Six Flags Magic Mountain

Never in my life have I taken more than 10 roller coaster rides in one day like yesterday. Woohoo! It was simply amazing! I have seen big roller coasters in TV, but it never occurred to me that I will be experiencing them myself.

The Place – Six Flags Magic Mountain. And boy was it magical!

Looking at the winding and convoluted steel tubes in myriad of colors, plus the blood-curdling screams that can be heard incessantly, it was truly daunting. From a onlooker’s perspective, it looked scary.

But I wanted to do it anyway. Life is a roller coaster, we just have to ride it. So that was what my friends and I did. We tried almost all the rides, from the moderate thrill to the maximum thrill (yes they do rate their rides according to the level of thrill) that included uncountable corkscrews, loops and all sorts of twists and turns which names I don’t even know.

Without a car at hand, we were forced make use of the public transportation that took us a couple of hours to reach the magic mountain located at Valencia, California, where thrills await us.

Six Flags is a big place. It fits more than 20 roller coaster rides and a host of other entertainment activities. It is a place for the whole family.

But of course, we didn’t come in a family so our aim was to ride all the rides that were in the “moderate” and “maximum” categories. Come to think of it, I remembered the fear I had when I was about to try the “Corkscrew” roller coaster in Genting Highlands back in Malaysia. At that time, that was the most thrilling ride I could ever ask for.

Not surprisingly, the “Corkscrew” that I mentioned is only like one of the moderate thrill rides at six flags – simply incomparable to the rest.

I also met 3 Singaporean groups that day. Guess it’s because of the holiday season. In all 3 cases, I found out they were from Singapore because I overheard their accent. It’s funny how good it feels to hear the Malaysian/Singaporean accent when I’m so far away from home. It feels good to talk like that again once in a while with strangers!

Anyways, here are some of the highlights of the rides in Six Flags that we tried:

1. Revolution

This is the first looping roller coaster ever built, according to the pamphlet “Six Flags Magic Mountain Park Map & Guide”. Heck, this was actually my first roller coaster loop. This was the first thing we tried and it promised a moderate level of thrill. Immediately after this ride, it raised up my level of expectation, for no rides in Malaysia can be this horrifying!

2. Tatsu (Flying coaster)

Ho…the second ride of the day – Tatsu. It has some Chinese influence, hence the dragon image welcoming the riders. This is a ride that was in the “maximum thrill” category, and damned was it only our second ride. Tatsu is the world’s tallest, fastest and longest flying coaster. After this ride, we felt that we were ready to take on any rides the park could offer. RAWR! *Dragon breath*

3. Apocalypse

Apocalypse has a very amazing architecture. It is a modern roller coaster that is imbued with the classic woodwork in its design. And you know what they say when it comes to wooden roller coasters…SPEED. Man was that a fast ride!

4. Superman: Escape from Krypton

This is a must try at Six Flags! From a horizontal track to a vertical one, it literally blasted us up into the air in a spectacular fashion done in guess what…100 mph! From the ground, it sounded and felt like an airplane flew over us every time one of these superman rides launches up into the air. At the peak, I felt like I was floating in an anti-gravity environment before I was harshly dragged back down by gravity. Oh, and this is one of the moderate ones.

5. Ninja (Suspended Roller Coaster)

Said to be the West Coast’s fastest suspended roller coaster, but it’s in the “Thrill Seekers in Training” category, meaning that it is meant to give the lowest thrill. For us, it was pretty fun, but definitely not as thrilling as the other rides we tried.

6. Gold Rusher

We also paid a visit to the Gold Rusher, which is the park’s first roller coaster ever. This ride is in the “moderate thrill” category, but it wasn’t as thrilling as we thought it would be. Little rides seemed like nothing to us now that we have tried the big ones.

7. The Riddler’s Revenge (Stand-up roller coaster)

We tried this one after lunch, but fortunately enough, it was a one-and-a-half hour wait so our stomachs were ready for it, if you know what I mean. On the unfortunate side, it was a long wait!! The ride got delayed because somebody puked and they had to clean up the coaster. Eww! Imagine what would happen if somebody puked while the coaster was doing a loop. Another one of our first’s, the Riddler’s Revenge is a stand-up roller coaster. So we were standing up throughout the whole ride, doing the loops and the likes. It was definitely a unique experience having to stand up and having the legs as support instead of a seat. And yes, the legs would be withstanding the high Gs.

8. Batman The Ride (Suspended roller coaster/Bottomless coaster)

This was one ride that was veritably intense! Like a bat, it made sudden left, right, up and down motions that abused our senses. To top it off, it was done in a speed of a bat. I felt like it was one of the fastest rides at Six Flags as well. To intensify the experience, this is a coaster without a platform for the legs, hence our legs were relentlessly thrown in all directions throughout the ride. Maximum thrill guaranteed!

9. Colossus

Aptly named, this is one big heck of a roller coaster, one on wood too. It’s woodwork is phenomenal. It is a dual-track roller coaster. Again the speed in this one is quite amazing. But it was quite a bumpy ride too and it sort of slowed down and started off again many times throughout its journey, but fun and exciting nonetheless. The thrill rating for this one is moderate.

10. Scream (Suspended roller coaster)

This has a floorless design that propels riders at high speeds with their legs dangling in the air. Scream, as the name suggested, generated lots of screams from the rides, but by then I was screaming so much that I decided to tone down my screams.

11. Goliath

From the name one would think that this is an extreme ride that is gargantuan in size…it certainly is, without the slightest doubt. Offering the maximum thrill, the highlight of this monster coaster is its drop from a 255-foot peak to a height of –120-foot underground! Insane! That, I can assure you. Definitely the highest drop at Six Flags, and it felt like the drop was never ending. This is a ride that lived up to its name.

12. Viper

The last ride of the day was Viper (also rated with a maximum thrill), a ride that turn riders upside-down 7 times! Analogous to a snake, this ride made us spin and swirl like never before, leaving us with a slightly lighter head at the end of the ride. A ride not recommended for the faint-hearted or people who just had a meal.

Some of the rides we missed were the “X2-A Whole New Xtreme Xperience” and “Green Lantern – First Flight” and “Déjà Vu”. X2 is the world’s first 5th dimensional thrill. I assume it’s partly because of the fireball effect in the middle of the ride. Green lantern had too many people in line so we skipped that. Déjà Vu wasn’t available at that time. According to an online source, it is moving to another location.

So with more than 10 roller coaster rides, we called it a day. Adrenaline pumped yet inwardly tired, we vowed to return to Six Flags to conquer the remaining rides.

Hope you get some percentage of thrill from reading this post, and if you’re really thrilled, you should try them out yourself! After going through this experience, I bet nothing is now too horrifying or scary for me…well except maybe skydiving, which is the next extreme activity on my list!

Enjoy the compilation of pictures below:

The Apocalypse

The architecture is simply stunning…old school.

Superman

Look at the background. An opening is formed in the clouds to allow the escape from Krypton! Hmm, on second looks, it seems like a batman logo is being formed.

The Riddler’s Revenge

This ride has lots of LOOOOOOOOOPS.

Batman The Ride

Just look at that loop!

Unrelated yet related – A Bat Mobile spotted at the premise. We actually saw life-sized Batman and Robin but they were being briefed by their boss. lol.

 

Self-group picture. Two people are missing. The one on the far right is always this dramatic when taking pictures. Haha.

*************************

Season’s Greetings to all readers, sincerely from The Cock and The Bull. And Happy Holidays! Have a good break and recharge yourself. =]

 

For further information regarding Six Flags. Please go ahead and check out their website.

Click here to know more about Six Flags

 

Disclaimer: The number of exclamation marks used in this post do not correspond to the level of thrill of each ride. It is loosely used in this post to represent the post-thrill effect of the Six Flags experience. Also, the rides highlighted here are not for everybody, so ride with your own risk.

 

Bank Scam

Hi folks. Haven’t been writing much lately. But I want to highlight something that people should know.

This is my second post about scam and fraud. And yes, it has all got to do with money because that’s what the dirty perpetrators get for doing it. See the first post here.

As the banks are trying to tighten security by introducing new internet security policies, some nasty people are using banks’ names to trick people via emails.

This is one of the many similar emails that I received recently, allegedly from CIMB bank, telling my to validate my personal information.

No letter header, no logo…nothing. But the message was straightforward and prompt.

It even mentions about the new security measures being implemented which was happening at that time to create a seemingly persuasive email.

But  when I hovered my mouse pointer over the underlined hyperlink, I can truly see where the link is going to bring me. So always always do that. See where the link will bring you before clicking on it. Just observe the bottom left of your screen (which is my case) when you hover over any link.

That would show you whether the link is real or fake.

If you don’t proceed with caution, you might just lose a fortune because the link will bring you to a replica of the actual website of the bank that’s so alike that you’ll think it’s real.

So be smart. The best thing to do is not to click any links in emails from “banks” or any finance based entity as they would never ever ask for your confidential information online or through phone for that matter.

Whenever you find yourself in doubt, just call the bank to ask about this email that you received, and you’ll know for sure whether it’s authentic or not.

All these despicable people. There are plenty of ways to make money so don’t resort to doing illegal stuff. May you fellows rot lovely in hell.

Chao Tao Fu (Stinky Tofu)

It’s been a while since I last posted. You might be thinking that something might have happened to me after I posted “Say No To Bersih 2.0 Rally”.

Nope I’m doing just fine. The bottom parts of my feet are recovering. I’m starting to go out again after staying so long at home. It’s a bit like physiotherapy, going out of the house and walking on the streets again.

I actually felt weird going out and seeing so many people again. It produced an almost dizzying effect on me. Crossing the road didn’t seem as natural as before too.

Man, 1 week of dormancy can really affect the body. So be sure to stay active and don’t just stay at home. Move that arse more often!

That day I went to Pasar Malam (Night market) with some of my buddies in Cheras. It was a Friday. The Pasar Malam was just beside Leisuremall. I think it’s called the Taman Putra Pasar Malam.

Anyway, we sat down to order food for dinner in the midst of the Pasar Malam, and suddenly I could make of this stench that smelled like nothing but shit. Seriously, I thought that the yellowish curry stain on the table was the source of that rank.

It was as though an invisible shit was right in front of me. No kidding man. And I was just about to have my dinner…

I was told that the smell was the trademark smell of Chao Tao Foo or Stinky Tofu. So I was determined to give it a try. Challenge accepted!

The stall was located at the far end of the Pasar Malam, about 200 or 300 meters away from my dinner spot. Wow. How overwhelmingly powerful is the stench of the mighty stinky tofu. Distance is not an obstacle.

Amazingly, the closer I got to the fermented tofu, the milder the smell. Maybe it’s just me? I don’t know for sure. But one thing is for sure, it’s a hot item on sale.

This thing was so popular that I had to wait in line to get a taste of this piece of shitty smell tofu.

RM 2.50 for 4 pieces of fried stinky tofu topped with pickled vege and chili sauce for the taste. Without the supplements, the tofu would have tasted a bit blend. I decided to ta pao and bring home to eat, and spread the omnipresent smell of the one and only tofu.

In the car, I placed the styrofoam packed tofu in front of the air-cond, in the process creating the most powerful Ambipure air freshener ever created in mankind. Almost instantaneously, the tofu conquered the air in the car and made it its territory. OHMYGOD. S.T.I.N.K.S.

At home, I faced the battle alone after rejections from family members to take on the stinky challenge. One stinky tofu by one stinky tofu made its way into the organ called the mouth. The smell was tolerable at point blanc. As I ate the shit away, I could feel the squishiness of the tofu laminating my mouth with its distinctive scent.

So yeah. If you haven’t tried it. Go try it and let me know your experience. Just a reminder, when you’re eating something that smells like shit, make sure you open your eyes so that you don’t mistaken it for a shit. You never know. Sometimes, shit happens. : []

Condominium

Condominium. What about it?


It’s the place people stay; it’s a high rise building.


Say it fast and you’ll never know what’s so funny about it.


But say it slow and you’ll notice that you’re obscene.


The picture below captures the essence of this pun.




See. This is a good way to be infamous and attract business…

Somebody must have taken out the “in”.

*The author believes that if one pays enough attention to one's surrounding, there are a lot of funny things around you to keep more than one laughing for an eternity. : ]

Say No to Bersih 2.0 Rally

Good afternoon people. It’s only a few days left till July the 9th – the big day. But I (and I think the majority of fellow Malaysians) dread the day. We don’t want to see a Saturday that’s different than any other Saturdays.

This morning I was going through the daily and there’s good news brewing in the headlines. Now the groups involved in the planning of the rally are rethinking on marching on after the advices of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and the Sultan of Pahang came through with their wise interference.

Thank goodness. This is great news.

UMNO and Malay rights group PERKASA vowed to do the same if Bersih 2.0 doesn’t go on with the rally.

Yes, we all have the freedom of expression and speech, assemble in peace and without arms as well as form associations. According to article 10(1) in the Malaysian Constitution, all those above are our rights.

That may be true, but other citizens have their rights to have a peaceful environment too. That’s where article 10(2) comes in because most people only read the first few lines of the article, but if one continues to read article 10(2), then everything would be clear.

Okay so yeah go ahead if you want to have an assembly of people. The question to ask is: does it disrupt public order? If so, then it should be held. As easy as that.

Who can guarantee that the thousand-man rally would not disrupt peace? Having the rally itself is already challenging the peace in the country by having a Saturday turned into a rally day.

If people really want to assemble and express themselves, they should gather in a stadium, as suggested by our PM in today’s newspaper. But then again, what’s the point of having a bunch of people in a stadium demonstrating without any onlookers right? However, that’s the correct means of doing it if people are really adamant on doing it.

UMNO and PERKASA would still oppose Bersih 2.0 if Bersih pursued on with the rally. That’s fighting fire with fire or like adding oil to fire. If the rally really goes on, the last thing the public wants are multiple rallies opposing one another. But it could just be a mind game of the opposing parties.

They really want to make their point through big numbers, the Bersih Organization. They were legitimately formed but now deemed illegal. Political motivation plays a vital role. Just look at the top people in Bersih and you can see a politician in there. Hmm….

If you’re thinking of joining the rally, don’t. It’s illegal, that’s all you have to know. Don’t do illegal stuff or you’ll just end up in trouble. We don’t want trouble; we just want a normal life.

It just causes more harm than good. Let’s compare shall we…

The cons:

• Disrupts the peace that is the very fabric of our multifaceted society.
• Inflicts major losses in tourism income worth like 1 billion a week (money which can be used instead for reducing the tax of imported cars?)
• Threatens lives of the people in the rally as well as people not involved in the rally. (Who can really tell what’s going to happen?)
• Forces local business premises to close shop so that they cannot make money.
• Gives a bad impression to tourists from other countries. (Imagine them going back to their countries and telling people “hey, I got unlucky to be caught in a rally in Malaysia, it was really scary and the kids were crying etc.)
• Waste of resources – the police force, ambulance, water-canon vehicles (imagine the amount of water), crowd control measures.
• Troubles the lives of pedestrians. People cannot go shopping, cannot go hospitals in an emergency, cannot get help in time etc. This is an endless list.

The pros:

• Shows that Malaysians can practice their rights to express themselves and gather peacefully.
• Enables certain parties to get the message across to the public efficiently.
• Gets people more interested in matters pertaining the government, politics and the country.
• Encourages younger people to get in the know of politics and sign up as a voter for the coming election.

So there are definitely more cons than pros…

I should also remind everyone that demonstration is becoming a trend in South East Asia and now Malaysia. The rather good thing to know from my friends from East Malaysia is that things like this don’t happen there. So it’s good if we can be a bit like our friends from the East.

Just say no to Bersih 2.0 rally.

Never walk barefooted at public places: A report of plantar warts

No image is displayed in this post to protect the virginity of your eyes.

Hello. How are you doing? Fine? Good to hear that. What about me, you ask? Well, not as fine.

Do you usually wear shoes, slippers or anything that covers your feet when you’re not in your house? If you don’t, there is a chance of you contracting a range of diseases which can cause some trouble to your feet.

Outside of your house, on that dirty grey cement floor, on the grassy plane of field, on that basketball court, on that swimming pool compound, on that toilet floor (the most likely place to breed bacteria) or on that whatever outdoor ground that you step, thousands of bacteria and microorganisms thrive. Some are good while others are just plain mean, like the ones that can cause Plantar Warts.

I believe that I got those warts when I went to a camp. I was barefooted in the dorm and several times outside of the dorm. In the middle of the camp, I suddenly felt something under my left sole.

No pain at first. It just felt like a small tiny stone got into my left shoe. When I checked, I see no stone. Instead, I found that there’s a small white circular area on my sole with a discernable tiny black spot at the back of the flesh. Didn’t look to me as a big deal, so I just ignored it. But every time I walk, I felt like something got embedded into my sole.

After a week of getting the mysterious thing on my left sole, I found the same thing on my right sole. Wah, I think one foot wasn’t enough for the virus. It wanted to conquer both my feet.

I did some research online and concluded that they were plantar warts. To the doctor I went, and was given an acidic solution to put on the warts every night. After a week or so, there wasn’t much improvement, and I didn’t go back to the doc.

However, after more than 1 month, the warts have succeeded in increasing their sizes. The warts weren’t that big as you might think, it’s had grown to a size of a small mole. But because plantar warts are located in the worst location on the body (the soles of the feet), they would be constantly stepped on no matter what and it would be harder for them to come out. That’s what I opine.

One thing that you should know about this kind of wart is that it’s plantar, meaning that it can only exist on your soles and not anywhere else on your body. For those warts on other parts of the body, they have different names to live by.

So after doing a medical checkup last week, I decided to just consult the doctor on the fate of my infected feet. And last Saturday, I underwent a procedure to burn off the warts. Die warts…die!! I could even smell the burning smell of flesh as the doctor did his stuff.

Now I’m just recuperating at home and I try to minimize any movements that need the use of my feet which includes walking. No more sports, no more going out for the moment now.

With the small volcano holes on each of my sole, for now I’m contented to just sit and lie back in my house and becoming a recluse for a while. It’s not easy though, not moving around is difficult for me. And everyday I have to rendam my feet in salt water followed by applying antiseptic cream on it.

For my feet, I forwent a trip to Port Dickson, forgo a trip to East Malaysia (Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Sibu), which I confirmed months ago, possibly forgo a frisbee tournament coming up soon and forgo every opportunity to go out. :[

Health is ultimately the most important thing in our life.

So don’t overlook small things in your life like going barefoot outdoors. Just DON’t do it. You have no idea how much you have to go through and how much suffering you would have to endure.

If you’re thinking, “I’ve done it as long as I have lived and nothing has happened so far,” you can consider yourself lucky. You may never know when aral will melintang. Put simply, if it’s your bad day then you’ll kena la.

So take care. Health comes first.

Jack ’n Jill Roller Coaster: X-treme Challenge @ SkyTrex

Pictures courtesy of Lawrence Ling.

“Life is a rollercoaster just gotta ride it” – Lyrics from the song of Ronan Keating.

To sum the whole experience at SkyTrex, like what the poster says – It was dirty, it was wild, it was whacked-out! Whoohoo. I can still feel the adrenaline when I think about it.

Totally AWEsome experience I tell you. Thanks Jack ‘n Jill Roller Coaster for putting that awe into the -some.

It was about more than 1 month ago when I got the invitation to participate in this extremely extreme event. Via Says.my, I filled up a survey and was so elated to hear that I was one of the lucky ones to get chosen. I even get to bring 1 friend along for the X-treme challenge and 2 other pals to participate in the on-ground activities. How cool is that?

This wacky experience I had was dated 28th May 2010. (I should’ve blogged earlier. Ah, procrastination!!)

Getting There

The bunch of us on our way to Taman Pertanian Malaysia, Shah Alam where therein lies SkyTrex. By far, Taman Pertanian or Botanical Park is the BIGGEST park I’ve ever been in my life. Seriously it’s so big that one day may not be enough to explore the whole place thoroughly.

The place is just fabulous and grandiose.

Misai Kucing (correct me if I’m wrong) basking in the morning dews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magnificent sunrise at Taman Pertanian Malaysia. Look, it’s as if an angel is unraveling herself.

 

 

 

Yeah, I was totally X-ed out and hyped out to do the challenge.

A Funny Thing

A funny thing happened that day. So after getting ourselves registered and gotten our Roller Coaster T-shirts in bright yellow and light blue, we (the ones doing the Extreme challenges) were brought into the inner compound of the park.

 

They had mini vans chauffeuring participants inside. Then things started to get confusing when these mini van drivers started making a U-turn after a good 10, 15 minutes of driving.

Wo oh, only then did the thought of being lost occurred to me. We were technically sesat in the park. And these drivers were just confidently driving blindly, and leading the other drivers as well.

The funny thing is, there are an abundance of maps literally everywhere in the park, but incredulously the drivers can’t see them! We even stopped once and I thought “Okay, he finally saw that big map over there and he’s gonna take a look at it."

*Faints. Can somebody punch me in the face?

Nope. He didn’t do that. Instead he went to the back of the vehicle and held some discussion with the other drivers. Hahahaha. How peculiar…

Thankfully, with a bit of luck, we eventually got to our destination. : ]

Just look at how humongous the map is. And they’re like everywhere, ubiquitous, and in bright striking yellow too.

Bring on the challenge!

Thereafter, all fun broke loose as my friend Rouffino and I take on the challenge!

Because I’m chose the yellow one, I got to do the Extreme Challenge and my friend wearing blue got to do the Big Thrill. The Big Thrill would cost RM 45 and the Extreme one would be an extra RM 5.

I don’t have pictures to show you, but let me just describe the experience of the Extreme Challenge in a few words – Intimidating, Challenging, Exhilarating.

There were vertical obstacles, horizontal obstacles and so flying fox obstacles. I’m not gonna exaggerate, I went through the flying fox obstacles so many times that I lost count. Yep. It’s like a flying fox heaven up there. Some are long and some are shorter, and the long ones are really long!

It took me more than an hour to complete the whole thing because the whole course is quite long and tiring as well, taking into account the safety harness and accessories. And most of the time, you’re really by yourself so you’re in charge of your own safety at all times. If you pay attention during the safety briefing, most likely you’ll be fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: A female participant getting ready to get launched into the other side by means of flying fox.

Right: A daunting vertical obstacle.

I should also mention that all these obstacles stations are ALL built on trees. Sing for the might of tree trunks! Praise the strength of mother nature.

The Big Thrill is somewhat similar with the Extreme Challenge. I speculate that the only difference lie in the height and scariness of the obstacles, though some people even say that the Big Thrill is more thrilling than the Extreme Challenge.

The Others’ Journey

Meanwhile, my 2 other friends Thaya and Lawrence (the photographer) got the chance to roam the park. They rented a bicycle each and starting exploring every nook and cranny of the park, turning every stone along the road, so to say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-ground Activities

Well, if you think the fun is over, it ain’t. The organizers really got things planned out.

After a fatiguing exercise, participants relaxed and unwind. There are also game booths set up to suck the boredom out of the participants. We played the Guitar Heroes (full set with a singer, 2 guitarists and a drummer, wow!), PS3 game (Fifa 2011), foosball and a couple of other game booths.

Damn, it was FUN! The foosball was especially addictive. I played it for so long that I eventually got fed up and a bit of headache. It significantly improved my foosball skills. Any challengers?

At the same time, other participants who are not so into these kind of entertainment were entertained by a professional DJ. People were just chilling out and having a good time participating in quizzes and trivia.

And guess what is the prizes for the small informal quizzes? Roller Coaster rings of course.

Some of the participants playing a round of foosball after all the action.

The latest version of Guitar Heroes. Now 4 people can play at once. This booth was always full.

Look at those faces concentrating on a game of PS3 FIFA 2011! By the way, I lost all the matches. Haha, I really sucked.

The ole electrified wire game. Finish without sounding the buzzer and walk away with goodie bags full of Jack ‘n Jill goodness.

At the event, we also met some really cool people and made new friends all sharing the common interest of going extreme.

The Winners

By evening, the prize giving ceremony was in due course as participants waited eagerly to hear their numbers coming out from the speakers. The 1st prize was a brand new iPhone 4!

If I’m not mistaken, there were 5 prizes and 10 or 20 consolation prizes. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my share of prizes. :[

But still, the whole point wasn’t about winning anyway. It was about enjoying the moment and sharing good times with some friends and also meeting new people and making new friends. Well, that’s as worth it as however big a prize.

There’s More

According to the organizers, there will be more action pack events coming in the near future. So keep your eyes on Jack ‘n Jill and stay tune for more extreme activities, if it’s your cup of tea.

Some information about SkyTrex

Address:

SKYTREX ADVENTURE PARK
Taman Pertanian Malaysia
Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam
40000 Shah Alam
Selangor Darul Ehsan

Contact them at:

SKYTREX SDN BHD
Management & Administration Office
C33-2-7 Block C Jaya One
No. 72A Jalan Universiti
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: +601 3276 9841 (Please call only from 9am - 6pm)
Fax: +603 7960 8290
Email: skytrex@skytrex-adventure.com
Website: http://www.skytrex-adventure.com

That’s it. Go experience it yourself.

Stay active.

YCM’s An Evening with the Prime Minister

I felt oddly out of place as I stepped forward from the escalator on to level 2 floor of the Intercontinental Hotel, which is located at a stone’s throw away from KLCC.


This was my first time going to a Young Corporate Malaysians (YCM) event. Everybody was in super formal attire, and luckily with some foresight I did the same, lest I would have stood out oddly even more.


Apparently, YCM is a circle for young people within the age group of 21 to 30 years old. No wonder I felt out of place. Most of these guys are already working, corporate leaders of renowned companies with high qualifications in their respective fields, unlike me who’s still studying.


Anyway, who cares. After all, having a look see was all I wanted.


All the professionals of the private corporate world were congregated for a reason and one reason only – to have a Q&A session with the PM (besides of course growing their networks).


The hall was soon filled to the brim with excited faces. So many people attended the event that the number of chairs didn’t match the number of people. So some people have to stand instead, for the whole way through!
Then there was the welcoming speech by the leader of YCM, Wan Mohd Firdaus, who was very outstanding with his red tie. Ensuing that was the speech by our respected PM Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak. In his speech he stressed on the importance of the Economic Transformation Program (ETP) and the New Economic Model (NEM).


His casual manner of speech dropped down formal barriers and he managed to squeeze laughter out the audience at punch-line perfect timing (surely a skill that was honed through many experiences of speech). After the “ice-breaking”, he, with leadership authority, turned things to the direction of the core of that evening.


Reminiscing about the past generation and comparing its economy with ours today, our PM said that “our economy is not growing as fast as before” the financial crisis. Therefore, he posited that a reform of economy is needed in order to achieve the goal of Vision 2020 of becoming a developed nation.


In order for Malaysia to achieve the status of a “developed country”, a yardstick for measuring and tracking the progress is thus required. Hence, the Gross National Income (GNI) was chosen as the reference for success. To become a high income developed nation, a 6% growth per year is required to double the current GNI per capita of USD 6,700 (RM 23,700) to USD 15,000 (RM 48,000) by year 2020.


Mr. PM proposed that a solution has to be Big, Bold and Fast Resulted. That’s how the NKEAs et cetera came about, leading to the accumulation of what we have today – a strategic, comprehensive and holistic transformation package that would drive the nation toward the bull’s eye like never before.


Dato’ Seri Najib ended his speech with hope that 1 Malaysia will be something that’s beyond a concept, and he called for the audience’s support to enable this great transformation of economy to happen.


For the next one and a half hour or so, the floor opened up as the Q&A session began. With much grace and composure, all the questions were answered with amazing speed. Questions were taken from the floor 3 or 4 at a time.


Here are some of the questions bombarded…The Q’s and A’s don’t represent the actual people involved but the summary from my side. It’s neater that way.
………………


Q: Somebody shared his benefit of Sekolah Kebangsaan and asked if there’s any plan of having more schools that can unite students of different races rather than having separate schools for different races. Furthermore, the asker also wanted the great moral values to be maintained.


A: A concept of having a unified school or Sekolah Wawasan was certainly brought up in the idea box. The idea was to have Chinese School, Indian School and National School to all be in one big school complex. Students would study separately but they would come together and know one another through activities outside the classroom. However, it wasn’t viable due to practical difficulties. For one, the school complex would have to be really big, which is a big problem in lieu of the limiting land space.


Some questions not related to the topic of the day was also  forwarded, like the question of election day (which was pointless because everybody knew the answer – no answer), personal company problems and the price of imported cars (in terms of tax, and got the crowd hyped up).


On the proposed reduction of the price of imported cars in terms of tax, the Prime Minister jokingly replied that as the Finance Minister, the problem could be solved if the crowd can tell him where to find additional funding. “Tell me, where do I get the money?” he was questioning.


Q: There was a question on the progress of the Iskandar Project.


A: In reply to the question, our PM assured that the project is still on-going, and many things have already been achieved and many more good stuff are coming along the way. For example, a Legoland would be constructed that would greatly contribute to the tourism industry. Some universities like the University of Hampshire would be involved that would make the Iskandar region one that can be proud of becoming an education hub.


Even the censorship of internet didn’t get censored. Pardon me, I forgot the reply to this issue. Perhaps some chatter at the back distracted me.


Q: Minimum wage is another hot topic that was raised in the session.


A: His answer was one that the crowd literally celebrated. Mentioning that “Malaysians are underpaid”, he is a staunch supporter of having a minimum wage applied to all. Some measures are already in effect. Some jobs that pays less than the poverty line were upgraded to pay more. Plantation workers are also paid more now after companies realized how much they have been underpaid for so long. He also admitted that many skilled professions are not paid as well as they should for their skills and talents, e.g. Engineers and lawyers. We can sense that this issue is going towards betterment. Definitely a good thing to look forward to.


Q: A young corporate also put forward the issue of the English Language and its importance as the international language, asking what’s the plan of the government to increase the proficiency of English in citizens.


A: Addressing the English Language as a language that is very important in this globalized age, Mr. Prime Minister said that plans are also underway to counter this problem. The contact hours of English Language class has been increased. Besides that, there is also a massive project in the pipeline involving the revival of a long time project. The government actually plans to bring in native speakers of the English Language to teach young Malaysians, meaning that teachers from UK, US and so forth will be hired.


Q: A man compared 2,000 pounds to the same value in Malaysian Ringgit, saying that one could buy, say, a ketchup at 1 pound, but it costs more than that in Malaysia. He postulated that with the same salary, Malaysians can buy less things with the same 2,000 value.


A:  The answer to this is that one cannot compare pound to ringgit like that. In UK, a salary of 2,000 pound doesn’t equate to RM 2,000 because in UK the tax is higher. There are more taxes in the UK and that would actually make the salary (after tax deduction) not as exciting as 2,000 pounds. Besides, the price of goods and products in Malaysia are subsidized by the government so that what you pay is less that what you really get.


An interesting young corporate who’s (I think) an advocate of youth power, wanted the PM to make a promise to include 5 ministers under the age of 50 in his team of decision makers. In response, the PM did acknowledge that more middle age youngsters should hold high positions in the government too.


Q: Then the cutest of all participant spoke into the microphone and blurted out his confusion with the figures. He remembered our then PM Dr. Mahathir saying that an 8% annual growth was needed every year until year 2020 to make Vision 2020 a reality.


A: Now that some decades have passed, calibration of the numbers means that the 6% today is in fact much more than the 7% or 8% back then. So that’s why 6% is enough. One more beautiful thing about the number 6 - it is credible and convincing enough when we tell the world about it. Ain’t it so?


Q: ISA. (The usual)


A: This I agree with Dato’ Seri Najib. The ISA is still there for one purpose: peace.


Q: What about inflation. It is something that has worried many Malaysians who are aware of its rising. Now standing at 3% and in gear 4 to move up to 3.4% or 3.2% soon.


A: If we look around, look at other countries, we see that we are doing okay with the current inflation rate. In summary, that was the answer.


So that’s about it. The remaining queries were about Green Technology (a focus of ETP), Faster Oil/Gas extraction and request for higher teacher salary.
And so, that’s about it.


Overall, the event was a success, although many more young people under 30 have questions still burning in their minds.


Being a leader sure is tough as our PM said “it (being in my shoe) is not a bed of roses”. So we should really appreciate what our Prime Minister has contributed so far. Also kudos to him for bringing transparency to the public and opening up to the rakyat like no other Prime Ministers have done before. 


He’s the prime, that’s for sure.


Having twitter, Facebook page and other means of technology has really branded our PM as the most approachable/sociable PM ever. He wants to make sure that all Malaysians are in this journey together and that nobody should be left out. Awww. So touching. It’s true, everybody can now contribute and dictate, however much, the future of Malaysia.


Hat’s off to you Mr. Prime Minister, keep up the good work.


Salam 1 Malaysia.

Fiverr Fever

 

There’s a new kind of fever that’s spreading like a contagious disease in the internet, and it has nothing to do with Bieber. Guess what, it’s call Fiverr.

Above: A screenshot of Fiverr.com

Basically, Fiverr is a place where one can buy or sell anything for a fixed 5 dollars. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling, whether you’re offering designing service or doing voiceovers or draw cartoon of people. All these and more could be done at Fiverr.

It asks the question: What are you willing to do for $5?

Some people can do really weird things for 5 bucks. The sky is the limit for one’s creativity. But of course, what you want to sell gets filtered so you can’t just sell anything you want.

The categories of gigs (referring to jobs or tasks) include Gifts, Graphics, Video, Social  Marketing, Travel, Writing, Advertising, Music & Audio, Fun & Bizarre, Tips & Advice, Business, Technology, Programming and Other.

As featured in The Wall Street Journal, NBC, Yahoo! Finance, CNNMoney.com and many other trusted sources, Fiverr is definitely one of a kind. Quite revolutionary, I would say, for now many other Fiverr clones (Fiverr-like websites) are mushrooming. One thing’s for sure, the Fiverr is spreading.

There’s even a Malaysian Fiverr. Check out www.iwill.com.my, which isn’t really a hit, although the price range is more flexible there.

There’s a reason why Fiverr would only have $5 dollar gigs. It’s this feature that allows only a target market of buyers and sellers and brings in a sense of uniformity in all the gigs.

My experience with Fiverr…

Personally, I signed up with Fiverr a month ago. So yeah, I’m a tyro in this. Then I posted some gigs that I will do for $5. At the beginning, nothing was happening. After a few days, I totally forgot about Fiverr.

Then, after a week or so, I received an email from Fiverr that somebody is having a conversation with me in Fiverr. So I checked it out, responded to the person, and soon got an order from him. Really exciting.

So that’s how I got my first $5 using Fiverr. The first gig turned out to be good, and soon the same buyer ordered some more. Now I have more than $10 in my account. Cool.

I’m pretty happy with the overall system of this website. It’s still in beta mode so I’m looking forward to future makeovers that would make it much more efficient and better than ever.

Some suggestions:

1. For now, when a finished product is delivered, only 1 file could be sent at a time. It would be great if multiple files can be sent at the same time.
2. At the right side there is a section for “Gigs Requested”, but it only lists a few at a time. I would usually find myself hitting the refresh button to see which task could be done. Fiverr can have another page for all “Gigs Requested” and a responding system to it so that users can view all these available tasks and respond more efficiently.

Are you feeling the heat yet? Start exploring Fiverr and start doing stuff you like while earning a little too.

Oh, and by the way, I’m Chillthefiver in Fiverr.  :]

http://fiverr.com/users/chillthefiver – my link.

Run my foot!

Talk about running and my foot…

If you have been following me, you know that tomorrow is suppose to be a BIG day for me. Tomorrow is suppose to be the day I’ll be running in a half-marathon.

Well, not anymore.

The running jersey that’s waiting in my shelf, the bib with my name on it, the electronic tag that would be strapped around my shoes plus whatever that I have put into the preparation (however little) for this run.

All that no more, along with the RM 75 that I paid. It’s not the money that bothers me. No. It’s the experience and the challenge that I have set up to face. A big thing it is to me, but what a disappointment.

A raw anticlimax.

I was playing frisbee on Wednesday when I injured my right foot, resulting in (I think) a metatarsal injury. It got sort of squashed, like when someone grabs hold of your hand and presses in hardly, when I tried saving a disc that was too far away.

Till now, my right foot still hurts whenever I walk. Thankfully the pain is still bearable. I can’t put my weight on the right side of my right foot. If I do, I’ll get the darnest pain.

I haven’t seen a medical doctor yet, but I have seen a Sin Se (in Hokkien)/ a Chinese Doctor for some traditional medicine. Ole School style.

I guess fate has it own ways of dealing with things. Something doesn’t want me to run tomorrow, and perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise.

Things happen for a reason, that’s what we always hear. Maybe, just maybe, it’s for me own good.

At least now I have other things to worry about, say, the pain in my foot. I’m also grateful to have one foot still functioning, and really appreciate my foot even more.

Through all the slow walking and limping, I could see how a taken-for-granted foot can allow people to walk and do things.

Get well soon, my foot, for I really need you to bring me around without pain and get me up and running. There’s also this trip coming up and it requires much walking and sight-seeing.

Ouchh…now my foot begs my attention. Excuse me.

Last Day at College

Time surely flies, especially if we’re having a good time together. It is such a cliché, I know, but most of the time we cannot even begin to deny the truth brought by clichés.


Very soon, I’ll also be leaving my beloved country to continue my education in the States.


Excited. Elated. Yet the feeling of the unwillingness to leave the bird’s nest creates a mixed feeling as the end is nigh.


A bird still has to leave its nest no matter what, to learn how to fly, and to open its horizons. It has to be independent. At the end of the day, the sky would be its.


Like the bird, I would cherish the opportunity given to enrich my knowledge and horizons, and feast my eyes with the outside world.


Most importantly, the bird has to return to its nest, the place where it grows up and spends its childhood period. Family comes first, and coming back doesn’t require a second thought, it is a mere instinct to do so.


I have learned a lot in the past 2 years, and certainly I have grown, not in terms of size (how I wish so), but in terms of disposition and maturity.


In the process, many strangers turned into friends  - friends that could trust one another with important documents like passports and even money!


Many of our paths crossed, but after this, we may not have the chance to see one another again for who knows how long.


Not forgetting the lecturers who shared stories and tales, being our friends besides fulfilling their duty as lecturers.


They did a lot for us students, and taught us not only in the field of academics, but of life as a whole as well. They are the bedrock of the American Program in my college.


Perhaps only God and some people would really know the sacrifices of the lecturers. May they be blessed with good health and wealth.


The friends that we made, the lecturers that showed us the light, the experience of living away from home, and the experience of college life itself are something money can’t buy…something that I would not trade off for 
anything else.

The first few friends I made in my college. In fact, they were my first roommates.

With a breath of relief and a sigh of alas, it is time to move on.

In the blink of two eyes,
New worlds await us as cold as ice,
To all, the last thing we would say are goodbyes,
Embark on a new journey be prepared to break the ice,
Cry foul not at this departure cause we’ll see again the same two eyes.

That said, I better start packing up my belongings. Wonder where should I start...

Human Hibernation

Do you think that hibernation, something innate in bears, can be done by humans too?

I think I just did today.

We have the potential to hibernate as well, albeit not as long as our furry friends do. A human scale hibernation would simple mean a dormant stage that lasts longer than a normal sleeping period.

Let’s see. Today I slept a lot. I slept in the morning. I slept in the evening. And after this post is up I’ll be sleeping again.

Sometimes we sleep so much that we start to think if the dream world is our real world and this reality is a dream. I mean, who can really tell? Who knows what reality is?

Anyway, the reason for my quaint sleeping pattern can be traced to my being tired.

It was possible because I ran. I ran for about 1 hour 45 minutes. I ran out of steam, no doubt, all in the name of training.

The run I look forward to is just around the corner. In fact, it’s next week. And man am I underprepared, food and physical wise. I’ll try to make do this week I guess.

Also, I just realized how important it is to prepare for the imminent run. A (quite) strict diet and training regime have to be followed months before the run.

And now I’m like burning the midnight oil. Whatever the outcome may be, I’ll be glad just to return home and have a good hibernation till my body recovers from the abuse.

If you want to sleep well or if you’re experiencing insomnia, I suggest you run. Not running away. But run, as in exercise. It’ll do good for you. Makes you sleep like a bear, I promise.

ChillsLaugh–The Doctor Joke

One day, I paid a visit to the clinic. I got to know that the doctor was quite new and so perhaps not well adapted yet. And I overheard the following conversation…

Doctor: Hi, what’s the problem here?

Patient: I’m sick…

Doctor: …

Patient: Of you…

Nah, that was just my nasty imagination.

Ultimate Field Guide to Photography -Everything you need to know about D-SLR

Hello readers of The Cock and The Bull. Alas, it is great to blog again. : []

People say that the first step to anything is the hardest; I would like to add that the revival step to continue what’s left behind for some time a arduous one, if not more difficult than the first step.

The project that I have been involved in can be said to be done, and it really got to do with the concept of reviving something.

Hooray! Just hope the end product would turn out fab.

Now back to the bone of the post – D-SLR camera.

What’s the big deal about it, you ask?

D-SLR or Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera has become a fad amongst youths today. When was the last time you see someone clicking away with the super-advanced black box with big brands starting with N or C?

I bet it was today, or if not, yesterday, or if still not, the last 7 days.

Just go to any PC Fair around your area and you will find that it attracts a different kind of crowd, an in-group (from sociology class) of people who don’t go there to shop for the latest pc-related ware: photographers.

They flock to the fair like bees attracted to honey. Their target – sexy showgirls, who wouldn’t hesitate to pose for some clicks. Oh how I wish I had one.

Not that I’m against those photographers, nor am I saying that they are pervs, though some people who posed with the models for a picture or so can be said to be so.

It just seems that digital camera gives a license to shoot (not the James Bond kind) for anyone that possesses it, that’s all I’m trying to say.

If there’s something about D-SLRs that seems to capture so many youngsters heart, it is certainly not the price tag.

Ranging from at least 1.6 thousand Ringgit Malaysia to even bigger thousands, it’s the reason why I still haven’t gotten my hands on one. Wait. Let me rephrase, –still haven’t gotten one that I could call my own.

Anyway, my slight interest to photography brought me to learn a bit about digital photography, and I found National Geographic’s free e-booklet entitled Ultimate Field Guide to Photography fulfill my basic needs.

In it you can know all you want to know about the basic functionality of the said camera, from exposure to ISO and perhaps from zilch to the itch to buy one camera yourself.

The guide for sure didn’t leave any stones unturned in its quest to knock some basic technical know-how into people(amateurs) who are starting to delve into the kaleidoscopic realm of digital photography.

And the best thing about this booklet…it’s FREE!

 

 

To obtain a copy, all you have to do is to subscribe to National Geographic’s newsletter.

Below it the link to get some digital books, including the aforementioned. Other titles include Uncommon History: National Geographic Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Events, Objects, and Inventions suitable for the curious mind and also Best Drives for avid travellers around the world.

http://newsletters.nationalgeographic.com/p/National%20Geographic%20Society/NGM_Free_Ebooklets

Although for the meantime the knowledge of digital photography would just be in theory instead of practical, apart from the little application I get when I could get my hands on a D-SLR of my friends’, I’m pretty sure it’ll come in handy next time.

Anyway, having extra knowledge is not a bad thing, although I can’t apply it to my 3.2 megapixel phone camera.

To those who enjoy photography, happy clicking, but remember the ethics involved.

Oh yeah, if you haven’t heard of the Nikon Photography Competition on Facebook. Go Google it up. Anybody can participate. At the very least, one can learn a lot about good photography through the open platform of picture sharing. You have nothing to lose.