryan Bennett throws bullets ... Darron Thomas is throwing a better ball now than he was early in the year. It's always been accurate, but now it just looks prettier ... The Ducks have their share of playmakers, but the way the entire group approaches practice is what makes this team so good ...

Next year's stable of potential punt and kickoff return men is going to be the best in program history ... Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James have either gotten faster or those Volt Green cleats really do create a blur effect ... There was no real wind to speak of, but I've got to think the video student-assistants who went up on lifts for the first time since August had thoughts of Notre Dame's Declan Sullivan while they were up there.

Go Ducks!

Oregon Journey - BCS t-8

2011-01-03T11:43:00.003+08:00

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

And away we go.

Depending on who you ask, the last four weeks have either gone by at a snail's pace or like an Oregon scoring drive. I'm in the latter camp, but for some reason the eight days in front of us seem like eight weeks.

It started today as the regular travel party, plus a few additional support staff, boarded a giant Delta 767 in the Emerald Valley and ended up in the desert.

Turns out that we arrived about an hour ahead of schedule, but there were still plenty of bowl volunteers and representatives on hand to greet us, despite what had to have been a late night for most of them on Saturday with their Fiesta Bowl duties and all.

Chip Kelly was the lone speaker at the welcome press conference that took place inside a tent on the tarmac, and I counted just four regulars from the UO press corps in attendance, which led to what had to be the shortest presser in BCS title game history at 9 minutes flat.

After a police escort to the hotel, most members of our party were checked in and taking in the grounds by mid afternoon. The hotel's efficiency was put to the test as they had to turnover rooms and alter the bowl related decor from UConn to UOregon in a span of a few hours and they did a remarkable job.

Once they had a couple hours to settle in, the players and coaches got back to the business at hand, meeting and setting the tone for the week ahead. Unlike every other bowl trip in Oregon history, this one takes place during school, meaning it was a quiet, early night in Scottsdale.

Monday marks the first day of bowl week practices is also the first day of winter term. This team will undoubtedly attempt to do what they always do: Win The Day.

Go Ducks!

Awesome Chenang

2011-01-01T16:33:00.002+08:00

Arrived in Langkawi around noon Friday, took cab to the hotel in Chenang Beach and while waiting for 3pm to check-in, I strolled along Chenang Beach Road and right away I fell in love with this place. I know this place is many many more times better than Ferringhi. And I couldn't wait for the New Year parties that night.

Was met by a long-time friend whom like a brother to me, Abg Nuar, who now resides in Langkawi for a dinner at the nearby ikan bakar parlor. At around 10.30pm I was all alone to usher into the New Year but it ain't a problem to me.

The atmosphere was great. There were at least 5 resort/pubs offering some kind of New Year celebrations. Although there were lots of people on the beach but it wasn't crowded. It wasn't like the one we always see in KL. And everyone was in casual mode, wearing shorts, some guys went shirtless, ladies in parios and bikinis. Unlike in KL where people outshowing one another with designer's clothes then showing off their expensive cars. Bodo!

Met few friends while partying that night. There were bunch of guys from Satun, Thailand, who can speak Malay. So, they were my companies that night. We hang out until 5am. Even by that time, there were two pubs still having things going on, playing dance musics, and still serving foods. Awesome!

Went back to the room slightly after 5am, took a 45-minute nap and went out for a short run, my first run since 24 days ago. Ran 6.7km on the road before continuing the last 4km on the beach. The run on the beach was hard but nice with the sun started to rise and the sound of the waves. Priceless!

The rest of the day was just about laying on the beach, most of the time sleeping under the sun but cool breeze with the sound of the waves, soothing music from nearby pubs and voice of children playing with the sand on the background. Greatness!

I vouch to come back to Chenang for New Year 2012 if everything goes as planned. Now, am going back to the beach...

31st December. Adieu 2010!

2010-12-31T10:32:00.002+08:00

Exactly a year ago, I was at Level 36, The Emerald Co tower, waiting for my turn to be assessed during the structured interview with the Company. The session was quite hard and I thought I was bluffing all the way and I know the panelists know I was bluffing them :-) Alhamdulillah, 3 weeks after that, I got a call from The Co. and I got accepted to join The Emerald Co.

But it didn't turn out to be a smooth sailing all the way. The offer for employment was put under 'conditional' term after the blood test result shows that my cholesterol level is way high, even the doctor said, "You could just one day collapse and die..." Dieting regime starts right away while exercising continues after I ran my first open running contest in Putrajaya, a 7.7km race.

Finally, I got accepted to join The Emerald Co. after I lowered down the cholesterol level to a level which my cardiologist said, "Amazing! What did you do?" Then, the agony of waiting for the offer letter starts. At the other end in Smokey Grey, I've tendered my resignation. It was a very nervous moment when I could only see the 'revised' offer letter 2 days before my last day in Smokey Grey.

It was sad to leave Smokey Grey especially the 'thinkers' team. We were very good as a team. The boss was great. While we hear lots of hanky pankies and gossips with other teams, our team just rock! delivering what is expected by the company while keeping harmony checks. Started the second half of the year with a new workplace and am still there, just been ok-ed for the confirmation of employment :-D

Apart from that, everything went, I could say, in great ways. My health was in the best condition except for one or two times I had fever, that severe hiccups due to allergy to medication and of course the minor foot injuries I'm recuperating now. The recent check-up on my heart functions shows what my cardiologist describes as, "Your heart works extremely well..." Alhamdulillah.

I'm still doing pretty fine in running. Completed 14 races that include 4 half marathon races, and another 3 non-competitive/charity walk/run events. I have also volunteered in a couple of events. You can read all those here. While I can't run for now, I've been taking up swimming classes. By 5th class, I could already swim breaststroke and freestyle the whole pool-length and now will go into butterfly stroke.

Another milestone in life - I've registered for my Masters classes. Will start my first semester next Wednesday. This has been long due and about right time for me to do it but I'm sure it ain't easy peasy.

I think that's pretty much sums up my year. And now I'm at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, taking time off, away from the hustle bustle of city, resetting my mind and body in anticipation of a hectic, busy and hopeful a greater year in 2011.

Happy New Year!

Glorious bravehearts - AFF Suzuki Cup Final

2010-12-29T23:27:00.000+08:00

Heroes, every single one of them. The bravehearts in blue walked tall after conquering Indonesia in the cauldron of Bung Karno Stadium as skipper Safiq Rahim lifted the AFF Suzuki Cup after completing a 4-2 aggregate victory in Jakarta.

The 2-1 defeat in the second leg did not matter as the job had been done three days earlier in Bukit Jalil as Malaysia celebrated their first title in 14 years of trying in the competition.

Malaysia had entered the second-leg as favourites for the title on the back of a 3-0 lead from the first-leg. However, things could have become tense for the eventual champions if Indonesia's Firman Ultina had managed to convert his 19th minute penalty. Malaysia stopper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat managed to pull off a save and the tie was all but over when Safee Sali scored for the away team - his fifth strike of the tournament.

Egged on by 80,000 supporters, including president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia had started the stronger of the two sides with Irfan Bachdim going close in the 17th minute.

Referee Peter Green then awarded Indonesia a spot-kick after spotting a handball in the Malaysian penalty area. However, Firman, who was later named the tournament's most valuable player struck a weak shot straight at the keeper. This was to be the story of the first-half as Alfred Riedl's men continued to go close without scoring. Cristian Gonzales was in the thick of action and nearly scored twice before the first-half ended.

Malaysia, with a three-goal cushion backing them up, were content to soak up the pressure and search for counter-attacking opportunities. The tactic paid rich dividends early in the second-half when they gave away possession near the half line.

Norshahrul took advantage of the slip-up to put Safee through. The tournament's leading striker outpaced the Indonesian defence before smashing the ball into the top corner. 1-0 to the away team and a monumental task confronted Firman and his men.
Although they tried gamely, scoring first through Nasuha and then through Ridwan (via a deflection), scoring three more goals proved to be beyond them.

It was a desperately disappointing outcome for the home side - this being the fourth occasion when they had stumbled at the final hurdle. For Malaysia manager K Rajagobal and his charges, it was joy unconfined as they lifted the title for the first time ever.

Another milestone... a tough one rather

2010-12-28T22:19:00.000+08:00

Monday marks another milestone of my life. I attended the welcoming session for the postgraduate candidates in the UM. Nothing much happened, except briefing about UM, some statistics shown, about financial, assistance, etc. One of the facts I captured is that there were more than 3,000 applications for this session and they only approved slightly over 1,000 applicants. But, not sure how many actually turn up to register.

Later in the afternoon, we all went separate ways for briefing at specific faculties. And this is when we were briefed about the requirements of each course and for graduation. Man! It is tough to graduate with M.Ec. I can tell you! What with the killer core courses of Advanced Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, Econometrics, research paper. And what with the minimum passing mark of B, then comes the conditional passing mark. Aduuhhh... and while I was targeting to finish in around 3 years, everyone was talking about maximum of 2 years. Damn!

Had a conversation with one of the Deputy Deans after the briefing and she advised me what courses should I take. And even she advised me to take 3 courses, instead of 2 courses I planned to take. So, this morning went to register for classes. Everything went well and I've successfully registered for three classes for my 1st semester - Ekonometrik Gunaan (Applied Econometrics), Makroekomi Lanjutan (Advanced Econometrics) and Public Economics. My classes will be held on Wednesday and Thursday nights and Saturday afternoon.

This is where most, if not all, of my classes will be held. The place where I'll be 'pecah-ing kepala' too for the next two years, at least.

Now, let me enjoy this moment before classes start on 3rd January.

The latest addition - Novena

2010-12-26T21:30:00.000+08:00

Sempat ke Kg Teluk Penyamun siang tadi nak melawat Lady Gaga yang baru melahirkan anak betina bulan lepas. Anak tu aku namakan Novena sempena mengambil nama bulan kelahiran dia dan nama shopping complex kat Singapura yang aku asyik dengar-dengar waktu kat sana hari tu.

Seperti biasa Lady Gaga memang nampak anggun dan bergaya dengan tanduk dia walaupun perut ada sikit buncit lepas beranak. Dan Novena pulak, memang comel. Muka macam mak dia. Yang paling aku suka, telinga dia yang macam keras dan mengembang. Hahahah

Pagi tadi jugak first time aku jumpa Blackrose. Blackrose ni kambing gantian kepada Julie selepas they found out Julie ni jantan sebenarnya (adehhh.... tersilap jantina). Dan first time jugak (aku dah lama tak pergi sebenarnya) aku jumpa dengan Lil' Brown, anak kepada Geena yang lahir sebelum raya lepas.

Lil' Brown ni punyalah takut, asyik berkepit je dengan mak dia. Ada sekali tu aku dapat tangkap dia, menjerit dia panggil mak dia, "emmmeeeeekkkkk emmmmeeeekkkkk" hahaha dan happy aku tengok Geena ni ok je menerima Blackrose sebagai anak angkat dia.

Dan jugak, dalam kandang kambing-kambing aku dan abang aku, tuan ladang tu letak pulak sekor kambing jantan. Macho dan hensem je rupanya. Ni kerja tuan ladang nak bagi kambing-kambing kitorang bunting lagi lah ni. Kita lihat siapa yang kena!

Double Trouble

2010-12-25T23:52:00.000+08:00

Aku baru tau je pasal konsert DT Penang dengan Sunway tiga minggu lepas. Itu pun lepas aku tukar channel radio ke Sinar FM. Biasanya sekarang ni aku dengar Ikim je kecuali time belajar bahasa arab, baru aku tukar ke channel lain.

Dan kebetulan bila aku dengar promo DT, ada pulak diberitahu sms contest untuk Digi customers. Aku terus hantar sms, dan terus aku dapat reply kata yang aku menang satu tiket ke konsert DT.

So, on Christmas aku pun menyaksikan konsert DT kali kedua, after the first one in Kiara Indoor Arena. Walaupun malam sebelum tu badan aku macam demam semacam je tapi Sabtu aku gagahkan jugak pergi dan ok je macam tak demam dah. Agaknya sebab peluh bergelen kot malam tu.As usual, aku gi dengan bodyguard aku lah si Zam. Des couldn't make it sebab he was on some nationwide tour with his employer.

Overall, memang best kali ni. Better dari the first one in terms of logistics walaupun nak ke Sunway Pyramid tu di hari krismas memang jem macam celaka. But once inside, semua ok. Kitorang dapat position agak depan (dalam digizone area).

Songs choice pun ok walaupun ada lagu-lagu favorite aku takde namely Gadis Misteri, Isabella. Amy dengan Awie pun suara mantap kali ni. Dulu macam tak best sangat. Venue pun best open air, tak terkatup so angin banyak, tak leh basah lencun dengan peluh top to toe. Tapi nasib juga hujan rintik di permulaan tak berpanjangan.

Opening act by Azlan (and The Typewriter) diiringi oleh Sham (original guitarist Wings) dan Hillary (original guitarist Search) pun mantap. Lan nyanyi lagi Intanku Kesepian (click video sini) dan Fantasia Bulan Madu (click >sini).

Overall, aku puas hati, bodyguard aku pun puas hati. Tapi kalau tanya puas ke tak puas, memang lah tak puas. Kalau ada lagi tahun depan, aku pergi lagi. Kalau Awie ke Amy ke dah bertongkat pun, aku tengok juga. Hahahah....

Runners life, at least how we look at it...

2010-12-24T00:26:00.000+08:00

Some people ask me, why do I run? Why do I run in races? Why do I pay so much to register to run in races? Why do I have to fork out lots of money for transportation, accommodation cost and registration fees just to get a piece of metal, we called the medal of glory?

This video has been around in Facebook, especially among my running friends, and it's just hilarious. Coincidentally, it has lots of things in common to runners like me, things that you may not understand. Things like why we run before and/or after work, why are we torturing our legs by running in a marathon, why are we 'stupidly' chasing the 'losers' medals' when we already knew that we don't even have the slightest chance to win a race, bla bla bla...

And the best part is... think about running all day at work <-- this is sooo familiar, at least to me hehehe....

Enjoy!

I don't expect everyone to understand why are we doing all those things that look stupid to you but do encourage us or if you can't, just keep quiet and ignore us :-)

Hutang . Stress . Malas

2010-12-23T09:29:00.001+08:00

Time for confirmation

2010-12-21T17:23:00.002+08:00

Come 31st December 2010, I would have been in the Emerald for almost 6 months. So, it's time to submit the nomination for confirmation to my boss. Had a discussion yesterday, and all went well. He recommended for confirmation and the nomination form is now with the Big Boss who is on a long leave. Barring any unfortunate circumstances, I shall be confirmed in my position sometimes in January. Unfortunately, there'll be no increase in salary.

On another development, I may have to be relocated to the HQ sometimes in February(?!). Now, need to plan on the logistics of coming to work as stationed at the HQ will definitely burn a hole in my pocket, if I'm not careful with my expenses.

Spoilt with many choices

2010-12-20T17:00:00.002+08:00

Left and right, front and back, up and down, days and nights.

In a sudden, I'm spoilt with many choices. Not that I was busy looking for them, but they just came along. Ahh... Maybe this is one of the (or maybe the only time) of my life I'm presented with this opportunity.

Let me just leave this entry like this. Only one thing, if I could trade these things that come with money, that'll be better! Heh...

My first #twtup

2010-12-19T21:56:00.000+08:00

Attended my first ever #twtup yesterday at A&W PJ. It's cool to meet up with strangers and clicked right away after exchanging ~~name cards~~ twithandle. As soon as twithandles were exchanged, I was scrambling for my BB to search that twithandle and add to the list I'm following. And at times, everybody was busy with his/her mobile device :-)

So, here's the picture...

from left: @norm_noordin, @kruel74, @ruhani_rabin, @ahmemah, @ted1777, yours truly @azrulh, @loveykatz, @shaharzad, @bluecrystaldude, @aidasue, @urasnobucho, @citybasher the organizer of this #twtup, @smellykatemoss and @hasbeemasputra. Taking the picture was @bugbitesandco. Those who already left were @fazasalleh, @sameblackshoes, @jud9e, @cloco, @rekka86 and @kwangchen

Please don't ask me their real name as I only know a few. Itupun sebab their twithandles are the same as their name. Hehehe...

Nice meeting all of you and hopefully will see you all again... I mean, in real life.

The 42km, the Oregon

2010-12-18T09:01:00.002+08:00

Last night, I dreamt of going back to Eugene, Oregon. It was so nice. The weather was just in the past few days here in Malaysia, cold morning, sometimes drizzling. And specifically, I went to the bookstore to look for Oregon Ducks' souvenirs. I saw one nice hat priced at USD24 but I thought it was bit expensive and I don't wear much hat these days as compared to student's days.

Then, I was walking around Eugene, so I thought, and when I checked my watch, I already covered 42km distance in 5 hours and 33 minutes. Hmmm... just the night before I was contemplating to click to register for my first full marathon in Sepang. The only things that stopped me from clicking were the qualifying time of 6 hours and the 5 boring laps outside the Sepang F1 circuit.

And later in the morning, saw this video on Facebook and I almost broke into tears, the places are so familiar and close to my heart. I know I miss Eugene, Oregon...

Dengan nafas-Mu

2010-12-16T22:38:00.002+08:00

Lagu ni terngiang-ngiang dalam kepala aku seharian. Walaupun aku tak ingat liriknya, tapi melodi dia memang lekat kat kepala aku, especially part akhir. A very nice song, with a very nice lyrics and message.

Izinkan ku ucap kata taubat
Sebelum Kau memanggilku
kembali pada-Mu, menutup waktuku

Izinkan ku serukan nama-Mu
Sebelum nyawa dalam tubuhku
Kau ambil, kembali pada-MU

Karna ku tahu, hanyalah pada diri-Mu
Tempatku mengadu, tempatku mengeluh
Di dalam do’aku

Dan demi nafas yang telah kau hembuskan dalam kehidupanku
Ku berjanji, ku akan menjadi yang terbaik
Menjalankan segala perintah-Mu, menjauhi segala larangan-Mu
adalah sebaris do’a ku untuk-Mu.

Pecah tabung

2010-12-15T21:22:00.002+08:00

This is some of the 50 sen coins I collected since, ermmm... I can't remember when. At first, I didn't know what I would do with them but in the end, I decided to open up a CIMB bank account using these coins.

Altogether, add to other coin denominations, they add to almost RM600n which I put in my facebook as 'pecah tabung untuk masuk universiti Januari nanti'. So classy . But to carry those coins to the bank, mak aiiii... Berat bahu memikul!

Post-swim lepak

2010-12-14T23:19:00.001+08:00

I had my first swimming class today at Pusat Akuatik Darul Ehsan (PADE) Shah Alam. To my surprise, I was introduced to an instructor who is familiar to me, from the running community, but have not known him personally. I just kept being anonymous as I want to maintain the student-teacher relationship.

But as soon as anothe friend turned up at the pool later and shook hand with me, all broke loose. After the class, the three of us went for post-swim minum and talked about, what else if not running, triathlon, until we ran out of topic and the eldest among the three of us started advising on marriage subject to these two bachelors.

So, there's Abg Ramlan in hat. He's the Ketua Reban for Chap Ayam Runners' Club. He's obviously the eldest among us giving the advice. He took up the swimming lesson to 'repair' his strokes and to swim faster to prepare for Kapas-Marang swim event. The specky one is my swimming instructor, Luvis, who is also a marathoner, did his first marathon in Singapore early this month.

Anyway, had fun with the first lesson, it's all about bubbling and kicking, bubbling and kicking, bubbling and kicking....

View dari bawah kain, literally

2010-12-13T21:17:00.000+08:00

We always seen image of the Petronas Twin Towers as a whole building. But, I have a different perspective looking at the Tower, today. It's just like having a sneak up from underneath of someone's sarung or skirt. Just that it's iron. :-)

Venue: Level 36, Tower 1, PETRONAS Twin Tower.

Pokok Ipoh

2010-12-12T23:04:00.001+08:00

Venue: Dataran Stesen KTMB, Ipoh

Ipoh Tree (Antiaris toxicarial), also known as pokok upas or pokok epu, is the tree that lend its name to the city of Ipoh. One of the earliest references to this word being used as the name of Ipoh appeared in the book "Perak and the Malays" by J.F. McNair in 1878.

The Ipoh tree produces a poisonous sap that is used by the orang asli fir the darts of their blowpipes.

Auburn, Oregon finally get shot at BCS title

2010-12-06T21:03:00.004+08:00

Six years later, the Auburn Tigers finally received their due respect from the BCS. The Oregon Ducks had to wait nine years. Those programs, victims of the BCS system in previous seasons, on Sunday night were officially chosen to compete for national supremacy in the BCS national championship game when the final BCS standings of the season were announced.

The championship game is set for Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz., and it's the second consecutive season the title game will match unbeaten opponents.

SEC champion Auburn (13-0) and Pac-10 winner Oregon (12-0) appeared to be on a collision course to meet for the championship since the last week of October. After Oregon routed UCLA 60-13 on Oct. 21 and Auburn defeated LSU 24-17 on Oct. 23, the Tigers and Ducks took over the top two spots in the BCS standings and have occupied those positions ever since.

While both have been dominant for much of the season, each had to overcome close calls. Auburn rallied from a 24-point deficit to subdue defending national champion Alabama 28-27, while Oregon struggled to a 15-13 victory over California. Chizik said consecutive come-from-behind victories over Clemson and South Carolina in September set the foundation for Auburn's season.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly saw championship potential from his team even earlier. He said he knew this could be a special season during spring practice. "Watching them go through practice every single day. Watching them compete," Kelly said. "They didn't take a play off. They just were focused as a group."

The title game, which figures to defy the old cliche that defense wins championships, matches two of the nation's most explosive offenses. Both are led by first-year starting quarterbacks -- Auburn's Cameron Newton, a junior college transfer who is all but assured of winning the Heisman, and Oregon's Darron Thomas, a sophomore who won the job after '09 starter Jeremiah Masoli was dismissed from the team in the offseason.

Behind Thomas and Heisman-contending running back LaMichael James, who leads the nation in rushing with 1,682 yards, Oregon averages 49.3 points per game, tops in the nation. Thomas has thrown for 2,518 yards and 28 touchdowns, while Newton has thrown for 2,589 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Behind Newton, who also has rushed for 1,409 yards, Auburn averages 42.7 points per game and is the sixth in the nation in scoring. Oregon is fourth in the nation in rushing (303.8 yards) and Auburn is sixth (287.1 yards). Auburn is 11th in the nation in rush defense, while Oregon is 16th.

For Auburn, the appearance in the championship game may ease the pain of 2004. That season, Auburn was undefeated but was denied a chance to play for the national championship. Instead, USC and Oklahoma vied for the title. Oregon also feels it was unfairly shunned in 2001. The Ducks were 10-1, but the BCS championship game instead paired Miami against Nebraska, which didn't even win its division in the Big 12 and had been blown out in its final regular-season game.

Oregon ousts Oregon State for BCS title bid

2010-12-05T09:13:00.002+08:00

The Ducks were far from their best Saturday, but as the clear skies turned gray and clouds began to cover Mount Hood off in the distance, Oregon showed its resolve and toughness.

As the third quarter turned to the fourth and AC/DC blared in Reser Stadium, Oregon State's sideline was rocking, its players thinking they just might pull off a monster upset. On their side, Oregon stayed cool -- focused on winning the day. When it was done, and a spot in the BCS national title game was secured, that's when the Ducks finally let loose.

Heisman Trophy contender LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and the fast-paced Ducks (No. 2 BCS, No. 1 AP) negotiated the last speed bump on the way to Glendale, Ariz., grinding out a 37-20 victory over the Beavers in the Civil War on Saturday. The matchup becomes official Sunday, but there will be no surprises when the final Bowl Championship Series standings come out: Oregon will play Auburn on Jan. 10 for its first national championship.

James ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns while Barner had 133 yards and scored twice for the Ducks (12-0, 9-0 Pac-10), who used some stiff defense in the red zone -- led by Bair and Casey Matthews -- and three interceptions to fend off their feisty rivals.

Not until the fourth quarter did Oregon finally shake free. Barner's 23-yard touchdown run with 12:16 made it 30-13 and James popped through the middle for a 10-yard score with 4:27 left to seal it.

When the clock hit 00:00, James and his teammates bounded over to a corner of the stadium to celebrate with their band, their famous Donald Duck-clone mascot and their fans. The Oregon faithful spilled onto the field and the push up-pumping mascot got swallowed up as he crowd surfed. The party was headed south, 40 miles down Interstate 5 to Eugene.

The Ducks, the Pac-10's new power with their high-speed spread offense, rising star coach Chip Kelly and the wildest uniforms Nike and Oregon alumnus Phil Knight can provide, are relative newcomers among college football's elite. Yet Kelly disdains such big-picture talk about a shift in the football landscape. "Win the day," is his motto -- and there are 37 between now and the national title game.

"We're not going to play a national championship right now, we're going to prepare for one," he said. "But we got to this point by our preparation and we know we're going to have to go to work for the next month to show up on the 10th."

The stakes for the 114th Civil War were higher than for any of the rivalry's previous meetings, with the Ducks assured of a spot in the national title game with a victory. The Beavers? They were simply looking to get to .500 and avoid sitting out the bowl season for the first time since 2001. Oregon State didn't play like a three-touchdown underdog and Oregon never did unleash a wave of big plays, like those that have consumed so many other teams.

For decades, Oregon was a second-class Pac-10 team, too. But in 1994 Rich Brooks led the Ducks to their first Rose Bowl since 1965 and it turned out to be no fluke. Brooks left for the NFL and handed the program off to Mike Bellotti. With Knight helping to fund the cause, the Ducks became a factor in the Pac-10 and probably should have played for a national title with quarterback Joey Harrington after the 2001 season. The BCS numbers didn't work out for the Ducks that season and the window of opportunity in the Pac-10 closed the next season as Southern California began its dominant run.

After the 2008 season, Bellotti stepped aside and Kelly, after just one season as offensive coordinator, was promoted to head coach. The Ducks finally knocked the Trojans off the Pac-10 throne and went the Rose Bowl last season, wrapping up the conference title with a victory in the Civil War.

Now it's on to Glendale, Ariz., for the fashion plates of college football.

Fast Facts
• Oregon ran for 346 yards, 134 from LaMichael James and 133 from Kenjon Barner.
• It would be the Ducks first BCS title game appearance and the Pac-10's first appearance since USC in the 2005 season.
• Oregon is the first Pac-10 team to go undefeated in a nine conference game schedule (since 2006). The Ducks have won at least eight conference games in consecutive years.
• The Ducks have topped the Beavers three straight times, their longest streak since winning four straight from 1994-97.
• Oregon State fell to 2-7 against AP No. 1 teams all-time.

My Green Salad Days in the USA by Hadramie

2010-12-01T23:35:00.002+08:00

Pak Syed, or more fondly known as Hadramie, made this special video clip for me and post it on Facebook and twitter. He said he took hafl afternoon to do it - compiling, rearranging pictures and inserting the background music. Memang takde kerja Amie ni.

I'm honored! Thanks, Amie!

Hiccups attacks

2010-11-30T02:02:00.003+08:00

At the moment of blogging, I'm having my 5th round of hiccups attacks. This is the story...

I had pain on my right foot while taking part in CICM Run in Bukit Jalil on Sunday. Went to see a GP to actually get a referral letter for me to see a specialist. But she said she couldn't simply refer me to specialist on my first visit. And based from what she explained about my conditions and her knowledge, I assume she could treat me well. I was suspected to suffer from Plantar Fasciitis.

After consultation, I was prescribed with a lotion, anti-inflammation pills to help reduce internal swelling, vitamin for nerve, painkiller and gastricitis pills. At first, I was confused why did she give me gastricitis pills only to know that the painkillers are very strong and just in case if they would give some problems to my stomach.

I took the pills normally but in the afternoon the next day (Monday, 29.11) I had severe hiccups attack on my way back from KLCC (for a meeting) to Bangi. The first attack lasted for about 3h 50m. Damn it was tough, and I sounded silly and funny. I haven't had hiccups for a very long time, I think even before Google came into the picture.

I drank lots of water, tried different types of remedies taken from the net but they were all just not working. Then, when it was time to take another round of medicines, I ate two curry puffs I bought earlier and as simple as that, the hiccups were gone. I continued to take the anti-inflammation pill as prescribed and not long after that, the 2nd attack of hiccups came again.

This time it was more serious, I felt burning pain inside my chest area up to the throat and it got worse for every hiccup. Called the clinic, consulted the doctor a bit before I was summoned to see the doctor. Driving to the clinic in Taipan (from Bangi) was one of the longest journey, with my chest felt burning sensation and 'tahan kencing lagi'.

Consulted the doctor and he said, I am sensitive to the two pills - Dexamethasone (the anti-inflammation) and the Voltaren (painkiller) and I was then described with another type of gastricitis medicine to cure my hiccups and the burning sensation. I was advised by the doctor to eat porridge and drink milk that night.

Went to the kopitiam next door, ordered chicken porridge for tapau. While waiting for the order, I took the gastricitis pill and not long after that, the hiccups went away. I was happy, went home, but while I was having my porridge, the third round of hiccups attack came attacking. Called the clinic again, they asked me to take the other type of gastricitis pills which I did and not long after that, the hiccups were gone, again.

I went out for an appointment with a friend and while having my roti banjir, another round of hiccups came attacking. Took another pill after reaching home, and as expected they were gone right after that and about an hour later until this moment of blogging, the 5th round of hiccups attack came, which I don't bother to take another pills, I would just let it go away naturally.

Managed to capture a video of myself with the hiccups on my way from KLCC to Bangi.

No. 1 Ducks rally to beat Arizona, win Pac-10

2010-11-27T17:30:00.004+08:00

Now the Ducks can have their turkey. Oregon coach Chip Kelly said earlier this week the didn’t want his top-ranked team to partake in the traditional Thanksgiving meal because it might make them lethargic against No. 20 Arizona.

The Ducks were anything but sedentary on Friday night with a 48-29 victory over the Wildcats. Oregon earned at least a share of its second-straight Pac-10 title and stayed on course for a trip to the BCS national championship game.

Darron Thomas passed for 148 yards and three scores and ran for another, while running back LaMichael James ran for 126 yards and two scores for the Ducks (11-0, 8-0), who trailed 19-14 at halftime.

The Ducks have only won 11 games in a season once before, when Joey Harrington led them to the Fiesta Bowl in 2001. The Ducks can lock up an outright conference title and a spot in the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz., next week with a victory at Oregon State.

It was the third straight loss for Arizona (7-4, 4-4), which ultimately couldn’t keep up with the Ducks’ speedy spread-option.

With temperatures in the mid-40s and periodic rain showers, there were concerns that the Wildcats would have trouble with their passing game, which had been averaging about 300 yards a game. But Nick Foles passed for a career-high 448 yards and three touchdowns, including an 85-yard score to Juron Criner. It just wasn’t enough.

Thomas completed 14 of 24 passes for 148 yards and an interception. Oregon finished with 537 yards total offense. Arizona put up 506.

Oregon was playing catch-up the entire first half and trailed for just the second time this season at the break. But the Ducks bounced back early in the second half with Josh Huff’s 85-yard scoring run, the longest play from scrimmage for the Ducks this season. While the conversion failed, Oregon had a 20-19 lead.

Arizona hurt itself on Oregon’s next series, when they were called offside on Rob Beard’s missed 42-yard field goal attempt. That gave the Ducks a first down and Thomas followed with a 20-yard touchdown run to make it 27-19.

The Wildcats cut the lead on Alex Zendejas’ 41-yard field goal, but James ran for a pair of scores, one for 13 yards and another for a yard, to make it 48-22. James has 19 rushing touchdowns this season, surpassing LeGarrette Blount’s score record 17 set in 2008.

James came into the game as the nation’s rushing leader at 158 yards per game, but there were concerns about his health. After Oregon’s last game, a 15-13 win over California, the Heisman Trophy hopeful was on crutches with a leg injury. He was able to rest the injury over a bye week and practiced on a limited basis.

He quickly showed he was fine by busting for a 38-yard run on Oregon’s first series. With the run, the sophomore became just the second Ducks player in history to run for 3,000 career yards. James went down late in the first half after he was hit by Arizona safety Adam Hall. While he was helped off the field, he stayed on the sidelines until the break, then earned rousing applause when he returned from halftime hopping across the field with his helmet on.

Last season Arizona fans readied to rush the field but Oregon scored with 6 seconds left, sending the game into overtime. The Ducks went on to win it 44-41 in double OT, spoiling Arizona’s chance for its first Rose Bowl bid. Oregon went to Pasadena, Calif., instead, but this season that would be a consolation prize for the Ducks.

They have already beaten second-place Stanford, so even if they lose the Civil War game to Oregon State, and fall into a tie for first in the Pac-10, they’ll go to the Rose Bowl. Beat the Beavers and the Ducks will play for their first national championship.

No. 1 Oregon ekes out defensive struggle over California

2010-11-14T11:30:00.004+08:00

Jeff Maehl caught a 29-yard pass for the Ducks' only offensive touchdown, and No. 1 Oregon caught a huge break on an illegal motion penalty against California's kicker during a 15-13 victory on Saturday night, keeping the Ducks on course for the BCS title game.

Cliff Harris returned a punt 64 yards for the only touchdown in the first half for the Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Pac-10), who undeniably wobbled on the road to a shot at the national championship. Oregon's offense managed a season-low 317 yards and went scoreless in two quarters -- yet the defense largely shut down Cal after its opening drive.

Those defensive players were just as surprised as everybody else in Strawberry Canyon when the normally purring Oregon offense sputtered and stalled. The Ducks had played just three scoreless quarters all season long until Cal shut them out in the first and fourth.

Oregon also got a bit of luck: Early in the fourth quarter, Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio erased his own 24-yard field goal, which would have put the Golden Bears ahead by one, by taking a stutter step forward before the snap. The junior then missed a 29-yard try on the next play. Oregon kicker Rob Beard also missed two field goals after going 8 for 8.

Darron Thomas passed for 155 yards and led a final drive that chewed up the last 9 1/2 minutes. It was a strange sight to see the high-speed Ducks down shift into super-slow motion, but it worked to perfection: Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James took turns with the ball while Thomas milked the play clock on an 18-play, 65-yard drive.

The Heisman hopeful James rushed for a season-low 91 yards, but Oregon's defense shut out Cal's offense for the final 55 minutes. James left Berkeley leaning on crutches with his left leg in a protective casing, but he played on Oregon's final drive, and the tailback insisted he was fine.

The Bears held the nation's most prolific scoring team almost 40 points below its average, but couldn't get the Ducks' offense off the field when they most needed a stop. Cal defensive tackle Derrick Hill forced a fumble and recovered it in the end zone for the Bears (5-5, 3-4), who lost at home for the first time all season -- but only after putting a mighty scare into their first top-ranked opponent in five years.

Just two hurdles remain between the Ducks and an unbeaten regular season: a visit from Arizona on Nov. 26, followed by the Civil War at Oregon State.

Mount Merapi's eruptions

2010-11-10T22:25:00.005+08:00

Since its initial eruptions on October 25th, Indonesia's Mount Merapi continues to spew hot gases and ash as far as 5,000 meters into the atmosphere, wreaking havoc on surrounding villages and farms, and disrupting air travel - and more than 140 people have been killed by the eruptions over the past two weeks.

Hundreds of thousands of residents have been displaced, many of them living in temporary shelters until the Indonesian government reduces the existing 20 km "safe zone", and allows them and their livestock to return. Collected here are recent images from the area near the unpredictable Mount Merapi as it still rumbles and erupts.

I got admitted....

2010-11-10T14:19:00.002+08:00

Baru dapat news ni pagi tadi. After a month and a half, I keep on checking on the status of my application, the good news came in this morning. Alhamdulillah, my application to do my Masters in UM has been approved! Lompat sentuh bintang!

I'm not sure how the loads going to be but definitely it will involve a serious time management. What with my full marathons quest next year, dengan nak beli basikal lagi, dengan nak amik swimming kelas lagi. Ni dah datang satu tanggungjawab lagi pulak. Hoepfully, I will survive the 8 semesters (maximum ni to complete the whole course).

There'll be a majlis to welcome postgraduate students on Monday, 27th December (kena amik cuti lagi...) and registration for M.Econs is on Friday, the same day I'm flying to Langkawi. Hmmm... tapi tadi dah called admission, diorang kata boleh je register hari Selasa tu. Ok lah, will squeeze in mana-mana yang tersqueezed.

Yang paling aku kamjat, the date of Borneo International Marathon falls during the final exam session. Mati lor... tengok lah macam mana nanti, but for now... aku happy!

No. 1 Ducks smash Huskies 53-16 after slow start

2010-11-08T07:26:00.002+08:00

Running back LaMichael James felt it, and so did the rest of the top-ranked Ducks. There was something inexplicably amiss at the start of Oregon’s 53-16 victory over northwest rival Washington on Saturday. Something completely out of character for the nation’s most prolific offense.

The Ducks (9-0, 6-0 Pac-10) were held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season. Their first points came on a 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Of course they went on to thoroughly recover, outscoring Washington 35-10 in the second half. James ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns, while Darron Thomas threw for a score and ran for two more.

Defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu #74 of the Washington Huskies grabs the jersey of running back LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks in the third quarter of the game at Autzen Stadium on November 6, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks won the game 53-16. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
After Oregon opened the scoring with Rob Beard’s field goal, Erik Folk’s 52-yard attempt for Washington went wide left. But Folk made another 52-yarder later in the quarter to tie the game at 3. James finally got a touchdown for the Ducks midway through the second quarter with a 1-yard run. Beard ran in the 2-point conversion.

Before halftime Thomas ran 34 yards for a score to make it 18-3. Washington appeared to narrow it with less than a minute left with Price’s 16-yard scoring pass to Devin Aguilar, but it was called back by a penalty, and the Huskies settled for a Folk’s 27-yard field goal to make it 18-6 at the break.

After Price threw a 17-yard scoring pass to D’Andre Goodwin to make it 18-13 at the start of the second half, the Ducks answered with Thomas’ 6-yard scoring pass to Jeff Maehl. Oregon attempted a 26-field goal but Nate Costa bobbled the hold and tried to run it. Costa, Thomas’ backup at quarterback, was knocked out of bounds near Washington’s bench and appeared to injure his right knee. He left the field on a cart.

Oregon running back Kenjon Barner (24) runs past Washington defensive end Everrette Thompson (92) on his way to a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

James ran 13 yards for a touchdown before Thomas scored on a 7-yard dash to close out the third quarter. James added a 1-yard scoring run early in the fourth. James, a sophomore and the nation’s rushing leader, has run for 30 TDs at Oregon. He has 16 games with at least 100 yards. Kenjon Barner, who had missed the past two games after sustaining a concussion against Washington State, ran 30 yards for a touchdown with 4:34 left.

Oregon, as usual, wore the Huskies out. Thomas completed 24 of 33 passes for 243 yards. He ran for 89 yards. The Huskies lead the series against Oregon 58-40-5, but the Ducks have won the last seven games, all by 20 or more points. Last season Oregon won 43-19 at Husky Stadium. Washington had not faced a top-ranked team since 2007, when it lost to USC 27-24. Oregon visits California next Saturday, before wrapping up the season against Arizona and at Oregon State. The Huskies host UCLA then finish on the road against Cal and Washington State.

Ducks blow out USC at Coliseum 53-32

2010-11-01T20:42:00.000+08:00

To USC cornerback Shareece Wright, the most stunning aspect of No. 1 Oregon's offense isn't its speed or its sophistication, or even the Ducks' standout skill players.
No, Wright and the Trojans were bowled over by Oregon's elegant simplicity.
"They didn't even run a lot of plays," Wright said after the Ducks' 53-32 win at the Coliseum. "They just run them to perfection and wait until the defense breaks down."

Oregon (8-0, 5-0 Pac-10) makes it look easy to be this good. With a dominant win over the Pac-10's longtime power, the Ducks maintained their unbeaten season and tightened their hold on the top spot in the AP poll for the third straight week, moving within four games of a perfect season and a likely spot in the national title game.

For a few minutes, Southern California thought it had figured out the nation’s top-ranked team. The Trojans scored two quick touchdowns and stopped Oregon’s high-octane offense twice, setting the Coliseum abuzz with anticipation of an upset.

For much of the second half, the Ducks' offense largely consisted of repeated quick snaps followed by handoffs to LaMichael James, who almost always ran between the tackles on the way to 239 yards rushing, the second-most ever allowed to one player by a USC defense.

LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks is tackled for a loss by Shane Horton #23 of the USC Trojans during the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 30, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Quarterback Darron Thomas gave another efficient performance, passing for 288 yards and four touchdowns -- matching the most ever thrown against USC. Thomas threw three of his four scoring passes to Jeff Maehl who had eight catches for a career-high 145 yards while Lavasier Tuinei had seven catches for 78 yards and a score for the Ducks, who racked up 599 total yards.

Oregon wide receiver Lavasier Tuinei, left, catches a pass as Southern California linebacker Devon Kennard looks on before running it in for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Oregon trailed in the third quarter for just the second time all season after USC took a 32-29 lead in a 2 1/2 -minute outburst. The Ducks still had 26 minutes left to demolish the Trojans, with national rushing leader James leading the Ducks to 24 consecutive points to close their first win at the Coliseum since 2000.

Trojans coach Lane Kiffin thought the game fell apart when they led 17-15 and had the ball in Oregon territory midway through the second quarter, but Barkley fumbled a shotgun snap after getting distracted by Kiffin yelling from the sideline. On the next play, Maehl made a 45-yard TD catch, artfully tipping the ball before catching it with one hand.

Oregon's defense was barely adequate against USC by most football standards, surrendering 32 points, 377 yards and 27 first downs. Yet normal standards simply don't apply to the Ducks, whose offense's speed and effectiveness all but guarantees a half-dozen touchdowns in each game. The defense again got plenty of work because Oregon's offense made three touchdown drives that lasted less than a minute.

Oregon has scored at least 42 points in every game this season, and USC's 32 points were the most the Ducks have allowed. Just four games remain in the Ducks' quest for the ultimate prize, and the doubters are shrinking with each weekly performance.

USC entered the Coliseum as an underdog for the first time in 51 games since 2001, but the homecoming crowd blanketed the Coliseum in USC’s cardinal color. Despite a vibrant homecoming crowd cheering on its underdog Trojans, USC lost at the Coliseum for the fourth time in seven games. Ronald Johnson caught a TD pass in what’s likely to be the biggest game of USC’s bowl-less season under NCAA sanctions.

#1 Oregon 60, UCLA 13

2010-10-22T11:41:00.004+08:00

Oregon, celebrating its first outing ever as the AP No. 1, beat the Bruins 60-13 on Thursday night.

Darron Thomas #1 of the Oregon Ducks throws a pass against Tony Dye #6 of the UCLA Bruins on October 21, 2010 at the Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Darron Thomas threw for a career-high 308 yards and three touchdowns and Oregon (7-0, 4-0 Pac-10) stopped a run of losses for No. 1 teams. Alabama lost to South Carolina two weekends ago and Ohio State lost at Wisconsin last week. The last time the No. 1 team lost in three consecutive weeks was November 1960, when Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri all fell.

LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks runs the ball against Sean Westgate #11 of the UCLA Bruins on October 21, 2010 at the Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
LaMichael James, the nation’s top rusher, finished with 123 yards and two TDs on the ground for the Ducks after spending part of the first quarter on the sideline with an apparent injury. Reserve Remene Alston ran for three scores. James, getting increasing Heisman Trophy buzz, went down late in the first with what appeared to be an ankle injury. But before long, the dynamic back was high-stepping on the sidelines and returned. James has 971 yards in six games, an average of 161.8. It was the sophomore’s 14th career game with at least 100 yards.

The Bruins (3-4, 1-3) were without quarterback Kevin Prince, who did not suit up because of a knee injury. He was replaced by sophomore Richard Brehaut, who completed 16 of 23 passes for 159 yards. Brehaut, who made his first career start earlier this season in UCLA’s 42-28 victory over Washington State, ran for a 6-yard score with 1:53 left in the game.

Oregon soars to No. 1 in AP poll

2010-10-18T12:27:00.000+08:00

Known for its ever-changing, often outrageous uniforms and a point-a-minute offense, Oregon now has a new distinction: No. 1 team in the country. The Ducks climbed to the top spot for the first time Sunday, moving up one position during an off week after previously top-ranked Ohio State lost 31-18 at Wisconsin on Saturday night.

“Whether we’re No. 1 in the country or 101 it won’t affect how we prepare. But the only important thing is to be No. 1 in a month and a half on Dec. 5,” Chip Kelly. That’s when the final BCS standings come out. The first came out Sunday night and had Oklahoma first with Oregon second and Boise State third.

In the AP poll, which is not part of the BCS standings, Boise State also moved up one place to No. 2. Oklahoma jumped three spots to No. 3, passing No. 4 TCU. Auburn moved up two spots to fifth, while the Buckeyes dropped to 11th.

Oregon becomes the 43rd team to hold the No. 1 ranking in the AP media poll, which dates to 1936. The last time a team was No. 1 for the first time was almost 20 years ago to the day, when Virginia rose to No. 1 on Oct. 14, 1990.

Ohio State’s loss came a week after then-No. 1 Alabama was beaten by South Carolina. Heisman Trophy contender LaMichael James and the Ducks will try to avoid three straight weeks of No. 1 losing when they play at home against UCLA on Thursday night.

The Ducks received 39 first-place votes and 1,471 points. Boise State had 15 first-place votes and TCU (three) and Oklahoma (three) also got votes as the top team in the country.

The rest of the AP top 10 was LSU at No. 6, followed by Alabama, Michigan State, Utah and Wisconsin, which jumped eight spots after its big win at Camp Randall Stadium.

The coaches’ poll had the same top nine as the AP poll.

#3 Oregon 43, Washington State 23

2010-10-10T12:25:00.000+08:00

LaMichael James scored three touchdowns, including an 84-yard scoring reception, and Oregon shook Washington State in the second half for a 43-23 win on Saturday. But this wasn't the blowout most expected. And whether it was the lingering image of Kenjon Barner being taken to the hospital following a scary collision or the improvement of Washington State, the Ducks made just enough plays to hold off the pesky Cougars.

Oregon (6-0, 3-0) was a 36-point favorite, yet led just 36-23 late in the third quarter. Part of that could have been the scary sight of Barner laying motionless on the field in the first quarter. Barner was flattened on a kickoff return by Washington State's Anthony Carpenter. As Carpenter ran full speed through a block, he collided with Barner, first glancing off Barner's shoulder and then colliding with his helmet.

Barner fumbled and crumpled to the turf. Trainers quickly rushed out and tended to Barner for more than 10 minutes, at one point bringing out a neck brace and backboard. But Barner eventually sat up, walked with assistance to a stretcher and was transported by ambulance to Pullman Regional Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

Barner wasn't the only injury for the Ducks to deal with. Quarterback Darron Thomas left in the second quarter with a right shoulder injury that he said afterward he could have come back from, but was held out for precautionary reasons. Thomas tried warming up on the sideline, but Kelly decided to rest his starter.

And why not with the way Nate Costa played. Costa led a trio of scoring drives including his own 18-yard TD run early in the second half to give Oregon a 36-17 lead. Costa ran for 84 yards and threw for another 151 on 13 of 15 passing. Jeff Maehl caught 10 passes for 119 yards, including a screen pass he took 34 yards for a touchdown with 11:45 left that sealed the victory.

Cliff Harris added a 67-yard punt return touchdown in the first half, his third punt return score of the season. James finished for 136 yards on 25 carries, more than half those yards coming on two runs against a Washington State defense giving up more than 43 per game.

The Ducks are 6-0 for the first time since 2002, but that 2002 season provides warnings for Oregon. After beating UCLA 31-30 to improve to 6-0, the Ducks dropped six of their final seven, including a 38-17 loss to Wake Forest in the now defunct Seattle Bowl.

#4 Oregon 52, #9 Stanford 31

2010-10-04T19:38:00.002+08:00

The Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Pac-10) fell behind 21-3 in the first quarter of the frenzied game, but forced two crucial turnovers and held the Cardinal scoreless in the second half. LaMichael James ran for a career-high 257 yards and three touchdowns.

It was Oregon’s 13th straight win at Autzen Stadium and 10th consecutive Pac-10 victory. The Cardinal (4-1, 1-1) have not won a game while ranked in the top 10 since 1970.

The game lived up to the hype as a battle of offenses. Oregon, averaging 560 yards of total offense going into the game, had 626 yards. The Cardinal had 518. Thomas completed 20-of-29 passes, and while he was intercepted twice, Oregon coach Chip Kelly said the key was that Thomas wasn’t unnerved by it all. Stanford’s Andrew Luck was 29 of 46 for 241 yards and two scores. He was also intercepted twice.

Fifth-ranked Ducks overpower Sun Devils

2010-09-26T23:39:00.006+08:00

Oregon Ducks 42

Arizona State Sun Devils 31

Oregon expected its biggest test of the season Saturday, and got it. Ultimately, the fifth-ranked Ducks maintained their perfect record, beating Arizona State 42-31 in Sun Devil Stadium to open Pac-10 play this season. The Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pacific-10 Conference) trailed by 10 points in the second quarter before striking in the second and third quarters with four unanswered touchdowns to seize control before sealing a 42-31 victory.

Oregon runningback LaMichael James, right, alludes the tackle attempt by Arizona State safety Keelan Johnson, left, as he rushes for a touchdown in the first quarter of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

On offense, Oregon's trademark running game was a no-show for most of the night. The Sun Devils overcommitted to stopping LaMichael James on the Oregon's zone runs and option plays, forcing the Ducks to go to the air to move the ball. James topped the century mark with 114 yards, but it took 28 bruising carries to get there.

Arizona State held the nation's second-leading rushing team to 145 yards -- 235 below its average -- and used its up-tempo offense to build a 10-point lead late in a first half. The national leader in total and scoring defense, Oregon gave up plenty of yards: 597, Arizona's most since 2000.

Oregon rallied behind Darron Thomas' arm, scoring two touchdowns in the final 2:21 and blowing it open with two more scores in the third quarter. Thomas completed 19 of 33 passes for 280 yards and a pair of scores. In the end, Thomas did what he had to do to move the Ducks, secure the victory before a crowd of 60,326 and set up a pivotal game against 16th-ranked Stanford (4-0, 1-0) next Saturday in Autzen Stadium.

The highlight is taken fromOregon Duck Soup

Go Ducks!

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NEXT: #4 Oregon Ducks vs #9 Stanford Cardinals, Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon

The Joe's story - 240910

2010-09-24T21:54:00.003+08:00

Joe baru called kejap tadi, after a missed call earlier. Time aku tak bawak phone, time tu laa ada call masuk, kan? Hai... kalau lah handphone ni pakai chip boleh lekat kat pusat je kan senang.

Ok back to Joe's call, aku tulis point form je lah ye....

1. Joe confirmed akan balik ke Malaysia minggu depan, minggu depan ye tuan-tuan dan puan-puan.
2. Tarikh sebenar tidak diberitahu, even to Joe atas sebab-sebab keselamatan.
3. Flight mungkin dari Newark.
4. Kerajaan Amarika yang akan biaya segala perbelanjaan pulang.
5. Joe akan di-escort oleh 2 orang Imigresen US (tak silap aku) sampai lah ke sini.
6. Akan ada hand over to Malaysian Immigration.

Aku tanya dia, apa plan dia bila sampai? Ke mana destinasi dia? Dia jawab, dia nak balik kampung. Aku tanya ada sesiapa ambik dia kat airport ke, dia kata takde sebab:
1. Dia nak makan
2. Dia nak gi Nilai ke Salak Tinggi ke
3. Dia nak lepak kat airport
4. Tak pun kat masjid
5. Dia nak gunting rambut, nak beli kain pelikat, beli pakaian.
so, leceh lah kalau parents/relative ambik dia kat airport dan drive dia terus balik kampung.

Aku tanya, nak aku amik atau drive him around ke? Dia kata, tak payah lah...

Pastu aku tanya, macam mana raya? Dia kata ok. Ada solat raya, jamuan raya. Dan dia kata, ni raya yang paling meriah sejak tinggal di US (if I hear it correctly). Dan dia dah khatam Quran 4 kali dah. Ingat tak dulu after the first time, dia macam slow skit, tapi bulan puasa hari tu laju je dia baca Quran katanya. And he sounds like he'll miss the time he had in the detention center.

Aku cakap jugak, geng Rebanamaya ada buat Pot Luck Raya esok kat rumah Arc, dia kirim salam kat semua (aku assume semua peminat-peminat dia lah).

Lastly aku kata, kalau dia perlukan apa-apa yang aku boleh tolong, call lah aku. Dia cakap ok.

Tu je.

Oregon blanks Portland State

2010-09-20T20:42:00.003+08:00

Oregon Ducks 69

Portland State Vikings 0

Running back Willie Griffin #28 of the Portland State is gang tackled by (L to R) defensive end Kenny Rowe, defensive tackle Zac Clark #99 and linebacker Casey Matthews #55 of the Oregon Ducks in the second quarter of the game at Autzen Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

The Oregon Ducks continued their record-busting ways on Saturday, rushing for a school-record 529 yards, with nine Ducks getting on the stat sheet -- even fifth-string quarterback Dustin Hanes.

Darron Thomas completed nine of 18 passes for 140 yards and a career-best four scores in the victory, Oregon’s 11th straight at Autzen Stadium. Sophomore running back LaMichael James ran for a personal-best 227 yards, all in the first half. It was James’ first game with more than 200 yards.

Running back LaMichael James #21of the Oregon Ducks heads to the end zone for a touchdown as defensive end Jack Forbes #99 and linebacker Kevin Takeno #35 of the Portland State Vikings give chase in the second quarter of the game at Autzen Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

With a 72-0 rout of New Mexico in the opener, and a 48-13 victory over Tennessee last weekend, Oregon has outscored its opponents 189-13 in nonconference play. It is the first time the Ducks have had two shutouts in a season since 1964.

As for team stats: the Ducks now ranked No. 1 in NCAA in total offense, scoring offense, total defense and scoring defense. Also 1st nationally in pass efficiency defense, 2nd in rushing and sacks allowed, 3rd in pass defense, and 4th in punt returns.

Oregon is still averaging over a point per minute and perhaps more impressively, hasnt't allowed a single point in the last 104 minutes.

The highlight is taken fromOregon Duck Soup

Go Ducks!

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NEXT: #5 Oregon Ducks vs Arizona State Sun Devils, Tempe, Arizona, 25th September.

Ducks Pin Worst-Ever Neyland Stadium Loss on Vols

2010-09-13T09:58:00.003+08:00

Oregon Ducks 48

Tennessee Volunteers 13

The explosiveness Oregon showed in a 72-0 victory last week wasn't just a by-product of playing lowly New Mexico. The Ducks weren't expected to match last week's scoring outburst against Tennessee, but they showed their quick-strike capability to turn a close game into a romp.

The highlight is taken from Oregon Duck Soup

After forging a 13-13 halftime tie with 10 second-quarter points, Oregon scored touchdowns on plays that covered 72, 76 and 80 yards to leave the Volunteers way behind. LaMichael James scored on a 72-yard run, Cliff Harris returned an interception 76 yards and Kenjon Barner returned a punt 80 yards. The Ducks originally trailed 13-3, but they scored 45 consecutive points in a 48-13 win.

James ran for 134 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown, in his first game back after a one-game suspension. The Pac-10’s leading returning rusher had only 27 yards at halftime after being targeted by the Volunteers’ defense for the entire first half. He rushed for 25 yards on five carries in the Oregon’s first second-half drive and then broke several tackles on the 72-yard touchdown run on the first play of the subsequent drive for the Ducks (2-0).

Oregon tight end David Paulson (42) tries to get away from Tennessee cornerback Janzen Jackson (15) and Tennessee guard Jarrod Shaw (74) during an NCAA college football game at Neyland Stadium Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Oregon scored the most points by an opponent in Knoxville since Washington State hung 52 on the Vols in 52-24 drubbing in 1988 and the worst loss in Knoxville since a 45-0 loss to Vanderbilt 105 years ago.

In two games, Oregon's explosive offense has piled up 1,167 yards, and the Ducks (2-0) have scored 120 points on scores by the offense, defense and special teams. The two-game averages of 583.5 yards and 60 points ranks Oregon second in the nation in both categories.

GO Ducks!

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NEXT: #5 Oregon Ducks vs Portland State Vikings, Autzen Stadium, 18th September.

Salam Lebaran 1432H

2010-09-10T06:44:00.000+08:00

Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, mohon maaf lahir dan batin kepada semua yang sempat singgah di blog ni, yang tak berapa nak updated lately <-- blogging is soooo 2007 lah :-) dan juga kepada sesiapa yang mengenali diri ini.

Semoga Ramadhan ini memberi keberkatan kepada kita dan kita mendapat keredhaan daripadanya, semoga berbahagia di samping keluarga tersayang di hari lebaran, jangan dilupa kepada yang tiada dan kasihilah yang masih ada. Akhir sekali, semoga selamat di dalam perjalanan, ke mana sahaja destinasi kita.

#11 Oregon 72, New Mexico Lobos 0

2010-09-05T14:44:00.003+08:00

Yeah! One of the most anticipated events of the year is back and full with expectations. It's the College football season, yet again! And Oregon Ducks returned as the defending Pac-10 Conference champion, hoping to repeat their trip to Rose Bowl or even to Glendale for the BCS National Championship. And if Ducks win this season, probably they'll become the last champion of the Pac-10 before the conference becomes Pac-12 in 2011/12 season.

Running back Kenjon Barner #24 of the Oregon Ducks turns the corner on safety Bubba Forrest #28 of the New Mexico Lobos and scores a touchdown in the first quarter of the game at Autzen Stadium on September 4, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

First match done, even without the sacked Jeremiah Masoli and suspended LaMichael James, Ducks whipped the Lobos 72-0, tying the most points scored in modern history of Ducks' football (the other match was against Nevada on Sept 18, 1999). Other records have fallen as well, en route to the win, i.e. total offense yardage of 720 is a new school record (previous record: 694 at Oregon State in 2008).

Next: Oregon Ducks at Tennessee Volunteers, in Knoxville, 11th September 2010.

Catatan Ramadhan 6

2010-08-25T08:54:00.003+08:00

Hari ni, masuk hari ke 15 kita berpuasa. Alhamdulillah. Doa aku semoga diberi kekuatan, kesabaran dan kecekalan untuk meneruskan baki 15 hari di bulan Ramadhan ini, supaya segala-galanya adalah lebih baik daripada hari-hari semalam. Ni aku nak share link, "10 Steps to Maximizing the Last Ten Days of Ramadhan". (thanks Amie for sharing). Kalau boleh practice, memang ngam!

Ni pulak gambar-gambar juadah berbuka aku semalam. Beli kat param Std Shah Alam (ryhme pulak semalam, param dengan Shah Alam tu...). Jangan terliur tau, be strong! Heheheh...

Char Koay Teow Asri dan popia basah S.S. Ali (rhyme lagi...)

Makan CKT dengan sekeping popia tu je dah buat perut aku ketat nak gi teraweh. Adakah perubahan berlaku kepada diriku??? Hahahah...

Catatan Ramadhan 5

2010-08-24T06:09:00.002+08:00

Alhamdulillah hari ni dah hari ke 14 kita berpuasa.

So far, everything is still ok. Cuma masih rasa tak cukup tidur, especially kat office. Mengaaannntttukkkk je. Solutionnya, aku kena minum kopi or nescafe O time sahur. Baru ada kurang mengantuk tu. As much as I want to reduce caffeine intake waktu berpuasa, kalau dah gitu caranya untuk kurangkan mengantuk di siang hari, terpaksa laa juga minum kan? Lepas berbuka, aku top up laa dengan air masak or 100 Plus. 100 Plus?? (minum guna straw, kepit straw antara dua bibir dengan sopan sehingga menampakkan lesung pipit. Ahaks... <--- rebanamaya jokes ni, kalau tak paham, sorry...)

Yang aku perasan, time berbuka dah tak seexcited dah. Aku boleh berbuka puasa even dengan karipap Ikea 3 ketul yang digoreng semula, then lepas teraweh baru makan moreh. Dan ada lah dalam 4 kali aku berbuka dengan Subway je. Aku berbuka dengan kurma kat rumah, lepas solat Maghrib, aku gi Plaza Shah Alam, makan subway then gi masjid terus. Pun ok, no problem. Perut aku tak meracau. Kira Subway ni boleh lah kalau nak jadikan aku duta Ramadhan dia. Hehehehe....

Tapi time sahur, aku tak pernah miss nasi kecuali hari yang aku terlupa masak nasi tu. Dan inilah rupanya a typical sahur meal untuk aku, Deo's Complete Sahur Meal.

The combination can be more or less, depending on mood aku. Ayam tu sometimes tukar dengan ikan. Ayam hari-hari pun aku tak kisah. Ikan masin tu tengok hari laa, ada ikan pari masin, ada ikan belanak masin, ada ikan hmm... tah ada laa dua jenis lagi kat dapur tu. Tapi kubis tu memang sayur rasmi sebab aku malas dah nak makan sayur yang nak kena masak, macam sawi ke. So, kubis je lah 14 hari ni... hehehehe...

Walaupun macam tu laa rupanya meal sahur aku day in and day out, aku tak pernah rasa jemu lagi setakat ni. Licin je aku makan, maybe sebab perut aku tak berapa kenyang from berbuka dengan supper kot? Dan aku rasa aku akan ok je sampai habis puasa dengan lauk macam ni...

Catatan Ramadhan 4

2010-08-18T10:07:00.000+08:00

I hope I can survive today, the 8th day of puasa. Sedih nak story kisah semalam....

Balik dari kerja, awal macam biasa tapi hujan rintik-rintik area Bangi. Bila masuk Elite, dah seriyat dah sampailah ke Shah Alam. Aku bajet, nak naik rumah, solat Asar then naik kapcai je gi Param kat Stadium Shah Alam tu. Tapi, bila aku siap-siap nak turun je, berderai-derai hujan turun. Siap dengan angin kuat. Aisehmeng.....

Mula lah aku berkira-kira nak berbuka dengan apa petang tu. Dan apa je yang ada kat dapur aku pun? Nak masak nasi, boleh je, sardin ada, ikan masin ada, ayam ada, telur ada, sayur pun ada. Tapi aku tak nak berbuka dengan nasi. Hmmm takkan aku nak makan kacang Ngan Yin je kan? Adehhh....

Then baru teringat aku ada beli stok Mi Sedap yang goreng tu. Haa ok lah tu, aku goreng proper lah siap dengan sayur, ayam, telur. Tempe pun aku masukkan sekali. Ekekeke... So, itu je lah aku buat berbuka. Takde kuih laa semalam. Kesian kat aku ek? Sebenarnya, dalam jam 7pm macam tu, hujan dah seriyat so, aku boleh lagi kalau nak ke Param tapi malaslah..

Waktu nak gi teraweh, aku ingat nak naik motor sebab dah 3 malam berkereta je. Sekali hujan pulak, lebat pulak tu. Aku agak, kalau dari parking nak ke dalam masjid ni, sure basah jugak. So, aku detour ke KJ, gi Masjid Al-Ehsan SS4. Kat KJ, hujan dah berenti. Berteraweh lah aku kat situ.

Berjumpa lah lagi dengan Pak Syed yang dengarnya berbuka dengan dua keping roti bakar selek cheese spread dengan jem je, hujan punya pasal jugak. Lagi sedih dari aku.. So time moreh semalam, laksa utara dan kuih koci, kitorang balas dendam laaa makan. Hahahaha....

Untuk sahur pulak, seperti biasa aku dah defrost ayam, nak goreng je. Yang lain-lain, tempe ke ikan masin ke telur ke, bergantung kepada selera ketika bangun sahur lah nanti. Sayur pulak, aku koyak-koyakkan je kobis buat ulam.

Jam 5am, jam aku bunyi. Sambil aku cuci muka aku, aku tengok dalam cermim. Tergamam sekejap. Nooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Aku lupa masak nasi sebelum tidur malam tadi! Uwaaaaaa!!!!!! Dah le periuk nasi aku takes 50 minutes kalau nak masak nasi. Dan aku tak tau macam mana nak buat bagi boleh lagi cepat dari tu. Sedih sehhh.... Takkan nak goreng Mi Sedap lagi, kan?

Boleh je nak turun gi cari MekDonel ke BegeKing ke KayEfSee ke tapi, aku dah frust! At last, aku bersahur dengan 3 biji kurma, 5 keping biskut Cream Crackers dan semug Milo je. Dah le balik kerja semalam, internet problem pulak membawa ke time sahur. Kalau idak, boleh je sahur dengan Facebook ke kan?

Catatan Ramadhan 3

2010-08-15T18:25:00.002+08:00

Hari ni, Ahad, dah hari ke-5 berpuasa. Sekejap je kan? So far, alhamdulillah ok, puasa penuh lagi, teraweh pun penuh lagi, sahur pun takde yang terlepas lagi. Harap berpanjangan hingga ke akhir lah kan. Almaklum, hujung-hujung nanti banyak betul dugaannya. Hehehe...

Berbuka puasa, so far ok je. The first two days, aku berbuka dengan nasi, then sahur nasi lagi. Perut rasa macam dah naik satu macam je ni. Pastu pulak, bila makan nasi time berbuka ni, time teraweh tu rasa berat je, rasa mengantuk je, alahai. So, the third day, aku just berbuka dengan laksa, semalam aku tersinggah ke McD so makan burger lah dan hari ni insyaallah aku berbuka dengan Subway sandwich. Cool!

Teraweh so far weekdays aku buat kat Batu 3 je, tapi semalam aku explore ke Masjid Al Ehsan SS4 Kelana Jaya. Saje je nak tukar angin, lagipun Pak Hadramie dok gembar gembur dalam twitter, moreh situ best-best, macam hari Jumaat lepas, tertonggek tonggek daging buat sup, katanya. Meleleh kau... so semalam aku dah gi sana, morehnya laksa. Ok lah. Tapi masjidnya pun memang best. Hall solatnya kecik je, tapi aircond nya aku rasa pakai 10hp kot, sejuk kaw-kaw punya! Hahaha... Malam ni insyaallah aku gi sana lagi lah.

Weekend aku tak gi mana sangat pun. Macam tak larat, dowh! Hari Sabtu pagi tu aku buat online course sikit pasal Strategic Management. Mudah je course nya tapi aku nak biasakan sikit dengan belajar, taking notes ni sebab insyaallah bulan 12 ni kalau ada rezeki, aku nak sambung belajar. So, nak resharpen kepala otak aku yang dah berkarat ni lah kiranya.

Then, aku gi beli tiket keretapi nak balik kampung untuk cuti Nuzul Quran dan Merdeka nanti. Ok lah kalau ambik cuti hari Isnin, dapat 5 hari sekaligus, jenuh lah mak-pak aku nak masak nanti anak bujang dia balik. Huwahahaha.... then, gi Kompleks PKNS, ambik baju batik aku, finally siap pun after few times kena alter. Semak kepala aku masuk Komplek PKNS, orang dah start terkemut-kemut shopping untuk raya.

Malam lepas teraweh, around 1am aku keluar berlari. Route yang biasa aku lari kat Shah Alam. Alhamdulillah, boleh lari dah jarak jauh sejak aku jatuh bulan lepas. Tapi slow lah, 13 minit lari dari masa yang biasa aku buat. Tapi aku fobia sikit lah bila lari kat kawasan yang gelap (ada lampu tapi sebab pokok merimbun), aku macam terlompat sana sini, takut termasuk longkang lagi. Hmmm...

Lepas sahur dan subuh ahad tu, tidur je lah kerjanya sampai tengahari. Cuaca pun amaaattttt membantu dingin dingin je kan, so bermalas malasan lah di rumah. Dekat nak Asar barulah aku keluar ke Masjid Shah Alam. Ada banyak juga orang meniaga kain baju songkok jubah kurma macam macam lah kat situ. Aku beli butang baju melayu je, nak padankan dengan baju melayu aku untuk raya nanti, lavender karer ok! Hahahah... lepas solat, aku settlekan zakat fitrah.

Sejak kisah sedih dulu waktu bayar zakat fitrah yang amil tu tanya, "Sorang je?" aku mula bayar untuk 3 orang, kira sekali mak dan pak aku lah. Tapi tadi, bila aku duduk kat kerusi tu, amil tu tanya, "Sorang ye?" tapi aku cakap, "Tak, tiga..." Haiii... nampak muda belia sangat ke aku ni yang dia bajet aku bujang lagi? Adehhh... hahahah nak tergelak pun ada.

Ok lah, aku nak gosok baju sat. Selamat berbuka, berteraweh, bersahur, berpuasa....

Catatan Ramadhan 2

2010-08-12T10:20:00.002+08:00

Alhamdulillah selesai dah satu hari berpuasa semalam. Dan dua malam berterawih. Bestnya semalam, di Shah Alam/Bangi, hari tak berapa panas, sedang-sedang je mataharinya (aku rasa le sebab aku banyak duduk dalam ofis je, petang nak balik tu baru aku keluar). Tapi yang tak tahannya, sejuk betul kat ofis ni. Ambik wudhu kat surau pun rasa macam kat Cameron Highland tahun 1985 je.

Yang bestnya pulak, aku tak rasa lapar atau dahaga pun semalam, of which aku pun tak sure apa rahasianya? Yang tak bestnya pulak, drivers on the road pun semacam mandom, semacam blur je semalam. Macam-macam lah, ada je yang tak kenanya. So, time memandu je lah yang aku stressed sikit semalam, lain semua ok je, cooooooooooool je.

Official working hours bulan Ramadhan, 8am to 4pm. Tapi semalam jam 4.20pm baru aku boleh gerak. Singgah jap kat gerai-gerai tepi longkang belakang Uniten tu beli lauk untuk sahur, ikan keli dan brinjal masak pedas, dan nasi kerabu untuk berbuka - lauk daging bakar, ikan goreng dan telur masin. Tak banyak kereta lagi time tu, so sedap je lah memandu.

Singgah jap kat Petronas amik motor aku yang terdampar seharian tu, hantar kat kedai motor sebelah tu. First diagnosis kata battery aku kong. Then, they need to charge the battery. Tokei tu kata nanti dia hantar kat rumah aku around 8pm. Aku pun balik lah melepek sementara tunggu waktu berbuka sesambil tonton drama-drama petang, ebst gak ek? especially drama yang kisah dia kawen dengan driver dia pastu flashback pasal mak dia punya 'kejahatan'. Aku lupa tajuk dia, tapi siap ada repeat time sahur. Heheheh... Kat luar rumah, kat parking Std Shah Alam, dah macam ulat taik, punyalah ramai orang di param tu.

Dah selesai berbuka, dah jam 8.10pm, takde pulak tokei tu call. Aku pun gerak je lah ke kedai motor tu semula. Full diagnosis, tokei tu kata, starter pun dah kong. So, kenalah ganti starter, ni yang mahal ni. Esok (hari ni) baru boleh siap. Kena laa RM203 semua sekali. Hari Ahad lepas, serbis tukar timing belt semua dah RM130. Dah macam serbis kereta. Minggu lepas, kereta aku pun dah telan RM800++. Bulan menyerbis kereta dan motor agaknya ni.

Terawih at the same place as day 1. Tapi bila masuk rakaat ke-10 tu mak aaaaiiiiii punya laaaaaaaaaa mengantuknya. Tak tau le kenapa, nak kata malam Lailatul Qadr, hmmm baru malam kedua. SO, berubah-ubah tempat lah aku solat malam tadi, kejap ke belah kanan, kejap ke belah kiri. Kalau kat Masjid Biru Shah Alam tu lagi best, dari hujung saf ke hujung saf aku tukar posisi nak buat hilang ngantuk. Heheheh...

So, selesai je terawih, terus lah aku nekad nak balik dan tidur. Tapi, hmmm... sampai rumah, buat air panas, terang benderang mata aku nih. Tidur macam biasa jugak, past midnight. Nak bangun sahur pun bencinta dah jadinya tadi tapi bangun juga lah sebab dah masak nasi, dan lauk pun ada dah dibeli.

Kali ni aku dah pandai sikit masak nasi guna beras Taj Mahal tu. Air kena lebih baru cantiiiiikkk je kembang dia (at last, ada jugak benda kembang yang aku appreciate!) berbanding kelmarin tu aku sukat air macam masak beras lain, jadi kurus-kurus, kecut-kecut je nasik aku. So, puas gak lah makan sahur pagi tadi.

Dan sekarang, aku ngaaaaaaannnnnnnnttttuuuuuuuuuuuukkkkkkkkkk gile. Driving to office tadi pun rasa nak terlelap je.

Catatan Ramadhan 1

2010-08-11T08:02:00.001+08:00

Hari ni bermulalah kita semua berpuasa. Dan tahun ni aku kembali berpuasa di Lembah Klang, after spending two Ramadhans in JB. Dan tahun ni aku berpuasa dengan bekerja di tempat baru. Yang aku ingat sejak tahun 2004, aku berpuasa di tempat kerja berlainan setiap tahun kecuali tahun lepas. 2004 - last puasa waktu kerja dengan the Blue Car Co., 2005 - aku dengan the Investment Bank dekat KL, 2006 - dengan the Orange Internet Co. kat Cyberjaya, 2007 - dengan the Blue Telco, 2008 dan 2009 dengan Smokey Grey kat JB dan tahun ni dengan the Emerald Co.

Tapi puasa tahun 2007 dulu memang aku ingat sampai sekarang. Waktu tu aku baru lepas interview dengan Smokey Grey dan bulan puasa tu memang aku pulun habis doa, solat hajat, solat sunat segala macam, tak putus-putus aku berdoa dapat join Smokey Grey. Alhamdulillah, dapat juga walaupun tak berpanjangan. Tahun ni, ada tiga perkaralah yang aku fokuskan - permudahkan urusan pekerjaan aku, rezeki aku dan errr... the big J. Hehehehe...

So, semalam balik dari kerja aku terus ke SenHeng di USJ Taipan. Microwave oven yang aku order the night before dah sampai. At first dia kata seminggu. Tapi tak sampai sehari dah sampai stok. So, just nice lah kan, just in time with the fasting month. Microwave oven ni lah benda kat kitchen yang aku nak beli tapi tak terbeli dari setahun ke setahun.

Secara rasionalnya, aku bukannya fancy sangat pakai microwave oven ni. Even waktu duduk rumah sewa pun, aku jarang jarang guna menatang ni. Setakat nak reheat lauk tu, aku prefer guna cara conventional, perangat atas api je. So, aku beli lah microwave yang boleh grill, ok lah nanti nak grill apa-apa, senang. Cuma nasib baik aku tak beli yang siap boleh bakar kek je. Perghhh kalau aku beli yang tu, terjejaslah business kek oren Angah nanti. Dan semalam, tersergamlah microwave oven aku memenuhi ruang dapur aku. Tak pakai pun! Aku setting jam je. Hehehe...

Lepas pengumuman anak bulan malam tadi, aku siap-siap lah nak gi Isya dan terawih di Masjid Jamek Fastabiul Khayrat Batu 3, Shah Alam. Kelas masjid ni dah ada dalam directory foursquare heheheh. Dah selesai terawih, aku bajet nak ke Tesco Extra jap nak beli kicap dengan telur dengan sayur. Terlupa pulak weekend lepas nak beli kicap dengan telur - makanan ruji tu! Sekali.... motor aku tak boleh start daaaa.....

Mulanya aku ingat sebab minyak dah habis. Memang aku bajet nak isi minyak lepas terawih. Nasiblah masjid tu seberang jalan dari Petronas je. Aku tolak je motor aku cross the street. Dah isi minyak, tak boleh jugak start. Aku kick start pun tak boleh. Hmmm... nak kata battery kong, baru je recharge hari Ahad lepas waktu servis. Mungkin alternator problem kot so, battery tak di-recharge. So, aku tinggalkan je lah motor aku tu kat Petronas tu. Hari ni lepas kerja baru aku nak hantar ke workshop, dan nasib baik ada kedai motor sebelah Petronas tu. Dan baliklah aku ke rumah naik teksi je malam tadi. Dugaan! Dugaan!

Sahur pagi tadi, semangat sehh!! Aku dah masak nasi siap-siap sebelum tidur. Pagi tadi aku panaskan rendang tok, goreng telur, goreng ikan bilis dengan tempe, dan koyak-koyak kobis je buat ulam. Mulanya ingat nak goreng tumis tapi aghhh malaslah, ulamkan je heheheh... selera jugak aku makan. Cuma tak puas lah makan nasi guna beras Taj Mahal Faiza pony mende tah tu. Peroi je nasi dia. Sedap lagi nasi lembek kat rumah kawan aku tu, kan Arc? Hehehehe...

Ok lah, selamat berpuasa dan selamat beramal.

BP oil spill - after effect

2010-07-29T07:23:00.003+08:00

Just to share this article taken from The Star on Tuesday. Sharing is caring, ma... <-- macam bakal doktor tu selalu sebut kan?

Emerald's CSR Program

2010-07-26T18:10:00.002+08:00

One of the activities for the Emerald's induction program is the CSR. One of our groups went visiting PDK Selayang, the day care center for disabled, including people with down syndrome, autism and some with spinal problems.

Had a good time. Enjoyed every bit of the activity. Our visit is updated in PDK Selayang blog, click here to view.

The Joe's story - 240710

2010-07-24T23:14:00.003+08:00

Joe called again tonight. Payah aku lekapkan phone kat telinga aku sebab line tak clear sangat. So, ni quick update.

On Friday, ada officer dari Buffalo Court datang jumpa Joe. He said something like Joe could go out of the detention center kalau dia boleh letak bail (or bond) of USD5000. Then, he could hire a lawyer to represent him. In this case, he could prolong his stay in US, taking sweet time laa by keep on postponing hearing date, etc.

Tapi Joe cakap kat officer tu yang dia dah decided nak balik Malaysia walaupun sebenarnya Joe kata, banyak tu nak bayar USD5000 walaupun boleh dapat balik duit tu. Lepas tu Joe fikir, nanti dah keluar dari situ, dia nak kena cari tempat sewa lagi lah, nak cari kerja lagi...

Lepas Joe cakap macam tu, tah macam mana aku tak berapa dengar, terus dia kena pack-up barang dia, dia kena pindah ke unit lain (within the same detention center) dan dia kena pakai uniform biru pulak (dulu pakai orange). Biru ni kalau betul pendengaran aku (dan aku ada research sikit tadi) represents detainees with lowest risk/criminal record and non-violent felonies lah. Dan Joe cakap, blue uniform also mean they're ready for deportation.

Pastu Joe macam sedih laa sebab dia dah terpisah dari kawan-kawan lama dia kat unit lama. Tapi they can still see each other from their respective building. Joe cakap, dia siap gi jogging tadi semata-mata nak tengok kawan-kawan lama dia. Siap lambai-lambai bila nampak diorang. Adehhhh.... aku cakap takpelah, cari kawan baru. Sementara nak dapat kawan baru tu, bacalah Quran banyak-banyak. Heheheh...

Dan seperti biasalah, waktu Joe masuk situ hari tu, kena sorak lah kan? Hahaha... Cuma kat unit baru ni, detainees kat situ tak lama, they stay in very short term. Sebab masing-masing dah ready for deportation.

The hearing in early August is still on. Keputusannya kita tunggulah nanti, ye. Ok, sekian saya yang melaporkan.

Thierry Henry scores on New York debut

2010-07-24T00:34:00.004+08:00

Say this much for Thierry Henry: The man knows how to make an entrance. Henry delivered in a big way in his debut with the New York Red Bulls on Thursday night, scoring his first goal in nearly three months in the first half of the team's 2-1 loss to Tottenham in the New York Barclays Challenge. And he had a message to the fans behind the goal on the north side of the pitch after he scored. "I'm here," Henry said he yelled at Red Bulls faithful. "I'll say it again: I'm here and I'm happy to be here."

The 20,312 on hand at Red Bulls Arena were all-too-happy to welcome the French star to Harrison. Henry was greeted with a deafening roar during player introductions. He was effective and efficient in his 45 minutes on the pitch. His touches were mostly precise and, at times, inventive.

The 32-year-old striker wowed the crowd in the 11th minute when flicked a ball with his back foot over Tottenham's Kyle Walker to give himself an open look, but his shot sailed wide. He deftly worked a cross in front of the net that was covered up by Tottenham keeper Carlo Cudicini in the ninth minute.

But, without a doubt, the moment of the match for Henry came 24:55 into the first half when he took a feed from midfielder Joel Lindpere in front of the net and made a sliding touch with his right foot to tip the ball inside the right post, past Cudicini. Henry immediately pounded on his chest and growled after the goal. He then posed with his teammates and blew kisses to the crowd.

And why not? After all, the celebration was well-deserved. Henry last scored a goal on April 24 for Barcelona in its game against Xerez in the Primera Division.

The 6-foot-2 striker was pulled by Red Bulls coach Hans Backe at the end of the first half, replaced by Tony Tchani. And that's when things fell apart for the Red Bulls, who allowed goals to Robbie Keane and Gareth Bale in a ten-minute stretch of the second half to let the game slip away.

The Joe's story - 230710

2010-07-23T08:27:00.001+08:00

Waktu aku buat entry ni, aku on the way ke Pusat Kanak-kanak Dan Remaja Kurang Upaya (PDK) Selayang di Batu Caves. Charity service is part of the 16-day induction program for Emerald's new executives.

Ok, malam tadi while kitorang tengah merewang preparing for today's event, Joe called, to my surprise. Belum sempat aku nak tanya khabar dia, dia dah tanya aku whether aku ada di depan komputer ke tak, which I was not.

Rupanya dia suruh aku check ayat seribu dinar tu dalam surah apa. Hari tu aku dah bagi dah, ayat 2 dan 3 surah at-talaq tapi Joe kata salah pulak. Hmm... so aku kena double check for him including finding kelebihan ayat ni, in English (amboi demand mamat neh), dengan ayat-ayat lain yang baik untuk diamalkan.

He sounds quite tense, aku pun serius laa jugak. Pastu aku tanya dia, "ayat awet muda, tak nak?" Baru laa dia gelak-gelak, giggling.... dan barulah reda juga stress aku waktu tu. Hahaha...

Joe kata lah mungkin ada hikmah aku bagi reference ayat seribu dinar tu salah. Mungkin sebab Allah nak dia baca seluruh Quran, sebab lepas dia khatam seround, within first 2 or 3 weeks, yang secound round ni dia malaaassss gila, katanya. 2 bulan baru beberapa juzuk je. Hehehe....

Then only aku boleh tanya khabar dia. Dia kata, "tak ok!" Cuak jugak aku dengar, tapi tak ok tu refers to geng-geng Islam yang dah le ada berapa kerat je, pastu hari tu bergaduh, bertumbuk pulak.

Joe tak terlibat la, dia leraikan je tapi he was saddened now that diorang solat solo-solo je, pastu geng-geng agama lain macam perlekehkan diorang laa. Dah le waktu gaduh tu, diorang baru je lepas performed asar berjemaah. Pastu, one of the Bosnian guy tu dah nak dibebaskan, tak tau lah nasib dia macam mana lepas keh gaduh tu.

Citer lain, Joe's lawyer ada datang visit hari tu. Diorang tengah prepare the pre-sentencing report for the hearing on 4th August. The report will help the judge make decision quickly lah, hopefully on the hearing day itself. Joe kata, since dia takde kesalahan lain, normally 3 weeks after that, dia dah boleh balik Malaysia, which means late August or early September, which means before Raya.

Aku cakap ok lah tu boleh raya sini. Joe cakap pulak, "kalau boleh aku tak nak balik waktu bulan puasa." sebab dia nak balik Malaysia, nak makan sedap-sedap. Adehhh.... lepas tu Joe kata, dia dah volunteer nak jadi tukang masak kat situ waktu bulan puasa nanti. Aku tanyalah kau nak masak apa? Dia dengan confident nya jawab, "briyani ke?" Amboi! Pastu gelak-gelak-gelak-gelak.

Itu je lah cerita Joe.

Aku checked kejap pagi tadi, memang betul ayat seribu dinar dari surah At-Talaq, ayat 2 dan 3. Hmmm... dan kalau korang tau ayat-ayat apa lagi yang elok untuk diamalkan, boleh share kat comment box ok. Nanti aku will relay the message to Joe.

186th to 192nd

2010-07-19T21:02:00.002+08:00

Minggu lepas. Selain daripada King Henry dah berhijrah ke New York, takde citer apa yang best-best sangat pun berlaku kat aku minggu lepas.

Oh, ada satu benda agak tragis jugaklah berlaku hari Selasa. Waktu tu malam, sekitar jam 10.30pm, aku nak keluar berlari - kiranya ini untuk recovery run aku lepas Seremban Half Marathon Ahad sebelumnya. Aku plan nak ikut jalan yang aku tak biasa lalu. Tangan kanan aku pegang botol air gatorade, tangan kiri aku pegang iPod aku.

Oleh kerana jalanraya masih sibuk waktu tu, aku pun larilah kat tempat pejalan kaki. Kat Shah Alam, bagus sikit sebab banyak tempat jalan kakiso tak membahayakan dirilah nak berlari di atas jalanraya. Cuma masalahnya, ada sesetengah stretch tu agak gelap sebab cahaya lampu jalan dilindung rimbunan pokok.

Bila aku dah masuk kilometer ke-4, tetiba kaki kiri aku termasuk ke dalam longkang (yang tidak ditutup) yang tak lah dalam tapi sebab aku dalam running motion, tu yang rasa macam dalam gila longkang tu.. Dan terasa badan aku melayang, macam jauh gila. Rupanya kaki kiri aku masih tersangkut dalam longkang tu, tapi tangan kanan aku bergesel kat jalan tu. Nasib baik ada botol gatorade. Parah juga lah botol gatorade aku.

iPod di tangan kiri aku pulak, nasib baik alami luka keciiiikkk je kat bucu dia. Yang lagi parahnya, kaki kiri aku bahagian keting, darah keluar mengalir-alir, membasahi stokin aku. Lutut kanan aku luka besar duit seposen. Itu pun aku nak cuba lari lagi jugak tu tapi memang tak boleh lah.

Yang sedihnya, aku kena berjalan kaki laa balik rumah dalam 4km ni, menahan sakitnya satu hal, terasa diri bodoh pun satu hal. Nak tahan teksi, takde pulak yang lalu, duit pun ada laa dalam RM10 yang aku bawa. Nak call sesiapa, hmmm selagi boleh jalan pelan-pelan, takpelah aku jalan pelan-pelan... anyway, aku bersyukur sebab tak teruk sangat aku kena tu, takdelah sampai pecah kepala ke kan?

Dan kaki aku pun mula membengkak laa... dan aku tak boleh apply pressure to my left leg, apa lagi nak berlari kan? Turun tangga, naik tangga, tekan pedal clutch kereta, mak aaiiii tuhan saje yang tahu. Solat pun duduk di kerusi je. Tapi alhamdulillah petang tadi aku dah start lari sikit-sikit kat court tennis.

Aku sekarang ni bersiaran di Bangi, ada induction program kat pusat latihan Emerald ni. 16 hari aku kena stay sini, bermula dari Jumaat lepas sampailah 1 Ogos nanti. Makan je lah kerja aku kat sini. Hmmm... ok lah jugak, duit tak keluar sesen pun lagi, laundry pun Emerald tanggung - RM200 for 16 days. Rugi aku tak bawak bedsheet segala macam baju kat rumah laundry kat sini. Heheheh....

Dalam group aku yang ada 28 orang tu, aku yang second eldest. Yang lainnya mostly fresh graduate, budak-budak scholar Emerald, banyak yang baru balik dari US, slang US pun perghhh masing-masing.... Kalau yang experienced pun, tak lebih 5 tahun. Dan adalah jugak aku terbekenan dengan si L ni. Fuuuhhhhh... cantikkkk, suweeeetttt, taik lalat atas bibir, pakai tudung, tinggi-tinggi sikit, US graduate, slang pun tak hilang lagi, engineer Emerald some more.... kira cukuplah ramuannya. Tapi apakan daya, sesama staf Emerald tak boleh kawen, dowh!!!

So long King Henry!

2010-07-16T00:31:00.003+08:00

I thought I would get to see him playing for Les Bleus in Euro 2012 but Thierry Henry announced that he is retiring from the French national team.

Henry had a French record 51 goals in 123 international appearances. He made his debut Oct. 11, 1997, scoring in injury time of a 2-1 win over South Africa. His finale was June 22 against the Bafana Bafana, when he entered in the 55th minute. "That was my last game against South Africa," he said. "Ironically, it was also my first game in the national team against South Africa."

On the other hand, Red Bull New York announced that it has signed star Thierry Henry to a multi-year contract as its second Designated Player. Henry will be available for selection for New York pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and after the July 15 international transfer window. His debut for the Red Bulls is expected to be on July 22 against English Premiership club, Tottenham Hotspur, in the Barclays New York Challenge at Red Bull Arena.

Famous for his trademark “14” jersey, Henry most recently played for FC Barcelona, where he scored 49 goals and had a successful stint with the Catalan side. In his first season, Henry was the top scorer and led the team with 19 goals. A year later he went one better not only scoring 26 goals but being an integral part of the squad that went on to win six championships – the UEFA Champions League, La Liga Title Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercup, UEFA Supercup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Prior to joining FC Barcelona, Henry played for London-based club, Arsenal FC. Henry rose to legendary status with the Gunners, becoming the club’s all-time leading goal scorer with 226 goals from 1999-07. The French marksman was the top scorer in the English Premiership (2002, 2004-06) a record four times and helped his club win the Premiership championship in 2002 and 2004. The 32-year-old also helped lead his team to three English FA Cups and he won the European Golden Boot in 2004 and 2005.

During Henry’s first season, he recorded 26 goals – an indicator of his future success with Arsenal. In the 2003 and 2004 seasons, Henry was a runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year and was the first-ever back-to-back winner of the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. In 2005, Henry was given the Captain’s Armband and became the club’s all-time goal scorer with a brace against Sparta Prague on Oct. 17, snapping Ian Wright’s previous record of 185. He again was named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, becoming the only player to win the award three times.

So long King Henry, and I'm a New York Red Bulls fan now! :-)

179th to 185th

2010-07-11T19:32:00.003+08:00

Semua orang dah tahu yang Sepanyol jadi juara Piala Dunia kali ni menewaskan Belanda 1-0. Untuk aku, World Cup kali ni dah lama dah berakhirnya. Lepas France tak layah ke pusingan dua, dan aku pulak sibuk dengan perpindahan ke Shah Alam, pastu games dah mula main jam 2.30am so aku ikut sikit-sikit je, tengok highlights dan replay mana-mana yang boleh. Anyway, bunyi vuvuzela dari tv tu masih jugak lah terngiang-ngiang kat telinga aku. Mana taknya, selama sebulan, channel 805 tu dah macam default channel kat tv aku. Kalau aku tak tengok game pun, aku akan pasang je channel tu supaya dengar bunyi vuvuzela tu.

Tapi hopefully tahun ni aku tak suffer withdrawal syndrome macam tahun 2006. Waktu tu, aku rasa seseminggu lepas Astro's World Cup channels dah tamatkan siaran (blank screen), aku masih tune in to those channels, watching blank screen. Mungkin waktu tu aku tak puas tengok France main, especially when they went all the way to final but lost to the mighty Italians.

Seminggu lepas, penuh seminggu aku kerja di the Emerald Bangi. Turned out that I like Bangi very much, the town, my office, the traveling to and from work. Office aku tu very laa peaceful dan quiet sesangat. Dekat Bangi tu, tak silap aku ada 12 blocks of building kot. Office aku, di blok A - for Admin, including CEO and GMs. Blocks lain-lain tu banyak test and research labs lah.

Quietnya office aku tu sampaikan dalam seminggu lebih aku kat situ, aku tak pernah bumped into someone dalam toilet. Baik di tingkat 1, 2 atau 3. And I could have my own sweet time dalam toilet without worrying somebody may come in looking for empty stalls. LOL! At the same time, aku risau jugak time busy nanti dengan business planning cycle, time kena stayback, aduuuhhhh menyeramkan pun ada.

For lunch, aku belum explore jauh-jauh lagi termasuk BBBangi. Baru pandai makan kat cafe, Uniten food court dengan Medan Selera Lot 10 (bukan Lot 10 KL tu tapi dekat-dekat office aku tu je). Ok jugaklah makan kat food court Uniten tu setakat ni belum jemu lagi. Nak pergi jauh-jauh pun lunch time ni suntuk sikit, dah la aku ni kalau nak keluar masuk office compound tu kena scan ID, kena jagalah sikit kan sementara nak confirm ni heheheh...

Weekend hari tu aku lepas rumah je tak ke mana-mana sangat. Cadangnya nak ke Kuala Selangor, amik agreement kambing tu. Tapi halfway, aku called tokey tu, dia kata dia kat errr... mana ek? Lupa pulak, tapi jauh lah, dia suruh datang Ahad je. Tapi Ahad aku ada half marathon kat Seremban pulak. Haa... cerita pasal Seremban Half Marathon ada kat Deo On the Run.

Tu je lah citernya minggu lepas.

172nd to 178th

2010-07-04T23:39:00.002+08:00

Isnin merupakan hari kerja aku yang terakhir kat Smokey Grey. Walaupun Ahad tu aku baru lepas lari Half Marathon, aku datang jugaklah untuk kerja sehari lagi. Sebenarnya lebih kepada nak return barang-barang macam laptop, bberry, staff ID pass, etc. It wasn't a grand exit for me of which I don't even think of having one. Just to get out of Smokey Grey is already a blessing.

Tuesday, packed up for the final trip back to Shah Alam. Penuh jugak kereta aku dengan barang-barang walaupun dah angkut sikit-sikit dalam few trips before. About 11.30am aku tinggalkan JB, tanpa sedikit pun rasa sedih atau feeling uncomplished of certain things. And I hope I wouldn't have to return to JB anymore or at least anytime soon.

On the way back to SA, aku berkali-kali cakap pada diri aku yang tak sangka yang aku akan balik SA for good this time, after about 1 year and 11 months working in JB. The happy feeling waktu driving tu sampaikan aku tak payah turn on the radio pun. Heheheh... Then I made a stop in Seremban, registering for my second Half Marathon on 11th July. Baca kat Deo On the Run.

Sepatutnya aku tak dapat nak join Seremban HM tu sebab aku dijangkakan will join induction program dengan The Emerald selama 2 minggu dari 1 Julai. Tapi on Monday, diorang called aku cakap aku kena report duty dulu, 16 Julai baru join the induction program. So, aku boleh lah join Seremban HM on 11th July tapi terpaksa forgo Siemens Run on the 18th July dan Shape & Men's Health Night Run on 31st July will have to depend on when my induction program will end.

The person from The Emerald also said that I will be based in Bangi and not at the Bangunan Tinggi 2 Ketul tu. Nevertheless, aku still kena datang report on my first day kat Bangunan Tinggi 2 Ketul. At first, rasa boring jugak lah sebab baru aku berangan-angan nak kerja kat Bangunan Tinggi 2 Ketul. Tapi, bila dah report duty on the first day tu, aku rasa it's a blessing in disguise juga bila aku kena based in Bangi.

Mana taknya, dari rumah aku ke Bangunan Tinggi 2 Ketul tu, tol pergi je dah dekat RM8 (ikut jalan mudah lah ni...), then parking sampai jam 12.45pm je dah RM6 kot tak silap aku, breakfast kat food court dengan kuih dua ketul dan air mineral sebotol dah RM5, lunch dah RM17. Perghhh... kopak aku macam ni. Di Bangi, parking free, toll dari rumah aku RM8.40 pergi balik, makan pun ada kantin. Kalau makan kat luar pun tak lah mahal harganya. Ok lah aku happy.

Dua hari bekerja ni, work station pun takde lagi sebab aku akan replace somebody who's retiring this month. So, aku duduk kat temporary work station. Kerja pun takde apa lagi except aku kena attend one 3.5-hour meeting among planners on my very first day. Email accounts, laptop semua tak dapat lagi. Aku pun pening-pening kena isi borang macam-macam!

Weekend pulak aku sibuk kemas rumah aku yang macam tongkang pecah. Dengan barang-barang dari Johor aku lambakkan je kat mana-mana yang ada ruang. Paling bermasalah ialah almari baju aku tak muat dah menampung baju-baju aku. So, tanpa rasa bersalah aku terpaksa let go baju-baju lama aku yang ada t-shirts tu masih dalam plastik lagi dan juga baju-baju yang membesar (read: badan aku yang mengecil).

Kebetulan parents aku datang rumah abang aku last weekend. Aku pun bawak lah 3 plastik sampah hitam yang penuh berisi baju-baju aku. Cadangnya aku nak lambakkan je baju-baju tu dalam boot kereta aku, jual kat Pasar Muhibbah Shah Alam, RM2 sehelai tapi akhirnya aku lambakkan je kat rumah abang aku. Laku juga satu plastik hitam, masing-masing ambik sorang... errr... berhelai-helai lah jugak bapak, abang, adik-adik, anak-anak sedara, kakak ipar, mak aku pun amik sekali. Hehehehe... Yang balance tu, aku tak tau lah abang aku nak buat apa.

Ahad tu, aku ikut abang aku hantar anak dia ke SMKA Kuala Selangor. Balik dari situ singgah ke satu tempat penternakan kambing. Baka boer dan jamnapari. Teruja aku sampaikan aku telah beli sekor kambing Jamnapari usia 6 bulan. Dan bermula lah episod hidup aku sebagai seorang pemilik kambing. Bukan apa, dulu waktu kecik-kecik time orang tengok kepala aku, diorang dok cakap, "Ni rasi bela kambing nih..." So, kita tengok ye, rasi ke tak rasi.... (gambar-gambar ada kat facebook aku)

165th to 171st

2010-06-27T22:03:00.002+08:00

Minggu yang biasa-biasa saje di Johor. Cuma yang tak biasanya, semenjak World Cup started, aku masuk office sokmo 11 to 11.30am. Lepas game jam 4.30am tunggu Subuh then tidur. Tu pun, mana lah cukup setakat 4 jam je sehari. Minggu pertama World Cup tu ada problem sikit kat Astro rumah sewa aku tu. No problem, aku tengok kat kedai. Game yang jam 2.30am tu pun aku gagah pergi kedai lagi. Heheheh...

Hari Khamis, setelah follow up beberapa kali dan yang menyebabkan panik yang tidak terhingga ke atas diri aku, akhirnya, akhirnyaa.......... aku dapat surat tarikh lapor diri dari the Emerald Co. At that moment of time barulah aku dapat rasa yang aku betul-betul dah resigned dari Smokey Grey Co. dan happy gila aku time tu. So, aku akan lapor diri di pusat latihan Emerald Co. di Bangi on 1st July untuk kursus induksi selama 2 minggu. 19hb Julai barulah aku report kat bangunan tinggi tu.

Jumaat, aku cuti. Aku ada appointment kat Prince Court, check kols level aku lepas 3 bulan. The result went from very good to very bad and I'm back on medication. Doktor tanya apa aku buat dan tak buat? Aku cakap exercise macam dulu jugak, ubat tak ambik dan makan tak ingat dunia. And the doctor kata badan aku ni mungkin genetically produce cholesterol by itself. Ok, noted.

Then, aku gi collect race kit untuk Standard Chartered KL Marathon kat Stadium Titiwangsa. Pagi tadi, aku lari Half Marathon (21km), my first, my maiden Half! I did considerably well. Boleh baca kisah selanjutnya kat Deo On the Run. Happy jugak hari Ahad tu. Selain daripada aku enjoyed my run, aku jumpa ramai geng Runner-Bloggers. Ada jugak yang tegur aku, "Deo eh?" Perghhh...

Malam ni, or lepas game 4.30am nanti aku akan gerak balik ke JB untuk sehari lagi kerja di Smokey Grey Co. Nak kena surrender segala mala petaka laptop, bberry, pe lancau lagi diorang nak amik, uniform ke, amik laaa aku tak mo simpan barang-barang Smokey Grey. Heheheh...

Ok, tu je...

WC2010: Arrivederci, Italy

2010-06-25T10:38:00.000+08:00

Champions Italy crashed out of the World Cup as first-time qualifiers Slovakia booked a surprising place in the second round after an epic game at Ellis Park.

For the third consecutive game, the Azzurri allowed an early goal and this time they never recovered. Slovakia survived a late onslaught to beat Italy 3-2, reach the Round of 16 and eliminate their illustrious opponents. A Robert Vittek double and a stoppage-time lob from substitute Kamil Kopunek proved enough for Vladimir Weiss's team to advance as Group F runners-up, after late goals from Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella had ensured a dramatic conclusion to a thrilling contest in Johannesburg.

It was Italy’s first loss at the World Cup since allowing a golden goal to South Korea in the second round in 2002. And it marked the end of an era for Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and Gattuso, who already announced their retirement from the national team after the tournament. Lippi is also moving on, with Cesare Prandelli already chosen as his successor.

Slovakia verdict:
Showed a distinct improvement after their defeat to Paraguay. Undoubtedly the greatest result in the country's short history. Vittek led the line well and the midfield showed fantastic energy right up to the end. Defensive errors must be cut out if further progress is to be made but it was a resolute performance and Vladimir Weiss's side fully deserve their place in the second round.

Italy verdict:
A shocking first-half display and the concession of two-goals gave them far too much to do and it was too little too late in terms of the intense pressure in the final 15 minutes of the game. Quagliarella's introduction livened things up but there were far too many underperforming players in the team, something that the any new manager must address. It was an inglorious end of the Azzurri's tenure as champions and they were woeful throughout their three-game defence of the trophy.

Never have the previous World Cup finalists both failed to advance in the next tournament when both qualified. France, which lost to Italy on penalty kicks for the 2006 title, went out earlier this week in Group A.

WC2010: Exit for Wayne Booney & Co.

2010-06-23T13:48:00.005+08:00

Hey Wayne Boo-ney, the Queen is missing you and singing this song for you, "My Booney lies over the ocean, My Booney lies over the sea, My Booney lies over the ocean, Oh, bring back my Booney to England. Bring back, bring back, Bring back my Booney to me, to me. Bring back, bring back, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me."

After two disappointing England performances it is crunch time for Fabio Capello and his squad with this game deciding if they are to stay on at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ or rather return home on Thursday with their tails between their legs. Slovenia are in a far healthier position and know that a draw will be enough to carry them into the knockout rounds for the first time at a major tournament.

Or in other words, ENGLAND WILL BE SHOWN AN EARLY EXIT TONIGHT! THEY WILL FOLLOW NICHOLAS ANELKA AS THE NEXT PARTIES TO ARRIVED AT HEATHROW AIRPORT. So, English fans, throw your red carpet for your superstars, eat your arrogance, egoism, your stupid foul-mouthed Wayne Boo-ney. This was what you said before the World Cup and look for what you're facing now?!

Slovenia were not expected to create major waves at this tournament but so assuredly have they gone about their business that they find themselves in a position to create history for their country. England, on the other hand, are trying to avoid history because you have to go all the way back to 1958 for the last time they failed to advance from the initial group phase of a FIFA World Cup in which they were participating.

While Slovenia can seal their progress to the second round with a point, England need to win to be certain of progressing. In fact, they desperately need to win as nothing less than a 3-3 draw would get them through if the USA somehow contrives to draw 0-0 with Algeria. Any US win, plus an England draw and the Three Lions go home in disgrace.

Trivia:
In 1950, England were famously humiliated by USA - they lost to Spain and victory over Chile didn't see them qualify - while in 1958, England drew with Brazil, Soviet Union and Austria and then lost a play-off to the Soviets. These are the only two occasions England have not escaped the group stage.

Stats:
England have failed to win any of their last five first round matches against a fellow European side, while Slovenia have lost just one of their last nine international games since losing 2-1 to England in a friendly in September 2009, winning seven of these matches.

The question:
It's the million-dollar question for England supporters: can they put all that has transpired over the last few days behind them and bring their performance levels back to what is expected of them? Or are they stuck in a trough of poor form?

Ohh anyway, besides fielding Mathew Upson (Mathew who?!) for the final group match, England got a boost for the big game. Did you hear that? A boost! It's the all-red strip!

England last wore an all-red strip about nine-hundred years ago, winning all four games they played in the sanguinary shirts and shorts: two in the 1962 World Cup in Chile, and in friendlies against Czechoslovakia in 1963 and Belgium in 1970. So, can the all-red strip cure England's woeful passing, inept finishing, flat movement, tactical unawareness, lack of confidence, positional indiscipline, rheumatism, whooping cough and scabies.

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My verdict: England lost to or draw with Slovenia; USA beats Algeria thus knock England out of World Cup. Yeay!

WC2010: Au revoir Les Bleus...

2010-06-23T01:01:00.000+08:00

South Africa beat France 2-1 for only their second FIFA World Cup victory, but both teams ultimately emerged losers in Bloemfontein. Carlos Alberto Parreira's team became the first host nation to fail to qualify for the tournament's second round while a miserable campaign from the French came to a predictable conclusion as they also bowed out of South Africa 2010. Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela scored a goal each in the first half against 10-man France. Florent Malouda pulled one back for the French in the 70th.

Raymond Domenech made six changes to the team that had gone down to Mexico in their previous game – with captain Patrice Evra one of those dropped for leading the player strike, and gave Alou Diarra the captain’s armband against South Africa.

France started the match not cutting the kind of shape that one might expect of a team in disarray, though they were hardly playing with the fizz that might be anticipated of such a star-studded unit. A clever pass from Yoann Gourcuff, one of six new faces in les Bleus’ starting XI, created an early chance for another newcomer, Andre-Pierre Gignac, though the Toulouse striker finished tamely when well placed in the box after just three minutes. The Europeans continued to push on, but the best they could manage in their early spell was a headed flick from Djibril Cisse from the edge of the penalty box.

South Africa seemed on course for miraculous progress to the knockout stages of the World Cup but ultimately missed out after a 2-1 victory over France. Bongani Khumalo gave Bafana Bafana the lead against the run of play, and when Yoann Gourcuff was harshly dismissed midway through the first period the hosts smelled history. The impressive Katlego Mphela struck before the break, but chances were missed and when Florent Malouda pulled a goal back for their guests, the Rainbow Nation’s dream was effectively ended.

France verdict:
Dismal, farcical, embarrassing, chaotic. You could never run out of words to describe France's display at this tournament. France were woeful even before they went down to ten men and didn't get any better. You have to pity Laurent Blanc.

South Africa verdict:
After such a poor display in defeat to Uruguay, South Africa can exit the World Cup with pride with victory over the 'mighty' France. They may be the first host country to fail to emerge from their group, but they were never expected to go far. They only go out on goal difference and that, in a way, is a triumph.

Stat attack:
Thierry Henry has drawn level with Fabien Barthez in making the most World Cup appearances in French history (17).

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It's just sad that France WC2010 campaign ended just after three matches. More saddening that this may be the last WC match for Thierry Henry. Hopefully he'll still be around for France in Euro 2012.

On a lighter note, France is lucky to score a goal tonight, at least they have something to show :-) and South Africa's feat of becoming the first host nation to qualify to the 2nd round may give some hope for Malaysia to bid for hosting the World Cup, as now it's ok for a host nation to bow out in the first round :-).

Anyway, au revoir Les Bleus!. You're still my team, see you in Brazil 2014 and ohh! goodbye Domenech and welcom Laurent Blanc!

WC2010: French toast?

2010-06-22T12:20:00.002+08:00

Zinedine Zidane said, "We all know what happened recently in the team and it does not matter to talk more about it. Even if it's very tiny, there's still a chance to go through. So France have to go for it..."

With just a single point each after their opening two games, France and South Africa meet today in the FIFA World Cup equivalent of a last throw of the dice. Although their respective hopes of qualifying for the Round of 16 appear slim, the fact remains that a victory for either Uruguay or Mexico in the other match in Group A would significantly boost the duo's prospects of progressing.

It is safe to say that France are in complete disarray. Following their drab 0-0 draw with Uruguay and 2-0 reverse against Mexico, Les Bleus stand on the precipice of a second group stage exit in the last three World Cups. The surprise run to the final in 2006 seems just a distant memory and this time around, Domenech's side do not possess the Zinedine Zidane get-out-of-jail card.

Yet France are ironically better positioned, at least in terms of the Group A standings, to progress than hosts South Africa. With just one point from their first two matches, Bafana Bafana are battling the odds to maintain the World Cup’s record of the host nation always progressing past the first round.

Les Bleus may be vulnerable, but the South African side is not in a great state coming into the game, and even victory is unlikely to be enough to push Bafana into the last 16. Not only do they need to win (probably handsomely), Carlos Alberto Parreira’s men are reliant on Uruguay or Mexico winning the group’s other game, which is played out concurrently.

The question?
Can France qualify for the Round of 16? Can France score lots of goals? Or at least do not bow out without scoring any goals? Will South Africa become the first host nation to be knocked out at the group stage?

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I hope Thierry Henry will get to start in his probably last match for France. My prediction: France wins 3-0 and qualifies to the Round of 16 as Group A runner up, with Uruguay defeating Mexico 2-0. Allez Les Bleus!

The Joe's story - 200610

2010-06-21T11:17:00.002+08:00

Semalam Joe called aku, as promised two weeks ago. Aku pun macam anticipated that he will call. Siap waktu siang semalam, aku ada tanya delinn apa gossip-gossip hiburan yang aku boleh cerita kat Joe, in case dia tanya, like he did when he called last time.

True enough, memang dia tanya. Ekekeke... aku pun cerita lah kisah Azrinaz dengan Sultan Brunei tu, as suggested by delinn. Itu je pun yang aku cerita, pastu Joe siap boleh tanya, "Lagi? Itu je?" Ekekeke... aduuuhhh... I need to research more on Hollywood gossips lah, Joe kan suka gossip-gossip Hollywood ni like where the celebs dine semua tu... aku nak cerita pasal World Cup, he seems not interested. Lagipun, the way he speaks, kat dalam detention center tu pun macam diorang boleh tengok bola.

Takde apa yang kitorang borakkan semalam. Just the normal 'guys' stuffs. Heheheh... tak laa... cerita lah pasal orang baru masuk situ, perangai ada sorang mamat Somalia yang baru ni yang nak takeover role Imam kat situ. Macam-macam lah. And, yes Joe dah start exercising semula. In fact, sebelum dia called aku semalam, dia baru lepas exercise dalam sejam setengah. So, sesapa yang concern dan risau sangat serta teringat-ingat pasal 'dada' Joe tu, don't worry ye.

Joe also mentioned, semalam was exactly 2 months since dia kena detained. And since the last hearing, takde siapa-siapa (maksud aku from the legal side) yang datang jumpa dia to advise about the next hearing or process ke apa ke. Aku tanya soalan ni sebab selalu dalam tv shows, lawyers kan selalu datang melawat clients diorang kan? Hehehe... so, Joe tunggu 20 Julai ni je lah untuk the next hearing.

Aku ada jugak tanya Joe, dia puasa sunat tak 1 Rejab lepas and he was kind of loss with the hijri date. *kesian dia* So, aku pun beritahu lah sekarang dah 7 Rejab. Next time dia called, aku kena mentioned to him, "Joe, today is bersamaan ..." heheheh...

Oh, last time waktu dia called, dia ada cerita sorang mamat cina Malaysia who stayed illegally in New York masuk ke situ jugak. Couple of days after that, Joe baru dapat tahu yang dia ni Malaysian, tapi tak sempat nak beramah mesra sebab he was released on bail. Aku terlupa nak cerita pasal ni dalam previous entry.

Itu je lah, yang lain-lain tu kitorang cerita pasal breakfast apa, hari Ahad semalam apa aktiviti kitorang, aku cerita pasal aku nak balik KL, tu je lah. And he said he will call in two weeks' time. *sempatlah kot aku buat research pasal gossip artis ni....*

WC2010: Germany 0, Serbia 1

2010-06-18T21:51:00.002+08:00

Milan Jovanovic blasted home a 38th-minute winner from close range two minutes after Germany striker Miroslav Klose had been sent off, and Wigan keeper Stojkovic saved a second-half Lukas Podolski penalty to blow Group D wide open as Serbia edged Germany 1-0 at Port Elizabeth Stadium. The result means that Germany, beaten in a FIFA World Cup™ group game for the first time since 1986, remain top of Group D on goal difference, Ghana and Serbia all now have three points, while Australia are yet to get off the mark.

Klose's afternoon reached an early end eight minutes before half-time, however, when following an earlier booking, he received a second yellow card for bringing down Dejan Stankovic from behind, and was duly sent off. Serbia capitalised immediately. Krasic outstripped his marker down the right, got to the byline, and crossed to the back post, where Zigic was hovering. The towering striker nodded the ball back across goal and into the path of Jovanovic, who took it on his chest and fired acrobatically past Manuel Neuer from five yards.

Germany raced out of the blocks following the start of the second half. Bastian Schweinsteiger almost went through on goal, but Vidic made a sliding challenge to avert the danger. Oezil then slid Podolski in only for the Cologne ace to power his shot into the side-netting from eight yards. Poldi had a far better opportunity to put his side back on level terms on the hour mark. Vidic unnecessarily handled Arne Friedrich's cross inside the box, and the referee pointed to the spot, handing the Manchester United centre-back a yellow card. Podolski tried to pass the ball into the bottom corner, but Stojkovic flung himself down to his left and pulled off a great save.

Germany verdict:
Until the sending off they were excellent, but Klose's dismissal changed everything. Niggly fouls and tiredness played their part, but they continued to attack throughout, although the sense of injustice following the red card stopped them from focusing on getting back in the game.

Serbia verdict:
Extremely lucky in both the sending off and the penalty save, Serbia knuckled down once they had a man advantage and offered very little by way of attacking intent. The result was all that mattered for them, but it was disappointing to see them fail to take control once Klose was off.

Could do better:
Lukas Podolski - An incisive runner, Podolski was a threat down the left but all too often missed his chances to get Germany back in the game. The focal point of the attack after the sending off, his penalty was poor and his attitude was not impressive either.

Stat attack:
Germany's last non-shootout penalty miss in the World Cup was by Uli Hoeness in 1974 versus Poland.

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My boss said (after all his analyses), Germany will play Argentina in this year's final. However, if both teams come out champion in their respective group, they will only meet in the Quarter Final. Therefore, one team has to come out second in its group. An early sent-off, missed penalty kick and a narrow loss for the Germans seems like all pointing to the Germany-Argentina. :-)

WC2010: France 0, Mexico 2

2010-06-18T10:38:00.003+08:00

France, FIFA World Cup finalists in 2006, are on the verge of crashing out of the 2010 event after losing 2-0 to Mexico in Polokwane's Peter Mokaba Stadium. Substitutes Javier Hernandez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco grabbed the goals as El Tri moved to within touching distance of the last 16 with a deserved win over Raymond Domenech’s lacklustre side.

Just nine minutes after coming off the bench the 22-year-old Hernandez, who will officially move to Old Trafford from Chivas in a £7 million deal next month, sprang the offside trap to race on to Rafael Marquez's pass, round goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and coolly slot home. Veteran striker and cult hero Cuauhtemoc Blanco sealed victory with a 79th-minute penalty. It was Mexico's first win over France at senior level and no less than they deserved after a performance full of vigour and attacking invention.

France verdict:
Insipid and lacking ambition once again, the team look completely out of sorts and are not helped by some bizarre decisions from their coach. Playing Franck Ribery behind a lone striker, there was nothing in the final third to suggest that they were ever going to break the deadlock and Mexico were comfortable throughout. Keeping Sidney Govou in the side did not work and talisman Thierry Henry, again, warmed the bench.

Mexico verdict:
Fluid on the ball and lively up front, their positive attitude embarrassed a French side that many expected to come out on top of the group. El Tri have some tough defenders to win the ball back and attack with gusto when they have possession. Quick, exciting and full of running, they deserve a place in the second round based on their first two performances.

Could do better:
William Gallas - While his defensive partner Eric Abidal gave away a stonewall penalty in the second half, Gallas contributed to the first goal with a poor attempt at playing offside. However, his crowning moment in the match was when he decided to let Salcido shoot instead of closing him down in the box and he was lucky it was hit straight at Hugo Lloris.

Stat attack:
Since Zindine Zidane's retirement after the World Cup final in 2006, France are without a win in their five matches at international tournaments and they have not scored a World Cup goal outside Europe since Michel Platini's strike against Brazil in the 1986 quarter-finals.

The odds are heavily stacked against les Bleus still being in the competition in a week’s time. With Mexico and Uruguay both on four points and France and South Africa on one, a draw between the group leaders in their final game would ensure they go through and see France fall at the first hurdle.

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France can still advance if they beat South Africa at least 3-0 while Uruguay has to beat Mexico 2-0. Qualifying to the R16 is one thing, another thing is, would France go out of the world Cup without scoring a goal? Again, just like they did in 2002?

WC2010: No margin for error in Polokwane

2010-06-17T11:07:00.004+08:00

The Question...
France’s goalless opener was the third time they started a major finals in this fashion under boss Domenech. At Germany 2006 they recovered to go all the way to the Final, while at UEFA EURO 2008 they fell at the first hurdle. Which path will they follow at South Africa 2010?

After a lacklustre display in their goalless opener against Uruguay, France coach Raymond Domenech still appears unsure as to his best formation. Favouring a 4-3-3 system in pre-tournament warm-up action, Les Bleus’ supremo opted for a 4-5-1 against La Celeste. Now though, he is expected to push midfielder Yoann Gourcuff closer to central striker Nicolas Anelka and flank the Chelsea man with club-mate Florent Malouda and Franck Ribery.

Intriguingly, while France have won just one of their five games in 2010, they have never been beaten by Mexico at senior level, with three of the sides’ six meetings coming at FIFA World Cup finals.

Over in the Mexican camp, the aim is to improve on the wayward finishing shown in the 1-1 draw with South Africa. Clearly unhappy with his charges’ display, El Tri coach Javier Aguirre is set to start Andres Guardado in place of Paul Aguilar, though young tyros Carlos Vela, Efrain Juarez and Giovani dos Santos are expected to keep their starting berths. Mexico are bidding to improve on a record of just one win from eight encounters with European nations at the finals.

WC2010: Can Messi triumph for La Albiceleste?

2010-06-08T15:42:00.001+08:00

All eyes will be on Argentina ace Lionel Messi to see if he can inspire La Albiceleste (light blue and whites) to their first world crown since Mexico 1986. Football reporters have been running out of words to describe the improbably gifted Barcelona wizard, and should La Pulga (The Flea) turn it on in South Africa, he will no doubt have them – along with bemused defenders – scratching their heads again.

My prediction:
Argentina will advance at least to the Semi Final to play the Spaniards. If they win the semi final tie, they will play the final against either Brazil or England/France.

151st to 157th: Penang pulak

2010-06-08T11:12:00.000+08:00

Belum reda keriangan trip KT, blog updates yang ada 4 siri pun baru habis, lemak dari makan di KT pun tak habis bakar lagi, aku dah kena bersiap sedia untuk ke Penang. It was another long weekend with Friday being replacement to King's birthday on Saturday.

Rabu tu mood shopping aku yang tak taper down lagi since KB trip dulu continued with aku shop a pair of slip-in shoes dan a 3-day backpack untuk trip ke Penang. Beg tu kena beli sebab kalau nak bawak yang 2-day backpack tu takut tak muat pulak barang-barang. Pastu takkan nak bawak campers' backpack, macam tak sesuai je nak naik flight, duk hotel mewah, bukannya nak buat outdoor activities pun. Then, takkan aku nak bawak 7-day trolley bag aku, over lah pulak kan?

Khamis tu, aku dah rasa seronok jugaklah nak ke luar daerah JB yang maha bosan ni. Malam tu dinner, aku makan maggi in cup yang aku bawak balik dari KT. Aku tak sure siapa punya yang tertinggal di homestay tu, so aku bawak balik. Tengah malam tu, perut aku memulas-mulas, rasa maggi tu di tekak, nak terkeluar balik, atas bawah. Badan rasa tak sedap, rasa macam nak demam.

Aku teringat waktu business trip di Taipei tahun 2006 dulu, aku naik je shuttle bus dari airport ke hotel, kepala aku berpusing-pusing, nak terkeluar jugak atas bawah. Bila sampai kat hotel, belum sempat check-in lagi aku dah rushed to the toilet, muntah cukup segala pakej. Sampaikan somebody from the hotel checked for me in the toilet and helped me to my room. Aku tak sure siapa check-in kan untuk aku, sampai bilik je, aku terus tidur. The next day, aku ok je.

So, based from the experience, I know that I've to forge whatever inside my stomach out that night, sleep and hoping I'll be ok the next morning. Malam tu, ada dekat 2 jam, 5 kali ulang alik masuk toilet. Lepas dah rasa macam dah lega perut aku, minum 100 Plus, tidur. And the next morning, tadaaaa... ok dah and I was ready to fly to Penang.

Flight JB-KL yang originally scheduled at 9.20am was brought earlier to 8.20am, in the end still delay by 20 minutes. Aku tak faham Air Asia ni punya delay, takkan first flight out pun boleh delay. Dan of course lah the rest of the flights that day akan delay punya. Sampai di LCCT, aku ada lebih kurang 3 hours before flight KL-JB. Aku lepak kat Starbucks je, a time well spent. Went to departure hall early only to find out the flight is delayed, again.

Aku sampai di Penang lebih kurang jam 3.15pm, settledkan kereta sewa aku (dapat upgrade from Saga to MyVi!), then off me go touring Penang. Mulanya nak pekena Nasi Kandar Hameediyah, tapi Jumaat tutup pulak. So, aku ingat nak pergi area Padang Kota je lah sebab aku pun tak lunch lagi. Tah macam mana, aku panik sikit jalan Penang waktu tu dengan tak syoknya sebab kena drive while traveling, I lost my way.

In the end, aku rasa better head to Batu Ferringhi dan check-in je lah. Aku terikut jalan Balik Pulau which the last time aku lalu waktu LTdL tahun 2000 dulu. Mulanya aku menyumpah jugak lah dengan jalan jauh, berbukit, jalan tengah construction. But in the end, it was a blessing in disguise, banyak gilaaaaaaaa durian time aku lalu tu. Eventhough I knew durian Balik Pulau is one of the most famous durian, I've never had it before. So, I made a stop in one of the stalls, makan sebijik durian "Isi tembaga", bak kata tokey tu.

Tak boleh makan banyak time tu sebab perut kosong, so aku decided to tapau, for my family who'll be arriving in Sg Petani the next day, only after been guaranteed by the tokey that he'll pack and wrap nicely so that it won't smell. Yelah, terang-terang kereta sewa tu dah mentioned, "no durian allowed", pastu tau lah most hotels ada "no durian" policy jugak kan? Dapatlah aku tapau dalam 4 bekas plastik, tu 5 biji durian semua sekali rasanya.

Lepas checked-in di Hydro Hotel, Miami Beach in Batu Ferringhi, rehat jap di hotel, enjoying the very nice sea view, time sunset pulak tu. Bilik hotel pun dapat free upgrade jugak dari superior ke deluxe, I loike...

Dah dekat jam 8pm aku pun turun, perut dah lapar, plannya nak jalan-jalan di night market. Tapi, bila sampai kat lobby je, aku tengok hujan punyalah lebatnya. Lepak kejap di lobby, ada live performance seawal jam 8am lagi.

Bila hujan dah perlahan sikit, aku start kereta, menuju ke area night market tu lah. Tapi hujan turun lebat balik, aku pun teh tarik je lah di one of the mamaks there. Dan sampai ke jam 10pm hujan masih lebat. Takde rezeki nak berpasar malam, malam tu. Dalam hujan lebat tu, aku meredah pergi HRC tengok live band. Memang best band yang perform malam tu, crowd pun best very sporting. Aku lepak sampai jam 2am.

Then, it's dinner time, aku pun bergerak menuju ke area Masjid Kapitan Keling, nak cari nasi kandar Beratoq, depa kata. Dapppp.... dan jam 2.30am pun orang dok beratoq lagi kat situ!

The next day, lepas breakfast, aku ronda-ronda Miami Beach, then gi cari internet cafe sebab nak check-in flight aku the next day, gi HR Shop tengok any souvenirs to buy, which semuanya aku tak berselera sebab ada tulis 'Penang', kan? Apa barang??? when you can get HR merchandise at least from 'Bali' or even 'London'? Snap gak gambar sikit-sikit...

About 12.30pm after checking out, my brother informed that the family was still in Sg. Perak rest area. And me thinking... still have time for another dose of nasi kandar, this time in Hameediyah, Campbell Street. Aku pun headed for Georgetown, mencari-cari jugak Campbell Street. Aku ni buta jugak lah jalan Penang ni. Then, aku terpassed by satu Hamidiyah, tiga kali aku pusing situ nak cari parking, only to find out that it's in McAlister Road, not Campbell Street. Huh! Nasib tak tertipu.

Akhirnya sampai juga aku di Campbell Street. Kebetulan hari tu hari cuti, kedai banyak tutup, so ample parking by the road side. Memang dapppppppp woooooo NK Hameediyah ni... ni lah rupa kedai dan nasi kandar nya.

So, verdict for nasi kandar Beratoq dan Hameediyah = best! meletop! Both are worth trying, sedap in different ways. And, it's not fair to compare NK Vanggeh in Ipoh sebab itu pun sedap in different way.

Lepas melantak nasi kandar, aku just jalan ke Pasar Chowrasta, nak tengok buah pala dan jeruk. Aku singgah di satu kedai ni, dia tulis dia pakai gula pasir. Pastu ada free gift pulak. Dan nampak jeruk-jeruk di kedai tu bersih je rupanya. Dan memang sedap pun jeruk kat kedai ni, aku ada tapau jeruk anggur bawak balik JB. Tak sakit tekak bila makan, tak macam jeruk anggur beli kat KB dulu.

Mulanya aku nak beli sikit untuk mak aku, dan kakak serta kakak ipar aku je. Tapi aku terfikir, kalau beli banyak, boleh jugak mak aku jamu time buat kerja kawen next week. So, aku ended up in buah pala and jeruk shopping spree, terbang jugak lah dekat RM100. Dapat free gift, sebotol minyak buah pala. Aku pun tak tau apa kegunaan minyak buah pala ni. Inilah hasil tangkapan aku di Pasar Chowrasta tu.

Then, aku terus gerak ke Sg Petani where my family was staying in a homestay in Laguna Merbuk. Sampai je di homestay tu, they were busy preparing for the akad nikah ceremony after Asar. I was telling them bout my nasi kandar experience and everybody was drooling and planned to go to Penang after the akad ceremony. They liked the durian I tapau-ed and mom had the same idea with me of serving buah pala/jeruk during kerja kawen.

After asar, we headed to one mosque in Sg Lalang area for the akad nikah of my brother. Alhamdulillah, all went smoothly and he's now a married 'boy', ekekekeke.... Lepas a small reception di rumah pengantin perempuan, kitorang pun balik semula ke homestay, still with plan to go to Penang for nasi kandar. Lepas Isyak, sorang-sorang designated driver 'tumbang' kepenatan. I was asleep as early as 8.40pm, dekat atas carpet, sebelah tempat diorang buat gubahan pengantin je. Penat sangat kah? Atau kenyang sangat?

The next morning, masih ada cadangan-cadangan liar nak breakfast nasi kandar di Penang, sebelum majlis bersanding tengahari tu. Tapi, logistically it's not recommended to go to Penang that morning, kitorang decided to have breakfast at the nearby Nashmir je, but still ada yang makan nasi kandar. Kemaruk tul! LOL!

At around 1pm, bergerak je rumah pengantin perempuan, bersanding sikit-sikit, then makan and I had to rush to Penang airport by 1.45pm to catch my 4.20pm flight. Sampai Penang airport with ample time to return the car, window shop sesikit, and boarding. By 6.15pm dah sampai di rumah di JB. *bosan*

This week, another short working-week and traveling week as I'll be going back to Ipoh on Wednesday night. Another weekend out of the maha-boring-JB!

World Cup stars injury spree

2010-06-07T11:55:00.002+08:00

Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba has undergone a successful operation on his fractured elbow although his team did not say whether he would be able to play at the World Cup. The 32-year-old striker was injured during Friday's 2-0 friendly win over Japan.

If Drogba, who have scored 43 goals in 67 appearances and Premier league top scorer this season with Chelsea, misses the World Cup it would be a huge blow to the Ivorians, who have been transformed from a middle-ranking team to a major force in African football since Drogba came on to the scene.

World Cup injury scares continued yesterday when Uruguay striker Diego Forlan appeared to injure his left foot during training. England defender and captain Rio Ferdinand and midfielders Michael Ballack from Germany and Michael Essien of Ghana have been ruled out of the month-long tournament that kicks off June 11 in South Africa.

And The Netherlands, among the favorites heading into this week's World Cup, arrived in South Africa on Sunday without Arjen Robben after the standout winger limped off the field less than three minutes from the end of his team's final warmup match the day before. Robben came on as a second-half substitute and scored twice in a 6-1 win over Hungary before hurting his left hamstring.

After an examination Sunday, doctors said the injury isn't as serious as originally feared and Robben is expected to join his teammates in South Africa sometime this week. The Netherlands opens group play June 14 against Denmark.

Earlier, Nigeria's midfielder John Mikel Obi was replaced after underwent a knee surgery in May and Italy's playmaker Andrea Pirlo is also out of the World Cup after injuring his left calf in an exhibition loss to Mexico, and not to forget England's David Beckham who suffered a major Achilles injury during AC Milan's Serie A encounter with Chievo in March, ending his hopes of featuring in a fourth World Cup.

Others on injury list - England's defender Matthew Upson (high temperature), Portugal's winger Nani (shoulder), Brazil's goalkeeper Julio Cesar (back), American striker Jozy Altidore (right ankle), Brazil's left back Michel Bastos (ankle) and England's goalkeeper David James (knee), Honduras' midfielder Wilson Palacios (shin), Mexico's Rafael Marquez.

Panini World Cup 2010 Sticker Album

2010-06-07T11:42:00.003+08:00

Ok, my World Cup sticker album is almost finished. I've requested from Voila to purchase some missing stickers.

And........
I have a lot, I really mean a lot of extra/duplicate stickers to sell to anybody who is interested. For list of stickers in my possession, please click here.

Those who're interested for any of the stickers, let me know by leaving your contact (email/hp number) in the comment box below or email to me at deoughtred76@yahoo.com

The Joe's story - 060610

2010-06-06T22:23:00.003+08:00

Somehow, I placed my phone on standby, in case Joe would call. The last time he called, he said he would call again in two weeks time. And yes, he called around 9.30pm and we talked about 33 minutes.

Mula-mula perbualan kitorang, Joe yang tanya aku apa cerita? Aku cakaplah takde cerita apa, aku baru balik dari Penang, dan Geng Rebanamaya baru balik dari KT trip last weekend. Pastu dia tanya lagi cerita kat Malaysia. Aku tanya balik, kau nak cerita apa? Politik ke? Joe cakap, ceritalah sape-sape mati ke? Laa... pastu dia sambung, "cerita-cerita artis ke?" Hehehe... bukan aku laa the right person nak cerita pasal artis. so, aku cerita sikit pasal the recent cabinet reshuffle, after MCA presidential election, then the by-election in Sibu dan jugak pasal Rachel Cory tu.

As for him, nothing much happened in the last 2 weeks. Dia masih menunggu the second hearing sometimes in later this month. Dan Joe ada sebut, dah 45 hari dah dia kat situ. Anyway, Joe masih berharap dia akan dapat balik ke Malaysia sebelum puasa ni tapi dia tak rule out the possibility yang dia akan ada kat situ sampai bulan Oktober.

Yang jadi panjang perbualan kitorang tu lepas aku tanya, "Kau nakal lagi tak?" Dia gelak je. Lepas tu dia start bercerita pasal budak-budak Islam Unit dia yang asalnya ada 8 orang, tapi sekarang tinggal 6 orang je sebab seorang dah released dan seorang lagi pulak, dari Sierra Leone dah converted to Christian sebab he kind of losing hope to God for not releasing them from detention center despite praying every day. Hmmm...

6 orang yang tinggal tu, kira golongan minoriti lah kat situ, as compared to berbagai-bagai mazhab penagnut agama Christian kat situ. Lepas tu pulak Christians kat situ, geng baik-baik, jenis tangan tak lekang dengan bible, pastu dok baca bible most of the time. Time solat Jumaat, barulah yang 6 orang Islam kat unit Joe ni dapat campur dengan orang-orang Islam unit lain, so dapatlah jemaah dalam 60 orang.

Yang minoriti 6 orang ni pulak, macam-macam karakternya. Dengan mamat Iran yang tah lain betul bacaan solat dia dan ajak puasa sunat hari Jumaat, pastu bila ditegur, mula tak nak bercakap sesama diorang dan tak nak solat sekali, dengan mamat Bosnianya yang tak pandai solat langsung. Cuma ada sorang ni lah mamat Somalia yang baik, lembut je orangnya, yang boleh jadi contoh lah.

Joe ada cerita sikit pasal savings dia, how much he has with nekrock dan his investment online, forex and whatever yang dia pernah cerita kat blog dia dulu. Cara dia cakap tu, memang he's really thinking about coming home to Malaysia dan aku rasa dia ada lah congak-congak apa dia nak buat nanti. Cuma he mentioned he would have to come back with lot less of money than what he envisioned lah. Tapi dia kata that's secondary lah for now, dia lebih risaukan pasal nak balik ke Malaysia.

Since Sempoii ada tanya kat aku hari tu pasal David dengan King Mongkut, aku pun tanyalah kat Joe. Joe kata, malam dia kena tangkap tu, lepas diorang soal siasat dia, termasuk dia kerja kat mana, siapa majikan dia semua, diorang did call David dan diorang informed Joe yang David had confirmed that Joe worked for them. So, Joe pun takde care to inform them again. Aku assume David dengan King Mongkut would already have Joe's replacement lah kot.

Lastly aku sempat gak tanya, whether anyone in his family tahu pasal cerita dia ni? Dia kata tak, pastu dia start tersedih. Aku tanyalah kalau dia perlukan anyone of us to assist him to inform this to his family? Pastu dia cakap, dia tak nak sedih lah, waktu dia baru-baru masuk dulu, dia dah puas bersedih, so, dia tak nak sedih-sedih dah (sedih bila bercakap pasal keluarga, kot?). So, aku cakaplah ok ok no problem, just let anyone of us kalau dia rasa perlu.

Itu je lah yang sempat kitorang sembang. Ok, kalau dia call lagi, aku update lagi. Kalau korang nak tanya apa-apa kat dia, boleh lah letak dalam komen, nanti aku try tanya Joe.

Demam Waka Waka

2010-06-04T11:59:00.004+08:00

Demam! Demam!! Demam!!!

Just a week, exactly a week away, the FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa will kick off. I'm already in mood, everything set - France World Cup special edition banner for this blog is already up, France number 12 jersey is already in the wardrobe ready to be worn on match day, profile pictures in all social networking sites have been changed appropriately to the World Cup theme, what else...

Err... where are my pillows?? Pillows please!!!!

What the heck, who needs pillows eventhough you've to stay up all night (in this region of the world) to watch early morning matches?! Aaa... no wonder England will be booted our early this year, Rooney is so homesick he even brought his pillow to South Africa!

Go Les Bleus!

144th to 150th: Cerita KT Empat! Last one...

2010-06-03T15:20:00.004+08:00

Ok ni last punya entry pasal trip ke KT hari tu, janji! Ekekeke... anyway, walaupun dah 4 hari sejak meninggalkan KT, tapi ke'warm'an trip tu masih terasa lah, masih terbayang-bayang Mitsubishi Grandis di depan mata, badan pun masih rasa terbuai-buai macam waktu naik bot, kain-kain batik kat rumah pun masih ditenung-tenung lagi (selagi tak hantar ke tailor dan selagi dah dibahagi-bahagikan lah hasil tangkapan tu).

Pagi Ahad tu, kitorang siap-siap semua, tunggu hos bawak gi breakfast nasi dagang (phewww... at last! save the best for last kot?!). On the way ke Chendering nak makan nasi dagang tu, kitorang tersinggah kat Kuala Ibai, tempat jual keropok keping. Sedapp katanya, tah le aku belum try, belum goreng lagi. Ingatkan tempat jual beli je, rupanya tempat buat keropok keping sekali, macam IKS.

So, merasa lah kali ni IKS keropok keping, kat KB dulu IKS buat batik. Sempat le tengok keropok sebelum dipotong, macam french loaf rupanya pun ada, sempatlah beramah mesra dengan Pok Ali, amik gambar bagai. Siap Pok Ali kata nanti masuk facebook, ekekeke... Ni gambar diorang tengah menyusun kepingan-kepingan keropok untuk dijemur (kot?) Surprisingly, aku tak nampak lalat pun kat situ, tebuan je ada sekor.

Yang ni, keropok loaves sebelum dipotong menjadi keping-kepingan keropok....

Kalau korang lalu Kuala Ibai, nak beli keropok keping, boleh cari tempat ni, dia dekat-dekat dengan Istana Badariah. Nama tempatnya, Keropok Pak Da Endut Mak Da Selmih, atau call Pok Ali 019-9092754.

Lepas tu, baru lah dapat breakfast nasi dagang di Chendering, aku tak ingat nama kedainya, tapi memang penuh laa tempat tu. Kerpok lekor dia sedap, pulut panggang/lepe pun sedap (too bad ada sikit je yang tinggal hari tu), dan of course nasi dagang nya yang sedap... dan mengenyangkan walaupun portionnya nampak sikit. Tak sempat aku nak amik gambar nasi dagang sebelum, cuma ada selepas je... ni gambar gulai ikan tongkol lepas Angah dah belasah kepalanya. Dari gambar ni, verdictnya surelah DAPPPP kan?!!! 2 thumbs up!

Lepas dah breakfast, back to KT untuk last round shopping mania. On the way tu, singgah di Keropok Lekor 3-007. Aku rasa famous kedai ni. Asalnya, kitorang nak order yang dekat Kg Losong tapi order dah full, hari tu ramai gila buat tempahan. So, aku rasa 007 ni the next best after Losong lah. Boleh lah tahan rasanya, aku dah goreng dah, much better than we normally find dekat pasar malam lah. Hehehe... macam-macam jenis keropok ada jual kat sini, macam dalam gambar ni tapi kitorang pilih keropok lekor yang direbus saja untuk dibawa balik.

Lepas tengok Sempoii kat KT Specialist, kitorang proceed ke Pasar Payang. Surprisingly, dalam takde apa yang menarik dan tertarik untuk dibeli hari sebelumnya menjadi a complete turnaround pulak hari tu. Aduuuhhhh segala benda yang aku nampak, semuanya aku suka. Even, sebelum aku naik tangga Pasar payang tu pun, aku dah terbeli satu cincin batu JJ untuk disesuaikan dengan baju melayu aku yang warna hijau.

Bila dah naik ke Pasar Payang tu, kain batik marble yang semalamnya aku tengok macam tak cung, tetiba je jadi cung hari ni. Mungkin sebab semalamnya, Sempoii panggil kain batik tu, kain batik tanah liat. Tapi, the next day, Angah sebut kain batik marble. Of course laa marble sounds more attractive daripada tanah liat kan? So, aku rembatlah dalam 5 helai.

Pastu mata aku tertarik-tarik pulak tengok songket. Walaupun dah beli kat KB hari tu, tak pakai pun lagi hati aku macam cakap, "beli lah beli lah..." Lagipun everytime aku tunjuk kat mak aku songket yang aku baru beli, mak aku akan cakap, "Takpe beli songket boleh simpan, pakai ganti-ganti..." Ye lah ganti-ganti setahun dua kali. Ekekeke.... Aku terbeli sehelai ni yang simpler daripada the one bought in KB tapi RM10 lebih mahal. Memang ada orang kata songket Terengganu lagi mahal dari songket Kelantan (nak sedapkan hati... ekekekek). Ni songket yang aku beli.

Bila dah beli songket tu, rasa macam dah le, tapi still hati macam tak puas hati. Lalu kat kedai lain, mata ni dok perati lagi kain-kain songket. Sampai laa kat satu kedai songket ni, aku tengok boleh tahan songket-songket situ tapi aku tak singgah pun kedai tu. Bila aku dah kat kedai sebelah, baru aku ternampak dari kejauhan akan keindahan satu songket ni yang tersergam tergantung kat kedai tadi. Dan harganya boleh tahan tersergam jugak lah. Ekekekeke...

In the end, lepas aku usap-usap, belai-belai dan kutampakkan songket tu ke kulitku, aku pun bargain lah dengan tuan kedai tu. Dan aku rasa aku dapat harga yang berpatutanlah demi hatiku yang telah jatuh dengan songket tu, cinta pandang pertama agaknya. Heheheh...

Tu je lah yang aku beli, tertiris-tiris lah jugak poket aku. Lepas shopping mania tu, balik semula ke homestay, packing siap nak balik ni. Then, ke rumah PO untuk tea session (ribena session, actually ekekekeke). Lebih kurang jam 4.30pm ke 5pm macam tu, diorang hantar aku balik ke homestay sebab bas aku jam 8.30pm, then diorang gerak balik ke KL. Around 7.45pm, PO amik aku dan hantar ke bus stand KT, to catch my bus back to JB (yang bosan tu).

So, overall memang best gile aaa trip nih. Thanks to the host, PO, yang sempoi walaupun baru baik demam dan kesakitan kaki lepas balik mencandat, dan Kabas Rebanamaya yang never failed to make a simplest itinerary something enjoyable and unforgettable.

Kalau korang nak baca updates lain trip KT ni, boleh click kat blog Angah kat sini atau blog delinn kat sini dan sini dan sini ataupun korang boleh tengok gambar kat photobucket aku kat sini atau picasa delinn kat sini.

144th to 150th: Cerita KT Tiga!

2010-06-02T10:45:00.008+08:00

Fuhh... banyak lagi nak cerita ni.

Lepas kitorang balik dari laut/mencandat pagi tu, breakfast dulu, makan roti canai. Masssehhhh tak dapat nasi dagang yang ditunggu-tunggu! Tapau roti canai untuk surirumah-surirumah yang menanti hasil tangkapan di rumah. Lepas Sempoii buat check-up kat Klinik 1Malaysia, aku ikut Arc, delinn, Aisyah dengan Sempoii ke Pasar Payang, menjamu mata dan membantu menjana ekonomi negeri Terengganu. Hehehe...

Rush jugak waktu menengok-nengok benda kat Pasar Payang hari tu sebab lepas Zuhur, cadangnya nak lunch then ke Taman Tamadun Islam. Dan tak tau laa kenapa macam tak mari je mood nak menyopping hari tu. Dalam hati aku berkata, "Cukuplah cash yang aku bawak ni, berlebih-lebih agaknya..." Kita nantikan cukup ke tak cukup, hehehe...

Macam kat KB dulu, at our first shopping stop, aku ended up dengan ikan kering je. This time pun, aku ended up dengan foods, bukan ikan kering, tapi serunding daging. Itu sahaja. Dalam perjalanan ke parking dari Pasar Payang tu, rasa macam tak puas hati je sebab tak beli apa-apa sangat.

Siap sampai ke kedai emas pun aku dok tengok lagi apa-apa benda yang aku boleh beli, cincin ke apa ke kan? Tak puas sebab tak beli apa-apa. Anyway, sampai dekat tempat kereta kitorang park, ada pulak sorang makcik bukak payung, jual baju-baju santai dan blouse batik.

Sementara menunggu kereta sejuk heheheh... kitorang pun tengok-tengoklah barang kat makcik tu, boleh tahan jugaklah blouse batik situ, harga pun ok, aku rasa lah... so, aku rembat 3 blouse untuk kakak dan kakak ipar aku, satu lagi untuk... errr... takpelah, dan sehelai baju ala-ala santai (dan jarang menampakkan puting) untuk aku. Ni hasil tangkapan aku right outside where our car was parked. Lumayan tak?

While delinn, arc dengan Aisyah dah ready masuk kereta sebab yang geng-geng lain dah ready tunggu kitorang nak lunch sekali, aku masih dok melayan sempoii yang tak habis-habis lagi nak memborong blouse. Habis dikiranya adik-beradik dia, figuring what sizes they wear. Siap sempoii boleh tanya makcik tu, "Adik beradik saya berapa orang ye?" dan makcik tu boleh pulak jawab, "Adik beradik saya sembilan orang..." hehehe...

Terpaksa juga kitorang guna kekerasan dan ugutan supaya sempoii finished up her buying supaya tak terganggu aktiviti-aktiviti seterusnya. Too bad that it was the last time this trip that sempoii shopping di Passar Payang lagi sebab malam tu dia admitted kat KT Specialist Hospital. Sedih pulak aku jadinya, especially bila tengok gambar ni, bila Sempoii acting as if dia yang menjual kekacang tu. Ni pun lepas aku rasa setengah jam dia memilih souvenir untuk satu sekolah anak dia. Huhuhu....

Lepas lunch di Medan Selera Batu Burok, kitorang ke Taman Tamadun Islam. Tujuan asal - sila ingat ye, tujuan asal, nak melawat Masjid Kristal, Taman Tamadun Islam dan naik river cruise.

Cuma, tujuan asal tu telah dipinda lepas geng-geng ni nampak a big signage "Barang Terus dari Kilang" or something like that. Dan apa yang dari kilang tu? Kain batik ye tuan-tuan dan puan-puan.... dan ada pulak sale waktu tu, lebih murah dari yang dijual di Pasar Payang ataupun di Pasar Siti Khadijah. Apa lagi?

Tarikan keindahan Masjid Kristal pun tak dapat menandingi tarikan keindahan batik kan? So, ada laa dekat sejam (atau sejam lebih??) kitorang mengappreciate keindahan batik kat situ (macam wine appreciation jugak laa batik ni...) dan tertangkap lah aku dengan batik ni (batik crepe overlay), untuk aku buat baju batik aku. Dulu kat KB dan dapat sehelai. Huhuhu... tapi, aku suka laa... heheheh

Lepas dah berjaya mendapat hasil tangkapan, aku gi solat sekejap kat Masjid Kristal. Nak tengok jugak apa yang bestnya. Cantik laa bagi aku tapi functionality macam tak kena je. Mungkin jugak too crowded with visitors waktu tu, ada pulak satu kumpulan nak buat majlis akad nikah. Time aku solat, geng-geng makcik kumpulan pengantin tu borak punya kuat lah, dah le diorang lepak kat 5 atau 6 saf dari depan.

Keluar dari Masjid Kristal tu, dapat news yang tiket untuk river cruise dah habis. Aku tak laa ralat sangat sebab susah-susah sangat, aku gi je river cruise kat Kuala Kangsar pun boleh. Hehehe. Kitorang terus masuk Taman Tamadun Islam je lah. Sewa buggy yang 7 orang, dan aku sama LB sewa basikal. Ni gambar dua budak perempuan ponteng sekolah, diorang dah hijacked basikal aku dan LB.

Pada aku, bagus jugak lah TTI ni, macam round the world in half an hour. Boleh tengok masjid-masjid di dunia. Ada Masjidil Haram, Masjid Nabawi, Taj Mahal dan banyak lagi lah... banyak gambar yang aku ambik, nanti aku upload kan. Ni gambar aku berlatarbelakangkan Taj Mahal. Mahal woo gambar nih! Mahal sebab baju "nombor 2" tu ke agaknya? Heheheh...

Anyway, waktu kat replika Kubbah AS-Sakhrah, Baitul Muqqaddis, LB suruh kitorang posing depan replika tu. Sekali, brader yang jaga replika tu, yang bagi penerangan tentang masjid tu, kasik aku pakai jubah dia. Heheheh... rasa macam tok arab je aku jadinya, cuma jambang aku nak kena sikat sikit aaa. Siapkan Sempoii nak dekat-dekat dengan aku, amik gambar sekali, aku cakap, "Harammm harammm..." Ekekeke... amacam? Smart tak aku pakai jubah?

Lepas TTI, kitorang balik siap-siap, malam tu PO bawak gi Bukit Tunggal makan sotong dan ikan bakar, dapp!!! Gambarnya ada kat entry semalam kan? Tu je yang sempat amik, sebab tak menyempat-nyempat nak membedal sotong. Hehehehe...

Okeh, aku dah penat update ni. Esok sambung lagi lah cerita KT ni. Last round punya...

144th to 150th: Cerita KT Dua!

2010-05-31T22:47:00.001+08:00

Ok sambung cerita trip ke KT. Kali ni bab mencandat sotong pulak. Only the guys yang pergi mencandat hari tu, PO, LB, Par, aku dan dua orang lagi kawan PO. Pastu ada few others dalam bot tu - tekong and the multiskilled crew lah. Multiskill sebab diorang boleh prepare bahan untuk mencandat, boleh bawak bot, boleh siang ikan, boleh masak, macam-macam lah... and it was LB's and Par's first time mencandat sotong ni, kita tengok how they handle it? Hehehe...

Seawal jam 6.30pm kitorang dah masuk perairan Pulau.. hmmm Pulau apa ek? Anyway, kitorang dah masuk kawasan mencandat lah waktu tu, dah boleh mencandat dah walaupun masih terang. Mulanya aku rasa plan diorang macam nak mancing dulu, then bila tengok ada banyak (I mean really a lot!) bot yang tengah mencandat kat satu tempat tu, sauh bot kitorang pun dilabuhkan, dan kitorang pun mencampakkan candat masing-masing ke laut... tengok gambar ni betapa ramainya bot waktu tu.

Kitorang stay at that position sampailah matahari terbenam, tapi takde seekor sotong pun dapat dinaikkan. Ternampak wajah-wajah kedukaan terpampang di muka first timer-first timer kita hehehe... ada jugak dalam hati aku yang aku rasa macam janganlah tak dapat sekor pun sotong, mana nak letak muka kat geng-geng perempuan yang tak dapat pergi mencandat, especially dengan Angah hehehe... At that point of time, tekong decided untuk alih bot ke spot lain. Sementara bot bergerak ke tempat lain, lihatlah gambar time nak sunset ni...

Lepas maghrib tu aku pun masuk kabin, tidur. Bukannya mabuk tapi mengantuk sangat sebab malam sebelum tu tak cukup tidur dalam bas sebab grup Singapore bedebah yang memekak tu. Anyway, lepas aku terjaga dari tidur tu, lebih kurang jam 8.15pm macam tu, bot kitorang dah beralih tempat, hari pun dah gelap. Aku tengok diorang dah mula mencandat. Aku macam malas nak campak candat aku ke laut sebab yang lain-lain pun macam tak dapat je hasilnya pun lagi.

Lebih kurang time tu jugak dapat twitter delinn yang macam perli-perli pulak sebab diorang tak dapat twit lagi dari aku yang ada mengatakan sotong telah berjaya dinaikkan. Aku janji dengan diorang, nak twit everytime sotong naik, siap kena letak gambar sekali sebagai bahan bukti. Panas jugak laa hati aku waktu tu. Waktu PO tengah solat, aku main-main candat dia. Then, terasa berat wo! Aku pun tarik... perghhh!!! Naik first sotong lebih kurang jam 8.30pm.

Habis aku twit first sotong tu, Shahrom kawan PO naikkan pulak sotong ke 2,3,4 serentak! Tiga serangkai ataupun aku panggil 'threesome'. Baru nak twit yang tu, naik pulak nombor 4, aku tak sure siapa naikkan. Then aku dah haru biru, mana nak twit, mana nak amik gambar, mana nak mencandat. Nasiblah kan, yang aku tau delinn, Arc dengan Sempoii tengah dinner kat darat time tu sure bersorak everytime dapat twit sotong naik. Ekekekek...

8.30pm rush hour tu tak bertahan lama tapi cukup untuk naikkan semangat lah. Ada lah dalam 15 ekor sotong naik waktu rush hour tu. Sotong baru balik mengaji kot time tu lalu bawah bot kitorang. Semangat rush hour tu cukup bermakna especially untuk Par dan LB, sampaikan Par sepanjang malam tu tidur duduk je agaknya sambil tangan sebelah mencandat. Aku? Aku dapat naikkan seekor lagi waktu rush hour tu, lepas tu bila aku tengok dah slow je, aku masuk kabin semula, tidur laa de.... ekekekek

Waktu nak masuk tidur tu, tekong tengah masak, bau macam masak kari. Tapi aku tidur jugaklah. Sedap sehhh tidur waktu tu, angin kuat menderu-deru pastu terbuai-buai je kan. Sampaikan PO kejut aku makan pun aku kata makan dulu. Hehehe...

Almost midnight, aku bangun (sebab lapar!), tengok dalam periuk ada nasi putih, kuah ikan yang bau tadi macam kari tapi rupa macam kurma, tapi sedappp!!! dan ikan cencaru goreng garam je, pun sedapppp!!! Tapi aku takut nak makan banyak-banyak, takutlah perut meracau, payah le pulak kena menonggeng kat tepi bot.

Lepas makan, aku survey laa keliling bot, ada banyak juga lah hasil tangkapan, dekat 25 ekor. Dan pencandat-pencandat tegar masih tegar mencandat walaupun raut muka macam mengantuk dan kepenatan. Aku, campak jugaklah candat tapi tak dalam sesejam setengah, tak naik pun sotong. Aku masuk tidur balik ekekekek....

Around 4am macam tu, aku terjaga lagi (kali ni tak tahan nak kencing pulak). Aku tengok ramai pencandat dah tidur. Yang tegar, Par dan LB, tetap mencandat tapi dah beralih posisi. LB lagi terrer, sambil baring je dia mencandat. Heheheh... Time ni aku dah malas nak campak candat aku sebab memang dah slow gila sotong naik. Dalam bakul dan keliling bot adalah dah 30 ekor lebih rasanya. Ni gambar pencandat tegar, Par dan sotong yang dinaikkan...

Pastu aku tengok LB macam merana je tidur-tidur ayam sambil tangan hayun-hayun candat. Aku ambik candat dari tangan dia pastu aku kata, bro tidur je lah... So, aku amik alih candat dia, dalam setengah jam lepas tu, rasa berat lagi, naik pulak dua ekor sotong serentak... ni nak panggil apa pulak? Bisex? Ekekeke... Dan itulah dua sotong terakhir yang naik sampai kitorang decided untuk balik ke darat sekitar jam 5.30am macam tu... ni lah gambar sebahagian hasil malam tu yang aku rasa ada dalam 40 ekor kot?

Malam tu, sotong-sotong yang dah dicandat tu, dikerjakan. PO bawak kitorang dinner kat one kedai ikan bakar kat area Bukit Tunggal dan inilah bagaimana sotong-sotong tu dikerjakan...

Bertambah-tambah makan masing-masing malam tu, lupa kejap bab kolesterol hehehe... Dan verdict untuk mencandat sotong, oleh LB, "Nanti kita buat lagi mencandat ni!" dengan penuh semangat! Nanti aku sambung lagi cerita, tak habis lagi nih...

144th to 150th: Cerita KT

2010-05-30T23:55:00.000+08:00

Last week was all about anticipating the long weekend because of Wesak Day on Friday. Isnin hingga Khamis tu, macam biasa lah makan tido lari je kerja aku. One notable achievement untuk aku ialah aku berjaya lari 21km pagi Khamis tu, masa aku 2jam 7minit.

Khamis malam tu, seperti yang telah dirancang lama jugak, seawal bulan Februari rasanya, aku siap-siap dengan backpack aku dan Coleman aku untuk ke KT, mencandat sotong sambil bercuti dengan Kabas Rebanamaya (kabas tu singkatan kepada kaum-kaum basi heheheh). Dan bermulalah 5 weekends aku di 5 lokasi berlainan - KT, Penang, Ipoh, JB, KL/Shah Alam.

Aku sepatutnya naik bas jam 10pm (bas terakhir JB-KT), tapi bas Transnasional tu dari Singapura terlewat tiba. Dengarnya jem nak masuk ke Malaysia sebab dah mula cuti sekolah di Singapura. Akhirnya, bas sampai juga jam 11.30pm dan bergerak ke KT tak lama lepas tu.

Cuma dalam bas tu aku agak tak selesa. Satu, sebab kaki aku masih tak cukup recover dari larian aku pagi tu, dalam bas tak boleh completely melunjur. Then, air cond sejuk sangat. Ketiganya, ada satu grup (dalam 6 orang) orang-orang dewasa or agak tua yang naik di Singapura yang boleh bersembang kuat-kuat dan gelak-gelak dalam bas tu pulak time orang lain nak tidur.

Asal bas berhenti untuk supper, buang air je, diorang bising-bising turun bas, pastu bila naik bas balik, bising-bising dalam 30minit pastu tidur. Ada laa 3 kali bas berhenti. Pastu around 4.30am, bila one of them terjaga, dia buat bising and the rest followed. Bila bas berhenti solat Subuh, takde pulak nak bising-bising? Memang aku pissed off dengan grup tu. Dan waktu kat stesen bas KT, nak balik ke JB, aku nampak grup tu lagi. Nasib baik diorang tak naik bas sekali dengan aku. Lega!

Anyway, aku tiba di KT around 7.30am kot?! Aku nampak Par dan Aishah yang dah sampai dari KL lagi awal, maybe 6am or so. Tak lama lepas tu, hos kitorang kat sana, si PO pun sampai untuk fetch kitorang. Breakfast - cadangnya nak makan nasi dagang tapi kedai tu tak masak nasi dagang pulak hari tu, hari cuti kot.

First destination, PO bawak kitorang ke one of the famous landmarks kat Terengganu....

Menurut PO, lagi ramai orang amik gambar stadium ni bila dah runtuh daripada sebelum runtuh. Hehehe. Sementara tunggu kunci homestay, kitorang pusing-pusing dulu. Around 10am, checked in kat homestay tu, a double-storey link house, 4 bedroom, 3 bathrooms, just opposite KT airport. Sangat ok homestay tu, all rooms are air-conditioned, boleh masak kalau nak, washing machine ada siap detergent, astro basic channels pun ada.

After Friday prayer, kabas yang bermalam di Kuantan tiba - Angah, Wan, Arc, LB, Delinn, Sempoii. We headed for lunch, makan nasi dan sup ala Kelantan. Murah sajork to our surprise! Kitorang budgeted RM270 untuk makan berkeluarga 9 orang sepanjang trip ni, dan.... tak habis pun RM270 tu. Cayorklah KT!

Lepas Asar, kitorang ke jeti. Aku, Par dan LB ikut mencandat. Yang lain-lain babai-babai je kitorang dan lepas tu dan sepanjang malam tu tak tau lah diorang merayap ke mana. Angah dengan Wan pulak gi mencandat kat Kota Bharu. Lumayan jugak hasil tangkapan diorang, bermeter-meter kain batik, berpuluh-puluh helai tudung. Heheheh...

Cerita bab mencandat pulak... hmmm... nantilah aku sambung pulak, dah panjang ni.

POW: Murtabak Singapura

2010-05-28T09:10:00.000+08:00

Di JB, murtabak yang famous, a.k.a. Murtabak Singapura, ni lain dari yang biasa terdapat di KL. Ada juga murtabak biasa, tapi kalau datang ke JB, cubalah Murtabak Singapura. Salah satu tempat yang kita boleh jumpa Murtabak Singapura ni ialah di Medan Selera Sg. Chat di sepanjang jalan Pantai Lido. Korang cari Dataran MBJB dan boelh jumpa lah Medan Selera yang ada 4-5 kedai je tu.

Yang bezanya murtabak Singapura ni ialah dagingnya di dalam dan juga di tabur di luar murtabak tu. Dapppp wooooo!!!

So, tengok je lah gambar ni, aku tak reti nak tulis panjang-panjang pasal Murtabak Singapura ni.

Yang dalam gambar tu ialah Murtabak Special, double layer, harganya RM9 sajork. Untuk tempahan atau keterangan lanjut atau tak jumpa kedai, boleh hubungi 019-7122111.

Aku pun boleh tulis panjang-panjang sebab aku sedang bercuti ni di Kuala Terengganu. While korang salivating, drooling bila tengok gambar murtabak tu, aku tengah dapppp makan nasi dagang, kerpok lekor... hmmmm.....

Sweet 17. Oh! I like!!

2010-05-27T12:35:00.006+08:00

Semalam aku buat body measurement/reading kat Club. The last time aku buat benda ni was in October 2009, some 7 months ago. Untuk pengetahuan korang, 7 bulan lepas memang aku dapat rasakan sendiri yang aku ni out of shape, gemok (dah le kurang tinggi kan?), it was bad! Really bad... dan waktu tu aku ada jugak lari-lari ni tapi tak serius sangat. Aku ingat lagi waktu tu, nak lari 5km under 45 minutes on treadmill pun macam nak mati. Tapi sekarang tidak lagi, 5km tu 25 minit je aku lari kat treadmill. Heheheh....

Anyway, the readings yesterday shows that I am ok and fit, overall except my bone mass which is quite low. The solution - I need to pump more iron (or lift weights lah) which I hate! Some notable comparisons from yesterday's reading and last October's readings:

Weight: 55.6kg (was 63.5kg)
BMI: 21.7 (was 25.6 - obese level 1)
Metabolic age: Schweeet 17! Fewwitttt!!! (was 28)
Visceral fat: 3 (was 10)
Body fat: 12.3% (was 23%)

Perghhh... paling best tu, metabolic age aku baru 17 beb!!! Baru nak amik SPM tu... hahahah... aku pun tak tau lah, if I train harder, will the metabolic age goes down to 15? 13? or 9? Siap aku buat lawak kat office, aku cakap sekali lagi tujuh bulan aku buat measurement, time analyze metabolic age tu, trainer aku cakap, "you're not born yet!" Hahahaha...

Cuba korang tengok gambar aku dulu dan sekarang ni. Dulu = November 2009, Sekarang = May 2010.

Ohh dan cholesterol level aku was 8.6 in January 2010 and 3.5 in February 2010 ya! Sekarang, tak tau sebab belum check, hujung bulan Jun 2010 baru check semula, hopefully it stays low.

Ok, malam ni aku gerak ke Terengganu dengan geng-geng (atau lebih tepat, muka-muka basi) rebanamaya dan acara sopan santun dan jiwa murni di Terengganu akan dihoskan oleh brader PO. Selamat berhujung minggu yang panjang, kalau memandu ke mana-mana, berhati-hati dan jaga makan ye, watch your visceral fat!! Ekekekek...

Panini World Cup Sticker Album - 260510

2010-05-26T10:14:00.002+08:00

As I mentioned before, I vouched to get my Panini World Cup 2010 Sticker Album completed this time - a feat I've never achieved before. With the album bought on Sunday and 5 free stickers to start with, I went to the MyNews in Plaza Angsana on Monday to buy the stickers in bulk.

I asked the person there about the discount offered by Panini if you buy in bulk but he has no clue at all and had to make a call to confirm about the discount voucher I showed to him. I wanted to buy 100 packs (equivalent to 500 stickers) but they don't have enough. He asked me to come back on Wednesday when the new stock arrived. In the end I just requested for 50 packs (or 250 stickers) and that's RM85 after deducting RM10 discount.

That night I went all out to paste the stickers but only managed to get 25 packs done, cramped all my legs as I was doing in while sitting on the floor. Continued last night with another 15 packs and the completion rate for the album now stands at 29.7% (189/637 stickers) with 16 stickers found duplicate and ready to trade.

Here are snapshots of my two most completed pages :-)

And here's the list of stickers anybody want to trade with or buy from me (leave your comment and email in the comments box, but only restricted for residents in Malaysia and Singapore)

Sticker no: Details
14: Mangaung/Bloemfontein Stadium
99: Florent Malouda
117: Maxi Rodriguez
137: Kalu Uche
231: Khaled Lemmouchia
241: Samir Handanovic
266: Arne Friedrich
269: Thomas Hitzlsperger
331: Asamoah Gyan
340: Andre Ooijer
381: Yuki Abe
422: Andrea Pirlo
427: Alberto Gilardino
430: Paraguay Emblem
575: Jesus Navas
633: Fabian Orellama

Ideally, to complete all 637 stickers, one needs to buy 128 packs (RM243.20) but of course as the completion rate gets higher, you'll get more duplicate stickers and the list above will grow longer (like Rooney's beard in Nike World Cup tv ad). Fret not, today am going to buy another 50 or if the store has enough stock, I'll buy 100 packs of stickers that will keep me occupied this long weekend or err... the whole next week? :-)

Another thing, if you want to do this virtually, you can do it at http://www.fifa.com/stickeralbum

The Joe's story - 230510

2010-05-24T01:15:00.001+08:00

Okeh nak update sikit. Around 9.20pm, time aku tengah ~~sedap-sedap layan Shaq dan Mas Idayu dalam Mentor 4~~ sidai kain kat luar rumah, ada unknown number masuk, dua kali. Dua-dua kali tu aku tak sedar/tak perasan ebab handphone aku kat bilik atas. Aku syak Joe yang call. Dua kali pulak tu!

Terus aku jadi macam blur je. Aku terbayang yang kalau korang, peminat-peminat Joe, tahu aku tak jawab call dia, sure korang marah dengan aku. Tension aku jadinya. Ye lah selama ni ke hulu ke hilir aku usung handphone aku around 9pm onwards. Time aku tak usung tu pulak yang Joe called. Ye lah, aku sidai kain, pakai kain, tak boleh nak selit handphone kat mana-mana.

Anyway, after sort of praying that he calls back, dan aku alerted delinn suruh on standby mode kot-kot Joe call dia pulak. Then, aku dapat YM message dari delinn suruh aku standby, sebab Joe nak call aku. Obviously, lepas aku tak jawab call dia tadi, dia called delinn pulak.

Then, he called...

The court hearing on 20th May went on, although just for 5 minutes. Judge tu memang dah assigned for that particular detention center. Joe was represented by a lawyer. He was given sort of statement yang suruh mengaku bersalah. Ini memang standard procedure, sebab kalau tak mengaku bersalah, maksudnya kau nak claim trial pulak kan.

After sort of pleaded guilty macam tu, the verdict is that he will be detained between 0 to 6 months, including yang dah sebulan dia dah kat situ. So, kalau campur dia dah sebulan kat situ, max he will be detained for another 5 months. But, the lawyer will file I'm not sure whether it's the appeal or documentations for deportation ke apa to the judge again, which will take place 2 months from the last court hearing, so 20th July 2010 is the next hearing.

To give you all clearer and simpler understanding, Joe will still be at the detention center until at least 20th July 2010. Daripada 20th July punya hearing tu, if everything goes well, the deportation process akan ambik masa max sebulan pulak. Aku tanya ada possibilities dia akan ditahan di tempat lain? Dia kata tak sure tapi kalau boleh dia nak remains in Buffalo.

Joe ada jugak cakap dia harap dia tak kena spend bulan Ramadhan kat sana, aku tak tanya kenapa. Tapi nampak gayanya, macam kena spend seseminggu dua at least. Takpelah, itu semua perancangan manusia, kita berdoalah agar rahmat bulan Ramadhan tu nanti, Joe dapat berpuasa kat sini, ye?

Apart from the court hearing nya story, suara Joe macam selsema sikit, sob sob bunyinya. Aku tanya selsema ke? Dia kata tak, cuma waktu dia called delinn sebelum tu, dia tersedih. Aku tak tau laa apa yang dia borak dengan delinn sampai tersedih tu. Aku tanya berat badan turun tak? Dia kata hari tu dia timbang, turun 2kg :-( pastu dia tak timbang dah.

Pastu, dia kata dia dah botakkan kepala. Hehehe... dia kata senang sikit sebab barber datang situ sebulan sekali. Korang tau laa rambut Joe tu bila panjang sikit, nanti jadi afro pulak. Ekekekeke... dan dia tengah pakai ketayap waktu tu, dia beli katanya. Aku tanya ada pulak jual ketayap. Actually diorang boleh order dan barang sampai dalam seseminggu macam tu. Selain daripada ketayap, ada jual Quran terjemahan, sejadah, etc.

Pastu Joe cerita lagi, makin dia pakai ketayap, makin nakal jadinya. Aku tanya lah nakal macam mana? Dia kata macam waktu main chess dengan other inmates, gelak berdekah-dekah. Pastu bila ada new detainee baru masuk, dia lah yang jadi 'ketua sorak'. Adehhh... at least we know, he's ok in there, tapi dia pun sedar laa yang 'teruk'nya perangai dia tu.

And then dia cakaplah some detainees kat situ dah lama kena tahan, so perangai dah macam gila-gila lah dan Joe pun cakap something like, dia risau nanti dia lama-lama kat situ dia tak tau nak buat apa of which aku cakaplah baca quran, khatam lah 3-4 kali. And he said, dah nak habis dah seround. Alhamdulillah.

Ada few things aku nak tanya dia, tapi tak sempat sebab dia dah kata, "Oklah deo... nanti lagi 2 minggu ke aku call kau balik." So, itu je lah yang aku boleh update kat sini. Dan aku jugak dah sampaikan salam korang semua, in general, kat dia. Aku cakap, sejak nekrock link kan blog aku kat blog dia, menderu-deru traffic masuk blog aku to which he laughs. So, aku rasa he appreciates doa dan salam korang semua, ok.

Tu je. Kalau ada salah kata/penulisan aku, aku mintak maaf. Ye lah ramai sangat peminat Joe ni, takut aku jadinya nak mengarang ayat, nak kena jaga hati semua. :-)

137th to 143rd

2010-05-23T23:01:00.009+08:00

Tak banyak cerita minggu ni since weekend aku kat JB je, spending my second last weekend here. Weekdays pun ceritanya, kerja macam tak kerja, makan, tidur, berlari. Tu je. Cuma ada few things happened that worth mentioning laa (yang aku rasa laaa) ekekekeke....

I did two firsts in my life last week!

First, aku registered untuk my first oversea run! tapi takde lah jauh mana pun, kat Singapore je this December. Mulanya aku pun takde lah rasa oversea sangat larian aku nanti tapi waktu aku nak register tu, dia mintak no. passport, selalunya kita bagi nombor KP je. Waktu tu barulah terasa ke'oversea'annya larian aku tu nanti. Tarikhnya 5 Disember, aku registered for Half Marathon (21km) category. Start point will be in Sentosa dan tamat di Padang/Esplanade. Kalau korang nak join aku, boleh check it out kat sini

Dan aku ada lah planned tahun depan aku nak gi berlari jauh sikit lah dari Malaysia, dari KL. Yang aku rasa aku boleh confirmed, mungkin Borneo Run kat K.Kinabalu. Then, aku target either Bali or Pattaya. Kalau nak best, maybe Gold Coast. Lagi nak best, dream run aku, of course lah London atau Boston Marathon. Tapi yang macam London Marathon ni ada quota for non-British dan kena apply. Masalahnya, yang 2011 race punya application pun dah tutup. Haish...

Second first untuk aku yang berlaku minggu lepas, aku derma darah buat pertama kali dalam hidup aku. Company aku ada buat program derma darah dengan Johor Specialist last Friday. Aku tak sure apa benda yang menyebabkan aku tak derma darah sebelum ni tapi aku rasa best gila derma darah ni. Tapi dengan syarat, diorang bius dulu laa dengan jarum kecik sebelum dia hisap darah dengan jarum bagak.

It took just a little over 5 minutes je nak dapat darah satu pint. Isi questionnaire form lagi lama, borak dengan orang hospital lepas dia cabut jarum tu lagi lama. Pastu, dah derma darah tu, dapat pulak macam-macam goodies, dapat organizer box letak dalam bonet kereta, dapat hand towel company aku kasi, dapat biskut tiger, milo lagi. Man! I never knew donating blood is so much fun and the rewards is so much. Hehehe...

Definitely it's not going to be my last time lah tapi dengan syarat di atas tadi tu. Bius dengan jarum kecik, baru masuk jarum bagak!

Another thing I want to share, tadi lepas lunch aku beli Panini's Official World Cup Sticker Album. Kalau korang kecik-kecik dulu pernah main menatang Panini ni sure korang tau, especially to boys laa. Beli album dia kacang je, tapi nak beli sticker tu yang masalahnya. Pastu bila beli sticker pack (5 pieces to a pack), dapat sticker yang sama pulak, dah nak kena cari kawan-kawan nak trade.

Dulu waktu aku kecik-kecik, aku ada dua atau tiga collections je, World Cup, WWW (collect gambar haiwan-haiwan) dan satu lagi aku tak ingat. Macam aku cakap tadi, beli album senang je, nak penuhkan album dengan stickers tu yang jadi masalahnya. Dan album-album aku tu, takdelah yang penuh, walaupun separuh. Almaklum, duit belanja kecik, lepas tolak duit makan, ada balance, kumpul 3-4 hari baru dapat beli satu stikcer pack. Dah beli satu pack, dapat pulak sticker yang dah ada. Huhuhu...

Tapi sekarang ni, Panini buat style, siap korang boleh request kat diorang (kena beli lah) stickers apa yang korang nak, yang korang takde lagi - up to 100 stickers. Pastu, kalau beli satu kotak, ada 100-150 packets, siap dapat diskaun lagi. So, siaplah... memang aku target aku nak beli ikut kotak je, tak main dah beli ikut sepacket sepacket ni. Dan aku vouch aku akan penuhkan album aku tu. Hehehe...

So kalau ada anak-anak, adik-adik, anak-anak sedara korang yang nak trade stickers dengan aku, cakap ye... nanti aku publishkan list of stickers wanted or to-trade.

Ok, bye!