fotoblog: Limau Nipis oleh Nizam Zakaria

2007-04-23T09:49:00.000+08:00

Tari Tirana Audition @ Radius One - 1

Tari Tirana Audition @ Radius One - 2

Tari Tirana Audition @ Radius One - 3

Tari Tirana Audition @ Radius One - 4

Tari Tirana Audition @ Radius One - 5

Tari Tirana Audition @ Radius One - 6

Tari Tirana Audition @ Radius One - 7

Tari Tirana Audition @ Radius One - 8

I want to direct the Second Season of A.D.A.M. myself. I wonder if that is even conceivable at this point of time.

2007-04-20T09:15:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. Scene in the hospital - 1

A.D.A.M. Scene in the hospital - 2

A.D.A.M. Scene in the hospital - 3

Norman Hakim cracking up... He just can't keep a straight face.

A.D.A.M. Scene in the hospital - 4

I have to start doing cardio. I have a photoshoot soon for a magazine that will feature me as a writer (special photo feature – Malaysian Authors’ Wishes for Malaysia’s 50th Independence Day). I have to look fabulous.

I've almost forgotten that I'm a novelist. Damn... How can that be after all these years. Probably because now I'm doing plenty of TV.

And another thing... Insyallah, I'll be directing my first Telemovie - duly entitled 'Radio Gaga'. My producer is getting Fazura to act in the lead.

2007-04-19T14:42:00.000+08:00

Fizz Fairuz as Akmal in his flat - 1

Fizz Fairuz as Akmal in his flat - 2

Fizz Fairuz as Akmal in his flat - 3

Fizz Fairuz with his fans

I think my prayers will be answered soon. Sooner than I thought.

Here's Episod 3, Scene 1, Second Season of A.D.A.M.

--snip

01 – INT - PUSAT FUTSAL – SIANG

Azhar masuk ke dalam pusat futsal. Dia memandang ke arah sekelilingnya. Dia nampak keliru.

Dia bertembung dengan Kamarul. Terus bertanyakan Kamarul soalan ini,

KAMARUL

Dik, boleh tumpang tanya?

AZHAR

Apa dia bang?

AZHAR

Akmal ada kerja kat sini, kan?

KAMARUL

Akmal, ada.

AZHAR

Dia ada di sini sekarang?

KAMARUL

(Menudingkan jarinya)

Ada... Kat sebelah hujung sana, kalau tak salah.

Azhar menjengahkan kepalanya. Dia mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Kamarul sebelum dia berjalan ke arah Akmal.

Dia berjalan beberapa tapak ke hadapan.

M.S. kepada wajah Kamarul dengan Azhar di background sebelah kanannya.

Kamarul menoleh ke arah belakang, Azhar begitu juga. Wajah mereka bertentangan buat seketika sebelum;

Handphone Kamarul berbunyi. Kamarul terus menjawab Handphonenya itu.

KAMARUL

Ya mak... (Pause) Nanti orang hantar lah skuter orang tu pergi servis... (Pause) Ya, tengahari nanti orang pergi. Ya. Ya... (Pause) Mak, orang tengah kerja lah ni... (Pause) Okay, orang makan nanti... (Pause) bye!

CUT TO:

2007-04-17T15:43:00.000+08:00

In Akmal's Room - 3

In Akmal's Room - 4

I want to direct my own TV show. So God... Listen. I want to be a director. Writing is just not enough for me. I want to be something that I've always wanted to do since I was a kid - I want to be a director. I'm saying this because I want to see my ideas translate to screen the way I want them to be.

So please pray with me.

Here's Episode 2, Scene 6, Season 2 of A.D.A.M.

--snip

06 (03) – INT. RUMAH ZERRY – SIANG

Rina mengetuk pintu bilik Zerry.

RINA

Zerry…

Zerry terus membuka pintu. Dia menjenguk dari dalam biliknya.

Mak Zerry terus menolak pintu bilik Zerry.

Zerry terjatuh.

RAHMAH

Dah kenapa dengan kau ni Zerry? Dah buang tebiat ke?

Zerry tidak menjawab. Dia meraba-raba rambutnya yang tersalah potong tu.

ZERRY

Tak ada apa-apa lah mak... Zerry ikut perkembangan fesyen rambut terbaru.

RAFIDAH

Ye lah tu!

Zerry menyepetkan matanya ke arah Rafidah.

ZERRY

Kalau kau tak sibuk, tak boleh kan?

RAHMAH

Dah... Jangan nak gaduh-gaduh pulak! (Rahmah menggelengkan kepalanya) Zerry, oh Zerry. Mak tak tahu apa nak buat dengan kau lagi dah. Anak orang lain makin besar makin baik perangainya, kau tidak. Makin tak betul mak tengok.

ZERRY

Alah mak... Rilek lah.

RAFIDAH
Mak... Suruh abang Hafiz betulkan rambut dia balik.

ZERRY

(Mencemikkan mukanya)

Haiyoh! Perlu ke?

FLASHBACKe

Tunjukkan kononnya rambut Zerry dipotong Hafiz masa dia mula-mula nak belajar potong rambut.

Zerry tak nampak rambutnya dipotong ikut style apa. Begitu juga penonton.

Lepas tu Hafiz bagi cermin.

HAFIZ

Kaedahnya, Zeery... Ni lah fesyen rambut terbaru dari Hong Kong. Okay tak? Avant-gard, katanya...

Zerry menjerit. Tunjukkan rambut dia over habis. (Pakai wig lah kot)

END OF FLASHBACK

RAFIDAH

Masa dia gunting rambut abang macam ah-beng dia baru nak belajar gunting rambut lah… Sekarang dia dah pro dah.

ZERRY

Ye lah tu!

RAHMAH

Rina… Temankan Zerry pergi potong rambut dia tu.

Rafidah dan Rahmah menoleh ke arah Rina untuk menunggu jawapan darinya.

ZERRY (O.S.)

Mak, tolonglah! Janganlah macam ni! Jangan macam ni lah!

Wajah Rina serba salah… Kalau boleh dia tak nak keluar dengan Zerry. Dia memandang ke arah jam tangannya.

MATCH CUT TO:

07 – INT. SALON HAFIZ DI BUKIT BINTANG – SIANG

Terus match cut kepada wajah Zerry menunggu rambutnya itu dipotong.

C.S. ZERRY

ZERRY

(Kepada dirinya sendiri)

Kenapa sampai boleh jadi macam ni!!!

C.S. RINA

Rina berdiri di tepi Zerry. Kita dapat melihatnya berpeluk tubuh. Kebosanan.

Hafiz pula kini dapat dilihat di belakang Zerry. Dia mengeluarkan guntingnya.

ZERRY

Bang... Tak nak style yang bukan-bukan, boleh tak?

HAFIZ

Style bukan-bukan apa pulak ni?

Rina membuat isyarat menyuruhnya diam. Cara dia buat isyarat pun nampak atitude sangat. Ala-ala Beyonce katanya.

Zerry ingin berdiri, nak lari kononnya. Hafiz terus menggunakan jarinya lalu tekan tiga titik di leher Zerry. Terus Zerry tak boleh bergerak.

FREEZE FRAME

SFX: LAGU KUNG FU

SUPER: Teknik Akupuntur Kung Fu Tiga Titik Katanya™

08 – INT. SALON HAFIZ DI BUKIT BINTANG – MONTAGE – SIANG

Tunjukan transformasi Zerry dipotong rambutnya oleh Hafiz.

Kalau boleh buat kelakar. Ada adegan bergelut dengan Hafiz sebab dia takut rambutnya dipotong. Dia nak berdiri lari. Tapi kepalanya kaku lagi lah, katanya...

Akhirnya ada dua orang tukang gunting pegang dia kuat-kuat macam nak cabut gigi.

Ada adegan mata masuk shampoo. Tapi Zerry takleh buat apa-apa sebab dia keras macam patung. Hafiz pulak dok sibuk berbual dengan Rina.

Adegan Hafiz tunjukkan kepada Zerry shaver Gillete – kononnya suruh dia shave jambang dia tu.

Akhir sekali kita dapat melihat perubahan pada diri Zerry. A total makeover.

Zerry nampak hensem. Hafiz kembalikan Zerry kepada keadaan normal…

CUT TO:

2007-04-16T09:35:00.000+08:00

In Akmal's Room - 1

In Akmal's Room - 2

Watched Sunshine and Hannibal Rising last weekend. Went clubbing at La Queen as a slut that I am. Went to Istana Budaya yesterday to watch UiTM student perform REM. Gave out a few cards to the girls but not the boys. The girls seems to stand out, not the boys.

2007-04-13T08:41:00.000+08:00

Fizz Fairuz and Farish Aziz as roommates in A.D.A.M. - 1

Fizz Fairuz and Farish Aziz as roommates in A.D.A.M. - 2

Fizz Fairuz and Farish Aziz as roommates in A.D.A.M. - 3

Fizz Fairuz and Farish Aziz as roommates in A.D.A.M. - 4

Fizz Fairuz and Farish Aziz as roommates in A.D.A.M. - 5

Fizz Fairuz and Farish Aziz as roommates in A.D.A.M. - 6

with Farish Aziz as Saiful

Marshall Cavendish's Malay Editor told me that my next novel. Seri Tertangguh is too long. The novel is going to be thick. He asked my to cut out a few chapters. I said no. Let the book look thick. Let the book cost a little bit more. I told him that it will sell - confidently. But deep inside, I know it won't. People just don't read this sort of book. The market is rather specific and niche. That goes with my TV series, I think. A.D.A.M. is not about pretty female leads bickering off from episode 1-13. It's not romantic. It's not about seeing UMNOputraesque Malays in big cars and big houses. In spite of me, I still hold on to my believe that I will only write stories that I want to read and watch on TV.

Marshall Cavendish's English Editor already contacted me yesterday. I guess I can start writing drafts for my collection of horror stories. I want to propose that instead of writing a collection of short stories, I'll write a full length English novel. I know it is ambitious of me to propose this to my publisher, but what the heck.

2007-04-12T09:43:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 10

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 11

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 12

with Farish Aziz as Saiful

With Farish Aziz as Saiful at Bandar Tasik Permaisuri (more photos to come, tomorrow. So watch this space!)

Yesterday, I went to the location of A.D.A.M. at Bandar Tasik Permaisuri. Farish Aziz and Fizz Fairuz were there. I talked to Farish and told him that he'll be getting a bigger role in Season 2. I told him that the character is a very interesting character. A brooding type of character, almost melancholic. Whenever you see him, you think he should be on valium.

2007-04-11T14:38:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 4

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 5

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 6

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 7

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 8

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 9

I was told by Haris from Global Station that the folks at Global Station enjoyed watching the first four episodes of A.D.A.M. The same thing was said about A.D.A.M. when my Production Manager, Azuar watched the edited clips.

--

This is the excerpt from Episode 2, Scene 2, Season 2 of A.D.A.M.

02 – EXT. – PUSAT FUTSAL - PAGI

Kamarul bawa sebuah skuter yang stylo lalu meletakkannya ke tepi. Skuter ini skuter kepunyaannya.

Dia tengok skuter dia dari tepi. Kemudian dia kesat bahagian skuternya yang difikirkannya kotor. Dia sayang skuternya ini.

Kemudian Akmal tiba-tiba enterframe.

Akmal tergelak tengok cara Kamarul sayang kepada skuternya ini.

AKMAL

Kalau kau ada awek, kau rasa kau akan jaga ke awek kau macam kau jaga skuter kau ni?

KAMARUL

Entah... Aku tak pernah ada awek.

AKMAL

Muka jambu macam kau ni pun tak pernah ada awek ke?

KAMARUL

Aku tak nak fikirkan pasal tu semua lah...

AKMAL

Kenapa? Semua orang dok sibuk cari awek kau lain pula... Apa kau ni—

KAMARUL

Aku nak jaga mak aku lah..

AKMAL

Alah, semua orang pun ada mak... Tak kan lah sebab kau nak jaga mak kau, kau tak napsu nak ada awek kot!

KAMARUL

Aku sayangkan mak aku... Kau tahu tak bapak aku meninggal dunia bila mak aku mengandung aku enam bulan... (Pause) Tak ada orang pun tolong dia bila dia besarkan aku dulu. Jadi sekarang, giliran aku pula untuk jaga dia.

AKMAL

Alahai... Bagusnya mak kau ada anak macam kau, kan?

KAMARUL

Aku jadi macam ni pun sebab dia jaga aku dengan betul... Cuba dia tak jaga aku dengan betul... Aku dah jadi mat rempit agaknya.

AKMAL

(Tergelak sinis)

Hek elleh! Kau jadi mat rempit? Pirrah!

KAMARUL

Apa, aku tak ada tokoh jadi mat rempit ke?

AKMAL

Tak ada langsung!

FLASHBACK

Tunjukkan cara si Kamarul bawak motor dia. Perlahan, ada budak bawak basikal pun lagi laju. Bila nak membelok, dia mesti signal pakai tangan segala. Buat macam style TV Pendidikan... Memang dia ni penunggang motor mithali.

END OF FLASHBACK

AKMAL (CONT’D)

Kalau orang macam kau jadi mat rempit... Selamat agaknya jalan rasa kat Malaysia ni.

Kamarul mencebik. Dia terus mengelap cermin skuternya.

CUT TO:

2007-04-10T09:21:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 1

Norman Hakim when he was interviewed by the folks from Rentak Karya

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 2

He was asked about his attempt to act in a comedy drama serial...

A.D.A.M. @ Azli and Madi's apartment - 3

Yes, he did promote A.D.A.M.

A magazine publication is going to promote A.D.A.M., but I don't know which one. My Production Manager asked my for synopses, but he still haven't come back to me with the publication's e-mail address.

--

Here's Scene 8, from Ep. 1 of Season 2; A.D.A.M.

08 – PEJABAT SAIFUL – SIANG

Saiful berdiri di hadapan mesin fotostat. Dia ada beberapa ratus keping kertas kerja yang perlu disalinnya. Kita dapat melihat dia staple beberapa keping kertas.

Saiful termenung.

CUT TO:

FLASHBACK

Kita dapat melihat Saiful sedang pergi membeli belah dengan ibunya. Dia nampak mesra dengan ibunya itu. Mereka sedang berada di sebuah farmasi.

(Gunakan sebuah farmasi yang kononnya berada di Kuala Pilah. Sebab Saiful ni berasal dari Kuala Pilah)

Product placement untuk Gillete boleh dilakukan di sini, dengan Saiful ingin membeli shaver disposible.

Kemudian dia menoleh ke tepi. Dia dapat melihat Adman (masa ni dia tak kenal Adman lagi!) sedang mengambil shaver Gillete. Adman nampak kacak. Dia nak jadi macam Adman... Kemas dan kacak.

Adman tak mengendahkannya. Adman tak kenal dengannya.

Saiful meletak balik shaver disposible yang dia nak beli tadi. Dia gantikan dengan shaver Gillete.

Mak Saiful mendapatkan Saiful. Dia beli shampoo Rejoice. Dia suruh Saiful beratur.

Adman merenung ke arah Mak si Saiful ni dengan pandangan yang tajam. Dia macam nampak hantu.

Kemudian Adman memandang ke arah Saiful.

Saiful selesai membayar apa yang hendak dibelinya. Dia dan ibunya berjalan ke depan.

Saiful menoleh ke belakang. Dia dapat melihat Adman cepat-cepat keluar dari kedai farmasi.

Saiful curiga dengan Adman. Dia mengajak ibunya berjalan cepat-cepat.

Saiful berdiri di hadapan sebuah perhentian bas bersama ibunya.

Dia dapati Adman sedang berdiri di jalan bertentangan. Mata Adman terus ke arah Saiful.

END OF FLASHBACK

CUT TO:

Saiful tersedar dari lamunannya. Dia menoleh ke arah mesin fotostat yang masih lagi mencetak kertas. Saiful mengeluh. Dia mengambil kertas dari mesin fotostat yang perlu distaplenya satu persatu...

CUT TO:

2007-04-09T13:01:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 23

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 24

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 25

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 26

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 27

All photos by Issam

Just now my colleague from the office gave me an idea of what I should write about. I quickly told him I'm going to incorporate what he just told me in A.D.A.M. It'll make A.D.A.M. somewhat edgy, but I'm totally excited about it.

2007-04-06T08:55:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 16

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 17

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 18

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 19

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 20

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 21

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 22

All photos by Issam

I went to watch Jangan Pandang Belakang last night with Ezad and the guys from Emil Emilda. The story is scary, simple, focused but so salah. I can't help laughing in a few scenes. And what's with the smoke? The film is filled with smokes that came out of nowhere, I tell you.

2007-04-05T11:34:00.001+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 12

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 13

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 14

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 15

I don't think I'll be going to the set of A.D.A.M. anytime soon. I need to sit down and write. I think the new characters I introduced are interesting and exciting. They are developing just fine in my head :)

--

Excerps from Ep. 14, Scene 05 - A.D.A.M.

05 – INT – DALAM KEDAI MEMBAIKI MOTORSIKAL

Mazlan sedang membaiki sebuah motorsikal.

Seorang rakan sekerjanya, Lim sedang membaiki sebuah motorsikal berdekatan dengannya. Dia sedang berbual dengan seorang rakan sekerjanya, Razi.

LIM

Hari ni hari Rabu, kan?

RAZI

Jadi kenapa?

LIM

Aku ingat nak tengok wayang lah.

RAZI

Sebab tiket murah, kan?

LIM

Ye lah... Sebab tu lah.

RAZI

Kau nak tengok cerita apa?

LIM

Apa-apa je lah cerita menarik.

RAZI

Cerita seram dari Thailand nak tak? Aku suka tengok cerita seram!

LIM

Boleh jugak!

MAZLAN

(Menyampuk)

Korang berdua ni kalau ke mana-mana tak pernah ajak aku kan... (Pause) Ntah-ntah...

RAZI

Ntah-ntah apakebenda pulak ni?

MAZLAN

Ntah-ntah korang berdua ni... Ehem... (berdehem)

LIM

Ish, mengarut lah kau!

RAZI

Kau kan dah kahwin Lan... Kita ni bujang. Aktiviti kita tak sama. Kau dengan bini kau—

MAZLAN

Kalau aku ikut korang keluar malam ni boleh?

LIM

Boleh... Tapi—

RAZI

Tapi kau nak bawak bini kau sekali ke?

MAZLAN

Tak... Kita tengok bertiga jer.

LIM

Bini kau tak cakap apa ke nanti... Kalau kau balik lambat ke apa ke?

MAZLAN

Kau risau sangat pasal bini aku ni kenapa?

Lim tersengih. Begitu juga Razi.

RAZI

Okay... Malam ni kita tengok wayang sama-sama ya? Lepas tu kita lepak kat mamak. Kita tengok Arsenal lawan Liverpool.

MAZLAN

Aku boleh jer....

CUT TO:

2007-04-05T11:34:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 11

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 11

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 11

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 11

I don't think I'll be going to the set of A.D.A.M. anytime soon. I need to sit down and write. I think the new characters I introduced are interesting and exciting. They are developing just fine in my head :)

--

Excerps from Ep. 14, Scene 05 - A.D.A.M.

05 – INT – DALAM KEDAI MEMBAIKI MOTORSIKAL

Mazlan sedang membaiki sebuah motorsikal.

Seorang rakan sekerjanya, Lim sedang membaiki sebuah motorsikal berdekatan dengannya. Dia sedang berbual dengan seorang rakan sekerjanya, Razi.

LIM

Hari ni hari Rabu, kan?

RAZI

Jadi kenapa?

LIM

Aku ingat nak tengok wayang lah.

RAZI

Sebab tiket murah, kan?

LIM

Ye lah... Sebab tu lah.

RAZI

Kau nak tengok cerita apa?

LIM

Apa-apa je lah cerita menarik.

RAZI

Cerita seram dari Thailand nak tak? Aku suka tengok cerita seram!

LIM

Boleh jugak!

MAZLAN

(Menyampuk)

Korang berdua ni kalau ke mana-mana tak pernah ajak aku kan... Korang berdua ada apa-apa ke ni?

LIM

Ish, mengarut lah kau!

RAZI

Kau kan dah kahwin Lan... Kita ni bujang. Aktiviti kita tak sama.

MAZLAN

Kalau aku ikut korang keluar malam ni boleh?

LIM

Boleh... Tapi—

RAZI

Tapi kau nak bawak bini kau sekali ke?

MAZLAN

Tak... Kita tengok bertiga jer.

LIM

Bini kau tak cakap apa ke nanti... Kalau kau balik lambat ke apa ke?

MAZLAN

Kau risau sangat pasal bini aku ni kenapa?

Lim tersengih. Begitu juga Razi.

RAZI

Okay... Malam ni kita tengok wayang sama-sama ya? Lepas tu kita lepak kat mamak. Kita tengok Arsenal lawan Liverpool.

MAZLAN

Aku boleh jer....

CUT TO:

2007-04-04T13:37:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 8

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 9

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 10

Dean, Yana and Azrul

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 11

Azrul and Dean

I went to the premier of Zombi kampung Pisang. I didn't like the movie. Enuf said.

I've got an offer to write in English. I'm still blur about it because I'm yet to be contacted by the Editor of the project. It'll be a horror novel. How I wished there's a mini me, so he can write the novel and the other me can write scripts.

2007-04-03T09:48:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 6

Yana, Fairuz Fizz and Shukery Hashim

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 7

Fizz Fairuz as Akmal and Shukery Hashim as Darwis

I spent some time at the set of A.D.A.M. last night. I talked a few of my main casts and choose not to talk to a couple more. I have my reasons.

Fizz told me that I have a few long scenes (3-4 page script). And then he turned to Linda and reiterated that they can handle my difficult script. I assured them that as the series goes by, the scenes get a little bit shorter. Yeop, our director is good at making long scenes interesting through his unique direction and camerawork.

I told Linda of the direction that we're heading in Season 2. She wants a change of style. I told her that she will change from a gothic sort of girl to a more easy going sort of girl. I probably want her to wear kebaya, even...

And then I told her about the heavy scenes in Season 2. Dean, who is playing the part of Kamarul said that he wanted to cry just by listening to the synopses. I don't know if he's joking or not.

2007-04-02T13:37:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 1

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 2

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 3

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 4

A.D.A.M. @ Planet Futsal, Ampang - 5

Rintek Awards - UiTM

Me, giving away prizes for the winners of Rintek Awards

Busy weekend as usual. I went to the Rintek Awards. Met Zahir who directed the award winning K-Hole. He's the first prize winner of the BMW Shorties competition.

I am yet to write the second season of A.D.A.M. My Ringgit Remaja director cum producer already start asking for my revised script of Ringgit Remaja. Dunno when I'm going to find time to do this. Perhaps tonight... Yeah, Perhaps.

2007-03-30T09:36:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ T.A.R. College - 1

Akmal waiting for Zerry in front of his college

A.D.A.M. @ T.A.R. College - 2

Zerry, obviously not too keen to meet his stalker

A.D.A.M. @ T.A.R. College - 3

Fairuz Fizz as Akmal

A.D.A.M. @ T.A.R. College - 4

A.D.A.M. @ T.A.R. College - 5

Wan Ellyas as Zerry

A.D.A.M. @ T.A.R. College - 6

A.D.A.M. @ T.A.R. College - 7

Dean, on your right. He'll be playing the character of Kamarul. The character will be more prominent in Season 2.

Tonight I have to go to the Rintek Awards prize giving ceremony. I still can't figure out where the venue is. I know it's at UiTM, but I don't know where exactly.

I am extending the character of Kamarul, who will be acted by this new actor , Safaruddin or Dean for Season 2 of A.D.A.M. His name is mentioned a few times as someone who works at the futsal Centre in Season 1 and he's a member of the 'A.D.A.M.' futsal team.

Kamarul has a mom who is a widow. She will later meet someone who fancies her who happens to be playing with the same team as Kamarul. Kamarul will not be too happy with this because he can't accept the fact that her mother (Azni) is in love with someone (Mazli), other than his late father - and the fact that he is younger than her. I hope that Fauzi Nawawi can play the part of Mazli, who is a motorcycle mechanic and a widower.

On a more serious note, I am so pissed off with some demented fags who YM-ed me and start asking me for the phone number of actors whom I know or acting in my TV Series. These people are crazy lah. And when I refused to give, they start calling me names and all that (It doesn't take a psychology degree to figure out that they are nothing but nut case). These people are dangerous, I tell you. Like, why in the world do these people want the private phone number of actors in the first place??? (Okay, they will eventually solicit for sexual favours, what else... As if we don't know lah, kan?)

I don't even talk to some of my actors, let alone talk to them on the phone. I let my Production Manager do all the talking. That is his job, anyway.

2007-03-29T13:50:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Casablanca, Ampang - 1

A.D.A.M. @ Casablanca, Ampang - 2

A.D.A.M. @ Gombak

This scene has to be reshot because the director wasn't too happy with her acting - that requires depth.

I have to rewrite Ep. 14 (First Episode of Season 2) of A.D.A.M again because I've decided to drop a few main characters and introduce a few new characters onto the show. The new characters will have different issues to tackle. So... Hopefully A.D.A.M. will keep on evolving like this...

2007-03-28T09:39:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Sri Penara, Bandar Tasik Permaisuri - 4

Fairuz Fizz as Akmal. He is contemplating about himself in his bedroom, katanya...

A.D.A.M. @ Sri Penara, Bandar Tasik Permaisuri - 5

I hope that's the mocked-up version of the rare X-men issue my Prop Master borrowed from Nan...

A.D.A.M. @ Sri Penara, Bandar Tasik Permaisuri - 6

I sent Nani, Tom and Anggun to the airport last night.

In my lifetime, I could hardly see Mak Uda cry, but yesterday I almost cried when I saw her crying. I choked back my tears. Mak cried too.

I hope Anggun will not forget me as her Pak Long.

Meanwhile, I've finished judging the entries for Rintek Awards. Like I said yesterday, there are a few really good ones and there are entries that are painful to watch, i.e. boring.

2007-03-27T09:43:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. @ Sri Penara, Bandar Tasik Permaisuri - 1

Fairuz Fizz as Akmal

A.D.A.M. @ Sri Penara, Bandar Tasik Permaisuri - 2

Fairuz Fizz with Haris, the prop guy

A.D.A.M. @ Sri Penara, Bandar Tasik Permaisuri - 3

Nani, Tom and Anggun is heading back to Minnesota tonight.

I am yet to finish writing Ep. 1 of Season 2, A.D.A.M. I've been busy doing some other stuff, which includes judging short film entries for the Rintek Awards. Some of the entries are pretty good. Some are crappy and down right boring. Saw one homophobic entry that was preachy and well, funny. The best three entries for the experimental category is pretty difficult to judge. They are equally good.

2007-03-26T09:54:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M @ Bangi - 1

Norman Hakim as Madi

A.D.A.M @ Bangi - 1

Norman Hakim supposed to play a cocky character who is a playboy but he later realised that he is lonely

I had a long weekend. Too long. I'm still tired after two days of shooting.

I am planning to set up a casting agency. I think one of the weaknesses of Malaysian TV is the casting. I know this first hand from my experience with A.D.A.M. The main casts are fantastic but there are much to be said about the supporting casts and extras.

2007-03-23T14:42:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda @ Istana Budaya - 1

Emil Emilda @ Istana Budaya - 2

They used my car for this particular scene in Emil Emilda

Emil Emilda @ Istana Budaya - 3

Emil Emilda @ Istana Budaya - 4

I went to see Thumb yesterday at KLCC. I asked him to give me his synopses so that I can send the synopses to a production company that want me to write for them - only to be told that they have sort of similar sort of story made for RTM.

So, I've decided to forward the synopses to another production company. This time around, for TV3.

I am yet to write my own sypnopses. Got no time lah! I'll write the sypnoses this weekend...

2007-03-22T10:02:00.000+08:00

A.D.A.M. - 1

Fizz Fairuz as Akmal. Akmal is my favourite character, by the way.

A.D.A.M. - 2

Rina and Zerry at their favourite hangout

A.D.A.M. - 3

Linda Hashim and Ellyas. I can't thank you guys enough for your commitment to create two goth characters as I have envisioned them in my script!

A.D.A.M. - 4

A.D.A.M. - 5

A.D.A.M. - 6

Asyraf and the boys

I went to the shooting of A.D.A.M. at Planet Futsal, Ampang yesterday. I didn't really get to talk to the actors. They were too busy acting. By the time the director called it a day, I have to rush to the location of Emil Emilda.

You cannot imagine how it feels like seeing your characters suddenly come to life right in front of you. Like, this is not the first time I felt this, but I still find the feeling rather peculiar - especially when your characters are played by actors who are really good at what they're doing.

Okay, enough with my ranting for the. I have a couple of TV proposal papers to submit.

2007-03-21T10:13:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda in Ampang - 1

Emil Emilda in Ampang - 2

Emil Emilda in Ampang - 3

With friends from Emil Emilda

I have to submit a synopses to 2 (TWO) different production houses and yet, I cannot find time to do it. They wanted the synopses immediately for two different high profile slots for TV3. MATILAH! When am I going to find time to do this?

Okay, what about we start doing it now?

First synopses will be about a supernatural 'Siri Bercakap Dengan Jin' type of series with beautiful young casts (Dah tu? Kau ingat aku Micheal Moore ke buat dokumentari???) who lives a normal live, except that they have supernatural powers beyond their comprehension. Expect One Tree Hill meets Charmed.

Second synopses will be about the trials and tribulations of four small businesses. The people running the businesses are either rivals or friends. Their businesses are located near to one another. This will be a long show. They will have a salon, two mom and pop stores and a bistro or a bakery that is going to be run by two very close male friends (eh, boleh ke?). Okay, make it a male and female buddy with no sexual tension at all.

Storylines I will avoid at all cost:

1. The prodigal soon/daughter who supposed to inherit his/her father’s business which will usually be called XXX Holdings.
2. Family members fighting for inheritance.
3. Husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend fighting throughout the show because their love is being tested by a bastard or a bitch.

I will indefinitely not write shows that I myself don’t want to watch. Yesterday, I fell asleep twice while watching Kaiser and Datin Diaries. I cannot tahan lah. But I have to force myself watching all these mundane Malay shows. I have to watch them all…

2007-03-20T08:26:00.000+08:00

Me and the casts of Emil Emilda at night - 1

Me and the casts of Emil Emilda at night - 2

Me and the casts of Emil Emilda at night - 3

Bergambar kat tepi jalan - Wangsa Maju, dekat dengan Kolej SAL.

Ezad called me yesterday because he wanted to borrow my car for a scene in Emil Emilda. I went to their location in Ampang Point to meet with their production team. Syarifah Armani, Noorkhiriah, Isma Yusoof, Aaron Aziz, Fahrin Ahmad and the rest of the team were there. I took a few pictures with them but not using my camera. The picture I took with Fahrin was a crappy one because there was not much lighting and my cameraphone sucks under bad lighting.

Hopefully I could get the rest of the wonderful pictures ASAP.

Here's Scene 2 of Episode 14 - A.D.A.M.

--snip

02 – EXT – KLINIK MADI – SIANG

Madi sedang menunggu pelanggan pembedahan plastiknya di dalam biliknya. Dia hanya memandang ke hadapan.

Mandy mengetuk pintu lalu Madi menyuruhnya masuk. Dia membawa Yani masuk ke dalam biliknya. Madi nampak sedikit terkejut.

MADI
Yani!

YANI
Assalamualaikum Doktor Madi...

Mandy menaikkan keningnya lalu mengesotkan bibirnya. Dia keluar dari bilik Madi.

MADI
Waalaikumsalam. Eh, tak payah lah nak panggil saya doktor.

Yani tersenyum manja.

MADI (CONT’D)
duduk lah...

YANI
Pembantu abang kata tadi sekarang ni masa rehat abang... Sebab tu lah saya mintak dia bawak saya berjumpa dengan abang.

MADI
Mana Yani tahu pasal klinik abang ni? Azli yang beritahu?

YANI
Eh tak lah... Bukan Azli yang beritahu (Pause). Alah bang, siapa yang tak kenal dengan klinik abang ni. Siapa tak kenal dengan Doktor Madi - pakar bedah plastik untuk para artis terkenal, model dan mak-mak datin... Sesapa yang nak cantik, mesti kenal dengan abang.

Madi tak tahu jika dia perlu tersenyum atau membalas semula kata-kata Yani tadi.

MADI
Yani datang jumpa abang untuk apa sebenarnya ni, Yani? Muka Yani dah cantik, badan pun dah okay, abang tengok... Tak macam dulu. Tak kan lah Yani nak jumpa abang untuk buat pertanyaan tentang pembedahan plastik, kot...

YANI
Eh, saya bukan nak jumpa abang untuk tu semua.

MADI
Dah tu?

YANI
Tadi Yani ada temujanji dengan klien Yani kat kawasan ni. Kebetulan Yani ternampak klinik abang ni, jadi Yani singgah sekejap. Yani tak biasa dengan kawasan ni... Jadi Yani—

MADI
Yani nak abang bawak Yani keluar makan tengahari ke?

Yani mengangguk malu.

Madi menarik nafasnya dalam-dalam. Dia memandang ke arah jam tangannya.

Madi menelefon Maznah. Maznah ada di kedai nasi lemaknya:

SPLIT SCREEN

MAZNAH
Assalamualaikum, bang...

MADI
Waalaikumsalam. (Pause) Nah, Tengahari ni abang makan kat tempat abang jer ni. Yani ada kat sini. Abang nak keluar makan tengahari dengan dia.

MAZNAH
Oh, kalau macam tu, takperlah... Abang jangan lupa kirim salam dengan Yani tau. Dia ada nak rekomenkan kat Nah krim pemutih yang dia gunakan tu.

MADI
Okay. Nanti apa-apa abang SMS Nah, ya?

MAZNAH
Okay bang...

MADI
Bye...

MAZNAH
Bye, bang.

END OF SPLIT SCREEN

MADI
Krim pemutih muka?

YANI
Oh... Yani sempat ceritakan kat Maznah yang dulu muka Yani ni gelap. Badan Yani ni pulak besar. Yani ada tunjukkan kat dia gambar lama Yani kat dia tau bang!

Yani mengeluarkan gambar lamanya dari dompetnya. Gambar tersebut ada menampakkan dirinya bergambar dengan Madi dan Azli yang berwajah masam di belakang Madi.

E.C.U. GAMBAR LAMA MADI, YANI, AZLI PADA TAHUN 1996

MADI
Abang langsung dah lupa pasal gambar ni... Tak sangka pulak Yani masih simpan gambar ni lagi.

YANI
Abang ambil lah gambar tu!

MADI
Eh, ni kan gambar lama Yani.

YANI
Tak apalah... Abang simpan.

MADI
Terima kasih.

Madi meletakkan gambar Yani di atas mejanya. Bersebelahan dengan gambar berbingkai yang telah diambil bersama Maznah.

Madi tersenyum sendiri. Dia berdiri lalu menjemput Yani keluar dari biliknya itu.

CUT TO:

2007-03-19T08:29:00.000+08:00

Hanidah in KL - 1

Hanidah in KL - 2

Hanidah in KL - 3

Hanidah in KL - 4

Me in KL

My sister Hanidah was in Malaysia for a week. She's now on her way back to Minnesota with her husband Matthew and my nephews Johan and Ruben. I'm going to miss them.

Yesterday, I discovered that my shoes were stolen. I've forgotten to close my gate, so there you go. My own fault. Four pairs of my good shoes were stolen.

A.D.A.M. has been extended from 13 episodes to 26 episodes after my meeting with P&G, our main sponsor. So, I'll be busy yet again trying to write another 13 episodes which I will consider as the 'Second Season' of A.D.A.M.

2007-03-13T16:16:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda 58

Emil Emilda 59

Emil Emilda - The photo I like!

Photo by Isma Yusoof

ADAM- Kelab Lelaki Terluka: Pre-Production

ADAM- Kelab Lelaki Terluka's director Hitler Zami explaining to us the initial drawings that was prepared by the production designer on how the characters suppose to look like, T-shirt design for Darwis' Futsal Centre and the set.

Okay... here's the latest update on the cast of ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka

Azli - Zek Zaidi
Darwis - Shukery Hashim
Akmal - Feroz Fizz
Madi - Norman Hakim
Rina - Linda Hashim
Zerry - Ellyas
Maznah - Norkiriah

2007-03-12T14:11:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda 55

Emil Emilda 56

Emil Emilda 57

Emil Emilda - The photo I like!

Photo by Isma Yusoof

This morning when I went to the gym I could see a positive development to my abs. I've gained some weight (hopefully muscle weight). I think after I built all the muscles I want, I will concentrate on running or swimming.

2007-03-08T10:19:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda 50

Emil Emilda 51

Emil Emilda 52

Emil Emilda 53

Emil Emilda 54

Photo by Isma Yusoof

Emil Emilda - The photo I like!

Photo by Isma Yusoof

The Script for Episode 13 of ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka will be over and done with by today.

It has been a trip. ADAM is not an easy script to write due to it's multilayered structure and the complexity of the characters.

Here's Scene 4, Episode 13 of ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka

--

04 – EXT – WARUNG NASI LEMAK MUNAJAT – SIANG

Kita dapat melihat Yani memakan nasi lemak yang paling sedap yang pernah dirasainya. Azli tersenyum melihat gelagatnya.

YANI
Mak saya pun tak boleh buat nasi lemak macam ni...

AZLI
Tu lah... Ntah apa yang si Maznah tu letak dalam nasi lemak dia ni.

YANI
Saya pun pandai masak tau...

AZLI
Baguslah.

YANI
Mak abang tanya saya kalau saya pandai masak... Pandai menjahit... Saya tanya kenapa dia tanya tu semua. Dia kata Abang Li nak calon isteri yang pandai jahit, pandai mengemas, pandai jaga anak... Tu semua lah.

AZLI
Ish... Dia tanya tu semua?

YANI
Ya... Sebab dia kata abang ni memilih sangat. Betul ke abang ni memilih sangat?

AZLI
Adalah sikit-sikit... Ye lah, nak pilih bini bukan macam kita pilih sayur kat pasar, ye tak?

YANI
Ya... Yani tahu. Tapi kita tak bolehlah memilih sangat. Kalau tak nanti, salah haribulan boleh jadi bujang terlajak.

AZLI
Perli ke?

YANI
Takderlah... Kenapa terasa?

Yani tersenyum nakal...

AZLI
Kalau bukan sebab abang putus tunang, mungkin mak abang tak payah susah-susah cari calon isteri untuk abang...

AZLI
Dah nasib abang macam tu... Nak buat macam mana.

YANI
Abang masih ingatkan dia lagi... Tunang abang tu.

AZLI
Ya... (Mengeluh lalu berpaling ke arah lain). Mana abang boleh lupakan orang yang abang sayang begitu sahaja... Sebab tu sekarang abang cuba habiskan masa abang main futsal, supaya abang tak fikirkan sangat pasal dia tinggalkan abang untuk berkahwin dengan orang lain...

YANI
Dah lah bang... biar yang lepas tu lepas...

SKIP A BEAT

AZLI
Mak abang dan mak Yani nak kita berkahwin...

YANI
Tu Yani tahu...

AZLI
Tapi Yani nak ke?

Yani menarik nafasnya dalam-dalam.

Wajah Azli penuh denga harapan agar Yani berkata ’Ya’. Tapi Yani hanya mendiamkan dirinya.

CUT TO:

2007-03-06T12:23:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda 45

Here's our abang bola...

Emil Emilda 46

The casts of Emil Emilda having fun...

Emil Emilda 47

Emil Emilda 48

Emil Emilda 49

Emil Emilda - The photo I like!

Photo by Isma Yusoof

I managed to finish up to Episode 12 of ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka. The problem is... I need to wrap up the episode in the final episode of the first season. It'll be a difficult episode to write.

Oh, I have a talking part in Emil Emilda. A very controversial character. Okaylah, it has something to do with me agreeing to marry Emilda (Syarifah Amani). Her friends thought that I would be perfect for her, but... Yes, there is a 'but'.

2007-03-05T10:38:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda 38

Emil Emilda 39

Emil Emilda 40

Emil Emilda 41

Emil Emilda 42

In the make-up room

Emil Emilda 43

The boys... after make-up.

Emil Emilda 44

At the set of Emil Emilda - The Loft

I was really busy last weekend, but it was a long weekend, since Rohaizad was in town. Went clubbing for two consecutive nights. I am still sleepy.

2007-02-26T10:40:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda 37

Emil Emilda 38

Emil Emilda 37

I was invited by Sultanmuzaffar to Astro's Family Day. I had my palm read. The Indian man who read my palm told me that I'll be rich and that I will make money in whatever business venture I'm involved with. And most important of all, he told me that I use my heart to find the love of my life.

I already knew that long time ago... But I guessed all these while I've used my dick, not my heart.

2007-02-23T14:48:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda 33

Emil Emilda 34

Emil Emilda 35

Emil Emilda 36

This is the end scene from Episode 9, ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka:

--snip

INT. BILIK TIDUR AZLI/DARWIS/AKMAL/MADI - MALAM

SERIES OF SHOTS

(Nota buat pengarah: Scene-scene di bawah perlu dilakukan dengan dramatik dan diselangi dengan soundtrack yang dramatik juga. Gunakan pencahayaan ‘Film Noir’.)

1) Azli masih menerima panggilan telefon dari Yani. Masa tu dia sedang berbaring di atas katil sambil membaca majalah Men’s Health. Dia nampak bosan. Benci pun ada sebab Yani tak henti-henti telefon dia. Dia masukkan telefon dia ke dalam laci. Dia kembali membaca majalahnya macam tak ada benda telah berlaku.

SUPER: Dalam pengiraan Azli, ini sudah kali kedua belas Yani cuba untuk menghubunginya pada malam itu

2) Darwis termenung di dalam bilik tidurnya. Dia duduk di meja solek. Dia membuka rambut palsunya lalu diletakkannya ke tepi. Dia menarik nafasnya dalam-dalam sambil memandang ke dalam wajahnya di cermin

SUPER: Dalam rasa sedih, Darwis sebenarnya lega dia tidak perlu lagi menanggung beban rahsia Rina

3) Akmal di dalam biliknya. Dia makan Maggie. Macam kena paksa makan. Sebab dia bosan makan Maggie hari-hari. Tiba-tiba dia terima pesanan SMS. Dari Rina.

E.C.U. TELEFON AKMAL – SMS

‘Zerry tak jawab phone dia. Asyraq dah tidur. Kalau awak tak tidur lagi, boleh saya telefon awak?’

Akmal menjawab ‘boleh’. Sebentar kemudian, handphone Akmal berdering.

SUPER: Akmal merasakan dirinya dirinya semakin dekat dengan impiannya

AKMAL
Hello Rina…

SKIP TWO BEATS

AKMAL (CONT’D)
Awak menangis Rina?

4) Darwis mengelamun di atas katilnya. Dia memandang ke arah telefon bimbitnya. Dia ada ambil gambar dengan Maznah. Dia mengeluh lesu.

SUPER: Madi masih tidak faham mengapa dia boleh tertarik kepada seorang gadis seperti Maznah

END OF SERIES OF SHOTS

FADE OUT.

END OF EPISODE 9

2007-02-22T12:08:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda 27

Emil Emilda 28

Emil Emilda 29

Emil Emilda 30

Emil Emilda 31

Emil Emilda 32

Emil Emilda 33

Okay... Since you guys are here for the production photos of Emil Emilda... So here it is!

--

And here's Scene 6 of Episode 9 ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka

--snip

06 - INT. RESTORAN EKSLUSIF – MALAM

(Gunakan restoran yang selalu dikunjungi Madi yang ada pelayan gedik dari Ep. 1)

Madi bawak Maznah masuk ke dalam restoran. Beberapa pengunjung memandang ke arah Maznah. Membandingkan Maznah dengan Madi yang nampak smart giler. Madi nampak macam model GQ, Maznah nampak macam tukang gaji Indon.

Madi nak tarik kerusi nak bagi Maznah duduk kononnya. Tapi Maznah terlebih dahulu duduk di kerusinya.

Madi pandang ke kiri dan ke kanan. Tapi Maznah buat derk. Dia terus duduk macam dia duduk kat warung.

PELAYAN
(Mendekati Madi lalu berbisik)
Bang… Minah Indon ni yang jadi orang gaji abang pun, abang bawak makan sekali? Abang memang seorang majikan penyayang, kan?

C.U. MAZNAH
Muka blur baca menu.

PELAYAN
(Masih berbisik)
Macam ni… Saya pun nak jadi orang gaji abang lah. Sekarang jugak saya berhenti!

Maznah terus memandang ke arah Madi dan si Pelayan yang nampak ala-ala gedik tu.

MADI
(Cepat-cepat cakap, kononnya nak cover line)
Okay, saya nak nasi lemak… Sambal tu lebihkan sikit.

PELAYAN
Sini mana ada jual nasi lemak!

Madi dengan pantas memandang ke arah menu. Lalu katanya,

MADI
Rib eye steak. Medium rare. And a glass of guava juice.

PELAYAN
(Menoleh ke arah Maznah. Dia akan cakap dalam slang Indon)
Mbak mahu makan apa, ya?

MAZNAH
Mbak apa pulak ni?

PELAYAN
Iya.. Mbak mahu makan apa sih?

MAZNAH
Eh, kita orang sini lah. Kita orang Malaysia tau walaupun kita ngaku kita ni ada darah Jawa. Keturunan jer Jawa, tapi IC, tetap IC Malaysia.

MADI
Nah nak makan apa?

MAZNAH
Tak faham lah menu ni… Sini apa sedap bang?

MADI
(menoleh ke arah pelayan)
Cordon Bleu (disebut ’kor-don blurh’). Dan segelas air jus oren.

PELAYAN
(sengaja buat slang Indon lagi)
Jus jeruk ya, mbak?

Madi buat-muat muka serius (tapi nampak lawak) dan menggunakan isyarat tangan ala-ala nak halau si pelayan gedik ni. Si pelayan dengan kekwat berjalan cat walk ke belakang restoran.

Madi kemudian berpaling ke arah Maznah sambil tersengih macam kerang busuk.

Seorang pelayan lain membawa segelas air kosong. Madi terus meneguk air tu sampai kosong.

MAZNAH
Abang selalu makan kat sini ke?

MADI
Tak lah selalu… Kadang-kadang jer.

MAZNAH
Nah tak pernah makan kat tempat ekslusif macam ni… Rasa janggal pulak.

MADI
Alah biasa-biasakan…

MAZNAH
Biasa-biasakan?

MADI
(Dengan selamba)
Kalau Nah nak keluar dengan abang, Nah kena biasa-biasakan diri Nah makan kat tempat-tempat macam ni…

MAZNAH
Oh…

Maznah terkedu seketika. Dia mula sedar tentang perbezaan dirinya dengan Madi yang cukup-cukup ketara rasanya.

Dia memandang ke arah pakaian yang dia pakai. Kemudian dia memandang ke arah pengunjung-pengunjung yang lain yang memakai pakaian yang ranggi. Buat pertama kali pada malam itu dia terasa dirinya begitu terasing…

M.S. MADI
Madi langung tak sedar kata-katanya tadi buat Maznah terkedu. Dia hanya tersenyum. Kemudian AD LIB. Tapi kita hanya dengar mulutnya terkumat kamit.

Maznah pula kita dapat melihat ada kalanya mengangguk. Apa yang jelas, dia mula nampak tidak selesa.

CUT TO:

2007-02-21T11:47:00.000+08:00

EMIL EMILDA - 21

EMIL EMILDA - 22

EMIL EMILDA - 23

EMIL EMILDA - 24

EMIL EMILDA - 25

EMIL EMILDA - 26

EMIL EMILDA - The Picture I like!

Ezad said, my scripts are filled with texts and there are not much of a 'screenplay' elements in it. So... I've added the screenplay elements in my scripts. As much as I can.

--

I am doing fine here. Busy like hell, but I'm okay and doing just fine.

This morning I listened to this rather old song that I liked by The Proclaimers (500 Miles) - that was played over the radio:

But I would walk 500 miles/And I would walk 500 more/Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles/To fall down at your door

I would walked all the way to Africa just to be with you... And you know that.

--

Here's Scene 1 from Episode 8 of ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka.

--snip

01 – INT. RUMAH DARWIS – RUANG TAMU – MALAM

Darwis baru pulang ke rumahnya. Rumahnya kosong. Sunyi. Jam menunjukkan pukul 11.45 malam.

Darwis memanggil anaknya ketika dia di ruang tamu.

DARWIS
Rina!

Rina tidak menjawab.

CUT TO:

02 – INT. RUMAH DARWIS – BILIK RINA – MALAM

Rina sedang menggunakan komputernya. Dia dapat mendengar namanya dipanggil. Dia hanya menjeling. Dia tak mahu menjawab.

CUT TO:

Darwis menghidupkan TV. Dia tidak menontonnya. Dia berbuat begitu kerana dia tidak mahu rumahnya terasa sunyi.

Darwis ke bilik Rina. Dia mengetuk bilik Rina.

Rina tidak mahu menjawab.
CUT TO:

Di dalam biliknya, kita dapat melihat Rina ambil bantal lalu menutup kedua belah telinganya.

CUT TO:

Darwis menggeleng lesu. Dia kembali ke ruang tamu.

Di ruang tamu. Darwis menonton TV. Dia menoleh ke arah gambar berbingkai di atas meja.

CUT TO:

2007-02-16T14:49:00.000+08:00

EMIL EMILDA - 19

EMIL EMILDA - 20

EMIL EMILDA - The Picture I like!

What am i going to do this weekend besides writing? I don't know lah. I'll probably heat to Emil Emilda set and key poh a bit as usual.

2007-02-15T09:32:00.000+08:00

EMIL EMILDA - 17

Me with Syarifah Amani

EMIL EMILDA - 17

EMIL EMILDA - 18

EMIL EMILDA - The Picture I like!

I was so tired last night, I'm still tired this morning. Maybe not enough food consumption, lor. There's no foods at home for my disposal. I kinda refuse to stock junk foods at home.

Yesterday Ezad told me to be careful when I write my script. It has something to do with RTM's strict restrictions. They don't have a proper guidelines so I'm kinda lost right now. Ezad, why lah kalau cerita RTM jer kau bagi aku??? Sentap tau!

So I told him to use his moral judgements when he direct my script. I hate self-censorship and I'm not going to start anytime soon. Well, not like ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka is going to be awfully controversial anyways.

I think people in RTM should start lighten up and live in the real world. If they want people to watch their shows, they ought to buck up real soon. But then again, kan... We're talking about RTM here. Government owned. Nak cakap apa, kan?

2007-02-14T08:52:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda - 11

Emil Emilda - 12

Isma Yusoof (as MAC) taking lunch break with Syarifah Amani (as Emilda)

Emil Emilda - 13

Emil Emilda - 14

Zizie Ezette talking to Ezad

Emil Emilda - 15

Emil Emilda - The Picture I like!

Today is Valentine's Day. I'm not heading anywhere because I've got work to do at home. You've guessed it. ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka's script. What else.

Sneak preview of ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka, Episode 7:

--snip

01 – INT. KEDAI KOMIK – SIANG

Kumar dan Marzuki memandang ke arah Akmal. Hari ini Hari terakhir Akmal bekerja di kedai komik.

KUMAR
Boring lah kalau kau tak kerja sini lagi…

MARZUKI
Tu lah…

AKMAL
Yer lah, takder orang nak sakat kau lagi kan?

MARZUKI
Kalau kau takder... Bosan lah tempat ni. Bosan wei!

AKMAL
Mr. Lim dah orang untuk ganti tempat aku... Esok dia akan masuk kerja kat sini. Ko jangan buli dia pulak nanti.

Kumar dan Marzuki tersenyum nakal...

MARZUKI
Eh, aku dengar kau ada jual komik X-Men kau kat Mr. Lim semalam.

AKMAL
Ya...

KUMAR
Berapa kau jual kat dia?

AKMAL
Adalah... Korang ni, semua nak tahu...

MARZUKI
Dulu aku nak beli kau tak nak jual! Siot je lah!

AKMAL
Nak belanja aku makan McD pun kemut!

MARZUKI
Aku kan belajar lagi. Kau lah belanja aku. Duit belanja aku pun mak bapak aku tanggung lagi!

AKMAL
Tu lah... Masih ada hati nak beli komik aku! Ceh!

Marzuki tersenyum sendiri.

Akmal menongkat dagunya. Dia termenung jauh. Dia mengeluh. Apa tidaknya, dia telah menjual komik kesayangannya pemberian ayahnya itu kepada Mr. Lim...

CUT TO:

2007-02-13T11:43:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda - 6

Emil Emilda - 7

Emil Emilda - 8

Emil Emilda - 9

Emil Emilda - 10

Emil Emilda - The Picture I like!

Yesterday after work I spent my time at a post-production studio somewhere at Damansara Perdana (I think...), for the VO recording of Ringgit Remaja. The process was tedious but I had fun.

2007-02-12T09:40:00.000+08:00

Emil Emilda - 1

Norkiriah, Isma Yusoof and Syarifah Amani

Emil Emilda - 2

Isma with Norkiriah

Emil Emilda - 3

Emil Emilda - 4

Emil Emilda - 5

Emil Emilda - The Picture I like!

Spent two days at the set of Emil Emilda. It was a fun set. Everybody were friendly and happy and we were having fun. Well, it's a fun story to start with...

Emil Emilda is different from ADAM. I have to tell Ezad that the spirit is different. ADAM is not a chick flick (I hope) and I don't intent to turn it into a chick flick. It has a more sober mood. A black comedy of sort. Entahlah... I don't know. I just write. I think about how to bullshit about the story later.

Here's a sneak preview of ADAM. Episode 6, Scene 2 (FLASHBACK)

--snip

02 - EXT. – KAWASAN HOSPITAL – MALAM

SUPER: Azli - setahun yang lalu

Muliani, seorang jururawat yang bertugas malam baru sahaja mengakhiri shifnya. Dia ingin pulang. Azli tunangnya sepatutnya mengambilnya pulang tapi tak muncul-muncul lagi. Dia senang menunggu di sebuah perhentian bas berdekatan dengan hospital.

MULIANI
(kepada dirinya sendiri)
Mana Azli ni! Selalu sangat lambat!

Sebuah kereta berhenti berdekatan dengan perhentian bas. Doktor Yusof keluar dari kereta.

YUSOF
Awak tunggu tunang awak tu lagi ke?

MULIALI
Ya, doktor...

YUSOF
Kan saya minta awak jangan panggil saya doktor kalau di luar macam ni?

MULIANI
Maaflah... doktor... Saya tak biasa.

YUSOF
Nak saya hantar awak pulang? Dah lewat ni?

MULIANI
Tak apalah. Tadi tunang saya tu baru saja SMS kata dia akan datang lambat sikit.

YUSOF
Sibuk dengan kerja dia lagi?

MULIANI
Tu lah...

Kereta Azli akhirnya muncul. Dia berhenti di hadapan Muliani.

MULIANI
Panjang pun umur dia... Okaylah, Doktor.. Eh, Yusof... Saya balik dulu ya?

YUSOF
Bye...

Muliani melambaikan tangannya ke arah Yusof. Dia masuk ke dalam kereta.

AZLI
Maaflah, saya lambat...

MULIANI
Awak tu, biasa lah lambat... Penat saya menunggu. Kalau awak tahu awak lambat, cakap jelah. Saya boleh suruh adik saya si Fauzi tu untuk ambil saya. Tak payah saya berdiri macam tunggul tunggu awak.

AZLI
(Dengan suara memberitahu)
Tak apalah... Doktor Yusof kan ada temankan awak.

MULIANI
Awak perli saya ke apa ni?

AZLI
Perli apa pulak ni?

MULIANI
Jadi... Awak tak cemburu doktor Yusof tu temankan saya?

AZLI
(Dengan suara tenang)
Nak cemburukan apa... Awak kan tunang saya? Dia tu siapa?

MULIANI
Sikit pun tak cemburu?

AZLI
Eh awak ni kenapa?

MULIANI
Tak ada apa-apa...

SKIP A BEAT

AZLI
Kan ke bagus kalau awak berhenti kerja saja...

MULIANI
Berhenti kerja?

AZLI
Ye lah, berhenti dari jadi jururawat...

MULIANI
Awak tahu tak... Sejak kecik saya dah tanam cuta-cita jadi jururawat.

AZLI
Bila kita kahwin nanti... Awak kena berhenti jugak. Betul tak?

Muliani diam. Serba salah.

MULIANI
Betul...

Muliani berpaling ke luar tingkap. Dia mengeluh.

AZLI
Saya bekerja keras ni pun untuk kebaikan kita bersama...

MULIANI
Saya faham...

AZLI
Awak tahu tak... Tadi pengurus besar saya kata, kemungkinan besar saya akan dinaikkan pangkat dan akan dipindahkan ke Kuala Lumpur hujung tahun ini.

MULIANI
Kalau awak terpaksa bertugas ke KL. Kita macam mana?

AZLI
Kita macam mana pulak? Kita macam ni jugak lah...

MULIANI
Tapi awak kat KL. Saya kat Muar.

AZLI
Nanti bila saya stabil kat sana dan bila kita kahwin. Awak berhenti kerja. Kita tinggal saja kat KL tu. Okay tak idea macam tu?

Muliani tak mampu menjawap soalan Azli tadi. Dia diam saja.

AZLI (CONT’D)
Okay lah tu kan... Okay malam ni saya belanja awak makan kat Bus Stand Pagoh. Perut saya dah lapar ni (Kemudian Ad lib. Suara Azli perlahan-lahan tidak dapat didengar)

Kita dapat melihat Muliani berpaling ke arah lain dengan wajah sayu, sementara Azli terus bercakap seorang diri...

DISSOLVE TO:

2007-02-09T15:03:00.000+08:00

SINGAPORE - ESPLANADE - 1

SINGAPORE - ESPLANADE - 2

SINGAPORE - ESPLANADE - 3

SINGAPORE - ESPLANADE - 4

SINGAPORE - ESPLANADE - 5

SINGAPORE - ESPLANADE - 6

I've just discovered that I am at No. 33 in the list of 50 Most Influential Blogs in Malaysia. Kau ado? HAHAHA!

Here's a preview to the first scene of Episode 6

--snip

FLASHBACK (SCENE 01 – 04)

01 - EXT. – KAWASAN PERUMAHAN – SIANG

SUPER: Akmal - setahun yang lalu

Kita dapat melihat Akmal sedang berjalan di sebuah kawasan perumahan (yang dah lama, bukan jenis baru dibina). Dia tak tahu ke mana hendak ditujunya. Dia berpandukan alamat yang tertulis di atas kertas kecilnya.

Akmal berdiri di hadapan sebuah rumah. Dia membunyikan loceng. Pintu terbuka luas. Seorang lelaki yang kebetulan nak keluar dari rumahnya, pergi menemui Akmal.

HAFIZ
Ya, nak cari siapa?

AKMAL
Mak saya bagi alamat ni. Dia kata, saya perlu cari Encik Hafiz bin Khalid di sini.

HAFIZ
Ya, aku lah orang yang kau cari.

AKMAL
Saya... Nama saya Akmal bin Hisham. Hisham... Encik Hafiz kenal dengan Hisham bin Rosli?

Wajah Hafiz kaku buat seketika. Dia terkejut.

HAFIZ
Kamu nak cari ayah kamu ke?

AKMAL
Ya...

HAFIZ
Dia kawan baik aku satu ketika dulu... Kami sekampung di Besut.

AKMAL
Saya tahu... Mak saya ada bagitahu. Nama dan alamat Encik Hafiz sahaja yang ada dalam buku nota yang dia tak sempat bawa bersamanya sebelum dia tinggalkan kami sekeluarga.

HAFIZ
Dah lama aku tak bertemu dengan dia... Yang aku tahu, dia dah kahwin lagi. Dia ada keluarga sendiri. Aku mintak maaf. Aku tak boleh tolong kau.

AKMAL
Saya faham.

HAFIZ
Dah berapa lama kau cari dia?

AKMAL
Baru saja... Lagipun saya baru setahun duduk di KL. Saya akan cuba cari dia sampai dapat. Lagipun antara sebab saya ke KL pun memang untuk mencari dia. Saya dah janji dengan mak saya di kampung untuk cari dia sampai dapat.

HAFIZ
Untuk apa? Dia dah tinggalkan kau dan mak kau begitu sahaja—

AKMAL
Sebab saya nak tahu mengapa dia tinggalkan kami tanpa apa-apa berita selepas dia ke Singapura untuk mencari kerja di sana.

HAFIZ
Kau bekerja atau belajar lagi?

AKMAL
Saya dah bekerja... Di sebuah kedai komik—

HAFIZ
Bapak kau suka kumpul komik...

AKMAL
Saya tahu... Saya harap dengan bekerja di kedai komik macam tu, satu hari nanti dia akan masuk ke dalam kedai tu dan kita akan bertemu...

SKIP A BEAT
C.U. HAFIZ
Hafiz mengeluh sambil menggeleng.

HAFIZ
Aku sendiri tak faham bagaimana dia mampu tinggalkan keluarga dia sendiri dan menghilang begitu sahaja. Mungkin sebab inilah aku tak mahu tahu tentang diri dia lagi.

AKMAL
Dia pasti ada sebabnya sendiri... Saya Cuma mahu tahu sebabnya.

HAFIZ
Banyakkan bersabar... Satu hari nanti kau akan dapat jawapan yang kau cari tu nanti...

Akmal mengangguk perlahan. Dia termenung jauh. Dia merasa agak kecewa kerana Hafiz tidak dapat membantunya...

DISSOLVE TO:

2007-02-08T13:17:00.000+08:00

SINGAPORE - CITY - 1

A photo taken by an architect friend who likes to look at buildings like this (Singapore National Library)

SINGAPORE - CITY - 2

Singapore National Library

SINGAPORE - CITY - 3

Johan at VIVOCity wading pool

SINGAPORE - CITY - 4

I like this picture taken by him... We were waiting for a bus to take us to Marina Square

Here's an excerpt of Episode 5, ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka:

--snip

01 - INT. – BACKGROUND KOSONG – DALAM BILIK ATAU KIOSK

TALKING HEADS

(Nota buat pengarah: scene ini dilakukan macam interview rancangan realiti. GADIS 1 – 4 akan memandang terus ke kamera. Kalau boleh, buat GADIS 3 ni, pakai tudung serba hitam. Pakai celak hitam dan isap rokok masa diinterview katanya, boleh? Mereka diinterview satu persatu.)

GADIS 1
Azli tu memang kacak lah... I suka, tapi...

GADIS 2
Tapi dia tu lain macam lah... Saiko! Dia beritahu aku yang aku tak boleh—

GADIS 3
Tak boleh banyak bercakap bila berbual dengan dia. Dia kata dia lebih suka gadis yang pendiam. Dia pantang dengar perempuan membebel dan meleter...

GADIS 4
Saya rasa dia ni cerewet. Dia kata lain kali kalau nak keluar dengan dia, saya kena pakai tudung

GADIS 1
I cakap lah, hello Azli... Kalau I nak bertudung pun, I akan pakai tudung di atas kesedaran I sendiri, bukan sebab you suruh I pakai!

GADIS 2
Dia tegur aku sebab aku kata aku tak pandai masak...

GADIS 4
Dia kata tempat seorang perempuan adalah di dapur... Yang penting, perempuan pilihannya kena pandai masak! Tak belajar tinggi-tinggi pun tak apa.

GADIS 3
Eh, I ni lulusan undang-undang dari UIA tau!

GADIS 1
I ada ijazah dalam bidang Ekonomi dari U. M... University of Miami

GADIS 4
Saya mempunyai ijazah perubatan dari Imperial College, London.

GADIS 2
Saya belajar takdelah tinggi takat mana pun… Tapi bapak saya ada kilang belacan paling besar kat Malaysia ni!

GADIS 3
Saya rasa lah, dan ini adalah spekulasi saya... Dia nak kan seorang calon isteri yang macam perempuan kampung yang hanya wujud 30 tahun yang lepas atau wujud dalam dunia fantasi yang rekaannya sendiri yang hanya wujud di dalam kepala dia!

GADIS 4
Manalah perempuan macam tu wujud lagi. Ada ke? Perempuan sekarang dah maju lah, ada yang dah jadi menteri dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif syarikat yang besar-besar...

GADIS 1
Dia kata kat saya... Mana-mana perempuan yang berkahwin dengan dia nanti perlu berhenti kerja untuk kemas-kemas rumah dan jaga anak-anak.

GADIS 3
Berhenti kerja?

GADIS 2
(Menggeleng)

GADIS 4
Hello, saya pakar pediatrik tau! (Roll her eyes) Dia tu ada diploma jer. Tolonglah!

GADIS 2
Azli ni... Kalau dia tak ubah perangai dia, sampai ke tua tak akan dapat calon isteri yang dia nak...

GADIS 1
Dia tu memilih sangat.

GADIS 3
Memilih tu tak salah... Tapi kriteria yang digunakan untuk memilih tu tak masuk akal langsung!

SMASH CUT TO:

02 – INT – RESTORAN – MALAM

Azli dan Gadis dua sedang makan di restoran. Di dalam restoran sama dalam Ep. 1

GADIS 2
Eh, tak masuk akal langsung lah!

AZLI
Tak masuk akal apa pulak ni?

GADIS 2
Kau nak aku belajar masak asam pedas macam mak kau lah, kau kata kalau perempuan tak pandai masak bukan perempuan namanya lah! Eh, apahal ni beb? Dah lah. Malas aku nak layan lelaki chauvanis macam kau ni!

Gadis 2 dengan marah bergegas meninggalkan Azli keseorangan di meja makan.

Pelayan gedik yang dapat kita lihat dalam Ep. 1 datang melenggang menemui Azli.

PELAYAN
Kalau dia tak nak kat awak... Saya ada tau! Saya tak kisah kalau kena berhenti kerja, masak-masak, kemas rumah dan layan awak kat rumah... Saya serius ni!

Azli geli mendengar kata-kata pelayan gedik ini, lalu terus dia minta...

AZLI
(Dengan tegas tapi over) Bil! Cepat Bil!

CUT TO:

2007-02-07T10:33:00.000+08:00

VIVOCITY - Singapore - 1

VIVOCITY - Singapore - 2

Me with Johan

VIVOCITY - Singapore - 3

VIVOCITY - Singapore - 4

VIVOCITY - Singapore - 5

I was told that I have to finish all the 13 episodes of ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka by the 10th February by Ezad, my director. I don't think I can meet his deadline. But I'll try my best. They will start shooting ADAM soon. Sooner than I thought.

Here's another excerpt from ADAM - Kelab Lelaki Terluka (Episode 3):

---snip

08 – INT. PUSAT FUTSAL – MALAM

M.S. DARI BELAKANG, AZLI DAN MADI DI KAUNTER FUTSAL BERSAMA AKMAL

Dari belakang kita dapat melihat Azli dan Madi sedang berada di kaunter. Akmal sedang melayan mereka. Perlu diingatkan bahawa pada masa ini, Akmal tidak mengenali mereka berdua sama sekali. Masa ni, Azli sudahpun kelihatan lebih terurus dengan wajah clean-cut. Tetapi penonton tak nampak sangat pun wajah mereka kerana shot ini akan diambil dari arah belakang. Yang lebih penting adalah kita dapat melihat Akmal sedang melayan mereka lalu memberitahu kepada mereka ke mana mereka boleh berlatih bermain futsal.

Sedetik kemudian, kita dapat melihat Rina datang menemui Akmal. Dia nampak marah. Dia nak masuk ke dalam kaunter tetapi tidak dibenarkan Akmal.

AKMAL
Maaf, pekerja kat sini jer yang dibenarkan masuk ke dalam kaunter.

RINA
Eh, apa awak merepek ni?

AKMAL
(Kali ini dengan suara lebih perlahan) Pekerja sahaja yang dibenarkan masuk ke dalam kaunter.

RINA
Eh, awak dah gila ke?

AKMAL
Ayah awak yang suruh saya cakap macam ni kat awak bila awak datang ke sini macam sekarang ni.

RINA
Dia dah melampau lah!

AKMAL
Tak baik awak cakap macam tu pasal ayah awak.

RINA
Eh, suka hati orang lah nak cakap apa… Awak ni kan, baru sehari kerja kat sini dah jadi kaki ampu. Kalau bapak saya bagi awak kerja sini lama-lama, apalah agaknya jadi dengan awak ni nanti kan? Pantang orang bagi muka sikit! Dasar kaki kipas.

AKMAL
Saya tahu awak marah kat saya sebab saya ambik alih kerja awak...

RINA
Eh, marah apa pulak? Saya tak marah pun! Ada muka marah ke?

Rina mengetapkan bibirnya untuk menahan rasa marah.

Akmal terus berada di belakang kaunter dengan rasa janggal. Matanya ke depan. Kadangkala ke tepi sebab dia tak berani tengok muka Rina.

AKMAL
Saya ada kumpulkan tin-tin kosong dan botol-botol kosong. Saya ada jual.

RINA
Dah tu?

Akmal keluarkan sekeping sampul surat dari kocek seluarnya. Dia menyerahkan sampul surat tersebut kepada Rina.

AKMAL
Ayah awak dah ceritakan segalanya kepada saya...

RINA
Ish! Apa orang tua tu cerita? Apa!

AKMAL
Pasal... Dia tak akan beri awak duit belanja lagi. Kalau awak nak duit belanja awak kena cari sendiri kerja di luar.

RINA
Dia dah memang melampau lah!

AKMAL
Kalau awak tak ada duit belanja, awak ambil saja duit ni. Ni duit hasil jualan tin-tin dan botol-botol kosong yang saya kutip di sini semalam. Tak banyak, tapi kalau awak pergi makan kat warung, kira ngam-ngam jugak lah.

Rina mengeluarkan wang yang terdapat di dalam sampul surat lalu diletakkan di atas meja. Ada lebih kurang RM 5.25 kesemuanya.

AKMAL (CONT’D)
Kalau awak nak, kita boleh sama-sama kutip tin-tin kosong dan botol-botol kosong kat sini.

RINA
Awak ni kelakar lah... Duit ni kalau nak beli kopi kat Starbucks pun tak cukup, tau! Dah tu awak nak saya kerja jadi orang kutip sampah? Geli lah! Tak senonoh betul lah awak ni! Muka saya ni macam muka orang kutip sampah ke?

Wajah Akmal berubah. Dia kaku memandang ke arah Rina. Dia terfikirkan tentang ibunya di kampung buat beberapa saat itu.

AKMAL
Mak saya kerja sapu sampah kat hospital Kuala Pilah. Dia kerja kutip sampah yang awak anggap geli tu untuk besarkan saya dan adik-adik saya.

Akmal melayan seorang pelanggan yang datang. Dia langsung tidak mahu memandang ke arah Rina.

C.U. RINA
Rina ternyata nampak serba salah. Dia tahu dia dah melampau. Dia nak mintak maaf, tapi dia rasa ego.

AKMAL
Awak dah makan ke belum? (Tanya Akmal selepas dia selesai melayan pelanggannya)

RINA
Belum...

AKMAL
Kenapa tak makan lagi?

RINA
Tadi saya lepak-lepak dengan Asyraq di kampus... Kami belajar sama-sama.

AKMAL
Kenapa tak makan dengan dia sekali?

RINA
Awak ni sibuk sangat dengan hal saya dengan dia apesal ni?

Rina diam buat dua detik. Dia cuba mengawal rasa marahnya yang tak tentu pasal tu.

RINA (CONT’D)
Dia kata dia sibuk... Dia ada hal dengan keluarga dia.

AKMAL
Jadi apa tujuan awak ke sini, sebenarnya? Untuk serang saya?

RINA
Tak... Saya tertinggal fail saya bawah kaunter... Fail tu ada gambar kumpulan
My Chemical Romance kat depan—

Akmal mencari fail yang dinyatakan Rina tadi… Dia menyerahkan Fail itu kepada Rina.

AKMAL
Saya suka lagu Welcome To The Black Parade…

RINA
Ye ke?

AKMAL
Ya…

SKIP A BEAT

RINA
Saya nak mintak maaf…

AKMAL
Untuk apa?

RINA
Bila awak suruh saya kutip sampah tadi lepas tu saya kata geli—

AKMAL
Tak apa... Saya tak ambil hati pun.

RINA
Jadi, keluarga awak semua ada di Kuala Pilah?

AKMAL
Ya... Mak dan adik-adik saya empat orang tu tinggal kat Tanjung Ipoh, Kuala Pilah...

RINA
Awak tinggal kat tepi laut, ke?

AKMAL
Kuala Pilah tu jauh dari laut... Eh, awak tak pernah sampai ke sana ke?

RINA
Tak pernah...

SKIP A BEAT

RINA (CONT’D)
Okaylah... Saya nak balik. Nak siapkan tugasan saya.

Akmal mengangguk. Rina mengambil wang yang telah diberikan Akmal kepadanya. Dia mengucapkan terima kasih dengan suara yang perlahan.

Akmal terus memandang ke arah Rina yang sedang berjalan keluar dari pusat futsal.

FREEZE FRAME
SUPER: AKMAL 1 ASYRAQ 1
SFX: TING!

FADE OUT.

END OF EPISODE 3

2007-01-31T12:08:00.000+08:00

Friends @ Seksan - 1

Friends @ Seksan - 2

Friends @ Seksan - 3

Friends @ Seksan - 4

Kak Min (Yasmin Ahmad to the rest of you) SMS-ed me last night and told me that her new film, Mukhsin will be shown in the local cinemas come 8th of March 2007.

Still working on A.D.A.M. - Kelab Lelaki Terluka. I am beginning to love my characters, especially Azli and Rina. Ezad gave me some pointers on how to write a good script. He's been helpful.

Here's a sneak preview of the script (Episode 1, Scene 1). Enjoys!

--snip

CREDIT ROLL

01 - INT. KEDAI KOMIK – SIANG

E.C.U. JAM DINDING. MENUNJUKKAN PUKUL 4.34 PETANG

(Nota untuk pengarah: Pastikan jam menunjukkan pukul 4.34. Kerana signifikasi 4.34 kepada surah An-Nisaa, ayat 4.34 yang membawa maksud: ”Kaum lelaki itu adalah pemimpin dan pengawal yang bertanggungjawab terhadap kaum perempuan, oleh kerana Allah telah melebihkan orang-orang lelaki (dengan beberapa keistimewaan) atas orang-orang perempuan, dan juga kerana orang-orang lelaki telah membelanjakan (memberi nafkah) sebahagian dari harta mereka.”)

Jam berdetik perlahan. Saat demi saat. Kamera pan ke bawah sehinggalah kita dapat melihat wajah Akmal yang sedang kebosanan sambil membaca sebuah komik. Di dalam masa yang sama, kita dapat mendengar dua orang remaja sedang bertekak di dalam kedai. Remaja 1 & 2 berusia bawah 20 tahun. Dua-dua muka skema (nerd).

REMAJA 1 (O.S)
Kau rasa kalau Cicakman lawan dengan Spiderman siapa yang akan menang?

REMAJA 2 (O.S)
Spiderman lah!

REMAJA 1
Apa pulak! Cicak kan makan labah-labah! Spiderman lah kalah!

REMAJA 2
Mana kau tahu? Kalau labah-labah tu tarantula... Siapa makan siapa?

REMAJA 1
Labah-labah yang gigit Peter Parker tu kecik lah!

REMAJA 2
HELLO! Kalau ikutkan logik... Cicakman yang badan sekeping tu lawan Spiderman yang badan bagak tu siapa menang?

REMAJA 1
Kau ni, asalkan hero mat saleh jer, mesti kau akan menangkan!

M.S. AKMAL
Akmal menggelengkan kepalanya lalu meletakkan komiknya yang sedang dibacanya.

REMAJA 2 (O.S)
Apa pulak! (Pause, sebab dia nak tukar topik)

REMAJA 2 (CONT.)
Eh, apasal Cicakman tu nama omputeh ah, sedangkan Cicakman tu cerita Melayu?

AKMAL
Eh, korang hari-hari datang kedai ni tak beli apa-apa, melepak, lepas tu baca komik free. Lepas tu bertekak... Kalau duduk diam-diam takpe jugak. Ni tidak!

REMAJA 1
Eh, rilek lah bang... Emosi sangat ni kenapa?

SFX: BUNYI LOCENG PADA PINTU

Ketika itu kita dapat melihat Akmal menoleh ke pintu yang dibuka dari luar. Ada dua orang pelanggan masuk. Tapi pelanggannya ini lain dari pelanggan-pelanggan yang biasa diterimanya. Wajah Akmal berubah. Nadinya seolah terhenti.

(Nota kepada pengarah: pastikan Zerry enterframe dari arah KIRI). Rina dan Zerry masuk ke dalam kedai komik. Rina nampak macam Paris Hilton – pakaian yang dipakainya ranggi. Dia bersama Zerry yang nampak stylo. Zerry mengeluh kerana terpaksa masuk ke dalam kedai komik ini. Dia ambil sekeping komik. He sneers and rolls his eyes. Bukan majalah Details atau GQ gamaknya. Dia meletakkan komik itu kembali depan pantas, kononnya jijik dan tidak mahu jadi nerd macam Remaja 1 & 2 yang dipandang serong olehnya.

Rina memandang ke arah Zerry. Dia mahu Zerry berdiri dekat di sebelahnya. Kemudian Rina mengeluarkan sekeping komik lama dari dalam tas tangannya. Dia menyerahkan komik tersebut kepada Akmal.

E.C.U. KOMIK YANG DILETAKKAN RINA DI ATAS MEJA

Dengan pantas kita dapat melihat komik itu telah diconteng dengan magic colour oleh seorang anak kecil apabila Akmal menyelak komik tersebut.

RINA
Awak ada jual komik macam ni kat sini?

AKMAL
Ini komik X Men nombor 12...

RINA
Jadi kenapa? Ada jual ke tak komik ni kat sini?

REMAJA 2
Cik... Kalau komik tu ada jual kat sini... Saya dah lama beli tau!

REMAJA 1
Kan?

Akmal menyepetkan matanya ke arah REMAJA 1 & 2, seolah-olah meminta mereka jangan menyampuk lagi. Kemudian dia senyum kambing ke arah Rina.

AKMAL
Komik ni ada... Tapi kena bagi saya masa—

RINA
Berapa lama?

AKMAL
Esok... Insyaallah, saya boleh dapatkan komik ni.

RINA
Esok... (Pause) Jadi saya kena datang ke sini lagi lah untuk ambil komik ni nanti?

AKMAL
Kalau Cik nak... Kita boleh jumpa kat mana-mana yang senang untuk Cik nanti—

C.U. REMAJA 1
Remaja 1 mencemik mukanya ke arah Remaja 2, kononnya meluat.

RINA
Jadi berapa harga komiknya?

AKMAL
Harganya... Ermmm...

M. S. REMAJA 1 & 2
Remaja 1& 2 yang sedang memasang telinga untuk mendengar jawapan dari Akmal

AKMAL (CONT.)
Harganya tak mahal... Bawah 50 Ringgit jer.

M. S. REMAJA 1 & 2
Mereka berdua terkejut mendengar jawapan yang diberikan Akmal. Mata mereka terbeliak dibuatnya.

RINA
Okay.

Rina mengeluarkan sekeping buku nota kecil lalu menulis alamat pusat futsal tempat dia bekerja.

RINA
Ini alamatnya... Awak pergi cari Encik Darwis. Serahkan komik yang saya pesan kepadanya.

Rina mengeluarkan wang RM 50 dari dompetnya.

RINA (CONT.)
Ini 50 ringgit. Yang lebih tu awak ambil lah ya?

Akmal mengangguk pantas. Rina mengajak Zerry berjalan keluar dari kedai komik. Zerry mengikutnya berjalan keluar dengan wajah kekwat.

M.S. REMAJA 1 & 2
Remaja 1 & 2 yang masih sentap tu merenung ke arah Akmal.

AKMAL
Kalau aku dengar sepatah perkataan keluar dari mulut korang pasal benda ni... Siap lah!

Akmal cepat-cepat berjalan ke tingkap kedai. Dia mencari kelibat Rina yang ingin menyambung membeli belah...

CUT TO:

-- end snip

2007-01-25T15:53:00.000+08:00

Adibah Noor: Anugerah Juara Lagu ke-27  - 1

Adibah Noor: Anugerah Juara Lagu ke-27  - 2

Adibah Noor: Anugerah Juara Lagu ke-27  - 3

Adibah Noor: Anugerah Juara Lagu ke-27  - 4

Well, I was told by RTM - A.D.A.M. - Kelab Lelaki Terluka will be a 13 episode TV series and not a 26 episode TV series as I was told by my producer from Global Networks Sdn Bhd. What a relief. I can breathe better right now.

2007-01-23T11:04:00.000+08:00

Mawi Juara Lagu ke 21 - 1

Mawi Juara Lagu ke 21 - 2

Mawi Juara Lagu ke 21 - 3

Me and Sultanmuzaffar... Jaded

I was invited to Juara Lagu ke-21. Walked on the red carpet. It was okaylah. Met some people who actually read Susuk and liked it.

I am busy with my 26 episode script. Busy busy busy!

2007-01-17T11:20:00.000+08:00

The view from the window near my cubicle in my office - 1

The view from the window near my cubicle in my office - 2

I read Kosmo today and there's a mention of Susuk (Buku! page 25)and according to Kosmo: "Pelancaran novel ini bakal diadakan dengan usaha sama TV3 untuk drama dan filem berjudul sama hujung Februari ini."

Wait a sec... Pelancaran novel? How come I am not told about this?

2007-01-12T12:29:00.000+08:00

Susuk in bookstores, now! - 1

Susuk in bookstores, now! - 2

I have to write a few synopses for my novels, namely Halimunan, Mat & Mel and Seri Tertangguh because there is a possibility that Marshall Cavendish will be publishing yet another one of my novels. Hopefully they will choose one of the titles. Better still, publish all three :)

Rohaizad will be coming to KL and I'll be hosting him while he's here. We'll probably go and meet up some of our old theatre friends and watch a play called Betrayal. Our friends, Bernice Chauly and Vernon Adrian Emuang will be acting in this semi-autobiographical play by Harold Pinter.

2007-01-11T09:06:00.000+08:00

With the kids at Genting - 5

With the kids at Genting - 6

With the kids at Genting - 7

According to Harian Metro, yesterday:

"Sekiranya filem Susuk dapat digarap sebaik jalan ceritanya dalam novel, tidak mustahil ia muncul ‘filem pecah panggung’ dan mengulangi sejarah filem Cicak-Man."

I sincerely hope that people will go to the cinema and watch Susuk. The book is slightly different from the film. But the book will come in handy if you want to learn more about the characters of the novel.

You know what, up till today I'm still blur about TV3's intentions to make a TV series out of Susuk. I was first told about it by Ezad because TV3 has approached him regarding the matter and that's about it. They should let Ezad direct the series, lah... I hate seeing Susuk in the hand of other directors (Besides Amir and Naeim, of course) and they'll ended up turning it into a typical TV3 drama serial like 'Kawan' or 'Mitosastra'. One thing I respect about Ezad is his understanding of the Malay Audience - what they like and don't like while watching TV. This is perhaps one thing that I have to learn from him.

Ezad is in the process of writing Emil Emilda. I am reading his teleplay right now, and they are not bad, actually. Campy and funny. From what I heard, Syarifah Armani will take the lead as Emilda. Isma will be in it too, as MAC.

2007-01-10T09:18:00.000+08:00

With the kids at Genting - 1

She's into fries

With the kids at Genting - 2

With the kids at Genting - 3

With the kids at Genting - 4

I think I was asking Johan to sit next to me...

I'm at home, recovering. I better not get use to this. It's to comfy.

A producer SMSed me last night for synopses that I had promised him. I kept on telling him I'll hand him the synopses once I have the time to sit down and write. The thing is, I do have the time but I am too damn lazy to write. Okay, I will make a point to write the synopses today. He better stick with the idea that the cat in my story is a tranny and she can talk. And I want Fazura to act in the leading role.

--

Soseh-Soseh: Trend buat filem keluar novel (RAP - Harian Metro)

KEBELAKANGAN ini seperti sudah menjadi kelaziman apabila setiap kali filem dihasilkan, novelnya turut diterbitkan. Secara tidak langsung ia bagi membolehkan peminat mengikuti terlebih dulu jalan cerita filem yang diterbitkan itu.

Antara filem yang pernah hasilkan dalam bentuk novel selepas ia disiapkan seperti Sembilu, Main-Main Cinta, Cicak-Man dan terbaru Susuk arahan Amir Muhammad.

Novel Susuk yang tulis Nizam Zakaria itu dikategorikan sebagai fiksyen berkonsepkan misteri. Kalau dinilai daripada novelnya yang sudah pun SS membacanya, cerita Susuk memang menarik.

Sekiranya filem Susuk dapat digarap sebaik jalan ceritanya dalam novel, tidak mustahil ia muncul ‘filem pecah panggung’ dan mengulangi sejarah filem Cicak-Man.

Bagaimanapun baru-baru ini, sewaktu teman SS berbincang dengan pelakon utama filem Susuk iaitu Diana Rafar dia menjelaskan jalan cerita filem itu sudah diubah sedikit berbanding novelnya.

Perkara itu dilakukan jelas Diana dengan harapan peminat tidak terlalu membandingkan apa yang ditulis dalam novel dengan gambaran di dalam layar.

Katanya sekiranya pengarah mahu menggambarkan keadaan sebenar apa yang ditulis dalam novel ia memerlukan belanja besar ibarat produksi filem Hollywood.

Apapun pengarahnya Amir tidak mengetepikan beberapa babak menarik yang menjadi inti kepada jalan cerita filem Susuk.

Penggambaran filem Susuk sudah pun selesai akhir Disember lalu dan kini ia sedang menjalani proses memasukkan kesan khas bagi membolehkan kejadian misteri yang digambarkan seperti apa yang tertulis dalam novel nampak hidup di depan layar.

SS sendiri tidak sabar untuk menyaksikan filem itu yang dikatakan akan mula ditayangkan kepada umum pada pertengahan Februari ini.

2007-01-08T19:49:00.000+08:00

Anggun's Adventure at KLCC - 1

Anggun's Adventure at KLCC - 2

Anggun's Adventure at KLCC - 3

Anggun's Adventure at KLCC - 4

7 Things I want to accomplish in 2007

1. I want to quit smoking… This time for real

2. I want to have a fitter body. The type of body where I can go shirtless while clubbing without having young boys making smart-ass comments about a 30-something having the cheek to go shirtless

3. I will make sure that I can finish writing my manuscripts/screenplay on time. I hate giving lame excuses to my director/editor...

4. Get another novel published. It’s been fun seeing my novel Susuk at bookstores. Really

5. Buy and read as many books as I can

6. Going to Bali for the third time

7. Spend more time with my friends and family

2007-01-05T11:43:00.000+08:00

Elarti @ Seksan - 1

D and I

Elarti @ Seksan - 2

Fadz and I

I am writing this as I am resting at a ward at Sunway hospital. I had an operation yesterday to remove two growth in my colon - if not removed the growth will turn cancerous. So I was told. My doctor said, I was lucky, due to the early dectection and due to the fact that I told them that my sis is currectly undergoing cancer treatment in the States. My doctor asked me how I felt. I said, I felt lucky. I didn't really show much emotions, then.

At least I know I'm not going to die soon. I was kinda anticipated that the growth is at a later stage (when I was told about the growth) - and I don't have much time to live. When I was told about the possibility of cancer, I did not freak out.

The only thing that worried me then was the amount of unfinished work that I'll leave behind due to my early demise. I can't afford to fall ill or die soon. I've got to write and continue writing. I told myself that I will have to finish Gurisan Intaglio no matter what. And that my drama serial will be my first priority too. And then I can die peacefully.

And then I thought about mak... And strangely enough about Kuala Pilah. How I missed that town and how some of the best time in my life was spent there.

Well, I'm not going to die of cancer. There was an early detection and I will go for my check up from time to time to make sure there won't be any additional growth in the future.

2006-12-27T08:33:00.000+08:00

Jusco Tebrau City - 1

Jusco Tebrau City - 2

Jusco Tebrau City - 3

Jusco Tebrau City - 4

Jusco Tebrau City - 5

Jusco Tebrau City - 6

The story development of my drama serial is going on just fine. If fact, after having a short discussion with Ezad last night at KLCC, I've kinda got excited over the kind of characters he had helped me to create. I told him I want the same kind of 'dark comedy' that was present when he created (and directed) Seputeh Kaseh Ramadhan. 'Seputeh' was a hit when it was shown on TV3. Right now, I could ride on his reputation to get A-list actors to act in this drama serial that I'm going to write. We have the budget too! I hope the project will go through lah. I'm still thinking I'm dreaming. I really do. This is too surreal. You see, I get to do something that I really like and dreaming of doing all my life... Syukur alhamdullilah.

2006-12-26T08:36:00.000+08:00

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 14

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 15

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 16

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 17

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 18

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 19

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 20

Fadz told me that Susuk is now available at Kinokuniya. I didn't know that. Perhaps I should check that one out later today. Nani, Tom and Anggun is coming to KL anyway... So I might as well.

The psychotic blog stalker with IP: 82.46.242.90 (UK IP, no less) keeps on coming repeatedly to this blog. Very der symptomatic of a stalker, kan? Do you have a blog and have to deal with psychos like this before? I can already imagine this stalker perhaps have an altar just for me with my pictures everwhere on the altar... **Larikkk!

To the psycho... And this is perhaps the forth time I'm asking you this - Seek professional help. Get some medication for yourself, ya? It will help. Better still, try to refrain yourself from visiting my blog altogether.

2006-12-22T07:12:00.000+08:00

Dengarkanlah (working title) studio session - 1

Dengarkanlah (working title) studio session - 2

Dengarkanlah (working title) studio session - 3

Hafiz, the ex member of UNIC, is going solo. He's only 22, but he's one of the most precocious young men I've ever met. He had asked me to write the lyric for his new song and I did. Yes, I actually did.

I have this problem where I can't stand my own work. Do you know that I don't read my own novel after I wrote it? I've only watched Impian once and I don't think I can watch it again. I hardly reread by blog entries. Once, I can't figure out how Kak Min (Yasmin Ahmad) could watch her own movie over and over again, because I can't.

I can't bear listening to the song that I wrote, but I know it sounded good in the studio. The song will probably drive me crazy if it's gotten itself on air soon. I don't know why... But it's just me being me.

The studio session started at about 9.30 last night. I was really nervous. I felt bad because I kept on thinking how I'm going to ruin Hafiz's song by writing a crappy lyric. But he felt okay with the lyric and he thought that I had read his mind when it comes to a few chosen words in the song.

I kept on telling him that he had given me a difficult ballad to write. The tempo is rather slow, so I have to be careful with the words that I chose. I tried to be as poetic as much as I can, and avoid using cliched and bombastic words (but it is difficult to do so). I wanted the song to be rather minimal in it's use of words. I tried to be brave by piecing together words that are totally unrelated like: “Dengarkanlah puisi setia” that I could easily replace the line with: “Dengarkanlan puisi indah”, for example, but I didn't. I want to keep some of the words as I intend it to be. Intact.

It was only at the studio I realised the song is difficult to sing. Instead of having a panic attack (I almost had one), I thought Hafiz should know what he's doing. I took a deep breath and just hoped for the best.

Hafiz managed to sing the song as how it was intended to be sung. The song is melodious and I keep on wondering how in the world is he going to remember every bit of the song just to sound alike everytime he sings it. But he's a pro. He knows his own turf.

About the song... I wanted to capture what I felt once in the course of my life. A feeling that I had when I thought there was still hope in loving the person I had loved (I was proven wrong of course, but life's a bitch anyway). So there you go.

I have a deep respect with lyricist such as AD Samad who has written songs such as “Tak Tercapai Akalmu” and “Syair Si Pari Pari”. He has the knack to piece words that are often strange but you know they are beautifully crafted when they are placed together in a song. His songs are often difficult to listen to at first but it will stick and reverbirates in your head.

For a sample of Dengarkanlah, click here! (please note that this is a rough-cut version of the song).

--

Hafiz will be performing 'Dengarkanlah' tonight at Indie Scene Cafe, Piccolo Galleria, Bukit Bintang (between Lot 10 and KL Plaza). The event shall start at 7 pm, in conjuction with the launch of Iyari, a chapbook of poems by Sharanya Manivannan. It will be the first time the song will be performed to the public. So be there.

If you want to see having a panic attack, go lah, go...

--

Dengarkanlah
Lagu oleh: Mohammad Hafiz
Lirik oleh: Nizam Zakaria
Gubahan: Aubrey Suwito

Walau nanti kau kan menghilang pergi
Kan ku tetap menanti
Walau lautan kan kering selamanya
Kan ku terus setia bersamamu

Dengarkanlah lagu rindu
Kunyanyikan hanya untuk mu
Dengarkanlah segalanya
Dengarkanlah kata cinta
Dengarkanlah bicara hati ini
Oh Kasih

Kan ku setia
Menanti kepulangan mu
Cintaku takkan pudar
Takkan bisa kelak hatiku berubah
Bila dirimu bisa indah di jiwa

Dengarkanlah diri ini
Dengarkanlah puisi setia
Dengarkanlah segalanya
Dengarkanlah kata cinta
Dengarkanlah bicara hati ini
Oh Kasih

Kanku sanjung cintamu
hingga ke hujung dunia
Oh....

Dalam sepi yang menyapa diriku
bayangmu hadir di hati
Dalam kelam kau terangi duniaku
Bak sang rembulan di malam yang sepi

Dengarkanlah lagu rindu
Kunyanyikan hanya untuk mu
Dengarkanlah segalanya
Dengarkanlah kata cinta
Dengarkanlah bicara indah di dada
Di jiwa
Yang kan indah selamanya
Di jiwa...

Di jiwa

2006-12-21T07:35:00.000+08:00

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 7

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 8

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 9

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 10

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 11

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 12

The boys and me

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 13

A lemur, Anggun and me

I have to start working on my scripts diligently. I'm not doing anything but staying at home and running some errands. Perhaps spending a couple of hours in the gym.

I think I'm done with my lyric. It sounded cheesy (but poetic, of course). I read the lyric of the song to Nani. Nani said it should appeal to the typical Malay girls. They are going to buy the record, anyway.

Yes, I hope the song will be a hit. I will use everything that I have to make sure the song WILL be a hit.

When the song is finally recorded (perhaps tonight... I will post the pictures, of course) I am officially a song writer. Yes, a song writer. I can finally die in peace knowing that I have written a song (and hopefully more to come) in this lifetimeof mine.

2006-12-20T08:00:00.000+08:00

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 1

Anggun at Burger King, Plaza Singapura

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 2

Rueben and his dad, Matthew

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 3

Me and Johan at Vivocity

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 4

Johan at the Harbour Front

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 5

Mak and her grandchildren

Johan and Rueben in Singapore - 6

Anggun and Johan inside the MRT

Here are the photos of the kids. As for myself, I've been shopping for party clothes in Singapore. Been so busy lately I don't have enough sleep.

I have a song lyric to write. I've agreed to commit myself with the project because I fell in love with the song the first time I listened to it. I know it will be a hit. And that's when the pressure comes. I have a good song and I have to write a killer lyric for the song.

It's a ballad, by the way...

2006-12-14T09:12:00.000+08:00

Jalil and Johan at Minnesota - 1

Jalil and Johan at Minnesota - 2

Jalil and Johan at Minnesota - 3

This is what my sister wrote:

Johan and reuben got a visit from Santa Claus on December 12th, 2006. They were from Altru Clinic and Riverview Hospital staff. They were so kind and generous. I thought everybody going to get a present each, but we got all of the presents that were on our wish list. The presents covered our dining table. We were thankful for all the gift that we received. Johan and Reuben were exited seeing Santa Claus. I never seen them so cheerful before. Johan and Reuben are so thankful for all the gifts that they received.

- Hanidah

Well, too bad they will have to leave their gifts behind. As we speak, I think they are on their way on a longhaul flight to Singapore. I'll be driving to Singapore tomorrow after I service my car and go for a medical check-up for my new job.

2006-12-12T10:05:00.000+08:00

Ringgit Remaja - Kedai Tayar di Telok Gadong, Klang - 4

Saja nak keypoh

Ringgit Remaja - Kedai Tayar di Telok Gadong, Klang - 5

Ringgit Remaja - Kedai Tayar di Telok Gadong, Klang - 6

Ringgit Remaja - Kedai Tayar di Telok Gadong, Klang - 7

I've gotten myself a new job. I was offered a position as a policy researcher. Yes, ladies and gentlemen and adik-adik sekalian, I could finally use my knowledge as a researcher during my 'uni' days as a proper researcher (oh, for you lost soul out there who don't know me yet, I actually have a day job). I took the job because I could finally do something that I really like - researching on technology related issues. It goes without saying that pay package I'll be getting will be much better than what I'm getting right now. More importantly, I think I'm going to love the job because I know I can make a difference to the country's technology related policies.

To my friend Sue, I forgot to wish you a safe journey to Beijing. Hope you'll enjoy yourself over there and buy me the T-shirt I wanted. I'll trust your taste, baby. :)

2006-12-11T09:39:00.000+08:00

Ringgit Remaja - Kedai Tayar di Telok Gadong, Klang - 1

Ringgit Remaja is a 13 episode magazine programme I'm working on right now...

Ringgit Remaja - Kedai Tayar di Telok Gadong, Klang - 2

Wan Sharmilla the compare and Fazli as the director

Ringgit Remaja - Kedai Tayar di Telok Gadong, Klang - 3

I watched Cicakman and I didn't like the movie. It was slow and I almost slept my way through the movie (I can only blame the script). Bad acting by Apek and Aznil. I'm talking about really, really bad acting here. I just hate it when they wanted to make a comedy (yang akhirnya tak menjadi) out of a genre that is suppose to be dramatic and brooding. Whatever lah kan.

And the movie is so queer! Sometimes I feel like I'm watching 'The L Word' gituh. "Oh, Tanya and Nadia tu kan are just best friends. Why lah you, suka sangat buat cerita." Yeah, right... And please don't get me started with Hairi's and Danny's character.

The movie is not worth watching. Just wait for Hari Raya, ya.

Well, yesterday I watched A Battle of Wits. Now, this is a good movie I actually enjoyed. Nicky Wu is cute. Enuf said.

2006-12-08T10:03:00.000+08:00

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 22

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 23

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 24

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 25

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 26

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 27

I'm bringing sexy back. Yes, I do.

2006-12-07T09:29:00.000+08:00

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 17

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 18

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 19

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 20

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 21

I can't think straight. I got tons of work to do. I feel like I'm about to burst. But I'll manage it somehow... Yes, somehow.

2006-12-06T10:23:00.000+08:00

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 12

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 13

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 14

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 15

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 16

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 16

Click here and here for my other pictures taken at Pangkor

I entered the gym at 6.30 am this morning. I feel good after my gym session. I have to tell myself to sleep early every night, though. I think I am beginning to like going to the gym early in the morning.

2006-12-05T09:36:00.000+08:00

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 8

The alley leads to a platform to dry fishes at Pekan Pangkor

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 9

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 10

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 11

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 12

The other side of Pekan Pangkor

Click here and here for other photos of myself.

I must tell myself not to be lazy, especially nowadays. Lazy at home, I mean. When I'm at home, I just want to laze on the couch and do nothing. I must instead power up my laptop and finish my documentary script for RTM entitled Ringgit Remaja. It's a 13 episode magazine programme produced by Radius One. Writing the programme is not that difficult, actually, but I have to commit myself to it. I have to interview some young adults that will be featured in the programme and prepare a script based on the interview.

I will be busier after I finished Ringgit Remaja when I was informed by Ezad of Radius One last Sunday that I have to write a 26 episode TV series. Again, for RTM. This will be a tough one for me. I have to send a proposal to a high profile production company that is going to produce the tv series (which could only translate to a higher budget with fantastic locations and interesting casts for me). This project is still in the pipeline, so I can't really tell if this is confirmed or not. If this project goes through, I will have to spend my free time writing and writing. No more slacking in front of my telly. No more surfing the net or chatting using my YM. The only free time I have, I will spend running or going to the gym.

This morning, I went to the gym at about 6.45 am. The gym is not exactly empty. There are people around. I wonder if I should sign up for the pilate or yoga classes scheduled at about 7 am. I peeped into the class room and I saw no men signed up for the yoga class held this morning. Maybe I should stick to the weight machines.

2006-12-04T09:31:00.000+08:00

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 1

I took this picture while in the boat to Pangkor

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 2

Me, in the boat to Pangkor

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 3

Me and the boys took a taxi to Pekan Pangkor to do some shopping.

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 4

Pekan Pangkor in the afternoon

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 5

Pekan Pangkor in a lazy afternoon

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 6

Pangkor Trip 2006 - 7

Click here and here for a couple of other pictures of me at Pangkor.

I had a good rest in Pangkor. I didn't do anything much but beach combing, chillin' around the pool and a snorkeling. It wasn't a hectic holiday, so I felt a bit rested. I went to Pangkor with 5 other friends. One of whom I kinda knew since he was a law student at UIA in 1999.

Yesterday I watched Cinta, again… After watching the rough-cut of the movie at Monsoon Pictures a few months ago. I cried, now at different scenes that touched me. I guess, now that I've learned to let go, the film touched me in a different way. Now, I have to learn to allow people who want to love me the fighting chance to get to know the real me and perhaps, have such feelings reciprocated back to them.

I went to Fitness First for the first time yesterday, at about 7 am, mind you. I think I like the idea of going to an empty gym with only me and a few people around. I don't feel like I'm being watched, until much later in the changing room - I still can't figure out why this fag is still in the changing room even after I'm done with a few sessions of using the sauna and steam room. I was half naked and wet and he was giving me 'The Look'.

I have this feeling he's not using the gym primarily to work out.

2006-11-29T09:02:00.000+08:00

Reading at Seksan last Saturday - 5

Sharon Bakar

Reading at Seksan last Saturday - 6

Miss D

Reading at Seksan last Saturday - 7

Chris Yin

Reading at Seksan last Saturday - 8

I took all these photos using my new phone

I so desperately want to buy a genuine Astro Boy T-shirt but two things stop me from even considering the T-shirt:

1. I don't think they have adult size Astro Boy T-shirt
2. I think paying RM 130 for a T is highway robbery

I've been out shopping last week. Bought three M sized T-shirts and two shorts for the Pangkor trip. Two shorts… A bit of overkill, since I seldom wear shorts when I'm out and about.

Yesterday I went to KLCC to meet Ezad. He's working on a 26 Samarinda episodes for TV3. He needs to share his idea with me and just talk. Interesting story, but he still finding it hard to find a title for his story. Now so am I.

I think I will take Taib the cat to act in my telemovie if everything went on smoothly and the TV station approves it. He will act as Tam the talking cat (you think I'm bluffing, right? But I'm not). Yes, there will be a character of a ~~castrated~~ neutered male cat that talks trash like a tranny. This is so me, right?

Miss D wants to play Futsal but she can't get anybody to play with her but me. Itulah, siapa suruh ko jadi faghag-at-large? Fags are into Voleyball, sayang… not futsal. Anyways, it'll be a futsal team comprising of writers and poets. Oh, gawd, what will she think of next?

2006-11-28T12:46:00.002+08:00

Reading at Seksan last Saturday - 3

Jit Murad with his excellent piece of writing!!! I'm his #1 Fan.

Reading at Seksan last Saturday - 4

Friends at Seksan. D on your left

So far, I've got good response for the telemovie I wrote, except for a couple of people who find the telemovie boring. So, they didn't watch the telemovie till the end, as I was told.

In retrospect, I think there are things I could've done to make Impian more interesting. But when I was in the process of writing the telemovie, I just couldn't see it coming. Well, I take this as a valuable experience for me. Now that I kinda have the hang of writing a telemovie, I think I can write better telemovies if I'm given the chance to do so.

A producer already asked me to send him a synopses of a romantic comedy he wants to make. I already have an idea of what to write. I will try to send him the synopses ASAP...

2006-11-27T12:31:00.000+08:00

Reading at Seksan last Saturday - 1

Nizam Zakaria reading chapter 7 of Diva Dilla

Reading at Seksan last Saturday - 2

Saras Manickam reading Dey Raju which appears in Silverfish New Writing 6.

I'll be heading to Pangkor Island this coming Thursday. I will be resting there for a couple of days. I hope I will be able to chill out, just sitting by the pool side or the beach doing nothing.

Okay people, please do watch Cinta (Here is Ted's review. Do read it). I blogged about Cinta when I watched the rough cut at Monsoon Pictures, but back then I can't tell you guys that it was Cinta (Dhojee the producer tak bagi). Anways, it's a good movie. I cried while watching Cinta, knowing that at that moment of time, I have to go through a tough time in my life. But I'm okay now. I've moved on.

I am ready to fall in love again. Finally.

2006-11-23T10:09:00.000+08:00

Hajat: Taman Budaya Kuala Lumpur - 5

Hajat: Taman Budaya Kuala Lumpur - 6

These pictures appeared at Kakiseni.com

Yesterday I went to KLCC for the charity premier of The Red Kebaya. I finally get to watch the movie after I missed the much anticipated media preview due to work commitments. I think the movie is okay, although a bit slow. I just love the acting. Superb cinematography. Story wise, I think what the movie need are subplots, instead of a plot that seems to drag the story. The Red Kebaya will make a good novel, with interesting back stories and all that. How I wished someone from the production come to me to write the novelisation of the movie earlier on. I could have written a beautifully crafted novel in Malay for them.

Nana Tanjung achived Box Office success? Do I even give a fuck about a movie that is so cacat and memalukan like this. I don't think so.

"Consisting of irritating sound effects not heard of since the days of "The Three Stooges", the film seems to be badly patched together. With the usual comedy antics, romantic songs belted out a la Bollywood style, it seems almost like a P.Ramlee movie, minus the legend himself. However, it falls short of success, dragging you along the scenes, boring you with repeated slapsticks (after a while, watching the old man slap everyone's head can get a little tiresome), and having stereotyped characters." (Cinemaonline)

No, I don't think I would like to spend my money nor my oh so precious time watching a crazy geriatric slapping people's head. I thought in the Malay culture, it's considered kurang ajar to do such a thing. Oh, I forgot, the crazy old fool is not a Malay, he's a Mamak.

Talking about Mamak... I went out for a movie with this one fler who told me that he's from Penang. The next thing I knew, he proudly told me one of his parents (I didn't asked which one) is an Indian Muslim. I find it hard to believe since he looks so fair and so Melayu. He has this unmistakingly handsome urban Malay look (for whatever it means). Did I mention that he's handsome? Yes, he is... But he's short and boring. I don't mind him being short, I even told him that my first ex is as ~~short~~ tall as him after he said that nobody fancies a 'katik' (read: midget), but I can't stand people who are boring. He kept on apologising for being boring. I said, "no you're, not." I think he knew I was lying.

2006-11-22T11:59:00.000+08:00

Hajat: Taman Budaya Kuala Lumpur - 3

Hajat: Taman Budaya Kuala Lumpur - 4

I've registered with Fitness First in an attempt to look and feel good. I saw my first ex over there and he was so how lian, one. Eksyen lah kata orang kampung aku.

I kept on wondering last night on how in the world I had ended up with someone so selekeh like that. Well, you can wear a RM10 shirt (you could buy them at this factory outlet store for factory outlet stores at Sunway Pyramid) and adorn Reject Shop jeans and still look good - but not this guy. A Prada shoe on him will look like a Dr. Cardin. You can take people like him out of their kampung but you can never take the kampung out of him. He has no style and he can't carry himself with dignity. I know lots of Malay men takes pride of being a country bumkin. He's one of them.

I think I'm going to the gym early in the morning just to avoid him and some humsup gym-goers - the ones wearing tight tank-tops and 'seluar memantat' type (I'm talking about the guys lah, wei). I hope that I don't have to cross his path again. Every time I see him, I will be reminded of how a loser I once was.

Yesterday I bought a new handphone. It's a Sony Ericsson W710i, Walkman phone. I can't MMS people using my phone. I think it is my mobile carrier's fault. I bought this phone so that I can listen to music while running and chart my fitness progress. I like the phone because it looks sporty too.

Here's a photo of me taken with my new handphone.

2006-11-20T09:40:00.000+08:00

Hajat: Taman Budaya Kuala Lumpur - 1

Hajat: Taman Budaya Kuala Lumpur - 2

Last Saturday I watched a rather strange and campy play entitled 'Hajat'. Here's the synopses:

Anwar wants a sex change. He wants to marry his boyfriend. He has the support of his mother, but his father strongly opposes the whole idea. His father does finally relent, and Anwar goes to Singapore for the operation. After he goes through the operation, he brings his boyfriend home to meet his father. The meeting between father and future son-in-law proves to be explosive...

Based on the story by Ghani Abdul Rahman, directed by Nasir Ali and starring Zarul Hisham, Geehan Kadir, Side and Erwan Yussof. Produced by Grup Theatre Artis Kreative KL. The event is to be screened as part of the month long Festival Semarak Seni, organised by Majlis Teater KL and Pejabat Kebudayaan, Seni & Warisan KL.

Hajat was first staged in 1977, where it was directed by Mustapha Nor, with Nasir Ali playing the lead role.

--

This Friday (24 Nov 2006), please tune in to TV2. Impian will finally be shown in that channel. So, do watch the telemovie written by me, ya!

2006-11-17T09:31:00.000+08:00

Novel Susuk dan wawancara untuk rancangan Resensi di Selamat Pagi Malaysia - 3

Novel Susuk dan wawancara untuk rancangan Resensi di Selamat Pagi Malaysia - 4

Novel Susuk dan wawancara untuk rancangan Resensi di Selamat Pagi Malaysia - 5

After a long day at Times Publication office.

Here's the 'Malaysia Bodoh' article (While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry) by Michael Backman that's been circulation in the blogsphere. Whatever that Backman said about Malaysia is something that I've been griping about for ages on a personal basis with some people I know. I'm not going to gripe again and again like a defected record player. So what I'm going to do is to publish the Malay version of the article I found in this blog (I took the liberty to correct some grammatical errors in BM).

Malaysia melengang, peluangnya berenggang.
Michael Backman
15hb November 2006

Malaysia sekali lagi bertengkar tentang nisbah penguasaan ekonomi antara dua kaum utama, kaum Melayu dan kaum Cina. Ini adalah perdebatan yang telah berlangsung selama 40 tahun. Kekayaan dan isu kaum tidak sepenting dengan perpaduan kaum. Kini telah tiba masanya Malaysia berfikiran matang.

Persaingan di luar negara adalah sangat ketara. Negara yang lebih suka bergaduh tentang bagaimana ingin mereka membahagikan kekayaan daripada mencari kekayaan baru memang menyedihkan.

Tujuan mereka adalah untuk mencapai pemilikan ekuiti korporat sekurang-kurangnya 30% dalam tangan orang Melayu. Akan tetapi, angka yang digunakan oleh kerajaan mereka untuk mempertahankan pemberian syarikat awam kepada Orang Melayu memang melucukan. Kaedah yang digunakan oleh kerajaan mereka untuk menilai ekuiti korporat adalah berdasarkan nilai par tetapi bukan nilai pasaran.

Banyak saham mempunyai nilai par $1 tetapi nilai pasarannya $12. Perangkaan kerajaan terkini, iaitu 18.9 peratus, adalah anggapan ringan. Bulan lalu, seorang penyelidik yang bekerja dengan ‘think-tank’ tempatan memaklumkan bahawa 45 peratus adalah perangkaan sebenar berdasarkan nilai pasaran. Kemarahan dan teriakan bergelora. Hasil penyelidikannya ditarik balik dan penyelidik tersebut meletak jawatan untuk membantah keputusan majikan.

“Malaysia Boleh!” ialah slogan kebangsaan mereka. Pastilah Malaysia boleh. Mereka boleh dan handal dalam hal pembaziran wang. Negara itu dikurniakan dengan sumber alam semulajadi tapi rakyatnya asyik melombong, menjual dan seterusnya membazirkan wang sewenang-wenangnya.

Semua ini berlaku kerana rakyatnya telah dipesonakan kesombongan dan menganggap negaranya memang terunggul di dunia.

Mereka diyakinkan bahawa seluruh dunia sedang memerhatikan negara mereka dan pemimpin mereka ialah tumpuan dunia. Berterima kasihlah kepada media mereka yang taat kepada kerajaan serta perbuatan bekas pemimpin, Mahathir Mohamad, yang asyik berlagak-lagak. Sebenarnya, terlalu kurangnya orang di London atau New York dapat menunjuk lokasi Malaysia di peta dunia, lebih kurang lagi orang mengetahui nama Perdana Menteri dan nama ibukota mereka.

Sebagai bukti, satu episod The Simpsons baru-baru ini menunjukkan seorang pembaca berita cuba mewartakan bahawa satu tempat yang bernama Kuala Lumpur telah dilanda ombak besar. Dia tidak tahu menyebut nama bandaraya tersebut dan menyebutkannya dengan sesuka hati, semacam tiada orang akan mempeduli sebutannya yang salah itu. Yang lebih melucukan – Kuala Lumpur berada di pedalaman.

Petronas, syarikat petroleum negara itu dikendalikan dengan baik, terutamanya berbanding dengan mala petaka yang diharungi oleh syarikat petroleum di Indonesia. Walau bagaimana pun, ini juga masalah Malaysia. Petronas yang berjaya bererti ia akan dipergunakan oleh kerajaan untuk menyokong perbelanjaan kerajaan.

Pembangunan KLCC di pusat Kuala Lumpur ialah satu contoh. Ia termasuk menara berkembar, banggunan tertinggi di dunia itu ketika itu.

Sesungguhnya, boleh dipastikan bahawa tiada kekurangan pejabat di Kuala Lumpur.

Orang Malaysia sangat berbangga dengan menara berkembar itu. Siapa tahu kenapa mereka berbangga. Kedua-dua menara itu sememangnya tiada kegunaan. Wang mereka berasal dari tanah dan kejuruteraannya dikontrakkan kepada syarikat-syarikat Korea Selatan.

Lebih-lebih lagi, mereka tidak mengendalikan pusat membeli-belah di tingkat bawah tetapi dikendalikan oleh syarikat Westfield dari Australia.

Tahun depan, angkasawan Malaysia akan naik ke angkasa lepas dengan roket Russia – Orang Melayu yang pertama di angkasa. Berapakah harganya? RM95 juta, tentulah dibayar oleh rakyat yang membayar cukai. Menteri Sains,Teknologi dan Inovasi mereka berkata pendaratan di bulan pada tahun 2020 ialah sasaran berikutnya, tapi diterbangkan oleh kapal angkasa Amerika Syarikat. Entahlah bayaran yang Amerika Syarikat kenakan jika dan hanya jika Amerika Syarikat mempertimbangkan tawaran mereka. Mengapa Malaysia terbang melalui program angkasa orang lain? Ternyatalah program ini tidak mengundang sebarang kemajuan dalam teknologi, namun orang Malaysia akan diingatkan sekali lagi bahawa mereka “boleh”. Sebenarnya, mereka tak boleh. Ini bukan program angkasa mereka.

Julai ini, kerajaan mereka mengisytiharkan bahawa mereka akan melaburkan sebanyak RM490 juta untuk mendirikan kompleks sukan di pusat Olimpik di London supaya olahragawan Malaysia dapat menyesuaikan diri dengan cuaca sejuk.

Tapi, Olimpik diadakan pada musim panas.

Oleh itu, apa kegunaan sebenar kompleks itu? Banyak ‘lawatan muhibah’ ke London akan dianjurkan oleh menteri-menteri dalam tempoh pembangunan dan juga semasa latihan.

Litar Formula 1 dan satu pusat pentadbiran yang baru – Petronas yang menanggung semua. Mustahillah Malaysia mampu menanggung semua ini.

Kenapa? Kerana petroleum di Malaysia akan habis dalam tempoh masa 19 tahun, iaitu Malaysia akan menjadi pengimport bersih petroleum menjelang tahun 2011 – lima tahun lagi.

Inilah kenapa kekecohan tentang kaum dan penguasaan ekonomi begitu menyedihkan.

Tibalah masanya mereka mengorak langkah bersedia menghadapi ekonomi tanpa petroleum. Tetapi, kerajaan Malaysia masih tidak apa-apa lagi. Mereka lebih berminat dalam aksi stunt seperti menghantar angkasawan sedangkan negara mereka tidak mempunyai sekolah yang cukup serta berdebat tentang pembahagian ekonomi dengan menggunakan statistik yang tidak masuk akal.

Itu bukan Malaysia Boleh, itu Malaysia Bodoh.

Pengarang: Michael Backman

email: michaelbackman@yahoo.com

http://www.michaelbackman.com

Penulis Kolum terkenal di antarabangsa dari Australia untuk:
Melbourne Age
The Times (London)
International Herald Tribune
Asian Wall Street Journal
Far Eastern Economic Review
Australian Financial Review
Business Times (Singapura)

2006-11-16T10:17:00.000+08:00

Novel Susuk dan wawancara untuk rancangan Resensi di Selamat Pagi Malaysia - 1

Novel Susuk dan wawancara untuk rancangan Resensi di Selamat Pagi Malaysia - 2

Mengenai seorang Melayu yang bobrok bernama SB Hashim dari Ampang

Saya terpanggil untuk menulis apa yang perlu saya tulis kerana adalah menjadi tugas serta amanah saya sebagai seorang penulis untuk menegur segala kebobrokan yang ada di dalam masyarakat saya, khususnya masyarakat Melayu.

Semalam, saya telah menerima SMS dari Kak Yasmin Ahmad mengenai apa yang telah ditulis mengenai filemnya Mukhsin di bahagian Forum Utusan oleh seorang penulis bernama SB Hashim. Apa yang menarik tentang SB Hashim adalah dia telah menulis dan menaburkan fitnah tentang sebuah filem yang tidak pernah ditontonnya (Muhksin bari mereka yang masih tidak tahu, adalah sebuah filem terbaru dari Yasmin Ahmad yang BELUM LAGI ditayangkan untuk tontonan orang ramai). Fitnah yang ditaburkannya itu pada hemat saya berniat jahat semata-mata. Adakah adil bagi seorang sepertinya memberikan pendapat lalu menabur fitnah kepada sesuatu yang tidak ditonton justeru tidak difahaminya?

Menurut pemfitnah yang bernama SB Hashim ini:

"Mukhsin, filem terbaru oleh pengarah Yasmin Ahmad mengisahkan cinta antara anak gadis 10 tahun dengan anak lelaki 12 tahun. Singkat kata, Mukhsin menggalakkan anak Melayu supaya mula mendekati zina sejak kecil lagi."

Jadi saya ingin bertanya kepada manusia sepertinya yang tidak tau erti dosa, etika dan moral ini, apakah mazhab yang dianutinya dan dianuti bersama oleh segolongan orang Melayu sepertinya?

Apakah faktor-faktor yang menyebabkan dia sanggup membuat fitnah? Apakah dia tak tahu apa itu erti 'libel'? Jawapannya pastinya tidak.

Pada dasarnya, tulisannya itu kosong tanpa apa-apa mesej kecuali wujudnya hasad dengki serta niat jahat semata-mata. Ditambah lagi dengan sifat rasis dan bigotnya yang melampaui batas yang telah digunakan untuk menjustifikasikan pandangan sesat yang menyesatkannya itu. Pada hemat saya, kalau ingin menganuti pegangan ultrakonservatif sekalipun, bukannya pasport untuk dia memomokkan mereka yang diistilahkannya sebagai "golongan Melayu liberal dan pejuang kemanusiaan".

Saya harapkan, kita dapat bersama-sama berjuang untuk menentang mazhab ultrakonservatisme yang dianuti oleh manusia-manusia seperti SB Hashim yang kini kita dapat lihat merebak seperti sel-sel barah yang memakan diri kita dan masyarakat Malaysia yang kita cintai ini. Tahap harmoni sesama kaum dan toleransi kepada kepelbagaian pendapat juga semakin dicabar oleh golongan ini yang berkiblatkan kepada agenda benci yang mereka anuti (Hate Agenda). Bak kata Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi di Perhimpunan Agung UMNO baru-baru ini, "Apakah kita sudah sampai ke tahap tidak toleran seperti ini? Rumah terbuka yang dikongsi antara kaum turut dikutuk. Bilakah kita menjadi ultrakonservatif?"

Kita tidak boleh memperlekehkan pandangan-pandangan songsang serta jumud golongan ultrakonservatif seperti ini. Jika tidak, cara hidup serta nilai-nilai hidup yang kita nikmati sekarang akan terhakis malah hilang sama sekali di negara Malaysia yang tercinta ini.

2006-11-06T11:32:00.000+08:00

Snow in Minnesota - 1

Snow in Minnesota - 2

Mak with Johan and Jalil

Snow in Minnesota - 3

Snow in Minnesota - 4

Snow in Minnesota - 5

Snow in Minnesota - 6

I really respect Prof Dr M. Tajuddin's guts to speak up his thoughts on yesterday's edition of The Sunday Star. That's why I simply have to paste this article written by ANDREW SIA here in my photoblog.

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We don’t have to live like this

Prof Dr M. Tajuddin has many sensible, forward thinking ideas on Malaysian architecture.

Why do Malaysians live in neighbourhoods that are people-unfriendly, alienating and lacking in security and ease of movement? An architectacademic who has long been a vocal critic of the way our homes, neighbourhoods and even cities are built tells ANDREW SIA how – and why – we must do better.

IT took a brave soul to publicly declare that the Prime Minister’s office complex in Putrajaya looks “imperial, palatial and less democratic” compared to Parliament. Especially when everyone else was singing praises of the spanking new building.

So who was this lone voice daring enough to criticise the complex for drawing on the Malay-Muslim identity only instead of a more universal modernist outlook like the Parliament building?

What’s more, he took exception to its lack of sun-shading devices which made it more wasteful in (air-conditioning) energy, thus reflecting less concern with financial and ecological accountability.

This is Prof Dr M. Tajuddin M. Rasdi, 44, of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor. If you call him a maverick, he will not disagree. Yet, he makes it clear that he is not being difficult or critical for personal glory but because he believes passionately that architecture plays an immensely vital role in society and nation-building.

How we live, work and play together in harmony and safety – or not – is very much affected by the built environment that surrounds us.

His idea of a good lecture is to make his architectural students walk through Malaysian housing estates for three days so that they can experience, first hand, the searing heat, the pelting rain the dangerous driving, and hopefully design something that is more people-friendly.

He has designed a 500-unit housing estate where children can cycle or walk to the school, playground, mosque, community centre and shops without crossing a single street.

But that has remained on paper. Instead he is frustrated “to see so much money being spent on a shiny ‘jewelled’ city complete with man-made lakes,” clearly referring to Putrajaya.

“Maybe it’s an excuse to build an ‘Islamic bridge’. And yet we seem to not have enough money for pavements!”

Bold statements indeed from a Malay-Muslim architect. What’s his take on Islamic architecture?

He thinks that the Putrajaya Mosque is “arrogant and monumental”, a regressive copycat of an “Arabian Nights” fantasy compared to the well-thought out, eco-friendly, relaxed and humble National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur.

Showy “onion domes” and arched bridges are not the real core of Islamic architecture, he says. Rather, it should be about human-friendly values. Mosques should be made more alive as community centres by building teh tarik stalls and libraries next to them, for instance. Citing the renowned Islamic scholar Ibnu Khaldun, for instance, Dr Tajuddin underlines that Islamic cities should be well-ventilated.

Yet despite speaking to many leaders of Umno and Pas, he finds that:

“They are both competing to make grandiose statements of Islamic architecture without caring much about its humanistic aspects. The exception seems to be the Kelantan Mentri Besar (Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat). After my talk, he gave the go-ahead to build a mosque with Chinese-like influences.”

Dr Tajuddin is equally at home with both Western and Islamic/Malay discourses.

“You will not find many architecture academics who would dare mention (Frank Lloyd) Wright and Islamic architecture in one breath,” he says.

The National Mosque is architecturally more “eco-friendly and humble” compared to the Putrajaya Mosque.

His reason for this: “My study of Islam was unorthodox. From Form Two onwards, I was freed from the stereotyped views of Malay Islam from schools because I learnt directly from the Prophet through the (translated) Hadiths and not through some civil servant ustaz.”

He has been influenced by Abul A’la Maududi and Syed Qutb, whom he calls great political reformists of the 20th century.

“My political views of Islam are quite synonymous with the democratic ideals of (architects Louis Henry) Sullivan and Wright.”

His credits his non-racist attitudes to various factors, such as his upbringing by his policeman father and his multi-racial childhood friends at the Butterworth police barracks.

“We would catch tadpoles and fighting fish from the big parit (ditch), sail paper sampans in the longkangs (drains) and ride bicycles to second hand-book shops. We played hide and seek, police and thief, had shooting battles, roller-skated and slept out in the corridors to watch for shooting stars. At St Mark’s Primary School, I remember a 40-60 make up of non-Malays and Malays. So I had a racially balanced upbringing.”

He then attended Hua Lian School in Taiping, where he was one of four Malay students amongst 2,000 Chinese students.

“I never felt mistreated or misplaced at Hua Lian. Terima kasih, cikgu! I was the only student with an A in 121 English. Bahasa Malaysia dapat C5!”

When he attended the University of Wisconsin, in the United States, he began a personal study of comparative religions and deepened his study of Islam.

“In Islam, any sense of racial superiority vanishes totally. I learnt that man was created to be moral and that skin colour bears no reward in front of Allah. It was that simple.”

He has described himself as an “architect with a conscience” who merely wants simple, sensible and practical architectural solutions to promote everything from children’s safety and inter-racial harmony to cooler homes and safer neighbourhoods.

Why aren’t these ideas taken up in Malaysia?

For one, the national priority is on glorious showcases such as the Petronas Twin Towers.

“Politicians believe in the mirage effect. So money is spent to build wonderful hallucinations which may obscure real problems in society.”

“Many architects wait like beggars on the sidelines, hungrily snapping up whatever projects they can get. So not much thinking goes into low cost housing or even ‘your-cost’ housing!” he says.

And secondly, the system is resistant to change.

“A developer once told me that it is impossible for a new idea to get through to the higher authorities when a clerk with an SPM certificate handles the first level of evaluation.

“Perhaps architects don’t even bother because the authorities already have so many set guidelines and procedures. Or perhaps a visionary architect was turned down by developers calculating their square foot and profit margins.

“I don’t have the experience of working on real projects but I do know we can do much better. Right now, developers lack vision, architects lack professional guts and authorities are too arrogant to listen to ideas. If people disagree with me, then prove me wrong. Please.”

Even local universities, which are supposed to be the cradles for innovative thinking, fall short.

“Our universities, by order of those in power, produce polished screws and nuts as graduates. Racial polarisation is at its worst, students cannot debate coherently, student campus politics are a sham and university publishers find difficulty getting lecturers to write books. And we are worried about international university rankings?”

Dr Tajuddin adds, “Ninety per cent of academics are sitting in their cosy classrooms” and are less concerned about educating the public on better housing design as it counts for “very little” in promotions. Others who want to contribute to the community are scared off by the University and University Colleges Act.

He candidly says that getting his professorship was a struggle.

“The first time I was interviewed, there were four other candidates. I saw that I was the only one with a heap of books to my name. The others had not a single book. I was the only one who was later denied the promotion,” he recalls.

But even after getting into the establishment, so to speak, Dr Tajuddin has no intention of mellowing or quieting down. He feels he has a mission and that is explain to policy makers, implementers and ordinary people why we all deserve better when it comes to our built environment.

The amazing thing is his ideas are not impossible but common sense solutions to our woes. Take his proposals for a good housing estate, for example:

Why can’t we eliminate the back lanes in housing estates? It’s a haven for crime. And houses are so close together that backroom curtains have to be permanently drawn.

Terrace houses, he says, can be redesigned as clusters, so that every unit becomes a corner lot with a little side garden.

A housing estate also need not be so car-focused. It should have pavements, where we can walk away our cholesterol enroute to nearby shops. Along the way, we can stop by little shady rest stops, burger kiosks and newspaper stands and get to know fellow residents better.

If all that makes sense then why are we settling for Putrajaya when we can get Utopia?

2006-11-03T15:10:00.000+08:00

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 9

Anggun is into babies, shoes and new clothes.

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 10

Sea Sale: SpongeBob Squarepants is banned in Malaysia. I can't think of any reasons besides the suspicion that perhaps, Squidward is gay.

--

Malaysia ranked the WORST (before China) in the world for privacy, according to Privacy International.

2006-11-02T09:55:00.000+08:00

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 7

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 8

A colleague of mine told me that I looked thin. He asked me if I was sick. I said no. I 'm on a diet. He asked me what I ate, I told him I ate steam fish at home. Which I really do. I've been eating steam fish for the past couple of weeks and will continue to do so for a while. I've been exercising vigorously too. I've started by jog routine yesterday and I hope I will be able to continue jogging from now on without distractions.

'Kampung Malays Theory' - read more

2006-11-01T09:52:00.001+08:00

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 5

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 6

2006-11-01T09:52:00.000+08:00

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 5

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 6

2006-10-31T09:51:00.000+08:00

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 1

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 2

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 3

Eid 2006 with Anggun - 4

I'm lazy. After a long Eid/Deepavali holiday, I'm just too lazy to restart my engine. For a whole week, I just chillin' out doing nothing (but chat, perhaps). That's the thing, I have to stop chatting on the IRC. I hate chatting on the IRC, but I still do it because of sheer boredom.

I began to realize in Malaysia you have two types of Malays: the Bumiputras and the Umnoputras. I belong to the former. As a bumiputra, I know I will never really enjoy NEP and all that. Really… up till today, I've not enjoyed anything that benefits me as a Bumiputra. Discounts? What discounts?

2006-10-17T09:57:00.000+08:00

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 10 (photo by wan-zul)

With Samantha Shubert

I've decided to drive back to JB on Thursday just after work. I shall break fast on the road. I don't really eat that much nowadays, even when I have to workout during the night. I shall start running and swimming after raya. I hope I will have the will to do it somehow. I will be happy when I finally have a BMI of 22 (I have to loose 4 more kilos).

I've received an invitation to watch Cinta (it's a movie by Kabir Bhatia) sneak preview. I've watched the rough cut and I kinda like two of the stories depicted in the movie (1 story so-so, the rest a bit far fetched and too much for me to handle). Dunno if I should RSVP lah. I already watched the movie, afterall...

Well, you should watch the movie. It's one of the most beautifully shot Malaysian movie. Too sweet for my taste, though.

--

Here are this year's much awaited Petronas Deepavali and Hari Raya ads.

Petronas Deepavali Ad

Petronas Hari Raya Ad

Personally I love the Deepavali ad.

2006-10-16T10:56:00.000+08:00

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 8 (photo by Muid Latif)

Kash Ed, SM and me

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 9 (photo by Muid Latif)

With Samantha Shubert

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 10 (photo by Muid Latif)

Muid, SM and me

You can click here for a group photo taken by wan zul

I feel so lazy this morning. I am lazy to do anything. I mean, literally anything.

Yesterday I was thinking about God. On Saturday morning, I had a conversation with a fellow young writer (who had refused to tell me his full Indian name because he said it's too long, but never mind that) about why I pray and fast and all that. So I told him why. He fast too believe it or not, although he's Hindu.

My pet peeve during the fasting month is when people ask me if I fast: "puasa tak?" or "hari ni puasa?" -- as if it is optional or something. I've been getting these sort of questions all the time. If you ask me the dreaded question, I will give this answer to you: "No, I tak puasa. I just had an orgy and I finished it off with a bottle of Calsberg." Boleh?

2006-10-13T12:06:00.000+08:00

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 1

Muid Latif taking my picture while I took his...

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 2

Isma Yusoof with Vanida Imram (Isma designed The Red Kebaya posters)

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneek Preview - 3

Casts and crews of The Red Kebaya

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 4

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 5

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 6

The Red Kebaya Buka Puasa/Sneak Preview - 7

Muid, Muzz and Me in our oh-so-fashionable-stripe-shirts-trying-hard-to-look-like-it's-by-Paul Smith

As I mentioned before in my fotoblog, yesterday I went to the Buka Puasa/Preview of The Red Kebaya at Gin Ger. Quite a nice place to dine. Now lets talk about the movie... I kinda like the sinematography. Nothing new, actually, but refreshing nevertheless. One thing for sure, I know the movie was made with a lot of passion. Here's a photo of the folks sitting on my table (photo nicked from Budiey's blog). And by the way, Samatha Shubert sat and talked to us for a while about the film.

--

Tonight I will buka with Ezad and friends. And then, I have to rush to a party at Pang's place.

--

Please read this: The Charade Of Meritocracy By Michael D. Barr (especially if you are a Malay-Singaporean). This is the reason why I've decided to leave Singapore and migrate to Malaysia.

2006-10-12T09:05:00.000+08:00

Johan & Jalil's adventure at the fire station - 3

Johan & Jalil's adventure at the fire station - 4

I wonder if I ever talked about rude bloggers and their postings in my previous posts. Perhaps not. A few months ago I commented a blogger for being a homophobe. The next thing I knew, the said blogger and his minions began a smear campaign against me (complete with an entry using non other than my name as the title). Well, this time around, I think whenever I make a statement in the form of comment on other people's blog (which I seldom do), I will make a screen capture of what I have written so that there is a sense of transparency and that I will be accountable to my opinions.

Here is the blog that I duly commented this morning with the entry entitled:

Cina lahanat? Kafir laknatullah ? by Mr. ShadowFox

Here is the website just in case it has gotten itself deleted or disappear mysteriously:

Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

And here's my comment, just in case if Mr. ShadowFox ever decide to censor my words.

--

Today I'll be heading to downtown KL for a sneak preview/buka puasa event by the people who brings you The Red Kebaya. The problem is, I forgot to recharge my camera's battery. I will probably blog about this tomorrow.

2006-10-11T08:34:00.000+08:00

Johan & Jalil's adventure at the fire station - 1

Johan & Jalil's adventure at the fire station - 2

I found my thumb drive somewhere deep inside the side crevices of my car seat. Thank God for that. I'm so happy now that all my photos are still safe with me.

These couple of days, I feel so tired. I don't have the energy to workout after breaking fast. Before that, yes… I do have the energy to do things. But when I have the energy, I will busy going online answering e-mails and checking some new videos at youtube. Talking about youtube, I'm thinking of making a short film soon. I am yet to draft the synopses, but it shall be a comedy. A dark comedy. It will be tentatively called: "Con-Sultans." I have to do some smoozing soon, just to get actors and crews to work for me for free for this project. Which I think I can, if I put my heart and soul into this.

--

The 'mangkuks' (read: morons) at Takaful Malaysia (if you buy their insurance, cancel your policy immediately!!!) gave out a directive to their employees not to wish Hindus ‘Happy Deepavali‘ (according to them, it can cause syirik). I have said in my own private capacity that there are people in Malaysia who are actively destroying this country one step at a time, now I am saying it loud and clear. Let it be known that we have to stop these people from destroying and degrading this country to a pulp. I am seriously tired of these people lah. Especially those who use religion (particularly Islam) to inculcate their hate agendas.

For more information, please read myAsyalum's blog

--

Found this letter over the net. I can't agree more with this Dr Syed Alwi, whoever he is...

THE MALAYSIAN MALAY by Dr Syed Alwi of Singapore.

Dear Editor,

As you know, I am an avid watcher of Malaysian affairs. I must confess that lately, Malaysia appears to be failing. Not a day passes by without more events that clearly highlight Malaysia's race-religion fault-line. If things keep going this way, I fear for Malaysia's future.

Today, schools in Singapore celebrate Racial Harmony Day. I can visibly see the joy in the children's faces as they wear their ethnic costumes and have fun together at school. But in Malaysia - even the right to choose a religion has become a sensitive, national issue. No doubt, there are many in Malaysia who hate my liberal views on Islam, family included. But I will say what I must say openly. I have come to the conclusion that Malaysia cannot progress any further without first addressing fundamental questions regarding its identity and soul.

I remember the days when we can laugh at Lat's cartoons on everyday Malaysian life. But sadly, the Islamic tide has polarised Malaysians. Some people ask why I should bother about Malaysian affairs since I am a Singaporean. May I remind Malaysians that it was Tan Siew Sin who once said that Singapore and Malaysia are Siamese Twins. Should Malaysia go down - it would hurt the region tremendously. Especially Singapore.

Where do you think Malay apostates would head for if Lina Joy loses her case? Singapore of course! I find the Malaysian Malay to be very under-exposed. For them, it's all Islam and the NEP and everything under the sun would sort itself out. I am sorry to say this - but Islam and the NEP may be the cause of the undoing of the Malaysian Malay.

There is nothing wrong with religion or affirmative action. But, like everything else in life, they must be taken in moderation and with a pinch of salt. A little doubt is good. Unfortunately in Malaysia, emotions over Islam have overcome reason. What we see today is the result of the NEP and Islamisation policies of the past thirty years or so.

No one owes Malaysian Malays a living. Let me assure you that should Malaysia fail - the Malaysian Malay will suffer enormously. And rightly so. After all - they have been pampered with all sorts of goodies over the years. They cannot now expect more goodies. Perhaps the day of reckoning for them, is near. Whatever it is, Malaysia had better wake up to the realities around her. The globalised world of the 21st century has no NEP to offer the Malaysian Malay. And humans cannot live by religion alone.

Regards,
Dr Syed Alwi

2006-10-10T09:26:00.000+08:00

Guess the weight of the giant pumpkin - 1

Guess the weight of the giant pumpkin - 2

Guess the weight of the giant pumpkin - 3

I think I've lost my USB thumb drive. I thought I might have accidentally left it in my office, but I was wrong. I can't find it anywhere. I don't care too much about the minute size thumb drive, but what is contained in it. I actually stored my photos in the thumb drive. Some very nice photos of me. Some not so nice and explicit. Hahaha! Not that explicit lah, but embarrassing nevertheless. Now I lost of the photos because I didn't keep any copies elsewhere.

Maybe I should get a bigger thumb drive next time around.

2006-10-09T12:50:00.000+08:00

Jalil + Ruben Birthday Celebration - 1

I don't know whose birthday they are celebrating. But mak being mak, she will celebrate the birthday of both of my nephews so that non of the boys will end up jealous. The has taught my siblings and I to to share since we were young. (it turns out that Jalil and Ruben is celebrating Mak's 58 birthday-NZ)

Jalil + Ruben Birthday Celebration - 2

Jalil + Ruben Birthday Celebration - 3

Jalil + Ruben Birthday Celebration - 4

Jalil + Ruben Birthday Celebration - 5

I went to cut my hair yesterday. There was this Angry Indian Man who said something nasty about the TV programme he was watching (Nona at TV3) when the barber was cutting his hair. He made some nasty comments about the programme but I think his negativity and anger was directed at me (since I was the only Malay/Bumiputra person around).

He asked his wife who was waiting in the barber shop why NONA is only showing the segments on the celebration of Ramadan and nothing about Deepavali. He then went on to blast the presenter by saying that she should be fired. I feel like telling him that she's just a presenter, and not the producer or the programme scriptwriter. Like, please lah… There's should be a limit on how you can make an ass out of yourself in public. The Angry Indian Man didn't just stop there… He said she (the NONA presenter) should go back to Indonesia. I mean, this is for real okay, I'm not making this up. I think at that point of time, he was waiting for me to turn towards him and respond to his nonsense, but I didn't. I just minded my own business. Deep in my head, I thought this scene is priceless. This is what Malaysia is all about. It's like a dark comedy. I want to make a short film like this… That will be so unPC, but it will show why minority in this country feel so sidelined by the majority.

2006-10-06T09:04:00.000+08:00

Jalil and Johan first day in school - 4

Jalil and Johan first day in school - 5

Jalil and Johan first day in school - 6

I managed to loose some weight. I want to maintain this weight or loose a further 3 kg more after puasa. I hope I could do that, despite maintaining my muscle mass.

I've got tons of work in the office, but I think I can handle them. I hope I can finish everything my today. I'm going to break fast at The Palace of Golden Horses. It's free food, so why not. I'll be entertained by no less than Ramli Sarip and Mawi.

It's the haze season again...

I went to watch S'kali a couple of days ago. Lesson learned, after watching this movie: sometimes it's better not to write about things that you know or else you'll end up with a boring biopic about yourself. And why in the world would anybody want to watch a bunch of self-engrossed middle class brats yakking about their life in the first place?

I should've watched that Thai ghost movie instead...

2006-10-03T15:01:00.000+08:00

Jalil and Johan first day in school - 1

Jalil and Johan first day in school - 2

Jalil and Johan first day in school - 3

I just hope that my nephews are well behaved especially when they are with me.

I've been busy. Got myself invited to a few Majlis Berbuka Puasa that is related to the entertainment field. I have to borrow my friend's baju melayu for this. So tedious, lah!

2006-09-29T09:52:00.000+08:00

Gadis Jalan Burmah (Dramalab's A Season of Origins and Originals) - 4

Gadis Jalan Burmah (Dramalab's A Season of Origins and Originals) - 5

For the past two days I've been having dreams with my ex as the special guess star. The dreams always involves us walking together and just talking to each other. I hate this because he doesn't even give a fuck whether I'm dead or alive, and now he's intruding me in my sleep, even.

2006-09-27T08:36:00.000+08:00

Gadis Jalan Burmah (Dramalab's A Season of Origins and Originals) - 1

Starring Soefira Jaafar. Written by Shahredza Minhat and directed by David Lim.

Gadis Jalan Burmah (Dramalab's A Season of Origins and Originals) - 2

Gadis Jalan Burmah (Dramalab's A Season of Origins and Originals) - 3

I've been watching lots of Malay telemovies lately and I've come to a point where I can actually guess accurately if the scriptwriter is a woman or a man. I know this is not something kind to say, but if the script sucks, the writer has to be a woman. I think woman writers in Malaysia (I'm talking specifically about woman writers writing in Malay) - they either can't write or they just don't have the constitution to write in the first place. Just look at the kind of trash you have in the Malay section of our local bookstores and look at the gender of the writers. Need I say more?

After watching a couple of Malay TV dramas last night (and they are boring, mind you), I prayed hard that when people watch Impian, they will not be bored to death. The reason why I write is because I want to make a difference. I don't want to be like some people who frets and complains but never do anything to change the situation.

2006-09-26T15:18:00.000+08:00

Zoo Johor at Johor Bahru - 1

Anggun at the Zoo

Zoo Johor at Johor Bahru - 2

Zoo Johor at Johor Bahru - 3

Zoo Johor at Johor Bahru - 4

Zoo Johor at Johor Bahru - 5

Zoo Johor at Johor Bahru - 6

I went for a job interview just now. But I think I'm a bit overqualified for the job. Yes, it's my dream job, but I'm afraid, I have to work on a contractual basis. I don't think I would want that.

2006-09-25T11:02:00.000+08:00

The Making of Impian - 37

Azlan termenung memandang Sam

The Making of Impian - 38

The kids at the library

The Making of Impian - 39

Cikgu Sherita and Salmah

The Making of Impian - 40

Shafie with Baby the make up artiste

This morning after sahur, I slept for a while. I dreamt of Baba. He used to call his favourite cats using his high pitch voice. I dreamt of the moments when I heard his voice and then I saw his face for a second or two. And then I woke up. I thought about how I missed Baba and how I pushed his wheelchair right under my flat to where my uncle parked his car. That was the last time I saw him.

I cried. Silently. Images of Baba with my ex flooded my mind.

2006-09-20T08:33:00.000+08:00

The Making of Impian - 33

Cikgu Sherita while observing her students

The Making of Impian - 34

Azlan got a D for his maths and Cikgu Sherita is not too happy about it

The Making of Impian - 35

Wan Sharmila with her legion of fans

The Making of Impian - 36

Azlan, on his way to school

Getting children to act can be difficult. Sometimes, they just don't want to listen to what the director tells them to do. On top of them, getting them to set themselves to the right kind of emotions can be difficult. It is hard to work with child actors. I hope with good editing, this can be fixed. I think editing can fix lots of things.

Fazli as the director is a very patient guy. His patience when dealing with children is highly commendable. It is also good to see that the casts really enjoyed working in his production. When they are not acting, I could see them playing amongst themselves.

Tomorrow is the 21 of September. it's been a year since I last saw my ex at the airport. It's been a year since I go home without anybody to go home to.

2006-09-15T09:16:00.000+08:00

The Making of Impian - 27

Salmah in her office

The Making of Impian - 28

The kids were playing while we were busy shooting

The Making of Impian - 29

Isma acted as a babysitter while waiting his scene to be shot later that night

The Making of Impian - 30

This is not a scene from a Japanese horror movie

The Making of Impian - 31

He is so garang one...

The Making of Impian - 32

The writer as an extra in Impian. Photo and 'that oh so tight' white shirt by Isma Yusoof

I think I have a busy weekend ahead. Tonight I have to pick up a book at Fadz's place. A book written by Rahmat Haroun. I don't know if his book is good to read in the first place. Wait, do I actually have the time to read? I don't know lah. So many things to do in such little time to spent.

Please do sign this online petition to protest the shameful action of UPM in handling the bullying episode that occured in UPM a couple of months ago. I just can't believe what I read in Malaysiakini today (and please do read this letter too). It simply prove how UPM is being run by ~~idiots~~ a bunch of monkeys.

2006-09-14T11:39:00.000+08:00

The Making of Impian - 21

Azlan and Sam

The Making of Impian - 22

Rozie, baby and Kak Ungku. Drinking under the scorching sun

The Making of Impian - 23

Isma as Ismail. A real estate agent from hell

The Making of Impian - 24

He is suppose to be nasty

The Making of Impian - 25

Isma with his fellow actors

The Making of Impian - 26

I still can't figure out where Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Anggerik, Cheras is. Impian will be shot at the primary school. The problem with me is that I'm not too familiar with Cheras.

--

I would like to share the following article I found from a letter published at Malaysiakini.com

A reply to ‘Homosexuality is a sin’
Cheryl Leong

I write with reference to Stefan Hu's letter, Homosexuality is a sin. His letter hits the nail of the head when he said that homosexuals are not special and don't need special treatment. I wholeheartedly agree. Homosexuals are not special because they are normal people and because they're normal people, they don't need special, but equal rights, recognition from society and protection of the law which is accorded to heterosexuals.

Stefan Hu's assertion that homosexuals have a choice in choosing their sexuality is as ridiculous as saying people can choose whether they are left-handed or right-handed. It is a well-known fact that during medieval times and even in some pockets of society today, there are those who associate left-handedness with evil, because in the Bible, God's chosen ones sit on his right side and the damned are on his left.

Day-to-day life is already full of challenges and obstacles; why would anyone make it even harder by consciously choosing to be homosexual, which is a group that is so misunderstood, vilified, discriminated, marginalised and hated by self-righteous bigots? Who wants to choose to hide and lie about who they really are to their loved ones? The only choice which gay people have is whether they want to acknowledge their sexual orientation and to be honest with themselves, their family and friends.

If a person tells you he or she is married or has children, does that mean that they are boasting that they are straight or imposing their heterosexuality on others? Of course not. In that same vein, I fail to see how coming out as a homosexual constitutes "proactively making us (society) accept their deviant ways", "publicising", "boasting" and "imposing their sexual preference on others" as Stefan Hu suggests.

The coming-out process for gay people is an unimaginably difficult, lonely and harrowing one; in their journey towards self-acceptance and sharing an integral part of themselves with those who matter to them, gay people have to battle and overcome their fears of being rejected, ostracised, ridiculed or even assaulted by their families, friends, employers, friends and peers.

There is a fundamental flaw in Stefan Hu's "homosexuality is wrong because the Bible says so" argument. If homosexuality is wrong because it goes against the Bible, then why aren't the activities below, now considered as innocuous, but once regarded as Biblicly unacceptable and offenses against God's law? Here are some excerpts from the Bible to illustrate my point:

Leviticus 18:19

A married couple shall not have intercourse when a woman is menstruating. If they disobey, both man and wife shall be executed.

Deuteronomy 22:13-21

If a bride is found not to be a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed on the spot by stoning.

The book of Leviticus also contains laws against wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (guess I'll have to throw out my Lycra /cotton pants now), and a prohibition against those who have defects in their eyesight from approaching the altar of God, a prohibition which if enforced today, would bar a substantial number of people from going to church, contact lenses notwithstanding.

How can one part of Bible be deemed to be carved in stone when other parts have been dismissed as archaic? Shakespeare may have given us a clue when he said, "Even the Devil can quote the Scriptures for his own purposes."

As mentioned in See Leong's letter Burning the proverbial closet, homosexuality is a natural permutation of the human condition and many respected institutions, including the American Psychological Association have said more than 20 years ago that it is not an mental illness. It is not a disease and you can't "become gay" if a gay person touches you or if you are exposed to other gay people or if the law recognises gay rights.

There is simply no credible empirical or scientific data to support the ludicrous assertion that more people are spurning heterosexuality by turning homosexual simply because legal rights are conferred on gay people or if gay people are more visible in society. The more logical reason for greater visibility of gay people in such cases, is probably because they feel safer to come out if there is legal recognition and protection against violence and discrimination against them.

The science of human sexuality is a relatively new area, and it was only in 1864 that the German social scientist Karl Heinrich Ulrichs first declared that homosexuals were a distinct group of individuals. History has also shown that the church has been painfully slow in acknowledging and accepting scientific truths.

Case in point - it was only in 1992 that the late Pope John Paul II finally admitted that the church was wrong to have ignored science by having persecuted Galileo in the 17th century for supporting Copernicus' theory that the planets revolved around the sun. Psalm 93 ("The earth is also established, it cannot be moved") was one of the Biblical excerpts used to attack Copernicus' theory. Galileo was put under house arrest for the rest of his life by the church

The point is, the Bible doesn't condemn nor approve of homosexual orientation as we know it today as much as it approves or condemn the Internet because it was simply not an area of knowledge at that time.

Stefan Hu said that countries which have granted rights to gay people have lost the plot. That cannot be further from the truth. People who claim to adhere to God's laws but instead turn a wilful blind eye to one of God's cornerstone commandment which is to "Love your neighbour as you love yourself" are the ones who have in fact lost the plot. It takes a staggering level of arrogance and misplaced self-righteousness for a sinner to judge fellow sinners with such hatred.

A reading of Stefan Hu's verbiage exposes a shallow, prejudiced and one dimensional understanding of homosexuality which solely focuses on sex. Does any rational person define themselves only by what they do in bed? Certainly not.

As I mentioned above, gay folks are normal people who face many of the same issues, challenges, joys, hopes and sadness which others do, and being in a loving relationship with another person of the same sex makes life all the richer, just as heterosexuals do when they find their life partners. But yet there are many differences which only gay people have to endure, including dealing with the venomous homophobia from religious zealots, the anti-gay mainstream media and the consequent societal prejudices.

The core teachings of Christianity, just like so many other of the world's major religions, are that of love, compassion, kindness, mercy and forgiveness. Not all religious people condemn others, but instead use it as a guideline for their own behaviour. Some even try to live by Jesus' own teachings which are to care for the poor, the sick and the outcast and to live humbly.

A good example would be Mother Teresa, who while so many other so-called Christians were gloating that AIDS was a test from God to weed out gay people, believed that AIDS was really a test of our humanity, by showing that we could care for some of the most despised members of our society. Rev Pat Bumgardner who supported Ouyong Wen Feng's public coming out is a shining example of the growing number of Christians who support, accept and include gay people as part of society.

While it is much easier to judge and impose our morals on others, we should get our priorities right by putting our efforts and energy into healing the sick, feeding the poor, standing up for the oppressed and helpless, regardless of race, creed, age, sexual orientation or any other characteristics which make us different because we are all God's creations nevertheless.

May God grant those who subscribe to Stefan Hu's views more open minds and more compassionate hearts.

2006-09-13T11:48:00.000+08:00

The Making of Impian - 13

Rozie rehearsing her script with Hamidah Wahab

The Making of Impian - 14

Hamidah as Salmah's mother

The Making of Impian - 15

Azlan listening to the conversation that took place in the kitchen

The Making of Impian - 16

The Making of Impian - 17

The Making of Impian - 18

Azlan watching a hockey game with Tipah

The Making of Impian - 19

Azlan and Salmah on their dinner table

The Making of Impian - 20

Yesterday I watched one of the best plays I've watched in ages. I strongly recommend you guys to watch Gold Rain & Hailstones. I feel like watching the play again. Unfortunately, I'm on a tight budget. Jit Murad and Lin Jaafar are simply superb on stage.

2006-09-12T10:52:00.000+08:00

The Making of Impian - 7

Rozie and Safie in one of the most poignant scenes in 'Impian'

The Making of Impian - 8

Rozie giving Safie some pointers on how to act the scene properly

The Making of Impian - 9

Safie, 'tengah ambik mood'. The set was quiet and we left him alone. He was supposed to cry in anger for this scene. And he did. I am so proud of him for making my screenplay come alive with his acting. Now I can understand why Yasmin once said that Safie is the best actor she has worked with.

The Making of Impian - 10

It has been a pleasure for me witnessing these two talented actors rehearsing my script

The Making of Impian - 11

Salmah then hits her son with his report card

The Making of Impian - 12

Azlan is on his way to school and Salmah is late for her meeting

Impian is a screenplay I cooked up in two weeks time. I never knew that writing a screenplay can be both fun and easy. It's not like writing a novel where I have to spend months after months writing and still, it is difficult to see the end to the novel.

I cherished the experience of writing 'Impian'. I cried while writing a scene in 'Impian'. I actually did. It was a sad scene. I made Fadz cried when he read the screenplay. Rozie, in two different occasions told me it's a good screenplay and an easy one to read, especially when the screenplay is supposed to be read by child actors. But what made me proud was when this young girl (who is acting in another telemovie, but she is in an acting break for a day and came to the set), who had read my script and told me how she enjoyed reading it. I've made a mental note to myself that I'll propose that she'll act in next telemovie project. She's not only pretty, she's smart too. And I like to be around smart girls.

I actually enjoy writing a screenplay with children in it. I was told it is difficult to find good child actors in Malaysia. That is why I feel so lucky to have Safie on board to act in 'Impian'. He is such a nice boy to be around with. He is talkative. He likes to play with his handphone who according to him is a gift from one 'Cik Min' (Yasmin Ahmad to you and me).

I was a pleasure to see Rozie act. She is perhaps, one of the best Malay actresses we have right now. When she was paired with Hamidah Wahab (a veteran actress who is by the way, Mak's cousin), it is so difficult for me to accept the fact that they were actually reading my script and acting, instead of just chatting away in front of the camera.

2006-09-11T10:10:00.000+08:00

The Making of Impian - 1

Safie, getting ready for his montage scene

The Making of Impian - 2

Safie with Tipah the Cat acting as herself. Tipah acted well throughout the filming of the telemovie.

The Making of Impian - 3

'Azlan' e-mailing his brother, 'Azli'.

The Making of Impian - 4

Assistant director, Haikal is expaining to Safie his next scene.

The Making of Impian - 5

Rozie Rashid as Salmah. Azlan's mother

The Making of Impian - 6

Rozie and Safie

I can't update my blog last week because I was sick. Sore throat. I still have sore throat right now.

Things didn't really help when my ex tried to contact me. He's back in Malaysia. He has everything he wanted, an M.Phil from Cambridge in Technology Policy and then he left me high and dry after all the years being together and all the moral support I've given him. I told him not to contact me again. I said, if he we ever cross each other's path, he should walk on by, or better still, get out of my way. I don't think I want to see him again. I had this foolish idea thinking that we could be friends, but I later discovered the reason why the idea is a bad one after talking to him over the phone. He is not a good person and I hope that he knew that. He will never cease to hurt the very people who love him. I have never loved a person who is as selfish and as conniving as him. The very fact that I had allowed him to manipulate my life simply proves how much I don't love myself enough. It is also regrettable that I had loved someone who loves himself too much...

2006-08-30T15:39:00.000+08:00

Readings at Lorong Tempinis Satu (August 2006) - 8

Sharanya

Readings at Lorong Tempinis Satu (August 2006) - 9

Jasmine Low

Readings at Lorong Tempinis Satu (August 2006) - 10

KG

Readings at Lorong Tempinis Satu (August 2006) - 11

Patrick Dominic

I've just got my first payment for my screenplay yesterday. I'm yet to cash my cheque. No time to do so today. I'll be heading to JB as soon as I finish my work in the office. I can't wait to meet Anggun!

2006-08-29T08:36:00.000+08:00

Readings at Lorong Tempinis Satu (August 2006) - 5

Ted Mahsun's dad, drawing

Readings at Lorong Tempinis Satu (August 2006) - 6

Saradha Narayanan read her Rani

Readings at Lorong Tempinis Satu (August 2006) - 7

Roy aka Fairul Nizam reading his poems

Suddenly, I have this urge to start writing a new novel entitled Diva Dilla. A story of an ex-Datin who used her mutaah (compensation/ gift for a wife to start a new life after a divorce), to start a business in making telemovies. She used to be an actress. An average one, but a beautiful nevertheless. The thing about her ventures are, although crappy, are well liked by the public. Her life only went haywire when an influential critic calls her works she produced, "mencemar budaya'. Not in the Akmal Abdullah/Raja Azmi vs Yasmin Ahmad sort of way - this time around, it's for real (because she does produced really bad yet with high rating type of telemovies). So to prove her detractor wrong, with the advise of her daughter Hasnah (who is erudite), she took a script written by a talented scriptwriter by the name of Fahrin and make a 13-part drama serial out of his convoluted script.