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Monday, April 16, 2007

Me Working My Humps Off



You can read my tech reviews and other write-ups for FACES magazine here.

I've been contributing to FACES magazine for nearly 5 years now. From the time I was fresh out of university, just wanting to try something new... to this day, doing it full-time. Back then, the thought of contributing to magazines and newspapers never really crossed my mind. I was just too busy deciding whether I loved or hated being in the advertising industry.

So by 2003, I was already contributing to FACES magazine, thanks to the encouragement of my friend, who is also the editor of the mag. She said "just write me a sample tech story, a free topic tech write up of 1,000 words and we'll decide from there". So I did a tech article on MP3 players, which was big news back in 2003 (and in many ways still is today).

Based on my keen passion and knowledge of techie stuff, it seemed like a good idea, but I was unsure of my writing ability. Sure, I have written lots of essays in college and university, but will it be interesting and good enough that everyday people who pick up the magazine would want to stop at my page and read them? The editor-in-chief read it and loved it, so my first article was published. From there, I took up my permanent work as a Client Servicing Executive in an advertising agency and worked both jobs. It was hard work, my advertising work demanded long hours and finding time to write was near impossible.

Thanks to an incident in Sept 2003, when I lost my Apple iBook which I had bought using my credit card, I had no choice but to persevere with both jobs in order to make enough money to pay off a laptop computer that I don't own anymore. I left my laptop in the car for 30 minutes to grab a quick late dinner before heading home from work on a weekday. I was dog tired at 11pm and someone broke into my car and stole my precious iBook. I was just seated about 40 meters away and my car was ironically parked in front of a church! However, my vision of my car was blocked by a white van, so I couldn't see what happened from where I was eating.

So there, the tragic story of my first Apple iBook ownership. I had the laptop for barely 3 months. It was a difficult time, for the next few days, I was extremely paranoid and began questioning the virtues of mankind. You're constantly looking over your shoulders and checking if the car is locked and safe. You can't sleep at night wondering if your house is broken into... you're not working well because the spot that your laptop used to occupy is now a vacant real estate on your table... It was just a shitty time.

But thanks to FACES magazine, I was able to pay off that instalment rather quickly. And a few years on, I have a Apple Macbook (black). I have also learnt my lesson - I will never again leave my laptop computer in the car. I've been writing a lot for the magazine since 2003, and believe I've grown a lot together with the mag... so.... have a read.

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Thursday, March 01, 2007

My Alma Mater


Visiting my high school brought many memories, mostly sweet. I worked really hard to get into this "premier school". Gettting straight A's in the Primary 6 examinations... but only to find out that my Malay classmates only had to score half a result of half B's and A's to receive an offer letter to join the school. Disheartening indeed...


Penang Free School is the oldest (therefore the first) English School in the South East Asian region. The school founded by Rev. Sparke Hutchings in the year 1816 and has history of excellence in academics and sports. The school previously assumed the reputation as the institution for the creme de la creme of junior achievers and fuelled the dream of kids making their parents proud...


The Free School can boast of being the Alma Mater of many established, well known and successful Malaysians locally and abroad. An individual pursuing his secondary education in the Free School is commonly known as a Free, once the individual leaves the Free School, he is automatically an Old Free.


Those who graduate from the school often speak of their alma mater with pride... and who wouldn't when the alumni list reads something like this

Tunku Abdul Rahman, 1st Prime Minister and founding father of Malaysia.
Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, the 3rd Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
The Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, also the 12th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
Tan Sri P.Ramlee, Malay actor, director, songwriter and musician.
Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu, second Chief Minister of Penang.
Dato' (Dr.) Anwar Fazal, probably the most influential figure in the worldwide consumer movement.
Dr. Wu Lien Teh, world-renowned Plague Fighter and pioneer in the modernization of China's public health system.
Dato' Eddy Choong, former All-England Badminton champion.
Hj. S.M.Zainul Abidin, renown educationist. He taught most of those listed above.
Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithauddeen, President of the United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNAM)


But of late. there's been trouble in the school... (so I've heard and seen)

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Saturday, December 30, 2006

OH MY BLOG!


Telecommunications across Asia were slowly being restored yesterday after earthquakes off Taiwan damaged cables and knocked thousands offline, but access in parts of South Korea and Taiwan was still patchy.
Article on TheSTAR Online.

Most of Asia's telephone traffic was restored while Internet access in many countries had also improved, a day after businesses and home users from Seoul to Sydney were hit by one of the most widespread tech disruptions in Asia.

The earthquake of a 7.1 magnitude, according to the US Geological Survey, struck off Taiwan's southern coast at 1226 GMT on Tuesday. But according to local newspaper "The Star", some of the worst hit are in the country thousands of miles away from the quake. They are the Malaysian bloggers. Here are some of the quotes by the bloggers as published...

“I blog very frequently – every five minutes if I may say so – and this breakdown has affected me emotionally as I am unable to interact with others,” said 26-year-old radio deejay cum music producer Johan Farid Khairuddin, who feels disconnected from his fans. (Wait a minute, who the fuck is Johan Farid? He's not even famous. Oh wait, maybe that's why he needs to blog every 5 mins. Attention Deficit Disorder!)

“It is really getting to me because I have all my information and contacts online and I cannot get my work done,” says Joyce Wong, who is known as KinkyBlueFairy online.
www.xanga.com/kinkybluefairy

“I feel wretched now because I have lots of pent-up feelings but unfortunately cannot write about them,” said Noor Faridah Zulkiflie, a 22-year-old student. She's contemplating using paper and pen for the time being, until her internet connection resumes per normal. Oh boy, if that doesn't work, how? Use blood ah?

BOO HOO HOO... These people can't blog, oh my god, how the hell are they going to put food on the table? Just like the earthquake-struck people in Taiwan? Oh no, it's such a calamity of unearthly porportions, not being able to post a few lines on the web telling others what you've eaten for lunch or what's on your playlist. Boo hoo hoo. You must be feeling suicidal, not being able to blog for a few minutes. And if you need to blog every 5 minutes, either you need to get fired soon or you should within this 4-minutes or so, get outside and please do something... get a life.

Being a journalist/writer myself, I know what a slow-news week is like... and perhaps the newspaper found reporting on these "supposed or not" incidents of bloggers complanining, newsworthy. Why the fuck should this make page 2 news or headlines? Goodness. Get a grip. Unless they're some US soldiers stuck in Baghdad and can't call home on skype or blog about what a week they had to their family, I find 2 days of disruption hardly... disrupting. Not at least to my mental health and well being. It's bad for work, but then again it's coming to New Year's day... and well, any reason to disrupt work is a good one.

SO, get a life Malaysian bloggers, if you are really complaining. If you're misquoted, well... that's the reality of life. Shit happens.

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Sunday, November 12, 2006

Sumo-lah


What Is It?
The must-watch feel good Malaysian movie. This is esteemed comedian Afdlin Shauki's first "solo baby" - he's directing, producing and starring in it. Estimated release date is Feb 2007 (possibly in time for the Oscar evaluation). Ok, who am I kidding? In time for Chinese New Year... which falls on 18th Feb next year.

Who's In It?
Afdlin Shauki : Ramlee
Inthira Charoenpura : Siti

Special appearance by
Gurmit Singh : Akira
Awie : Haris
Radhi Khalid : Andy
Patrick Teoh : Honda
Kartina Aziz : Mak
Ben Tan : Tadano
Gavin Yap : Mickey
Terry Gallyot : Hassan

What's The Story About?
Ramlee (Afdlin Shauki) is a down and out Malay boy who can’t seem to hold down a job, much to his Mother’s (Azean Irdawaty) disappointment. Out of a job and out of money, he stumbles across a challenge by sushi restaurant owner Honda (Patrick Teoh) to “eat all you can for free food – within a time limit”.

Hungry and desperate, Ramlee attempts the challenge, and fails. In compensation, Honda lets Ramlee take a job at the restaurant to pay off his due. Ramlee becomes a member of the Boleh Sushi shop staff, along with Harith (Awie) and Andy (Radhi Khalid).

Ramlee is immediately attracted to Honda’s beautiful daughter, Siti (Intira Charoenpura), who is half-Japanese and half-Malay. He begins to learn the meaning of having good work, good friends and family...

Then comes the Karate Kid moment... except this one has more carbs and packs more pounds. It promises to be a big-sized comedy. He will learn of the values of relationship and trust. The plot thickens with a few more twists in the story which, to be fair, you'd have to watch to find out!

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Friday, November 10, 2006

Sex and the Malay Mail


"I Simply Don't Get It"

Click here
to read more.

Click here
to read another article.

The Malay Mail sex article that has caused so much furore, is merely reporting the results of a survey. It may seem shocking that the truth about the sexual acts of Malaysians are not being received positively by... Malaysians. But that's life in this part of the world.

It's a complex argument here. Obviously, there are people in Malaysia who like to talk about sex (even if its just facts out of surveys) and then there are those who want to have sex but don't want to talk about it. I for one like to talk about sex (with the right mates), crack dirty joke, say "FUCK" whenever appropriate and I don't think I am a bad person. There are plenty of bad people out there, talking about sex doesn't make you one.

I've been thinking, "if people thought the article isn't good or worth their time... or is their cup of tea, don't spend RM1 on it. Don't read it. Heck don't even go near a newstand that day." There are people who are married and who actually want to have sex, and may want to read those stuff. And it wouldn't kill to leave them the hell alone. If I relied solely on my biology teacher who skimmed past the reproductive organs chapter in high school, I would probably be fucking belly buttons by now.

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Saturday, November 12, 2005

Proton Gen.2


Proton Gen.2
Originally uploaded by kennyt.

I was walking a mall in the district of Indooropilly in Brisbane, and saw

something thats close to home. A Proton in the middle of the mall! It's a

Gen.2 in white. I was proud of Malaysia... for like 5 seconds. Till I saw

the ludicrous price tag on that god damn car. CHOKE CHOKE. Proton Gen.2 is

not bad for a car with four wheels, a wheezy engine thats begging to be

whipped, a power window that might fail to close properly in winter, looks

like it was designed by Lotus during their lunchtime and a badge credo that

makes little kids scream "Thundercats!". Malaysians who buy them have not

many other choices for cars under RM60K but in Australia, it's just

ridiculous to ask for that much

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Thursday, June 03, 2004

Mosque


Another mosque... This is the last of the Islamic mosques. Next time i will take pictures of temples and such. By the way, if you're thinking, I am not Muslim. I am chinese... :)

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  • Fashionista. Computer Geek. Movie Critic. Music Lover. World Traveler. Foodie. Tennis Zealot. Mac Evangelist. Goss Junkie. Bitch.
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