3... 2... 1... Happy New Year 2008!

Soundwave and Laserbeak preparing to replay what has been recorded in 2007

It is 11:45pm, 31 January 2007. While the rest of the people (in the same timezone) are waiting eagerly for the clock to strike midnight - in the clubs, or at places well known to be the venue for celebrating such events - I am here in my room in Kertih, trying to put some thoughts in my page, on what has been happening in 2007. I do miss watching the pyrotechnics of Merdeka and New Year as it has been a while since I last saw one live, either with my beloved family, or with my faithful friends.

How I also wish that I am physically there to celebrate the curtain-raiser at the places I used to hang out with my close friends. I'm not complaining, really. Here is good, plus, tomorrow is a working day for Terengganu. At this point I am receiving a lot of calls and smses wishing me a blessed new year ahead, and despite my physical absence, I'm glad that people who are dear to me never forgets. Looking back, there's a lot of things that have kept me sane for the whole year.

Liverpool becoming the runners-up in the Champions' League is one of the greatest achievements in football this year, at least to me and to the rest of the Liverpool fans around the world. I've been a Liverpool fan since I was young, and nothing could change my passion towards the team that is considered one of the greatest team in Europe. Once a red, always a red.

This year there have been a few occasion that I get to watch live matches with the rest of my Reds mates - Salman, Cherap and others, mostly from Kolej Matrix Yayasan Saad at Hartamas. There's also a few times that I watched with Aie et al at the same venue. At my house in Kertih, the rest of my housemates are Unted fans, Chelsea fans and others are just fans of Battlestar Galactica and Cerekarama (meaning, they don't watch football). I miss being around with the Kopites in KL and in Luton, watching live matches at big screens and scream as loud as we can whenever Liverpool scores. Let's hope that Liverpool will once again become the powerhouse of English and European football, just like how they used to be before. Walk on, walk on, with hopes in our hearts. Once a champion, always a champion.

As for the other kind of sport - what some of us call 'sports entertainment' - I'm never tired of watching wrestling shows, especially WWE Monday Night Raw aired on tele every Tuesday nights. It is true that wrestling is fake, and there's a lot of drama that revolves around it. But that's how it is supposed to be anyway, a make-believe. It's the same like watching soap, the actors are still actors, and thing's in it aren't as real as we believe it is. I started liking wrestling since I was 6, and I even had a dream to become a professional wrestler one day (I still do!). If not, a ring announcer would be just fine, just to be around with people who put their lives on the line just to make the audience happy, just to make a living. True, wrestling is fake, but the risks and the hazards are real; and some people would laugh at those who loves this kind of entertainment without knowing that this kind of entertainment is better than watching the uncivilized 'sports' such as bull-fighting. And we have to also face the reality that we live in a world of hate, backstabbing, cruelty, betrayal, and other nonsense that I can truly say that the real world is faker than wrestling.

Old songs like Alhamdulillah (Too Phat) and Just Like Heaven (Katie Melua), and new songs by Dewa, My Chemical Romance and Gwen Stefani have been some of the great listenings for me for 2007. 'All My Life' by K-Ci and Jojo brings back the memories of good old times when I went to see them perform live at the KL 'Live and Loud - R&B' at Stadium Negara with my 2 best friends, Johan and Hafsa, recently. As for the movies, what can I say, Transformers is the best so far after my all-time favorite, Armageddon. "Autobots, transform and roll-out!" Ke ko ke ko kek! (the sound effects).

Career, relationships, family - will all be mentioned in another chapter. The above are just some of the things that I could remember, the small things that have put some colors to my year. Things that have been in me since I was a kid that still remains a part of me until 2007. Liverpool FC, Wrestling, Music and Movies. Too bad I didnt have time to finish any books this year! Well, not having enuff time is too lame an excuse, as I should have better control of my time and manage it well. The next book I'm gonna read? Take a guess. "Relationships 101"

And the beat goes on...

More than meets the eye

2007 saw Michael Bay bringing joy to the world with his film 'The Transformers'. Whoever said that the film was not a good one is a retard. I have been a fan of The Transformers cartoon since I was a kid, when I was still in primary school and I believe that most of us, especially those who were born in the 80's would acknowledge 'The Transformers' as one of the best animated series ever aired on television.

When the cartoon were aired in the 90's, it is complemented with the advertisement of the toys that made me drool over it. During that time I couldn't afford to buy the figures, I only had a few of them.

Here I am sharing with you my collection of The Transformers figures that I have.

Photo 1

Standing on the high ground: Transformers Movie: Fast Action Battlers edition which includes Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Blackout, Megatron and Barricade.

The ones in front of them are the classics re-issue of the original Generation 1 cartoon. The figures are: Grimlock, Rodimus Prime, Jetfire, Optimus Prime, Cliffjumper, Megatron, Starscream, Ramjet and Mirage. On the left and right also you can see the Combiners - The Aerialbots that form Superion and the Constructicons that forms Devastator. For your information, I have recently acquired Astrotrain from this series but didn't find the time to shoot his photo. The figures are from Hasbro.

Photo 2

My collection of the Movie Deluxe series of Transformers: The Movie. The figures are from Hasbro and also Takara. The figures will remain in the box until forever. Figures include: Arcee, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Wreckage, Barricade, Jazz, Bonecrusher and Bumblebee.

The collection will keep growing so that one day when I have children, Insya Allah, I wont have to buy toys anymore. Yeargh!

'Till all are one' ~ Optimus Prime



And the beat goes on...

Another year, another chapter

Tomorrow will be the last day of 2007. Looking back, there's still a lot of things to be done, goals to be achieved, tasks to be accomplished and promises to be kept. Having a 'New Year's Resolution' would be a good thing, but it will not be as easy as implementing it with the best way possible. Whoever knows as to which one is the best way anyway? It all involves trial and error. Therefore not only that I must have a New Year's Resolution, I must also draw a plan of how am I going to achieve the things in it, successfully. If I fail to plan, I plan to fail, and I will make the failure complete if I stop trying.

***

It has been a year that some friends gone missing without a trace. Either they die or wanting to disconnect themselves from the world - it remains a mystery to me. On the other hand, new friends and alliance were made, but not to forget enemies - whether it happens with or without me knowing it. I really do hope that people will learn to forgive and forget, and realise that bridges are to be built, or repaired, but not to be burnt. Forgiving is not an easy thing to do, especially when the cut is deep and it is like a scar that cannot be removed from the skin. Forgiving, sometimes, is a hard thing to do, but it is far from impossible, especially when we realise that for a fact one day we might need that second chance if the tables are turned.

This is the year that I turned 25 - quarter a century now. At this age most of my peers who used to sit next to me in class are already either in a steady relationship, engaged or married. I hope the bond that they have created will last forever. Will my time come? I'll never know. It has been 2 years since I last had a steady relationship and I guess elaborating about it in this blog would not be appropriate for the time being. Furthermore it was my fault that the chapter wasn't a happy one.

But for the record, the last relationship that I had 2 years ago with R was the best relationship that Ive ever had in my life. Even if it only lasted for 8 months, it is still a long story to tell. Despite the break-up, I thank God for the opportunity and I'm happy that I knew her at all. She was not just a great girlfriend, but the best friend one could ever have in this world. Now I'm enjoying my single life, but at the same time envying those who are in a relationship. Life's great either way, but I ain't getting any younger. At the point I'm writing this, there is someone that I'm seeing, but I have yet to find out as to where this is leading...

1 October 2007 marks my second year working with Petronas. It has been a great one and I wish not to include here some the hardships and dissatisfaction of working in this company. I've got great colleagues and friends that made Kertih a great place to live in despite the lack of entertainment and facilities. I'm proud of my achievements so far and I am also aware that the greater challenges are still there waiting to be encountered. I have to now draw a plan for my next career path in this company to avoid myself being complacent and demotivated. I'm also lucky to have great housemates that can entertain me with their stupid jokes to make my day when there's too much b*llsh*t at the office.

There are a lot of big things that happened in 2007 that cause huge impacts in my life. Decisions and choices were made, and the consequences were sometimes unfavorable. These are the kinds of things that I know, I will encounter again in 2008. With a little bit if experience, maturity, support from my family and help from great friends, I'm pretty sure that 2008 will be a great one.

Ciao 2007. Hello 2008! Bring it on -

And the beat goes on...

Making his way to the ring...

Sometimes when there are too many sleepless nights, and the sheeps aren't here anymore to be counted, I guess the only thing that is worth doing is to put my thoughts into this blog.

So here goes nothing...

And the beat goes on...