Rice Above #6

17 March - In the midst of this busy afternoon in a typical restaurant setting, I just got to start writing because I just gotta. I think have a long term memory problem which I could not remember details of specific events. I like to quickly remember details daily and write then forget about them because I have stored them in here. So more memory space for other things, more dreaming~

Yesterday I ran off from work to see Infectious Maggots, Kuchalana and Apparatus perform. I was very semangat that I've spent RM45 just for taxi fare to get to the gig. Come to think about it, that was really expensive! It was worth every penny because I've got the opportunity to see the old timers perform.

I got off at Bukit Bintang Monorail to meet my friend, Arip, but little did I know, the place was a fishing pond for corporation unleashing their the fishing rods (their workers/promoters) to lure the fishes (mass) to take their bait (simcards). I had just sat less than 5 minutes on the speakers of the huge billboard TV which were built in concrete boxes surrounding the Maybank square, then came the devils. Their aggressive approach towards pushing their services was a little scary for me. The communication service providers are at war with each other. They are competing to win handphone users to change to their simcards. Everything is offered free and special before you sign the agreement. Then they tell you have to pay RM50 by the end of the month for commitment. It was insane! Their promoters were trained to be vigilantes to push products we don't need. They were thugs in Celcom blue uniforms harassing an agreement out of anyone who bought into their scheme. I find it offensive but at the same time pitying the promoters as they looked like barely school leavers. I was trapped by my own sense of guilt inflicted by confusion and annoyance. I just wanted them to get out of my face and stop hassling with me. I had given into the evil that they'd seduced me.What have I done? Arip arrived while they were explaining to me about the package. I was practically crying for help. I should have been stronger and said no. The Corporation played psychological warfare masking behind their teenage employees who just wanted their cut of the commission. They will get their share while I got sink in the whirlpool of the marketing frenzy. I'm going to cancel the service after this.

Arip and I went to pulau where the rest of our friends were there. Cyclist gang came after we ordered food. I love Mislina's bicycle which Roby rode that night. It was silver chrome in color. It looks old school with new groovy futuristic look. One thing I like to do is cekeduting people's bikes. Especially odd bikes and when girls ride them. It is kind of a sense of pride to see them and at the same time I feel motivated and solidarity. Peng rode from Shah Alam. I was so happy to find out about another girl cyclists. Bicycles are the most efficient and socially responsible form of transportation. (^_^)/

Off we went to C&C. Arip and I walked while he pushed his bike. I wish I had my bike. The show was just about to start when we arrived. Infinite Delay was the first to perform. Bardridos was the vox. The bassist had some problem with his strap and awww his gf was watching him from the side of the stage. I saw them communicating with facial expressions and body language. He was performing for her. Definitely! He was facing her the whole time and not the crowd. I noticed this because I was at the side of the stage standing on the cushions to get a better view of the band. This was not a good spot to be at because somehow you don't feel the atmosphere. You'd be at the sideline hanging on the boat while other crew/crowd battle the rocking boat which the music was the waves and the bands were the oars. This was a different crowd all together. Loyalist fans of these old timers. A lot of unfamiliar faces. Someone from the crowd shouted "We want violence". Huh? Everyone ignored him including the band. Dah naik gila lah tu.

Infectious Maggots was brutal awesome! It was a special show because the old vox, Fathul made an appearance. Almost all the band mates had aged. Emm.. their drummer had mysteriously missing from the place and they took some time to call him on stage. Who knows where this father of a lovely little girl had gone to. Mesti tgh main dgn anak dia ni...

What else can I say about Infectious Maggots and Kuchalana? They were both brutal wicked. You'd feel their heavy influence on the crowd and their music were so mesmerizing. They were a little below older than my mom. Just a tad. Probably somewhere in their forties but they worked on those music machines so that you bite your tongue seeing them blew you away. Perfecto!

I had to go back to work that night but I didn't. It was too tempting to stay to see Aparatus. I just got to see Along perform because I've never seen them play before. Tak tahu lah camne nak discribe diorang. hehe sbb dah seminggu yang lepas. Ok lah... My mind was too much worried of the time to go back and did not enjoyed the gig. But I got to spend time with my friends as we shared the music! =) Kid and Niesa cycled! Comelnya crusty couple ni!

International Women's Day

9 March - Amnesty International Malaysia had organized a Women Reclaiming the Night inconjuction with the International Women's Day. The whole event was organized at Bukit Bintang. They had a march before the performances at Cloth & Clef. Two of my favorite band performed that night - Overdose and The Pips. Other bands and singer song writers were also invited. So were some poets. The place was packed with people. Diverse this time. A mix of friends and activists from NGOs and punks. A good mix of gender as well.

Hana and I came early so that we could beat the crowd for the seats. We usually stand but this time there was too many people. We would rather seat and wait for the last two anticipated bands we intended to come see. Earlier that evening, before coming over to the gig, Hana got busy choosing her costume for the performance. She had chosen a pale pink dress with a maroon tshirt inside. The dress was spilled with red rose concentration to resemble menstrual blood that usually considered a taboo to reveal that period of the month in a women's life. Shhh.. it's supposed to be a secret!

As we went out, the reactions from people's faces when they see blood stains on Hana's dress were priceless. We stopped by at a photocopy shop before catching the bus to kl, there was a young couple who giggled with each other and the girl covered her face as a sign of shame. Her red face said it all. They must have muttered something like, don't she know? Why didn't her friend told her about the stain? It was a bloody sweet heavy spill...... Yeah... it is her first day kids. Every billion women are having it.

I always find it fascinating that Hana always without fail try to prepare as much as she can for the performance to get the messages across. She would always prepare a few days before the gigs that The Pips would be performing. Panicking which costume she should wear. Finding words to recite to explain their songs. Constantly having panic nervous attacks before each shows. I really adore her~ I like bands that try to put in something new. Like the former band Ciplak, Crimescene and maybe Mossuraya from Sweden which I didn't get the chance to see!! Crossdress! Pheeewitttt! Me loikey....... Errr nudist? Hmm.. The demand for Crimescene is undeniably for their cute butts. Hahahaha.. sorry guys from Crimescene.. after the gig in C&C the other day, the fans totally dig your act of going nude. You were in the flesh REAL!

I hope someday I get to see bands in animal costumes! That'll be freaking awesome..

I had spread what had happened yesterday to as many friends that I've met that night so that people know about the issue. All of them were shocked to hear the incident. Fellow cyclist were outrage. And I do felt some kind of solidarity spirit when they gave me encouragement and words of disgust towards the mat rempits. Sexual violence is not a matter to be silenced.

Arip brought books about feminism. A thick book called Sisterhood and another smaller book about influential people like Emma Goldman. All this in the spirit of feminism. Sharing is caring. He said he talked to everyone he knew about the incident, ppl at his workplace, cyclist friends and his housemates. You're just so sweet!

The Pips has gained attraction from chaotic crowd to mosh with their songs. They sound more and more fast and their songs had become familiar anthems for the fans to sing along to. Imagine that... From mellow acoustic folk to folk punk. Gila lah!

Our dear friend Yuen had already pecah this time. He was totally wasted! His spectacles was smashed in the sea of people moshing. He couldn't get up at the end of the show. Somehow I do get a feeling that he is in some sort of emotional rut? I heard rumours about his mom's illness and that he's constantly worried. Adding to this, he is also having his final exams for his Masters. I hope you can cope with it Yuen. You are stronger. Everything will be alright...

Overdose, what can i say about this band is just TOTS AWES! The vox was really wicked! I saw a video recording of their show at Kelana Jaya and she was just so superb in a white dress stage diving! Comelnya! She has this high pitched voice. Sultry and loud. Heck! Heck! As she always shout.

I've always find it confusing when I look at stuff for sale. I would wonder which zines are good to read, which bands to check out, the endless flowing of new talents just amazes me.. And I always get that wishful feeling that I would someday put out my zine as well. I think I am a bit worried about putting my words across because for some reasons, writing does open up a can of worms and reveal yourself to the world. Maybe self esteem plays a huge part to get that zine published. Maybe I'm not punk rock enough. I really like personal writing and skill sharing zines. I admire Coathanger Revolt's zine. I feel the writing from kid and other female writers were really awesome. Same goes to Brainscan issue #21. The author writes about her experience with her former activist husband. She writes about power dynamics in a relationship which I could really relate to my own previous relationships. She touches issues of what her husband who seemed to mirror her conscience and ideals had impaired a lot of things on her emotional as well as psychological well being because of the underlying power dynamics in their relationship. Imposing hyper critical behaviors and lack of deeper emotional connection empathy. Egoism and self centered personality. Some people often forget to check themselves when they have advantages on their side. They are seen active and could easily portrayed as the righteous ones but when it comes down to relationship, the balance of emotions and to differentiate between love over power, they had failed miserably.

Get your own copy of Brainscan at RICECOOKER SHOP. (Mat Nor, ni iklan just for you for always updating new zines to me and in support of Ricecooker Shop~)

So we left C&C and got back with Aziman's car together with Boy and Kelly. Boy did not recognize me with my veil. It has been a long time since I last saw him. He was still with Nena at that time. I saw this Mass Separation's bassist/guitarist at the BuyAndSell website selling his bicycle last January. I laughed seeing his picture with him riding a yellow fixie. Masih panjang dreadlocknya...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz penat.

Road Trip With Knot Records Fellow Friends

Sunday, 28 February 2010

It is now 9 a.m and we’re still in Taiping as I’m writing this. We’re at a motel called HLW. The darkness of the room made it seemed like it is still night time. I was awoken by nature’s calling to empty my bladder. I could not help myself to get back to sleep and then came the tingling feeling to write.

It has been a long two days trip with Knot Records fellow bands and friends (the groupies). Knot Records had organized a party gig for their fans back at their birth place. So The Pips, The Garrison and Pusher which had recently released their new albums came all the way from Kuala Lumpur to celebrate and bring The Rainhouse down.

I will get back to that in a minute. Just so you’d follow through the journey (if you want to).

Last Friday was the Maulidurasul, a holiday making it perfect for us to plan a detour to Penang before heading to Taiping for the party on Saturday. We had assembled at the Rawang rest house at about 12 noon. Marr, Hana, Karen and I went with Yuen’s yellow 4 wheel drive. It was a nice sunny weather. I can say this because we’re moving by car with the luxurious air-conditioner on. I’m happy and could not complain. I even managed to sew a few cross stitch patches along the way. The Garrison folks rented a van and they had stuffed about 10++ people in it. Sardines in can!! Lily being the only female drove the van. Hail salut! Ekin and Yoyo went with Onie’s car. While others in 2 more cars.

Proper servicing before travelling long distance with the engine powered moving “tin cans” is a must. I’m not sure whether it was jinxed or they were just unprepared, but almost all the vehicles had problems. First there was Nana and Apeng’s car and then as we reached Penang, Yuen’s conveyer belt fell off its place making the steering hard to turn. Once we reached Penang, i heard Alak said they saw a car swivelled because one of its tyre fell off. Sarjan Hassan could not make it because their car broke.

When ever I get on a moving vehicle, I will get some sort of nostalgic sensation from the past reminiscent of a baby’s experience in the cradle. This is a very good time to sleep! Sure the view was nice but staring at the window screen for hours watching the long endless highway clamed by the greens seemed too much. I think I’ll give this scenery a pass thank you.

We had arrived at the Penang Bridge just about when the sun was setting. The sunset view from Penang Bridge was amazing. I wish we could pull over and hang out by the bridge to watch the sun disappear...

We had dinner at a food court along Weld Quay and I ordered Laksa. It was automatically blurted out of my mouth to order this glass rice noodle in fish soup dish. When ever I come to Penang, this was the one dish that I won’t miss to order. Aww and I was practicing to be veggie... There’s still hope. Ekin, Yoyo, Hana, Cem and I decided to sneak away from the group and go to the jetty. We went to Tan’s jetty because it was the longest jetty so that we can get some privacy.

Penang has a long history of migrant workers. These jetties which are made out of wood were also homes to about a hundred houses of the historical descendants from China. Most were brought here to work with the merchants. They had lived by this sea for many years now. Their homes are now part of the heritage of Penang thus protected by the UNESCO after some of the houses had deteriorated and destroyed by the corrosion which the harsh salt was responsible. Maybe some were torn down by authorities but I’m not too sure. This close knitted community of Chinese displaying their culture and laid back lifestyle will continue to beautify Georgetown for years to come hopefully forever.

After deciding about our lodging, we head to Bayu Senja in Feringghi. I still remember cycling through the curvious road going up the hill before reaching the beach. This was last year March during our cycling trip to Penang. Although there were signages of bicycle lanes, the road was too narrow for cyclist to feel safe with the lanes provided. The sharp corners made it dangerous for cyclist to climb steadily up the steep hill. The thought of being squashed and cornered by buses or lorries did came into my mind while riding up the hill. I could only hoped that they see me and my tiny blue bicycle~ Upon reaching Kerachut beach, the distraught of the mind vanished like foot prints on sand being washed by the waves. The only thing that was unpleasant were the hot sun (we reached the beach at noon) and obor obor! (jelly fish) Btw, I’ve found out that my favourite snack when I was in school is made out of obor obor.. The round shaped squid like taste snack with strong spices skewered on sticks mostly made in Thailand. Do you know which snack I’m talking about? I really don’t know they were obor obor.. Cute obor obor........ Hana got stung by one of them when we got into the water. The ocean in this area is filled with obor obor. Visitors are cautioned with signages of these near fluid creatures. The cure for the lucky stung people was a plant near the beach. These plants were purposely planted near the beach for the brave souls to seek cure for ailment. The other natural remedy was to pee on the localize injury. [singing the Amazing Horse song - Sweet lemonade.. Emm sweet lemonade...]

So back to Bayu Senja, the place was like Petaling Street. This is one of the beaches that attract tourists with its night market, restaurants and bars. The place was crowded with people from all over, so much so that car parks became an issue. Nana’s car got scratched on its bumper while the driver was trying to get in the parking space behind Nana’s car. CAR PARKS.... THEY DON’T DANCE.

I think it was just the hypeness from the artificial lights and the colourful stuff being displayed for sale that drove people to this place. Adding to that, the bars/clubs nearby surrounded the beach making full use of this extra feature for its attraction. Their music blasted the night from its quietness to make it more happening. We on the other hand chose a spot a little further along the beach. A nice dark spot away from the crowd and artificial lights to enjoy the natural moonlight. It will be another day for the moon to be full but none the less, the moon shun for these punks who came all the way to watch it radiate. The shiny reflection from the waves made up for the clouds covering the twinkling stars. It was as if there were some festivals going on up there as well. The God and Goddess danced forming the atmosphere the surreal unearthly Armageddon. It was for those who are willing to see.

I’m now wearing the Ocarina everywhere I go. I practiced the Ocarina so that someday I can make some beautiful melodies for some hearts to melt. Though the process of learning and playing with it is a bit annoying due to the high pitched sound it creates. The first time the Ocarina was passed down to me from Yuen, I got crazy with it and Hana’s maid did not like the noise and slammed the door. Was I that terrible?? Huhuhuhuuuuuuu *cries inside* Ekin and Yoyo had a taste of addiction blowing this tortoise shaped instrument. FYI, it broke! :’( We also brought jembe and Sidh and other regular baskers had tried to entertain us but failed miserably due to being too drenched in hallucinogenic subs and liquid. They were all pecah that night! Alak was the first to take a dip in the water. Others followed suit. Some even skinny dipped. Cem had been pranked as he tried to be courageous to join in the fun to go stark naked. His pants were taken away and they said his pants were dragged to the sea. He really panicked and looked for his pants in the water. I know he never wears boxers or briefs. So that pants was his only hope. They later gave back his hope. :P

And then there were us, the sober homosapiens. I was lucky that a few people did not drink and had kept me company. Like Mat Nor, Yoyo, Ekin, Hana and Marr. There was something that I clearly distinguished between being in that state of mind of the other party than my own soberness. Being aware was precious to me. This newly sophisticated feeling had left me wanting to explore solidarity with those who are pro-drunkenness but rejects substances. It was an article in Icarus that had made me think about how subculture had been married with substances. Not being preachy just mere reflection. I concur with the idea that hallucinogenics are naturally produced in our bodies. We just need to alter our perspective while being fully aware of our state of minds. To be in control as well as let loose. The notion of having fun should be withheld from consumer culture. Vis versa.

We left the beach to get to Mr. Ong’s place. It was allowed to us only after 12 because there were other events going on I think. The place is a space supposedly a film club. It didn’t take me too long to snooze after a long day. I practically dozed off as soon as my head reached the pillows. Who cares my snoring.. Most guys slept at the Soundmaker studio on the first floor. I know they were terrorizing the studio without actually having to be there to witness it. Wehad to pay RM3 each as rents.. It was super nice of Mr. Ong to offer his space to anyone travelling in this vicinity. Thank you Mr. Ong.

Saturday, 27 February 2010

Today is the day, the day to party. I craved for rice and veggies. So we head to the nearest small Indonesian restaurant a few meters from Mr. Ong’s place. We were all too tired (spoiled) to be adventurous and go to Evergreen unlike Karen who walked all the way to Komtar just to get her cendol. I really wanted to go to Evergreen... I just wasn’t as enthusiastic as Karen to hunt for what the heart longs for. Plus I woke up quite late and dilly dallied to get ready.. It felt too much like home since I’ve already been at the space about 5 times. Evergreen is a vegan restaurant somewhere in Pulau Tikus. This place is heaven for vegetarians and vegans. Travelling friends from abroad passed this by word of mouth to their friends. Almost all vegans must know about this place. You’ll be spoiled for choice just by seeing more than 20 vegan dishes that were displayed. They even have all kinds of side dishes, desserts, and titbits. Some are organic. VEGAN ICE CREAM! This is a very rare item seekable only at few known places. Arrghh my mouth is watering already :P~~

Off we go to Taiping...

We reached there about 3-3.30p.m. We were the first to arrive. We quickly hanged The Pips’ pink banner which we made with lots of lurve. I took every opportunity to mess with the drums. I finally got the basic beats. It was one of the times where I could find to utilize for a drum lesson besides tagging with The Pips at their jamming sessions.

The crowd started to show about 4-4.30p.m. The show started about 5p.m with a local band Amieva. They were very young kids but pretty much emancipated the atmosphere of its long silent wait. They played screamo something core :P Sorry I don’t really know the categories of the ever complicated tunes. Yang pastinya keras. You’d get too much of fast and hard music that sometimes bla bla bla who gives a shit ya know. All I know they were loved by the locals and a few girls cheered for them. They were with so much energy banging their way with their music. The power stance plus the head banging while playing guitar, you do the math.

Aiyay yay yay yay (Mexicana sound effect) This aint a party until the phat lady sings. The Pips opened their act with Hana holding a candle reciting words of wisdom in Bahasa. They chose Dungeon as their first song. It’s about girls having to go through shit at the age of 13, the age of when the hormones starts to kick in and all the complicated bullshit we had to face. Nor was so excited dancing with her heavy belly covered by her green knitted sweater. Mar and I were jumping with joy. Almost half of the room was filled with people from KL giving The Pips loud enough backup vocals sing along through Ashes in The Wind and Change song. The Pips is a band that brought the red hot cili padi into this male dominated scene to give it the heat and burning tongues that it deserves. A Go Go Go...go go go go!!! They are heading to the garage era by bringing this Dara Puspita song to live.

Freygyle made their appearance after being inactive for 2 years (according to Hana).

Pusher and The Garrison.. The dynamic duo bands. Without these two bands the party won’t be as hype as it did. The Rainhouse Studio was definitely a good space for gigs. The space was with good proportion of size and well ventilated. It was my second time being there. The first was with Scum System Kill tour.

After the gig, we had a crazy photo session. I hope they upload the photos soon coz I need to steal some to delight your eyes with visuals to balance it off with these tiny stretchy compound letters. Soon after, we went to makan. It was a crazy long 20-30 minutes drive to get to the restaurant that was said to be known for its awesomest prawn noodle. When we were in the car, we were like this better be as good as the journey that took us to get there. Everyone was hungry after being drained in the mosh pits. When we got off the car, there were the cracking sounds from our feet. It was a sea of sea shells. Cem was tormented by it and called it a holocaust of these invertebrate sea creature. This was normal for having a seafood restaurant nearby. Hmm.. it was shit load of sea shells....

Everyone ordered something with prawn since it is the main ingredient on the menu. I was terrified getting allergic reaction just by the sight of prawns. I shared with Mat Nor mixed veggie and rice instead. My partner in crime when it comes to being vegan. I find it so cute about Cem being freegan. He’d find friend’s unfinished left over and ate them even though they were meat. Some meals are prepared too much, some stomachs were too small to fit all the abundant food, then came the saviour – the freegans. No food needs to be wasted. No rice toiled by our precious farmers needed to be thrown out. No animal sacrificed died in vain just to be thrown away after the plates of humans. Utilize everything....

Everyone went separate ways after having feast together like a big happy family. There were seven vehicles all together. Yes I counted. A few cars went to a memorial cemetery near Larut hill to get some fresh air while digesting the good food. Everyone had a good time.. Marr and I went at the back of Yuen’s 4-wheel drive to lay on our aching backs while covering ourselves with The Pips’ banner (we knew it will used as a blankie! the fabric is so soft). We were so lucky that it was full moon. The fantastic ironic view of a cemetery combined with the full moon which often made known in horror movies, gave the night its astonishing splendour for us to bring this memory back to Kuala Lumpur. No corps was buried here. At least not as many as the tomb stones appeared. A lot of the names written on the tomb stones were soldiers from India, Pakistan, Bangalesh and some white colonialists. They were those who had been killed in the 1940s war. The soldiers died too young. The youngest was 17 year old kid. I bet they were recruited imports to help the Malayan army back in those days for the Battle of Malaya. It is really sad... Their death is sad. The war that killed them is disgusting. This was fully expressed via my blue spray can. Grrrr!!! While being excited upon having leaving a message in the cemetery, I told Apeng that it would be great that The Garrison posed with the cemetery view as the whole band was present. Plus it would be awesome photo of the band if they were to use it for some silly satire album covers or something. Indeed the pictures had turned out great! Nampak metal sikit.. The Garrison must acknowledge me for this brilliant idea. Haha.. Here’s also the leopard who got lost from the nearby Night Zoo.

We split at midnight. The Garrison folks went straight back to KL. They have several drivers to rotate driving the van. Alak and Onie went back that night as well. Pusher and The Garrison had another gig to attend to at Noisy the next day. We on the other hand looked for cheap motel to stay and rest our weary eyes and aching backs. HLW it was.

The amazing thing about living in small towns is that the food is really damn cheap! We got ourselves breakfast at a Chinese food court. There is a vegetarian stall! Hurray...! I got myself 3 dishes with rice and it only costs RM3! Believe me, when I take vegetarian dishes, I would pile the dishes almost covering the rice. That’s a lot. We also bought some local kuih to snack in the car. Yuen got spring rolls and Japanese jello. Hana and Karen got themselves some charkui and another thing similar but with cinnamon added. Yumm..... Cem had to part from us here. He had to follow Bard, Shimi’s brother to KL because there was no space for him in Yuen’s car. That night when he followed us to the motel, he sat at the back of the car hiding underneath the pink banner to avoid being seen by the authorities. It was night time so it was okay then. I still can see you lah Cem! Hehe

I wanted to go to the gig at Noisy because I did not managed to sell my patches in Taiping.. *cries* I’m flat broke. Traveling does suck the money out of our pockets. Not to mention the petrol, the toll, and food. We were so humbly lucky that our far well off friends chipped in for most of the expenses for those things.... Hmmm...... *frowns* I’ve decided to cycle with Marr to Noisy because Yuen, Hana and Karen had a reunion with their old buddy, Yohana. So we stopped by Ponyo to get my bike. It rained when we were about to reach Karen’s house. Our bags and the jembes were almost drenched as we did not put on the covers. The rain was heavy but quick. Nothing like a nice shower as a present for us cyclists. We hit the road as soon as the rain stopped.

Marr is going away~ She is going to Sarawak to work for a month. The third sister.... this tough girl cyclist will be missed!!! Marr is an inspiration to me.. She rides her bike almost everywhere. She often turned down car pooling just so she could ride her bike. Hardcore! Most of the happenings are in KL. She lives in Puchong. That’s far. It’s okay lah Marr.. Like I said, you can always cekidut the scene there. Maybe bring back some hot gossips. You know how much we like them.. I received an email from her and found out that she fell off her bike after she received an sms from her dad telling her that the job in Sarawak will be for 3 months. Ape lah!~

The gig at Noisy was organised by Pirate Punks Bukit Bintang inviting their guest band from Bandung Pirate Punks, Majestic. They played rock and roll punk. They got keyboard! They sounded rich and majestic. No wonder Joe Kid like this band.. They were awesome. I got stuck watching band after band. It was my second time at a sort of chaos gig. The first was the Big Show at Shah Alam in 19--?. The energy was definitely different. Boots stomped the mosh pits leaving no space for the weaklings. Malescentiric. Most were well build dudes in studded jackets, tight jeans, braces and boots singing along with the band they worshiped. Plenty of vulgar words in their lyrics but with great spirit and intention. Going nicer won’t portray what anger is all about. Fierce.

After we go makan at Restoran Hassan. I got stuck again in between conversation as I sat with the musicians. Joe Kid and Sarjan Hassan band. Hearing them talk about music, bands and performances. I went back with Lily to her place. Had a good chat about our experiences with relationship. I thought it was a really a good start to get to know this tough girl a bit better. I ended up staying over for 3 days. Thank you Lily for letting me stay at you place for me to work (sell patches at gigs). I’m going to Cloth and Clef tomorrow.

There is an end for those who want. (taken from a poster at Lily’s room)

Overdose + Psycling + Sewing Circle + People from The Garrison

So I'm here at The Garrison's dwelling. Everyone's still asleep right now. It's 9.30 a.m. I had a very bad gastric attack that woke me from my sleep and that has only been since 5 a.m. I had to find something to munch on. I knew those biscuits that was taken from the big hamper given to us during CNY would come handy somehow.. I couldn't sleep and had to distract myself from my pain with some light reading. This place is like a palace for punks. Shit their computer doesn't have Microsoft Word for me to write this to help me with my grammar and spelling. They even banned that huh? This table placing the computer is too short hence too close for the eyes to see the screen. I'm complaining because I'm in a bad state of mind. Or else I would be chirpy to be here. I'm in so much pain!

Was it the heat from the day before that had triggered the gastric? It has been a long time since I cycled through the highway. For two sweet days it had rained yet on the day I wanted it too it won't. Life is cruel. (Photo : Columonimbus)

Was it that I had skipped lunch yesterday? Was it that I had too much isotonic drink?

Was it the sms I got from my mom asking me to reconsider living outside because I'm bumming and got my bicycle back for that matter? I would never consider bicycle as a hobby as she demanded me to. I would rather not pay near 10 bucks just to get my poor ass around using public transport.  I would rather buy a CD / a zine / pay for gigs / buy fucking 10 colors of threads for that matter. I would rather eat with those 10 bucks than continue to support the fossil fuel more than I have to (when ever I can avoid it). I'm sorry.... I’m trying to find my way mom...

Is it okay to write about people's houses? This house is weird. It is a flat/apartment where in a single unit consists of two floors. It's like a double storey house in a flat. Once inside you won't know you're in a flat. I don't really know what the term for it is. It's really cozy here. Sort of reminded me of the old new Sunway punk house minus the mural/grafitti on the walls. They are a bit more creative and hung banners with stencilled of bands and famous icons instead (The Clash!). I think it is to avoid having to repaint if they were to move out someday which hopefully won't happen. I later found out that Abang (the bassist from The Garrison who was also an artist for that matter) is the one responsible for these artworks. I see it is true that what Arip had told me the other day about Apeng's obsession with calendars. They are everywhere. Well there are four so far I've seen. I wonder why so.... I should ask him someday.

Now it is about 3 p.m (continuing to write), Arip and Apeng had gone to work in the morning. Abang came back to do some work with Styrofoam. He made spiral shapes that imitate the traditional wood carving of the Malay style bunga kerawang without the bunga. He said it was just for fun and would put the three pieces of the work somewhere in the house. Rajin gile. We had a good chat with him and hit a couple of Atari Teenage Riot songs to muse our ears. We left the house at about 5 p.m for Yuen’s CNY open house in Shah Alam.

Working at a major bookstore does have its advantages. They housed about more than hundred copies of books. Mainly ranging from music to veganism. The rare kinds which would be too expensive but they got it off with staff prices. It is like free cataloging. All the range that most of you would like are available. I got the crochet book from Arip!!! Thanks Arip! Hana got the herbal medicine book to add in her witchcraft collection. I think if they were to open a mini library like Black Rose Library or Jura, they had half of what it takes. Maybe combine with the FNB house books a bit coz they have more art books. All these dreams/wishes to someday have a multipurpose space. Library+Music+VeganCafe.

Talking about bumming and wishes, I had a chat with Hana the other day about how to sustain oneself by still able to do what one loves. We both thought of something what we might do to achieve that. Since gigs seemed to be an equally good place to get music and meet friends, energy spent on the extreme nights must be replaced with fuel which is food. Thus we have decided to fill in that need by selling exactly that. How about vegan/vegie burger sound like to you? They are easy to make, carry and distribute during the jammed packed occasion. I'm also thinking of soy drink to go along with those juicy burgers. Haha am I writing this in a manner of excitement or just plain hungriness? CROSSES FINGERS! (suddenly realizes that this phrase some how might be my sewing collective's name which the other meaning is HOPE and kinda have that double meaning as a straight edge thing.. ye meh?)

I really hope this works out. Need to plan things through. Find the recipes for the patties and the bread with vegan ingredients. In a conversation with Arip in YM the other night, we sort of got into the veganism / vegetarianism topic in a new light. We both shared how it is/(was for me) like to be vegie in this meat eating society. What worked and what sucked (dilemmas). We had a session of doodling online. Doodled about the topic of course. I think it was rather sweet when Arip drew Earthlings = a picture of him crying. He told me that he cried during the screening of the documentary. We also discussed how it was strange that some still consume meat after watching those docu (shit that includes me). I gave my part of opinion which I thought that it was all a matter of brainwashing ourselves to hate meat just on the basis of the animals being treated before slaughter. The fact that the form of food (meat) we received from our end of the plate had been "cleansed" from the bloody truth. The hunger we feel constantly and the system that provided the satisfaction. I don't eat meat that often though this is no excuse. I wish I'm as courageous and strong to fight off the urges and guilt. I still have this stigma that I need the protein from meat (fish mostly). Living under the roof of people who does not participate in the same ideology and understanding as you is a bit limitating although what goes in your mouth is your choice. Bummers can't be choosers. Having had a bad experience being vegetarian for one and a half year doesn't help. Dizziness and fatigue. I know it is a lifestyle choice that needed special research, guidance, high sense of awareness, responsibility and will. I will get there... soon. Got to get my shit together.

Cycling is another factor that needed to be considered where energy is concerned. I had cycled from Seksyen 8 to my house at noon yesterday to get some stuff. The sun was fierce that afternoon. It had absorbed every last bit of liquid from which ever source it can reach with its heat. No it wasn't a drought. It's just me on wheel forced to go under this extreme condition. I find that it was a big mistake to cycle during this time especially after Friday prayer. It was dangerous as there were many motorcycle and cars on road this time of the day. I hate the intersection that diverges. I had to wait for vehicles to clear to cross to the other side which at this time with this many vehicles, took me ages to get across! I had to wait under the scorching sun for nearly five minutes in the middle of the highway... This I had to live with if I want to cycle in Malaysia. There will be better cloudy days...

Yesterday Noisy Studio hosted a gig with a touring band named Overdose.. I adore the femme vox of the Overdose band and Killieur Calculator's performance. They were just amazing.

The Pips! Lama tak tengok them perform. They opened the night with Hana giving a little intro and act about how cruel this world is. The act of ripping off a toy monkey’s chest and letting the stuffing out represented how it would be much better for us if we’d just let out and share our feelings and thoughts because it is no use to suffer alone when you have friends by your side.. The bassist, Yoyo, had just got back from Golok just to be here for the band. Ekin who wore a light blue Minor Threat t-shirt “lead” the band with her sweet jazzy guitar riffs. Alak and Cem, the two gentlemen in this tough pink band whom had been with the band from the start, gave their best performance throughout the 5 songs played. I miss the band so much~

Killieur Calculator – guitar electronika with their own groove. They are definitely a band to watch out for. One of the best local bands I’ve seen. Not at all monotonous thus arouses you throughout the entire set.

Overdose – Superb. The vocal sounds so much like Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeah. She was so nice to everyone that she gave their CDs and stickers to whoever that talked to her. Such a big voice contained in a humble leng lui. I would Die with You.

Other bands were Pusher and Atomic Death. Marr got violent in the mosh pit. She now has a bruised cheek bone. It happens. You go girl!

After the gig was over, some friends from Massa Kritikal wanted to ride to Genting Sepah for their weekly ride. We didn’t join them because we want to go to Arip’s place to crash (The Garrison’s house) since we’ve promised to hang out. Plus we had our ride earlier that day.. No energy oredi~ Owhhh I found a girl who knows kickboxing!!! Lili, you're my idol~

The people who live in the house are nice people. They had fed us reggae music from Jamaica that night. I heard someone said that Apeng would put on reggae music every single day without miss. It’s like his breakfast and air to breathe.  Arip shared his zine Radical Review which he claimed to be the anonymous author but was exposed by a friend in Ricecooker’s website. Nice try. He said this year; he’s going to work on the zine for its next issue after realizing he’d been slacking for the whole 2009. I’m thinking nak menyelit. Boleh ke Arip?

I have managed to sell patches! Yay! Thanks for those who bought them. I will dedicate myself to produce more of these cute things. Hopefully a collective will form out of this obsession. Sewing circle - it has been spoken about. It’s floating~ floating~ floating.. One step at a time..

Okay this entry is going everywhere... It’s the gastric pain I tell you. It’s making me nuts! I’m constantly struggling with the pain.. I need to get to the clinic if it persists for a couple more days. I will try to limit the words and carry on writing this blog entry. So many things happened. The best part is saved for last......

Cycling from Pandan Indah to Shah Alam

Have you ever cycled long distance and let your mind wandered? I found this experience very rewarding both mentally and physically. I had thought of few wonderful ideas about a few things while I cycled yesterday.. I will share about it later lah. Having carried a spray can was like having a b-o-m-b. Under the overhead bridges made perfect spots to spread messages and words.

The word that starts with the letter (A) is our horror nightmare which gives us the chill although being fully aware that it can happen anytime anywhere regardless being on two wheels or four. Hana got kissed by a car when she tried crossing over to the other side of the road to get to the other intersection. She said she thought the car was slow and that she could make it after having calculated the distance and speed in a matter of seconds. Maybe it was a bad move or just plain luck that the car wasn’t that fast and managed to break upon hitting Hana’s bicycle from the back. She miraculously managed to land on her feet during the collision. She was so lucky to go off without any injury as the impact was minor. The driver of the car got off his car asking whether she was alright and drove off after she claimed stability. I screamed seeing her being hit! I could’ve sworn that I practically threw my bicycle aside the road and got to her. She was cool though.. We sat at the intersection to check on her bicycle for damages and for Hana to gather her strength to calm down. Everything was okay. The bicycle and Hana. After that I kept reminding us to recite the holy words (Bismillah) before beginning our journey. Panic siot!!!

After having cycled for about 5 hours, sampai jugak akhirnya to Yuen’s house. A few close friends were there... Alak, Ekin, Diana (Ekin’s sis), No-e (Ekin’s friend), Onie (Pusher’s bassist) and Cem Cem! I was so exhausted from the ride had to excuse myself to rest. They were enjoying themselves with games, special drinks and the fluffy centre of attention, Yuen’s lil sister’s dog, Bell. They made her wear cheongsam! Emm.. I don’t want to go into the details. Yuen seemed very happy having his friends over. They were too, getting ang pows from his mom and booze from his dad. Thanks Yuen for inviting us.

p/s: will upload photos soon.

Rice Above #2 - Birushanah in KL

Yesterday I came down from Mantin to Hana’s house to assemble my bicycle. I had to wash it first as it was dirty! The chain and cogset were covered with black oil and dirt. I miss you Gajra! This was my first experience assembling and meddling with bicycle parts. It was surprisingly exciting to mess with the bike parts. Although lacking with tools and knowledge, I found it to be empowering for girls to get their hands dirty. The only thing I was unable to figure out was the alignment of the wheel. Need to get to the bicycle shop to fix it but the shop was closed due to CNY holiday. The excruciating wait! Baru je nak ride ke Cloth & Clef.

We got a lift from Kelly to get to the Birushanah touring gig. As soon as we’d arrived, Think Tadpole Think was playing their first song. I know I will do this each time.. Reviewing new and old bands in every single blog entry after each gig. TTT was awesome! The vocal was very expressive and very much a performer. He was all over.. from playing didgeridoo, bass, turntable lp, diving on the floor, tearing his nice collared shirt bearing his chest. Wearing white gloves makes his hands visible through out the performance. Their songs were very very catchy experimentalish. I know it now that the band that gets to play first always has this heavy burden to warm up the crowd. In which case, they had succeeded with greatness.

(A) band called Khayal performed after. This band did not had the bass player that night as he was stuck somewhere in traffic. The front line was Bart (Aghast) as vox. I think this was the first time I’ve seen him perform since I know him as a didgeridoo basker. He was freaky. His voice was freaky to me. Not to mention his face expression. Talk about intense. Was Khayal a new band? I’m not so sure. Mirdza played the drums. Their guitars blew me away. Ganaz gila.

Kah-Roe-Shi was next. Taken from their blog - Firstly took formation sometime in 2006 with the name Union Of Slaves. Kah = excess, Roe = labor, Shi = death, translated literally from the Japanese as "death from overwork" or occupational sudden death. Musically characterized by unrelenting heavy crust hardcore and human-system-hating lyrics. A collective of system hating armchair revolutionaries. The guilty comrades (not in hierarchical order; as it supposed to be abolish!): kid: vocals, tiong: guitar, vocals, fahmi: bass, zul: drums. That night they wore white shirts with hand painted words in red which reads something like a downfall of something or death. It was supposed to be a gimmick however hippie it maybe.. They threw flowers to the crowd. The Jasmine flower, which is often associated with cemetery and death. This band has good reviews in several zines. They are superb! Marvelous.. Viola~

It may appear strange when you don’t really know a certain person as a performer or in general. Abang Zai was in that persona. I never heard of him. It is kind of fun though to have a bit of solo performance once awhile. It gave me the chance to sit down during his performance. Actually, he was all the way from Singapore. He was supposed to perform with Joe Kid and Bullet. The Abang Guard. They play groovy kind of experimental sound highlighting Abang Zai’s guitar riff. You should’ve seen Bullet. He was fast to hit those snare and tom toms! They don’t call him Bullet for nothing. He was an unstoppable force. All these while Alak had overshadowed/hid him by being in front with the mic. I had never really seen him play up close and this intense. The drummer always gets lost on the stage.

The moment that we were all waiting for had came when Birushanah got on stage. This sludge metal core band is from Osaka, Japan. As written in their Myspace intro, they said they used many Japanese traditional scales with fretless bass. The amalgamation of Japanese sounds was deliciously magnifying to our ears. It was not that somewhat soothing, it was more than the ocean crashing onto the rocks. You’ll hurt badly especially when you stand beside the speaker! I had specifically chosen the spot, as I wanted to “hear” and see them up close without getting in the middle of the storm in the mosh pit. They were downright brutal. The drummer was in the spotlight with his buff sweaty tattooed body. The crowd went wild for the powerful trio. The head bangers with long hair got most of the front row glorifying this mad occasion. Who knows what goes on at the back of the room. I was very much immersed in trance. This is sick. Now my ears will wring the thin buzzing sound echoing the quiet. Birushanah encored after the crowd’s request.


A photo with the band's drummer and vocal/guitar. The other was missing.

Once again another satisfying gig.

Seems to me that anarcho punks with patches swarmed the place making the place pitch black as ever. Arip was there! We had promised to visit his house and chill together but did no such thing because of our clashing schedules and other lame excuses. He steal holds the book for making crochet that we asked from him. We’ll hang out someday Arip.. When my bicycle’s fixed and the sky is clear. We’ll make you a crochet!

Many friends were there… Baglo who others and I had noticed to be skinnier had said that I looked nice with the veil. Thanks for the compliment. I know it was the cheongsam I wore. Psychedelic. You are confused. Wojtec was in town! And I never knew he could speak Bahasa. He looked like he had plenty of sunlight. Cher stood out with her corn coloured hair. Goldilocks. She came with Glen. Niesa yang comel pun ada. The cyclist made their presents known too by littering their bikes in front of the entrance. This Friday I will park my bike with The Wild Dogs in their home ground but won’t Overdose. See ya.

p/s: photos curik dari Shieko's FB in Ricecooker Shop group page. Thanks.

Rice Above #1 - You Can’t Keep A Good Scene Down

Last night was euphoria for an ADD person like me. Rice Above #1 - You Can’t Keep A Good Scene Down at Cloth and Clef, Bukit Bintang. As the description in Facebook invitation reads - This is the first of a series of Tuesday gigs happening at Cloth & Clef. An attempt at breaking that "weekend-only" curse which had been a bane for the DIY scene since forever! It’s definitely a session to de-stress for the work related sufferers. You don’t need to wait until the weekend to let out the steam.

The bands that performed yesterday were Carburetor Dung, Swampy Zombie Fever, Pusher and The Garrison. It was my first time being in the club and the atmosphere was chillexing. As usual, a lot of familiar faces ^_^ Yes this is a community of people loving hardcore punk rock music. Although I sometimes get edgy when meeting and surrounded by huge crowd, I did enjoy myself that night~

Where do I even begin to start?

Carburetor Dung opened the night with their kick ass set! They are awesome punk rockers. Father of punk rock in Malaysia. They are getting old but still sounded as loud and fast as any young blood bands. I’ve heard of them since I was in high school through friends but I’ve never seen them play until I got involved in Food Not Bombs. It’s crazy that you seemed to idolize a band through stories from friends who worshiped them. Later in your life you’d know them and became friends with them thus seeing the friendly and cuddly side of them. I did felt kind of anxious when I first hang out with the old timers. I think it’s really great that Joe Kid opened up Ricecooker shop as it had provided a space for people to get to know one another closer besides the usual place –the gigs. This is especially for anxious people like me who a lot of times try to avoid crowded places. There’s a term for this condition – anxiety disorder. Mine is mild (i think). I used to have to gather my “courage” kononnya to go to gigs and try to enjoy the music without being too obviously awkward. The music really helps a lot to distract the mind and give it some sort of strength.Dulu takde kawan..Heh.

They played two sets last night. Opening and closing.Can’t get enough of Carburetor. I will finally get their CDs this time. Some funny stuff uttered that night; after the first song, Joe called out for the drummer to be given water as Joe said the drummer is old already. Haha..it is the usual joke for the band. Dah tak berapa larat tapi jiwa masih muda dan punk rawk! Before playing their song “Jilat”, Joe added that the song almost got them killed.

Controversy habis! The story goes like this..ni nak bukak cerita ni... :p They were invited to perform at an oil hike protest organized by the opposition party back in July 2008 and Alak did the butt showing act while shoutingjilat (lick) in front of the conservative left wing people! Mana tak naik darah diorang. But he did not exactly show off his butt in the flesh. He showed part of his boxers from behind as part of the symbolization of the song. You know, sucking up to people with authority sampai sanggup lick their butts if it need be. That caused the mob to throw bottles and stuff at him. Then they got on the stage to bash him. The stage bouncers who sympathized with the band rescued Alak. He was brought to a safe place and the show was called off as the angry mob started to attack other bands by giving them the stink eyes and cynical verbal attacks along with some takbirs. Hisham Rais who was responsible to invite the bands to perform calmed the mob by giving a speech of apology.

Alak's face made HEADLINE in the newspapers the next day. They reviewed the band and their controversial song. It was a "free" promotion for Carburetor and an exposure for the mass to really look at the lyrics. This is big. They've made us proud! minus the violent threat on Alak and the band.

The whole event had shown signs of trouble from the start. First there was a commotion about the poster of the event. It was too punk and too “entertainment” to be associated with the opposition party. The issue got bigger as their supporters had googled the bands listed in the poster/flyer and found photos of the bands. Stinky, thrashy, skull+black+sick kids in myspace photos. How technology had helped improved conservatism. There were several blogs that wrote about this and opposed the concert to be part of the anti oil-hike protest’s agenda. After some protests over the issue, Hisham had reduce the number of bands playing from eight bands to about three I think which goes under different names. Even the famous Malaysian mainstream rocker, Amy Search got stroked off from the list.

Secondly, since the opposition party took over the Selangor state under their wing, it was often the choice to held demonstrations or talks over this jurisdiction. They wanted to use the Amcorp Mall field in Petaling Jaya but they failed to obtain police permit and had to oblige to the order despite the fact that the state minister was one of them who had the authority to give out the order to allow them to do so. Perhaps there were also some other factors they were considering at that time. Like canopies, parking space, accommodations such as toilet, surau etc. In the end they chose the Shah Alam Stadium to gather people for the protest - a place that can accommodate people for big occasions.

Lastly and most often tricky, the event was about common issue – people’s issue. But it is always been “misdirected” and used as a platform for the use of political parties, which opposes the current government to gain supporters and votes. Never on a neutral grounds. I guess, being neutral only “solves” problems and does not really give them to be the “rightfully” representation of the people. Furthermore, they did all the work to mobilize the people or their supporters..so yeah.. it’s their turf to further convince, campaign and own the “support” from the people. Am I making sense?

Swampy Zombie Fever is next. It’s Aiman’s new band. If I’m not mistaken, they’re cover bands? I’m so pekak in gigs. Selalu cannot hear announcements. They covered Transmission by Joy Division as their first song. They’re solid hardcore punk rock. The drummer even looks like Poodien. Hana, Ekin, Yoyo and I laughed about this because so many people looks like Poodien. The afro hair, the cut sleeves shirt, the shorts, the Poodien style. Wahh Poodien ada trademark dah! The fourth and last songs were quite amazing. Aiman also used to play in a band called Dum Dum Tak.

Next to perform that night was Pusher. Hana kept going on about how Pusher had become post rock. They do sound streaky. I fell instantly for them when I watched their new video Artificialize. The crowd started to pogo and mosh wildly while they play their set. Everyone was getting warmed up and getting in the zone. Hmm.. I knew so little about this band. A few info I know from friends, Pusher has been around since Alak was in uni matriculation. They sounded rich and intense. The Garrison is next.

The Garrison has always been the center of attention as they were the few who played reggae and punk. Only recently they had toned down they reggae tune and sounded more punk rock in their new album. El Pheng, the vocal has a beautiful rare voice. Kind of like those deep old school voices. The band also has the 80’s vibe whenever you see them together. The bassist has got this personified style from the good old days. Their combination with Pusher was said to be an atomic killer and a must. That night they covered an Operation Ivy song. I like their song Pagan Second Coming and Media Protest. The skin head boys who lined the front row in front of the stage loved them.

I saw Chem very much enjoyed the music that night. Everyone did. It was pretty much a reunion as many close friends in the scene were there. About 70 percent of girls I knew that were in the scene were present! Aie, Lili, Rauda, Ekin, Yoyo, Linda (Ekin’s friend), Hana, Karen, Maya and the lovely Nor who was very much pregnant were the equalizers, the dazzlings, the important people amongst the crowd. For the longest time it was not really that many girls. It is improving not just by numbers but as well as the things we’ve contributed. It was really great to meet them there. Marr was sick and couldn’t cycle this time.. Kesiannya….

The mosh pit was outrageously fast and physical as always. Epie was practically naked. His clothes and belongings flew everywhere leaving him with only his boxers. Joe Kid did not let the younger kids get all the fun. He jumped into the crowd as they were moshing when Pusher and Garrison performed. Avroco was as usual chaos and messing with the mic on stage. Everything was going really fast. Like a ship on the verge of a wreck in the middle of a hurricane. Messed up.

At last, the final performance by the legend Carburetor Dung. They played their old songs. By this time I was already exhausted and had to sit down at the back of the room. The crowd had shrunk into half. They performed five songs. Someone said Alak was getting too much glamour as he performed for three times in a row that night. Alak pecah malam tu. He even forgot the initial plan to celebrate Yuen’s surprise birthday party after the gig.

Yeah we had planned a party for Yuen that night after several changes of dates and places. His birthday is on 13 February which fell on the same day as Chinese New Year. There was no way to celebrate it on that day as he was going back to his kampong. So the only time that people could get together that didn’t clash with his class schedule was on the day of the gig. It was really last minute confirmation. We didn’t have a proper cake for him. Takpe lah we had settled for some manufactured banana cake, marble cake, and fruit cake bought at a kedai runcit instead.

It’s time for the presents! Chem gave Yuen a very sweet sketch of Yuen sticking his two fingers up his nose. (Why does this sound weird? Do you get what I wanted to describe?) Kawaii! Cem had improved a lot on his drawing skills. He said he is really serious to brush-up his drawing skills because he wants to practice to become a tattooist and open up a tattoo shop someday. Good luck Cem! I gave Yuen a stenciled picture of a bird on a paper and a cross stitched patch with the Pacman’s enemy icon which also reads Pause. (yes it was a hipster thing) It was all last minute. Hana gave him a card which kind of teases him a bit. He always said he wants to be one of us and that he felt left out every time we girls get together and he’d be the only guy. The card reads Happy Birthday Girl!

That night we went to Yuen’s house in Kajang to keep the birthday boy company. Happy 27 years of younger days Yuen. Shang Yat Fai Lok!