1st Paycheck ~ i could still vividly remember the final days of uni when we were all so eager to another step forward into oh-*yawn*-so-*yawn*-exciting career-hood; finally getting to be earning our own $dough$... Nothing beats the anticipation & excitement of getting the 1st paycheck =)

For me, that was a good 2 & 1/2 years ago. Looking at a new freshie colleague of mine, getting excited over splurging her maiden paycheck over a brand new hp; may not be the latest, flashiest nor priciest model, but i'm pretty sure it mean just as much, had me delving back on my own experience. Do you remember what you got or did with your very 1st paycheck?
One of the few stuffs i got, i realized was still collecting cobwebs in my closet. So i decide to save it from its gloomy fate & spent the later part of Sunday afternoon giving it a new lease of life, in the showcase.

Rm129.90 worth of an afternoon of assembling fun. The complexity of these model kits keep me intrigued.

A good 15mins later ~ done with the 1st limb

Behold! EVA Unit-00 Prototype (completed in under 3 hours)
Simply amazing; to think that it has got more flexibility than me. Also comes with a huge arsenal of weapons that puts even my mom's collection of kitchen utensils to shame.
More shots:

From critically succesful & popular Japanese anime, Shin Seiki Evangelion. It's basically an apocalyptic mecha action series with some controversial Judeo-Christian elements. Very cool piece of animation with very high artistic integrity; as long you don't frustrate yourself to much trying to understand what the hell it's all about. One of the most confusing anime i've ever seen ~ come to think of it, even the plot of the 4400 seemed rather simple & plain to digest...

According to Anno, Evangelion was an attempt to make all perspectives into one, creating characters that represent different things to different viewers to make it impossible for everyone to arrive at a single theory. To some viewers, the characters are psychological representations, while to others, they are philosophical, religious, historical, and even themselves.^[16] It seems the main goal was to present characters who reflected the deep depression and eventual recovery that Anno experienced before beginning work on Evangelion^[7][17][18] Assistant Director Kazuya Tsurumaki said of the series, "If a person who can already live and communicate normally watches it, they won't learn anything."^[19]

Source . Get my drift?

CivicType R

The Type R models were first conceived for racetracks ~ street-legal performance oriented driving machines equipped with tuned potent VTEC engines, refined suspension setups, close-ratio manual gearbox & extensive weight reduction. Creme' of the crop of the Civic models, the Civic Type R is arguably the most famous of the Type R breed, having attained a cult status worldwide; one hot hatch any petrolheads like me can definitely identify with.
EG6 SiR2 ('92 - '96)
Engine: B16A2 DOHC VTEC (1.6L)
Output: 170ps @ 7800rpm, 16.0kg-m @ 7300rpm
Redline: 8200rpm
The closest you can get to a Type R before the first official CTR model rolled out. The current powerplant i'm running in my ride. Costed me an arm & a leg. Good enough to clock a 7s flat 0-100km/h run. Also good waking up the neighbourhood when tearing down the lorong & engaging the VTEC at full throttle.

EK9 ~ 1st Gen. CTR ('96 - '99)
Engine: B16B DOHC VTEC (1.6L)
Output: 185ps @ 8200rpm, 16.3kg-m @ 7600rpm
Redline: 9000rpm
This has always been my dream ride. The best looking CTRs to date. The B16B power plant boasted the highest output per litre all time for an NA engine at 185ps from a compact 1.6L engine; which is greater than that of a Ferrari Modena 360! Probably the reason why a B16B complete halfcut costs as much as a 2nd hand kancil.





EP3 ~ 2nd Gen. CTR ('01 - onwards)
Engine: K20A DOHC i-VTEC (2.0L)
Output: 215ps @ ?? rpm
Redline: 9000rpm?
The least popular of the CTRs, probably the ugliest looking of them all, though it still remains a solid performer. I call it the fat ballerina. This is 1st CTR to get it's powerplant boosted to 2.0L & uses the more refined & powerful but less exciting i-VTEC. Also gets a 6-speed manual tranny.






* Have always loved the hatchback version ~ shorter wheelbase=sharper turn-in + quicker response, weights less = no better tuning than weight reduction, plus hot hatches = chick magnet;
Damn, i should have gotten a hatchback...

FD2 ~ 3rd Gen. CTR ('07 onwards)
Engine: K20A3 DOHC i-VTEC (2.0L)
Output: 225ps @ 8000rpm, 22.0kg-m @ 6100rpm
Redline: 9000rpm??
Transmission: close-ratio 6-speed manual
Another 1st (CTR) to use a 4-door sedan chassis but still performs impressively. Definitely a looker & gives Civic enthusiast all over something to be excited & shout about. At least now they have a real alternative; most of the lesser run-of-the-mill FD Civics running around have non-performance oriented engines & lame auto-trannies fitted. Handsome & dashing on the outside but nothing under the hood.

The 2007 Civic Type R comes to save the day, but expect a very hefty price tag attached. Got a Type R?

This is what i call precision parking

Nitro-Tech has landed!

5.29 lbs in 2 weeks. That's how much i've shrunk (in terms of weight) over the past 2 weeks; thanks to an endless streak of major workshit issues cropping up one after another like it's the end of the world. Boy, i'm just so in love with my job. Hey, those numbers would make any contestant on the Lose It Program darn proud; if i was on the other end of the weigh scale, that is. Long hours coupled with heart-attack-inducing stresses is just about the most effective weight-loss program around. Hey, wassup with u? u look scrawny like a druggie with those sunken eyes ~ is probably the best compliment i got, lately. Heh =p
At 168cm, i need to beef up to the 60-ish kg region (which i have barely hit before) to not look like one.
Dietary supplement to the rescue. Now that the tirade of worksh!ts have subsided a little to more humanely survivable standard, it's back to the regular pumping sessions at the gym. Just had the Nitro-Tech Hardcore from Muscletech delivered to my doorstep today. It's basically a designer's musclebuilding advance whey protein ~ powered by state-of-the-art Nanomolecular Hyperdispersion Technology ~ oo.. some biotechie jargon sounding terms that had me scratching my head trying to figure out just what the heck it is. In layman's term: it accelerates muscle metabolism to build muscle fast, by optimizing nitrogen retention, nutrient absorption, protein synthesis & cellular regeneration to trigger an anabolic environment. Now that is as layman as it gets. Gain up to 8.4lbs in 14 days! with the proper workouts, of course. Hmmm.. at RM350++ for a can (4lbs) plus a freebie t-shirt, this is anything but cheap. Definitely need to get my $$ worth out of this.

~ Transformers The Movie ~ Grabbed a copy of the re-mastered DVD recently to relive the magical moments of my childhood passion. Still enjoyed every single bits of it, in pretty much the entralled way i did, watching the movie as a little kid. This one's so good that it was light years ahead of its time (it was 1st released back in 1986, mind you). Excellent cell animation, catchy theme song (re-done?) & stellar voice acting; i had every reason to believe the animation had to be of Japanese roots. I'm a big fan of Japanese anime, & have always thought them to be of superior quality with broader appeal to the masses, young & old compared to the lame kiddy ones their western counterpart usually come up with. Suprisingly, this superb animation is not. This nostalgic movie had such a profound impact on me; witnessing Optimus Prime's death at the hands of Megatron had me wondering what will the world do without Optimus Prime??? .. as a little kid lah.
Now i'm still trying hard to remember where i was the day Optimus Prime died...






Proof that Transformersmania is NOT a guy only thing (gals love them too)
#1 My sis hogged the Transformers DVD the very next morning. Had to raid her room to get it back.
#2 Somebody (a girl) came up with an interesting Bumblebeemania post: okay, so it's actually Bumblebeenia; sorry ah, typo error =p

Yups, Bumblebee's (the real deal) on eBay

No, not the 2009 prototype Camaro
& Ms. hottie not included

Here it is! Sam Witwicky's 1st ride ~ the screen used 1977 yellow Chevy Camaro
NOTE: Car is real, driveable & streetlegal. It does NOT TRANSFORM or drives itself

When i last checked a couple of days ago, it was bidding at a high of USD31,000. It's no longer there though, somebody must have bought it over at a premium cost. However, according to some unsigned source, the car was last spotted in Mexico, with a makeover job Pimp-My-Ride style...

Haha! =p

Time flies. Can't believe it's been a year. Last year's outing with Louis, came back this year with greater number; but still with that same unresolved resolution. At least you've hit your's, mate. Happenin' as usual, eye-candies aplenty... but barely recall much of last year's ~ except for that 13-min Santubong-Kuching thrill drive back home. Did not feel like i was driving that fast though...

ココぴゅ!

Kokopyu: Literally means squirt here! This is yet another one of those peplexingly bizzare gizmos to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun; it's kinda cool tho'. It's actually a plastic card with a built-in powerful lens capable of 500x to 1,000x magnification ~ so you can observe your own soldiers a.k.a sea-men on the move =p

Just squirt a blob on the card, hold it up to the light & watch. Heh. Strictly for the bored-to-death & feeling-a-bit-lonely folks. Like the way they put it: Better than your average pets...
Retails at an equivalent of USD20, & is re-usable ~ for hours of detailed observation fun =p

Only downside: Potential nightmare-evoking realization of witnessing a cold-hard unthinkable truth unfolding before your eyes ~ your lame platoon of docile sea-men getting wiped out cold in matter of minutes... (meaning die lah) =o ... touchwood! touchwood!

*For the always amusing & sometimes bizzare forwarded mails ~ of workplace productivity-robbing calibre during the workday early mornings; thanks to my nightshitshift colleagues ~ simone! =)

~(miss)understood~

I said to myself "I'm OK"
And showed my usual smile
I was not in desperation
But in a kind of defiance

I hid my trembling hand from some people
Because their sympathy was so hollow

I don't get warmed
By half-hearted and artificial warmth
I rather want them to shut their eyes
Until I break into pieces without a trace

I don't want to hear nor speak
The fine words any longer
The pain will be getting worse
So I just accept it

The air is awfully clear
The calm before a storm

What do those people really want to know
With seeming kindness
Hiding a sharp knife of curiosity
Behind their gentle looking eyes?

What do you really want?
What do you really wish?
Where do you really aim for?
And with whom?

It's the first and the last time
For you to live just as yourself
You should draw your own path
After spreading a big map

Source: here

~(m)u~ live: Arena Tour 2006 DVD

Received the delivery fairly early, much earlier than the 2 weeks waiting period; but after having to collect it personally from PosLaju & getting taxed by the Kastam. 20% import duty + 10% sales tax. Damn. Dunno why my previous purchase went by untaxed. It was an import too afterall. When asked for the taxable item list, the nice fella in blues handed me a brick-thick M'sian bible of taxes. Who'd be so darned free to cough up a compilation of such magnitude, i wonder? It's just so mind boggling. or maybe i'm just being plain ignorant.
The online retail price was only USD25.75 which translates to about less than Rm90. The only copy i managed to source at Kenyalang costed Rm118. I guess the differentials come in when u factor in the taxes which, i forgot to. Still got it for cheaper than market price, thanks to that fella in blues, letting me name whatever the price was; partly coz there were no pricelist attached with the package. So i get to ring out any reasonable sounding number. Just tell them it cost a mere USD10. But, sadly i was too honest to call for anything less than USD20. So i actually paid Rm20.20 in taxes.

Back to the DVD ~ this one's got all the songs from her least-liked albums to date ~(miss)understood~. Perhaps coz it's an experimental album covering multitudes of genres & sounded very un-ayumi; which, sort of alienated some fans, yet won as much accolades from many as well. It's pretty much like a love-it of hate-it affair.
Personally, i really miss the rocking days from her Rainbow era; though i'd just be as eager to sample her new masterpieces. There aren't many bold enough to always take up the challenge of trying out something new; most just like to play safe & stick to what sells best. Got to give her credit for that ~ she's always reinventing herself, & have always pulled it out with a good measure of success, again & again. I guess that's why she's got so much staying power ~ been almost a decade now.
Have always loved her concerts; i'd pay tons of $$ to watch her perform live. Maybe someday, one day...

Starbucks @ KIA. The other famous coffee franchise finally opens its 1st joint in Kuching. Not that we're short of chic kopitiam hangouts; but this Starbucks-coming-to-Kuching thingy has been stirring up a lot of excitement... especially among the BDC/Tabuan/Stampin/PolarWood DSMs (desperate-single-males) coffee lovers ~ now that we they can hold nightly fellowship of the batangs, enjoy some good coffee & oogle at other chick patrons while they're at it. HECK! All the excitement ~ it's not like a strip club is actually going to open in Kuching. Well, the newest joint is always the most happening.
& it's only 10 mins away from my place. The only thing is those ridiculous speed bumps at arrival foyer. So damned high i think they're meant for army trucks or maybe tanks to roll over. Siao.
My rides' ground clearance? Could barely clear the height of a pack of ciggie. Was lucky to have maneuvered that ridiculous 'obstacle course' with my bumpers intact & no exhaust pipes left behind. No more airport trips for my civic.

"Autobots... TRANSFORM & ROLL OUT!"

Optimus Prime rolling out of my closet...

Meet Optimus Prime

in real life. Haha!
* forwarded by Kino

An excerpt from a chapter closed...

... one topic we touched on that i certainly aware of is the value of friendship. certainly, the ones u r close now wont be forever by ur side. however, things tend to be uncertain. that's the miracle of creation i guess. just go with the flow. the ones that u able to keep for long, appreciate it. the ones that leave suddenly and disappear, have faith on them.

will take that cue from you, my friend ... =)

Transformers RAWKS!

Like most kids of the 80s, we grew up watching Transformers. I bet most of you kids of the 80s would have had fond memories playing with those neat robots-in-disguise action figures ~ having a scaled 18-wheeler truck that transforms into Optimus Prime; the ultimate toy... what's cooler than that? That was my childhood. I still have a handful of those robot-in-disguise neatly tucked in my treasure trove somewhere in the storeroom, albeit collecting dust. Maybe i'll pass them on to my kids someday, ha.

When i first heard of the making of this movie, i wasn't all that excited or keen; they're never gonna pull this one off... or so i thought. Until i saw the movie last friday. I was blown off my seat. Totally awesome. Not only have they breathed some souls into those robots, they gave them kick-ass attitude too. It was well scripted, humorous (last thing i would expect of a movie like this one), and a good bunch of fresh casts. On the bonus side, that lead actress is da bomb. I'd pay 10 bucks to watch it on the big screen again.

More than meets the eye. Get my drift?

That closing theme by Linkin Park ~ what i've done never sounded better. I'm just so digging that song.... The soundtrack sounded great. I'll be wanting to get a copy & play it in my ride. Let's see if it transforms into an autobot, heh...

Go check out this site. U'll be blown away by the designs.