Yesterday I was determined to fill my day with labor intense tasks. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon I've accomplished so much. It really helped that the night before going to bed, I've listed down the things I wanted to do. I made lists for almost everything before this but after reading Doris #15 which I recently got from Noly and Shah distro, I felt a fond feeling that I was on the "right" track. Having control over my own life. Not letting anything slip away with so much time on my hands. These few weeks, I was kind of in a honeymoon period because of this new found love. Being alone jolted my inner conscious to get on/over with this mushy limping feelings we let seep in our subconcious when being in a relationship. Relationship empowers when the foundation is strong. Sometimes we just got to be apart to realise that we're drunk in our own potion of love. We need to quickly snap out of it but not being a robot and let emotions aside whenever the moments comes.
Getting out of bed this morning was really a pain but 30 minutes after the alarm clock was hit to snooze a couple of time, I sat down while still not wanting to wake up. I thought to myself, if I wasn't going to follow my own plans of the day which is not to serve anyone and go to work for someone else but myself, I would feel horrible and failed. So I jumped out of bed. Sore neck. Sleepy.
Whenever I'm home, I don't shower when not neccessary. So instead, I wrote on my list that I will wash my clothes the first thing upon rising. Part of it maybe to be in contact with water. To allow my body to be alert. I soon realise that washing towels manually using these bare hands is damn hard and tiring! It took alot of strength to squeez the water out of these fabric. They are etremely heavy when soaked. I was showering with my own sweat. It was awesome.
*~DUMPSTER DIVING~*
Last week, me and Arip went to the local wet market behind Noisy to scout for vegetables in the dumpster. We made a mistake and came too early about 10 a.m where the vegetables were still on sale and not many were discarded. So we went back and waited. At about 12.30 noon we came back but the garbage truck had taken away the discarded vegetables. We only managed to find the last stack of vegetables wrapped in plastic bags which the last vegetable stall discarded. A fellow scavenger, an old Chinese auntie in her 50s who was also at the dumpster site, tipped us off that the best time to come and dumpster dive is at 11a.m before the garbage truck takes them.
So out with another attempt! Yesterday I had gone to the market at about 11.30a.m to try my luck but the garbage truck was already there. I cycled around the market to find the remaining vegetable stalls that were not yet closed and found a nice Chinese aunty with still loads of vegetables on her table. I bought some chillies, ginger, and petai so that I could communicate with her. I asked about the vegetables on the ground of her stall whether they were going to be thrown away. Suprisingly, she said some of the unsellable vegetables will be sold to restaurants with cheap prices. In my head I thought, owh! the might been thrown away vegetables are served in possibly posh restaurants where posh people dine not knowing that their vegetables are the same quality (near dumpstered vegetables) as our free food we gave to the homefree and poor people. heh~ or maybe she sold it to normal mamak restaurant kot.
Anyway, I told her of our plan to set up a free food distribution chapter in this vicinity. We need loads of free vegetables. Then she said sometimes she gave her leftover vegetables to someone living nearby too. She generously gave away her vegetables and totally support the idea of free food. Now we got loads of tomatoes, lady's fingers, cucumbers, long beans, some chillies. Enough to feed easily 30 people or more. The bag was so heavy that I had to send back my bicycle and come back to carry it by foot to Noisy.
I made tomato paste/sauce for pasta out of these tomatoes. I'm calling people to come and eat with me. We just need people to bring spaghetti or the like so that we can eat it with the vegan bolognese tomato sauce. Maybe (if can) also any ingredients (of non animal please) we can put in the sauce as extra lauk (i.e oregano, mockmeat etc). While we're enjoying the delicious food, we can also discuss on how we can cook together next time and distribute food on the street. We can bring our party outside!
I've just got an sms from Ekin inviting me to do some scavenging / hijacking? one night market. I'm bringing the food there so we can eat together.. (^_^)
Showing posts with label vegetarianism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarianism. Show all posts
Dumpster Divers Unite!
Posted in DIY, dumpster dive, food, friends, life, love, magic, vegetarianism on byAnimal Farm
Posted in animals, food, life, magic, vegetarianism, wreck on by
15 March - Isn't it amazing what everyday of our lives bring us? When we get into a different environment, we're tuned in different mode. Sometimes we get passive, sometimes we get aggressive.
Work does do a lot to change your pattern of livelihood. It has been six days I'm helping out at my parent's restaurant. I am staying at the hostel with the workers. Wahh ada experience duduk macam ala squat! :) The hostel is on second floor of the commercial building lot. The rooms are compartmentalized into a few rooms which the walls are made from plywood, so every single conversations, snoring, slamming doors, foots steps, ringing tones, and simultaneous radio stations aired in each rooms are shared as daily music to our ears. *Sings Solidarity Forever*
Even though I do enjoy working and staying with the workers, I do terribly miss my friends, bicycle and internet!! Now food is in my mind all the time. I'm surrounded by food! The hanging BBQ ducks~ Ducks are the specialty of this restaurant. I'm struggling to avoid the temptation and politely turn down offers to have this rare delicacy in my meal. I eat tofu and veggies a lot these days instead. I'm so lucky that they have tofu. Having surrounded by food, I noticed that I'm constantly hungry. Drinking sugary drinks like ice Milo doesn't help my blood sugar level. It spiked as fast as it inclined making me more hungry than before. I feel stuffy. I'm the cashier and I get to sit on my job but sitting for 12 hours gives me butt cramps. I have to be cautious of the money flow and everyday I'm counting thousands of them. One mistake could lead to disaster. I always panic at the closing time because of the casual discrepancy. Where can I fork up the money to cover the discrepancy if there's any! Weekends are the most busy. Families come and dine together. On peak hours, the place will be packed with people from all over. People from as far as Penang came to eat after they seen the TV interview about the restaurant.
Music from my small notebook, books, zines, and some casual interaction with fellow workers are the things that make me stay sane through the job.
A few things that make my day were the customers and animals around this area. There's this one old grandfather who is a regular at our restaurant. He loves ducks. He would wait in front of the restaurant before it opens each morning. He orders ducks everyday and eats twice daily at the restaurant. He'll definitely eat BBQ duck on either time. Morning or evening. There's something about the way he eats those ducks. Maybe because of his age, he wants to enjoy everyday eating his favorite dish. He doesn't have all his teeth I think and he takes his time chewing his food. The precious expression on his face of joy and heaven having savor each bones of ducks. He would close his eyes and chew away. If the restaurant were to advertise on commercial TV, he would definitely get the job done right without audition needed. Mmmmm... kalah KFC .
Alive animals are seen plenty on top of this hill.(I said alive because there are plenty of dead ones in the restaurant). Fishes in the aquarium are waiting to be eaten. There are a lot of birds especially pigeons basking at early morning warmness. A family of cats come in and out of the restaurant where food is abundant as though claiming their territory over the leftover. Mosquitoes bred rampantly and flourish in the forest nearby. Dogs are taken for walks without leashes. There are three beautiful golden retrievers in this area. They run freely because there are no traffic. The most interesting was seeing a family of wild boars coming out of the woods! There were six or seven of them. It is my first time seeing wild boars. From the stories I heard, wild boars are huge but they are not. They are small and a bit fury. I'm not so sure about the color though as they only come out at night. I think they have poor night vision because they react only by sound. Everyone at the restaurant stood from their seats to watch these creature. Was these piggies convicts from the nearby zoo? It's a puzzle that need not be solved. Napoleon from Animal Farm does exist! haha
Work does do a lot to change your pattern of livelihood. It has been six days I'm helping out at my parent's restaurant. I am staying at the hostel with the workers. Wahh ada experience duduk macam ala squat! :) The hostel is on second floor of the commercial building lot. The rooms are compartmentalized into a few rooms which the walls are made from plywood, so every single conversations, snoring, slamming doors, foots steps, ringing tones, and simultaneous radio stations aired in each rooms are shared as daily music to our ears. *Sings Solidarity Forever*
Even though I do enjoy working and staying with the workers, I do terribly miss my friends, bicycle and internet!! Now food is in my mind all the time. I'm surrounded by food! The hanging BBQ ducks~ Ducks are the specialty of this restaurant. I'm struggling to avoid the temptation and politely turn down offers to have this rare delicacy in my meal. I eat tofu and veggies a lot these days instead. I'm so lucky that they have tofu. Having surrounded by food, I noticed that I'm constantly hungry. Drinking sugary drinks like ice Milo doesn't help my blood sugar level. It spiked as fast as it inclined making me more hungry than before. I feel stuffy. I'm the cashier and I get to sit on my job but sitting for 12 hours gives me butt cramps. I have to be cautious of the money flow and everyday I'm counting thousands of them. One mistake could lead to disaster. I always panic at the closing time because of the casual discrepancy. Where can I fork up the money to cover the discrepancy if there's any! Weekends are the most busy. Families come and dine together. On peak hours, the place will be packed with people from all over. People from as far as Penang came to eat after they seen the TV interview about the restaurant.
Music from my small notebook, books, zines, and some casual interaction with fellow workers are the things that make me stay sane through the job.
A few things that make my day were the customers and animals around this area. There's this one old grandfather who is a regular at our restaurant. He loves ducks. He would wait in front of the restaurant before it opens each morning. He orders ducks everyday and eats twice daily at the restaurant. He'll definitely eat BBQ duck on either time. Morning or evening. There's something about the way he eats those ducks. Maybe because of his age, he wants to enjoy everyday eating his favorite dish. He doesn't have all his teeth I think and he takes his time chewing his food. The precious expression on his face of joy and heaven having savor each bones of ducks. He would close his eyes and chew away. If the restaurant were to advertise on commercial TV, he would definitely get the job done right without audition needed. Mmmmm... kalah
Alive animals are seen plenty on top of this hill.(I said alive because there are plenty of dead ones in the restaurant). Fishes in the aquarium are waiting to be eaten. There are a lot of birds especially pigeons basking at early morning warmness. A family of cats come in and out of the restaurant where food is abundant as though claiming their territory over the leftover. Mosquitoes bred rampantly and flourish in the forest nearby. Dogs are taken for walks without leashes. There are three beautiful golden retrievers in this area. They run freely because there are no traffic. The most interesting was seeing a family of wild boars coming out of the woods! There were six or seven of them. It is my first time seeing wild boars. From the stories I heard, wild boars are huge but they are not. They are small and a bit fury. I'm not so sure about the color though as they only come out at night. I think they have poor night vision because they react only by sound. Everyone at the restaurant stood from their seats to watch these creature. Was these piggies convicts from the nearby zoo? It's a puzzle that need not be solved. Napoleon from Animal Farm does exist! haha
Road Trip With Knot Records Fellow Friends
Posted in bicycle, cross stitch, food, friends, gig, life, magic, music, plans, trips, vegetarianism on by
Sunday, 28 February 2010It 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. :PAnd 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
Posted in bicycle, friends, gig, life, music, plans, vegetarianism on by
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.
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.
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