Weekly Music Session

Rehearsing for two hours every week playing various songs was enough for me.

I feel confident drumming to most music now.

Only thing is, the guys I currently play with is not really my original band. Instead they are music lovers at my office, or to be easy, the SCS Music Club.

I would love to reunite with Cruwy again.

AMMR and MRMR, MICK will be back, and kicking up dust under the foot pedals once again.

By the way, the music club plays tunes like these regularly. We add one or two new songs each new week we play.

• Nirvana - Come As You Are
• DJ Dave - Seruling Kasih
• Misha - Sembunyi
• Siti - Destinasi Cinta

For today, we added the songs Eternal Flame by The Bangles and Doa Buat Kekasih by Ramli and Khaty. Next week, we'll probably play Green Day's Basket Case.

The music seems diverse enough for me, though I always put some hard rock beats and fills in the songs I play.

There are some weeks when some of us do not show up, and that's when I love these sessions the most. I usually will suggest playing a predetermined hard rock number instead.

And I look forward to playing music every weeks without missing a session.

Rosso Dream

Seen a few glimpse of Ferraris already this year.

I think it is by far currently the most popular model for Malaysia.

Judging by the looks (I see only from quite some distance away), it must be the Ferrari F430.

The last encounter was last night. It was a grey, or smoke color example.

I'm going crazy!

I once admired the Ferrari F50 before, and the F40 way back, but the F430 will be my current craze.

I even thought of owning one. Who doesn't? Hmmm...

Late?

Muzaffar can really read Malay now.

I am happy about it, though I can be a bit concerned about what he reads.

There are too many questionable words around him, even in newspapers, that I wish he would not dictate.

I can imagine him reading something appropriate, like the case of the ex-TPM of 1998.

"Abah, li-wat tu apa abah!". Ya Allahu Ta'ala, can I answer him, "li-wat tu terlewat pergi kerja" instead?

Gross!!

Deep Sleep Too

It's confirmed!

Short deep sleep can really recharge somebody.

For adults like me, an hour is enough for a short outburst of energy. I THINK!

For kids, it really means a 30 minute session. I do mean REALLY!

My kids really can perform after their smallish session of sleep. Especially within a short distance car ride, to Nenek's or Uwan's house.

And now I need a longer sleep.

Prologue Of Rosso Dream

While driving to and fro our resort in Penang, I usually stumble upon the CIMB Dream Deposit Drive billboard, with a Ferrari on the cover.

It makes me wonder, if ever I were given the chance to own only one Ferrari, which would I choose?

There are so many of them Millennium models to choose from. You have the 360, the 599, the Enzo, the FXX, the 575, etc etc.

But I think, the F430 is the way to go. For one, it's quite recent. And it's cheap at 1.2 million, if I can call it cheap. Of course the expensive road tax and the hefty fuel bill are non- issues if you drive a Ferrari.

But then, there are several variants of the F430. You have the Scuderia, and the Spyder. And I am torn between the two. You either choose the upgraded version, or the topless version. And both I love!

Apparently, the Scuderia is the grippy version, so it should fit my driving style of cornering hard. But add 50 percent extra cost to the 1.2 million price of the standard 430, and you get the idea.

I will choose one in red, definitely. And drive it everyday.


PS: Somebody's birthday is today!




The Scuderia

News To Me

Today, did a few errands I ought to continue from last night's auto-insurance shopping.

One of it was renewing my road-tax sticker.

I arrived just in time to Carrefour Wangsa Maju's Post Office. In a few minutes, it opened, with me getting the queue number 35.

So I will not wait. I'd rather not. Off I go loitering. Actually I meant to say going for a survey.

Handphone.

It's the nearest visible thing to the Post Office. Most of the stalls are just opened as well.

After asking three shops, I got what I regard as a low price for this basic handphone I have in mind since early this year, the Nokia 1200, at 110RM. Others I saw displayed the higher prices of 119, 129, and one even showed 147!

The 1200 seems enough for a person who only look for the practical side of things. Although I admit I do dream of the Communicator series every once in a while.

Looking at it, yes. But buying it, not yet.

Renewing the road-tax sticker this year means getting some extra. So in anticipation that things might not be what it seems later on, I renewed somewhat early. Mine expires late this month, though.

Straightaway after renewing and getting the rebate money, I went to the handphone shop first. So the first thing I did with the 625RM, is buying the handphone.

In fact, this is my first new purchase after four years since my last new buy of the Nokia 3120 (which I gave to my brother-in-law) way back in April 2004!

What else I did? Walking downhill from Carrefour, I felt like entering into Proton Parts Shoppe conveniently situated nearby my company, just having a look. There, I got me some massive while otherwise painful advice regarding some question about Proton that has been lingering since long ago. Among it, was about:

• Link Arm (aka Dog Bone)
• Camber Screw (the myth)
• Timing Belt
• Alignment (blues)

I don't feel like writing about this yet. I will set aside a day for that, hopefully.

Tiring it is, walking 500 meters to Carrefour, but it pays handsomely.

Vacation Small Talk

I always think that vacations are unnecessary. Not only that, they are wickedly expensive!

I think I'm just the homely type. Do the routine, stay at home, eat what you have, sleep when you need to, play with the kids most of the time, and playing with hobbies next, not to mention playing with the unmentionable.

But my wife thought otherwise.

So a small request actually ends up being escalated. There's the impromptu Langkawi work-cum-self-rejuvenation trip, which actually happen again last May, a second one after last year's July.

I always thought that for a family, one vacation per year, if at all, is enough.

The thing is, when the Langkawi trip commences, we had planned for another trip, to Indonesia.

Yes, it's partly because of the expenses. And partly because I worry about me. I 'fraid that I might do shopping too. Like, impulse shopping. I have loads of wants in mind. And all are not cheap. And then, there's the vacations fatigue. Vacation expect people to move a lot, or "you will miss all the heavenly glories", to borrow Bruce Lee.

I don't know guys, but too many trips are extravagant to me.

Although I have to accept the fact that I did promised, it's still quite unpleasant to think that this year is actually the year we travel a lot. Luckily the tiring Langkawi trip a month ago was paid for.

And then, there's this Penang trip. What worries me more about it, is the highway fuel expenses, going and heading back. Aiyoo... And it's happening around the corner.

So, in preparing for these two occasions, I should save whatever I could.

But in the end, I knew my wife needs this more than me. So next year, there will be A vacation. One vacation. Just one. Strictly.

What Is Up

A few might be wondering, if at all, what I'm up to these few weeks.

First thing was, I had an interesting dream lately. One of them was of me in the course of installing the NGV kit to STELLAR. In it, he was attended to by 7 people, and it's done the same day. My dream abruptly ended before I get to drive him though. So I don't know if it works well. But a dream is just a dream, a play in one's sleep.

Apart from the dream, here's reality. I've been busy with my small trading business. It's nothing epic. It's just auctioning what's lying around at home. I have sold things like my kit lens, my 6820 Nokia, and some of Stellar's parts like brake servo and his air-con set. I don't earn much, but that'll do for now.

More items are for sale as I wrote this. This includes some other new and used Mini spare parts, some parts from Warrior the Wira, two toddler car seat, and some toy parts. Please do ask me if you are looking for anything.

Next, I've been doing site visits. This includes Kuantan visitation for corrective maintenance as well as Kerteh, doing spare parts supply.

I will be sure to grab any chance, if at all, to go anywhere.

And then, I've been contemplating on doing some saving. I'll be stingy, or quite, most of the time, while allowing some breathing space just in case. I don't eat out much anymore, and that saved quite a bit. I'll shop less too, apart from the basics like biscuits for lunch and breakfast.

The NGV option that I dream earlier is actually shelved for the moment. I need to re-list all the possible suppliers. Last I heard, more suppliers and installers has emerged, and probably has better offers since my serious initiative before the election. Then I need to sort out my financial situation. Yes it's nothing phenomenal, save for some extravagant expenses *wink*.

For the moment, I'm contented with taking the bus.

Hopefully by the end of this month, things should improve a little bit.

Emotion

Kiranya ku diberi
Sehari bersamamu
Kan ku buka kembali hatimu
Kiranya ku diam
Tak meninggalkan dirimu sendiri
Tak mungkinkan begini
Menyesali kesalahanku
Yang menurut perasaan selalu

Kau di dalam emosi ini
Dan perasaan ku seolah tak mengerti
Kau di dalam emosi ini
Terpanggil menangis ku mengenangkan mu
Kiranya ku kembali
Sambutlah diriku
Peluklah daku
Ampunilah diri

Kiranya ku diberi
Mencari kepastian
Ku berdoa, engkau bersama ku
Menanti selalu
Kau umpama teman yg ku cari
Tak mungkin kan begini
Menyesali kesalahanku
Dan menurut perasaan selalu