Get A Clue

I know nowadays people have less time for fun and games because of work and commitments, or they rather relax with their Playstation, X-Box and Wii(correct spelling?) in front of the TV . I used to be like that too, unless my younger cousin re-introduced me to… board games. Yes, board games. Yep, you guessed it, way back to Snakes ‘n’ Ladders and dices.

One board game in particular has always been my favourite and playing it with my cousins brought back such nostalgic memories of murder, motive and mayhem. The game is (cue the drum roll) Cluedo.

Originally published by the company Waddingtons in 1949 (it’s now published by Hasbro), Cluedo is a crime-mystery board game where the players have to find out after many rounds of accusations (1) Who is the killer, (2) Where was the murder committed, and (3) What weapon did the killer use. If anyone remembers a 1985 movie called Clue, yes, the movie was based on the board game. It’s a good movie, watch it if you have the time. Apparently, there were also television shows based on the game but I’ve never heard or seen one before. You can check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluedo for more info if you’re interested.

Anyway, back to the game. Back when I first played it, it was simple and fun. There are 6 characters; Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Mr Green, Mrs Peacock, Professor Plum and Mrs White. One of them killed a rich man, Mr Boddy (North America version) or Dr Black (UK version), and the players have to find out the suspect, weapon and room. Each player is allocated the same amount of cards which consist of the characters, the rooms and the weapons of the game. A random card from each of the characters, rooms and weapons are put in an envelope. This envelope holds the answer to the 3 questions above.

All you have to do is run your chosen character around the board, which is actually a floor plan of a mansion with different rooms such as Dining Room and Kitchen spaced across the board. As you enter any room, you are allowed to make an accusation, ‘I think Colonel Mustard killed Dr Black in the Study with a gun.’ The rest of the players will try to disprove your accusation by showing you a card of either the accused, the crime scene and the weapon. If nobody can prove you wrong, then you are allowed to look at the cards in the envelope. If you are right, you win. If not, you’re out of the game and the remaining players will continue on to solve the murder.

The 2008 version, which is the one I’m playing at the moment, has greatly evolved from the one I used to have. Cluedo still has the same lovable characters and if I’m not mistaken, there are more rooms in the newer version, but the way the game is played has changed. Now there is a stack of cards called the Intrigue cards that you can select throughout the game if you roll a ‘?’ or land on a box with a ‘?’. Stuck among the Intrigue cards are 8 time bombs. The person who pulled out the 8th time bomb card is automatically out of the game as he/she has been killed by the killer. The rest of the Intrigue cards are advantage cards such as ‘Take another turn” or ‘Add 6 to your dice roll’ or ‘You are allowed to see one random card from a player you have shown a card to’. There are also character cards, which have one individual power for each character. However, you can only use the power once in the entire game.

There may be other differences that I can’t think of right now but even though it has changed so much, I still find it a joy to play. At least, it gives my brain a work-out. The only problem I have is that Cluedo must be played by more than 2 people. The thing is only my younger cousin and I have time to play it and no one else wants to join in. Sob, sob, we’re so sad. Do you hear me, cousins, family and friends? Come join us in the crime world (hint hint).

Sigh, I wonder if there’s an online version that I can play. Hmm, something to search for. But seriously, try this game out at least once. If you enjoy watching CSI or love to watch the Crime Investigation channel, you'll definitely enjoy Cluedo.

Sisterly Love

Sometimes I wonder…

How deep is a sister’s love for her younger/older sister?

I don’t have a sister of my own, only a brother, so I wouldn’t really know how it feels like to have an older or younger sister. I tend to look at my cousins and my friends for some input on sister-relationship and, well, I don’t know if it’s the limited girls I know who have sisters or if all sisters are this way, but what I find is that sisters fight ALOT. And that the emotion involved between them is usually JEALOUSY.

Is it the difference in ages that spurs the many cat-fights? Is it the vying for attention from the parents?

I know not ALL sisters fight. I mean, take my mother and her three sisters. They don’t really fight, they just argue because of the difference in opinions and views, and they don’t go spreading rumours or talk about each other behind their backs. But some of the sisters I know do that, even though they’re blood-related and in the same family.

Take my good friend for instance. Her elder sister hates her. Truly, I’m not exaggerating. The rumours and untruths she told her mom about my friend created such a rift between them that her mom has disowned her, without even bothering to listen to my friend’s side of the story. What kind of sister is this? And apparently this is fueled by the sister’s paranoid feeling that the father loves my friend more. What’s the connection there? “Our dad loves you more so I’m going to take our mom away from you”?

Another pair of sisters I know are always fighting. The eldest has been picking fights non-stop with the youngest. Nothing the youngest sister say or do is right. I find it kinda weird if you can even berate your sister for using your towel. I mean, it’s a towel. Wash it and it’s clean all over again, and it’s not like you don’t have more than one towel.

The reason why I’m talking about sisters is because my father has a second wife, who gave birth to a girl. The girl, or perhaps I should say my step-sister, is about 11 years younger than me. Though we don’t hang out, we don’t talk and we hardly see each other, she seems to hate my guts.

Society always has this misconception that step-family hates each other. I don’t hate my step-sister (I hate my step-mother but that’s an entirely different thing), but maybe she hates me, I don’t know. My reaction to her is simply indifference. I accept the fact that she’s my father’s daughter and she’s considered a step-sister, but that is all. Other than that, I don’t know how to act with her (partly ‘coz she’s in that teenage angst period of her life, which is damn scary). Another part, which I’m not sure how true it is, could be perhaps of the stories her mother tells her of me and perhaps a mild jealousy of me since I am the first daughter from the first family.

Truth be told, though my dad wants us to mingle as a real family and take care of each other when he’s gone, I’m not sure if that can ever happen. The tension and the wariness is too strong between the two family of siblings. I wonder at how some step-families can get along with each other. I think that takes tremendous courage and open-mindedness. With my step-sister, I think we both still can’t get over the fact that each other exists so perhaps it’s best that we remain apart and aloof for the meantime. Time will tell if we ever get to relate with each other like some sisters or whether we’ll end up fighting and slandering each other like those sisters. Before that, I’ll just keep observing the sisters that I know so I can learn more about this weird relationship called ’sisterly love’. :)

Deja Vu (Bukit Antarabangsa)

To those who were old enough to remember, it was deja vu when news of the landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa spread out.

In the morning of December 6, 2008, (Saturday) at approximately 4 a.m., a landslide occurred in Bukit Antarabangsa, killing four people at the time of this post.

This landslide was about 1.5km from where one block of the Highland Towers condominium collapsed in 1993, which killed 48 people. I remember the incident as one of Malaysia's worst and tearful episodes.

This landslide brought up bad and sad memories of those we lost back in 1993 and we are thankful that the death rate is low this time around. But you must start to question, how long more are we going to keep facing landslides that destroys human lives and homes?

Finger-pointing blame has already started with the people pointing to the government who in turn points to those who are in charge of approving and testing hillside residential projects. Placing the blame is all good and well to make people feel better but it's not going to make things any better.

At this moment in time, The Star newspaper has reported that many who have been advised to evacuate their homes in areas of Bukit Antarabangsa have refused to move. Let's just home that those who remain won't face another landslide.

Spreading Your Wings

There comes a time in life when you feel the need to untie yourself from your mother's apron strings and spread your wings out to fly to freedom. Well, there are also those who don't ever feel the need but we're not getting into that.

Anyway, for the past one week, I have looked through countless property and room-for-rent websites as well as property magazines and classified ads just to get a feel of the rental rates and the rooms available. I can tell you right now I never knew it was so hard to do that. Anyone who has gone through the same experience as me would know just how much time it takes to sort through all the places, picking a few that struck your fancy, comparing prices and neighbourhoods, calculating the distance between your new home and work, and many, many, MANY other decisions.

The thing is, it all sounds exciting when you're thinking about moving out. But when you get further down the line, _after_ passing the thinking part and into the actual searching part, you'll find that it's a pretty serious decision. "Do you have enough money for rent" is the foremost question. You have to start planning your expenses to make sure there's enough for rent, food, utilities, petrol and any other necessities. For those who are not serious (or not desperate enough to live on their own), the thought of all that money, planning and organizing will put them off the idea of leaving home.

When you finally do make the decision on getting your own pad, there's the issue of getting the one that you want. Honestly, most real estate agents out there are only interested in one thing; their commission. There have been many stories, and I've experienced it once, of real estate agents who put up pictures of an apartment or house but when you make an appointment to view it, it turns out that the place is nothing at all like the images. And when you ask them, the answer is either, "Oh, that one got rented/sold so I thought I'll show you something else" or "Oh, sorry, I accidentally put up the wrong pictures." Be prepared to be plenty disappointed with many places and many agents as you go along on your quest for the perfect living place.

But seriously, finally getting your own place is definitely worth all the trouble you have to go through, even though you may have started out with a naive mind and a romantic idea of having a place of your own to do what you want and to decorate how you want.

To help you start, here are some questions you need to answer as you pick out your place:-
a) Landed property or apartment?
b) Buy or rent?
c) Are the quoted prices more than what you think the place is worth?
d) Do you have enough money to last you through your first year of living alone?
e) Is the neighbourhood to your liking i.e. cheap, quiet, close to work, close to convenience stores?
f) Can you stand to live with the current neighbours or roommates?
g) If you're living with roommates, are there adequate privacy for you?
h) Are there any security i.e. home guards, nearby police station?
i) Are there any convenient parking spaces for your vehicle?
j) Is the chosen area properly maintained i.e. smooth roads, cleanliness?
k) Is the chosen area easy to access i.e. limited traffic jams, confusing roads?

All these questions and more may sound daunting but think them through properly and everything will work out. Always, always, ask for advice from those who have bought or rented their own place and ask them for their honest opinion of your choice. But remember that the final decision is yours and yours alone so make sure that you are happy 'coz you're the one who'll be living there. :) Have fun.

Twilight Mania

Ok, I will admit that I, along with the thousands and millions across the world, have gone and watched Twilight, the movie based on the bestselling novel of the same name, Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1), by Stephenie Meyer. Now, the reason why I'm shyly admitting this fact is because Twilight is actually categorized under teen fiction, just like Harry Potter, but also just like Harry Potter, the book was so great that it transcended all ages.

Don't take this the wrong way but I am never a fan of something that is hugely popular. Let's take Titanic for instance. Everyone I know have watched it, whether in the cinema or DVD or HBO. Me, I still haven't sat down and watch the movie in full. Those who know that have exclaimed in disbelief and proceeded to describe to me in full detail why I must watch it.

Another example is Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Though at one point in time, I was selling the book and recommending it to my customers, I never felt any inclination to read it. I did watch the movie though but only 'coz Tom Hanks was acting in it. Now I can't wait for the continuation, Angels and Demons. :D

Last but definitely not least, is the Harry Potter mania. Mind you, I didn't start off as a Harry Potter fan. I was in Australia when the first movie came out and I was wondering why people of all ages were buying this red book with such a childish picture on it (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book of the series). It was only when my Malaysian friend dragged me to the cinema and insisted on paying my movie ticket did I finally understand the magic (pun intended) of Harry Potter.

But I'm getting away from my topic. So why is Twilight so successful? For the life of me, I don't understand.

Let's look at the movie since I haven't read the book. It was a good selection on the actors and actresses alike. Acting was good. The plot was good too. My only dislike of the movie is the fact that the evil vampire, James, died too easily. For a vampire who is considered to be deadly dangerous and a ruthless hunter, he's sure easy to catch and dispose off.

Another flaw is when Edward (the hero) ran up the hill with Bella (the heroine) when he decided to show her how he looks like in sunlight. No, he didn't burn or melt or scream in agony, he just...twinkles. In all the vampire books I've read, I've never came across a glittering vampire. No bling bling required for this bloodsucker. But the glitter wasn't the flaw I meant. It was the way Edward ran up the hill. It was so fake. I mean, yeah, you can't expect Robert Pattison, the actor who played Edward, to be able to run like a panther up a tree-covered hill but please, his legs weren't even moving in a true running form. Note to editor, please make his running more believable in the next movie. Yes, it is confirmed that the second installation to the Twilight saga, New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2), will be coming out.

Some people may have realized that overseas, especially in America, the marketing for Twilight was on full-blast. Trailers, posters, t-shirts, the works. But in Malaysia, there was only a trickle of what America experienced. The first poster for the movie was seen at One Utama's TGV, which only came up a few days before its opening on November 27, 2008 while GSC only put up the poster the day itself. It was frustrating to the fans in Malaysia who weren't even sure if the movie was going to be shown here. Then came the confusion of the viewer rating, which was PL-18 at first, causing woes, moans and outbursts from the younger fans, and was abruptly changed to PG-13 a day before the movie. Tsk, tsk, tsk, such incompetence from the Malaysian censorship board and cinema management.

The thing I don't fully understand is, out of all the vampire books in the world, why is Twilight garnering the most attention, the movie deal, the millions of world currencies? I admit that after reading about Stephenie Meyer, she does deserve this fame and popularity, but still why aren't the rest of the vampire novelists getting this kind of attention?

Back in my teen life (which was light years ago), I was fixated by L.J. Smith, who also wrote teen fiction in which the heroes are almost always vampires. Her Night World series was one that my cousin and I couldn't get enough of, and apparently after researching the net, there are others like me who loved the series as well. And like Stephenie Meyer, who developed many different characters complete with their history, L.J. Smith also has numerous characters, all of who had their own personal story written in their own personal book.

Altogether, there are currently nine books in the Night World series with the last book still unpublished since the 90s. Seeing the attention Stephenie Meyer is getting must have woken up the publisher of L.J. Smith as her Night World series have been compiled into 3 books and were republished this year as Night World No. 1: Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder (Night World), Night World No. 2: Dark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate (Night World) and Night World No. 3: Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight (Night World). I have to admit that I prefer the old book covers as you can really see the true image of the characters from each book. The final book was supposed to be out in fall 2008 but as usual, it has been delayed yet again. This has been the story over and over again since the last book was printed out. It makes one wonder whether L.J. Smith has gotten bored with the characters or whether she's having a very long writer's block.

Well, seeing that I have to endure more patience for the final volume of Night World and after listening to the raves and reviews of Twilight from my cousins, I may just head to the nearest bookstore and pick out the first book, just to see what all the fuss is about. And if I ever get converted to a Twilight fan...well, then it must be a great read. :D

By the way, the main song for the movie is awesome; Decode by Paramore. I like it so much that I even made a poster for the lyrics. Give it a listen. >D

To Keep Living - Monologue Story

*Please take this post with a pinch of salt. There may be no truth to it, there may be fact in it, but nothing is definitive in a story.

There comes a time in many people's life when they feel that they can't continue on living, when they feel that it is best to simply let go. Mine came a few months ago when I underwent surgery.

It was a minor operation, nothing to worry about. The nurses prepped me up and I was administered an anesthetic, nothing I wasn't used to from other earlier operations. What was different, though, was when I woke up.

In the past, whenever I woke up from surgery, the feeling was grogginess, distortion, basically like how Rip van Winkle would feel after all those years of sleeping. This time, however, before I even fully woke up, I remembered hearing the nurse coaxing me, talking to me. "You can't do this. Don't be like this."

I was confused, not being fully awake. It was a few seconds later when my brain finally caught on and I realized...I was crying.

There was no pain so there was no reason for tears. It was a minor operation so there were no emotions involved. It was only later when I realized why I was crying.

I didn't want to wake up.
I didn't want to wake up to this life ever again.

Aimlessly Wandering

Sometimes I wonder...

Why are there times in life when we feel at a lost? I don't mean the lost of someone, but the feeling of not knowing what to do, where to go, who you are. It's the feeling of aimlessness when you have no idea which direction to take.

When you really think about it, all our life, we have been taught, shown, even educated, on how life is suppose to be. From birth to school to work to family to God. It's like everything is so clear-cut.

But what if you don't want to go to school? Most parents think it's better to work for/under someone, but what if you want to run your own business, even if it's risky? What if you don't want to have children, let alone get married? What then?

For some people, they may never have experienced this before. For others, it might be just a bump on the road until they get hit by their true calling. For the select few, this indecisiveness, this lost-in-every-direction, may be an everyday occurrence.

How long does it take before you realize what you want to do with life? It seems as though once you reached a certain age, you're suppose to know what you're going to do and how long you're going to do it. Have you ever talked to some of those people who have everything in their life planned out? The reaction from them when they find out your life is totally unstable, a.k.a not what society expects, is mostly full of confusion and worry. "You're 26. You should be having a stable income and planning to be married." See what I mean about the clear-cut guide to life?

It's funny how those who do not conform to this guide are seen as failures or rebels. My young cousin told me a story about a guy who wanted to be a singer so much, he quit his job, took voice lessons and was endlessly criticized. But...he managed to put out an album. My friend is in his 30s but that didn't stop him from still pursuing his dream of becoming an actor.

When people hear the beginning of the stories, before the people in the stories became successful, they are full of scorn and disdain, and, forgive me for saying, this is extremely truthful among the adults, among those of the old decades.

It is so obvious that the generation of today and of the old are totally different. The current generation marry later, focuses more on career, are more open to risks and untraditional ideas. You'll find that they are more people now who are openly unhappy with their current state of life, who wishes to take a different route even if it means having their close and loved ones argue with their choice.

It's like that song 'Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)' by Baz Luhrmann, "Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't."

Maybe it's ok to feel lost once in a while. Maybe it's acceptable to not be one of the many sheep of life. Maybe, just maybe, feeling lost is absolutely normal. Maybe it's time to sit back and re-evaluate the life you're living now.

Oh, by the way, whenever you feel lost or sad or anything negative, it helps to listen to Baz Luhrmann's song. I totally recommend it.

UN's Best Poem of 2006

Sometimes wisdom comes from sources least expected, like this African kid, who wrote a simple yet insightful poem on racism, nominated by the UN as the best poem of 2006.

When I born, I black
When I grow up, I black
When I go in Sun, I black
When I scared, I black
When I sick, I black
And when I die, I still black

And you white fellow
When you born, you pink
When you grow up, you white
When you go in sun, you red
When you cold, you blue
When you scared, you yellow
When you sick, you green
And when you die, you gray

And you calling me colored?

Joke: The Onion and the Christmas Tree

It's nice to get a joke you haven't heard before and that makes you laugh out loud. And here's one to share with you that I got from my fun-loving uncle.

THE ONION AND THE CHRISTMAS TREE

The family is sitting at the dinner table. The son asks his father, "Dad, how many kinds of boobies are there?" The father, surprised, answers, "Well, son, there's three kinds of breasts. In her twenties, a woman's breasts are like melons, round & firm. In her thirties & forties, they are like pears, still nice, but hanging a bit. After fifty, they are like onions."

"Onions?"

"Yes, you see them, and they make you cry."

This infuriated his wife and daughter so the daughter says, "Mom, how many types of "willies" are there?" The mother, surprised, smiles and answers, "Well dear, a man goes through three phases. In his twenties, his willie is like an oak tree, mighty and hard... In his thirties & forties, it's like a birch tree, flexible but reliable. After his fifties, it is like a Christmas tree." 

"A Christmas tree??"

"Yes, dear, dead from the root up and the balls are for decoration only."

Haha!! (^O^) Haha!!

Fuel Price Hike

          Hmmmm.... I distinctly remember that I wrote a blog about an unexpected petrol price hike a while back, which was about a few months after Pak Lah mentioned that the government would not impose an increase in petrol prices for the year (oh, it was back in July 2005 and a few months before that, we had another petrol price increase). Now here we are again with yet another price increase of a human civilization necessity.

          Now, I'm not placing any blame on Pak Lah (God forbid me if I do) but you must wonder whether it's (a) some sort of government punishment to the rakyat for not backing up BN, (b) a sort of scheme to ensure more money is pumped to 'the worthy people' a.k.a. duit kotor lar, or (c) a setup for a global monopolization (for what or who, I have no clue so you figure that one out yourself). I mean, look at what the different sides are saying. Idris and Mukhriz claim there is no fuel shortage therefore a price hike should not occur, while the other side of the story is a certain country (really? A country?) is buying up tons of fuel, which is causing the hike.

          Now (I know, I use that word alot lately) it is of no use for us, the rakyat, to point the finger to our government and say 'Hey, it's your (point finger), your (point finger) and your (point yet another finger) fault'. It's like talking to God. You can say, scream, shout, angst all you want, but if God ain't listenin', you ain't gettin' nowhere. Sure, sure, the government should listen to the rakyat's woes. Sure, sure, without the rakyat, where would the government be. But you must remember, or register it into your head, the people with money, power and status are the ones who make the law; who say what goes and what doesn't; who make the world go round. As long as they are comfortable, what care could they possibly have for the rest, the unfortunates, the poor?

          Yes, it's harsh. And yes, it's a pessimistic way to look at life. But, yes, it is also a fact. No matter how deep you try to bury your head into the sand, it is a matter-of-fact truth. There are those of wealth and power who try their best to represent the rakyat, such as that wonderful woman my mom keeps talking about, but these people are but one fighting dolphin in a sea of preying piranhas. How long can their battle last? Or if you want to look at life all rosy and clean, you can always think that the government is listening to you but at this moment in time, their hands are tied. There, how's that? Feel better? :)

          Anyway, I'm straying from my point (don't I always?). With petrol costing us RM2.70 per liter, we need more alternatives for our transportation. Sorry to say but forget about our public transportation. Aside from our trains and LRTs, the rest of them are totally garbage. If it's not hours of delay and lack of standing space from our buses, it's the cut-throat fares from our taxis (yes, some of them DO overcharge). I got contacts to two really honest taxi-drivers if any of you need a cab. One of them has been with me since my primary school years and the other is always our choice when we need to go to the airport.

          One suggestion that is so obvious is carpooling. Just make sure that whoever you carpool with DO pay the petrol price when it's their turn. If not, just kick them out. The second suggestion is to walk more. If you're within distance to the area you want to go, just pick up your feet and walk. Oh, pleeeeeease don't bother with the pathetic whinings. "It's so hooot" or "I'll get blisters on my perfectly manicured toes" or worse, "It'll rain, and I might get all hot and sweaty, and then no guy/girl is going to find me attractive and I won't get laid for a week." Bla bla bla. Suck it up!! If walking is too unbelievably impossible for you, then the next best thing is a bicycle. Hmmm, or how about rollerblades?

          If you really need your car, being a travelling salesman and all, you might want to do what most other Malaysians are doing; converting to NGV, natural gas vehicle (visit ngv.com.my or ngv.net.my for more info). You get to travel, as they claim in their site, 200km with just RM10 (that was the claim before the price hike so it might be like, what, RM15 now?). Only one problem. The cylinder that they install in your car is huge. Be prepared to sacrifice your boot space in order to conserve your fuel. Oh, and yes, according to them you can use both natural gas and petrol even after conversion.

          For Mitsubishi cars, or USF-HICOM car owners, I've just talked to one of the staff there and he claims that next week, USF-HICOM is bringing in something that might be able to help conserve fuel for their cars. Once they bring it in, they will test it on their Mahindras and Mitsubishis to see just how well (or how bad) the thing works. Don't ask me what the thing is, I have no idea 'coz even he doesn't know about it in detail. I'll get back to it if I have more info, and if I feel like it, heehehe.

          As for the rebates, well, yeah, it may be good of the government to help out the rakyat in that way. But RM625 for each person, regardless of how far or near they travel? That's like giving a guy who has to constantly travel from one state to another the short end of a thorny stick, while someone who only travels 10mins a day to work gets the longer, smoother end. Someone they interviewed on the news about 3 days ago has this idea of giving rebate according to the distance they have to travel, which I think is much more fairer. My friend, on the other hand, included that the rebate should also look at the cars that the people are driving. If they can afford a first-hand Lexus, do they really need the RM625 rebate? Maybe that's why the rebate only applies to cars with 2.0 and less liter engines.

          But our government is right with one thing; it is time for Malaysians to change their lifestyle slightly. Try to save more, conserve more, recycle more, think more. If we have time to whine, we have time to think of solutions to better our predicament. And there's no better time to start than right...this...very...minute.