In a mad world, only the sane are crazy..

To me, a classic is one that can stand the test of time. And a true comedy is one which doesn't try to be too smart nor trying to downplay the importance of message, meaning striking some sort of balance between the two.

I'm not trying to say that this movie is the best Malaysian Comedy of all time. But the combination of extreme comedy and subtle message of societal orientation may have brought Sikit Punya Gila a kind of a cult status in the history of Malaysian cinema.

Who can ever forget the "kuda longkang" scene, which depicts the gambling and "easy money" phenomenon that has plaguing our society until now. Not to mention, the scene is funny as hell. That's how subtle the message is displayed, by layering it with a comedic storyline, which is simply Comedy 101.

It's amazing how things have changed. In the film, it shows that you even have people working as elevator opreators, which is insanely amazing. At this point in time, where productivity is the main key in our nation building process, it ponders the question, how lazy can you be, if you even need someone to push the elevator button for you..?

As a storyteller, Raja Ismail and Zulkifli Ahmad paints a pretty good picture of how the public dealt with the demanding environment of our country in its developing stages. It shows how money is the main factor and initiative in everyday life, and how it controls every aspect of behaviour and mindset of the people.

The comedy in this film is spot on too. The comedic elements have a certain "next-door" type of feel, which makes the audience relates to it even more. The characters are woven into a neighborhood which one might wonder if it was depicted from their own backyard.

Comedy Classic 101. No straightforward preaching. Subtle Message. Outrageously Funny.

This film gets my vote.

Not Minang, but loving it.....

Growing up, to have a real life story that you can read and relate to is like finding a needle in the haystack. I mean, those days, there were many reading materials for kids and teenagers. But nothing could have prepared for the impact that Aku Budak Minang would unleash on all the adolescent souls that have read it.

The way Ujang brought the timeline of his life and weave it into a storyline is priceless in a literary sense. I mean, the language used is not really the DBP-style of BM. But still, it was gripping and intense as a peronal memoir of sorts. It's like hearing a story of your best friend's life. And Ujang has managed to befriend all the readers with this piece as the presentation was casual, simplistic, and radical in a comical-type of literature.

Having read Ujang's thought's about his mom (Air mata aku mengalir bukan kerana sakit dirotan mak, cuma aku terpikir, tak penatkah mak memukul aku dari kecil hingga aku besar?), was just enough to make me wish I was there for him as a friend and lend him my ears and my acquaintance. He was that close. And in my opinion, that's a hell of an accomplishment to have manage in making your readers felt like that.

I can't say I led a similar life to Ujang's. I mean, where as other parents would be mad as hell if their kids read Gila-Gila, my dad was totally an advocate of reading, that it doesnt matter if I read comics, magazine, or humour magazines. As long as it's approved by him, I could get away reading anything.

That's how lucky I was.

This is the one book I'm glad my dad approved.

Define or Defy the Race........

I was never a fan of Erma Fatima. Neither as an actress, nor a director. I mean, no disrespect to her past achievements. She was superb in Hati Bukan Kristal (1990), and her directorial debut, Jimi Asmara is quite alright. But when she came out with this gem, I was in awe.

Who would have the balls (no pun intended!) to carry a movie with a theme that was so controversial, at a time when the nation is at loggerheads about issues on race, politics, and dignity. The movie captured the essence of being at the end of a crossroad, which one would have to define the real meaning of having the liberties of freedom, or a culture that binds a whole race together.

And the fact that the movie is written by Hishamuddin Rais, maybe does have it effects on the idealisme that the movie potrays. And the film was so good, that it even made Eizlan Yusoff's performance believable. No offence to him as well.

In my opinion, one of the best Malays movies in the 90's.

Bright side of the moon...

What do these two men have in common?

One is Bing Slamet and the other one is Sam Saimun. Both of these men have sung the song that in my opinion, is undoubtedly, the best love song EVER, in history.

Am I exaggerating? No, I am not. It's such a wonderful song that it'll make the hair on your back stand as you hear an honest outpouring by a man to his woman. And if you're a girl, you might want to grab some tissue paper before you really want to indulge this poetic masterpiece.

Composed by Mochtar Embut, the song has been covered by a wide range of singers from S. Effendy, Hetty Koes Endang and even our very own Sharifah Aini. But none of them can match those two gentlemen that I mentioned earlier. Both of them brought justice to the song, as the song this magnitude needs someone who can carry it wholeheartedly, and these two certainly did.

Some might wonder, is it THAT good? Just look at the lyrics, and you'll see what I mean.

Di wajahmu ku lihat bulan

bersembunyi di sudut kerlingan

Sadarkah puan kau ditatap insan

yang haus akan belaian

Di wajahmu ku lihat bulan

menerangi hati gelap rawan

Biarlah daku mencari naungan

di wajah damai rupawan

Serasa tiada jauh dan mudah dicapai tangan

Ingin hati menjangkau, kiranya tinggi di awan

Di wajahmu ku lihat bulan

yang mengintai di balik senyuman

Jangan biarkan ku tiada berkawan

Hamba selalu menantikan

Still not convinced? then listen to it yourself..

They dont make it like they use to. Brilliant.

When will it end...

I'm sorry if I'm being a bore or anything. But please bear with me. I'm not trying to be political or anything okay...?

With all the commotion about what's happening in Gaza right now, I just can't figure out what's really on the minds of these superpowers that intend to think that Israel is doing the right thing.

Look, if even Noam Chomsky and Arik Ascherman says its wrong, then maybe most probably its wrong.

Yes folks, Noam Chomsky. A Linguistic professor and An Anarchist. For fuck sakes, even AN ANARCHIST says its wrong.

And that Ascherman dude? He's the executive director for a human rights organisation. And he's a rabbi who lives in Israel. A rabbi dude!


God help us all.

Shaken (not stirred), Rattle and Roll......

The latest film in the James Bond franchise, Quantum of Solace, opens today, nationwide.

To tell you the truth, I'm not really a Bond fan. In fact, I can't really remember when was the last time I actually watch a Bond movie right from the start until the end. It's either the middle of the movie, or the ending.


But one thing that I anticipate each time a Bond movie is released, is the soundtrack. From the very beginning, every Bond movie has its own signature track that will either signify the impact of the movie, or just be there for the sake of it.

I truly believe a Bond movie is hugely influenced by its theme song. If it sounds good, then it will do wonders for the movie. But if it sucks, well, you know where I'm going with this right?

One of the best theme song from Bond in my opinion is the theme from Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney and Wings. That track kind of lifted James Bond from a streotyped-classic-persona kind of character to a really hard hitting-Sarcastic-kicking ass-taking names kind of spy. I mean, Roger Moore as James Bond? Genius.

Chris Cornell almost pulled it off last time through You Know My Name from Casino Royale. Although it's not magnificient, but it was a decent try and a good song.

I have nothing against the Bond themes post-Roger Moore and Pre-Daniel Craig's reign, but tell me, does anyone remember A-Ha's rendition of the theme from The Living Daylights..?.............No?..........That's exactly what I mean.

To me, a Bond theme should be a timeless...or a classic..or just plain revolutionary. Not just a mediocre, half-assed type of song. A really genuine track that would symbolize a unique character that Bond embodies.


Let's just hope Jack White and Alicia Keys can pull it off this time.

Not again....

First of all, I don't wanna sound like I'm being political or anything.

But the thing is, with all the ruckus that has been going on, I just don't know what to believe anymore. It's like 1997-1999 all over again. I still remember those days. Economic crisis, political turmoil, and all kinds of shit. And with what's been happening these past few months, is just like a blast from the past. Dejavu. or whatever you may call it.

Eventhough I was still a kid at the time, but I can still remember how chaotic the situation is. In my school, it was like, teachers became rebel leaders, newspapers were selling like hotcakes, and everyone has their own conspiracy theories. Even us, the students. Some of us were so caught up in it, that we even skipped class to just hang out in the library to check what's in the news. As for me, I stashed a copy of The Asian Renaissance under my bed for no obvious reason.

As the scenario that is occuring now is kind of similar to what happened back then, I only wish for one thing.


I just want all of it to stop. Because to me, all of it, is just getting out of hand and really, makes no sense at all.

Even Cypress Hill wouldn't want to be a rockstar anymore...

I’m not trying to be a prick or anything, but with the recent increase of, let’s just say everything, I can’t help but to feel how lucky I am.

Maybe you’re asking why.

I mean, let’s look at it this way. While some (not all) of my friends who used to laugh at me because I don’t have a car, are scratching their heads over the price of fuel to fill up their tanks, I on the other hand can still feel comfortable with forking up just fifteen bucks a week for a full tank of petrol for my scooter.

I do feel bad about the increase, as many people will have to suffer from the consequences. But as far as it goes for me, I’m still thankful.

To some of my teachers who once said that having big cars is the is the sign that you have made it in life, and that you don’t have to worry about anything anymore when that time comes, you might want to think back about what you said.

I bet you’re scratching your heads too cikgu.

Yes, it is indeed a fact that bullshit walks...

I couldnt sleep after Subuh the other day as I used to, and I thought, while I'm up, I might as well start the day with some tv to kill some time before I'm off to work.

And on the telly that morning was this motivational kind of programme for kids and teenagers, which the speaker, who happens to be a motivation specialist, talked about how to improve life and academic excellence, all of those things in that matter.

I watched it that morning, just for the sake of it. And this motivational speaker, a Doctor to be exact, was going on and on, about life, about family, ambition and all sorts of things. But what got my attention was his thoughts about choosing your friends.


Kalau kita nak berjaya, mestilah kita berkawan dengan orang yang dah berjaya dan orang-orang yang pandai. Barulah kita pun boleh sama-sama berjaya.

Tapi kalau kita asyik berkawan dengan orang-orang yang tak berjaya, orang-orang yang tak berapa pandai, contohnya penoreh getah ke, nelayan ke, pemungut sampah ke, kejayaan tu takkan sampai pada kita. Sebab kelompok rakan atau kenalan kita semuanya tak mencapai kejayaan. Secara tak langsung kita pun takkan berjaya.


Wait, that does not make sense, doesnt it?

I think the last thing we want in this world is another generation of snobs and elitists. Because in my opinion, we already have plenty of that to deal with now, every single day.

I mean, if every morning a motivational specialist could come up with such bullshit for the kids, I wonder what will happen to them in the long run.


What a way to start the day.

Do we really need this kind of stuff....?

This is a true story. And I swear I am not making this up. You might think I did, because I couldn't believe it myself.

I was having my nescafe the other day. It was a sunny day. No signs of rain whatsoever. The place was almost filled with people that day. Luckily, I got my seat and proceeded to read my newspaper while enjoying a glass of nescafe ais.

As I flipped through the pages, I noticed a girl was walking up the stairs . She looked kinda cheerful. Maybe it's because of the weather. She sat at the table behind me. Moments later, a guy, followed suit, with two plates of nasi kandar and took a seat next to her.

Suddenly, the girl cried. She was sobbing continuosly.

I didn't mean to eavesdrop on them or anything. But because of the table's positions, it just made it harder for me not to listen,no matter how hard I try because they were so close behind me. I could tell the guy was really confused about the whole thing.


Kenapa nangis ni?

Sampai hati awak buat saya macam ni....

Apa saya dah buat?

Awak fikirlah sendiri....

Cakaplah....saya ada buat salah ke? Janganlah macam ni....

Awaklah....

Saya?

Ye lah...sampai hati awak ambik nasi je...Papadom mana? Takkan saya nak pegi amik sendiri pulak....


I was dumbfounded.

All that drama just for papadoms...??


God help us all.

A delicate matter to answer...

Exactly a week ago, when millions of people were celebrating love that day, a friend of mine called me and asked one simple question.


Ko rasa, lagu apa yang the ultimate love song?

Susah nak jawab tu. Kenapa?

Aku nak dedicate kat awek aku.

Lagu omputih ke, lagu Melayu?

Tak kisah lah. Ko rasa apa yg best ek?


I couldn't give him an answer at the time. Maybe I was spoilt for choices.

Or maybe I'm not qualified to answer that question.

But, between you and me, I'll definitely put this one on top of my list.




Say what you want about the man. But this joint is hot,yo!

Is is just me...or is this really happening...?

I was on my way to work the other day, and as usual, traffic was like hell on earth. Cars were piling up on the road like there's no tomorrow. Not to mention the antics of our 'typical' Malaysian drivers. It was chaos.

Suddenly, I heard a loud crash. It was an old man on a motorcycle, being hit by a car. A Volvo to be exact. There were all sorts of things scattered on the road. Maybe it was the old man's belongings.

Me and a couple of other guys quickly rushed to this old main aid. We picked him up and guided him to the side. A few other guys helped pick his motorcyle and things up from the road. It's obvious the old man was in a state of shock. And with a few cuts and bruises on his hands and knees.

While we were attending to the injured man, the car that hit him drove by and the driver rolled down his window.


Lain kali, tengok jalan lah. Kalau rempit tu, rempit jugak. Menyusahkan orang je korang yang naik motor ni.


Then, just like that, he vanished from our sights. We were dumbfounded from what had just transpired.

Later when I got to the office, it got me thinking. What has happen to some of us...?

Some people have the luxury of driving in fancy cars without worrying about the weather.But does that give them the right to degrade and insult everybody else? even an old man who is old enough to be your granddad?


Do me favour....Wake me up when this nightmare ends.

Quote,Unquote....

I love to watch movies. Except I don't go to the cinema to watch them. Instead, I buy DVD's and watch them at home.

If you're like me, you'll have those favourite movie lines that'll stick in your head, fully or just some part of it.

A few ago, AFI (The American Film Institute) has come up with its list of 100 memorable quotes in Cinema. I kinda agree with its their choice of top quotes, but I have my favourites of my own. Here is my list of top / favourite movie lines / quotes, in no particular order.

1. No, Shit does not happen. Shit takes time. Shit takes effort.
- Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson) in The 51st State, 2002.

2. Don't be a guy, be a man. The world is full of guys.
- Corey Flood (Lily Taylor) in Say Anything, 1989.

3. No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.
- John Keating ( Robin Williams) in Dead Poets Society, 1989.

4. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
- Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) in The Usual Suspects, 1995.

5. Cigarettes and coffee, man, that's a combination.
- Iggy Pop (as Himself) in Coffee and Cigarettes, 2003.

6. Life does not start and stop at your convenience, you miserable piece of shit!
- Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) in The Big Lebowski, 1998.

7. I'm tired of the fantasy, because it doesn't really exist. And there are never really any surprises.
- Rob Gordon (John Cusack) in High Fidelity, 2000.

8. The only constant is change.
- Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) in Half Nelson, 2006.

9. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?
- Rob Gordon (John Cusack) in High Fidelity, 2000.

10. You say 'I love you.' What do you want?written instructions?
- Joe Reaves (Anthony LaPaglia) in Empire Records, 1995.

11. This... is Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Stockholm. 1963... two masters of freedom, playing in a time before their art was corrupted by a zillion cocktail lounge performers who destroyed the legacy of the only American artform - JAZZ
- Chad (Todd Louiso) in Jerry Maguire, 1996.

12. It's the one that says bad motherfucker.
- Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) in Pulp Fiction, 1994.

13. I'm gonna punch you in the ovary, that's what I'm gonna do. A straight shot. Right in the babymaker.
- Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) in Anchorman:The Legend of Rob Burgundy, 2004.

14. I may be a bastard, but I'm not a fuckin' bastard.
- Seth Gecko (George Clooney) in From Dusk Till Dawn, 1996.

15. After all, we're not fucking stupid. At least, we're not that fucking stupid.
- Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) in Trainspotting, 1996.

16. Of course. What kind of mental patient kills herself? That's just crazy.
- John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) in Constantine, 2005.

17. The only thing worse than a favor is a favor involving money
- Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) in Garden State, 2004.

18. I'm constitutionally incapable of making eye-contact with a woman I don't know.
- Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004.

19. The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.
- Bob Harris (Bill Murray) in Lost in Translation, 2003.

20. You see, the guy I am now is not the guy I was then. If the guy I was then met the guy I am now he'd beat the shit out of me. Those are the facts.
- Stevo (Mathew Lillard) in SLC Punk!, 1998.

I know that some of the movies mentioned above are not everyone's cup of tea. But hey, it's my list isn't it?

At least, these are the ones that stick in my head.

Better something than nothing.

Amused by our own kind....

My usual routine after work is a stop at a mamak stall which I have been constantly visited since the past 5 years. A glass of nescafe ais, a newspaper and that's it. Whether I finish work at 5pm or 3 am, I'll make sure that I have my daily dose of caffeine there.

And if you're been frequenting a restaurant for 5 years like me, it wouldn't be strange if you have a friendly relationship with the workers. For me, those Indian nationals who serve me drinks everyday is a lot more courteous and intelligent than most people I know. There's one guy, Sithik, who even have a Masters in IT. But still, he works here in Malaysia, serving food and drinks, 12 hours a day, with no day off. Whn I ask him why, he scratched his head,

"Banyak susah la met. Kerja sana gaji tada cukup. Sini kerja, saya boleh kasi saya punya mak sama ayah macam-macam", said the guy with a distinct Indian slang.

Speechless, I just smiled and nodded, as if I understand what he's going through.

These past few months, a new guy arrived at the restaurant. His name is Hameed. He was still struggling with his BM, so, I gave him a few pointers on how to communicate in our language. Still, everytime I try to teach him, he'll just shake his head in amusement and ask for his 'senior' friend to help him understand what I was saying.

"Ini orang, dia susah mau faham abang", said Nagoor, the 'senior' guy laughing at his naive new friend.

"Takpe. slow-slow.nanti oklah. macam you jugak", I said referring to the time when Nagoor was new. But now, he's improved a lot.

And surely enough, Hameed improved. He now understands the basic things in BM. At least I can share a laugh with him now.

One day, while I was having my daily drink, a group of students from the university nearby sat at a table next to mine. Everything was ok at first, but then of the guy from the group started cursing Hameed in BM for being inefficient etc.

"Tak baik ko cakap macam tu. kesian dia", said one of the girls in the group. (At this point, I'm just not sure how sincere she is because she was laughing hard while she said that.)

"Lantaklah. bukannya dia paham. tu sebab diorang keje macam ni", said the guy.

What the f%$k?!!!!!

Just who the f%$k do you think you are??!!

I was so mad, I started clenching my fists real hard without realizing it.

After a while, I just ignored the gang. The fact that I had just sat next to a dumbass whose brains may be smaller than the size of his "you know what" made me think that I should stick my middle finger to his face and gave him a good beating.

Later, as the gang were leaving the reastaurant, Hameed walked to my table. He smiles to me and shake his head.

"Abang, itu orang ingat saya tatau dia apa cakap. Kenapa dia cakap itu pun saya tatau. Apa pasal dia tada cakap macam abang?cakap baik-baik?," he scratched his head.

I was speechless. Again.

You have got to be kidding me.....

I used to be very good in the 'pass-the-blame' game.

For example, when I was in school, I used to blame the teachers if I failed in my exam.

When I was a kid, I used to blame the other kids for the bruises and cuts that I got while playing at the playground.

And it goes on...

and on...

and on...

But now...

I feel I'm too old to play the blaming game anymore.

You must be thinking that maybe I've had a lil' bit too much coffee than I should have.


You see, if you read yesterday's newspaper, you'll come across a report about CSI, the tv programme.

You'll be suprised to see that the show even got the Deputy Inspector-General of Police himself, Datuk Seri Musa Hassan talking.

You'll be more suprised to read about what he had to say about the show.


"CSI and a few other series teach how to remove traces of crime," he said after the launch of a Zero Crime Campaign by Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting here.

What??

Does that mean we can't watch Gil Grissom, Horatio Caine, Mac Taylor and the rest of the gang anymore??

I mean, are they the ones who should be blamed for all the unsolved cases in our country??

Does that mean,we have to switch to TV1 and watch Gerak Khas & Tragedi instead?

Oh no.....

This can't be true....


I need some more coffee.

Satisfied??

If you read or saw the news these past few days, you'll see that the spm results are out.

These kids look really happy.

They should be. They got what they wanted. And that is good results.

But some are not that happy with their results.

I guess getting straight A's or an excellent result is everything to them.

But, it's not.

When I was in school (I went to a boarding school in Penang), the people there will tell you everyday that you have to score in your exams, whether its PMR or SPM. If you dont ace it, that means you're screwed up big time.

You know what's the best part?

I knew I'm gonna screw up.

And when the results for PMR came out, there are a few people who 'screwed up'.

And yup, that includes me.

So, for the next two years, I've got a 'screw-up' tag behind my back.

I realized that I'm not cut out to be a engineer or doctor.

So, I made it through school.

And I "ran" as far away as I can from those "science and mathematical" based courses.

Here I am now.

I'm not as successful as some of my friend are.

But I think I'll survive.