Happy Times Presents:

What a day! Another creative journey


More photos at my flickr here.

To find yourself having a nice Chamomile Lemon Tea with nice Vanilla Ice Cream Waffle with your friend during the afternoon on a weekday is something to remember. Here, I am in a modern and ever soothing relaxing jazzy environment café here in Senai Airport called ‘Lavender’ is just one of the calmest moments I have. Forget about Coffee Bean or Starbucks, as I would uplift you with this lovely place. Of course, that is if you ever want to plan a trip to Johor.

Yesterday, I had a chance, once again to share my experiences and creative inputs on my talk together with my colleague, Junning and also Hasnul Nadzrin (from MDeC / Saladin) in conjunction of the Johor’s Week of Science Technology and Information in Persada Johor. We arrived at the Senai Airport and went straight to Persada Johor without checking into the Puteri Pacific Hotel and went to give our talks in just seconds.

Out of all the talk I had presented, this is the first slow start for me as I had to cover a topics which is hard to explain in words, because you need to show some graphs and slides, especially in telling the audience about the creative content initiative and it's industry. (Mental block!). I normally do spontaneous and selamba (however pre-arranged). I like to do more humour in my talk so people will alert and keep up with me. My session, is actually on the topic 'Generating Ideas & Creativity through Interactivity'. Gladly, I told the organizers to shift my talk that was supposed to be on the evening slot to the morning one. It was a relief. The crowd was very good and they are quite responsive. The talk, is a part of the program invited MDeC’s creative representatives and joining with us is the familiar lectures from UTM, Mr. Shahrizal of the Games & Multimedia Development and also the most coolest professor I met, Prof. Saruddin Kari. My God, if I am his student, I’d be a glad one!


More photos at my flickr here.

At evening, I and Junning went to the gym to so-called ‘hypern’ ourselves and later we went to Danga Bay together with Ezat. We went for food survey and was attracted with a nice sambal smell and went to that restaurant. Well, smell can also be deceiving, we had the unfortunate dinner ever by having the same ‘template’ of sambal for ‘kerang rebus’ that cost RM15 and a stray fish that cost RM35 bucks. To satisfy with our unfortunate treat, we were companied by two pakcik who ‘melalak’ and sang some ‘dangdut-tekno’ song, at a karaoke stage. I swear we would just swallow the whole plate of the stray fish.

To fix our emotionally distress over our bad dinner, we went to the funfair! Wait, near the funfair. We walk around the shop lots and saw this gerai (shop) where they rent out trishaw for a ride. So we decided to take one. It was a sweaty blast of cycle around the block before we head back to the hotel.


More photos at my flickr here.

Once we're back in the hotel, I went to the room and crash on the bed. But I couldn't get myself to sleep so I went down to have a cigi and walk few blocks from the hotel. I went pass the temple around the corner and surprised to see few hookers 'hangin out' on the streets opposite the temple. Man, these people surely don't have respect for their religion to do 'business' in front of their god. Anyway, I went up to the bus station and when I was about to head back to the hotel, a bike stop me in the middle of the road. I was terrified as a guy was looking fierily at me. That time, just imagine, there's nothing with me except my hotel card and my mobile phone. Then this guy look at me and ask, 'Engkau tak kenal aku ke?'. Then he open up his helmet and do that hair-bouncing prince charming from The Shrek, acah je!, then he open up his helmet and smiled. I got shocked plus excited and shout Cikoi! His name is actually Iwan. He was a long time buddy of mine back in Kem Terendak, 1995. He was one of those in high school who protect geek like me at that time from kena bully. I never expect to see him there, especially at that time. So we had a chat for few minutes and told me to drop by his mum's shop in Kotaraya Mall, few walks from the hotel. Then I went back to the hotel and he went off.

Next morning, I went to see his (Cikoi's) mum. We (family) call her 'mek'. (Those who don't know, Mek is a name that Kelantanese used to called for their daughter). Aunty Mek is actually our babysitter for Hafiz and Afiqah back in Malacca. Aunty Mek invite me to meet up with her husband just around the corner, so we go off to the restaurant (warung) at the roadside just opposite Persada Johor.

You know, it's good to see them, the whole family again. Actually meeting them make me learn more about life and felt blessed for what I have now. They had been struggle and work so hard to make a living by selling snacks from crackers and chips to cookies and local-made bahulu (a type of cake). I couldn't imagine myself more when aunt Mek would hug me from her side and hold my hand all the way to the 'warung'. It was sweet indeed. She really make me felt like her son. I was very touched. (Not in Anna Nicole Smith kinda way okay). I like to see people like them. They inspired me and make me felt so grateful. It's so different to compare them to some anak dato who only whine about their parents not giving enough money to buy luxurious things in life or complain about not getting a hot chic by their side.


More photos at my flickr here.

Before we take a cab to the airport, we went to have some light photography around the hotel. Then we took off.

Reality Again

Now that I'm back in the office, I had a very semi-bad muscle pain due to 2 days workout at the gym in the hotel. Now, happy times over, I got many things on my plate now.

Just to tell you guys that I will be spending my time with a very good friend of mine from Philippines this weekend. His name is Martin Gomez, a talented programmer and a well known person in the ICT / Creative Industry in Manila. I believe he now with MIT of Philippines and he's here until end of the month, and I just hope to bring him around as much as possible. He is the guy who made me famous in Philippines by having me to be one of the final judges for the Philippines Web Awards few years back. Anyway, I also would like to (hopefully) check out Perez's gig collaboration with Indonesia's Goodnight Electric at Laundry, this Saturday. I love that band (been hearin' it from 'Janji Joni' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).





Last week, I went to see Atilia, one of noted jazz singer together with Abby at Alexis. I think I had a blastful weekend. It was all good.

Artwork Updates:



This is my artwork for Merdeka / Independence Day 50th Anniversary. Final work will be available at my website soon. I will talk about this artwork, color template and the creative process soon. Insya'Allah.


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Listening to Common, Dwele, Mos Def, DeLaSoul, Tribe Called Quest, Raphael Saadiq, Nas, Q-Tip, Atilia, Harvey Malaiholo, Park Drive and Madlib.