One Way

Hyper-active kiddo...

Everytime i attend the Frontliners Youthmeet( church youth ), there was this boy that never fails to capture my attention. I call him the hyper-active kiddo.

Hes got this virtually unlimited energy... as though he is drunked with RED BULL !!!

He makes lots of noise. Jumping around... dancing... sometimes doing really stupid stuffs... just like a monkey. Now... heres the thing. Most people find this kid a nuisance. Hes got this cheeky look on his face... always waiting to play a prank on someone. They can't stand him, cos he's got so much energy. His whole body is always moving... doing something. He just cant sit still. Reminds me a lot of Naruto(with that kyuubi in him).

I really loved this kid. Theres something about this kid... thats a little special to me. My intuition tells me that ... his hyperactivity... placed at the right place... will make him a star.

Guess what... I actually brought him into my floorball squad. Making him my youngest ever prospect at 12 years old.

I tot i was a little crazy at first... after all he was only a kid... one tat is out of control... but then... im just curious... wat if my intuition was right? Maybe hes waiting for his opportunity of a lifetime that will shape his destiny?

So first day yesterday during our first ever floorball training... i gave the hyper-active kiddo his first touch of floorball.

OH MY GOODNESS !!! I WAS RIGHT !!!

He was so athletic. His movements looked so natural. As usual... hes like the oxygen tank. Running up and down the whole court. His stamina was inexhaustible, virtually unlimited. He runs pretty fast for a 12 year old kid. It was quite coordinated. Of course his floorball skills are not there... yet... he did hold possession of the ball for a moment... attacking... and attempted a few shots. He was so active... that he was almost everywhere the ball went. He even stole the ball from our best player in the squad... (not too sure if its accident or by effort... but somehow he did it). And he was always playing wit a big smile on his face.

I asked everyone, is anyone here tired? the hyperactive kiddo... just shouted to me... ZERO !!! ( most of the others were 50% tired). He wanted more... kekekeke

I really think that the eagle has just landed. One of my advisors/comrade was so impressed. He even approached me with so much excitement and joy... "hey Jason... where on earth did you get this kid??? I tell you... you BETTER train him up well... hes got the talent... at  such a young age... can really go far...You got this kind of kid... dun you ever let him go... "

Oh yes... i will never let him go... its my responsibility to bring this boy up... to realise his god-given talent. But... hes got a long way to go... and it all depends on him... whether or not... he can stay commited to the game of floorball. Malaysia needs talented floorballers to fight for its pride. Ill have to raise him well. Spend lots of time with him. Show him how good he really is. Hes after all the hyper-active kiddo.

The KICK-ASS Gynaecologist

I am very proud of the fact that I have such a cool dad... Cos hes the KICK ASS Gynaecologist(a doctor who handles woman related sickness,pregnancy and childbirth).

I came back home after work. It was during dinner... my dad was trying to teach me about how to think straight and logical... heres when he started to cerita about his kick ass experience.

There was this husband of his patient. He wanted to go inside the labour room(the place where the baby comes into the world from the mothers womb) to see his child's birth. Im not too sure about the details. But somehow... he was not allowed to get inside. And he wasn't very happy about it.

So this fellow was being a bit kurang ajar. The man spoke good english and he sounded quite educated. Quite a young punk in his late 20s approaching 30. But of all things... he asked the most stupid question in the world. He asked my dad with a raised tone... " EH DOCTOR... I WANT TO GO INSIDE LA... I SCARED THAT THEY CHANGE MY BABY WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S BABY !!! "

Without showing constraint... my dad did the stuff he does best... Teaching young punks moral lesson... the hard way.

My dad replied

" Look here... Im dun give a damn about ur money... The main reason you want to go inside is because you love your child and you want to witness it... right? Why are you making yourself look STUPID by saying that we are going to change your baby with someone else??? "

"What are the chances of this event happening? in a million probably once? throughout the history of this hospital... is it common? never once happened... "

"If you don't trust this hospital... then why are you here in the first place? go to another hospital then. What makes you think it can't happen in another hospital?? "

"In the first place... why does anybody want to do this ONLY to your child?... unless youve done something bad to me... why should i want to do this to you? People don't suddenly come to hit you while you are walking on the streets unless you are Yong sui(damn ugly)... What do i gain from doing this to you? "

"You are not thinking straight... and as an educated person I must say you have a very funny way of thinking... "

As the Kick-Ass-Gynaecologist did his spanking... the patients husband could only keep his mouth shut and utter no more words. Ever since then... never heard the patients husband speaking a word to the Kick-Ass-Gynaecologist. Usually patients would ask him for discount on medical fees. But for this case... no ask... mah dun give loh. kekeke...

And my dad proudly bragged to me... dengan bangga-nya... "At least i get to do the world some good by educating these young people who talks without passing through their heads..."

So young people... dun mess up with experienced people. Think before you talk. Show some respect... You don't want to get KICKED-ASS for this extra education!!!

Wonderful Camp... Resolutions made.

I just came back from Cameron Highlands last monday. It was my very first time ever visiting Cameron Highlands. I know most of you will think that im a jakun. But cameron highland... is such a nice place. Everything there is relaxing and SWEET. The food there is SWEET. Strawberries all over the town. I tasted scones for the first time. Its quite good. But ... im not a fan of it since i dun really like sweet stuff. I prefer salty stuff.

I drove there on Saturday morning. With a group of youths... we were there for a great purpose. To attend the first ever of its kind in Malaysia... The SPORTS CAMP... organized by ContactSports.

I learned a lot of stuff during the camp. Sports leadership, a couple of important fitness exercises, dieting... and we also did a fitness test.

These were the results of my fitness test

Fat level in body - 17.4%
Distance in 12 minutes(endurance) - 1.99 km
Distance travelled in 3 seconds(speed) - 17 meter
No. of crunches per minute - 39 times
No. of pushups per minute - 28 times
Balance test - 14 minutes
Leg strength - 5:30 minutes

The most interesting part about the tests is the leg strength test. We were supposed to lean on the wall and... place our legs as though we are sitting( i dunno how to explain here). For me... it was more than a fitness test. It somehow tested my determination. For that test, i should have dropped down long time ago. But somehow i forced myself till my whole face was pale. And also my legs were shaking. It was already beyond my limits. I guess this is what they mean by "mind over matters". I did it by closing my eyes and concentrated on finishing this whole test as long as I could. One of the speakers told me not to force myself if i can't take it.

I made a resolution that from today onwards i will try my best to keep my body as optimum as possible. Learning that i have 17.4% fat was a shock to me. Its ok for a layman. But as an athlete im far away from the ideal. Most athletes are within the   5 - 10% range. On the extreme Bruce Lee has only 1% fat. I dun think its impossible. But certain habits have to change. For a week I have been on a controlled diet. No deep fried stuff(say goodbye to my favourite Char Koay Teow). No sugar on my drinks(yes... i drink my usual teh o peng without sugar now). I have to start building more muscles to gain more weight as im quite underweight. Its harder to be disciplined in Penang as good food are everywhere. But to do my best as a floorballer... this sacrifice is required.

I know that Im not a natural born athlete. I have always been deprived of opportunity. But I always believe that where theres a will theres always a way ( I love this georgian motto which will always be the philosophy of my life ). The less you have... more effort and wisdom is required. I still dream of playing floorball at a higher level even though... age has caught up with me. But I dun want to make this as an excuse. Dreams don't drop from the sky. You've got to go and fight for it.  I am always ready to give out 101%. Even though opportunity is scare... there will be no lack of drive and determination coming from me. If there is no opportunity... ill then create my own opportunity. And I know... this will be an interesting journey... because when you reach the destination... you know that u earned it with all your total being. Thats going to be very sweet :)

So for the time being... ill have to just WORK EXTREMELY HARD and beat the barriers that are around me. Pray hard for me. :)

Lau Liao (old oredi)

Its been a year. Im now officially 25 years old. Thank you guys for remembering my birthday yesterday(for reminding me that im old... keke).

Honestly, this year has been a good year for me. I felt like as though i am currently entering the promise land. One word... FREEDOM !!!

TERTIDUR

I want to apologize to some of you who called me at 12am. This is very unusual, but i actually tertidur at 11.30pm. I somehow doze off. Probably because of travelling long distance the day before. I woke up at around 12.45am. And then after that i couldn't sleep oredi. keke...

In the morning, at prudential, there was some training going on. I was late(oh i hate it when it happens... i got to sleep at around 4am). Theyre launching this new product for retirement(aiya... theres always new products coming in 1 la).
Some of you called me. Im touched. Thank you very much. Thanks for the sms-es.

LUNCH

After training, I went out with Sister Poh Sim and Pastor Thomas to Chopper Board for a good makan. Had a nice time chatting and learned a lot from these 2 seniors of mine. We talked some theology and pastoral stuff. Some of the few things that interests me :)

ALMA MATER

After that, went back to my alma mater, Segi College BM( now known as I-Systems) to settle my graduation stuff. Met a few people at the college. I said to some of them... keep in touch. But u know... i have a very strong feeling that i wont be meeting most of them anymore as life carries on.. :) thats life. You move on when ure times over. Well i did offered some of my juniors help in case they need some advise regarding final year projects. :)

INNER CIRCLE

Later i went back to pick my sister from school and sent her to tuition. The next thing after that was an appointment with Irwin Choo and Joshua Lam aka "LAM Tai Hap"(Pendekar LAM). These guys are my so-called "Inner Circle". Ate at FoodLoft in gurney plaza(4th floor). I took some spagetti with clams and seashells. It was really good. You guys should check out that place out. I love the food, the concept and the interior. You place an order using some sort of card. Very new concept to me. Maybe im outdated la... keke... Old liao. But its really cool. Highly recommended. But make sure u dun mind the price.

Our inner circle meeting is never completed without a "mamak session". Thats our tradition. SOMEHOW.. must go mamak. End up in subaidah. These 2 jokers gave me a surprise with a small mini and cute birthday cake. I made a wish and blew the one candle on the cake(is candle too expensive nowadays? or people are sensitive about their age? kekeke).

BIRTHDAY WISH

I made a birthday wish... wishing that ILL GET MARRIED SOON.

NAH... tats not wat i wish for. In fact its far from it. I wished that Frontliners Floorball Club will continue to grow and grow until a day...that they can carry on without me. It would be beautiful seeing our current young punks becoming the leaders of the future replacing players of my generation. I guess i really love this club very much :)

WHAT I THINK ABOUT BIRTHDAYS

Birthday was good as it marked a milestone for me. Im half a decade away from my 30s. So I want to make my 20s a memorable one.To me birthday is just another day.. and it shouldnt be too extremely extravagant. But it is a point to ponder. "Im already 25... where am i now?"

I asked Irwin and Pendekar Lam 1 thing during the mamak session... What is your goals and dreams? Have you been working on it... are u heading there?

As for me... i know that im working on the right lines. Birthdays should be a point where we reflect on where we are...and gear ourselves to the future.. dont u agree?
Upon reflection... I prayed and submited to GOD watever that visions and dreams that i have and ask for HIS blessings. :) Now tats life.

27/10/2007 - Big Day !!!

Just to let u guys know... on Sept 11, I finally got my results. And I now declare that Ive finally graduated with a Degree in Accounting. My convocation will be on the 27th of October 2007.

After all these years... 6 years altogether... in the wilderness... its finally here. The end of the race.

Now... Its time for another exciting race... the working world. The rules are going to be different. But Ill get myself up for it.

I want to thank all myfamily members and my buddies out there who have been encouraging me all these years. Thanks for the support and prayers. And of course God Almighty whom have carried me through the up and downs.

Looks like everything is going as planned. So as the journey goes on... Ill just have to keep on moving..  :)

I BEG TO DIFFER !!!

Many people question me why i joined insurance? After all the hardwork, sweat and pain that ive gone thru in pursuing my studies in accounting, its only natural that i pursue a career in accounting, or join the corporate world rather than going into sales. Some people responded with disbelief when i told them that im an insurance agent. A friend of mine even thought that i joined Prudential as a fund manager.

What ever your thoughts may entertain... LET... ME... EXPLAIN...

I joined insurance because of a big dream and vision that Ive set long time ago. A year ago, ive forecasted that I was going to graduate soon. I have to decide on what job to choose. Most people choose any job that comes along their way. This is not wrong. But somehow i beg to differ. I think that jobs should be chosen to get you to your destination. Jobs shouldn't be your destination unless you don't have one.

This is what I want to see before I leave this world.

I want to see floorball becoming one of the major sports in Malaysia. We will see Malaysia sending a world class floorball squad to participate in international tournaments like the World Floorball Championship. A professional league will come with this vision. With that, floorball complexes will be built everywhere. Schools throughout the whole country will endorse this sports. This is the next big thing thats going to hit youths throughout the country. It will be the new sporty culture here. And like it or not its going to happen.

Back to reality... Theres lots of work that needs to be done. Many demonstrations needed to be shown in schools. Coaching, training... hard work. And I know that if I want this thing... ive got to do it.

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.

Ok... But how do i survive then? Who's going to pay me for my expenses? Ive foreseen this problem a long time ago. If this whole dream is something very important to me, sacrifices must be made. I needed a job that offers me flexibility and pays me reasonable enough to survive. Without the flexibility... how then can i work on developing the sports?? How many people got tied down to their jobs from 9 to 5 and forget about their dreams? As an accountant... I can't move around the whole country promoting floorball.

Along the way, attaching myself with Prudential also trains me up to be a better salesperson so that I can sell ideas better. Floorball will eventually be the idea i want to sell to people around me. I also find insurance very interesting. Its going to be a learning process for me. Ill meet many people along the way. Perhaps this will help with my networking to promote the sports one day. The benefits are there in spite of all the rejection an agent will face when trying to sell insurance. Aside from that, I am also able to help people ease their daily risks and reduce the economic pains that people face from bad things that happens to them. Think about it, insurance is not such a bad idea.

These are the reasons i joined insurance. It is a means to an end rather than an end in itself. Its my stepping stone to something big.

Thats why... I BEG TO DIFFER !!!   :)

 

Out of Egypt... Entering the Promise land.

Ladies and gentlemen... for those of you who knows me very very well... u know that I am one of the most active and prominent figure in the "Stuck" Club or "Sangkut" Club in Inti College. Ah Pork was the legend in the club. ( to join this club... minimum requirement ... must fail at least one subject while studying).Dun play play...keke... its a happening club.

Well... sad to say... or should I say proud to say that I have finally deregistered myself from this club. I wonder am I the longest serving member eh?

Last month I finally passed up my final year dissertation. That was the last thing from my college days. My college days are finally over... Praise GOD for that. After years of waiting... Its finally here.

At least from now on I can move on to the next level of my life, the working world. At the end of the year, I will keep my promise of undergoing baptism in Reservoir Garden Baptist Church,Penang during that christmas week. Everyone is invited to come.

I will testify A to Z ( main events only... wont be too long... keke) why i turned back from a backslider into a frontliner. This will include things that I never ever told anyone b4. Everybody has a bad past which we dun want to share. I will only share this once cos its going to be shocking. Please do come if u can make it. (if u cant make it... and curious about it? call me after that day).

Im now currently attached with Prudential. Im one of their Retail Financial Services profession(keke...macam la... nama saja profession... in other words... insurance agent la). Well we do many things besides insurance. We also sell unit trusts and do will writing. We are basically a financial planner. So i still use my accounting knowledge to a certain extent.

A lot of people will questioned me why am I doing this? Logically, as an accounting graduate, i could have secured a good job with one of the big 4 ( PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Deloitte, Ernst & Youngs or KPMG). In fact someone gave me some offer in the accounting line. But i just let it go by.  Its a long story... Ill share more in my next posting. Don't want to bore you to death.

Its been a long time since i blogged. I had too many distractions during this time of transition. But somehow... Ill blog more often in the future, since my job is a free-lancing job. So thats life for me as for now. Full time agent, part time coach.. :)

Give them the stage !!!

Haircut.

I was thinking of cutting my hair today. In Butterworth, there is one place which is quite well known to give good hair cuts, called "Sams". I usually go there for my haircuts. I admire the professionalism that they possess. For the good cut that they give me, I dun mind spending more(people should know that I am very stingy on this kind of things). Most of the time I will ask them what is the best for me, and let them explore their creativity on my hair. And usually they did a great job.

But today, when I was about to go to cut my hair, my brother told me that there was a new hairstylist called "Signature" near my place. He asked me to give it a try. Actually I needed a good hair cut because Ive got some important people to meet with the next day. Anyway, I decided to give it a try. When I reached there, it was empty. I didn't have to wait.

The hairstylist asked me how I want to cut? I said... keep it short and spiky. Please keep the side burns(i used to admire elvis priestly). After 30 minutes, I was 100% satisfied. And they only charged me RM12. The same hair cut i can get at "Sams", I got it here at a cheaper rate.

I like hairstylist that are professional. To me, I dun like people talking while they are working. A little chat is ok, but not too much. This fellow didn't talk much with me. She only concentrated on her job. She took her time to do her job. Not too long, and not hasty either. Just nice. She wasn't that pretty either. So I appreciate her for her performance, not her appearance. Thats the kind of employee I would hire if I had my own company. Of course if a person is pretty or not, thats not the issue, but then again to me, people should be judged based on their work.

WHY?

Now heres the punch line. I needed a good haircut. This hairstylist is new. Relatively unknown. Do you guys know why I went to them anyway?

I believe in one philosophy which i call... "give them the stage". I always love helping young, new, unknown and enterprising people who needs a head start. A lot of people think about themselves first. They want the best for themselves first. So if they want a haircut, they go for the best around, the most experienced and reputable ones. Theres nothing wrong with that. Its a matter of preference.

However, I beg to differ. I always believe in investing in hidden talents. I believe that life is more interesting when u spot something unknown. No matter how talented a person may be, without opportunity, it goes to waste. A mature person will do well whether or not I give them the opportunity. Its just something that add on to them. But for a young punk, they need the opportunity more dearly. Without the headstart... its the end. Sometimes we who are in a better position, should give these people a chance to start on their own. All they need is a stage to perform.

However, if i give someone an opportunity, that person should make the best out of it. Young punks must always appreciate the opportunity given. In life you only have limited time to impress an important person. If you dun... someone else will take over your place. Take the case of that hairstylist, she only had 30 minutes to impress me. If she blew it... tats it... ill go back to "Sams". So, before opportunity appears... always get yourself prepared. Preparation is essential.

The hairstylist was new and unknown. I hope that lady luck is on their side for them to get started. Anyway, I decided to stick to them until they are established. It only took them 30 minutes to capture my attention. They were prepared for my 30 minutes. I hope that this will be a challenge to young people and also customers out there.

Maybe you fellows out there should also think of "giving them the stage" ... :P

Eyes of the Tiger !!!

After the YouthWave tournament, the FRONTLINERS  participated in the  Penang Open Challenge  floorball  tournament.  In my opinion this is a  5-star competition level.  The tournament was a round robin, and then the semis and finals format. Frontliners finished last amongst all the 7 teams. Drawing 2 games and losing the rest of the games. That was expected.

It was a good experience for all of us. I learned a lot during this tournament. We are now able to see what we are lacking. Most importantly, I got to know the strength of my players. And of course on the individual level, I got to know myself better as a player.

Footballers playing Floorball.

Now its all about what we need to do next. Frontliners have a lot of talented athletes. We are arguably one of the most athletic teams around. We have lots of warriors in our ranks. The problem is, they are not able to convert those qualities into meaningful value when it comes to floorball. Imagine a bunch of FOOTBALLERS playing FLOORBALL. Sure, we can run, jump, tackle and fly. But that is as far as we can go. That is the next challenge. To convert footballers into floorballers. This will take some time. I know that we are working with good material. Its only a matter of time.

Star Player of the tournament.

The tournament got the best of one my players, San Jeevan. I love this boy. Diligent, persistent and teachable. He couldn't train with us for a month due to his family obligations. But he was faithfully training at home, only with a stick and a ball(which he broke due to his vigorous personal training). His hard work paid off during this tournament. His ball control was first class. Determined yet calm. Gentle yet hard. He is the most reliable defender we have in the team.

Credits to the Coach.

I feel bad to our Player-Coach, Kuan Yang for sacrificing his talents for the team. I know that if he had played for a better team, he would have performed way much better. He only scored one goal in the tournament. If someone was able to feed him the ball, Im sure he'll be in seventh heaven as a forward. I want to give him the credit for building up this new team. I really appreciate it. Thanks a lot.

Fire !!!

I realized that most of my players carry the same element like me, FIRE. We get fired up real fast. These boys are hungry. They are competitive. We lost every game, yet one thing we do, we fight back. I believe that our desire to win is very high. Frontliners never give up. Even when we are losing. Even when we aren't good, we fight till the end. For that, Im proud of my boys.

The only problem with this fighting spirit is... we FIGHT... literally.  Some of my players almost got into a gang-fight. Thank God everything was under control. I apologize for our misbehavior. We've gotta learn to have more sportsmanship. I know that some of them are young. Its our duty as leaders to educate them to be ethical sportsman. Even I myself have to learn... :)

My floorball career.

As for me, I got back what ive lost... the EYES OF THE TIGER. I lost it ever since Penang league. I lost my mind, knocking a player off the court intentionally. I fully regretted that foolish act. Ever since then I became extremely tame or overly soft like TAUHU. This tournament got me back to what I used to be. Only difference is, i dun lose my mind like before. The trick is to be tough yet not losing your mind. To be focus only on the current task, that is to play floorball.  It can be a hard balance, but its achievable. This tournament alone i knocked at least 4 people on the ground legally, while standing firm during the tussle for the ball. I dun think Im overly tough. But i guess, when we are playing in a 5 star tournament, we need to be tough.

I would not apologize for being rough. I played within the rules. I didn't get any 2 minutes penalty. If the other players are like TAUHU... tats just too bad. You just have to toughen yourself. Im only 180cm tall with 59kg. That means im superbly underweight. With longer body than legs ratio, my center of gravity is higher, making me the more unstable candidate. If anyone should fall down, that should be me. I think that everything is in the mind. Bruce Lee was a short and small fellow. But he whipped all his opponents which are bigger than him. Thats my inspiration.

I scored the most beautiful goal in my floorball career. A long range(more than half a court) slap shot right into the goal against Salibandy. Ill never forget that goal. I always thought that I have weak arms to make long shots. But this incident has proven me otherwise. Working hard on my upper body mass has paid off.

Player-coach Kuan Yang's neverending emphasis of defense and blocking has got the best out of us. I learned a lot from this man. In this tournament, I blocked a lot of shots that could have been a goal. It sure was painful. But to let in a goal is even more painful than the pain on my skin. I got better timing this time with blocking the shots. I see a lot of improvement in myself in this area. Only part i regret was when Deswynn's shot went between my legs. I dunno how it happened. His shot was supposed to be high. keke... again, Deswynn is an elite player, tat is expected of him. My fullest respect to my opponent.

Decisions to make.

The next thing Im going to do is first to make some important decisions regarding my floorball career. Firstly, I need to know which position suits me. Im now neither a forward or a defender. Got to get it clear. Anyone has an opinion, I need it dearly. Next... Im going to change my stick. Its time to upgrade my weapon. Then... im going to work on my floorball skills especially ball control. Its really bad at the high levels especially when under pressure. Need to work on my shots as well. My wrist shots are useless when it is needed the most. Finally, I think, I need to work on my stamina if i want to play elite floorball.

In a nutshell... The journey is still a long way ahead... This is just the beginning...We will be ready for the challenges ahead. See you in the next tournament !!! OOOOOOOO FRONTLINERS !!!

Lagu Melayu... Jiwang...

I was browsing thru my old MP3s. And then I happen to scroll some Malay songs which i use to love. Honestly speaking, I use like the typical Mat Rock music. U know those bands with male singers that scream with a high pitch. I think its really cool.

Yea... it sometimes gives you the feeling like you're in Puduraya or Komtar. But hey... I love it. I am a fan of the Malay band WINGS... when Awie was still there.

Mat Rock bands have this distinctive sound which separates them from the rest. I notice that they have a tendency to use minor chords in their songs. The malays call this lagu jiwang. A lot of their songs gives you the feeling like u just putus cinta. And one thing that is a must is the lead guitars. These malay bands must GORENG no matter what. And they like to tarik the lead guitar with a high pitch. Lagunya ada kala penuh dengan "feel". Guitarist, Joe Wings remain one of my favourite guitarist. Elegant and full of feel. A left hander who plays the gibson les paul.

Awie remains one of my favourite Mat Rock singer. He has this manly voice. I just love the way he screams. I got introduced to Awie when I saw his movie "Sembilu" when I was a teenager. That show was aired during Hari Raya. The theme song, "Di Ambang Wati" is still my favourite.

Fyi, Awie left Wings for a solo career. There was once when he returned to the band to produce the album Wings - Naga Kramat. One of my malay friend kept reminding me to buy that album.

"Eh... Jason lu jangan lupa beli itu Wings-Naga Kramat. Awie sudah balik la... "

Keke... those were the days. Listening to the song "Di Ambang Wati" certainly brought back some memories to me.

Malay bands also have a trademark of being "creative" with their names. It may sound stupid... but i really think its cool man.

Take for example the band "Kamikaze". I like this band too. It was introduced to me by my long time buddy abang Cornelius from

Sabah

, the guy who introduce the guitars to me. The name of the band's singer is called "T-Rex". When I hear T-Rex singing, he was the typical Malay Rocker singer with the distinctive high pitch voice. T-Rex has this long hair which he ties. Hes quite dark. Guess what, it was later part that I found out that he was actually CHINESE. Must have grown up with a bunch of malays.

The songs these Mat rock's songwriting can be really creative at times. You gotta check out their song names... "Bazooka Penaka"(Wings), "Pontianak"(XPDC), "Intisari Taming Sari"(Kamikaze), "Ranggi Metropolis", "Simbiosis cinta pada mu"(Ella), "Suci dalam debu"(Iklim), "Akar dan Bumi"(Amuk)... and many more.

HAHaha... I was playing one of the songs by Amuk, "Ingat ingat". Just the introduction... even before the vocalist started singing... my brother immediately recognized it and said... LAGU MELAYU?

A lot of us lived in

Malaysia

... I wonder how many of us ever tried to explore other people's culture? Think about it again. Theres always a beauty in other peoples culture. All we need to do is to be open and explore. And then appreciate it for their own uniqueness. :) Maybe not everyone will agree with me... keke... so be it.