World War Z: Racist in some ways, poor in many ways

If you are a movie goer, I bet you've seen the trailer of Brad Pitt's latest action movie, World War Z. If you haven't, hey, no worries, I've embedded it below for your pleasure.

Anyway, apart from the trailer, there is nothing much to shout about in this movie as I felt it was lame and a stale, with the movie trying a wee bit too hard to cover so much in a two hour movie.

Zombie movies can hardly go wrong, but World War Z somehow failed to make sense, if compared the likes of Resident Evil and Doom. In fact, I would go as far as question Brad Pitt's role in the movie, which I felt was 'weak', despite him being the main character.

For someone who loves connecting movies to real live scenarios (even fiction movies must have some reality), I simply can't look beyond the fact that Brad Pitt survived a deadly plane crash, and evaded almost dozens of close encounters with zombies, without much effort, I must say. A typical case of the hero lives on to the end.

The most shocking part of the movie must be the 'best hope of man kind' shooting himself accidentally within minutes he was introduced, giving his all important role to, yep, you guessed it, Mr Brad Pitt aka Gerry Lane, which for no apparent reason and motivation goes on to find more trouble.

To say Brad Pitt was motivated by his country would seem incorrect as he (Brad Pitt) only wanted to go on the mission to safe guard his family, but somehow found himself willing to continue on with the mission despite knowing his family has been moved to a refugee camp, in which he claimed to be 'not safe'. - Seriously? If it was me, I'd demand they were transported back before I go on. I mean, I'm doing it for my family, right?

And then, there was this moment where Brad Pitt managed to amputate a hand with an army knife. Ohhh... and I though human bones were hard to cut. Guess I'm wrong. - Did I mention the girl (Daniella Kertesz) didn't have massive bleeding problems at all and was even strong enough to carry Brad Pitt all the way to a WHO facility?

[caption id="attachment_342" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Up they go, but no one shoots them down, or tries to at the beginning.[/caption]

To top it off, there was one part of the movie which I felt was a little bit racist, because this scene showed the goodness of the Israelis, while somewhat depicting the Palestinians as the cause Israel fell to the Zombies. Of all people, why must it be the Palestinians being the culprits? The movie could do away with the Palestine flags to be honest.

Truth is, I still wonder why despite numbers of helicopters hovering around the huge wall of Israel, none bothered to shoot at the Zombie pile-up which gave the undead access to the safe Israel.

Zombies in World Ward Z were however interesting to watch as they were fast, agile and nasty. They even get super agitated upon the death of their friends! Bet you didn't expect that!

Regardless of that, World War Z is just an ordinary action zombie movie with a poor plot. As I left the cinema that day, I felt it was like watching a movie which had no 'head' nor 'tail', hence making it just entertainment without any substance.

My suggestion to zombie movie fans would be to catch Brad Pitt's wife in action in reruns of Resident Evil if you'd want something more exciting.

Bali food, nightlife and Kuta beach

Second part of the whole trip I made a few weeks ago, but this time its about Bali. If you missed the first part of the trip which some friends have dubbed as 'ASEAN trip', do feel free to click here to read it.

[caption id="attachment_324" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Signature pose in front of the world map. Someday, these trips will go beyond ASEAN.[/caption]

Despite spending a few days on this lovely island, I'd cut short this post so that it wouldn't be too draggy and boring.  I know how travel post can be, so I'll write it so that you'd still want to read on. At least I hope so...

[caption id="attachment_328" align="aligncenter" width="500"] No swimming area - surfing goes on here.[/caption]

Compared to Phuket, Bali was simply superb if you'd just want to relax. The whole island is enchanting, and Kuta/Legian/Seminyak beach was just awesome despite the fact you could hardly find a spot which didn't have the sign 'No swimming. Surfing only' displayed.

Regardless of that, there's plenty to do in Bali, and with Malaysian Ringgit (RM) being stronger than Rupiah (IDR), you'd feel a bit 'rich'.

[caption id="attachment_331" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The private Villa we rented during the stay at Bali. Siap ada private pool.[/caption]

With that said, I found it rather interesting that villas and private accommodations seem to be more prominent in this Indonesian coastal city, compared to hotels as I decided to book a private villa which came with a private pool for about RM1700 for the whole stay.

Despite knowing that the culture in Bali was famous for its massive Hindu influence, we decided to skip all those religious rituals and temples, to just enjoy the whole Bali town and beach as it is.

One thing we did want to do was bungee jumping, but unfortunately, it was closed due to construction =(

[caption id="attachment_326" align="aligncenter" width="500"] An elderly lady making the massage count. Not bad of a massage she gave.[/caption]

Nonetheless, the days at Bali were interesting enough to enjoy, with hours spent just relaxing on Legian beach as an old massage lady politely requested to give us a massage for about RM25/hour. Mind you that Kuta, Legian and Seminyak beach is actually the same beach, with Kuta being the more crowded of all, and Legian and Seminyak being less occupied and more relaxed.

[caption id="attachment_325" align="aligncenter" width="500"] A surfer negotiating the waves with skill.[/caption]

The massage we had was very relaxing and welcomed, as I found myself gazing at the surfers in the sea. - "I don't see this back home" I said to myself.

Shopping was another fantastic thing to do in Bali as shops offered imitation goods for as low as RM10 per piece. It was interesting to find that the shoppers had two type of prices namely; 'bargain price' and 'last price' for most of their merchandise.

With Donovan being a good bargainer, we ended buying a lot of our stuff at what I call 'dirt cheap prices'.

[caption id="attachment_329" align="aligncenter" width="500"] A street in Legian, Bali during the day[/caption]

Food was surprisingly delightful in Bali as local 'warungs' outclassed high-end restaurants in terms of quality, quantity and well, taste. For a mere RM4.00, I could have a very delicious plate of nasi campur (not the same as nasi campur in Malaysia), and a can of carbonated drink.

The infamous 'Babi Guling' (also known as suckling pig) was indeed a dish to remember, despite us having it at a place not known to many.

[caption id="attachment_332" align="aligncenter" width="500"] This was Nasi Campur - A delicious dish I'd have no problems loving.[/caption]

The problem however was when these 'warungs' didn't open at night, forcing us to dine at pricey eateries, which were only unique in decor, but lame in terms of food.

When the sun came down, Bali's nightlife came alive, but it was really nothing compared to what Phuket (Bangla Street) had to offer.

[caption id="attachment_333" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The live band at Vi Ai Pi Bar Bali - entertaining but not the best..[/caption]

At some point, I figured that the bars in Bali took any Tom, Dick and Harry to perform because out of the few I visited (which seemed happening), none seemed to stand out with their singers failling to hit high pitches, and the band being less interactive with the crowd.

[caption id="attachment_334" align="aligncenter" width="500"] In between shows, there was this bartender showing off his flair skills[/caption]

Oh hell, some bands couldn't even play an Indonesian song as I requested. Quite shameful considering Bali was part of Indonesia.

When it's time to return home to our Villa, the option of hailing a taxi remains the best choice as Bali streets, no matter how safe, are rather poorly lit in the wee nights. We tried walking home during our stay, but ended regretting the decision because it was just difficult to find our way at night.

However, during the day, the whole place is actually only like 10 minutes apart.

As if a ritual, a night dip in the pool is a must after all the night life to ensure we maximized our cozy villa facilities to the max.

With our flight to Bali scheduled in the afternoon, we managed to go around souvenir shopping, and revisit 'Warung Enak' which was serving the 'Nasi campur' for lunch.

[caption id="attachment_323" align="aligncenter" width="500"] An umbrella at Bali beach making an obvious statement[/caption]

Well, as we departed Despansar, I'd just have to say that I'd love to return to Bali in the future because the hospitality of it's people, coupled with the wonderful beach and amazing food makes the island simply delightful to relieve yourself off all the stress at work.

The Phuket holiday, nightlife and seafood

After months of planning, the Phuket trip soon came, and ended as fast as it could. For those who have been to this so called 'resort town', the experience is indeed different in many ways, as I enjoyed my brief stay in a place which is part of Thailand.

[caption id="attachment_310" align="aligncenter" width="500"] One for the album...[/caption]

To be honest, I didn't have much of an expectation of Thailand, or Phuket in this matter as it is quite famed for 'wild parties' and uh.. sex.

Anyway, behind that tagline, Phuket was indeed an amazing place to visit, with the people being super nice, and the beauty of its islands and culture, almost unmatched.

The hotel we occupied was a bit far from Bangla Street where everything is said to happen, but it was a blessing since I loved riding in the 'Tuk Tuk', well, regardless if it was RM20/THB200 to almost anywhere we went in Patong. Bet that was 'tourist price'.

Food or more accurately Thai food and seafood was indeed found in abundance in Phuket, with choices for either 'dining in style', or simply doing it the local way; street dining.

Despite the risk of having unhygienic food, I prefer the later, and I somewhat managed to talk the rest to join me in following tips on popular social media Foursquare for a cheap yet delicious street food stall.

[caption id="attachment_311" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Linda (behind) was happy to snap a photo with the 1kg lobster we had.[/caption]

A local eatery named Linda Seafood came highly recommended in Foursquare, and at RM150 @ THB1500 for a 1kg lobster, I had no complaints splashing out more cash for a perfect bowl of Seafood Tom Yam, and about three more other seafood related dishes. Linda the owner, was also very nice as she willingly posed for a photo after taking our order.

Since Phuket is also famed for the nearby amazing islands, we decided island hoping was something we should really do.

[caption id="attachment_305" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The lovely tour agent which dealt with us for our island hopping tour.[/caption]

For island hopping, we succumbed to the beauty of the above lovely tour agent nearby our hotel as she, without much hassle, offered us 'student price' for the whole Phi Phi Island hopping trip. I'm not sure if it was cheap, but it cost each of us THB1500/RM150 each.

[caption id="attachment_312" align="aligncenter" width="500"] One of the many lovely sceneries while island hopping for the Phi Phi Island tour.[/caption]

The journey to the speed boat bay was dull, and it was even more of a dismay to myself when I realized I forgot to load my camera with the memory card.  The camera was bought for moments like this, and it was useless!  *sigh* Shots I could share here were from my smartphone, and a friends camera.

Nonetheless, the breath-taking scenery on the boat, and the excitement of being on a holiday proved to be stronger that I enjoyed the island hopping adventure until the end.

[caption id="attachment_313" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Signature pose in Phi Phi Island... huaaarrgghh!![/caption]

Along the island hopping adventure, we were also allowed to go snorkeling and swimming, in which my signature pose in water must be applied..huarrgghh!!

Another great thing to do in Phuket as said by many, was to enjoy the long white Patong beach. Unfortunately, it rained just as we sat on the beach chairs, and the so called hour long foot massage we tried the next day at the beach would be embarrassed to be even called a massage -  commercialism doing its magic. =(

[caption id="attachment_309" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Empty beach chairs aligned at Patong beach, with the red flag (no swimming) on display[/caption]

At the end of the day, the swimming pool at the hotel proved to be a better option to relax with local beer, Chang.

As night came, there's only one thing to do in Phuket, which is enjoy the night life of Patong, or specifically Bangla Road.

The nightlife here is indeed crazy with sexy pole dancers, live bands and ping pong shows going on in almost every corner.

[caption id="attachment_306" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Pole dancers at Bangla Road.[/caption]

We were tempted to see what was on with this well promoted 'Ping Pong Shows', but ended feeling utterly disgusted by what we saw, and feeling somewhat 'cheated' with the exorbitant beer prices we paid for.

However, I would like to believe that no visit to Phuket/Patong/Bangla Street would be complete without seeing one of these shows. - Bet you won't see it anywhere else!

From Ping Pong shows, we moved on to live band performances, which I think was the best ever of live band performances I've ever experienced. The bands here not only don't take breaks like most bands I've seen, but also go the extra mile to entertain their audiences. It was like going to a concert to say the least!

[caption id="attachment_307" align="aligncenter" width="500"] At Bangla Street, even the guitarist were not only talented and rocking, but very animated![/caption]

At some point, we also paid a visit to a gay street, but left almost immediately after reaching the end of the street as the 'dancing small sized boys in white underwear' was not a favored sight for any of us.

With our return flight to KL scheduled early in the morning, we opted to walk through Bangla Street for the very last time, and was more than pleased to find out that our goal of meeting and holding the 'boobs' of some very pretty 'ladyboys' could be completed with a mere RM20/THB200.

Of course, someone was a little too excited with the opportunity presented, and ended up having a photo as seen below.

[caption id="attachment_308" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Someone got extremely excited and did more than the rest..[/caption]

With that done, we rode our last tuk-tuk ride to the hotel, and prepared for our journey to KL and then Bali.

To be continued with a trip to Bali...

Gawai: It may not be the same again next year

As I sit at the very same kitchen which saw me growing for the past three decades, I heard granny tell my sisters something which made my heart sink.

It may not be as significant to some, but for a person who grew up knowing such tradition, or better called 'ritual' exist, it was indeed heart-wrenching.

Grandma told us that this might be the last time we could witness the real life affairs of 'Nguguoh', which is a Pagan ritual done only in a few villages in Bau, in the occasion of 'Gawea Podi', or in general terms, Gawai.

[caption id="attachment_289" align="aligncenter" width="500"] One of the 'tua Gawea' performing the ritual during this Gawai[/caption]

According to grandma, there's only one sole 'tua gawea' (leader of the ritual) left next year after his partner for decades decided to embrace Christianity. The man has since told villagers that he is tired, and he does not want to do the whole thing alone as it is very tiring.

[caption id="attachment_293" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The altar, or better known as 'bawar'[/caption]

For those not knowing what this 'Nguguoh' is all about, here's a very quick lesson:

'Nguguoh' it's basically the climax of Gawai for us Bidayuhs, in which the 'tua gawea' and the male elders of the village (in white and colourful turbans), together with a group of 'Dayung Borih' (priestesses), wearing colourful skullcaps, embroidered black tunics and skirts of rich brocade fabrics with traditional motifs, summons the rice goddess to feast upon the offerings that had been prepared for, and to accept the thanks of the people for a good harvest. It is done around an altar, which is locally known as 'bawar'. The event only begins at the wee hours in the mornings, and ends sometimes at 430am, which also marks the end of Gawai.

You see, for the past 30 years, I have rarely skipped Gawai celebrations in my dear village because it is distinctively different from the rest.

[caption id="attachment_294" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Modern day Gawai will normally feature live band performances and 'mejeng sessions' such as this one.[/caption]

While most modern Bidayuh kampungs tend to celebrate Gawai the modern way nowadays, which is with live band performances, dancing (mejeng), and beauty pageants (Kumang Gawai), my village which is just about fifteen minutes from Bau town has somewhat retained this aged pagan ritual despite most villages nearby already being unable to do so, also due to lack of manpower, which I understand are selected by the spirits.

[caption id="attachment_292" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The 'Bori Gawea', or 'Gawai house', where the whole ritual happens at 4am.[/caption]

The whole ritual which stands out the most during Gawai makes the village people, myself included, somewhat proud of their Bidayuh roots, although some may not realize it, what more say to admit it.

However, a visit by any outsider to any house in the village during Gawai would surely lead on to the host promoting this dying heritage.

[caption id="attachment_295" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The huge crowd this year. It's been like this for years.[/caption]

With that said, the announcement made by grandma that 'this may be the last' took myself and my sibling hard. We have, after all been witnessing the events for almost every Gawai, and it was indeed the highlight of every Gawai, after the family barbeque.

A friend on Facebook did say that the whole ritual could be recreated and done again just like what what the Iban's did the 'miring ceremony', or it could be just done for show.

[caption id="attachment_290" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Two Dayung Borih (Priestess) in a state of trance during 'Nguguoh'.[/caption]

However, I felt that a 'performance' will not feel the same as the real thing, although the younger so called 'Dayung Borih' would indeed be more of an eye candy in comparison to the older ones in the real ritual=P

On a serious note, you can see the difference between the two videos of 'nguguoh' below. The first video showcases the 'remake', while the second was the original I shot in my village some 4 years ago. For the sake of comparison, you should jump to the 7th minute in the first video.



I apologize on the poor video quality for the second video, but I bet you can see the difference.

So, that night, together with a few more cousins, we stayed up late until 4:30am to see what could be the last 'real' live 'Nguguoh' ritual in my village.

[caption id="attachment_291" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Live feed of the whole event through an iPad. For those unable to see it up-close, this was good enough.[/caption]

At the end of it all, there was indeed a huge sense of sadness that future generations may not be able to see such scenes anymore, and it was sadder knowing that this whole thing would probably be gone totally in the next 10-20 years.

For me personally, Gawai would never be the same again.

Note 2: Why brown isn't just a colour

When it comes to smartphones, we are normally torn between selecting either black or white. Other colours do not seem to make the cut for some unknown reason but here, an award winning smartphone has introduced a new fresh colour to its collection.

The Samsung Note 2, or better known locally as Note 2 comes in amber brown.
[caption id="attachment_271" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Note 2 Brown with the S pen brings elegance[/caption]
While some may find the need to rubbish brown as an option for a smartphone colour, the smarter ones know that brown brings more to an already excellent phone.

To the not knowing, the color brown is a serious, down-to-earth color which signifies stability, structure and support, which is really something that the Note 2 Brown has to offer when you consider its shape and feel in your palms.
[caption id="attachment_269" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Easy clip, one of the many functions of the Samsung Note 2 Brown.[/caption]
The fact it feels so solid in your palms only serves to make the Note 2 Brown even more fitting as one of the most comforting phones available in the Malaysian market. Don't believe me, try grab one, and you'd surely feel its 'power'.

For those concerned about how colour is said to reflect on a person's personality, there's also no worry because a Note 2 Brown shows that you are not only warm, but also down-to-earth, although I must admit that it is hard not to gloat when you have a phone powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor in your hands.

Finally, if you are worried that you will get bored of brown, then you can put that fear to rest because a Note 2 Brown is not only elegant and strong, but it is timeless which means you shall never be bored of your smartphone ever again!
[caption id="attachment_270" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Brown is a long lasting colour, so you can expect the Note 2 Brown to be long lasting too.[/caption]
The video below shows a little more bit on how timeless the Note 2 Brown can be, and I would loveto get one for myself in the future, well, provided Samsung doesn't come up with yet another awesome brown coloured smartphone.