I checked my last post. It was before Raya. And all the things I said about Raya was true. But I didn't have time to update this blog, my dear readers, because I just got my second son (so matter of fact and casual). And just like my first son, he is the most handsome, brightest, charming human being I've ever seen. Until the next one comes along.
But just more than a week before that, I took delivery of my materialistic baby - a new car. It's new, shiny, and thus far, the best I've ever driven. Not because it's new and shiny mind you. I plumped myself into another new and shiny car my mom got for herself. And I wouldn't put it even in the top 3 cars I've driven. No, the reason my new car is the best is simply because it is - pace, power, refinement and looks. Man, it's lame, but when I park this new set of wheels, I still stare at it a bit when I walk off.
The only bad thing about getting a new car is getting your friends' reaction. I've had this problem ever since I drove my first car. "Why didn't you buy this?", "Why did you get this color?","Rugi beli brand-new..."...the idiotic kind of comments coming from people who have never even come close to having the choices I have. Maybe it's about living vicariously. Dude, my best mate just got himself a dull as clorox Toyota, and I still pretended to be excited over it all. Nah, no worries. I'm not angry or bitter. Just peeved. Don't blame them though, most people do this.
Anyway, with a new car and a new baby, I needed a new wife. Wrong sentence. I needed a new hobby.
I've picked up walking, of all things. I only enjoy exercise if it's fun. And it's only fun when someone keeps score. So I can play futsal forever, but I wouldn't last a few weeks if I picked up jogging. Too lonely. And I have weak knees. People say it's because of...well, I wouldn't know about that;)
Unfortunately, futsal's usually played late at night. I need to be with the two boys. So I found something I could probably do continuously, but it's not really exercising as I know it, so I wouldn't feel pressured to perform. So walking it is. That's why I call it a hobby.
Because when I walk, I don't think about walking, I think about everything else. I'm an observer, if you've observed. Some of the interesting things I've discovered while walking around my area in Shah Alam (I usually brisk walk/explore for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours) are:
1. Not everyone who stays in a bungalow drive nice cars
2. Not everyone who drives a normal car stays in a small house
3. The fact that I've seen a few purple/police blue houses just goes to show how weird and irrational human beings are
4. Even though Shah Alam is a predominantly Malay area, a lot of the nice houses here belong to Chinese
5. The roads in Shah Alam, even in a VIP-dominated area, are pretty badly maintained (apparently, since PR took over)
I've also discovered that the police on patrol love to "rest" in their car on top of the hill where my house is located. While this is good news for me, I wonder if my neighbors are happy about it.
Other than this new hobby, I've intensified my existing hobby of reading. I read a lot. Maybe not as much as some of you, but definitely more than most. I buy an average of 3-5 books a month. Not only that, my subscription to Time, Fortune and Bloomberg BusinessWeek ensures that every week I'd have something new to read. I also pick up a lot of magazines off the shelf like Fast Company (GREAT MAGAZINE), Entrepreneur (not so great,but some nice ideas), INC. (soon to be GREAT MAGAZINE) and my regular fix of Top Gear Malaysia and Autocar Malaysia. So in a month I'd cover 3 books, 10 subscription magazines, 5 off-the-shelf magazines...and Off The Edge every week.
(I wouldn't even bother quantifying the newspaper, news website, blogs, sports reports that I read on a daily basis)
It has led me to wonder whether I'm suffering from information overload. It's so bad that sometimes I can't remember the title of the book I was reading (no worries, now reading The Game by Neil Strauss. Not for information, but to compare notes...hahahahaha).
The best thing about reading is that it opens up your mind to new possibilities. Which leads me to another NEW thing - a new business venture. I can't say what, I can't say who, I can't say when, I can't say how. I just want to make money. Now that is NOT new.
....
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Bila Raya...
10. Semua terkejut jalan sesak, sedangkan dari aku celik mata, balik raya memang jarang-jarang perjalanan lancar. Malah, aku rasa, sesak-sesak di jalan raya dan terutamanya perhentian R & R adalah sebahagian daripada keseronokan beraya. Malangnya, keseronokan ini tidak lama sekiranya aku nak ke tandas tetapi terpaksa menahan setelah melihat kejijikan yang dibuat manusia tidak berakal.
9. Kereta besar-besar mula menyinggah ke kawasan kampung. Dulu waktu rajin balik ke kawasan kampung Bukit Mertajam, berduyun-duyun Mercedez dan BMW di jalan. Peliknya, benda sama tidak pula berlaku di kampung aku yang bukan kampung sangat yakni Gelugor, Penang. Adakah ini bermakna hanya "migrant" dari kawasan kampung yang lebih berjaya bila pindah ke bandar?
8. Semua surat lambat sampai, terutamanya majalah-majalah. Pelik, sebab aku rasa dulu lagi banyak surat orang hantar. Mungkin penjimatan masa daripada pengurangan orang menghantar kad raya tiada kesan apabila produktiviti setiap pekerja POS generasi baru semakin merudum (berbanding pekerja-pekerja dulu). Maklumlah, ramai sekarang tiada motivasi dan lebih sibuk mencari awek untuk membatalkan puasa (bukan pekerja POS sahaja, tetapi Melayu generasi baru secara am-nya).
Surat dah digantikan....dengan Facebook! E-Mel pun tak sempat nak jadi medium yang popular. Buat apa penat-penat masukkan alamat e-mel semua kawan dan kenalan apabila anda boleh "tag" saja gambar kad raya di Facebook? Yang naik menyampah adalah komen-komen memanjang selepas itu. Kalau komen beramai-ramai, aku boleh terima. Kadang-kadang hanya 2 orang saja komen, tapi jadi macam "chatting". Memang tak boleh belah.
Mula lah orang hantar mesej-mesej Hari Raya menerusi SMS. Aku terima sahaja, tapi tolonglah...sangat klise mesej-mesej berbentuk keinsafan. Aku selalu tertanya-tanya apakah motif mesej panjang-panjang ini. Adakah SMS sebegini akan mengubah pendirian individu yang tak tergerak walaupun disogok khutbah Jumaat, tazkirah terawikh, rancangan agama dan mesej-mesej keagamaan di media massa?
Tetapi aku suka mesej Hari Raya yang kelakar-kelakar. Aku hendak mengucapkan terima kasih bagi mereka yang rajin merangka mesej SMS Raya yang unik dan kelakar. Aku pun cuba jugak, cuma sindiran aku kadang-kadang buat orang terasa. Sebagai contoh: "Isap rokok batal hukumnya, Wajib x buat terawikh beria, Kalau macam ni waktu berpuasa, Baik xyah sambut hari raya...".
7. Pengedar mercun dan bunga api popular. Aku sendiri belanja RM500 tahun ini membeli "perkakas hiburan". Mercun sekarang dah tak macam dulu. Budak-budak sekarang pun dah tak macam dulu. Dalam zaman permainan komputer seperti Halo, setakat bunga api cap kucing memang budak-budak tak layan. Sekarang minimum Thunder Clap. Malah, aku tengok katalog "dealer", macam-macam jenis baru diperkenalkan. Ada nama "Osama" - amat sesuai untuk pasukan ekstremis yang semakin menjadi-jadi di Malaysia (asyik bersyarah dan mengata orang lain aja kerja).
Aku rasa lebih baik mercun dan bunga api dijadikan barang kawalan daripada diharamkan. Bila diharamkan tetapi tidak begitu diharamkan, apa bezanya? Baik dibenarkan tetapi harus berdaftar dan mengikut spesifikasi tertentu. Dapat pula cukai tambahan. Ada QC bunga api. Hehehehe...idea bodoh tatkala nak raya.
6. Orang Islam jadi teramat malas. Aku ingat lagi di USJ, Subang, ada kedai kegemaran masakan Kelantan. Dia cuti sebulan sebelum Raya, dan sebulan SELEPAS Raya! Dua bulan bercuti. Contoh macam ini banyak aku nampak dalam perniagaan orang Melayu. Sudahlah kita kebelakang, kemudian kita harus mengejar masa sebab tanggungjawab agama banyak (seperti solat Jumaat yang menghilangkan 2 jam dari produktiviti pekerja. Masalahnya, adakah kita ganti 2 jam ini dengan balik pukul 7? Tidak jugak!), lepas tuh nak jadi pemalas pula. Kononnya sibuk beraya. Jangan tipu. Duduk kampung sekarang goyang kaki, makan banyak.
Sebab itu, dulu waktu aku kerja makan gaji, aku tak suka cuti panjang untuk Raya. Bukan sebab aku ni terlebih rajin. Sebab aku perasan, kerja memang langsung tidak ada sekitar musim perayaan. Masuklah ke pejabat, duduk bukak komputer, keluar makan lama-lama, pergi membeli belah (waktu aku di Maxis) dan balik awal. Aku rasa orang yang tidak balik kampung, dan hanya nak duduk rumah sahaja, lebih baik simpan cuti tu. Pergi je pejabat. Macam cuti juga!
5. Jualan murah berlambak. Tetapi aku macam ada syak wasangka harga barang-barang telah dinaikkan untuk musim perayaan kemudian diberi diskaun. Walau apapun, waktu inilah orang semua keluar membeli baju melayu, samping, tempah baju kurung, dan beli songkok. Mesti ramai yang tak tahu bahawa sebelum Raya adalah masa paling lumayan bagi penjual kereta sebab ramai orang kita nak bawak kereta baru untuk Raya. Bukan itu sahaja, perabot baru, karpet baru, malah sekarang ni mungkin muka baru, semuanya menjadi pilihan!
Semua gedung beli-belah memainkan lagu-lagu Raya dan tema Raya. Eih, bukan gedung beli-belah sahaja - pusat hiburan KTV, kelab malam, pusat urut pun pandai buat mood raya (aku dengar cerita laaa...). Inilah baru dinamakan 1Malaysia. Cuma peliknya, aku rasa diorang lebih beria-ria sambut Krismas dan Gong Xi Fa Cai dari Hari Raya. Kalau 2 perayaan itu, kadang-kadang lebih sebulan sebelum dah mula main lagu Krismas. Mungkinkah sebab 2 perayaan itu, terutamanya Krismas, lebih santai dan meriah?
4. Mungkin juga, sebab dalam nak dekat-dekat Raya ni banyak la pulak stesen radio mainkan lagu Raya. Lagu Raya memang klasik tapi tahulah, sedih semacam kebanyakannya. Bukan aku tak suka, tapi sampai ke hari ini asyik-asyik 3-4 set lagu sahaja yang boleh diterima pakai umum. Cubaan terbaru banyak kecundang, walaupun letak 2-3 orang sekali nyanyi satu lagu (perlukah Radio DJ pun nak jadi penyanyi?).
Mungkin juga lagu Raya ini kena ikut formula tertentu - beat sama ada perlahan atau rancak tetapi tidak boleh ada elemen teknologi (kalau rancak kena ikut rentak kompang/gendang), lirik ceria nak mampus atau lirik nak mampus (tidak boleh di antara), dan kena ada sedikit seruling/tabla/ghazal. Bunkface mungkin boleh cuba buat lagu raya, tetapi aku rasa Nassier Wahab pasti lebih berjaya.
3. Bukan lagu Raya sahaja ada formula. Cerita Raya lagilah klise. Setiap tahun stesen TV menjanjikan rancangan menarik untuk seisi keluarga. Wajib kena ada katalog cerita Melayu 2-3 tahun lapuk. Aku lagi suka kalau dia campur dengan cerita klasik macam Mira Edora (oh Julia Rais). Tetapi aku tahu stesen TV dah ada formula kena tunjuk cerita David Teoh satu, cerita Senario satu. Malah tahun ini, aku tengok Astro promosi "marathon" Senario. Yang tengah "hot" sekarang juga cerita rempit motor dan kereta. Baguslah, beri pendedahan awal kepada budak-budak Melayu tentang masa depan mereka. Aku suka.
Juga wajib dalam pelan siaran adalah cerita Bollywood. Ini adalah satu fakta menarik tentang orang Melayu. Mereka gemar menonton filem Bollywood, sehinggakan di Hari Raya, mereka lebih sanggup membuat perancangan beraya sekitar cerita Bollywood. Lebih banyak menari dan menyanyi, lebih banyak hero mati hidup kembali, lebih beria orang Melayu nak tengok cerita Bollywood. Pelik juga, sebab makcik-makcik ini jugalah yang beria-ria anti-India bila cerita tentang hak Melayu.
Tidak lupa juga kepada rancangan muzikal yang memang jadi teramat meloyakan. Dulu waktu aku kecik-kecik, memang satu family di Gelugor akan menonton rancangan muzikal pada malam Raya dan juga konsert-konsert selepas Raya. Itu sebab aku ni banyak katalog lagu Melayu. Tetapi aku perasan generasi baru macam adik aku memang tak layan muzikal-muzikal macam ini. Aku pun dah naik bosan. Aku rasa kalau amik 10 tahun lepas M. Nasir nyanyi lagu "Satu Hari di Hari Raya", mainkan tahun ini, tiada sesiapa pun akan kisah. Sekarang ni senang. Campak je budak-budak rancangan realiti TV atas pentas buat lawak dan menyanyi. Masalahnya, orang tak kenal pun...(tidak sempat jadi terkenal).
Akhir sekali, dan ini "favourite" aku, drama Raya. Konsep drama Raya tidak pernah berubah. Terbahagi kepada dua - Keinsafan atau Komedi. Malam Raya biasanya mesti ada cerita keinsafan. Pengarah popular untuk benda-benda sesak nafas sebegini adalah Rashid Sibir. Hah, yang terkenal dengan shot 5 minit mak tengah menangis di dapur, tapi konon artistik sebab ambil dari angle bawah dagu. Pelakon paling popular sudah tentulah Fauziah Nawi. Sama ada anak dia mati, suami dia mati, atau dia sendiri mati - yang penting mesti ada orang mati dalam drama keinsafan.
2. Dan yang paling wajib tatkala musim Raya sudah tentulah iklan Raya. Dulu, memang berbaloi syarikat gergasi berbelanja besar mengeluarkan wang menghasilkan mini-filem mengenai Hari Raya. Tetapi semenjak dua menjak, aku perasan banyak juga iklan yang dikitar semula. Adakah semenjak pemergian Yasmin Ahmad, sudah tiada lagi semangat menghasilkan iklan raya? Atau adakah sebab ramai dari kalangan "target demographics" dah menghabiskan masa melayan NCIS atau E!News sampai tiada penonton iklan raya?
Tahun ini iklan raya paling hot dan viral adalah iklan raya TV3. Aku rasa syarikat aku pun tak lama lagi nak buat iklan kontroversi macam TV3. Orang yang tak layan iklan Raya pun tengok. Orang bukan Islam pun lebih banyak menonton iklan ini dari orang Islam, aku rasalah. Ini menaikkan profil TV3. Mungkin 2 tahun lagi, syarikat aku nak buat iklan Raya tapi dilakonkan oleh pelakon Mak Salleh. Woooo...bayangkan muka cam Megan Fox kacau dodol, atau Scarlett Johansson ikat ketupat. Mesti famous.
Hah? Korang tak tahu pasal iklan TV3 penuh kontroversi itu? Alah, cari je rakan baik korang. Namanya Google. Cuba tanya. Pendapat aku senang - manusia akan nampak apa yang minda dia ingin nampak. Sebagai contoh, setiap hari aku tengok cermin aku nampak George Clooney.
1. Setiap Raya tidak lengkap tanpa...duit raya! Dengan duit raya, baju raya, kuih raya, kereta raya...tahun ini aku memang kena seluk ke dalam poket sedalam yang mungkin. Sekarang ni status sebagai boss membuatkan anak-anak buah aku (atau lebih tepat lagi, ibu bapa mereka) mengharapkan aku menyumbang duit raya macam Bill Gates. Aku pun suka kasi duit raya sebenarnya. Lagi banyak aku boleh kasi, maksudnya lagi bagus perniagaan aku kan? Tapi takut nanti bila aku takde duit, harapan duit raya sama macam zaman aku ada duit. Hmmm...ini motivasi untuk sentiasa banyak duit!
Aku nak tahu sama ada sesuai atau tidak duit raya melalui Maybank2u? Kenapa tidak sesuai? Tahun lepas aku kasi duit raya kat mak aku pakai Maybank2u, banyak pulak tuh, tapi dia merajuk cakap nak duit raya dalam sampul.
Apa-apapun aku nak ingatkan semua supaya berhati-hati bila berbelanja dan memandu di jalan raya. Selamat menyambut Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
9. Kereta besar-besar mula menyinggah ke kawasan kampung. Dulu waktu rajin balik ke kawasan kampung Bukit Mertajam, berduyun-duyun Mercedez dan BMW di jalan. Peliknya, benda sama tidak pula berlaku di kampung aku yang bukan kampung sangat yakni Gelugor, Penang. Adakah ini bermakna hanya "migrant" dari kawasan kampung yang lebih berjaya bila pindah ke bandar?
8. Semua surat lambat sampai, terutamanya majalah-majalah. Pelik, sebab aku rasa dulu lagi banyak surat orang hantar. Mungkin penjimatan masa daripada pengurangan orang menghantar kad raya tiada kesan apabila produktiviti setiap pekerja POS generasi baru semakin merudum (berbanding pekerja-pekerja dulu). Maklumlah, ramai sekarang tiada motivasi dan lebih sibuk mencari awek untuk membatalkan puasa (bukan pekerja POS sahaja, tetapi Melayu generasi baru secara am-nya).
Surat dah digantikan....dengan Facebook! E-Mel pun tak sempat nak jadi medium yang popular. Buat apa penat-penat masukkan alamat e-mel semua kawan dan kenalan apabila anda boleh "tag" saja gambar kad raya di Facebook? Yang naik menyampah adalah komen-komen memanjang selepas itu. Kalau komen beramai-ramai, aku boleh terima. Kadang-kadang hanya 2 orang saja komen, tapi jadi macam "chatting". Memang tak boleh belah.
Mula lah orang hantar mesej-mesej Hari Raya menerusi SMS. Aku terima sahaja, tapi tolonglah...sangat klise mesej-mesej berbentuk keinsafan. Aku selalu tertanya-tanya apakah motif mesej panjang-panjang ini. Adakah SMS sebegini akan mengubah pendirian individu yang tak tergerak walaupun disogok khutbah Jumaat, tazkirah terawikh, rancangan agama dan mesej-mesej keagamaan di media massa?
Tetapi aku suka mesej Hari Raya yang kelakar-kelakar. Aku hendak mengucapkan terima kasih bagi mereka yang rajin merangka mesej SMS Raya yang unik dan kelakar. Aku pun cuba jugak, cuma sindiran aku kadang-kadang buat orang terasa. Sebagai contoh: "Isap rokok batal hukumnya, Wajib x buat terawikh beria, Kalau macam ni waktu berpuasa, Baik xyah sambut hari raya...".
7. Pengedar mercun dan bunga api popular. Aku sendiri belanja RM500 tahun ini membeli "perkakas hiburan". Mercun sekarang dah tak macam dulu. Budak-budak sekarang pun dah tak macam dulu. Dalam zaman permainan komputer seperti Halo, setakat bunga api cap kucing memang budak-budak tak layan. Sekarang minimum Thunder Clap. Malah, aku tengok katalog "dealer", macam-macam jenis baru diperkenalkan. Ada nama "Osama" - amat sesuai untuk pasukan ekstremis yang semakin menjadi-jadi di Malaysia (asyik bersyarah dan mengata orang lain aja kerja).
Aku rasa lebih baik mercun dan bunga api dijadikan barang kawalan daripada diharamkan. Bila diharamkan tetapi tidak begitu diharamkan, apa bezanya? Baik dibenarkan tetapi harus berdaftar dan mengikut spesifikasi tertentu. Dapat pula cukai tambahan. Ada QC bunga api. Hehehehe...idea bodoh tatkala nak raya.
6. Orang Islam jadi teramat malas. Aku ingat lagi di USJ, Subang, ada kedai kegemaran masakan Kelantan. Dia cuti sebulan sebelum Raya, dan sebulan SELEPAS Raya! Dua bulan bercuti. Contoh macam ini banyak aku nampak dalam perniagaan orang Melayu. Sudahlah kita kebelakang, kemudian kita harus mengejar masa sebab tanggungjawab agama banyak (seperti solat Jumaat yang menghilangkan 2 jam dari produktiviti pekerja. Masalahnya, adakah kita ganti 2 jam ini dengan balik pukul 7? Tidak jugak!), lepas tuh nak jadi pemalas pula. Kononnya sibuk beraya. Jangan tipu. Duduk kampung sekarang goyang kaki, makan banyak.
Sebab itu, dulu waktu aku kerja makan gaji, aku tak suka cuti panjang untuk Raya. Bukan sebab aku ni terlebih rajin. Sebab aku perasan, kerja memang langsung tidak ada sekitar musim perayaan. Masuklah ke pejabat, duduk bukak komputer, keluar makan lama-lama, pergi membeli belah (waktu aku di Maxis) dan balik awal. Aku rasa orang yang tidak balik kampung, dan hanya nak duduk rumah sahaja, lebih baik simpan cuti tu. Pergi je pejabat. Macam cuti juga!
5. Jualan murah berlambak. Tetapi aku macam ada syak wasangka harga barang-barang telah dinaikkan untuk musim perayaan kemudian diberi diskaun. Walau apapun, waktu inilah orang semua keluar membeli baju melayu, samping, tempah baju kurung, dan beli songkok. Mesti ramai yang tak tahu bahawa sebelum Raya adalah masa paling lumayan bagi penjual kereta sebab ramai orang kita nak bawak kereta baru untuk Raya. Bukan itu sahaja, perabot baru, karpet baru, malah sekarang ni mungkin muka baru, semuanya menjadi pilihan!
Semua gedung beli-belah memainkan lagu-lagu Raya dan tema Raya. Eih, bukan gedung beli-belah sahaja - pusat hiburan KTV, kelab malam, pusat urut pun pandai buat mood raya (aku dengar cerita laaa...). Inilah baru dinamakan 1Malaysia. Cuma peliknya, aku rasa diorang lebih beria-ria sambut Krismas dan Gong Xi Fa Cai dari Hari Raya. Kalau 2 perayaan itu, kadang-kadang lebih sebulan sebelum dah mula main lagu Krismas. Mungkinkah sebab 2 perayaan itu, terutamanya Krismas, lebih santai dan meriah?
4. Mungkin juga, sebab dalam nak dekat-dekat Raya ni banyak la pulak stesen radio mainkan lagu Raya. Lagu Raya memang klasik tapi tahulah, sedih semacam kebanyakannya. Bukan aku tak suka, tapi sampai ke hari ini asyik-asyik 3-4 set lagu sahaja yang boleh diterima pakai umum. Cubaan terbaru banyak kecundang, walaupun letak 2-3 orang sekali nyanyi satu lagu (perlukah Radio DJ pun nak jadi penyanyi?).
Mungkin juga lagu Raya ini kena ikut formula tertentu - beat sama ada perlahan atau rancak tetapi tidak boleh ada elemen teknologi (kalau rancak kena ikut rentak kompang/gendang), lirik ceria nak mampus atau lirik nak mampus (tidak boleh di antara), dan kena ada sedikit seruling/tabla/ghazal. Bunkface mungkin boleh cuba buat lagu raya, tetapi aku rasa Nassier Wahab pasti lebih berjaya.
3. Bukan lagu Raya sahaja ada formula. Cerita Raya lagilah klise. Setiap tahun stesen TV menjanjikan rancangan menarik untuk seisi keluarga. Wajib kena ada katalog cerita Melayu 2-3 tahun lapuk. Aku lagi suka kalau dia campur dengan cerita klasik macam Mira Edora (oh Julia Rais). Tetapi aku tahu stesen TV dah ada formula kena tunjuk cerita David Teoh satu, cerita Senario satu. Malah tahun ini, aku tengok Astro promosi "marathon" Senario. Yang tengah "hot" sekarang juga cerita rempit motor dan kereta. Baguslah, beri pendedahan awal kepada budak-budak Melayu tentang masa depan mereka. Aku suka.
Juga wajib dalam pelan siaran adalah cerita Bollywood. Ini adalah satu fakta menarik tentang orang Melayu. Mereka gemar menonton filem Bollywood, sehinggakan di Hari Raya, mereka lebih sanggup membuat perancangan beraya sekitar cerita Bollywood. Lebih banyak menari dan menyanyi, lebih banyak hero mati hidup kembali, lebih beria orang Melayu nak tengok cerita Bollywood. Pelik juga, sebab makcik-makcik ini jugalah yang beria-ria anti-India bila cerita tentang hak Melayu.
Tidak lupa juga kepada rancangan muzikal yang memang jadi teramat meloyakan. Dulu waktu aku kecik-kecik, memang satu family di Gelugor akan menonton rancangan muzikal pada malam Raya dan juga konsert-konsert selepas Raya. Itu sebab aku ni banyak katalog lagu Melayu. Tetapi aku perasan generasi baru macam adik aku memang tak layan muzikal-muzikal macam ini. Aku pun dah naik bosan. Aku rasa kalau amik 10 tahun lepas M. Nasir nyanyi lagu "Satu Hari di Hari Raya", mainkan tahun ini, tiada sesiapa pun akan kisah. Sekarang ni senang. Campak je budak-budak rancangan realiti TV atas pentas buat lawak dan menyanyi. Masalahnya, orang tak kenal pun...(tidak sempat jadi terkenal).
Akhir sekali, dan ini "favourite" aku, drama Raya. Konsep drama Raya tidak pernah berubah. Terbahagi kepada dua - Keinsafan atau Komedi. Malam Raya biasanya mesti ada cerita keinsafan. Pengarah popular untuk benda-benda sesak nafas sebegini adalah Rashid Sibir. Hah, yang terkenal dengan shot 5 minit mak tengah menangis di dapur, tapi konon artistik sebab ambil dari angle bawah dagu. Pelakon paling popular sudah tentulah Fauziah Nawi. Sama ada anak dia mati, suami dia mati, atau dia sendiri mati - yang penting mesti ada orang mati dalam drama keinsafan.
2. Dan yang paling wajib tatkala musim Raya sudah tentulah iklan Raya. Dulu, memang berbaloi syarikat gergasi berbelanja besar mengeluarkan wang menghasilkan mini-filem mengenai Hari Raya. Tetapi semenjak dua menjak, aku perasan banyak juga iklan yang dikitar semula. Adakah semenjak pemergian Yasmin Ahmad, sudah tiada lagi semangat menghasilkan iklan raya? Atau adakah sebab ramai dari kalangan "target demographics" dah menghabiskan masa melayan NCIS atau E!News sampai tiada penonton iklan raya?
Tahun ini iklan raya paling hot dan viral adalah iklan raya TV3. Aku rasa syarikat aku pun tak lama lagi nak buat iklan kontroversi macam TV3. Orang yang tak layan iklan Raya pun tengok. Orang bukan Islam pun lebih banyak menonton iklan ini dari orang Islam, aku rasalah. Ini menaikkan profil TV3. Mungkin 2 tahun lagi, syarikat aku nak buat iklan Raya tapi dilakonkan oleh pelakon Mak Salleh. Woooo...bayangkan muka cam Megan Fox kacau dodol, atau Scarlett Johansson ikat ketupat. Mesti famous.
Hah? Korang tak tahu pasal iklan TV3 penuh kontroversi itu? Alah, cari je rakan baik korang. Namanya Google. Cuba tanya. Pendapat aku senang - manusia akan nampak apa yang minda dia ingin nampak. Sebagai contoh, setiap hari aku tengok cermin aku nampak George Clooney.
1. Setiap Raya tidak lengkap tanpa...duit raya! Dengan duit raya, baju raya, kuih raya, kereta raya...tahun ini aku memang kena seluk ke dalam poket sedalam yang mungkin. Sekarang ni status sebagai boss membuatkan anak-anak buah aku (atau lebih tepat lagi, ibu bapa mereka) mengharapkan aku menyumbang duit raya macam Bill Gates. Aku pun suka kasi duit raya sebenarnya. Lagi banyak aku boleh kasi, maksudnya lagi bagus perniagaan aku kan? Tapi takut nanti bila aku takde duit, harapan duit raya sama macam zaman aku ada duit. Hmmm...ini motivasi untuk sentiasa banyak duit!
Aku nak tahu sama ada sesuai atau tidak duit raya melalui Maybank2u? Kenapa tidak sesuai? Tahun lepas aku kasi duit raya kat mak aku pakai Maybank2u, banyak pulak tuh, tapi dia merajuk cakap nak duit raya dalam sampul.
Apa-apapun aku nak ingatkan semua supaya berhati-hati bila berbelanja dan memandu di jalan raya. Selamat menyambut Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Post My Rides...
This is a brief recollection of the cars that have been part of my life.
Pre-License
I was in Form 4 when I was first given a taste of driving. It was a Perdana Automatic. Biasalah, forward, reverse, kiri, kanan dalam taman perumahan. Maybe because my family's a bit strict when it comes to discipline and studies that I view driving as a means of escape, because from that moment on, I took every chance I could get to drive.
I had my chance w
hen I was in Form 5 when I got my L license. Now, L means shit, but to me, it meant I am, theoretically, capable of driving. So "my" first car was a Proton Saga Megavalve hatchback.
Registration number CAH 45. It was actually my auntie's car by that time as she bought it over from my mom. Her whole family commutes often between KL and Johor, so this car was left quite often in my porch.
And what did I do with my new-found, albeit illegal and immoral, freedom? Bawak pergi tuisyen Bahasa Malaysia dengan saudara Bharat Joshi. Then to the mamaks, normally Sri Melur USJ 12. Sometimes I would take it a bit further out for a round of Counter-Strike at a CC in SS 15.
At that time I was in no position to pass opinion on handling, or comfort. All I know was that the car had four wheels, can seat four, and can be driven by any idiot - like me.
I guess my auntie suspected me of joy-riding the car because she keeps wondering why her mileage keeps on increasing. I usually answered that I helped her warm up the engine since she left the car for so long, which actually doesn't make sense. Jadi, sempena hari raya, saya mohon ampun.
License
I was actually quite crazy and rebellious enough to insist on taking my license as soon as I could. Since my birthday's in September, it meant that when I took the test at Metro Driving Academy Kg. Subang, it was just a few weeks before SPM. Semangat bawak buku Sure Skor (or one of those small books with summarized notes).
I didn't get a car immediately after getting my license. Lepas SPM, kerja melepak sampai lewat malam aja di pusat snuker dan kafe siber di SS 15. I usually ride the bus, Metrobus. On many occasion, I was fortunate enough to be allowed to drive the 1st-gen Honda CRV that my family had.
At that time, we were all into some form of hip-hop. And driving a 4WD (no matter if it's a Honda), was very urban (in my mind, at least). Official soundtrack: 2Pac & Naughty by Nature on repeat.
Bila fikir balik, memang agak poyo. But I had a lot of fun with this car. It was big, which meant it could fit a whole lot of car-less teenage kids eager for a night out in town. There was a time when I carried 7 people in there, with one kid hanging out in the boot.
My First Car
Despite my rebellious streak in Form 5, I did manage to do well in my SPM. Malas ar cerita berapa nanti ingat aku ni nerd laks. So my parents, being the lovely folks that they are, and probably secretly as a way of thanking me for not insisting on studying overseas, decided to get me a car.
At that time, there weren't that many choices. And for boys, the Proton Satria's usually a pretty safe bet. But I didn't want some lame-ass cockle-doo 1.3 (which was what they have in the showrooms). I found out that there was a 1.6 version of the Satria which has been discontinued.
So I got mine at the 1st second-hand car dealership we stopped along Jalan Ampang, I think. Test drive consisted of me driving the car around the office building. My parents signed the papers, and off I went with my new car.
A few months later, I joined UiTM. Time tuh, kalau bawak kereta dalam kampus, kira cukup gempak la. This is UiTM, remember. I stayed in the hostel for the 1st semester, and there was plenty of riding around town doing nothing moments with a bunch of crazy ass friends.
Budak-budak perempuan pun takder kereta time tuh. So you can be quite a hero (or a deuschbag...) by "helping" them around campus. The Satria 1.6XLI with plate no. WGX 1544 was a familiar sight around campus, I think.
Anyway, the car itself was powerful, but drank petrol like it's nobody's business. It probably didn't help that I pushed the car too often. But I love it. I spent my first PTPTN loan (hah, pengakuan) on getting this car a kick-ass Sony stereo with new speakers and twitters. Time tuh, beli dan pasang dekat Brothers. Manalah kita pandai sangat.
With illegal downloads just starting to mushroom on "broadband", I had a blast playing my compilations. I probably annoyed the hell out of my buddy, Ahmad Faiz (who knew we'd still be riding around until today?), but who cares. Nak naik kereta aku, dengar lah music aku.
My 2nd Car - Honda Jazz 1.4 iDSI
I don't know why, but I was damn enthusiastic about studying law when I first joined the faculty. So I got pretty good results for my pre-law program. At that time, the Satria was starting to cost a bomb to maintain (or so I keep on insisting to my parents...sneaky bastard).
I kept harping on them for a new car. You see, I get bored easily, and it's the same with cars. After 3 semesters, everyone's started driving some variation of the Proton - Wira, Satria etc. So I wanted something else, and the 3 straight Dean's List Award was a strong bargaining chip.
It was funny how we got the Jazz (it wasn't my 1st choice, actually). My father was asleep one afternoon. I cornered my mom while she was reading the newspaper. Without my dad, my mom's a pretty easy target for mental manipulation. She came across the ad for the New Jazz (at that time). She said it looked nice. I saw the opportunity, so I said, why don't we have a look.
At that time, there was a Honda showroom at Taipan USJ. Secara kebetulan rasanya mood mak aku baik, kereta Jazz yang ada berkilat, dan salesgirl (namanya Anita) sangat efektif. Then and there, she booked the car, rationalizing that we're going to share it (muahahaha...).
I managed to get the earlier generation Honda Jazz 1.4 iDSI with a built-in stereo. This was the model that you should get if you wanted to buy Gen 1 Honda Jazz. My sister later got a Jazz too, but hers were plagued with a lot of issues.
I love my Honda. Honestly, I never thought I would. But it was such a competent little monster, and it looked great too (walaupun tak macho...but I was never playing the macho game anyway), especially after I spent a bomb kitting it out in Mugen bodykit and new 17-inch rims.
The stereo was good, and that's important because I love my music in my cars. The handling was neat. And it was very cost-effective too, in terms of fuel consumpti
on and maintenance (since nothing broke throughout my ownership of the car). The power delivery was weird because it was using a CVT gearbox (no actual cogs, just rubber-bands), but I can't praise this car enough.
Maybe I love this car more than I should because it also coincided with some great memories of life as a university student. I started my degree program, I realized it was pretty pointless to be so serious about studies, so I let loose a bit. I was more than happy to trade-off my Dean's List for the experiences I had. Duit PTPTN banyak habis atas kereta ni.
My 3rd Car - BMW E46
Naturally, after close to 3 years of using the Jazz, I got a little bit itchy. At the time, my dad was using an E200 while my mom has a BMW E46 which she didn't use much. They wanted a BMW 5 series E60, and they needed to make a decision soon because the 520i was going to be discontinued soon.
I saw my chance (aku rasa cam aku ni evil dalam cerita ni...muahahah). I offered to give my car to our company's GM, who was looking for a new car to replace her Proton. And I would then "borrow" my mom's BMW. Brilliant, right?
The BMW brought with it a whole new set of dimension to my lifestyle. Suffice to say, it was a bit of an embarrassment to be driving a 3 series to UiTM. Pak Guards would make some snide remarks.
Anyway, the car itself was a gem
. It was genuine driving machine. After losing out the Satria and getting the Jazz, I had turned a bit mellow, as a driver. But with the Beemer, I found my mojo. Because my family's not really into performance cars then, the Beemer, despite only being a 2.0, was considered quick by our standard.
The handling was, and still is the best, I've driven to date. I think the E46's cabin was the last great BMW cabin. From the E60 5 series to the E96 series, they seem to have been a bit bland. It was a great car to drive, a great car to have fun in.
But I messed it up. Honestly, I did, although it was an accident that led to the mess. It was just a minor fender bender (not my fault) with a MBSJ lorry who backed up without looking. But I used it as an excuse to go and "PIMP MY RIDE".
I modified the car's exterior with some AC SusahNakEja bodykit and repainting the whole car Ferrari Red. It was the stupidest mistake I've ever made. The job wasn't well executed, and after re-assembly, the car doesn't feel like it's my car. To top it all off, I crashed the car into the deepest pothole along Jalan Maarof after attending Kursus Kahwin, causing damage that was never really fixed until the day I sold it off.
This was the car that thought me never to modify a good thing. Ever. But the 3 series held with it some great memories as it was the car I had during my final year at Law School and which I kept owning for another 9 months after I graduated. That car was my Batmobile then - maklumlah, sewa apartment sendiri (dok sorang ye), so merayau ajalah kerja.
My 4th Car - Nissan Murano 2.5
And then it was time for me to get married. It was 2007. I wasn't quite sure that the E46 would survive married life - it's air-conditioning was broken, there were parts that were literally hanging off the car.
I had made some money from the stock market, selling unit trust, my share in a failed restaurant venture and some other means. So I decided that I would, for the 1st time, decide on my own a car that I would get.
Honestly, when I went to the Naza showroom, I wanted to get the Nizzan 350z. It was at the same price point as the Murano. But then, a new sporty two-seater wouldn't really play well with my in-laws and new family now would it? (See, I'm a chess player when it comes to mind games).
And so I bought the big, white, 2WD Japan Spec Nissan Murano. I didn't realize at that time how many people actually admired the car. I thought I was one of the few who knew about the car and how beautiful it looked on the road. Apparently, no. A lot of chicks seem to dig it, which is kind of weird at the time because I bought it to project the image of a family man.
I had the car about 3-4 months before I got married. It was also the same time I joined Maxis as a graduate trainee/management associate. This car carried with it some great memories too. Like it was the 1st car Dani rode in.
For such a big car, the Murano was pleasantly easy to drive. Typical of Japanes cars then, its steering was a bit light, and dead on high speed, but it was hard to find fault with the overall package of the car. Power wasn't spectacular, but then again, you're driving a mini-truck. Which is why it's one of the most practical cars I've had.
It marries superb build quality, with durability (I tend to find, rather than avoid, potholes before my LASIK), and great presence on the road. I've always had a soft spot for 4WD (remember the Honda CRV story?), so I was very comfortable with the Murano. It was also very practical, and is a great highway cruiser.
I'm going to miss it...
My 5th Car - Suzuki Swift
The Murano was great, but we needed something small and nippy (and more importantly, fuel efficient) to drive around town. At that time, my new wife was still using her Kancil manual. In fact, when we first got married, I would drive the Kancil to the Taman Jaya LRT station to get to KLCC. So if anyone of you claim that I've never driven a Kancil, kiss my arse.
Tapi kesian tengok Rinie bawak manual. Not only that, the car looked like crap. So we went shopping for a car. It was a great moment for us as a couple because it was the first car we bought together.
The Swift is one of those little gems that constantly surprises you. I fell in love with the car as soon as I drove it. The simplicity in its execution, the whole "solid" feel of the black interior, the free-revving engine, and of course, its BMW-like handling made this a preferred mode of transport for us. I still think its a bit overpriced for the room it offers, but anyone who has their hearts set on it, I'd advise them to just go get one.
Rinie had Dani, and she stopped working. Then, we all moved to Shah Alam with my parents. There were basically too many cars in the porch, too little utilization. I was basically paying monthly for an extra run about, so I made the hard decision to sell off the Swift after just one year of having it. It's not a reflection on the car, just a simple economics decision that has to be made.
My 6th Car - ???
I just sold off my Murano, and just finished paying the insurance for a new car. It's nothing spectacular, just a natural evolution of my car ownership experience. Just for the record, we've gotten a Honda Stream RSZ for the family, so I don't need a big 4WD...for now.
Next year, who knows.
Conclusion
I've been very fortunate to have had these cars, and the pleasure of driving a few others as well. As a car nut, I feel very grateful for all these opportunities in life. I just hope that my sharing is not misconstrued as showing-off. I know plenty of people with better rides than me, and I also know a lot (too many) who hasn't had a chance to even drive a car. Insyaallaah, we all have our place in this world.
But anyway, here's my rankings of all the rides based on something beyond speed, handling etc. It's just my ranking of the best driving experience I've had.
1. Honda Jazz 1.4 iDSI - my most complete car at that time
2. Nissan Murano 2.5 - big, stylish and practical
3. Suzuki Swift - brilliant little pocket dynamite
4. BMW E46 - would have been no.1 if it weren't for self-caused issues
5. Satria 1.6 XLi - plenty of flaws mechanically, but thanks for the great memories
6. Proton Saga Megavalve - I love it just like you love your first sexual partner no matter how uncomforable and awkward it was.
Pre-License
I was in Form 4 when I was first given a taste of driving. It was a Perdana Automatic. Biasalah, forward, reverse, kiri, kanan dalam taman perumahan. Maybe because my family's a bit strict when it comes to discipline and studies that I view driving as a means of escape, because from that moment on, I took every chance I could get to drive.
I had my chance w
hen I was in Form 5 when I got my L license. Now, L means shit, but to me, it meant I am, theoretically, capable of driving. So "my" first car was a Proton Saga Megavalve hatchback.Registration number CAH 45. It was actually my auntie's car by that time as she bought it over from my mom. Her whole family commutes often between KL and Johor, so this car was left quite often in my porch.
And what did I do with my new-found, albeit illegal and immoral, freedom? Bawak pergi tuisyen Bahasa Malaysia dengan saudara Bharat Joshi. Then to the mamaks, normally Sri Melur USJ 12. Sometimes I would take it a bit further out for a round of Counter-Strike at a CC in SS 15.
At that time I was in no position to pass opinion on handling, or comfort. All I know was that the car had four wheels, can seat four, and can be driven by any idiot - like me.
I guess my auntie suspected me of joy-riding the car because she keeps wondering why her mileage keeps on increasing. I usually answered that I helped her warm up the engine since she left the car for so long, which actually doesn't make sense. Jadi, sempena hari raya, saya mohon ampun.
License
I was actually quite crazy and rebellious enough to insist on taking my license as soon as I could. Since my birthday's in September, it meant that when I took the test at Metro Driving Academy Kg. Subang, it was just a few weeks before SPM. Semangat bawak buku Sure Skor (or one of those small books with summarized notes).
I didn't get a car immediately after getting my license. Lepas SPM, kerja melepak sampai lewat malam aja di pusat snuker dan kafe siber di SS 15. I usually ride the bus, Metrobus. On many occasion, I was fortunate enough to be allowed to drive the 1st-gen Honda CRV that my family had.
At that time, we were all into some form of hip-hop. And driving a 4WD (no matter if it's a Honda), was very urban (in my mind, at least). Official soundtrack: 2Pac & Naughty by Nature on repeat.
Bila fikir balik, memang agak poyo. But I had a lot of fun with this car. It was big, which meant it could fit a whole lot of car-less teenage kids eager for a night out in town. There was a time when I carried 7 people in there, with one kid hanging out in the boot.
My First Car
Despite my rebellious streak in Form 5, I did manage to do well in my SPM. Malas ar cerita berapa nanti ingat aku ni nerd laks. So my parents, being the lovely folks that they are, and probably secretly as a way of thanking me for not insisting on studying overseas, decided to get me a car.
At that time, there weren't that many choices. And for boys, the Proton Satria's usually a pretty safe bet. But I didn't want some lame-ass cockle-doo 1.3 (which was what they have in the showrooms). I found out that there was a 1.6 version of the Satria which has been discontinued.
So I got mine at the 1st second-hand car dealership we stopped along Jalan Ampang, I think. Test drive consisted of me driving the car around the office building. My parents signed the papers, and off I went with my new car.
A few months later, I joined UiTM. Time tuh, kalau bawak kereta dalam kampus, kira cukup gempak la. This is UiTM, remember. I stayed in the hostel for the 1st semester, and there was plenty of riding around town doing nothing moments with a bunch of crazy ass friends.
Budak-budak perempuan pun takder kereta time tuh. So you can be quite a hero (or a deuschbag...) by "helping" them around campus. The Satria 1.6XLI with plate no. WGX 1544 was a familiar sight around campus, I think.Anyway, the car itself was powerful, but drank petrol like it's nobody's business. It probably didn't help that I pushed the car too often. But I love it. I spent my first PTPTN loan (hah, pengakuan) on getting this car a kick-ass Sony stereo with new speakers and twitters. Time tuh, beli dan pasang dekat Brothers. Manalah kita pandai sangat.
With illegal downloads just starting to mushroom on "broadband", I had a blast playing my compilations. I probably annoyed the hell out of my buddy, Ahmad Faiz (who knew we'd still be riding around until today?), but who cares. Nak naik kereta aku, dengar lah music aku.
My 2nd Car - Honda Jazz 1.4 iDSI
I don't know why, but I was damn enthusiastic about studying law when I first joined the faculty. So I got pretty good results for my pre-law program. At that time, the Satria was starting to cost a bomb to maintain (or so I keep on insisting to my parents...sneaky bastard).
I kept harping on them for a new car. You see, I get bored easily, and it's the same with cars. After 3 semesters, everyone's started driving some variation of the Proton - Wira, Satria etc. So I wanted something else, and the 3 straight Dean's List Award was a strong bargaining chip.
It was funny how we got the Jazz (it wasn't my 1st choice, actually). My father was asleep one afternoon. I cornered my mom while she was reading the newspaper. Without my dad, my mom's a pretty easy target for mental manipulation. She came across the ad for the New Jazz (at that time). She said it looked nice. I saw the opportunity, so I said, why don't we have a look.
At that time, there was a Honda showroom at Taipan USJ. Secara kebetulan rasanya mood mak aku baik, kereta Jazz yang ada berkilat, dan salesgirl (namanya Anita) sangat efektif. Then and there, she booked the car, rationalizing that we're going to share it (muahahaha...).
I managed to get the earlier generation Honda Jazz 1.4 iDSI with a built-in stereo. This was the model that you should get if you wanted to buy Gen 1 Honda Jazz. My sister later got a Jazz too, but hers were plagued with a lot of issues.
I love my Honda. Honestly, I never thought I would. But it was such a competent little monster, and it looked great too (walaupun tak macho...but I was never playing the macho game anyway), especially after I spent a bomb kitting it out in Mugen bodykit and new 17-inch rims.
The stereo was good, and that's important because I love my music in my cars. The handling was neat. And it was very cost-effective too, in terms of fuel consumpti
on and maintenance (since nothing broke throughout my ownership of the car). The power delivery was weird because it was using a CVT gearbox (no actual cogs, just rubber-bands), but I can't praise this car enough.Maybe I love this car more than I should because it also coincided with some great memories of life as a university student. I started my degree program, I realized it was pretty pointless to be so serious about studies, so I let loose a bit. I was more than happy to trade-off my Dean's List for the experiences I had. Duit PTPTN banyak habis atas kereta ni.
My 3rd Car - BMW E46
Naturally, after close to 3 years of using the Jazz, I got a little bit itchy. At the time, my dad was using an E200 while my mom has a BMW E46 which she didn't use much. They wanted a BMW 5 series E60, and they needed to make a decision soon because the 520i was going to be discontinued soon.
I saw my chance (aku rasa cam aku ni evil dalam cerita ni...muahahah). I offered to give my car to our company's GM, who was looking for a new car to replace her Proton. And I would then "borrow" my mom's BMW. Brilliant, right?
The BMW brought with it a whole new set of dimension to my lifestyle. Suffice to say, it was a bit of an embarrassment to be driving a 3 series to UiTM. Pak Guards would make some snide remarks.
Anyway, the car itself was a gem
. It was genuine driving machine. After losing out the Satria and getting the Jazz, I had turned a bit mellow, as a driver. But with the Beemer, I found my mojo. Because my family's not really into performance cars then, the Beemer, despite only being a 2.0, was considered quick by our standard.The handling was, and still is the best, I've driven to date. I think the E46's cabin was the last great BMW cabin. From the E60 5 series to the E96 series, they seem to have been a bit bland. It was a great car to drive, a great car to have fun in.
But I messed it up. Honestly, I did, although it was an accident that led to the mess. It was just a minor fender bender (not my fault) with a MBSJ lorry who backed up without looking. But I used it as an excuse to go and "PIMP MY RIDE".
I modified the car's exterior with some AC SusahNakEja bodykit and repainting the whole car Ferrari Red. It was the stupidest mistake I've ever made. The job wasn't well executed, and after re-assembly, the car doesn't feel like it's my car. To top it all off, I crashed the car into the deepest pothole along Jalan Maarof after attending Kursus Kahwin, causing damage that was never really fixed until the day I sold it off.
This was the car that thought me never to modify a good thing. Ever. But the 3 series held with it some great memories as it was the car I had during my final year at Law School and which I kept owning for another 9 months after I graduated. That car was my Batmobile then - maklumlah, sewa apartment sendiri (dok sorang ye), so merayau ajalah kerja.
My 4th Car - Nissan Murano 2.5
And then it was time for me to get married. It was 2007. I wasn't quite sure that the E46 would survive married life - it's air-conditioning was broken, there were parts that were literally hanging off the car.
I had made some money from the stock market, selling unit trust, my share in a failed restaurant venture and some other means. So I decided that I would, for the 1st time, decide on my own a car that I would get.
Honestly, when I went to the Naza showroom, I wanted to get the Nizzan 350z. It was at the same price point as the Murano. But then, a new sporty two-seater wouldn't really play well with my in-laws and new family now would it? (See, I'm a chess player when it comes to mind games).
And so I bought the big, white, 2WD Japan Spec Nissan Murano. I didn't realize at that time how many people actually admired the car. I thought I was one of the few who knew about the car and how beautiful it looked on the road. Apparently, no. A lot of chicks seem to dig it, which is kind of weird at the time because I bought it to project the image of a family man.
I had the car about 3-4 months before I got married. It was also the same time I joined Maxis as a graduate trainee/management associate. This car carried with it some great memories too. Like it was the 1st car Dani rode in.
For such a big car, the Murano was pleasantly easy to drive. Typical of Japanes cars then, its steering was a bit light, and dead on high speed, but it was hard to find fault with the overall package of the car. Power wasn't spectacular, but then again, you're driving a mini-truck. Which is why it's one of the most practical cars I've had.
It marries superb build quality, with durability (I tend to find, rather than avoid, potholes before my LASIK), and great presence on the road. I've always had a soft spot for 4WD (remember the Honda CRV story?), so I was very comfortable with the Murano. It was also very practical, and is a great highway cruiser.
I'm going to miss it...
My 5th Car - Suzuki Swift
The Murano was great, but we needed something small and nippy (and more importantly, fuel efficient) to drive around town. At that time, my new wife was still using her Kancil manual. In fact, when we first got married, I would drive the Kancil to the Taman Jaya LRT station to get to KLCC. So if anyone of you claim that I've never driven a Kancil, kiss my arse.
Tapi kesian tengok Rinie bawak manual. Not only that, the car looked like crap. So we went shopping for a car. It was a great moment for us as a couple because it was the first car we bought together.
The Swift is one of those little gems that constantly surprises you. I fell in love with the car as soon as I drove it. The simplicity in its execution, the whole "solid" feel of the black interior, the free-revving engine, and of course, its BMW-like handling made this a preferred mode of transport for us. I still think its a bit overpriced for the room it offers, but anyone who has their hearts set on it, I'd advise them to just go get one.
Rinie had Dani, and she stopped working. Then, we all moved to Shah Alam with my parents. There were basically too many cars in the porch, too little utilization. I was basically paying monthly for an extra run about, so I made the hard decision to sell off the Swift after just one year of having it. It's not a reflection on the car, just a simple economics decision that has to be made.
My 6th Car - ???
I just sold off my Murano, and just finished paying the insurance for a new car. It's nothing spectacular, just a natural evolution of my car ownership experience. Just for the record, we've gotten a Honda Stream RSZ for the family, so I don't need a big 4WD...for now.
Next year, who knows.
Conclusion
I've been very fortunate to have had these cars, and the pleasure of driving a few others as well. As a car nut, I feel very grateful for all these opportunities in life. I just hope that my sharing is not misconstrued as showing-off. I know plenty of people with better rides than me, and I also know a lot (too many) who hasn't had a chance to even drive a car. Insyaallaah, we all have our place in this world.
But anyway, here's my rankings of all the rides based on something beyond speed, handling etc. It's just my ranking of the best driving experience I've had.
1. Honda Jazz 1.4 iDSI - my most complete car at that time
2. Nissan Murano 2.5 - big, stylish and practical
3. Suzuki Swift - brilliant little pocket dynamite
4. BMW E46 - would have been no.1 if it weren't for self-caused issues
5. Satria 1.6 XLi - plenty of flaws mechanically, but thanks for the great memories
6. Proton Saga Megavalve - I love it just like you love your first sexual partner no matter how uncomforable and awkward it was.
Friday, August 20, 2010
How Berjiwa Rakyat?
1. On my way to Friday prayers, I was suddenly surrounded by 3-4 traffic policemen in their flashy big bikes aggressively shepherding cars to make way for what is ANOTHER V.I.P.
2. Suffice to say, it almost cause a bit of an accident in front of me as 4 lanes were suddenly being made into 1 by one lone macho policeman.
3. The VIP was royalty, probably the HM The King himself as there were more policemen escorting him than there are patrolling the whole of Subang Jaya.
4. It got me thinking to this conversation I had with a friend of mine somewhere in Johor recently.
5. Every time this big shot politician (very big shot) comes to town, there will be an order to patch up all roads that he will pass by so that it'll be smooth as silk.
6. Apparently this is not uncommon. It's not a directive from the politician himself, but as usual, when there's big gun coming to town, the locals would pull out all the stops.
7. I bet it's the same whenever politicians go on the ground - the grass would be cut, the clogged drain would be cleared, the stench from abandoned dumpsite covered up...even flood prone riverbanks would be dug deeper.
8. My question is, since no high ranking politician or VIPs ever have to fill up petrol, buy groceries, get stuck in traffic jam, start a business, renew their passports, get a maid and all the other things we middle-income folks have to go through, how could they ever understand what the rakyat is actually facing?
9. They don't send their kids to local school, and obviously local universities. They don't worry about unreliable Internet connection. They will very seldom run the risk of being mugged or robbed of their vehicle. They HAVE never bought tickets to ride the LRT or better yet, KTM Komuter. Apa lagi? Banyak lagi....
10. I'm not saying politicians should live like us. But maybe, sometimes, they should just keep the police escorts at home, and try being stuck in peak hour traffic along the Federal Highway. Then they'll start wrecking their brains out trying to solve our issues - one real problem at a time.
2. Suffice to say, it almost cause a bit of an accident in front of me as 4 lanes were suddenly being made into 1 by one lone macho policeman.
3. The VIP was royalty, probably the HM The King himself as there were more policemen escorting him than there are patrolling the whole of Subang Jaya.
4. It got me thinking to this conversation I had with a friend of mine somewhere in Johor recently.
5. Every time this big shot politician (very big shot) comes to town, there will be an order to patch up all roads that he will pass by so that it'll be smooth as silk.
6. Apparently this is not uncommon. It's not a directive from the politician himself, but as usual, when there's big gun coming to town, the locals would pull out all the stops.
7. I bet it's the same whenever politicians go on the ground - the grass would be cut, the clogged drain would be cleared, the stench from abandoned dumpsite covered up...even flood prone riverbanks would be dug deeper.
8. My question is, since no high ranking politician or VIPs ever have to fill up petrol, buy groceries, get stuck in traffic jam, start a business, renew their passports, get a maid and all the other things we middle-income folks have to go through, how could they ever understand what the rakyat is actually facing?
9. They don't send their kids to local school, and obviously local universities. They don't worry about unreliable Internet connection. They will very seldom run the risk of being mugged or robbed of their vehicle. They HAVE never bought tickets to ride the LRT or better yet, KTM Komuter. Apa lagi? Banyak lagi....
10. I'm not saying politicians should live like us. But maybe, sometimes, they should just keep the police escorts at home, and try being stuck in peak hour traffic along the Federal Highway. Then they'll start wrecking their brains out trying to solve our issues - one real problem at a time.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Fixing Our Economy - Talent
1. There has been a lot of talk about keeping talent here in Malaysia. Unfortunately, there seems to be less focus on what these talents would do.
2. I realize there's a missing link in our discussion of increasing and retaining the talent pool.
3. There's an assumption that as long as we can increase the number and retain the majority of these talented individuals, our economy would improve.
4. Perhaps I am stupid for thinking that where and what these talents would do is as important as keeping them.
5. Any investment, whether in talent or infrastructure, must bring about the most maximum impact it can give. And I think the way we structure and treat our talent has not given the most maximum impact for the benefit of the rakyat.
6. The brightest most talented students are picked and given scholarships by the Government, GLCs, and big corporations. These graduates would later be absorbed into some behemoth institution, further giving these institutions a bigger chunk of the talent pool.
7. And what do these bright individuals do that deserves the RM 1 million (eg: scholarship of engineering students in US) assistance using the rakyat's money and is the rakyat reaping the benefits?
8. On the surface, it may look as though we are. These individuals are paid at 20-30% premium over average market rate for graduates which makes them a high earner paying more taxes and spending more on the economy (house, holiday...). More importantly, it seems, they add value to the firm or corporation or agency where they work, which in turns make bigger profit thus making the company bigger, stronger and further stimulating the economy.
9. But are they really contributing more bang-per-buck this way? The cyclical nature, the spread of wealth, looks very linear, very simplified. Government gives you money to become smarter, you come back and serve the government or GLC you're paid a bit more, so you spend a bit more, thus stimulating other sectors, allowing these companies to make a bit more money, which would in turn go back to the government.
10. What if there's a way to amplify the impact our investment on our talented students will have on the nation's economy?
11. The way we're doing this at this moment has left us with a highly talented pool of WORKERS - not innovators, not trailblazers, and not entrepreneurs. It may sound fine, but the reality is that our continued production of workers has left us vulnerable once again as other poorer nations increase their own talent pool at a lower cost than ours.
12. Not only that, we fail to see that producing talented workers for the SERVICE INDUSTRY will not benefit us in the long run. Engineers no longer create, or innovate, instead they become analysts or marketers. We have more lawyers now than ever, when what we should focus on is simplifying legislation so that we don't need to depend on lawyers. We produce doctors, but not scientists that can do research and development. We have IT graduates that takes pride in maintaining SAP systems, but not tech-wiz that can actually come up with a new SAP.
13. Andy Grove, of Intel fame, wrote what I thought was a brilliant piece maybe a few months back about the perils of thinking that we can be innovators without being producers. He said that America's increasing reliance on overseas production, with the supposed caveat that they keep the innovation portion alive, is actually harming the future of their economy. He said that by moving production to lower cost nations, the impetus and technological capability to innovate on production resides with the manufacturer. The only way forward is for America to continue becoming a manufacturer of products at a cost of reduced profitability but with long term economic security in mind.
14. The same thinking must be applied in whatever discussion we have about our talent pool.
15. We need our bright graduates to be encouraged to become innovators and entrepreneurs. We need them to produce Made in Malaysia goods so that the actual technological know-how to innovate resides with us. We need them to spur a whole new idea of SMEs. In the US of A, bright students are always thinking of creating a start-up. Here in Malaysia, they all want to work for Khazanah or Petronas. Something's wrong with this picture.
16. We should continue giving them scholarships, but what if we change a bit the terms. Anyone who while studying or within any moment of serving their scholarship that can come up with a valid business proposal or creative invention should be allowed a sabbatical to flesh out their ideas, and not only that, they should be given access to credit facilities at favorable terms.
17. Anyone who turn in a positive cash flow position within 2 years and employs 10 or more Malaysians are exempted from further serving their scholarship. Further credit facilities should be extended to these individuals. In fact, the Government should set up a investment fund that specifically invests in these companies in exchange of an equity stake which shall be divested upon initial public offering (which must be a part of their terms of incorporation upon fulfillment of all regulatory requirements).
18. These graduates, if successful, not only create wealth for themselves but also other Malaysians with more room for growth than staid mega corporations. They are also obliged to return back the favor to the economy by adding liquidity and options to our stock market.
19. These initiatives could also work for research and development efforts. The measurement could be in terms of the number of patents filed or the impact such innovation has on its respective field. It doesn't have to be all profit oriented.
20. Maybe the government already has some of this measure, but I can certainly bet they haven't thought of incorporating it into their talent pool discussion.
2. I realize there's a missing link in our discussion of increasing and retaining the talent pool.
3. There's an assumption that as long as we can increase the number and retain the majority of these talented individuals, our economy would improve.
4. Perhaps I am stupid for thinking that where and what these talents would do is as important as keeping them.
5. Any investment, whether in talent or infrastructure, must bring about the most maximum impact it can give. And I think the way we structure and treat our talent has not given the most maximum impact for the benefit of the rakyat.
6. The brightest most talented students are picked and given scholarships by the Government, GLCs, and big corporations. These graduates would later be absorbed into some behemoth institution, further giving these institutions a bigger chunk of the talent pool.
7. And what do these bright individuals do that deserves the RM 1 million (eg: scholarship of engineering students in US) assistance using the rakyat's money and is the rakyat reaping the benefits?
8. On the surface, it may look as though we are. These individuals are paid at 20-30% premium over average market rate for graduates which makes them a high earner paying more taxes and spending more on the economy (house, holiday...). More importantly, it seems, they add value to the firm or corporation or agency where they work, which in turns make bigger profit thus making the company bigger, stronger and further stimulating the economy.
9. But are they really contributing more bang-per-buck this way? The cyclical nature, the spread of wealth, looks very linear, very simplified. Government gives you money to become smarter, you come back and serve the government or GLC you're paid a bit more, so you spend a bit more, thus stimulating other sectors, allowing these companies to make a bit more money, which would in turn go back to the government.
10. What if there's a way to amplify the impact our investment on our talented students will have on the nation's economy?
11. The way we're doing this at this moment has left us with a highly talented pool of WORKERS - not innovators, not trailblazers, and not entrepreneurs. It may sound fine, but the reality is that our continued production of workers has left us vulnerable once again as other poorer nations increase their own talent pool at a lower cost than ours.
12. Not only that, we fail to see that producing talented workers for the SERVICE INDUSTRY will not benefit us in the long run. Engineers no longer create, or innovate, instead they become analysts or marketers. We have more lawyers now than ever, when what we should focus on is simplifying legislation so that we don't need to depend on lawyers. We produce doctors, but not scientists that can do research and development. We have IT graduates that takes pride in maintaining SAP systems, but not tech-wiz that can actually come up with a new SAP.
13. Andy Grove, of Intel fame, wrote what I thought was a brilliant piece maybe a few months back about the perils of thinking that we can be innovators without being producers. He said that America's increasing reliance on overseas production, with the supposed caveat that they keep the innovation portion alive, is actually harming the future of their economy. He said that by moving production to lower cost nations, the impetus and technological capability to innovate on production resides with the manufacturer. The only way forward is for America to continue becoming a manufacturer of products at a cost of reduced profitability but with long term economic security in mind.
14. The same thinking must be applied in whatever discussion we have about our talent pool.
15. We need our bright graduates to be encouraged to become innovators and entrepreneurs. We need them to produce Made in Malaysia goods so that the actual technological know-how to innovate resides with us. We need them to spur a whole new idea of SMEs. In the US of A, bright students are always thinking of creating a start-up. Here in Malaysia, they all want to work for Khazanah or Petronas. Something's wrong with this picture.
16. We should continue giving them scholarships, but what if we change a bit the terms. Anyone who while studying or within any moment of serving their scholarship that can come up with a valid business proposal or creative invention should be allowed a sabbatical to flesh out their ideas, and not only that, they should be given access to credit facilities at favorable terms.
17. Anyone who turn in a positive cash flow position within 2 years and employs 10 or more Malaysians are exempted from further serving their scholarship. Further credit facilities should be extended to these individuals. In fact, the Government should set up a investment fund that specifically invests in these companies in exchange of an equity stake which shall be divested upon initial public offering (which must be a part of their terms of incorporation upon fulfillment of all regulatory requirements).
18. These graduates, if successful, not only create wealth for themselves but also other Malaysians with more room for growth than staid mega corporations. They are also obliged to return back the favor to the economy by adding liquidity and options to our stock market.
19. These initiatives could also work for research and development efforts. The measurement could be in terms of the number of patents filed or the impact such innovation has on its respective field. It doesn't have to be all profit oriented.
20. Maybe the government already has some of this measure, but I can certainly bet they haven't thought of incorporating it into their talent pool discussion.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Observing Ramadhan
1. It's funny how the usually less pious folks get all worked up for Ramadhan, while the pious ones remain pretty cool.
2. You know, sending all these messages spreading the holiness of Ramadhan, while at the same time lamenting that they'll not be clubbing for a month. Telling how Ramadhan is visiting with his friends, when you're still talking about having casual sex.
3. Or spending the entire day making a big fuss over buka puasa and not eating. Or making a big deal over completing a day of fasting.
4. I guess it's like the World Cup. Some non-football fans get all worked up once every four years, when actually they can't tell the difference between a sweeper and a winger, or they can't watch a game for the full 90 minutes without switching to Glee or Benci Bilang Cinta, or thinking that any game with a 0-0 scoreline is a bore.
5. The more I look at it, the more I realize Ramadhan is like the World Cup for a significant number of Muslims - an event of such a nature that they'll feel left out if they don't become a part of. You realize during the World Cup the sudden surge in interest on football, like it's the in thing to be interested in.
6. Therefore, people overcompensate. Suddenly 21 rakaat for terawikh is more than acceptable, when before 2 for Friday Prayers is too taxing. Like suddenly wearing Holland's jersey, when before you thought that football jerseys are for rempits.
7. The weird part is how people really get into the Ramadhan culture, without actually delving into the Ramadhan spirit. How many would want to bet (totally un-Ramadhan like) that there's more people at the Pasar Ramadhan than they are in the mosque for terawikh?
8. Anyway, I'm not judging. I'm not saying that's bad or wrong. It's an observation.
9. In fact, I'm the first to admit that sometimes I feel a bit like a fraud during Ramadhan.
10. The difference is I realize that I am, and I keep my mouth shut.
11. Bad Muslim? Maybe, and I'm working on it. Hypocrite? I don't think so.
2. You know, sending all these messages spreading the holiness of Ramadhan, while at the same time lamenting that they'll not be clubbing for a month. Telling how Ramadhan is visiting with his friends, when you're still talking about having casual sex.
3. Or spending the entire day making a big fuss over buka puasa and not eating. Or making a big deal over completing a day of fasting.
4. I guess it's like the World Cup. Some non-football fans get all worked up once every four years, when actually they can't tell the difference between a sweeper and a winger, or they can't watch a game for the full 90 minutes without switching to Glee or Benci Bilang Cinta, or thinking that any game with a 0-0 scoreline is a bore.
5. The more I look at it, the more I realize Ramadhan is like the World Cup for a significant number of Muslims - an event of such a nature that they'll feel left out if they don't become a part of. You realize during the World Cup the sudden surge in interest on football, like it's the in thing to be interested in.
6. Therefore, people overcompensate. Suddenly 21 rakaat for terawikh is more than acceptable, when before 2 for Friday Prayers is too taxing. Like suddenly wearing Holland's jersey, when before you thought that football jerseys are for rempits.
7. The weird part is how people really get into the Ramadhan culture, without actually delving into the Ramadhan spirit. How many would want to bet (totally un-Ramadhan like) that there's more people at the Pasar Ramadhan than they are in the mosque for terawikh?
8. Anyway, I'm not judging. I'm not saying that's bad or wrong. It's an observation.
9. In fact, I'm the first to admit that sometimes I feel a bit like a fraud during Ramadhan.
10. The difference is I realize that I am, and I keep my mouth shut.
11. Bad Muslim? Maybe, and I'm working on it. Hypocrite? I don't think so.
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