tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70859822157673107842024-03-13T11:42:57.802+08:00Don't Bank On It!The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-64279485748820784712011-12-05T09:03:00.003+08:002011-12-05T09:21:04.307+08:00Sweet SixteenPrep School, hamba loceng, grey, roll call, lights off, common room, asal lak common room? fire drill, knuckle.<br /><br />New Hostel, Lata Kekabu, rebel, sampin 1 petak, duck walk, freak match Dorm 10, tukar baju laju-laju, mengira bintang dibalik awan, burnt banner.<br /><br />Big School, cuak, kadir-kadir, rampa, pompoy, lesen, beruk, ular, senior comm, graveyard, night court, let go, PMR, tricosor, stadium raja bersiong, burn the gombang!<br /><br />Honeymoon, 3rd best, freedom, burung, penguin, lambatnya 2000.<br /><br />Senior, segregation, kencing berdarah, sket je boi, gantung, Ulu Chepor, SPM, SPM? oh shit...<br /><br />05.12.1995-05.12.2011: 16 years bros, Fiat Sapientia Virtus!The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-41824542162346953982011-12-02T17:04:00.002+08:002011-12-02T17:20:16.204+08:00RoadblockLama dah tak update blog nih, busy kerja and busy layan anak. Masa terluang selain tuh buat tido dengan main FM. Pemain tegar since 1997, true story.<br /><br />Anyway since office hours dah habis (kerja bank Fridays balik 4.45pm, SSJ!), and hujan boleh tahan menggila kat luar, aku bukak cerita lama sebagai mengisi masa lapang.<br /><br />Malam tuh entah apa pasal, Manao ajak pegi downtown Cheras. Redneck Selama (RS) pon ada sekali, maybe lepas lepak minum kat Taman Dagang kot nih. Anyway, naik kereta aku pegi sana. Lepas pusing-pusing takde arah tujuan kat downtown, kitorang gerak nak balik Ampang. Sampai je dekat roundabout dekat Jalan Cheras (kot?) ade road block la pulak. Biasa la weekend.<br /><br />Sampai je dekat road block tuh abang polis suruh gi tepi. Cool je la kan, memang tak speeding since baru lepas roundabout, seat belt pon pakai. Bukak tingkap, tegur adik polis (baru perasan muda lagi polis tuh, confirm aku lagi tua).<br /><br />"mintak IC, lesen"<br /><br />Dia tenung lama, then pandang muka aku plak lama-lama. Aku dah nervous. Takkan muka dah lain sangat dengan gambar kot.<br /><br />"Lesen latest ade?"<br />"Yang tu la latest"<br />"Yang nih dah mati. Sure takde yang lagi baru?"<br /><br />Sudah! Menggelabah buat-buat bukak wallet belek semua card yang ada padahal hati dah tahu memang takde lain dah.<br /><br />"Kalau takde cakap takde, tak payah panjang cerita"<br /><br />Tahu pulak dia aku pura-pura, damn. Dia suluh dalam kereta kat Manao, then kat RS. Manao muka kaki pukul, RS memang tak nampak langsung muka dalam gelap. Kena senyum baru nampak. Kot.<br /><br />"Lagi dua orang ada IC, lesen tak?"<br /><br />Gelabah la kawan-kawan aku keluarkan IC semua bagai tunjuk kat adik polis. Dia tgk RS punya kejap,<br /><br />"Tukar driver, suruh kawan kau yang bawak kereta. Lepas nih pegi buat lesen baru"<br /><br />Dengan pantas Manao tukar tempat dan kami berlalu pergi. Rasanya kalau bukan pasal kad kuasa TUDM Captain RS, confirm kena saman dah aku. Ye lah, lesen dh mati SETAHUN.<br /><br />At least jimat RM30 ye tak for one year renewal fee? HeheThe Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-49410474353371906272011-10-18T15:45:00.006+08:002011-10-18T15:56:38.814+08:00Letter To An Infant<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCafbhForyQ/Tp0vRPg9qGI/AAAAAAAAAMY/bNRyFhpSYMQ/s1600/Picture.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664735879571023970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCafbhForyQ/Tp0vRPg9qGI/AAAAAAAAAMY/bNRyFhpSYMQ/s200/Picture.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Dearest,<br /><br />I have written and rewritten this letter so many times I lost count. It took me so long, you are now 6 weeks old. I want this to be perfect, yet I know I will fail.<br /><br />I will always remember the moments that I held you in my arms. Whenever your eyes looked into mine, I melted like butter in the hot sun. I'll always remember the way your small mouth pouts whenever you're content, and your toothless grins when you're drowsy.<br /><br />I hope you will love travelling as much as I do. I hope you'll find joy taking long spartan train rides and walking for hours in some foreign cities. I hope you'll soak yourself in the differing cultures and not mind carrying around heavy backpacks and sleeping in some cheap motel. I hope you'll embrace the sands and beaches, and also the streets and fountains of the world. I hope your idea of travelling is not just a quick flight to a fancy hotel and guided tours.<br /><br />I hope you'll take a shine to photography because I want to spend hours with you on photography trips, and be able to teach you a thing or two about apertures and shutter speeds. I want you to do it because it gives you satisfaction and not because the hipster kid next door is doing it too.<br /><br />I hope you'll be interested in the outdoors, and we can go on camping trips just the two of us. We'll swim in the icy cold water of the river in the mornings and start a barbecue at night and I will tell you the best horror stories I can come up with so that you'll want to sleep close to me.<br /><br />I hope you'll enjoy football so we can go to matches together. I hope you wouldn't mind the crowd and the deafeniing roar, and I hope you'll feel the elation of winning though sometimes you will have to bear the bitterness of defeat.<br /><br />I hope for so many things but the truth is, I just want you to be your own man. Always remember your roots, and you would not stray far. Be kind always, have patience and have as little regrets in life as possible. You will have heartbreaks and you will break hearts. Cherish your family, especially mama. You will understand why when you have your own child later, trust me. Treasure your good friends because some do stick around for life. Love and be loved in return, and the world is a much better place for it.<br /><br />I love you.<br /><br />Yours truly,<br />Abah.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-49637957563984089782011-09-28T15:13:00.002+08:002011-09-28T15:31:50.768+08:00Bulan MaluTwo weeks ago:<br />I went down to SDMC's parking to move my car nearer to the lifts in case the wife can be discharged the next day. Since I was already down, I thought why not get a quick drink at mamak across the road. Just a quick limau ais would be just fine.<br /><br />So I walked over and sat down and ordered. Soon my drink came, and I was sipping it happily when I realized, <em>mana aku bawak wallet turun tadi</em>!<br /><br />I mulled asking the <em>brader</em> at the next table for a RM2 quick loan, but muka tak cukup tebal pulak. So finally I got up and walked to the counter when no one else was paying.<br /><br />"<em>Boss, I tertinggal duit lah. Kejap lagi I datang balik bayar OK, amek duit kejap dekat hospital</em>"<br /><br />Nasib baik anney tuh OK, tapi memang laju ah aku pergi ambil duit and datang balik bayar, Sumpah malu.<br /><br />Last week:<br />Went out for lunch with Haz and he specifically wanted to eat 'mat salleh', so we walked over to Nando's. Ordered, ate, chatted, laughed. Then we asked for the bill. We took out our wallets,<br /><br />"<em>Eh Haz, aku rasa aku short nih. Cover dulu, jap lagi aku bayar</em>"<br />"<em>Bro, aku pon ada Rm20 je aku rase nih</em>"<br /><br />Brader waiter dah buat muka ketat.<br /><br />"<em>OK, jom pool up our money tengok berapa ada</em>"<br /><br />Nervous giggle, while avoiding brader waiter's steely gaze.<br /><br />"<em>Takpe lah, abang bayar je berapa yang ade</em>"<br />"<em>Eh cukup nih kot, bro aku ade RM24 je. Kau ade berape?</em>"<br />"<em>Jap - RM25. Alamak sen tak cukup!</em>"<br />"<em>Takpe la bang, nih pon dah OK..</em>"<br />"<em>Hah ade sen dalam poket!</em>"<br /><br />Muka tebal macam tayar dah rasa.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-54682985703819712232011-08-24T10:44:00.004+08:002011-08-24T10:56:33.955+08:00MasterchefLast week, on a whim I decided to cook for berbuka. I checked the pantry and saw that I have enough to cook up some spaghetti aglio olio, so I boiled some water for the spaghetti, chopped up garlic and some herbs, heated some olive oil in the pan, put the spaghetti in the boiling water with some olive oil and salt, then put the chopped up garlic and herbs in the pan, along with some chili flakes. For flavour, I threw in some coarse salt too. When the spaghetti's nicely al dente, I drained most of the water, put the spaghetti in the pan, added some of the spaghetti water, and after a while it's done!
<br />
<br />Transferred the whole thing to a bowl, with a thong I nicely picked up the spaghetti and put it on the plates like I learned on Masterchef :D. Pretty soon, it's time to berbuka already so we tucked in heartily.
<br />
<br />Then suddenly a silence and we looked at each other.
<br />
<br />"I rasa kalau letak salt and pepper OK sikit kot?"
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<br />Susah betul masak time puasa nih when you can't tell sugar from salt.
<br />The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-7159273194947885442011-08-18T12:39:00.003+08:002011-08-18T12:47:09.475+08:00Thank YouLast week I was in Phnom Penh for work. The trip reminded me of the first time I was there in 2008. There were 6 of us, and we were having some drinks and snacks at a nice french-style cafe somewhere in the city. As we were about to leave, I decided to ask the waitress who was standing nearby:
<br />
<br />"How do you say 'thank you' in Cambodia?"
<br />"Thank you" she replied with a smile.
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<br />Confused silence, then slowly apprehension came over me.
<br />
<br />"I mean, how do say 'thank you' in <strong>Khmer</strong>?"
<br />"<em>Aw khun</em>" she replied with a bigger smile.
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<br />Siot, aku kena bahan dengan awek Cambodia!
<br />The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-64259035147113744262011-08-05T15:58:00.003+08:002011-08-05T16:12:31.638+08:00GunaKat Kuala Kangsar dulu-dulu ada dua kedai gunting mamak yang kitorang selalu pergi. Satu nama Romeo, satu lagi Guna. Satu sama row dengan tailor Side Two dengan kedai Seri Menanti (cuba la makan sini, memang sumpah korang kena tunggu lama nak dapat food), lagi satu dekat lembah dekat-dekat Cyber Valley cybercafe port budak-budak fly lepak main game dan hisap rokok. Tak tahu la ada lagi ke tak semua kedai-kedai aku sebut, nih zaman 90s dulu punya cerita.<br /><br />Anyway, Guna nih memang suka buat lawak ganas-ganas. Sikit-sikit cakap nak potong telinga lah apa lah, memang cuak. Tapi dia potong ok, tak macam Romeo yang potong semua pesen sama je. Pastuh taruk bedak Holiday On Ice plak tuh, baunya ya rabbi. Sideburn confirm pedih kena tarah dengan blade dia, aduhh...<br /><br />Ok berbalik kepada Guna, one day aku pergi la nak potong rambut. Kalau tak potong karang kena pelempang dengan Cikgu Yop lagi lepas inspection, pekak jugak telinga kejap. Sambil Guna potong rambut aku, ade sorang lagi brader india dok sebelah. Brader tuh dok baca paper Tamil, tak sure la plak Tamil Nesan ke ape. Aku tengok cover depan, sama gambar macam cover Utusan yang aku baru baca tadi, gambar rompakan bank kot. Selamba la gua refer kat gambar tuh sambil buat small talk dengan Guna:<br /><br />"<em>Rompakan bank kat Kuantan, satu juta hilang kan?</em>" sambil mata jeling ke paper tuh and angkat kening sikit.<br /><br />Tiba-tiba Guna berhenti potong rambut aku and tengok muka aku ikut cermin tak berkelip.<br /><br />"<em>You reti baca Tamil ka?!!</em>"<br /><br />Menyumpah Guna bila aku explain hal sebenar. Nasib baik tak tobek rambut aku dia bantai.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-4497404981136938492011-08-01T11:01:00.005+08:002011-08-01T11:45:59.616+08:00Off The PitchI was there along with perhaps 85,000 more people (I can't say Malaysians since mat salleh pon ramai je tengok, siap pakai jersi Malaysia lagi) to watch our boys take on Singa Import. Gedebak gedebuk, we drew the match and lost 4-6 on aggregate. They even took the best acting award too, oh well.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm pretty sure the game itself has been blogged to death already by now so you can Google your way to it. I'm gonna write about everything else instead.<br /><br />After work, I rushed to the toilet and changed quickly into my blue Malaysian jersey, blue jeans and trusted Jack Purcells and took a train to Bukit Jalil. After a long cramped ride, I arrived to a festive atmosphere. A sea of blues and yellows and the odd Man Utd jersey here and there (tak reti bahasa bebudak MU nih, pakai jersi merah time Malaysia lawan Singa Import), I found Zad near the station and went looking for Vijay. After prolonged looking (the phone line was jammed up), and walking to find a less crowded gate, we finally entered Green Gate and walked all the way to the end of the terrace. We found a place on the third tier and sat and waited for the game to start.<br /><br />The stadium filled up rather quickly and the noise was deafening. We can see the Ultras Malaya set who took up one section on the first tier already getting into the groove with their chants and drumming. I am guessing their most popular chant that day was "Loser, loser" directed at Shahril Ishak, which was quickly picked up by the rest of the stadium. Nice.<br /><br />I've not sang Negaraku in about 11 years, and that was an excellent moment to do it again. The stadium sang in unison and the way the crowd erupted after the anthem was tremendous. Shame that a lot of fans booed Singapore's anthem, but then their players weren't sporting (or even Singaporeans in the first place, heh) during the game anyway, so lantak pi lah.<br /><br />Of course there are still some idiots who lit and threw firecrackers (which blinded one poor chap, I read in today's paper) but generally it was a footballing crowd. I can still recall the elation when Safee scored the first goal, and the utter disappointment when Singa Import China scored the equalizer. It was an immediate hush around the stadium, and we can actually hear the 300 odd supporters in red cheering.<br /><br />But Ultras Malaya soldiered on and soon the rest of the stadium joined in to lend our vocal support as the 12th player. But it soon dawned that it's not going anywhere and by the time the referee blew, sections of the stadium were already emptying.<br /><br />It was a good atmosphere, and Zad said it best with "<em>thanks for introducing me to the joys of a full 90,000 capacity stadium</em>". You won't find that experience in front of the telly albeit much more comfortable and with the advantage of instant replay, trust me the real deal is worth the hassle. That said, I have a few comments to make:<br /><br />1. Why can't we have numbered seats on the tickets? That will ensure everyone who bought it WILL get a seat. Twice before I've been to a football match and did not get a seat despite paying good money for it. People had to sit on the stairways and every nook and cranny they can find. Imagine if there's an emergency, what then?<br /><br />2. They need to dedicate a section for families. I watched a game in White Hart Lane a while back, and I bought a Family section ticket. That section had more stewards and enforced a strict no swearing policy (a shirtless bloke was told firmly to "<em>shut your trap, put your shirt on, or I'll kick you out!</em>" when he swore a few times). Little kids need not be exposed to that side of the game really.<br /><br />3. There was no control upon exiting (and entering too actually) the stadium, everyone just rushed to exit through the awfully small exit points. Some idiots kept pushing and that caused a little commotion. Pity the ladies and again small children who had to brave through that as well.<br /><br />4. Same thing at the LRT station, people were crowded near the entrance because they won't let more people in the station. IMHO, let the people in but control entrance to the platforms instead. Small space, too many people - someone can easily faint or have difficulty breathing. Referring to my experience watching the game in London, the tube station was manned by policemen and they ensured that people line up orderly (even when the line was so long I can't see the start of it). Why can't we be doing this?<br /><br />5. The management need to get a hold of the stalls, there were too many of them. The reason why people had to crowd the LRT entrance was because there was no other space to wait once you're near the station. Otherwise you have to walk back to the stairs, and turning around in that stampede was not an option really. Same goes for vendors inside and outside the stadium, people were rushing to get out and they stood right in front of the exit hawking their stuff. Good idea in normal circumstances, but terrible idea with this kind of crowd.<br /><br />6. Indiscriminate parking, especially by motorcycles and vendors' vans. It blocks pedestrian traffic flow A LOT.<br /><br />So, will we see any changes after this (after a barrage of criticisms, especially after the 3 EPL matches which saw many SNBJ virgins attend for the first time)? Let's hope someone does something before we see a Heysel in our own back yard.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-42069117162901681952011-07-26T10:48:00.002+08:002011-07-26T10:53:21.427+08:00PorridgeHeard on the LRT.<br /><br />Girl 1: Eh how do you spell porridge?<br />Girl 2: P-O-R-I..<br />Girl 3: No laaa, P-O-L-I-S-H porish loh!<br /><br />Sweet.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-85545409822840332572011-07-22T09:11:00.002+08:002011-07-22T09:16:32.612+08:00Brazil"Hey, you are going to the UK for training soon right, any plans to travel after that?"<br />"Yeah, I'm going to Brazil."<br />"Whoah, why so far one?"<br />"No lah, where got far. I'm going by train there."<br /><br />Tick. Tock.<br /><br />"Ohh you mean Brussels?!"<br />"Ya loh, that's what I told you what."<br /><br />True story.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-77410584799366087002011-07-13T16:48:00.004+08:002011-07-13T16:59:54.631+08:00AngkerI am a sucker for good horror stories, and I found a good one recently. It's reputedly a famous urban legend among UiTM Shah Alam students, but heck it's a good one! I copied it from Obe's Blog Serius, and he said he found it in Lowyat.net's forum so I have no idea who to credit for the story (nama pon urban legend kan?).<br /><br />I thought the story worked well since the characters sounds like real life folks (come on, who doesn't know a real life Bob, Wak, Sam or Lan?), it would make a nice movie no?<br /><br />Well, here goes (in BM since I'm too lazy to translate):<br /><br /><em>9 tahun lepas aku dapat sambung belajar di UiTM Shah Alam. Jadi perkara pertama yang perlu difikirkan adalah tempat tinggal sebab aku tidak dapat hostel. Oleh sebab kerajinan & keprihatinan aku dan kawan-kawan,maka dapatlah kami rumah sewa, berdekatan seksyen 2. Berhampiran dengan Wet World [kalau korang tahu la].</em><br /><br /><em>Rumah tu banglo 2 tingkat 4 bilik. 3 bilik dekat atas dan 1 bilik dekat bawah. Kami semua berlapan,kiranya 2 orang untuk 1 bilik lah. Aku ringkaskan sajalah, kami masuk rumah tu dengan perasaan berbelah bahagi; gembira, suka, pelik, rimas, takut semua ada.</em><br /><br /><em>Pertama,tuan umah hanya kutip rm50 saja sebagai deposit dan sewa pertama hanya bayar bila masuk bulan kedua kami duduk rumah tu. Kiranya bulan pertama percuma lah....[?]Kedua,tuan rumah tak bagi kami bawa barang banyak-banyak sebab nanti penat nak angkat balik, terangnya...Ketiga,pokok ara tepi umah tu sangat besar sampai dahannya boleh masuk tingkap bilik atas.Malam pertama duduk rumah tu kami tidak tidur sebab sibuk punggah dan kemas barang serta layan serta layan dvd korea. Cerita seramnya berlaku semasa hari kedua. Tak payah nak tunggu malam, siang-siang pun kami dah kena kacau. Azmi "dagu" orang pertama kena.</em><br /><br /><em>Masa tu baru pukul 10.30 pagi [anggaran aku la], si Azmi ni bangun nak buang air besar. Jadi dia pergilah bilik air di bawah tu tapi ada orang di dalam [sebab pintu tertutup]. Bilik air atas rosak, tuan umah kata nanti dia akan betulkan. Tunggu punya tunggu, tak keluar-keluar orang dalam tandas tu. Jadi Azmi ni memekik la suruh cepat sikit keluar sebab dia tak tahan. Akibat jeritan si Azmi ni, habis satu rumah bangun pergi tengok apa hal. Yang peliknya, kami berlapan semua ada, habis siapa dlm tandas ni? Pintu tandas berkunci siap ada bunyi orang flush jamban lagi. Dalam ramai-ramai ni,Lan seorang saja yg berani sikit [mungkin fasal dia ni keturunan bugis], dia rentap pintu tandas tu sampai terbuka. Tak ada orang tapi daripada kesan yang ada,pintu tu memang dikunci daripada dalam. Akhirnya Azmi tak jadi berak, mungkin sebab takut. </em><br /><em><br />Malam tu kami kena lagi teruk.</em><br /><br /><em>Masa aku nyenyak tidur malam tu tiba-tiba ada orang tarik kedua-dua belah kaki aku sampai aku terjatuh katil. Kepala aku terhentak dulu di lantai! Apa lagi,angin la aku sebab ingat budak-budak nak main-mainkan aku tapi bila bangun tak nampak orang pulak. Yang ada cuma Lan yang tengah membuta dekat katil atas. Aku tak rasa Lan yang buat sebab mesti dia tidur mati. Bila aku keluar bilik, aku dengar budak-budak tengah ketawa. Rupanya diaorang tengah layan DVD dekat hall bawah. Aku pun masuk bilik balik sebab masih bingung tapi baru ak perasan masa aku tengah jengah ke bawah tadi aku perasan Lan ada!! Bukan ke tadi aku nampak dia tengah membuta dalam bilik? Ahh sudah. Dengan perasaan berani-berani takut aku tengok atas katil Lan ada bonjol bawah selimut,kiranya macam ada orang lah. Aku tarik kain selimut tu and guess what? Ada batu nisan yang dah retak dan secara automatik bilik aku diselubungi bau hapak dan hanyir yang menusuk.</em><br /><br /><em>Masa ni jangan tanya aku lah apa aku buat sebab kalau benda ni jadi dekat korang pun takkan nak tinggal dalam bilik tu lagi betul tak? Aku rasa kaki aku dah tak jejak tanah sebab lari laju sangat. Aku lari keluar bilik tu dan pergi ke hall sebab nak beritahu kawan-kawan aku tapi yang macam haram jadahnya tak ada seorang pun ada dekat hall. Nak tahu man diorang pergi? Semua dah duduk dekat luar rumah! Rupanya awal-awal lagi diorang dah kena kacau. Yang laknatnya, tak ada seorang pun nak kejutkan aku....taik betul diorang ni.</em><br /><br /><em>Lepas diorang tenangkan aku, kami berbincang nak buat apa sebab sekarang sudah pukul 3 pagi. Nak minta tolong tok imam,rumah tok imam pun kami tak tahu. Nak minta tolong jiran, kiri kanan rumah kami cina. Akhirnya Salleh ajak lepak restoran Hakim sampai pagi. Bunyinya macam senang tapi masing-masing semua tak pakai baju dan pakai boxer dengan kain pelekat saja. Mahu tak mahu terpaksalah kami masuk rumah tu balik sebab nak ambil seluar, dompet dan kunci motor.</em><br /><br /><em>Oleh sebab bilik Bob dan Naim saja yang ada di bawah, maka kami ambil keputusan nak pinjam baju n seluar mereka. Masing-masing takut nak naik tingkat atas. Dompet pun aku tinggal. Masing-masing berpakat guna duit Naim dahulu. Nasib baik kunci motor kami sangkut dekat dinding [tempat penyangkut]. Masa nak keluar dari rumah tu, Wak perasan ada budak perempuan dekat pintu dapur tengah senyum sambil lambai tangan dekat dia. Aku pun terperasan budak tu juga lepas aku tengok muka Wak bertukar pucat lesi. Senyuman budak tu buat aku rasa macam nak terkincit dalam seluar. Kepala lutut aku menggigil sampailah dekat restoran Hakim!</em><br /><br /><em>Lepas sampai restoran Hakim, masing-masing sibuk buka cerita termasuk aku sekali lah. Mula-mula Wak cerita, malam tu lebih kurang pukul 12 lebih,dia sibuk download lagu tiba-tiba ada bunyi macam orang baling batu dekat tingkap bilik dia. Bila dia jengah,dia nampak ada seorang perempuan duduk dekat atas pokok kayu ara sebelah rumah tu, pakai baju putih kekuningan dan koyak-koyak dengan rambut panjang. Yang sadisnya,perempuan hodoh tu boleh senyum dekat dia pulak. Wak ni apa lagi terus tutup tingkap dan keluar pergi bilik dia n terus pergi bilik aku lah kononnya. Malangnya, lagi seekor hantu pulak duduk dekat depan pintu bilik dia tapi kali ni hantu budak. Jadi dia ambil keputusan terjun tingkap bilik dia ke bawah. Akibatnya, kaki dia terkehel. Nasib baik tak patah.</em><br /><br /><em>Azmi "dagu" pula cerita dia nampak ada budak perempuan lambai tangan dekat dia [yang ini, aku pun kena juga ok]. Aku pasti budak itu bukan manusia sebab dia tak ada kaki! Sam pula cerita dia nampak hantu tu dekat siling umah! Bila buka saja mata, hantu itu betul-betul "eye to eye" dengan dia. Kiranya semua kena kacau lah ni. Dan aku orang akhir sekali cerita. Aku cakap lah dua-dua kaki aku kena tarik masa tidur sampai kepala aku terhentak dekat lantai. Lepas itu aku cakap lah yang aku nampak diorang tengah layan dvd dekat Hall tapi Azmi tiba-tiba menyampuk "Bila masa pulak kami tengok dvd ?". Rupa-rupanya tiada seorang pun yang tengok dvd pagi tersebut! Jadi, siapa yang aku nampak?! Haru betul.....kaki aku yang dari tadi menggigil makin bertambah kuat gigilnya.</em><br /><br /><em>Tengah sibuk berborak,aku terbau sesuatu yang kurang enak. Kawan-kawan aku yang lain pun terbau juga. Rupanya Azmi ni tadi dah terkencing dalam seluar sebab takut sangat. Nasib baik malam tu tak ramai sangat orang dekat Restoran Hakim tu. Malu betul! Aku pulak ternampak Sam pakai selipar sebelah lain. Daripada sibuk-sibuk bercerita seram terus jadi cerita kelakar pulak.</em><br /><br /><em>Tengah ketawa, baru kami perasan Salleh dengan Naim tak ada bersama kami. Yang ada cuma kami berenam. Aku, Azmi Dagu, Sam banjar,Wak, Bob dengan Lan. Dalam ramai-ramai tu cuma Bob seorang yang bawa HP, jadi kami cuba telefon Naim tapi tak ada orang angkat. Telefon Salleh pula, sama juga tak ada orang angkat. Kemudian Lan ambil HP Bob tu, dia baca apa entah agaknya lepas tu tahu apa jadi? Dengar suara perempuan menggilai! Gila-gila punya ngilai sampai meremang bulu roma aku. Kami berenam terus terdiam. Akhirnya kami sepakat akan tunggu sampai pagi esok baru balik rumah itu semula dan cari Naim dengan Salleh. Lepas dengar suara perempuan menggilai dalam HP tu, tiada seorang pun yang buka mulut sehinggalah subuh!</em><br /><br /><em>Pukul 7.30 pagi baru kami blah dari Hakim. Hati aku masih lagi kuat berdebar-debar. Yang lain-lain aku tahulah. Sampai dekat depan rumah, aku tengok pintu rumah dengan pagar terbuka seluas-luasnya. Kalau pencuri masuk ni, memang dia akan kaya sebab laptop, wallet dengan HP kami semua dibiarkan macam itu saja. Bulu tengkuk aku masih lagi meremang. Tak ada seorang pun berani masuk rumah itu dahulu Aku ingat, ada lah 20-30 minit kami duduk tercangak-cangak dekat depan rumah sebab tak berani masuk. Entah macam mana agaknya HP Bob berbunyi.Hati aku da x sedap. Jangan la kata hantu tu yang telefon masuk umah. Lan angkat. Sebenarnya dalam ramai-ramai, Lan lah yang paling berani tapi kadang-kadang penakut juga lah. Pihak hospital telefon, katanya Naim ada di wad kecemasan hospital Klang. Kemalangan katanya. Pihak hospital kata, ada miss call dari nombor hp Bob, sebab itu dia telefon nombor Bob. Oooo baru aku faham. Yang peliknya Naim kemalangan?</em><br /><br /><em>Masing-masing serba salah jadinya. Bingung pun ya juga. Tak tahu sama ada nak melawat Naim di hospital Klang atau cari Salleh yang hilang. Akhirnya kami telefon tuan rumah untuk tengok apa yg patut. Aku dengan Sam pulak pergi hospital Klang tengok keadaan Naim. Kalau memang tenat sangat, aku akan beritahu yang lain suruh datang. Yang lain aku suruh cari Salleh keliling umah, takut-takut dia kena sorok. Kami masing-masing hanya bertawakal. Masa dalam perjalanan ke hospital Klang, aku pun tak tahu Sam pecut sampai berapa tapi hati aku masih lagi kuat mengatakan bahawa perkara ini belum habis lagi.</em><br /><br /><em>Sampai hospital,aku terus cari Naim. Sebak sungguh hati aku tengok keadaan Naim yang parah. Kaki dia teruk. Doktor kata kena lenyek dengan kereta atau sesuatu. Kes langgar lari. Naluri aku kuat mengatakan bahawa umur Naim ni tak panjang sebab darah keluar membuak-membuak. Sam tak sanggup tengok, air mata dia berjurai-jurai keluar. Doktor pun cakap Naim ni sudah nyawa-nyawa ikan, tak dapat nak tolong banyak. Aku duduk tepi Naim, dia boleh bercakap lagi tapi sangkut-sangkut. Dia mintak maaf sebab menyusahkan kami. Berulang-ulang kali dia minta maaf tapi aku masih lagi tak dapat tangkap apa yang dia cakap. Akhirnya dia meninggal juga. Aku gagahkan hati aku telefon kawan-kawan yang lain beritahu kematian Naim. Aku tengok Sam terduduk tepi balkoni dengan mata merah sebab nangis banyak sangat. Tak lama lepas itu keluarga Naim datang. Aku tak anggup nak tunggu lagi dan ajak Sam balik Shah Alam.</em><br /><br /><em>Sampai dekat rumah, aku tengok ramai gila orang tengah cari Salleh tapi tak jumpa-jumpa. Habis satu umah digeledah. Akhirnya ada orang tua dekat situ minta tolong dengan seorang ustaz. Aku tak ingat apa nama ustaz itu tapi lepas Asar baru kami jumpa Saleeh duduk dekat atas busut belakang rumah. Yang hairannya, sudah 5,6 kali orang cari tapi tak ada pula jumpa dia dekat situ. Tak kisahlah janji dapat jumpa balik Salleh. Kami semua ambil keputusan pindah dari rumah hari itu juga. Kebetulan dekat seksyen 7 [pintu belakang UITM] ada satu rumah untuk disewa, jadi kami pindah situ lah. Barang-barang Naim kami angkut sekali. Terus terang aku cakap, memang aku angin gila tengok muka tuan rumah sebab tak beritahu yang rumah ini "keras".patut lah dia suruh bayar rm50 saja dulu dan tak bagi bawa barang banyak-banyak. Chisss......</em><br /><br /><em>Aku demam 3 hari.</em><br /><br /><em>Jenazah Naim selamat dikebumikan di Raub,Pahang.</em><br /><br /><em>Seminggu lepas Itu,keadaan sudah ok sikit cuma Salleh saja yang sakit-sakit badan. Akhirnya mulut aku tergerak nak tanya Salleh apa yang berlaku sebenarnya sebab sebelum Naim meninggal dia ada cakap dekat aku suruh tanya Salleh satu rahsia. Rupanya masa hari pertama kami masuk rumah tu, Naim dengan Salleh sudah buat hal. Dia cangkul busut dekat belakang rumah tu. Naim pula kuis-kuis dengan kaki dia. Mungkin sebab itu lah kaki dia parah [dalam hati aku lah]. Kemudian Salleh cerita,kn ada malam yg kitorg satu uma kena kacau tu dia dengan Naim pun kena juga. Tapi hantu tu siap kejar diorang sampai dekat jalan. Diorang punya la cuak sampai lari ke tengah jalan. Entah mana datangnya kereta tiba-tiba hentam mereka. Naim tercampak tengah jalan, dia pulak dekat tepi jalan. Datang kereta lain terus lenyek kaki Naim. Lepas tu, Salleh kata dia terus tak sedar apa-apa sampailah kami jumpa dia atas busut tu. Yang peliknya,macam mana dia boleh duduk atas busut sedangkan dia kata dia lari dekat tengah jalan besar? Kenapa Naim seorang yang kena teruk?</em><br /><br /><em>Akhirnya aku dapat jawapan sebenar. Tak lama lepas Salleh cerita dengan aku, dia jatuh sakit. Tak tahulah sakit apa tapi 3 bulan kemudian dia meninggal. Keluarga dia sendiri kebingungan sebab doktor pun tak tahu sakit Saalleh. Tapi aku yakin, kes ni ada kaitan dengan busut yang diorang gali tu. Aku dengan geng-geng aku yang lain sempat ziarah arwah Salleh. Paling tak boleh tahan Bob sebab dia roomate dengan Naim. Memang aku tau dia sedih sangat. Yang tak boleh lupa, kami semua menangis masa angkat jenazah Salleh. Rasa sedih sangat masa tu.. </em><br /><em><br />Aku, Azmi Dagu, Sam banjar,Wak, Bob dan Lan, semua sekali selamat habiskan pengajian di UITM. Buat Naim dan Salleh, kami tetap akan ingat korang sampai bila-bila. Al- fatihah<br />Ops..Rumah banglo dekat seksyen 2 itu sampai sekarang ada lagi [agaknya]. Tiap kali aku lalu kawasan situ mesti aku rasa sedih sangat. Lagi satu,masa hari terakhir kami di rumah tu, Wak tertinggal hp dia dekat bilik atas. Jadi pada siapa-siapa yang berani, boleh lah ambil hp tu tapi itu pun kalau korang berani la...nokia 3310</em><br /><br />* * *<br /><br />So, did you like it? ;)The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-26026414737851090612011-07-01T15:06:00.001+08:002011-07-01T15:09:31.883+08:00JumaatdayTrue story, mamak dekat sini asked Aishah "baby, nak minum apa?". FTW!<br /><br />I'm sure it's hardly original but I'm claiming the copyright to Syukur Sudah Jumaat (SSJ). TGIF is so old school yo.<br /><br />SSJ mateys!The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-50566107073801690322011-06-27T10:26:00.003+08:002011-06-27T11:09:45.900+08:00FreshThere is this standing mindset (especially amongst bankers in foreign banks) that the local banks are a notch below. The Liga Perdana to the Liga Super, where of course the big boys go to play. Oh come on don't deny it, I was one of you.<br /><br />I recently made the switch to a local bank, despite it being one of the biggest local banks I still had some reservations. The salary offered was good, but the benefits package was very much subpar to what I was used to. But I decided to join anyway because it was for a regional position and the manager was someone I felt I can work with. Well here I am about a month in, and I can already dispel some of the notions I had previously.<br /><br />My old bank prides itself on being a major global player, and as such kept telling us that we were lucky to be part of the organisation. Well I did felt lucky earlier in my career there. We were paid very well (for a fresh graduate that is), the benefits provided were some of the best in the industry if not the country, and as a management trainee were accorded some extra privileges like rubbing shoulders with the top management (CEO included, mind you) regularly in both formal and social settings, and were also provided the best training one can offer. Four weeks in UK, three in Hong Kong, that's pretty damn good I must say!<br /><br />After 2 CEO changes later, things were not looking good. The new CEO is a very brash man who doesn't practice any subtleties and niceties that people loved with the previous CEOs. When asked why aren't the bank trying to compete in the market by increasing the salary since many talents leave year after year for the bigger bucks elsewhere, he just responded <em>'if you want more money, then you can leave too'</em>. Talk about tact. True to fact, a lot of people left and in time I too became part of that movement =P<br /><br />Anyway enough about the old place, let's talk about the new bank. Honestly I expected the worse. My first day did nought to dispel that. I reported to the HR and was asked to wait in a room full of other first day joiners. Most of them fresh faced and eager to be a banker, some like me looked wary already after a few years on the line. Filling up a stack of forms was next, it wasn't as organised as I would've liked but that's life kan? The we were taken to our respective floors. I was given an archaic old PC (CRT monitor yo!) that takes ages to startup, and soon realised that IE6.0 and Lotus Notes 7.0 is the current system standard. The warning lights in my head all came on, and all the key words people usually associate with local banks come to the front - old school, slow, lazy, bureaucratic, lethargic, etc fills my head. Man I was scared, here I was a pampered foreign banker jumping into this backwater called local banks. Plus my boss was away that day, so I had the whole day to rethink my decision oh the agony.<br /><br />The next day my boss comes in and things started to change. She asked someone to replace my PC straightaway and I got a spankin' new Lenovo with a 19'' LCD within a few days (unfortunately, IE6.0 and LN7.0 is apparently still the bankwide standard, bummer). She briefed me a bit about the department and the bank, and it was reassuring. She was a former foreign banker as well, and most my department either comes from HSBC/Citi/Stanchart triumvirate or from the Big Four. She explains how things work, and though she laments the pace as being a bit slow, it is improving over when she first joined.<br /><br />Old school? Some departments maybe, but mine is alright. Especially since more than half of the guys here are mid 30s and youngers. Slow? I agree with this, don't expect a response to your e-mails within a day or two (even with chasers), try a week. If this like what my boss said is 'improving', I pity those who joined way back when. Bureaucratic? Yes. I need to go through twice the number of approvals I need previously for a business case. Lethargic? Not here. Probably because we are of a younger subset, I don't know. The place is definitely more friendlier, I have more space to my cubicle than I know what to do with, I have a pantry that's bigger than my old big boss' office, the lifts faster and most importantly kids, some local banks pay a whole lot more than you think ;)The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-64111708961399532762011-06-21T09:36:00.003+08:002011-06-21T09:59:34.351+08:00NameQuick question, what's up with Malay parents these days naming their kids Isaac and Julian and Adrien? Sebab trend ke sebab malu nak namakan dengan nama melayu/Islam?The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-9100111585887137662011-06-17T14:56:00.000+08:002011-06-17T14:57:50.393+08:00Echo*Flexes fingers*<br /><br />Now, how do I start again?The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-44139400488167598652011-01-05T16:38:00.001+08:002011-01-05T16:38:21.837+08:00New<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I don't really feel like doing a lengthy review of 2010, so in short 2010 saw me travelling to Hong Kong, Macau and Bangkok (again, but this time by land yo), but the biggest landmark of last year was that i finally ended my bachelorhood and got married =D <br/><br/>Now that I am married, my plans for 2011 are gonna change a little bit. Can't do crazy backpacking like I used to, gotta take into account that she's not used to travelling let alone backpacking. So our first plan for the year is gonna be Bali sometime soon once we got our life sorted out first. Anyone got experience staying at private villas in Ubud? <br/><br/>We're also planning to head north to Bangkok yet again since she's really enthralled by my stories of the city - that would probably be sometime mid year. If we got some more extra cash stashed away somewhere, perhaps a visit to Jakarta-Bandung is in order to visit some friends and do more shopping. <br/><br/>Apart from travelling, I have a few other things in mind. I finally did upgrade from my Canon 400D to Canon 60D last week, so far it's been a wonderful piece of machinery. Gotta put it to real use soon to see how does it measure up - photography outings anyone? <br/><br/>I also gotta start going back to the driving range, I'm pretty sure whatever form or swing I had is now gone so it's gonna feel like starting over, oh my back. <br/><br/>Besides that, am thinking of buying a bicycle. Haven't rode one since maybe Standard 6, and I'm really hoping that riding a bike is not a skill that you lose over time. Though riding in Ampang would probably be considered an extreme sport, the drivers around there are crazy I tell you. To be fair, that would include me too from time to time hehe. <br/><br/>The more extravagant plan is buying that nice house I've been eyeing which is priced just a wee bit beyond what I can afford (22x75 + freehold + good location = must buy!). A promotion (and the pay rise that comes along with it) would definitely help ;) <br/><br/>Well that's about it I guess. Gonna turn 28(!) in a fortnight's time, inching closer to the big three zero. Just 7 more years for me to meet my deadline of having my own business. But for now, I got a decent car, a cosy home, a good job and the woman of my dreams. Not too shabby I guess, Alhamdulillah.
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</div>The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-3235911640400972862010-12-07T23:14:00.001+08:002010-12-07T23:17:21.100+08:00TigersIt's not a secret that Malaysian football, domestic leagues and the national team both, has been in the ditches for so long. Not much can be said when we keep on harping on the exploits of the teams of the 70s even some 40 years on.<br /><br />I still remember in the early to mid 90s, we had quite a good semi-pro league going. The mercurial foreign players such as the likes of Ervin Boban, Scott Ollerenshaw, Zsolt Bucs & Olubumi (later converted to Abdul Rahman) Adigun complemented the local boys like Hashim Mustapha, Dollah Salleh, Radhi Md Din & Matlan Marjan. Local matches are shown on TV, men actually went to watch the games while those who didn't stayed home to watch them.<br /><br />What happened between then and now? I guess the popular theory is that after the major match fixing scandal, people just lost the passion and the players who were not affected by the scandal were just not good enough.<br /><br />And it all went downhill from there. Various plans and initiative were carried out, but we were sliding further and further down the football pecking order. Remember the Olimpik 2000 team? That was an initiative to get future national players more playing time, which failed. Basically the team was crap. A few actually went on to have a long career in football like Khalid Jamlus and Akmal Rizal while the rest faded away.<br /><br />But you know, these days I'm actually seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Still dim, but it's a light nonetheless. On the domestic front, two things happened. One is the emergence of the Kelantan team as a major force after years of being in the doldrums. Why is this important? Well, this is the only team where home games are ALWAYS packed, and away games would see a sizable away support cheering the team on. What does this have to do with the big picture? Several things. The team now actually have money from the gate collection, and with the team playing so well the supporters splurge on authentic team merchandise which means more money too. With that kind of money, they can attract the best players around. Which also means that the other teams gotta start to buck up and get their act together. Playing in front of a voracious crowd weekly surely would help our boys grow some balls and gain mental toughness too.<br /><br />Kelantan when on song is a joy to watch, second leg Malaysia Cup tie against Selangor comes into mind when Selangor was demolished despite having the players and the money to match Kelantan. Despite these two teams, Negeri Sembilan is also consistently fighting for silverware on all fronts. I hope next season we'll see a re-emergence of Perak, Pahang, Kedah and the Borneo twins who have been big teams in the past.<br /><br />The other thing is the raw talent coming through are being handled correctly. Harimau Muda A and B are playing regular football, and unlike Olimpik 2000 these guys are actually good. Then they were also given exposure in the Slovakian league, which sounded like a dud but I am sure helped in some ways. Then you see many players below 25 playing week in and week out for their teams, which can only be good for the future.<br /><br />Starting with some friendlies, we started to shift gears. In Guangzhou we did very well in my books, despite some dubious officiating in the game against China we made it through to play Iran. And that's with half the team out due to injuries and suspensions. Now we're playing the AFF Suzuki Cup, where after the 1-5 drubbing by Indonesia the wolves came out baying for blood immediately. K. Rajagopal realised his mistake I guess and immediately restored Khairul Fahmi as Malaysia's No. 1. With a much more reliable keeper than Sharbinee, the young back four gained confidence and started playing like they did in Guangzhou. Draw with Thailand and just now a 5-1 thrashing of Laos saw us through to the semis (credit shall also go to Indonesia for being sporting and not just rollover to Thailand).<br /><br />Of course I'm pretty sure there will still be wolves out there discrediting our performance. They are not world class players yet, sure. We're not the feared team in Asia nor Asean yet, true. But I have faith. It has to start somewhere and I have a niggling feeling that it has started already. It is my belief that in 5 years time this current team we have will have matured enough to be a force to be reckoned with. These same guys will be mid 20s to early 30s then, which should be at the peak of their careers. It's time to start cheering our boys on, and not just ignore pre-game and criticise post-game no matter the result.<br /><br />If not us, then who? If not now, then when?<br /><br />Current Malaysia squad at the AFF Suzuki Cup<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Khairul Fahmi, Sharbinee; Sabre, Faizal Mohd, Asraruddin, Muslim, Fadhli, Razman, Khairul Helmi, Mahali; Safiq, Amar, Khyril, Amirulhadi, Guru, Kuna, Faizal Abu Bakar, Amri; Norshahrul, Safee, Ashaari, Izzaq.</span><br /><br />AYUH HARIMAU MALAYA!The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-54454770360599648342010-11-24T19:13:00.003+08:002010-11-24T19:16:56.590+08:00The Cult Of The iI woke early on Sunday, by 7am I was already in the shower. Put on some comfortable clothes, grabbed the keys and hurried to the lift.<br /><br />Turned back because forgot the wallet. Then again rushed to the lift and to the car and sped out.<br /><br />By 8am, I was already on the escalator going up to where I wanted to be. I was early, I'm pretty sure that - ohh, I'm number 14.<br /><br />Yes, I did the unthinkable. I actually went to line up outside Maxis KLCC to get the iPhone 4 at 8am on a Sunday morning. Last Sunday there was only 20 in stock, so the folks who arrived some 10 minutes after me had to go back empty-handed.<br /><br />The whole process of getting one is a big hassle. I lined up at 8am, and the Centre opens at 8.30am. We were asked beforehand which iPhone 4 we wanted (16GB or 32GB) and was given a number. Then when the door opened we all went to a special iPhone 4 counter and was asked some questions about out preferred iValue plans and payment method etc. Then they photocopied my IC and was asked to wait 10 minutes.<br /><br />Boy that was the longest 10 minutes ever. It was already 9.15am when I asked one staff what's going on, and what am I supposed to wait for. I was told to wait for the number. Okay then.<br /><br />It's 10.00am and still no number given out, how hard was it to get me a damn number? So I asked again. Only then I was told that number 14 will only be processed IN THE AFTERNOON and they will call me when it's ready for pickup. Flippin' hell, they could've told me that after they photocopied my IC and save me more than an hour of useless waiting around.<br /><br />So I left and went to wash my car, all the while planning to go to the bank and run some other errands to pass the time when Maxis called at 10.30am that my iPhone is ready for pickup. iDontfuckinbelieveit.<br /><br />So I went back to Maxis KLCC and finally got a goddamn number, and waited for another 45 minutes before my number was called. So I went to the iPhone collection/payment counter, and the whole process took maybe 10 minutes tops. I was told to go to the unbricking counter, and it was done in less than 1 minute.<br /><br />The whole ordeal took me the whole morning that could've been put to do more productive stuff like err sleeping in for instance. Okay maybe not productive but definitely beats waiting around like that. It could've gone better, they could've just told me at 8.45am that my phone will only be ready in the afternoon so I can go run my errands or balik sambung tidur and I'll just pop back in later to collect it.<br /><br />After all that trouble, this phone better be worth it.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-52679913420532900052010-10-28T23:07:00.003+08:002010-10-28T23:22:45.989+08:00Sole SearchingI've been stressed up lately with some financial troubles, and kept blaming it on not being paid enough. Of course in a way that's true actually seeing how expensive everything are in KL these days.<br /><br />Anyway last week, the soles of my shoes were finally worn out until there's a hole that small stones can fit through. And my socks will get wet if it rained too. Since I don't have the extra money to just drop into Pedro and get a new one, I decided to just go get it repaired during lunch on Monday.<br /><br />So I went to this <span style="font-style: italic;">pakcik </span>where I usually repair my shoes, the same <span style="font-style: italic;">pakcik </span>that I wrote about before. I took off my shoes, slipped on the flip flops that he has ready for the customers to wear while waiting and waited while he got to work on my shoes.<br /><br />He's a chatty fella, so we chatted a bit about this and that. I then noticed he's been using his thighs as base when he has to hammer the new soles in place, so I asked him about it.<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Nak buat macam mana, besi tuh kena curik malam tadi. Sakit tuh memang sakit tapi kena cari rezeki jugak</span>", he said with a shrug of the shoulders and smiled.<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Tak apalah, bukan rezeki saya</span>".<br /><br />I felt like I was hit by a truck. There I was begrudging my salary when I earned it in the comfort of an air-conditioned office, sitting in an ergonomical chair and at most I'll get a headache from the stress; while this is a man who works on a sidewalk with the dust and exhaust fumes around him, cutting, pulling, hammering (now on his thighs since the anvil-like thingy he normally used got stolen) yet he seemed more at peace with his life.<br /><br />I realised then that I have not been as thankful for all the things that I've been blessed with. We often focus on the have-nots rather than the haves. Sure I might not get my Audi next year, but at least I already have a decent car to get me around. I might not have the cash for that nice property that is sure to skyrocket in value, but I already have a comfortable place to live. So I might feel a bit underpaid, but compared to his life I got it way easier. So many things I should be thankful for rather than go through the truckloads of complaints that I have accumulated.<br /><br />That day I walked off not only with repaired soles but just maybe, with a repaired soul too.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-30611915583137495672010-10-08T16:26:00.000+08:002010-10-08T16:27:09.828+08:00Hi, I'm BradMy younger brother is afflicted with a serious condition called 'perasan hensem'. He is always crafting tall tales of how girls swoon and sway because of his hensemness. Being the elder brother, of course I can't let him have his day.<br /><br />Well one day, we were watching the idiot box when he quipped:<br /><br />"I'm so handsome, girls froze in their tracks when they saw me"<br /><br />"Yeah right, that was because I was right behind you"<br /><br />"No, they didn't even see you because I was glowing with awesome handsomeness"<br /><br />"Those are just streetlights reflected off your oily pimply face lah"<br /><br />"Ceh, ini adik Brad Pitt tau?"<br /><br />Before he realised it, I already said thanks =DThe Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-50822353847754030202010-09-29T17:40:00.002+08:002010-09-29T17:47:18.972+08:00VandalsWhenever I (had to) use public toilets, I used to read the graffitis 'decorating' the stall while taking care of business. It amuses me to read so many advertisement for 'services' of all kinds. Jantan sasa? Got. Amoi manja? Got. Pondan mantap? Gottttt.<br /><br />They always listed down the phone numbers as well if you feel like having a try. Many a times, they even have diagrams illustrating 'certain' facts.<br /><br />Then recently I noticed how times have changed. After such a long time of not visiting public WCs with graffitis, I finally found one with some writings on the door and walls:<br /><br />"kerajaan makan duit rakyat!"<br /><br />"parti xyz takda telur, pengecut"<br /><br />"parti 123 pak turut, sembah parti abc"<br /><br />Aik, vandals pon nak main politik jugak? When did everyone stopped having fun?The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-91511466103571560972010-09-14T11:10:00.001+08:002010-09-14T11:57:32.292+08:00Long Drive HomeTook me 9 hours of non-stop driving (save for two toilet breaks in Kuala Krai and Kechau Petronas stations) to get me safe and sound back in Ampang yesterday.<br /><br />The trip got off to a bad start, the traffic grinded to a halt somewhere after Kota Bharu and crawled towards Kuala Krai at a pace a snail would be ashamed of. The 1-hour stretch became 3, and I contemplated turning back and trying my luck another time.<br /><br />But I persevered. Soon after Kuala Krai the traffic jam untangled itself and we managed to cruise at around 80 km/h. Of course at some stretches it slowed down to a crawl again and you'll start seeing dimwits using the emergency lanes to overtake on the left side. There's an MPV with multiple stickers and whatnot saying there's a baby on board doing so, funny that the driver doesn't seem to care about the safety of said baby.<br /><br />Somewhere near Kuala Lipis, Makdik called updating me on the traffic condition (she's got a few hours headstart on me ), the traffic had crawled to a standstill in Raub seemingly. So I took the alternative route via obscure small hamlets of Sg Ruan, Klau, Sertik etc. Pretty soon it started to feel like a bad horror movie.<br /><br />That stretch was pretty much empty save for a motorcycle now and then, and it was getting dark fast. Darker when the tall palm trees are casting longer and longer shadows. I don't see any streetlight lights, and homes were few and far in between. God don't let my car broke down here, please.<br /><br />Did I mention I was driving alone?<br /><br />An hour or so later (and a wrong turn inserted for good measure), I emerged on a small ramp leading to the Karak Highway and I was on the home stretch!<br /><br />Woke up today with stiff arms, sore back, sore throat (from the heat and uhh singing along to the CDs to keep me company), headache and feeling rather glad I did not turn back and miss out on this mini adventure of sorts.<br /><br />And oh, Selamat Hari Raya people!The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-43583106387830033432010-09-01T12:35:00.003+08:002010-09-01T12:42:23.177+08:00Some Like It WetYesterday it rained so heavily I can't see further than the car in front of me. Trudging along at 50 km/h, not daring to go any faster lest we want to end up dead, it reminded me of something though.<br /><br />I used to walk to and fro class in uni every day for 4 years, and it took me about 15-20 minutes per way. Enough time to <del>swear</del> sweat under the burning sun. And sometimes, the sky would open up on me and I would be soaked head to toe. If I was on the way to class, that would mean an about turn was necessary and uhh no class.<br /><br />Thing is, I actually enjoyed being rained upon. Besides the obvious fact that it negates the risk of my hair catching fire from the heat, it has a calming effect. The cool caress of the droplets as they first kissed the skin was delicious, and the refreshing outpour following that usually invigorates.<br /><br />Sometimes good samaritans would stop their cars and offer me rides, and sometimes I would accept. Other times, I'd smile and shake my head while mouthing a silent thank you. I bet they think I'm crazy.<br /><br />Then after 4 years of walking, I finally got to use my mom's old car and then 2 years ago I bought my own car to replace that one. No more wet pasty hair, no drenched shirts and pants, no sloshing shoes. It is no fun anymore.<br /><br />Next time I'm home fiddling my thumb, and the sky starts to turn grey - I will be out there, probably pretending to look for a lost key or kitten so that the neighbours won't look at me funny next time. But I will be embracing the downpour like a long lost friend now found again. Oh yes I will.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-42759227009790534782010-08-27T14:19:00.000+08:002010-08-27T14:20:02.889+08:00Point To PonderI was walking back after Friday prayers and saw a car with a big sticker on the rear window saying boldly in black and yellow - Fear Allah.<br /><br />I don't know, but it feels wrong to preach based on fear. Compare that to the 'I Love Jesus' stickers instead. When you fear, you often find ways to rebel. But when you love, you do more than you are supposed to. Isn't that often the case?The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085982215767310784.post-82680915712263219272010-08-23T12:52:00.003+08:002010-08-23T12:57:15.593+08:00Dahlia Street CrewCome to think of it, we had a frat house going back in Uni. That double storey terrace in Desa Dahlia was our very own frat house, 6 residents (me, Scouser, AlyG, Man, Pije, Amr) and maybe a dozen hang-arounds made the place so.<br /><br />Our immediate neighbour was a pakcik and his family we affectionately call Ayah Pin (after the infamous Kerajaan Langit fella, remember him?). We sure gave him a hard time, a few times he knocked on our doors telling us to be quiet. Luckily he never called the cops on us. Sorry <del>Ayah Pin</del> pakcik, we were idiots then.<br /><br />Across the street was a whole row of houses taken over by Samsung and made into hostels for their female workers. Boy those ladies weren't shy. Getting catcalls from women was a novelty, but getting it from ladies clad in bras and no shirts was a bit scary.<br /><br />Some of us used to play firecrackers in the yard we had behind the house, and after a while it gets old. So to keep it fresh, main dalam rumah pulak. Imagine the shock you get from a loud bang coming from the kitchen downstairs, only to find 2 hysterical guys throwing mercuns at each other.<br /><br />Then we had 'Sunway Lagoon', riding a small mattress down the stairs just because we can. Usually results in very sore bums and other miscellaneous light injuries, light enough not to deter us for subsequent runs.<br /><br />We recorded our own version of 'Forever Blowing Bubbles' after watching Green Street Hooligans, and call ourselves the Dahlia Street Crew. AlyG's cluelessness was hilarious. I still have the mp3 boys, hahaha.<br /><br />We even had an indoor BBQ once, no kidding. We were planning for one and was just about to get started in the yard when it started to rain. Luckily someone had 2 electric BBQ, so we decided to move it indoors and closed the doors and windows to prevent the smoke from coming out and alarming our neighbours. Loads of food, lots of good people, PS2, massive smoke inhalation, slight electric shocks. Superb. Haz even took some videos of us and posted it to Youtube, bugger!<br /><br />And then there's the pranks like the 'terima kasih Era' prank I wrote about earlier. I still can't bring myself to add her on Facebook, the shame! But it was funny though, hehe. We also used to drive our friends' houses and shout their names in the middle of the nights. We call it Drive-By Shouting. God what were we thinking?<br /><br />Then there's the cookouts we have (I think we cooked throughout Ramadhan), playing the guitars and learning new songs, dinner at the cheapest place possible, boycotting our favourite restaurant because it started to get sloppy, each of us downloading different series so that we have non-ending supply of things to watch on our house local network etc. We spent a whole lot of time just hanging out together.<br /><br />It was one of the best periods of my Uni life. Everytime I find myself in the vicinity I would take a short detour just to see how the old (frat) house is doing. Man, Pije and Amr are all married with kids and working with Petronas, JKR and TNB. Me and Scouser are both in banking despite all of us being engineering graduates. I lost contact with AlyG, and last I heard he was still chilling around. Awesome.The Bankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06398933615197788259noreply@blogger.com0