051: Nostalgic Textbook

Monday, August 31, 2009





Or maybe the word nostalgia is not relevant anymore in this new cutting edge millennium (whatever I meant, :-P ). Old skool... Yeah, that's the term we use today. Old... Skool... Thanks to my classmate, KY, he updated his Twitter with the link to the above movie, The Teenage Textbook Movie. Damn, this brings back memories.

Maybe some of you don't know about this movie. Still too young? (They never play on TV meh?) Anyway, this movie was released when I was in Secondary One (yeah, 11 years ago). No need for me to be a reviewer and write what this movie is all about. All I will say is that it was adapted from the book The Teenage Textbook by Adrian Tan. He was an NUS undergraduate when he wrote the book in 1988 (correct me if I'm wrong, and no, I didn't type the year by mistake. Written in 1988). It's all about the life (or should I say, love life) of a bunch of teens in a JC and etc etc etc... It was one of the top grossing movie, beating some Hollywood flicks at that time.

The main star, Melody Chen, was cute, and still is. I saw her in my apartment's lift (yes, in my fucking lift!!!), and she got me all melting. With her tanned skin, she was hot!!!

Now I wonder... What is happening to the local movie scene? (Please, don't talk about Jack Neo please!) Now, when we think of local movies, those arty farty kind comes to mind. Okay, maybe there are a few commercial type like One Leg Kicking or The Leap Years. But that's it? (Don't tell me those chinese languaged titles, not counted. I need to read subtitles to enjoy it, which sucks). Give us more English language movie please! With no Chinese, Malay, or Indian dialogues in it!

The Teenage Textbook Movie was probably the first movie that released a soundtrack that only include music by local musicians and singers, which was cool. The song No More Tears written by John Klass and sung by Beverly (whatserlastname) really reminds me of my puberty years, :-P

Can anybody help me get the soundtrack please!

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Lyrics taken from http://www.secretzreality.com/2008/05/teenage-textbook-soundtrack.html
Link to the song: http://www.imeem.com/people/wk9EHFz/music/BisyLuGJ/beverly-no-more-tears

No more tears
by beverly


isn't it amazing
how seventeen can be
isn't it so exciting
just like romance novel’s scenes

colourful pictures on the wall
always waiting for the telephone call
a cry in the dark
a broken heart
a first-time kiss
I've seen it all

I'm finally leaving
nothing left to fear
its so worth believing
I see it all so clear
its more than a disc or books
it goes on and on and on and on, oh yeah
this time I'm finally giving
no more tears

isn't just a wonder
how life sometimes turns out
wouldn't it be so perfect
if all things came without doubt

colourful pictures on the wall
always waiting for the telephone call
a cry in the dark
a broken heart
a first-time kiss
I've seen it all

I'm finally leaving
nothing left to fear
its so worth believing
I see it all so clear
this time I'm giving
everything I've got
wanna believe in myself
its more than a disc or books
it goes on and on and on and on, oh yeah
this time I'm finally giving
no more tears

050: An Evening In Journalism

Friday, August 21, 2009


Cartoon by ~EstudioSun via deviantART

Two evenings ago...

Lecturer: So have any one of you read Ali Baba before? Anyone? *pause* Iqbal?

Me: Err... I only read it as a kid...

Lecturer: Ya, but have you read the original version?

Me: No.

Lecturer: You should read it.

Me: I heard there's a lot of porn in the book.

Lecturer: Err........ I wouldn't say it's porn... There are sex ...

N: Is it true?

*Whole class starts whispering and talking among each other*

A: *whispers to C*- Is it past his sanity hour?

Lecturer: Well, it is about *tells the stories*... You should find it in the library


I got the class sex-cited. :-P

049: Entrepreneurship

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Cartoon by ~psshaw via deviantART

Online businesses are all the rage now (or was that last year's news?). I chanced upon a Multiply site by someone who is selling her used stuff. And those stuffs are not the average consumerism product (or so I thought). Items for sale includes some Kate "I'm so chic wearing this bag" Spade, Victoria's "look at my titties" Secret, and even Bobbi "I'm ugly so glam me up" Brown.

The wonders of new media (they even have a new course for New Media in Republic Polytechnic! But lifespan? No one knows.). Starting up is a breeze. Register (a blog, Facebook, etc), set-up, yada yada yada (you should know the rest).

But thinking of what to sell? Ahhhh, now that's the challenge. If your closet is filled with junks that you barely use, then it will be easy. Just sell them off online! But what about the rest? Go D.I.Y. (create and design shirts, acessories, etc)? Buy something in bulk cheaply and sell it?

Usually, we will think of something cool and hip. That's when our imagination will go wild, and think of something that is near to impossible. And when you realized your creative ideas are not practical, then you will feel discouraged and stop thinking about it altogether, without considering any other options.

Some of my friends are doing these online business. One of them sells cakes (yum yum). Did I hear you say, "common"? Well, unlike some of us, she used something redundant to her advantage. I can't say her cake's design are creative (because I've not been in there for a long time), but she could use her creativity in those cakes. She probably experimented with her baking and came up with some new shit (oops, cakes and shit don't go along hand in hand huh?)

There are some who gave up though. Lack of site viewership? This is where web designs and layout comes in. If you have a website that looks like it belongs to an owner who just learned how to create a website (which most of them are anyway), then get an expert! Web design and layout is IMPORTANT! If your site is like this (my site in 2002), then you need serious help. People will lose interest and click the 'X' button on the top right if it's like that. I know I would.

I want to make money online too. Not through selling... through my blog! There is this application that let me earns some cash if the traffic to my blog is high.

So, how do I generate that traffic flow? Advertise? And what will be my 'selling' points? I'm too shy to advertise my blog (I don't even know where to start), and nobody would read it anyway. I wrote boring entries (and this is probably one of them). And that's because I've mellowed down. But if mellowing down 'rape' me off my chance of getting an extra income, then I guess I need to look deep inside my immature 16 years old's (I wish) heart, and start trashing and dissing other people (that's what they like to read nowadays).

Now... Would that makes me an entrepreneur?

048: ...and one of the shortest.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Oh, before I forget... I got myself the new Killswitch Engage's album! Weeeee!!!!!!

Anyway, I think I'm........ Nevermind....

047: Probably the longest entry so far...

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Photo by =anekdamian via deviantART


Today, I was being an arse. It was one of the worse day at work. I was rushing the whole fucking day! Got me tired and sticky (the air-con was not helping). And the stupidity of some people there... How the hell can I send a shipment to the U.S. when the address given was routed to Mexico? I was running around like mad. And left the place late!

But still manage to attend class though, with my blood temperature still boiling high. Maybe I was being mean to my group members earlier this evening.

I entered class a little late, and the second I entered, one of them said, "Hey, we are discussing the 2 questions on the slide". *points to the front* Some market segmentation and product positioning questions. "Determining your target audience..." was all I could said. I just arrived and was still sweating (the distance from the MRT to the school is not that far, but it's the heat I guess). Apparantly we were supposed to determine the different segmentation of the audience, and our group was arguing on what was right and wrong (I think I started it). And I've had it...

Me: *Raises hand* Sir, can you explain your questions again? I was late earlier and didn't get to listen.
Lecturer: Oh, you can ask your group mem...
Me: I don't think they understand what it's all about!
N: I do..

I can feel my group members looking at me, probably wondering what was wrong. And the person who replied "I do" really DO understood them. If I'm white, my face would probably be red.

Break time came and I had a smoke with "N". We had a serious discussion on our project. Intially, I was planning to do an advertising campaign for Apple. I was thinking of a huge campaign (which I have not discuss with them). But he was worried if we used Apple as a product to market, as it is a huge company with track records of good and effective marketing, and we probably could not think of a better advertising strategy than the ones they are having now.

It does make sense though. At first I was thinking of waving it off. I thought of just going ahead with it. We need to be daring, right Then I realised that the others were sceptical about it too.

*Two weeks ago*

Me: I've decided! We are going to use Apple!
A: Hmm.... Why Apple?

Same reply from the other one. I can see they were having doubts about it. Even awhile ago, they were still clueless.

*Last week*

W: I don't know what to think about Apple. I know peanuts about it.
Me: Okay, you guys seemed to be having doubts about this. If you guys have any other ideas in mind, PLEASE, tell me! I'm open to other ideas. Just suggest something. You guys got one?
C to W: From his face, it's obvious that he wants to do this his way. So I think we will just go with it.

Woah! What am I becoming? Is this me? I was being authoritative! For some reason, I'm really serious about this project. Competitiveness was one of them. And where the hell does this competitive streak came from?

I entered class before break ended, and I told the others that I want a change in product. We really can't think of any. The remaining time in class, I kept thinking about what we should use. Was cracking my head like the nutcracker (what the fuck siah?). And I suddenly came up with the most ridiculous idea.

Me: Ice-cream!
A: What about it?
Me: You see those teens who like to walk around while eating lollipop? We can try to make them eat ice-cream instead!
*All with puzzled look*
A: Ice-cream on a stick? Like Paddle-Pop...
Me: Yes! Paddle-Pop!
W: Well, I like to eat that.
Me: Then it will be great! You should know about it and all.
W: I only like to eat it. That's all.
C: What's so special about Paddle-Pop?
W: The taste! Like when you put it in your mouth, oooh... Orgasmic feeling.
*All looked at me in a weird way*

I was just fooling around anyway. Eating Paddle-Pop will never be the same again for "W". :-P

I was still frustrated though, as I could not think of any ideas. "C" probably saw my shit face, and say, "Iqbal really looked damn stressed tonight". "Ya, work was shit"

After class, "A", "C", and I stayed for awhile, and came up with a fantastic idea. Just need to discuss it with "W" and "N".

Can't wait for it! But should I apologize for my behaviour? Do they really noticed it in the first place?

*shrugs it off* :-P

It's 2 a.m, and I'm crapping in here.


046: "New On Facebook!"

Thursday, August 6, 2009

There is a new page in Facebook, and I think I'm hooked to it. It's called "Anti Minah & Kenings". Maybe I'll write about it next time (suddenly my mind went blank!).