tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61530876632591342832024-03-14T02:46:15.614-07:00MementoMemories are pricelessLe Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-89726042305183465722014-11-23T09:37:00.001-08:002014-11-23T09:40:01.336-08:00keeping treasured memories private<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow, it's been 3 years since my last post. Not that I will be blogging actively from now on. Nope. In the past 3 years, I learnt to treasure my privacy a great deal more. My thoughts & the things going on in my life shall be kept offline. Other than these, I don't think I have topics/materials sufficiently interesting for others to follow. So, let's see when I will post something again...</div>
Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-55951154383187828662011-08-16T10:53:00.000-07:002014-11-23T10:22:51.667-08:00Melaka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been very fortunate to be able to visit one of the cultural heritage in historical city Malacca. Back in 2009 Chinese New Year, me and 3 other friends (Jacqueline, Joan and Martin) went down to Malacca to visit Jacq's best friend, Jas. Martin is a Malaccan boy but the rest of us can't possibly bunk into his parents' house near Gajah Berang. No fret cuz Jas' family stays in a house in the middle of Malacca with lots of rooms. Sap sap sui for her family to accommodate us. As sign of gratitude and in the spirit of CNY, we brought mandarin oranges & Ipoh biscuits for Jas' family. During one of the days, Jas brought us to tour her ancestral house (rumah ah bu). The ancestral house is just located next to and is accessible from their current residence via a connecting passage.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on an interior balcony</td></tr>
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The interior was very old school Chinese mansion. There were quite a few levels up. Of course we went all the way up to the top balcony. We could see almost the whole Malacca city from there. Tourists on the streets were looking at us in the balcony, wondering how on earth we got there. Hey, it's our friend's ancestral house lah...<br />
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The ground floor had an arched opening where the evening sun was shining in. It was sooo suitable to take photos of our silhouttes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best friends forever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin and Joan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin, me, Jacq and Joan</td></tr>
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And then Jas showed us the front of the rumah ah bu. Being in the mansion is an unforgettably great experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the front compound of the Chee Mansion</td></tr>
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Jas told us then that the mansion would undergo restoration works in the interior. Recently while visiting Jacq and me, she mentioned that the works have been completed. Jacq has gotten Jas' permission to use the ancestral house for pre-wedding photoshoot. I can't wait...<br />
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Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-32644192706427412412010-09-12T10:50:00.000-07:002010-09-12T10:50:40.955-07:00Top 30 Most Significant Indie Films<i>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</i>, <i>Amadeus</i>, <i>Gandhi</i>, <i>Fargo</i> and <i>The Hurt Locker</i> were among the movies in the list of 30 Most Significant Independent Films. <br />
They were the boxbusters in the past three decades, chosen by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA).<br />
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"From Oscar winners to controversial and visionary game-changers, independent films have shaped and defined the film industry and popular culture over the last 30 years," said IFTA Chairman Lloyd Kaufman.<br />
The non-profit trade organisation released the list to mark its 30th anniversary. The list was made by its 27-member Board of Directors. The chosen films are independently financed releases that were produced worldwide.<br />
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The IFTA board selected 10 films from each of the past three decades, considering a variety of factors, including features that introduced new cinematic styles; garnered awards; achieved critical acclaim; impact on notable producers, directors or actors; or had other standout qualities.<br />
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The IFTA and American Cinematheque will begin a screening series featuring the honorees. The series will begin Sept. 29 with a screening of <i>My Left Foot</i>, followed by a discussion with director Jim Sheridan. The acclaimed 1989 Irish film won two Oscars for Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Best Supporting Actress (Brenda Fricker).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
According to the group, the most significant films by decade are:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1980s: Amadeus, Blue Velvet, Dances With Wolves, Das Boot, Gandhi, My Left Foot, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Platoon, Sex, Lies and Videotape, The Terminator;<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1990s: Braveheart, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Fargo, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Life Is Beautiful, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, The Silence of the Lambs, The Usual Suspects, Where the Day Takes You;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
2000s: Brokeback Mountain, Cras, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Juno, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Million Dollar Baby, Monster, The Pianist and Slumdog Millionaire.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Honorable mentions were given to: The Killing Fields, The Last Emperor, The Toxic Avenger, Basic Instinct, Good Will Hunting, Trainspotting, Bowling for Columbine, Memento and Twilight.<br />
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<i>Source: Xinhua news agency</i></div>Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-23629235534218999852010-08-27T03:07:00.000-07:002010-08-27T03:07:32.763-07:00Back For GoodWow it's been almost a year and a half since my last post. It was in the middle of the Perak froggie fiasco when somehow I stopped having the inspiration to write. This blog was effectively being put into a time capsule, waiting to be re-opened in the future. The said future is now. Haha<br />
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So many things had transpired during these 18 months. To recall everything would take too long. Perhaps I'll insert some recollections into future posts whenever possible. Some of the highlights were Pangkor trip, Bangkok trip, the dissolution of Six Sigma team, purchase of my first property (yay!), my best mate's visit to Malaysia, Redang trip and most recently...me quitting Prudential!!!Never say never, because Take That is reuniting as we speak, haha. Quoting the last line of their famous song:<br />
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"I guess now it's time, but you came back for good....."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/THeNHtsaCDI/AAAAAAAAAG0/NTQgIMZCmZw/s1600/back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/THeNHtsaCDI/AAAAAAAAAG0/NTQgIMZCmZw/s320/back.jpg" /></a></div>Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-36316251204669322252009-02-05T03:16:00.000-08:002009-02-05T04:29:30.028-08:00Enemies of the stateHoly moly!!! The political storm in my home state, Perak has been the talk of town over the past 2 weeks. It all began with the defection of the Bota assemblyman from BN to PR (which now looking back in hindsight, could be a decoy planted by BN). BN responded by alleging that 2 assemblypersons would defect from PR to BN (now revealed to be the Behrang & Changkat Jering reps earlier tainted with corruption allegations by BN). <div><br />Next, Tajol Rosli no longer is the Perak Umno chief. Guess who assumed the post? Our PM-in-waiting... (definitely not PM-elect, mind you!)</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div>Then a PR guy came out with a statutory declaration stating that after the last general elections, he was brought before the DPM and offered huge sums to defect to BN. A former deputy minister responded in defence of the DPM by saying there was no money involved. Then the state assembly speaker received undated letters signed by the two, purporting that they wished to get out of their political party. The Election Commission looked at the letters and announced that there's no need for a by-election. Soon, the Bota rep decided to go back BN again.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div>However, the REAL bomb......was the betrayal of the Jelapang assemblywoman! The female rep went MIA and made futile efforts to refute her eventual exit from DAP.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div>Right now PR are level with BN with 28 seats each, but BN claimed to have the support of the 4 so-called "independent" flers. In other words, PR no longer commands the majority and it's up to Sultan Azlan Shah to consent the dissolvement of the state assembly or let BN assume office.</div><div></div><div>As expected, His Majesty didn't want to trigger any snap elections but he advised the chief minister of the PR government, Nizar, to step down together with his cabinet. Nizar is standing firm not to resign. Now the government offices are surrounded by the Federal Reserve Unit.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>DRAMATIC, man!!!!<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SYrWom6NO5I/AAAAAAAAAEc/DiX8QBJaLC0/s1600-h/defectors.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299283904682605458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 242px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SYrWom6NO5I/AAAAAAAAAEc/DiX8QBJaLC0/s400/defectors.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>Najib is smiling triumphantly. He's truly in good spirits. </div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>The Bota rep is clearly feeling uncomfortable and out of place.</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>The Changkat Jering & Behrang reps were genuinely happy too. Are their pockets bulkier now? Who knows...</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, another gloomy person. GUILTY is written all over her face.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SYrZaYDS82I/AAAAAAAAAEk/X6NLMuw5fwA/s1600-h/new+royal.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299286958710911842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 276px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SYrZaYDS82I/AAAAAAAAAEk/X6NLMuw5fwA/s320/new+royal.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />"Ampun Dato' Seri...beribu-ribu ampun"</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Hail Malaysia's new "royalty"!!! His father took over the country's helm from Tunku Abdul Rahman, thereby eliminating the last remnants of political power amongst the Malay royalty.</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div>Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-91212752468668687562008-12-09T02:32:00.000-08:002008-12-09T02:36:01.018-08:00Smile(from an old Maybank advert, I think)<br /><br />A smile is quite a funny thing<br />It lightens up your face<br />And when it's gone you'll never find<br />Its secret hiding place<br />Far more wonderful it is<br />To see what smile can do<br />You smile at me<br />I smile at you<br />And so one smile makes two<br /><br />Smile<br />Smile<br />It isn't hard to do<br />Smile for a while<br />And let one smile catch two...<br /><br />Smile<br />Smile<br />The magic shining through<br />Smile from your heart<br />And the world smiles with you...<br /><br />Bahasa version:<br /><br />Senyum Seindah Suria, <br />Yang membawa cahya,<br />Senyumlah dari hati,<br />Duniamu berseri,<br /><br />Senyum umpama impian,<br />Dalam kehidupan,<br />Kau tersenyum ku tersenyum<br />Kemesraan menguntum...<br /><br />Senyum..kepada semua,<br />Senyumanmu amatlah berharga<br />Senyum..umpama titian<br />Dengan senyuman terjalinlah ikatan...Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-57133055462528817872008-11-24T01:00:00.000-08:002008-11-24T01:23:35.292-08:00Blowjob & bungee-jumpingWow it's been 2 months ++ since my last post. To Jerine & Michael, thanx for appreciating my parody of Malaysian leaders using the "Why did the chicken cross the road?" joke. I've got another one...but it's dirty, haha. Here it goes...<br /><br />Q: What is the similarity between getting blowjob from a granny and bungee-jumping?<br />A: It feels great in both cases...but for goodness' sake, NEVER EVER look down!Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-89643463622179281522008-09-11T08:46:00.000-07:002008-09-11T10:16:19.007-07:00Why did the chicken cross the road? (Malaysian version)DISCLAIMER: This post is purely meant for entertainment purposes only.<br /><br />Lingam<br />It looks like a chicken, it sounds like a chicken but I'm not saying it's a chicken<br />Correct, correct, correct!<br /><br />Son-in-Law<br />to be the first chicken Prime Minister before age 40<br /><br />Syed Hamid<br />we are tabling a new Bill to stop the chicken from crossing the road....No, this is not politically motivated<br /><br />Arif Shah<br />to study PhD in Edision University lah...<br /><br />Ahmad Ismail<br />because its ancestors are immigrants and squatters<br /><br />Rosmah<br />I was not there when the chicken crossed the road<br /><br />Najib<br />I have never met the chicken....huh, what photo?...oh all right, it crossed the road to my house to request for scholarship<br /><br />PI Bala (before disappearing)<br />My previous SD was made under duress....I hereby declare that did not see or hear the chicken cross the road<br /><br />Muhyiddin<br />I invited it back into UMNO<br /><br />DSAI<br />to cross over to Pakatan come September 16<br /><br />Saiful<br />I swear the chicken just put its ***** into my *** without my consent!!!<br /><br />Che Det<br />chicken mudah lupa. Saya juga mudah lupa<br /><br />Patrick Teoh<br />niamah!!!<br /><br />Pak Lah<br />ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZLe Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-347265066739726932008-08-21T07:36:00.000-07:002008-08-21T08:06:43.866-07:00Rafting in Sg Nenggiri 15-18 Aug 2008<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SK2EIozeOhI/AAAAAAAAAAw/SH5qI70QAxI/s1600-h/DSCF0174.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236987225628883474" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SK2EIozeOhI/AAAAAAAAAAw/SH5qI70QAxI/s320/DSCF0174.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In LRT<br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SK1_feR07yI/AAAAAAAAAAg/5YGpHFri2Q8/s1600-h/P1010669.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236982120382263074" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SK1_feR07yI/AAAAAAAAAAg/5YGpHFri2Q8/s320/P1010669.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Assembling our rafts</p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SK2CMOgqMyI/AAAAAAAAAAo/VLSO-eTDasc/s1600-h/DSCF0280.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236985088266875682" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SK2CMOgqMyI/AAAAAAAAAAo/VLSO-eTDasc/s320/DSCF0280.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Baby Jac, Winnie, me & EileenLe Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-89750399231029319772008-07-27T00:36:00.000-07:002008-07-27T01:56:46.606-07:00The Dark KnightHoly sh*t...I just checked out <a href="http://www.imdb.com/">IMDB</a>'s Top 250 minutes ago and guess what? The <u>Dark Knight</u> is ranked #1!!!!! The last time I saw the rankings 6 months ago, the <u>Godfather</u> was still tops, followed very closely by the <u>Shawshank Redemption</u> at #2. But now, the <u>Dark Knight</u> is by far highly rated compared to these 2 great films. Here's the latest Top 3 by average score and # of voters (me being one of them):<br /><br />1) The Dark Knight (2008) - 9.3 (135,443 votes)<br />2) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - 9.1 (345,543 votes)<br />3) The Godfather (1972) - 9.1 (295,769 votes)<br /><br />I spent RM9 to watch the <u>Dark Knight</u> earlier this afternoon (i.e. Sunday matinee) at IOI Mall Puchong. I was glued to my seat from start to finish. Whenever I thought I could catch a breather after an adrenaline-filled subplot, I was being brought into another roller-coaster ride. The overall storyline was good enough to make up for any minor loopholes.<br /><br />On the acting, Christian Bale and Gary Oldman were up to my expectations. Quite the same as their performance in <u>Batman Begins</u>. On the other hand, Maggie Gyllenhaal gave much more depth to the character of Rachel Dawes. I thought that Aaron Eckhart played Harvey Dent well. The transformation from a passionate champion of justice to a vengeful killer was quite credible. Like everyone else, I will give the most credit to the late Heath Ledger, whose acting as the Joker was out-of-the-world.<br /><br />My ratings: 9.5/10<br /><br />Kudos to my favourite director Christopher Nolan, whom I became a fan in 2004 after watching his year 2000 masterpiece <u>Memento</u> (yes, that's where I got the name of this blog). I have been enjoying his subsequent films - <u>Insomnia</u>, <u>The Prestige</u>, <u>Batman Begins</u> and now <u>The Dark Knight</u>. While <u>The Dark Knight</u> is more appealing to the general audience and hence higher-ranked in IMDB, <u>Memento</u> remains as the better film IMHO.Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-74230201687561436032008-07-02T18:16:00.000-07:002008-07-02T18:18:27.766-07:00News That Will Rock The NationHaris Ibrahim says DSAI will hold a press conference (PC) today at 11am to reveal proof of Najib's links to Altantuya Sharibuu<br /><a href="http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/news-that-will-rock-the-nation">http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/news-that-will-rock-the-nation</a><br /><br />I can't wait...Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-55169289763333164542008-07-02T03:27:00.000-07:002008-07-02T03:49:49.152-07:00Enough of bickering!!!Malaysiakini reported today (Jul 2, 2008 5.17pm)<br /><a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85462">Syed Hamid: Anwar a US 'snitch'</a><br /><br />The finger pointing is getting out of hand. Why don't anybody just throw out some hard evidence so that the rakyat knows who's lying and who's not? The KLCI just plunged to 1,153 points, the lowest in the last 12 months (if I'm not mistaken).<br /><br />As much as I believe that Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim is being framed for sodomy this time round, I won't rule out the possibility (however remote) that DSAI himself orchestrated the whole drama. As much as I hope that there is a change of governance in Malaysia, I wouldn't want to see the issue being dragged too long. Whether or not a political leader sodomised a young man can't be more important than the issues of price inflation, non-independent judiciary & police force, economic hardships, etc. right?<br /><br />And one lesson to learn from "V for Vendetta" is...we should not elevate any politician to the status of supreme leader. I'm just worried that in the thirst for change & good leadership, we may risk putting too much importance & ultimately, too much political influence into the hands of Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-91028587627454518002008-06-28T12:28:00.001-07:002008-06-28T13:07:54.147-07:00It's 1998 all over again?HELP!!! SOS!!! They are using the same dirty tactic against Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim again.<br /><br />Malaysiakini reports that the police will be arresting DSAI for sodomy...based on a police report lodged by the alleged victim - DSAI's aide.<br />Police only 'interviewed' those named in RPK's statutory declaration.<br />A police officer only gets disciplinary action for raping a 17-year old girl IN THE POLICE STATION...<br /><br />DSAI, please release immediately the proof that IGP Musa Hassan and AG Abdul Gani Patail fabricated the evidence against you in 1998.<br /><br />RPK, please show us immediately the proof that the military report mentioned in your SD indeed exists.<br /><br />Quote from V for Vendetta: "The people afraid of the government? The government should be afraid of the people".<br /><br />Indeed, Umno is very very afraid of the prevalence of truth, the power of the rakyat and of Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim....Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-31243665201816577132008-06-27T22:14:00.000-07:002008-06-27T22:16:12.475-07:00Look Who's Talking (posted May 10, 2008)BN government lied to the rakyat in all possible ways over a far longer period.<br /><br />Taken from the New Straits Times (10 May 2008):<br /><br />KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor Barisan Nasional chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib yesterday, with a tinge of sarcasm, congratulated the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government for a job well done.<br />"I heartily congratulate the state government of Selangor, because after less than two months in power, it has succeeded in openly lying to the people who voted for it," he said in his blog yesterday.Muhammad joined Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in chastising the Selangor government for not living up to PR's pre-election promises of lower taxes and free education.The state government recently said it would be unable to deliver its promise of a 20 per cent and 10 per cent reduction in assessment taxes and commercial property taxes respectively this year.Muhammad said it was irresponsible to make a promise and then retract it.<br />"Some might even construe it as a breach of trust, an abuse of goodwill, because a lot of people might have voted for the opposition based on that promise," he said, adding that Barisan Nasional always made promises based on its ability to deliver them.<br /><br />Look who's talking?Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-59656635574714284382008-06-27T22:10:00.000-07:002008-06-27T22:13:41.120-07:00The Notorious KL Flash Flood (posted Apr 16, 2008)Last year I saw it in the papers. Car park near KLCC flooded till at least waist level.<br /><br />Today I became a victim. There was a heavy downpour in KL around 3.30pm. By 4.15pm water was already rising. Prudential sent an email to all staff. I dashed to my car, but it was to late. The alarm was ringing. Water had found its way into my car & immersed the pedals. I tried to ignite. Dead.<br /><br />I had to think quick. The alarm still sounded quite loud. My car needed power for reignition later. So I opened the bonet & unplugged the battery terminals. No more alarm. Then I released the handbrake & shouted for help from the car par attendants. After pushing another car, 2 fellas came & helped push mine to dry land.<br /><br />It was like an aquarium inside. I took an empty 1.5l mineral water bottle from my boot (thank goodness it's still dry), cut off the top and started scooping mudwater out. Just then a girl got her Kelisa pushed to safety as well. Her alarm was still ringing. I took my spanner & unscrewed the nut that held the battery terminal tight. No more alarm. I gave her my water scoop too.<br /><br />After waiting half an hour, I tried connecting the terminals & reignite. Failed to start. A good Samaritan came by & pulled out the alarm cable from a socket located beneath the radio. My car then roared to live again, finally!!!<br /><br />I spent the rest of the time soakin up water with a towel & revving up my car. Dinner appointment got cancelled cuz Eng Yau's & Lisa's car also suffered the same fate.<br /><br />The SMART tunnel was built to solve these problems. Now I gotta endure the stench for weeks. But thank goodness I came down in time. Otherwise...engine overhaul.<br /><br />Welcome to KL, Ipohmali.Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-75951396248188195162008-06-27T20:32:00.000-07:002008-06-27T22:01:31.312-07:00Malaysia Today (posted Dec 28, 2007)Wah it's been more than a month since my last post. Haven't written anything since Ching Wei and Chow Pin got married early November. And many things have happened during the last 6 weeks - in my life, in Malaysia and most recently in Pakistan (Benazir Bhutto's assassination).<br /><br />I shall summarise the part on Malaysia, as many of you would know as much as or perhaps more than me:<br /><br />1) Two major rallies - Bersih for electoral reforms (coincided with Ching Wei's wedding lunch) and Hindraf to express the discontent of ethnic Indians - took place in the land where the people were SUPPOSED to live in racial and religious harmony. But are we really? The Election Commission was SUPPOSED to be politically neutral. Are they really? The Anti Corruption Agency was also SUPPOSED to weed corruption in the government. But did they really hunt down the biggest culprits?<br /><br /><br />2) The PM declaring that he does not like to be challenged, he has BIG EARS and he would not hesitate to use the Internal Security Act (ISA) as the LAST RESORT (Well he did)<br /><br /><br />3) UMNO MPs making statements to score political points but defeated their purposes by exposing the PM, his government and Politburo for what they REALLY ARE and also contradicting the SUPPOSED moderateness of Islam Hadhari.<br /><br /><br />4) The Politburo head ALLEGED that Hindraf was linked to terrorists (without proof) and got them detained under ISA. 31 PEOPLE were charged with TRYING to murder ONE Politburo officer. Several people from the Bersih rally and Bar Council were arrested as well. All in the name of (Barisan) NASIONAL SECURITY.<br /><br /><br />5) The deputy Internal Security Minister threatened the Catholic weekly The Herald with permit withdrawal for using the ARABIAN term for God (claimed to be reserved for the usage of Muslims only) in its Bahasa Malaysia section.<br /><br /><br />6) My friend <a href="http://www.darnmalaysia.com/">Kenny</a> and I shared the 1-year subscription fee of RM150 for Malaysiakini.com. Kenny thinks it's his best investment in 2007. I just think that I'm reading REAL news, finally...Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-10941272810407481222008-06-27T20:29:00.001-07:002008-06-27T21:59:27.656-07:00Mr and Mrs Tan (posted Nov 17, 2007)<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SGWwmFexioI/AAAAAAAAAAM/2xLhmamFWeQ/s1600-h/IMG_1459.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216769911731358338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3y88m3YgH5c/SGWwmFexioI/AAAAAAAAAAM/2xLhmamFWeQ/s200/IMG_1459.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The photo of the handsome Tan Chow Pin and gorgeous Yong Ching Wei (henceforth will be known as Mr and Mrs Tan):<br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://henrymlim.blogs.friendster.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/img_1459.JPG"></a></div>Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-21646944413512741842008-06-27T20:25:00.000-07:002008-06-27T20:28:45.892-07:00Brothers-in-Bride (posted Nov 16, 2007)It was a very wet morning last Saturday. All major roads around KL were congested like mad (no thanks to the police setting up road blocks to prevent people from going for the BERSIH rally). If it wasn't for Ching Wei and Chow Pin's wedding lunch, I would have joined Kenny in Dataran Merdeka. Well I managed to reach Royale Bintang Damansara by 1pm using the backdoor way (Puchong-Sunway-Subang Jaya-Glenmarie-NKVE-Kota Damansara) instead of LDP.<br /><br />The UAL people had a table all for ourselves - Alex, Haw Yun, Hong Sen and Liza, Grace, Hooi Lee, Judy and her beau Adrian, Chong and me. Hong Sen & Liza came during the 2nd course (shark's fin soup). Chong made a very fashionably late entrance. And he thought Ching Wei didn't notice, haha.<br /><br />After the lunch Alex, Chong, Haw Yun and me sat @ Starbucks for "panoramic viewing". I introduced Toffee Nut Frappucino to the lads. Midway thru, Ching Wei and Chow Pin came for photo shoot at our table. I went for Mass @ SFX after that.<br /><br />Carolling practice that night was particularly fun. A group of us got together to sing some pop songs while Magdalene played the piano. I also found out that Rachel is Mei Lih's old schoolmate. I have another booze kaki, haha! We closed the practise with action song Mary Did You Know waaaay past midnight.<br /><br />The next morning I had to wake up early cuz I'm helping out as Chow Pin's "brother-in-bride". We assembled at Jusco Balakong at 8.30am. This time Hong Sen was slightly late again but Haw Yun made the fashionably late entrance instead. Ching Wei's "sisters" made us do pushups and drink liquids with 4 different tastes. The rest were all up to Chow Pin himself. He had to sing love songs, recall his wedding vows and answer endless tough questions about his bride and her family. After giving out quite a number of angpows (as penalty for each wrong answer), he finally managed to get to his bride!!!<br /><br />As Semenyih is not very far from Balakong, I went to my sister's halls after the wedding to pass her some items from Ipoh. Then I rushed back to SFX for "Our Father's Plan". My final activity for the weekend was making the announcement for World Youth Day during the 5.30pm Mass.<br />2 days of weekend come and gone, just like that...Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-75346118009578281792007-11-08T09:32:00.000-08:002007-11-08T09:47:24.267-08:00A "B" MovieYet again I didn't get to watch <u>Stardust</u>. On Diwali's eve, I asked William, George and Michael to 1Utama for movie. Being a Wednesday and the eve of a public holiday, cinemas were almost fully booked. GSC had only a couple of front row seats for the 10 something show. So instead, the three kings and an archangel - <strong>King Henry, King WIlliam, King George and St Michael</strong> - settled with watching a 'B' movie....oops I meant <u>The Bee Movie</u>.<br /><br />What load of fun it was!<br /><br />The bees were so human-like in the animation, we can't help but laugh our heads off. There were famous bees such as BeJesus, Bee Gandhi and even a Bee Larry King (wearing the same type of glasses and suspender belts as the human Larry King)!!! That's not all, you'll find cameo appearances by an actor, a singer and a favourite cartoon character too! No kidding...<br /><br />My verdict: 7.5/10<br /><br />Still, I hope I can catch <u>Stardust</u>, perhaps on Saturday morning. No fantasy movie gives me such anticipation since <u>El Laberinto del Fauno</u> (Pan's Labyrinth).<br /><br />Tried a new song (Little Drummer Boy) at carolling practice earlier. Also had fun singing The Twelve Days of Christmas with Janice - too bad we only reached Day 8, haha. Some of us then went to William's Tmn Mayang for supper. I found new kaki's for playing scrabbles (Martin, Val, Andrew and Marie), chess (Andrew & Joseph) and basketball (Joseph & Shen).<br /><br />Back to work tomorrow morning. It'll be a long, tough Friday. Looking forward to Ching Wei's wedding this weekend.Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-33380079642258463342007-11-05T08:24:00.000-08:002007-11-05T08:28:14.833-08:00Measuring UpAfter many distractions & diversions, I finally finished reading Sidney Poitier's "A Measure of A Man". While the intro and content were a good read, the conclusion was personally a letdown for me.<br /><br />On a happier note, carolling practice tonight did measure up. We are now quite well versed with the arangements of all our SATB songs - Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, The First Nowell, O Holy Night and Ding Dong Merrily on High. There will be lots of fine-tuning from now on. As usual, my fellow tenors came to practice in full force.<br /><br />Our first performance will be during the Xmas party for the Puchong kids on Dec 1. This would be a good warmup for the serious ones beginning Dec 7. Oh BTW we'll be singing in major malls (e.g. 1Utama and the Curve) & hotels in PJ and possibly KL Hilton & Le Meridien too. You're most welcome to come watch & support us.! =)Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-70233817607956049452007-10-19T21:31:00.000-07:002007-10-19T21:32:43.526-07:00Spare TyreFinally went for a drink with my friend from Prudential. We had been talking and talking about going for a booze since almost 3 months ago. It all started when she sent me a photo of my professor Steven Haberman and I together with 2 actuaries from Prudential (Mr Ng Keng Hui and Mr Ong Kheng Heng) and the Actuarial Society president, my boss Mr Raymond Lai. I've actually uploaded the photo into Friendster.<br /><br />I wanted the photo very desperately becuz I have tremendous respect for Prof Haberman. And it's also due to the fact that he immediately recognised me on the day he gave a talk on life annuities in Prudential. I can't describe how great an honour it was.<br /><br />Anyway my friend Mei Lih brought some of her co-workers and superiors along and we had quite a happy hour in Beach Club. I can see that they're all down-to-earth and caring people. How nice. After the session I went up their building and chatted with fellow Ipohmali Lisa for a while. I drove Mei Lih back to her house afterwards.<br /><br />Along the KL-Seremban highway I thought my car ran over some object and felt a small metal clank around my left rear tyre. That part of my car started becoming really noisy. I half suspected that my tyre had gone flat. I decided not to stop along the dark & dangerous emergency lane so I continued until we reached the BHP station near the Sri Petaling Carrefour. My suspicions were confirmed. I replaced the flat one with the spare tyre before sending Mei Lih home.<br /><br />Since I started driving in KL I had to replace flat tyres 4 times in 4 years (that's once a year on average). Thank goodness all of them happened to rear tyres. Hmmm....now I need to buy a new Goodyear tyre before I drive back to Ipoh for All Souls' Day.Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-62956393926666820482007-10-14T09:11:00.000-07:002007-10-14T09:40:18.564-07:00A Fruitful WeekendJoined Lifeliners Adrian, Christina, Irene & Ivy Teh, Sister John and the Puchong kids for Pak Lah's open house in PWTC on Saturday noon. The queue was crazily LOOOOOONG.<br /><br />Then we brought them to KLCC where they tried the bubble elevator for the first time. The dark sky was threatening to pour. The kids can't wait to play with water that they actually jumped into the fountain pool (which is forbidden). However we brought them to the wading pool instead, where they played to their hearts' content. Just as we got all of them out of the pool, it finally started to rain. The Lord wanted the kids to have fun too! Christina and I followed the kids and Sister John back to Puchong in the bas kilang, all tired and spent but very pleased to see the joy written on all the young faces.<br /><br />Managed to get a quick shower at home before driving to the 5.00pm carolling practice at SFX. It rained so heavily that several parts of the Federal Highway were filled with inches of water. Thankfuly I arrived at church safely. The sopranos, altos, tenors and basses were being sorted out. Janice, Marie and Annie were the Sopranos; Irene and Jude (did I get her name correct?) the altos. With the help of Patrick and Mag, I found that I'm a tenor together with Julius and Samuel. The basses Alex and Lawrence completed this makeshift choir. For a start we practised "Silent Night". There were some glitches but we managed to piece it together just before Mass, though there was much refining needed. Can't wait for next practice.<br /><br />After Mass I brought George Michael (George & Michael lah), Jovina, Melissa and Eric for dinner and fellowship @ Chuan Lee. Home sweet home for everyone afterwards.<br /><br />Sunday morning Michael, Jovina and I went to GSC 1Utama for Chuck and Larry (U're right, Celia. It was darn funny. And Jessica Biel was OOZING HOT. I wish I was Adam Sandler!!!)<br /><br />In the evening I went jogging around my apartment area, having missed Thursday's badminton. My fitness level is much better than a year ago before started training for Kinabalu. I used to stop to catch my breath every quarter of the perimeter then. Now I could run at least 5 rounds continuously with ease.<br /><br />Continued reading Sidney Poitier's "The Measure of A Man" since dinner.Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-18102438973484408972007-10-04T09:58:00.000-07:002007-10-04T10:21:49.490-07:00Re: Carebears and Steven Spielberg's Munich<p>You're right, Celia...we simply cannot please everyone. Also, who am I to say who matters more than others? After all I had vowed to let JC drive my life. Looking back I realise He had chosen the right thing for me. At least now I know more about the persons I talked to (and hopefully vice versa).</p><p>Magdalene from Melaka is rather 'dreamy' and always cannot remember my name; Janice from Sandakan has a smooth, powerful soprano voice. Both contributed so much to the success of the mid-autumn event.</p><p>Well I suppose I can ganti balik last week by eating dinner with the IPBA ppl this Saturday lah.</p><p>The most recent movie I watched was Steven Spielberg's "Munich". A fantastic film that combines many complex issues within the main storyline - a group of civilian Jews recruited by the Mossad to assassinate men listed to be responsible for the 1972 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_massacre">Munich massacre</a>. As the story progressed, most of them (and the audience) would begin to wonder if it's justifiable to treat violence with violence, to follow orders without questions/proof and to assassinate someone in cold blood. They would also begin to see the irony that those who replaced their assassinated targets went on to create more violence and kill more people. The secrecy and possibility of being betrayed by secret intelligence were evident throughout. Towards the end after three of his team were killed, the protagonist (played by Eric Bana) became paranoid that he or his family might be next targets of assassination (he didn't know whether it was the Palestinians or the Mossad themselves).</p><p>The film draws the parallel between the Jews and the Palestinians in the sense that both sides would do anything, at all costs and for as long as it takes to have a land they call home (because it was the only thing that mattered). </p><p>In the climactic final scene (with the New York skyline in the background), a distinction was made between Jews who wanted peace by doing good to others (Eric Bana inviting Geoffrey Rush to his house to break bread with his family) and Jews with hardened hearts who reject goodness and would continue killing for 'peace' (Geoffrey Rush snubbing the invitation). In the background stood the former World Trade Centre, a symbol that represented the consequences of treating violence with violence and for us to learn from the 911 tragedy.</p><p>My verdict: 9/10</p>Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-33532821919968792072007-10-03T09:21:00.000-07:002007-10-03T09:27:33.967-07:00Michael Buble - Everything<h2>Listen</h2><br /><p><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.box.net/mp3player/player.swf?playlistURL=http://www.box.net/lite/playlist/dyki8jj3qt"width="310" height="65"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.box.net/mp3player/player.swf?playlistURL=http://www.box.net/lite/playlist/dyki8jj3qt" /><br /><param name="allowScriptAcess" value="sameDomain" /><br /><param name="quality" value="best" /><br /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><br /><param name="scale" value="noScale" /><br /><param name="salign" value="TL" /><br /><param name="FlashVars" value="playerMode=embedded" /><br /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/></object><br /><small>share your files at <a href="http://www.box.net/lite">box.net</a></small></p><br /><h2>Lyrics</h2><br /><p><object width='300' height='180'><embed src='http://www.lyricsmode.com/i/scroll2.swf?lid=382480&speed=4' width='318' height='184' type='application/x-shockwave-flash'/></embed></object></p><br /><h2>Download</h2><br /><p><a title="Download: Michael Bublé - Everything.mp3" href="http://www.box.net/shared/dyki8jj3qt" >Download: Michael Bublé - Everything.mp3</a></p><br /><h2>Video</h2><br /><p><object height="350" width="425"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SPUJIbXN0WY" ><br /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" ><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SPUJIbXN0WY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350" ></embed></object></p>Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153087663259134283.post-30120076680748467562007-09-29T10:56:00.000-07:002007-09-29T10:58:15.063-07:00CarebearsIs it bad to be too caring to everybody? One thing for sure is that with our limited attention span, we will bound to disappoint somebody at any given day.<br /><br />I was in my church's mid-autumn festival celebration earlier. When it came to the final event of the night (walking around with lanterns) I had decided to follow my friends from IPBA (Catherine, Nicky, Anita, Nigel & David) to Kanna Curry House for a drink. On my way out I stopped by to talk to several people. As a result, I never got to have my drink cuz by the time I was out of church, Nicky txt me saying they were going home already.<br /><br />I'm concerned cuz a similar case happens in my family. Whenever I go back Ipoh during weekend, I find myself engaging in long conversations with my parents - about my job, health, car and all the 'serious' topics. At other times, I'll either be out yumchar with my old school mates or too tired to do anything. All these actually crowd out my time for my brother, whom I care a lot. Right now I still haven't got a solution for this. The best I did was to let him know I care about him a lot despite not spending enough brotherly time with him.<br /><br />Hence the question - how much should I care for everybody so that I can still care sufficiently for people who matter most?Le Buffoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09786101491929786438noreply@blogger.com0