Why Would I Write

Category: Random

  • Of flies and mosquitoes

    One of the new things I’ve started to experience recently is the feeling of missing home. Maybe it’s old age. Maybe it’s knowing that I have some people dependent on me back home.

    Whatever it is, it’s a new experience. Being someone who didn’t travel overseas to finish college or university, I never had the experience of leaving home for very long periods of time. The longest time I spent away from home was during my one month-long TESOL course.

    In the past 6 months, I’ve probably been away from home for almost two months. And it’s just the beginning. Beginning next year, I’ll be traveling again for work every month or so. It’s crazy. Earlier this year, my girlfriend, Milin was contemplating moving to Hong Kong for work. She declined the opportunity – it would have been a breakup or a long distance relationship. Now it feels like an LDR, except that I’m the one who is away from her instead. Funny how life throws you curve balls.

    Anyway, enough rambling about being away from home. But one thing I will say is that we’ve got awesome food. Also, our weather isn’t terrible. Sure, it gets extremely hot at times, but you can just stay indoors and enjoy air-conditioning.
    (more…)

  • Gig #100: Milestones

    These year, and few weeks in particular have been a rollercoaster. Time sure flies when you’re busy and I’ve been busy as hell.

    Countless insect bites line my arms and legs – battle scars of a battle about to begin. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be in Indonesia again for the upcoming Big Bad Wolf Book Sale in Surabaya.

    On the side, I’ve also been busy helping out with the purchasing of books for our future sales (in case you’re wondering what I do at work or when I’m traveling, it’s what I usually do at work). Oh yeah, and I crossed the one year mark last week as well.

    Over the weekend, Milin and I celebrated our upcoming second year anniversary.

    This year I started exploring new ways to create music. I’ve been dabbling with some electronic shiz on my PC, phone and tablet. I’m terrible and have nothing of value to share, but keep your ears peeled for some chillstep (I kid) tunes in the future. I’m gonna pick up a MIDI controller soon and learn me some piano. Also, I decided that I should learn how to play lead guitar so I’ve also started that. In the meantime you can still expect to hear my emo, crybaby acoustic songs at gigs.

    Which brings me to this Thursday night – I’ll also be playing my hundredth gig. Yes, that’s right. And if you’re wondering how I know, it’s because I have been chronicling it on my blog.

    I’m not going to do anything fancy or whatever, I’m just playing an open mic slot for a show my charismatic and foul-mouthed friend, Ian Tai is headlining <3 It'll also be the first time I'll be playing the same show as Ferhan's younger brother, Luqman. He’s like part of the next generation of Malaysian Youtubers, follow him for some lit content fam.

    B.I.G. – Ian Tai | Event Page
    Thursday
    9:30 PM – 11 PM
    Barlai (The BIG Group)
    3, Jalan Sin Chew Kee, Bukit Bintang, 50150 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    ***IAN TAI***

    Eyebrow-raising solo 5-chord powerhouse singalongs about the fluff of life, delivered by a chubby Chinaman with a Fu Manchu-contestable beard.

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePropositions/
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepropositions
    YouTube: https://youtu.be/8nAFy-7GR0g

    ***OPEN MIC MY***

    #1 Qhotakmusica
    #2 George Sai Krok Wong
    #3 Luqman Firdaus Faidzan

    Tag us #OpenMicMY

    http://openmicmalaysia.org/

  • Lapse

    Just put something down dammit. Stop erasing and rewriting your words. I’ve been telling myself that for the past 20 minutes. You don’t accomplish anything by doing nothing. Just start, don’t stop, let it flow.

    I’ve never traveled so much before in my life. When I signed up for this job, I had no idea there was going to be so much traveling involved. First it was local, then interstate, then to Indonesia, the US, and now, Thailand. Next week, I’ll be in the UK and the following month I’ll be in Indonesia again.

    Currency. Why do we need different currencies? Why can’t life be a video game. Let’s just all use gold coins. Or ringgit notes (kek). Until now, I haven’t gotten used to counting money in Indonesian Rupiahs. Why do they have so many zeroes? I think they can truncate three zeroes and their currency would still function properly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything cost 1 IDR.

    I finally took the plunge and invested in a proper luggage bag. Wow, what a difference it makes. Now, I just throw all my shit I want to bring into the bag. I don’t have to compromise on my items anymore. Also, it’s so much fun pushing my bag compared to getting straps digging into my shoulders. I guess I should have invested in one a long time ago.

    After all these years, I think I can fully use my whole passport. I think now I’ll be able to renew it because I ran out of pages – not because it expired.

    I wonder what Snuggles thinks of when I’ve been away for so long. What goes through her mind? I hope she doesn’t get upset. That would be terrible. I’d rather she forget that I existed instead of being sad and waiting for me to return.

    Sometimes I wish I could be in two places at once.

    The other day I dreamt that my elder sister and my friends organized a birthday party for me – on her own birthday. Confusing right? What’s worse is that I forgot it was her birthday and she was upset about it. In my dream, I was telling everybody thanks for coming to my birthday party. I woke up feeling guilty and confused. Why would you organize someone else’s birthday party on your own birthday?!!

    My next gig will be number 100. I hope I get to do something before the end of the year!