I came across this image while surfing the Ministry of Education's website and I started to laugh quite uncontrollably! No, I wasn't laughing at the image, it was quite nicely done. Rather, I was laughing because it triggered something in my head. This comic strip I read years ago. I wished I have it right now so I can share it. Anyway...I have to get it out of my system. To the uninitiated...Sang Kancil is a Malay folklore. Kancil (pronounced as kahn-cheel, is a mouse-deer. Tales of Sang Kancil often portrayed how the seemingly small & fragile mouse-deer outwitted his natural enemies- Sang Rimau(tiger), Sang musang(fox), Sang Buaya(crocodile) and other predators.

Though I don't have the comic strip right now, I'll just put up the dialogue (sorry, can't translate everything. It'll kinda kill the whole thing if I did. Maybe rinaz can take up the challenge of illustrating this like she does about nimmo??!):-

Scene: A monkey swinging tree to tree in haste. Finally, he saw what he was looking for and dropped down to the earth. Cautiously approaching a seemingly very relaxed tiger under a tree.

Monkey: Hello...Rimau! Haven't you heard?? Sang Kancil diberitakan sudah mati!! I baru je dapat tau tadi!

Tiger: WHAT???!!! Kancil dah mati?? You cakap betul² Monyet! If not, I siat² kulit you, jual kat restaurant nanti!!!

Monkey: Betul! Tengok lah tu! Over there! (monkey points in a general direction)

(Seeing Sang Kancil on it's back motionless with tongue dramatically sticking out..)
Tiger: Oh my God!!! You mati kancil??
(Tiger suddenly roared out in agony...battling within himself a moral qustion? :P)
Tiger: Alamak...!!! Boleh ke aku makan daging Kancil yang dah mati ni???! Boleh ke tak boleh? Boleh ke cannot??

(Meanwhile, Sang Kancil, who wasn't realy dead...realized how his prank might just backfire on him...quickly signalled to the Monkey.)

Kancil: Bahaya ni..! Pssst! hey monyet! bak sini kayu tu cepat!
(Monkey handed over a piece of wood to Kancil. Without the tiger noticing, Kancil quickly replaced the piece of wood over where he'd been lying, playing dead all this while. And having resolved his own issues, the tiger went over to the spot where Kancil was supposedly dead.)
Tiger: What??!! Mayat Kancil betukar menjadi kayu...???! But...but camner??!

Elephant: For Heaven sake, Rimau! Pleeeease la..! Stop reading buku misteri tu lagi!!! It's sooo embarassing!
(The elephant had all this while been observing the jungle animals in their mindless pranks!)

Maybe tomorrow you'll call me and tell me of the things that happened to you; things that happened to me. You'd laugh at my silly comments and brush away my silent voices. Our friends will ask you why and you will tell them. You always tell. Our friends will ask me why and I'll paint them a picture. All around us they will only hear what they want to hear but seeing, they would at least see a picture.

No, I don't want to cause any trouble. But you couldn't possibly see what I cannot see myself. Yet you look into my eyes and decide you've seen what's inside. And I felt the corners of my mouth curved into a smile. I saw you instead; in shallow waters of the river's edge, looking satisfied with both feet in the waters, oblivious of the undertow that will pull you under if you dared any further. But, then again it's just shallow waters for you.

Funny thing the reversedge is. It doesn't cut, it damages though. And while over time it'll heal, it does nothing for the pain. It just makes everything harder.

It's getting dark; the skies. And I have many miles to travel in directions of this enigmatic river. Constantly, I'm at a loss.

So, maybe tomorrow I'll find my way home.

There are many stories that painted of desires to travel through time and into the future. Without realizing sometimes, even the average person like you and me, we, harboured such desire. Humankind, it seems, impatient to witness either Man's ultimate triumph or his apocalypse. And as a race that are sometimes blind to the obvious, we try to manifest this desire in the false absolute of science.

Making a possibility is a reality, predicting a future we all know...Science doesn't recognize the single most important element of human existence.

-Serj Tankian.

Science is flawed. Science is an ability we gained through knowledge. Why do I say ability is because it simply is; it is a product of thorough, critical, analytical & rational thinking within our limited faculties. And because we have achieved great wonders over our planet, we forget or even for some, refuse to recognize the elements of human existence that cannot be explained by science.

Albeit the exhaustive theories of quantum physics, space & time continuum, we in fact do have the ability to move through the future. But not while we are still occupying this vessel called the human body. We move through time via our legacies and our offspring, our children are the vehicles of time. They are the future. This is one of the many reasons why children are often referred to as being gifts from God. Precious as they are, children are our amanah. We mould them eventually to be what they become in the future.

Yet, I have seen how children gone rogue. Results of bad parenting where, mothers' neglect and fathers' frustration becomes a child's sickness.

Sickness has many manifestations and it often appear to overrun the faculties of the child in ways that he can never truly comprehend. It affects either mind or body. Sometimes both. This sickness can either have a devastating or enlightening conclusion. But truly, it (the cure or meaning) appeals to those who remembers the single most important thing in human existence.

I have no child of my own but I do know how it is to raise a child. To see her victories, defeat, laughter & tears. Experience the times where your principles are being challenged aginst your love for the child and doing what is right. And now, that chld has grown to have children of her own!

I have godchildren whom I wish to see go through life with myriad of experiences and be assets to families, friends & society. And as I type these words down, my prayers go to all the children who are or will undergo trials of harsh nature. And I extend what strength I have to their fathers. They have given much affection and care to their children just as much if not more than most. And now principles, beliefs, desires & hopes are being pit against the test of time. That one possibilty. My brothers, science can only do so much that you may do more. If you forget, remember. The element that is most important to human existence and then perhaps, you might be enlightened.

He who gives can also take...

Bingo!

I was googling the net for something this morning...I'm currently disturbed by some crossword puzzle...and I came across this!

I remembered a fellow blogger rinaz mentioning something very delightful when you come across something about yourself in the net, getting all excited and all! Sheesh! I can relate to that. I mean..it'll be delightful of course unless you find embarrassing nude pics of yourself...?!

Anyway, what we have here are images that I pulled out from a site that ranked people who had participated in a SCRABBLE tournament that took place in 1999. I was one those people...hehe! Yeah...so I have a geeky side to me. So what?
Strangely though, this word game never came naturally to me initially. Before I got to it, I always thought it was such a boring, lame ass board game! That was when until a good friend of mine whupped my butt in SCRABBLE. My ego was dented. I mean...I've always thought my vocab were pretty good, you know. It was then I realized it was more than just a word game. I realized that Scrabble is actually a chess of sorts...but with words.

So...my friend became my mentor and we played almost every night back then. I was pretty good even if I say so myself. But, there's always someone better...

Here...if you looked hard enough...my name is among the top 5 in the Open Category. The champion is my friend's dad. He won all 8 games through. I won 7 games. And I'm proud to say that I was only beaten by him. A grueling match though...I can still remember. Well, here's a tribute of sorts to all my former sparring mates! I'll kick all your asses next time! (btw, I already did!)

When love beckons to you, follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you yield to him, Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

-Kahlil Gibran



I opened my email today only to find this; the inevitable mistakes of my past haunting me...you're right and I am sorry. Humble me.........

Can't watch tv no more...

I missed her alot today. And I wasn't even in one of my sentimental moods to begin with. It just happened.
I kinda sped off on my scoots right from the office back home. After I washed up, I did a peculiar thing. I watched tv. There was this only show that I used to watch. And usually she'd be back home from work during the middle of it. Though she knew, she'd always ask me what I'm watching.
These are the small things that I used to looked forward to...I mean..the way she'd smile knowingly that I'm joking...or asked me if I'd had dinner. Then there's some of those silly stuff...darn it.
This is the reason why I don't watch tv at home. It reminds me too much. Yeah...that got taken from me too. What else??
Fuck it.

Retro Musique Cafe


I started out last night meaning to go & watch a movie on a Saturday night but end up hanging out wif some ol frens of mine. So, I went to this place downtown in Bali Lane called Retro Musique Cafe. Quite frankly, I don't think much of the place except for, it's a great location and has a great ambience to it. And not that I have any negative vibes for the place...just that it is actually a jamming studio. Kids go there to jam around with whatever music they fancy for just ten bucks an hour!

As some people probably might know, I had this thing going on in awhile in my life about making music. Way too much distractions made me put it all away (can I even say that??). Anyway, last night they had these guys come together and sort of made it a jazz night. It was great. Awesome even...I might add cos it's kinda like a private session with small crowd. What crowd?? There was like maybe eight or nine of us?


After awhile me and my frens decided to mess around with the instruments. I played the drums. And I sucked. BIG TIME. (This guy here playin the drums is an ol fren of mine-Ferdows)
For those who knew my music background probably find me, in last night's situation, puzzling. Why? Slightly more than ten years ago I played drums like a pro. Now, I have trouble with coordination (must be the age..)! There are drummers, real good drummers, now who exists out there playing in clubs, recording albums and whatever. Funny, that there were once under my tutelage. I used to train people in drumming! What happened...? I guess, at one point of time..I gave it up. Not just gave it up...I really tucked it back into the dark corners of my mind. A couple of those guys I taught, still even today, look me up just to ask for tips or get me down to the studios to help them with recordings and stuff. And yet, there are still some surprises left in this world for me. One of those guys playing jazz came up to me and asked me, "Hey, you're that guy who played with that band, right? Saw you in tv once!".

I didn't know how to react to that. Instead, my frens answered for me. koros sei!

Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.

-Kahlil Gibran.


(May I present to the world....The Aces!!!)
Amirul: You know yer getting heavier, rite?
Amirah: huh?
Amirul: You have to quit those dang rusks...it'll blow u up like a balloon!
Amirah: ...er..huh?
Amirul: Are you even listening to me??
Amirah: Quick pose!
Click!
Amirul: *grunt*
Amirah: What is it we're talking about...?

There are only a few of us who chose to believe differently, over which had been carved in the hearts of men for more than a millenia. Does that make us anomalies? Do we stray from the path that so many had taken?
It is still here amongst us; in us!
And still the question beckons...
It is still here. Embrace it and free ourselves from what we fear to lose.
Letting go the edge of the rock to reach out to the hand that will save us. A brutal descent to solid ground or a freefall back to earth?