by | Jun 12, 2009 | Uncategorized
And I’m still stuck on 2.7 only because Vooju (my domain+hosting supplier) doesn’t allow automatic upgrades for wordpress installs. I hope they jump on the bandwagon of thousands of other hosts and adopt wordpress as their baby. Anyway, not that it’s gonna harm me or anything ‘cos I think I’ll be fine without it — for the time being — but it does sucks to not be able to have your hands on the latest upgrades.
Such as not having the chance to get an Apple iPhone 3G S. I’ve been an Apple fanboy ever since my primary school days, no thanks to my uncle (who now has his own website, check out Rekasutra.com for more info) who introduced the PowerMac to me when I was still fazed by the Nintendos, the Genesises and the Saturns.
Remember those old gaming systems? I think the games available on the iPhone today trumps them all, except for this particular Genesis game, called Herzog Zwei — I daresay the grandfather of RTS games!! If only it is ported onto the major consoles of today.
Anyway, WordPress has been a good servant and I’m glad I migrated away from Blogger and onto it. Drupal? Forget it. Joomla? Too extensive and complicated. Livejournal? Too messy and restrictive. I’m sure there are views that wish to differ mine but I suppose after trying these I’ll confidently stay with WordPress as my blogging system of choice — and in case wordpress goes bust, then there’s always Posterous to fall back on.
Oh, why am I blabbering about blogs and their system? Just because.
Yups.
by | Jun 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
Walking out of the theatre, it felt like I had just finished a roller coaster ride. Upside down.
That was how it felt like after watching Terminator 4: Salvation, but no it wasn’t the movie that made me dizzy and nauseated, and disconcertingly I can’t really pinpoint what’s causing this splitting headache.
I remember feeling a little headache as I walked into TheCathay and made my way up to level 6. Dal had bought the tix earlier so I didn’t have to queue or anything and the theatre we sat in was really big, and plush, and sort of empty too. Before the show even began, I contemplated lying down onto the floor and just get a good shuteye.
Thank goodness I didn’t lie down and sleep away ‘cos Terminator 4: Salvation, or T4S, was really good. I think I read a review somewhere which gave a an average rating and labeling it humourless. Indeed T4S was humourless — which made it even more amazing cos throughout the show a few girls were giggling uncontrollably over almost every dialogue — but it wasn’t an average show. It’s a damn good installment of the Terminator franchise and I dare say that it’s the next best outing since Terminator 2.
Christian Bale was gooooood. Even the guy who took on the role of Cyborg T800 was equally damn good too. Now T800 was the supposed Terminator, but in the end it become the Salvation of the human race. I won’t spoil it any further by explaining how but let’s just say that everything clicks towards the end of the show. Well paced, well directed, well acted, well scored, well edited (good special effects!), well scripted and well plotted, I sure don’t mind watching it again.
But not with this splitting headache for sure. I don’t know how I manage to stay focused watching with a mini-migraine, but I did and I’m glad Dal invited me to watch it. Now I’m sure that these robots can never quite compare to the one that’s coming up on June 24th, i.e Transformers 2, but for now, I guess it’ll suffice.
Terminator 4: Salvation. Go watch it.
by | Jun 7, 2009 | Uncategorized
This morning, a Malay AngKong guy (that’s what Bob called him cos he was full of tattoos on his arms and legs) picked a fight with me, but I was too calm to retaliate.
Long story short, I guess he was not prepared to receive my shoulder barge during the NSSL street soccer tourney earlier. He was red hot and fuming, even his teammates were, but I guess I stood firm and the more I ignored him, the more agitated he became. He was red-carded for elbowing me in the follow-up, not once but twice and I’m not sure if I should be happy that I didn’t return the compliments.
He was super fuming, super mad, super aggressive too. A part of me wanted to give him the return blow or a good tongue lashing but somehow I managed to restrain myself, which I suppose was partly because his blows were likened to being pinched, and I wasn’t hurt enough to retaliate.
We left the court with that Angkong fella still foul-mouthed and challenging me to meet him outside. Pfft. Childish. My team may have lost the game, but I think we won the psychological side of it.
So yeah, the whole of last week was spent preparing for this tournament and it has been an exhaustive week indeed. And not to mention lacklustre too. Lacklustre as Skopets finally lost a league game. Though i tried to pull the strings, we just couldn’t find the cutting edge to our game last Saturday. I’m beginning to binge on our rueful possession play, short-changed passing and poor ball control.
Losing half the squad to injuries and other commitments, we still had enough for a fight, but I guess we never could deliver it to our opponents who ran all over us. Dejected, regretful, disappointed, wretched and miserable I’m not, but rather I am enlightened by the fact that my team are humans after all — and though humans fall at times, they get back up again, and get ready for the next rumble and tumble that comes.
And after a week of late night trainings, not helped by a surprise Saturday gaming session with non-gamers1 and an early morning Maggie Goreng binging (hmm, I’ve used the word binge twice already now!), I think its ripely time for me to rumble and tumble in lalaland already. So wish me luck, as I prepare to battle the sea monsters2.
Feeling peaceful,
Mar
1Sea Monsters: Lecturers and teachers, though mostly Army Sargeants, would refer to ‘sleeping’, usually during lessons, as fighting sea monsters.
2Non Gamers: Homo-sapiens who are not used to the keys w-a-s-d for player movements and using the mouse for anything other than opening folders and files. These creatures usually get dizzy and experience pains in the wrist after an hour or 2 of intense gaming action. Definitely non-nocturnals and usually have girlfriends.
by | Jun 1, 2009 | Uncategorized
As always, whenever it’s Linkin Park, I’ll never get over it without repeating the song for a thousand times and somehow the chorus is stuck in my head and it goes like this:
So give me reason / to prove me wrong / to wash this
memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason / to fill this hole / connect the space
between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide
[more lyrics here]
I won’t even go into what possible meaning that it has but I thought one of my interpretations that I could connect with occured this afternoon, during a visit at a friend’s wedding.
I think the song is about someone looking for an answer to his experiences of something that’s causing a ‘barrier’ or some sort of ’emotional or conversational gap’ between parties. Perhaps this someone is looking to erase the past ( or dramatically even end relationship ties perhaps?) and is frantically seeking a reason, or any reason that will prevent him from doing so. Like he/she is in a 50/50 mindset where the slightest assurance from a friend or family will bridge the gap, while a stoic response or a nonchalant abandon of concern will burn the bridge away.
Wow, what an interpretation of mine right? I wonder how it applies to Transformers 2? Can’t wait for the show da!
Anyway, I wasn’t about to burn any bridges today, or anytime for that matter, but I was rather keen on bridging the gap. Everytime me and my Secondary school friends gather, it feels like we’re communicationally-challenged, hindering any lasting conversations. It’s like we’re on a different channel most of the time. I’m all about taking things as they come, enjoying the moment and simply staying silly. I’m just not that keen about corporate bureaucracy and unknown jc/uni faces.
I wonder if it has anything to do with me going into a Polytechnic? All my secondary school classmates have now a degree or better, and most of their topics are about university life or JC life — or basically barely 10 mins past without mentioning a topic that involves a university/jc fella or teaching/engineering/researching work.
Fact is, being the only one of a Poly background, I’m lost among their conversations. Granted I love the intellectual exchanges, but I can’t help feeling lost everytime they go into a uni/jc/work related debate and as hard as I try to keep up, I’ll eventually space out. For certain this will never cause me to regret choosing Poly over JC, but I do wonder if the elitist culture of my JC/Uni-ed friends could sometimes float on the same platform with my already imbued laid back Poly culture.
In contrast to that, during an earlier wedding it was a totally different scenario. This time round it was Juffry’s wedding — my NS buddy. Most of my NS buddies are Poly-educated though many have gotten their degrees by now. I may have spent a shorter timespan being with my NS buddies (malay/chinese/mixed) but everytime we meet, we have a good time! Here noone is trying to outspeak, outmanoeuvre or even appear patronizing. Here noone quips you with a betterment remark. Here we make sure that everyone has a good time, and everyone does have good time.
I guess everyone connects on so many levels, even though we’re all now on our different life paths of young bosses and dodgy employees (LoL!). I guess when we’re together we’re simply buddies. Nothing divides us. I don’t insinuate that Uni graduates are such and such ‘cos my NS buddies are Uni graduates too! So nopes, it’s not about I-have-a-degree-I’m-better-than-you mindset, but more of, and of which I’m supposing, the educational culture that we’re brought up in that defines how we mix around in life.
You see, there’s no corporate bureaucracy shenanigans and certainly not much elitist ego in Poly life, while there’s certainly nothing laid-back, nonchalant culture about the driven Uni life. Hmmm, is this the new divide that I’ve been experiencing all along?
Anyway I wish all my Uni-excelled buddies, congrats on your achievements and keep working hard.
To all my poly-trodden buddies, rock on brothers and sisters!!! \m/
Hmmm, do you have a take on this Poly VS Uni culture thingy? If you do, beep me and I’ll include it as a link here! Beep!
by | May 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
An interesting thing happened earlier today. I was in the morning queue to enter the still closed OCBC bank at 9am to do some banking. It was the first time I’d ever joined a queue as I was never this earliy before. Soon enough, from the back of the snaking queue, I saw the doors opening, while listening to Linking Park’s “New Divide” on incesasnt repeat.
As I approached the entrance, I realised that the staff of OCBC have lined up on either side of the way and they were actually applauding, greeting, smiling and bowing as the waiting queue made its way in. In total there were 4 staffs, and it was a really pleasant gesture indeed. I never thought that OCBC operated this way, or is this because of the SOS campaign? Who knows, but its certainly a great way to welcome in your customers.
Where I work at, the way we greet customers is by shouting off their names or calling then “Tai-Lo”, which means big brother in Hokkien, from far. I suppose this method works as customers feel welcomed and acknowledged, and at the same time it could lead to amusing consequences too~
Oh, another amusing thing happened. All those talk of exacting revenge on the soccer field, I think I’ve to put it aside for a moment. I’ve felt this aching pain on my left calf, ever since last night’s soccer session at FICO. It was a good workout and despite enjoying the session, I think I went home a little dismayed at the aching calf.
Seems like the revenge of the fallen will have to wait for another day. I wish I was an Autobot. Eh, I wonder if Autobots ever get cramps or aches?
by | May 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
Psst. I’ve been itching. Itching real bad. No, not the rashes kind but the intangible kind where you just can’t wait to do something.
I’ve amazed myself this week. I didn’t realise that I could discipline myself to not even go on a Dota rampage in an effort to get as much sleep as I can. Okay, so I did went for a session with Han, last Tuesday, but that’s all. I’ve skipped my late night gaming to get my rest and recharge.
All these in preparation for tomorrow’s league game, which we MUST win. Last’s week’s draw was especially hard on me as I was unable to chip in and help the lads in the second half, when they conceded the equaliser. I’m not saying that with me the team will be invincible, and the truth is not even close to that, but at least had I played then I’d known that I’ve tried to prevent the equaliser from coming in, and even if it came eventually, then I’ll accept it.
I’ve actually felt physically fresher towards the end of the week, unlike previous weeks. Not for a long time have I felt this good, and the last time I felt this way I was on a prescription dose of multi-vitamins and protein shakes. Its Au Naturel this time, and its damn good!
Revenge starts 5pm, tomorrow. Sadly the venue’s nowhere near the west or central, but I’ll persevere.
Ooh, on another note, I’ve been watching and re-watching The Transformers2 trailer! Uber cool! What makes it even cooler is that Linkin Park’s penning the single for the movie’s OST. Its a good song too! Hear it for the first time on my blog — don’t ask how I got it, just enjoy it!
by | May 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
It took me a good 12 minutes of the phone alarm blaring and my cat, Yee-Eee, jumping and bouncing off me, before I could muster enough waking energy to, um, wake. It’s not easy getting up when you’ve just slept like 3 hours ago. In fact, it is far worse to try to wake when you’ve slept just between 3-5 hours.
Sleeping for 1 or 2 hours, and you will wake quite comfortably, but go past the 3rd hour, and you’ll be involved in a raging war between trying to even sit up on bed and lying down for a further 5 mins. Fortunately for me, my Cat was persistent enough to not let me have anymore 5 mins of snooze.
Joining the crowd in my living room to watch the Champions League final, Dad informed me that Barcelona had just taken the lead against Man Utd. Eto’o was the scorer, and I was the sucker who missed the excitement of watching the goal live. I blame my Cat for not bouncing enough earlier.
So well did you catch the game this morning, or night depending on where you are, and would you agree if I mention that Man Utd was unfairly pitted against an extra-terrestrial team this final? Whatever happened to fair play? Or did Barcelona managed to sneak an extra playere onto the pitch, which I frantically tried to prove throughout the game.
Resorting to long balls into the channels, Man Utd glaringly missed their playmaker. The player who makes their attacks tick and brings other players into the game. Who else, but Scholes was missed ultimately. Sure Giggs huffed and puffe, but his ageing legs didn’t receive the right support from his younger compatriots and he doesn’t quite possess the same killer instincts that Scholes does.
Indeed without Scholes, not one uniited player was bringing the rest into the game. Sadly the boys in white were content on either embarking on his own mazy solo runs, or resting deep in an effort to not get caught out. The Blaugaranas instead had every player who seeked to bring others into the game, while teasing and pulling the opposition.
Hold the ball, pass it behind to move it forward. Simple tactics from Guardiola’s boys and beautifully intricated goals delivered in his favour. Its hard to imagine that this is Guardiola’s first ever season as a senior coach. Um, Jose who anyone?
Forget coaches for a moment because a tiny lad from Argentino has just claimed the Ballon D’or on his own. Messi has arrived, finally and in big time too. Isn’t it freakishly out of this world how he jumped forward, leaned backwards and managed to divert Xavi’s cross into the net? All these while ghosting behind Ferdinand. You’d blame O’Shea for not pressing into him, but I say why lay blames when someone deserves crediting?
Wonderfully gifted with superb close control and strength despite his midgety size for a footballer, Messi is no doubt going to claim the next Ballon D’or — or world player of the year. Sorry Ronaldo, you’re an extremely talented athlete, but for now its time for you to take the backseat. Messi, the unstoppable force.
So all in all, to Man Utd, you’ve had an amazing season and experienced an unprecedented decade, but for now it’s time for you to take the backseat and herald the greatness, the phenomenon and the subliminal Blaugaranas.
Barcelona (2) – Man Utd (0). Good game. Good night.
by | May 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
If you’ve read my earlier post (didya? didya? didya?) where I introduced ALF, then you’d probably be familiar with that nick and realise that I’m not hallucinating over crack or some dope.
angrylittlefish.posterous.com
Yes, I’ve ditched my earlier wordpress version (which you can see here) in favour of posterous’ simpler, more elegant and less complex solution to posting updates on ALF.
Having stumbled upon Posterous.com by chance, I digged into its backend to find that it is indeed a superbly designed CMS/blogging/photo-sharing webapp or website. It is so dead simple, that I lost sleep over just how simple its creators have developed it to be.
It may appear to be to simple and not as customizable as wordpress or blogger, but for ALF, it suffices as he has indeed settled down completely with Posterous.com. I think ALF enjoys his new home there.
In any case, take a trip to see ALF and perhaps find him some love too!
by | May 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
Pain, pain, pain, pain and pain. Pain. I received an unwelcomed knee blow onto my left thigh this morning at Dragonscage. Flicking the ball away from the onrushing Rizal, his momentum forced him to land his knee straight on, full forced, onto my left thigh. Wonderful stuff. Feels like you’re flying around a field of chysanthemum. Yeah right. It’s super painful and I’d gladly demo to anyone who feels like a demonstration is needed. Heh.
Dragonscage attendance was ok-ok, not that many turned up, but mroe than enough for a morning session. Initially, after the blow, it still felt decent and I didn’t really feel the pain, not until I reach office later on and sat down at the workstation did I began to feel the beauty of a knee-blow-onto-thigh thingy. Painful daaaaaa! I had to gingerly hobble around at work today, but I hope tomorrow it’ll be better. But how to ease the pain? And the answer is…
Deep Heat! Like how Mee Maggi saved the lives of countless students in dorm rooms or hungry gamers on their 12th hour of DOTA, Deep heat has saved my Sunday evening. After work, I rushed down to nearby Mustapha Centre to find one, and I found a million! Okay, so its much less than a million, but myriads of brands and kinds of it amazed me! I really didn’t know which brand to look for, so I went with one of the expensive ones. You see, there was the $3 ones, the $6 ones, the $8 ones and even the $14 ones. I took the $8 Deep Heat, and before that decision, how I wish that I could instantly, at that moment, hook up to Google and do a quick search on ‘Best Deep Heat Brand’.
As it turned out, after browsing a little later at home, google confirmed that my $8 purchase was well worth it. Here’s the article that explains thoroughly what Deep Heat does. Thanks to the article, I now know that I got the perfect concentration of substance in my Deep Heat to ease the pain. I think its a good read for anyone in case a situation calls for it and you’ll probably thank me for directing you the link as you’ve just bought your perfect Deep heat too.
So less pain now, more mood for gaming + soccer watching. In a few hours time the English Premiere League games will kick off simultaneously for the last round of the season. Thankfully, I’ll be watching them all comfortably. Oh and to all Newcastle fans, I suggest you get Deep Heat to ease the pain of realising that your team is relegated. Suppose the $3 ones suffices eh?
by | May 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
We came late! Me and Arfan went straight after our soccer game, where we drew 1-1 with the table topper, thus failing to overtake them. It hurts more that I couldnt do anything about it as I left during half-time in preparation for Eulyn’s wedding in th evening.
Ok, so the wedding seating and registration kicked off at 6.45pm and instead, we arrived at 7.45pm, just in time as the guests were helped to the appetisers. Scrumptious but due to my war against vegetables, I tried my best to enjoy the cucumbers, onions and everything else white, orange and green.
So Laguna Sari was the chosen venue and it was a compact, and had a friendly ambience, with little crystals hanging from the white ceilings and pretty smiles from the waitresses dressed in kebaya. It was like Indonesia meets America. But the food was pan asian style? I was expecting a traditional chinese inclined menu but neverthless the food served filled me great!
The waitresses could use a few more skills upgrading though. It took them 20 minutes, and we had to ask ourselves, before we were given our glass of drinks — and she had to ask what we would like when there was clearly only one type of drink available, which she then dismissed her own question with a “Oh yah.. “. Big event perhaps getting to her.
Familiar faces surrounded the table and surprisingly, Farid, my secondary school buddy and still going strong, was the emcee for the day! Not bad, and from a daytime psychologist to a night time entertainer. He’s doing really well these days. I bet his side income beats his full time job hands down. I’m jealous already, but good for him!
So I was a little sapped of energy from a day’s work and the soccer game, so I was sort of reactive to the event and whatever ounce of it left was spent smiling away, but I thought I beamed most when Audrey approached me and we had a little chat from where we left of… like last December? Wow, almost 6 months already. Anyway, for a foreigner, she somehwo prefers to hang around with the locals rather than the expats here. Says she wants to get as much experience as possible. Good for her indeed.
Talking about experience, its about time that I gain some for myself — in Dota that is — and since I’m on a streak, why resist right? GGClient… here I come…..
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