Dance Revolution

"If you never try, you'll never know," Fix You by Coldplay.

Git up up on da dance flo'!

It might surprise a few out there that I dance. No big shows or anything, just a performance or two here and there. I don't consider myself a dancing prodigy of any sort, mind you. But I do enjoy dancing. Expressing yourself through movement shouldn't be a no-no, in my opinion anyway.

When I hear some good music, it just makes me want to move, and that movement, that spontaneous sequence of flailing the arms, or tapping of the legs, or bobbing of the head, or shaking of the hips is what you call dancing. It might not be very sightly, but it's bodily expression nonetheless.

When I hear a good, upbeat tune, it just makes me want to stand up and move. If it's a hardcore breakdown, then headbanging is what comes naturally. But not being able to dance makes you shy to do it, on your own and even more in public.

And, as sad as it sounds, I don't think I can dance all that nicely. Sure, I can wave my arms around like a madman with a bee in his dress, but I crave for a more refined kind of dancing, you know, the kind that you see in "Step Up" movies or in video clips.

Ain't dat kool?

Realizing my limited know-how of the dancing world, I searched a few videos that I thought could help me out and get a few moves under my belt. One dance I'm working on right now is this:

It's a dance bit by a Japanese band called L'Arc En Ciel. It's the only dance they have ever done (I think), because they don't have a lot of upbeat songs. Plus, they aren't really J-pop.

Another dance crew I like the look of is the Jabbawockeez. Here's my favourite from them,



Other dances would have to wait, because even though these aren't any longer than a minute long, they're tough for noobs like me.

If you guys have any other dances that you feel look cool and danceable (no flips or headspins quite yet!), don't be shy to suggest them in my comment box okay?

Cheers!

Iskandarians Now

"Can we get something to eat?" last line of Kung-Fu Panda.

Friends are great to have, aren't they?


Especially when you've had them since you still had babyteeth. 3 years in primary school (SK Iskandar), then a further 5 years in secondary school (Sultan Abdul Hamid College). But after the first 6 years, you've had to part with one of them as they had bigger and better things to pursue at 16 years of age.

And then after you've finished your SPMs, you've had to part company with all of them as each had their own thing to do in faraway lands, as you too have also been placed at an Institute on an island.


But then, after long years of being separated from each other, you can jump around like you were teenagers again (we're nearing 20) when you meet up in your hometown to go visit your old primary school.

Then you go to all the places that you used to frequent during the pre-pubescent days and recall all the stories you can muster up with much nostalgia. You marvel at how much the school has not changed after more than 6 years.


You try to re-enact you're primary school glory days in hopes that it would be as exciting as the first time you were there and met each other.

You visit the place once regarded haunted by you and your friends back in the day,

and you cam-whore.

And cam-whore.

And cam-whore.
Until a grumpy guard-lady chases you out of the school saying that you are intruding on the school's land. *Party-pooper*

Thank you Akmal, Shaheir, Amar and Gee for everything!

Cheers!!

6 Reason Why Aidil Adha Isn't As "Rancak"

"Ikatan itu kubuka sendiri," Mencari Konklusi by Hujan.

.read.

Wake up in the morning, perform the Subuh prayer with my family, go back to sleep.

Woken up again at 8am by parents, reminded that it's Raya day. Oh. Shower, then to the mosque for the Sunat Aidil Adha prayers. Come back and... nothing.

It sure wasn't like Aidil Fitr, and I didn't expect it to be. Here are a few reasons why Aidil Fitri feels a lot more exciting than Aidil Adha (in my humble opinion, anyway)-->

1. No fasting.
In Syawal, we have just finished fasting for a whole month, and are looking forward to the first day of being able to eat during daylight after a month of staving away from food. Therefore, Aidil Fitri is much anticipated. In Zulhijjah, you have already been eating 3 square meals a day for months, so the impact is less.

2. No Ramadhan Bazaars.
The arrival of Aidil Fitri also signals the departure of Ramadhan bazaars, and you know us Malaysians, we loooove our bazaars. Last time I checked, there were no Hijrah Bazaars around.

3. No Aidil Adha songs.
Even 2 days into Ramadhan, we can already hear the "Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri" songs being rotated everywhere; in shopping malls, from laptops, school PA systems, ringtones, everwhere. Try searching Malaysia for an Aidil Adha song and I would hail you as queen/king for a week.

4. Less open houses.
A lot of households spend a LOT of money on their Aidil Fitri open house that by the time Aidil Adha rolls around, they still have not finished paying off the debt accumulated from Syawal, so most don't hold huge open houses during this festive period.

5. No Hajj-goer, or Hajj-goer.
Either way, it only helps in retarding the celebrations. If there is a Hajj-goer in the family, then most of the money would have gone to paying for the Hajj, and most probably the parents won't be home, since they're in Mecca. On the other hand, if there is no Hajj-goer in the family, then there isn't much to go ga-ga over either. Just killing a cow or two. Or five.

6. SPM candidate in the household.
In my household anyway. It's smack dab in the middle of the most important exams in their lives, so they won't be going too crazy beraya here and beraya there.

Alas, I'm still thankful to be living and having the luxuries that I do. You should be too.

p/s- If anyone has got any more reasons, don't be shy to drop a comment.

Cheers!

A Bloody Knife

"Di lantai dansa inilah tempatku menyaksikan kugiran kegemaranku," Obsesi by Hujan.


I stare into the cold, lifeless eyes of his as a smirk emerges on my face. The nothingness portrayed in his stiff body shows that he was already that way since yesterday night. It doesn't matter. Soon, he'll join all his friends in the pit.

I reexamine my instrument. It's shiny blade, stained by countless cuts to innocent bodies reflects my hungry eyes as I come in again for another penetration of the flesh. Surprisingly, not that much blood is on it, but then again, I was a very neat person when it came to these things. You wouldn't want a mess when dealing with these matters. It would complicate things, if you know what I mean.

I exhale one last time before I raise my knife to cut into the stomach section of my victim. I slice off a section, revealing some guts and bone. Good.

I then open his mouth without that much force and insert my thumb into him and tear his lower mandible right off. How easily it rips off, almost too easy. The respiratory organs follow as I intricately dissect my victim as I was instructed to do. As expected, his guts followed, and I put it all away in the designated waste plastic bag.

"Phew, that's the last of 'em," I say to myself out loud. "Mak! Dah habis siang ikan!"


Cheers!

Practical?

"How can I decide what's right?," Decode by Paramore.

A lecturer of mine once said, "It doesn't matter (to me) what you're like on the outside, as long as you're good on the inside," while pointing to that part of his chest where the heart is. Sure, you can be a Saint on the inside, but what if that same Saint on the inside were to show an outside like..


it wouldn't be too saintly, now would it, especially if you're a Muslim in Malaysia?

Well, to me, if you're insides are as good as you claim, it would reflect on the outside, wouldn't it? Seriously, if you were a self respecting man, you wouldn't be caught dead wearing something like..

on the streets, or even n the privacy of your own bedroom now would you?

A self-conscious human being would wear something sensible and not slutty, or even something that might even get her into compromising situations. You wouldn't want that to happen now would you?

Seriously, a true Muslim would show that he/she is a true Muslim on the outside, as well as on the inside.

Seriously~

Cheers!

Salute Your Solution (tag from tomyamfan)

"Dasi taeeonado neoman barae," Barae by FT Island.

They're so hot right now~

And don't think I don't know what it means either. It means "Even if I was reborn, all I want is you." Hah!

K-pop is the new in thing right now, ok? And I'm not one to dwell on being in, but this is seriously a good song. Try listening to this one.

OK, so I got tagged by Tomyamfan.

OK, so I stole this tag from her, but it's just a fun looking tag to do, so I thought I might as well do it, seeing that I'm short on writing ideas right now. So check it out!

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Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. SONG FILE DEPENDS ON YOU..
5. The format= Song name (artiste)
6. Tag 10 people. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
7. Have Fun!

IF SOMEONE SAYS ‘ARE YOU OKAY’ YOU SAY?
::Buttercups (Cajun Dance Party).

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
::Don't Listen To The Radio (The Vines).

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
::Tears Don't Fall (Bullet For My Valentine).

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
::The People's Elbow (Attack Attack!).

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
::The Music And The Misery (Fall Out Boy).

WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO?
::Design (Tempered Mental).

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
::Lightbulbs (The Answering Machine).

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
::Anysound (The Vines).

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
::Windu & Defrina (White Shoes & The Couples Company).

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
::Take Me Out (Fraz Ferdinand).

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
::Diamonds Are Forever (Kanye West).

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
::The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage (Panic! At The Disco).

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
::Bat Country (Avenged Sevenfold).

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
::Always Where I Need To Be (The Kooks).

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
::She's Got You High (Mumm-Ra).

WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
::Gold Digger (Kanye West) .

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
::Fire And The Thud (Arctic Monkeys).

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
::Shockwave (Black Tide).

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
::Deeper Conversation (Yuna).

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
::Gelombang Cinta (Butterfingers).

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
::The Real Slim Shady (Eminem).

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
::Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs).

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I tag anyone who is as fascinated with tags as I am.

And you know what, some of the answers are actually true. HAHA!

Cheers!

A History of God

"Your pastimes consisted of the strange, twisted and deranged," Crying Lightning by Arctic Monkeys.

The cover.

No, I'm not going to start writing about God. Instead, I'll be writing about a book that writes about God. The same thing? I beg to differ.

"A History of God" by Karen Armstrong is a book that I'm currently reading (yeah, not even finished yet). I borrowed the book from my lecturer, Madam Mariah, or rather, she lent it to me. She said it was an interesting read, so I said to myself "what the heck?" and accepted it like any good student would. Awww~

My first impression was just like most of yours. "What the?" immediately sprang to mind, but because it came recommended by a lecturer, I thought it couldn't be that bad right?

It is 399 pages thick (I triple checked) and consists of 9 chapters (I think). I have so far read until the 253rd page, and I have to say, this is a textbook. If you're looking for a relaxing, easy Sunday afternoon read by the windowsill, this is not it.

It mainly consists of historical facts about what humans worshiped at what time and why. It centers mostly around monotheism (new word!) which is the practice of worshiping one god and hovers a lot around Judaism, Christianity and Islam, although there are some mentions of Hinduism and Buddhism here and there where relevant.

I have to say, it's a good book if you want a deeper insight into the history of these three religions (as the title suggests). It's a good book to discuss, to raise views, points, arguments, discussions and such, but as I said earlier, it's no Black Dress. This book is for serious reading and studying, where every page needs to be broken down into parts where you can scrutinize and find facts.

Obviously, it's not a book that I would usually read, and it shows. It has taken me more than a month to get to even the page I'm putting my bookmark in, mainly because I keep dozing off every 20 pages or so. Sometimes it just takes 5.

Alas, I'm still determined on finishing the book, and moving on to my other books. So wish me luck, and if you catch me snoozing with the book on my face, please give me a whack. Much appreciated.

Cheers!