 arimotaNovember 19th Male Malaysia pekebende
whatever thoughts and events this soon to face mid-life
crisis of a man had gone through, will go through
or perhaps not at all
hÅhÅhÅ
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Sunday, November 26, 2006
What more can I say after watching our bogey team Bolton Wanderers scoring three goals at The Reebok against us. Though we managed to reply through Gilberto Silva's header at the end of the first-half, it was a tale of missed chances that we created that I just could not think of any other cause except for LUCK...
Of course it is the usual preach of skills, team-work, aggression that could win football matches but certainly a healthy dose of luck would not hurt either. It was all there during the Bolton match, despite the absence of Theirry Henry and Robin van Persie we still paraded a skillful line-up. The team-work was there and so was our aggression, especially in the second half.
HOWEVER, what were the explanation for the three attempts that touched the woodwork from Freddie Ljungberg, Emmanuel Adebayor and Francesc Fabregas? On any other day, if the luck was there they would certainly have gone over line, and the final score would be 4-3 to the Gooners.
Manures and Steroids most probably were celebrating the result, leaving the championship race just between themselves, though I would not mind if the FORMER (forgive me fellow Gooners for saying that...) coming out on top in May rather than seeing the merinyu boosting his ego yet again... but of course I would be praying for a lot of luck going our way in from the next match onward to ensure that we will be competitive right to the end, preferably a victorious end...
COME ON GOONERS!!!
Posted at 03:34 am by arimota
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Saturday, November 25, 2006
THE AZRID HONEYMOON SHOW, The Lowdown, Parte Deux
After coming back to the main island we dropped by the Awana Porto Malai just to see the where part of the drama 'Dalam Hati Ada Cinta' was filmed (the first series was okay... but they extended it too far in the middle of the second series and we just lost interest)
During the first day we saw the Thai restaurant Wan Thai in Kuah Town and we intended to taste their offerings. After coming back from Porto Malai we thought of going to the restaurant. Unfortunately, their staff informed us that they were having a staff meeting and would be closing soon... much to our disappointment which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
I have seen a restaurant at the junction of the Kuah town on our back from the jetty called Restoran Wasna with a few tables set on the adjacent field giving it an open air dining concept. Since I love to eat in the open we thought to give it a try. The waitress was prompt and friendly, and our drinks of pineapple and coffee came just moments after we place our order.
Then came our order of ayam masak halia, mushroom soup and chinese style beancurd. We just tucked in and much to our delight they were good that I had to have a second helping... in the end the plates were licked clean which could have the owner thinking 'that the food must be very good' or these people must have not eaten for the whole day... All of those cost us just a shade under RM25.
The next day we spent a moment after breakfast sunbathing Malaysian style (that is lying on the deck chair fully clothed) Then the next agenda was to go to the top of Gunung Matchincang via the cable car... something which Linda had not been looking forward to but went through anyway... a decision she regretted just seconds after our gondola left the base station (thinking of putting the video on YouTube...)
It was a smooth journey to the top with magnificent view along the way (it would be much better if the sky was clear but it was cloudy that day) The first station was closed due to renovation works so proceeded to the next station. It was cool and windy at the top. Then there was the hanging platform for those who like to have an extended view. I had to go solo on this one as Linda opted to rest her legs from the long trek down and also her heart from beating so fast out of fear being at such places.
After over an hour at the top we took gondola No.30 to go down and 15 minutes later we had our feet on firm ground, much to Linda's relief. We were taking a few shots on the vicinity of the Oriental Village when the light went out... we looked up and saw the gondolas were not moving on their lines!! My God! It must be terrifying for those stuck on the gondolas 700 metres from the ground with the sound of the wind blowing through its windows. (We found out later that the blackout lasted for half an hour)
Then we proceeded to Idaman Suri for Linda to indulge in one of her (and most women's) favourite past-times... SHOPPING!! I apologize for not being gentlemanly on this occassion but I spent the next hour sleeping in the car and left Linda on her own device, which turned out to a good move when she had this young shop assistant (male) following her around and then helped her carrying the stuff that she bought to the car...
Then the last night on the island was spent at the resort, packing stuff into our newly purchased luggages which much to our surprise could fit all our stuff inside them. After our last breakfast we proceeded to the airport and the check-in was smooth at the Air Asia counter. The flight to KLIA LCCT was generally uneventful, with just a mild drop to get the heart pumping a bit.
When we touched down it began to rain and from this point onwards I started to gripe about the LCCT... from having to walk in the rain to the main terminal building, the terminal not connected to the ERL, not being able to check-in our luggages until two hours from departure, the high cost of foods, lack of choice in food outlets (just McD, Coffee Beans and Asean Delights) and finally the dreaded "RETIMED" (a new strategy in announcing the flight was DELAYED) of our connecting flight to kT.
We intended to spend the eight hours between our arrival at the LCCT and departure to kT by going to the Alamanda, Putrajaya or in kL itself but due to the lack of assured public transport like the ERL we were a bit sceptical to travel. Using the buses could led us being stuck in the jam to and fro the airport and the cost to go to the KLIA itself to get on the ERL was itself a waste of money... one question kept playing on my mind was why build the LCCT in the first place? Even to utilise old Subang Airport make more sense than this...
Well, the EIGHT hours waiting turned into TEN (perhaps a documovie "10 at LCCT, A guide to Waiting for your Flight could come out of this) and finally we were on our way home... just to have an opinion about the meal sold during the flight, I bought a pack of 'fried rice'... which I found a bit dry. The verdict was: if your could wait until you reach the airport or food outlets outside the airport, then you better wait.
In the end, it was a wonderful holiday, one we would like to have again in the future and this time we will bring the 'quarrelling duo' with us too...
Posted at 12:09 pm by arimota
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Wednesday, November 22, 2006
RAFAEL, ROBIN, EMMANUELLE & JULIO
It was one of those mornings when you feel everything is wonderful... 83 nail-biting and hair pulling minutes were replaced by sheer exhiliration of watching seven minutes of a genius in the making... what am I blabbering about? My beloved Gooners, of course... despite Arsene Wenger talking about not conceding early goals, that exactly what happened after just four minutes against Hamburger SV.
Dutchman Rafael van der Vart continued his scoring run against English team with a superb effort from twenty metres and Arsenal were trailing again at the Emirates. There were several chances created by Arsenal, the best one was by Alexander Hleb whose effort hit the bar. Both Robin van Persie and skipper Thierry Henry saw their their free-kicks went wide by a matter of milimetres.
Then the vision of Francesc Fabregas put van Persie through in the 53rd minute and the Dutchman calmly stroked the ball home with his weaker right foot.
The score were level but it would mean Arsenal have to win in Porto, which is not an easy thing to do especially after Henry was booked for the third time after van Persie's goal. It was his third and meant that he would not be available for the trip to Porto (on the positive note: Monsieur Wenger will be able to give Henry a deserved break, albeit an enforced one)
Then young Theo Walcott was brought on to replace the tiring Freddie Ljungberg. His pace unsettled the tiring Hamburg defence and it was his pass to fullback Emmanuelle Eboue which led to the Ivory Coast international blasting Arsenal ahead with a powerful shot from an acute angle (Hamburg also conceded a similar goal in 1984 Toyota Cup in Tokyo against Gremio Porto Alegre, Renato was the scorer that day)
Jens Lehmann was called upon to make his first serious save of the evening with three minutes to go on the clock. His massive throw found its way to Walcott who sped down the line before cutting inside into the box. His cross eluded Henry but Julio Baptista who came on soon after Walcott was there to head the ball into the empty goal to cement the Gooners lead.
With Porto winning in Moscow earlier, a draw will see both team through and CSKA would have to continue their European adventure in the UEFA Cup... hopefully we will go through.
Posted at 10:41 am by arimota
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Sunday, November 19, 2006
THE AZRID HONEYMOON SHOW, The Lowdown, Parte Un
Hey, what do you know... I have lived on this earth for three and a half decades already... thanking Him is the most important item on the to-do list as without His blessings I would not be here to blog about the AZRID Honeymoon Show.
We have purchased the Air Asia return tickets in July during their promotion period. The total cost amounted to just RM142 for both of us from Langkawi to Kuala Terengganu.
The journey began on Saturday night from Kuala Terengganu to Alor Star on the Cepat Ekspress, though a few times during I wished it would lived up to its name. Stopped somewhere after the East-West Highway ended for a quick bite. Arrived at the Shahab Perdana Terminal and after a quick breakfast, made our way to Kangar. It was a refreshing sight along the way though I spent most of it sleeping.
Had another quick bite at the Kangar bus station where Linda had a bowl of mee sup before boarding our bus to Kuala Perlis. Upon arriving at the terminal we were approached by a man who represented a tour agency and through him we managed to book a Proton Wira for just RM50 per day. He also managed to persuade us to book the Island Hopping package at just RM70 per person.
The ferry ride was smooth and after disembarking we made our way to the jetty and found the tour agency located at the same building which houses the KFC. It went smoothly and we were on our way to Berjaya Beach & Spa Resort with me behind the wheel of a white manual Proton Wira...
The check-in process also was very smooth and we were taken to our chalet with a shuttle (actually a converted 1 tonne lorry with three rows of stadium seats) The chalet was nice and a bit above our expectations. Well, with nothing to do we just _____________ (feel free to use your grey cells here) Only later in the evening that we went out to satisfy our other needs.
Out of all places, we went to McDonald's... but just for a quick bite. We strolled a bit inside the Langkawi Fair Mall (the name was a bit misleading for me) afterwards. Even though it was intended as a window shopping stroll, somehow I ended up buying a two tone long sleeved Arsenal round-neck t-shirt. Then we went to this row of stalls beside the Buena Vista Hotel and was genuinely surprised when our meal of sup tulang, kailan ikan masin, telur bistik and daging masak halia plus drinks just costed us just RM13.
That night I wore the Arsenal t-shirt and went to the Burau Beat where the resort show live EPL matches on a big screen to watch the Gooners taking on the Reds from the Merseyside... it was indeed a happy night with Matthieu Flamini, Kolo Toure and William Gallas finding the back of the net in a classic 3-0 win over the visitors.
The next morning we had a hearty breakfast before strolling around the area and left our footprints on where the rich and famous stay... complete with all the red carpet
Then it was time to go Island Hopping. The operator came to pick us up at the Underwater World carpark before proceeding to the jetty where we had to endure a bit more waiting as the guide wanted to find out the happenings on "Bawang Putih, Bawang Merah" that day... all eyes in that coffee shop were transfixed onto the TV screen...
Finally it ended and we were on our way to the sea... a brief stop to see the reason why the island is known as "Pulau Dayang Bunting" (perhaps it sounds better than Pulau Ibu Mengandung... and those with extended imagination could come up with a wonderful and tragic story...) before docking at the island's jetty. From there we walked for five minutes before reaching the "Tasik Dayang Bunting" where I played with the friendly catfishes (they nibble and tickle your feet... something Linda could not bring herself to experience due to her fear of anything with cat in its name...) Since we were allocated 1 hour to explore the island, the rest of the time we spent around paddling around the lake on a paddle boat... which left our fellow travellers a bit bemused as they left the lake very much earlier.
The next journey was to Pulau Beras Basah which a bit like Pulau Kapas minus the chalets and other amenities... the water looked so cool but as a remininder do not leave your belongings unattended as the monkeys will show their interest in them, especially those in the plastic bags just like our fellow tourists found out... luckily my shout was loud enough to alert them...
The last leg of the tour was to Pulang Helang where we witnessed how the residents of the island exhibit their skills in precision flying and perfect diving to retrieve chunks of meat that the guide had thrown into the water... In the end we felt the island hopping package was worth the time and money
More to come...
Posted at 01:23 pm by arimota
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Friday, November 17, 2006
FINALLY, A DESERVED HONEYMOON Sunday, October 29, 2006
WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN...
The third day of Aidil-Fitri saw a vow of marriage taken by a guy who has stolen the heart of my wifey's sister. Former schoolmates whose friendships developed into something more serious and Alhamdulillah it is now bound in aqad nikah.
Of course holding a wedding reception during Hari Raya meant there are a lot of work to be done. This is the first time I am able to sit properly in front of the PC to blog about the wedding. The nikah ceremony went smoothly even though the Imam asked the groom to recite the vow a second time to ensure it was smoothly done without any hesitation on his part (though some people would like to say that I requested it... nope, I plead NOT guilty to that charge)
Then, the 'bersanding' ceremony which was held on the next day saw a number of old friends renewing the acquaintance. Perhaps the chance to meet one another was very limited due to commitments and locations and has to rely on weddings and holidays to keep up with recent developments.
Anyway, the groom side took their own sweet time to arrive even though numerous 'We are on the way' were relayed through various media. Thank God they finally showed up in multiple vehicles, safe and sound. All the usual wedding stuff were carried out and the photo session took a bit longer and only finished as Maghrib approached.
After the dust had settled it was the time to clean-up. Uhhhhhhh... my back still hurts and I can feel the strain in my thighs from all doing all those things, which mean only one thing... my body could not take the same punishment as it used to a few years ago... how time flies...
Then today it was the 'Menyambut Menantu' ceremony (Reception for the Bride) at the groom's house. Luckily this time around the houses are seperated by a mere four kilometres at the most, so it was still bearable even though the roads were jammed with those still celebrating Aidil-Fitri or going back to their respective place of 'cari makan'.
Then, there was the wait when we arrived at the groom's house. Though it could be blamed on inexperience as this is their first wedding in the family. Perhaps they could learned from this and instead of making the bride's entourage to wait, get the couple to meet the guests in the morning before they go back and have the reception in the afternoon... hopefully they do learn, after all they are a well educated family.
So, to Aleen & Ali, HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS & MAY BOTH OF YOU BE BLESSED TILL THE END
Posted at 06:37 am by arimota
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Thursday, October 26, 2006
Aidil-Fitri greetings to all Muslims
Being a constant procrastinator meant the blog will not be updated as timely as it should be. Well, that is one thing that should be expected, right? However, me being me, I had to push myself a bit harder to sit in front of the PC and get something out.
How did I spend the 1st day of Hari Raya? Nothing much different really from the previous years... oh yeah, a tiny different actually, I missed the Aidil-Fitri prayer for the first time in so many years due to an unavoidable circumstance...
Apart from that, breakfast with the family, photo sessions, going back to the Island, another photo session and the best of all... long nap (never fail to keep up this tradition for the last few years). Of course I have to get up if I have to entertain friends & relatives that always find time to pay me a visit, but bear in mind that I am very grateful for that...
Anyway, the Fellowship of the 5ive was not able to confer again this year as the members are unable to form a mutual calendar for this balik kampung... thus there will be seperate conferences with superhandsomeguy@yahoo.com & Lord Almond coming during the first part and the second part will see me hosting nogumozaza@yahoo.com & James 'Wonderpit' Din... maybe the only time all of us are able to confer is perhaps during my funeral... that would be something to think about, right?
With the third day of Hari Raya will see an Aqad Nikah ceremony between wifey's sister and her prince charming ("") there will be quite a hectic time to prepare for the event during the day. The ceremony itself is scheduled to take place after Isha' prayers.
As the newspaper has predicted that the weather to be wet during the Hari Raya period everybody is taking no chance and prepare for the worst that could happen... and of course everybody is praying that the worst would not happen...
Am I making any sense? Perhaps I can blame it on the time... it is five to one in the morning... so good night, and good luck!!
Posted at 01:08 am by arimota
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Thursday, October 19, 2006
For most, the approaching Aidil-Fitri is a day of joy. It spells the end of the many restrictions that the fasting month brings. However, there are those who feel sad as it also means that Ramadhan is close to leaving us once again, and we never know if our life will be long enough to meet it again next year.
Unfortunately, there is nothing much that have been accomplish by yours truly to maximise the goods that the holy month brings, apart from the nightly Terawih prayers and the reciting of a few verses of the Holy Qur-an.
Of course, in Islam almost everything that we do is considered as Ibadah which covers almost all routine activities such as going to work, spending time with your family, etc. Thus, if we just correct our intention from doing all those things as a mean to gain wealth and happiness; to doing it in the name of Allah.
By His will, everything that we do will be considered as an ibadah, and futhermore during the month of Ramadhan all ibadah will be rewarded tenfold compared to those carried out during other months...
Just a thought.
Posted at 01:20 pm by arimota
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006
I have never take more than a passing interest in the A1 Grand Prix which began last year when Malaysia finished third after a number of useful results at curcuits all over the racing world. This season they retained the same drivers namely the experienced Alex Yoong and the young Fairuz Fauzy.
The season began on a low note in South Africa but then luck and determination played huge roles in bringing the most satisfying result for the Malaysian team at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic.
Starting in third place on the grid Alex took the lead when the German and New Zealand cars collided with one another just after the start. Despite some serious challenges from Team Canada and Team France the former F1 driver a few years back took the chequered flag after completing ten rounds of the sprint session.
The win gave Alex P1 at the start of the feature race but a slow start saw him losing the place to Team Canada, with their 19 year old driver James Hinchcliffe took the lead which he held until 7 laps remaining.
By then Alex had sliced the rookie lead to less than a second and as a result of the Canadian detiorating grip on the track the Malaysian went past him after they came together at a tight corner.
The double win put Malaysia on 3rd place with 17 points, trailing Team Germany and Team Mexico by three and one point respectively. Now we can look forward to more cheers when the next race being held in Beijing, China on 12-11-2006.
Good luck, guys!!!
Posted at 07:37 pm by arimota
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Sunday, October 01, 2006
A decade equals to ten years of human life.
Ten years ago...
1) I met an undergraduate from UUM, who a decade later still remain as an integral part of my life, having cemented our relationship with two wonderful princesses; who share an awful lot together with both ups and downs maturing us into better human beings; keeping check on each other's extremeties and learn to respect one another...
2) Arsene Wenger came to ARSENAL. Twice double champions, a few more cups, two unlucky European competition finals, 49 invincible matches, an unbeaten league season, moving forward from Highbury to the Emirates and a style of football that wins the heart of the purists and opposing fans left with wishful thinking that their team able to match the Gooners beautiful football...
3) I joined the rat race, this time for real. Even though the race venue is less intimidating and less hectic; the satisfaction of being able to leave home after the sun has risen above the horizon and be at home before the sunset more than compensate any monetary advantage that a faster and hectic venue able to offer...
Another decade? Insya-Allah
Posted at 02:16 am by arimota
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