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Archive for April, 2010

Something from the Past…

27 Apr

From my old blog (slightly revised).. something I wrote in 2007. I am still laughing at this.

TRUE POLICE STORY
- based on a true story -

Based on a true incident that happened more than a year ago.

This scene takes place on the road, the main highway leading towards Cheras Leisure Mall. Luke, the main character, is steadily driving in a brown Waja car, turning left at a roundabout. He is talking on his Nokia mobile phone in his right hand, confirming with his friend Magdalene if the supper that night is still on.

Suddenly. a police man on his motorbike flashes his small little tiny blue siren, and waves his hands.. making it look like he is clearing traffic for Osama bin Laden’s limousine to drive through.

Luke understands what it means, and stops at the side, waiting calmly in his car for the police officer to walk over.

Luke smiles, then opens his window. But deep inside his well-built muscular torso, his heart paces as though Osama bin Laden were hiding in his car boot.

The car window is fully wound down. Police officer stands next to the window and bends down.

POLICE:
Bagi IC dengan lesen.

LUKE:
Oh, ok. (smiles and hands over the 2 documents requested)

POLICE:
Hmmm, dari Sabah ni. Mana hemfree? Kenapa tidak pakai?

LUKE:
Huh? What’s that? (giving a look as though he is very uncertain what the police officer is saying)

POLICE:
Hemfree di mana? Kamu cakap talipon tadi kan?

LUKE:
Errr, what? Sorry I don’t understand. (acting innocent)

POLICE:
Tidak faham Bahasa Melayu ke? Pandai speaking sajer?

LUKE:
(keeps quiet, but thinks in his mind ‘no, i not only know how to speaking. I also know how to jumping, laughing, crying, shitting, and dancing too)

POLICE:
Hemfree where?

LUKE:
Hemfree?? Ohhhhh… you mean hands-free? (laughs and smiles)

POLICE:
Ya, hemfree. Why no hemfree?

LUKE:
Not hemfree, hands-free. Got ‘s’. Handsssss-free. (smiling but heart is pounding like 50 basketballs at once)

POLICE:
Ya, hemsfree where?

LUKE:
(smiles innocently). I don’t have my hands-free, sorry.

POLICE:
Kenapa?

LUKE:
What? (raises eyebrows and looks blur)

POLICE:
Why no hemsfree?

LUKE:
I don’t have it. I don’t have a hemsfree. But my hands-free is at home.

POLICE:
Apa? Errr, Cannot speaking phone when you on driving, tau?

LUKE:
Oh, ok. Sorry.

POLICE:
So? How?

LUKE:
Ya, so how?

POLICE:
This must give saman. I give you saman. (takes out a notebook looking thing from his pocket)

LUKE:
Ok.

POLICE:
You want saman?

LUKE:
Errr, no choice right?

POLICE:
You want saman? You don’t use hemsfree driving tadi.

LUKE:
Ok.

POLICE:
How? I give you saman.

LUKE:
Ok. (already reading the police officer’s mind. He wants some money to buy his pirated DVDs later after duty)

POLICE:
You want I give you saman?

LUKE:
If not? You said I didn’t use hemsfree so must give me saman. No choice.

POLICE:
Why don’t use the hemfree?

LUKE:
No, no. Handssss-free.

POLICE:
Ya, why no hemsfree?

LUKE:
Don’t have.

POLICE:
So saman lah.

LUKE:
Ok.

POLICE:
Next time you driving mesti use the hemfree, cannot talking talipon.

LUKE:
Ok I will look for a hemfree.

POLICE:
I give you amaran pertama.

LUKE:
You give what?

POLICE:
I give you first amaran.

LUKE:
Errrmmm, first what?

POLICE:
This first warning. Next time use hemfree.

LUKE:
No it’s han…… Oh ok first warning. Sure. (trying very hard not to burst out laughing)

POLICE:
Careful ya. Jangan buat lagi ya.

LUKE:
Huh? (acting all innocent)

POLICE:
Janga….. tak ape lah, You go. I give warning.

LUKE:
Thanks. I’ll go look for a hemfree. (closes window, smiles, and tries not to laugh).

The police officer walks back to his motorbike. Luke winds up the window. Luke smiles, drives off, and doesn’t look back. Luke’s heart is still beating like crazy.

And this is how a poor police officer failed to get some extra pocket money, and how a smart Eurasian boy used his mixed-blood  looks to practice the art of deception.

So much for the ‘Saya Anti Rasuah’ badge on the police officer’s shirt.

 
4 Comments

Posted in Life, humour

 

Singing with Harvard

27 Apr

And thus, my journey with the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus ends with a Requiem, literally. Faure’s Requiem, to be precise. And if you don’t get it, a Requiem is the music set for a funeral. How interesting.

At the rehearsal just an hour before the concert at Harvard University’s Sanders Theater

We also sang Psalm 42 by Mendelssohn, a piece that I think has some of the best choral melodic lines ever… at least in my opinion. Mendelssohn always has lovely melodic lines anyway.

It was a pleasure, too, singing under the baton of Dr. Dr. Leong. (Dr. Dr. – because he has two doctorate degrees… one in neuroscience, and one in choral conducting!). And just in case you don’t get the joke, Dr. Dr. is just a funny nickname given to him because of his two phds!

This reminds me of something random… For my funeral, I’d like the choir – whoever is in it – to sing “It Is Well With My Soul” :)

 
2 Comments

Posted in boston, music

 

Packing Up Life

25 Apr

I see my clock ticking, reminding me how fast time will fly. Before I know it, it’ll be time for me to fly back to Malaysia with another academic degree to my name and a whole bunch of junk in my luggage.

I was cleaning up my room a few days ago, doing my “pre-packing” just to make sure I know what I need to pack and what should be thrown away.

The throw-away pile was, well, just a small pile. My things-to-keep-and-bring-back pile, was, well, a MOUNTAIN! Immediately I panicked! How am I going to bring EVERYTHING back? Yes, I could throw away more stuff, but I don’t want to get rid of program booklets and brochures of places I’ve visited and old train maps and the books I used here for my studies and the papers I wrote and re-wrote with angst at the last minute for my classes and the winter clothing I bought here and…. So Much To Pack! So Much!

So I am going to have to strategize my homeward bound journey. Sacrifices must be made. Small ones, but hopefully they will lighten my burden, and my luggage. I must probably sell some stuff like my winter boots and some books that I know I’ll be able to buy again if I ever need them again.

Packing life into a few bags isn’t easy. It’s a heavy burden, so to speak.

Maybe I should just pack light?

 
2 Comments

Posted in Life, boston

 

Weekend in Chicago

23 Apr


 
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Posted in travel

 

Reflections – Charles

23 Apr

The Charles River is where I feel most at peace here in Boston.

The ducks swim so joyfully when spring approaches, and the leaves start blooming and falling all at the same time. It’s just like heaven.

Joggers come here to stay healthy; people walk and run with their dogs, and you see everyone smiling.

It’s just gorgeous, that feeling you get knowing you are in a city with the sounds of sirens every few minutes blasting in the background… yet knowing you are still close to nature and that everything around you is serene.

I go here to study. I lie down on the deck, with the sun setting in front of me, and I take out my book and read. I hear the ducks swim and fly, hear the dogs chasing the ducks, hear the cars driving past just across the riverside, and then I sometimes fall asleep and let the wind, actual real balmy wind, blow in my face. The feeling is truly sensational and I wish everyone who comes to Boston experiences Charles.

It’s one of those places where you don’t feel like leaving even when the sun has set and the temperature has dropped drastically. You feel like just letting the wind catch you and send you somewhere else. Not exaggerating here! :)

And the sail boats are quite a sight to see against the backdrop of the big blue Charles.

Reflections of all sorts happen here at the Charles.

 
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Posted in Life, boston, pictures