The Arcane Tome

Custom Bushcrafting Knife & Kit

2011-05-06T06:36:00.005+08:00

Simon a.k.a. Landroza has done it again.

Apparently after tedious and meticulous hours of crafting, Simon has unveiled his latest pride and joy to me for review - a fully-custom and one-of-a-kind bushcrafting knife that's ready to take on the wilds.

I remembered going with him to a bladesmith to forge out the blade for this project knife. Simon then sculpted the handle from a very special wood - Raja Kayu (literally means King of Wood) - that is revered among some circle of superstitious bushmen.

The sheath is modular, and features a pouch to store a sharpening stone, and slot for the firesteel. Wrapping the whole system with some length of 550 paracord would prove invaluable in times of need, and presents itself as a method of lashing or fastening via the retention holes built onto the sheath. Hardware used are brass studs and Chicago screws.

Lots of work has been invested in the creation of the perfect fitting sheath from hi-quality leather.

A clever feature that I'm highlighting is the retention system for the strap. Once the snap button are popped, the elastic string draws the strap open and away for fast deployment.

Ironically, the end products looks to good to be deployed but Simon ensures that this is no cupboard queen - it will serve its intended purpose well and earn its status as an object that inspires assurance as a survival piece.

After all, the knife is the earliest form of tool created by ancient modern humans, and it is a icon that symbolizes the onset of the age of modern man.

Another job well done Simon!

Spyderco Manix II MoonGlow - EDCF Special Edition

2011-03-14T23:33:00.006+08:00

Limited to 500 units, Spyderco made this beauty in collaboration with the EDCForums.

Unlike normal Manix II, the blade has a flat grind.

The blade steel is CPM's S30V super-steel. The knife is made in Golden, Colorado. USA.

However, the main difference is the material of the scales - this sprint-run blade has scales made of Jon Burly's proprietary MoonGlow material that glows in the dark brilliantly.

Charged up with the Inova x5 UV flashlight:

I'm happy to be able to own a collector's item, and being able to support the EDCForums.

Special thanks to Jon S. Burly who has shipped this beauty with care all the way from Ponca City, OK and a huge congratulations on the success of this project.

A Moment of Silence

2010-09-11T23:17:00.004+08:00

Nine years ago this date, the world was rocked by the destruction of the World Trade Center in NYC.

Some call it conspiracy, some call it terrorism.

Whatever it is, the world as we know it was changed ever since the event.

A Moment of Silent as a tribute to the devastation that happened, and follows..

Car Care DIY: How to Service & Clean Your K&N Air-Filter

2010-09-11T21:32:00.016+08:00

My car was due for her fourth service soon, so I decide to do a little pre-service of my own.

I had replaced the stock air filter with a better aftermarket replacement filter. This new filter is better as they are washable and reusable, as opposed to the single-use stock filter that you completely replace on every other service, or 10000 km. Although the aftermarket filter is pricey, in the long run it will pay back for itself.

Other than that, the aftermarket air filter (in this case, a stock-replacement drop-in filter) has a much higher rate of airflow while retaining, if not better, filtration capabilities. My experience in using them is slightly better fuel economy and better acceleration as the engine breathes easier. After all, it's easier to breathe through a cotton cloth (aftermarket filters) than a piece of carboard (OEM filters).

Even so, I do not imply that the stock filters were not good - it gets the job done. Good, pricey aftermarket parts does the same job as stock parts too, only better.

Medusa is equipped with a hi-flow K&N filter. This filter is made from thick cotton sandwiched between wire mesh. This type of filter is oiled to provide the best filtration capability, and it's different from foam-type aftermarket filters.

I clean mine every 10000 km or so, but if you drive on dusty roads alot, clean them more frequently.

This filter could be serviced at the place you bought the filter, or you could buy this cleaning kit for DIY Car Care. The multi-tool above is used to undo the securing screw of the airbox.

This kit is by K&N, and it comes with a bottle of Air Filter Cleaner, and a bottle of Air Filter Oil. The other version of this kit comes with a bigger bottle of the Air Filter Cleaner with a trigger-spray, and an aerosol can of the Air Filter Oil.

First off, undo the latches securing the airbox.

Three latches in total for the Neo. Plus one screw at the south point.

Just one simple screw. You don't have to unsrew it all the way.

Remove the filter, and visually inspect it for any damage. The filter will have a dirty side where it comes in contact with outside particles. Identify which side it is on - usually it's the side with small bugs are trapped in-between the pleats, or dustier pleats. Shake the debris loose, and (lightly) tap the filter to dislodge the debris.

Flip the filter so that the dirty side is facing downwards. Spray the filter with theAir Filter Cleaner until it's soaked with the cleaning solution.

Let the filter sit for 10 minutes to ensure that the cleaning solution soaks and seeps into the pleats thoroghly. The stock filter that my K&N filter replaces is for comparison.

Notice the higher number of pleats on this filter. The other major difference is that this filter is 'dry', in contrast to my K&N aftermarket filter which is oiled for best filtration capability.

This filter is made of cardboard, or thick paper that is very restrictive for the airflow. Like I said, using the stock filter for your engine is like putting a tight cardboard box against your face and trying to breathe through it.

Rinse the filter thoroughly. DO NOT use high pressure water, or a high pressure air blower. It will damage the pleats and shortens the filter's lifespan. Use a normal garden hose or tap.

It's also important to rinse the filter by passing water from the cleaner side. If you rinse with the 'dirty' side on top, you might push some smaller contaminants deeper inside the filter.

Set the filter out to dry. Ensure that the filter is dried thoroughly, and drying it out under the sun is a great way. Else, dry the filter on some newspapers overnight, preferably in a room with the fan on.

When the filter is completely dry, notice the change of color.

The filter is ready for the next step - re-oiling

Follow the instructions carefully - particularly about the amount of oil needed to re-oil the air filter. If you over oiled the filter, it might mess up the MAF (Mass Air-Flow) sensor,a nd other engine components.

The correct amount of oil to be used for the filter is indicated on the bar code label of the airfilter's box.

The air filter oil bottle has a scaled measure with a see-through window. Use it.

On the 'dirty' side, draw a bead of the oil across the top of the pleat. Use a consistent amount on each, and use only a single, continuous pass.

When all the pleats were oiled, set it aside for about 20 minutes to let the oil wick through the pleats completely. If you do it right, turning the filter over will reveal that the other side of the filter - the 'clean' side - evenly coated too. Dab some more oil on any spots missed.

Before installing the air filter back to the airbox, clean the box and inspect for any large debris or damages.

Finally, re-install the air filter, with the 'clean' side facing to the intake manifold, back to the airbox. Ensure the sides are properly inserted to make a good air seal.

Latch the closures shut, and screw it home. Now your air filter is good to go!

Hobby #6 - Multi-tool Collection: The Medley

2010-06-21T23:13:00.008+08:00

Checked the mailbox, and whadya know?

My package from the US of A is here!

Let's see what's inside..

Cool! My pair of Squirts.

Powder Pink & Inferno Red

Scissors, knife blade, nail file, cap lifer, several flat drivers, a phillips driver, and a pair of tweezers. Missing the kitchen sink though.

Red for me, Pink for the girlfriend

Rides nicely on my key-chain.

I love shiny new (multi)tools!

The Leatherman Squirt S4 is a real handy, keychain-sized multi-tool that could tackle most tasks at hand. "S4" stands for "Scissors, 4 external tools".

The other variant is the Squirt P4, "P4" as in "Pliers, 4 external tools". I opted for the scissors variant as I have two bigger-sized pliers to get a job done. I often overlooked how much a scissors is needed for specific jobs where even my scalpel-sharp knife blades won't..err, cut.

The Squirts came in Blue, Gray, Red, or Pink. I decided to take the Red for myself, and the Pink for my girlfriend. She likes the tool a lot, and quickly found many uses for it daily.

While I'm on the topic of multi-tools, I might as well show you the collection thus far:

Skeletool CX. Yessireebob, that's a real carbon fiber insert.

The Big, Bad Daddy - Charge TTi. Yup, Ti as in Titanium slabs on the handles.

The Medley: Exposed

The Medley: Lining Up for the Shot

Cheers~!

Hobby #6 - Multi-tool Collection: Leatherman Skeletool CX + Custom Leather Sheath

2010-06-02T16:06:00.011+08:00

To supplement my Hobby #5 - EDC, I carry around one, or two multi-tool on my person.

Why?

Same reason as for the rest of the things I EDC - you never know when you might need them.

You might already notice my Leatherman Skeletool CX on the previous post, and since I love to carry this sexy hunk of stainless steel (and carbon fiber) so much I opted for a better carrying method for it.

I have been using the supplied ballistic nylon sheath, which is great, to carry the Skeley on my belt. But after some surfing 'round the Net I spotted someone who crafts awesome custom-made, genuine leather pouches and sheaths. His name is Simon, and he made for me the perfect one-of-a-kind leather sheath for my Skeletool CX.

The sheath is made from genuine high-quality cowhide, and Simon owns a Skeletool himself, therefore he used it as the mold for the wet-forming process - effectively forming a sheath that is shaped perfectly as the tool it meant to hold.

Quality is top-notch, and the end product was dyed in black. As with all leather products, the aesthetic quality comes with natural wear and tear. I personally love a distressed look to my leather merchandise.

Stitch work is immaculate. At the back, the sheath features a belt-loop, but meant to be worn vertically only on the belt.

The back of the sheath is actually layered, totally protecting the tool inside.

The flap is secured with a brass stud for easy one-hand opening, but at the same time being very effective in securing the sheath shut.

The hole is where the pocket clip of the Skeletool clips in securely. Overall, I am very happy with the sheath. Simon really did a stellar job.

After knowing him a little better, he is a person who EDC too. He carries around a Swiss Army Knife, and a Leatherman Wave, and has been EDCing for years. Simon custom-makes various pouches and sheaths for knives, multitools, and even one with a flashlight holder.

For those who would like him to craft a sheath (or two), drop Simon an email.

Julia's Body

2010-01-24T20:36:00.020+08:00

I hate goodbyes. Never was good at it, as it's hard for me to let go the things that I love.

Proton Satria 1.3 (M) GLi

2000

This is my humble ride, serving me since the day I got my drivers' license back in 2004. In fact, it stood there in the garage while I was still taking my SPM. It has been the motivator for me to get a drivers' license and give her a go.

Her name is Julia. Somehow, the name fits, and I kinda like it. Thus it has been an icon, a representation of myself. Back in college, I was referred to as "Rezza Satria Putih".

For six years we rode together..

Then..

Like everything else in this world, nothing is eternal.

Lately, Julia fell sick. Her body was damaged severely in two accidents when people bang into her from behind.

She had heart attacks too. Her metallic shell of a body could not take it two, three years more - even with my meticulous care of her.

So, with very much despair, Julia has to be replaced.

Now...

Julia deserves a great body to reside in.

And it doesn't get any better than this:

Proton Satria Neo CPS 1.6 (M) Hi-Line

2010

Enjoy your new body, Julia.

To go with your new body, you are now named..

Medusa

hat tip to Fadli.

Of Free Chow, Samplings, and a Sulking Girlfriend

2009-09-14T14:15:00.018+08:00

Warning: This post contain massive long-windedness meant to kill time for fast-breaking. Reader's discretion is advised.

Okay. The jig's up. Last weekend was a very deadening-dull, and I was so bored outta my mind. The same effect applied to my housemate who could do nothing better:

Much help he was

It was then I realized that I haven't met with jolly ol' Arif for quite some time now, and since Ipoh has nothing else to offer that I haven't seen, I decided to make an impromptu trip to Penang.

Why Penang?

KL will be too expensive for me, since I have only about a hundred bucks in my wallet. Plus, I have called Arif before, and he said that he has means for us to get a free chow or two. I also remembered my first trip to Penang with only RM50 in my wallet, yet I had survived.

Thus, I grabbed my daypack (which is always readily-packed with two-days' worth of stuff I need, or might need. Maybe I'll blog about this), the car key, and off I went, leaving the UTP gates at about 11.30 am.

Day One

I took the same route to Ipoh along the Ipoh - Lumut highway, but obviously bypassed the Falim exit and continued along the road heading north. Soon, the road ended in a huge T-junction (apologies: I forgot exactly what is the name of the place) and entered the district of Jelapang. Following the signboards, you could never go wrong and I entered the PLUS highway soon after, heading north.

From that point on, I have made about 40 km since I'd left the gates, and there are 140 kilometres more to go to reach the island. Somehow, I felt that the trip up north is more interesting that the journey down south heading home. Along the way, the scenery was much more spectacular - I winded up a hill, went through the hill in a tunnel, and then back out and down the hill. There are several rice fields to the left as I crossed the Kedah-Perak border, and crossed a landmark bridge or two. This was a stark difference to the dull trees and hill flanking you 80% of the time from KL to Perak.

Nevertheless, I reached Penang soon after exited the highway with a fare of about RM17 at the Juru exit. I followed a signboard that says "Georgetown" which will take me onto the Penang Bridge, paying RM7.50 at the toll just before the bridge. After that, I took the leisurely drive on the famed Penang Island Bridge, a marvel right here in Malaysia.

Quick Facts on the Penang Island Bridge (source):

Overall length: 13.5km or 8.4 miles, of which 8.4km is over the South Channel.
Length of the Penang Island approach: 1.5km
Length of the Prai approach: 3.6km
Height of the four main towers above water: 101.5m
Maximum height of bridge above water at main span: 33m
Length of main span: 225m
Length of end span: 107.5m
Length of other spans: 40m
Speed limit on the bridge: 80km/h

Right..I followed the signboard directing me to USM, and right after the bridge exit, a couple of turns led to the Batu Uban gate (one of three gates) of USM. Arif rendezvous with me and escorted me to his residential block, the Cahaya Gemilang student village.

On a side note, with very much due respect, why must these government public universities have silly Malay names? I can tolerate names in Malay, but a combination of seemingly-random Malay words?

Here's a few names I remembered: Cahaya Gemilang, Fajar Bakti, Bakti Permai, and my personal fav - Indah Kembara. What's up with that? Maybe I'm the one not used to it. After all, in UTP we all lived in Village 1, Village 2, V3, V4, V5 and V6. Our academic blocks and lecture rooms are numbered i.e. 20-00-05, 02-02-12, D7, C1, etc. Maybe the people in USM will baulk at that.

Arif stepped into my car, and we're off!

The first destination is the Queensbay Mall, among Penang's latest malls. The place was huge enough, and we killed time by window-shopping. When it was about 6 pm I asked Arif about fast-breaking. He told me that we could get free chow as the mosque in USM provides free fast-breaking meals.

At that moment, horrible flashbacks came to my head:

I remembered in 2006, out of the most severe desperation I had to break my fast at the UTP mosque. I guess I must have missed the memo stating that wearing tshirts and jeans will warrant you cold stares from the religious fanatics, even if it was plain black tshirt and clean, decent jeans. Being the couldn't-care-less-what-other-people-think kinda guy, I headed out to the place where the meal was dished out, and to my ultimate horror was that I saw people carting away piles of rice, curry, and fruits on a large, large serving dish. Wait, somehow that just doesn't quite say it. The food were piled in a large, circular tray about 3' in diameter. The horror was the fact that the heap of food was meant for groups of four to five people (strangers) sitting cross-legged around the circular dish. When it was time to break the one's fasting, one would eat from the large dish much like one's plate..only bigger. Much bigger, and people are eating on your plate too. I don't share my plate, and I don't eat with my fingers. And I don't mix crushed watermelon with rice & beef curry, then scoop it into my mouth. Argh! Disgusting! The horror. I still felt the cramps of sitting cross-legged until now.

Snap back to reality. Arif asked whether I wanted to eat at the USM or not. Before I could answer, he said that they will serve in individual plates. With that, I agreed. On the way back, we stopped by a Ramadhan bazaar and bought a few kuihs just in case.

We arrived back in USM just in time for the fast-breaking meal being dished out. USM have PROPERLY set up a canopy tent with tables for the eating area, and several volunteers dishing out food boarding-school style. The only grief was that people are expected to eat with their fingers, and I groaned at the fact that;

This was still half-way around the world on it's way to my doorstep, and;

This much cheaper back-up set was accidentally left back at home.

Somehow, being I-don't-give-a-damn-what-oher-people-think has its merits, and one of them was that I could pretend that I didn't notice the rest of the people on the table staring at how i ate stupidly with my fingers like an idiot. I just continued scooping the chicken curry rice with my two fingers like a toddler like it was nobody's business. Arif has duly suggested for me to EDC a chow kit too, after reading the EDC-related post I did.

Good call.

The following evening was spent going out to Gurney Plaza, along Penang's famous Gurney Drive. Not to be mistaken with the Gurney Heights condominium where I had resided during my internship in KLCC, Gurney Plaza is among the popular malls people would visit on their trip to Penang. But I can't comment on that since all I did was strolling along and window shopping. We stopped by at McDonald's for some fries and their refillable Coke and caught up on tales of promiscuous friends, the weather, monetary-dreams, and of sulking girlfriends. We left when it was about 3 am, and headed to a mamak called 'Subaidah' for sahur. Arif offered to treat me to their specialty - Nasi Lemak Ayam which was to die for!

A note to UTP students: USM student do actually study at mamaks. Shame on us.

Day Two

Woke up to the sound of Arif playing movies he has gleefully helped himself to from my external hard drive. It was about 11 am and he told me to get ready. I asked him what's the occasion? He told me that I was gonna be a scientist for a day.

It turned out that Arif has been doing water quality samplings from several rivers in Seberang Prai side. He asissts a bubbly post-graduate student, Sheng, on her case study regarding the water quality near several work sites. The rivers around the area was used for agriculture irrigation, and leads to a water treatment plant for human consumption, thus the two would take water samples from the said rivers, and analyze the samples in one of the many labs in USM. Today, I get to tag along and take several samples, feeling what it is like to be a student of a scientific field.

What they would do was to stop at a bridge, and scoop up some water samples from the river below. Temperature and pH readings was recorded using a sensors dipped into the sample. Then, the sample was poured into a couple of glass bottles to be analyzed in the lab later.

Sheng, about to take temperature and pH readings. Notice the high-tech, state-of-the-art hydroscoop sampling device by her right hand.

We took samples from two more rivers, and headed to a boarding school to conduct sampling on the air quality and ambient noise, to ensure that a construction site nearby adheres to the related regulations.

Later that evening, we headed back to USM to conduct analysis at the lab.

Arif preparing the buffer solution to carry the sample into. Whatever that means.

Giving it a shot..literally. Very CSI-like

Aerating the buffer solution before putting the water sample in.

As with most methodological objective scientific experiments, the procedure must be repeated and waited out over and over again. I bashfully declared that I've had enough scientific protocols for one day. Arif and I bid Sheng goodbye, and I headed out of USM for one more drive around Penang. I was quite adept of finding my way around island by now. Even if one gets lost, how lost could one be on this island?

We stopped by a restaurant for fast-breaking. Joining us was Kiena, and another friend of Arif's whom we call 'Angah' for some reason. He was a final-year student when I'd first came to Penang three years ago, and now he's doing some post-graduate stuff. On another note, he invited me to attend his wedding on the 12/12/2009. Congrats, by the way. Kiena on the other hand was a first-year student, entering USM via a sports scholarship programme. We played tennis once or twice together, and I was surprised to meet her here.

Soon, it was time for me to leave the island. I stopped by the Tesco there to get some grocery and foodstuff to last the week back in UTP. Other than that, I also bought this:

Yerp..Chinese soup spoons. $2.99 for a half-dozen pack. Not as good as sporks, but this would do. I threw one in my bag, my daypack, in the car glove box, and basically, everywhere. Now I'm prepared for some..err, spooning.

The weekend in Penang saved me from dying out of fatal boredom. Now, I'm back to UTP, and back to everyone here, especially to the sulking girlfriend I'm gonna console =P. Don't worry, I'm not packing my bags jut yet. UTP is still the best!

While I was in USM on Monday, 7th of September 2009 the news came late to me of my housmate's father passing away. My condolences.

Special Treatment

2009-09-06T03:54:00.005+08:00

We went to Greentown for the unofficial ICT/BIS dinner at a restaurant called Assam..something. Seats were limited, so luckily me, Anep, Amin, Kamil, Rusydi, and Irfan confirmed our attendance early to avoid missing out. There were several gatecrashers and unconfirmed invitees attending too.

Here's a candid shot of us, courtesy of someone's Facebook photo.

Here's the actual picture of me and my mates. We had fun eating by the outside corridor, at a small table with plastic stools.

Hobby #5 - EDC

2009-09-04T22:12:00.012+08:00

Can I see a show of hands on who EDC like me?

Fine.

Let me introduce you to a habit of some people - Every Day Carry (EDC ). Like the namesake, we EDC a couple of items that one uses daily, or could be handy in those "what if.." and "you never know when you might need.." situations.

IT"S A HOBBY, A PASSION

For starters, a basic EDC for most guys is;

a wallet with cash, plastics, business cards, etc.
a watch
a phone, or two

However, EDC enthusiasts carry more, and sometimes, much much more. But at least each person would add along a few items that they frequently need in performing their duty and/or jobs or, like I said, in case of the "what if.." and "you never know when you might need.." situations. The selection of item a person EDCs varies from one another, and I admit that some EDC absurdly or 'over-enthusiastically', but EDC is about collecting things, and that's a hobby! Some people take up photography, some hit the clubs. Some skates, take up martial arts, or frequent the gym. My friends are petrolheads like me, and hit the books too. Hence, EDC is a hobby of collecting things to be prepared. It couldn't get any simpler than that.

Thus, EDC is all about passion (not obsession, I hope) and the desire to 'be prepared' in whatever situation(s) that may come by. Say that you need a lighter, I got a Zippo handy. I don't smoke, but hey, you never know when you need to light something on fire. Right? I've done you a favor. Oops! my Zippo is dry? Never mind. I got a Peanut lighter on my keychain, and a cheap disposable Cricket in my bag somewhere just for that.

I occasionally carry a folding pocket knife with me in the left back pocket of my jeans, nestled in the folds of my bandanna. Sure, you can scoff all you want, or give smart-@ss remarks like:

"Why are you carrying a knife? Want to kill someone?"

Yeah, I've heard them all. What I would coolly reply is:

"A knife is a cutting tool, like any other tool - say, a hammer,"

Then you would say:

"A knife is not a tool. It's a weapon. It could hurt, injure, and/or kill someone."

You think you could never go wrong by saying that, but I'll reply:

"You mean, I couldn't hurt, injure, and/or kill you with a hammer?"

And at this point, the person on the opposite end of the conversation can't rebuke anymore. Works every time =P

Sure, people gets freaked when they discover that someone has a knife on his/her person, but when they need to open a bag of potato chips or something - they know exactly who to look for.

YOU DON'T EVEN REALIZE YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT

My point is that being prepared makes EDC enthusiasts feel secure and more confident. Here, EDC is practically unheard of, but most of us didn't realize that we carry some things every day just in case that that item might come in handy.

I know some girls carry a tiny, discreet mace (pepper spray) on their keychain. Heck, I gave my girlfriend one of those. Some of us carry USB drives just in case a friend got one of them latest songs on the radio, or for raiding the lecturer his/her lecture notes. Perhaps that iPod, or any other portable music and/or entertainment device in case you get bored? Check your keychain. I bet some of you has a tiny light there somewhere in case you need a light to break the darkness, or even finding the car ignition key slot at night.

You get the idea.

IT'S BEING PRACTICAL

To me, it's all about being prepared, avoiding that dreaded "I-could-have-done-something-or-made-a-difference-if-have.." situation. In other words, EDC culture is all about being PRACTICAL. We disregard even the simplest of things. In a very easy and all too-familliar exemplar, I am furiously frustrated and irritated when someone who are heading to the post office, bank, etc. forgets to carry a pen, and that person is usually in the line in front of me. Obviously you should expect to do some paperwork at the counter, so why not bring your own pen? Do you seriously rely 100% on that stupid pen at the counter, tethered with a string of some sort? Have you given at least the slightest thought that maybe, just maybe, after the hundreds of use it gets, the ink might have run out? Or the fact that hundreds of sweaty, germ-infested hands have touched them?

Noooo. Of course you didn't. It's the Malaysian 'tak apa' (nevermind) attitude. There you go, begging and asking the people around to borrow their respective pen, further delaying and elongating the time spent queing in the sweltering afternoon heat. If all of us thought ahead, and be prepared for it, we could all make a difference - we could be more effective and efficient, saving time for one and all of us. Whoops! Since when do Malaysian think of others but themsleves? My mistake ...

SO, WHY SHOULDN'T WE?

In my opinion, there's nothing wrong in being ready for anything. In fact, why shouldn't we be ready for anything that we might come across? Unless you're one of them nutty religious extremist that reconciles by saying that whatever bad things that happen was fated by God, instead of being ill-prepared. If that's the case, you have just wasted your precious prayer time reading my blog.

But, in case that you have discovered that, you too relish the fact that you could at least try to take charge of your fate and be self-sufficient & dependable, I say congratulations.

THE GOODIES

Here are some of the things I carry with me - on my person or readily within reach. More will come so I will update more in due time.

Sharps: Leatherman Skeletool CX - It ain't exactly your toolbox-on-a-tool, but it is a sexy, lightweight minimalist multitool that is curvier than Angelina Jolie yet packs the most useful of tools. Most of Tim Leatherman's multitools are basically pliers-with-integrated-knife, but the knife-centric Skeley is best described as a knife-with-integrated-pliers, and the knife it packs is an awesome combo-edge scary-sharp blade made of premium 154CM supersteel alloy that could dry-shave my arm.

Keychain: For now, you see (from the left) my car key, room & padlock key, Gerber Artifact multitool, and a Peanut lighter. Attachment method is via #1 and #3 Nite-Izes S-Biners, and I clip the bigger #3 S-Biner on the belt loop of my jeans just above the front right pocket. The keys and attachments is tucked into the front right pocket.

Brights: My flashlight of choice is the Fenix TA21. Old-skool incandescent bulbs are gone to make way for the ultra-efficient LEDs that packs more lighting power. LEDs outperforms incans in just about everything and it made hi-power flashlights like this smaller. I can't afford a Surefire, so this will do. Apart from the obvious task of lighting things, bright flashlights like these are used by Law Enforcement Officers (LEO). Imagine a SWAT team - can you see that bright white light coming from the little light at the end of their MP-5s and Assault rifles? They use small, hi-powered flashlights as such. These 'tactical' flashlights can actually temporarily blind someone whose vision are dark-adapted. Some are sturdy enough to smack someone with, and features hardened crenalated bezel 'teeth' that can cut someone's forehead open, break windows, pressure point pain applicator, etc. Since we aren't permitted to carry a gun, why not one of these. At least it's better than nothing. Flash. Distract. Attack/Run away.

Recently added:

Okay, I want to add this, but it costs too much with shipping, so I got this instead:

Eating Utensils: Okay this is where people will think that I'm overdoing it, but basically, I EDC things that wil help me get through difficult situations. I find it difficult to eat with my fingers (in the case when I do actually eat rice once in a while, as I don't know, and don't like to eat with my fingers) and not all situation will allow me to get proper eating utensils. Thus, I bring my own. The top picture is a 'Spork' (Spoon + Fork) and it's made of titanium means that it's a lightweight, compact eating utensil. The picture below it is a set of chow by Coghlan's consists of a three-piece stainless steel knife, fork and spoon set clip together for easy carrying. It came complete with vinyl carring case. I got it at Ace Hardware for about RM13.

Thanks for reading!

[... stay tuned]

Endearment

2009-08-20T02:00:00.003+08:00

All I Ask of You

2009-02-22T01:51:00.001+08:00

This is an interesting tag done at Facebook. They say, the music you listen to hints your identity.

Maybe you can judge the accuracy of it. Anyway, here's the tag.

RULES:

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player,mp3 player, iPod, etc. on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

4. Tag 10 friends

5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.

6. Have Fun!

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?

Secrets In Mirror - Spitalfield <-- Hmm..interesting

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?

Blurry - Puddle Of Mudd

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Patience - Take That <-- Haha..owh so very true

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

Let's Get Blown - Snoop Dogg <-- This answer can be intepreted in lotsa way

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

Whatever You Like - T.I. <-- I'm so without a goal

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?

If You Could Only See - Tonic <-- I like this answer - People really need to understand me

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

Catch Your Wave - The Click Five <-- Hmm...dunno what to say

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Teenagers - My Chemical Romance <-- Wakakaka...spot on

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

All Of This Past - Sarah Betten <-- hmm..backward-thinker

WHAT IS 2 + 2?

The Remedy - Jason Mraz <-- Whatever..

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Wishing You Were Here - Andrew Lloyd-Webber <-- Haha..

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Still Waters - Maksim Mrvica <-- Again, interesting answer

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

Scotty Doesn't Know - Lustra <-- Hell Yeah! Rezza Doesn't Know either

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Fired Up - Hush <-- Yeah..attitude!

WHAT WILL/DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Before It's Too Late - Goo Goo Dolls <-- haha..very fitting

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL

Glamorous - Fergie <-- wtf??!

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

Never Let You Go - Third Eye Blind <-- Interesting...

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?

Your Love Is A Lie - Simple Plan <-- Ouch!

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

America's Suitehearts - Fall Out Boy <-- Haha...best2!

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?

Star Spangled Banner - Whitney Houston <-- Yeah..i wanna sing USA's National Anthem

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Thnks Fr Th Mmrs - Fall Out Boy <-- hmm..

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?

Broken - Seether feat. Amy Lee <-- Dang..

HOW WILL YOU DIE?

Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus <-- ...

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?

Showstopper - Danity Kane

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?

Accidentally In Love - Counting Crows <-- dang again..

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY

Feed The Addiction - Ils <-- doesn't make sense

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?

Follow Me - Uncle Kraker <-- err..

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?

You Can't Handle Me - Robyn <-- THIS makes sense

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?

Touch My Body - Mariah Carey <-- Hahahah..hell yeah!

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?

I Promise - Stacie Orrico <-- Hmm..

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?

Photo - Ryan Cabrera <-- Haha

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?

All I Ask Of You - Andrew lloyd-Webber

The Return

2009-01-23T09:20:00.005+08:00

If you've guessed it right, congrats.

It's the return of my car, from its wreck some time ago. Minor changes has been made, and it won't stop there.

I prefer to let the pics to do the talkin', so, with much delight, I present to you, my car.

Satria SE rear lips

Satria SE side-skirts

Satria SE/GTi spoiler with third brake-light LED array

Bosch AeroTwin wipers

New Yokohama a.Drive rubbers on all wheels

Satria SE front bumper, lips, and chrome emblem

Nice.

More upgrades en route. Stay tuned ...

The New Navigator

2009-01-15T22:09:00.003+08:00

Dearest lost phone, you will be missed..

But say hello to my new Nokia 6210 Navigator!

Feel free to video-call me, people. At the same rate as normal call charges, why not?

Guess Who's Back?

2009-01-15T20:40:00.002+08:00

... to be continued

Roar of the Bull

2009-01-03T14:00:00.009+08:00

2307 hours

SMART Tunnel, Southbound

Cruising Speed : 70 km/h

There weren't many car in the tunnel. In fact, for the stretch of tunnel that I was in, it was empty from back to front.

Nothing to be seen.

But, who said there was nothing to be heard?

Faintly, but surely, I heard a din coming from behind. The noise got louder, and sweeter. A few seconds later, a pearlescent orange Lamborghini Gallardo (pronounced 'Ga-Yar-do)' [/ɡuyˈaɾdo/]) zoomed by.

A car's distance after passing me, it let loose the glorious roar from it's magnificent 5.2L V10 Italian engine. The roar resonated around the enclosed tunnel, resounding to a full crescendo of pure heavenly concerto to my ears.

As soon as the Bull came, it disappeared. The din of it could be heard many miles ahead.

Heaven.

Happy 2009 everyone!

Yeah. Guess I'm too busy to update this blog of mine.

An Open Letter to the n00bs, to whom we bid thy "Welcome"

2008-12-01T10:29:00.007+08:00

Dear Newbies,

Nostalgic.

It seems like it was just yesterday when we, the 100-odd prospective trainees gathering at the lobby of Tower 1, KLCC reporting in for internship.

June 2nd 2008 it started, and on January 9th 2009, it shall end. Today is the first of December, and the end of our internship period nears its end. It's interesting, and sad to note that near the end, one would reminisce of the beginning.

We remembered it all..

Fresh faces, anxious and excited to perform the internship stint at this multi-national company. Getting lost whilst trying to figure out the fairly-complicated Petronas Twin Towers twin-decked elevator systems; queuing for the daily pass before a Trainee's Service Pass were issued; being packed into the LRT; paying daylight-robbery price for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; being overworked and underpaid; dealing with difficult people; getting (meagre) payslips late; forced to do tasks that are always irrelevant to our field of study & skills; and all the various ups and downs that formed this wholesome, delicious soup of Industrial Intership.

Ahh yes..

Today, you newbies have arrived. Fresh meats not unlike us when we reported in for duty ourselves. These bunch were the engineering students of July '05 batch, and the ICT/BIS students of July '06 batch.

We have reached the zenith of our internship training, and come Friday, our lecturers are looking forward to our final presentation.

To all you n00bs, we wish you all the best.

Thank You.

Kind Regards,

The Intern'd

Sexy..Can I?

2008-11-28T10:05:00.007+08:00

Damn it..

Shira has tagged me, and unfortunately for me and you, I have to oblidge.

To start of, 'sexy' and 'Rez' doesn't belong in the same sentence, so..how the heck am I supposed to find sexy pics of me?

After much consideration, sexiness is quite subjective after all, and I have found three somewhat sexy pics of yours truly.

So bear with me..

THE RULES

Snap or just shift through the photo gallery and pick 3 pics ofyours which you think are sexy.

Don't have to be revealing (though some people say SEXY IS SKIN),

Explain why you think so,

Tag 3 friends (whom you think are sexy)

Right..

here goes..

I'm bringin' Sexy back!

The white suit screams attitute..and attitue is sexy!

heheh..

This has got to be sexy! haha..exposed biceps from my previous post

and finally...

I was born sexy!

Right. Now that's done with, I'm gonna tag:

Noin

Weena

Zaihan

Hehe.. ~Cheers

Crash of Two-Eighty-Two-Point-Four

2008-11-24T12:53:00.009+08:00

It was raining heavily.

Cars began to slow at all three southbound lanes of the North-South Highway. I decelerated to about 80 km/h and proceeded along the rightmost lanes, eyeing the middle lane for an opportunity to enter. The leftmost lanes were chocked full of trucks and heavy vehicles lumbering slowly while the middle lane was full of cars. The rightmost lane, however, has fewer cars but distance from each bumper-to-bumper was precariously close.

On the slippery asphalt of the highway under a heavy downpour, it was the perfect recipe for disaster.

On Kilometre 282.4, it happened.

The Toyota Altis in front of my Satria jammed his brakes as the car in front of him had stopped suddenly. I kicked on my brakes, and my car slowed to a halt.

BANG!

A Neo slammed to my rear with such force making my head snap forward to a nasty whiplash. On the receiving end, my car was propelled forward on the slippery road toward the Altis ahead.

BANG!

My hood buckled and folded upwards as the front of my Satria crumpled upon impact. Glass shattered from my headlights, and pieces of plastic showered everywhere. A heartbeat later, four impacts not unlike the ones I've experienced were heard.

Owh fuck!

I shut the engine and hit the button to switch my Hazard lights on. I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the car door. Amidst the heavy rain, I stepped out.

Carnage.

It was a six-car pile-up.

Toyota Altis
Proton Satria
Proton Satria Neo
Perodua Kenari
Honda City
Proton Waja

The drivers were stepping out from their respective wrecked vehicles. Glasses and plastic parts were everywhere. Beyond the final car, a traffic congestion was on the onset.

The driver of the Altis, a Chinese in his late-forties stepped out of his car. He opened an umbrella, and came to meet me. Under the shade of his umbrella, I asked him,

"Are you alright?"

He nodded, and he glanced at his rear bumper to access the damage. I followed his gaze.

His car was dented a little, but the tapering line of his trunk showed that the trunk was out of alignment from the impact. I took a look at the front of my car.

Both headlights were shattered but the exposed H4 bulbs were still lit. My front bumper was cracked in places and hung askew horribly. Finally, the hood was folded up and arching back.

Suddenly, two men dressed in crisp, white long-sleeved shirts with neckties, and starched black trousers came to us. One of them was the driver of the Neo that had just rammed into me.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked them.

"Are you going to lodge a report?" came the answer.

"Well..Chances are, I have to as per procedures,"

"Can't we settle this here? We'll pay you," one of them asked.

The driver of the Altis interrupted.

"Why don't all of us move our cars to the side," he pointed to the side of the highway under a flyover "and we discuss there?"

That being said, we returned to our respective car. Nervously, I placed the key into the ignition, and cranked the engine on. With the usual hum, the engine of my Satria ran despite the ordeal. Slowly, one by one, we parked our cars by the side. Highway patrol vehicles came and redirected traffic. The congestion diluted, but people still gawked at the pitiful sight of the six vehicles under the flyover.

Once parked under the flyover, I inspected the damage done on my car carefully. Apparently, after prying open the mangled hood, the engine bay was still intact. No apparent damage was done to the manifold, and the radiator was untouched. It was a minor accident, and my bumpers and grilles took the full brunt of the impact - as how they were designed to. I couldn't assess any damage done to the chassis, so I leave that to the experts. I pulled the latch by the driver seat to release the hatch. I went to the back of the car, and amazingly, the untouched hatch opened fully. The alignments were still fine. The bumper, however, was a different story altogether.

The Altis was dented a little, and suffered no more than a misaligned trunk. The Neo had similar damage to my front, but a lot less. Clearly the chassis of the Satria Neo was as strong as it boasts to be.

Thankfully, there was no violence. We exchanged contact details and I told the driver of the Altis that I'm lodging a police report at the Seremban 2 Police HQ. He intended the same. The driver of the Neo however, sang different tunes. He insisted on my account number and inquired whether I will lodge a report against him. The driver of the Altis eyed me carefully.

"I have all the details necessary, and that's the most important thing right now."

The driver of the Neo seemed somewhat satisfied with my answer, and the driver of the Altis nodded in agreement. The situation was the same with all other affected drivers - details and everything in particular relevance was exchanged. Soon, the passenger of the Neo procured a piece of wire, and together with the driver, they tied the hood, securing them to the chassis. After that, the Neo went off. The driver of the Altis inquired whether I require any other means of assistance, and it was then I realized the dull pain in my neck. It has been hurting from the whiplash. I thanked him and told him I'll be fine. With that, he drove off to the Seremban 2 Police HQ.

An interesting point to this event was the approach of another middle-aged Chinese man towards me. He immediately handed me a business card. On it, was the name of a familliar panel workshop for my insurance company insuring the car. He suggested that for the ease of insurance claims, they offered their service to handle the case from thereof. He said that he would have the company's towtruck to come and take all the relevant & necessary pictures as required for the insurance claim. The tow truck would then bring my car to the police HQ, and then to the panel workshop. After much consideration, I agreed.

Soon, the truck arrived, and it wasn't a tow truck per se, but a flat bed truck. The operator took the car key that I'd handed to him, and he quickly was at task - he drove my car up a ramp an onto the bed of the truck. He rigged the car securely and soon, I was in the cab and on my way.

Onboard, I called Mom and told her everything. I had called my everyone close to me, and some of my friends too, and all those people was glad I'm okay. I'm glad for that.

I had lodged an official police report at the Seremban 2 Police HQ, and my parents picked me up from there. We went to the panel workshop and did whatever paperwork and document-signing necessary.

For three weeks, my ride shall be warded. I shall take that time to recover from this post-traumatic stress.

It is fortunate that yours truly walked out (mostly) alive from a highway pile-up. To those of you who drives a ton of steel, glass, plastic, and rubber - you are carrying the lives of you and yours too.

So drive safely!

Do NOT fucking tailgate!

Doesn't 'safe distance' mean anything to you?

What did you learn at Drivers' Course when you were applying for your Drivers' License anyway?

Fuckers

(Since I have lost my Navigator, I didn't have anything decent enough to capture any photos with. Forgive the low-resolution of my VGA camera on my obsolete phone)

I Commit One of the Seven Deadly Sins Religiously

2008-11-12T10:56:00.011+08:00

Which one is it? You'll find out..

To start with, I love travelling. There's quite nothing like visiting places that you've never been to, one that you would love to go to, foreign places, both domestic & international. I've spent part of my childhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and partly here in Kuala Lumpur. Then, my family moved to Seremban, and we settled there. In between, there has been stays at Paris, Milan, and even Seoul. Now, my family stays in Doha, Qatar. I guess I could count my blessings that I have a family that could afford to travel as such, and I have genetically inherited the Travellers' Feet as well.

Though I couldn't stretch my legs to such places I've mentioned, I could do just as well for my standards, at least for now - I visit other school, college, and/or universities. Since my school & pre-college days, I rejoice whenever I get to visit other schools. It could be friendly matches, debates, public speaking competitions, and the like, but the bottom-line is that I get to go to other schools, meeting other people there, and like most people will do, I'll compare it with where I was currently hailing from. To me, the ultimate climax from these visits is when I feel The Envy.

Yeah. That's right. I commit one of the Seven Deadly Sins religiously, and it's none other than Envy.

If you read my earlier post on '7 things' you might have recalled of my Inferiority Complex (IC) thing. The IC stretches sometimes when I sort of 'represent' myself with where I was from. For example, during my boarding school days, I would always envy the students of other SBPs as I think my SBP is a drab, lacking such awesome facilities, lacking the pro-active student life, etc. Obviously, since where I was from 'represents' me, it too gets to be 'inferior' compared to whatever. No doubt many people could debate on this, and maybe myself - human or places - has my own specialty that makes me superior to the exact same thing - human or places - that I compared myself to, but then again, my IC is supremely strong enough for me to turn a blind eye to it.

Envy is a bitch. A damn hot one too.

"Why can't my school have proactive students like this school?"

"Why can't I be accepted in my school like I'm accepted here?"

"Why can't my school be as cool as this?"

That was the yardstick to compare when I was at that age. Of course, when I moved on to my teenage life, I envied my friends' lifestyle, house, car, girlfriend(s), etc. but most of all, I envy their universities.

Having my own money, my own car, and my own freedom, I could go where the road leads, and I could visit my friends wherever they studied at (DISCLAIMER: I'm generalizing):

I often have dropped by UiTM Seri Iskandar and would always envy the guy-girl ratio there - 3 guys to 7 girls. They may offer courses at diploma-level, but their proactive level is a benchmark at best. As an example, I went to their stint called 'The Fete', and a fashion show complete with a catwalk runway, all organized by the students themselves as their coursework marks clearly amaze me.

I envy Fadli at Limkokwing for being in a university that my heart really cried for (at that time) - their courses, the hot babes-cum-anak dato', their student lifestyle, their awesome abstractive university itself. The list might go on..

I envy Kzee every time I stayed over his bachelor's pad at UiTM Shah Alam. He has girls coming over all the time. Nuff' said. Anyways, UiTM was among the universities that I was offered a placement in..hmm

I envy Arep for doing his degree in Envronmental Science at USM, Penang - he's doing my degree in the university I wanted in. Besides, their campus is simply awesome.

I envy Afiq, my former roommate at MMU. Yeah. I went there for a couple of weeks before quitting, to take up the UTP offer. Yes sir, I envy him. Our housemates were babes. But, I don't want you to think that I'm superficial - It's not just about babes. I was offered a good degree in Bio-Instrumentation. MMU lifestyle is very conducive for study, and socializing. Best of all, they don't have religious nuts. Hmm..gonna envy long time. See? I'm not as shallow as you're smirking, or rolling your eyes to. Hehe..but wait a sec. Me & Afiq were the only four dudes in the apartment of twelve. Hmm.. =P Then again, that was then.

Damn it Bal! You've made it to the UK. Lucky bastard boy-o! Best catch me when I'll be hittin' the pub, and you'll be buying me pints. Hehe. Anyways, among my best friend, Iqbal has made it overseas like most of the people I knew from my boarding school. Aref is in Dublin, Asyraf is in Japan, etc. Congrats. Looks like I'm the one lagging behind. I don't need to despair too much - I was offered a degree in TESL at New Zealand. But then again, it's TESL. It's not that it's bad or anything, it's just that I'm not cut for educating. Plus, if I'm even half as good as you guys, I would be doing medic, law, etc. overseas. At least, I could transfer study for one semester in Down Under, but sorry. Couldn't quite make it.

I have more examples but they would all be redundant. Don't get me wrong, I love UTP to bits. Never mind that UTP has its flaw - bad internet connection, religious nuts terrorizing everyone at just about everything, etc. - but I could call it my home at the ivory towers.

The purpose of The Envy is quite noble, if you look at it in some abstractive, twisted way - It made you realize afterwards, that you actually have a place to compare to. If you look hard enough, you'll find reasons to realize that where you came from does shine. In the end, it's not wanting to compare, but having the choice to compare with. I sum it all up by saying that The Envy is my way of expressing "I'm proud of you" to you. You got what I wanted. Of course, at the time I'm writing this, things have change, and my wants and envies followed suit. I belong to wherever I am at, and it doesn't matter much where anymore.

For me, I want to belong somewhere. After that, it's only natural to want to belong to somewhere better.

So, where am I now?

The Lost Navigator

2008-11-06T08:42:00.002+08:00

7.30 pm

I replied a message as I was waiting for the KTM Commuter to arrive at the platform. All around me, people started to converge and began to crowd the MidValley platform. There was no orderly queue, just chaos.

7.35 pm

The train arrived at my platform, lumbering and screeching. The crowd got even more chaotic. When the train doors slid open, the situation got even worse. People shoved each other to board the train, caring little for the alighting passengers. I wriggled my way in. Needless to be said, the train was packed worst that a can of mackerel.

7.40 pm

I exited the train at KL Sentral. I reached for my phone at its usual place – inside my front jeans pocket. My hand connected flat with my thigh. The reassuring bulge of my phone was absent. It was then it hits me – my phone was stolen.

Hobby #4 - Testosterone Induction

2008-10-20T03:39:00.012+08:00

Lift that weight baby!

My housemates; Anep, Rusydi, and Zan Peng would tag along as well whenever I hit the gym we frequent to in Wangsa Maju every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights.

Owh yeah..there’s nothing quite like the smell of sweat that lingers in the air; the loud music with pumping bass; the grunts, groans and clanking of metal; and of course – my personal favourite – the hot babes in tight clothing to get those testosterone charging.

Yes sir.

You ain’t a real man unless you hit the gym. Be it for fitness reasons, to lose that flabby gut, or aiming to get a beach-worthy body with a set of solid six-pack abs, the gym suits your needs.

I’m talking bout a proper establishments with arrays of advanced equipments to achieve the aforementioned objectives, and not just some shoddy ‘backyard’ gym. Although, any gym could help you achieve your goals, a proper gym with experienced professionals would ensure you get your intended results faster and better.

If you live in and around KL, and the Klang Valley, there are lots of gyms to choose from, among many others:

Twin Towers Fitness Centre

KLCC

Celebrity Fitness

Subang Parade, Subang Jaya

Bangsar Village II, Bangsar

Fitness First

The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

IOI Mall, Puchong

AEON Bukit Tinggi, Klang

Menara Maxis, KLCC

California Fitness

Mid-Valley Megamall, Mid-Valley

Menara Standard Chartered, Bukit Bintang

True Fitness

USJ 10, Subang Jaya

Jaya 33, Section 13

Get Active

SOHO KL, Mont Kiara

Pushmore

Merchant Square, Tropicana

Obviously, there are lots of other gyms either more exclusive, or lesser than the examples I have given, so feel free to explore. If you’re heart is set to achieve that goal you have in mind, any gym would do – the only difference will be how quickly you achieve them, how effective, and most importantly, how much fun you will have. There is however another option – home gym

Fitness Concept is a store that sells equipments and stuffs that you can find at these professional gyms. This chain could be found in most major malls. For starters, get a set of those 10 kg dumbbell set and a few advice on how is best to utilize them. One item that I am particularly interested in is a set of large, high-tensile rubber band that is revolutionizing the term ‘portable gym’. Hit the store and you’ll know what I mean.

Tips for starters

Find a suitable timetable for you to work out your routine. An effective routine must include hitting the gym at least 3 times a week.

Look for a gym that is preferably close to your home and one that suits your budget. Note: professional help do come with a price.

Stick to a fitness/weight-loss/body-sculpting programs that suits you. The pros and regular gym goers might offer an advice or two, but do your own research. A magazine like Men’s Health is a lot of help.

Disclipline! Nuff said..

Anyway, I love going to the gym as I could work out that stress garnered at work, and get much healthier, slimmer, and more muscular in the process. Exercising also releases the hormone endorphin - the same hormone released during sex - which makes us feel good. Yeah, I am aware that chocolates also trigger the release of endorphin, but I prefer to watch my weight, thank you.

So, if the heaviest thing that you can lift currently is that Big Mac, the only exercise you get is that walk (and occasional run) to classes, and having your hand as your only lover, you need a wake up call, buddy!

Hit the gym. Pump that iron.

You’ll feel like a million bucks in no time.

7 Things You Hate Bout Me

2008-10-13T11:10:00.021+08:00

Tagged, I’m it..

I was tagged, courtesy of Shira.

The Rules:

Link to your tagger and post these rules in your blog. - Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. - Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. - Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, here’s 7 weird/random things about me, you might never knew of:

1. I have Inferiority Complex (IC).

An inferiority complex, in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. Such feelings can arise from an imagined or actual inferiority in the afflicted person.
- Wikipedia

Let’s just say I won’t usually be comfortable in my own skin, thus I seek confidence from without, instead of within i.e. having expensive/enviable items, wearing branded apparels, etc.

2. I have limited vocabulary in Malay. I think this is rather self-explanatory, and I don’t think I have to elaborate more. That being said, I can’t really pronounce the letter ‘r’ in Malay words the way most people can either. In fact, I can’t pronounce a few letters as well, but the letter ‘r’ is most obvious. My pronunciation of it is accented. Let me attempt to explain it to you vis-à-vis phonetically:

You say ‘mereka’ as “me-ré-ka”; I say “me-ray-car”

You say ‘marah’ as “ma-ghah”; I say “mar-rayh’

You say ‘rosak’ as “gho-sak”; I say “raw-suck”

Get my point? It came across to me that people may thought this way of pronunciation of mine is stuck up, poyo, or wateva, but this was, and is the way I speak. Maybe this is due to the fact that I speak English more than Malay when I was developing.

3. To supplement the previous point, I have limited knowledge in the Malay names of things such as kuihs and lauks. I knew the names of some of my favourite Malay dish and a few I am familiar with, but the rest I may recognize them by their familiarity in looks, and might be unaware of what it’s called. If you hang out with me to open houses, you might often overhear Annas a.k.a. Pupu saying, “Rez, ko kenal tak ni apa?”

4. I have a thing for strings/ribbons. I like it on a blouse, dress, etc. and my personal favourite, on thongs and bikinis. Needless to say, I have a thing for untying/undoing them..slowly. hehe..

5. Please, please, please, for God sake, keep me away, or keep durians away from me. This includes any and every dish/foodstuff that has durian as its ingredient or derivatives of it like, erm..what’s that pungent sambal-ish paste made from overripe durian flesh called again? I get sick & noxious just by the smell of durian. I’m sorry, but I won’t entertain any “owh-you-just-gotta-try-nevermind-the-smell-it’s-absolutely-delicious” talks.

6. I have excellent visual memory, but I am bad at remembering names. This means, I might remember what you look like years down the road, but unless I am close to you, or contact you often, I tend to forget your name. You won’t believe the hassle I go through at Open Houses of the relatives whose names I’ve forgotten.

7. The last bit, is one you might count on - I am usually forgiving, and it would take a lot of nerve for you to annoy/irritate me enough to actually make me blew up my temper. In other words, I'm a very patient man. However, a word of caution: In the rare event of me actually blowing up my temper, it won’t be a sight you or anyone within the radius would like. Kinda the incredible Hulk-like. Hehe..Actually, while Shira might have the Temper of Fire (Microvawe oven, would be much more apt) I have been described as having the Temper of Steel. At one unfortunate incident the last time I blew up my temper ala the Chernobyl, a back-alley mugger who had unfortunately decided to mug at the wrong time, the wrong person who was at the wrong mood was badly mangled & broken and hung within an inch of his life.

Well, cue Mylie Cyrus' song, '7 Things'.

Now I'm tagging;

Weena
Acan
Fadli Volvo
Nuriman
Ashley
Tasha
Qebalt

Well, if you people are rajin..

Tag, you're it!

Blood!

2008-10-10T17:50:00.012+08:00

Don’t worry. It’s a more pleasant post than you think. I decide that I should blog about something that might be useful & informative once a while, not just random rants.

Every once in a while, I would donate my blood whenever I can, and since my blood is O-positive, thus I am proud to be known as the universal donor.

Why donate our precious blood?

For one thing, I am a strong believer in Karma, and who knows, one day I might need that pint of blood, and a selfless anonymous donor will save my life.

Anyway, that’s my homeboy Kzee, and he’s an even more special case – our blood types are O’s, but his Rhesus is negative. Yup, that’s right – he’s O-negative. In case you weren’t aware, let me enlighten you with this fact;

a person with a Rhesus of negative can only conceive a child with a mate that has the similar Rhesus of negative

That means, if you're O-negative, you could only mate with someone who is either A-negative, B-negative, AB-negative, or O-negative. If you are among the rare few who has this trait, you would be on the list of possible donors with negative Rhesus, and would be contacted when your rare & precious blood is required for transfusion or whatever.

So, if there’re any single ladies out there who is also share the trait of having Rhesus of negative, holla at me – I’ll hook you up =P

Some people are deathly afraid of needles, but remember this – somebody’s life might depend on it; it could be your family member, your girlfriend/boyfriend, your friends. So, c’mon! When you come across a blood-donation campaign, pay a visit, and donate your precious blood. The medical staffs that actually ‘milks’ your blood are most if not all of the time trained and experienced professionals, and the procedure won’t hurt..much. You can take my word for it – I might potray a macho outlook, but watching Saw 1, 2, 3, & 4 still makes me squeamish. However, when done correctly, the entire procedure of donating blood won’t usually be much of a hellish experience as you might think.

The bottom-line

- You of course must be relatively fit & healthy, and free of diseases in the first place to be able to donate blood. Regardless, all donated blood on-site is regarded as bio-hazard: they would be thoroughly screened at blood testing centres first.

- First, you will register yourself and fill in your particulars on a form. The staff would inquire if you have a red-coloured Blood Donation record book, and if you must bring it along with you to be updated. Note – you can only donate blood once every three months.

- After signing the form, the staff would direct you to a doctor on duty. The doctor would ask of your medical history, and then would check your blood pressure. The doctor would take a sample of your blood to ascertain your blood type, and blood sugar level. This stage is important as if the doctor sees you as fit to donate blood. Else, you would have complications after i.e. queasy, fainting, etc.

- If you pass the stage, you would be directed to a staff that will provide you with the blood-donating kit, which will be passed to a medical staff that will be actually ‘milk’ your blood. I reserve writing the exact details of the process.

- And you shall be donating your life force, and about 10 minutes later, you’re all set. Usually you would only be required to donate not more than a pint of blood, and a sample of it would be taken to be tested for diseases and such. They have a saying -

"no news is good news"

- and it's true in this case, as they will contact you (based on your contact details given in the forms) if they discover if you're infected with anything. Else, you're free to donate more.

- Feel free to indulge on free sugary food like cakes or cookies and juices that the organizers would usually provide to replenish your blood sugar.

Donating blood isn't at all that bad of an experience. Really. So, go ahead. Do your bit of good for the community.

Handbag Giveaway!

2008-10-10T12:01:00.007+08:00

Handbag Planet is launching their website and to celebrate the October 15, 2008 launch, they are giving away a free (yes free indeed!) handbag every hour for 24 hours on the day of the launch. Their high fashion, trendy handbags are inspired by popular designer brands.

Before you start wondering why is a perfectly straight guy promoting handbags, just keep this in mind - win your girlfriend/spouse/mom/sis/friend/crush/etc. a designer-inspired handbag. They'll love you for it. For the ladies, you can thank me later if you win one =P

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After signing-up in one easy step, you can select the handbag you would like to win. There's absolutely no catch - this means no shipping/handling fees or credit card required. Yes, it's really that simple!

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Only a few more days to go, so sign yourself up and pray hard!

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http://www.handbagplanet.com/

Hobby #3 - Martial Arts

2008-10-08T09:04:00.000+08:00

Martial arts are truly like its namesake - a form of art, albeit a deadly one. Learning any form of the various martial arts of the world requires discipline, mental & physical fitness, and most importantly, passion.

Yup. Taekwondo is my martial art of choice, and it has been my passion since I began practicing it since I was 11, starting from the tender white-belt. At the age of 15, I have achieved the rank of Poom, or 'Jr. Black-belt'. This rank is given to Taekwondo practitioners who has passed all the necessary grading and completion of syllabus to earn the right & honour to wear the Black-belt under the age of 16.

In 2007, I had taken the 1st Dan (Degree) Black-belt examination to convert my Poom rank to a full Black-belt rank, and also the examination for the 2nd Dan rank. Now, I am proud to have earned the right and honour to hold the rank of a 2nd Dan Black-belt Taekwondo exponent; certified by Kukkiwon, the Taekwondo headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. By that, I have received the official Certificate from Kukkiwon, and the recognition as a Member of the World Taekwondo Federation.

Universiti Teknologi Petronas Taekwondo Club

In UTP, I was elected as the President for the UTP Taekwondo Club circa 2006 - 2007, and for 2007 - 2008. The Club is sanctioned under the Malaysian Taekwondo Association, the body recognized by the World Taekwondo Federation. The Club hires Master Kuppusammy, an instructor by the rank of 7th Dan from his Jireugi Dohjang to teach, train, and condition club members the techniques of Taekwondo for self-defense and competition sparring. Rank upgrade examinations, or known as grading, are conducted every semester, and Master Kuppusammy is authorized and certified to grade the club members from the range of beginners & White-belt to 1st Dan grading.

Fellow Taekwondo exponent, Donovan

Sparring tournament; I'm in the red armour

Demonstration: one inch plank-breaking

Admittedly, though I have been learning other forms of martial arts such as Karate and Aikido, and in the process of studying Krav Maga and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Taekwondo has always been the art that had started it all for me by providing the solid foundation of self-defense, and has continuously conditioned me by providing the base for ease of learning the other forms of aforementioned martial arts.

Thus, Taekwondo would remain as my true passion in martial arts.

4-Eyes

2008-10-07T11:38:00.001+08:00

When your contacts are quite dry after wearing them for more than 8 hours, you tend to rub them, and when you do, it tend to pop off from your eyeball.

And it did.

Off, and into the sauce plate, mingling with the soy sauce and wasabi.

Blinded and dazed, I made a stop at an optometry and inquired if I could purchase a temporary pair of soft lens, but the guy said he only sell them in boxes for 6-months supply. I pretty much have guessed that they didn't have Toric 66 lenses with my prescription too, and I was right. They need a week to get those custom-made for me.

You see, though I'm not too visually impaired to require correction power of 400 and more, my right eye require more 'power' than the left, and at the same time, my left eye require more astigmatism correction than the right. With such wonderfully complicated prescription, I always encounter problem whenever I wanted to purchase these vision correction aid in the form of glasses or contacts. Thus, the aforementioned Bausch & Lomb Toric 66 soft contact lenses has been my dearest friend, albeit a very costly one as it's my preferred soft lens that has astigmatism correction.

Considering my situation;

- I have to drive home

- Toric lenses need one week to be custom-made to my prescription

- Normal contact lenses have to be purchased in boxes for supply for 6-months - not worth it.

In the end, I have to make one of the most financially desperate situation given the circumstances:

Solvil et Titus dark grey titanium frame glasses with multi coated lens that costs in excess of RM400.

There goes my duit raya. Dang..

Hobby #2 - Model

2008-10-07T11:05:00.001+08:00

Sorry to dissapoint you, but I was referring to these:

This is another hobby of mine, and admittedly, it's an expensive one. In the picture, I have my Achilon Shadowheart to the left and Valeera Sanguinar to the right.

These models stood at 6.5" high, carved from polystone, handpainted and are extremely detailed. These are not meant to be played, thus both figurines have minimal movement at the joints.

In case you were wondering why do I buy these, the answer is that these models serve as inspiration for my fantasy novel I'm currently working on.

Will update with better detailed pics and other models.

Eid '08

2008-10-06T08:44:00.000+08:00

Eid 2008 was not unlike the years before. Except for a few changes;

Regretfully, it seems that I no longer 'qualify' to receive Duit Raya, though I legitimately satisfy the following rule:

Eligible Duit Raya Receipient

* Below 21 years old

* Unoccupied/Haven't paid Income tax yet

* Unmarried

Anyway, apart from a few gathering here and there, Eid is as how it was, and will be..to me;

My family has officially discontinued the baju melayu tradition. Since last year, we have made the trendy & stylish silver-embroidered black dress shirt our official 1st Day of Raya dress for the guys in my family, bought all the way from Jakarta.

Dad took a (paid) one-month leave throughout September/Ramadhan, and a little over October/Syawal. Yesterday, we had sent him off at KLIA, and mom & sis won't be joining dad in Qatar anymore.

Family gatherings, and a few open houses here and there - that's Raya to me. My kampung is 20-minutes drive away from my house, and it's in a suburb of Seremban called Ampangan. Since grandma's house is a bungalow, I'm not quite able to picture the cliché wooden-house-on-stilts-rural-village imagery of Raya we're all being fed to. Not that it bothers me coz this is my Raya, and I prefer my Raya the way it is - the way I have lived through, and the way I like it. Kinda like Burger King's slogan, "Have It Your Way".

On that note, I'll wish you all a blessed Eid to be celebrated your way.

Hobby #1 - Skates!

2008-09-26T11:49:00.002+08:00

Yeah.. I absolutely love inline-skating.

in case you were wondering, inline-skating is also commonly (and mistakenly) known as rollerblading. Rollerblade is a brand of inline-skates that had initially started it all back then, and the term 'rollerblading' was coined due to the brand association of the product with the sport.

It all started when my family were living in the States. Tulsa, Oklahoma to be exact. I was still very little that time, and our apartment overlooked a park. Everyday I will be gawking at groups of skater playing there, and that's when my passion ignited. I told my dad bout it, and that weekend we went to the nearby Toy R' Us and he bought me a pair of roller skates. Every evening after work he would help me on my skates, but i started at a tennis court for 'safety'..hehe..anyways, when we returned to Malaysia, and when me & my siblings were young, and my dad insists that we take up ice-skating.

My dad had even bought me, my younger sister, and my younger brother a pair of inline skates each, complete with all the gears to 'train' for ice-skating. He asked us to play (practice) at least to a point of being able to stay upright. Soon, we're all set and hit the ice. That time, it was at Mines. Needless to say, it became a passion for me. I was particularly interested to play hockey - on ice, or roller hockey. Blame the media for airing movies like the Mighty Ducks and Brink!..hehe.. Sadly, we all have to grow up, and i have to study and 'abandon' my skating passion for awhile.

Now, dad is working in Doha, Qatar and my family stays there with him. I'm a university undergrad, and every sem break I would stay for a month there in Qatar. The have this mall called Villagio with an ice-rink, and upon my first discovery of it, I hit it at once, figuring that the ability to skate (properly) is like riding a bicycle - you never forget - but as you might guessed, I fell flat in the next five minutes. But, that won't stop me from re-learning. Since currently I'm doing internship at KLCC, I have an independent financial source, and with my first measly pay check, I bought the pair of K2 Aspire inline-skates and the K2 protective gears as well. After years of being rusty, I skated every other day at my condo parking lot. Whew! The feeling's back, and it felt great.

My skates are of the K2 brand, the '08 K2 Aspire, with 80mm 82a wheels and bearings rated at ABEC 5.

In lay man's terms, my skates are perfect for recreational/fitness skating - differing from the styles in the like of Freestylin'/Slalom skating, Speedskating, and the extreme Aggressive skating. I don't mind, since my proficiency is that of intermediate-level - meaning that I could do little of those fancy tricks.

I am a member of Skateline, a frat of skaters that meet up and share their same passion for skating. Skateline currently has a couple of store that retails a wide selection of skates and equipment (protective gear is an absolute must - it may not look cool on, but there's nothing cool about being injured, crippled, and/or dead) for men and women, and for people of all ages who still has the balls (or ovaries) to zip on eight relatively small rubber wheels. Anyway, since I won't be paid for endorsing the store, I'll just provide you with the link to their site - click here

Twice a month, Skateline holds an event called the Saturday Nite Skate (SNS), and like the namesake, on every 2nd and 4th Saturday nights of every month, skaters converge at a selected location nominated by the members at the forum. These locations vary in accordance of difficulty levels where the members had skated from the 'easy' level of low-traffic, relatively flat terrain at parks in and around KL, right up to the 'absurd' level at newly-constructed, hilly highways & flyovers that hasn't opened to the public traffic yet. Crowd favorite is Putrajaya boulevard.

FYI, every SNS is not just a bunch of skaters burnin' some rubber on some roads - the marshals, or the skating instructors of Skateline (yeah, they have Skating School) has planned the route in advance, noting every potential hazards that could pose danger to skaters i.e. heavy-traffic, uneven roads, sands, debris, etc. During the event, the marshals skated back and forth along the column of skaters along the route, and are ever vigilant and on the lookout for skaters that could be in trouble. They each held blinking light-batons (those thing the police wave to guide cars at night) to guide skaters, and with all these measures in place, SNS is truly a fun and safe event especially to new skaters.

To commemorate their 3rd anniversary, Skateline held an SNS closer to home - around TTDI near Damansara and the meeting point was the Skateline main store there. The skating route was about 10km long, and rated at 'moderate' difficulty, perfect for advanced-beginner & intermediate-level skaters. We met up at 8.00 pm and Skated off till 10.00 pm where we ended our event with a makan-makan (free: sponsored by Skateline)at Pucuk Paku Café beside the Skateline store.

Below are some pics of the event.

Meet-up at Skateline TTDI for pre-skate briefing

Banking right downhill..Drift! Whee~

Never listen to the hot girl daring you to go down a steep hill. Ever.

This was a lesson for me to always remember to bring my helmet before tumbling (almost) head-first in a wipe-out

Posing with skaters of MMU Cyberjaya

Sk8!

Overall, it was a blast of a time, and I've met new friends, and learnt valuable lessons in honing my skating skills. I'm certaintly looking forward for more rubber-burning sessions on my skates.

By the way, the new road leading from the roundabout to the Chancellor's Complex is what skaters call 'black ice'. C'mon people..the road's new and smooth. Let's skate up and rock UTP!

First

2008-09-26T11:07:00.003+08:00

First Entry...

Can't help feeling left outin the dog-eat-dog world of bloggers. After all, I am of the Generation Y, like you.

Let me start off with an introduction to yours truly - after all, this is my blog. Ha.

The name's Rez. A third-year uni KM-major student of beloved UTP, but currently undergoing internship at Petronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd. @ level 77 tower 2, KLCC.

The unofficial bit, I'm a person, an average person at best, but eccentric in my own ways. Just so I am not labelled as a 'blind-follower', this blog is where I shall encompass my various passions to whoever's gracious 'nuff to read it.

Rationale.

Rez a.k.a. Raze a.k.a Arcane are all my aliases. Like the namesake, I'm an arcane person, sometimes swerving to saturnine. Thus, this blog is my tome.

Till then, keep posted for more posts. Thanks for readings!