Bittersweet Symphony et al

Beatles' Yesterday did not become a classic for no reason. There are something in the lyrics and the melody that we can relate to no matter when we hear the song. And for those who are not in the middle of regretting whatever he said to his girlfriend (re.: ...Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say...I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday...), the song is just too beautiful.
Some songs just make you feel good for no reason. Some will transport you back to the past. Some will evoke memories from the deepest part of your mind, reminding you of places, people, tears or joy.
I have a collection of songs that I know I will love forever. Songs that will make me smile, or cry. They are not necessarily a hit, or sung by someone famous. Neither must they be in Now That's What I Call Music Vol. XX. But I love them anyway. Here are some of them:

• Suci Dalam Debu (Iklim) - reminds me of the 10 days I spent camping in Sayap, Kinabalu (if you look it up in the map, it IS in the middle of nowhere) in 1992. It was a Scientific Expedition, and a UKM lecturer sang this every night, accompanied by his guitar.
• Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton) - Reminds me of a very good friend - he used to sing this to me, also accompanied by his guitar. He proposed to me, and I turned him down (badly, actually...). Now he's married with a kid, and I'm still single hahahahaha...
• Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve) - I don't know why I love this one; I just love it. One of the most beautiful songs ever written, I guess.
  
• Cancion Del Mariachi (Los Lobos and Antonio Banderas) - a song that can make me smile everytime
• Suatu Masa (M. Nasir) - the song I wish I have written myself, and dedicated to the person I'm in love with. This one summarises my feelings completely. But, yeah, I'm not M. Nasir
  
• She (Elvis Costello) - why oh why was not the song written as "He"?
• Berita Kepada Kawan (Ebiet G. Ade & M. Nasir) - poetry
• Merindu Kepastian (Art Fazil) - Melts me everytime. Andai esok aku menjadi tanah, sudikah engkau menjadi bunga menghiasi dadaku - wouldn't that be the most romantic proposal?
  
• Semangat Yang Hilang (XPDC) - this one reminds me of my matriculation days. And also makes me feel patriotic. Wish it can be sung on Merdeka Day.
  
• Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis Presley/UB40) - the Elvis Presley version reminds me of my old, old piano in Kota Kinabalu. Had a UB40 cassette stuck in the radio of my first car, so I had to bear with it for about a year. The UB40 version will transport me instantly into that old green Volvo 240.
• Sentuhan Listrikmu (M. Nasir) - I imagine the feeling I get from listening to this song is similar to the feeling I get from smoking weed. Not that I ever smoked weed...

There are more, but let's save them for next time.

Mungkin Nanti

Saatnya ku berkata mungkin yang terakhir kalinya
Sudahlah lepaskan semua kuyakin inilah waktunya
Mungkin saja kau bukan yang dulu lagi
Mungkin saja rasa itu telah pergi

Nearly everybody has gone back to their respective homes. I'm still here in Kuantan, invigilating an exam, and trying to tie all the loose ends. Will be away for about 3 weeks, so I'm trying my very best not to leave anything in Kuantan.
There are a few things that should be left behind, though. My sadness, for one. This kusut jiwang feeling, for another. I'm trying to start anew with the coming Syawal. Wounds will heal, minds will forget, hearts will forgive...

To all my friends, I wish you selamat hari raya Aidil Fitri; maaf zahir batin. Halalkan apa-apa yang termakan dan terminum. Take care, and for those who will travel, have a safe journey.

I'll write again later.

Dan mungkin bila nanti kita kan bertemu lagi
Satu pintaku jangan kau coba tanyakan kembali
Rasa yang kutinggal mati
Seperti hari kemarin saat semua disini

Probe right? Stimulus left? Contralateral? Ipsilateral???

Am in the middle of marking the final exam papers. Need to take a rest - I'm getting confused myself. Met a lecturer who said, "I don't mind mining for answers" not so long ago; did she REALLY mean it? Mine are sort-of objective, fact-based questions - it's either you answer them right or you don't; and still I'm getting a headache...
Being on this side of academia makes me think - my lecturers must have had a field day laughing at my answers. Redundant sentences, messy handwriting, sketchy answers and diagrams...you name it, I did it. Not to add absences from class (I think I got barred from taking the exam once), fails and re-sits (twice, to be exact). It is a wonder... I'm sure I would feel like a hypocrite if I have to scold a student in the future hahahaha.

Empty

Still feeling empty. Every smile, every laugh feels fake. Wonder if it shows through. I think I still walk by with a sour or, if you're lucky, an expressionless face. I am very sorry to those people who have to endure me; I'll try my best to regain the "old me". I don't know whether I am going through a grieving process; things were and are not that bad actually... But still, this feels like denial. Or it is acceptance?
He still calls to wake me up for sahur. Now and then, he buzzes me in the Yahoo Messenger. I'm taking it in a stride; I feel that if I tell him to stop doing them, it represents my weakness.
Anyway, I hope all my platelets are going to my heart, to patch up the big deep wound I have inside. Keep the enemies out. And let me fill it with some kind of feeling again.

The keys to my heart, the map to my soul

Keji je last paragraph tu. Or am I subconciously like that? Do I fit anyone's specification? If you are rich, I'm still single hahahaha...(just joking; I'm not THAT materialistic).
Note the "cheating is zero" part...

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to good manners and elegance. In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved. You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring. You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it. In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Hey, this is unfair!

Am in a blogthing frenzy now. Should be checking my students' final exam answers actually, but being the easily distracted me....
Anyway, this one really hit the spot...

How You Are In Love

You fall in love quickly and easily. And very often. You tend to give more than take in relationships. You tend to get very attached when you're with someone. You want to see your love all the time. You're secretly hoping your partner will change for you. You stay in love for a long time, even if you aren't loved back. When you fall, you fall hard.

How Are You In Love?

Purple Rain

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything. You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey. You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

State of Turmoil

I have been in a state of chaos these last few days. So much has happened - tears, joys, confessions, confusion, heartbreak, tears again....(and not in that order). I felt like I've been put into a front-loading washing machine, and then wrung, and then put into a tumble-dryer. The same goes to my emotions.
Anyway, I've taken a leave; and added to the holidays for Pahang, I get to stay in KL for about 5 days. A much-needed break from it all. But I think I can still feel the effects of that particular week have on me. I feel numb, I feel like I've lost my power of speech, my power of writing. God help me...

A few questions that I need to know
how you could ever hurt me so
I need to know what I've done wrong
and how long it's been going on
Was it that I never paid enough attention?
Or did I not give enough affection?
Not only will your answers keep me sane
but I'll know never to make the same mistake again
You can tell me to my face or even on the phone
You can write it in a letter, either way, I have to know
Did I never treat you right?
Did I always start the fight?
Either way, I'm going out of my mind
all the answers to my questions
I have to find

Merdeka Day 2005

I cannot say that I spent my Merdeka Day holiday patriotically. No flag, no singing of Negaraku, and no reflecting back to what our elders had fought for, either.

Merdeka Day used to be a "small reunion" day for me and my secondary school classmates. We'd take the LRT or KTM Komuter, alight at the stations near to Sogo, gather at the junction between Pertama Complex's The Ship and Sogo, and watch the Merdeka Day procession. The biggest clap would go to our former school's brass band. Afterwards we'd catch the band while they're waiting for the school bus to pick them up, and play the instruments.

Then we'd take a bus (at first it was the Bas Mini Wilayah, and after the BMW service ended, it was Intrakota) to either Bukit Bintang Plaza or The Mall. KLCC was still being built then (and causing traffic jams hahaha...). We'd go to Pizza Hut, and then catch a movie. I remember once we went to watch Sembilu in this old cinema along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Hmmm...I'm starting to sound like a minah rempit.

Anyway, this year I spent the Merdeka Day in Kuantan. Went to have nasik lemak at Zaman's quite early in the morning with several friends, driven in a green Perodua Rusa, no less. Then we went to Teluk Cempedak, ate ice cream and bought a box of motor oil and additives (hmmm...).

In summary, no matter where I spend my Merdeka Day, I still sound like a minah rempit....

Menanti Sebuah Jawaban...(soalan exam ke?)

In the mood for Indo-Brit-pop right now. Am listening to the likes of Padi and Dewa and Coldplay and Keane and Rischard Ashcroft, while trying to come up with mid-semester exam questions for the students. Guess the students have to be prepared for questions that are tinged with sadness, frustrations, hope and unrequited love hahahahhaha.....

MENANTI SEBUAH JAWABAN
Padi

Aku tak bisa luluhkan hatimu
Dan aku tak bisa menyentuh cintamu
seiring jejak kakiku bergetar
Aku tak terpagut oleh cintamu

Menelusup hariku dengan harapan
Namun kau masih terdiam membisu

Chorus:

Sepenuhnya aku ingin memelukmu
Mendekap penuh harapan tuk mencintaimu
Setulusnya aku akan terus menunggu
Menanti sebuah jawaban tuk memilikimu

Betapa pilunya rindu menusuk jiwaku
Semoga kau tau isi hatiku
Dan seiring waktu yg terus berputar
Aku masih terhanyut dalam mimpiku

It's a jiwang, jiwang day...

I have been blogging in my Friendster blog for while, and have been neglecting this precious blog. But I need to get away from my students who are in my Friendster list, just in case I blabbed things that are too personal for them to know.

Anyway, it's a very cold day. The air-conditioning FINALLY works. And it rained cats and dogs yesterday. I guess that's the reason Kuantan is not as oven-hot as usual today.

Have time to sit back a bit (at last!). My hands were full since last week - Convest, lectures, rescheduling of classes etc.

So, little work + cold weather = jiwang. Have been listening to the rhapsodic songs by Dewa and Padi. Got me into believing that I might be falling in love with someone. Am I really? Could he be the one?

To tell you the truth, I don't how it feels like anymore, falling in love. Jiwang, yes. In love, not really. Whatever it is, I know I can't wait to get to the office every morning. I HAVE to see him. I HAVE to see his smile. I HAVE to hear his voice. I can't wait to buzz him on Yahoo! Messenger. I have to listen to the songs he's been forwarding me. And I keep on pondering and analysing and musing and contemplating over the lyrics, just in case he is trying to say something to me.

God help me.

Significant Events of Our Lives

Sorry I haven't been blogging for so long. It was really flattering to know that at least one reader missed the blog (thanks OuiOui). There was so much going on this month (which actually had started since last month); significant events that changed the lives of some of the people around me, and thus maybe had indirectly changed my life, too.

I have been meaning to write about two of my close friends. One, I have written about previously, that is my Assistant Director - RZA - the one who introduced me to Virtua Cop. The other is Nini, my housemate.

It started with Nini first. Her father had a stroke one afternoon. He collapsed at a coffee shop in Sabak Bernam, thankfully in front of his friends, one a paramedic. They sent him to the hospital nearby immediately, and was told that he had to be admitted to the CICU as soon as possible. The nearest available was in Kelang, but unfortunately the ward was full. So they had to rush him to Ipoh instead.

Nini got to know about the incident that evening, and sadly, I was away on a seminar in Gombak. I could not imagine how she felt then, as it was too late to take a bus or even a flight back to KL.

Later she would learn that her dad will suffer from paraplegia, and had to be fed milk through a tube. The doctors allowed him to go home after spending a few days at the Ipoh hospital.

Then another bad news came up.

Last month, RZA's fiancee was diagnosed with leukemia. It started with her having stomachaches. I still remember the weekend the stomachaches got worse; RZA and I were due to drive back to Kuantan that Sunday night. RZA told me he was going to be late. When we finally met at the Burger King joint just before the Karak Highway, he told me that his fiancee Y had gotten worse so he had to send her to her aunt's house. A few days after that, RZA was told that Y was admitted to the hospital. He went to visit her the next day, and that evening he texted me that the doctors suspected leukemia. The diagnosis came on a Thursday - he came to my room crying. We (RZA, my HOD (yes, that HOD, OuiOui ;) ) and I) drove straight away to KL. She started chemotherapy almost immediately, and RZA visited and stayed with her without fail and as much as possible whenever he could. They were due to get married on the 22 of May, and even after the diagnosis, they stuck with the plan.

But who are we to meddle with God's plans? Malays have a saying "jodoh dan ajal di tangan tuhan", Nini's dad passed away just before she made a move to drive back to kuantan (and picking me and another colleague up on the way). The colleague and I went to visit her that night, and although she was in grief, she seemed to have accepted the loss.

That was on the second Sunday of May. On the following Wednesday morning, I received a call from RZA's twin, asking me where I, and RZA were. I said I had just arrived at the office, and I hadn't seen RZA yet; why? He told me that Y passed away that morning. I did not believe him at first, with his detached tone of voice. But he was not joking; he told me to seek RZA, and tell him that he'd be picking RZA up from Kuantan. I rushed to RZA's house, to see him sitting next to the drain, already in tears. So we (RZA, HOD, RZA's housemate and I) drove again to KL. He was crying all the way. Went to the morgue in HKL, and her body was already prepared for the burial.

It was truly a sad experience for me. Two deaths in less in one week. But I'm sure what my two friends felt were much more profound than mine. My condolence to my friends and Al-Fatihah to both Allahyarham.

Maternity leave, zits and handsome men

Sorry for the absence of updates (as if people are dying for them! hahahahah...). Am in the middle of an induction-like course right now. Get to learn about how many days of paid and unpaid maternity leave I'm entitled to (60 paid, 90 unpaid), and how many absences my students are "entitled" to until they get barred from sitting for the exams (20% of the class). The Gombak part of the course ended today; will continue in Melaka tomorrow afternoon. So I took the opportunity to laze about in the comfort and warmth of my own home...
OK-lah, need to shower, and then eat dinner. Zits are beginning to appear as I have been quite negligent in adhering to my sort-of-beauty-regime lately.

And before I forget, here's another piece of useless information - through my observation, there is a higher concentration of good-looking Malay men in the compound of a particular university in Gombak compared to any other area of the same extent in KL ;)...

The day I made a girl cry

Am in KL now. Managed to drive from Kuantan to TTDI in exactly 2 1/2 hours yesterday morning hahaha...I wonder if I (or my mom, as the car is registered under her name) will get a "love letter" aka summons soon. Reached home at 1.30, had a lunch of Mak's daging rusa masak kicap (venison with soy sauce) and rice (really sorry for this, OuiOui...nanti you sampai KL I masakkan untuk you okay?). After feeding MSG-laden gerai food for nearly a month, it was like a meal from paradise.

Then I went off to chaperone 9 audiologists-in-training who went for a visit to Sunway Medical Center. There was a funny (at least retrospectively) story behind me accompanying the students for the visit.

I was not supposed to escort the students; it was another person's task. But she had to go to some course in Gombak, and at the last minute the students were left to find a replacement. I, being one of the very few who were available (read: single, readily mobile, no pressing commitments, can drop nearly everything quite instantly), became a target. As soon as I heard "Sis Petai (not that they really call me that), are you free tomorrow?", I knew....

Hmm...Can't give in too easily, have to make them toil and sweat to get me, said my inner demon. "Why?" I asked.

They explained that they need an escort and they couldn't find anyone else as nearly everybody is going for the course tomorrow and Sis X was not suitable as she has a family and Brother Y had to attend to some personal matters bla bla bla.... "Boleh tak, sister?" they pleaded.

My inner demon become more evil. I lectured them for not preparing well and not telling me earlier. My own student, Syida (the others are the students of other programmes under the faculty), went on to beg and plead. I told them that I, too, had to go to a course in Gombak (true, but it starts on Monday), and I have other things to do here in Kuantan (quite true), and I can't just drop everything and leave (hmmmmm....well...).

I said "why don't you go by yourselves, be independent bla bla bla...". Brother Y and my housemate N, who were also there, kept quiet. Syida begged again. I said OK, but if something comes up tomorrow, I'll let you know, and you may have to go by yourselves. Don't do this again, okay? *mock-/faux-displeased expression*...

She nodded and stared at the floor. Then she said thank you without looking up and immediately headed for the door. I sensed that something was wrong, so I followed her. There she was, squatting with her hands covering her face.

"So sorry sister, it's my fault. So sorry for all this trouble", she said with a cracked voice. And then she broke into a cry; sobs, red eyes and all....

I panicked and I tried to console her. Said sorry over and over again whilst hugging her. Even that did not soothe her. So I took her to an empty room and asked her what's wrong.

It turned out that she had other problems. She hadn't enough time to settle them due to the final exams. And then she was told to find a chaperone for the Audiology student. She felt that it needed the most attention, but it took longer than she anticipated for it to settle. Oh no...what have I done? I felt terrible and guilty as hell.

She cried and poured her heart out for a good 15 minutes. By the time I left her to calm herself, she was still sobbing quietly.

Met her again on the day of the visit, and she looked brighter than the day before. At the end of the visit she informed me that her sister is picking her up from Sunway, and she may not see me till the semester opens in another 3 months. She hugged me and apologised for all the trouble, and said thanks again. With a lump in my throat, I said sorry, have a happy holiday, and take care. Ah well...There's always a first time for everything.

MUST SEE!

See this, it will cheer you up no matter how depressed you are ;) -

http://azuaneman.fivio.net/numanuma.wmv

Nobody Knows

A song best describe my jiwangness right now

By: The Tony Rich Project

I pretended I'm glad you went away
These four walls closin' more every day
And I'm dying inside
And nobody knows it but me
Like a clown I put on a show
The pain is real even if nobody knows
And I'm crying inside
And nobody knows it but me

Why didn't I say
The things I needed to say
How could I let my angel get away
Now my world is just a tumblin' down
I can say it so clearly
But you're nowhere around

The nights are lonely, the days are so sad
And I just keep thinkin' about
The love that we had
And I'm missin' you
And nobody knows it but me

I carry a smile when I'm broken in two
And I'm nobody without someone like you
I'm tremblin' inside and nobody knows it but me
I lie awake it's a quarter past three
I'm screamin' at night as if I thought
You'd hear me
Yeah my heart is callin' you
And nobody knows it but me

How blue can I get
You could ask my heart
But like a jigsaw puzzle it's been torn all apart
A million words couldn't say just how I feel
A million years from now you know I'll be lovin' you still

The nights are lonely, the days are so sad
And I just keep thinkin' about
The love that we had
And I'm missin' you
And nobody knows it but me

Tomorrow mornin' I'm hitting the dusty road
Gonna find you wherever, ever you might go
I'm gonna unload my heart and hope you come back to me
Said when the nights are lonely...
The nights are lonely, the days are so sad And I just keep thinkin' about The love that we had And I'm missin' you
And nobody knows it but me

Sleepless in Taman Tun

It's already 2.18 am local time now. I think it's already past my bedtime, and waaaaaaaaay past that critical period during which you have the signs and symptoms of falling asleep. Right now I'm feeling hungry instead, and there's nothing I can munch without having to cook. This is the time you wish you have a packet of Cheezels or Twisties around. Gulai udang is not as appetising as it was 6 hours ago, and neither are sardines in tomato sauce (both being the leftovers from dinner). There are unfried french fries in the freezer, and the ice-cream has that opaque layer on top that I think happened when the fat separates from the other ingredients.

Maybe I should stop typing and go to sleep now, before you readers be too well-versed on the contents of my refrigerator. Selamat malam, good night, bon nuit, buona notte, laila tiaba.....

New computer :)

I received a new computer for office use yesterday. All this while I have been using my own laptop.
It's an NEC with 17" monitor, speakers, the usual keyboard and non-optical mouse and 40 GB memory. Now I'm in the process of transferring my files from the laptop to the new PC. No hi-tech antics, just the cut-and-paste-and-save-and-cut-and-paste-again, using the thumbdrive. Quite tiring, actually. But I get to know where my interests lie - all folders and files concerning work took only one trip; music files took 3 (and still counting haha...).

Man Trader

Have you ever read Motor Trader? Wouldn't it be great to have a magazine called Man Trader, too? Conde Nast or Karangkraf should have a look into this niche. With more and more single girls having trouble looking for partners, I think the market would be great.

My (newly-single-and-looking-again) friend, FF and I had a brainstorm on how we can categorise the men: Location, Age (not a good idea...), Income (worse than Age), Height (will cause discrimination towards the stature-challenged) or Zodiac (sounds good). Each advertisement will have the picture of the man and will state his job, age, marital status, location and interests.

Maybe FF and I can be the founders of this magazine. We will surely beat Cleo and Eh! in sales heehee....

A story for working children

This is a story for children (not the young-and-small-person sort of children, but the son/daughter kind).

I regularly go to the hospital every Mondays to Wednesdays to provide audiological services. Because it is a goverment hospital, I see people from all walks of life with all sorts of behaviour and manner. Many are very humble, others can be proud and arrogant.

But yesterday I encountered a humbling experience. A pakcik came to the clinic for hearing aid counselling and advice. He gladly agreed to be fitted with a new hearing aid as the one he has now is already 10 years old. While taking the impression of his ear, we talked about mundane things; my hometown, how long have I been living and working in Kuantan, etc.. Then came an unusual question:

"Mak awak ada lagi ke? (Is your mother still alive?)" he asked.

I said yes.

"Bagi duit kat mak tak? (Do you give money to her?)"

I said yes.

And then he launched a lecture: Don't ever forget to give money (ie. a part of your salary) to your mother every month. Never mind the dad (sorry to all dads out there), he can fend for himself. But don't ever forget your mom, she raised you; it doesn't matter if it's only RM5, just that she knows that you remember her. Before you put food into your mouth (that was the exact translation of his words), give her some money. If not, you will not feel comfortable sleeping at night. It's for her berkat...

I laughed.

Don't laugh, this is serious, he said. I kept on laughing, even though tears started to well in my eyes.

Remember that, he said.

Before he went, he apologised if what he said hurt my feelings. I said it was okay, what he said is true.

And I only had bread for lunch - I lost my appetite as I have yet given my mom anything this month....

KL, here I come!

Am going back to KL this evening, after work. YAY! I hope today will be a good day for driving long-distance. Rain, rain, go away; come again some other day....

I have been up to here (cue: nose) doing Kulliyyah- and department- related work. There's the never-ending development work - we were granted a complex of buildings not originally designed for us, so we had to 'modify' them to our specifications; and there's the am-I-doing-this-right? course outline.

And I should hand in the course outline by this afternoon, so gtg and finish my work! See ya!

Rookie Cop

My Assistant Director took me to a games arcade last night. Yes, you read them right: Assistant Director and games arcade...
First, he played Indy 500 and told me to watch and learn. The other seats were empty when he started, but they filled up quite fast and I didn't have the chance to put what I learnt into action. After the third attempt at "Advanced" level and "Manual" transmission, he got the 4th place. Satisfied with his "achievement", he then took me to Virtua Cop. "You cover for me", he said. With my handphone in my back pocket and my purse under my arm, I took my place. As I had played this game before, I was quite familiar with the shooting-reloading process. Aiming the gun right, I was not so sure...

So we begun shooting criminals. The bad people tend to wear dark clothes, and the good people tend to wear lab coats...(Probably they were trying to rob a pharmacy or a research center.)

One down, two down, three....more and more criminals got killed by us.

Then a scientist/doctor wearing a pristine white lab coat came into my view.

"Help me!", he shouted.

Bang! One innocent scientist/doctor down...MISS ONE LIFE! appeared on the screen.

It happened a few times. I killed at least three civilians by the time the game was over. By the third game, the innocent (bystanders?) killed by me went down to one. My accuracy was 18%. And I was awarded Rookie Cop. My AD was an Average Cop with an accuracy of about 60% hahaha... So much for covering for him.

Sh*tty Evening, Sh*tty Morning, Sh*tty Week

I just need to get this of my system. I'm putting this into my blog because I have to remember this. I will shelf it if I want to, later; but now, this is like a reference.

The latter half of the week had been a sh*tty period for two of my friends. Both cases involved persons with foul mouths and empty heads. One of them is a sad loser, and I think he can't stand being dumped by a girl. He started sending abusive messages to my friend, and then to me. My friend begged me not to retaliate, as he would send more abuses to her. I wish I could do something, but I was worried about my friend. Ah well, there's still a lot of time...I don't forget easily...I will get my revenge...

Rock Kapak?

This was brought to my attention by a close friend recently - almost all Malay slow rock songs have the same rhythm, except the ones written by M. Nasir. That is, if you hear the percussions (usually drums and cymbals) of those songs closely, they have the same beat - thump, dup...thump dup dup..thump, dup...thump dup dup..., and that makes the songs boring and sound similar to each other.

I love that kind of songs - they bring sentimentality without being too sugary - and so I begged to differ.

He still stood by his opinion and so we did a small survey; we listened to a few of what you'll call rock kapak songs in my car. First we listened to Hattan's Memburu Rindu. Strike one for him. Next was Hattan's Mahligai Syahdu, strike two. Maybe it's just Hattan. Spider could not be included in the sample as their songs are not that kapak. So I looked for my Koleksi Lagu-lagu Rock 90-an, but alas, it was missing.

To be fair, I continued the survey today and listened to Wings, Gersang, May and Search (I am an avid fan of rock kapak). And yes, i have to agree, they do have the same rhythm. But that's just one aspect of the song. You still have the melody, and you still have the lyrics. After all, what's a waltz if not for the dum-chak-chak beat?

..And this is my second post...

It has been nearly 10 months since I last logged in a post (which is also my first). So much has happened - I'm not an unemployed graduate anymore, I've relocated to Kuantan, I've found new friends...But I'm still single.
I've been working and living in Kuantan for 6 months. Time does fly; I can still remember my first day (or more appropriately, night) here. I took the flight because I had to report to the office the next day, and I just came back from Manchester a day before that. Talk about being a jet set...But I can't say I'm a true Kuantan person yet, I still drive or hitch a ride back to KL nearly every weekend to get my weekly dose of cosmopolitan life (that translates to traffic jams, crowded shopping malls, let's-go-out-for-lunch Saturdays and Sunday breakfasts of nasik lemak Nenek Miman....)