Gusti Putri Raden Ajeng Retno Dumilah

Waahh… Berbaloinya rasa merentas lautan beribu batu semata-mata hendak menyaksikan sendiri musical ini. Oohh Kanda (kanda kah?) Stephen aka Tuah, penangan suaramu sungguh menikam kalbu dan halwa pendengaranku… bilakah rasanya lontaran suaramu dapat ku dengar dan nikmati lagi?

Phewww!!! Now that I’ve got THAT out of the way, lets get on with the nitty-gritty bits. Intonasi and feel SRH ni masih all over the place but considering dia baru jer belaja BM and his modus operandi were memorize then project rather than memorize AND comprehend, he’s very good at it. Datin Tiara, excellent in all angles whether it was emoting, expressing, singing or projecting… even her overall posture and makeup was flawless. Granted I sat 100 metres away and 50 metres up there, little imaginations here and there helped fill in the blanks. There were several moments that really got to me, the way it always did when I became so overwhelmed with some things. They are:

Scene Puteri lari-lari sekeliling Majapahit sambil di kejar dek Kanda Tuah nya sampai la depa kat atas gunung (at this point I assumed its gunung kat Majapahit, bukan gunung Ledang). Only those ‘up there’ like me can see this clearly, terasa macam nak gelak pun ye. Tuah dan Puteri dengan beraninya mendaki puncak gunung buatan ittew dan dalam hati aku kata, gunung nii lah the star of the show… ahakss!!! At that defining moment when two hearts are about to blossom triggered by Hang Tuah saying ‘Hamba lihat sebuah keindahan yang tidak ada di Melaka’ (wah! Buat dialog sendiri ni yeewww!), my own heart ikut dug-dug-dug giteww. Teruih berair mata sebab Gusti Puteri finally found her true love. Sang Laksamana masih act cool menyemburkan kata-kata manis seorang lelaki Melayu.

Ravishing in red and I do mean BOTH of them!!

Scene Laksamana kat pelabuhan Melaka, belting out his first solo. Meremang bulu roma aku tatkala sang pendekar gagah perkasa mengekspresikan kerinduannya kepada sang puteri. Waktu ni, hilang dah act cool dan macho dia, dah kekasih jauh di mata baru nak kata rindu, waktu si dia depan mata ko buat dia menduga-duga akan perasaanmu padanya, awat tak habaq kat dia awai-awai? Sebab hang tak faham kecek Melayu ke? Huhuhuhu…!!! Time ni aku dah konpom dan dengan konfiden nya declare suara Hang Tuah ni lebih umpph dan lemak berkrim daripada suara Bintang Paling Popular 2005!!!

Scene Laksamana frust sebab tak tau nak pilih sang puteri atau perintah Sultan. Antara cinta atau setia.. cinta pada sang kekasih atau kesetiaan pada seorang Raja berdaulat? And truth be told, Sang pencinta yang satu ni baru boleh emote lebih feel when he sings… the last note I dare say was SUPERBB!!!! In fact, his singing buat airmata aku meleleh keluaq tak tercontrol lagi… binawe punya kawan kat sebelah dok gelakkan aku, berdosa tau gelakkan akak yang lebih umo dari ko ni (tak rela mengaku kertu!!). Time ni aku dah bisik kat fanatik ni, ‘Jom buat Stephen-Rahman Hughes FC!!’

Horray, horray... responding to a standing ovation

Scene Laksamana berjumpa dengan Gusti Puteri kat puncak Gunung Ledang setelah sekian lama berpisah. Dasar lelaki, kenapalah kau biarkan sang Puteri mencurah rasa kerinduan sesedap rasa sedangkan kau hanya diam seribu bahasa? Mana janji-janji manismu yang kau ikrarkan dalam nyanyianmu? Kata-kata sang puteri dalam scene ni prompted me to think how its mostly the fairer sex yang lebih banyak berkorban demi cinta sejati. Scene ni juga menyaksikan 4 orang spider-men beruniformkan baju melayu, tanjak dan keris, merangkak mendaki gunung ledang dan merosakkan reunion sepasang kekasih.

‘Katakan Hadirmu Kerana Cinta’ is perhaps the most moving song of the whole production. Lirik lagu ni, walaupun ada kureng sikit ‘kepuitisan’nya, tapi it was spot on to help express kekecewaan hati sang puteri.

Tidak ku percaya, apa yang ku dengar
Dari dia kekasihku, yang didakapanku
Butakah hatimu, menatap hatiku
Yang membawa ku kemari, menagih cintamu
Pandanglah ku, dan ingati semula sumpahanmu
Yang kita akan abadi, sehidup semati
Katakanlah kepadaku
Bahawa hadirmu semata-mata cinta
Jangan ucapkan yang dikau harus berkorban
Hingga aku sanggup kau tinggalkan
Bukalah hatimu, merasa hatiku
Dan mengaku kau dan aku, kan menjadi satu
Kejamlah dirimu, andai membunuhku
Dengan kata-kata, yang bukan dari hatimu
Sebutkanlah semula, sumphamu sendiri
Disinilah akhir kita, yang kekal abadi

Ohh!! Sampai hati kau Tuah!!! Setelah dinda HINAkan diri dinda menyusul kanda ke bumi Melaka, melepaskan gelar, harta, keluarga dan darjat demi mengejar sebuah cinta yang kanda janjikan. Akhirnya, janji dimeteri tak kau kota malah merela dinda di tangan Mahmud Melaka!!
Oohhh.. kuciwanya!!! Aiseymaann… waktu Puteri nyanyi lagu ni ayoq mataku tak henti bercucuran, esakan jelas kedengaran dan sekali lagi member sebelah dok ketawakan aku lagi!!

Ohhh donia… kerana kau Tuah, Retno Dumilah puteri Majapahit yang seharusnya lemah-lembut dan baik budi pekerti, dengan amarah yang tak terhingga menjelaskan syarat-syaratnya dan teruih kata hi hi bye bye padamu Tuah!! Haaaa… merasalah kau bagaimana sakitnya di tinggal seorang Puteri seumpama Puteri Gunung Ledang… haa… baru lah tuan hamba nak menyesal teruih nyanyi ‘Kau biarkan aku sendiri menderita siksa, racun hidupku Dumilaah, kau biarkan aku sendiri meratapi nasib, racun hidupku Dumilaahhh’!!! phhuuuhhh…. Kalah Mawi yeeww!!!

Phhuuuuhhh!!! Dah… those are my favorite scenes .. banyak lagi yang best, tapi tu yang lebih memorable bagi aku. In conclusion, if they ever decide to stage this musical again, I will be the first to grab the tickets (upgrade front row lagi!). So Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina, please name the time and place and I will be there..!!!

The duo after the performance - Steve, rambut betul ke tu?

Datin, tebalnya mekap?

American Idol ... and a little of this and that!

Top 24 has been selected you guys. Must say I have loads of favorites but below are my top faves due to various reasons.

Paris Bennett
I've liked the sound of her voice during the first round of audition itself. The fact that she's from a 'musical royalty' family did not help with her 'likeness' factor though. I sincerely believe that her lineage should've been enough to give her the edge every other wannabes could only dream of. But, and this is a HUGE BUT!!!... It absolutely saddened me to think that I'll be robbed off the golden opportunity to see her progression in the competition if she opt for a direct record deal instead. As it is, I'm rooting for her to become the next American Idol (of course unless my 'swaying' interests wander away throughout the competition!)

Chris Daughtery
A short snippet of his life was shown before his first audition and I was hooked then and there!! Can you just imagine a guy like him (stereotyping here), seemingly a rocker by heart and naturally my assumption was that he would be as far remote from the term responsible and committed young 25 year old man - especially with that drop dead FACE!!). So... I was humbled to know that he is a step-father to two girls and a good father at that!! Well... he surprised me ... and even more so when he sang with that high-pitched yet powerful male voice of his. I'm hooked... really, really hooked and predicting he would make a good American Idol too. Its about time Idol starts to produce another male Idol after Reuben don't you think?

Kevin Covais
The best manly male voice I've heard since Josh Groban and the Il Divio quartets!! Perhaps the fact that the voice came attached with THAT boyish face was a surprise factor that worked in his favour. Although I can't see him as an Idol winner but I will be anticipating his performances in the weeks to come.

Mandisa Hundley
Err... she's an epitome that I'd very much like to emulate myself. *Sigh*.. if only I'm as brave as she is to face Simon's nasty remarks and whatever other malevolence in store for her from now on. Vocal wise though, I can't find anything unique about her vocals... YET! 10 seconds of her singing in the group round really can't be taken as a basis right? So... will be looking forward to here more of her singing.

And finally... I may as well say, the next American heartthrob to grace the American music scene whether he wins the Idol or not.... ACE YOUNG!!

I went GAGAGA!!! the first time I saw him at the 1st audition, went triple GAGAGAGA!!! when he started to sing and ended up absolutely, deliriously and ecstaticly HAPPY when he went through to the top 24!! hehehe.. this is a classic case of LOOKS overcoming all others!! Anyway... what's wrong with that?? teeeheeeheee... its not as if I'm going to cotribute to him winning the Idol... I just like to LOOK what!!? hehehehe...

So.. there's my 5 favorites... I'm excited to see how they'd fare in the competition. A very good luck to Paris and Chris.. may the most TALENTED wins this time round!! hehehehe....

Other area of business...
PGL's a go ... 3 more days and I get to see what's being hyped as the most exciting musical ever to grace the floors of Istana Budaya. I'll be armed with a pair of binoculars, tissues and my brand new digital camera. Oh... O forgot to mention, I finally managed to get my hands on the new Canon Powershot S2 IS camera I've been dreaming of since last year!! hehehe... so aside from being eternally broke AND gearing up for another bout of shopping sessions at Bukit Bintang, I'm happy and content... err.. at least for now.

See you guys Thursday...

Note: All pictures are courtesy from http://www.idolonfox.com

Puteri Gunung Ledang

Guys!!! I'm hooked!!! I'm excited!!! And I'm ready to go!!! What the %&^%#@ am I talking about???!! PGL - The Musical of course!!!

I don't know why I'm so INTO PGL. Remember, back when I first braved the sea of new faces of the blogging world just so I could watch PGL the movie (and I can't wait for the movie to showcase in Brunei!!) None understood why I cried when Christine Hakim (what was the character she played huh?) killed herself. When PGL finally showed in Brunei and I dragged my dearest friends to watch the movie with me, they thought I went completely crazy when I cried not once, not twice but THREE times!!!

So... naturally I'm just as excited now as I was two years ago. The only musical that I've went to in recent times was 'Mama Mia' in London and my oh my!! can the actors sing!!! So of course I'll be expecting the exact same level of performance.. or would it be a disappointment? I don't care! Just the thought of seeing Tiara and Stephen Rahman frolicking all around the stage is reason enough!!! hahaha!!! WOW!!! Am I shallow or not!!!

So dearies... shall we set a date and go togeder-geder?!

The year that was, the year ahead

Its belated I know but what the hell... Happy New Masihi Year you guys!!! hahahaha.... I was told not to celebrate the 'Western' New Year because ... well... its non-islamic? Beats me but my opinion was and I hope will always be... I've been using the 'western' date every single day, so why should I not celebrate the changing year eh?

Anyway... I don't know why but I've been ready for 2006 since 6 months ago. That's when I kept on writing 2006 in my meeting notes. Thank goodness for diaries else I would not have realized it... ever!!

So... what a year it has been yes? Friendships getting stronger, weeker and in some cases, lost, was one aspect that has driven me to start this blog in the first place. I wanted to trash out and relieve my stress here... only to find out that I can't do that since I've automatically acquired a sense of responsibility, a code of conduct for those that chose to open up their mind for people to read and share. Thus I've learned to accept the differences that I've noticed in friends and acquaintances, and practice tolerance and understanding instead.

To those friends I've known and grown closer to in 2005, I hope 2006 (or AF4?? hehehe!) will witness this bond grow stronger, irrespective of clashing opinions and damaging circumstances. You know who you are guys... I do still wish though that I've grown closer to men more... but alas... 2005 was just not the year for me to get hitched!! Bugger!!

A special mention of course is my beloved nephew. My only nephew so far. My cute little rascal baby nephew!!! Witnessing him grow from a baby of 36 cm to 84 inches tall today has been pure joy, his antics now are blessings to spice up my home.... Uwa love you beri-beri much..!!!

Workwise, 2005 has proved challenging for me as well. Managing a section with limited staff and practically no succession plan has proved detrimental to my own development. Thankfully though, 2006 will bring more resources and staffs my way and I will finally be able to start doing the things that I'm suppose to do in the first place... investigative research and planning aka surfing and holiday planning... hehehehe...

Well... enough about me... tell me one little wierd thing that you just 'have' to do every new year. Mine is buying a pen and one new notebook (the book, not the computer yah!), new year will not be new year if I do not do this. Weell... not that wierd huh??

The Great Jang-Geum - Jewel In The Palace

I must admit. I've become an addict yet again. The DVD version of this Korean Drama cost me $120 and its worth every penny!!! The minute I played the first disc I couldn't seem to stop. I bought the complete series on a Friday night, 2nd of Dec and didn't stop playing it since then!!! I didn't sleep for 5 consecutive days and I was severely addicted to the extend that I took sick leave and continue watching (of course I was seriously ill from the lack of sleep!). In fact, I've officially re-played Jewel In The Palace 3 times now and THAT's a 60++ episode series yah!!

What's so special about it? Firstly because it reminded me of my teenage addiction to 2 Japanese series; 'Oshin' and 'Rin Hanekoma'. By the way, I just found this picture of the child actress that played Oshin... huhuhuhu.. rupanya lebih kurang umo aku gak..!!!

Secondly, who wouldn't be touched by the plight of the innocent, the battle for survival of an ohhh so cutesy child, the beautiful teenager/woman that she's become, one's strength to be what she wants to be? Some of us in real life always dreamt of doing the things that we love most to do and yet are stuck to doing things that we 'have' to do ... well... Jang-Geum showed me that although that has been and perhaps will always be the case in life, its how you learn to love the things that you 'have' to do that counts.

Then, unlike any other Korean drama series I've seen before, this drama showed so many different angles of the human emotion; love, hate, respect.. you name it... macam-macam ada!!! One that I love in particular was Jang-Geum's relationship with Madam Han, her mom's best friend. She was her 'tormentor' while growing up, her mentor and finally a mother figure ....

Like many other Korean series, where got can escape from sickening 'meleret' love plots right? This drama is no exception, but the most interesting bit was there's no mushy-mushy declaration of love, running around trees, 'aku cinta padamu', heroine fainting in front of hero, hero sacrifying love over brotherhood stuff!!! hehehe... I just described the essence behind typical Malay, Hindi and Hongkong cinema there... hehehe... If nothing else, the love between Jang-Geum and Jung-Ho was potrayed progressively, no 'love at first sight' thingy here... their love started from acquaintance, friend, best friend, confidante... then only they started to feel 'kuch-kuch hota hai' (pinjam waiem nye favourite expression). Even then, they didn't declare their love to each other, they show it through their actions. Auuuuwwww!!! So sweeeeettt!!!!

Anyway... I must insist you guys to see it... the only drawback will be after you've seen it, you will be turned off by all the other Korean drama because none of it (in your mind at least!) will even come close to the overall quality that is the essence of Jewel In The Palace.... *sigh*.. I've become a romantic fool....!!!

OPOCOT!!! PC nak mai dah!!!

It seems like I can't hide from it anymore!!! I have to update or else suffer the now infamous PC coming my way this 24th December!!! Takuttt beb!!!

Wokaaaaayyyyy..... what have I been upto these past 2 months? I can say.. I'm still trying to recover from the 12th of November Raya celebration (aka open house) that has threatened to put me off having open houses in the next 10 years or so...

Before and during photos of the open house do

Nah kau!! My family are known for hosting lavish spreads during Raya open house. We had 2 settings, indoor and outdoors... indoor serving traditional Bruneian dishes like Ayam Masak Merah, Kari Ikan Merah, Paceri Nenas, Sambal Tahai, Sambal Tumis Belacan and Sambal Sotong. Also served indoors were deserts and hot drinks for high tea (chewah!!). Outdoors we served our famous SOTO. Soto's quite big in Brunei and its nothing like the soto ayam in KL. It consists of plain beef (or chicken) soup, bihun and/or laksa plus various condiments. During the do we served hati buyah goreng (or paru goreng), pergedil daging, berubut (stomach lining... gross isn't it?) and the various other more common ones like boiled eggs, fish balls, fish cakes, beef slices, taugeh, tauhu.. etc, etc, etc.

The indoor aka traditional spread

Suffice to say, I did 90% of the cooking myself... hhuhuhu!! Mestilah berani mengaku kan... bukannya korang tau sedap ke taknye... hehehehe!!!

Anyway... the soto proved to be popular.. just to demonstrate to you... we prepared one big pot (boleh muat satu ekor mama kambing punya besau!) of soup for the soto. The do started at 12 noon, and by 4 pm, I've had to make another pot of soup... yikees!! I didn't even had a chance to take close-up picture of the soto... it was gone THAT fast!! By 2pm I've confessed to my dad... 'Taubat! Taubat! Tahun depan dah tak nak buat lagi dah!!'. And the invite was until 12 midnight!!!

Anyway... all ended well though. I survived the night with the only fatality; the dent in my pockets and the 1kg I lost on that day itself (of course I regained it back almost immediately the day after!!) ... hehehe...

Recovering from the do, I was greeted with the 16th November fiasco.... and I've lost all my enthusiasm after that... *sigh*

A Wakeup Jolt...

Phuuuuuhhhh!!! Dah nak masuk sebulan aku tak updet blog aku ni kan? Dah lenguh dah agaknya tangan kakak-kakak dan adik-adik aku dok mengata aku yang dah abandon ship ehem! blog... hehehehe... Soooo sowwweeeee.... there's been a lot of things happening in my life this past weeks that updating the blog somehow got sidetracked...

So what had happened since my last posting?

2nd October
A group of friends and I joined Brunei Shell Marketing's Walk-a-hunt thingy, some sort of treasure hunt involving loads of walking (yes!! Walking... I still can't believe I walked around town, non-stop for 5 long hours!!) There were 8 of us and I was the only Malay in the group. We formed 3 separate groups, each assigned to tackle the different sections in the hunt's questionnaire. I was involved in the question and answer with clue thingy section.

I must confess, that was the second time I joined the BSM's Walk-a-hunt do, last year we managed just top 20 and thus were not hoping for much this time round. God.. we even started the race with Coffee Bean's coffee in hand and having read the questionnaire just seconds before the race starts ( I was late you see... the race starts at 8.30 am and of course I just have to reach there at 8.29 am!!). Anyway.. it was good fun... met several of my cousins and long lost friends... the bad thing is, I'm still sporting two skin tones to this day due to the sunburn!! hehehe..

13th October
Result time!!! To cut a long story short, days later, we were invited by the organizers to a 'berbuka' do for the top 20 teams. We were happy to be on top 20, top 15 and top 10... but surprise of all surprises all of our three groups WON first, second and third!!! What did we won... lets see... we won a 51 inch Panasonic Projection TV, an N90 Nokia handphone and a Sony home theatre system...!!! Now the dilemma... how the hell are we going to split 3 prizes between the 8 of us??

hahaha.... now the saying... berat sama di pikul, ringan sama dijinjing... tapi kalau dah masuk bab menang, siapa yang nak rugi??!!! huhuhu... Anyway, we've settled the boggling issue now and that's after two sessions of berbuka puasa with my non-Muslim team mates.. hehehe.. I'm just glad I'm still in one piece... but GOD!! Am I glad that its over... and end up with several hundreds extra in the pocket for the coming Raya celebration.... Yiippeee!!!

Ramadhan
Puasa to me is a month long torturous (but yummy) saga of excessive cooking!! hehehe... I mean, we (err... okay.. I admit my mom still does around 60% of the cooking but hey... I'm a working girl here... I can't be at two places at the same time!!! hehehe) have to cook dinner for berbuka and then again wake up in the middle of the night to cook for sahur (fresh food's the best, don't you think?) !!! And my mom (love you mum!), the way that she is, always like to cook at least 3 different homemade dishes for the family... AND... my 2 aunt's, uncle's and my bro's in-law families as well... hehehe... Mawi pun sedekah hidangan berbuka kat jiran tau!!

Anyway, despite it being torturous for me, its the smell of food that often reminds me of the holy Ramadhan. My mom loves to make her own rose syrup for berbuka and the smell of rose will be afloat once a year, during the first day of puasa. Its been like this for as long as I can remember... and in fact it has become a compulsory thing for me; to smell the sweet smell of rose syrup every first day of puasa (even when I was in Scotland years ago). Imagine how the hell did I manage to get my hands on that one particular rose syrup brand that came close to my mom's original recipe...hehehe!!!

Work.. Work.. Work... and nothing else!!
I often wonder whether my fanaticism to that bold guy will bring a bad effect on me... and I always thought... naahhh!!! How can it be when everything is in moderation? Ya Right!!! Well... moderation does not mean spending every little spare time I have surfing the net on stories about him... PLUS... bugging friends in KL on stories about him (you know who you are right?.. hehehe.. hi 5 sket!!), I keep his raya cards (which I've asked my patient friend to send to me) on my bedside table ... well ... anyway.. aku dah insaf yewww!!! I've managed to throw away my fanaticism (really!! I'm not joking!) away... Why?

Because I can't afford to anymore... I just don't have the time nowadays... I'm in a the middle of a huge project involving people from around the world and on top of that my one staff under me will be going off on maternity soon!!! OOhhhh.. the agony!!! Don't worry, I'm not organizing a 'We are the world' campaign... I'm still sane... promise!!

Photography project

I mentioned about taking photo of Putrajaya next time I'm in KL... so now.. I'm in the midst of surveying for a good quality digital camera and I've finally came up with my top 3 'I wish I own you' camera.

Canon PowerShot S2 IS

Kat sini dah habis stock... berapa harga kat KL ek?

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5

Haven't seen this camera anywhere in Brunei... still searching!

Sony CyberShot DSC-H1
Yang ni geram sket.... story's like this, I asked my bro to help me with survey at one of the stores here... I've targetted this camera and he also said its good... but.. just the day after (when I was walking around town at the Walk-a-hunt do) he called and said he's bought the camera for himself!!! huhuhu...!!! Can borrow saja or not bro??

So now... I'm at a lost cause my fave cameras are all too pricey for an amateur like me... so its either save up or bodek my bro and borrow lah!!! huhuhu... Will keep you updated once I've managed to kidnap the Sony yah...

All in all... its been a hectic month for me... raya's just around the corner and hopefully, I'll get through another open house this year... by the way, you're all invited ya.. (invite-invite chicken jer to those I don't know personally)... to my KL friends whose too far away to come.. err... I'll put in an entry of the do saja lah kan... hehehe..

Till next time... selamat berpuasa...

Best Hotel in KL

My last duty trip to KL was so eventful that I just have to highlight this one particular matter... (actually I'm just bored because all the other blogs I frequented are not getting updated so might as well update my blog with non-AF stuff.. *sigh*)

I absolutely LOVED the hotel that I stayed in!!!! The view was great!!! I slept with the drapes open that first night I was there, basking in the glory of the great view. I don't know why, but it certainly looked picturesque to me...

Just look at the wooden sliding door.... which opens to reveal....

The BATHROOM!!!! I imagine this will prove particularly useful for newlyweds!!! hehehehe!!!

And the bed itself looked so nice... no simple quilt or just plain white sheets... they've added an extra runner that added a Japanese-like environment to the whole room...

I was so impressed that I could not stop clicking away!!! I mean... I've stayed in Nikko, I've stayed in Westin but those are nothing compared to the Crowne Plaza Mutiara!!!

Sorry Nikko, I've been a fan for years now, but Crowne Plaza are more affordable to me... so.. au revoir my dear... I've got myself a new favourite hotel!!!

So.. while I was clicking away... I can't help but took this picture. From the 17th floor, this was the closest my stupid phone can zoom into... might as well... no one was swimming anyway..!!! hahaha... gave the term 'Mengendap orang mandi' a more modern outlook to it huh?? hehehe..

Then I notice the traffic... or the lack of it... and wondered what was that building with the multiple roofs? Looked so 'space'-like to me...

So by now, you probably know that I'm into buildings!! hahaha... I meant architecture... my next project would be to take pictures of Putrajaya at night....

My last view before I went to sleep

was always this... the two towers of KLCC. And of course of my nephew with this particular pose that I like... hahahaha..!!

On that note... I leave you guys with this... "Dah bayar posa blom?"

AF3 - Meet the fan

I was not there personally. But I did send my brother and 3 cousins on my behalf to help furnish me with detailed info of the meet. But… turned out my 3 cousins became awestruck and couldn’t remember pass the time they took pictures with their favorite AF3 stars namely Kefli, Reza and Aidil!!! Harapkan pagar.. pagar tak boleh harap… PRAAAPP!!!! And my dearly beloved brother… was stuck having to take pictures for the 3 adolescent cousins of mine… kesiaaaannn!!! Don’t get me wrong.. I love my cousins to bits that’s why they’re still alive now..!!! hahahaha…

See how 'guarded' Mawi was...

Anyway… from the little that I managed to squeeze out of my bro… the night started with the AF3 stars entering the hall and was seated at 7 tables; in pairs. Let’s see.. the pairs were Felix & Akma, Fuad & Eliza, Amy & Aidil, Kefli & Amylea, Yazer & Ekin, Reza & Idayu, Mawi & Marsha (woohoo!!). So anyway… the fans were asked to form a line at each table (depending on who they want to take pictures with the most..). So understandably the queue for Mawi’s table was loooonnnngggg….!!! My cousins had it easier, they managed to take loads of pictures with Aidil, Amy and Reza… didn’t see any pictures of them with Kefli though… maybe the line was long there too… by the end of the allotted time they didn’t managed to take pictures with Mawi…*sigh*!

Chewah!! The couple didn't want to be separated... even in Brunei..

Next was ‘Shaking hands with AF3 stars’ session. All the stars where asked to go up a makeshift stage, sat there and I think they also performed impromptu songs individually.. By then, everyone was busy getting in line to go shake hands (duh!) but… the crème de la crème was… no picture taking was allowed! So again my patient bro opted to not go upstage and took pictures of my cousins shaking hands with their fave stars.

Smiling for the phone camera with Aidil and Amy in the background.... hmm ciannn Amy.. want to join?

Wahh!! He was smiling for the camera and yet his eyes were elsewhere... don't worry Mawi, I'm sure Ina's thinking of you too... chhooo chweet!!!

Two best friends, one touching the shoulder another hugging the waist?? hehehehe...

Three friends in AF3,
Closest as one can be,
But of course we can clearly see,
Marsha's hand at Mawi's butt, definitely!!!

Hee... Hee... Hee!!!

All in all… it was a hectic night, poorly organized and unnecessary ‘bullying’ by the organizers… but as long as the 3 cousins are happy… it all ended well…

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P.S1: At the 'Meet the Fan' session, Ekin was notably very naughty; while Yazer was signing autographs, she laughingly flicked the pen he was using repeatedly... hmmm...

P.S2: Amylea didn't expect she had so many followers in Brunei, she received loads of gifts and cheers during the concert... she sweetly said 'Tak sangka ramai yang sokong saya kat sini... sukanyaa... Terima kasih banyak-banyak!!'

P.S3: After the 23rd of Sept concert, the AF3 stars were taken to one of the royalties house where they stayed until 4 am. Understandably, they must've been tired and cranky although all but Amylea managed to hide that fact.

P.S4: Despite misleading the mass by going through the 'Arrival Hall' of Brunei International airport (checking in for their flight back to KL), the AF3 stars still got mobbed. Ekin, who was not feeling well throughout the Brunei excursion, fainted at the terminal.

CKin Channel News network reporting live from Brunei... Over to you...

Hehehehehe!!!

AF3 Concert in Brunei

AF3 Concert in Jerudong Amphitheatre 24th September 2005.

For once I get to sit just 3 rows behind the VVIPs ie. waaaay in front, the closest I've ever been since I started watching AF3!!! And I must say the money spent was worth every penny!!! It all started with....

Getting ready for the concert
Started to get ready at 6pm. By the time my cousins came to the house at 7pm everything's all checked (the cameras... checked!! the tickets... checked!! etcetera... checked!!), and everyone was all set to go by 7.15pm. But... I've just realised that heyy!!... this is Brunei yah!! Jerudong is just 15 minutes away and there's practically no traffice jams (apart from the customary morning and evening jams - office goers lah tu!!). Ended up going at 7.45pm and reached my seat by 8.15pm... hehehe... with time to spare!!!

JP (Jerudong Park) at night always brings back memories of days gone by....

While waiting for the show to start, VT of the AF3 stars activities in Brunei was shown. It started of with VT of them at the airport and I witnessed my first glimpse of the Brunei mob practically attacking the stars. Here, ALL the students were mobbed (of course Mawi was ‘mobbed’ the most), no one AF3 stars were left untouched so I had hoped the rumored rivalry between certain AF3 stars was just hearsay.... hmmm...

Hehehe... VT of Mawi presenting Maestro’s contribution to the representative from the Sultan’s foundation on Friday 23rd. Hehehe.... hehehe... I can’t stop smiling when I saw this... hehehe... hehehe.... hehehe.... hehehe.... I regret not going to the Yayasan that day... its just 5 minute’s walk from my office... but nevermind... hehehehe.... hehehe... hehe...

Mawi mobbed after the Yayasan do... Gilaaa ini!!

Anyway, back to the concert. At 8.30pm, the show started with the performance of 4 local singers... the two girls was commendable, while the 2 guys were not. Anyway, I was surprised they managed to garner sufficient applause and whistles here and there. Considering the logical sentiment has always been, ‘When the hell is the REAL show going to start??’, I was pleasantly pleased that the local audiences supported local talents in the presence of AF3.

The AF3 stars were finally introduced by Kak Ogy at 9pm. The girls came out wearing masks so beautiful they reminded me of masks worn in a Parisian masquerade dance party. Mawi looked handsome in a light brown checkered jacket (but to me.. he always looks good in anything!! But more so when he wears those two ahem... shirts!! Hehehe). Didn’t really notice what the other guys were wearing though.... hehehe..

So.. the group sang the Freedom song – ‘Sama-sama, mengejar mimpi...’ (can’t remember what’s the real song title). The song was marred with some (er.. loads in fact!) technical problems involving the mic. Man!!! The Jerudong Amphitheatre technicians REALLY need additional crash course on timing!!! Anyway... it was a decent performance, didn’t really paid attention as I was SO BUSY clicking away, taking pictures.... hehehe...

Moving on... the solo performances started off with Ekin performing ‘Let’s Get Loud’. With the background of her pictures during the weekly AF3 concerts, she managed to make me tap my feet to the rhythm... heeyy!!! I didn’t know I had it in me!! It was also during this so called ‘tapping’ that I lost control of the camera and it went straight down the concrete floor!! WHAT AGONY!!!!!

Note: So.... so sorry I don’t have pictures for now... will update pictures from my cousin’s old fashion kodak camera as soon as the film is processed... S**T!!! And I was sssooooooo close to the stage!!!! Sayang... sayang... seribu kali sayang!!!!

Next to perform was Eliza singing ‘Dedebu Cinta’. I don’t know how to comment about her, she sang well... didn’t forget the lyrics... didn’t go flat or screeched at high notes... her expression was flawless... but I just didn’t get it. I blame it on the song then.... its just not catchy enough to have caught my attention.

Akma performed ‘Cahaya’ then... she looked beautiful in a flowing red dress that accentuated her long legs. And what figure!!! Its a shame her very short wig spoiled her overall appearance. That aside, I was mesmerized by her singing... so like during the weekly concert.... I was with her from start to finish!!!

After Akma, Kak Ogy called out all the AF3 girls to perform ‘Cinta Di Akhir Garisan’. It was a good vocal performance by each and every one of the girls with Eliza outstanding with her add-ons, Idayu with her ‘suara burung’, Akma with her focus and expressions, Marsha’s newly recognized (by me of course!) powerful voice although I noticed Idayu helped her with the lyrics. Both Amy and Ekin was overshadowed by the others while I didn't even notice where Amylea was!!!

Interestingly, lead by Kak Ogy, Idayu and Eliza proceed to invite 2 potential 'husbands' up the stage. The first guy called Man (Eliza's choice), was a bit reserved but sporting enough to go on stage. Idayu's choice was much, much more enthusiastic... he practically ran up the stage!! I was surprised he didn't do cartwheels as he practically JUMPED onto the stage!!! The irony was... his name was MAWI!!! hahaha.... Mawi Brunei!!! Anyway.... they did their imitation of Aznil and proceed to receive their prizes after much laughter from audiences (me included!! Surprise.. surprise). Much more entertaining was the fact that Mawi Brunei actually dragged Idayu down the stage (his intentions clearly to bring her home!!! hahaha...) and Kak Ogy had to 'shhooooouuuuu!!!' him off stage. Of course... all was in good fun and I had my fair bit of laughing ... very entertaining!!! Kak Ogy of course didn't forget to say that Idayu will become a Bruneian soon!!! Must say I didn't miss Aznil at all, thanks to Kak Ogy.

Next on was Yazer performing 'Are You Ready For Love?'. First thing I noticed was how much weight he've lost!! His focus was there, he was really into the song and making all the right moves. I still like his 'Suatu Masa' though.

By now, I've lost my pen and couldn't write anything down!!! Great!! My first try in reporting was surely something to remember!!! Only now I can appreciate the likes of SM, waiem, EL and loads and loads of others!!!

So... now I didn't remember who sang next!! Let's see, there's Fuad with 'Puteri'. A guy audience actually screamed 'I love you'!!! Fuad's response was 'Takuuutt!!'. His vocal was good but I just can't get pass his over-expressed face!! Then there was Amy singing her favourite song 'Fallin'. Similar to Fuad, her voice was superb but I can't quite get into the grooves purely because of her 'hampeh' attire!!! Its like a shorter version of a 'JUBAH' from Dubai, difference was her 'jubah' was green and full of embroidered 'manik'!!! Very unflattering for her and very distracting to the audience (again me of course!)

Idayu performed the weekly concert's version of 'Curiga'. Again, superb vocals but I didn't quite enjoy the whole performance. Kefli sang 'Berhenti Berharap'.... and despite his superb performance in Putrajaya, he overdid his emotion this time round. I mean... he sang the song with touches of humour (Unnecessary sobbings, playing with the black and white scarfs tied to the mic stand) rather than sadness and in the end, he spoiled what could have been a heart wrenching performance comparable to Akma's Cahaya.

Reza did 'Alah Emak Kawinkan Aku'. Kak Ogy and Fuad helped him by inviting on stage 2 potential 'brides'. Funny Fuad (or blur Fuad) asked Kak Ogy, whether to choose a boy or a girl??!!! (I'll leave it to you to figure it out!). Reza then started singing, with the other AF3 girls and guys 'berjoget' in the background, including the 2 'brides'. The choreography was the same as the Putrajaya concert, can't find Mawi joining in though and Felix only joined in towards the end of the song (don't know why..?? hmmm). Reza forgot his lyrics... quite badly this time round... he actually hummed an entire verse!! Audience was disillusioned though because a stage person actually ran accross the stage with a mic (giving an impression that it was the mic's fault). All in vain because by the time the crew reached Reza, he remembered the lines and continued singing using the existing mic!!! hehehe... A dead giveaway!!

I saved the best (non-finalist) for last... Aidil!!! I've never quite liked his voice or the way he sang but this time round, he did superb with his version of 'Senyuman Ragamu'. I like... I like very, very much!!! He interacted with the audience while singing, without having to say anything else... how? He teased us!! He started to unzip his jacket to the tune of the song, rolled his sleeves up to the tune... in fact he pretty much did a PG-rated version of a striptease!!! hahaha... so in tune with the music and his add-ons were just puuurrrrfeccct!!! Miaawww!!! And his voice... maybe its the audio system, or maybe its the surrounding amphitheatre... whatever was the reason.. his voice sounded way, waaayyy better than the weekly concerts... go figure!!

Somewhere in between the above performances, the AF3 guys came out and performed 'Raikan Cinta'. Mawi!!!! ... greeted us by saying 'Apa khabar orang Mesia'? Cheh!! I know he was joking... but I wonder how many others know that? Anyway... Mawi wanted the guys to talk some more... to ask the audiences questions... but Reza (was it just my imagination or did he totally ignored what Mawi said!??!) proceed to announce the song they're going to sing and that's the cue for Sham (yes..!! Sham did came along!) to start the music. I notice Mawi just smiled and 'geleng kepala' a bit. Throughout the song, I noticed Mawi interacted a lot with Kefli than the other guys which was a surprise to me considering he was close to Felix. Anyway, the performance was good, some were trying to overshadow the others... while some just stayed within their boundaries. Yazer seemed to be in a trance, dancing away to the music without a care in the world.

There was also an AF3 top 6 'dance' performance, dancing to the tune of 'that Hindi song they've performed during Pupus concert (hehehe... AF3 concert week 8 to those other than me!!). I called it a dance performance because they were miming.. but boy! did Mawi had fun!!! He was laughing along... going here and there, poking at Kefli... he even teased Amylea during her solo dance act....!! I am guessing he missed his time in the Akademi... too bad honey... you're out into the real world and this is how its going to be for the next year or two!!! hehehe... I'm cruel!! By the way, at the end of the song, I could hear cheering and clapping... and it didn't came from us at the amphitheatre!!! hahaha... you can guess yah where they came from?!

After the Bollywood, Amylea sang 'Dua Insan Bercinta'. Professional. That's all I'm going to say. Marsha sang 'Manusia'. As I've mentioned before, I've only just realised how powerful her voice is and she did a superb job delivering this song. Since its Marsha... of course it has to be a sexy performance... she danced quite well now... well... by now I'm so tense and can't wait for Mawi to show up... so my mind was already wandering away...

Felix hits the stage with 'Berjuta Batu'. Again.. my mind was elsewhere (actually I imagined I was at the backstage, helping Mawi to get ready... hehehe... trying to get him to wear THAT shirt again!! hahaha....

Felix introduced Mawi... and Mawi said 'I'm coming....'.. just like at the Akademi!! This time, he get to follow his heart and talk to us audiences. By the way, he wore a tight black t-shirt (but Mawi's so skinny its not really 'tight'!! hehehe) with a striped black shirt. I just can't resist... had to take photo, so had to settle for my crappy camera phone. The result...

He invited Kefli to join him and sing 'Gadis Brunei'.. ahakss!!!! Out came the AF3 girls trying to flirt with the two 'Jantan Terhangat di Pasaran'. More laughter afloats when Kak Ogy came in as a brutal 'Gadis Melayu'.. shooving all the other girls away from the two guys... hehehe... Kak Ogy's really funny!!!

Mawi continued on with his 'Aduh Saliha'. Before that he followed his heart's desire and talk to the audience to his heart's content!! Baru dapat lepas geram after the previous 'incident'. One thing he said, 'Bapa saya dah balik pagi tadi, jadi sekarang ni saya tak ada bapa di Brunei. Adakah sesiapa yang nak ambik saya jadi anak angkat?'... and WHOAAA!!!! What a response from the audience!!! So many hands were raised... I noticed even a little girl in front of me raised her hand!!! hehehe... !!! Back to his performance... he danced... he twirled... and he made all the right moves!! hehehe... the focus of course was his voice.... superb!! Nothing 'un'-superb about it...!! You may notice that I'm at a lost for words!!! hehehe... The sound system, the ambience of the amphitheatre... everything helped accentuate his prized vocal to the fullest!!! Its worth every penny!!!

The finale consisted of songs from the film Grease. Mawi (again!!) surprised me with an attire he have NEVER worn before!! Of course.. I have to keep on clicking!!!!

Sorry for the low quality... it did inspired me to get a proper digital camera with 10x zoom capability!!! hahaha... so... didn't he looked sexy in that outfit?? hehehe... Please take note that after the finale, he promptly untied the shirts knot and only then did he looked comfortable!!!

So... the concert ended with a high note. It was interesting, it was fun, it was hilarious... but more so.. I get to see Mawi in a totally different wardobe altogether!!! hahaha... just joking... But seriously, whether its the sound system, the echo from the amphitheatre or the AF3 stars themselves... I've never heard and witnessed all of them performing better vocally (Reza was an exception!!). And I can't say it enough, I was the closest I've ever been to all of them!!! hehehe...

On this note... I'd like to jot down my apologies for this very long posting. There's also some better quality pictures of the 'Meet The Fan' session that I'm going to upload sometime in the future... hehehe... I ran out of things to say already...

Welcome to Brunei... AF3!!

I'm just so excited that AF3's finally going to Brunei!!! Yiippeee!!! Dengan semangatnya aku beli tiket VIP with the hope to finally meet and mingle with the AF3 champion... only to find out that the 'Meet The Fan' session will be held on the 21st!!! huhuhuhu... !!! It seems that I am just not destined to ever meet, speak and drool over Mawi... because on the 21st he will be in Brunei, while I will still be in KL!!!! What pain.. what irony!!! When will our paths ever cross?

On a different note, how I wish you, my dear friends in KL could come up here and let it be my turn to bring you guys around this place I call home. I feel so indebted with you guys for welcoming me into your lives, bringing me along to places I've never been to in KL and of course, for reintroducing Port Klang to me!! I used to go to KL just to shop ie. KL to me was just Jalan Masjid India, Bukit Bintang and Parkson Grand!! How things have changed since that AF3 concert at Putrajaya!!!

Anyway... going back to the topic, this time round AF3 will be in Brunei for just 5 days. I figure this will not be enough to cover all those private invitations, functions and sessions requested by those privileged few in Brunei. Of course, the strain will again be at Mawi's shoulders and I absolutely shudder to think what Mawi might feel when seeing that he's the centre of attention while his other 13 friends will be left in the dark, perhaps just one or two being asked for autographs and the rest being left to their own devices. I definitely would not want to be in Mawi's shoes then...

Funny thing is... although Mawi's so hot in AF3... none of my aunties nor cousins like him. The aunties prefer Felix while my younger cousins prefer Aidil and Kefli...!!! Well... that just shows.. why I prefer to go to KL and seek solitude with my similar-minded friends huh??!!

The day I lost my best friend...

I've only just gotten to know her well; thanks to AF3 and thanks to my fanaticism of Mawi. She was my source of information, on AF3 and on Mawi in particular. I get to know the juiciest gossips, the latest whereabouts of the AF3 students and she also helped strengten my friendships with all my other friends.

Before AF3 started, I took her existence in my life for granted. She's just another commodity, to be used for my convenience. I've never taken care of her the way I should be... never appreciated the things that she has done for me, and never have I ever acknowledged her importance in my life...

Today, because of my own negligence... I've lost her forever. All the memories that we've accumulated together has gone along with her... and only now do I feel lost. What am I going to do without her? No matter how big a crocodile tear I shed now will never bring her back to me.

Forgive me my dearest friend... I should not have let you go. I should have kept a tight hold on you. I should have known how painful my life would be without you.

And most of all....

I should not have dropped you down the toilet bowl!!!!

Now I have to get myself a new PHONE!!!!!!!

-----------------------------------------------

Malam Seribu Kenangan Bersama AJK MawiFC

They are just ordinary people, bound together by a single fact, the M-factor. And yet I've seen honest dedication, seriously loads of hard work and sleepless nights in their eyes. I was there to witness their frenzied activities for just two days and I was already exhausted; one can just imagine the state they're in, after two weeks of planning, running around for sponsors... organizing the biggest event (so far) for Mawi's Friends Club.

I've only had the chance to talk to a bunch of the AJKs and my thoughts remained with Kak Maznah, Kak Su, Awie Kiut and of course, waiem the sole individual that made it possible for me to be there in the first place. I've seen them sweat, heard them swear and witnessed them smile... all for the sake of Mawi. Seeing them, I can't help but feel mad for the injustice that had happened right in front of my own eyes. How one particular AJK managed to be an AJK and not do any significant work other than going around distributing 'URUS SETIA' passes to her friends!!! I sympathize with the likes of Awie and Kak Su for not having the time to change into their sponsored clothes due to the demands of the never ending tid-bits before the event and yet, this one particular AJK have had the time not only to put on glamourous makeup and clothing, but also spent hours at the hair saloon to 'pasang tongset 3 tingkat atas kepala'!!!! AND... came to the event as a VIP guest ie. arrived at 9 pm and sat and enjoyed the show throughout the event!!! While most of the 'WORKING AJK' were going around the place like crazy to ensure the event went well.

Anyway, the whole do went well (although some didn't went as planned) but I've heard and read very good response from members and attendees. Kudos to all the 'Dedicated WORKING AJKs and advisors'. I really enjoyed the experience albeit I didn't help out all that much. It was even more valuable than seeing Mawi live!!! Go figure!!

Hope - is it worth your while?

I'm feeling very, very blue this week. Firstly because of Cosry, secondly because of the unfairness of it all and lastly because I could not decide on whether to attend MawiFC's gathering. First of all... I have to put on happy thoughts before I proceed... its just absolutely vital to remain sane... and my darling nephew is just the antidote I need ...

That's better... now, lets start...

Cosry... those who knows, know how much I've willingly parted with my hard earned cash just to attend the do. In fact, I didn't even plan to attend this event if not for my early plan to attend AF3's Reunion Concert (which was originally scheduled on the 28th of August)!!! By the time the reschedule to 2nd September was announced, I've already bought my ticket for the Cosry show... and by then it was too late to change my travel and leave plans...!!! Waaaahhh!!!! All these hectic changes, all these painful heartaches just because of my desire to see Mawi up close and personal (oohh!!! dare I hope??!!).

All throughout the Cosry show and Mawi's performance in particular, I remembered thinking that I might as well see it through the projection screen. Sad to say, Mawi's still too brand new to be able to command (through his performance of course) the entire room to sit and listen. Everyone's too preoccupied to get his picture (yours truly included) and no one's actually paying THAT much attention to his singing or what his songs are trying to relay to the audience. Again.. sad to say, I enjoyed Josh Groban's video clips during intermission more when compared to Mawi's solo performance. Why? Because I've seen the exact same performances every week for the last 9 weeks during AF3's concerts. I wanted to hear him sing Seroja live, wanted to hear him sing Memori Cinta Luka again... the only two songs that managed to bring tears to my eyes everytime I hear him sing. Anyway, other than that AND the lower than expected food offerings, everything else was quite entertaining. Dee was brilliant albeit his jokes were in need of a PG rating. Moon didn't do much and Dayang was just okay for me. The star of the night were Anuar and I'm not even a big fan of him!!! Managed to dab a tear or two when he sang Sesucinya Cintamu... *sigh*... if only Mawi had managed to do that, I would've came back home a happy gal...

Unfair? Why? Because I came from far to see him and spent quite a lot to get that exact chance to do so and yet one particular freeloader got to spend time with not one, but ALL THREE of the singers!!! But who am I to complain about this right? Cos I am an outsider and I would've done the same if I was in their shoes. Anyway, I'll try to be more positive next time I got the chance.

Lastly, shall I go or shall I NOT go to the gathering? They'll be more than 1000 people there, all vying for the attention from a single Mawi. Not to mention the extra special selected few called the VIP, VVIP and VVVIPs. And who knows, somewhere out of the blue, Maestro might accept another show for Mawi on the 4th and as per the case during Cosry, another MIA session will pursue... waah!!! This is the pessimistic me showing...

At the end of the day, one thing's for sure... even if I do get to meet him, what the hell am I going to do with him? Take pictures, signatures? That's SOOOOoooo cliche yah...? To go or not to go... I'll let Shakespeare decide but one thing is for sure... hoping is futile and is especially hurtful when the thing we have hoped for, are not met...

Alam Misteri ... how distant are we from them?

I've taken a new resolution in conjunction to the new month of Rejab. Why you say? Because I've been given 'THE' shock of a whole lifetime when I checked my credit card and bank statements!!!! All because of Akademi Fantasia and Mawi specifically. It was a very cold dose back to reality, something which I haven't been in touch with for quite some time now. So here goes...

Sometime late last month Brunei was shocked with news about mass hysteria episodes experienced by students in an all girls high school in the capital. The local paper reported parents were promptly asked to bring their girls home and lessons were immediately cancelled. Religious authorities and activists were called and the reading of Surah Yassin ensued.

Now.. the REAL story begins...

Facts: I used to study in that exact same school, in the exact same building block more than 10 years ago. Now that school is just a 5 minutes drive away from my office and my dad, he teaches at the neighbouring high school, a mere 5 minutes walk away. And to jitz it up more, my best friend's daughter is currently a student there!!!

It all started when reputedly several students started playing 'Spirits of the coin' in one of the school's restroom. Now, I've always known that one particular toilet in that particular building block was creepy... or shall we say berpenunggu... so I was always very, very careful when I used that restroom. Anyway, these girls did something quite daring, they used their blood to call the spirits!!! As it turns out, spirits, phantoms and apparitions started to possess students, initially only several were affected spanning several days however all hell broke loose on the 28th, when more students became possessed and coupled with others hit with hysteria (I would be too when all those spooky stuffs is happening in front of me). To date, the phenomenon has not subsided, in fact, more cases are being reported till now.

Now based on several accounts from friends and relatives who were present thoroughout these chaotic events;

1) One possessed girl recalled names of families living in the school's area back in the 50's. Evidently the spirit that possessed her had lived in that area and know the girl's relatives. Ironic thing was, only the girl's father knew this fact.

2) One of the school's tea lady was also possessed; students witnessed her trying to enter the school library by knocking her BODY against the library door. Some even witnessed her jumping up and down, in the manner similar to a chinese vampire we see so often in the movies.

3) The same lady was heard saying, "Jangan kacau rumahku!!", when someone wanted to take pictures of an old abandoned house at the back of the library. The voice was not her known voice!

4) One student actually witnessed a tall and black appariton, approaching one of her friends with a semblance of a smile plastered on its face. She promptly pulled this friend of her and the appariton immediately vanished.

5) At one time, efforts to catch the 'leader' was wasted when right when the ustaz was about to get his hands on the 'leader', the magrib azan was heard and all the spirits scrambled away in a frentzy.

6) While recital of the Quran and yassin took place at the girl's high school, the spirits has started to move to the neighbouring primary school. 20 students (less than 10 years old) were reportedly possessed. One staff member from that primary school recall seeing spirits sitting on the school's railing, from one end to the other, white cloth waving from outside the classrooms.

7) 4 students from another neighbouring high school (this is where my father works yah... an account coming directly from my dad), had witnessed several apparitons, possessing 2 of them while the other two fainted from the scare.

8) Latest hearsay, 2 of the earlier possessed students from the girls' high school has passed away.

All these led me to further believe that Allah is the definite Almighty. Whether these apparitons are in fact 'jins' as per mentioned in the Quran or in fact, are just 'iblis bertopengkan jin'... one thing is definite; we are not alone in this earth. There's a fine line between the two very different communities and once that line is breached, the ball is no longer in our hands. Because like it or not, 'they' can see us BUT we cannot see 'them'. That in itself is a point in their favour.

Ironic thing is now, if we really, really look at it in a different point of view, we're just like the AF kids. The 'other' community are able to look into every detail of our lives even sampai ke dalam jamban... so, if you even dare to think about it (let alone imagine it), will you be getting any peaceful night's sleep? Well... just a thought....

Juara AF3... MAWI...!!!!!

Syukur Alhamdulillah!!! Agaknya berita kemenangan Mawi dah menjadi tajuk utama in practically ALL blocks of space on the web and on papers everywhere!!! Or at least THAT's how I feel it should be!!! I didn't start off AF3 as a Mawi fanatic, just his normal supporter, but after an incident 3 weeks ago, I've confirmed my stand as a true blue Mawi fanatic!!! And boy am I GLAD I am one!!!

Tak payah lah nak sebut pasal konsert final (I'm sure dah banyak dah dok buat review), but this, persembahan Mawi during both songs can't be expressed in simple sentences. I'm not good with words but cukuplah aku kata dengan sokongan lagu-lagu yang sedap merdu, penjiwaan dan kelunakkan vocal yang cukup rasa, Mawi has given me enough proof that my investments on him is worth every penny!!!

What I want to highlight now is during IMBASAN. I'm SO HAPPY to see that he have not lost his humility though he's been confirmed a winner!!! Aku terlalu gumbira dia mengaku dah ada tunang, cerita macam mana dia boleh bertunang, cerita pasal nama tunang dia... terlalu terharu sebab dia tak cuba pun nak tutup kisah peribadi dia selepas habis AF. Some will say, he's still new so give him time to act like any other typical Malaysian artistes... but surely... if he's already this truthful at this early stage, its definitely a very, very good start to his carier. All I can say now is... good choice CKin (I'm carrying my own basket here)!!!

Well done Mawi... Well done Mawi's fan... This is not the end... the journey is just starting, be prepared and jangan hangat-hangat taik ayam pulak ye... both on Mawi's side and supporters... me included.

WORLD!!! Be ready, Mawi's coming...

What are my days going to be like now that I can't look forward to Saturday nights' concerts anymore? Mawi's expression here matched mine now... All the best to us all...

Kerana Dia... Mawi.

I remembered seeing pictures of the top 20 AF3 students and I remembered noticing Aidil. In terms of looks, he stood out compared to the others, even the girls. Even prior to hearing them sing, I read somewhere to watch out for Reza because his voice are truly manly. I was quite keen to hear Idayu sing because I was told her singing is absolutely out of this world.

Come Trek Selebriti's first exposure, I totally forgot about the others... Aidil, Reza and Idayu was overshadowed by Mawi's short rendition of Intifada. I was hooked then and I never looked at any other AF students since.

The moment Aznil announced 'Selamat Jalan Mawi...' at the Prelude Concert, I thought hmm.. okaaayyy... I'll be sabotaging AF this year!!! And for one whole week I didn't watch the AF3 diary at all!!! For one whole week, I dedicated my time to touch base with anything related to Mawi... tape Muzik@Ria, Trek Selebriti (just the part about Mawi no less) and joined Mawi's Yahoo group and Mawi FC. I've gone completely gaga 1000 times over.

AF3's first concert was nothing to look forward to. I remembered thinking, what the hell just tape it to catch a glimpse of Mawi on TV and I promptly went and go attend some company function. But around 11 pm, my friend called and said something's up and that I should return home quick!! I knew it.. I just knew Mawi's gonna get in and the rest is history some might say.

Sadly, as weeks went by alongside the phenomenon called Mawi, another much more frustrating environment cropped up... Mawi Fanaticism and its corresponding anti-fanaticism. Amidst the heated exchanges, the condemnation of Mawi's performances, making excuses for his mistakes not to mention detailed dissectation on every single one of his actions in diary and during concerts, lies one single painful truth... 'Kempen Berbudi Bahasa' has become a total failure!!! Even Adlin sebagai teraju utama dalam iklan layanan masyarakat itu has joined the dark forces (ala-ala Star Wars lah ni!).

And now, only days before the final, the war still continues.

What else is there left to say? AF3 was suppose to be an entertainment program... in that 'ini semua hanyalah hiburan' should have been imbedded in all of us. But how can it be just another entertainment program when one left feeling humiliated by the very personal attack one anti-Mawi dished out time and time again? How can it be called hiburan if it only meant that one has to remain silent just so that one do not get bombasted in blogs and channel @15? In short... 'Where is the love??'

I never thought I'd say this but I can't wait for AF3 to finish. I'm so tired of having to keep quiet, to refrain from expressing my support for Mawi, to hold back the fact that I like Felix purely because he's Mawi's best friend, to just nod in conversations when Idayu's perfect vocal are discussed while in fact I thought she's just another Rosma.... I don't like confrontations not because I'm timid, but because I respect that AF is by far, the best entertainment program Malaysia has ever produced and that all these degrading exchanges should not taint the legacy that is Akademi Fantasia.

Anyway... at the end of the day, all these are reflection of how the community really is... masyarakat majmuk still trying to get along, divided not by race or religion, but by opinions, mentality, moral and decency.

Regrets - is it good or bad?

Do you always wonder whether every little thing people do or say to you involves some kind of hidden agenda? Veiled messages; buried meanings behind every little statements or buried implications behind every act done by others to or for you? STOP doing so!!! You can do this at work, but never on a personal level because you'll end up with a 150/100 blood pressure reading and believe me, I'm speaking from experience.

By the way, do you have a regret list? Out the top of my head, my regret list would have the following;

- I have always believed that I will be treated exactly like the way I treat others. Thus it totally affected me when others acted outside the boundary of my version of 'Guide To The Ethical Treatment Of People'. While in fact, its my lack of understanding that other people might have their own standards too that was really the root of the problem.

- I have believed that the reason I lost $100 some time back was because I've flaunted my money in front of my 'friend' repeatedly and that it was my fault that I made it easy for her to take it from my purse.

- I always find good things to say about other people; like 'yes he's a demanding boss but he've also taught me much in return', or 'yes, Mawi can't sing well but just hear how soothing his voice is (when he's singing lah... and this is totally my opinion yah!)... and that its totally my fault that the response that I got back would always involve queries on my mentality level.

- I always say another minute won't hurt, only to find out that one minute led to another and before I know it; there goes my chance to hook up with that handsome Italian guy that's been asking me to dance all night long at an international student thingy several years back (this tops my all time regret list, period!).

Now the question, are having regrets good or should we just forget it and move on? For me, having regrets will help remind us of what could have happened in the past; and will in turn help dictate our present and future decisions. What have I learned from my regret list above? Always try to accept that what's wrong to you might not be wrong to others; don't trust people too easily; learn not to be too sensitive because at the end of the day, only you know what you really are...

And lastly... when a handsome guy asks you to dance 5 times in 2 hours, it means he IS interested!!!! You dumb, stupid, naive girl...!!! Who knows.. you might already have several blue-eyed darlings running around the house by now if only... sheesshh!!!

Iklan sekejap...

Sebelum apa-apa, aku nak minta maaf banyak-banyak pada kawan-kawan yang mungkin tak selesa aku guna bahasa pengantara Inggeris dalam blog ni. Aku dengan malunya mengaku bahawa my written bahasa Melayu dah lama rosak dek kerana penggunaan bahasa Inggeris kat tempat kerja dan bahasa Melayu pasar dalam perbualan sehari-hari. Nak posting guna slang Melayu pasar aku pulak yang tak selesa. So kena lah guna bahasa Universal... hopefully kalau ada grammar atau vocabulary mistakes tu, rajin-rajin lah tegur yek...

What's wrong with me?

I've realised something today that really made me wonder. Why am I partial to anything Malaysian? Until recently, I've always considered KL as my second home eventhough I've never actually stayed there for more than 2 weeks at a time. I'm a sentimental fool, that's what I am. My affair with this country started way back, during my second year at university (10 years ago... wooaa!!! Am I THAT old??!!!)....

I was a volunteer for an ASEAN University Sport Games thingy, hosted by my U and I was the liason officer for the Malaysian students contingency. In the old days, I was quite awestruck by their personality. I mean, the way they talk and act seems so familiar, its like watching a Malaysian TV drama unfold live in front of me. Anyway, they've proven that they're just normal kids exactly like myself, out to have some fun and try to finish their courses as fast as possible which translates to 'start work immediately'. My friendship with them grew from there and although most of it only lasted a maximum of 2 years (distance and time does that to relationships yah?) , they've lodged a lasting impression in my heart; of how mature and friendly Malaysians can be.

When I moved to a new uni in UK during my third year, I discovered a new revolution; mirc and internet chatting!!! I must say through it all I've managed to gain more friends and its of no surprise that most of them are Malaysian friends!!! And unlike the previous 'affair', this time round I managed to hold onto some of them till now; 9 years later (by the way, this still remain a record for me as I tend to move on as my life progresses)!!! Zila and Anis (if you're reading this), I really value your friendships and perseverence in tolerating my bouts of silence over the past 9 years. Both of you are like sisters I've never had and I will always love you to bits!!

The introduction of Akademi Fantasia 3 years ago led me to http://sultanmuzaffar.blogspot.com . This site opened up a whole new dimension to me; its informative and it brought along a sense of community within the fellow readers, commentors and bloggers. With my reasonable command of the Malaysian dialect, I managed to feel like I belong though its not as easy as my previous 'affair' in that work and family commitments restricted me from really getting 'into' it. Despite that and of course, the continuous inability to join in the gatherings of the 'community' that has cropped up from this site, I've always felt the sense of belonging... that I am one of them.

So what happened? I guess the inevitable happened. When groups of inviduals and personalities clashed, with all parties involved felt they've been wronged... the strongest of friendship will sooner or later falter, let alone minor acquaintances. Only time will tell whether the strength of friendship will persevere in the end.

Thus all that I can say is, 'Precaution is better than rectification'. And I believe if only we manage to uphold these three factors, 'Respect other people's opinion; Compromise; Put yourselves in other people's shoes', then any sort of rifts will definitely be eluded.

Thank you to those that has helped and guided me back to reality in the midst of all this huhaa. You know who each one of you are... thank you so much for making me feel right at home again.