March 31, 2009

Al Fatihah

It came to me this morning from Abond, one of my good course mate that Aizat and Fatin's father has passed away last week. Abond is their cousin.

It has been awhile since the last time I heard anything from Aizat -- the last time being slightly before the Gathering last year. Apparently Abond told me that he's going to fly to France as soon as next month to pursue his studies. Fatin's blog can be found in my list of links. My condolences to both of them.

Al Fatihah.

Posted in Seri Iskandar.

March 19, 2009

Life Pokes Me Again -- This Time, Deeper!

Random insomniac notes as, oh no, my design is not finished yet!

I'm clearly wasting my time in front of Syith's laptop (as I'm at their house, and their Internet is enviously faster) while my design progress is as slow as a JKR contractor. Okay that's not nice, well maybe as slow as things that are much nicer, such as a snail after being fed with Skittles. Whatever it is, at the time I'm writing this, I'm perfectly weeks behind schedule! And our submission is due next two weeks!

Total freak out time, man!

Speaking of which, one of my friends who slept at our house was being stuffed, i.e kena hempap the same night I was posting the post before this one. Now that's berpuaka, huh? Well not really as I've been hempap-ed once, and my other house mate twice, but what has made things much freakier is my victimised friend actually saw a 'green tail' after he was hempap-ed! Holy curry!

Wait a minute, the little green things don't really hempap people, right? Well I bloody hope they don't steal fridges! And Macs! Freaking annoying green things!

On a related matter, our house got phone one right now, so if you want to call us or anything you can reach us through this number: +605 371 3995. Shameless for me to promote? Much shameless for you to call, stalker! Okay I'm starting to think that it's a mistake to put on your rental house number here. Especially when it's haunted.

Then again, a bigger mistake if I'm not done with my design!

Posted in Seri Iskandar.

March 17, 2009

Likes Pokes Me Again!

Random insomniac notes while Land Survey report is not finished.

There's something about this blog that is too under control, you know what I mean? If you don't know me and you're bumping into my blog, you should be plunged into thinking that 'oh wow, this guy is so cold'. In which I partially am, but seriously, not this much everyday?

But maybe I did meant it to be that way.

Merepek sial.

Yes I'm in the same condition as yesterday (refer last post). And maybe to much of some of my readers' aghast (probably my parents and some over concerned friends), I did fall asleep and missed class. Okay no, don't worry as that would not happen today because;

i) I have had too much sleep and
ii) Today, got no morning class.

There's something berpuaka about my bed, anyway. Don't get me wrong, it's berpuaka because I like my bed so much. It's five times (yes, five) much comfier than my bed back at home in Shah Alam, plus I love the bedsheets and well, it sends nearly anybody who lounge more than 3 minutes on it into deep sleep! Puaka gila, huh? Bravo, Ikea!

Plus it costs only RM99 and with that price you can fold it and they actually give you a nice, complimentary mattress together with the bed frame. I'm explaining this because some people, like Ayah, always get into misconceptions that Ikea stuffs are unreasonably costly while in fact they're not. Perabot Usin Jaya pun lagi mahal! People who design furniture while cutting down the prices are the real genius that should occupy Mensa's top ranks!

I've bought a silly plastic stool -- the common type with four legs that are usually found in warung tepi jalan -- at Tesco at a price of RM16. Weeks later, a (regular) visit to Ikea made me bought a much cooler stool, the one that looked like a tong sampah turned upside down (sila rujuk katalog Ikea 2008/09) which obviously presents itself as much cooler, much stable in fact and yes, if you're bored with its function as a stool you can turn it into...well, a tong sampah!

[Update] I just realised that I forgot to mention the utmost important point: the cooler stool cost me RM15!

We're learning anthropometric and ergonomic studies this semester, which have made my Ikea trips an unguilty pleasure. The fact that I have moved into a new (rental) home here in Perak contributed much to that. It's a great thing that we got bored with Ikea anyway (after a gazzilionth time visiting this year), at least not until the Spring stock comes in.

To be specific, I want an iMac.

Posted in Seri Iskandar.

March 16, 2009

Life Pokes Me

Random insomniac notes.

When you're still wide awake after staying up the whole night, a lot of things can linger around in your head. It's either that or you will immediately fall asleep and miss class.

I often wish that I can have the skill of reading others' minds. Not exactly to directly read, but rather to predict -- quite well, at that. Nowadays I frequently met others who could and have actually 'read' my mind especially those times when I'm scheming or feeling deceitful, but maybe I'm just that predictable.

I also wish that I can find my other half who thinks that being silent and appearing shy in front of others who you don't even know well as sexy. Because I'd rather shut up instead of blabbering stuffs that I don't know. Did you not know that I prefer being alone at home instead of hanging around with people that I don't get along with? You may point out avoidant personality disorder, but I prefer to spell it as rationality.

Plus, people appearing shy and silent isn't necessarily a snob. But whose to blame if you're stuck with high school drama?

I also wish that I've chosen to buy a Mac. Or at least reformat my laptop, or something quite near to reorganising the things in it and giving it some space? Officially and radically, I think Mac is quite the better option. (I'm yet to shift to the 'Mac is the best' bloc).

I also wish that I'm finishing up with my design for final project. Unfortunately, I don't. I wish the mind-readers aforementioned above could make a favor to read my lecturers' mind also but no, they're lagging in doing the project too.

I'm wishing for a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice-cream topped with chocolate syrup served here in my room, after this.

I wish I can meet the people who call me 'Syukri' with the 'ri' with their heart and chill, right now.

I also wish that I'm surrounded with people whose minds are much open. No, saying that 'Hey, yeah, I think so too because I'm open-minded!' wouldn't help. I know my friends who are open-minded and those with minds as narrow as an LRT door blocked by the people outside when those from inside are exiting -- the very exact people whose mind as narrow as yours, that is.

This might be too random, but being an NR doesn't equalise you to be lazy and not performing. This is an open message to all of you who think that us NRs are problematic and inefficient, if you think you're so good then I want all of you to come to class on time.

And yeah, using English correctly in your assignments and even montage doesn't mean that you're copying it from the Internet. Pity yourself if you do that. We're in a world-class university, remember? Even the kids are learning Math and Science in English, why shouldn't you?

Who would copy something from the Internet and then use it in a self-made video montage, anyway?

I also wish that I could've pointed out to a social-climbing bimbo that Guessis not a designer label so there's no point of bragging your new handbag to me because I'm not impressed. Come on, ever heard of Coach and Marc Jacobs before? I also wish that I could get rid of social-climbing bimbos -- in my life, at least.

I wish I'm above average. But I'm thankful, maybe, that I'm not.

Posted in Seri Iskandar. PHOTO A girl by Lake Toba, North Sumatra. December 5, 2008.

March 03, 2009

Tracking Back Terengganu

Faces and paces of Terengganu -- except for, maybe, turtles.

Terengganu warmed up to my senses like a scent from a new perfume sample offered to you as you walk by at any mall -- a gentle mix of cautious anxiety and rudimentary judgments. Although molested heavily by politically-driven developments -- rampant and unconsiderable ones at that -- Terengganu laid itself before me as virgin as possible, its vibrant genuineness forcefully revealing itself before my eyes amongst the cracks of pretentiousness.

Today, Terengganu is a fortnight ago. Along the way completing our site analysis for our final project --which is placed at Lake Kenyir -- sights of Terengganu ventured into my mind, sometimes as hazy as the smokes hailed from the rempit bikes at Batu Burok, sometimes still as vibrantly tasty as Pasar Payang's nasi dagang.

I prefer to see Terengganu the way Awang Goneng sees it: full of joy and tranquility, just like what he mentioned in his book Growing Up In Trengganu. Yes, Trengganu, just like he spelled it each time he mentions the state in his book, where at the book's introduction, he rhymed the name with tra-la-la. It has always been pronounced that way, he argued. In fact that it is how we pronounce it today, and that is also the spelling that appeared in the Constitution. Of course, just like how once the deep jungles of Hulu Terengganu became the deepest waterbeds of the vast Lake Kenyir today -- things quite took some changes themselves.

Easily, Terengganu was once of the of our studio trips ever. It didn't end there, though. The final project, which will deal alot with floating architecture will summarise everything. Submission is a month away, but our lecturers have never failed to remind us to keep up with the pace. Our houseboats in Kenyir maybe are slow, but it wouldn't be the same for our work.

Nevertheless Terengganu has quite some wounds to be healed. The race of who's more into Islam and who's not, has sacrificed so many characters in our already rich culture, and one of them is our architecture. The disease of aspiring to be more Arab that the Arabs themselves is severe, and the results are what you get when you identify what exactly is 'Islamic culture' wrongly. If a 'crystal' mosque is built majestically on an island while it's hardly accessible will it be Islamic? If a mosque follows Malaysian architecture and abandons its typical minarets and domes will it be less Islamic that the one that follows its Middle Eastern prototype?

So many things to think, so little time. Instead of bickering, our leaders should take some time and think about this: if, in a thousand years time, future archeologists dig into our soils, what would they find out about us through the ruins of what we have built? Richly-cultured Malaysians with outstanding identity, or some confused racists and ethno-fanatics who are merely copycats?

Stay put, Terengganu. And off to work!

Chris Brown coincidentally punched Rihanna days before she supposedly hold her concert down in KL -- the same day I was in Terengganu. The trip, however did took another toll when I have to miss Mad's send off to Melbourne. The concert was reportedly to be cancelled last week. PHOTO Us at Pantai Batu Burok, Kuala Terengganu, Feb 13. The famous boat maker in Pulau Duyong, shares light moments with us while being interviewed, Kuala Terengganu, Feb 14. One of our houseboats cross the deepest point in Lake Kenyir at 153m deep while on the way to Lasir Waterfalls, south of the lake, Feb 15. More photos at Flickr.

February 09, 2009

Living Walls

How things are traversing as the third anniversary approaches.

Walls pose themselves as important characters to a building. They function as dividers, mainly -- between the outside and the inside, here and there, his and hers -- aside from being structurally important. In a pararrel subreality, aside from these visible walls we do have the invisible ones being build in our lives -- ones that don't require bricks or wood nor exclusive skills and money to build.

I'm finding myself bumping into these walls in realisation, recently. The walls made by others who appear to be fond of my appearance within their personal confinements, but in reality I'm just another privacy invader to them. Being hit, slowly I'm building my own walls too, against the people whom I don't want my space to be shared with. These walls, however, as they're invisible, don't really have any strong foundations. Sometimes they just flew away, these walls. Other times they evaporate.

Suddenly I realised many walls have been built and torn down, again and again, since the first time I blog here. Some people still stay within the same walls just like they did three years ago, while some happened to have found their door towards their way out. Others make more walls, some so strong they're impenetrable. Others gave up their walls, letting them rambled down thus a new space is born. Meanwhile some still peek through my wall from outside, for reasons I'm not sure myself.

When I started blogging these walls don't really matter. It was a mere one year and a half ahead of my further studies, roughly a year before National Service, and months before SPM. That time, I should have thought that a 'butterfly effect' is just another feeling you'd feel when you're nervous. Who could have cared about crossing life paths? And the exhausting rhetorical 'what if's?

Sitting here today, I'm glad I didn't back then. For many reasons, at least I can see myself and the rest of us as a lot happier once. Those were the days where we would think twice about spending at Starbucks and Baskin Robbins; where my usual was still a Frappucino. When everybody actually go lepak at D.E during its heydays, the good ol' days when the food there was actually great, and they didn't put Milo 3 in 1 on a Milo Ais for a Milo Tabur (what a disgrace!). When a day out in KL or even mall is actually, well, a day out. A tame world of tuitions, ko-ko, sometimes impunctual Uncle Koh and of course, school.

These are the walls long gone, dilapidated and maybe just like I put it, flew away. We have built new walls, and within it our decided choices. And et voila, here we are today. Here I am, three years later with a blog I'm still unsure where to direct its way.

Three years later, I'm facing the fact that life can be inane, even though many things happen in it. Though best heard in manufacturing factories or maybe some political speeches, 'quality, not quantity' is somehow true. Just like how some onde-onde can be many and cheap in one set, but lacked a good inti. Being caught in this unprecedently caused me great cracks of agony on my walls, in which certainly leaning on them is not a good solution.

"Just do something out of your wall," a friend said. "Something simple that have made others happy -- even if they're underpriviliged." I tried it. It worked. And a very good pal of mine, a teh tarik companion at Syed just asked me to 'stay focused'.

"Just go home where you belong, forget everything, and when you're done, go back and finish your work," he said (I'm trying hard to make this as un-Readers Digest-ly as possible). A brave one, actually, quite achievable if you're not a studio-based student. Still, I quitely did this since it was a long weekend, so yeah. It worked, somehow.

In the end, one of my best blogger companion, who later becomes one of my best of friends, sums it all up -- when I thought an exit was a clearer option. "Everybody can write and take photos, if they want to. But you, you have talents. And combining that with what you learn now in architecture, it'll make you much a successful person later."

There's more to that, but I can't remember the exact words. Anyhow, I'm still betting on the last advice. Trying.

Invisible walls are as important as visible walls. Whose wall we decide to attach our walls to somehow will reflect who we will turn out to be, which depends on how strong are the walls jointed, anyway. While for those who we decide to keep our walls separate as in the case of our lives, that is just because we don't have enough bondings required to keep our walls together.

It sounds simple. At least, I hope, we can keep things that simple until next year -- as long as there aren't any clumsy contractors around. Besides, that was just how I got things started during day one, anyway: 'a simple day, today'.

Posted in Seri Iskandar. PHOTO Overlooking Manhattan. This is the first post on February 11, 2006.

February 08, 2009

When You Love A City, Miss It

When a city is on two continents, just don't expect returning home feeling ordinary -- even after a year has passed.

I'm finding myself reminiscing Istanbul these days. Many times, if my lecturers blurted out 'Rumi, Rumi', the theme for the up and coming architectural workshop this May in Shah Alam, images of dervishes in Istanbul's many Sufi lodges came into my mind, men in white swirling into ecstasy. But there's more to Rumi as there's more to Istanbul.

I miss the summer splendour and the winter breeze, spreading over the Bosphorus like a kind mother flourishing love onto her child. I miss getting lost in the bustling bazaars -- in the midst of carpets and antiques, the smells of spices in Mısır Çarşısı, the warmth of cay offered by the vendors sipping into your mouth -- free of charge and the exhaustion your mouth gets when you chew the lokums of various flavours. And the bustles of Beyoğlu and Taksim, Nişantaşı and Teşvikiye, Ortaköy and Beşiktaş, Fatih and Beyazıt... the lovely domes and minarets, and the lovely people. The lovely Istanbullus.

Heartless are those who didn't fall in love upon setting foot on it.

PHOTOS Top: Empty cay cups near Nuruosmaniye Mosque (Nuruosmaniye Camii); Middle: A vendor sells nuts while commuters walk pass his stall by the Eminönü side of the Golden Horn near the New Mosque (Yeni Camii); Below: Pigeons flock at a square near the Egyptian Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) while two Turkish women watch over them. All photos captured December 2007. No edits.

note: ( 'C' is to be pronounced as in 'j' in 'joker'. Ç is to be pronounced as in 'ch' in 'cheat' or 'c' in Malay 'cawan'. ş is to be pronunced as in 'sh' in 'shut' or 'sy' in Malay 'syok'. An 'i' is pronounced as in the 'i' in tin, or 'it'. 'ı' is to be pronounced as in 'e' in 'her'. 'ğ' is to be pronounced as near as 'gh' in 'Baghdad', but thinner, as in 'Hugh'.
)

February 07, 2009

Silver State, Unpolished

Democracy, please come back. For our sons and daughters. For Malaysians, who share the same sun and moon. For the people who are blessed enough to roam this special place, all over from Perlis to Sabah. We were rich once, we thrived once. It's not impossible that we'll achieve once again. May stars blink once again upon this beloved land, just like how they have smiled upon our ancestors.

Amin.

p/s: I'M SELLING OUT MY SUNBURST TICKET!