Iban Guy

Observations from my daily life in Labuan. Use Mozilla Firefox Browser for best viewing experience. (http://www.mozilla.com). NOTE: Press F5 to refresh your browser if you do not see any update on this blog.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Ibanguy - Twisted Fate

Dear friends,

Ibanguy has recorded a single called "Twisted Fate" and you can listen to the full song at this link. (http://www.myspace.com/canowyte)

History: This song was written 10 years ago and it came out of the dark with the availability of internet tools such as Myspace.com, Blogspot.com and the cool software called Audacity. Its all free and we should take full advantage of it.By the way, the lyrics were tweaked to make the song more relevant to the times.You can download the song if you want but the copyright remains with me.Enjoy it.

Lyrics below:

TWISTED FATE

IT’S FUNNY HOW, I’M SITTING HERE WITH OUR FRIENDS
WATCHING YOU THERE, AND I AM HERE
EVERYONE’S LAUGHING, ON YOUR WEDDING DAY
WAITING FOR THE TIME TO GIVE YOU CHEERS WITH OUR WINE

I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE FRIENDS, LONG TIME BEFORE
SHARING ALL THE PAIN,
HOPING WHAT WE HAVE,
COULD LEAD TO SOMETHING MORE…..

I AM NOT WITH YOU NOW
SOMEHOW FATE IS TWISTED
OUR LIFE IS NOT FATED
I AM NOT WITH YOU NOW
SOMEONE ELSE IS TAKING MY PLACE ….. TODAY

GOOD TO KNOW, YOU HAVE MET A NEW SOUL
YOU HAVE A NEW HOPE
AND WITH SOMEONE TO GROW OLD
COULD NEVER IMAGINE, IT COMES TO THIS DAY
YOU LOOK THE OTHER WAY, NOTHING LEFT TO SAY

I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE FRIENDS, LONG TIME BEFORE
SHARING ALL THE PAIN,
HOPING WHAT WE HAVE,
COULD LEAD TO SOMETHING MORE…..

I AM NOT WITH YOU NOW
SOMEHOW FATE IS TWISTED
OUR LIFE IS NOT FATED
I AM NOT WITH YOU NOW
SOMEONE ELSE IS TAKING MY PLACE ….. TODAY

SOLO GUITAR

I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE FRIENDS, LONG TIME BEFORE
SHARING ALL THE PAIN,
HOPING WHAT WE HAVE,
COULD LEAD TO SOMETHING MORE…..

I AM NOT WITH YOU NOW
SOMEHOW FATE IS TWISTED
OUR LIFE IS NOT FATED
I AM NOT WITH YOU NOW
SOMEONE ELSE IS TAKING MY PLACE ….. TODAY

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Guitar Jam Session - The Live Videos



The following links will bring you to Ibanguy's Youtube.com Videos for the Guitar Jam Session.The lighting is not too good cos they are the bootleg versions.Thanks to Chin for the videos.

1. To View Calvin's performance click here .

2. To view Hen's performance, click here .

3. To view Ibanguy's performance, click here .

Bonus, to view Don Claudius performance, click here .

Enjoy.....

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Guitar Jam Session



Four out of five doctors say that people who play music get more dates, have a lot more fun, and, when you get right down to it, are simply more cool than people who don't play.

We had tons of fun last Saturday when me and my 2 other friends decided to jam at Veteran's Cafe.There were 3 of us, Calvin, Hen & me. We rehearsed for a few hours before Saturday and it was fun. We started at 9 pm and ended before midnight.

These are among the songs we played.
1. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol.
2. Lips of An Angel - Hinder.
3. The Way you make me feel - Ronan Keating
4. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
5. Somewhere we know - Keane
6. You and Me - Lifehouse
7. Never Say Goodbye - Bon Jovi
8. Mungkin Nanti - Peter Pan
9. Tequila Sunrise - Eagles
10 Living Next Door To Alice - Smokie
11. I started a Joke - Bee Gees
12. Words - Bee Gees
13. Leaving on a Jetplane
14. Kenangan Terindah

Henry played an Acoustic Guitar. Calvin and me played the electric guitar.




Henry plays the Santa Cruz acoustic guitar through an acoustic amplifier that can be seen in the picture.



Calvin plays the Yamaha electric guitar RGX520J through a custom made amplifier.Very creative.The guitar sound is processed through a Yamaha Zoom Guitar effect.Calvin's Yamaha is totally Japanese built and you cannot find the info on the net.However the equivalent is in this site.




I played an Ibanez Gio GRX40J electric guitar through a Peavey amplifier.The guitar is processed through a ZOOM GFX-5 Effect.You can check the WIKI for Ibanez history here.

We plan to do this every Saturday evening for the next one year or once a week since Vince has invested in the PA System.Heartfelt thanks to Vincent for allowing us to make fools of ourselves.By the way, drinks are free for the performers.So, drop by at Veteran's Cafe on Saturdays if you are in town.

We have not named ourselves so suggestions for the name of the band are welcome.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Scorpio's Birthday


This is the birthday card I got.

I had a quiet brithday nightout on 4-11-2006.Went out to Veteran's Cafe and that was when I only knew that I have a twin!! Reena @ Olly had the same birthdate as mine.Of course she is much younger than me but it was a pleasent surpise. Got a few friends at the time. They were Paul, Alex, Henry, Melvin, Vick, Justene, Vince, Zain & John Shoosbury. Zain,Hen and me were quite tired when we were there cos we just had a football match in the evening.



Reena@Olly is the twin that I meant....

So, what does it mean to be born in November?It means one is born under the astrological sign of Scorpio.

Scorpio is an astrological sign, which is associated with the constellation Scorpius. Under the tropical zodiac, Scorpio is occupied by the Sun from October 23 to November 22, and under the sidereal zodiac, it is currently from November 16 to December 15. The opposite sign to Scorpio is Taurus, and both signs are commonly considered the most sexually responsive of all zodiacal members.

Scorpio is the eighth sign of the Zodiac and associated with intensity and power. Individuals born under this sign are thought to have a complex, emotional, analytical, focused, determined, hypnotic, and self-contained character, but one which is also prone to extremity, jealousy, possessiveness, stubbornness, and cruelty. In terms of anatomy, Scorpio is said to rule the pelvis, reproductive system and urinary system. In terms of geography Scorpio is linked with Egypt, Syria, Algeria, and Morocco.

Scorpio is traditionally thought to be ruled by the planet Mars, but in recent years many astrologers have labelled Pluto as the ruler or co-ruler of Scorpio, attributing the intensity associated with the sign to the planet's influence.

In mythology Scorpio is often associated with Orpheus, from the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Scorpio is also associated with the Greco-Roman gods Ares/Mars and sometimes the god Hades/Pluto.

More details here. (http://www.astrology-online.com/scorpio.htm)


Traditional Cake Cutting Event.Nice chocolate cake.Yummmy....


A typical pose for a toothpaste advertisement.That is Hen by the way.


Zain, Ren, Hen & Jen trying hard to sit or stay awake after a lot of alcohol.


The faces of The Pissed.Hen,Justene,Paul,Alex & Fin.These are the double life some of us lead in Labuan.Daytime for the sober, Night time for the liqour.


Here, the Labuan Don, Claudius Vincent Pereira (man with chocolate face),cramped by the lovely ladies, Justene & Olly.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Divina Commedia - Dante Alighieri

Divina Commedia - Dante Alighieri

We all live according to our own choices.Our choices may lead to good deeds and bad deeds.What if we are given a chance to 'fast forward' and see the consequence of these deeds (good or bad)?Will we change the way we live.Maybe.

One of the sources we can refer to (on what happens after we die) is a work by Italian poet in the 1300,Dante Alighieri entitled 'Divina Commedia'.Here Dante wrote on his journey through hell, purgotary & heaven.

In his journey through hell, he was guided by Virgil.Virgil is a pagan and destined to be in limbo.In hell, there are 9 levels for the sinners.So, Virgil and Dante went down into Hell.

The 1st level (Limbo) is for those who do not believe in God but live a good life.They are not sinful but did not accept God.Their punishment is that their soul has no purpose but can only grieve for not able to be out of hell..

The 2nd level is for those who commited adultery.Their punishment is that their soul are blown aimlessly by a violent wind.

The 3rd level is for those who wants everything excessively.Their punishment is that their soul are forced to lie in the mud under continual cold rain and hail.

The 4th level is for those who do not share their wealth & those who suqnder their weatlh.As a punishment, these 2 groups push weighs against each other back and forth.Failure to push will risk souls to be run over by the weigh and suffer in pain.

The 5th level is for those who are lazy.Their punishment is that their soul trapped under the stinking River Styx.

The next few levels are behind the City of Dis.The punishment outside the City is for passive sins but the ones inside the city is for active sins.

The 6th level is for those who preach religion to their own benefit.They are called heretics.Their punishment is that their soul are burned in flaming tombs.

The 7th level is for 3 types of people.Those who are violent towards people,those who commited suicide & those who are blasphemous,commited acts of sodomy & charging interest in businesses. Their punishment for violent against people is swimming in boiling blood.Those who commited suicides does not have a body but turn into trees.They can only speak when a branch is broken or their trunk poked by tree eating birds called Harpies.Dante needs to break a branch to hear how one of the suicide souls became a tree.The 3rd punishment is for the souls who defy God and they reside in hot sandy dessert with firedrops rain from the sky.

The next level has a huge gap and can only b reached when Dante & Virgil helped by a winged monster, Greyon.

The 8th level is for the fraudsters.This level has 10 ditches.Each for Seducers, Flaterers,Simony (people who uses their religious position to make money for their own benefit),False prophets,Corruptt politicians,Hypocrites,Thieves,Fraudulent Advisors,Sowers of Discord ('Batu Api' in Malay) & Falsifiers.Their punishment are many types ranging from being stabbed by devils with thier sharp fork to being hacked by swords continously even after the wounds are healed.

The 9th level is for the Traitors.Dante explained that Hell in here is not hot but freezing cold.There are 4 levels of ice and the sinners are grouped into 4 types.Traitors to their friends,society,guests & masters.Lucifer or Satan is imprisoned here because he betrayed God.Their punishment is that their soul is frozen in ice at different level;neck deep, head deep,half face deep and totally submerged under ice.

The above is the simplified version but a detail work can be found in this weblink.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Divine_Comedy)
Other Refs:
http://web.eku.edu/flash/inferno/

There is a Robin Williams's movie called 'What Dreams May Come' that made active references to Dante's work.Go and watch it.I will review the movie soon in my other blog; Sinemayang.

I am not a religious person but I like to explore the various ways to understand and appreciate my faith.