Rest In Peace, Sir Terry Pratchett

I only learned about the Discworld late - maybe late-20's, early-30's. But it was such a fascinating universe - and so funny. At times, even laugh out loud funny.

Never got over the first book, so I ended up buying pretty much the entire Discworld series (I think there's still the odd stray book running around uncaptured somewhere). Every book was funny or satirical, some more than others. But ALL of them were Good. And I looked forward to (pretty much) the annual Discworld book.

Above all else, I remembered the characters more than the story lines. Lord Vetinari, Sam Vines, Moist von Lipwig, Granny Weatherwax, Tiffany Aching, Death. And somewhere in there, there was a vegetarian vampire.

There are many who were much more greatly influenced by his books. They may have been classified as Fantasy, but in truth, Pratchett's books were much more rooted in human nature. Accordingly, his books have influenced me - but probably more along the lines of the things I find funny.


"Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened." 
- Sir Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures.


Rest In Peace, Sir Terry Pratchett.
I will miss you, as will many others.
Thank you for Discworld.
Rest In Peace.

Words I wish I Knew ... #whenEnglishfails

Found this on BBC and it's just brilliant. Words from other languages that are so apt, so descriptive of situations I've faced and remembered. Often wished that I had words to describe the circumstance - now I do.

Now I need a word for "forgetting difficult words that you wish you remembered".

 Swedish - very specifically descriptive in just a single word !

Hawaiian - I bet this happens to loads of people 

Japanese - what's the English equivalent ?

Stoned ? Zoned out ? Daydreaming ? 

Welsh - Yeah, I feel this. 

More back when I was younger. 

Now I just don't have the time.

I have this down pat. I'll get around to reading them eventually.

Or at least most of them.

Sunday Nights with Mr Acker Bilk

Dedicated to the man whose song illuminated so many of my Sunday Nights.

Alan Zechariah and Reezal Abdullah spun many excellent songs in their radio show "Memories are Made of This" on Sunday nights. I loved that show and made it a point to tune in whenever I could. Not only were the songs lovely, but they managed to find so many really obscure songs that I used it like a Discovery Channel for old time music. It was a brilliant show and there was great regret on my part when the station decided to end the show.

But always ..... always, the highlight of the show was Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore". The song bookended the show and, be it in my room or in the car, the first strains of that clarinet invariably drew me into the song. There are many songs that I like, fewer that are favourites, even less if you were to ask me for the first few to pop into my mind. This is one of those 'lesser than few' songs.



Rest In Peace, Mr Acker Bilk.

the Sony Experia Experience

I must admit that I use only a few features in a smartphone. I'm not really into tech gadgets per se but I do use them for convenience. So when the old Sony was struggling with memory issues (planned obsolescense - damn you, tech companies!  :-) ), it was time to change.

As usual, Dream handled the changeover with tech gadgets. As for me, my main criteria for buying a smartphone is the camera. And since the latest technology was not a priority, the Sony Experia Z1 was one I had my eye on. Lovely camera and ooohh ...... underwater photo capabilities. Limited underwater capabilities notwithstanding, I was keen to see what I could get out of it. Methinks the results have been worth it.

the kids' gear was bought with an eye to facilitate photographs 

 

I love the fact that even with all that colour, the photos can be pretty good in B&W

 this photo was the one I loved the most from our fumblings in the 1st pool photo session

inspired by snow angels 

Catriona in the float again; even though she can swim

And this last one is rather self indulgent. The only editing I do for my photographs is cropping, B&W and a rare straightening. I'm not too keen on the wonders of Photoshop; not that it's not a wonderful product but there's a thin line where a photograph is edited until it's more digital art than photograph. I choose to keep my photo editing basic for documentation purposes - but that's a personal choice.

Using a red filter effect. I thought that the original photo was okay .... but not good nor great. It looked a lot better through a red filter. Hence why I think that most anybody can make a great photo with enough PS editing. The only question is whether it's a photograph any more ? Think photoshop of stars in magazine shoots - is that what their face and body really looks like ? To each their own.

Germany ...... Finally !!

Following the German national team has been a frustrating experience for the past few years. There has been talk of a golden generation but after repeated failures to breach the Spanish tiki-taka, many were beginning to wonder whether this particular batch had the mental fortitude to win a major trophy. Well, the Spanish in this World Cup were van Gaaled and never recovered, and Joachim Loew switched and rediscovered his winning formation in the quarterfinal against France. And then this German team made history.

So, wonder no more. This batch HAS the team spirit and mentality to win a World Cup. And they're young enough to be favourites for the next European Championships and World Cup. Talk of a golden generation has been justified. I'll just chuck in a few photos to mark the occasion.

Didn't matter where the goalkeeper was. Gotze was always going for the far post.

Having said that, the technique was perfect.

How many Germans can you fit into a Mini ?

given Brazil's construction problems for this World Cup,

I kinda wondered whether the stage would collapse

Manuel Neuer : the latest in a long line of world class German goalkeepers

They say Germany's 12th man is a woman.

It's been a long journey. Lahm and Scgweinsteiger have graduated

 from young guns to mainstays and elder statesmen. 

Both were outstanding in the final against Argentina.

The Luckiest

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning on a weekend or a holiday, I spend the first few minutes looking around and wonder how I ever got here. With fluffy bears and toy cars on the bed - fluffy towels and milk bottles lying around - hands and feet everywhere, just waiting for the first stirrings of life, or the first wail to break the peace of the early morn ......

With toys strewn all over the floor - and paint brushes and paintings on a table - with dishes in the kitchen sink and piles of laundry waiting to be done - with garbage waiting to be disposed of and poo in plastic bags by the front door.

And all I see is this.

And I wonder how I lucked out. With all the missteps and blind alleys and travails of the dating world and relationships, I wonder how I ever ended up with the woman who gave me these three beautiful children.



Truth is, I do feel like the geeky, dorky red-haired guy who ended up with Rachel McAdams ...

NB. Ben Folds' 'The Luckiest' explained. And Richard Curtis is the one writer whose movies we look forward to.

Postscript : This post may perhaps be ever so slightly rose tinged, but then it's early morn and I've just woken up....
Reality is disruptions, distractions and sometimes just outright distress. But the song tells what I'm feeling and .... you get the idea, don't you ?

Why The Journey is Worth It .....

I admit that my interest was only piqued because the show seemed to be generating a lot of box office in Malaysia. And it's iconic cold air balloon popped up in several locations on billboards and even the concourse of a shopping complex.

Checked out the trailer - no big deal, but the plot seemed relevant in a Malaysian Chinese context. Fair enough in itself but it was a draw for a banana like myself. And to be frank, I was hoping that it would be a close enough facsimile of a Yasmin Ahmad movie - goodness knows, I've missed her movies. So when the chance came to watch The Journey .....



No regrets. Ended up with all four of us watching the movie and a little lady pottering around on the mat. It was really good. And rather unusually The Journey seems to have gained a sizable Malay audience even though a huge chunk of the movie is voiced in multiple Chinese dialects. Crossing racial boundaries was rather a speciality of Yasmin Ahmad's ..

Quite apart from the plot - simple yet effective - watching the movie was like a huge product placement for Malaysian tourism. The scenery ... the landscape shots ... it made me want to visit Malaysia. It made me want to grab the DSLR and go out in all hours of day, in varied locations of splendour and gaiety and isolation .... and snap. It's been tooo long .....

And even though there weren't many songs in the show, this one spoke loudly in hushed tones.

A little slice of Life ...

6-ish on a Saturday morning, a time when I'm usually still deep in sleep. But not today.

It's a strangely peaceful time. All three kids are asleep. Oh .... THAT'S why it's peaceful.

Anyway, I digress. It's a strangely peaceful time. Nothing astir here, not even a mosquito ...... A selection of country songs on the stereo - Anne Murray's "A Little Good News" playing at the moment - a load of laundry in the washing machine. It's strange nowadays to find some time alone without one kid or another wandering around, out of the bedroom, or wailing her lungs out ...

It's good. All is right with the world. Except for the haze in my lungs, and the water shortage in the Klang Valley, and the shenanigans in the government and judiciary and civil service and various government ministries. Even if all I'm doing is folding clothes and clearing up the mess the kids left behind.

All is good. It's the music that does it. That, and the rare slice of solitude.

Earth Angel ... the Reason our Hands are Full.

We've been off for quite some time without really posting anything on this blog. Had our hands full, you see. Major part distraction, minor part burn out. But I just thought that it was time to introduce the newest addition to the brood.





























This little girl was named Carys Chong Sze Man .... I think.
I had to check.
Sometimes you lose track after a while and especially when the brood gets a little bigger.

Born on her mother's birthday. The whole family were celebrating the mum's birthday with dinner at Bumbu Bali - a place that used to serve a most sensational grilled lamb chop (sadly, no longer the case). It was 20:00+ hrs when the mum indicated that it was time.
So we paid the bill - went home to grab the overnight bag - dropped the kids off at the nanny's - and headed to the hospital, which was just five minutes drive from Bumbu Bali. Big, big detour.
A little rushed, but no panic.

Once there, we wondered whether she'd make it out in time for her mom's birthday. She duly popped out at 23:24hrs and proceeded to save me the expense of an additional birthday cake every year for the foreseeable future. A much appreciated gesture.

This little girl cries louder than her siblings. She's also more demanding. Drinks milk in smaller quantities, but on a more frequent basis. Wakes up more often in the middle of the night. We've got the makings of a diva on our hands.
At the very least, she's higher maintenance compared to her sister and brother.

I don't know what else she brings to the table as she's still so very young. At least her siblings are not showing signs of jealousy - not too much, anyway.

As for us, we'll just muddle along - hoping to do the best we can with our limited resources - and praying that somewhere along the way, we'll raise this three kids right in the eyes of God.

And if we have laughter and tears and smiles,
And hugs and cuddles and kisses,
And sharing and caring and relatives and friends; well,
It would have made for a more joyful and loving journey in our lives.
And isn't that what we all wish for ?

Penny Wise ...

The truth is I’m looking to leave. Let me rephrase that – I’m desperate to leave.

This place is so incredibly fucked up, it defies belief. Am I responding appropriately ? Damn, I’m responding horribly. Frankly speaking, I just couldn’t give a shit. Put me in the right environment and I’m a self-starting, responsible finance guy who would go out of his way to help the company. Put me in the wrong environment, and everything goes due South. And I just couldn’t give a shit.

Even if it’s a so-so environment, I would still make an effort to give my best. But the wrong environment ………. and there are so many things wrong here….

I’m just desperate to leave.

NB. On the flip side, I just don’t see how the CEO can continue to run the company with her present management style and make it succeed. I just see a train wreck in the future. Starting with the IT guys who want to leave. And join the others who’ve already gone. 2 Group COOs, 1 Financial Controller, 1 HR Manager, 2 Marketing Managers, a few Executives. All in the less than 5 months I’ve been here. With a maximum headcount at any one time of 16. Staff turnover rate above 100% per annum. And the CEO says it’s normal !

Good luck trying to set up your school that way. 

Kick Ass 2

No chance of seeing this in a Malaysian cinema anytime soon, is there ? After all, the first Kick Ass never made it to these shores.



If you can overlook the wayyyy over the top violence, this show could be really cool. Well, at least the first one was - Hit Girl is just such a great character ! Hoping I can get my hands on one copy somehow.

GE13 ... the Aftermath of Malaysia's 13th General Elections

I must confess.

When the results of GE13 came out, I shed a few tears. I cried not for me. I cried not for the death of democracy - it hardly came as a surprise. I did not cry because the BN government retained their hold on power - I had suspected that gerrymandering would tilt the balance in their favour. And so it proved. I did not cry for the hope of the rakyat that had been so mercilessly crushed - by fair means and foul.

I cried for my children. They deserved better.
I cried for the young Malaysian children who would have to suffer another 5 years of BN misrule and corruption and the crap education system that the BN has bequeathed to us. They deserve better.
I cried because, for just a fleeting moment, there was hope that we could move forward as a nation regardless of race and religion. That corruption, deliberate stupidity, racism, entitlement and arrogance were things that we could reduce for the betterment of Malaysia. That Hope proved fleeting..

I cried for Malaysia. We deserved a better Malaysia.

just Roll with It ..... or ..... oh Shit !

I've never worked in a company that rations it's toilet paper. Apparently there's a first time for everything - even this.

Mockingly, this wall decor is actually at the PJLA opposite my present office.

Life is what Happens .....

There is this line from John Lennon which I've remembered since I first read it.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

It is at once insightful, and has a certain wittiness about it. More importantly, it perfectly describes Life - Not as it always is, but as it could be at any time. Life changing possibilities abound at any moment in time, both good and bad. And all the while, people make plans and execute plans and procrastinate on plans and sleep on plans and give up on plans and make new plans ...



Life happened.

Literally.

Long Gone ...

A-month-and-a-half after leaving my last job, I can confirm that I don't miss it .... at all.

Don't miss the back stabbing.
Don't miss the politics.
Don't miss the suspicious transactions that I'm so often the last one to know about. For a finance guy, that raises red flags all over.
Don't miss the smiling faces which mask the knives held behind their backs.
One thing I've learned from that place : Money talks. Especially if it's someone else's money residing in your pocket.

No. I don't miss it at all.

Whatever happens at my present place, I don't and won't regret leaving the previous one.

If a Hard Rain's gonna Fall ..... it might be Time for the Cocteau Twins

Driving home at night in the rain with traffic. The sound of raindrops on the car. The flash of tail lights as cars whizz by, the glare of headlights as cars approach and disappear - all filtered through the rainwater on my windscreen. Glancing in the mirror at the lights behind.

The Cocteau Twins on the stereo.

I drove an extra hour just for this visual soundscape.

Behind Bars .....

Waiting can be such a difficult task.

With expectation in the heart, but anticipating disappointment. Looking forward to the future, hoping to leave the past behind.Wishing and hoping that all will turn out well ........................

I took this photo in a little court house in Shah Alam. The court handled civil and criminal cases. Some cases were frivolous and really rather a waste of the court's time. Others would lead to people spending time behind bars. The windows in the court house were not bars, they just reminded me of bars - and not the kinds with liquor.

I'm just glad I was there on a frivolous case. At least the time I wasted could be counted in hours instead of years.

Tan Hong Ming in love - the Petronas ad that nearly wasn't

I've been reading "How you know ?", a book written about famed Malaysian director/advertiser Yasmin Ahmad. There are snippets and insights into what seemed a pretty unique woman.

I was pleasantly surprised when I read that she had publicly given up her government scholarship once she found out that she got it partly because of her bumiputra status. In an age when taking what is rightfully mine - taking what I think should be mine (even if it isn't) - taking what is yours but I'm making it mine anyways - what Yasmin did is practically unheard of.

Then the bit about Tan Hong Ming in love -  the ad that was a Gold Winner at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2008 - and how they had already stopped filming Tan Hong Ming after he said that his best friend is a boy who wears a songkok. The entire final ad uses footage that was filmed simply to humour Tan Hong Ming, who kept following them even after his bit was done. They put the camera on him and Yasmin asked "Do you have a girlfriend ?" and the rest of the ad flowed out. Totally unscripted. Quite amazing, when you think of it.

Ian Poults for the Ryder Cup at Medinah

"We've revised the qualifications (for the Ryder Cup). It's nine spots, two picks and Poults."
- Lee Westwood

4 for 4 this weekend. 12 of 15 overall record in the Ryder Cup.

You've got to hand it to Ian Poults. He may never win a major, and lots of people may not like him or his image or his character or his clothes -  but stick him in the Ryder Cup and the guy will roar like an English lion....  And bring his A+ game to back it up.

The Ryder Cup makes for compelling TV viewing. Strange to say since I don't watch any other golf programme or event on TV or video or anything, really. But I've watched the last two Ryder Cups and I can confirm that it is right up there in the top echelon of sports TV.

Maybe it's because golf is a game that piques my mind. The possibilities, variables, strategy and the need to translate all that into the physical ...... it's a game that I find interesting.

Maybe it's because the players and the crowd and the TV audience are so obviously keyed in. Maybe it's because there are 24 millionaire golfers who are essentially playing for pride and little else - sports in it's purest form. Maybe it's the excitement, tension, potential .... whatever it is, I'll be waiting for the next edition in two years time.

Les Miserables ... coming to a cinema near you ..

I've seen it twice on stage - have the soundtrack and the video - and I'm still looking forward to the movie version.



Please, please, please ..... please ... don't suck.