on UMNO leaders ...

Aren't you tired of listening and reading about idiots like this ?

I know I am. I'm sick and tired of the many UMNO leaders who claim that the Malays will lose their political power. Sick and tired of allegations that a Chinese population of 20%-25% can actually control the political fate of Malaysia. Sick and tired of those who keep pushing racism as a political ploy to further their own personal agendas. Sick and tired that these same people can close both eyes to the scandals emanating from their own party on a regular basis. Sick and tired that a leader who claims '1Malaysia' is also the leader of a party who seem to be more interested in 'Malay first, Malaysian second'.

Aren't you sick and tired too ?

Everywhere

My grandfather used to have an entire library of musicals - Fred Astaire, Cole Porter, Elvis Presley, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music - a veritable treasure trove of music and dance. I do not know how much influence he's had on me, but I do know that till this day .... the songs are still with me. And I still remember the way he looked, the way he spoke, the timbre of his voice ......

And sometimes, an unnamed melody soars with the wind, and makes me reach for an album to play. Or in this case, to share :

on Flying Budget Airlines ...

I was reading Haris Ibrahim's complaints about his flight using Air Asia (link here). I also read the comments that followed his post. Here's the thing I don't get about some people who complain about Air Asia.

* If you have luggage to drop off, don't turn up 35 minutes before the boarding gates close. If everybody has the same idea, of course you will have a long queue. And yes, this applies even if you have done a web check-in. And really, this is a budget airline - don't expect to just waltz in and be treated with premium service. You don't go to McDonald's and expect to be served at your table , do you ?

* If you didn't bring along your boarding pass, don't expect to be able to get on the flight without any hassles. This applies not just at Air Asia, it applies at many other companies. It is not their fault that your documentation is not complete.

It happened to me once at Kota Kinabalu Airport. We couldn't print a boarding pass because we didn't have the equipment and the web check-in was done at KL. I informed the Air Asia counter staff and they printed the boarding passes for the group - all nine of us. Smooth flying all the way.

Now if you turn up at the boarding gate without a boarding pass, don't blame them if they don't let you on the flight. It's your fault for not having the proper documentation.

* Do not expect Air Asia staff to help take care of your 70+ years relatives or very young children. They allocate one, sometimes two staff, at the departure gate for the whole plane. Do you seriously expect them to extend any help in these areas ?

If you say that they do not extend help to the aged or to young children travelling alone, it is true. Either arrange it yourself, or fly on another airline. Air Asia caters to people who can get in and out by themselves or with their families. That's how they make it cheap.

* Don't complain that Air Asia is expensive if you book the night before the flight. The ticket prices are time sensitive. The earlier you book, the cheaper it is.

I once booked tickets on an Air Asia flight in two tranches. The first tranche was booked much earlier and were cheap. The ticket prices for second tranche were 3 times the price of the first tranche. All Economy Class, all on the same plane - the difference in ticket prices were purely due to the timing of purchase.

* Don't complain that once you purchase their meals, purchase the seat choices, etc. it is almost the same price as a full service airline. These items are discretionary. You DO NOT have to buy them.

* Taxi rates to LCCT are expensive because it is far away. Granted. But that is hardly Air Asia's fault. Just ask Dr. Mahatir why the KLIA has to be in the middle of nowhere.

* And complaints about the signage and toilets at LCCT being lousy. Seriously ! Air Asia is an airline. If you're not happy with the LCCT, why blame Air Asia ? They don't own the LCCT, they don't manage it, they didn't build it or ask for it to be there ........ they wanted Subang Airport.

Here's the thing. For most flights overseas, Air Asia is not a monopoly. If you don't like it, just fly on another airline. If you continuously complain about them, and yet keep on booking their flights ................ pardon me if I'm wrong, it just makes you look stupid.

Slave to Love

A staple through the years, turning up in multiple playlists, and still my favourite Bryan Ferry song.



Of course, having Kim Basinger advertise the song in 9 1/2 weeks didn't hurt either.

vol. XV

Happiness is a Red Balloon

In Honour of Sir Alex Ferguson

We didn't have a stadium stand to name in his honour and we weren't at Old Trafford or England to join in the occasion. But we couldn't let Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th anniversary as Manchester United manager pass by without notice. We took a photo instead.

So here we are - all 4 of us dressed up in Man United jerseys. A photo taken in honour of a man who's been a part of my life for the past 25 years. He's brought much joy to us with the work that he's done at Man United.

Here's hoping that he will continue to do so for many years more !

The Mostar Diving Club. Seriously ?

Just saw a movie entitled 'Waiting For Forever'. Ostensibly a love story, but one that's rather weird. We spent some 80% of the movie wondering whether it WAS a love story. Anyways, it was okay but I wouldn't particularly recommend it to anyone.

3 things stood out :

* Some of the scenery, especially in the early part of the movie, was beautiful
* Tom Sturridge looks good here
* The soundtrack was pretty good but this was exceptional :

Lee Martin's take

In light of SAF's 25 years as Manchester United's manager, stories, memories, anecdotes and accolades have been coming out of the woodwork from all and sundry. Many of them from players that I knew of from my youthful days.

One of the more memorable ones is from Lee Martin, scorer of the winning goal in the FA Cup final replay vs Crystal Palace in 1990 - SAF's first major trophy as Manchester United manager.

Martin, at left-back that day, said: "With an hour gone, I heard a shout from the bench with the boss yelling 'Get forward!'. So I put my head down, ran towards the box and got on the end of a brilliant ball from Neil Webb to score what proved the winner.

"As we were celebrating in the dressing-room afterwards, he came over and said 'When I shouted about getting forward, I wasn't talking to YOU!'

Approaching SAF's 25th Anniversary

The Sun UK's Tom Barclay has selected this first eleven as Sir Alex Ferguson's best team during his tenure. If you're an avid Man United fan, or English football fan, these faces should be familiar to you. And if you're not, you really don't have to read any further.


I don't really have any quibble with the players he's chosen, by and large. An argument could be made for Bryan Robson in central midfield but I'm fine if it remains Keane and Scholes. Where I strongly disagree is Rio Ferdinand being in this team. Jaap Stam and Steve Bruce have far stronger claims as far as I am concerned.

Where it gets interesting is the headcount that would last the match. With Vidic, Scholes, Keane, Cantona and Rooney selected, half the team is a red card waiting to happen.

As for the substitutes, they'd make a pretty strong team by themselves too.

Visit to Penang Hill

We made a lightning visit to Penang Hill last week trying to get up and down before it rained. Tried, and almost made it - but not quite.

It did give me a chance to snap this photo of the rain approaching as the winds blew it towards us. You can clearly see on the right of the photo that it is dry. Five seconds later, the first raindrops started splattering around us.

Two Daisies in a Vase

by Masao Ota. Bought at Ikea, it's been hanging in our living room for almost a decade now. We bought it because we liked it very much; then discovered that it matched the colours of our curtains perfectly.

The curtains are gone now, but this still remains.

Penang is for dreamers

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng : "We must have an environment where people can be foolish and dream. When you refuse to follow the line, innovation happens and society marches forward." (link here)

Dreaming can be a good thing. Einstein was a well known daydreamer. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. Paul McCartney composed 'Yesterday' in his dreams.

Sometimes, dreams can come true. But you need to dream first.