Dr M, Pak Lah & Captain Rahmat

Dr M, Pak Lah, Captain Rahmat and Proton Holdings

I got a call earlier. It was from a UMNO Youth Chief of one of the UMNO branches in the PJ Utara Division, asking me on behalf of his UMNO Branch Chief if I could officiate the opening ceremony of the branch’s annual general meeting. Probably because I am a non-conformist.

As a matter of fact, that particular Branch Chief is also a non-conformist. Being a Division Committee Member himself, he had spoken out against Nazri Aziz’s blatant disrespect for Dr Mahathir. Well, his choice of words may have been what I would use when I am angry, but in a political meeting, he could have chosen a better figurative word to describe Nazri Aziz.

So I am to give a speech…and in my speech they expect me to talk about the current “clash” (if you can call it that) between Dr Mahathir and Pak Lah.

Hmm…it has been a year since I gave my last political speech, and concentrated more on diving. Well, I’ll just be my usual self and fire away I guess…but factually.

Interesting to note however that the PJ Utara UMNO’s Youth Movement has invited Dr M to officiate their meeting. It would be very interesting to see. I must congratulate the movement for having cojones and not relegate itself to being another “yes-men” movement.

If a political party cannot accept criticisms, it is doomed to die natural death.

World Cup 2006: Cigarette Party

Lan Chao and Azli Besut...Fuad's ciggy funds not gonna be touched this month!

Monday morning, I’m going over to Uptown to witness a former colleague’s gain of at least two packets of cigarettes because he had betted against the other two on the Portugal vs England game.

My bet was for Portugal too.

Haha!

What An Upset…Not!!

Adios! Argentina...

Aaah…the joy of seeing my only favourite team left, Germany, win the first quarter finals against Argentina. Germany is the only “strong” team that I support. The others were Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Switzerland and Iran. It makes up for not being able to go diving.

I just love supporting the underdogs. In politics, I am one. But I won the last contest despite not being in the list of “favourites.”

Winnie The Pooh

The gang

I know…I’m supposed to be studying for my Deco Procedures written test tomorrow. But I had to go watch Winnie The Pooh at the National Stadium just now. My little one, Noorunnisaa, enjoyed the show tremendously. Well, so did I.

I’ll just announce my thanks to someone who made it possible for my family and I to go watch that show.

Superb Sportsmenship

My home for 5 years

I don’t like football…don’t like watching football.

That’s the general rule.

However, every four years, I ignore that rule to watch the best of the planet battle it out in the FIFA World Cup. Last night’s game between Ukraine and Switzerland was superb. They all played fairly (I cannot say the same about the Netherlands when they battled Cote d’Ivoire and Portugal). They drew 0-0 after 90 minutes, and neither side scored a goal after the 30-minute extra time. Ukraine however scored 3 goals in the penalty shootout while the Swiss scored none.

My first exposure to the World Cup was back in 1982 when Paolo Rossi, Littbarski, Maradona were all youngsters and were still playing. Me, and friends Hafiz Omar, Adlan Ali, Azlan Ramli (formerly of TM Net), and Nazli Awang Had (formerly of some unknown company), were swimmers, rather than footballers. We used (or abused) the nightly permit to watch football on television at the TAR Hall to go about doing what we liked doing best: mucking about. And 3 nights ago, hafiz and I met at the McDonald’s at Section 2 in Shah Alam to reminisce about those fun-filled days.

Kids…no real responsibilities.

I Dream of Lipe

View of sunset from MV Chalalai's tender

This was the view everyone in the group I was with saw, when we went to Koh Lipe during Chinese New Year 2006 holidays . It was a soothing sight after a 4-hour back-breaking boat journey from Pakbara…the result of arriving at Pakbara jetty 5-minutes too late. The 4-day stay at Lipe was truly heaven. Lipe encompasses what a diving/holiday heaven should be….unblemished by development, crystal clear waters, friendly people, cheap food and rooms…and everything still charged in Thai Baht.

But most of all, the company was good, the Black Moon Party was good, the bar-hops were good, the beach-side music was good…

Putradiver, Zarir, Kudinne, Narong, Shawn, Alia (change your name whenever you go to Thailand, please), Borhan, Ery, Zainal, Zainal’s wife…

Dang, I miss those good 4 days. 😦

The MV Chalalai heads out to the South Andaman Sea
Close-up of a Spotted Lionfish
An Andromeda cassiopeia jellyfish
Pterois genus
Lipe, as we headed back to reality

Same Same Cheap Cheap But Different

Advertisement for a bungalow at Soi Ramkhamhaeng 76

I saw this advertisement while on my way to Sukhumvit in Bangkok from the Don Muang International Airport, after a trip to Khon Kaen and Udon Thani in the northeast. For RM520,000.00 (Ringgit Five Hundred Twenty Thousand Only), you can own a two-storey bungalow at Soi Ramkhamhaeng 76 in Bangkok. The price includes, for free:

1) Wardrobes in three bedrooms,
2) Family furniture,
3) Food preparation counter, and,
4) Landscaping.

Time to move there…