Family Gathering 2009

Upon touchdown I went straight to the family gathering dinner. I might have missed the wedding in the morning due to the housing issues, but feels good to make it to the gathering in time. Managed to catch up with relatives and enjoyed a good big banquet. And yes, excuse my lame 1.3 migepixel night vision camera. Even the little ones asked why I have such an archaic handphone XD

And they asked a dude who just got back from a flight to play Cluedo... next table the game is Life... do I have a choice?

So hard to get her to face the camera %$#@!

A prime example of a perfect 1.3 megapixel night vision performance

All wheels lined up...

Usual serious biz talk

The wedding mobile..

The Flight

And then the later half of the Saturday I needed to mobilize and head to the Miri airport to catch the 6:25PM flight to make it to the family gathering dinner later at 7PM in Sibu. No rush for me and I got there in time. Just that I got hogged by a Vios from Eastwood to the airport carpark who seemed pro (Mirian, and me humbly being a non-Mirian just follow) until I slowly realized it was her first time driving around the carpark. Luckily I didn't follow her all the way or else I would have to go out of the carpark, go out of the airport, come back in, and get another parking coupon just like what awaited the Vios. Anywho this was my first time flying this year since I've always prefer 7 hours bus trip.

It was good to see some upgrades in the airport, especially the Starbucks outlet. Perhaps slightly expensive from the town variant, but hey I'm in a rush and a few cents does not matter. And also for the first time I triggered the metal detector device. I've always been "dry" all this times, passing through the detectors from KL to Brisbane without fail. Guess I've packed too much silver and bling-blings over these few months. Getting body searched by a dude felt obviously awkward too, and fortunately I did not have a "I'm Islamic, Don't Panic" t-shirt on (don't think that will work here though).

Now here comes the plane. I LOVE Fokker 50s. Why? Everytime I have a Fokker flight, I'm seated around row 3 which is near the prop engine. The deafening roaring sounds of the props coming through the not so soundproof wall promotes the use of MP3 earphones to actually PROTECT my hearings. But luckily this deafening scenario was compensated by the MASWings stewards (nope, no stewardesses in this flight) are friendlier than the ones I can remember 2 years ago.
And of course what's flying nowadays without the H1N1 scare. With obvious oblivion of the people here of the pandemic, I took one of the leaflet to see how Malaysia is handling the case. Sadly the instruction of prevention is more like how to wash your hands properly. exactly the same as what they taught you in kindergarten. I was expecting things like passengers are required to go through a fever scan, wear face mask if sick etc. We are sure taking things calmly compared to how much panic, chaos and deaths H1N1 has caused in the West.
When I browsed over to the other parts of the leaflet, it was clear that we are heading to some kind of a Resident Evil style ending. DIrect translation;

How can you avoid this infection?
Stay away from people who look sick and having fever and coughs.

Wow, I hope the new cure is really potent. Else I'll be avoiding a lot of sick people and might end up barricading myself in my room with 6 weeks supplies of stolen food and a 12 gauge shotgun while shoot anything that looks sick outside my window.

Until then, fly safe. And cough/sneeze politely.

New Crib

Even after the exam is finished I still got things to attend to. First half of this Saturday morning I had to check out the progress of my new crib in Oil Town. It has been under construction for sooooo loooong that I'm near graduation already. The procedures to settle all the payments and signing stuff with the relevant authorities was more mafaner than expected. Apparently all the parties from LAKU to SESCO to the housing themselves do not have communication amongst each other and this leads to "eh, they should have done it oledi eh" and "no lah, this one not done by us" phrases. Some things were left unsigned ever since the dude who were responsible to sign were gone since Gawai holiday til now. Who wouldn't be sienned being directed and going around in circles just to get one thing settled. And after that there's 23 other things waiting. But never mind, it's near completion and needs some polishing and a green tong sampah. Hopefully that would not have me driving around in circles in Miri like a true non-Mirian again.

I asked them to construct a double-decked podium complete with a VIP sky box and a big Gunners paintjob to complement the football field in front of my house.
Got spammed even before we moved in to the new house. Accomplanied by typical Chinglish grammatical error. Classic :)

End of Second Year

I officially completed my second year with my last paper on Thursday nite. It was not easy I tell you, because this was one helluva short (feels short) beyond-insane-WTFBBQ semester that pawned me to bits. Ademic, non-academic as well as other personal life issues left me crippled like the USS West Virginia after she was bombarded by Mitusbishi fighter planes and bombers. But I did not let the devastation affect my finals and I turned to external help to kick me into action;

Red Bull! Yes despite the cocaine-in-the-Red Bull scare that has been running around of late, the energy drink seriously whooped me back into action from time to time, preventing me from sleeping if I feel sleepy and the sugary taste is bloody nice. RM1.70 per bottle and RM9.70 for a case of 6 at DPS.

But there can be so much Red Bull one's body can take before an immunity is developed. After a few bottles, Livita was put to the test. And even though more expensive by RM0.20, it sure made me high to the max.

But of course all those free highness and "motivation" to finish 10 chapters did come for free after all. By the 5th hour or so, I experience fatigue and blurry vision. But nothing like a good 1 month semester break can fix that. So for those still having finals, and by chance letting procrastination and Facebook get in the way of your revision, think Red Bull and Livita. If that does not work go for Coke and Panadol. If that does not work go Facebook. I'm gonna savour the feeling of a removed burden for now and get ready for my third and final year. Owh and get my vision's sharpness and focus back. Wohooo!

Sarawak Statewide Bowel Pandemic

Is the whole Sarawak experiencing mass sakit perut? Or just the students facing finals?

Well I thought it was just me and the usual stress that caused me to have this stomach ache. But after only a few hours returning to Oil Town I was informed by several comrades that they were unable to attend the study groups and waffle party because of their sakit-perutness. Further PM and chats in Facebook revealed several other isolated cases happening in both Sibu and Miri. However the sakit perut is just the common symptoms these people share. Other symptoms may include fever, headache and vomitting. Is this a statewide pandemic? Or a mutation of H1N1? Or simply some kind of a freak accident involving the contamination of the state's water supply?

This is Day 3 since I first experienced the sakit perutness so we all should be on the lookout as how this 'pandemic' progresses. I'm not sure how many more are experiencing similar stomach aches. For those having finals soon, remember to "let go" before your paper starts. As for me, I hope this headache is just a side-effect from Law overload and is not related to the bowel problems.

Tux on toilet by jokerswild_2008

Finals Sem 1 2009

Finals will commence beginning next week for degree students. It's been a tough semester for everyone as what I have seen, and even tougher for my own 7D6B batch.

Alas my comrades, all the best for finals, good skill and good luck. It doesn't matter which faction you are fighting for because we're all in the same war. For some of the gang it's going to be their last fight here in Miri before heading to the new battlefront Down Under. For the rest it's just another sadistically sick End Game that we need to play for points and of course, win. Indeed, procrastination, Facebook and sleep hinders our progress. But do bear in mind who got us here. Our sponsors worked hard to make sure we can continue surviving in this hostile environment for the duration of our war. And then picture where yourself would be in the next 2-3 years with the rubbish paper all of us are fighting for. Hopefully that non-Obamaish speech smack some sense and +5% fighting spirit into you.

May the Force be with us.

h3666 is organizing an open study group throughout the exam week. Please bring some cash to enable the consumption of crates of carbonated drinks and grants you permission to eat waffles at the end of the day. For more info call me.

Where Have All the Gangsters Gone To

Economic downturn and constant hunting have driven much of the gangsters here to the brink of extinction

Three years ago in 2006, the town was lively with gang activities from small-timers such as the Kapak & Kancil gang, to the big organized ones such as the two notable Wah Kee & Lo Han. Bodies were constantly fished out of the river, molotov attacks were nightly, shoot-outs at coffee shops across the river, people frequently missing near a house with a pet crocodile etc. Throughout the years most are gunned down while being hunted [?] and the numbers slightly declined. The map does not show the splinter illegal Indonesian robbery-gangs. Source: Once you've lived in Sibu long enough you'll know the players in town. Plus it was one of my research papers.

All manners of "businessmen" used to thrive in this part of the Rejang basin running healthy competitions in timber, cigarettes, liquor, diesel and other heavy industries. The network may span all the way to Miri and the Peninsula but for now let's focus at homegrown groups. The Lo Han, the Wah Kee, the Sg. Bidut, the Sg. Merah, the Pedada gang and many other splinter groups. Where are they now?

The bloody disputes across the river and the apprehension of several key members[?] somehow brought down activities in town. The Diesel Baron got shot long ago, but then the diesel price dropped. The big head Lee Long is still being tried in court[?]. The government just announced a war on ah longs (loan sharks) today[?]. And the petrol price is not giving beneficial profit margin, forcing most of them to move out of Kampua Town to live in greener pastures outside of Sarawak. As a matter of fact A LOT are missing not because they're dead but they've moved their operations to the West[?]. Seems like the prospect in the West is more promising, since understandaly there are a lot of strongholds set up there for almost a century already.

Looks like the brain drain in this town did not just apply to younger generations getting PR in UK or Oz only. Such migration will definitely bring slight peace. But with such void left behind, there's bound to be a lot of wannabes filling in the spaces. Please, don't be a wannabe. Don't pandai-pandai be a gangster. And until the economy recovers, maybe then can we see the gang activities on the rise again. Or not.

Further readings;
Is Sibu a gangland haven?

100 Truths

WHAT WAS YOUR:
1. Last beverage: Plain cold water
2. Last phone call: Pidtot
3. Last text message: DORAemon
4. Last song you listened to: The Lightning Strike: (i) What if This Storm Ends? (ii) The Sunlight Through the Flags (iii) Daybreak by Snow Patrol (it's a long 16 min 3 mini-songs in one song)
5. Last time you cried: 1 week ago, both happy & sad

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice: No
7. Been cheated on: Yes
8. Kissed someone & regretted it: No
9. Lost someone special: ...
10. Been depressed: Yes
11. Been drunk and threw up: I don't drink

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLOURS:
12. Black
13. Red
14. Green

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU: (2009)
15. Made a new friend: Yes
16. Fallen out of love: I don't understand your question
17. Laughed until you cried: No
18. Met someone who changed you: Yes
19. Found out who your true friends were: Yes
20. Found out someone was talking about you: Yes, and I don't care
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list: Think so haha
22. How many people on your friends list do you know in real life: All of them, with 9% outliers

23. How many kids do you want?: 1 boy 1 girl
24. Do you have any pets: Cats
25. Do you want to change your name: Already have so many names... but only one Ham
26. What did you do for your last birthday: I think I went home to Kampua Town
27. What time did you wake up today: 8:00am
28. What were you doing at midnight last night: Fell asleep watching Ghost Hunters
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for: For all these torments to END
30. Last time you saw your Mother: Yesterday night, at the dining table
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: Have hope in humanity
32. What are you listening to right now : Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: Yes, Tominaga, last 2 weeks
34. What's getting on your nerves right now: That
35. Most visited web page: www.facebook.com

36. Whats your nickname: Ham
38. Relationship Status: Married (this should scare off a few pesky stalkers)
39. Zodiac sign: Libra
40. Male or female?: M
41. Primary School?: SRBSM
42. Secondary School?: SMKMS
43. High school/college?: MMC
44. Hair colour: Almond/Black
45. Long or short: Bushy
46. Height: Taller than Frodo, shorter than Maria Sharapova
48: What do you like about yourself?: Me! :D
49. Piercings: No
50. Tattoos: No
51. Righty or lefty: Lefty

FIRSTS:
52. First surgery: None
53. First piercing: I told you I didn't have any piercings
54. First best friend: All the way from kindy till now, Jaz
55. First sport you joined: Badminton
56. First vacation: KL
58. First pair of trainers: Nike trainers limited 99 edition (yeah right)

RIGHT NOW:
59. Eating: Breakfast after this
60. Drinking: Not Red Bull at the moment, they got "devil's dandruff" in them
61. I'm about to: Go downstairs and have breakfast
62. Listening to: Polyamorous (acoustic) by Breaking Benjamin (boy am I angry)
63. Waiting on: The day

YOUR FUTURE:
64. Want kids?: The only way to be immortal, yes
65. Get Married?: Yes, hopefully one one and not 4
66. Career?: World domination! Via halal methods :)

WHICH IS BETTER:
67. Lips or eyes: I want both :3
68. Hugs or kisses: Both kugs and hisses
69. Shorter or taller: I don't mind
70. Older or Younger: Younger body, older mind
71. Romantic or spontaneous: Spomantic
72. Nice stomach or nice arms: I don't have a belly festish, so arms
73. Sensitive or loud: Whatever that turns me on XD
74. Hook-up or relationship: Real committed relationship
75. Trouble maker or hesitant: I don't mind both. Wait what are these questions referring to?

HAVE YOU EVER:
76. Kissed a stranger: That "super-villain" back in Brisbane (I think)
77. Drank hard liquor: Refer to #11
78. Lost glasses/contacts: Yes
79. Sex on first date: After marriage bro, after marriage...
80. Broken someone's heart: Yes
82. Been arrested: Yes, by the Principal for not wearing school t-shirt. Was released on warning
83. Turned someone down: Many times
84. Cried when someone died: Yes
85. Fallen for a friend?: It happens, right?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
86. Yourself: Yes
87. Miracles: Yes
88. Love at first sight: It's just a chemical reaction
89. Heaven: Yes
90. Santa Claus: Never seen one
91. Kiss on the first date: No, no need to rush
92. Angels: Yes, two are always with me 24/7

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
94. Had more than 1 girlfriend/boyfriend at a time: Quality, not quantity bro
95. Did you sing today?: Not yet, just woke up + I'm hungry
96. Ever cheated on somebody?: Ouch
97. If you could go back in time, how far would you go?: 04/04/09
98. If you could pick a day from last year and relive it, what would it be?: 07/03/08
99. Are you afraid of falling in love?: Yes
100. Posting this as 100 truths?: Okay

Why I: Don't Respond to Hashim

Being a student in a multicultural learning environment I grew tolerance to several versions of my names from colleagues. I understand it's due to their slang that somewhat changed my names into Hysan, Hii Sheng, Hisma (wth?), etc. I'll confirm with them whether he/she was calling me by looking at them and go "ya?" and 99% of the time they were. But there will always be one version of the distortion that I would not respond, ever. Hashim.

Why? Because my original Arabic name of Hisham means "Generous" while Hashim means "Crusher of Evil" or "Broker". Slightly different pronounciation but different meanings overall. And because of this, added with my learnt kiasuism nature, I won't respond to people calling me with the latter. If the latter is called I'll assume there's a Hashim nearby and I'll save the trouble of looking at them and go "ya?'.

Hope that clears up several unanswered attentions. Plus, I prefer being generous than being a broker. Being the middle-man can be so confusing and mafan. Haha.

I Have Seen Death, I Have Seen Birth

I went to Sibu Medical Center to visit my relative who had just given birth the night before. I was impressed by the service and facility there, she was taken care well if compared to government hospital (not that I've seen one, just got the hint from the family conversation). It was a healthy baby boy, unnamed yet and weighs 3.1Kg. A big baby indeed, so the mom had to undergo a cesarean.

Somehow the baby managed to enlightened me despite these tough times. He had that "hope" aura that both made me wanna cry and relighted my fighting fire. It was not boohoo-on-the-spot cry but more on crying on the inside, because I felt the guilt of allowing myself to be such an emotional wreck. He did not speak but I know he can sense my aura of overflowing disparity. Before I left, he said "do not give up!"

I smiled.