Bummer!

A shocking thing happened to me just now. At 4 pm I was heading to a sub-contractor’s office. On Jalan Tun Razak, traffic was on the usual crawl (but bearable since it’s not rush hour yet) I was minding my own space in front, stop-and-going with the flow. Behind me was a young couple in a black Hyundai Atoz. The chick’s kinda cute.

Moments passed as cars played choo-choo train, slowly and patiently moving to pass the bottle necking point up front. After IJN and in front of the Hospital compound, I casually braked and stopped, as did the car in front. Then, as immediate as it was sudden, a thud came from behind, I was jerked front to back. I hit the brakes, looked at my rear view mirror and saw the young couple tailing me earlier.

The chick looked alarmed but not horrified. The driver did not panic. My heartbeat was racing as I thought of what to do next. Cars in front were moving again and I grew more concerned. Looking at the couple behind, I motioned that we pulled over to the sides and to my relief saw a bus stand a couple of meters up front.

They must not get away before I can asses the damage. I quickly signaled and started to approach left toward the bus stand. Keeping my eyes fixed on the Atoz. When I got there the couple was still trying to cut the lane to move toward me. I got off and inspected my car’s behind, still focused on the Atoz. A cover patch on my bumper was dangling but very much intact. Good thing I didn’t lose it on the road. I stood up and waited for them to arrive.

*&%# ! How hard is it to just keep your distance and brake in time. It’s not like we were moving at 80 kmph! Everybody was doing 15 to 20 kmph for pete’s sake! Now they’ve given me unnecessary cardio beats. I'm a little angry at this senseless incident. My heart was still beating furiously. My mind, on the other hand, thought there was nothing major so I kept my cool. They finally got through the traffic and pulled over behind me. The chick came out first.

I looked at her face. Her expression was apologetic. She looked good though. But wait a minute, she was sitting at the passenger side. Hey! Where the hell is the driver? And why the hell did I force a smile?

“Did we hit you hard? Is the damage bad? We’re so sorry, mister” she pleaded.

“Not really. Just this thing popping out of my bumper.” I answered as I bent down and tried to fix the dangling cover back on. It didn’t go in easily. I had to let out a loud groan, just so they know this is not exactly what I intend to do under the sun beside a chick whose boyfriend was so chicken to come out first. At that point he was out of the car himself.

“Is it bad? We’re sorry man” he said.

I looked at him, turned to her and then bent down again to continue fitting the cover. Damn this thing is stubborn! My eyes scanned the rest of the section to see if there were any dents and scratches. None. Except for circles of dust caused by droplets of rain. Hadn’t washed my car in weeks and it's obvious.

Finally it clicked and my bumper was like new again, dirty no doubt, but without damage. I stood up, looked at the couple and they apologized again.

Do I want to give them a piece of my mind? Do I want to translate my beating heart’s rhythm into anger and dish out hot, flaming advice? Ask for damage repair money maybe? Given the traffic and blazing sun and all?

I asked this after I satisfied myself that there’s no dent and scratches on.

Looking at the chick, I just said ‘it’s okay’ as she apologized again. I uttered ‘it’s okay’ as well when the guy apologized next. I gave them an obvious fake grin with a twist of pissed off look, turned around and got back in my car. I clapped the dust off my hand, started the engine, gave a right turn signal and got the hell out of there. They must have waited a while so they won’t pass me somewhere in the queue since I didn’t see them far behind me.

I hate to say it but I have been kissed once now. It might not be a horrible incident but it taught them a lesson or two.

Keep your distance if you are incapable of focusing on the road. Especially when with a chick! When touching happens, pull over. When heavy petting occurs, get a room! When you’ve kissed someone, be scared, be very scared, coz there’s no telling what the psychotic kissee is capable of doing. It doesn’t matter if you’ve caused a scratch, a dent or nothing at all. If he’s not in a good mood, he might yell at you, call his posse, beat you up while they’re on their way, screw your girlfriend and rob you at gunpoint. He could easily be a convict on the run, a thug or a serial killer.

Beware…

On a lighter note, it also taught the driver another lesson. When in trouble on the road, if the situation permits, use your girlfriend to soften the male victim’s emotion. His anger might cool off when he sees a cute chick who’s tactful and charming. Let her get out of the car first, walk apologetically toward the driver and plead for forgiveness. For minor or no damage, the victim may just forget the incident and assure that it’s no biggie. He might show that he’s pissed off but you’re in no danger of being sued, fined or bashed up to death.

Hell! Who am I kidding, he knew this long before I did.

I’m a sucker for pleading chicks!

Expected profanity

“You asshole!” yelled a friend after he realized I’ve pulled a prank on him.

I should have my heart sank to my bowels but this I did expect and deserve. To see the look on his face, priceless! Why, he found it funny too since he can’t refrain from smiling and eventually burst into laughter. Hah!

Happy to be an asshole once in a while. I can’t say I’ll enjoy it my whole life though, especially if I’m cursed into being one. My nearest neighbor will literally be a prick. Worse, two nuts are always hanging around with him. And don’t tell him this but I think he’s going nuts himself coz he’s always amused whenever he’s abused. Hah!

Curse me silly and call me Harry!

I am bewitched! I succumbed to Harry Potter. I don’t know if I should ask ‘What took me so long!’ or ‘What was I thinking?!’

You see, I’ve read many Potter lovers and haters comments alike and nothing can be as opposite. Huh? W.T.F does that mean? Love, hate, duh….!

Let me explain. I used to not really care what both group say. How and why they love or hate Potter.

So what if they love Potter. So Rowling is a good writer. So I love the movie. That ain’t enough for me to pick up the book and start reading. Besides, there are six books out now. Which will I start with, having watched all three movies already?

So what if it’s child fantasy? So Harry is a teenage boy. So the adults reading Potter are somewhat childish. So the fan base is huge and all they say is how they love Potter. That ain’t the reason to hate. Besides, it’s a free world. We are all different and I have no right to judge.

*

Then, Half Blood Prince was released. And Goblet of Fire is being shot. One good friend tells me he got hooked on potter since last year. Another friend says she fell victim last summer. And another,.. and another. The point is, they are adults close to me. We are friends and therefore we bear compatible rationales. I do love all three movies. It doesn’t hurt to get a complete picture of the upcoming one. In fact, I anticipate a delightful experience knowing the story and discovering how brilliant the movie adapted to the book. I know that the book caters for children as well as adults so the read should be easy, however slow the start may be.

I don’t know how it happened but one day a friend lent me Goblet of Fire and it took me months to get a smooth sailing. Work and other interesting stuff, or so I thought, deprived me of a decent reading session. Months gone by and I still have many chapters to read. I don’t want to read as an obligation but my friend knows the book has been with me for so long. “What is he doing with it? Keeping it as a decorative ornament?”

So last Friday I made it a point to finally get on with it. One chapter went by a tad too slow. Then the next got better until I finally caught steam. I put down the book at around 4 am Saturday. Woke up on Saturday afternoon, went to Ikea and got back to reading at 11pm. I kept on reading till 7 am Sunday, had breakfast and dropped dead to devour some sleep, several more chapters to go. Woke up after noon on Sunday again and went to Ikea/Ikano again to get the fifth book, Order of the Phoenix, 20% discount I saw the day before. I rushed home to finish the remaining chapter in Goblet of Fire. I read with excitement as I know what is waiting for me as soon as I finished. The next book! A reward 20% less. Such a sweet deal. Done with Goblet of Fire, I immediately started the Order of the Phoenix. I reached the chapter where the children were explained about the Order of the Phoenix when Mrs. Weasley exclaimed “That’s enough!”
“I want you in bed now. All of you!” she added.

The clock says 3am and that’s my cue too. As if she knew I needed to sleep immediately or I’ll be a zombie at work on Monday!

So now I’m on the fifth book. I reckon I’ll need this weekend to finish the book. Nope, I’m not a die hard fan to get it done this few days but it will be good, like they say it would. I can’t imagine how I’m supposed to survive after finishing the fifth book. The sixth is still in hardcover and it costs 99 bucks! Will I buy it anyway? That depends on how badly cursed I am by then. Any news on the release of paperback version, people, anyone?

*

I guess by now you would have guessed that I’m no reader. I’m not the person who goes to the bookstore looking for the next big thing in bookworm world. But I’m not the person who doesn’t wake up and smell the coffee either, for I am still in this planet. It’s just that I know when I start to pick up a book, a good book, I will never put it down till it’s done. I know I will lose sleep and miss out on other thing I love to do when not reading, which is most of the time. I desperately have to achieve more but time stays the same. And I’m only getting older.

You would also reckon that I am now officially a Potter book fan. I now understand the intensity of love and adoration toward the character and the admiration for Rowling. Many times during my adventure in the Goblet of Fire I thought to myself, did she thought this all by herself? This looks like so much work! The never ending events, the intriguing characters and the brilliant buildup! Such brainwork!

I also understand the obsession hoards of people show when they lined up and camped outside stores days before every book release, enduring the mad rush and cold.

I understand the flip side as well. How people are tired of watching the avid fans’ behavior. How everything they hear seem to be related to Harry Potter, months after every book release, especially the sixth one. How the hype never seemed to end and they had to scream ‘get a life people!’ Most of all, I understand why some people just don’t get it. They haven’t read it yet.

Have a nice day

KLCC

These images were taken last night. Been meaning to get them for a while now. But they're still not sharp since I didn't use a tripod. I must get a tripod...





A portion of the KLCC park with the convention center located just over the pond.

September

A lot’s been going on in September. Each year it fills with events big and small, short and tall, rise and fall.

Being the month after Merdeka, it shares the happenings brought about as the Malaysian Independence Celebration. It does help that the shopping month stretch between August and September. There is an air of celebration which still lingers on to this day.

Abroad unfortunately, the events are less of a celebration. Just look up the news front any day and you’ll be greeted with destruction, sadness and sorrow.

Planes crash in August through September and I can only imagine how relatives cope. After Katrina, onward comes Ophelia. It is comforting to understand that there is hope. Four years after 9/11, the survival lesson, was it learned?

Green Day tastefully sings for us all this September. My first impression told me that releasing this single then was a brilliant marketing strategy. The uplifting beat and the meaningful lyrics however , is enough to brush that impression away and acknowledge it is truly a brilliant song, apt for times like these. It makes me realize that not everything is about making big bucks.

The more I listened to Green Day’s September, the sadder I get. At times, my eyes water when I listen and empathize. The video says it all but when I relate to other events in September I get caught in the sadness of it all. When this happens, I honestly needed time to regain myself, hold back the tears and focus on what I was doing earlier, like I did driving to work today.

Extracts from Green Day's "Wake me up when September Ends";

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

like my fathers come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when september ends

Snap!

“Razak! I want your report” barked the boss from across the room..

“Yah, I’m doing it now” Razak reassured him.

“I’ve asked two weeks already now and I still don’t have your report. And yours also, Harith” the boss added.

“I was not in last week right? I’ll hand it in later” said Harith.
Whoa...! That's not the sound of music for the boss. The last thing he needs is a lame excuse. Just say yes boss. On the double boss. Consider it done later boss.

Oh, and Harith is one character you don't want to have in the office or anywhere near you but that's a whole other story.

“You people never report on time. You have no respect for me! I have to tell you so many times, remind you, demand from you, no respect at all...!” said the boss beaming his foul mood up in the air, like batman’s and thundercats’ sky flare, ever so loud and piercingly clear, for all us corporate mortals to fear…

And as he mumbles his way back to his office, everyone kept silent for a long moment. I guess to reflect on the fact that Katrina has hit our office shore and how we should watch our steps today.

Wow! That was tense. I seldom experience the intense moment when the boss snaps on us in the office. I felt it once in a while over the phone while on the way to the office, running late and this is the time when my office mates feel the heat. And quite often my mates will revisit these moments and others for my benefit whenever I missed them. Come to think of it, I do recall some moments now. Ooweeeh... Blazin'...

He doesn’t bark much when he’s not in a good mood. It’s when you have no answers when he needs one from you, when he hasn’t got what he asked and when he sees any one not in their cubicle for reasons beyond his knowledge that he gives a grave frown, an angry expression and a spike of angry remark. However, most of the times, this anger doesn’t come directly from the things that we did or didn’t do. It often comes from other events that just happen to come up during working hours and not all are work related. Most of the times we are left clueless.

To me, this is normal. And it doesn’t last all day. It will eventually disappear after lunch or tea break. We can only guess the reason why.

“Boss is in a bad mood” said Razak with a smirk on his face, indicating that he knows this is normal and temporary.

Oh but he is shaken now. And he is immediately stirred to drop everything he does and get to the report.

“Crap, to hell with these other stuff. I’m writing my report first!” he said as he immediately typed, his workstation beside me.

For a moment there I was expecting a bark too, as soon as he addressed Harith. I was in the line of fire you see. That is also how he barks, most of the times. When he is upset and needs to bark, he makes sure everyone gets the heat. And the fact that I came in late made me the next immediate target. I’m glad he stopped at Harith. Boy, that would really flush half my day away.

All is good now, but we’re still feeling a little cautious not to step on his toe. I hope the day gets better. It’s Wednesday for Pete’s sake. We need the remaining spirit to last till Friday. Maybe I’ll hit the club tonight, being ladies night and all. Ah, a lady friend comes to mind and I feel like a lucky punk.


Morning Snap!

Maybe I’ll hold the idea of hitting the club tonight. The boss is not the only thing that went Snap! today. Earlier this morning, I was brushing my teeth and went on to brush my tongue as well, recommended against bad breath.

In any case, tongue brushing always trigger puking action, soft or hard. You know, the sound that all men in the household make when brushing.

“Ooo~wek~ergh!!!!”

Mine was a soft one but it sure snapped my back as well. Is there any connection between the mouth and the back? I know the spinal chord is connected to every part of the body but not in this manner. If it does, then I best watch my mouth from now on. Be careful with what I say so I don’t get a nasty slap. Be extra cautious when French kissing coz she might just pull a muscle or two in there. While I’m at it, I better watch my rear end as well. I’d be careful when I crap coz one wrong push could render me mute! How then will I cry for help, sitting or worse, squatting helplessly in the toilet.

Nah, that couldn’t be it. I guess I didn’t stretch enough as I woke up this morning. The slight but instant jerk in my system, early in the morning, cost me my back today.

I thought I could walk it off at noon today when I do banking transactions and lunch. Oh the nagging pain! I had to walk with a straight posture, literally arranged my steps so that I don’t give unnecessary pressure to my back. I have no idea how funny I looked walking with a backache. Oh heck, many people walk funny. Those staring and think I walk funny can all fly wau bulan kites. The wind is strong this time of year. Yank enough and something will definitely snap.

A long walk didn’t help unfortunately.

After lunch I found myself grabbing a Salonpas patch at the pharmacy, something old married men and sportsmen often do. But I’m no athlete. I’m not married. Neither do I get a lot of action in bed.

I’m just old, and my back hurts!

In memory of 9/11 victims

...








...

Home at last.

It's 10.30pm and honey I'm home!

That 5 hours drive from Kerteh, Terengganu to KL still left me with some Raikonen's touch in me. I felt like competing in a midnight daytona racing championship negotiating the hard lefts and sharp rights along the Genting Karak highway at night. I can still feel some residue of adrenaline in my system.

But now I'm home. No more work or driving hazard in my way. Just my bed to hug me tight tonight. Tomorrow is Saturday. Time for a good rest.

Grande!

It’s a beautiful day.

Yup, that’s U2 playing on MTV as I write in this cool reading room of Residence Resort Paka, Terengganu. A great place to chill, on couch, online! Wireless baby…!


It sure is a Grande day. I’m safe and still in one piece. Far from any oil and gas related work hazard. The helicopter trip yesterday shrunk my nuts a little. We literally bounced from one platform to another before we were certain that the last take off was to head to shore.

The chopper arrived at about 5.20 pm. It was getting dark. Like GI Joes, we were ecstatic to hear the deafening claps from the propeller and the gushing air blow messing up our hairdo. With excitement we boarded the chopper, all six of us. I’m coming home honey. There were 8 more seats to be filled so I figured there might be crews from other platforms joining us before we head to the airport. The pilot confirmed this and he somehow decided to give us a little joy ride.

So we took off, heading to the next platform, Semangkok B, a satellite platform to Semangkok A, operated by ExxonMobil. The ascend freaked me out. Imagine sitting in a helicopter taking off from a helipad hundreds of feet above sea, wobbling and shaking, slowly and heavily it ascends two meters and then descends half a meter only to ascend again to finally take flight. Couple that with the deafening sound muffled by earplugs and headset and you get a suffocating anxiety attack. I must also add that this is an old, refurbished sikorsky helicopter.

Okay, so we travelled from point A to point B, it took 20 minutes but it felt like two hours to me. From B we flew to point C, Semangkok A, which took another 20 minutes. The 8 personnel we picked up at point B disembarked and off we went to another platform. As it turned out, we went to point B again to pick up the remaining crews to be sent back to point C. They too disembarked.

I wished the pilot did that before picking us up.

Anyway, after that, we finally headed to shore without further stops. It’s our point D, as in darat, which in Malay means the shore. The journey took 1 hour. Aggravating! Apart from fear, we endured the heat coming from above, the engine.

When we finally landed, I felt like dancing.

I’m still alive!
Now, where shall I start kicking?

And as promised, last night we hit a nice seafood restaurant, a halal Chinese joint. After that we had a cuppa at Awana Kijal, Terengganu. Believe me when I tell you, they too provide Streamyx Hotspot facility. Ah, Terengganu, bless you. You are now a happy wi-fi place.

Now, I’m sitting in this reading room, cool and breezy, complete with soundtrack courtesy of MTV. And I’m browsing! God bless the hotel for providing TMNET Streamyx Hotspot facility! I’ve got two more hours till my appointment with a client at 3pm. An available power outlet simply sweetened my day. I’m making hay! Do I sound gay? Most definite-lay!

To the shore we go...!

It’s 1.56 noon and I’m still at sea. Due to platform shutdown, the number of personnel onboard has doubled the max and my team needed to leave the platform uhh, yesterday. But our remaining work made the management allow one more day to slip.

There is hardly enough place to sleep though. The situation now is to spread mattress side by side and let sleepy men lay themselves carefully close to each other. Much too personal and offensive if you ask me. But we can only complain. So, apart from having unfinished business, I am delighted to leave. However the chopper doesn’t land till after 3 pm. So here I am typing the time away.

Oh I can’t wait to get to shore. Life at sea sucks! We share the sea till we hit the shore. Oh what a bore!

Only work and meals can get our mind off the shore.

And I am constantly reminded of the unpublished post I wrote several days ago. I thought I could quickly upload it once I typed it in my laptop but here in my laptop it remained. Since there is only one internet post for public use and the public really use it, I was left to yo-yo the idea. I figured the only good time to log on is after midnight but because I am either in bed or working, I never did log on.

Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to publish it as a delayed issue today.

I promised the team we’d hit a good seafood joint to adjourn the rendezvous this time around. They have worked hard and that should have them look forward to completing the job on our next visit. Maybe I’ll throw in some entertainment as well.

All my bags are packed and I’m ready to go.

Petronas Carigali's Dulang B Platform, offshore Terengganu.

All at sea.
The post I wrote several days ago.

It is now 5 days after Malaysia’s 48 independence celebration. The dust have well settled and every citizen is up with everyday chores as usual. I am now out at sea myself, on Dulang Oil Production Platform, offshore Terengganu to be exact. Having been here since Friday the 2nd, my mind wonders to the shore once in a while. I can’t say I am enjoying it but I make do with what I have. And what I have now is the ocean, the sea. As far as the eyes can see. As wide as my head can turn. And the longing to be home miserably burns. But when I think of how much I’ll earn, it makes much sense to hang on.

Work does take the mind away from missing home. Especially when it treats me fairly. No stress, no depression.

And the fact that I left my blog void for so long makes me wonder; was my last entry the end? Have I lost interest in this seemingly intriguing quest to fill the webspace with trivial issues, sometimes mindless pouring? How will my readers, if I have any, ever go back to check out new entries when all they saw upon visiting was the same post they read weeks ago?

I will never know. I’ll just have to keep on going, like I did when I first started. I will have to trust that someone out there will come across this blog while leisurely browsing other pages that somehow links to this page. And so I write on, with whatever i have.

Are you with me?