It was almost New York

It was almost, almost New York. People, lights, dances, music and the waiters.

The waiters. You bloody idiots, you had to wear a black and white attire like me, eh?

And I could only applaud on your appetizer, cream of mushroom soup.

But I could gladly say apart from the food... SA and SAS Prom 2010 wasn't so bad. It wasn't glorious until I wished it would happen again (unless it repeated itself in a desirable condition) but it wasn't so horrible until I thought it was a total waste of time.

It was good, though it could have been better.

The mushroom soup and the prom itself.

But I had a good time. Albeit some... inconsistencies and distortions. But that's a story for another time, when I'm ready.

Right now... The Golden Apple, New York. Where? The majestic 6-star hotel of Kuala Lumpur, One World Hotel. They could have served better chow.

The event started late. The general message was everyone had to be in front of the Topaz ballroom exactly at 7.00pm, and no later than 7.45pm or the doors will be closed. But we started at 8.00pm. Pfft, Malaysian timing.

Daniella Sya and Christian Neil Capes were the MCs for the prom. Daniella was okay, but seriously, Christian needed lessons on how to pronounce names. Just because you're half-Singaporean, doesn't mean you have to act like you're from Europe, mate. Nevertheless, they hosted the prom well enough and steered clear of being complete lame-joking deadbeats.

To be honest, the highlight of the prom (other than spending time with your dear friends, awww) was the performances. The rock band which made their music out of the clash of drums and careless strumming was just ear-sickening. Khairul's band, the House Bunnies (house band, what up) were excellent, my congratulations to them for raising their street cred. The other bands were kinda cool too. There was a three-man band with three acoustic guitars playing slow songs for *cough* couples.

My date, everyone, was the ever-lovely Nabeela. Yes, I think she was the only girl who wore a tudung to prom. But she was still pretty.

''Radical, Bob, she looks like Cinderella.'' says Khairul.

''Yeap, Cinderella just converted to Islam, dude.'' was my reply.

The dances were errr... kinda enjoyable I guess. Adrian and Tharini dragged Nabeela and I on the dance floor. Soon we were joined by Maddie and her date, Drakie. We swapped dance partners for a few minutes, Drakie and me.

Man, was that weird AND awkward.

The night continued on with games and photos and so on. When the clock struck 12, the prom ended. Good thing too, coz the now-Muslim Cinderella had to go back. Goodbyes and hugs were exchanged and I already felt some sort of weight pulling my heart down. I wasn't going to see half of the people there in a long time. I wondered if I would remember them when years pass.

Then I mentally slapped myself as I packed my gear. Of course I will.

The Golden Apple, New York was a moderate success folks, and we all sorta enjoyed it. Below are the photo albums on Facebook.

Is It New York??!!
Prom 2010 - The Golden Apple, New York

Thanks for reading folks!

I have something to tell you

The lights were dimmed. The music was loud, but soft. Soothing lyrics flowed from the speakers.

It was on.

Her hand rested on your shoulder, while the other gripped your own in a fashion. Your own hand was on her right hip. Feet sliding effortlessly on the dance floor to the steady rhythm of the music.

You looked into her eyes, and she looked back. Her face in surrounded by a curtain of hair, which reflected the very little laser lights dancing around in your dance with her.

You gulped. Gulped very hard. Then you spoke;

''Uhm... I have something to tell you.''

Blood rushed to your face, and you felt your cheeks grow warm. Heck, she had the same reaction.

''Yes?'' was her timid reply.

...

Silence.

...

And then...

''Uhm... your heel is on my foot.''

PROM WAS AWESOME! FULL REPORT COMING SOON!!!

Hey, You

A lil thank you to the lovely Ms. Madeleine Teh; yes, I am awesome. Take it, sis.

Okay, so what do we have? Ah yes... prom.

So. After... what, a week? A week of getting ready for this gig, decorations, buying ink, fiddling around with strips of aluminium foil... and so on. Hey, it was cool coz Maddie was there, yeah. She even offered her place as the decor's base of operations.

It was like a philharmonic concert there, folks, the brother practices the piano for hours. I got the Nutcracker and other musical pieces replaying in my head all the time now. Wickeddddd.

I watched Tron: Legacy a few days ago. It was awesome, and amazingly awesome. I'm watching the original Tron now. I gotta say... in T:L, the discs battles are waaaaaaayyy better. In Tron... it looked like they were playing catch with glowing Frisbee discs which could slice you. In T:L, these discs could still cut you, but it would cut you in slo-mo.

Yeah. Just like that. Ouch.

But the light cycle scenes in the original are more intense, no doubt. Ah, just watch it folks! Truly a must see this jolly Christmas season!

I have my suit. I have my camera. I have my printer (it's Sarah's actually) and I'm all set to go. Tomorrow morning I'm off to One World hotel, to check out the place for prom one last time. Then maybe register for driving lessons.

Yes, I already went for the theory talk for 5 hours... but haven't paid or registered yet. Whoops.

The talk was nuts. And bull. And balls. What the hell.

Almost there, Madeleine. Almost. Then you can enjoy your holidays. We all can enjoy our holidays.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to everyone! See ya, folks!

And here we go...

Hey guys! SPM just finished last Wednesday. Well, not for those who are taking extra subjects (moi) but the hard ones (Biology, Physics, Sejarah) practically the mean ones...

They.

Are.

Over.

And so begins the waiting. The three-month anxiety, covered by layers of extreme enjoy-yourselves time, after spending one year or more being hooked to chains of your desk, flirt with your boyfriends and girlfriends (more text messages and calls, oh god, the phone companies are gonna have a field day) and so much more. Well, there are those excited ones starting early in college. Good luck to y'all, coz you know, you make us March-intake goers look lifeless as we just stare at television and poke people on Facebook all day loooooooooooooooooooong.

Naw, seriously. Good luck! Short three week holiday, tho. Heh.

Yes, I am one of those March-intake fellows. I've considered of taking January intake, but looking at the calendar a few times... I just spent the whole year studying (yes, I played class clown in Form 4) and after a break I jump back into studies? Naaaaaah. My Trials results were qualified for a few applications like the one in The One Academy (I've had my eye on Advertising and Graphic Designing for quite some time before I was interested in law) but I was thinking I'd be rushing into things. Why not nature take its course?

I now have three months of... what the hell, I should've taken that application. Damn it!

...
...
...

Just my lil joke, folks. No, I have an internship with The Star for a period of three months starting in January. Yeah, my parents insisted I give journalism a try. I think they disagree (silently) with my decision to enter the field of lawyers, ever since that case of the mutilated cosmetics queen. And why do people make jokes about lawyers?

From How I Met Your Mother;
Marshall: You've just been lawyered.
Barney: Lawsuit-up!!

Lawyers do make a lot of money.

Yes, yes, I heard you say, ''dirty money''.

I'll work with the Attorney-General Chambers, and maybe go for the position of Chief Justice... when I'm 50 or so. Hey, what's wrong with dreaming, right??

But now, ladies and gentlemen, my attention is one one thing... a very anticipated event. Yes, that's what I'm talking about.

Prom. Yeah, Sri Aman and Samad's Prom, themed after New York, New York! Or something, I forgot the whole title thingy on Facebook.

Yes, about prom. There have been certain... distortion in the sound waves of peace. (!) I'm sorry, Physics paper was kinda infectious, it jumps off your cerebellum and into your... (!) whoops, was that a Biology fun fact?

Anyway, prom!

Some people... (the ones who aren't coming) are pissed about it. (Let it be known as Group Some People 1)

Some people... (the ones who organised it) are pissed too, coz the other some people were pissed about it. (Group Some People 2)

I am obliged to pick a group (the second one, sorry, I'm part of the committee) but I won't. Because I like to be a team player and voice out the err... distortions in the sound waves of peace. Man, I'm good.

The prom, without doubt, is flawed. Why? Yes, plausible reasons, so and so, but still, flawed. The group of Some People 1 is right to be angry, prom is an audacious event! Memories are to be created there, friends' company to be enjoyed, precious moments to be looked upon and adored in the future! Perfection is of the utmost importance, and never to be done halfway! Bagai melepaskan batuk di tangga... (!) what the heck, sorry folks. BM paper's over. Sorry. Point is, people who organise prom (Group Some People 2) should have worked harder on it. How dare they. This is prom! Not a half-assed school project for extra-credit!!!

But Group Some People 1. When voicing out, be gentle. Violence or foul-mouthing is never the way. You'll just make the organisers feel bad about it and utterly demoralised. And the prom itself will end in a much more disastrous manner. Alright, the prom has holes, too many holes to be patched up and sewed on to achieve satisfaction, but you have to remember. Group Some People 2 is composed of humans. Very talented humans who want nothing more than the same thing you want: a good time with dear friends for the very last time. They work hard too, as much as we all worked for SPM. Give some credit, if not the smallest piece of gratitude.

There are faults on both sides. Maybe the other weighs more than the next. But there's democracy. Look at Malaysia!

...
...
...

Sorry, bad example. What I mean to say is, criticise if you must! But be gentle! We will work hard for New York, New York to be a memorable event, not just a party with suits and dresses.

And it's still not too late. Do come, those who are not coming. We promise you'll have an enjoyable time.

Till next time, folks!

Broken Pieces

I know SPM is just a few dying days away.

I know I should be studying full time.

But sometimes, I take a break, and stop, and stare into space.

Into nothingness.

I take a moment to look into the past.

I take a moment to look at the broken pieces.

I then remember what made them broken in the first place.

Foolishness.

Good luck for SPM, all.

Smile and Die

I rarely find anything worth blogging about, don't I? Ashes to Flames is basically about feelings, girls, mindless rambling, feelings, girls... and feelings. I mentioned feelings, didn't I? Yes, feelings.

2010 has been different to me. Well, every year is, but then... 2010 felt significantly different. I learned about how complex feelings can be, the depth of feelings, their ever-changing chemistry between people and just how very tiring they can be to normal teenagers like you and me. Sometimes borderline suffering.

I've discovered of how to actually like a person.

Discovered rejection (indirectly, mind you.), and how bloody hell painful it was.

That spike, blasted spike from the pits of the underworld, a piece of Hades' own black soul, just puncturing your heart like a buttering knife slicing a bun...

You get over it.

Weak. Hurt. Bloody. Teared up. You get over it. (yeah, you do.)

I'm alive, aren't I?

So like the opening scenes from Halo: Reach, you pick up your assault rifle after a long day and just walk up that hill to get a face full of sunshine... the new horizon!

And you just see another bloody day coming your way. Horizon's there, but it's dark red and screaming at you. Sure, birds fly and the sun shines, but the heat gets to you, and that deja vu from the previous battle stirs up your insides.

You get ready your gun, but you know, once it's over, it's gonna start all over again. The same hill, the same anticipation for a happy ending... but a different horizon with a new kind of horror. Sometimes you wish you were just dead, and heck with all this.

It's just not worth it.

Or maybe you're detached from all of it? Hide in the shadows, and strike from within the shadows. Like the lone hero from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, you have nothing to lose and you just work it all until the end. No one's waiting for you once you're done, so just end it all with a jab of that hidden blade.

No one knows, no one cares.

I can't say much. What I have locked in my mind can compromise everything I care for. But I do wish someone can unlock them. Anybody willing to do an extraction from my dreams like Dominic Cobb from Inception?

Then you'll get to see my dreams. Dark, blank, empty and meaningless. Yet under that seemingly plain blanket a sea of storms pulses, sucking in everything that gives me peace and serenity.

I try to make people happy. I try, I really do. And in the end, I get shot in the heart. But I don't care. As long as that person is happy... what can I do?

Smile and die.

xD

*This post has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone real, fiction, or even dead. Not related to anyone. No. Not really.*

*Maybe one.*

Guys in Suits and Girls in Dresses

You know, funny things happen when you wake up from bed one day, crave for a sandwich, look around the kitchen and realise there's no bread, then remember you're supposed to feed the cats because it's half past noon, do a head count for your cats and make sure they don't run off to some neighbour's lawn and get hit by a 4WD--

I'm getting ahead of myself here.

Anyway, back to the bread. After all the chores (that I remembered by far) were done, I went to the 7-11 to get some bread.

For my sandwich.

And because I was to stock up on bread that week. Actually, last week.

So. I entered 7-11, gave the store cashier a hearty wink, and strode around doing business (collect the bread). After carefully reviewing the contents of a chocolate bar and a fizzy drink, with the loaf of bread in my hand, I walked to the counter...

...when this happened.



Yes. Yes. It was like that and more!


And more! (I couldn't remember the third one's face)


Why are all these smokin' hot, ''gun'' (note the inverted commas)-wielding, sexy scorchers inside a small little 7-11in a suburban neighbourhood and I'm just standing there with a ''I'm a Virgin'' t-shirt and banana shorts??

Even the dumb cashier dropped his jaw (I bet his pants too, but I couldn't see because he was behind the counter) and stopped playing his PSP.

I did not know what was happening. Probably a teen gang heading for a friends' wedding? Lost and stopped for a can of soda? I looked outside, expecting to see a Lexus Rexton with a sandy-haired guy and a roguish grin behind the wheel, calling out, ''Come on, girls, we're gonna be late for the wedding!''

Instead I saw a roughly-eight-year-old boy, in the passenger seat, poking his head out the window and half-shouting, ''Kakak, hurry up! Aunty Cei Cei's (I think it was Cei Cei) birthday laaaa!''

And it was a Toyota Wish.

Girl Number Two, which I'd like to nickname the Black Mamba of the East was at the magazine rack. What a fine rack it was. I always picked up my issue of Gempak! there, so I proceeded as so.

She was reading a magazine with a close up of a man in a suit on the cover. My thoughts went to the legendary Barney Stinson of How I Met Your Mother.


I sniggered unconsciously. And the Black Mamba of the East caught me!

''What's so funny?'' she asked, her voice striking the still air and interrupting the God of War sound effects in the cashier's PSP (obviously three un-Earthly beauties did not seem to bother him for long as Kratos's, the front man of God of War, bare chest and abs splattered in monster blood were far more interesting for him).

She talked. To me! I choked. Regained myself. And spoke with careful care.

''Eh... guy in a suit. Funny.''

*loud groan from audience*

What did you expect me to do?

''Hey, dollface, my house just a couple blocks away. What say you and your friends?''

The Black Mamba of the East laughed, and put the magazine away.

''I like guys in suits.'' and she winked. She winked. The Black Mamba of the East winked at me.

And she left. With Girl Number One aka Vienna Jackpot and Girl Number Three aka Faceless Rack and that lucky, lucky, lucky eight-year-old boy, off to Aunt Cei Cei's birthday party, in that white Toyota Wish.

I think she gave a glance at my banana shorts.

I paid for my stuff and left.

Black Mamba of the East... I will find you. One day.

And wink back at you!

Thanks, folks.

This is not a dream sequence. Some elements were obviously exaggerated ( Girl in a bikini walk in a suburban 7-11) but the core of the story is true. There were three hot girls. One of them said ''I like men in suits'' to me. And the wink. And the glance. Well, maybe not the glance. Do not judge me.