My Aboh Said, "Alright Now, Go Scour the Net for a Car"

... "and it has got to cost less than RM45k ok?"

And so I did, scouring through Toyota and Citroen sites - Citroen website is potentially the most unhelpful site ever cos it keeps leading me to this interactive world map thing just to showcase their decent flash skills and even more perplexing is that when I clicked "View all products", it lead me nowhere other than redirecting me to "the world map". Totally pointless to even go there. There, don't say I didn't warn you.

And with my dad being kind enough to actually walk a decent few hundred metres to the Toyota/Hyundai showrooms just right in front of my house to talk to the dealer and got back with a few brochures, I got a better picture of which car costs how much here in Malaysia.

So, the hot saucy twins from management math whom I have quite a crush at the moment drive a pricy RM88k Toyota Rush which effectively confirms my view that they're (not that I initially thought they're not) stinking rich chicks.

Antara dua darjat sungguh...

A Hyundai Getz is just about RM10k over the budget and an i30 is a whopping RM90k++, which really belies the look and feel that I got from the brochure. A Honda Jazz is a superb car, scoring a stellar 15/20 based on the reliable source from the guys at Top Gear. Though the price is yet again is out of my range. Unless if it's a second hand (Ady told me a second hand C3 is RM28k).

Two cars would easily top the list of my ideal car - money-wise, and of course the style and purpose - a Toyota AYGO (14/20) and a Citroen C1. Unfortunately Toyota received a massive blow after having to recall all of it's AYGOs earlier this year, due to a single complain coming from a faulty accelerator pedal, which should've been a very very remote case at best. By the way, for those uninformed, the Toyota AYGO, Citroen C1 and the Peugeot 107 are basically the same car, only difference is the interior, the "backside" and the badge. Perhaps the electronics too, but overall they're about the same. And all three scored well in Top Gear's car reviews.

The Toyota AYGO is my definite choice, but... (pix from topspeed.com)

But the most unfortunate thing of all, neither one of the three are available in Malaysia. A Toyota AYGO would make a perfect choice; stylish, cheap (8.5k British Pounds, around RM45k), good after-sale service, and it's a Toyota, the same badge with the super hot twin sisters! A Citroen C1 would've been a capable backup choice due to it being another stylish and cheap car. A C3 though only scored a meagre 11/20, despite it's cool looking exterior. But unless it's a second hand, the price is out of the budget, and I might opt for it! A Peugeot 107 costs more than the earlier two mentioned in the UK.

The Citroen C1. The backup choice is not even available in Malaysia. (Pix from http://citroen-cars-gallery.blogspot.com/2009/03/citroen-c1.html)

So I am now left with the dilemma of having to either make do with a Proton Saga (no Top Gear review on the car, but it's my mom's favoured choice), a Perodua MYVI, which scored a decent 10/20 though the "backside" looks like a real human one (Viva would be better, no?), or the tiny, cheap, pensioner-like-exterior but amazingly highly rated by most sites - Hyundai i10 (13/20, 14/20 at last review from Top Gear, which is not bad at all!).

Might be going to the showroom for a better look at the i10. Hope that it's not too small. But even if it is...

Currently number 1 in my personal choice, due to it's super fuel-economics feature. And Top Gear's convincing reviews. (Pix from connect.in.com)

World Cup Winners Spain, Imam Muda, Gang-Trip, Naz the Hero and other Assorted Ramblings.

I seem to have a problem of keeping my blog active.

You see, those bloggers with 200++ followers I believe tend to have an unhealthy tendencies of blogging every day - posting useless stuffs such as uploading sexually suggestive pictures of themselves licking a sundae at one of the few hundred McD's in the country to writing friendship/romantic poems that rival the great Shakespeare in the sense that they are hard to understand - and of course, "blogwalking", which is a new word I picked up earlier this year for people with no life or those who are close to commit suicide out of boredom, stalking other people's blog and leaving comments on your blog while making shameless plugs for others to visit, which I can shamelessly admit of doing so sometimes at those blogs owned by some *coughs* hot chicks. :B

But at least I didn't do it everyday...

Anyways, back to the mission of trying to prolong the longetivity of this blog, I have decided to go gung-ho in this post by "updating" you Zaid of the future, and of course to his 18++ followers (and those who I will shamelessly tag on facebook), on whatever things I'll be posting in right about now...

1. Spain won the World Cup 5 days ago and the entire event saw several stars announcing their presence in the world stage. Mesut Ozil and Kaisuke Honda are just 2 of the names that might be in hot pursuit of a few hundred thousand "Football Managers" worldwide when the next edition of FM comes out. But one star in particular is nontransferable - at least not in the celebrated football management simulation - which is Paul the Psychic seafood, which as of yesterday or so just transferred to a Madrid zoo in an exchange of another animal and a few cash. The octopus endured a lot in this year's World Cup; it managed to predict 8 games straight correctly and survived countless death threats along the way; from being "properly" beaten and cooked by an Argentinian celebrity chef in his cooking show to being publicly barbecued by angry Germans and to being transferred into a tank of sharks.
2. For 2 weeks, I still have yet to get my class and course registration problem sorted. I, Zaid Mohamad would like to blame the bloody UiTM computer system for responding like a battered snail on stout cos it took me forever to access whatever server they offer us to get our registration settled. I would also like to blame the (20k++ thousand) new students who I assume have caused the "traffic-jams" in the system. And not to forget, the new KP for causing confusions of perilous proportion, causing irreversible damage to my morale for the new semester by separating me with my "gang" and having me to make do with Pingu for yet presumably another miserable semester.
3. "Hello! I think I like you still. Any chance this time around? I love your specs". - What do you look for in a woman? Do you look for someone who is motherly or someone who wears nice specs? Or someone who can bake cheesecakes?
4. Had a gang-trip to a waterfall in Lata Mengkuang (sp?) last Friday. I was wearing the kopiah my mom bought me from Uzbekistan and together with Topek, we managed to scare the shit out of this pair of love birds whom we assumed were making underwater sexual act. They immediately left the water upon seeing my colourful kopiah head and even offered us a senyum kambing, filled with guilt. I still feel good about it, Imam Muda will be proud of me.
5. Watched Despicable Me in SP and I give it a 3.5/5. An excellent movie for the family. But some Indian parents left their noisy Indian children to roam around the place as if it's a nursery or sorts. Or were they making sex at the back? Imam Muda should be alert about this!
6. Right after that, mighty Naz drove all 14 of us to a hot spring which Ain and Wawa told me is a place very near to Kulim. We arrived there around 2.30am and the place was awesome. Though the sights of the much sought after steamy moments of couples engaging in steamy sexual acts are few and mild at best, the steamy water and good company pretty much made up for the disappointment. Mighty Naz then went on to drive again the legendary white Ford (or was it a Nissan?) van despite the obvious lack of sleep (popular belief suggests he stayed up for 22 hours) and all 15 of us arrived safely in Araustralia around 9am. We were lost along the way before we reached "home", though.
7. I've been living on potato and corn chips for the past 3 days. The addiction returns... And oh! Twisties' Bolognese&Cheese Onion is A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!!
8. Underwear is for losers who pretend that they fight for freedom without actually practicing it.
9. As of 12am today, the price of petrol has gone up by 5 cents per litre and the IMF projection for inflation in ACP (average consumer price) for this year of 2% might be an understatement. I expect more when the IMF staff revised their projection come September. This year might be the highest since Pak Lah went nuts by increasing the petrol price and affected the price of goods to a whooping 5.4% inflation rate in 2008. (Average inflation rate since the 1997 crisis was 2-3% based on IMF and the CIA World Factbook). We need subsidies still lar Najib. We produce oil maaa...

The closest resemblance of the van that took us around Kedah.

Imam Muda is 3rd from left. And mighty Naz is avoiding the B.O. from Topek's stinky armpits.

4 Years Ago.

Almost exactly 4 years ago, I was in KMK.
I was lost in the midst of a grueling 8-hour lectures, labs and tutorials, the alienating feeling of Kelantanism, the amazing combo of ikan jeket and air paip for lunch and dinner, and the miserable lab reports that seemed to be a never ending horror. And as of July 5th that year, mid sem exam did not even fear half of my butt chic.
And I was lamenting the need for the library to block Friendster (remember that thing?).
There was a chick from life science, she's cute but she had a small line of mustache on her lips. Or something like that.

Almost exactly 4 years ago, it was a World Cup year.
Kaka was still an AC Milan player, and Dida was the undisputed number 1. Made-in-Inter Calciopoli was being investigated by the court, and clubs fear of being penalized.
Italy started their World Cup campaign in the usual slow manner, and gathered momentum as the the tournament progressed. They played extremely well, and defensively Italian - Buffon only conceded 2 goals; an own-goal and a penalty - and Canavarro was Baresi and Gattuso was a beast.

4 years on, I'm about to return to my Arau campus.
Lectures, lab and tutorials won't steal away 8 hours of my life every weekdays there, the number of Kelantanese people I have to deal with is enough to make them feel that THEY are the aliens, ikan jaket and air paip is now consigned to the far-away history of my personal dark age, and I have no lab reports to deal with whatsoever. Hell, I don't even have lab in the first place. Though finance assignments might affect my frail health again come next semester.
Friendster is now ancient history as Facebook and last.fm make headways, and I have my own personal broadband that blocks nothing on the web whatsoever.
There's a girl, she was in a different class last semester. She looks decent and seamlessly stole my heart. I still can't get her out of my system.

4 years on, it's another World Cup year.
Kaka is now a Real Madrid player, and Dida returns to Brazil. Inter the cheater capitalized on the Calciopoli that wrongfully affected her other rivals, and has now built a strong team. Indeed, because of Calciopoli.
Italy started their World Cup campaign slowly, only to fail to gather momentum and stumbled at the first hurdle. Defensively Italy were not being Italian, Buffon was injured - Machetti conceded 4 of the 5 goals mostly from set pieces - Canavarro played like a retired star on an exhibition match, and Gattuso only had his facial hair to show that he is still a beast. Inter Milan failed to provide a single Italian of note who can contribute greatly for the national team. Apart from Calciopoli, Inter's lack of Italian players in the first team did Italy a disservice.


Posts from 4 years ago...

http://nosurprises2.blogspot.com/2006/06/world-cup.html
http://nosurprises2.blogspot.com/2006/07/5-minutes.html
http://nosurprises2.blogspot.com/2006/07/shoot-me.html
http://nosurprises2.blogspot.com/2006/07/untitled-1.html

Vuvuzela My Arse!

Unless you've been on planet Mars for the past week, you will know that the greatest show on Earth is well underway. For once, the sound of swarming locusts that is the "vuvuzela" did us men a "favour", for it has been masking the sounds of breaking hearts of millions of women from all over the world due to having their husbands'/boyfriends' attentions towards them stolen swiftly under their pretty oily noses by the one and only ultimate sporting event, the World Cup.

Definitely relationships have been put on hold and most likely suffered. Frankly, I don't care cause I'm single, and I'm determined to savour every minute of football on offer.

And, with regards to the vuvuzela, that "favour" happen to be the only "favour" it did to this year's World Cup. And even that is non-existent. Unless you've gone mental, you can't possibly hear the sound of a heart snapped into two can you??

Which leads me to this. For those who have been watching the World Cup in mute or just returned from Mars, the vuvuzela is a plastic horn that produces a monotonous din which can reach 144 decibel, which if it is blown in unison by 50 thousand people (for maximum effect, in a stadium), can equal the sound of a jet taking off. And even the sound of a jet taking off doesn't last for 90 minutes, plus the rest time in between two halves which I presume, is equivalent to the sound of hell.



Comments I've read about the noise that comes out from the vuvuzela though varied, have one common theme. The sound have been compared to...

"the noise of stampeding elephants, a goat on the way to slaughter and "a giant hive of very angry bees" - The Sun

"The raucous plastic trumpets (the vuvuzelas) have been accused of destroying World Cup spirit by preventing fans from singing uplifting traditional songs such as Ronaldo Is A Wanker, Henri Is A Wanker, Messi Is A Wanker, and the evergreen German favourite, Rooney Ist Eine Wenker." - hayibo.com, a political satire site

A facebook protest group called FIFA - BAN THE ANNOYING VUVUZELA (HORN) FROM THE SOUTH AFRICA WORLD CUP! was set up on June 11th this year, and has gathered 249000 (I'm one of them) angry fans as of 17th June and counting.

A friend named Syed Q. Hikma posted this in his fb status, "kalau vuvuzela tu orang, gerenti ramai dah tumbuk sampai pecah mulut~"

Even sensible South Africans themselves are appalled towards the vuvuzela die-hards (Sepp Blatter of Feefa and the selfish so called African nationalists who have no knowledge of the roots of the vuvuzela history, which is surprisingly a Mexican product), claiming that the selfish attitude of the host nation - acting as if they're the king of the world by hosting the event - towards the mounting complaints will only result in people hating them forever after the tournament ends and will ensure that the World Cup will never ever return to South Africa. Ever.

And I am already agreeing to the notion.

Ten hours ago, Diego Forlan became a hero not just for Uruguay but for football fans all around the world (except South Africa) with his brace which according to a fan, managed to reduce the vuvus by 80% and have reminded us all what a great football match feels like even for only 10 minutes.

So ladies and gentlemen, if vuvuzela has anything to do with the African culture, I dare say there is more culture in my yoghurt!

VUVUZELA MY ARSE!!!

By the way, I came across this video to cheer myself up a little...

World Cup Fever Does Not Cause You to Have A Rise in Body Temperature, And Women in football Jerseys Look Hot!

Ok, I'm busy. And I haven't updated anything blog-worthy of late.

Though I do have many things to say, yet the feeling of wanting to put my thoughts on screen is rather taxing. Which gives an impression that I'm rather lazy. Haih.

In the meantime, as a way to analyze my academic progress, barring the last 2 sems, I bring you Zaid of the future, your result for semester 3.



Which brings us to this...

1. It was stated that the result will come out at 12pm on June 10th, right after the Senate meeting. Whatever that meeting is about, they should have discussed about the UiTM server problem which caused thousands of UiTM students to stare at the screen in desperation, failing to even access their own student portal so that they can check their exam results. And it remained that way for about 12 hours plus, much to the horror of these people.
   
2. It also led to a bunch of frustrated UiTM kids to create a facebook protest group, venting their anger at the social networking site. I lost the link to the group.
   
3. I am not a part of that group.
4. It took away most people's feeling of preresult-release anxiety and changed it with sheer feeling of frustration which usually leads to expletive-rich grumblings.
   
5. Deep inside I was planning to murder whoever responsible for this.
   

The World Cup started 2-days back. And it somehow led me to these thoughts...

1. Women in football jerseys look hot!
2. Don't ever challenge a bunch of Brazilians to a game of park football. Ever.
3. The vuvuzella should be banned. Or else I have to watch the games in mute.
4. Come to think of it, if your girlfriend likes football, you're a happy couple.
5. Maradona is a walrus.
6. I should start playing "real" football. Dah lama tak main...
   

Not exactly football jerseys but these are fine saucy footy chicks ey? Another reason to support the Italians! FORZA ITALIAAA!!! I love you Italia chicks!!! xD

THIS is what I meant by jerseys :B

I don't think I have made any significant progress to my 79-item to-do list. So many still, yet so little time... damn!

And I think I've lost my writing skills...