Last night this frog was working very hard until I felt like going to the mamak for a drink. I think this middle age father like man was very glad I did that...as soon as I got downstairs of my apartment, there was this man running about chasing after his daschound(is that the spelling?)

It was really funny...he brought it out for a walk and his leash came loose...now the little dog was just trying to have fun and find companionship running up to the malays walking into the apartment but they were petrified running about silly...and when that happen what's a dog to do? chase after lah...very funny scene...a hunky sized malay running from a toy sized dog.So I decided to help the poor fella get his dog...whereas he went for the chase like stupid approach and telling from his look he's been at it for some time...

I did the kneel down to his level and puppy,puppy,puppy approach...it worked...he came running to me and was caught...the man was like thank you thank you thank you! I got licked all over the face...and normally I wouldn't be concerned, it was fun but of late someone I know passing because of hepatitis did make me reach for the nearest bathroom to have a wash...

Hunky Sized Malay Running from Toy Sized Dog

Happy Merdeka Everyone

Merdeka means independence and on the 31st August of every year, Malaysian’s would go out in full force to celebrate our ‘Hari Merdeka’, our Independence Day or so hoped the ruling party. It’s now 5.30 pm, I am working on my computer and thinking what can I do tonight to usher in Merdeka day. Was pretty busy, so didn’t make advance plans; so there’s nothing on the cards yet for me. Standing alone in my room and singing the negaraku at the stroke of midnight accompanied by the live broadcast on TV feels pretty lame…so I do feel like getting something on the cards and quick. I message one of my friends…hey any plans for tonight? Expecting a yeah, let’s go celebrate Merdeka with the crowd, I get instead let’s go shopping…it’s the last few days of the mega sale. Another friend said yeah…Redbox and karaoke…very patriotic presuming they are there to sing negaraku, but the chances of them crooning bad renditions of pop tunes are far more likely.

Thoughts got me hungry…I decided to go downstairs and acquire an Otai Burger (A new variation of the Ramli has surfaced it seems, Mc Donalds watch out). Things doesn’t seem so ‘Merdeka’ but at least I have got my flag flying from my window…I thought as I peered up between the leaves to see my flag. It was unsettling, in my hugely overpopulated high density condominium block, there’s only a mere 4 flags. I kid you not….In the whole six apartment blocks that made up the Kelana Puteri Condominiums, I hardly see any more than 10 flags…inclusive of two on the guard house placed by management. A glimpse at Kelana Putera down the road fared no better…the two blocks in my view had a Malaysian flag count of 0. More prominent were TO LET and FOR SALE call 012…. signs.

After getting my burger and going back up to the apartment a malay dude gestured at me and I said to him, ‘satu block bagunan besar, kurang 10 bendera…’( One huge apartment block, less than 10 flags…)He laughed in agreement...but remarked…ya, kerajaan tidak bagi kita, mereka patut beri…(Yes, the government didn’t give us the flag, they should give it to us…) For crying out loud, are you that poor you can’t buy one? I said at heart…sampai hati kata macam tu ( he really can have the heart to say that!) golly, so if I look out of my apartment window and the scarcity of the flag in kelana jaya area must be an appalling indication of onset poverty? Can’t buy a flag….good golly…

Anyway, there are many buildings in the city out there with flags and declaration of merdeka aplenty, there are cars enveloped with flags, there are beautiful commercials firing our spirits on TV…but I just wish…I just so wish that here in Kelana Jaya, admist the ordinary folk in my condominium block and its surrounding areas and you my dear reader would be so grateful as to fly the flag…maybe not this year but please remember next year. As I type this, there the sound of a flapping flag outside my window in tune to my pecking of the keyboard…it sounds nice…to my friends and all Malaysians out there… a Happy Merdeka Day!

Writer's Note: Blog version...Original writing much longer slated for magazine publication later.

a Frog on Flags and a Happy Merdeka day…

I was introduced to raves and parties from work actually, being one much preferring the solitude of a good book, the breeze of a beach or the greens of a jungle. Now some of my friends think I work the coolest job in the world…I like to think so too…who doesn’t like to think his/her job is cool? but a friend of mine, training to be in the medical field has a job so,so,so,so much more interesting and cooler…even in her studies, she cuts up dead people for forensic , deliver babies…and a whole lot more…I guess it reduce my work to quite cool, much better than office work anyway heheheh… but the key word here is the word work… part of what I do is to provide MCP (multi-camera productions) and videography for event coverage. In short, I get paid to go to events and provide video work whether it is shooting the event or set up a multi camera production. Hence how I find myself… camera, microphones, video lights and tripods at hand in Recharge Revelation beach party in Port Dickson on the 20th August 2005. All ready to provide video coverage for the party …But who wants to know about work right? Let’s talk about Recharge Revelations…

For some, an avenue to beat the stresses of a modern workday, for others the avenue to beat boredom from not working and loafing about at home anyway, for rebelling, for music, for dancing, for picking up chicks…for partying… 23 000 people found reasons to show up, get tickets and fill the two dance floor (Recharge and Revive) of Revelation, there’s at least 1-2000, I guess that’ll sneak in without tickets and another good 2000 more standing outside not having a ticket. The last revelation was held in Genting, this time it’s at the beach as Genting didn’t really fancy the crowd cramping up it’s system anymore after the jam packed Zoukfest in March this year.

So down to the beach we go… and the fun to be had from this party. There’s the usual cigarette girls who would peddle a box to you every ten feet, superstar DJs that spins and puts the crowd into a trance fusion of blissful dance decadence and of course his loud music that feels like an extreme pace maker if you walk pass a speaker. Some party people really have hearts and eardrums of steel as they stand a whole night in front of these speakers oblivious to it. But incase someone need some reprieve there’s a recharge spa where you can have a rub down…but the quality of the massage is dubious as I belief the masseuses to be selected more on look than any true massage skills. In addition to that, there’s a cool down juncture where there was a rain of water coming down for anyone to dance in the water. A brilliant and quirky idea were a few big beach balls that were left for anyone to toss about and have fun...they were really tempting me to quit work. Now, I wonder what’s my strange affection for BALLS…to move on, Revelation also had a place to dine and tents where you could get freebies and drinks.

To complete the picture, a ferris wheel with a clever twist...as you jump into one, a ‘loved one’ at hand and go wohhoooo! an opportunity to be alone and make out, you hear jeers and screams of delight from the crowd…yes, there’s a camera setup in your private domain and it’s broadcasting live for all to see on a huge screen....that is if they all aren’t already too busy peering over at the vast amount of skimpily dressed bodies of both boys and especially girls. Some where even pouring beer all over themselves… Well at least, it’s not Genting…they wouldn’t catch a cold and this is a beach party so who am I to be prudish… As the party went on… sometime late into the night, fireworks and a zeppelin proudly proclaiming the words REVELATIONS filled the sky…ahh…the music, the lights, the crowd, the wet bodies, the wonder…the work… reebit! : p

P/S the Cross is the picture above was a picture taken from a guy’s shirt…amongst all the ‘heavenly morale’ things at the party there was this cross blinking sumore!

Recharge Revelations and a Working Frog