SPORTS : Smiling Devils

Man United 4 Arsenal 0

It was simple. Arsenal was roundly embarrassed by an unquestionably superior Manchester United today. Exhibiting absolutely none of the qualities that have placed them atop the Premier League table and all of the qualities that make them such a despicable, loathsome club, Arsenal may not have fielded their first choice side, but their performance was anything but first class.

From William Gallas being forced to eat his words, to Emmanuel Eboue's straight red, to Cesc Fabregas' disappearing act, to Emmanuel Adebayor's laughable dive, Arsenal were not simply defeated, they humiliated themselves.

And we don't even have Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes and Tevez in the starting eleven.

I rarely start my Monday with a smile... and here I am smiling like a clown.

:-)

JOURNAL : Honeymoon In Bali

PIC SPAM!!! PIC SPAM!!!

Just got back from my honeymoon in Bali. I love the amazing art, sculpture and architecture (..and of course, the spa) in Bali. Certainly one of a kind, unique and beautiful. Go visit if you have the chance. Here's some pics..

Touchdown in Denpasar Ngurah Rai airport, just by the sea.

Seafood dinner on the beach in Jinbaran.

Our view while having dinner in Jinbaran. Breathtaking sunset.

Jagung bakar seller in Jinbaran.

Beautiful Barong dancer. 2nd day in Bali, went to see Barong Dance in Catur Eka Budi Kesiman.

Silver craftsmen in Celuk craft village.

Check out the architecture in Celuk craft village.

Balinese women painting batik in Batuan.

Wood carver in Mas craft village. The carvings are frighteningly real..

I told u they look real.. This is actually a coffee table. The shop owner told me that it's a best seller. I kid u not.

Balinese man frying coffee beans in a botanical garden in Kintamani. Must visit to try some good Balinese coffee, coco, tea and tobacco.

3rd day in Bali. Check out this huge, beautiful sculpture on a roundabout in Kuta.

No, that's not me. That's the boat driver that drove us from Nusa Dua beach to Pulau Penyu. The boat has a glass bottom so that we could see the corals and fishes under the sea. Beautiful.

No, that's not me topless either. It's a view from the infamous Kuta Beach, where foreigners mostly resides, surf and hang out. This is just in front of the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel.

Monkeys, monkeys and more monkeys. Monkeys are everywhere in Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest.

My favourite spot in Bali, Tanah Lot. The view was breathtaking. Nature at it's best. The one place that you must visit in Bali.

Another view of Tanah Lot. Stunning.

Balinese villagers on their way to the temple or pura for their prayers.

That's me in my Rantai shirt.
My honeymoon in Bali - sweet memories with my loved one.
Until next time..

FILM : 80th Oscar Nominees Announced

Nominees for this year's Oscar had been announced. Check out the list below :

Performance by an actor in a leading role
- George Clooney in "Michael Clayton"
- Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"
- Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
- Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah"
- Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
- Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
- Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War"
- Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild"
- Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton"

Performance by an actress in a leading role
- Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
- Julie Christie in "Away from Her"
- Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose"
- Laura Linney in "The Savages"
- Ellen Page in "Juno"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
- Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There"
- Ruby Dee in "American Gangster"
- Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement"
- Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone"
- Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton"

Achievement in directing
- "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" - Julian Schnabel
- "Juno" - Jason Reitman
- "Michael Clayton" - Tony Gilroy
- "No Country for Old Men" - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- "There Will Be Blood" - Paul Thomas Anderson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
- "Falling Slowly" from Once
- "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted
- "Raise It Up" from August Rush
- "So Close" from Enchanted
- "That’s How You Know" from Enchanted

Best motion picture of the year
- Atonement
- Juno
- Michael Clayton
- No Country for Old Men
- There Will Be Blood


My take on the nomination list :

• > I haven't watched Daniel Day Lewis and Javier Bardem performances yet, but I sure do hope they win because both of them are always amazing.

• > I really think Angelina Jolie should be nominated for A Mighty Heart because I think she's brilliant in that movie.

• > I saw Eastern Promises and Juno recently, and Viggo Mortensen & Ellen Page really deserved their nomination. Remember what I told you about Ellen Page? (In case you forgot, read it here).

• > Hairspray completely shut out? Not even for Best Song?? Come on, I had the most fun with Hairspray than any other movie last year.

• >Where's Zodiac?? Huh? Completely overlooked.
  

• > Kinda feel glad Russel and Denzel didn't get the Oscar nod, although both of them are amazing actors, I felt their performances in American Gangster was a little bit overrated.

• > Once should be nominated as best picture, best foreign picture, or best movie something or whatever because that movie is awesome!

• > What I'm really, really, REALLY pissed about is the exclusion of Into The Wild in the best picture category, Emile Hirsch in the best actor category and most of all Eddie Vedder in the best song category. What the F?? How can that be..? Anybody who saw Into The Wild will agree with me, Hirsch had given the performance of his lifetime in that movie. 3 songs from Enchanted in the Best Song category but not one from Into The Wild? The whole freaking soundtrack album was brilliant and you couldn't pick one?? Shit. (..because there's no Vedder, Glen Hansard should win for 'Falling Slowly').

What do u guys think?

FILM : Why So Serious, Mr. Ledger?

Why so serious that u have to go and kill yourself??

Another talented actor ruined by the evil forces of drugs. The dismaying sense of loss and waste at his death comes not only because he was so young, but also because his talent was large and as yet largely unmapped.

One thing's for sure, watching 'Dark Knight' will probably have the same effect on me as 'The Crow'. There's something chilling about an actor's last performance especially when they are playing a tormented soul. Ironically, both Ledger and Brandon Lee had scary makeup on.. We'll see.

R.I.P Heath

JURNAL : New Experience, Bad Encounter

Firstly, aku nak ucapkan terima kasih kepada En. Yatt dan isterinya Nadia kerana entri ini di dalam blog mereka. Thanks a lot guys!

Secondly, aku nak ucapkan tahniah kepada my friend, Puan Zacko Wacko AKA mamaikmal kerana kelahiran baru di dalam hidupnya. Take care dood!

So now back to my story..

So I'm back after about a month after my wedding. Sekarang ni masih sibuk dengan 'wedding aftermath' - i.e. nak cari rumah, nak pindah rumah, nak beli barang rumah etc. Kebanyakan orang cakap, kalau kenduri kahwin tu dah banyak habis duit, lepas kahwin lagi la banyak duit yang nak dipakai. Mungkin juga.. Semuanya harus dirancang dulu. Insyallah, boleh diatasi.

Aku juga sibuk dengan banyak urusan rasmi. Aku mengambil peluang bercuti kahwin untuk ke pejabat agama, jabatan imigresen, JPJ (road tax mati), jabatan pendaftaran, pesuruhjaya sumpah mahkamah dll. Actually that's the reason aku nak menulis di sini.

I have some complaints to make about counter services di Malaysia. Kalau yang pernah berurusan di kaunter mungkin faham maksud aku. Mungkin ada yang pernah mendapat layanan yang baik semasa berurusan di kaunter tapi aku rasa lebih ramai yang ada bad experiences. Bayangkan dalam masa 2 minggu, I had to deal with so many assholes and idiots I just couldn't believe it. Let me break it down for you..

First Bad Encounter
Place - JPJ, Wangsa Maju, 11.50 am

After getting my road tax, aku pun proceed untuk bayar. Asshole 1 is a Malay lady in her 40s.

Asshole 1 (A1) : 20 ringgit.

Me : (gives RM50)

A1 : Takde kecik ke?

Me : (nicely) Minta maaf, saya ada semua duit RM50. (tunjuk isi wallet)

A1 : (dengan kasar) Mana ada tukar. Takkan takde duit kecik.. Kitaorang kat sini kalau tengahari kitaorang kena simpan duit. Issshh...

Me : (dalam hati) Sapa suruh simpan semua duit?? 30 ringgit?? U don’t even have 30 ringgit change??

A1 : Tunggu tepi ni, nanti kalau ada duit ada la.. (sambil tekan next number)

Me : (bengang)

After a few while she manage to get change.

A1 : Nah duit.. (without looking at me)

Me: (grab the money rudely from her hand).

Second Bad Encounter
Place – Pesuruhjaya Sumpah, Mahkamah Alor Setar, 10.15 am

Aku proceed to the counter untuk buat urusan kehilangan passport. Asshole 2 is a Chinese lady, in her 40s. Mukanya masam dan ketat, seketat seluar kulit Amy Search dalam filem Fenomena.

Me : Kalau nak angkat sumpah untuk kehilangan passport kena isi borang apa ya puan?

A2 : Isi borang ni.. Nanti amik nombor datang balik..

Me : (after filling up the form, and waited 10 minutes for my number to come up). So, ini borangnya puan, ok ke?

A2 : (angrily).. Haiyaa, ini tak isi, ini tak isi.. sini tak sain.. macam mana mau terima?

Me : (suara kuat) mana la I tahu! You tak explain sama saya mana mau isi, apa mau isi. Kasi cakap la apa kena isi..

A2 : You tanya orang la ..! Pegi sana tepi.. (tekan next number)

Me: ( dalam hati) FUCK!

After asking someone how to fill up the form, and after paying RM4.00 at the payment counter. I waited 10 minutes (again) to submit the form to Asshole 2 again.

Me : (kasar) ok ke?

A2 : (selepas semak borang), You hilang passport ka? Kalau hilang passport dia ada borang khas dari imigresen. You kena ambik sana, bawak datang sini pastu you kena bayar semula RM4.00 la.. Imigresen tak bagitahu you ke?

Me : (dalam hati) WTF??!! Why didn’t you tell me earlier, bitch??!! I have to fucking come here and deal with you and fucking pay you again!!?? Argghh..!!

Third Bad Encounter
Place – Jabatan Agama Islam Kuantan, 10.30 am

Aku dan isteri ke sana atas urusan sijil nikah. Sampai di sana, dah ramai yang menunggu. Tapi the asshole pegi keluar minum pagi. Bosnya dah telefon dia, tapi dia cakap 'on the way'. After about 30 minutes, si asshole dan kawannya sampai, tersengih macam kambing kenyang makan rumput, sebab bos dia dah marah. Asshole 3 is a Malay guy, in her 30s.

A3 : (dengan kasar) dah semak semua details dalam borang ni?

Me : Dah semak, cuma alamat ni ada salah sikit. Sepatutnya...

A3 : (potong cakap aku).. Ha, betulkan dulu. (sambil buat muka bosan)

Me : (mula bengang dan betulkan alamat di borang)

Selesai semua, si asshole bagi aku resit tanpa memandang muka aku dan tanpa sebarang kata..

Me : Err, itu aja ke encik?

A3 : (mengangguk dgn muka bosannya yang dh mula menjengkelkan aku)

Wife : So bila boleh siap sijilnya encik?

A3 : (dengan kasar) baca kat belakang kertas hijau tu. Ada tulis..

Me : Kalau orang lain datang amik boleh ke encik?

A3 : (mengangguk sekali lagi dgn muka bosannya yang dah buat aku bengang)

Me : (dalam hati) Woi fucker!! Bagitahu la bila boleh siap, bila boleh ambik ke apa ke. Ni lepas bagi borang tu diam. Aku bukannya ambik sijil nikah tiap-tiap hari, mana la aku tahu apa nak buat! Dah la aku kena tunggu kau setengah jam sebab kau pegi makan, macam kau pulak yang tunggu aku lambat! Sepatutnya kau kena minta maaf dengan kitaorang. Susah sangat ke kerja kau..?? Pegi la mampus, bodoh!!!

Can you fucking believe it?? Actually ada lagi masalah macam miscommunication, salah info dan macam-macam lagi tapi aku highlightkan 3 experience aku dgn kaunter servis di atas. Orang-orang mcm diaorang ni la yang memburukkan nama kakitangan kerajaan di Malaysia. Aku pun kakitangan kerajaan (walau tak sepenuhnya), aku pun pernah berurusan di kaunter.

Kalau pelanggan baik kita layan dengan baik, kalau pelanggan datang maki hamun, kita boleh layan kurang baik sedikit tapi tetap dengan senyuman. Senyuman. Itu aja yang aku mintak. Service with a smile. Bukannya susah pun. Tapi itu la yang paling jarang aku nampak. Tolonglah berubah. Jgn layan pelanggan macam kau layan anak-anak kau. Kami bukan budak-budak. Remember, customer is always right.

P/S : Having said that, kudos to pegawai2 di Jabatan Imigresen Damansara, Putrajaya dan Alor Setar. Layanan yang diberikan semuanya dengan senyuman dan berbudi bahasa. So sapa yang tak reti bahasa, learn from them!

P/S/S: Just now, lebih kurang pukul 9.00 malam, cukup sebulan aku bergelar suami. To my wife, I love you :-). We made it baby! Here’s to thousands of months to come..

JURNAL : Alhamdulillah.. Syukur Kepada Tuhan.

Alhamdulillah.

It's official. Pada 30hb November, lebih kurang pukul 9 malam, dengan satu nafas aku telah selamat diijabkabulkan. Dan pada 1 Disember maka berlangsunglah majlis persandinganku di Kuantan. Sekarang aku berada di Alor Setar, sedang membuat persiapan untuk kenduri di rumah aku pada 8hb Disember ini.

Aku = Suami. Macam tak percaya pun ada. Tanggungjawab aku sebagai seorang lelaki menjadi semakin besar. Segala apa yang akan aku lakukan selepas ini bukanlah untuk aku lagi.. tetapi untuk keluarga aku. I'm a complete man now! Doakan kebahagiaan rumahtangga aku.

To my wife, I love u so much. Thank you for believing in me. You're the only one who loves me because of who I am. I'm looking forward to a happy and wonderful lifetime with you. I'll do my best, I promise... We'll be alright.

To my friends and family, in the reality or in the cyber world.. Thanks for all your wishes and prayers. May Allah bless you. For those who wish to come to my wedding in Alor Setar on the 8th of December, please drop a comment.

BTW, yesterday (2nd of December) is my birthday. Remember a couple of years ago, in this blog, I did mentioned that all I ever wanted for a birthday present was this thing? Well, nothing, and I mean NOTHING could top the gift that I received on my birthday this year. :-)

Alhamdulillah.

Jurnal & TV : About me and some stuff about TV shows

*uhuk, uhuk uhuk*...
*sapu habuk, debu, sampah kat blog ni..*

"..Hey, look, Edd! It's November already! It's your last November as a single guy! Hey, December is coming! It's your last December as... " - Nazim Masnawi.

Yes, Nazim. I don't need to be reminded about it since I am being reminded constantly every single day by almost anyone and everyone I know. Right about now, there's only 25 days left in my bachelor calendar. And I'm getting more and more terrified, petrified, scared, happy, excited.. all of those emotions rolled into one. It's a giant step in a human's life.. so I guess, I should be 'gelabah'. Please help me God..

Aku dah sapu habuk2 kat sini sikit.. Kurang la debu-debunya. So sorry for the lack of update, but I guess you guys could understand. But being me, I didn't hold everything back. I downloaded a lot of movies and TV series. I just didn't have time to write all about it here. There's a lot of wonderful new TV series right now. Here's some of them, that I really like :

• I don't know about u guys, but I think Season 2 of Heroes is a little bit slow and draggy. At this moment I can't see where it is heading. I don't like the Mexican twins subplot, and that annoying boyfriend of Claire. But the Sylar story and Kristen Bell character looks interesting. But I'm still watching it, of course. (yup.. mostly because of Claire).

• I love Pushing Daisies. The story seems interesting enough and it was pretty well acted. But what I like most about it, is the camera work and the editing. It was beautifully shot; it seems so vivid and colourful. Another thing that I really like is the voiceover element, telling us the story. I love it..

• Bionic Woman is kinda' good too. It started kinda' slow but it is starting to build up by series no 3. Plus, the lead Brit actress who plays the title character, Michelle Ryan is hot. I've noticed her in 'Cashback' and 'I Want Candy', so seeing her taking the lead role in the series is kinda' exciting.

• Gossip Girl is my new guilty pleasure. It's a teen drama so I guess I shouldn't be enjoying it. But it's so freakin' enjoyable ! It's campy and fun. Plus all the characters are very good-looking and talented. It's awesome! Shit.. I'm starting to sound like a preteen girl...

• I recently downloaded the 2002 complete series of Undeclared; a Judd Apatow follow-up to the amazing tv series 'Freaks & Geeks'. Much like F&G, Undeclared was also cancelled after only one season. But let me tell you this, It's Freakin' Awesome!! I can't see why they cancelled the show. Maybe at that time they weren't ready for his brand of comedy yet.

So, there u go. A little update..
Back to counting down..
25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20.........
*gulp*