Saya suka AF

I am a kaki bangku so I don't really give a damn about last night's footie match. Heck, most of the time people mention about the game to me, my mind wonders off on why didn't the folks in England implement a symbol of the two towers of the previous Wembley more than I think about the game itself.

That being said, I instead spent last night watching the whole lenght of Konsert Akhir Akademi Fantasia. Gasp! Well, not many guys would readily admit that they watch that particular show and of course those who don't really watch it would probably laugh their rainbow socks off at the thought of a dude watching it. I used to be both.

Akademi Fantasia kicked off during I was in Form 4. Since I was in College, I didn't manage to get a chance to know about that show. On top of that, I was in the phase of transitioning from teenage to early adulthood and in my mind, that kind of show is for wimps so I treated the show and those who watch it in that manner. My family was also non-Akademi Fantasia since there was the alternative Malaysian Idol. Nevertheless, they slowly begin to accept Akademi Fantasia somewhere during the third season.. the Mawi season, though we stand by Felix to the point we named our cat likewise.

When Akademi Fantasia 4 kicks off last year, it was during my semester break and since I was at home, I took part with the whole family in watching the show. Well, it started out just the concert but then later we discovered the Diari and hooked to it as well. Though still being sceptical and somewhat cynical, I found out that Akademi Fantasia brought me closer to the family since instead of nothing, I have a lot of thing to discuss with my mom with and instead of spending the time alone in the room at night, I was downstairs watching telly with the family.

Nevertheless, I had to admit that I was very sceptical about Akademi Fantasia 5 when I first saw it since it seemed that Astro is trying too hard to make the show fresh, it felt awkward. I personally enjoy AF because of the singing. Honestly. I loathe most of the dramas and one thing that got me hooked at AF4 was Adlin Aman Ramli's honest and blatant critics which, I really look forward to hear on every concert. AF5 on the other hand suck at singing, contains too much drama (maybe because of too many people? maybe) and Fauziah Ahmad Daud.. all the right formula for something to go wrong. I found myself on my bed on concert night back again..

As weeks go by, and more and more people got voted out I slowly tried to absorb the show and though the singing was still under par compared to AF4, it was getting quite managable and I decided to give AF5 one more chance. As I watch it more and more, one particular contestant seems to stand out above the rest: Mila. Why? She can sing, that's one thing and the fact that she has that very bubbly personality really caught my attention and for the first time I finaly found someone to cheer for.



Later that night Mila emerged triumphant and was crowned the first female champion of the show, some hour and a half after Didier Drogba scored the winning goal for Chelsea. Mila won some RM300,000 worth of prizes and I really think that the nation won itself a very talented singer that would make the music industry livelier. No new female talent is as good as she is and from week after week of watching the petite lady on telly, I can see that she really want to be the champion more than anyone else and she rightfully deserve the crown.. no matter what the folks on Astro@15 said. Sore losers.. Sheesh.

That's the thing about AF. I know it is quite cheesy to see people cry on stage and all that.. I really am aware. But at the end, those are Malaysian talents on that Malaysian stage performing on a Malaysian network, voted by Malaysian people and would insyaallah bring benefits to the Malaysian entertainment scene. What is the benefit of Chelsea's win on Malaysia? A chance for the deejays to bash eachother the next morning. Well, I guess that too is entertainment..

Sorry to all footie fans out there, I know not all of you are like such. Nevertheless, I still am delivering this message to those who think so. Everyone should have their say. If people can say Akademi Fantasia is cheesy, it would only be right for Akademi Fantasia fans to say the same thing about football.

Labels: Malaysia, media, personal

February changes a lot of things..

Three weeks into my 3rd semester here in Limkokwing. Hey, today's the 6th of February.. Guess what? Today's my first anniversary of being in this College! Yeeha! One year baby! Haha.. anyway, I don't know if any of my friends remember this date since none of us mentioned anything about it. Oh well, nevermind that, as long as we are all happy and together I guess that's even better than celebrating once a year since our lives here hasn't been quite a bed of roses as I reminsce the events of last semester. Well, forget the bad times right?

Anyway, yesterday while walking around the StreetMall with Keisha stumbled upon an old friend from primary school, Najmi. He used to be in Bijak class with Keisha but I was in Arif. Both me and Najmi were prefects though he's more by the book than me I guess. Haha! I was young and you guys gave me power. What was I to do more than abuse it?. Anyway, he's studying at Cyberjaya University College of Medical Science (CUCMS) with the likes of some Budak Koleqs like TJ, Aroi, Che' Nab and a few others. This small town sure have a lot of suprises in store for me I guess.

So today me and Keisha went for brunch with Najmi at the bakery at the StreetMall and did a lot of catching up with each other. It's funny how both he and Keish looks the same throughout the years while I went changed. Well, Kuala Kangsar can do mysterious things to a person not to mention Aya's Sirap 20¢.

I'll be missing a few friends this month, four of them will be off to Australia; Lemi, Mikel, Eddy and Cepe so I guess it's great to rediscover an old friend to make up for what I lost. Well guys, make the best of your opportunity there and don't forget to come back. We got a messed up country that need fixing. I'll be missing you guys.

Make new friends, keep the old
One is silver the other is gold

Labels: personal

I've made my choices..

Let's see.. Damn, I really have a lot to write.. but where to start? Well, I just came back to Rawang from Cyberjaya. It turned out my classes won't start till next week so instead of killing myself with boredom there I might as well return home to mum's cooking.

Anyway, yesterday I register myself at the college's Plaza at around 11 o'clock with Mak. I'm now in Year 1 Semester 1 of the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication program, a course under Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia (not Ostrolia) and before this I was doing the Foundation in Communication course. Well, both courses require a great deal of reading as well as the ability to apply what is thought in the lectures into real life, but you know that already don't you? Haha..

For this semester I had to chose two out of five streams of Mass Communication which is Film & Television, Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising & Marketing and Creative Multimedia. I really don't dig PR, not my cup of tea actually so I had to make a 50/50 decision: which two should I take and which two should I ditch... You want to know what I took? Film & Television and Journalism.

Well, I really want to learn broadcasting and all. Actually my first love in Art is Photography and Desktop Publishing came right after so I guess I would really like to open up my hear to Video which I know very little of.. Damn, I'm curious! On the other hand I really really love to write and this blog you're reading is an example of that passion. At the end of the day, I guess my choice really fits me well; what better way there is if not to mix you curiousity of something with your passion for another right? Well, I guess only time will tell..

Well, I've made my choices. How about you?

Labels: personal, studies

Of Souvenirs and Sharing..

Well... souvenirs. Everyone love to get souvenirs especially when the giver is someone they love or well, like. But the truth is, we don’t usually get what we wanted right?

Once I had a friend who went for vacation in a country outside of Malaysia and he told me that he would be getting me something when he came back. God, was I happy that day! I waited and waited and waited for him to return and as days pass by, my anticipation and imagination grew. I was imagining wild things from him up to the point when I think about it now seems ridiculous. Then one day he came back and gave me a souvenir: a keychain. I figgin’ piece of keychain that he must’ve possibly bought at the airport on his way back. And I was of course devastated.

But that was years ago, when I myself haven’t been anywhere other that the states of the Malayan Peninsula. My first trip to other people’s land is to Mecca in 2000 followed by the college trip to Bangkok 4 years later. It wasn’t until my recent journeys to Jakarta that made me realize the harsh reality of it: buying souvenirs for people back home. To me, I don’t like to consider myself as a tourist, I want to be a traveller. I don’t know why but it seems quite natural to me that every time I go places, I tend to assimilate myself with the people around me, their language, their food, their norms. It feels very nice to be able to act like one of the locals and that is what I look most in traveling.

Honestly, thorough my trips I haven’t shopped much even for myself though I crave most of the stuffs I saw in Bangkok’s Chatuchak and Lumpini but was too broke to splurge. In Jakarta it turned out to be a ladies shopping haven with tudungs costing RM 5 on the average while Bandung played fair if you know where to look. So imagine, me having a hard time looking for stuffs for myself and imagine the thought of souvenirs on top of that. I did.. and flunked both. Thus at the end, I went back into Malaysia with roughly the same stuff I brought with me.

I like to take photos, I really do. Though I initially snap stuffs for my own personal satisfaction but upon seeing the look in people’s faces when they join me and look at the photos I took it made me realize that photos can be a very good souvenir as well, perhaps even better than physical materials even! It’s nice to share those moments with your pals and telling them the story behind every snap which is something you can’t do with a keychain. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the keychain but this is the thing that works for me.

Sharing.. now I knew I should’ve watched Bear in The Big Blue House more often...

Labels: opinion, personal