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Tuesday, August 31, 2004 |
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A Tribute to Tok Ngah | |
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My Granduncle was the designer of our beloved Malaysian flag back in 1947 when Malaya was still a Federation under the British government. My mother was only 10 years old and Tok Ngah was an architect working with the Jabatan Kerja Raya back then. It's a little weird that I only discovered this fact less than 5 years ago, years after his death. I never really got the chance to know Tok Ngah. He passed away when I was seventeen, and it's a shame that I only visited him and his family during Raya, and he was bedridden for most of the time that I can remember. It's a shame I never got to know a national hero. It's a shame, Tok Ngah, but your legacy still lives and I'm proud to be part of it. Happy 47th Birthday, Malaysia. (The following article is written by Mary Victoria Dass and published by Harian Metro on 31st August 2004)  Edisi Nasional: Jasa Mohamed Oleh Mary Victoria Dass am@hmetro.com.my PENCIPTA BENDERA MALAYSIA DILUPAI JOHOR BAHRU: “Hati saya terguris mengenangkan Allahyarham setiap kali melihat Jalur Gemilang berkibar megah di seluruh pelosok negara sempena sambutan Hari Kemerdekaan negara. “Malah, saya kecewa dan terkilan kerana ada sesetengah pihak yang mempertikaikan Allahyarham sebagai pencipta bendera kebangsaan,” kata Abu Bakar Hamzah, 69, adik bongsu kepada Allahyarham Mohamed Hamzah, pencipta bendera Malaysia yang kini dikenali sebagai Jalur Gemilang. Tarikh 31 Ogos 1957 tercatat satu sejarah di Stadium Merdeka Kuala Lumpur apabila Bapa Kemerdekaan, Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman melaungkan kalimah keramat, MERDEKA! sebanyak tiga kali sambil disaksikan puluhan ribu rakyat jelata bagi menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan negara. Pada hari itu juga, bendera Malaysia megah berkibar buat julung kali menggantikan bendera Union Jack sebagai satu simbolik bebas daripada penjajahan British. Bagaimanapun, tidak ramai yang mengetahui latar belakang pencipta bendera kebangsaan yang kini dikenali Jalur Gemilang iaitu Allahyarham Mohamed Hamzah, malah, Buku Bendera Ku yang dikeluarkan Arkib Negara tidak mempunyai gambarnya. Beliau juga dikatakan tidak pernah menerima sebarang hadiah di atas hasil kerjanya. Usaha menjejaki waris Mohamed yang dilakukan Metro Ahad kelmarin berjaya apabila adik bongsunya, Abu Bakar Hamzah, 69, menghubungi pejabat akhbar ini di Kuala Lumpur, semalam. Berikut temubual wartawan Harian Metro dengan Abu Bakar yang kini menetap di Taman Sri Pandan Johor Bahru mengenai bagaimana abangnya menghasilkan bendera kebangsaan negara. “Tidak dinafikan Jalur Gemilang memberi pelbagai erti kepada setiap warganegara, namun bagi saya sekeluarga, ia melambangkan hadiah istimewa yang tidak ternilai Allahyarham kepada negara tercinta. Saya bukan mahu meminta, tetapi saya rasa jasa Allahyarham sewajarnya dihargai. Kalau Allahyarham Tan Sri P Ramlee dikenang dan dihargai sampai bila-bila, apa salahnya abang saya turut diberi pengiktirafan. Bagaimanapun, kami bersyukur kerana selepas 47 tahun, akhirnya kami berpeluang untuk berkongsi jasa dan sumbangan Allahyarham abang saya bersama pelbagai lapisan masyarakat seluruh negara. Abang saya, Mohamed adalah anak kedua daripada 10 beradik. Sebagai anak bongsu saya rapat dengannya. Allahyarham turut mengambil tanggungjawab membesarkan semua adiknya selepas ibu dan ayah meninggal dunia. Kini semua adik-beradik saya sudah meninggal dunia dan hanya tinggal saya seorang saudara kandung Allahyarham yang masih hidup. Abang saya seorang yang kreatif dan amat meminati lukisan. Dia begitu tekun dan sanggup menghabiskan masa berjam-jam menghasilkan karyanya. Sejarah Jalur Gemilang bermula pada 1947 apabila pemerintah pada masa itu mengadakan pertandingan mereka cipta bendera Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. Abang saya tidak mahu melepaskan peluang keemasan itu untuk menonjolkan bakatnya dalam bidang seni lukisan. Beliau yang ketika itu berusia 29 tahun bertungkus-lumus menampilkan idea kreatif dan terbaik untuk menyertai pertandingan itu. Pada masa itu, saya tidak faham dengan sikap abang yang gemar menghabiskan masanya berjam-jam di pejabat semata-mata untuk melakarkan bendera yang menarik. Saya masih ingat Allahyarham yang menamatkan persekolahan di English College (kini Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar) menghabiskan masa lebih dua minggu untuk menghasilkan lakaran dua bendera untuk dihantar ke Kuala Lumpur. Satu lakaran bendera ciptaannya menggunakan warna air melambangkan gambar keris dan sarung keris yang dikelilingi 15 bintang (berwarna putih) serta mempunyai latar belakang berwarna hijau. Lakaran bendera kedua pula melambangkan bintang berbucu lima dan bulan sabit berwarna kuning serta berlatar belakang biru, mempunyai 14 jalur berwarna merah dan putih. Saya yang ketika itu berusia 11 tahun masih ingat detik apabila beliau tersenyum lebar ketika kedua-dua lakaran bendera yang dicipta Allahyarham dipaparkan dalam akhbar tempatan. Malah, gambar yang dipaparkan itu juga membolehkan orang ramai membuat pilihan bendera sebelum diisytiharkan sebagai bendera rasmi negara. Mengikut keratan borang pemilihan yang dipos penduduk tempatan, akhirnya bendera yang mengandungi empat warna yang dicadangkan itu diisytiharkan sebagai bendera Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. Bagaimanapun, selepas pengumuman itu dibuat, abang saya ada menerima kunjungan peribadi Allahyarham Datuk Onn Jaafar bagi melakukan beberapa pengubahsuaian terhadap bendera itu. Datuk Onn yang berkunjung ke kediaman kami di Jalan Ungku Puan (Johor Bahru) mencadangkan abang supaya mengubah suai bentuk bintang kepada 11 bucu bagi melambangkan negeri dalam Persekutuan Tanah Melayu dan tiga negeri selat iaitu Singapura, Pulau Pinang dan Melaka. Walaupun tidak dapat hadir ke Kuala Lumpur pada Hari Merdeka, namun Allahyarham yang bekerja sebagai kakitangan Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) di Johor cukup gembira dengan sumbangan beliau kepada negara. Abang saya empat kali mendirikan rumah tangga dan terakhir bersama Robani Daud. Mereka dikurniakan seorang anak iaitu Mariam manakala empat anak angkat iaitu Khadijah, Azizah, Mohd Ali dan Mohd Seth. Beliau menghembuskan nafas terakhir pada 19 Februari 1993 iaitu 14 hari lagi sebelum genap usianya 75 tahun di rumah keluarganya di Jalan Stulang Baru, Kampung Melayu Majidee. Walaupun beliau tiada lagi, namun kami berharap rakyat seluruh negara mengenang jasa Allahyarham yang mencipta Jalur Gemilang kebanggaan kita semua.” 2 Comments:
Hello, By Anonymous, at 12:25 PM cuba lihat dgn teliti antara bendera jalur gemilang dengan bendera negeri johor..apa persamaan antara kedua-duanya?semua warna yg sama kecuali penambahan warna kuning .Lagi satu, pattern kedua-duanya seakan sama bukan? perlu diingat, pemilihan muktamad adalah hasil undian seluruh rakyat malaya ketika itu By Anonymous, at 9:17 PM |
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Sunday, August 29, 2004 |
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Malaysian Idol - Third Elimination | |
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Okay, that's it. I'm more than ready to throw in the towel. My passion for Malaysian Idol started to slip away after the paltry.. no, horrendous performances on Friday. The Idols have disappointed me that night. At that time I had a glimmer of hope that Malaysian viewers would at least salvage what's left by voting for the real talents. I was shocked to see Dina at the bottom three. I mean.. urghh I was going to rant, but why bother. However, my biggest disappointment and annoyance came from one of the judges. I STILL don't know how Roslan can get away with those racist remarks. You don't think so? Well, Saiful didn't sing terribly well and he has a huge fanbase too, why did Roslan not mention him but focus on Vick, Victor and Andrew, then? 8tv, Fremantle, whoeverthefucksinchargeoftheshow? Get a clue. You need to fire his sorry ass. This was not the first incident. Remember the Jawa remarks? And now this? You know Colin from Amazing Race? Yeah, Colin defines Ugly American. Meet Roslan. He's OUR counterpart. Does he even know what being professional means? You, sir, are a disgrace to Malaysians. Now, kindly get off my fucking TV. Thank you in advance. And buang je lah songkok hang tu. Ni haaa pantun dua kerat untuk hang: Pucuk Paku Ulam Pegaga, Sudahhh! Takde maknanye. Anyway back to the show. Jien mentioned that people have been talking that Dina and Jac would be the Final 2 Malaysian Idol contestants. And I was like... NOoooooo.. don't say it. He's gonna jinx them. It's like the kiss of death. I was laughing out loud when Andrew told the camera that Victor helped him with his dictions and stuff. And I was laughing even harder when Victor said (paraphrasing) "Eh, Andrew.. Hello. Are you serious, ME helping you with diction? I think I need more help in that than you". It's really good to know that these kids are able to laugh at themselves. The judges made their picks on who they thought would be leaving. He said the Chinese guys will be safe tonight. Yeah, why don't you grow a pair of balls and say it like you mean it, dick? Too scared? Trying to be politically correct? Newsflash for you : IT DIDN'T WORK. Gee said Victor and Nikki were vulnerable. Paul also said Victor and Nikki, and also included Zamil in the bottom three. The bottom three were announced : Zamil, Victor and Dina. Was I surprised to see Zamil and Victor at the bottom two? No. As much as I like Zamil, I honestly don't think he has improved at all since the beginning, and he is comforming to his stereotype. If he was the one voted out, I won't be crying him a river because basically, he would've dug his own grave. Victor, that was kind of expected, but I honestly would like to see someone else than him in the bottom two. At least he has some stage presence unlike some other Pak Pacak. Now, Dina. In the bottom three? Was I surprised? Yes. Did I wish it had been Nikki instead of her? No. Even though Nikki sounded a bit over the top (and slightly out of tune) in the recaps, I still stand by what I said. She sang beautifully in the lower registers during the live show. I honestly think she has the potential than most of the others left in the competition. Dina, I don't know what went wrong. Do you think people are quite sick of her trying to kiss Roslan's ass for offering her the recording contract? Perhaps, but that is besides the point. And frankly speaking, she could do SO much better. I did vote for her, as well as Jac, Nikki and Zamil. I don't get the reasoning why she's in the bottom three. Perhaps, most of us are still that shallow after all, going for looks instead of talents. Next week's theme will be Rock, and I bet Dina will be the one rocking the most. Whatever. Let them choose their Idol. See if I care. Man, I can't wait till Survivor:Vanuatu comes on in two weeks. Finally, something to REALLY look forward to on Friday nights. Izad - OVER and Out.  Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil 3 Comments:
Finally !! After trying beberapa kali to leave comment here on your blog... By Anonymous, at 2:12 AM
Hey JM
Akhir nya ..... Kini Pasti.... Finally, the comment section is fixed. Gonna hear more from me. By Anonymous, at 10:00 AM |
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Saturday, August 28, 2004 |
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Malaysian Idol - Final Eight | |
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(Sung to the tune of Over My Shoulder - Mike and the Mechanics) (note : this song is from the 90s, effing sue me) Looking back over my shoulder Nikki's banner was flashing with lights Songs from the eighties Were what they'd deliver I was ready to dance all night Looking back over the concert How I wished it wasn't that sad They killed the eighties Over and over How did the idols perform so bad? Being there with my friends and posse Armed with cameras and banners up high All the idols sang on stage before me Why did they did poorly, tell me why Looking back at the disaster I just shouldn't held my hopes high I was just hoping They'd give us better They don't know the eighties, just say goodbye  First of all, let me just say I had an orgasm when I got tickets to this week's concert (Thanks Joe! psst I got Marina's picture - even though she shooed me away like I was a creepy stalker.. heh - so do I get more tickets? You gotta keep up your end of the bargain, man. Ha!). I was lucky enough to get tickets for the last concert, and I got some again for this week. And oh boy, I was so extremely looking forward to this week's concert. It's the EIGHTIES!! MY kinda music. Unfortunately, I think I came a little too soon. The show was pretty much anti-climactic. In other words, I thought it sucked. Big time. Perhaps I had over-anticipated. Yeah, that MUST be it. But man, I didn't come out of the studio with the same kind of satisfaction that I had after walking out of last week's performance. *sigh* I'm not sure if the camera caught Rydee and Fahmy sitting in the audience. But we caught up with Rydee before the show started, and she was such a great sport (and SO HOT in person and up close).  By the way, that's one of my friends with Rydee. I was too busy stal.. I mean, chasing after Marina to get her picture. (That girl is camera shy, who'da thunk? ;) )  Yes, that's her on the left. ssts. Anyway, this week's theme, Songs From The Eighties. *sigh* Nikki - Against All Odds (Phil Collins) I was ready to criticize Nikki again after her.. mm.. not so impressive performance last week. But I was totally unprepared for this. She delivered the song beautifully! Honest to God, I thought she was magnificent, and I'm not just saying that because there was a huge Nikki flashing banner behind me. I have to disagree with the judges though. I thought she sounded brilliant for the low tones, even more so than when she hit the high notes. She sounded pure and.. well.. just beautiful. And for once, I think I will give a few votes to Nikki cause she totally deserves it. A 9. Saiful - Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini (Sudirman) Mm... hello? Saiful are you out there reading my comments? Just because I mentioned last week that I'd give anyone bonus points for singing Sudirman songs, doesn't mean that you should sing it every week. LOL. Anyhow, this is MY favourite Sudirman song ever. EVER!! However, as sweet as the song was, I didn't think it was Saiful's best performance. Roslan mentioned that he sang it just like Sudirman but I REALLY beg to differ. I mean, it's a shame. I think Shaiful's got a unique voice, but I think he's better suited for ethnic music (think Yassin, Sheqal etc) and not mainstream pop music. Sorry mate, you are the weakest link. A 6. Jac - I Feel For You (Chaka Khan) I was more than excited to see Jac get on stage. She looked magnificent, as usual. Her performance was very good, but yet, in the words of Randy Jackson "I'm not feeling it, dawg". I can't quite put my finger to what it was, but SOMEthing was missing. Maybe I was just expecting to get blown away like last week. But unfortunately it was just alright for me. An 8 and a half (Come on, it was still good) Victor - Widuri (Broery Marantika) Contrary to what most of you out there might say, but I think Victor really knows how to pick great songs. I already know he can sing Malay songs very well, so it came as no surprise for me. Performance wise, his was one of the better performances of the night, even though his pronounciation was a little bit terkucil here and there. Gee said it was dragging but I personally think it was less dragging than the original song. But whatever. It was a pleasant performance. A 7 and a half. Vick - Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) Again with the theatrics. But I gotta give props to him cause he knows that his 'fans' buy that. Well, to each his own, I guess. His performance reminded me of Adam's performance of Smooth Criminal from Akademi Fantasia. I don't think they're the kind of songs that will showcase that you've got a good.. okay, DECENT.. voice. And his comments something along the lines of "You shouldn't compare me to the original singer" sounded kind of hypocritical because wasn't he trying to imitate Michael Jackson throughout the performance? From the white glove to the "ooooh"s and "ssssst"s? I was just surprise he didn't do any crotch grabbing on stage. I thought it was a mistake on his part but that's just me. A 6 and a half. And Vick lovers, please direct all the hate mails to mailto:idontgiveaflyingtoot@yahoo.com?subject=This. (I'm not called Harsh Izad for nothing). Thanks. Dina - Janji Manismu (Aishah) I was getting really hyped up again when Dina came on stage. I was hoping she'd salvage the night. Well, she started off really really good. At one point, she sounded EXACTLY like Aishah. But one third into the song, I don't know. I was distracted. Just like Jac, I didn't know what it was. Probably because I was hoping so much more from her. And I don't know whether it's her style and she was just doing it on purpose, but I noticed that she split that single long note into two different notes. I remember her doing this same thing in the first Workshop as well. I don't know, it didn't jive well with me. But it was still a good performance. An 8. Andrew - Come On Babe (Air Supply) I'm going to keep this one brief. Just like the Idol himself, Andrew's performance was pleasant but borderlining on boring in most parts. A 6 and a half. Zamil - Just Once (James Ingram) For the first time ever, I was cursing to myself for a performance from Zamil, my pet favourite. I initially cursed when it was announced that he would sing this song. Sure it's a beautiful song, but man, can you for once, pick a song that won't put people to sleep. I was deeply deeply disappointed. ENOUGH WITH THE BALLADS, MAN!!!! I was even more frustrated midway through the song, because, well, as much as I'm rooting for him, he really didn't sing it that well. I was so hoping he would pick a fast number from the 80s. I think Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up would be a great choice for him with his deep voice. But the damage has been done. Roslan said that his father and all the Datins will vote for him (the joke is, btw, is getting old REAL fast), but if Zamil keeps this up, the Datins WILL be the only ones left voting for him. Please please please please please pick a fast number next week if you make it through. A 7. So that's the show this week. The best performance of the night, which surprised me to no end, belonged to Nikki! I was really impressed by her performance tonight. She didn't overdo her singing at all. I hope she will keep this up, and not go on a performance rollercoaster ride. The worst performance.. well I would give it a 5-way tie between Andrew, Shaiful, Zamil, Victor and Vick, but once I make my rankings (immediately after each performance), I stick to it.. so, it has to be Shaiful. As for who's going out - I think all the guys are seriously in trouble. For all I know, Zamil or Vick or Andrew might be the one to go. I don't care as long as the girls are safe this week. (but I do hope Zamil makes it to the next round). In summation, this week's 80s theme = wasted on them. Bring back Syima and her Careless Whispers any day, man. I should go to bed so that I would wake up in time for the movie preview and finish my magazine article tomorrow. Izad - Out.  (After the dreadful show, I was half expecting this blimp to go down on us like the Hindenburg) 0 Comments: |
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Wednesday, August 25, 2004 |
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Amazing Race - Episode Eight | |
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FINALLY! The previews really DID actually live up to its hype. Before I go on, I'd like to quote Antithesys for his comments. "Attention : Colin Use your brain for once in your life, and do not even consider coming anywhere the United States ever again. You know those two big buildings that used to be in New York? Some people from another part of the world knocked those buildings down, and killed a bunch of people. One of the reasons they did that is because they are tired of what they perceive as American arrogance and greed. You know when you watch the Olympics, and you see people in the audience booing the American team? Have you ever watched the news and seen people in other countries burning American flags and shouting "death to America"? One of the reasons that no one else in the world likes us is because of what they perceive as American arrogance and greed. So it stands to reason that when an American travels abroad, he might want to do whatever he can to impress the locals and improve their perceptions of what we are like. Now I want you to tell me how it helps not only your race plan, but the image of the United States, to bitch and moan to the point of criminal arrest over a fucking cab fare. Fifty or nothing, fifty or nothing. You think the cabbie gives a flying fuck about which charter flight you get on? He's never been on a plane in his life. All he cares about is feeding his family. Do you think that some corporation will comp him for that tire? What do you care. Something that wasn't his fault inconveniences you, so you have to take him to Tanzanian People's Court. Oh, and I guess it's not your fault you blew up at him either. It's Christie's fault. Because the whole time she was telling you to give up and give him the money because she wanted to WIN THE FUCKING RACE. It's better to just pass off your problems onto everyone else, isn't it? You're the scum of the earth, Colin. That girl of yours is a world-class bitch in her own right, but you're still not worthy of licking her toilet seat. I'm ashamed to live in the same century as you. Get the flying fuck out of my country and don't ever come back." Granted, I don't usually agree with Anti, but Amen, my brother. And just for the record, Colin, Malaysia doesn't want you either. I'm not going to rant again how much I loathe this scumbag. But seriously, what a dick. And what the hell was Christie apologizing for? These two were so made for each other. I won't take that crap from anyone. ANY one. And I have NO respect whatsoever for anyone who takes that kind of abuse, because these kind of people don't respect themselves. Sorry but I love and respect myself too much to be treated like shit. Urgh.. okay, anyway, back to the race. Personally, I loved it. The drama was so over the top, thanks to PsychoGuy. The race itself was fun and the teams mostly caught up with each other at the Route Markers, one of which was on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab. And can I just say.. oh WOW! Probably one of the greatest wonders of the modern world, the 7-star world class hotel is certainly a sight to behold.  It's a real shame that they only had to go up to the helipad and back down again, and did nothing in the Hotel itself. It would be so cool if they had some kind of roadblock or task within the Hotel, but CBS probably already spent their money on Rupert *rolleye*. The skydiving and dune buggy road blocks were totally awesome. I was not surprised to see the twins going for the skydive. I would've done the same thing. How can you pass a chance at that? I mean, come on! The camel ride using the GPS tracking device reminded me of the Final 3 challenge from The Mole 2 : Next Betrayal.  That way to Hell, Colin. The final pitstop was amazing! A genuine Bedouin Oasis in the middle of nowhere (well, just outside Dubai, actually, but still). The TeamFromHell came in first and won a trip to the Carribean (Haha.. Good Luck Carribean. You're gonna need it). Followed by Brandon and Nicole, and Chip and Kim (who are getting tenfolds of positive editing). The bowling mums were ecstatic when they ended up at fourth place. The poor twins came in last, but fortunately for them, it was a non-elimination round. UNfortunately, they had to be stripped of all their cash and start from scratch like the Moms previously.  Next week's episode should be good. The twins prancing around town trying to earn some cash. And Colin losing it yet again. He is so amusing. 0 Comments: |
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Sunday, August 22, 2004 |
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Malaysian Idol - Second Eliminations | |
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I was unable to go to the second 'elimination' Malaysian Idol show in Sri Pentas 2 tonight because of my running nose. I just hate hate hate hay fever. I can't even speak on the phone when I get it. Anyway, just like last week, two contestants were going to be eliminated in the show. From next week onwards, they will go out one by one. Only Paul and Roslan was there and the third judge (I find it pretty weird that Aleya keeps referring them as the jury) was nowhere to be seen. I actually did vote this time - a few votes down Zamil's way (because I still think he's the best male singer in the bunch) and some for Jac and Dina (do you still need justification for them?). Roslan predicted that Fahmy and Victor were going to be eliminated. Paul also predicted Fahmy , along with either Victor or Rydee, to leave the show time. The hosts announced the bottom three finalists. Rydee, Nikki and Fahmy. Was I susprised to see those three in the bottom? Rydee and Fahmy - Not so much. However, I was surprised to see Nikki in that group. I am definitely not a huge Nikki fan, but she definitely doesn't deserve to be in the bottom three. And also the fact that she got the highest vote from the Wildcard group. But, performance wise, I don't think Nikki is as consistent as Jac or Dina or Zamil. Or even Andrew or Vick. However, I am glad to see her safe this week. Poor Fahmy. He looked so nervous when Aleya and Jien was going to announce who was going to be in the bottom three between him and Shaiful. But was there any doubt he would be the one? I don't think so. To be fair, Fahmy has a good voice. I think he would do well in Akademi Fantasia (that's a compliment) but Malaysian Idol is just not his thing. Was I sad to see him go? No. He's a good singer but compared to the rest, he didn't really stand out. I wish him all the best (I think his school exams are coming up, right?) Rydee. Let's go back to my comments last week : "Rydee was announced that she was safe from elimination. Again, she is hanging by a thread, and if she's not careful, she WILL be eliminated next week." If she made it through into the Final 8, I would have to start calling her Catwoman. But unfortunately, I think she's used up all her 9 lives. From Popstars, to becoming the three special chosen ones to be in the Final 33, to being one of the wildcard contestants, to being the additional surprise wildcard winner. I really think she has made major song choices mistakes. She really missed her chance to showcase her sultry and husky voice, and I am kind of disappointed. Rydee had the looks and the voice to become a potential Top 4 contestant but bad song choices killed her. Her parting speech was kinda moving "I'm sorry y'all wasted your money on me". Damn, it made me wanna pat her on the head and give a brotherly hug "There, there Rydee. Everything's gonna be alright". I could've added "You did your best" but that would be lying. So, good luck Rydee. Hopefully we'll be able you again soon.  Next week's theme was revealed as The 80s! Oh my fricking hell. I LIVE FOR THE 80s. Even my Cabana Jukebox is inspired by songs from the 80s. Seriously, the clothes may be bad, but the songs rocked. I remember some of my Q&As throughout the splinterverse. If I could choose to go back in time, what era would that be. When others wished they could go back in time to meet famous figures (King Arthur, Cleopatra, Martin Luther King, Thomas Jefferson etc), I chose to go back to the 80s - purely for the music. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let next week's show be excellent. Izad - Out. 0 Comments: |
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Saturday, August 21, 2004 |
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Malaysian Idol - Final 10 | |
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(Sung to the tune of December 1963, Oh What a Night by The 4 Seasons) Oh what a night, Late on friday I was there to see All the Idols with their melodies Oh I remember what a night. Oh what a night I came in thinking that the show'd be lame But they all swiftly just put me to shame What a concert, what a night. Oh I, had some butterflies when Jac brought down the room And I, as I recall it ended much too soon Oh What a night, All the classics makes me reminisce If only every show would be like this Sweet sweet thinking, what a night Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit Oh what a night! Doo dit doo dit dit doo dit doo dit dit  Week #2 Theme : Blast From The Past So did I enjoy the show? Hell, yeah! I was lucky enough to get two tickets for tonight's showat Sri Pentas 2 in Shah Alam (and two more for the results show on Sunday). And to think I almost passed these tickets to someone else. I went to Shah Alam straight from work, and I left my camera at home, so unfortunately, no pictures from the concert this time. So what I do have are pictures of my ticket. LOL. Pretty sad, really. My friend and I went to get our tickets from Marina@bluehyppo (such a nice lady!) at about 8:30 pm, and the doors opened at about 9:00 pm. They were several groups of people there.. friends and families, contest winners, the press and media etc. Needless to say, the announcer called out the friends and families to get in first, and followed by the contest winners and special invites, and I tell you, not going to events like this as the media/press is such a welcome change! I could be as crazy as I want. LOL. But not as crazy as this mental person in the audience who cried "I LOVE YOU JAC! I LOVE YOU SUFIAH!" out loud. I hope I'll meet this person again on Sunday. And our seats were not bad at all! Jien and Aleya came on stage and welcomed everyone. They quickly reminded everyone of the general ground rules. No food. No drinks. No taking pictures with camera flashes. No handphones. And cheer like mad. (We actually did several rounds of cheer testings, by the way). I quickly spotted Sufiah, Rizal, Fadzly and Fariz. I could've sworn CaterpillarGuy was giving me dirty looks. I think he knew I was trashing him in my commentaries. LOL. Or perhaps I was just being paranoid. I was looking out to see if Syima was there, but there were no signs of her. Bummer. Other than that, Aleya's and Jien's mom were also in the audience. For those of you who don't already know, Aleya's mom was one of the teachers from Akademi Fantasia last year (I forgot her name). Oooh, and there was also a pretty cool blimp flying around in the studio. Okay, on to the show! My individual commentaries on them may change later. People say what you hear live in the audience may not sound as good as what people hear on the television. So I might change my judgement upon watching it for the repeat on Sunday. (I also noticed there was a 3-second delay from the live to the broadcasted show. Hmm I wonder if this has anything to do with Janet's Boobiegate incident *snicker*)  Andrew - Come Fly With Me (Frank Sinatra) I thought he started off wonderfully. I loved it. But somewhere along the way, and especially towards the end, he seemed to have faltered a bit. I think he still needs to work on his stage presence. Still seems a little kaku for me. Lack of self confidence? Maybe. But it was a good performance. A 6 and a half Zamil - Suratan Atau Kebetulan (Kenny Remy Martin) Man, I LOVE THIS SONG. And to have favourite male Idol sing it was quite the treat for me. As usual, Zamil delivered his finest. I always look forward to his performances and he never fails me. I'd probably buy his album, and I probably won't even care if someone calls me a Makcik. An 8. Jac - When I Fall In Love (Nat King Cole) I think most of us are familiar with the version sung by Celine Dion and Clive Griffin (Clive Griffin.. what a VOICE, eh?? one of the most underrated singers around), but Jac. Wow. She blew me (and the rest of the audience) away! I mean, really. Jac gets better and better every fricking show. Case closed. A 9 and a half. Fahmy - Rindu Bayangan (Carefree) *sigh* I want to give this guy the benefit if the doubt, but please please if you get through to the next round, PLEASE sing an English song. He sounds decent. But, nothing exceptional in my opinion. A 6. Nikki - I Want You Back (Jackson Five) Oh man. Again, another song that I JUST LOVE! I was so jigging at my seat throughout Nikki's performance. It was fun and this truly is a catchy song. Yet, another brave and bold attempt by Nikki. But vocalwise, I was kind of disappointed a little. I was ready to love this girl after last week's performance, but man, she could've done so much better vocally. And what's with Roslan's comments? Don't dance, just sing? Pardon my French, but WTF? If I was Nikki, I'd probably give him the finger. Bravo Nikki, for having so much class than me. A 7. Dina - Jelingan Manja (Saloma) If Adam was given this song to sing, would he cry (again?) LOL. Anyway, I love love LOVE this song ever since Nija sang it in Akademi Fantasia last year. And Dina? I never thought I'd give someone the same rank as Jac, but girl, you SO deserve it. YEAH JB PEOPLE RAWK, MAN!!! Finally some real competition for Jac. Now I already know who I want to be in the Final Two. A 9 and a half. Victor - Put Your Head On My Shoulder (Paul Anka) Victor's performance was kinda forgettable, but I do remember that he sounds much much better this week than the last. I guess it was pretty good since I don't recall making too many negative mental thoughts while watching the performance. A 7. Rydee - I Will Survive (Gloria Gayner) Oooooh DISCO! Luuuuuurve it. The only other song that made me get into the groove (the other being Nikki's I Want You Back). I know it sounds campy but I couldn't help enjoying myself. LOL. The song seemed appropriate for her. She survived quite a number of eliminations. But will she survive the next one. Maybe. She has a lot of fans out there, and I like Rydee, but I gotta be honest. I thought her performance was just average and the end was borderlining on plain horrid. Maybe she's trying too much? Trying to prove to everyone that she can sing different songs? Different genres? But what good is that if they dont come out sounding too good? She should pick a song that's suited to her husky sultry voice. I hope she makes it to the next round and showcase her real talent. A 6 and a half. Saiful - Terasing (Sudirman) Okay, he gets bonus points for singing a Sudirman song. Anyone who sings a Sudirman song will get bonus points from me. Don't you just love Sudirman songs? Okay, enough already. (but I just love Sudirman). *sigh* again, Saiful, I was really hoping he'd choose an English song this time, but oh well. He sounded quite decent, definitely not as bad as last week. It just occured to me that his voice has this one kind of tone. Very Casey-like. Anyway, his performance was just alright for me. A 6. Vick - Salam Terakhir (Sudirman) Ooooh.. bonus points bonus points! LOL. I love Sudirman. Oh, anyway, Vick really shined tonight. I was ready to doubt this guy when he came on stage with his interesting choice of clothing (read: tacky), the Baju Melayu. But wow. I loved his performance. I hope he'll continue to give us wonderful performances like this one. But with less theatrics. Please. An 8. Overall, it was a much much better concert than the first week. So bravo to all of the finalists for finally giving me something exciting to write about. My lowest rankings for this week goes to Fahmy and Shaiful. They are good singers, but compared to the rest, well.. someone needs to be at the bottom. Performance of the night CLEARFUCKINGLY belongs to Jac and Dina. I was SO not ready for such powerful performances. Please please please keep it up. Izad - Out 
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Wednesday, August 18, 2004 |
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Amazing Race - Episode Seven | |
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This is perhaps one of the most riveting episodes this season, even though half of the episode is spent only on scenes in airports. The teams started where they left of in Luxor (Thebes), Egypt. They were to fly to Nairobi, Kenya where they will be flown into their next secret destination using charter flights. The preview from last week didn't live up to its hype. I was actually hoping to see more from Mirna/Charla and Christie/Colin besides them just calling each other bitches. It was all rather comical and plain ridiculous actually. And not only was Christie blocking Mirna and Charla from entering the airport, she was also preventing other people from using the exit. Hell, if I was there, I'd be telling her to quit being a fire hazard, bitch. Tsk tsk. Anyway, an interesting group dynamics soon started to form. Christie/Colin - Brandon/Nicole - Chip/Kim - Kami/Karli formed a separate group, leaving Charla/Mirna and Linda/Karen forming their own alliance. It puzzled me to see the twins teaming up with their previous arch enemies, but some of their comments made me wonder if they are the ones who's playing Colin and Christie. Kim : "Maybe they'll (Colin/Christie - Mirna/Charla) knock themselves out of the game" Karli (to the other two teams) : "Colin's an idiot. That has got to be the worst decision we've made" Colin and Christie are now painted to be the bad guys. And you know what that means. Yup, they'll probably end up in the Final Three. *gag* Speaking of Colin, am I just imagining things or does he really have that serial killer look? That intense, brooding look. That cold empty stare he gave to the camera while he was in Gulf Air's office creeped me out. And so did his smirk in the airplane. That's some scary shit.  Anyway, they finally got flown into Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (BRA-FUCKING-VO SPOILERS!! Excellent work!). The first two teams paid $5 for their bus fair. The last two teams paid $3. Kami/Karli - Brandon/Nicole originally wanted to pay $40 (!) and I think they ended up paying $100 because they chartered the whole bus. I thought the entire scene was disturbing. I don't usually side with the 'tourists' but I felt the two teams were tricked/cheated by the local guy to pay the $100 fare. The bus local person was such a dick when he prevented the teams from getting off the bus, and ushered the driver to start moving. It's like, "Oooops, too late, now you gotta pay". The twins showed some guts when they tried to be stern about not wanting to pay the $100. And kudos to them for just paying the sneaky bastard the money and walked away when they got down the bus.  Nicole, however, did a really stupid thing. She actually threw down the $10 to the ground in disgust. Brandon was smart enough to take the money and pass it over to the guy. You NEVER EVER piss off a local, even when they're in the wrong - if you value your life that is. In this case, both the tourists and the locals were wrong, but you have to weigh in your options. The situation could possibly be life threatening. You don't know what they can do to you. You think they care that there's a couple of cameramen following you around? Think again. Stupid stupid fool. Let them be rude to you, you don't have to stoop down to their level. And shame on the bus person. It's people like that who give a bad name to the country's reputation (don't worry, we probably have our fair share of those kind of locals here too).  The furniture challenge was forgettable. The road block with the ostrich egg looked like fun. Colin.. LOL .. what a wuss. He bitched when Christie had problems downing the caviar a few weeks ago, and now it was his turn to face the music. He can't even seem to handle his TELUR. People with sensitive gag reflex should not get on this show. As expected, Chip gulped down his giant omelette in no time, and was the first to arrive at the pit stop after a very scenic flying fox challenge. Colin and Christie ended up second, with the bowling Moms at third place (YAY!!!). Brandon and Nicole finished fourth and the twins ended up with fifth place.  Charla and Mirna was the last one to arrive. Hoping it was a non-elimination leg, Phil sadly told them they were eliminated. Charla gave a very nice and heartfelt speech at the end. It made Phil all teary eyed and choked up. You can almost tell it was an honest speech from the heart, and she was not trying to gain sympathy. (I'm kinda glad Mirna had no last words.. but she did manage to get that last hug from Phil). Bravo Charla and Mirna. You didn't win the race, but I'm glad you brought kind of excitement and drama into the game. Next week will probably be a non-elimination leg, but I'm so looking forward towards it, cause it seemed like someone is going to be thrown in jail. Hehehe... 0 Comments: |
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Tuesday, August 17, 2004 |
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Meet The Survivors! | |
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They're back. But this time they have two additional castaways making a total of eighteen on two different tribes. But that's not all the early twist you're gonna get. According to previews they will be pit between the men and the women. Is this going to be a mock twist ala Thailand? Or is it going to be semi-permanent ala Amazon? Or will they stay on two separate tribes until the merge? Will there be a merge?With Mark Burnett, you can never really tell.   Ami Cusack is a 31 year old Barista from Colorado. I have early Kathy vibes on her. It's early to tell but I'd say she make it to the merge. And I do believe we have our first out and proud lesbian on the show. You go girl! Next stop, David "Brady" Finta. A 33 year old FBI agent. Oh my. One of the token studs this time around and one to look out for. But if he's not careful, he's gonna get Hunter-ed. Brook Geraghty is a 27 year old Project Manager from Boston. Already a favourite of Boston Rawb, I am getting a good vibe from him. If he can keep it cool, he will make it post merge. A Final Four maybe.    Chad Crittenden is a 35 year old teacher from California. And he is Survivor's very first amputee!! I will officially be rooting for him (I'm such a sucker for underdogs) but my gut says he might be gone around the merger. Chris Daugherty works in highway construcion. He looks pretty intimadating, but he might be a gentle giant. Probably post merge. Dolly Neely is a 25 year old Sheep Farmer. LOL No kidding. I'm sorry, but with a name like Dolly, and a spitting image of Britney, she somehow reminds me of a blow up sheep that people.. well ya know. Anyway, I don't think she's gonna make it past the merge.    Eliza Orlins is a 21 year old pre-Law student. She is already pissing me off with her remarks "They're gonna think I'm a physically attractive girl.. blabla". Well you don't have to say it out loud, not even in a confessional. Heidi redux. Pre-merge. Please. (but she does look cute though). John Kenney is a 22 year old model. He looks kinda slimey in the pictures but he's kinda alright in the videos. I hope he's not gonna be another Ryan from the Amazon. It's hard to tell but I'm guessing he might not make it to the merge. John Paylok is a 31 year old Sales Manager from LA. It's hard to get a read on him, but my gut tells me he might be the arrogant type.    Julie Berry is a 23 year old Youth Mentor, and she is currently one of my favourite pre-show contestant. Lea Sarge Masters is a 40 year old drill sargeant. And he needs to get off my screen PRONTO! Have you seen his video yet? He's like Frank (who I actually liked) but a hundred times worse. My guess (or wish) is that he would be the first guy to be voted off the island. Leann Slaby is a 35 year old research assistant. Not much of a reading on her. She could cruise her way past the merge.    Lisa Keiffer is a 41 year old Ral Estate Agents from New Orleans. Make that, N'Awlins. She is my favourite pre-show pick. A mother of six and a born-again Christian, I hope she won't be one of those Bible-thumping contestants *cough*VeeeJoanna*cough*. But I like her. A possible Final Four contender. Mia Galeotalanza is a 30 year old Finance Manager. She reminds me of Alice from the L word, and she's gonna be one shit-stirrer. I usually like outspoken shit stirrers *cough*SHIIDEVILSANDRA*cough* but I sense something weird about Mia. Possibly gone pre merge. Rory Freeman is a 35 year old manager. The only African American contestant this season, he seems pretty laidback in the previews. Post merge.    Scout Cloud Lee is a 59 year old Rancher (though she looks much older than that). Cloud looks like she stepped out from the hippy 70s. If she doesn't attract too much attention in the early rounds, she will certainly go very far in this game. Travis Sampson is a 33 year old from Tennessee. I suppose he's the colourful redneck that Jiffy's been talking about. As long as he's not a bigot like Tom (or my housemate), then I'm fine with him. He could go either pre or post merge. Twila Tanner is a 41 year old highway repairwoman. With that cowboy hat, she looks like an older version of Jerri Manthey. She's one to speak her mind, and just like Patricia, I think she'll be gone before the merge. 0 Comments: |
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Monday, August 16, 2004 |
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Got the Survivor Fever? | |||||||||||||||||||
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 Borrowing the tag from Akademi Fantasia, I sure got the fever alright. Survivor fever, baby! Wow. I cannot believe the months of waiting is finally over (thanks to Summer Spoofs which has kept me occupied in the mean time). This is going to be a very brief commentary. The cast names have been 'released' by Snewser.. and the first surprise of the season : 18 contestants with 9 on each team. Before some of you start crying foul, by MY definition, this does not constitute as a spoiler. A spoiler would be telling you who the Final Four contestants are. Below are the names of the contestants and their possible teams. So, gender imbalance, this time huh? I'm sure that will ruffle a lot of feather among die-hard fans, about how unfair that would be. But to me, Survivor is about unpredictability and how well you adapt to the situation that you're thrown into. That's why Survivor is almost different every season. It mirrors real life. You want to Survive, you adapt. ADAPTABILITY is the keyword. Team One : (pic to come later)
Team Two : (pic to come later)
 I will come up with their bios and first impressions once I get more info on them. But be warned, once I start, there's no stopping me. And those who don't know where I stand on Rupert, let me clarify here and now. I was the one who stood up and cheered at BSC when he got his ass booted out. I loathe that guy. I hate him with a passion. 0 Comments: |
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Sunday, August 15, 2004 |
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Malaysian Idol - First Eliminations | |
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The first 'elimination' Malaysian Idol show went by rather quickly. Nothing sensational. Aleya and Jien did a quick recap and had some light chats with the contestants. The judges were also there for the show. Some viewers still had no idea that two contestants were going to be eliminated instead of just one (next week, the number will be TWO also). Initially, I didn't feel like voting for this first round - just wanted to see if Malaysians were smart enough to keep the good ones in and throw out the really bad ones. But in the end, I gave a few votes for Zamil, cause frankly speaking, I was worried about him. He's not as popular as Vick or Andrew, but in my opinion, Zamil's got the best vocals among all the guys in the Final 12. The hosts announced the bottom three finalists. Fadzly, Sufiah and Rydee. Was I susprised to see those three in the bottom? Not really (though I was really expecting Victor to be in that group). Rydee was announced that she was safe from elimination. Again, she is hanging by a thread, and if she's not careful, she WILL be eliminated next week. I hope she bucks up soon. Fadzly Fadzly Fadzly.. can he look MORE pissed? But I don't blame him. To be fair, Fadzly's got a decent voice. He sung pretty well in his previous performances. But he made a really really bad song choice for the first show. I don't know whether he really can't sing English songs that well, or it whether it was the horrid robot movements that did him in. Was I sad to see him go? No. But at least his farewell speech had some class. He's been on the circuit for a few years, and he probably knows that he doesn't need Malaysian Idol to do what he likes doing in the future. Sufiah. I was not surprised at all to see her go. Seriously. The reason? Well, she hasn't got that much fans in the first place. She failed to make it to the Top 2 in the first workshop. Then failed to make it to the Top 2 in the Wildcard Show. She only got into the Finals because the judges picked her. And I still think it was a mistake that she reiterated that point in the last show. The judges are only 3 people, she should've been more humble and try to get the favour of 3 million viewers. It's a shame. It's a pity. The judges must be very disappointed, as I am. Sufiah has a terrific voice. But evidently, this is a popularity contest and her voice was just not enough for millions of transparent viewers out there. Was I sad to see her go? Yes, but only because she quit her full time job for this. She hasn't got the oomph factor to be a Malaysian Idol, but I do wish her well in her future endeavours. Next week's theme was revealed as Blast From The Past. I can't wait to hear some more bad song choices this Friday. Izad - Out. 0 Comments: |
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Akademi Fantasia - Final Concert | |
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I remember last year when Aznil ended the Final AF concert by adking the audience "What would your weekend nights be without Akademi Fantasia". I'm not surprised he used the exact same sentence again this time. You can literally feel the fever, and I'm sure many people will feel the empty gap in their Saturday nights to come. But as for me, as long as 8tv is still booking the midnight slot for Kyan, Jai, Carson, Thom and Ted, I still won't be able to go out and catch the midnight shows in the cinemas. But yeah, it will be bloody surreal next week when I tune in to Astro Ria and not see the familiar faces of the AF kids.  Adam - Ooh La La and Haruskah Seriously Adam, the bandangan thingy is just getting old, and I was rolling when Aznil casually took a shot at him by saying that old people probably use it to wipe their noses. As for his performance, it was nothing to write home about. He seemed happy that he got the KRU song, but again, it looked as if he enjoyed dancing more than he did singing. He started off the second song (which was written by Ajai) quite promising, but he quickly went back to Adam-mode. I was snickering silently to myself when he foolishly stood quietly while prompting the audience to join him in the chorus. It was a new song, for crying out loud. What was he thinking. I mean, seriously. I may sound harsh, but that's the reality of it. He was the weakest of the bunch tonight. Zahid - Biarkan Bulan Bicara and Milikku Zahid started off weak for his first song, but he picked it up near towards the end. I was actually disappointed with his first performance. It was an average performance compared to his previous ones. The second song (written by Ruffedge) was a different performance altogether. He was in his element and it showed. He was doing the rapping, the singing and all the stuff at the same time. If that were sung by Ruffedge, that probably would've been done by several different people at the same time. But Zahid pulled it off all by himself, so he gets my respect for his efforts. Not the best from this Kg Baru kid, but that'll do. I think he also coined a new cool term : "PENGAFUNDI" - people who voted. And the foghorns coming from the audience was just teriffic. Linda - Aku Cinta Kamu and Only You Linda only had a few days to prepare for her first song which was a new song written by Ajai and Nurul (the others had like 5 days to practise their new songs, but she had.. what.. two or three days?). Her first performance was just alright, in my opinion, but I thought her dialogue in the middle of the song was a rather nice touch. Her second song, which was sung in Spanish, was quite good, though nobody would've known if she stumbled on the song cause I'm assuming not that many viewers speak Spanish. She looked lovely in that hot red dress and red flower in her hair, just like a Spanish senorita (kinda reminds me of Madonna in the La Isla Bonita video). However, I noticed that the audience's response to her was not that great.. it was lacklustre, actually. As much as I love Linda, I was secretly hoping she's not going to win, because God knows, a lot of people have already been accusing her of some terrible shits because she was brought back into the show last week. Get a life, whiners. She was voted in by the viewers. Deal with it. Bob - Gadis Sarawak and Cinta Seorang Teman Bob's introduction in the first song was pure sweetness. I was totally captivated for a few seconds. But he lost me somewhere in the middle of the song. And I think he forgot some of the lyrics but he covered it pretty well. However, his second song. Y.O.W.Z.A.!. I was absolutely, totally mesmerized and that's not an exagerration. For the first time, I was finally able to fully appreciate Bob's voice. It's beautiful. No, exquisite, more like it. And I loved the song. Adnan Abu Hassan is a genius for composing that song for Bob. Easily the performance of the night. Hands down. Bob is not getting much credit as he deserved. But the ugly facts remain that most viewers still choose voice over talent. It's a real shame. I'm not saying the others are not good. I'm just saying that they're not the only ones that are good. Farah - Tangisan Dalam Kerinduan and Sk8er Boi As at the time of writing this, I have actually forgotten Farah's first performance. All that I could remember was that vocally, it was better than Linda's first performance, but some of the part using her lower register were barely audible. The short little segment of her finally meeting Johnny were unbelievably bittersweet. You could honestly tell from her expressions that she really was happy to finally see Johnny. It shows and I don't believe there was an iota of fakeness. I love robot love affairs that ends happily. Anyway, her choice of singing Avril's song was a very bold one, but it was really enjoyable. It was good and I loved it. Farah has actually supercede my expectations of her tonight. Kaer - Sway and Kembali Bersama Awww.. who wouldn't want to bring this guy home to meet the parents? So clean cut, so sweet, so polite, so perfect. But I ain't buying any of that. I hate to trash him cause I do believe that he's a good kid, but his performance was so.. bleh, ya know? His first performance was a real awkward one. I don't think I've ever seen a Jazz singer throw themselves on a couch in the middle of a performance. No, not even female ones, and that bothered me to no end. (Dude, only Madonna managed to pull that off in the 1990 MTV Movie Awards show). And while we're at it, Michael Buble is pronounced Boo-blay.. not Bubble. But I blame the teachers for not pointing that out to him. Sheesh! His second performance was good, but not good enough that I remembered to take notes about it. All I remembered was that he closed the song quite well.  Was anyone out there at all surprised to see Zahid crowned as a winner? I thought not. He's a really versatile singer, with a nice personality to match. Overrated? I don't think so. I knew Linda was going to give Zahid a run for his money and I'm glad she became the runner up. Another well deserved placing (despite her being brought back into the academy after being booted out). Could I ask for a better first and second place? The answer is no. I do, however, have major issues with Adam getting the thrid place, but what's done is done, so congratulations to you too Adam. I have to give special mention to Farah. I think she's one of the singers who have continually shown gradual improvements for the past few weeks (the rest have either been constantly good, constantly bad, or constantly forgettable). And she has hung on the second last place for an eternity, but yet she still survived till the Final concert based on her merits. Kudos, girl. As for Bob, don't worry kid. You're going to make your presence felt in the local music industry. I'm sure of it. So that's all for this year folks. Will there be a third edition of Akademi Fantasia next year? Well, Astro will be out of their minds if they decided not to have another installment of this hugely popular tv show in the country. I don't think there has ever been a local show that is successful with this kind of magnitude. And I loved Aznil's summary of "The Magic of Akademi Fantasia" because, let's face it, the show IS magical. Congratulations Astro, Zahid, the entire AF2 students, the teachers and all who's involved with the show. Thank you for a magical summer.  0 Comments: |
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Saturday, August 14, 2004 |
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Malaysian Idol - Final 12 | |
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Okay, so I'm not sure which was worse. Having to sit throught the first half of the show, or having to sit through the show with my racist housemate who breaks into his own terrible renditions after each song and gives his 'expert' commentaries. This is from a guy who pronounces Idol as 'eee-dole'. Urgh.. it's unbeliveable the shits I've to put up with some times. Anyway, on to the show! Week #1 Theme : Pop Idol Shaiful - Seribu Impian (KC) I liked Shaiful from his performance in the second workshop. The short introduction clip had me worried (the Pretty Boy sing in the background was very tongue-in-cheek. I loved it). He's been shown singing the same Yassin song all the way from his audition, to the theatre eliminations, to the workshop performance. I started to wonder if he's a one-trick pony. Even though he chose another Malay song to sing, I thought this might be a good song choice for him... at first. Unfortunately, his performance was really bad. Paul seemed as though he was holding back tears, cause I know he had high hopes for Shaiful (as did I). And I didn't like the fact that he blamed his performance because he was having health issues. He shouldn't have done that. A 4.   Sufiah - Didn't We Almost Have It All (Whitney) Sufiah's introduction clip was equally disturbing for me. She went on and on about how the JUDGES picked HER to advance. HER! Okay, so we get it. She's a good singer and the judges acknowledge that. But she seems to be forgetting that the Malaysian viewers will be voting, and she should know by now, the mindset of these people. Humble, yes. Cocky, no. I know, I don't agree, but the fact is, the in-yo-face attitude ain't gonna work here, sweetie. Performance wise, I was really disappointed with her. What happened to the Sufiah I knew from the first workshop? I was expecting perfection from her tonight but she failed to impress me. And I was surprised she fumbled with some of her dictions as well. I hope she makes it to the next round and give us a better performance. As for this week, a 6. Victor - If I Let You Go (Westlife) Victor wowed me in his audition and theater elimination rounds. But I wasn't at all impressed with Victor's performance in the workshop. Did his performance tonight change my mind? That would be a big fat NO. I agree with Paul regarding the fact that this song suited him for his targeted audience. Vocal-wise, he was just ridiculous. His performance reminds me of Alexander's performance in World Idol. Embarassing. What's even more embarassing? My housemate breaking into the song right after the performance. I wish he would just keel over and pass out for the next couple of hours or so. My housemate, not Victor. I'd give his performance a 4.   Rydee - I'm Like A Bird (Nelly Furtado) A short recap of Rydee's journey into the Malaysian Idol finals. She was NOT originally chosen for the Final 30. She was NOT originally chosen for the Final 9. She was NOT originally chosen for the Wildcard show. They say three times a charm, but is it true? I like everything about Rydee. Her unique voice, her appearance, her fun attitude. I don't agree with Paul because I think this was an excellent song choice for Rydee. UNfortunately, the deliverance was nasty. I don't know what happened. Major disappointment for me. Hope she'll make it through and make better improvements, but for tonight, I'm giving her a 5. Fazly - This Love (Maroon 5) A friend of mine in New York introduced me to this song way before Harder To Breath hit our Malaysian shores, and it quickly became a favourite of mine. I was ecstatic when Maroon 5 actually released this song as a single earlier this year, and it officially became my favourite song of 2004. Well, not anymore. Fazly totally killed it. Poor dictions, out of breath, forgotten the lyrics, weird writhing robot dance movements (that went out in the 1980s by the way). I was almost physically sick trying to endure the entire performance (I was surprised that Roslan echoed my exact same sentiments). Fazly's introduction clip started off with an interesting quote: "Success begins with sufferings". If that is the case, then should I expect a huge success soon? Cause God knows I have suffered enough from watching the bad bad bad performances so far. Another 4.   Andrew - Angels (Robbie Williams) And then comes Andrew. And what an appropriate song. I wasn't expecting much from him. His melancholic performance of a Robbie Williams song that I hate, is not a far departure from his previous performances. His voice is very pleasant to hear. If I may so, I'd say Andrew is the male version of Yin. They have beautiful soothing voices. However, Andrew looked kinda stiff on stage. If he eases up a bit, I'm pretty sure he'll have a larger fan base soon. A 7 and a thank you for finally giving the viewers something decent to listen to for the night. Jac - Keliru (Ruth Sahanaya) Was Gee asking an honest question when she asked Jac why she picked a Malay song? She said because many people think she cannot sing Malay songs (Personally, I loved her Sinaran performance) Her answer was honest and I really hope it hits home with viewers who still think that Jac is a Fantasia-clone. Bravo Jac. I loved it. My guess is Jac takes home the Malaysian Idol title, and the competition is now a race to find who takes up the 2nd and 3rd place. You go, girl! An 8 and a half.   Zamil - Januari (Glenn Fredly) Didn't Fahmy sing this song a while back? Urghh.. 8tv/Fremantle must've not been working hard at increasing the titles in their available song list. Shame on you. But... whoa. I like like like Zamil's rendition. He gave a strong performance. They were no visible and audible strains. This guy knows how to control his voice. I can't wait to see him pick up a fast catchy number soon to see how versatile he is. But as for tonight, I am so very proud of him. Go Bobot Jr! A 7 and a half. Dina - When You Believe (Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey) You know when I said that he competition is now about finding who deserves second and third place? Well. I take it back. It seems like Jac does have some competition after all. Though she may not be as good as Jac, I was really impressed with Dina's performance. Forget Paul's comments about choosing songs sung by Whitney because you're never gonna be good at it. It ain't easy singing a Whitney song, but Dina pulled it off. Even if she did sound like she's totally imitating Whitney (as per what Paul said), the fact is she pulled it off. And it was a really good performance. Homegirl makes me proud tonight. An 8 and a half.   Vick - Walking Away (Craig David) I was nervous about the prospect of having another contestant killing yet another favourite song of mine. I am not a big fan of Vick's. I don't know. He rubs me the wrong way. But fortunately, he did the song justice. His vocals were good and his improvisations on the song was minimal and not over the top. It was a safe, feel good performance. A 7. Nikki - Crazy In Love (Beyonce) Okay, I'm ready to eat my words again. Nikki rocks. I used to think Nikki was highly overrated. But she has proved me wrong with her fun performance tonight. I am willing to overlook the rapping parts (which were kinda pathetic) because I was looking something different from her. And she delivered! Gone was the ice queen exterior, and we get to see a more fun and outgoing gal, and with a decent voice to boot. The song did not showcase her singing capabilities that well, but for the parts that she did (I WAS looking out for these parts) it was quite good. Well done Nikki. An 8.   Fahmy - Sonata Musim Salju (Hazami) Another pretty boy. But this one's probably got a scandal going on with the show's host (I'm not saying which one. Haha). His performance tonight was just above average to me. It really was kinda meh. I think the highlight of his segment was when Aleya scolded the judges by saying "Don't hurt the poor boy". One thing that bothers me though, we still haven't seen this guy singing an English song. He can't even answer the judge's question in English. Some things need to change if you want to stay in the competition, dude. A 6 and a half. So that's it. The first (proper) Malaysian Idol concert. It was below expectation, but I'm not terribly disappointed. Based on the performances tonight, I already know half of them don't deserve to be in the Finals, but what are you gonna do eh? My top performances of the night belongs to Jac, followed by Dina and Nikki. The two worst performances probably belong to Victor and Shaiful. But you can never tell how the public is going to vote. Well, actually you could, so those two will probably be safe. I don't even know if I'm going to vote this week. It will be fun to see how the votes will come in. That will set the course for the rest of the season. Well, I'm totally spent. Izad - Out. 0 Comments: |
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Wednesday, August 11, 2004 |
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Amazing Race - Episode Six | |
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Glorious, glorious Egypt. I missed the last episode on Wednesday but I managed to catch the rerun on Sunday morning (I can't believe I was already up at 10 am on a Sunday morning). The bowling moms came in last but fortunately it was a non-elimination round. However, the new twist was that they were stripped off all their money and would be given no cash for the next leg of the race. Stranded in one of the poorest countries, how will they ever survive. The answer, of course, was from tourists. I had a laugh when Linda said "This is the motherlode" when a tour bus reached them. Reminds me of a similar incident a friend told me that happened in Puduraya. Anyway, as the other teams left the Sphinx (last round's Pit Stop) for the Great Pyramid and then to the airport (headed for Luxor), the bowling mos had to work overtime using their charm and, err.. fruits, to get some cash to go on in the race. And did actually came up with enough cash to grab a taxi to bring them to the airport (where all the teams were, including Colin and Christie who was so royally pissed that they lost their 7 hour lead). Talking about Cocky and Christie, the rather nasty taxi incident with Charla and Mirna is getting to be so boring. It happens in every season, don't the editors have other interesting footage to air? Anyway, trying to steal the taxi was not cool in my books, but at least Charla and Mirna actually got out of the cab. Charla is still alright with me, but Mirna is getting on my nerves. While she was whining "I'm going to die. I'm going to die", I was just thinking why can't she just die a silent death and make us all happy? Kim and Chimp are getting more positive editing. I'm starting to feel neutral to them again. They seemed like they are finally having fun doing this (laughing at themselves over the Arabic clues, cruising on the Nile etc). They're alright. Brandon and Nicole still doesn't register squat on my fun-o-meter. Brandon and Nicole, and Cocky and Christie has GOT to be the most boring young couple ever. I guess the two interesting young couples got eliminated too early in the game. The Ditzy twins. Man, I don't know. What's going on with them? They don't seem to be thinking clearly. Why Kimi and Karli? WHY? They showed so much spunk and sassiness early on in the game. They were all bitchy and aggressive and shits. Now they are just.. meh, ya know? I hope they'll pick up their pace back again. At least they made it to Number Three this round. Ha! I knew Team Pizzathetic would be the next one eliminated. It is kinda pathetic because they (read: Lance) gave up. They (read: Lance) quit. Osten much? I'm not even gonna bother to do a post mortem on them. So I'll close with some of the memorable quotes (and there were many) from this episode.  "I want to have kids!" - Brandon while having a very bumpy ride on the donkey (reminds me of Marquesas' Sean's "My balls! My BALLS!" "This one is the bad one" - Charla while pointing to a particularly menacing goat in the boat (when she really should've pointed her finger to Mirna) "Is that a piece of poop.. dried? Ewww" - Karli/Kami while doing the archeological dig for the scarab. Oh and how STUPID are all these folks anyway, not knowing what a scarab is? I mean, come on!!! and, this one is from next week, but it's in the preview this week, so it counts: "Bitch, move OUT of my way" - Mirna while going past thru Christie who's foolishly trying to block the doorway using her matchstick-like body frame. 0 Comments: |
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Sunday, August 08, 2004 |
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Malaysian Idol & Akademi Fantasia Wildcard Results | |
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Do you think it was a coincidence that both Malaysian Idol and Akademi Fantasia had their wildcard results on the same night? Do you think it was a coincedence that Malaysian Idol too had its own surprise by allowing a third wildcard contestant to enter the Finals? Well, do ya punk? I thought not. I'm just surprised that the didn't air both the result shows at the same time tonight. The results for Akademi Fantasia were not unexpected. Votes were open for 22 hours. Linda started off strong, collecting 55% of the votes immediately after the announcement was made last night. With 30 minutes left into the show Linda's percentage was down to 40+ and Zarina was hot behind her heels at 33%. But Linda didn't need to worry. Even Zarina looked as though she knew that she won't be the one who's going to advance. I'm very happy that Linda made it through. Very very happy. Even if she doesn't get in the Top 3 in the Finals, I know she will at least give us a memorable performance next week. Congratulations Linda! As for the Malaysian Idol, originally, there were only going to be two contestants advancing to the Final Stage. The first was to be picked by the judges and the second was to be chosen by the voters. Sufiah was announced as the judges' pick. I was quite surprised because her performance didn't exactly blow me away from the last round. However, I'm glad she made it through because I liked her from the first round and she has got lots of potential. When Sufiah was announced as the judges' pick, I already knew Nikki was going to be the other one who will advance. I wasn't quite happy with it but I'm not going to be all bitter about it. She can sing well, but seriously, her wildcard performance was absolutely abysmal. I hope she will prove me wrong in the Final rounds. And probably the best moment of the night was when the judges announced the twist of allowing a third person to advance along with the other two. I was very very happy (not extremely - that would only happen if Syima was the one. Girl, you will be missed) that Rydee was the one picked. I really like Rydee. I'm gonna say that she will at least end up in the Final Four. So, congratulations to Linda, Sufiah, Nikki and Rydee. Looking forward to your performances in the coming weeks. Izad - Out 0 Comments: |
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Akademi Fantasia - Final 6 | |
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I am beginning to have lots of respect for the Akademi Fantasia producers. They are introducing lots of twists, turns and kezutans to add spice to the show. The twists, in my opinion, are almost Survivor-worthy. This was the penultimate show before the concert finale next week. Perhaps they are spicing things up because the Malaysian Idol final will be starting next week. But personally, I don't think AF have to worry the slightest bit. On to the show! Ensemble - Main Shahir To Nahin (Bobbi Soundtrack) I am not a big fan of Bollywood. No, let me rephrase that, I am NO | |