…yes, the title says it all. I need exercise! Can I join you, Jonathan? I’ve always tried to exercise, but after a few days, normally 3 days, I’ll give up. But I can’t give up this time. I have to exercise! I even promised Prakash‘s mum to lose at least 2 pounds in a week! Okay then…I’ll start monitoring my progress next week.
So if any of you reading this wanna help me to lose a few pounds, call me up whenever you guys are going for games like badminton, football or what. But I can’t participate for this weekend, cuz I’ve music practices and such….so to replace it, I went jogging just now. It was a bit awkward at first, with everyone looking at this fat kid huffing heavy breaths with every step he takes and all, but after half an hour of sweating, I feel like I’m gonna die good and hopefully I can stop continue my jogging sessions.
But…of course, I have reward myself for taking such a bold move. So, I had…Chu Chap Fan (mixed pork /pork intestines/whatever that is edible in a pig rice) for my dinner!
(Insert Peter Griffin‘s laughter) Nyeh eh eh eh eh eh….
I’ve always wanted to write something regarding my guitar, the most prized possession of all time besides my Macbook. I couldn’t find time to write about it in the past, so I shall do it now… hopefully I can get some deals out of this. Yeah, sounds impossible but if my friend Joshua can appear in the finals of a Kit-Kat competition, what else is impossible? Sorry, no pun intended, and anyways, please vote for him. Let’s give him the support and the votes! Go to this link to sign up and vote…
Lo and behold, the Tokai LRS 75Q!
Ok, I don’t really have a nice set of pictures for my guitar, I have to resort to using this image, which I’ve searched through the Net. Ain’t it a beauty? For the history of Tokai guitars, how it started and such, go to this link. I’ve already mentioned briefly about it sometime ago, but in case it went unnoticed, just click the link.
Most of my friends would burst out in laughters when they heard the brand of my guitar for the first time. “What? Pokai ah?” is the usual response, while some more ‘experienced’ ones would nod in agreement and acknowledgment when they hear the word “Tokai”. It seems Tokai made quite a stir in the past, especially the 70’s and the 80’s. To make things short, Tokai were always in trouble with lawsuit problems and copyrights and such, as they produced copy model guitars from other more well known guitar companies then, like Yamaha and Kapok Fender and Gibson. It went unnoticed to many as a result of over-zealous guitar companies, envious of other’s success the money that they had lost over the lawsuit cases.
But enough of the history. This particular LRS 75Q that I have, boasts a nice and superb construction of specs and materials. The guitar that I have is a Tokai LS-75Q VF (violin flame) model, made in Japan. It is a Gibson Les Paul Standard copy; the top of the guitar is of flamed sycamore and the body and neck is of mahogany wood, with a lovely rosewood fingerboard. All the hardware, the tailbridge, the bridge, the pick-ups (both humbuckers), and the machine-heads are all Gotoh hardwares.
The front view…
As there are so many guitars around, it is easier to have a sort of a guide to categorize each guitar into different category, such as low-end models, mid-ranged models or high-end models. I think the Tokai LRS 75Q that I have would have belonged to the higher mid-ranged models category. It is not the best of the best, but it is one of the more impressive of all guitars out there.
The back view…
The sound and the overall tone of this guitar is so totally superb. I love the fact that I can play almost anything with this guitar, be it rock, jazz, blues, any genre is playable with this guitar. While many might say and agree that a Fender Strat would come out tops in terms of versatility, I would say that the Tokai would not be very far behind, if not ahead, of a Strat.
The Tokai LRS 75Q. And I’m proud of it.
And the thing I love most about this guitar is that it is out of production a few years back. Yes it is a refurbished model, but it has the same things and the same built and quality of the previous ones. It stopped production a few years back, making this a rare gem to many now. So….will I sell this guitar? No, not in a million years. Well, unless I need cash badly or stuff like that happens, but if not, I don’t think I’ll ever part ways with it.
So there you go. My not-so-interesting post of my guitar. Reckon I can get some guitar deals from Tokai by chance? Well, chances are slimmer than a needle’s eye (the hole where you put the thread in), cuz I play like crap! Haha…
Posted in My experiences on June 26, 2007 by steve maestro
As a kid, I thought wrestling was for real. I thought the moves were real, the actings were real, the pain endured from a seemingly harmless punch (more like a gentle touch) to the face was real…until I came to my senses one day, and I figured out that it was all fake. I couldn’t believe it then though…such irony.
But I also remembered watching wrestlers executing their moves, from a simple clothesline to a Stone Cold Stunner, it amazed me as a kid. One particular wrestler impresses me the most, and he is none other than Chris Benoit, the Crippler, himself. Now, most of us would have known by now, that Chris had passed away in a homicide case a few days ago,on the 25th of June. Officials had confirmed that Chris might have killed himself after he killed both his wife and his kid.
One of the greatest wrestlers of all time in my opinion, Benoit never failed to deliver when he performed, and never failed to impress others with his technical abilities, earning him the title “The Most Technical Wrestler”. He’s also the master executer of the amazing submission move “The Crippler Crossface“.
This took me back to what I’ve encountered, and had expressed a few blog posts ago(link). What in the world happened for Chris? Why resort to suicide? Why the selfishness, of robbing away your relationships with everyone else? But…I guess it’s too late now for questions. The only thing I hope and pray for is that none of my friends or family members, my loved ones, would resort to suicide to solve everything. Instead of solving the problem, suicide defeats and takes away every chance, as slight as they may be, to turn things around for the better good.
In memory of Chris Benoit (21/5/1967 – 25/6/2007) and his wife, Nancy and son, Daniel. Rest in peace.
You’re pretty cool! People look at you and think.. ‘wow.. that person is cool!’ Congratulations. Use your position wisely and teach the dorks below you a thing or two. There’s nothing like recruiting a cool person.
Posted in Uncategorized on June 20, 2007 by steve maestro
You see, I don’t know which smart dude/dudette created this whole TAG thingy. I really wanna find out who did it or started the whole tagging culture. Almost every blog that I’ve been to, there will definitely be this tagging thing going on. Yeah, ok, so I’ve fell for it’s irresistible and unavoidable charms.
So will I respond to this tag by Amanda? Well…no harm trying…though at the risk of being laughed at and being mocked at, I will….give it a shot nonetheless:
1. Colour of most of clothes I own: Black.
2. Number of pillows I sleep with: One. How many do you really need?
3. Where are you right now?: In my room. Lights are on. Not romantic at all.
4. What were you doing at 12am last night?: Not sure. Maybe onlining.
5. How old will you be in 10 years?: Err, 31….yeah, real old by then..
6. What do you think you’ll be doing in 15 years from now? Err…let’s leave that next time, but I really wanna serve the Lord through music ministry. Hopefully I can still do so by then…
7. Do you have braces?: Nope. God blessed me with a perfect set of dentures…
8. Are you paranoid?: Err, I don’t think so…only in extreme cases I tend to be a little…emotional…
9. Describe your wallet: Do not judge a book by it’s cover…haha…
10. Your alarm clock?: Part of my life. Cuz I always tend to oversleep…
11. Your hair?: Imagine a lion’s mane…
12. Toothbrush: Like traffic police. Only useful when it is needed.
13. What color are your eyes?: Dark brown I guess…would love it to be red though…haha…
14. Unforgettable enemy?: None that I remember off…Amanda maybe? Haha…
15. First play/musical/performance?: Last week Sunday in my church…and every Sunday to come…
16. Last movie seen in cinema?: Fantastic Four 2. Not bad. But quite cheesy…
17. Last person you yelled at?: My dad, cuz he ruined my slippers this morning…
18. Last crush: Haha…very recent…hint, ‘Ganbaru!!’ Haha, but crushes are crushes…they come and go
19. Last shoes worn: Same old black color shoes…so faithful…
20. Last ice-cream eaten:Baskin robbins. Some weird looking ice-cream…but nice…
21. Last word written by hand: My signature.
22. Last time you wanted to die: Erm…when I crashed my dad’s car last year…
23. When was the last time you went out at night?: Just now. Til 2am.
24. What was the last song you heard?: Aww this is so ironic, but it was Spice Girl’s Mama. My iTunes was in shuffle mode…
25. What is about the opposite sex?: WHAT?!
26. What do you want to do now?: End this tag thing…
27. What’s the first thing you ate this morning?: It was lunch. And I ate chee cheong fun.
28. What’s the one song you never get over?: Knights Of Cydonia by Muse.
29. Fav day of the week: Friday. Do I need to explain why??!
30. Who’s your favorite idol at the moment?: God always. But in the human world…RISA NIIGAKI!! GANBARU!!
And I’m not gonna tag anyone. Ok, i’m prepared for all the criticism now…ARGH!!
Posted in Rants&Crap on June 15, 2007 by steve maestro
And yet some would just throw away their valuable life, pretend for that moment that suicide is the answer, and it is indeed for that short moment because suicide is lightning fast. Why some of us could not understand and accept that God’s greatest gifts to us are His love for us and the life, the very soul and mind that He gave us since we were out of our mother’s womb? Funny how sometimes, there are people around us who would rather give up living rather than trying to make the best out of it. Some tried too hard to achieve happiness, and suicide seems like the perfect answer to those who could not fulfill that goal.
I read Jessica’s blog just now. Go read it. It’s thought provoking. It’s surreal. It’s funny. Not in terms of humor kind of funny. You see, life is about trying to make the best out of it. We don’t have a manual or a guide to excel in life. We all strive, we all try our very best, and some will succeed in finding happiness. Some will not. That’s life. You crawl up again from your fall and try again. But some, I’m just so sorry to say this, but some cowards out there preferred to stay down, some chose to remove their very existence, throwing back to God that precious gift of life back at His face. Not only are these people cowards, but they are such selfish beings. The people that will get hurt in the process. The emptiness that will grow over their loved one’s. All the pain and all the misery felt by those around. Do you really think it is worth the slash on your wrist? Do you really think it is worth the fall from that building or apartment? Do you really think it is worth overdosing yourself with chemicals and pills?
Happiness is not a choice (sorry Prakash…). All of us want happiness. Who wouldn’t want it? Who, since birth, desired to live a miserable and painful life? If it is indeed a choice, it would be a lopsided decision. Can someone logically choose not to have happiness? It would be funny if there were such people.
If suicide can determine everything, a lot of us would have died a long time ago. A lot of us would have chose this one-way ticket to hell than to make a change out of our terrible situations. But still, some would rather kick it off rather than giving themselves another opportunity to stand up once again. I like this particular stanza of which I’ve forgotten where I got it from, “To fall is one’s greatest regret, but the greatest glory comes when one rises from their own fall”. I’m not a fan of all this literature stuff, but it works for me.
You know what is a choice? Overcoming your own shortcomings is a choice. You can choose to stand up, dust off yourself, and walk again, or…you can just stay there. And that’s what most of us would do. It’s so tempting to stay fallen isn’t it? It is as if there are some sweet incentives to it. And I’m not talking as if I had never been down before. But what am I supposed to do then? Kill myself?
I know some would think that there’s more to see and experience for this 20 year old guy. Like the Chinese saying, “I’ve consumed more salt than you have consumed more rice”. I know I’m young, yes there are things in this world that I’ve yet to understand and see. But one thing I do know. SUICIDE IS NOT A METHOD OF LIVING. Happiness is. And whatever crap that we each one of us might face at some point of our lives, there is a silver lining in every cloud, and there is something that we can do about it other than taking away our own life. May God bless every person reading this, and no this is not a forwarded email or message. Spread the word, spread the message. Bring about a difference, for your own or for someone else.
OK now you must send this to 10 people within the next 20 minutes, or else, Happiness will no longer be with you.
Ok I’m just kidding. Live life to the fullest, dudes and dudettes…
Ok, so I’ve not been blogging for awhile, but who cares, after all, the readers of this blog are only like…4 persons? And that includes me…but anyways, yeah, been pretty busy lately, college started and boy oh boy, it’s tough. Here are some things, some places that I’ve visited,which I’ve promised myself to blog about but could not done it earlier due to other commitments and lack of free time (in which 90% of my free time are allocated for my beautiful sleep…):
1) Stevens Corner, finally!
Alas, after nearly one year of wanting to head down to the Steven’s Corner Wangsa Maju branch, I finally made it there! Been to the Cheras/Pandan Indah branch, but yeah I just wanted to try out the new Wangsa Maju one. So yeah, went there sometime last 2 weeks ago with my college friends, and we happily munched away our food, like zombies feasting on human flesh…err, yeah sort of…
Carene feasting…it’s best not to interfere a lady while they are…err..’feasting’…
In case you don’t know where it is, just head on down to Jalan Genting Klang, ask some Chinese guy or girl (chances are, they are all TAR College students, and they will surely know where is Steven’s Corner), ask them for directions, and you’re on your way there. Don’t bother asking me, cuz I’m bad at giving directions…
2) Korean Restaurant, Orju
Another hidden treasure located at Metro Prima Kepong. Cosy place, food tastes great, nice ambience, food not too pricey, and best of all, refillable Kim-Chee (in case you’ve been living under a coconut shell all along, Kim-Chee is widely known as the Korean food of all time, besides Korean BBQ). How did I managed to find this place? It all started like this…:
I was too bored sitting around at home. Turned on the tv, and it was showing The Ring on Cinemax. After being nearly brainwashed into becoming one of those long hair, pathetic looking, wearing nothing but a piece of white curtain, Prakash called and saved the day!
Close to becoming one of those annoying ‘The Ring’ creature…
Prakash: Eh bro, wasssssssuuuuuupppppp!!!!
Me: Yeah, wassup.
Prakash: What are you doing?
Me: Nothing much.
Prakash: Wanna come and see some Korean chick anot?
Me: Huh? Where?
Prakash: I know a place la, after that can eat Korean food also…
Me: I’m in!
Ok, so it’s not like that, but anyhow, I ended up at Orju on a Friday night. I was so hooked on it I ended up eating at the same place for the next two days to come! I suspect they put some stuff inside, cuz I dunno why it’s so darn addictive!
Yummy Chicken and Rice set
Mixed Vege and rice set
The Ramly Burger set, according to Jonathan
Satisfied customers…
Korean food is so so delicious, addictive and is also a form of catalyst to do or say stupid things. Here’s some proof:
Prakash insisted that he is a Korean after eating at Orju…
He then fell in love with a Korean…
…and dumping the previous target for this Korean chick. He also mentioned that he’ll only fall in love with Koreans from now on….
Don’t ask me for directions to Orju, but if you’re really interested, let me know, treat me a meal at Orju and I’ll gleefully bring you there. Haha…
3) Naili’s Place at Sentul
Nice Malay restaurant located at Sentul.I’ve only been there once before this, and I’ve made the same pledge as for Steven’s Corner, to go there once again. And so, last week, I went there with my classmates. Nice food, nice ambience, and the only guy among the company of five. All this points to…FUN!!! Well, it costs me a sore throat the day after though…
Naili’s Place. Nice place. Hey it rhymes!
Kesedapan memuncak! In English it means, err, ‘peak of tastiness’…
Joyce and Carene enjoying their ais kacang…
Nasi lemak. Somehow, wherever the girls go, they’ll only order nasi lemak. Why?
My Naili’s Special Fried Rice…yum yum..
Well, that’s all about food for now…ok, now some totally random things…
4) Riisa Niigaki of Morning Musume!
Isn’t she lovely? Ain’t she cute? Oh gosh, I’ve fallen in love…Haha, in case you dunno, Morning Musume is this girl group from Japan, and is a group filled with…people like Riisa! Well, indeed some eye-candy for guys, how about an all guy group similar to Morning Musume? Like…Night Neji? Haha..Here’s a video of them performing one of their songs in a, of all places, in a train:
And here’s a funny parody video about David Blaine, you gotta watch this:
And here are some more totally random things (I love this whole random stuff…):
I was searching for Desa Setapak on Google Map, and this is what I found..:
Watch closer…
Haha, I didn’t know TAR college is that famous. Full of TAR college student some more…
Last Saturday I had a meeting with my church guys in my church, and suddenly I caught this…:
Wow Kim, I didn’t know you have eyes on top of your head, haha…Don’t kill me when you see this Kim…
The Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) was held on last Monday. And yes, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced lots of cool stuff regarding Mac stuffs, things like this…so I went to search on for some other ‘I’ products besides iPod, iTunes and so forth, and I found this hillarious one…:
I’m not too sure of which market are they catering for…
And finally, this is a teaser poster of Canaan Church’s latest production, it’s still ongoing, but tentatively it would be called, Canaan Baywatch…
Posted in Uncategorized on June 6, 2007 by steve maestro
This past two weeks had been somewhat a…very mixed up bunch of emotions for me, like…eating ‘chap fan’ or economy rice…err, anyways, yeah, in these two weeks, there were times when I felt sad, some moments which left me speechless, a time when I fell in love, and of course, times which made me felt great and happy! All these…I shall post it later…
With those said, let me dedicate this section to my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Ian, Susie, Winnie and Chee Yong. They left us for greener pastures in UK last week. They had completed their advanced diploma studies and are currently at UK for their degree summer program. Ian, Susie and Winnie are at Liverpool, while Chee Yong is at Sheffield. Well, they won’t be gone for very long, but their presence will be missed for sure. Take care guys! Some pics from KLIA while sending them off…
Ian Yee. Great leader and musician, at the same time, my great buddy.
Susie. Ian’s girlfriend. Known for her ability to slap her own face and hearing the wrong words all the time. But still, love her to bits.
Winnie. No words needed. As cute as…err…Winnie The Pooh. Great friend. Will definitely miss you…
Chee Yong. Aka Big Show. Die-hard Man U fan. Somewhat like a big bro to me. Take care man.
Posted in Rants&Crap on June 5, 2007 by steve maestro
Ok so the title is totally random…sorry folks, previous post removed cuz it’s too ’emo’, even for myself who wrote it.
Forgive my sometimes unstable and quirky behaviours…
I will leave you all with this s’wonderful and s’marvellous poem written by christian group dc Talk, entitled ‘Alas My Love’ …
Alas my love, you say goodbye
Wipe the poison from my brow
Alas my love, this guilty night
It gives me up like a foster child
And in this moment I take my vow
These angels sleeping at my feet
And in this moment you do not know how
How my spirit wants to flee
You see it was one man against the night
Taking on a multitude
That had left Him high and dry
No candle burning vigil could light the way
Darkness hit the ground like a fallen satellite
He wrestled until morning
With human souls and dark angels
And there He finished His work
On the third day
Posted in Uncategorized on June 2, 2007 by steve maestro
Yes if you come from Prakash’s blog, yeah the title is the same, no I don’t mean to copy him, just that, after reading his one-sentence post, I realized that I’m missing something in my life too…
You see for the past year or so, what was a disaster for me then turned into a real blessing, as I set my foot in Tunku Abdul Rahman College to further my studies. What I thought to be a bunch of classmates whom I really can’t get along with turned out to be the best classmates I ever had so far. And yeah, for the past year or so, we really bonded really well, both as friends and as coursemates…
DBM II, Class of 2006/07
Some pictures…:
Ladies in Black
Ladies in white (except for May [far right], she’s color blind…)
Group Uno of DBM II
Guys from Group Uno, bunch of posers…
Boon, See Wei, Carene and Max
Group Dos guys…
Sadly, some of us couldn’t make it to the next phase, to the advanced diploma course. However, life goes on, and for myself, as long as this heart of mine beats, there will still be a place and value for these friends of mine. Best of luck in whatever you guys do (if I would never see you again), and thanks for all the memories. Viva forever…
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of Lam." 