Migraine

I endured my second official migraine earlier today (unofficial being the ones I don't recall) after the first early 2005. That time, I initially thought it was merely due to lack of sleep so I slept long, long hours to make the extreme headache go away but it didn't. And then I remember asking Baba (Antonio Fernandes) on how to go about it. His response was, "You've gone beyond sleep as a cure, my friend. This one requires time off and relaxing moment like spending time in Jacuzzis or spas or something."

I took his advice and slowly strode towards 8-days-a-week as I always did when I was hungry. I spent that quiet afternoon all by myself not thinking about anything. I was just gazing at the surroundings. Nodding to the shop owner, a signal on how good the food was. And then I walked back to the lonely apartment not realizing that the migraine had gone. Lo and behold, it worked.

Give yourself a break. Give yourself a credit.

Overheating

When you computer freezes or shuts down unplanned, you have to put it in a freezer.

The 5-year old Presario needed a higher rate of heat transfer out of the laptop to stay on while we backed it up.

*****

We spent time at Uncle Umar's place. Dokong. Nasi minyak. Tapai. Ketupat-palas. Many more.

You've Got Mail

While browsing through my files and folders, I stumbled upon an archive of mail envelopes and whatever documents that came with it. The trouble is, I do not remember how much of an effort I gave to reply any of those. Thanks for all the cards and letters. Sorry for any no-show or no-reply.

• Cards and letters from Jln Mengkibol (but posted in Ipoh), Skudai, Kg Hutan Kulu, Serimas Condo, Melaka*, Bukit Beruang, Volgina Street of Moscow, and a fifth former in 2003 (name of whom combines two senders below)


• An Eid card from the sweetest lady I know in Kuala Kangsar (now happily married, good for her); was the one and only card I ever got from her.


• A special 10 Oct – typed front face for address – several handwritten pages front and back received after I went to Singapore (Sep 26 - Oct 07). I have to re-read everything a couple of times to digest the contents.


• A good luck card from k.Sanisah, Thanks k.Chah


• Meticulous birthday cards received from all close friends during college time. Now I remember the cakes baked for me. Thanks a lot. I don’t rigorously celebrate birthdays but a lot of people around me do, so hey, if you want to cherish it still, I welcome the gesture, thanks.


• “Who Wants to Free a Billionaire” and “Worry About Getting Old? That’s Silly” cards. I think the senders remember who sent what. Thanks mates.


• Graduation card that says, “Degree dah dapat, bini bila lagi?” and another one with flat Teddy bear embedded inside


• Postcard from Ireland to check up on Malaysians at TU, and one from KLIA selatan, written during the flight back to Malaysia


• Postcard from Ground Zero that says, “Hey if you look closely to here and here, you’ll see my name written there..” and from DC that says, “What’s up dude. Late postcard – waiting for Esso stipend to buy stamps.”


• A letter from Superior court, county of Kern, north division, Shafter/Wasco Branch declaring mandatory court appearance. There is an actual clause inside mentioning: “Your Case will not be heard unless you are dressed appropriately shoes and shirts required. No shorts, tank tops or tee shirts with alcohol or drug related pictures or slogans.” Apparently, that seems to be a problem in that county court – people showing up in shorts and t-shirts that print, “Even when I’m sober, you’re still ugly.” L. Doson, the citing officer, was very approximate. I did not have a chance to thank him. Eventually, the judges granted to waive mandatory court appearance for a bail.
  

*She never provides her address and I could never write back. (She knew I wouldn’t even if I had the address.)

The days of cards are going to be phased out by SMS, MMS, etc. Just like letters phased out by e-mails. A simple reality check on Raya greetings I received this year: 30 SMSs, several chat/blog remarks, and a whopping 1 physical card.

Mechanical Failure

I might not be able to go online as frequently as always. There seems to be a problem with the Airport Express - it may have been zapped by the lightning jolts. I don't know. The light turns on but it doesn't connect. Let me see what Apple Limited Warranty Worldwide says...

Marathon

Quite a marathon. Tom Yum Goong, Man of the House, The Da Vinci Code, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Promise, Fearless, Munich, and many more...

Hey, give me a break. I'm taking a break. :)

See Munich. Then you'll start researching, going for debates, (image courtesty of imdb.com)

Raya Activities

Mowing the lawn during 2nd Syawal. It was quite a workout. Despite the Eid, nobody came. And we were not too convinced of visiting others either for everyone was with their nuclear and extended families somewhere else celebrating. Then we headed to Low Yat for some computer parts. In fact we managed to sort through a series of food-hunt (specifically Nasi Lemak) at namely Kg Baru, Chowkit, Sri Serdang, R&R stops, UPM, Sg. Ramal, and Bangi with hilarious incidents and moments. You should never scout for a specific food in the middle of second Raya. That's a lesson learned.

I have been revamping the communication with Abg Long through Messengers and video calls. Basically to establish teleconference using whatever technology available. He has mentioned the functionality of net-meeting, which OS X doesn't have, so we turn to YM and Skype instead. In fact some of you had the chance to view the webcam-DV Camcorder I set up. If it was all Macs, then iChat would have solved everything with a click of an icon.

Eid 2006

Salam Aidilfitri!

Ramadhan passed by quickly, in fact, among the fastest one I could remember. More reason to believe that we have very little time left. Hope we can meet another Ramadhan next year. In the mean time, let us maintain the discipline, the strength, and the diligence that we have acquired during the fasting month.

In any case, I apologize for any misdeeds or wrongdoings that I have exerted unto any of you. None was intentional. I never meant to hurt anyone or mistreat anybody. I'm really sorry.

Happy Eid everyone.

All 15 if we include Abang Long, the reason for empty spot between Muzani and Ashbi. Looks like we're gonna need the marvel of photo-engineering to bring him there.

Beginner

Hey, I figured out a way to put 5 queens on the board to cover all spaces. Not bad for a beginner I guess. :D

Thinking Different

Excellent choice.

A fellow friend, Awang, has recently switched camp to Apple and Mac OS X. Welcome aboard.

Dream Theory

I have a theory. We dream about something that bothers us and when we have to do a little extra thinking. Do you dream about something that bothers you?

Work bothers me. Keeps showing up in my dream too. I have to do a little extra thinking over that even though it wouldn't help a squat. My subconscious is doing the extra thinking and I burn thousands of brain cells over it. It's quite a burden. If it helps the work, then I wouldn't mind dreaming about it all night. The problem is, it doesn't. I wish I can just shutdown the work related part of my brain after 5 and turn it back on again tomorrow at 7. But I couldn't find the switch. :D

If you dream about your loved ones, it must be due to your worry. Or the depth of passion. For married couples, you have the significant other to help you with it. All night. For bachelors, you just want to sleep right away because you don't have any significant other by your side. If you go to bed with a favorite pillow or a stuffed animal you have nicknames for, at least you have that kind of support. If you're still dreaming then I'm not sure what went wrong. =p When I hit the sack, I just turn myself off. No fancy support of any form of special preparation. That's it. A simple pray before I close my eyes but sometimes I forget to do that. (with the mind-absence and all... )

Maybe showering my feet or drinking a glass of warm milk would help.

Podium No. 2 Part 2

Australia has climbed back to second spot.












Cooee? Hard yakka.

13 years ago

Speaking of Doom, I remember a part of my childhood was filled with books, games, and toys. Unfortunately not much of friends, but that's besides the point. My nerdishness got the better of me. It was fun enough to a level that I remember to be fun. (Let's not recall any bad experience at this time). The best part of everything was actually this - no worries. :)










Left - Doom is arguably the gold standard of games even until today. Right - guess which game?

I'm quite fond of computer games. My eye-hand coordination has improved significantly. =p











Warcraft classic. Total Annihilation - the top on my list.











DOS and VGA games then - Pharaoh's Tomb & Arctic Adventure. Games don't need to be high tech. :)












As long as they're fun. Problem-solving skills (Lost Vikings), strategy (Shining Force),

Even to the most classic, CGA era, Gauntlet...












And many more. I think I'll stop here before you get bored.

Also, Tamiya ( I bought a Big Bang Ghost and modified it :D ), riding Haro Master, etcetera, the good old days.










As you grow older, you'd have more responsibilities, you'd have more worries, you'd become serious, then you'd grow even older, and so it goes. Maybe we should take a break. Just have fun. Be like kids again. :D

Doomsday

How did Doomsday get into my machine.

Must be someone playing Doom without me knowing.

As time passes by

Cough cleared up. Alhamdulillah. Not too sure if it's going come back again.

Sandpaper chin.

Dapat seluar raya, yay

The Quality of Mind

I saw the above scene from one of many cities in Germany (source:Vowe) and imagined if any of the cities in Malaysia would closely resemble it - not exactly nil but it isn't plenty either.

It is not about modernization, urban development, or top-notch facilities. It's about cleanliness and more importantly, the mentality to deliver it. Malaysia Boleh, kan?

Keeping Track of Time

Being absent-minded, I am going to utilize iCal to further organize myself (as reminded and inspired by Ihsan). I almost forgot the machine has a powerful and user-friendly calendar-tool. Now if I can remind myself to update iCal, maybe it'll work..















I also wish I can sync it to my k750i. Maybe there's a way to do it... let me see...
Yeah. There is a way.










Quotable quote: I would like to take a course in time management, as soon as I could fit it into my schedule.

Podium No.2

Interesting phenomenon. Looks like Korea is outnumbering Australia for second spot in visits this week.













Erm. Anyong haseyo?

System Online

OK, the system is back on. Maybe it is time to get a Mac Pro. Heheh.

I clean shaved. Zero facial hair. Only the third since 1999. All the while, I never clean shave anything. Just trim or a snap or two for maintenance. Maybe some things have to start anew. A new perspective. A new branch.

Now I look slightly fatter by the way. =p Looks like I've put 10 kilos even though I've actually lost 4. Well, doesn't matter what I look if I behave like a moron. But I think appearance does play a small role in driving the sharpness, the confidence, etcetera.

The final 10.

Drifted Away

Looking at lines of codes, logics and drawings, under a moderately roofed shelter. Several times jumping onto the boat and the plant and back again to the mother plant. Climbing up and down the stairs both outside and inside the living quarters.

All equal stress to my body therefore my back and my knees.

It was my first time going back to physical activities after the accident/surgery. I know most people have lost even greater assets and possessions in ther lives. Car wrecks. Quake. Tsunami. In my case, I have lost one of my left ligaments. It's not the same anymore. It's lost and it doesn't come back. I'm not the same man I was before. The movement is not the same and it's not as stable. Sometimes I have to stop and massage it to ease the pain.

You have to lose something in your life for you to be more grateful. Almost similar to safety in hazardous area, gratitude is a powerful force when you have many blessings. You overlooked.

***

But the sea breeze was amazing, Subhanallah. If the wind was below mild, the flat surface of the water was like a slightly crooked mirror. One time I saw a sea snake. Right before it dived, it crumpled itself into a ball. If I were Steve Irwin, I would've jumped with it and go, "that's beautiful!!" (Sea/water snake is actually the deadliest of all snakes. Not even a horse could survive the poison) But then again, the mere sight of Allah creations should overwhelm any living man on earth. Subhanallah.

At another time, while I was being lifted from the boat in a basket, the feeling was literally exactly like floating in the air above the sea. I gazed around the horizon and there was no end. It felt like the gazillion gallons of water would swallow your body that easy. Suddenly, you felt very very small and insignificant. You have no force over nothing. There is an Everlasting Force around that controls the universe. And your only connection to that Major Force is your faith. Inside you. In your mind and practice. The only way to make yourself significant.

Going Away

I'm going away to a faraway land for a while. Contact me before 9AM tomorrow morning if you need anything. =p

Coming Home

K.Long and Ipah are home. A reunion. :)

Ipah has grown taller. She can talk a little.

The Forgotten

ABC: Hope you don't mind, talking to a retard like me.
BDE: We're all retard, one way or another. I'm retarded at remembering things. Absent minded. :)
ABC: No you're not. You have the finest smile that anyone cannot forget. So it's OK for you not to remember them. Coz they will definitely remember you.

Aye, I , ...but I want to remember them. I don't want to forget. Be it the beauteous of smile, it will be taken away. Be it the beauteous of heart, it will ___________. Fill in the blank.

Quotable quote: Beauty lies in the eyes of the beer-holder.

*****

"Adik terjatuh... Sorri, sorri."

My heart dropped. I smiled.

And then I cried inside.

Stagnant

Im too exhausted and frustrated to write. Dont feel like writing anything now either. Hm,, where's a good book

Weighing your options: you have the power to choose - so choose wisely.

Expand the Horizon

I am not too sure how would you hurt someone personally just because you care for the company*. I am also doubtful if you would reminisce how the corporation rendered your increment, reimbursed your expenses, and etc. I am not very certain if you would recollect all the awards or recognition plates, souvenirs, and recall all the times you present the proposal, review with management, late night project discussions and all. Obviously some are memorable, but I don't think that's what anyone would cherish the most.

Because at the end of the day, you would think of those whom you spent time together, right? How you've worked side by side to achieve a goal? Receiving and giving support to one another?

It's the challenge of tackling both. To decide on behalf of the company and at the same time not bulldozing anyone out of the way. (I'm not saying all company decisions are like that, but the point here is tough decisions call for a certain skill to call people to work towards it) I really admire the saying, "Leadership is not about ability. It's about responsibility."





















The best of time is when you learn from remarkable and supportive individuals.

*The motivational expert advice is for you to be just as loyal as the company is to you, no more and no less, the aggregate level of which varies from one corporation to another.

Tarnished Record

I crashed into a car late yesterday. It wasn't a big crash but enough to raise my bonnet half an inch and dent the other car's back bumper half an inch. Fortunately the other car's bumper was tough. There goes my record. Finally an accident. October 2nd 6:05PM.

It was all due to micro-sleep. Just 1 second in unconsciousness and voila, anything can happen. I was so tired O_0 T_T

Immediate mitigation - commute by public transport. At least I can sleep all I want even while standing in the middle of the crowd.

By the way, I apologized and gave the driver my phone number, office number, and send in the alternate number I am switching to now. I see no other way but to recompense the damages.

Cell Phone Number Change

Please be advised that I am changing my number from

+6(012)924-0547 to +6(012)292-5640

Segala kesulitan amatlah dikesali. (I apologize for any inconvenience caused.)

Pricing Analyst Required

Price
-RM0.50 for every successful transfer.
-SMS request sent to 2XXXX is free of charge.

First glance says there is a conflict. So, which is it? Free or with a 0.50 charge?

Well, apparently your request is free. But once it is successful, you're going to be charged RM0.50. Unless someone deliberately wants the transfer request to be a failure, which is unlikely, there's a good chance that the transfer is going to be succesful hence the RM0.50 charge. Now, how is that free, again?

Quotable quote: Born free. Taxed to death.

10 warning signals of Cancer

I currently have 4 out of 10. I hope it's not. Maybe just me feeling sick every now and then.

4- Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing.
5- Change in bowel or bladder habits consistenly for a duration of 2-3 months.
7- Non smokers' cough or hoarseness of voice that persist for more than 2 weeks.
8- Unexplained tiredness and/or weight loss of 10% or more in 3-6 months.
9- Persistent pain or discomfort in the abdomen.
10- Unexplained fever.

I can't even count.

Lemme se my teacher. Eh, doctor.