Mid Sem Break

My mid semester break was as usual an eventful routine, as soon as the plane landed on the 'abode of peace' Brunei Darussalam i said to myself 'Alhamdulilah, I'm home' i felt an overwhelming joy like i always do, i felt like everything was whole again, the missing pieces of the jig saw puzzle were completed, completed into smiling faces of people who i know and love and miss. as i reached the airport i was buzzing with excitement, raring to give my family a big warm hug and when i finally met them that was exactly what i did. 

Days in Brunei are usually quiet and peaceful compared to what I'm used to in Bandar Sunway where its polluted and restless with traffic jams and busy streets and filled public transportation.my fist few days back is usually spent with my family, people who i love and adore, going to my grandmothers house is a must. ten days is never enough even though you are only two hours flight away. her home made dishes your typical Malay Nasi Lemak, and traditional Brunei delicacy Ambuyat is a must, and she never forgets to make me one when ever I'm back home it is a ritual now. the third or fourth day i usually spend it with my friend's watching movies or playing Futsal tournaments which is also a ritual i recently adopted.

last few days, i will spend my time relative on my father's my Grand parents who smile never fail to make me smile, as usual we would have a session where they would tell stories about who just got married, died and at time give out advice and encourage me especially to do my best and never forget to pray, later they would serve us Soto, noodle soup which originated from Indonesia and it usually taste superb. my mid semester break is usually simple but it simple for me is enough and fulfilling, self satisfaction which is well needed from a long and lonely adventure when i go back to where i study.

a bully who is a great cook

When i was growing up in primary school there used to be a time when i would wake up in the morning and not look forward to go to school. one of the main reason is because of this big bully in school who used to call himself 'jay bond' which now to me sounds like a cheap imitation of James bond, among all the students this guy was the worse. firstly, because at the time he was much bigger than the other kids, i remember only few were as tall and big as he was but they were probably as old as he was but harmless creatures.

i remember only few past his shoulder height which emphasizes how tall he was or how small we were, we were mere insects and he was a monstrous red ant, he was his own army and everyone knew this, this guys was indestructible. once i saw him grab another student on the neck and threatened to drop him from the second floor, only then i realized he just enjoys hurting and scaring people,every student would tremble at the sight of him  but would try to act cook and invisible.

however the funny thing about this bully is that he always went to cooking class and always got praised for his cooking, he would skip other classes but not cooking class and nobody said anything, and after years of not hearing any news about him, people joke around and say he finally vented his frustration in the kitchen, rumor has it he went to pursue cooking and now he is chef in a top restaurant.

my favorite singer

My favorite singer in this moment in time is John Mayer who was born on October sixteen nineteen seventy seven  in Bridgeport Connecticut, he is most famous for his hits such as 'your body is a wonderland' and 'waiting for the world to change' 'gravity', i remember the first time i heard and saw his video clip 'no such thing' which was in 2001 and thought he is someone who i wish will have a promising music career, and so far he has done just that. in 2003 he won his first Grammy awards for best male pop vocal and he bettered  it 2006 where he not only  bagged the 49th annual Grammy awards for best male pop vocal performance but also best pop vocal album of the year.

His album 'Continuum' continues to best work for me personally, not just because of what he achieved professionally or because it is the first John Mayer i bought album but there was a significant growth and maturity musically and lyrically with 'Continuum' compared to the previous two albums, songs like the hits 'waiting on the world to change' 'slow dancing in a burning room' and 'gravity' has generated a lot of praise and received a lot of attention locally and internationally.

To me his music was and still is the type of music you listen to during long drives on highways on a rainy day or  before you go to bed after a tough day at work, it is purely relaxing and most of his lyrics are inspiring and well written, witty with a touch humor, he usually touches on life, love, relationships and sometimes even politics, and funny how he has the ability to effortlessly write lyrics which make people say 'that is how i feel' sometimes when i rewind back and i can still remember his the sound coming from his guitar to his unique voice to his college undergraduate look just like it was yesterday.

My Favourite fictional character

My favourite fictional character to date is Frodo Baggins, he is the lead character from the trilogy of the lord of the rings. The name does not appeal to many as a strong and heroic name however this particular character always has the ability to deceive many including himself. I say this because he only stands at around 4 feet, plus not to mention he is skinny, fragile and resembles nothing like your stereotypical fictional superhero such as, Spiderman, Batman or the incredible Superman. ‘He is but a child’ as Aragon one of the fellowship member would put it.

 Additionally, his curly long hair literally reminds me him of someone who came from the seventies show and his face is so innocent and young that you could mistake for a sixteen year old who has not even reached puberty when in fact he was in his thirties when he started his expedition with the fellowship in saying that ironically this is probably why he is my favorite fictional character, who ever said a fictional character had to be well built or muscular to overcome his enemies or face his challenges? This is what makes him different and unique, the fact that he had no superhuman powers to defeat the evil which comes in the form of a ring

Anybody who has ever watched the lord of the rings trilogy or read the book will remember the part where Frodo and the fellowship were fighting for their lives in the dwarf cave against goblins and was later stabbed like an animal with a sphere by a beast of a creature whose name slips my mind, he was skewered and everybody thought this was the end of the journey but to everyone’s surprise he lived and I remember Gimli who is a dwarf warrior saying ‘there is more to you that meets the eye young hobbit’ and how true he was. Throughout his journey in completing his mission we see and feel Frodo go through so many challenges and obstacles as if he was a real life character, for example his conflict with his best friend Sam or his struggles in trying to resist the temptations of wearing the ring which reflects integrity and his true strength character. Everyone could not resist the whispers and temptation of the ring but his managed to.

Ultimately, In the midst of his adventure we see a character that is calm and composed with the situations he is faced with, someone who appreciates and loves his friends and is not easily corrupted, influenced and seduced. Tolkien in many ways successfully develops a character who seems real which the audience can aspire and look up to be but will find difficult to imitate.

The Cranberries

Whenever I hear the word Cranberries my mind automatically registers two things, firstly it would be the fruit which is dark red in color and its size resembles that of a grape fruit but in contrast it has a sour and bitter taste to it, traditionally they are manufactured into juices for drinks and in some parts of the world they are cooked into cranberry sauce and during thanksgiving it is a western tradition to serve it with turkey roast. Moreover, it is used for baking pies, scones or cakes however this usually after it is sweetened and the great thing about cranberries is that they can be frozen and can be kept up to nine months.

. 

 Cranberries also remind me of the Irish band whose song ‘Zombie’ and ‘Favorite game’ reminds me so much of my childhood. They rose to fame in the 90’s with their debut album “Everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we?” which was a success as it sold over 5 million copies in the US which is a fantastic feat for a first album seeing that they were a relative unknown in the US. the band sound incorporates indie pop, punk, pop rock genre. i remember growing up when i first heard the 'zombie' soundtrack i thought it was catchy so it was easy for me to sing along to the song.

Another one of their songs 'favorite game' is also a personal Cranberries favorite because it is one of the soundtracks in the first Gran Turismo which is a car racing video game and whenever the soundtrack is on the gaming experience becomes more lively and entertaining, it had to be because i still remember the song fifteen years later, so all in all just like the fruit the cranberries music is timeless as recently they release their latest 'Roses' album in late February after a six year hiatus. With the distinctive vocalist Dolores O'Riordan still leading the line, the band continues to grow and mature in a musical sense and the overwhelming support of the world tour speaks volume for their brand of music as they continue to attract huge audiences to their concerts and may that continue in the long run for this talented band.