Life as we know it..

ah.. sorry abt being too political in the previous posting.. just that i was reminded abt one of my good friends who was hanged abt 2 years back..

he was such a nice person.. so polite.. and very caring.. but he got into drugs when he was in his early teens.. and could never get away from it..

even after being arrested several times, he went into relapses whenever he's released..

one day, he bought some drugs from a peddler, and was arrested while the heroin was still in his possession..

and was sentenced to death.

he was hanged abt 2 years back.. and for those of u idiots who would say that he deserved it, i hope ur children will get hanged too.

and ur spouses too.

and all their family members.

and your neighbour who u have a crush on.

and his dog.

or her dog.

or cat. delete where applicable.

this friend of mine, is a very nice person.. and he fucked his life up by getting addicted to heroin.. and i know he wanted to quit, and he just couldnt.

smokers know how tough it is to quit smoking.. and chances of relapses are high.. what more if u are addicted to such things..

that's why i never tried to quit smoking..

and children, please stay away from drugs.

try to get addicted to alcohol instead. it's never too early to start.

Dear Mr Executioner,

I envy you, Sir. You have the coolest job on earth.

Where else in the world can one kill legally? And your predecessor, Mr Something Singh, had killed 50 people through his career. That's even more than most suicide bombers.

And isnt it nice that your actions had caused friction between two countries? Damn it, do you see the repercussions of your job? I am sure you had turned lives and families over. I am sure that some children had been left fatherless. Wives became widows. And mothers losing their babies that they had nurtured, but somehow had taken a wrong turn in their lives. Some out of greed, some out of desperation.

Desperation. That's something that a lot of people who are so powerful, such as you are, Sir, wouldnt understand. How the drug trafficker, Nguyen, had been so desperate to relieve his brother from debt had been. And it wasnt his cause. But then again, those are his words to save himself. Might not be true anyway.

Drugs kill people. So let's kill those who kill others. Does two negatives really make a positive?

Two wrongs never make things right. I am sure even Hitler has some people in his family who loved him. He did, anyway.

Imagine the lives that had been turned around due to executions. A mother who ran away from Vietnam, and gave birth in a refugee camp. Brought her kids to Australia so they can have a proper life. One got involved doing the wrong things and the other suffered the repercussions.

True, he should suffer the consequences of his actions. But what about those around him? What happened to the children of those victims of capital punishment? The wives? The parents?

I despise capital punishment. True, I would love to be able to kill without conscience. But sadly, I do have my conscience. As little as it is, it's still there.

Capital punishment is murder. Legalised as it is, it is still a premeditated killing of someone. I can understand killing when it's required to do so in order to protect lives and property. Or to prevent the commission of rape or kidnapping. But to do it after it is all over? Isnt it like shooting someone from the back? The danger is no longer there. What can possibly justify the premeditated legalised killing?

I am sure we are governed by smart people who can think of alternatives, rather than to take away lives, or to spend taxpayers' money on prison expenses if capital punishment is abolished. They are smart, and I am sure a good brainstorming session would do some good. They are paid highly, and unlike the rest of us who are monofocused, I am pretty sure they can think of something else that we all cant think abt. 50 times more money per year than the average Joe Lim. I am sure they can think 50 times better.

Or 50 times better means to tell us and the entire world that the best punishment is still what Nigeria practice for adultery?

And please dont compare to certain states in America where they still perform "humane" executions. After a few minutes, the results of stoning in Nigeria and lethal injections in America IS THE SAME. If i am given a chance to opt for my own death penalty, i dont think i would care how they would kill me.

I dont think the legislators, judges and juries provides life. Or provides for the necessities of life for those who finally chose a wrong path and therefore led themselves to their doom. So i dont think they actually have the rights to take away someone's life.

I'm not biased on the crimes by thinking that murderers should be hanged and drug peddlers should be spared.

Punish them. But not in a way where you dont have the rights to tread. You dont have the rights to take away someone else's life.

Mr Executioner, I hope you were smiling when you placed the noose. Cause at least I can be rest assured that there is someone who would benefit from it, when the rest of the world cried.

I'm just wondering. When did God resigned and left you in charge?

Your's Truly,

The Devil. Reincarnated.

My soul will have to wait till i get back.. find a heina of my own..

well.. i'm back.. again..

actually.. i came back yesterday.. i spent the whole day today with my band.. yazid called for a session just now before the gig on 11th..

anyway, i'm supposed to work on 10th and 11th.. so if i cant get an off day, i wont be playing for that gig.. and the band will have to back out then.. too bad.. ska without drums.. weird..

we spent time at lucky plaza for lunch, and then to starbucks next to california fitness, then to esplanade.. damn.. i miss my bandmates..

all of us were there just now.. except for hamdy, whoz in camp, and din, who dont have enough in his ezlink.. spent time discussing abt the new songs and those that we intend to play for this upcoming gig..

and we have decided not to play for the next skafest.. which is supposed to be in january.. GSC is playing.. again.. for those who are interested..

the girls left at abt 9+, except for nas, who had reattached to her bf beep.. thank goodness.. and the two of them, and me, and yazid, went to lau pa sat for dinner..



shida and fiza..



me and azil.. dia tengah tak betul tu..



Yazid, Umi, Azil and Me..

damn.. i miss my band.. and i miss the drumkit.. the next jamming session will be on saturday... but i have a nite flight after that.. so cant hang out..

backtrack..

spent the past several days with my bro and his family in sydney.. damn.. i miss the kids again now..

he lives in a place called Lakemba, in a district of Canterbury, Sydney.. and the whole place is populated by muslims.. mostly lebanese..

spent most of the week slacking at home with the kids.. and watching them play xbox.. on the 2nd day, went down to a mall at Roselands.. they bought me a pair of shoes there as a surprise belated birthday gift.. had lunch at macdonald's after that.. therez several halal macdonald's there coz sydney has the highest muslim population in Australia, and therez a halal kfc too.. just one..

and therez lots of cute lebanese girls there.. at macdonald's..

the next day, went down to another mall at Bankstown, and got Madagascar DVD and xbox game for my nephews.. i love madagascar.. thanks intan.. for recommending that movie.. lepak giler..

as usual, Australia is boring in the evenings and on weekends.. most shops were closed, but i had a good enough time playing and slacking around with the kids.. and played takraw and football in the backyard with my bro, his colleagues, and my nephews..

so that made up for everything.. took lots of pictures of them, and videos.. especially of the princess of my family..



there she is..



now.. thatz a pose..



with nutella and flour on her face.. while her mom was baking a chocolate cake..

i actually took a lot of the boys' pics too.. but itz always the same.. they are always with their xbox..



anyway.. for those of u who had never been to Australia.. burger king is known as Hungry Jacks there...

i left on tuesday.. so so sad.. i wish i could spend more time with them.. i checked in early at the airport to ensure a good seat.. and went back to see the boys play tennis..



yayat had always said that he wants to be a tennis player.. so his dad booked them for tennis coaching and tennis camps..

had a good flight back that day too.. met several of my friends on board..

ok.. backtracking..

on monday, i met Safa.. the lebanese girl that i'm supposed to marry.. but i have not made up my mind.. somehow after finding out abt their culture, it turns me off.. but i dont really care now who i marry, as long as she fits my current criteria..

my previous criteria:
- slim
- fair
- smart
- non possessive
- pretty
- must have a hobby and lots of friends. a girl without a hobby or friends will tend to cling like ermz.. nevermind..

yeah.. ok.. i'm superficial.. so? shoot me?

my current criteria:
- muslim
- slim
- must be a true female. i dont like those born males that switched genders.
- younger than me. thatz not that hard anyway.. most of the world's population are younger than me.
- never been married before..

no offence to divorcees and widows.. but as a never-been-married bachelor, i think that i'd settle down with someone who had never been married too.. so we start building our lives together.. i dont think i like the fact of starting a new life with someone who had attempted to build her life with someone else before me.. as much as i love kids, i think i'd stay away from other ppl's responsibilities.. i'll get kids of my own.. so i'll get a heina of my own..

i leave the decision of the marriage to my brother and sis-in-law.. if they want me to marry this girl, then i will.. if they decide against it, then i wont..

i'm too lazy to start a new relationship.. but i told them to hurry to get to the decision coz if they take too long and i already have a new gf, then itz too bad..

anyway, i dont really care now lah, as long as she can click with my family.. but i prefer a pretty wife.. so i will get beautiful kids..

unless u ppl think i'm ugly lah.. then dont bother holding my kids..

so now.. i'm single still.. anyone applying? and please.. no gays..

ok.. btw.. just a statement that have no relevance to whatever that i typed.. i hate attention seekers.

Somehow.. therez a hole in my heart...

ok.. not my heart.. but i'll get back to that later..

anyway.. i'm stoned now.. have not slept for 23 hrz or so..

came back from Jakarta this morning, after spending a night there.. arrived in the late afternoon, and headed down to Plaza Senayan in town right after checking in, with Ahmad, Sabrina and an old friend of mine, a 747 pilot, Gin.. who coincidentally flew in for a cargo flight for the first time there.. we used to club and hangout together abd 6 or 7 yrz back.. and have not met since..

nothing to buy in Senayan actually.. Ahmad and Sabrina went on their way to get their stuffs, so me and Gin went around looking at Indonesian chics and had a very nice nutella with peanut crepes with Teh Sosro, the most popular drink among the indonesians.. or also known as Tehbotol.. and walked around Kinokuniya and sat down at Starbucks for coffee while waiting for the other 2..

got back to the hotel at abt 7pm, and sat by the pool with Gin, and soon after, were joined by Lawrence, Kenny, Joyce and Sabrina.. had our wines at the poolside while battling with the mosquitoes..

we stayed in a nice resort hotel.. surrounded by so many plants and a big lake, itz always a losing battle with the buzzers.. like.. WTH they called it? mozzies? yeah rite.. doesnt it sound cool? prolly was thought abt by some middle aged govt officer.. mozzie.. heh.. i'ld call them MOSQUITOES still..

here'z a pic from the poolside..



thatz not the lake that i mentioned.. thatz a SWIMMING POOL.

we got hungry and went on for the dinner buffet.. i think itz more of sashimi and sushi buffet for me coz thatz the only section i attacked that nite..

after arriving in singapore this morning, i went down to Funan to get a haircut at KImage..

went down to Tampines, and coincidentally, met Andrew and Wily again.. even when we dont plan on it, we will still end up meeting. 2 days ago, met Alwi at Tampines Mall.. same thing.. coincidentally, i will end up meeting my close friends.. heh.. we should start thinking of other places to hangout in rather than TM..

ok.. now.. backtracking..

on my birthday, i spent the nite with my family and cousins in Johore.. Andrew and Wily came down too and we sat down at the coffeeshop across the road from midnite till 2am.. ogling at hindustani actresses on the small tv at the stall.. *ME?? LOOKING AT HINDUSTANI GIRLS??*

i have to admit that this girl in the movie is really really really pretty.. and no one seems to recognise her.. somehow nowadayz i do get attracted to Pakistanis and Hindustanis.. i think, genetically, we all are programmed with it.. and going back to our roots is the more natural way..

i had a nice time there in Johore with all of them.. and my 6 nieces (my cousins' daughters) were there too.. and i'm gonna talk abt one of them here..

anyway, herez a pic of the 5 of them..



thatz Yani, Zeenath, Yana, Nazira and Aisha.. couldnt get a pic of Leha coz she was too bz making coffee for us..

anyway, i made it really really really small so all u asses wont be messaging me to ask abt them.. they are a bunch of pretty girls.. so just take my word for it.. and they have a murderous uncle.

let's talk abt the #3 in the pic, Yana..

she's like what.. 19 now? or 20?.. something like that lar.. they all grew too fast for me to keep track of their age.. i cant even keep track of mine..

anyway, when she was born, she was a cute, fair and biteable little baby.. but somehow she was very weak, and few months after that.. whenever she cries, she turns blue..

when she was 6 months old, she was diagnosed to have a hole in the heart.. a blue baby, as what they termed it..

docs told us that she had abt 6 months to live and therez nothing they can do coz she was too small to undergo a heart surgery.. so we resort to traditional stuffs.. though i'm not much a believer of it, this one is really cool..

she survived the 6 months deadline.. DEADLINE.. what a word..

anyway, she survived thru the years.. but she was unable to walk coz she was too weak.. till she was 5, when she went thru a surgery to place a pacemaker in the heart..

she died for a while once, when she was 12.. and her mother performed CPR on her, refusing to give up.. and she woke up and cried..

she had gone thru 5 or 6 major cardiac surgery..

recently, she went into a coma for several days... coz her latest surgery came up with a certain complication that left her lungs filled with fluids which the STEWWWWWWWWWPIDDDDDDDDD docs should have removed, but failed to do so.. and misdiagnosed the event as being insignificant.. till she lost conciousness..

she's an intelligent girl.. accepted into uni, but unable to go coz of her condition.. and her dad refused to let her go thru it coz she might not be able to take the physical and mental stress.. which i think is justified..

she lived thru her life being sickly, in and out of surgery, never had a boyfriend coz she dont really go out due to her sickness.. and she's very thin.. VERY VERY thin..

when i look at her, i wonder what goes thru her mind.. we all know that her lifespan is not gonna be as long as the rest of us, and she knows that too..

and why is she the only one who suffers from all these while the rest of us are enjoying our own lives.. why does she have to go thru the pain, and the surgery, and the complications and limitations..

but rarely do i see her without a smile.. and i had never heard her complaining abt it... really.. NEVER.. she took her condition in her strides, and accept it as a natural part of life..

i wonder whether she had ever thought abt the fact that itz NOT natural.. and it seemed unfair for one person to suffer so much in a short lifetime..

but every test thatz given comes with grace.. therez always a pot of gold hidden somewhere..

i dont think i can be as strong as she is if i am in her position. i might prolly have died of crack OD.

i'm heading down to Sydney today to meet up with my brother, sis in law AND THE FIVE KIDS!! YEYYYYYYYYYYY..

Happy Birthday To Me!

ah.. ok.. another year older..

i'm 33 years old today. and never felt better.

just got back from Amritsar, India, in the state of Punjab. had an interesting flight..

Amritsar is like the holy land for Sikhs.. where the scriptures of Sikhism is kept in the Golden Temple.. takes abt 6 hours to fly up there.. and according to our tour guide, Sunny, Punjab is made of 60% Sikh, 30% Hindu and the remaining are Christians and Muslims..

i'll post up some pics of the temple below..

Spent a day going for 2 tours, first to the Golden Temple, and later in the evening, headed down to the border of Punjab and Lahore, Pakistan, to watch the changing of the Guards.

Sikhs are very friendly actually.. and the temple is open to everyone.. and u can even have some free makan.. chapati and vegetarian gravy..

herez some pics of the temple..



Damn.. itz all marble..



Me with Golden Temple in the background.. i dont think i am THAT fat in real life.. damn damn damn..



having some chapati with Jesslyn and Tina..



the Chapati makers..

we were plagued by lots of child beggars on the street.. such a pitiful sight.. if u want to give them the money, itz at ur own risk.. if u give one, therez 10 who will swarm you.. and before u know it, a million more will come to u...



the streets of Punjab.. quite similar to other parts of India..

one of the stewardesses actually experienced this.. i'll talk abt her later..

came across a very pretty child beggar with light brown eyes and bronze skin and bronze braided hair.. just born at the wrong place.. the crew were so attracted to her that some mentioned that wished they could adopt her.. such a cute girl..



here's our cute little Miss Punjab.. sad, isnt it?

headed back to the hotel for lunch after that, and left for the border to watch the changing of the guards..

this event takes place EVERY DAY. gosh.. and they cheer EVERY DAY. they march and bang their feets and shout chants at each other EVERY DAY.

these ppl must be god damned bored.

but itz actually quite interesting to watch it once. just once.

itz a colourful event. my heart was with the pakistanis, for obvious reasons. but i was sitting at the Indian side of the event.



the guards..



check out Mr Sergeant's moustache.. erkz..



entrance to the gates..



see the pakistani's side of the border from here..

the event is a very friendly event between the two sides. they coordinated their moves and marches together, between the pakistanis and the indians. and the chants that they shouted were basically friendly..

and who said they are at war?

i just got back from this flight. and it was nice knowing that the crew acknowledged my birthday.. and received numerous messages when i got back.. ah.. i'm still loved.. ;)

ok.. letz talk abt the stewardess that i mentioned about earlier..

her name is Natali.. one of the senior stewardesses, 8 years flying..

she was too touched by the child beggars.. and instead of giving them money, she went out of the way to bring 4 of the children across the road to buy them shoes instead.. but of course.. on the way out, another 5 kids approached her..

she spent time talking to the kids, and she was sad not being able to help them all.. she gave alms to those before she left..

remember the story abt the boy who threw the starfishes from the shore back into the sea? u might not be able to save ALL the starfishes, but the one that u did manage to save, will live.

thatz how she saw it..

as she said, the one that she helped will at least get to eat for that day..

when we had our lunch yesterday, at the end of the meal, she packed the remaining untouched food in a take away doggy bag, went out of the hotel and approached a trishaw rider and gave him the food..

interesting person. she had just converted to christianity recently after being a buddhist.. but this character had been her character all along i guess.. naturally nice.. she had the same character while working.. a natural caregiver..

let's talk about poverty..

thank your lucky star that u are not living in such poverty.. itz quite a common sight in places like india and indonesia.. these kids live in a much harsher conditions compared to what we grew up in.. so stop whining.

some food for thoughts.. maybe i'm just getting too old that things like this caught my attention.. damn.