Alex & Jessie's Wedding ~ picking up the Bride

now that's the expression of the happiest man alive! =)

Alex & Jessie's Wedding

One of my old-time Thomian buddy married his long-time sweet heart yesterday. Their love story has been one that has withstood the test of time (8 years), patience (immeasureable) & distance (continents apart)... one that we (old-time Thomian gang) would look up to for inspiration; as most of the guys from our gang/batch, up to this point ~ has either 1) survived too many tumultuous relationships or 2) still enduring a long relationship drought (majority, me included). So we're glad to be celebrating one success story here.
I've had been given the honor to chauffeur the Big Purple Wedding Wagon & also be part of the Brotherhood-cum non-official photographer-cum-wedding reception usher-cum confetti-popper ... =p It was a long & hectic day, but it always feels great to be actively involved on big occasions like these, even more so if it's your buddy's big day. I've had a lot of fun & good time catching up with my old friends, some of whom I've not met for years & also making new friends & acquaintances. =)
Congrats Alex & Jessie & thank you! Wish you all the best in the new chapter of your life... =)
*now i really need to re-charge... hopefully i'll get the photo updates ready in a few days time... *

The Big Purple Machine

This bad boy literally dwarfs the previous Big Red Machine in size...

327 horses of pure American muscle; a 5,400cc V8 in stock form, but unlike the other only Impala in town, this cruiser has been converted to run a much smaller Toyota Supra MarkIII 2.5L 1JZ-GTE twin-turbo engine ~ good for 280 horses. It only starts moving & building momentum when the turbo starts boosting.... so you get an idea how heavy this car is...

A true classic.... & it does not even come with seatbelts... coz during the time it was built, seatbelt ruling was not even mandatory yet... =p

15 & 1/2 feet long (that's over 3 meters in length!) & over 5 feet wide! Yikes, i'll be driving this big boy during one of my old buddy's wedding this coming saturday... Thank god there is such invention called POWER STEERING. Driving impression? ~ i feel like a circus on wheels when driving it... coz it's so much of a show-stopper that everyone on the road will be staring at you... it's embarrassing... it's a very unique ride bah! =p

Raya Pertama through 50mm

Some random shots of today's Raya visiting using EF 50mm F/1.8 II lens on loan from sexy-lips

Visited Azizi's place over lunch... our only house for the day =)


Meet the very cute & photogenic lil' Esther ^_^
*shot by Adrian

Yes right! She's very much like a certain colleague of mine! especially when it comes to indulgence in everything sweet tasting =p
*shot by sexy-lips...

The Big Red Machine

A AWD beast boasting 320hp @ lo-boost of 0.9bar & 440hp @ hi-boost of 1.5bar!! I had the chance take this bad-ass ride out for a spin & terrorize the streets in Samajaya area earlier today... when the full tidal wave of boost hits you, be afraid, be very afraid... that is when all hell breaks loose ~ the G-force of sheer savage acceleration just throws you back & pins you down unto your seat as the car seems to lunge forward at warp speed... This can be SO EXHILARATINGLY ADDICTIVE, i think it is an experience every petrol-heads should try before they die.

Packed to the brim with goodies from the brand that most of us petrol-heads worship, HKS. This could as well be the HKS demo car. All i know is it's running an E4 bottom with E6.5 head + HKS Hi-cam setup *no wonder why i kept stalling the car when i slow down to a halt at junctions & traffic lights* + upgraded big turbo kit *i suspect, coz i really don't think the stock blower will cope with anything over 400hp at max boost* With the tremendous amount of traction from the AWD layout, i reckon this beast is capable of a sub-5 second century sprint without breaking a sweat.

For that addictive signature turbo kap-pish sound effect at every gear change...

music to my ears...

Spartan interior with a plethora of functional goodies to drool over...

ultra rare...

i had to cope with information overload checking the engine diagnostics while handling this machine...

now where's that boost meter?

Really expensive performance focused wheels ~ that's RM18K just for the wheels, tires not included. 4-pot big brakes peeking behind the wheels... that does not look too standard issue to me.

To describe the experience, the big red machine sounded just like this one...

Singapore F1 Night Race

A teaser for the title... this should appropriately be titled Singapore Bako F1 Night Race instead

My mechanic-kakimotor friend summoned me to join him for a 'nocturnal drive' to Bako causeway ~ a popular hangout & 'test-strip' for the local street racers. It seems that the recent petrol price reduction by RM0.10 in effect has got a lot of petrol heads eager to rev their engines all night long, again; the gallery stretching across the main causeway was already quite filled with enthusiast & spectators alike by the time we reached. Spotted in action ~ a convoy of very fast EF VTEC monsters, a DC5, an EVO3 & EVO7, & plenty boosted K-cars & kereta nasional. Pick your battle well & know your own capabilities; if you're you're a middle-weight class (i.e. 1.6 VTEC NA), you don't pick a fight with a heavy weight (i.e a big bad boosted EVO packing over 300hp) ~ pick someone you're own size. Occasionally though, i do see some cars getting upstaged by lesser/older cars which, can be very siah-soi.. So i choose to watch only. *i have no confidence pushing the limit with my relatively bald tires & braking capabilities*

3 generations of Civics (with VTEC heart transplants):

Big brother AK Civic ~ 3rd generation; this car is freaking fast for a 1.6 NA. & obscenely loud too. Fully loaded VTEC engine & undoubtedly the fastest among us

2nd brother EF Civic ~ 4th generation; also a highly respected old school Honda; VTEC + lightweight chassis makes a very potent machine

little brother EG Civic ~ 5th generation; my humble ride is the heaviest & probably the slowest among the lot

I dig the subtle Mugen wing on the AK ~ a very tasteful aesthetic touch. They're all JDM purists when it comes to style. Mine still ranks as the most beng-mobile of them all in terms of look. Time for me to ditch that body-kit & return to a more true form. =p
*all images shot with my trusty W810i*

I admit, i'm a sucker for street racing spirited driving, although i seldom indulge in it. I just need my speed fix sometimes... *it's thrilling & revitalizing* =p I'm a responsible driver okie... always put on safety belt, always signal before i make any turn, never beat red-light even when there are no other cars around, never pasang HID light.... only occasionally breach the speed limit. Well, i guess age & maturity has caught up with me, i would always think twice before attempting something reckless taking a calculated risk, though i still enjoy the thrill & adrenaline rush of spirited driving. Thankfully no untoward incident occurred, & no cops came to kacau.

Back on to the title, the inaugural F1 night race in Singapore, to be held tonight is going to be one exciting event; a race right through the heart of a city is definitely unique, pretty much like playing Gran Turismo... & held at night some more! All the lighting technology that goes into the preparation is indeed impressive. I'm not really a fan of F1 but i'd love to watch this one race. Too bad i can only watch it in TV...

*images from yahoo sport*

Hip Hop Invasion 2008

B-Boy battle held in conjunction with the Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival 2008 at Carpenter Street









a nice obstruction... =p

crash-test-helmet anyone? these B-Boys can do head-spins even without 'em!
I'm utterly amazed by what these kids can do ~ an orchestrated display of sheer finesse & flair of the breakin' moves to the rhythm of the hip-hop music, which leads to...




Old dog learning new tricks...

Old Dog #1

Old Dog #2

Can we do it?
*Old Dog #3 too busy snapping away... =p

lu sekolah sampai mana? *came across this on fei-fei's elementary school blog... hehe *