Oranges and Lemons
tipitty toeing on life, looking for takers!
mum’s the word, why art thou keeping mum over mummy?

hi there folks

yes its me again, back on duty after completing a successful turnover as a night shift vanguard for internet connection users world over (more of this in my next entry).

well, today’s the day when we celebrate our mother as, err, our mother. its more like a tribute, and far more than meets the eye as yet another moolah spinning event to siphon our hard earned $$$ (note : capitalist,economists, beware, your viel is being ,err, unvieled)

my point is, why not make mothers day an everyday affair? its not like that difficult to do, right? like, its not everyday we don’t shower our affections and love to them (do you?) mother being mothers, are sometimes the people we most  take granted of (dads, you’re following closely behind here, if not same status). so much so, people realise this, exploit it, and create a mothers day thinggy. what about grand parents? when is grandma day, or uncles day is going to appear in out ever expending expenses-calendar?

point is, you don’t need a day to cherish, and pay your tribute to her. she deserves it to be done every single day. every breath she takes is always in the thought of her children. and mothers everywhere share this trait, and i’m talking not only human others, but so far, i think in every parent inducing living creatures have this in them. its genetically coded. period.

and to mums everywhere, thanks a million, as i say it everyday, in person and in prayer. (dads, you’re next….)

happy mothers day! celebrate it daily!

now where did i put that cake again…hmm……

May 13th, 2007 at 12:57 pm | Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink
the bald one speaks

greetings!

its the time of the year when i decide to go jean-luc-picard, and no one dares stopping me from doing so. its cool, and man, i look menacing!

on a more "entertaining" note, i was at batu caves today. note…entertaining…why? because, i chaperoned my aunt there….otherwise, i would have joined my buddies doing something good on that day, for that’s what I’ve been doing for the past three years at the blood donation camp. even with the injured foot, i trooped off today. but it was different, as i have not been a visitor to batu caves during thaipusam like for ages. the past three years, my focus was on getting the job done at the blood donation drive, tire myself to the point of exhaustion, and drive home/work to end the day.

this year, I’m back as a visitor. and what a dreadful experience it has been.

from the parking marshals (cans of beer in one hand, gangsta manners in the other) who ruled the free parking areas charging a "bargain" 10 bucks fee (otherwise, its goodbye you, goodbye car, and possibly you and the car will share the same coffin) to the temple "management" people (they manage it so well, that there are more rubbish everywhere than people at times to the ever popular "devotees" who parade themselves in jeans and bling blings (primary role is to assist the temporary-gods who happen to inhibit bodies of people, symptoms of possession includes red-faced (read, kum-kum or whatever colour splattered all over the face), cigar smokin (cheap one some more, sigh….) and general display of malice and menace to invoke the aura of fear amongst us mortals.

give me a break people!!!!!!!!!

why mutate the principles of us God loving people by displaying these pitiful acts of treachery? why even try to intimidate us tax paying people by taking us all for a ride in your life kap chais?

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

pardon me people, I’m just totally disgusted with what I’ve been experiencing and seeing today.

so much so, my prayer today at batu caves was Gus to install me as a day’s dictator, with absolute power to change every wrong doings i see, permanently! perhaps, its wishful thinking on a more selfish side, but i guess, if i made it into the ideal world that i believe in, than i guess I’m doing good!

I’ll let it rest for now. sheer madness is slowly creeping on me. and better do it fast before i start cursing ‘em naysayers!

–disgusted dictator wannabe Joe!–

February 1st, 2007 at 9:08 am | Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink
Welcome back, mr kelly

Greetings…

oh, why am i always cursed with a lousy keybopard????? its a programmer’s nightmare, and while i’m not, i can imagine the sufferings it puts one through….

well, hello again. Malaysia is a country thats currently riding the wave of being THE country to visit at the moment, with all of its intense marketing (read…brand Malaysia….you think only you know marketing ah, mr beckham???) abroad. and it the perfect time for us locals to savour what the mat salleh’s will be doing by visiting some of our local-just spruced up-err, localities. i did, and it was wierd, simply because i’ve been dying to visit this place since i first read about it in the old English textbooks back in primary school.

Located in the quiet outskirts of Batu Gajah, lies one big mansion that once belonged to a certain Mr.Smith, who in return, was more interested in preserving his mother’s family name of Kelly, he even named is estate Kinta Kellas estate, and so too his first mansion, Kella’s house. you see, Mr. Kelly was a young Scotsman who boarded a ship (he couldn’t have swam all the way right?) to Malaya in search of glory (read = $$$ kashing!) and did like what other Scotsman (then why didn’t we all set up footy clubs with scotty names like Kinta Celtics or KL Hibernians???) did… clear a huge piece of land, bully the locals, throw some loose change all over, get some white-rajah fearing (you idiots!, pardon the words, but in actual fact, they were just like what i said…power to the people!) people from the subcontinent and get them all to work in the rubber estate. while the others toiled, this Mr. Smith was making de moolahs, and filled his coffers, got married, had kids, then decided it was time to evade the tax machinations and spend the cash and bling blings on a new mansion. no wait, a castle. yeah….a castle…..

its a magnificent sight, even now when its seen from far. people, go visit this place only if you have the following :

a) wild passion for history (one of the only subjects i paid attention in school, besides any classes taught by cute looking teachers…sigh…not many….)

b) wild imagination - imagine picturisations of the things you read in books and magz….

c) go ga-ga over CS (ceh, not counter strike ler… conspiracy theory)

if you have at least one of the above listed CV, the its worth the visit. othersie, its another complaint-ridden trip in the end of the day (whats so special about this run-down place, probably got lelonged by the ah longs or something…).

but if you think about it, Kelly’s Castle reads one word…. sheer romanticism.  no laa…not only the smooching kinda romance, but the whole idea of actually stepping into a fabric of time that stands still, waiting for answers to be spilled out in the open, and to find out WHAT actually happened in the good ol days of the Rajah Beruks….

i have so many angles to explore, but let me do it one at a time. its gonna be a long read, so, go, order some dominos and make yourself your fav cuppa ais kosong…

well, on a historical point of view, its a real tour-de-farce(ooopsy…force) on whats in the compounds of the building. the architecture, the grandeur, the lavishness that the colonial masters were throwing around, everything is like whats thats been printed in the history books and beyond.

this place has its own mystic charms as well. any tom dick and/or harry will testify to the fact that ANY old buildings will have its fair share of visitors of the thin (halus) kind. its up to every individual to divulge and believe of its existence, but well, i’m a bit of a skeptic, but firm believer of many things. like the existence of Gus, and that all are His will. including the halus types. man….to cut the story short…the place IS SPOOOOOOOOOKY!!!!!!

imagine, you’re actually walking into a construction site that was beleagured with civil problems, with workers dropping like flies one-by-one due to some Spanish plague (liga primera perhaps, hmmm…..) and the fact that Mr. Kelly himself passed on trying to complete the building. and reports of spectres, apparitions and other incidences. the closest i had to it, twice, was when i visited the wine cellar, and the linen room. and the overall feel of the place. man…. a real tour of duty for me. armed with my ever trusted mantras, i was ready. but in the same time, i was charmed of its existence, the fact that here lies a thin line between real time and past time, and how Gus weaves it all into one big blanket called time…..magnifique!

a true conspiracy buff would look out for many clues whilst on hallow and sacred grounds. i was just doing the same, and one thing kept ploughing down my spine…Scotsman…young….riches….MASON!!!

you see where i’m getting? this is truly a remarkable angle to ponder on, and to the majority of readers who don’t have a clue of what i’m talking about, well, i’ll save it for personal meetings. but i do suggest for all to look up on masons and how the scots are involved in it. my word, it was another magnifique find. and I appreciated Kelly’s Castle even more.

on a more melodramatic note, like what my grandma did, was the fact that this guy who loved his wifey and kids so much, that he wantedt o get the best for them in a country he had called his second home. how else to reaffrim this status than by building a home? and he didn’t even live to see his dream come true.

rest in peace Mr. Kelly.

ps - its a great place to visit alright. read up a little before you go, it makes appreciating our national treasures a little more fascinating….

cheers folks….

plain ol historical joe…

January 28th, 2007 at 6:16 am | Comments & Trackbacks (2) | Permalink
water - post screening review

hello readers

i finally got my hands on water, a movie by deepa mehta which is currently entered to the oscars as canada’s entry for best foreign film honours. my quest for water began a couple of weeks ago, when news of its excellent soundtrack was out, courtesy of ar rahman, of course. i scoured the whole of kl for its soundtrack, finally succumbing to the fact that i ain’t gonna be lucky tis time, so i’ve placed an order for it. sigh. but the movie, well, by chance, a new dvd shop opened its doors nearby, and wallah….. what a find!

water is set in the late 1930s, a story about widows and the petrification of the ancient manu shastras revolving the supposed alienation of widows from the traditional hindu society. just any other of deepa’s other films, water continues her trend of naming conventions (based on natural elements, her other movies includes earth and fire) and being socio-politically daring for the normal audience (her other subjects includes lesbian relationships and racial tensions and other ‘items’…)

the story revolves around the lives of a group of widows who are forced into a life of seclusion and social detachment. it also touches on themes such as child marriage, the misuse of the caste system, Ghandism, revolutionary thinking, forced prostitution and somewhat traditionally unacceptable love between a widow and a man.

beautiful scenery (set around the banks of the Ganges) and beautiful cast aside (surprise surprise…John Abraham and the gorgeous Lisa Ray ~ she’s Indian!!!! gosh…step aside Aish, i’ve found a new face for my angel…hmmm), the film is a masterpiece for the way all of the side elements are weaved into. this is not your average hindi filmi with running around trees and nightclub dancing, but a film best savoured with an empty stomach. the dialogue is just brilliant (i know nuts about hindi, but the subtitling was perfect, i was into the movie!). the child actress deserves a nomination for best supporting actress alright, she was brilliant. and seema biswas was just, well, in her element. great acting, greater script, and simply one of the most haunting songs to have churned from the creative amrit that is ar rahman.

in short, water is like a tidal wave packaged into a bisleri bottle. its a damn good movie, and should the academy accept its entry into the main list, then goodness gracious me, i don’s see any other movies coming near it.

water….. what a movie…….

ciao….

plain wattery eyed joe

January 6th, 2007 at 5:51 am | Comments & Trackbacks (2) | Permalink
in the company of lunatics

hi…

being on a week’s mc is awful alright. although its a welcome change from the hoodoo of a routine i have for a job, yet, still, i miss the chaos that surrounds it. sigh…sometimes, a little chaos is what we need for peace… how ironic.

anyways, besides lots of rest, tv and reading, i’ve also been regurlay emailing a new friend. quite an interesting character, i wonder how far this would go….hmmmm…..

besides that, with the internet off limits in my house, i’ve been chauffered to the nearest cc run by a friend to check on things. i dunno how this guy can sustain the place alright, goodness, its a mad house here. the decibel levels here can be described in one word…pandemonium. imagine, 2.1 channel speakers all bursting with counterstrike and some techno crap. not to mention the awful sounding mmorpg games…. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! me ears….. i need spares…any donors?

well, besides the pandemonium and the absent-chaos, this has been the perfect opportunity to recover spritually as well. once in a while, breaks like this (can’t get one, never mind….hurt yerself matey…get an mc ;) )is just what we all need to rejuvenate ourselves. most importantly, its a time for us hectic overworked,err, workers to lighten up and smell the pisang flower…

gee…its going to be 2007 soon. i wonder whats in store for all.

i’m signing off…gotta join me mateys in another ear-blistering round of mayhem and counterstrike….. go go go!

–plain ol joe, on mc–

December 30th, 2006 at 7:03 am | Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink
naina…..
Hi….
Naina….
its not anyone’s name, but rather an affectionate way of calling someone’s dad. one of my neighbour, who’se of telegu-speaking family, calls his dad that way.
and so, its been a pretty ofbeat day for me. pretty much routine stuff in the office, awaiting the weekend  to drop by. highlight of the day, would definately be dinner. it was a simple meal, but the turn of events that happened at my table was, somehow, nostalgic to say the least.
so here i am, alone, in a small eaterie in masjid india, due to space constraints i had to occupy a table which normally seats 4. then a family walks in. i didn’t see the whole gang, but in fact the youngest in that family caught my eye; a bubbly little guy who somehow reminded me of myself when i was in age. and then his dad comes by, and the family had to share my table as they were 7 people in total.
watching that family together did bring alot of memories, of a not too distant past when i once too, had someone whom i could call dad. it was fun though, just imagining that family, for once to be mine. nice thoughts. i guess, this is how sometimes TGU (the Guy upstairs) reminds us of many things all at one go. Of life, time, appreciation, faith, and a mulitude of other things at one go. talk about express expressions!
that said, i walked back to my car thinking, how different ould things be if you had told a little earlier that you were not feeling well, and not hidden the fact that you were sick….
naina…..dad…appa…ayah….. watch over us.
god bless…. go hug your dad and mum. you’ll never know when its too late.
plain joe - missing his dad
December 21st, 2006 at 6:00 am | Comments & Trackbacks (8) | Permalink
year’s end, herald a new start
hello everyone
much have been said about 2006. much has happened in 2006 that sometimes will just go unnoticed, some will take you back a little, some will just jolt you off your seats, some will make you cry, some will make you laugh, some will do more than that. you get the drift?
well, this is going to be the same tune every year when the year nears its twilight. but the mood never changes. sombre, sentimental and always thought provoking. it is then we decide to make the next year better by making resolutions. well, why not do it more frequently?
lets see, the resolutions often means long term goals that will almost be repeated year in year out with monir spelling or paraphrase changes. shorter term goals are far more achiveable, but work it towards your long term goals. for instance, take this scenario… i would like to get myself into the national bungee jumping squad for the 2008 olympics (just kidding, where on earth would people wanna compete bungee jumping???). first, you need to get the target set. then break it up into smaller chunks.  then, set a time to attack them. once done, you’ve got one part of the main goal achieved. and it goes on from there….
gee, i sound so very the old here…. like a geriatric counsellor on a high….scary!
well, i’m gonna try to see what i can achieve for the next year…
happy new year everyone! god bless ya’ll!
plain joe
December 18th, 2006 at 7:34 pm | Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink
the cinematic experience, tamilan style, or wait, desi style!
greetings!
its been a while since plain joe here had his thoughts penned (or rather typed) here. plain joe’s been busy rearranging his already plain old life, getting back to business with things he’s supposedly good and bad in, lets just say, its been one hectic heckuva ride for him.
with all the running arounds, two things have been in my agenda, my cultural agenda to be precise. lets face it, one can never be a complete indian without having his or her share of the staple indian movies, be it hindi, tamil, malayalam, telegu, marathi, heck, can’t remember all 14 languages. by the way, heard of any sanskrit movies? i wonder how a sankrit movie might sound….hehehehehehe…
well, back from blabberings, i managed to watch two movies this month already, both tamil movies, and both in its class of its own. the first, a dr.kamalhassan starrer, aptly titled "hunt and play" (you figure the original tamil translation - like you don’t know???) and the second, "jillendru oru kaathal", which translates to love so cool….hehehehehe….broken tamil man…correct me!
watched both movies, and that too in the same cineplex. the thing is, watching tamil movies is a different experience altogether when ompared to watching an english, chinese (only been to one, and that too beacuse it was AR Rahman’s music, God, i’m so desi!!!! dang!), malay, or even to a certain extent, hindi movies.
first of all, its the acoustics. with speakers all around that can blow a man’s head off (ahem,), and the front huge ones blasting its way to heaven, you’ll be treated to some of the loudest DTS cineplex experience in the world. why? tamil movies are best savoured loud. everything is loud here. from loud actors, to loud villains, to loud dialogues, to loud clothes, loud songs and bakground score, need i say more? the louder, the better! did i mention loud motor mouth comedians?
the acoustics don’t stop there. then there’s the adoring fans. every major player in the tamil cine world has its own sets of fans, from diehard Rajni fans, to Kamal fans, Senthil fans, Shakila fans (ahem, got meh?) if you don’t have a clue of what i’m talking about, then here’s what you can do for starters ; get an Indian friend, more so a Tamil speaking friend beside you la, dei!
so whats the big deal with fans? well, its how we, indians, feel the movie when our screen heroes appea before us in the big screen. man, we feel for them, every pain, hardship, heck we even want to be figting like them when we come out from the cinema (and do crazy, physics defying stunts like Captain saaaar, such as catching a speeding bullet with an open revolver camber and firing it back to the villain…go figure. you do the thinking, while i do the laughing)
and there’s the fans again, with their timely wise cracks at every single word uttered in the movie. like its value for money, you know. watching two, or maybe three, wait, it can be a rerun of a few seasons ago, movies for the price of one. and it does not stop there. one can also hear the latest gossip revolving their favorite actors and actresses, from what they do, and where they go, and if they’re doing both together-gether, sigh…the list can, and will, mind you, go on and on and on and on……..
i see the rabbit from here….. duracell, i’m coming……
so, in a nutshell, watching a good tamil movie, if you must, is in the cinema with friends, and with loud friends, who talk the new york talk and act the new york act, but return to their roots with full blown mouth-whistling and desi flavoured-local dipped jokes.
its an institution, you know. you just gotta feel it, embrace it, and if you don’t like it, then there’s an option. get the dvd/vcd, preferably original, as they’re damn cheap compared to the original english movies, and watch it in the comfort of you four walls, where its you, your hero, your dream actress, and possibly your villain having a good time.
otherwise, head to the cineplex, and be a proud desi! watch it…..LOUD!!!!!
:P
cheers everyone!
plain joe
September 8th, 2006 at 5:53 am | Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink
the cup of life
greetings!
no, its not another take on THAT cup which draws awe, ewe (you’ll have to think real deep about this one, let me know if you’d deciphered the code…oh no…not another code!!!) and controversies. nope, its not about uncle lim’s cup that i broke last year and nicely hid it under the carpet. its about the World Cup. the only world cup that matters. Football World Cup.
everything good is spherical/round/ball like in nature. from the wheel to the world, its the one shape that revolves evolution (pun intended) over many planes and landscapes. one such beauty would be the football. ah, whats life without its hearty dose of footie? ask em billions of footie fans around the globe. and it might be the one sport that might be taken to a interplanetary scale.
so? why the cup of life? I’m sure you’ve been bombarded with legions of fans preaching how footie changes the world, and how its just cool to be able to kick ball. its more than just being cool, and feeling nice. if there’s one activity that can put an individual through a gamut of expression, it must be footie. can you think of any other? :P
its world cup time. every four years, the world is taken to ransom. what used to be a single gender dominated phenomenon, its now a gender free, time warping experience. with the best of teams competing, its now becoming a staple for every sane human being (dunno if animals and plants can understand ‘em, but poor poor grass…..) to talk the footie talk, to walk the footie walk, to quack the footie quack…you get my drift? it bends the cultural barrier(s), bends it so much till it looks like a smiley!
enjoy this moment while you can. it comes every once in four years (whats with the four years? Olympics, euro, commonwealth…sigh…why can’t it be like the Malaysia cup or the bhardan cup?) if you’re lagging behind, then pick up some speed. or just pretend to love footie. it works like magic!
time to samba….. and go easy on that sambal…. and that pot o’ sambar too…. :P
cheers me lads! meesa going to watch dem footie on da telly!
plain crazy footie lunatic joe
June 10th, 2006 at 11:59 am | Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink
Shalom…a tribute to a good friend
hi.
this is all about a good friend, Shalom Solomon, who has returned to God’s kingdom as an angel.
Shalom,
its been a while since i heard you laugh man. thats right. that’s the one thing that bound us together as friends in school. we were the kings of laughs. big, hearty, loud laughs. it was SO good, that no one could get irritated, as much as they wanted to.
You’ve always been the Rock at school. Not many people come up to you and talk about politics, serious sports, philosophy and other ‘old people stories’ to a 13 year old teenager. you did. and that caught me off guard. finally, someone who can talk about really good issues and not ‘have you watched doraemon today?’.
my tales of school adventures will never be complete without our laugh-a-ton sessions, complete with me impersonation your booming voice and walk. to the many of whom I’ve related those tales, you’ve been the a person whom they would personally like to meet and make friends with. sadly, they wont get that chance anymore.
just a couple of months ago, we somehow managed to come into contact through Friendster. and what a surprise it was… I’m finally talking to the great Shalom Solomon after many years. and that you sounded just the way i remembered made it even better. i did get news that you were studying for your doctorate in Penang, and wondered, ‘wow, this guy is really getting a head start into his dreams’. I’ve always known you’ll be a doctor someday, but honestly, the doctor i was talking about was of the medical kind. whoa…. an intellectual type…man….that’s even better!
shalom,
your lasts words to me were ‘hey man, we should meet up sometime. I’ll catch you when I’m in KL. take care bro…’
how could i imagine those words would come true, although it was me who’s doing the talking and not you. there, i was, standing by your coffin, talking to a friend whom i hold so dear, making good of the promise you made. we met, i spoke, you seemed to listen to every words i said, and true to your name, stayed peaceful and calm. i could not let that tear roll off, fearing it may smear that smile you had. but deep inside, i was mourning the loss of a friend.
take care of yourself bro. watch over your family when you’re up there with the Lord in His kingdom. i know, someday, we’ll meet again. maybe we could have our long overdue conversation then. what would you like to talk about? politics? geography? history? finance? we’ll have a blast of a time man. looks like I’ll just have to wait.
and to the parents and siblings of Shalom, you’ve been blessed by the presence of a beautiful soul, one that was full of character, love, and strength. god bless you all.
Shalom,
may you find that peace just as you’ve did in your time here.
your friend,
Balamurugan Ramakrishnan
2 Setia (classmate), schoolmate
SMM ACS Seremban
Negri Sembilan
June 5th, 2006 at 1:28 am | Comments & Trackbacks (4) | Permalink
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