Iban Guy

Guitar Jam @ Cheers Pub, Tiara Hotel Labuan

2007-04-16T11:57:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

Some of you are aware that I play acoustic guitar at Veteran's Cafe (www.vclabuan.blogspot.com) Jam Session on Fridays.

Anyway, a friend of mine, Terence @ Khairul who works at Cheers @ Tiara Hotel has requested me to join his Open Mic Session on Sundays. The session basically gathers all the Labuan guitarists to just jam and have a good time.

Terence, Arman & I were in the Social Page appeared in a local neewspaper, Borneo Post today.

The Caption reads:
"ENJOYING MUSIC...Last Sunday's jam session at the Tiara Hotel Cheers Pub had Labuan Sports Council director, Arman Hj Annuar Tan (left) and Frankie J, an offshore finance officer from EC Trust, twanging away on their guitars and singing the blues, accompanied by resident deejay, Terence (front), beating to the rhythm with a drum box, a simple percussion instrument that is creating a new cool sound in the island.The casual and friendly regular Sunday evening sessions get music and song lovers of all ages and from all walks of life together, to do the thing they enjoy doing - play and sing" - Borneo Post Home/Labuan Happenings page p Monday,April 16,2007.

B'Dazzle in Labuan 2007

2007-04-04T12:25:00.000+08:00

(Image is owned by www.popin-labuan.com)

Hi all,

My favorite band is back in Labuan's nightspot, Pop In with a new frontline and supported by the same talented musicians.

The front line singers are Rina, Yan & Natasha.

The musicians are Roslan (lead guitar), Kay (keyboards), Wai (bass) & Jim (drums).

I have featured this band in my past blog at this link.
(http://ibanguy.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_archive.html)

I only become a regular at PopIn when B'Dazzle plays there.I went and saw them on their 3rd night yesterday and they have become better than the last time.

They played 4 sets of 45 minutes each.The show starts at 930pm & on a good night it ends at close to 3 am.

The songs they played are from 70s,80s,90s & current hits.The uniqueness of this band is that they rarely plays with a set list.They are very aware of the crowd and they played to the energy from the crowd on any given night.

The other thing is that they have different songs every night and this is very rare in Labuan.It makes those who loves live band music comes to see them almost every night.

The songs that made my day was when they played Muse's hit, Starlight. You can listen to the song when you click the play button in Youtube video below.By the way, if you listen to the song, the drum bit is damn catchy.It has a beat of 1-2-1-3.

The video for Muse's Starlight.

So, don't miss to see B'Dazzle at PopIn when you are in Labuan.You will not regret it.

Year of the Pig

2007-02-18T00:00:00.000+08:00

Year of the Pig 2007

I have the feeling that this New Chinese Year of the Boar (Pig) will be a turning point in my life.Something is in the air that I cannot figure out but its gonna be significant.

I was born in the year of the Pig.Metal Pig to be exact.Metal similar to Fixity, strength of will & fluency of speech.

I like the way this website explains about the Year of the Pig ('Hai'):

Considerate, long-suffering, and supremely honest, the unpretentious Pig makes a cheerful friend and sincere partner. This 12th and last sign of the zodiac is pragmatic and has an unquenchable thirst for new knowledge. They are often betrayed because of their faith in others, but are oftentimes rewarded with financial security due to their pure hearts. Companionship, physical love and emotional security are a must, and these souls need an easy-going mate who talks out problems instead of shouting. Gentle, yet strong of will, Pigs are motivated by their conscience. Resigned and accepting the world as it is, Pig souls do not push themselves ahead at the cost of another. Most harmonious time of day for the Pig is between 9:00pm - 11:00pm.

The Metal element symbolizes clarity, purity and precision. The power of Metal is to delineate and define. Metal element persons create structure, create the surface of matters, and interface with the outside world. This element adds rigidity to an individual sign. Those born into the Metal element are guided by powerful feelings and will seek their goals with unwavering allegiance, chaste & tendency to speak candidly/bluntly. Much strength of will, and fluency of speech characterize those born into the Metal element. Metal is 'set' and determinedly fixed. Metal element persons must learn to compromise, not always insisting on their own way, as they will always have a strong effect on all whom they come into contact with. The Metal element shores-up an individual sign and is not deterred by calamity, hindrance or loss. The Metal element holds in position each individual sign by serving as a foundation and base. Metal element souls prefer to sort out and solve their own problems and do not appreciate interference or unsolicited advice. The Metal element imparts strong monetary instincts to the individual sign, with extra ability to save for a rainy day. The Metal element possesses a fine-tuned intuition regarding finances and speculative investments of all kinds. This is the element of the solitary entrepreneur. The physical organs of Metal are the lungs and the large intestines; its flavor is pungent. Metal's color is White and corresponds to the season of Autumn and dry.

A prosperous and satisfying year is in store for good-natured Pigs in 2007! Expand and work on ideas and have many different paths offered. Energy will be on the upswing and the new year has a miraculous effect on morale. Focus on strengthening unions and even consider possibly enlarging family or home. Promotion or re-location could also be in the works. Financially, are much better off than last year and finally have the funds available to enjoy a little well deserved pampering.

My wife was born in the year of the Dragon. Fire Dragon to be exact. Fire in the sense of Dynamism, passion, energy, aggression and leadership.

The same website explains about the Year of the Dragon ('Chen'):

The powerful Dragon is the physically healthy, sentimental visionary of the Chinese zodiac. Outspoken, lucky and financially fortunate, Dragons show boundless energy and vitality. These proud souls do not like to be challenged, and their nature is that of "unpredictability." Egotistic, and always high-profile, Dragons are assertive, boisterous, and extroverted personalities. Successful and popular, this 5th sign of the zodiac produces excellent actors and performers, and are born to be in the public eye. Lucky, original, enthusiastic, and healthy, the ardent Dragon needs a strong and intriguing partner, or else they may opt to live a solitary life. The Dragon gathers strength during its own morning hours of 7:00am - 9:00am.

The nature of Fire is to spread, and to urge outcome, to resolve. Fire manifests and expresses in the natural rhythm of the heart, which pulsates the blood. The Fire element will multiply the individual signs energies. Those born into a year ruled by the Fire element, will display above average qualities of leadership, passion and dynamic aggression. Fire element people are doers, and attract others with their fervor and radiance. The Fire element arouses, changes, and converts. For those of the Fire element, their brand of flame may be a mystical spark. The Fire element imparts much energy and can cause each sign to be impatient in pursuit of goals. Fire is rapid, and can also consume the persons energies, to relax and respect your body's natural rhythms. Fire element persons, no matter what their calling, will always remain fiercely individualistic. Fire's physical organs are the Heart and Small intestine; it's flavor is Bitter. Fires color is Red and corresponds to the
season of Summer and heat.

Pig years bring popularity, celebrity and an increase in reputation to lucky Dragons. During this year acquire income from more than one source and by the end of the year, new dreams may well have become reality. Express personal opinions carefully, and demonstrate both consideration and respect. An auspicious year to take charge of inner life and discover its hidden springs! Meditation, healing qigong, reiki or any of the metaphysical arts would be a harmonious pursuit in 2007. Use this year to continue plans already in motion, while also start to branch out into new avenues. Dragons are amongst the few who can do both.

O2 Xda 2i PDA-Phone

2007-01-12T17:52:00.000+08:00

Ok. The new year starts well because I got a new PDAphone, the O2 XDA 2i. Details of the model is here.

I had a PDA long time ago and it was a Palm PDA with monochrome LCD screen.I was interested to use the XDA 2i since I can do the following;

1. Make and receive calls & SMS (duh)
2. Take pictures for my blog with its 1.3M Camera
3. Use the WIFI connection in Hotspots centres to serve the net.
4. Listen to my MP3 collections via the MMC and SD Card.
5. Transfer stuff using its Bluetooth function.
6. Play cool games for Pocket PC platform.Right now I am into a card game called 'Big 2'.

My problem right now with this O2 is that it is quite a complex machine to navigate.O2 does boast that the XDA 2i has the fastest processors etc and that is a good thing.I still need to learn more about using the WIFI function cos the WIFI connection I got so far is not too good.

I was using the Nokia 6600 and it has served me well.I blog about the Nokia phone here.Plan to sell it for RM500. Let me know if you want it.

If you notice better photos in the blog from hereon, then it must be taken with this new gadget. Until next time, blog on.

Merry Christmas 2006 & Happy New Year 2007

2006-12-30T13:41:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

Here we are again at the end of 2006.How was the year for you?

I had another eventful year but I will always remember this year as the year my Mother passed-on on 11 August 2006.

You can see my love and thoughts for her at this link here.

The 2nd best thing that happen was the day me and me wife completed the renovation for our own 3 room Apartment at Millenium Apartment, off Jalan Likas, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Of course, Labuan is great to be in and I had started with the Guitar Jam Session at Veteran's Cafe.The Cafe will introduce more food and drinks besides beer from January 2007.

I spent Christmas with my dad, brother and sister in Sibu.It was another durian season and had a lot of durian.Bought 5 durians for only RM20 !!! For those who do not know what is a durian, do visit this huge infosite about durian.

Me and my sis joined the Rajang Park Catholic Family Group for Christmas Carolling.Did it just to put some closure for my late mom.She joined these group every year.Her friends miss her a lot.

Me and my sis went to Sibu Catholic Cathederal for Mass on Christmas Eve.There were lots of people and being in a church reminds me of my old days as altar servers.

On Christmas day, dad and I went to his fruit orchard to pick some rambutans.The orchard was partly flooded since it was raining heavily during the week.

Dad with his Fruit Orchard behind him.We have to cross it on a floating tree trunk behind him.That is not a river behind him.It is a natural drain that was flooded!

Just got the news that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was executed in Baghdad early Saturday morning 30 December 2006 by hanging. Several witnesses were present when the Iraqi dictator, who ruled between 1979 and 2003, took his last breath shortly before 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) Saturday. Saddam’s half brother and Intelligence Head Barzan al-Tikriti, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, a senior judge belonging to the Iraqi Baath Party, were also executed alongside Saddam.An official source within the Iraqi prime minister’s office told CNN that Saddam’s body was laid out in front of him. He also said that employees of the prime minister’s office cheered and danced around the body.Saddam was convicted of crimes against humanity for his part in the execution of 148 Shiite residents of Dujail, a town north of Baghdad, in June 1982, which took place following his attempted assassination during a visit to the town.May his soul deserve its fate.

Well, that was the year for me and I feel next year will be another eventful year.Life has been good to me and hope it will continue to get better.

'Be happy with the grounds on your feet because happiness is not about chasing rainbows." - Anonymous

Veteran's Cafe Website

2006-12-23T15:17:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

The Veteran's Cafe Labuan has just set up its own website. Please feel free to drop by when you are in Labuan or visit this link if you are not in Labuan. Otherwise, you can access the website from my favourtie link on the left panel.

Add Shoutbox

2006-12-04T10:38:00.000+08:00

Added a shoutbox from Saybox3.com.uk for those who prefer to type out rather than leave a comment.Now everyone has a choice to leave their tracks in this humble little blog.

Ibanguy - Twisted Fate

2006-11-30T15:54:00.000+08:00

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

Guitar Jam Session - The Live Videos

2006-11-22T14:32:00.000+08:00

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.....

Guitar Jam Session

2006-11-15T11:16:00.000+08:00

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.

Scorpio's Birthday

2006-11-08T15:55:00.000+08:00

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.

Divina Commedia - Dante Alighieri

2006-11-01T14:48:00.000+08:00

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.

Youtube.com for Ibanguy

2006-10-31T12:12:00.000+08:00

Youtube.com (Youtube image is copyright of youtube.com themselves)

Good news all.

Ibanguy has started its foray into motion picture.The earlier projects can be seen on this Youtube link.

Check it out.(http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Ibanguy)

Take note: Best way to view the videos is to click on the video, load the page & click the pause button until the red bar is full.Then press play & enjoy.

HDD Media Player

2006-10-02T12:16:00.000+08:00

I finally got this nifty little gadget lately.It is a hard disk digital Media Player.The player basically plays movies, mp3 songs and other PC readable files on TV.This technology will replace DVD player in the future once it has a 'standard format'.The quality of the movie/video depends on the quality of the file itself.

When you get this gadget, you need 2 things;
1. HDD Media Player
2. 2.5" Hard disk (its a notebook PC hardisk).The hardisk need to be formatted into FAT32 (not NTFS) to enable the media player to read it. The one I got is a 40Gb hardisk and it can basically house 40 movies !!!!

The items above is less than RM400.

Now I can watch all the movies/videos/songs whenever I want.

There are 2 types of the player;
1. HDD Media Player
2. HDD Media Player with OTG (On-The-Go) function

The 1st one needs you to manually downloaded the media files from your PC to the player but the 2nd one automatically downloaded the media to the player when you connect them together.

The Player is made from a company called Keelai and details can be viewed here (http://www.keelai.com)

WARNING: This gadget is not user friendly and you need some PC know how to connect the player to the computer.There are a lot of compatibality issues before I finally get it to work as I want it to.

So, this leads me to announce a new web blog called Sinemayang (www.sinemayang.blogspot.com).This blog will try to review the movies that I watched. Check it out.

1969 Moon Landing

2006-09-28T13:34:00.000+08:00

(Photo copyright is owned by the owner, not me)

1969 Moon Landing Hoax

I learnt from my history lessons that 3 men went and landed on the moon.I saw the film footage and the photos.My school teachers at that time praised these brave men for their heroism.As time went by, their were more and more opinion that this fact of these 3 men landed on the moon, is not true.

Did these 3 astronauts land on the moon? "One small step for men, one giant leap for mankind." That was what Armstrong said when he stepped on the surface of the 'moon'.So the story went that on 16 July 1969, Apollo 11 went and landed on the moon.Most of Americans people think so.

However, there are opinions that say no one ever landed on the moon and what the world saw back then in 1969 was a hoax by NASA.

These opinions were highlighted in FOX's documentary "Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?" In his book 'A Man on the Moon', Andrew Chaikin mentions that, at the time of Apollo 8's lunar-orbit mission, in December 1968, such conspiratorial stories were already in circulation.

Why was it believe to be a hoax?

1. The Rocket technology at the time was not good enough to reach the moon.According to Bill Kaysing of Rocketdyne, the company that designed the Apollo rockets, it was technically impossible to do it.

2. Official News Footage
- there were no stars in the clear 'moon' sky
- the American flag were waving on the 'moon' surface that has no air or wind.
- there was no blast crater under the landing module.

3. No noise from the rocket engines of EAGLE (the landing module) when it landed on the 'moon'.The voice of the astronaut (Buzz Aldrin) was clear.

4. The landing module crashed during testing on earth but landed flawlessly on the 'moon'.Armstrong was almost killed in the test flight.

5. NASA had USD40 Million budget to ensure the lunar landings were told to the world.

6. The video images were black & white, grainy & blurr. The film technology at that time were already in colour.When the videos were fast forward 2x, the astronauts that look floated when they walk on the 'moon' surface were actually walking or running.So, the offical video could have been slow-motioned to make it look like they moon-walked on the 'moon'.

7. The still photos were perfect when all astronaut's still-cameras were chest mounted.There is no way the astronaut could take such perfect pictures.The shadows of the still photos is non sensical in a photography sense.Backlit pictures were clear.The background of the photos are the same in all photos.Maybe they use the same stage bakdrop.Too many anomalies.

8. One astronaut, Gus Grissom was killed on 27 Jan 1967 in a capsule that failed at launch. The Capsule burst in flames and killed Gus & 2 other guys.He was an NASA critic.His family thinks that Gus was killed because he knew too much of NASA's incapabilities to fly men to the moon.

9.Tom Baron, a safety officer that investigated Gus's fire,told US Congress Investigation that NASA program was in disarray.He was killed in an accident.His report mysteriously disappeared.

10. More than 10 astronauts were killed between 1964-67.Maybe they knew about the hoax in 1969 and were 'silenced' so that NASA could proceed with its plan.

11. Radiation in the Van Halen Belt around the earth, would have killed the astronauts that went to the moon.The lunar capsule has only a thin film of aluminium to protect it.The sun-storm would have killed the astronauts too.

12. Missing data
Blueprints and design and development drawings of the machines involved, telemetry tapes, the original high quality video of the Apollo 11 moonwalk, original tapes containing telemetry and video from the other five missions and other key documents that would help to validate the missions are missing.

13. Technological capability of USA compared to the USSR
At the time of Apollo, the Soviet Union had five times more manned hours in space than the US.

Political climate
Bear in mind that the North America's political climate at that time was tense with the Russians.On Oct 4 1957, USSR sent Sputnik Satelite to space and North American government feared that there were nuclear bombs that could killed its people with it.

Where was the footage made?
Maybe Area 51.It is a secret area in the Nevada desert.The landscape in Area 51 is very similar to the photos or videos taken for thre 'moon' landing.This reason alone is enough on why Area 51 is still guarded tightly until today.

No one doubts that on Amstrong, Collin & Aldrian launched into space with Saturn 5 and orbited the earth 8 days. But they never landed on the moon.It is a half truth so we cannot say they lied.

The 1978 movie "Capricorn One" was made based on this theory.In the movie, a government entity, fools the world by faking a mission to Mars.Paul Lazarus, the producer of the movie suggests that the plot of the movie could be more fact than fiction about NASA's decision to fake the landing on the moon.

So, do you still believe now that any man has ever landed on the moon?

More detail in here. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_moon_landing_hoax_accusations.)

BEER - Yard Glass Xperience

2006-09-15T14:35:00.000+08:00

I have not drank from a tall glass beer and did not what the glass was called. I now know that it is called a 'Yard Beer Glass'.So, one night at Veteran's Cafe I had a few friends who expected a very low profile night out.It turned out that somehow we challenged each other to drink beer from a Yard Glass.The rule was to drink the beer from the glass without spilling it in the fastest time possible.Anyone can choose what type of beer they wanted to fill in the glass.The guys involved were Fin,Jeth,Yii,JF,Hen,Claudius & me.We got Olie (the resident bar girl) to ensure all drinks were equal so she has to sip some from every yard glass.Some of us had one shot but the 'kiasu' one wanted more than a shot.After the rounds were finished, the fastest guy was Jet at 8 seconds.We all went back feeling super high and a horrible hangover the next day.

(Clockwise from top left: Jet down the beer in 8 seconds, Hen down it in 13 seconds, Yii down it in 5 seconds but did not finish it, Finian down it but stop half way & JF down it in 11 seconds, .)

Want to know where beers are made?

Beers are enjoyed all over the world and brewed commercially on every continent except Antarctica. In addition to brewing their own pilsner-style lager beer, most countries brew their own specialty lagers, ales or stouts.

German Beer
Quality standards are very high in the German brewing industry. In 1516, a law called the Reinheitsgebot (meaning ‘purity requirement’) was introduced in Bavaria. It stated that only pure water, barley and hops could be used to make beer. Although current European Union law states otherwise, many German brewers still follow the Reinheitsgebot to this day.

While light-colored Pilsner lagers are the most common German beers, Germany produces many types of beer: wheat beer and dark-colored lagers like bock are a few. Bock is a full-bodied beer brewed in winter and drunk in spring. The major brewing cities are Dortmund in the north and Munich in the south.

Japanese Beer
The Japanese beer market is dominated by four major brewers: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory . They all produce similar types of light lager beers. In 1994, Japanese brewing regulations were eased, resulting in a boom in microbreweries, brewpubs and regional brewery companies.

Like their American counterparts, serious Japanese beer drinkers jumped at the chance to escape from the clutches of the big brewers and benefit from a wider choice of beer styles. German-style lagers, pale, amber and dark ales, as well as wheat beers are now available in Japan, forcing the big brewers to review their product portfolios.

Australian Beer
Probably because of their hot climate, Australians generally like their beer cold and strong. The major Australian beer producers such as Fosters, Tooheys, Castlemaine, and Swan all produce similar bland, slightly sweet lagers. However, the microbrewery phenomenon, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, has made most types of beer easily accessible.

Mexican Beer
Mexico has a history of brewing that goes back to the time of the Aztecs. However, the Mexican brewing industry, as we know it today, was created by nineteenth century Spanish and German immigrants.

The biggest Mexican beer brand is Corona. This sweet lager beer, which is normally served with a wedge of lime to make it palatable, has become the largest selling imported beer in the United States.

Irish Beer
To most drinkers, Irish beer is synonymous with one beer brand: Guinness. Dublin’s finest stout comes in two main varieties: draught Guinness and bottled Guinness Extra Stout. Although Guinness is the market leader, it faces strong competition from Murphy’s Stout and Beamish Stout, both from Cork.

In addition to stout, Irish beer varieties also include a number of cream ales, which taste like a combination of stout and lager. The best-known brands are Murphy’s Red and Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale. Bitter ales such as Caffrey’s and Guinness Bitter as well as Kinsale and Harp lagers are also brewed in Ireland, but aren't as popular as stout.

British Beer
As in most other countries, multinational brewers have made major inroads into the British beer market. However, British beer drinkers rebelled against tasteless, fizzy beer in their pubs. Largely as a result of demands from the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), the small brewery sector has been revived and big brewers are continuing to produce cask-conditioned draught bitter beer. Consequently, British drinkers are still able to enjoy traditional draught and bottled ales.

Belgian Beer
Although only a relatively small country, Belgium is home to the greatest variety of beers brewed anywhere in the world. Besides classic lagers, Belgian beer varieties include a wide range of wheat beers, raspberry and cherry flavored lambics, Trappist strong ales, amber ales, brown ales, seasonal ales, golden and red beers. For the serious drinker, Belgium is Beer Heaven!

Labuan IS BEER Heaven for us !!

(Text taken from http://www.drinkfocus.com)

More stuff about beer here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer

RMN KD LEDANG

2006-08-22T15:16:00.000+08:00

(LR:Wynol, Henry, Saza, Zain, CO,Franco)

We visited KD Ledang in Labuan thanks to the courtesy of the commanding officer.We had lunch in the vessel with the officers.

KD Ledang was in Labuan for installation, testing, integration and commissioning of two units of auxilary propulsion system, mine hunting auto pilot system.KD Ledang had participated in the Naval and Air Forces Participating in Ex Starfish 16/96.

It is a Mine Countermeasures vessel and the other ships in its class are KD Mahamiru, KD Jerai & KD Kinabalu.

The Royal Malaysian Navy originated from the Straits Settlement Volunteer Reserve Force formed on 27 April 1934 in Singapore. The formation of a Penang branch in 1938 saw its expansion. When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Britain strengthened its Naval Force in Southeast Asia by forming a unit called the "Malay Section of The Royal Navy" to protect the security of Singapore and the Federation of Malaya. This unit which consisted of 400 men underwent training at a training camp called HMMS PELANDOK, a British Naval Base in Singapore. Expansion saw the unit increase to 1450 men during World War II. Due to shortage of funds, the British disbanded the force after World War II in April 1947. The Malayan Naval Forces was again created in 1948 in response to the Emergency with the loan of one landing ship and five fast surface launches from the Royal Navy. In 1953 HRH Queen Elizabeth awarded the Royal status to become The Royal Malayan Navy. The first vessel was a minesweeper called HMS 'Penyu' or Turtle. After independence, it was transferred from Singapore on 12 July 1958 as an independent sovereign navy. On 16 September 1963 it was renamed Royal Malaysian Navy in accordance to the formation of Malaysia.

Details are on the this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Malaysian_Navy

For My Mother, Regina Dina Simon

2006-08-21T21:26:00.000+08:00

The late Regina Dina Simon
(08.03.1949 - 11.08.2006)

My beloved mother passed away on 11th August 2006. No words can describe the feeling I felt from then on. This poem somehow reflects my feelings for her then, now and forever. Mom, see you in the next life.

You Were My Mother and My Friend

You were my mother and my friend,
Which was unusual.
Somehow our characters still blend:
Your wisdom and my will.

I turned, and you were there for me;
I spoke, you understood.
I felt cared for, but also free;
You loved, and I was good.

I'm fortunate that I was born
To someone just like you;
I love you still. Though you are gone,
You live in what I do.

Death is nothing but a moment's rest
Until the Second Coming of the Lord
When He shall gather to Him of the best
To take them to the place of their reward.
You've felt the power of Jesus in your soul
Shining like a golden sun within,
Melting your hard heart to make you whole,
Burning out the remnants of your sin.
You've felt Him work within you, so I know
The glory that will come when you awake.
You'll sleep just like a child who'll homeward go,
And in your dreams of love great pleasure take.
So do not mourn death, and do not grieve.
The Lord will come for us: This I believe.

Recently I dreamed I talked to you.
You were in the desert, and you said
That I would never want for love, for you
Would love me now until the end of time.

I cannot think that you are wholly gone,
That one day you could simply be no more,
And it should come about that your bright soul
Would vanish like a rainbow in the darkness.

For me it is as if you were away,
Somewhere on a very long vacation.
And though I know you're dead, you do not seem
To be beyond the boundaries of my love.

Our souls do not abide in days or hours
But in a love that never, never ends.
You will be with me till life is over,
Then I with you somewhere beyond the stars.

Typhoon Saomai Whiplash Labuan

2006-08-10T13:14:00.000+08:00

Labuan and Sabah experienced strong winds this past few days.It was reported in a local newspaper that, hundreds of rooftops were blown off and trees came crashing down when strong winds - from the tail effects of Typhoon Saomoi - wreaked havoc in Sabah's west coast.

Blowing at speeds of up to 60km/hr, the strong winds hit coastal areas between Labuan island and northern Kudat peninsula at around 7pm on Tuesday. However, no causalities were reported.

Typhoon Saomai

Three different typhoons were spinning over the western Pacific Ocean on August 7, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this image.

The strongest of the three, Typhoon Saomai, formed in the western Pacific on August 4, 2006, as a tropical depression. Within a day, it had become organized enough to be classified as a tropical storm. While Saomai was strengthening into a storm, another tropical depression formed a few hundred kilometers to the north, and by August 6, it became tropical storm Maria. Typhoon Bopha formed just as Maria reached storm status and became a storm itself on August 7.

One my colleagues car almost crushed by a tree branch that fell off a tree.He parked his car under a shaddy area.Parking under a tree is good to cool off a car on sunny days but it will be very risky when strong winds are blowing.

He was lucky that the car was alright.He vowed to park away from the spot now on.Or else, it will be an expensive cost to repair the dents and replace new front windshield.

Buffalo Tale - Wedding in Kota Kinabalu

2006-08-07T13:11:00.000+08:00

I attended my bro-in-law's wedding in KK on 28 July 2006.Dhillon married to Nurafif in Shah Alam a month before that.The wedding in KK was held at Tun Fuad's Hall. It was held for Dhillon's family members.

Although Nurafif is a Muslim, we had to show them what a real Kadazan wedding experience. So, all the sumazau, joget, boozing & what not came out.Nurafif's family had fun and enjoyed the experience of the Kadazan wedding.For the record, non of the Muslims took alcohol for the wedding. Only experienced drinkers took it.

In case I forgot, Dhillon's new name is Danial Shah Tahing Abdullah.At least he did not have to kill a buffalo for his wedding.You see, a bridegroom needs to kill or slaughter a buffalo or more (depends on the status of the bride) to wed a Kadazan girl. Furthermore, no 'SOGIT' was imposed. 'SOGIT' is a sort of penalty in a form of a chicken or money to 'wash away' any bad omens for marrying each other. The Kadazan has the belief that we all came from one grandparent and family members can't marry each other unless a 'SOGIT' is settled. Maybe it is incestous in their culture if no 'SOGIT' is imposed. I did and I know how it feels.

We had dinner with Nurafif's family at Tanjung Aru BB Cafe a night before the wedding ceremony. The Fish head curry is great and it is highly recommended.

My mitsui was dressed up as the 'Wedding Car'.I became the designated driver and had to be sober through out the week.

My mom came too and she spend 4 days in KK.As usual she brought some pearls,gems,sarong and cheap vegetable at Wong Kok's Suppliers Market.That is s Tina with my mom, Dhilon's younger sister. Get your buffalos ready guys if you dare to think of courting her. LOL.

After the wedding, the family had a Post Mortem session. This session has nothing to do with cadavers or dead bodies. It is just pure excuse to get drunk again. We had a few bottles of MArtell cos thats the exclusive drink in KK now. No one wants Red Label, Black Label or Label 5. We had tuna fish, salmon, clams, chciken herbal soup and tenggiri fish as our side dish (locals call them 'PUSAS') So, for those who is interested to marry someone from Sabah, get yourself ready for chokeful of CnH2n+1OH (that's alcohol in English). By the way, you need to pay for the drinks too.Of course, I am the sole dealer in Labuan where you can get RM100 for a bottle of Martell.

Sayonara To Keydam

2006-08-05T13:26:00.000+08:00

Sayonara To Keydam

I attended the farewell dinner for my fellow blogger Keydam on Thursday.He spent about 2 months in Labuan before posted back to KL.Anyway, he will be back regularly to Labuan since he operates more from KL.Keydam really misses his son and this is very obvious from the ramblings in his blog here. Well, keydam, we need to jam & hang out if you are in Labuan next time.Blog on, man.

We had Dato' Y, J & the other J humping the lamb chop.

Then we went to shout our lungs out at Tip Top Karaoke.

Keydam, you have to explain what you were doing here if wifey asks. Can't defend you if I am 0ver 2000 kms from KL. Good luck. LOL.

The San Miguel Light were my dinner cos its light. Get it? I know some of my Sarawakian friends will really love to have a swig at the beer. Come over, guys. I know you will have a good time in Labuan.

Labuan Cricket Tournament 2006

2006-07-26T11:50:00.000+08:00

LACA team (L to R):Haris, Dr.Zain,Frank,Claudius Pereira, Rafiq & Vijay.

Labuan Cricket Tournament 2006

We had great fun at the Labuan 6 Aside Cricket Tournament on Sunday (23 July 2006). The Tournament was held at Dataran Labuan right across the Labuan Hotel that i featured in my earlier blog here. I was with Labuan Cricket Association (a.k.a LACA) (pronounce as "Laa kaa").

All the teams were divided into 4 groups i.e. North, South, East & West.There were 13 teams altogether and LACA was in one of the 4 groups called WEST. We were put together with the other 3 teams who are Destroyer, Energy & Shell Labuan.

Each match is 2 innings with each bowler having 4 balls.

We did not expect to be a competitor in the tournament but surprise, surprise, we were damn good. Mine you, the other teams were all below 25 years old and we were all above that age bracket.Cricket is such a funny game that age don't matter since experience counts.

We were beaten by Destoyer but managed to beat Energy and Shell through the day. We end up at the top of Group WEST. We met Sunrise at the Champions Cup Semifinal but beaten and relegated to the Plate Championship at Semifinal.We met SMK Sains Labuan but could not proceed to the final.SMK Sains won by 10 runs.

It was fun day and we expect to see more cricket in Labuan soon.

The event was organised by Labuan Sports Council.Congratulations to the organizers.Shout out to Mr. Kuhen from Alliance Bank Labuan for a job well done.

World Cup 2006 - Italy Won The Cup

2006-07-12T10:59:00.000+08:00

(photo above courtesy of http://www.smh.com.au)

I had diligently followed the Germany World Cup 2006 since it started on 9th June 2006. It is amazing what happened during that short period of time.

I watched the game mostly with my mates in various places in Labuan. The easy part is to watch the late night matches during the Group stage. My prediction for the Round 16 stages were as below.

My prediction was incorrect. I didno expect Italy and France to meet in the Final since both teams were not seeded as favourites. Italy has its Serie A match-fixing scandal. France has old guys & new guys that did not play well in their early games. That is the beauty of football. Anything could happened.

The late night early morning drinking casualties during the month were huge. I can name names but the photos shows.

These are my mates during the World Cup games.Thanks guys.It was fun.

Hen had his birthday too during the World Cup month too.

Trip from Kota Kinabalu-Miri-Sibu

2006-06-19T19:00:00.000+08:00

Introduction: I have difficulty blogging this topic because somehow the pictures attached refuse to appear in the blog if I make this blog into 1 document. So I split it up into pieces and this is the start of the blog until I reached Sibu.

Trip from Kota Kinabalu-Miri-Sibu

I went back to my hometown Sibu, Sarawak for Gawai (Dayak's Harvest Festival) on 29 May 2006. Since I just bought a new car, I intend to find out what the car can do on such a long journey (about 900km).At the same time, I want to experience the journey from Kota Kinabalu (KK) to Sibu. I was joined by my in-laws for the trip.

Day 1 - KK to Miri

We took off about 8 am from KK on 29 May 06 towards Sidumin, a town at the Sarawak border. We passed by Papar, Beaufort, Sipitang & Weston on the way. Make a note to stop at Sipitang town because it has a great seaside view. We reached the Sabah-Sarawak Merapok/Siduman Checkpoint to enter Sarawak.

The trip was possible because of this car below, Mitsubishi Lancer GLX.

2006-06-19T18:21:00.000+08:00

Mom-in-law at the Merapok Sidumin Checkpoint.
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:20:00.000+08:00

Then we proceeded to Lawas town. We rested and moved on to enter the small Brunei country. We stamped our passports at Mengkalap Checkpoint to exit Sarawak. Details of Lawas is at this netlink (http://www.lawasdc.gov.my/b_malaysia.htm)

We reached a boat ferry to cross a river and the fare is RM10.
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:18:00.000+08:00

Then we drove into Brunei and stamped our passports into small Brunei at the Temburong Brunei Checkpoint. This checkpoint is not congested as the other Brunei checkpoints. Make sure you get a Temporary Brunei Car Pass at this checkpoint. It is called a 'Red Form' or 'Borang Merah'. The Pass is valid for a month for your car to pass through Brunei. Do not bring any liquor or you have to declare it to the Brunei customs.
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:16:00.000+08:00

We reached the Puni Brunei Checkpoint and stamped our passports out of small Brunei. We reached another boat ferry about 600 meters from Puni checkpoint and paid RM8 to cross it to Limbang.
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:15:00.000+08:00

My dad-in-law at Puni Checkpoint.
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:14:00.000+08:00

We proceeded off to Limbang to have lunch since the Limbang Checkpoint is at the Limbang river jetty. We cannot miss this checkpoint to enter Limbang or else we cannot get out of Sarawak.
Details of Limbang is at this netlink (http://www.limbang.net.my)
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:13:00.000+08:00

When we have finished our lunch, it was time to drive to the Sarawak/Brunei checkpoint at Tedungan. This is the worst checkpoint throughout the whole journey because of the heavy traffic. The time to go through this checkpoint can be at least 1 hour on weekdays or low traffic period. The time can be more than 1 hour on weekends or holidays. The Sarawak checkpoint is not a problem but the chokepoint is the Brunei Immigration. It opens 2 counters only and it took a while for them to process your passports.Any Brunaians reading this blog, take note. The Brunei government needs to speed up the processing time at his particular checkpoint.

We were out of the checkpoint and made our way to Jerudong Park and catch the highway to Kuala Belait. The highway is very good and it is a good place to test the maximum speed of the car. My car did maximum 140 km/h on the highway.Great drive. We passed Kuala Belait Junction and reached the Sungai Rasau Toll and paid Brunei$3 for the toll. We stamped our passports at the Sungai Tujoh Brunei/Sarawak checkpoint. There is another toll here and I paid RM10 to enter the highway to Miri City. We stayed overnight in Miri City because the whole journey took us about 12 hours and the distance is 450 km.

Details of Miri City is at this netlink (http://www.miricity.com.my)
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:11:00.000+08:00

The whole trip can be cut down dramatically if the Sarawak government makes a highway from Lawas direct to Miri that bypass Brunei. The route can be going behind the 2 Brunei country and it will eliminate the multiple in and out of Brunei.The Sarawak political party and government will definitely get a big boost of support if this idea is implemented.All take note that I am the one who suggested this idea on the internet.

Day 2 - Miri to Sibu

On the next day, we left Miri City about 10 am and drove for about an hour to Niah junction for a rest. Then we drove to Bintulu town for lunch. It is about 2 hours drive from Niah.

We stopped at Bintulu town for lunch. Bintulu is a very organised place and I compliment the local council for putting such a good road system. The Bintulu highway towards Selangau town is the best I seen so far. Hopefully the Sarawak government will pump in more money to make highway such as this throughout the Sarawak state.
Details of Bintulu is at this netlink (http://www.bda.gov.my)
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:09:00.000+08:00

Bintulu Tamu Market
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:08:00.000+08:00

Then we proceeded towards Sibu. The road condition between Bintulu Highway and Selangau is the worst part and the Sarawak government must do something about it. Bad patch work is in abundance at this part of the road. We stopped at Selangau town after 2 hours drive for tea time. Selangau is a typical small town on the Selangau river.
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:07:00.000+08:00

Selangau Town
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:05:00.000+08:00

After tea, we continued for about an hour to Sibu. The drive was good and we reached Sibu about 5 pm. Sibu is about 450km from Miri. It was good to be in Sibu and see its progress. It is where I grew up.It is good too to come back to where I started and assess where I am now.
Details of Sibu is at this netlink (http://www.sibu.com.my)
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:03:00.000+08:00

Sibu Wet Market
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:02:00.000+08:00

Sibu Center Esplanande
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T18:01:00.000+08:00

Conclusion
That is the end of this little blog about the journey I did for Gawai. You can always leave your comments and rate this piece. Check my other blogs for more pictures of the trip.
www.ibanguycam.blogspot.com

Labuan Harvest Festival 2006 Part 2

2006-05-25T17:42:00.000+08:00

Pamela won the Labuan Unduk Ngadau 2006.

Labuan Harvest Festival 2006

2006-05-15T10:21:00.000+08:00

Labuan Harvest Festival 14 May 06

It was Saturday and I just woke up about noon. Then I remembered I have to be at Manikar Beach Resort for the Labuan Harvest Festival organised by KDCA. So I went with my housemate.We reached the resort about 2pm and the place was packed with people. The celebration was mainly (to me) to pick a Labuan beauty queen (Unduk Ngadau). The Labuan Unduk Ngadau will represent Labuan in the main Harvest Festival in Kota Kinabalu on 27th May 2006.

So, we all wait for the big shots to arrive. A big entourage of big bikers paraded their bikes and the Labuan head honcho (Dato' Suhaili) came in his 3 cycle. That was a laugh.

Then everyone adjourned to the hall which was air conditioned. The hall was quite packed with people. The program was mundane and dry. I was told the event was not really publicised as previous years.

There was a few minor exhibitions such as below.

The Festival booklet was packed with sponsorship pages and little else. The only useful information I get was this Kadazandusun category. It says that the Kadazandusun has 4 main tribes; Murut, Dusun,Paitan & Rungus. Each tribes has their own sub-tribes.

You may notice I do not have the Unduk Ngadau pictures because I left early. I heard whoever the current winner is will face a tough competition in KK.

So much for Sunday.

3 Diamond Club

2006-04-14T12:19:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone,

Just to announce that I have created another blog dedicated to my new car. Check this link.

www.ibanguycar.blogspot.com

8 BALL POOL MATCH; ECT 3 - VET 5

2006-04-02T16:46:00.000+08:00

FRIENDLY MATCH OF POOL @ VETERAN'S PUB, LABUAN - Yesterday, ECT has a friendly match of Pool against the Veterans at Veteran's Pub. The match started from 9pm. ECT was represented by Petre, Nos, Zainal, Chia, Chin, Wan, Jordan and me.Veteran's was represented by Vincent,Olly, Ardie,Suboh, Zul, Jali.The match format was 4 singles and 2 doubles. A player can only play 1 single match and 1 double match. A match was decided on the best of 3 games. The match winner was decided on the best of 9 Matches.

(On with match)

1st Match was for Singles was Nosly v Suboh that ended with Veteran's won a point when Suboh won 2 games straight.The point by then was ECT = 0 ; Veteran = 1.

(Nosuboh)

2nd Match for for Doubles was Chia with Chin v Olly with Vincent.Veteran won the match with 2 straight games when and old man and a lady beat 2 strong guys.This one was where experience is better than skill.The point by then was ECT = 0 ; Veteran = 2.

(CC v OV)

3rd Match was for Singles. Jordan played against Ardie. Ardie won the 1st game and Jordan won the 2nd game. After a lot of psychological manipulation by the crowd, Jordan won the match. It was a tough match where both players jestered at each other to influence the mental state of the opponent.The point by then was ECT = 1 ; Veteran = 2.
(Ady v Jordan)

4th Match was for Doubles of Nos with Zainal against Zul with Jali.This was another tough match when after each team draw a point, Zul & Jali stole the match by sinking the last 8 ball. The point by then was ECT = 1 ; Veteran = 3.
(Vetnoszainal) (Vetzuljali)

5th Match for Singles was between Petre and Vincent. This was a great match to watch because 2 very skilled pool player showed exceptional shots to beat their opponent. Petre was fully focus during the match that he won it by 2 straight games. The point by then was ECT = 2 ; Veteran = 3.
(Vetpks)

The 6th Match for Doubles was between Wan with Jordan against Suboh and Ardie.Obviously ECT's double team for this match was dwarfed by a tremendously crafted double team of Suboh & Ardie. The crowd could almost see that Ardie set the balls and Suboh sinked them in. Wan and Jordan did not recover in time and Veteran took this match by 2 straight games.The point by then was ECT = 2 ; Veteran = 4.

The 7th Match for Singles was between Zainal and Olly. Zainal steamrolled Olly into a 2 game submission.The point by then was ECT = 3 ; Veteran = 4.

The 8th Match for Singles was between Wan and Zul.ZUl continously showed that his experience was more useful to beat younger fast pool players such as Wan.The matched ended with Sul took 2 games in a row and that was the end of the Friendly Match. The point by then was ECT = 3 ; Veteran = 4.
(Vetgang)

The final score is ECT took 3 points and Veteran took 5 points. The price for the Match was a bottle of Chivas Regal.
(Vetscore)

When we all had a huge share of Chivas, there was a special Match went on later in the morning between Jordan and Zainal. It was a pool match for best of 3 games. The loser stripped. Zainal managed to beat Jordan after a lot of psychological tactics. The games was won more on mental fitness than pool skills. So, Jordan has to stripped.

(Naked Pic removed by request)
(VetstrippS pic)

We all went back at 5 in the morning because Vincent wanted to go back home. So, to all my friends who wants to visit Labuan, make sure you are ready to be initiated into the many sides of Labuan nite life.Do not say I did not warn you.

VETERAN'S PUB in LABUAN

2006-03-22T10:23:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was where me & my friends allowed the evening events to go on Auto-pilot. Auto-pilot event means where you allow circumstances dictate what you are going to do next. We played football after office hours and went for dinner at about 7pm.We ordered Kangkung belacan (Vegetable mixed with shrimp paste), Chicken Tomyam Soup, Mince Pork Omellette with salted fish and Fried Omellete with some more pork. It sounds so good and it looks good.

We went to a place called 126.In Cantonese-English, the place sounds like "Want to 'Sek'". Sek in Cantonese means 'to eat'.126 serves good pork ribs, Japanes Tofu & other chinese style culinary delights. Make sure you visit it if you are in Labuan.

After dinner, we chat about stuff and what to do when 2 of us will go to Filipinas in May this year. Some of the suggestions were good, some were ok but others were plain 'skodeng' stuff. One of us said we should do something that touch all the human senses i.e. Sight, smell, taste, touch, & sound. See the sights in Clark or Manila. Smell the B.O. of Filipinas's whorespitality. Taste the foods. Hear the songs played in 'Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas'. Touch the soft skin of a feminine being. After all those cock-talk, we decided to go to Veteran's Pub.

Veteran's Pub is run by Vincent Pereira. He is a retired Air-Force guy. He served the country when he was with the Royal Malaysian Air-Force . He said he visited a lot of places in the world and somehow landed in Labuan. You can find out the details of his journey when you see him. The pub is a nice cosy little place where everyone there knows your name. Very much like 'Cheers'. 'Cheers' was a TV Sitcom with Kirstie Alley & Ted Danson.

Vince wants to put up more photos of his Air-Force days. The local authority saw the pics on his walls and they want it for free. Typical Malaysian government officers mentality. They want free stuff all the time. This attitude is one of the factors that breeds corruption and incompetence.One of the most sentimental topic of the evening was about Pakcik Rahman.

Pakcik Rahman is the only local WW2 war veteran left in Labuan. He is somehow a mascot of the locals when Labuan has its ANZAC Day in Labuan or the Labuan Landing Celebration every 10 years. Again, the 'free-stuff' mentality crops again when the local authority wants his war medals for FREE. They want the medals to be put up in the local Muzium and his name engraved on some monument. I hope to do an article about Pakcik Rahman's life in the future since the local authority is not serious on the welfare of Pakcik Rahman. Currently, he only recieves RM170 a month since he retired ages ago. If you feel he deserves more for his WW2 services, please call Vincent at 00616-836 3864.

So, we settled down and played pool. Vincent has installed a new carpet on his pool table. It looks new.

Suddenly, one of the customers rang the bar bell. This means all drinks are paid for up to then.He bought us drinks and we ordered a new drink in town, Murphy's Irish Stout. The stout is really nice compared to our local Guinness Stout. The can is massive too. A serving is half a liter and its on RM3.50 per can.

We stayed longer and basically had clean fun teasing the bar tender, Oli. Oli was sporting enough to play pool with us and and she basically kicks everyone's ass.I blame it on the beers and stouts we had.

We had fun and stayed until 1 in the morning.It was one of those days.

About Labuan Island

2006-03-19T13:03:00.000+08:00

(Right mouse click on the picture and open in new window to see a larger & clearer image)

One of my readers suggested I blog more about Labuan. It is a good idea.For a start the above shows the island from a satelite view. Labuan is a huge island. Basically, it takes 30 minutes to drive from one tip to the other tip of the island (i.e. Manikar Beach to Universiti Malaysia Sabah)

History
Labuan was under the rule of various empires from the Majapahit Empire in the 14th century to the Brunei Sultanate. The Island was given to the British by the Brunei Sultanate in 1846. The British then declared Labuan a colony of the British Empire in 1849 and renamed it Victoria.

The British lost Labuan in 1942 when the Japanese Army occupied the island.
The Island was renamed Maeda Island during the Japanese rule. The British resumed control of the island after World War 2 until 1963 when Labuan joined Malaysia and became a part of Sabah.

The Island became a Federal Territory of Malaysia in 1984. Labuan was declared an International Offshore Financial Centre in 1990. The population of Labuan is about 80,000 now.

Labuan Attractions.
Labuan is a great destination for those divers who dares to visit the Marine Park and its 4 main ship wrecks (Blue water wreck, Cement Wreck, American Wreck & Australian Wreck)
(http://www.impressions.com.my/labuanmain/marine_park.htm)(http://www.asiadivesite.com/malaysia-dive-sites/labuan/)

More detail info on Labuan is one this site:http://www.labuantourism.com.my/Home/Home.htm

Islands

The Kuraman Island is a good place for a beach retreat. I have been there a few times. The Island looks like a stingray.

The Papan Island (Pulau Papan) is a small island. Neverbeen there. The Da'at Island (Pulau Daat) is inhabited by some locals but whether they are Malaysian is for the local authority to find out.

Labuanites use the Labuan Ferry to Menumbok Sabah if they choose to go there by land. The ferry takes 2 hours to reach the other side and there are about 4 trips per day.

Do make your way to Labuan and check out the Calendar of events at this site:

http://www.labuantourism.com.my/calender2006/calendermain.htm

Hotel Labuan Sdn Bhd

2006-03-18T17:55:00.000+08:00

Hotel Labuan Sdn Bhd - Labuan's Enigmatic Hotel

This hotel was empty and abandon since the company that ran the business has a dispute with the Labuan's municipal council. The case was reported in Hotel Labuan Sdn Bhd v Lembaga Pembangunan Labuan [1998] MLJU 65.The official reason it was closed is because the hotel was claimed not fit to be occupied.

Any law student can get the facts of the case and the outcome of it from the case report.

However, the public always wonder what will the local authority do about this hotel. The locals say that this hotel attracted a lot of patrons & guest way back in the early 90s because it offers meals & services that were cheaper than other hotels in Labuan. Some say it is a result of the volatile political dispute since the hotel was connected with a prominent political figure of Sabah who oppossed the Federal Government back then. So, if you are in Labuan, don't forget to take pictures of Labuan's own enigmatic hotel, Hotel Labuan.

I am not sure if the contacts below still works.

Hotel Labuan Sdn Bhd

Jalan Merdeka, P. O . Box 354,

87007 Federal Territory Labuan

Tel: 087-412502 Fax: 087-415355.

FUTSAL FEVER IN LABUAN

2006-03-10T18:10:00.000+08:00

The futsal fever is in Labuan. Why? Because I am playing it. My team plays regularly on Wednesday evening. It is a game played differently from conventional football ala EPL, Liga Espanol, World Cup 2006.

Currently the world champion is Spain. Futsal's development can be accessed at UEFA's website : http://www.uefa.com/competitions/futsal/news/index.html

In Labuan, FUTSAL is only played at a Tennis Court run by Labuan Corporation. The fee is RM30 per hour and we usually play 2 hours (1930 hours until 2130 hours).

You can contact us for a game of FUTSAL in Labuan. Our team's contact person is Sazali Suzin or Henry Morris at 006087 453858, Fax: 006087 453616.

Morris Minor in Labuan

2006-03-04T12:12:00.000+08:00

I saw this car parked behind the office and decided to take its photo. The Car looks good. The interior is white and the dashboard is pretty.

(Excerp from Wikipedia)

The Morris Motor Company was a former British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations the Morris name remained as a marque (vehicle brand).

HistoryMorris was started in 1913 when bicycle manufacturer William Morris (1877-1963) turned his attention to car manufacturing. A factory was opened in Oxford and the company's first car the "Bullnose" Oxford was introduced.

During the 1920s Morris established a reputation for producing high quality cars. In 1924 Morris overtook Ford to become Britain's biggest car manufacturer, holding a 51% share of the home market. Also in 1924 the head of the Morris sales agency in Oxford, Cecil Kimber, started building sporting versions of Morris cars called MG after the agency Morris Garages.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s the company produced mainly simple but reliable family cars. The most famous Morris car was the Morris Minor introduced in 1948 reusing a name from 1928. The Morris Oxford of 1948 was the basis for the design of India's famous state-produced Ambassador automobile.

In the early 1950s Morris merged with its old rival Austin to form the British Motor Corporation. In 1968, the Morris brand became part of British Leyland.

The Morris brand name was used until the early 1980s on cars such as the Morris Marina. The facelifted Marina, the Morris Ital was the last Morris-badged passenger car until its demise in 1984. (The last Morris was a van based on the Austin Metro.) The Morris assembly plant in Cowley was turned over in the early 1980s for the production of Austin and Rover badged vehicles.

The rights to the Morris badge is currently owned by MG Rover, who have inherited the remains of and BMC and BL. The Cowley assembly plant is now owned by BMW, who use it to assemble the New MINI. With MG Rover currently in receivership, it is not clear who will buy the Morris badge.

Ushering Year 2006

2006-01-09T17:29:00.000+08:00

It has been another eventful year for 2005. For example, I started this blog. Learn a few tricks on it. Before I knew it, 2006 is here.

I dispense away with the traditional 'What is your New Year resolution' crap. I just wish everyone a good health and happiness. God bless all of you and hopefully it will be another year where you and everyone else achieve success in whatever they do.

I celebrated Christmas and New Year with my wife. We had a Christmas tree that has great lights.

Anyway, I am looking forward for a challenging year. So, 2006, BRING IT ON !!!!!

Nokia 6600 - My new partner

2005-12-19T14:30:00.000+08:00

I finally grabbed a similar mobile phone to my old one. It is a Nokia 6600. Locals called it the 'soap' phone or 'Fat boy'. I like it because it has similar functions to the old one except it does not have a radio. Don't need it though. The radio reception at my place is bad anyway.

It has Infra Red function that I have yet to exploit.It has the same stuff I like i.e. Bluetooth, MMC slots and great free games on the internet to download. Bought it for RM830.

It has a camera function that I think I will use regularly. Don't think I need it but what the heck. Looking forward to use it for a long time.

NOKIA NGAGE - DISENGAGED

2005-12-15T09:09:00.000+08:00

I cannot find my mobile phone this week. It is a NOKIA NGAGE. The last time I saw it was 2 days ago. It is a pity because that phone was with me for 2 years. It is a collector's item. Bought it for RM990 and after 2 years the price is still good at RM850. Besides using it as a phone, it is a gamedeck, MP3 player, Thumbdrive, Alarm, Memo, Calender and great Bluetooth connectivity.

I feel depress and sad that this little companion is not with me now. I am willing to think that it is gone forever. I have to start thinking getting a new mobile phone but it will not be another NOKIA NGAGE. The 1st will not be as good as the 2nd NGAGE.

The next mobile phone must have a Bluetooth connectivity and MMC slot. A camera will be a bonus. Looks like i have to bust another RM1000 for the new phone. I will introduce the new phone in the next blog.

B'Dazzle in Labuan

2005-11-19T14:15:00.000+08:00

(BackL-R: K (Vocal/Keybard), Jim (Drums), John (Lead Guitar/Vocal), Y (Bass), Front: Boy (Vocal), Lady: Lily (Vocal))

My favorite band is back in Labuan now. B'Dazzle is made up of K and Lily on vocals, Jon on lead guitar, Y on bass, Nash on keyboard and Jim on drums. The band give energetic performance on stage. It is not a surprise that the audience just hang out in Pop Inn to watch them play live music.

These guys are one of the best live band I have seen in Malaysia. They play English, Malay & Chinese songs from the 70s all the way to today's hits. Right now they are playing in Pop Inn, Labuan and there is a good regular crowd on weekdays. Weekends are packed with people who listen to the live music and other night life stuff.

They are playing in Labuan until New Year's Eve 2006. After that everyone will do their own thing. I believe Labuan will not see them for a year because the members are joining another band in other parts of the country.

I will stay at home if the band is not in Labuan. However, I will be a regular at Pop Inn when they pay there. Rock on guys.

The Late Datin Seri Endon Mahmood - Condolence to the Prime Minister

2005-10-20T16:36:00.000+08:00

Malaysians were greeted with sad news today when the late Datin Seri Endon Mahmood, the wife of our current Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi pass away this morning at 750 am. She was battling with illness for the pass years. We convey our condolence to the Prime Minister.

Photos' copyright belongs to the owner and not me.

Arsenal FC - Gunners

2005-10-13T17:12:00.000+08:00

I have been a fan of Arsenal FC for a long time. They always play beautiful football. The goals were scored in an elegant manner. If there is a beauty pagent for goals, Arsenal would win it hands down. Now, I noticed that Arsenal's beautiful football is not relevant in the EPL. Chelsea FC has found a way to play effectively. Fans like us always torn between winning with style and winning at all cost. Since Viera left Arsenal, I believe the likes of Henry, Ljunberg, Fabregas, Reyes & Pires will compensate the gap. I just don't feel Henry should be the Captain. Campbell should be the Captain. They are now at 7th place with 4W, 2D & 1L. Lost to Chelsea on 7 Aug 2005 at Chelsea's turf. Hopefully that is the last game they lost. It is still early in the league. We the Gunners believe we can be at the top 2 in the EPL this season.

Photos from ECT's Opening Ceremony

2005-09-26T15:06:00.000+08:00

ECT had their Opening Ceremony on Thursday, 22nd September 2005.
You can see all the good photos from ECT's Opening Ceremony below.

2005-09-26T15:05:00.000+08:00

The view of the 2nd floor office.

2005-09-26T15:04:00.001+08:00

The Board room cum Pub, Home theater etc etc

2005-09-26T15:04:00.000+08:00

When everyone is high, lets do the SUMAZAU.

2005-09-26T15:02:00.000+08:00

One man, one woman. The girls of ECT are pretty, ain't they?

2005-09-26T15:01:00.001+08:00

A man and his 4 wives.

2005-09-26T15:01:00.000+08:00

The front door of ECT's new office. What more can i say.

2005-09-26T15:00:00.001+08:00

One of ECT's company board

2005-09-26T15:00:00.000+08:00

Barry, Rob, Molupinas & Morismo at Barry's Bar in ECT. We have a bar you know, to entertain friends.

2005-09-26T14:59:00.000+08:00

Friends of ECT

2005-09-26T14:58:00.000+08:00

Friends of ECT

EC Trust has moved to new office !!!!

2005-09-15T16:24:00.000+08:00

It was a great relief for the staff of EC Trust when the company finally packed all its stuff and moved to the new office on 11 Sept 2005. (Sept 11 ?? NY Twin Tower coincidence?) The office was operational on 12th Sept 2005. There will be an 'office warming' party next week and you will see some photos after the event.

The address of the new office is: U0195, Jalan Merdeka 87007 Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia

The postal address :- P.O. Box No. 81933, 87007 Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia

EC Trust's New Office

2005-08-30T17:55:00.000+08:00

The photos above show the last batch of boxes to move to our new office.

This week is a very hectic week for our company because we are moving to our new office. Yeah !!!! We are currently packing our files into boxes and all these boxes will be carried out of our Financial Park Labuan office on Saturday, 2nd September 2005. This was how the new office looks like when we bought it..........

The office has its own personal guard when it was bought. Amazing !

This is how it looks like now..................................

The body guard was fired because he cannot find the culprit who stole the garbage bin at the back alley. So, we appoint the neighbour's dogs to guard the new office. Dogs are men's best friend.

I will post the photo of the complete office next week.

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka !!!!!!!

2005-08-24T09:44:00.000+08:00

Malaysians annually celebrate National Day on the 31st August. Malaysia comprises of 13 states and 3 Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya & Labuan). West Malaysia (a.k.a Malaya)became an Independant state on 31/08/2005. East Malaysia joined West Malaysia to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963.

Malaysians comprises of various races such as Melayu, Chinese, Indian, Iban, KadazanDusun and other ethnics. The national religion is Islam but freedom of religion is practiced and protected under the Federal Constitution.

This year's National Day is viewed with mix feelings amongst the various race in Malaysia. There has been a lot of racial sentiments being discussed publicly. The politicians are monitoring these racial issues with trepidation. Old social contracts are raised. New social contracts are promoted. The new generations has demanded better treatment from the present government with regards to distribution of public contracts, transparency in the government machinery, allocation of admitted students in public universities and aid in succesful sports performance that is dominated by non-Melayu.

Only time can tell if things will change for a better country for all Malaysians.

Atama - My Tribal Roots Hip Hop Album

2005-08-22T17:51:00.000+08:00

Just got myself this Audio CD by a local Sabahan DJ called Atama. His debut album sells like hot cakes and this is very impressive. The concept of the album is unique bcos it has 'Interludes' i.e. spoken words about the local tribal warrior/hero. The cool thing about the album is the fusion between the KadazanDusun songs with Hip Hop style beats. It works because there are people buying this stuff for the 'Aramaiti' session.

The album was criticised for 'distorting' the purity of the KadazanDusun songs it has mixed in the album. I say this is Boolsheet. Without the exposure this album generates for KadazanDusun songs, no one gives a hoot about local KadazanDusun songs or its artists.

Some say it copy the concept of 'APL Song' by the Black Eye Peas. I say "So What?". Every song copies other songs. Nothing new about it.

It reminds me of the Japanese Rap songs with the catchy beats and ryhme. The only thing I think needs improvement is Atama's image. Can someone give him some image tips? He looks like this guy from Ruffedge.

Labuan - Malaysia's Own Offshore Financial Services Jurisdiction

2005-08-15T10:27:00.000+08:00

I can say only one out of every ten Malaysians knows that Labuan Island was gazetted as Malaysian's Offshore Financial Services Jurisdiction in 1990. LOFSA is the authority that manages the offshore financial services. Anyone can open an offshore company with one of Labuan's 19 Trust Company. EC Trust is highly recommended for its expertise in worldwide tax laws. The offshore company's trading profit is taxed at 3% per year and no tax if the company is an investment holding entity.

LOFSA is currently promoting Islamic Offshore Financial Product to support Bank Negara's target to be the region's top Islamic Financial Product Jurisdiction.

The other attraction of Labuan is its rich history with the Allies during World War 2 that liberated the island from Japanese Occupation. A War Memorial (below) was built to remember those who have died during the said war. A Labuan Landing Day is celebrated every 10 years to remember the last day of the occupation.

Labuan Island is a nice place to work and relax. It is a duty free island and any items that is highly taxed can be bought at its cost price. Any serious shopper can take a 20 minutes flight to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Email me if you want to know more about Labuan Island.

Photo courtesy of www.pbase.com

Haze in Malaysia

2005-08-11T17:29:00.000+08:00

We Malaysians go through this haze every year. The haze is caused by smoke from the open burning either our own rural areas or Indonesia (Sumatra or Kalimantan).

However, this year is the worst haze that our friends in Klang Valley ever experienced. The Air Pollution Index (API) reached 450. There is a possibility that all residents in the high-API areas will be ordered to stay home until the haze subsides.

The Indonesians are being accused of causing the haze and there is nothing the Indon government can do about it. It might have not be this bad if the wind that came from the south equator do not turned north-east.

This is what we Malaysians have to put up with being a natural neighbour to the bush burning peasants.

Photo copyright is owned by www.kiat.net

Playstation 2 - My Escape From The Real World

2005-08-10T11:52:00.000+08:00

Playing video games is my favourite passtime. It borders into an obsession. I have the SCPH 5000 model that rocks!!!! Bought it in Imbi Plaza for RM900 in 2003. I have about 50 PS2 games in my collection now and I only finished Final Fantasy 10 !!!! I am almost done with Shadow Hearts:Covenants.

I started playing computer games since 1996 on an Amstrad PC. I played PC games ever since and witnessed the progress of the PC games industry ever since. The only glaring improvement was the graphics area. The resources needed to generate the graphics in a PC games increased manyfold.

Then I discovered PS One in 2000. It provided a different 'feel' to the PC games. I still can play my PS One games on my PS2 console. My favorite game for PSOne is Vagrant Story. I fell in love with the characters. Currently the best game developer for RPGs is Square Enix.

Playstation gamers are a cult itself. Within the cult, there are many members with different game-taste. Some gamers likes RPG, Fighting, FPS or Sports. I like RPGs.

When I pick up the PS2 gamepad, I am transported to another world. Its the best way to forget the real world we live in day to day.

AF3 - Anti climax of all AFs

2005-08-08T10:21:00.000+08:00

Just as i expected. Mawi won AF3 and he also won the other 2 prizes (Best vocal & Best Showmanship). The Malay media branded him a phenomenon i.e. a rare occurence. Adlin AR (one of the juries) said the truth about Mawi. He represents an idol all Malays are looking for and AF3 is a total Malay show. Why other races watches the show, is a different issue. To me, the only true Malaysian AF is AF 1. AF2 is a voting contest between West and East Malaysians. AF3 is a Melayu show all the way. Syabas Mawi !!!
Photo above is courtesy of Mawi Fan Club at Yahoo.

Look at the other talent show, Malaysian Idol. That is real talent. The judges are nasty, the contestants are semi-pros, the songs and MCs are multilingual. I guess the only reason why it sucks is the packaging of the show. It is soooooooo B Grade. What happen to Jacky anyway?

Akademi Fantasia 3 - Finalists 6 August 2005

2005-08-05T12:30:00.000+08:00

Hooray !!! At last we in Malaysia will see the Final Concert for Akademi Fantasia #3. I think Mawi will win cos he has led the votes so far. Felix will get the 2nd spot. This guy is great and will go far. Marsha has good vocal but she can't really perform. Amylea is the best performer so far. She seems melodramatic but hey, that is what being an artist all about. Drama......

I like Akma but her Beyonce-style dance routine screwed up her votes. Her fans were obviously offended. Overall, this batch of students are good. But Mawi-bashing news in the early weeks of AF3 screwed up the votes. His fans rallied behind him and defending him and that is where he gets the votes until today. Serve you right, Astro jury prick !!!!!!!! Its not Mawi's fault, its the Astro management fault if they think the votes now is not reflecting the quality of the show. Its a popularity contest, dammit !!!

Photo above courtesy of Astro website.

The Art of Photography

2005-07-29T09:44:00.000+08:00

I am thinking of getting a good digital SLR camera. I think I have a good eye for taking good photographs. In Malaysia, good ones with 4 Mb pixels quality is around RM2,000. Expensive. I took the shot on the left from my mate's Coolpix 5Mb pix camera. Looks good. I have to adjust the shot setting because the standard setting sucks.

Just got into Cricket

2005-07-21T13:26:00.000+08:00

I have just subscribed The Ashes. That is the 5 Test Series between Australia v England. I am gonna spend the whole time from 21st July 2005 - September 2005 watching it.

Labuan Bachelors

2005-07-21T10:45:00.000+08:00

Most Eligible Bachelors of Labuan. Only available during the Labuan International Rugby 10s annually.

From Left:
Henri Maurismo (France), Zain Molupinas (Greece), Pete Searle (Australia), Shahjehan Kasim Khan (UAE), Franco Demanggo (Spain) & Nos Wazydkasmanikov (Russia).

Pulau Tiga, Sabah a.k.a. Survivor Island

2005-07-21T10:16:00.000+08:00

Our company went for a trip to Pulau Tiga, Sabah (also known as Survivor Island) from 17-19 DECEMBER 2004. It is an island off the west coast of Sabah. It is accessible from a town called Kuala Penyu (Turtle Bay). We were staying at the Pulau Tiga Resort. We reached the island at noon and went straight for snorkeling at the coral reserve in front of the resort's beach. Beautiful corals at low tide. The next day we went for jungle hiking and took a dip at the mud volcano. We went for the Flying Fox Adventure in the afternoon. We went for the Banana Boat ride the next morning and it was a great thrill. The island is highly recommended for those who seek outdoor adventures.

60th Labuan Landing Event

2005-07-21T09:58:00.000+08:00

The 60th Labuan Landing was a succesfull event on 8th-10th June 2005. There were a lot of war veterans came to the Island of Labuan for the event. Datuk Mohd. Isa was the VIP of the day. A few days later he was sacked because he rigged the voting process that put him where he were that day. Ironic.

2005-07-04T14:45:00.001+08:00

Labuan Police Academy

2005-07-04T14:45:00.000+08:00

Labuan Airport View

2005-07-04T14:44:00.001+08:00

Labuan Shell Refinery

2005-07-04T14:44:00.000+08:00

Labuan Island Views

Holiday in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

2005-05-17T15:35:00.000+08:00

Sunday, 8th May 2005
We arrived at Brisbane airport at 630pm and my freind drove us to Wyuna Apartment at Burleigh Heads. The weather was cold (17 deg Celsius). We were hungry at 10pm and noticed that all shops were closed except 7-11. I bought Maggie noodles and that was our supper.

Monday, 9th May 2005
We rented a car (Hyundai Excel) for AUD168. I filled it up with AUD30 petrol and it cost 97 cents per litre. We just spent our day at Burleigh Heads's Stockland and shops nearby. Bought most of the souvenirs for my friends at Crazy Clark's Discount Store. We went to Pacific Fair at Surfer's Paradise but it was closed at 6 pm. So we had dinner at a Malaysian Diner for AUD80.

Tuesday, 10th May 2005
We drove to Seaworld and spent the whole day there. The Pirate's Ride was cool. We stopped at Surfer's Paradise in the evening and had our dinner there.

Wednesday, 11th May 2005
We went to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and had a wonderful time meeting the animals there especially the koalas and kanagaroos. In the evening, my wife and I went to Jupiter's Casino at Surfers Paradise with our Aussie friends. We gamble at the slot machines but I refrain from playing at the Poker Table since the minimum bet was AUD10.

Thursday, 12th May 2005
We went to Warner Bros's Movieworld and had a great time with the attractions including Batman Rides, Matrix Exhibit, Wild Wild West Rides, Roxy 3D Cinema and Scooby Doo Spooky House. The best time i had was on the Lethal Weapon Ride. It was exhilirating and my head was dizzy after the ride.

Friday, 13th May 2005
We checked out of the apartment and made our way to Robina. We caught a train to Brisbane City and the ride was a wonderful experience. We spent the whole day in the city and went to the airport to catch the plane back home at 7pm.

The trip was great since it is the first oversea holiday and we will never forget it.