Well... readers need not answer this question. Of course it is bad.... but sometimes you cross paths with some senseless jerks who really test your patience.
Two days back, I was on my way to work. I stopped at a four-way traffic junction. Another car was in front of me. When the lights turned green, the car in front moved off and I started to follow. Suddenly, a motorcycle from the road on my right darted between the two cars, barely squeezing past. I had to brake hard to avoid smashing into the bike. What the eff!!!
On impulse, I stepped on my accelerator and chased the bike. A few hundred metres down the road, I caught up and pulled to his side. I wind down the car window and shouted some choice words to the motorcyclist.... I didn't care if he could hear me or not. The biker, a young man in his early 20's, just displayed a nonchalant face with a couldn't-care-less attitude. That was when the nasty thought of wishing ill on him crossed my mind.
I have lost count how many times I see irresponsible motorcyclists cut across road junctions when the light on their side is red. You don't have to take my word for it. Just stand next to any busy junction in Kuala Lumpur for 5 minutes and you'll know what I mean. Being small and nippy doesn't give motorcyclists any right to jump the lights. Why can't they have the patience to wait for the green signal, just like the rest of us?
Ok then... end of post. Just to let off some steam..
Showing posts with label merapu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label merapu. Show all posts
Monday 14 March 2011
Monday 31 January 2011
The price of getting hitched
I attended two weddings and one engagement ceremony this month. The weddings are those of my former co-workers while the engagement is that of my niece that I have posted about previously. All these events were held at different parts of the country (Temerloh, Tangkak and Melaka) and it was interesting to observe the different ways people celebrate such occassions.
Wedding and engagement ceremonies in the big cities such as KL and JB can be elaborate affairs. The scale of such events depend entirely on what the families can afford. But nowadays, I note that the average asking price of the `wang hantaran' the prospective groom has to fork out is around RM10k, and even that I am told, is towards the bottom end of the range. It is not too surprising to hear asking price of RM15,000.
During my day in the late '80s, five-figure wang hantaran are the realm of the rich and famous only.
I have three sons. I wonder how much the rate would be when their time comes to get hitched...
Wedding and engagement ceremonies in the big cities such as KL and JB can be elaborate affairs. The scale of such events depend entirely on what the families can afford. But nowadays, I note that the average asking price of the `wang hantaran' the prospective groom has to fork out is around RM10k, and even that I am told, is towards the bottom end of the range. It is not too surprising to hear asking price of RM15,000.
During my day in the late '80s, five-figure wang hantaran are the realm of the rich and famous only.
I have three sons. I wonder how much the rate would be when their time comes to get hitched...
 |
| 01.01.11 (Temerloh) : Bride Zalina Mohamed getting the final touch-up |
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| 30.01.11(Melaka) : Groom Norfaizal Khafid (ex-colleague) and bride Norahayu, at the bride's house. |
Tuesday 21 December 2010
Effbeeing... a new word to add to your vocabulary
A few weeks back, some of the commenters suggested that I have been away from blogging because I probably spend more time on Facebook. Hmmm.... to a certain degree I guess that is true. Although I have been an FB member for more than two years, the appeal of logging online to this social networking website is still not lost to me.
Effbeeing is different from blogging.... yeah, I know there is no such word as `effbeeing', but I'd like to use it anyway. It is an alternative way of saying `FBing' or `facebooking', i.e. the action of spending time online on Facebook. Some of my friends even use the Malay version of `berfb' (pronounced ber-eff-bee), so go figure.
I'm sure many of you have read or heard stories of addiction to this latest online activity. It has been blamed for non-productive employee hours to the extent that some companies block the connection from their office computers. I am not quite an addict but I admit that I do spend time effbeeing because I like to be connected to friends. And thus the likely cause of me spending less time on blogging...
Blogging really appeals only to writers... because that is what it essentially is, putting thoughts, stories or ideas in the form of words onto paper, or in this case, on a computer screen. And since I consider myself a writer, I don't think I'll stop blogging any time soon. Only that my writing is now a bit sparse compared to when I first started... and to justify this, you'll expect me to say that it wasn't about quantity in the first place. Hehehe... excuses, excuses.. Actually though, there is a more valid reason why my frequency of writing has dropped of late... but I'll write about it a bit later, next year perhaps.
Ok back to this phenomenon of effbeeing... apparently there are more than 500 million users of Facebook today and the company is estimated to be worth USD35billion. Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of FB is the youngest ever billionaire. I recently watched the movie `The Social Network', about how it all started. Quite an interesting film actually, because it does not have the documentary style that I sort of expected. One lesson I remember from the movie is this : When it comes to money (especially when it is a lot of money), loyal friends can become enemies.
The question in my mind now is, after FB, what next? For those of us who grew up with computing from the days of punchcards, writing in BASIC and working with DOS, there have been many revolutions in the IT world. IBM, Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Windows, Internet, dotcom explosion, Yahoo and Google. Some have survived this far while some are now but distant memories. Will Facebook last or will there be another phenomenon after it?
Effbeeing is different from blogging.... yeah, I know there is no such word as `effbeeing', but I'd like to use it anyway. It is an alternative way of saying `FBing' or `facebooking', i.e. the action of spending time online on Facebook. Some of my friends even use the Malay version of `berfb' (pronounced ber-eff-bee), so go figure.
I'm sure many of you have read or heard stories of addiction to this latest online activity. It has been blamed for non-productive employee hours to the extent that some companies block the connection from their office computers. I am not quite an addict but I admit that I do spend time effbeeing because I like to be connected to friends. And thus the likely cause of me spending less time on blogging...
Blogging really appeals only to writers... because that is what it essentially is, putting thoughts, stories or ideas in the form of words onto paper, or in this case, on a computer screen. And since I consider myself a writer, I don't think I'll stop blogging any time soon. Only that my writing is now a bit sparse compared to when I first started... and to justify this, you'll expect me to say that it wasn't about quantity in the first place. Hehehe... excuses, excuses.. Actually though, there is a more valid reason why my frequency of writing has dropped of late... but I'll write about it a bit later, next year perhaps.
Ok back to this phenomenon of effbeeing... apparently there are more than 500 million users of Facebook today and the company is estimated to be worth USD35billion. Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of FB is the youngest ever billionaire. I recently watched the movie `The Social Network', about how it all started. Quite an interesting film actually, because it does not have the documentary style that I sort of expected. One lesson I remember from the movie is this : When it comes to money (especially when it is a lot of money), loyal friends can become enemies.
The question in my mind now is, after FB, what next? For those of us who grew up with computing from the days of punchcards, writing in BASIC and working with DOS, there have been many revolutions in the IT world. IBM, Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Windows, Internet, dotcom explosion, Yahoo and Google. Some have survived this far while some are now but distant memories. Will Facebook last or will there be another phenomenon after it?
Thursday 2 December 2010
Okay, that's fine too...
I read with interest the news in today's The Star Online about the government's offer to traffic offenders who have outstanding summons. A 50% discount is offered to those who pay up within the first half of this month. The offer then drops to 30% if the fines are paid in the second half of December. After that, there's no more mercy.
On the way home from work, BFM radio station invited telephone calls from listeners who wish to air their views on this matter. A number of those who phoned-in, disagreed with the discount offer primarily because they believe it will make traffic offenders more complacent. Some even suggested that the fines should be increased, otherwise we would never see a reduction in our accident statistics.
We can argue about this issue both ways but personally for me at the present moment, I am all for the discount offer... and I am sure all of you can guess why. I have two outstanding summonses to my name, amounting to RM450. Half of that amount is not an insignificant value by any means of measurement. While I appreciate the reduction, it does not mean that I condone traffic offenders. I seriously believe the reckless drivers should be penalised heavily and this discount offer apparently does not apply to those in that category.
In my case, both my summonses apply to speeding but my gripe is that they occured so long ago and I never received any written notice from the police. The first offence was recorded as happening in 2005 while the second one presumably took place in 2007. I never had any trouble renewing my road tax from 2005 until this year... and that's a 5-year period. I only knew I had unsettled summonses after registering with the MyEG portal two months ago.
The police are probably right about those occassions they caught me speeding and probably I deserve to be fined. But what I am not quite satisfied about is the time and method they took to issue the summons. Actually, if I had not registered at MyEG, I wouldn't have known about it. It shows a lack of urgency on their part for not following up on an offence that was committed five years ago. Alternatively, we can argue that speeding offences are not a priority on the police list and therefore not serious.
Anyway, everything is fine now... I'll just settle half of my fine and then I'll be fine.
On the way home from work, BFM radio station invited telephone calls from listeners who wish to air their views on this matter. A number of those who phoned-in, disagreed with the discount offer primarily because they believe it will make traffic offenders more complacent. Some even suggested that the fines should be increased, otherwise we would never see a reduction in our accident statistics.
We can argue about this issue both ways but personally for me at the present moment, I am all for the discount offer... and I am sure all of you can guess why. I have two outstanding summonses to my name, amounting to RM450. Half of that amount is not an insignificant value by any means of measurement. While I appreciate the reduction, it does not mean that I condone traffic offenders. I seriously believe the reckless drivers should be penalised heavily and this discount offer apparently does not apply to those in that category.
In my case, both my summonses apply to speeding but my gripe is that they occured so long ago and I never received any written notice from the police. The first offence was recorded as happening in 2005 while the second one presumably took place in 2007. I never had any trouble renewing my road tax from 2005 until this year... and that's a 5-year period. I only knew I had unsettled summonses after registering with the MyEG portal two months ago.
The police are probably right about those occassions they caught me speeding and probably I deserve to be fined. But what I am not quite satisfied about is the time and method they took to issue the summons. Actually, if I had not registered at MyEG, I wouldn't have known about it. It shows a lack of urgency on their part for not following up on an offence that was committed five years ago. Alternatively, we can argue that speeding offences are not a priority on the police list and therefore not serious.
Anyway, everything is fine now... I'll just settle half of my fine and then I'll be fine.
Sunday 4 July 2010
The influence of numbers
I first became part of the workforce in September 1984 after graduation. Six months later I decided to buy my first car because having my own transport was an essential part of my job and the organization that I worked in offered staff loans at a very attractive rate.
After deciding on the make of car that I wanted, a 1.5litre Mazda 323 hatchback, I went to the Road Transport Department to see if I could book a nice registration number. On the RTD's notice board was a list of new registration numbers on offer... of course the really nice ones (the ones with only 3 digits and those containing the number 8) were mostly taken up. But I knew there would be some that would still be available, especially those that include the number 4. Most Chinese individuals (and probably some Malay folks too) would avoid this number because in the Cantonese dialect it sounds the same as the word for `die' or `death'. In other words, not so lucky laa...
I ended up booking the registration number JBJ 4400 and paid only RM200 for it. Four-four-zero-zero... die twice and end up being nothing... twice. How's that for tempting fate?
Over the years, I enjoyed driving the car very much. It was nifty and had reasonable acceleration power, or to use the common local term, got good `pick-up'. Some people call the 323 as Tarzan's car.... tree to tree, get it? It was my trusty companion on all the outstation trips to visit project sites. Before the days of toll highways, I was a regular traveller on the old JB - Air Hitam road of the Federal Route 1. This stretch is famous for notorious road accidents and I chalked up thousands of kilometres on this route on my trips from Johor Bahru to Batu Pahat or Muar or Segamat and back, mostly without incident. I say `mostly'... because there were a few near-misses, very near misses.
That Mazda however, did get involved in a few accidents... two of which were serious because the car had to spend quite some time in the workshop for repairs. But these accidents I consider as not my fault because on both occasions, my car was hit from behind. After 4 years of trusty service, I decided to sell my car... not because I felt unlucky with it, but because I thought it was time for me to upgrade to a bigger one.
So, do certain numbers have influence on our lives? Many people think they do. While Chinese dislike the number 4, some people of western cultures have a phobia on the number 13. In the particular apartment complex where I now stay, there is not a 4th floor or even a 14th floor. The elevator buttons show Floor 3A and Floor 13A. I would assume, a similar high-storey building in the west, may possibly substitute Floor 12A for Floor 13. I was told that on certain airlines there is no row of seats numbered 13.
If there is belief that some numbers bring misfortune, there would of course be belief in some numbers that carry good luck. In Chinese culture, 8 is such a number. It is thought to bring prosperity. Some property owners go out of their way to try effect the favourable fortune that such a number is believed to bring.
One such example is the Swiss Garden Resort Hotel in Kuantan. We stayed there during our holidays in December last year. The hotel rooms are numbered with 4 digits starting with the numeral 8. This does not mean that the hotel has 8 floors (it only has 3) or it has more than eight thousand rooms. It's just the hotel owner's belief that having room numbers starting with 8 would be good for his business and maybe good for his customers as well.
While many people do not believe in the influence of numbers on their fate, most people do have certain numbers that they consider to be favourite. The legendary Malay film-maker P. Ramlee is known to like the number 3. Madu Tiga and Tiga Abdul are two of his popular movies. His Bujang Lapok series of films show the adventures of three comical bachelors.
So, do you have a favourite number?
After deciding on the make of car that I wanted, a 1.5litre Mazda 323 hatchback, I went to the Road Transport Department to see if I could book a nice registration number. On the RTD's notice board was a list of new registration numbers on offer... of course the really nice ones (the ones with only 3 digits and those containing the number 8) were mostly taken up. But I knew there would be some that would still be available, especially those that include the number 4. Most Chinese individuals (and probably some Malay folks too) would avoid this number because in the Cantonese dialect it sounds the same as the word for `die' or `death'. In other words, not so lucky laa...
I ended up booking the registration number JBJ 4400 and paid only RM200 for it. Four-four-zero-zero... die twice and end up being nothing... twice. How's that for tempting fate?
Over the years, I enjoyed driving the car very much. It was nifty and had reasonable acceleration power, or to use the common local term, got good `pick-up'. Some people call the 323 as Tarzan's car.... tree to tree, get it? It was my trusty companion on all the outstation trips to visit project sites. Before the days of toll highways, I was a regular traveller on the old JB - Air Hitam road of the Federal Route 1. This stretch is famous for notorious road accidents and I chalked up thousands of kilometres on this route on my trips from Johor Bahru to Batu Pahat or Muar or Segamat and back, mostly without incident. I say `mostly'... because there were a few near-misses, very near misses.
That Mazda however, did get involved in a few accidents... two of which were serious because the car had to spend quite some time in the workshop for repairs. But these accidents I consider as not my fault because on both occasions, my car was hit from behind. After 4 years of trusty service, I decided to sell my car... not because I felt unlucky with it, but because I thought it was time for me to upgrade to a bigger one.
If there is belief that some numbers bring misfortune, there would of course be belief in some numbers that carry good luck. In Chinese culture, 8 is such a number. It is thought to bring prosperity. Some property owners go out of their way to try effect the favourable fortune that such a number is believed to bring.
While many people do not believe in the influence of numbers on their fate, most people do have certain numbers that they consider to be favourite. The legendary Malay film-maker P. Ramlee is known to like the number 3. Madu Tiga and Tiga Abdul are two of his popular movies. His Bujang Lapok series of films show the adventures of three comical bachelors.
So, do you have a favourite number?
Monday 26 April 2010
Faster than CNN
In an earlier post in late February this year, I wrote about the updates posted by my nieces who are connected to me in Facebook, and about how I try to keep such news as private as possible. Even to the extent of feigning surprise when my wife tells me something that I'd already read online, as if I am the last person to know.
Well, today I reversed the process... and the effect is exactly as what I expected.
It is one of my niece's birthday today (Sunday 25 April 2010) and I dropped by her FB profile to post a birthday message on her wall. While there, I spotted an exchange of messages between my niece and some of her friends (or possibly, staff) about the rumour of a job transfer to Sabah. I later mentioned to my wife that it is the niece's special day today, and that she may want to send a congratulatory sms to the birthday girl. I also casually mentioned that the young lady may be re-posted to Sabah.
My wife was surprised and immediately texted the girl's mother. The girl's mother was doubly surprised when she texted back that she didn't know anything about this. My wife shot a look at me and asked how I know something even the girl's mother doesn't know. Well, maybe daughters don't tell their mothers everything, I said.
No... can't be! Not this niece, says the wife, with a firm shake of the head. So, go ask the young lady herself, I said.
A quick flurry of sms exchanges took place between aunt, niece and niece's mother. Finally the young lady clarified that the news of the job transfer is just office gossip... I can almost hear the sigh of relief from the mother (apparently she doesn't want the daughter to work too far away).
To my lovely niece Aliah... sorry if this old uncle of yours caused you a bit of bother by forwarding a piece of unconfirmed news. But if you do actually get that transfer, don't decline... grab the chance for a new working experience. At least then, we can find a strong reason to travel to Sabah, a place that we've been longing to go to.
By the way, Happy Birthday (yang ke berapa, ek?). May today and the next 364 days be filled with joy and good tidings.
Well, today I reversed the process... and the effect is exactly as what I expected.
It is one of my niece's birthday today (Sunday 25 April 2010) and I dropped by her FB profile to post a birthday message on her wall. While there, I spotted an exchange of messages between my niece and some of her friends (or possibly, staff) about the rumour of a job transfer to Sabah. I later mentioned to my wife that it is the niece's special day today, and that she may want to send a congratulatory sms to the birthday girl. I also casually mentioned that the young lady may be re-posted to Sabah.
My wife was surprised and immediately texted the girl's mother. The girl's mother was doubly surprised when she texted back that she didn't know anything about this. My wife shot a look at me and asked how I know something even the girl's mother doesn't know. Well, maybe daughters don't tell their mothers everything, I said.
No... can't be! Not this niece, says the wife, with a firm shake of the head. So, go ask the young lady herself, I said.
A quick flurry of sms exchanges took place between aunt, niece and niece's mother. Finally the young lady clarified that the news of the job transfer is just office gossip... I can almost hear the sigh of relief from the mother (apparently she doesn't want the daughter to work too far away).
To my lovely niece Aliah... sorry if this old uncle of yours caused you a bit of bother by forwarding a piece of unconfirmed news. But if you do actually get that transfer, don't decline... grab the chance for a new working experience. At least then, we can find a strong reason to travel to Sabah, a place that we've been longing to go to.
By the way, Happy Birthday (yang ke berapa, ek?). May today and the next 364 days be filled with joy and good tidings.
Birthday girl is the one on the left. This pic taken eons ago and lifted from someone's FB album.
Thursday 22 April 2010
Pirates of the carribean
Two nights ago, I had dinner with my son at Mali's Corner in Setapak, the place that serves tasty char kuey teow. While having our meal, we were repeatedly bothered by salesmen peddling pirated DVDs. Even after declining one salesman, another guy would come by a few minutes later, pushing the same stuff. I have noticed that this a normal sales tactic at most other popular makan places in KL, especially the open-air 24-hours mamak restaurants. You don't find such DVD peddlars in JB.
Out of curiosity, I asked how much a DVD cost. The reply : Biasa la boss, RM8 saje...
Heck, that's double of what I can get in JB... yes, pirated DVDs retail for only RM4 in Johor Bahru. KL folks don't seem to mind the higher price, because judging from the way these peddlars are thriving, there must be a good market for the discs.
And this has got me wondering about a business opportunity... if I buy some of these movie discs in JB for RM4 each, bring them to KL and sell them at RM6, I can undercut the sellers here by RM2 and still make the same amount in profit. That's a 50% profit, my friend! I don't have to worry about the overhead costs because I travel to and fro KL-JB every week anyway. What I do have to worry about is probably getting beaten up by the syndicates running these operations in KL.
Well... just a thought.
Talking about movies, I went out to watch one at a cineplex last night because the boredom at a lonely bachelor's pad was killing me. I had read a posting from blogger matahari the day before and decided to see Kick Ass. She gave a 5-star rating for this movie and after watching it yesterday, I must say I concur.
The movie has violence (torture, guns, knives, swords and even a bazooka) and vulgarity (cursing and swearing). Exactly the type of film you wouldn't want to bring your daughter to see... and yet the heroine in this picture is a gun-toting, knife-throwing sweet young girl who I'd love to have as my daughter.
And another thing... when do you actually get to see Nicholas Cage act in a gun-blazing movie but yet not get the top billing? Bizzare.
Kick Ass is a good movie to watch if you are pissed off about problems at work, pissed off at someone or generally in a pissed-off mood. Forget about logic and reality for a while... watch this movie about unlikely superheroes and enjoy.
Out of curiosity, I asked how much a DVD cost. The reply : Biasa la boss, RM8 saje...Heck, that's double of what I can get in JB... yes, pirated DVDs retail for only RM4 in Johor Bahru. KL folks don't seem to mind the higher price, because judging from the way these peddlars are thriving, there must be a good market for the discs.
And this has got me wondering about a business opportunity... if I buy some of these movie discs in JB for RM4 each, bring them to KL and sell them at RM6, I can undercut the sellers here by RM2 and still make the same amount in profit. That's a 50% profit, my friend! I don't have to worry about the overhead costs because I travel to and fro KL-JB every week anyway. What I do have to worry about is probably getting beaten up by the syndicates running these operations in KL.
Well... just a thought.
Talking about movies, I went out to watch one at a cineplex last night because the boredom at a lonely bachelor's pad was killing me. I had read a posting from blogger matahari the day before and decided to see Kick Ass. She gave a 5-star rating for this movie and after watching it yesterday, I must say I concur.
And another thing... when do you actually get to see Nicholas Cage act in a gun-blazing movie but yet not get the top billing? Bizzare.
Kick Ass is a good movie to watch if you are pissed off about problems at work, pissed off at someone or generally in a pissed-off mood. Forget about logic and reality for a while... watch this movie about unlikely superheroes and enjoy.
Sunday 22 November 2009
Double meanings
I noticed today on Astro TV that the popular local cartoon programme Upin & Ipin has made the transition to English medium and would be aired on The Disney Channel soon. It is quite encouraging to note that a homemade production is progressing to the international stage. But what has an animation series got to do with today's post? I'll get back to that towards the end of this piece. (Image borrowed from Upin & Ipin official website.)There are many words in everyday use that carry double or even multiple meanings. The English language contain many such words and I guess it is not necessary for me to give examples... but I'd like to anyway. Words like `wind', `set', `pass', `can', `blue', `surf' and `virus' all have multiple meanings. Some of these meanings are closely related but some refer to entirely different things altogether. No wonder many non-native speakers of English find the language confusing.
Take this other example I heard mentioned over a local radio station the other day, where a listener called in to tell the story of his wife withdrawing money at an ATM for the first time. Upon dispensing the cash, the machine asked, `Would you like a payment advice?'. The lady became puzzled and rang up the husband to ask, `Kenapa mesin ATM ni nak bagi saya nasihat...' Lol!
Like any other language, Malay or Bahasa Melayu is also not without its share of double-meaning words.
When I entered boarding school and met students from other parts of the country, I realised that my command and understanding of my own mother tongue is quite limited. I was surprised when a boy from the next room came over and wanted to borrow my `cebok'. All the while, I have understood the word to mean the act of cleaning oneself after doing the `big business' in the toilet. On that day, I learned that the word also means the container that is used to scoop water, which I would call as `gayung'.
`Ketayap' is another word that has two definitions ; a skull-cap worn mostly by elderly Malay men or a type of Malay cake similar to a rolled pancake.
Bahasa Indonesia, while sharing the same root as Bahasa Malaysia, also contain many words that carry a different meaning. `Bisa' in Indonesia means `can' (as in able to do) but in Malaysia it is `poison'. But perhaps nothing can match the stark difference in meaning of the word `butuh'.
Right... now to explain the link of Upin & Ipin that I mentioned at the beginning of this post. This popular animation series about young twin brothers is produced by a firm known as Les' Copaque Production Sdn Bhd. The name of this production company is a play on the phrase of `last kopek', local Malay-English slang meaning the last bit of anything (last effort, last chance, last piece etc.) How this slang came about is unclear but I use it quite freely in daily conversation.
Some years back, I was having lunch at a nasi campur stall with a female colleague who's from Kedah. When I saw the final piece of ikan pari bakar on the plate, I said, `Oh, nasib baik. Ada lagi last kopek ikan pari.'
This prompted my colleague to remark, `Uish! Apa ni sebut pasai kopek!'
Me : `Kenapa?'
Friend : `Hang tau tak apa makna kopek tu?'
Me : `Tau la... kopek tu kan satu perbuatan. Macam kopek buah durian ke, kopek kelapa ke...'
Friend : `Betui la tu... tapi kopek pun ada makna lain. Pasai buah jugak... buah yang ada pada orang pompuan.'
Oops! How was I to know that the word also meant a certain part of the female anatomy? Only then the scary stories of the hantu kopek that catches naughty kids and hide them under her huge mammary glands sort of make sense. I now have to be wary how I use this phrase, especially in front of ladies.
The producers of Upin & Ipin are smart enough to modify their company's name to a French-sounding one. Otherwise they could have run into trouble with sensitive women from Malaysia's northern states.
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Nak potong ke tidak?
When we received our Telekom bill for this month, my wife noticed that the Streamyx broadband charge has increased to RM88 from the previous RM77. When she went to TMpoint to pay the bill, she asked them about it. She was told that the previous charges we paid were based on an introductory offer when we signed up for the service two years ago. Apparently, the rate was valid for the initial two-year contract only and we now have to pay the increased charge if we wish to remain in the same package. We have the option to switch to a cheaper package but the connection speed would be slower.
My wife mentioned to the TM staff that they should have at least sent us a note informing of the increase. Simply inserting a new charge in our bill is quite unprofessional. The staff was gracious enough to admit that it is one of TM's weakness and promise to take note of our feedback.
My first reaction to this increase was to look at other options of Internet Service Providers. The one that immediately came to mind was of course, P1 Wimax, whose cheeky TV and billboard advert is drawing a lot of attention (to those asking for the ad to be withdrawn, I have this to say... lighten up! Have a sense of humour!).
I therefore browsed their website to see what they have on offer. Before considering any of the P1 packages, I have first to check whether my residence is within their area of coverage. The result is No (or not yet, anyway). Nonetheless, I had a look at the cost of the various packages available. For the equivalent service that I'm presently getting from TM Net, the Wimax package is slightly more expensive. In addition to that, I would have to cough up a registration fee of RM100 and another RM60 for activation fee.
All in all, looks like Streamyx is still cheaper. So... tak jadilah nak potong.
I wonder if any blogger friends out there are already subscribed to Wimax. Putting the costs considerations aside, is the Wimax connection better? Would love to hear from you on this.
My wife mentioned to the TM staff that they should have at least sent us a note informing of the increase. Simply inserting a new charge in our bill is quite unprofessional. The staff was gracious enough to admit that it is one of TM's weakness and promise to take note of our feedback.
My first reaction to this increase was to look at other options of Internet Service Providers. The one that immediately came to mind was of course, P1 Wimax, whose cheeky TV and billboard advert is drawing a lot of attention (to those asking for the ad to be withdrawn, I have this to say... lighten up! Have a sense of humour!).
I therefore browsed their website to see what they have on offer. Before considering any of the P1 packages, I have first to check whether my residence is within their area of coverage. The result is No (or not yet, anyway). Nonetheless, I had a look at the cost of the various packages available. For the equivalent service that I'm presently getting from TM Net, the Wimax package is slightly more expensive. In addition to that, I would have to cough up a registration fee of RM100 and another RM60 for activation fee.
All in all, looks like Streamyx is still cheaper. So... tak jadilah nak potong.
I wonder if any blogger friends out there are already subscribed to Wimax. Putting the costs considerations aside, is the Wimax connection better? Would love to hear from you on this.
Wednesday 28 October 2009
The need to know
Sometime last week a friend from Kuala Lumpur rang me up to ask for a favour. I couldn't directly do what he asked but I can try get help from someone else. So I said, let me check with someone and I'll get back to you.
Called my brother on his mobile but there was no answer. Called wife at home to ask if she has my brother's house number (I know she has, because wife and sis-in-law always chit-chat). Yes? Okay, sms me the number.
Called brother's house. Sis-in-law picks up. Surprised to hear my voice. I ask for her husband. Not home yet she says. Usually home by 9pm. Does not answer his mobile because he's probably still offshore. Anything important? Nah, I said... will call back around 9.
Just about to leave the office at 7pm when brother returns call on my mobile. Need your help, I said, to do this and this.
Brother : Urgent?
Me : Preferably tonight or latest by tomorrow lunchtime.
Brother : Hmm... should be possible. Let me check and I'll call you back.
15 minutes later, brother texted me, saying that favour has been done. Thanks, I texted back. Also texted my KL friend, everything settled.
I reach home. Wife asks why I wanted brother's home number.
Me : Couldn't get him on his mobile. So I need to try his home.
Wife : Was it urgent?
Me : Not so.
Wife : So you called him at home?
Me : Yes, but sis-in-law answered.
Wife : Why did you want to call him?
Me : To ask him to do something.
Wife : To do what?
Me : To do this and this...
Wife : Why?
Me : Because a friend from KL asked for my help.
Wife : Why did your friend need you to do that?
Me (already pissed off by now) : I don't know why! I'm just helping a friend!
Wife starts to sulk. Spoils the rest of the evening.
A few days later, met up with my brother at his house. Apparently, when he got home that night, he also faced a barrage of questions from his wife. Why did big brother call you? Was it urgent? To do what? Why did he ask you to do that?
The interrogation also ended with the terse response of, `I don't know why! I'm just helping out my brother!'
Women... always need to know down to the finest detail. Here's a tip for you ladies, if your husband gives short, sharp replies to your questions, then better stop being curious and don't push it. There's no need for you to know everything.
Called my brother on his mobile but there was no answer. Called wife at home to ask if she has my brother's house number (I know she has, because wife and sis-in-law always chit-chat). Yes? Okay, sms me the number.
Called brother's house. Sis-in-law picks up. Surprised to hear my voice. I ask for her husband. Not home yet she says. Usually home by 9pm. Does not answer his mobile because he's probably still offshore. Anything important? Nah, I said... will call back around 9.
Just about to leave the office at 7pm when brother returns call on my mobile. Need your help, I said, to do this and this.
Brother : Urgent?
Me : Preferably tonight or latest by tomorrow lunchtime.
Brother : Hmm... should be possible. Let me check and I'll call you back.
15 minutes later, brother texted me, saying that favour has been done. Thanks, I texted back. Also texted my KL friend, everything settled.
I reach home. Wife asks why I wanted brother's home number.
Me : Couldn't get him on his mobile. So I need to try his home.
Wife : Was it urgent?
Me : Not so.
Wife : So you called him at home?
Me : Yes, but sis-in-law answered.
Wife : Why did you want to call him?
Me : To ask him to do something.
Wife : To do what?
Me : To do this and this...
Wife : Why?
Me : Because a friend from KL asked for my help.
Wife : Why did your friend need you to do that?
Me (already pissed off by now) : I don't know why! I'm just helping a friend!
Wife starts to sulk. Spoils the rest of the evening.
A few days later, met up with my brother at his house. Apparently, when he got home that night, he also faced a barrage of questions from his wife. Why did big brother call you? Was it urgent? To do what? Why did he ask you to do that?
The interrogation also ended with the terse response of, `I don't know why! I'm just helping out my brother!'
Women... always need to know down to the finest detail. Here's a tip for you ladies, if your husband gives short, sharp replies to your questions, then better stop being curious and don't push it. There's no need for you to know everything.
Wednesday 24 June 2009
If all else fails, then just direct-translate
Language is a wonderful living thing. Everyday new words come into existence while some existing words evolve new meanings.
The bulk of new words of course, comes from the area of technology. When I was a student, the words `cyberspace', `blogosphere' or even` email' did not exist. Hardware would refer to tools and building materials. There wasn't anything called software yet. Those days, they were called computer programs... the set of instructions written in code that tell the computer exactly what to do.
The rapid development of information technology gave birth to so many new words and terminologies. The speed of such advancement made it hard for the Malay language to keep up. Translators of English technical terms into Malay had a tough time. It is more often easier to make direct translations rather than create new Malay words. Words like disket and e-mel are immediately understood as compared to translations that use existing Malay words.
I remember some years ago reading in the daily Singapore Malay newspaper, the Malay word `softwe'. The proper translation of this word is now `perisian'. I can understand why this translation is chosen because the root word of `perisian' is `isi', meaning `content'. The logic of this being that software is the thing inside the computer that makes it run. Close enough.
`Hardware' is translated as `perkakasan'. Acceptable, I guess... unless you prefer `alatan keras'.
A word that I frequently use nowadays is `softcopy' (or perhaps, more correctly spelt as `soft-copy'). I don't think there's a Malay translation yet.
The world of IT is not the only contributor to new Malay words. There are many words being used by today's younger generation that I never heard when I was a child. When I heard my son first use the word `poyo', I asked him what he meant.
`Poyo tu poyo lah abah... takkan tu pun abah tak tahu,' he replied. I can guess what it means but the word is not in any Malay dictionary. Other new and interesting Malay words that I hear nowadays are `otai' and (my personal favourite) `skodeng'.
What actually prompted me to put up this post is something I saw at Tesco Hypermarket last Sunday. We were having lunch at the foodcourt before doing our shopping. As I collected my plate of fried rice from one of the foodstalls, I noted that the girl did not give me any spoon. When I asked her for it, she pointed to another section of the foodcourt marked `Kutleri'. This word is of course, a direct translation from the English `cutlery', meaning the implements that we use in having our meal... namely forks, spoons and knives. There is no equivalent of this collective noun in Malay... so I guess `kutleri' would have to do.
I have checked both my Kamus Dewan and its online version... `kutleri' does not officially exist yet. I have no doubt most Malaysians would know what the word means although I'm sure there are those of the older generation who would be puzzled. Nonetheless, as the norm goes for all new words, frequent and popular use would soon make it acceptable.
Perhaps one day, it would not sound awkward when I mention to a colleague that, `aku dah e-mel salinan lembut artikel blog itu kepada kau semalam.'
The bulk of new words of course, comes from the area of technology. When I was a student, the words `cyberspace', `blogosphere' or even` email' did not exist. Hardware would refer to tools and building materials. There wasn't anything called software yet. Those days, they were called computer programs... the set of instructions written in code that tell the computer exactly what to do.
The rapid development of information technology gave birth to so many new words and terminologies. The speed of such advancement made it hard for the Malay language to keep up. Translators of English technical terms into Malay had a tough time. It is more often easier to make direct translations rather than create new Malay words. Words like disket and e-mel are immediately understood as compared to translations that use existing Malay words.
I remember some years ago reading in the daily Singapore Malay newspaper, the Malay word `softwe'. The proper translation of this word is now `perisian'. I can understand why this translation is chosen because the root word of `perisian' is `isi', meaning `content'. The logic of this being that software is the thing inside the computer that makes it run. Close enough.
`Hardware' is translated as `perkakasan'. Acceptable, I guess... unless you prefer `alatan keras'.
A word that I frequently use nowadays is `softcopy' (or perhaps, more correctly spelt as `soft-copy'). I don't think there's a Malay translation yet.
The world of IT is not the only contributor to new Malay words. There are many words being used by today's younger generation that I never heard when I was a child. When I heard my son first use the word `poyo', I asked him what he meant.
`Poyo tu poyo lah abah... takkan tu pun abah tak tahu,' he replied. I can guess what it means but the word is not in any Malay dictionary. Other new and interesting Malay words that I hear nowadays are `otai' and (my personal favourite) `skodeng'.
What actually prompted me to put up this post is something I saw at Tesco Hypermarket last Sunday. We were having lunch at the foodcourt before doing our shopping. As I collected my plate of fried rice from one of the foodstalls, I noted that the girl did not give me any spoon. When I asked her for it, she pointed to another section of the foodcourt marked `Kutleri'. This word is of course, a direct translation from the English `cutlery', meaning the implements that we use in having our meal... namely forks, spoons and knives. There is no equivalent of this collective noun in Malay... so I guess `kutleri' would have to do.
I have checked both my Kamus Dewan and its online version... `kutleri' does not officially exist yet. I have no doubt most Malaysians would know what the word means although I'm sure there are those of the older generation who would be puzzled. Nonetheless, as the norm goes for all new words, frequent and popular use would soon make it acceptable.
Perhaps one day, it would not sound awkward when I mention to a colleague that, `aku dah e-mel salinan lembut artikel blog itu kepada kau semalam.'
Friday 15 May 2009
Let's have a beer
This phrase may soon be spoken by local Muslim men (or women, for that matter) without much apprehension, in the same league of that other popular sentence, `Jom kita pekena teh tarik.'
Alcohol-free beer from Iran is now available in Malaysia. The beer is called Istak and is brewed from the same grains (barley and malt) as normal beer except that there is no alcohol content because of no fermentation, or so it seems.
Yesterday's Harian Metro carried a report quoting En. Azizi Ahmad, the Executive Director of Malaysia Iran Corporation (the sole importer), that Muslims need not doubt the `halal-ness' of the drink. Apparently, some quarters of the general public have reservations on the legality of the drink from the Islamic standpoint because of the word `beer'. The controversy boils down to whether `no alcohol content' equates to `halal'. Read the full newspaper report -> here.
Looks like En. Azizi is facing his biggest challenge in marketing his product here in Malaysia... and that is the problem of perception. To many people, beer is an alcoholic product. It is part of a group of beverages that Muslims are prohibited from drinking. Even though it is alcohol-free, Istak is sold in bottles that look like any other normal beer bottle. Even the liquid looks like ordinary beer. So you cannot fault the average Muslim citizen to be a bit skeptical. The fact that it is manufactured in Iran, a very conservative Muslim country, does not help allay this doubt.
Alcohol-free beer has been around for a long time. I still remember a TV advertisement of such a drink when I was studying in the UK in the early eighties. Barbican - the alcohol-free lager, was the drink's name. But having doubts about Barbican is understandable. It is brewed in a normal brewery in England. And it is not targetted at the Muslim consumer anyway. Similarly, Guinness produces a malt drink with zero-alcohol content called Malta. It is not a popular drink among Muslims because it still carries the Guinness mark.
My next encounter with alcohol-free beer was in Cairo some years ago. Our Egyptian host took us out for dinner in one of those lovely floating restaurants that sail along the Nile River. For his drink, our host ordered something that came in a can that looked strikingly like beer. When he popped the can and poured the contents in a glass, it sure looked like beer, complete with froth. I was a bit surprised at first but later found out that it is a no-alcohol beer that is very popular in Egypt.
When I was posted in the United Arab Emirates, similar alcohol-free beer is sold widely in the supermarkets. It even occurred to me that if I could bring some of these drinks into Malaysia, I could probably make a fortune. That is, if I can surmount this perception problem. If you can recall, A & W had this same problem when they first introduced root beer.
The next question that comes to mind is probably, `How does it taste?'
Personally, I wouldn't know. I have not drank any beer, whether pseudo or the real thing. But according to some friends who have, the pseudo beer tastes nothing like the real one.
Who are the people who would want to buy and drink alcohol-free beer anyway? Muslims who have the hidden desire to drink beer but dare not cross the line by taking the real thing?
In the end, it all comes down to personal choice. We'll soon see if Istak becomes a popular drink in Malaysia.
Right... I'm knocking off from work now and would be meeting some friends for a drink. Perhaps I'll have a beer. Cheers!
Alcohol-free beer from Iran is now available in Malaysia. The beer is called Istak and is brewed from the same grains (barley and malt) as normal beer except that there is no alcohol content because of no fermentation, or so it seems.Yesterday's Harian Metro carried a report quoting En. Azizi Ahmad, the Executive Director of Malaysia Iran Corporation (the sole importer), that Muslims need not doubt the `halal-ness' of the drink. Apparently, some quarters of the general public have reservations on the legality of the drink from the Islamic standpoint because of the word `beer'. The controversy boils down to whether `no alcohol content' equates to `halal'. Read the full newspaper report -> here.
Looks like En. Azizi is facing his biggest challenge in marketing his product here in Malaysia... and that is the problem of perception. To many people, beer is an alcoholic product. It is part of a group of beverages that Muslims are prohibited from drinking. Even though it is alcohol-free, Istak is sold in bottles that look like any other normal beer bottle. Even the liquid looks like ordinary beer. So you cannot fault the average Muslim citizen to be a bit skeptical. The fact that it is manufactured in Iran, a very conservative Muslim country, does not help allay this doubt.
Alcohol-free beer has been around for a long time. I still remember a TV advertisement of such a drink when I was studying in the UK in the early eighties. Barbican - the alcohol-free lager, was the drink's name. But having doubts about Barbican is understandable. It is brewed in a normal brewery in England. And it is not targetted at the Muslim consumer anyway. Similarly, Guinness produces a malt drink with zero-alcohol content called Malta. It is not a popular drink among Muslims because it still carries the Guinness mark.
My next encounter with alcohol-free beer was in Cairo some years ago. Our Egyptian host took us out for dinner in one of those lovely floating restaurants that sail along the Nile River. For his drink, our host ordered something that came in a can that looked strikingly like beer. When he popped the can and poured the contents in a glass, it sure looked like beer, complete with froth. I was a bit surprised at first but later found out that it is a no-alcohol beer that is very popular in Egypt.When I was posted in the United Arab Emirates, similar alcohol-free beer is sold widely in the supermarkets. It even occurred to me that if I could bring some of these drinks into Malaysia, I could probably make a fortune. That is, if I can surmount this perception problem. If you can recall, A & W had this same problem when they first introduced root beer.
The next question that comes to mind is probably, `How does it taste?'
Personally, I wouldn't know. I have not drank any beer, whether pseudo or the real thing. But according to some friends who have, the pseudo beer tastes nothing like the real one.
Who are the people who would want to buy and drink alcohol-free beer anyway? Muslims who have the hidden desire to drink beer but dare not cross the line by taking the real thing?
In the end, it all comes down to personal choice. We'll soon see if Istak becomes a popular drink in Malaysia.
Right... I'm knocking off from work now and would be meeting some friends for a drink. Perhaps I'll have a beer. Cheers!
Monday 11 May 2009
How to behave in a committee
For those of us who work in big organisations, it is quite inevitable that we find ourselves to be a member of a committee. Committees are meant as a way for people from different sections to meet and work towards a common interest. It helps to bring out different ideas and opinions to be heard and shared. Committees also serve as an avenue to distribute workload.
The flip side to this is when the committee is made up of hard-headed individuals, decisions don't get made and work gets bogged down. It is even worse if the committee is led by an ineffective chairman. But the ineffective chairman is not as bad as the irresponsible one... the one that takes the credit when the committee does something good. When there's a cock-up, the members of the committee share the blame.
I've had my share of sitting in committees and sub-committees during the early years of my career. Nowadays I prefer to work as a lone ranger. Tough sometimes... but quick and efficient.
Here's a light-hearted look on this subject that I came across from one of my old files:
How to behave in a committee
Having served on various committees, I have drawn up a list of rules :-
1. Never arrive on time; this stamps you as a beginner.
2. Don’t say anything until the meeting is half over; this stamps you as wise.
3. Be as vague as possible; this avoids irritating the others.
4. When in doubt, suggest a sub-committee be appointed.
5. Be the first to move for adjournment; this will make you popular. It’s what everyone is waiting for.
Work hard and stay cool. Have a good week guys.
The flip side to this is when the committee is made up of hard-headed individuals, decisions don't get made and work gets bogged down. It is even worse if the committee is led by an ineffective chairman. But the ineffective chairman is not as bad as the irresponsible one... the one that takes the credit when the committee does something good. When there's a cock-up, the members of the committee share the blame.
I've had my share of sitting in committees and sub-committees during the early years of my career. Nowadays I prefer to work as a lone ranger. Tough sometimes... but quick and efficient.
Here's a light-hearted look on this subject that I came across from one of my old files:
How to behave in a committee
Having served on various committees, I have drawn up a list of rules :-
1. Never arrive on time; this stamps you as a beginner.
2. Don’t say anything until the meeting is half over; this stamps you as wise.
3. Be as vague as possible; this avoids irritating the others.
4. When in doubt, suggest a sub-committee be appointed.
5. Be the first to move for adjournment; this will make you popular. It’s what everyone is waiting for.
Work hard and stay cool. Have a good week guys.
Friday 8 May 2009
Hoax emails that continue to live on
If you are a citizen of cyberspace, you would surely have an email address. And when you have one, there is no escaping the situation of receiving chain and hoax emails that are forwarded from your friends or acquaintances.
Forwarded emails are not spam; they are messages from well-meaning friends who feel that the item being forwarded would be of use to you. These messages can be humourous, inspirational or informative in nature. They arrive at the sender's inbox as a forwarded message from somewhere else. Most of these types of messages have been forwarded so many times that their origin is no longer known. Among such messages are hoax emails that have been propagated for such a long time as to reach urban legend status.
I have touched on this subject of forwarded emails before in an earlier post -> here. I do not mind receiving forwarded emails from friends because they generally contain jokes, motivational articles and other informative stuff. In fact, I continue to forward some of the good ones too. But I am quite dismayed when friends forward me hoax emails (especially relating to get-rich-quick schemes) without thinking twice about the content they are passing on.
Today I received an email that falls into the hoax category. It is the one that claims that Ericsson would give free laptops to anyone who would forward the promotional email to 8 other persons that they know. This hoax has been circulating for about two years now. While the original email was text-based, this latest one is a jpeg graphic that includes a picture of a sleek laptop.
Click on it to read the full text. Just make sure you are not one who continue the forwarding, okay?
It is easy to see that the mail is not genuine. Firstly, Ericsson does not make laptops. Secondly, the T18 model mentioned is actually a mobile phone. An obsolete model at that. Furthermore, Ericsson no longer manufactures phones on their own; they do it together with Sony. Hence we have Sony-Ericsson. A simple google check reveals a number of websites that confirm the hoax.
I've sent a message back to my friend saying that he's been duped. I included a link to a website -> urbanlegends.about.com., just in case he needs further convincing. I also suggested he send a similar response to the guy who forwarded the mail to him in the first place (as it happens, another mutual friend).
These friends are educated and professional people. And yet, they can be influenced into doing something so absurd because of the temptation of easy money, or in this case, a free laptop. No wonder hoax emails will continue to circulate cyberspace...
Forwarded emails are not spam; they are messages from well-meaning friends who feel that the item being forwarded would be of use to you. These messages can be humourous, inspirational or informative in nature. They arrive at the sender's inbox as a forwarded message from somewhere else. Most of these types of messages have been forwarded so many times that their origin is no longer known. Among such messages are hoax emails that have been propagated for such a long time as to reach urban legend status.
I have touched on this subject of forwarded emails before in an earlier post -> here. I do not mind receiving forwarded emails from friends because they generally contain jokes, motivational articles and other informative stuff. In fact, I continue to forward some of the good ones too. But I am quite dismayed when friends forward me hoax emails (especially relating to get-rich-quick schemes) without thinking twice about the content they are passing on.
Today I received an email that falls into the hoax category. It is the one that claims that Ericsson would give free laptops to anyone who would forward the promotional email to 8 other persons that they know. This hoax has been circulating for about two years now. While the original email was text-based, this latest one is a jpeg graphic that includes a picture of a sleek laptop.Click on it to read the full text. Just make sure you are not one who continue the forwarding, okay?
It is easy to see that the mail is not genuine. Firstly, Ericsson does not make laptops. Secondly, the T18 model mentioned is actually a mobile phone. An obsolete model at that. Furthermore, Ericsson no longer manufactures phones on their own; they do it together with Sony. Hence we have Sony-Ericsson. A simple google check reveals a number of websites that confirm the hoax.
I've sent a message back to my friend saying that he's been duped. I included a link to a website -> urbanlegends.about.com., just in case he needs further convincing. I also suggested he send a similar response to the guy who forwarded the mail to him in the first place (as it happens, another mutual friend).
These friends are educated and professional people. And yet, they can be influenced into doing something so absurd because of the temptation of easy money, or in this case, a free laptop. No wonder hoax emails will continue to circulate cyberspace...
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Why do secretaries get a week?
Why is it that secretaries get a week when everyone else gets recognition only for a day? We have Mother's Day and we have Father's Day. We have Labour Day, Teacher's Day, Children's Day, Warrior's Day and a day for lovers called Valentine's Day. Even our planet gets only a single day... Earth Day. But secretaries get a week! They must surely be a special group of people to deserve that.
I am prompted to write about this topic after seeing the pictures that a friend posted on her Facebook profile of the Secretaries Week Luncheon she attended last week. She got to go to the one hosted by Siti Nurhaliza.... hmm, lucky girl.
I attended a similar function two years ago. It was the one hosted by Malaysia's most popular male singer with that certain aura... Mawi. The company decided to buy a full table as a treat for the four secretaries, some of the senior admin staff plus some section heads. Initially, I had declined to go because I was just back from overseas posting and had tons of work to catch up on. But the section head that was meant to attend had to go somewhere else. My own secretary was pleading for me to come along so that the ticket would not go to waste and so I finally relented (err... sexytary ni semua memang ada skill memujuk, boleh cair you...).
Truth be told, I actually feel a bit uneasy to be in a room full of young and middle-aged ladies who are clamouring for the attention of a single young man. Quite unnerving. When Mawi came down from the stage to mingle with the audience, the rush of the women trying to shake his hand and take photos with him was extraordinary.
Mawi co-hosted the show with the petite and dynamic Indonesian singer named Rossa. The cross-dressing Dee compered the event. Overall, it was quite an entertaining afternoon. I have to give it to Mawi... the guy can actually sing and interact with his audience.
Secretaries Week luncheon shows are not cheap. Whoever thought of this event sure got it right. The one that I went to was sold out. I reckon that it is no different this year, economic crisis notwithstanding. Secretaries Week create a sort of dilemma for the bosses. Buying a ticket for your secretary to attend a luncheon show is expensive but if you do not do it, you risk being considered a cheapskate who is ungrateful for the work she has done.
Personally, I think this Secretaries Week thingy is overrated. I would rather reward my secretary with a special treat by taking her out to lunch or dinner where we can have the free time to talk about anything and everything other than work. This however, is not an easy thing to do... if your wife has a jealous streak. Doubly difficult if your secretary is married to a husband with a suspicious nature. So what I've mentioned is actually not good advice... please do not follow it ;-)
I am prompted to write about this topic after seeing the pictures that a friend posted on her Facebook profile of the Secretaries Week Luncheon she attended last week. She got to go to the one hosted by Siti Nurhaliza.... hmm, lucky girl.
I attended a similar function two years ago. It was the one hosted by Malaysia's most popular male singer with that certain aura... Mawi. The company decided to buy a full table as a treat for the four secretaries, some of the senior admin staff plus some section heads. Initially, I had declined to go because I was just back from overseas posting and had tons of work to catch up on. But the section head that was meant to attend had to go somewhere else. My own secretary was pleading for me to come along so that the ticket would not go to waste and so I finally relented (err... sexytary ni semua memang ada skill memujuk, boleh cair you...).Truth be told, I actually feel a bit uneasy to be in a room full of young and middle-aged ladies who are clamouring for the attention of a single young man. Quite unnerving. When Mawi came down from the stage to mingle with the audience, the rush of the women trying to shake his hand and take photos with him was extraordinary.
Mawi co-hosted the show with the petite and dynamic Indonesian singer named Rossa. The cross-dressing Dee compered the event. Overall, it was quite an entertaining afternoon. I have to give it to Mawi... the guy can actually sing and interact with his audience.
Secretaries Week luncheon shows are not cheap. Whoever thought of this event sure got it right. The one that I went to was sold out. I reckon that it is no different this year, economic crisis notwithstanding. Secretaries Week create a sort of dilemma for the bosses. Buying a ticket for your secretary to attend a luncheon show is expensive but if you do not do it, you risk being considered a cheapskate who is ungrateful for the work she has done.
Personally, I think this Secretaries Week thingy is overrated. I would rather reward my secretary with a special treat by taking her out to lunch or dinner where we can have the free time to talk about anything and everything other than work. This however, is not an easy thing to do... if your wife has a jealous streak. Doubly difficult if your secretary is married to a husband with a suspicious nature. So what I've mentioned is actually not good advice... please do not follow it ;-)
Monday 30 March 2009
Something to ponder...
There's an article in today's The Star Online about a young man who has the ability to screen other people to see if they are under the influence of or being disturbed by djinns. You can read the full article -> here. But let's steer away from any more `cerita seram' for the moment.
Here's something lighthearted. I am copying here, my response to a Facebook tag that I received from my friend Zarinah Salleh early this month.
--------------------------
Paste the sentences into a note of your own, change to your answers, then tag me and ten other people.
1. My ex..... girlfriend was so HOT that she could melt butter just by looking at it. I’m kidding… there never was an ex-girlfriend.
2. Maybe I should... stop thinking of my procrastination problems and get off my butt and do something about it. Hmm… maybe after solve my other problems first.
3. I love... to read and relax.
4. People would say that I'm...... snobbish. Yeah, that’s the first impression that I give to most people.
5. I don't understand... calculus, the periodic table, electromagnetism, finite element analysis, deoxyribonucleic acid… and a host of other things. But I do understand women, though ;-)
6. When I wake up in the morning... I thank God that I’m still alive.
7. I lost... my virginity when I was … (crap, I can’t remember my wedding night. The wife is gonna be pissed!)
8. Life is full of... challenges. Some people have it easy while others are made to grind. For me, I’m about par for the course.
9. My past is... colourful. I’m putting the bits and pieces in written form. Hopefully, it will be an interesting read. Otherwise, who cares?
10. I get annoyed when... people jump queue. Impatient people are real jerks.
11. Parties are... those group or association of people who stand for election, who think they are the best person to lead, who claim to have the solutions to all the problems, who think that they are the only ones that are RIGHT and anybody else who are not in their party are WRONG. Ooops! I’m not answering this part correctly, am I?
12. I wish... can play the piano. Or at least, any other musical instrument. Luckily, I can sing not too badly, heheheh.
13. Dogs... are a man’s best friend. At least, that’s what I learnt in school. But now for me, a man’s best friend is a WOMAN.
14. Cats... are now straying into my compound and are becoming a bloody nuisance. They crap all over the place! I’ve tried chasing them out but they keep coming back.
15. Tomorrow... is a period in time when things that should’ve been done today, would maybe (I repeat, maybe) be carried out. I just love tomorrow! It’s a mystery!
16. I have a low tolerance... for stubbornly ignorant people.
17. If I had a million dollars… then I won’t tell you.
18. I'm totally terrified... (sorry, can’t think of a good one to answer this. Yes, I’m terrified of certain things, but I can’t think of something that I’m TOTALLY terrified of.)
So there you go, Zarinah. A bit more info about me that you wish to know :-) And I'm not tagging anybody. Tapi kalau ada sesiapa yg sudi... silakan.
Here's something lighthearted. I am copying here, my response to a Facebook tag that I received from my friend Zarinah Salleh early this month.
--------------------------
Paste the sentences into a note of your own, change to your answers, then tag me and ten other people.
1. My ex..... girlfriend was so HOT that she could melt butter just by looking at it. I’m kidding… there never was an ex-girlfriend.
2. Maybe I should... stop thinking of my procrastination problems and get off my butt and do something about it. Hmm… maybe after solve my other problems first.
3. I love... to read and relax.
4. People would say that I'm...... snobbish. Yeah, that’s the first impression that I give to most people.
5. I don't understand... calculus, the periodic table, electromagnetism, finite element analysis, deoxyribonucleic acid… and a host of other things. But I do understand women, though ;-)
6. When I wake up in the morning... I thank God that I’m still alive.
7. I lost... my virginity when I was … (crap, I can’t remember my wedding night. The wife is gonna be pissed!)
8. Life is full of... challenges. Some people have it easy while others are made to grind. For me, I’m about par for the course.
9. My past is... colourful. I’m putting the bits and pieces in written form. Hopefully, it will be an interesting read. Otherwise, who cares?
10. I get annoyed when... people jump queue. Impatient people are real jerks.
11. Parties are... those group or association of people who stand for election, who think they are the best person to lead, who claim to have the solutions to all the problems, who think that they are the only ones that are RIGHT and anybody else who are not in their party are WRONG. Ooops! I’m not answering this part correctly, am I?
12. I wish... can play the piano. Or at least, any other musical instrument. Luckily, I can sing not too badly, heheheh.
13. Dogs... are a man’s best friend. At least, that’s what I learnt in school. But now for me, a man’s best friend is a WOMAN.
14. Cats... are now straying into my compound and are becoming a bloody nuisance. They crap all over the place! I’ve tried chasing them out but they keep coming back.
15. Tomorrow... is a period in time when things that should’ve been done today, would maybe (I repeat, maybe) be carried out. I just love tomorrow! It’s a mystery!
16. I have a low tolerance... for stubbornly ignorant people.
17. If I had a million dollars… then I won’t tell you.
18. I'm totally terrified... (sorry, can’t think of a good one to answer this. Yes, I’m terrified of certain things, but I can’t think of something that I’m TOTALLY terrified of.)
So there you go, Zarinah. A bit more info about me that you wish to know :-) And I'm not tagging anybody. Tapi kalau ada sesiapa yg sudi... silakan.
Saturday 10 January 2009
A lady in a hurry
I frequently travel on the North-South Expressway for my trips to and from Kuala Lumpur. At certain stretches of the highway, I can turn into a speed demon but generally nowadays I have taken an easy and steady approach in driving. On certain days, the Seremban to KL stretch can have a heavy traffic flow, making high-speed driving a bit difficult anyway.
Earlier this evening, I was on my way back from KL to JB. The traffic leaving KL is heavy as expected. Even on the right-most lane (the fast lane), it was generally difficult to touch speeds above 120 km/h.
Somewhere around the Nilai area I noticed a Proton Waja behind me. Although there was no flashing of the high beam, I suspected the driver was in a bit of a hurry because the Waja was so close to my tail.
When there was a safe gap in the middle lane, I switched lanes to let the Waja pass. As the car passed me on the right, I was surprised to see a young Malay lady at the wheel with another Malay woman in the passenger seat. She tried to pick up speed but since the right lane was also heavy with traffic, she couldn't get too far ahead. After some time, there was a gap in the middle lane and she took the opportunity to switch lanes and started overtaking on the left. I spotted her doing this left overtaking move a few times and thought that she must either be brave or silly.
I then decided to chase her just to check out how fast she was going. She was really driving fast and it wasn't until a few kilometres before I could get right back on her tail. I managed to overtake her after she miscalculated the gap between the slower cars in one of her left-side overtaking manuevers. Pretty soon she right back on my tail and again I decided to let her pass so that I can take a pic. The photo shown below was taken at speeds of 160 - 170 km/h!
The traffic became lighter after we passed Senawang interchange. She then zoomed away in ultra-lightning speed... and I decided to let her ride free. No point tailing her anymore.
To the young lady driving a Proton Waja WJE 908, I hereby confirm that you are really a fast and perhaps a skillful driver. Those quick left-side overtaking moves must have surely given you a thrill. But don't do it too often, my dear... it is dangerous. You may not live to regret it.
Earlier this evening, I was on my way back from KL to JB. The traffic leaving KL is heavy as expected. Even on the right-most lane (the fast lane), it was generally difficult to touch speeds above 120 km/h.
Somewhere around the Nilai area I noticed a Proton Waja behind me. Although there was no flashing of the high beam, I suspected the driver was in a bit of a hurry because the Waja was so close to my tail.
When there was a safe gap in the middle lane, I switched lanes to let the Waja pass. As the car passed me on the right, I was surprised to see a young Malay lady at the wheel with another Malay woman in the passenger seat. She tried to pick up speed but since the right lane was also heavy with traffic, she couldn't get too far ahead. After some time, there was a gap in the middle lane and she took the opportunity to switch lanes and started overtaking on the left. I spotted her doing this left overtaking move a few times and thought that she must either be brave or silly.
I then decided to chase her just to check out how fast she was going. She was really driving fast and it wasn't until a few kilometres before I could get right back on her tail. I managed to overtake her after she miscalculated the gap between the slower cars in one of her left-side overtaking manuevers. Pretty soon she right back on my tail and again I decided to let her pass so that I can take a pic. The photo shown below was taken at speeds of 160 - 170 km/h!
The traffic became lighter after we passed Senawang interchange. She then zoomed away in ultra-lightning speed... and I decided to let her ride free. No point tailing her anymore.To the young lady driving a Proton Waja WJE 908, I hereby confirm that you are really a fast and perhaps a skillful driver. Those quick left-side overtaking moves must have surely given you a thrill. But don't do it too often, my dear... it is dangerous. You may not live to regret it.
Tuesday 7 October 2008
Some people really can't wait
If you were on the road during the last few days or so during the Aidilfitri holidays, it is most likely that you were caught in a traffic jam somehow, somewhere.
On the second day of hari raya, we traveled from Johor Bahru to Mersing, on the old Federal Route 3. We got stuck in a horrendous jam near Taman Saujana up to the junction of Kulai road, before Kota Tinggi town. It took us 45 minutes to move a distance of about 3.5 km. The design of the road junction at Taman Saujana also didn't help because two lanes from the secondary road merged with the single lane on the trunk road. Add to this, many drivers also used the road shoulder as an additional lane.... so you have four lanes of traffic squeezing into one. Classic bottleneck.
I simply can't understand why people overtake on the left using the road shoulder. Why can't these people have the patience to wait in line like the rest of us? There are even some drivers who `curi jalan' on the road shoulder of the other side and drive contra to the flow! Crazy jerks.
Whenever I see reckless people like these, I would remark to my kids, `Tengok tu. Dah tak tahan sangat nak buang air agaknya...' Except that the actual word I used for `buang air' is too crude to be printed.
After dishonest people, queue-jumpers are perhaps the type of people that I hate most.
On the second day of hari raya, we traveled from Johor Bahru to Mersing, on the old Federal Route 3. We got stuck in a horrendous jam near Taman Saujana up to the junction of Kulai road, before Kota Tinggi town. It took us 45 minutes to move a distance of about 3.5 km. The design of the road junction at Taman Saujana also didn't help because two lanes from the secondary road merged with the single lane on the trunk road. Add to this, many drivers also used the road shoulder as an additional lane.... so you have four lanes of traffic squeezing into one. Classic bottleneck.
I simply can't understand why people overtake on the left using the road shoulder. Why can't these people have the patience to wait in line like the rest of us? There are even some drivers who `curi jalan' on the road shoulder of the other side and drive contra to the flow! Crazy jerks.
Whenever I see reckless people like these, I would remark to my kids, `Tengok tu. Dah tak tahan sangat nak buang air agaknya...' Except that the actual word I used for `buang air' is too crude to be printed.After dishonest people, queue-jumpers are perhaps the type of people that I hate most.
Update 01 Dec 2021 : No security issues with this post
Wednesday 24 September 2008
Local version of an Indon song
Pencinta Wanita Versi Kelantan
I had previously heard the mp3 recording of the song Pencinta Wanita that was sung in Kelantanese dialect, but it was only until a few days ago that I saw the Youtube video after a friend, Shimdin Hashim, posted it on Facebook.
Shimdin also included the lyrics, if you fancy singing along.
The original song was a hit a few years back and sung by Irwansyah of Indonesia.
Tajuk Lagu : Minak ko ore tino (Pencinta Wanita versi Kelate...)
Di mano koh buleh cari cinto
Cinto sengoti dale hidok ambo
Lebih kure hok srupo dio
Semugo temu denga dio.....
Ambo toksey nok jangji ngan dio
Pasti sene hidok denge ambo
Biar dio sendiri yang raso
Betapo gilo nyo ko dio
Ambo meme minak ko ore tino
Tapi buke jenih boyo
Tok leh dok nok cari tino sokmo
Ambo cinto hanyo ko dio...
Ambo meme minak ko ore tino
Ore jughuh srupo dio
Ambo toksey doh pado laing so nyo
Hok dok cari dok berjumpo
Cinto ambo ternyato ambo nok hanyo lah dio
Ambo toksey nok jangji ngan dio
Pasti sene hidok denge ambo
Biar dio sendiri yang raso
Betapo gilo nyo ko dio..
Ambo meme minak ko ore tino
Tapi buke jenih boyo
Tok leh dok nok cari tino sokmo
Ambo cinto hanyo ko dio...dio
Ambo meme minak ko ore tino
Ore jughuh srupo dio
Ambo toksey doh pade laing so nyo
Hok dok cari dok berjumpo
Cinto ambo ternyato ambo nok hanyo lah dio
---------------------------------------------
Hmm.... do Kelantan guys really call their ladies `ore tino'?
Teman Tapi Mesra (macam-macam versi)
While we are at it, I'm reproducing here, the lyrics of another hit song from Indonesian group Ratu called Teman Tapi Mesra.
The first set is the original Indon version, followed by seven (7) Malaysian regional versions. Being a Johorean myself, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of most of the revised lyrics but I can somewhat sing along to the Ganu and Kedah wordings.
If you think the regional lyrics could be improved or corrected, feel free to drop a comment.
I've also inserted a Youtube video at the end but in the original Ratu version so that you can try to sing along with whatever versions that you wish. The vid, however, contains only a still pic... those Ratu girls are too hot to show at this time... ;-)
Teman Tapi Mesra - Ratu
VERSI ORIGINAL - INDON
(1)
Aku punya teman
Teman sepermainan
Ke mana ada dia selalu ada aku
Dia amat manis
Dan juga baik hati
Dia selalu ada waktu
Untuk membantuku
(2)
Namun aku bingung
Ketika dia bilang cinta
Dan dia juga katakan
Tuk ingin jadi kekasihku
Reff :
Cukuplah saja berteman denganku
Janganlah kau meminta lebih
Ku tak mungkin mencintaimu
Kita berteman saja
Teman tapi mesra
Aku memang suka pada dirimu
Namun aku ada yang punya
Lebih baik kita berteman
Kita berteman saja
Teman tapi mesra...
==================================
VERSI MALAYSIA
(I) VERSI GANU (TEMANG TAPI MESRA)
Aku ade temang
Temang sepemainang
Kat ane ade die sokmo ade aku
Die manih letieng
Hati die pong baik
Die sokmo ade mase
Nok tulong akuu
(2)
Tapi aku bengong
Mase die kabo nok kaseh
Pahtu die kate pulok
Nok jadi kaseh betol
Reff :
Aku kabo padang la kite kawang saje
Mung jangan mitok lebih2
Aku dok akang suke ke mungnye
Kite jadi kawang cukup ar
Kawang tapi kacip
Benonye aku suke gok ke mung
Tapi ade doh org chop aku
Baik kite kawang je
Kite saing doh la
Kawang tapi kacip molek
ke guane...
(II) VERSI KELATE (SAING TAPI MESRO)
kawe punyo saing
saing sepermaine
Kemano ado dio selalu ado kawe
Dio amak come
Dan jugo baik hati
Dio selalu ado waktu
Untuk tulong kawe
(2)
Namung kawe bengooww
Ketiko dio ghoyak cinto
De dio jugok ghoyak
Tuk ingin jadi gewe kawe
Reff :
Cukup lah sajow saing nge kawe
Jange demo mitok lebih
Kawe tok ser mengcintai demo
Kito bersaing sajo
saing tapi mesro
kawe meme berkene pado diri demo
Namun kawe ado gewe doh
Lebih baik kito bersaing sajo
Kito bersaing sajo
saing tapi mesro..
(III) VERSI JOWO (KONCO TAPI RAPET)
aku ono konco
konco sak mainan
nang endi ono de'e nang kunu lah ono aku
de'e ayu banget
kambek apik atine
de'e ono wa'e wetu
gawe rewang sama aku
(2)
GAWE aku mumet
wetu de'e ngomong CINTo
de'e jugak ngomongke
AREK djadikan endot'te
Reff :
djadi lah koncoku wa'e
ojo ku'e njalok SENG ORA ORA
ku orak iso MENCINTAI ku'e
Kito berkonco wae
konco TAPI RAPET
aku memang sukak karo de'e
tapi aku wes ono seng du'e
apik'e kito konco wa'e
Kito berkonco wa'e
konco tapi rapet
(IV) VERSI NOGORI (TOMAN TAPI MESRO)
den punyo toman
toman sepermainan
mano ado den selalu dio pun ado
Dio amek la lawa
Jugo baik hati
Dio selalu ado waktu
Untuk tolong den
(2)
Namun den bingung
tiko dio koba cinto
dio pun koba
nak jadi buah ati den
Reff :
Cukup lah yo betoman dongan den
janganlah ekau nak mintak lolobih
den tak nak ngan ekau pun
Kito betoman yo dah la
toman tampi mesro
den sobona'eh suko kek ekau
tampi den dah ado (laie lawa dr ekau)
Lobih baik la kito betoman yo
Kito bertoman ajo
toman tampi mesro..
(V) VERSI PAHANG (TEMAN TAPI MESRA)
Rodong Tapi Rasi
Koi ade rodong,
rodong sepermainan,
mana ade koi ade la dier skali.
Dia bapok la lawo,
baik hati ye juge,
dier slalu ader masa
untuk tolong koi.
(2)
Namun koi bingung,
menkala dier cakap cinte,
dier pun cakap nak jadi gir-pren koi
Reff:
Cukup ler berodong dengan koi
Usah ler mintok lelebih,
koi tak nok ngan awok pun,
kite berodong udah ler,
rodong tapi rasi.
Koi sebenornyer suka amat kat awok,
tapi koi dah ade yg lain,
maka itu la pasal,
kita berodong ajer,
rodong tapi rasi.......
nyanyi ikut slang Temerloh.
(VI) VERSI KEDAH (KAWAN TAPI RAPIT)
cheq ada kawan
kawan selalu dok main
tang mana ada cheq
tangtu mesti dia ada
dia segak sungguh
paihtu amat baguih
dia selalu ada masa
dok mai tulong cheq
(2)
yang dok buat cheq runsin
tang dia habaq ada hati kat cheq
dia habaq mai lagi
teringin nak buat cheq jadi marka dia
Reff:
dah la aihh takat berkawan dgn cheq
toksah hang dok gatai mintak lebih
cheq tak dak hati kat hang
kita kawan dah la no
kawan tapi rapit
cheq memang suka kawan dgn hang
tapi cheq dah ada marka dah la
kita kawan saja kan ka
kita berkawan dah la
kawan tapi rapit
(VII) VERSI SARAWAK (KAWAN TAPI RAPAT)
Aku berisik kawan
Kawan sama main gik kecik marek
Sine ada aku sia ada nya
Nya nang kacak
Nang bait ati juak
Nya nang selalu ada masa
Nulong aku
Yalah aku angol
Bila nya madah hal bergerek
Kakya nya madah
Nya ingin nak jadi gerek aku
Reff:
Cukuplah berkawan jak ngan aku
Iboh ko mintak lebih
Ku sik dapat nerimak kau
Kita kawan jak
Kawan tapi rapat
Aku nang suka ngan kau
Tapi aku dah ada gerek ku pun
Bagus kita duak kawan jak
Kita kawan jak la
Kawan tapi rapat
------------------------------
Update 26.10.2021 : The Youtube video of 'Minak ko ore tino', while still available online, has been unlinked. The video of 'Teman Tapi Mesra' by Ratu no longer exists.
I had previously heard the mp3 recording of the song Pencinta Wanita that was sung in Kelantanese dialect, but it was only until a few days ago that I saw the Youtube video after a friend, Shimdin Hashim, posted it on Facebook.
Shimdin also included the lyrics, if you fancy singing along.
The original song was a hit a few years back and sung by Irwansyah of Indonesia.
Tajuk Lagu : Minak ko ore tino (Pencinta Wanita versi Kelate...)
Di mano koh buleh cari cinto
Cinto sengoti dale hidok ambo
Lebih kure hok srupo dio
Semugo temu denga dio.....
Ambo toksey nok jangji ngan dio
Pasti sene hidok denge ambo
Biar dio sendiri yang raso
Betapo gilo nyo ko dio
Ambo meme minak ko ore tino
Tapi buke jenih boyo
Tok leh dok nok cari tino sokmo
Ambo cinto hanyo ko dio...
Ambo meme minak ko ore tino
Ore jughuh srupo dio
Ambo toksey doh pado laing so nyo
Hok dok cari dok berjumpo
Cinto ambo ternyato ambo nok hanyo lah dio
Ambo toksey nok jangji ngan dio
Pasti sene hidok denge ambo
Biar dio sendiri yang raso
Betapo gilo nyo ko dio..
Ambo meme minak ko ore tino
Tapi buke jenih boyo
Tok leh dok nok cari tino sokmo
Ambo cinto hanyo ko dio...dio
Ambo meme minak ko ore tino
Ore jughuh srupo dio
Ambo toksey doh pade laing so nyo
Hok dok cari dok berjumpo
Cinto ambo ternyato ambo nok hanyo lah dio
---------------------------------------------
Hmm.... do Kelantan guys really call their ladies `ore tino'?
Teman Tapi Mesra (macam-macam versi)
While we are at it, I'm reproducing here, the lyrics of another hit song from Indonesian group Ratu called Teman Tapi Mesra.
The first set is the original Indon version, followed by seven (7) Malaysian regional versions. Being a Johorean myself, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of most of the revised lyrics but I can somewhat sing along to the Ganu and Kedah wordings.
If you think the regional lyrics could be improved or corrected, feel free to drop a comment.
I've also inserted a Youtube video at the end but in the original Ratu version so that you can try to sing along with whatever versions that you wish. The vid, however, contains only a still pic... those Ratu girls are too hot to show at this time... ;-)
Teman Tapi Mesra - Ratu
VERSI ORIGINAL - INDON
(1)
Aku punya teman
Teman sepermainan
Ke mana ada dia selalu ada aku
Dia amat manis
Dan juga baik hati
Dia selalu ada waktu
Untuk membantuku
(2)
Namun aku bingung
Ketika dia bilang cinta
Dan dia juga katakan
Tuk ingin jadi kekasihku
Reff :
Cukuplah saja berteman denganku
Janganlah kau meminta lebih
Ku tak mungkin mencintaimu
Kita berteman saja
Teman tapi mesra
Aku memang suka pada dirimu
Namun aku ada yang punya
Lebih baik kita berteman
Kita berteman saja
Teman tapi mesra...
==================================
VERSI MALAYSIA
(I) VERSI GANU (TEMANG TAPI MESRA)
Aku ade temang
Temang sepemainang
Kat ane ade die sokmo ade aku
Die manih letieng
Hati die pong baik
Die sokmo ade mase
Nok tulong akuu
(2)
Tapi aku bengong
Mase die kabo nok kaseh
Pahtu die kate pulok
Nok jadi kaseh betol
Reff :
Aku kabo padang la kite kawang saje
Mung jangan mitok lebih2
Aku dok akang suke ke mungnye
Kite jadi kawang cukup ar
Kawang tapi kacip
Benonye aku suke gok ke mung
Tapi ade doh org chop aku
Baik kite kawang je
Kite saing doh la
Kawang tapi kacip molek
ke guane...
(II) VERSI KELATE (SAING TAPI MESRO)
kawe punyo saing
saing sepermaine
Kemano ado dio selalu ado kawe
Dio amak come
Dan jugo baik hati
Dio selalu ado waktu
Untuk tulong kawe
(2)
Namung kawe bengooww
Ketiko dio ghoyak cinto
De dio jugok ghoyak
Tuk ingin jadi gewe kawe
Reff :
Cukup lah sajow saing nge kawe
Jange demo mitok lebih
Kawe tok ser mengcintai demo
Kito bersaing sajo
saing tapi mesro
kawe meme berkene pado diri demo
Namun kawe ado gewe doh
Lebih baik kito bersaing sajo
Kito bersaing sajo
saing tapi mesro..
(III) VERSI JOWO (KONCO TAPI RAPET)
aku ono konco
konco sak mainan
nang endi ono de'e nang kunu lah ono aku
de'e ayu banget
kambek apik atine
de'e ono wa'e wetu
gawe rewang sama aku
(2)
GAWE aku mumet
wetu de'e ngomong CINTo
de'e jugak ngomongke
AREK djadikan endot'te
Reff :
djadi lah koncoku wa'e
ojo ku'e njalok SENG ORA ORA
ku orak iso MENCINTAI ku'e
Kito berkonco wae
konco TAPI RAPET
aku memang sukak karo de'e
tapi aku wes ono seng du'e
apik'e kito konco wa'e
Kito berkonco wa'e
konco tapi rapet
(IV) VERSI NOGORI (TOMAN TAPI MESRO)
den punyo toman
toman sepermainan
mano ado den selalu dio pun ado
Dio amek la lawa
Jugo baik hati
Dio selalu ado waktu
Untuk tolong den
(2)
Namun den bingung
tiko dio koba cinto
dio pun koba
nak jadi buah ati den
Reff :
Cukup lah yo betoman dongan den
janganlah ekau nak mintak lolobih
den tak nak ngan ekau pun
Kito betoman yo dah la
toman tampi mesro
den sobona'eh suko kek ekau
tampi den dah ado (laie lawa dr ekau)
Lobih baik la kito betoman yo
Kito bertoman ajo
toman tampi mesro..
(V) VERSI PAHANG (TEMAN TAPI MESRA)
Rodong Tapi Rasi
Koi ade rodong,
rodong sepermainan,
mana ade koi ade la dier skali.
Dia bapok la lawo,
baik hati ye juge,
dier slalu ader masa
untuk tolong koi.
(2)
Namun koi bingung,
menkala dier cakap cinte,
dier pun cakap nak jadi gir-pren koi
Reff:
Cukup ler berodong dengan koi
Usah ler mintok lelebih,
koi tak nok ngan awok pun,
kite berodong udah ler,
rodong tapi rasi.
Koi sebenornyer suka amat kat awok,
tapi koi dah ade yg lain,
maka itu la pasal,
kita berodong ajer,
rodong tapi rasi.......
nyanyi ikut slang Temerloh.
(VI) VERSI KEDAH (KAWAN TAPI RAPIT)
cheq ada kawan
kawan selalu dok main
tang mana ada cheq
tangtu mesti dia ada
dia segak sungguh
paihtu amat baguih
dia selalu ada masa
dok mai tulong cheq
(2)
yang dok buat cheq runsin
tang dia habaq ada hati kat cheq
dia habaq mai lagi
teringin nak buat cheq jadi marka dia
Reff:
dah la aihh takat berkawan dgn cheq
toksah hang dok gatai mintak lebih
cheq tak dak hati kat hang
kita kawan dah la no
kawan tapi rapit
cheq memang suka kawan dgn hang
tapi cheq dah ada marka dah la
kita kawan saja kan ka
kita berkawan dah la
kawan tapi rapit
(VII) VERSI SARAWAK (KAWAN TAPI RAPAT)
Aku berisik kawan
Kawan sama main gik kecik marek
Sine ada aku sia ada nya
Nya nang kacak
Nang bait ati juak
Nya nang selalu ada masa
Nulong aku
Yalah aku angol
Bila nya madah hal bergerek
Kakya nya madah
Nya ingin nak jadi gerek aku
Reff:
Cukuplah berkawan jak ngan aku
Iboh ko mintak lebih
Ku sik dapat nerimak kau
Kita kawan jak
Kawan tapi rapat
Aku nang suka ngan kau
Tapi aku dah ada gerek ku pun
Bagus kita duak kawan jak
Kita kawan jak la
Kawan tapi rapat
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Update 26.10.2021 : The Youtube video of 'Minak ko ore tino', while still available online, has been unlinked. The video of 'Teman Tapi Mesra' by Ratu no longer exists.
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