25.8.08

363# Bbq meeting + M22

363# Bbq meeting + M22


We always wanted to do a bbq. For more than a few times, ideas are shared, but i had to cancel it eventually.

Firstly was the time, unmatched. Secondly was the haze.

And now, finally we managed to carry it out. So happens that the day we selected to do bbq was 1 day before my 22nd birthday, so i sort of celebrated my birthday as well.





I didn't call many people. William, Jin, Darren, Justin, Tucky, and TKS only. I called them to come early to help me to do the shopping and setting up because i can't handle it myself alone.

All of them came early to help. But except TKS, who just nice arrived at my place while everything is set up and ready to go.

Very good timing indeed.





The whole thing costed me a gigantic two hundred bucks just for the amount of 7 people. That's why i couldn't call as many people as i want, or else i would be broke.

It's been while a while since the last time i did bbq with friends. During high school times we had only chicken wings, sausage and whatever balls you named it.

But this time we had something else different. Lots of seafood. Prawn, stingray, don't-know-what-name-fish, squid, apart from the default bbq food.




Since we had extra variety of food, thus there were extra work.

Luckily everyone was willing to help. Therefore we managed to get everything ready before people started to die of starvation. Especially Justin, who didn't eat anything since he woke up.





That was the first time i saw so many jantans doing kitchen work all together too.

Which makes up a very funny picture which i won't able to see in the next few more years, since everyone is leaving soon.





And the feast begins.

No, TKS arrived before we started eating.

I have no idea why the food ran out so fast. Was it because the time flew too fast for me to notice, or everyone was just too hungry?





William worths a credit here for this spicy recipes. Seafood won't go wrong with the Tom Yam, really. Marinate of the chicken wings done by him was great as well. Darren didn't give a shit and eat in the black charred parts too.

The sausage finished the fastest because it burnt the fastest. But we still eat it la.





It was correct to bring out the multi socket extension cable, because we had two laptops there to play songs for the hazy night.

We had a very good conversation when the song "Na Shi Wa Wu Ji Ba Ban" is played.

What would you do if you have a million dollar?




William and Jin once went out because William said he got a call from his sister to ask him to go back home, he said.

And he returned saying that he bought panadol for his sister who fell sick.

I've to say that he is a good liar, because he didn't go back home, but went to the nearest 7-11 and make a cake for me.

Banana cake topped with melted cadbury chocolate and M&M candy as decoration.

A very creative idea where items are all obtained from 7-11. And i sliced it creatively too with the massive kitchen knife.





After the eating, of course there's cleaning up. Unlike what i had most of the times where people come eat and ciao, now this time i got everyone to help to clean up, which give us more interactions.

Can't wait until next day for the house cleaner to come and clean, so we just roughly clean up a bit so that strangers outside the fence won't climb in and search for left over bbq food.





I can't recall what happened, but Justin fell over on my dad's favorite yellow mini chair. I guess that was when he heared some lame joke i think.

Dude, that was a historical chair you know?





Once cleaning is done, we had the red wine, which i forced Justin to cheng me. Chile's Merlot bought from Tesco where we did the food shopping.

Taste quite ok. As Jin said, sure won't go wrong with Merlot.

And i opened and used the crystal glasses too which are not used since my dad bought it.





So that's it. Got a book written by Clive Barker from them, probably Jin's choice and a wallet which i demanded from my sisters.


I don't really feel that that was a birthday celebration for me, more like meeting people up like Justin who is leaving soon, chatting with them and eat some charred food, which are my first intention.


But eventually it turned out to be a celebration for me. Thanks a lot to all of you all, and my family members. Sorry la didn't leave much food for you all.

19.8.08

362# Hear Evil - part 2

362# Hear Evil - part 2


Now, into something heavier.

In an age colonized by dirty pop and hip hop, people say metal is dead.

I can't say no, really. Because the frequency of me listening to metal music has decreased dramatically ever since i entered to the university.

Maybe i have passed through the anger-teenage phase where we used to release ourselves through these angry music. And now, oddly, I've move towards more to Japanese music, and some pop jazz and even classical.

Contine from part 1.


Best Heavy Metal track - "The Blister Exists" by Slipknot



Weird title, angry lyrics, aggressive vocals, fast guitar riffs and not to forget, the triple snare drum solo by 2 custom percussionists in addition to the 1 drummer.

Before i listen to this album, which i bought from a college mate, my class mate listened to it first during our biology class. And he told me that, "Mike, there's drum solo!"




"The Blister Exists" is my all time favorite from this band. It really kick ass. I tried to play the drum solo but there's no double bass drum (or double pass pedal) on the drum kits I've played.

Those who play music in my college told me that Slipknot's 9 piece line up is a non sense, which i don't agree at all. They all have their own parts to play with. If you say you can't hear the bass guitar because the 3 drummers cover it, you may need to get a new speaker!

Drummer Joey Jordison is always someone i worship over apart from Nicholas Barker from the UK. He is short, but he is really, really fast. Seriously.



Best Industrial Metal track - "Just so you know" by American Head Charge



The album title "The War of Art" is in fact taken from "The Art of War" of Sun Zi. That's interesting. But having the baby on the way of the tank is really terrible.

This is the only band i know of, from MTV, which i listen to. Funny enough, the band members actually got to know each other in the rehab center.

"Just so you know" is the best, lightest, cleanest track from their album. Vocalist Cameron Heacock has a very versatile vocal where in 1 verse of a song he can sing, rap, then growl and shout and tearing his lungs out. But they are not as famous as the other bands do, unfortunately.




When i found out from the internet where the guitarist, Byran Ottoson died of drug overdose i actually emo-ed quite a while.

I remember that happened during the period where Head left Korn. It's like, what the heck is wrong to the bands all the shits rise at the same time are they gonna make any same new good records or not kinda feeling.


Best Symphonic Black Metal track - "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" by Dimmu Borgir



The very first Norwegian which i listen to. And this is their first record to have full orchestra in their recordings.

The song is heavy, but yet, melodic. The downside of making such album is that at some points the guitars are not audible when they are covered by the overwhelming strings in the background.



I once thought that Shagrath's vocals sucks, but i was wrong. Not until i realize what kind of vocal he is trying to sing. He is really stretching his cord real hard to attain that.

This album featured Nicholas Barker on drums, which is my favorite double bass, blast beat drummer. But he was "removed" from the band, partly because of he's from UK and the band is in Norway. It's like you refuse to hang out with your friend just because you're from KL and he is from Klang.


Best Black Metal track - "Queen of Winter, Throned" by Cradle of Filth



Last, but not the least. My all time favourite black metal song which lengths 10 minutes and 25 seconds. Not the longest black metal song i know, but it is certainly the longest ones which i can play on the guitar. The drums during the outro by Nicholas Barker really boil ones blood.

By the way, this track was listed among twenty-five "essential extreme metal anthems" in the issue of Kerrang! magazine. This song deserves the title.

From the true black metal genre, this band slowly slips into the more acceptable extreme metal genre, which, disappoints me. It's kind of normal for a band to sell out.

The reason they would give, is to let more people to hear them. But i don't think that's the case, other than for commercial purposes.



But anyway, i think the main reason is that the vocalist, Dani Filth is no longer able to sing like how he could after these 16 years.

People do age (i can see that he is balding, even though he is still too young for that), and long term vocal abuse leads to a change of his vocal to be more audible. Which in case, a sad case for me. I would rather not to hear what he is singing. That would add more mysteries into the song.


Conclusion:
Metal is not dead, but "half dead", i would say. Even though i don't listen to metal music that frequent these days but i still do. At least not in my car or when others are around. For me, right now is the world of J-pop!

360# Hear Evil - part 1

360# Hear Evil - part 1


I quit listening to radio music ever since high school because they are just repetition. Like the rest, i used to listen to Backstreet boys, Boyzone, N sync, M2M, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jeniffer Lopez, Spice Girls... and such.

Don't laugh at me, i bet you did listen to them, don't you?


So, I always wanted to give a list of my favourite music and now here it goes.


Best Gothic Metal Track - "That's What the Wise Lady Said" by Angtoria



"God has a plan for us all", the album title says. Yes, that's true, indeed. It's something for a religious person to believe in when something happens.

This particular track "That's What the Wise Lady Said" sounds mellow, and strangely, encouraging. It's like educating someone young with the knowledge gain from the wise lady.

"Life isn't meant to be easy
Find justice for what you lack"



Vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva is also the backing vocals for band Cradle of Filth since year 1996. Before i saw her picture, i always thought that she's hot.

But when i saw her in the music video "Dusk and Her embrace" by CoF i was surprised by her fat size, lol. Oh well, that's for her enormous lung capacity to enable her four octave vocal range.


Best Symphonic Gothic Metal track - "For Amelie" by Leaves' Eyes



Lovelorn.

Leaves' Eyes is from Norway and Germany, one of my favourite band outside the US. Unlike the other Gothic metal bands from Norway, Liv Kristine's light soprano vocal is much sweeter.

Their lyrics are much influenced by the Vikings and folk elements. Titles like "Legend Land", "Viking's word", "Tales of the Sea Maid", "Mourning Tree" and "Solemn Sea" pretty much tell their inspirations are based on the nature.



Anyway, Norwegian metal bands are never famous locally so i've got none of their releases. Kind of sad.



Best Alternative Metal track - "Through Glass" by Stone Sour



"Through Glass" is a very meaning song, inspired by the non-revolution, repetition plastic songs made by the music industry. I can't agree more than that, that's just why i quit listen to mainstream music. I might sound harsh but those music sound the same to me.



Vocalist Corey Taylor is also the vocalist for the band Slipknot, as well as the guitarist Jim Root of the same band. Kind of hard to believe that these 2 people are able to sing and play for 2 bands which have different style and direction.

To me, they are hard, but not heavy.


Best Nu Metal track - "My Gift to you" by Korn



Oh well, certainly this is not going to be missed. Korn is the first metal band I've listened to, and the first album i bought was this, "Follow the Leader".

"My Gift to you" is the last track of the album, about how vocalist Jonathan Davis fantasize killing his girl friend after she demanded a song to be written for her.

A very melodic song, with bagpipes slowly joining in during the intro. Bagpipes part is always my favorite in Korn songs, but unfortunately the latter songs are not as good as the old ones.



As the pioneer of this genre, Korn really inspired a lot of other bands in the US and around the world. But the band is going down ever since the guitarist "Head" left the band and embraces Christianity, to withdraw himself from substance abuses.

I was quite down for quite a long time. Head was the reason why i started to play the guitar and i even bought the Ibanez. No, i bought the GRG, normal 6 strings. Korn plays K7, the 7 strings, which i'm not able to.

Therefore, sadly, i can play none of Korn songs.

They say, Korn is dead after "Follow the Leader" era. I feel so sorry to agree with that.

15.8.08

359# Langkawi - day 1

359# Langkawi - day 1, 2.


Finally i've got these pictures from Han Ying. I couldn't seem to download the whole album from picasa and i had to download the pictures one by one manually instead.

Hou ma fan.





Boat trip to Langkawi island wasn't that bad, because we had been through the worst. Boat trip during our Redang trip which fell on the post monsoon season. The only complain that we commonly have is of course the seat. Oh yes, and noisy passengers as well.

There would be only one reason to go Langkawi.

Jiu.





Not really la.

Didn't drink that much, but we bought some four ourselves as souvenirs. I suspect that i had a hang over on the second day. I had a really bad headache and fever the next day. I didn't drink that much though.

Transport in langkawi was cool. Perhaps "cool" isn't a word to describe, i'd say "hot" instead.





The van that we rented could be as old as me, or even older. It wasn't in its tip top condition but luckily we could still hardly cramp all 11 of us together in it.

Still can't beat David Yong's myvi with 7 guys at the back seat, though.

And the guy who rented the van to us lied to us. As i expected, the oil meter isn't spoilt. He just want us to tambah more minyak for him. We found out, but we were so humane and we didn't kenakan him back.





Awana Porto Malai. I had a hard time in remembering the name of our hotel. It sounds like Paula Malai (Ali) to me. I don't know why.

Day 2

Trip to langkawi was so exciting and we couldn't wait to go explore around. And it was so great until some of us fell sick.

Thus our first destination in langkawi was,





the hospital.

Oh yea.

Victor fell really sick. I had a bad sore throat too as well as the rest. I actually registered myself for treatment, but in the end me and the other two cancelled it because w couldn't afford to wait, couldn't wait to go lepak.





Same as others who went to langkawi, island hooping is a must.

We rented a boat for ourselves to go around the islands. Honestly, we had no confidence in the young guy who pilot the boat. Wonder if he had even experience.





First stop is the Dayang Bunting Marble. This is how language is used. Take other people's language and put it in the blender, spin it around, and it became a new world for your own.

I know what's marble. Dayang is those female servant in the castle. And what about Bunting? Blunted scissors? (edit: thanks to ziyun for pointing out bunting means pregnant, learn a new word today.)





Lake within an island. You can see the hill which outlines a figure of a lady lying from this picture. I can't remember what is it called.

Making a "lake in island" into a tourism spot is quite the idea, but i have no idea why the hill would become another spot as well. Wonder if there's any story behind it.

I've seen hill which outlines the drumstick, chicken, and 17" monitor too! Can these hills be tourist spot as well?





We didn't know that the "fish massage" was actually located in the same place, until we asked around.

We found the spot where the fishes supposed to be. But according to the local the fishes only appear during the morning. But it was already near evening when we reached there.

I just try my luck and dipped my feet in. Who knows my hairy legs attracted those fishes beneath to surface!

And we found out that the number of fishes got attracted is directly proportional to the number of hair you have at your legs!





So, less hair, less fish la. As seen above.

The catfishes just rub around our feet and it was so gross. Usually my reflect you would just retract your feet and scream.

But we held ourselves tight, held our screams, and moan in agony.

It was the only time i saw so many of us as guys to scream like ah guas.





The people around us got confused. Some of them even dipped in their feet to try. But too bad our hairy legs attracted all the fishes so they had no fish to tickle them.

In the end when we had enough we let our spot to those people. Wonder if they could attract those fishes or get them swim underneath back instead.





Next stop was the eagle feeding. I have seen a lot of eagle usually, when i drive by the oil palm estate. But i didn't see such number of eagles at the same time, same spot before.

It has become a classical condition for those eagles - roaring boat engine which stirs up the water and crush the chicken meat = food.

Once the young man did so all the eagles appeared from nowhere and hunted down the food.





I had never seen eagle hunting this up close before.

When there are so many of them on the sky, they looked like mosquitoes.

Third stop is the beach. Oh well, a very ordinary ones.





Quite clean, but personally i still think that beach at redang is more enjoyable.

Nothing much we could do at such empty space. There were plenty of sand under our feet so we just play around.





We dug, but no treasure found. If we really did it would be belong to the gahmen anyway.

Besides, sand art too.





Julius' chick.

I remembered that i drew Goku from Dragonball too. But i didn't take a picture of it because i didn't bring my camera. Kind of regret becase i missed a lot of nice shots.





Victor was sick so he was resting at the beach and the rest of us went to check the slope of the beach.

From this picture, i think that tks was trying to grab his lampa.

Caught red handed, tsk tsk.





Oh well, i shall continue the third day in langkawi in the next post.

Soon.


PS: Did we actually receive academic calender and timetable in our emails? I didn't. Can someone send them to me?

11.8.08

358# Recent Haul

358# Recent Haul


I'm damn broke recently.

Going to the PC fair to buy the gadgets that i need already costed my life, to make things worst i spoilt my spectacles days ago.

Frameless spectacles would be convenient, at the same time without the edges for support the glasses would be really vulnerable. I've spoilt the glasses for 3 times!

Therefore replacing the lens costed me RM75, and i was asked to make a backup spectacles by my dad, in total i spent RM300 for that.

And hence i can't do much shopping these days, at least for 1 month. But somehow there were things turned up in front of me and squeeze out more from me.





Yesterday i read from the internet and found out that the magazine that i'm buying all these while is released. June issue with free stickers. For sure a particular issue for gunpla collectors to grab.

I was damn tension, i already missed the march and april issue therefore i must not miss any of them anymore. Everyone had got their hands on it, some of them even bought 4 copies. Original Japan version in kinokuniya is selling at RM57, and i can't read it. HK or taiwan version found elsewhere are selling at RM9 to RM11, and i can read it.

So today i drove out solely for this purpose. Drove to AEON bukit tinggi klang, and walked into mynews, and i saw 2 issues which i was looking for sitting on the shelf.





Damn lucky! Grab straight the only 2 copies on the shelf. Thank god, really, if i missed it, it would be nowhere to be seen, like how i missed the march and april issue.

And i saw Popular is selling this magazine too, which it hardly too. The most ridiculous thing is that i saw 6 copies sitting there, which is the most copy ever i have seen in front of me. I would be the one clearing the shelf usually. Thanks to Yokie who helped me to buy before this.


Yesterday i brought my friend to my regular gunpla shop to buy his MG Strike Noir. Having nothing to buy in mind, and i spotted SD Exia at the model shop's counter.

Couldn't believe it, i didn't expect it to hit msia so fast.

Thought of buying 2 boxes, for Chan as well. But too bad i'm too broke to buy 2.





The main problem regarding this SD is that it has a lot of details which required extensive painting. Sad case. I wonder how should i paint it. Therefore i can't fix one for you Chan, sorry.

And today i bought the Action Base stand 2 for this SD. RM23.90 is definitely too expensive because it is in Jusco. But i bought it with my RM10 x 2 Jusco cash voucher, which i've gotten during the PC fair. Therefore it wasn't too bad after all.





Another purchase was Stephen King's books. "Thinner" was what i was looking for and "Night Shift" wasn't in my list actually. Not until i saw the "RM10.90" price tag.

Damn! RM11 for a book? This is my cheapest book ever! Plus the 10% popular member discount, this book costs less than RM10. Happy.





Weeks before i bought Thomas Harris' "Hannibal" at Popular, Sunway Pyramid. I've completed "Hannibal Rising" and "Red Dragon", but without the book "Keseyapan Biri-biri" aka "Silence of the Lambs" i can't proceed to the 4th book "Hannibal" in the chronological order.

But i still bought the book even without the 3rd one. Because it was selling at RM14.90! After discount it was just RM13.40. Happy.


Therefore after all these purchase, i am officially broke. No more gunpla, at least for 2 months, i shall not spend.


PS: Ming Lin i want our Langkawi photo in full res please!

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