LiFe is pReCioUS, liVe iT tO da fuLLesT...!

Beginning of Blogging Madness

2011-08-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

this is the first post of 2011!! the funny thing is,it's almost the end of the year! well even though it is still August..hehe..

well then,for all this time,I always say that blogging is a waste of time. Spending all day in frnt of computers or laptops, tapping the keyboard like they never gonna stop.

but now, i see dat u'll get to know someone or somebody through their blogs if u knw wat i mean. Why do people use blogs? Girls especially. Most of the girl's blogs,they post out every single thing that is, to them, might be very meaningful and wish to share with others. I bet guys are also the same. haha. can't deny it coz i'm about to do the same thing here.

the last time I post is around 2008. dat is,umm,juz to fulfil a requirement for an english subject. hehe. then,as time goes by,i see my sister is getting involve in this blogging thingy. everyday,maybe,type..type..type..hahaha..sory sis,mlawak jak,jgn maree yeaa..

ok,so,now it goes..urm,so what am im doing now? blogging? yeah..but where? in 2mc's liquid mud plant 2 cabin office..this is my 2nd last day of my internship here in 2MC or in long extended name version: Malaysian Mud & Chemicals Sdn Bhd..

days gone by,weeks,months..once i finish working tomorrow,dat will be exactly 3 months of internship. xtrasa jugak 3 bulan..pjam celik,pjam celik,pjam celik..pooof*..3 bulan daa..lots of new things,new experience dat i have gained
here..

one thing I realized dat i have in myself is dat I know how to mix around with people..now this is the MOST IMPORTANT criteria in working life..if I'm the boss of any compny,dat's the number 1 criteria if u want to apply any post in my company..(kalau ada company laa..hehehe)

for me, it's like dis, u come to a new place,a new working area..u come as a ZERO experienced person..u have nothing,but,juz ur good five senses,ur body,ur hands,ur legs,everythng dat enables u to work..boss will "campak" u anywhere he want..he says like this.."Souven,i'm going to send u to this place,report in to the head of department and he will brief u of ur post"

then,there it starts..i met with various kinds of people..with different kinds of thinking,ideas,attitude,race,everything..but there is one common thing that they have in each of them,which is TEAMWORK..no TEAMWORK,u r DOOMED..the company sure kaw2 bankrap pnya..hehe...so,mixing with them around is such an UNFORGETTABLE experience..

some of them bears the age almost the same as mine (juz 2 or 3 years diffrence la)..and most of them are married and got kids..they share their stories,their experiences,their knowledge,their suggestions on something..

I've made friends here..lots of them after working with them..even though it's only 12 weeks period. I met Mr. Affendy, a UiTM graduate,23 years old i guess? he works in the bulking plant. I was attached for 2 weeks there..ngam2 jugak la I met him..the best thing is he was so happy when I came in..alasan? coz i was different from previous trainees..(bangga la tek..hehe)..what he meant was the soft skill i have..good communication,knows how to mix around..there,i make friends with Joe,Donny,Umair,yoyong,yusmady and the Plant manager,Mr Taher..ini smua gila2 pnya org..hahaha..smua sama palak..when i took out my laptop,apa lagi,they all mintak movie..hahaha..

there was one time I helped Joe fixing his laptop coz his wife is working at some plce where they do records for taxes and all dat stuffs..so all the documents dat had been recorded,could not be accessed at all..ksian ku nangga Joe..susah ati berabis..so,i helped him,fixed his laptop finally..dats the joyous moment when people felt so thankful to u and u felt relieved dat what u did finally worked out..in return what did i get?? KNOWLEDGE,EXPERIENCES...these 2 things Joe shared everything he knew about the processes in the plants..

at that point i realized the true meaning of the verse "be humble and u will get more than what u want to get in return"..people appreciate very much our humbleness, our down-to-earth attitude..i'll hold onto this verse throughout my career..be humble,yeah,dat is sooo true!

Well then,i think I'll stop here first. I'll continue next time! buat report dulu,kasi abis!!! adioss

Songs that we will sing during mass animation 24/1/2010

2010-01-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

HARI INI

HARI INI KURASA BAHAGIA

BERKUMPUL BERSAMA SAUDARA SEIMAN

TUHAN YESUS T'LAH SATUKAN KITA

TANPA MEMANDANG DI ANTARA KITA

BERGANDINGAN TANGAN DALAM KASIH

DALAM SATU HATI

BERJALAN DALAM TERANG KASIH TUHAN

KAU SAHABATKU,

KAU SAUDARAKU

TIADA YANG DAPAT MEMISAHKAN KITA

PERNYATAAN TOBAT

Tuhan, kasihanilah kami, Tuhan,kasihani kami..

Kristus,kasihanilah kami, Kristus, kasihani kami..

Tuhan, kasihanilah kami, Tuhan, kasihani kami…

MAZMUR ANTARA BACAAN

Respons:

Sabda-Mu, ya Tuhan

Adalah Roh dan kehidupan

PENGANTARAAN INJIL

ALLE...ALLE...ALLE….ALLELUIA

ALLE…..ALLE……ALLELUIA…

ALLELUIA… (2x)

KU SERAHKANLAH(multi-lingual)

1. All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him

In his presence daily live

c/o: I surrender all, I surrender all

All to thee my blessed saviour

I surrender all.

2. Ndeg Jesus aku nyugon

Obo pinyalah ‘dep ku

Mina Akam mah O Tuhan

De ngampun dusa aku

c/o: ‘ku ngugon adup, ‘ku nyugon adup

‘ku nyugon obo pimudip

Ndeg Akam Jesus

3. Ngagai Jesus aku nyerah ka ati aku ti nesal

Laban Jesus nelap meruan

Kasih, kasih belama

c/o: Aku nyerah diri, aku nyerah diri

Aku nyerah ka tuboh aku

Ngagai nuan Jesus

Pernyataan Iman

Kristus telah wafat,

Kristus telah bangkit,

Kristus akan kembali…(2x)

BAPA KAMI

BAPA KAMI YANG ADA DI SYURGA

DIMULIAKANLAH NAMAMU

DATANGLAH KERAJAANMU

JADILAH KEHENDAKMU

DIATAS BUMI SEPERTI DI DALAM SYURGA

BERILAH KAMI REZEKI PADA HARI INI

DAN AMPUNILAH KESALAHAN KAMI

SEPERTI KAMI MENGAMPUNI YANG BERSALAH PADA KAMI.

DAN JANGANLAH MASUKKAN KAMI KE DALAM PENCOBAAN

TETAPI BEBASKANLAH KAMI DARI YANG JAHAT.

Anak Domba Allah

Anak Domba Allah,

Yang menghapus dosa dunia

Kasihani~lah kami…(2x)

Anak Domba Allah,

Yang menghapus dosa dunia

Berilah ka~mi damai..

Tuhan Tempatku Bernaung

Di senja itu

Hujan rintik-rintik

Membasahi Bumi

Yang kian gersang

Bumi yang gersang

Melambang hati insan

Yang jauh akan kebenaran

Chorus:

Oh Tuhan siramlah hatiku

Jangan siram di Bumi sahaja

Biar banjir di lubuk hatiku

Melimpah menjelma

Menjadi berkat

Pohon tobatku hampir

Menjadi layu

Daun kian jatuh berguguran

Terik mentari tidak ku hiraukan

Melimpah menjelma

Menjadi berkat

Sinar Kemuliaan

Kami berkumpul di sini Tuhan

Di hadapan takhtaMu Yesus

Sinar kemuliaanMu Tuhan

Menyinari tempat ini

Kami umat pilihanMu Tuhan

Berkumpul dan bersatu hati

Mengagungkan namaMu Yesus

Dengan hati yang penuh pengharapan

Nyatakanlah kuasaMu oh Tuhan

Curahkanlah Roh KudusMu Yesus

Sembuhkanlah semua penyakit kami

P/s: lagu komuni ada satu lagi extra backup song entitled "Betapa hatiku"..sy rasa smua org tahu lagu ni.

Another song is the last song for the mass,we will sing together with the choir entitled "One Voice"

My Passion to Music...

2008-10-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

I love music...i love guitar...why?
bcoz music is a medium for me to express my feelings...
to release my stress...

guitar...
6 strings musical instrument..
my companion...

blues..classical..progressive rock..
the genre that i love...

john petrucci,joe satriani,yngwie malmsteen,gary moore...
legend guitarists..

starsun,dragonfly,omiya..
guitar brands that i have tried and owned till now..

fender,ibanez,gibson..
the prestigious guitar brands that i wish to own myself one of them...

Metallica (my favourite band)

2008-10-10T23:43:00.000-07:00

Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a Los Angeles newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, while going through a number of bassists. Currently, the spot is held by Robert Trujillo.

Metallica's early releases included fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship that placed them as one of the "Big Four" of the thrash metal subgenre alongside Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. The band earned a growing fan base in the underground music community and critical acclaim, with the 1986 release Master of Puppets described as one of the most influential and "heavy" thrash metal albums. The band achieved substantial commercial success with its self-titled 1991 album, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. With this release the band expanded its musical direction resulting in an album that appealed to a more mainstream audience.

In 2000, Metallica was among several artists who filed a lawsuit against Napster for sharing the band's copyright-protected material for free without the band members' consent. A settlement was reached, and Napster became a pay-to-use service. Despite reaching #1 on the Billboard 200, the release of St. Anger alienated many fans with the exclusion of guitar solos and the "steel-sounding" snare drum. A film titled Some Kind of Monster documented the recording process of St. Anger.

Metallica has released nine studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, twenty-two music videos, and forty-three singles. The band has won seven Grammy Awards, and has had five consecutive albums peak at #1 on the Billboard 200, making Metallica the only band to top the chart five consecutive times.^[1] The band's 1991 album, Metallica, has sold over 15 million copies in the United States, and 22 million copies worldwide, which makes it the 25th highest selling album in the country.^[2] The band has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide as of the release of their latest album Death Magnetic. As of September 2008, Metallica is the fifth highest-selling music artist since the SoundScan era began tracking sales on May 25, 1991, selling a total of 50,111,000 albums in the U.S. alone.^[3] Metallica are one of the most popular bands of today, and the biggest selling heavy metal act.

Early days (1981–1983)

Metallica was formed in Los Angeles, California, in early 1981 when drummer Lars Ulrich placed an advertisement in a Los Angeles newspaper—The Recycler—which read "Drummer looking for other metal musicians to jam with Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and Iron Maiden."^[4] Guitarists James Hetfield and Hugh Tanner of Leather Charm answered the advertisement. Although he had not formed a band, Ulrich asked Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel if he could record a song for the label's upcoming compilation Metal Massacre. Slagel accepted, and Ulrich recruited Hetfield to sing and play rhythm guitar.^[4]

Ulrich talked to his friend Ron Quintana, who was brainstorming names for a fanzine. Quintana had proposed the names Metal Mania and Metallica. Ulrich used Metallica for the name of his band. A second advertisement was placed in The Recycler for a position as lead guitarist. Dave Mustaine answered, and, after seeing his expensive guitar equipment, Ulrich and Hetfield recruited him. In early 1982, Metallica recorded its first original song "Hit the Lights" for the Metal Massacre I compilation. Hetfield played bass on the song and Lloyd Grant was credited with a guitar solo.^[4] Released on June 14, 1982, early pressings of Metal Massacre I listed the band incorrectly as "Mettallica". Although angered by the error, Metallica managed to create enough "buzz" with the song and the band played its first live show on March 14, 1982, at Radio City in Anaheim, California with newly recruited bassist Ron McGovney.^[5] Metallica recorded its first demo, Power Metal, a name inspired by Quintana's early business cards in early 1982. In the Fall of 1982, Ulrich and Hetfield attended a show at the nightclub Whisky a Go Go, which featured bassist Cliff Burton in a band called Trauma. The two were "blown away" by Burton's use of a wah-wah pedal and asked him to join Metallica. Hetfield and Mustaine wanted McGovney out as they thought that he "didn't contribute anything, he just followed."^[6] Although Burton initially declined the offer, by the end of the year he accepted on the condition the band move to San Francisco. Metallica's first live performance with Burton was at the nightclub The Stone in March 1983, and the first recording to feature Burton was the 1983 Megaforce demo.^[6]

Metallica was ready to record its debut album, but when Metal Blade was unable to cover the additional cost, the band began looking for other options. Concert promoter Johnny "Z" Zazula, who had heard the 1982 No Life 'til Leather demo, offered to broker a record deal with Metallica and New York City-based record labels. After receiving no interest from various record labels, Zazula borrowed the money to cover the record's recording budget and signed Metallica to his own label, Megaforce Records.^[7] Band members decided to kick Mustaine out of the band due to drug and alcohol abuse, and violent behavior.^[8] Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett flew in to replace Mustaine the same afternoon. Metallica's first show with Hammett was on April 16, 1983, at the nightclub The Showplace in Dover, New Jersey.^[6]

Mustaine has expressed his dislike for Hammett in interviews. He said Hammett "stole my job, but at least I got to bang his girlfriend before he took my job — how do I taste, Kirk?"^[9] Mustaine was "pissed off" because he believes Hammett became popular by playing the guitar leads that Mustaine wrote.^[10] In a 1985 interview with Metal Forces, Mustaine slammed Hammett saying, "it's real funny how Kirk Hammett ripped off every lead break I'd played on that No Life 'til Leather tape and got voted No. 1 guitarist in your magazine."^[11] On Megadeth's 1985 debut album Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, Mustaine included the song "Mechanix", which Metallica renamed as "The Four Horsemen" on Kill 'Em All. Mustaine said he did this to "straighten Metallica up", as Metallica referred to Mustaine as a drunk and said he could not play guitar.^[11]

Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning (1983–1984)

In 1983, Metallica traveled to Rochester, New York to record its first album, Metal up Your Ass, with production duties handled by Paul Curcio. Due to conflicts with the band's record label and the distributors' refusal to release an album with that name, it was renamed Kill 'Em All. Released on Megaforce Records in the U.S. and Music for Nations in Europe, the album peaked on the Billboard 200 at number 120,^[12] and although the album was not initially a financial success, it earned Metallica a growing fan base in the underground metal scene. The band embarked on the Kill 'Em All For One tour with Raven to support the release.^[13] In February 1984, Metallica supported Venom on the Seven Dates of Hell tour, where they performed in front of 7,000 people at the Aardschok Festival in Zwolle, Netherlands.^[14]

Metallica recorded its second studio album, Ride the Lightning, at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. Released in August 1984, the album peaked at number 100 on the Billboard 200.^[12] A French printing press mistakenly printed green covers for the album, which are now considered collectors' items. Other songs on the album include "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Creeping Death" (which tells the biblical story of the Hebrews' exodus from slavery in Egypt, focusing on the various plagues that were visited on the Egyptians), and the instrumental "The Call of Ktulu". Mustaine received a writing credit for "Ride the Lightning" and "The Call of Ktulu".^[14]

Master of Puppets (1984–1986)

Damage Inc. Tour 1986

Elektra Records A&R director Michael Alago, and co-founder of Q-Prime Management Cliff Burnstein, attended a September 1984 Metallica concert. Impressed with what they saw, they signed Metallica to Elektra Records and made the band a client of Q-Prime Management.^[15] Metallica's burgeoning success was such that the band's British label Music for Nations issued a limited edition Creeping Death EP, which sold 40,000 copies as an import in the U.S. Two of the three songs on the record (cover versions of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?", and Blitzkrieg's "Blitzkrieg") appeared on the 1989 Elektra reissue of Kill 'Em All.^[16] Metallica embarked on its first major European tour with Tank to an average crowd of 1,300. Returning to the U.S. marked a tour co-headlining with W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint supporting. Metallica played its largest show at the Monsters of Rock festival on August 17, 1985, with Bon Jovi and Ratt at Donington Park in England, playing in front of 70,000 people. A show in Oakland, California, at the Day on the Green festival saw the band play in front of a crowd of 60,000.^[15]

Metallica's third studio album, Master of Puppets was recorded at Sweet Silence Studios and was released in March 1986. The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200, and spent 72 weeks on the chart.^[17] The album was the band's first to be certified gold on November 4, 1986, and was certified six times platinum in 2003.^[2] Steve Huey of Allmusic considered the album "the band's greatest achievement".^[18] Following the release of the album, Metallica supported Ozzy Osbourne for a U.S. tour.^[15] Hetfield broke his wrist skateboarding down a hill and continued the tour performing vocals, with guitar technician John Marshall playing rhythm guitar.^[19]

Burton's death and Garage Days Re-Revisited (1986–1987)

A memorial for Burton in Ljungby, Sweden

On September 27, 1986, during the European leg of Metallica's Damage Inc. tour, members drew cards to see which bunk of the tour bus they would sleep in. Burton won and chose to sleep in Hammett's bunk. Around dawn near Dörarp, Sweden, the bus driver lost control and skidded, which caused the bus to flip several times. Ulrich, Hammett, and Hetfield sustained no serious injuries; however, bassist Burton was pinned under the bus and was killed. Hetfield recalls, "I saw the bus lying right on him. I saw his legs sticking out. I freaked. The bus driver, I recall, was trying to yank the blanket out from under him to use for other people. I just went, 'Don't fucking do that!' I already wanted to kill the guy."^[19] Burton's death left Metallica's future in doubt. The three remaining members decided that Burton would want them to carry on, and with the Burton family's blessings, the band sought a replacement.^[20]

Roughly 40 people tried out for auditions including Hammett's childhood friend Les Claypool of Primus, Troy Gregory of Prong, and Jason Newsted, formerly of Flotsam and Jetsam. Newsted learned Metallica's entire setlist, and after the audition Metallica invited him to Tommy's Joint in San Francisco. Hetfield, Ulrich, and Hammett decided that Newsted was the one to replace Burton, and Newsted's first live performance with Metallica was at the Country Club in Reseda, California. The members took it on themselves to "initiate" Newsted by tricking him into eating a ball of wasabi.^[20]

In March 1987, Hetfield broke his wrist a second time skateboarding. Guitar technician Marshall returned playing rhythm guitar, but the injury forced the band to cancel a Saturday Night Live appearance. Metallica finished its tour in the early months of 1987, and in August 1987 an all-covers EP titled The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited was released. The EP was recorded in an effort to utilize the band's newly constructed recording studio, test out the talents of Newsted, and to relieve grief and stress following the death of Burton. A video titled Cliff 'Em All was released in 1987 commemorating Burton's three years in Metallica. Footage included bass solos, home videos, and pictures.^[21]

…And Justice for All (1988–1990)

…And Justice for All, the group's first studio album since Burton's death, was released in 1988. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number six on the Billboard 200, the band's first album to enter the top 10.^[12] The album was certified platinum nine weeks after its release.^[22] Newsted's bass was purposely turned down on the album as a part of the continuous "hazing" he received, and his musical ideas were ignored (However, he did receive a writing credit on track one, "Blackened").^[23] There were complaints with the production; namely, Steve Huey of Allmusic noted Ulrich's drums were clicking more than thudding, and the guitars "buzz thinly".^[24] The Damaged Justice tour followed to promote the album.^[25]

In 1989, Metallica received its first Grammy Award nomination for …And Justice for All, in the new Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrument category. Metallica was the favorite to win; however, the award was given to Jethro Tull for the album Crest of a Knave.^[26] The result generated controversy among fans and the press, as Metallica was standing off-stage waiting to receive the award after performing the song "One". Jethro Tull had been advised by its manager not to attend the ceremony as he was expecting Metallica to win.^[26] The award was named in Entertainment Weekly's "Grammy's 10 Biggest Upsets".^[27] Three years later, Ulrich referred to the award when accepting a Grammy for "Enter Sandman" stating "We gotta thank Jethro Tull for not putting out an album this year."^[28]

Following the release of …And Justice for All, Metallica released its debut music video for the song "One". The band performed the song in an abandoned warehouse, and footage was remixed with the film, Johnny Got His Gun. Rather than organize an ongoing licensing deal, Metallica purchased the rights to the film. The remixed video was submitted to MTV, with the alternate performance-only version held back in the event that MTV banned the remix version. MTV accepted the remix version, and the video was viewers' first exposure to Metallica. It was voted number 38 in 1999 when MTV aired its "Top 100 Videos of All Time" countdown,^[29] and was featured in the network's 25th Anniversary edition of ADD Video, which showcased the most popular videos on MTV in the last 25 years.^[30]

Metallica (1990–1993)

In October 1990, Metallica entered One on One studio in North Hollywood to record its next album. Bob Rock, who had worked with the bands The Cult, Bon Jovi, and Mötley Crüe, was hired as producer. Metallica (also known as "The Black Album") was remixed three times, cost $1 million, and ended three marriages.^[31] Although the release was stalled until 1991, Metallica peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 with shipments exceeding 650,000 units in its first week.^[32] The album was responsible for bringing Metallica to the attention of the mainstream and has been certified 15 times platinum in the U.S., which makes it the 25th highest-selling album in the country.^[33] The making of Metallica and the following tour was documented in A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica. Dubbed the Wherever We May Roam Tour, it lasted 14 months and included dates in the U.S., Japan, and England.^[31]

James Hetfield of Metallica performing live at O2 in London, UK, 15 September 2008

On August 8, 1992, during the co-headlining GNR-Metallica Stadium Tour with Guns N' Roses, Hetfield suffered severe second and third degree burns to his arms, face, hands, and legs. There was confusion with the new pyrotechnics setup, which resulted with Hetfield walking into a 12-foot (3.7 m) flame during "Fade to Black". Newsted recalls Hetfield's skin was "bubbling like on The Toxic Avenger".^[34] Guitar technician John Marshall, who had previously filled in on rhythm guitar and was now playing in Metal Church, replaced Hetfield for the remainder of the tour as Hetfield was unable to play guitar, although he was able to sing. The band's first box set was released in November 1993 called Live Shit: Binge & Purge. The collection contained three live CDs, three home videos, and a book filled with riders and letters.^[34]

Load, ReLoad, Garage Inc., and S&M (1994–1999)

The cover of Load was created using a mixture of semen and bovine blood mixed between sheets of plexiglass. It marked a change in image and music for the band.

After almost three years of touring to support Metallica, including a headlining performance at Woodstock '94, Metallica returned to the studio to write and record its sixth studio album. The band took a break in the summer of 1995 and played three outdoor shows which included headlining Donington Park in the U.K., supported by Slayer, Skid Row, Slash's Snakepit, Therapy?, and Corrosion of Conformity. The short tour was titled Escape From The Studio '95. The band spent roughly one year writing and recording new songs, resulting in the release of Load in 1996, which entered the Billboard 200 and ARIA Charts at number one, marking the band's second number one.^[12] The cover of Load was created by Andres Serrano, and was called Blood and Semen III. Serrano pressed a mixture of his own semen and bovine blood between sheets of plexiglass.^[35] The release marked a change in musical direction for the band and a new look with band members receiving haircuts. Metallica headlined the alternative rock festival Lollapalooza in the summer of 1996.^[23]^[36]

During early production of the album, the band had produced enough material for a double album. It was decided that half of the songs were to be released, and the band would continue to work on the remaining songs and release them the following year. This resulted in the follow-up album, ReLoad. The cover was created by Serrano, this time using a mixture of blood and urine.^[35] ReLoad peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, and number two on the Top Canadian Album chart.^[12] Hetfield noted in the 2004 documentary film Some Kind of Monster that the songs on these albums were initially thought by the band to be of average quality, and were "polished and reworked" until judged to be releasable.^[37] To promote ReLoad, Metallica performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live in December 1997, performing "Fuel" and "The Memory Remains" with Marianne Faithfull.^[38]

In 1998, Metallica compiled a double album of cover songs titled Garage Inc.. The first disc contained newly recorded covers by bands such as Diamond Head, Killing Joke, The Misfits, Thin Lizzy, Mercyful Fate, and Black Sabbath. The second disc featured the original The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited, which had become a scarce collectors' item. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number two.^[38]^[39]

On April 21 and April 22, 1999, Metallica recorded two performances with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen. Kamen, who had previously worked with producer Rock on "Nothing Else Matters", approached the band in 1991 with the idea of pairing Metallica's music with a symphony orchestra. Kamen and his staff of over 100 composed additional orchestral material for Metallica songs. Metallica wrote two new Kamen-scored songs for the event, "No Leaf Clover" and "- Human". The audio recording and concert footage were released in 1999 as the album and concert film S&M. It entered the Billboard 200 at number two, and the Australian ARIA charts and Top Internet Albums chart at number one.^[12]

Napster controversy (2000–2001)

In 2000, Metallica discovered that a demo of its song "I Disappear", which was supposed to be released in combination with the Mission: Impossible II soundtrack, was receiving radio airplay. Tracing the source of the leak, the band found the file on the Napster peer-to-peer file-sharing network, and also found that the band's entire catalogue was freely available.^[40] Legal action was initiated against Napster with Metallica filing a lawsuit at the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, alleging that Napster violated three areas of the law: copyright infringement, unlawful use of digital audio interface device, and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.^[23]^[41]

Ulrich led the case against Napster

Though the lawsuit named three universities for copyright infringement, the University of Southern California, Yale University, and Indiana University, no individuals were named. Yale and Indiana complied and blocked the service from its campuses, and Metallica withdrew the universities' inclusion in the lawsuit.^[42] Southern California, however, had a meeting with students to figure out what was going to happen with Napster. School administrators wanted it banned as it used 40% of the bandwidth, which was not for educational purposes.^[43]

Metallica hired online consulting firm NetPD to monitor the Napster service for a weekend. A list of 335,435 Napster users who were believed to be sharing Metallica's music was compiled, and the 60,000 page document was delivered to Napster's office as Metallica requested the users be banned from the service.^[44] The users were banned, and rap artist Dr. Dre joined the lawsuit against Napster, which resulted in an additional 230,142 Napster users banned.^[45]

Ulrich provided a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding copyright infringement on July 11, 2000.^[40] Federal Judge Marilyn Hall Patel ordered the site place a filter on the program in 72 hours or be shutdown.^[46] A settlement was reached between Metallica and Napster when German media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG BMG showed interest to purchase the rights to Napster for $94 million. Under the terms of settlement, Napster agreed to block users who shared music by artists who do not want their music shared.^[47] However, on June 3, 2002 Napster filed for Chapter 11 protection under U.S. bankruptcy laws. On September 3, 2002, an American bankruptcy judge blocked the sale to Bertelsmann and forced Napster to liquidate its assets according to Chapter 7 of the U.S. bankruptcy laws.^[48]

At the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Ulrich appeared in a skit with host Marlon Wayans that blasted the idea of using Napster to share music. Marlon played a college student sitting in his dorm room listening to Metallica's "I Disappear". Ulrich walked in and asked for an explanation. On receiving Wayans' excuse that using Napster was just "sharing", Lars retorted that Marlon's idea of sharing was "borrowing things that were not yours without asking." He called in the Metallica road crew, who proceeded to confiscate all of Wayans' belongings, leaving him almost nude in an empty room. Napster creator Shawn Fanning responded later in the ceremony by presenting an award wearing a Metallica shirt, saying, "I borrowed this shirt from a friend. Maybe, if I like it, I'll buy one of my own."^[49] In 2007, Metallica was named #17 on Blender magazine's list of "biggest wusses in rock" for its "anti-Napster crusade".^[50]

Newsted's departure and St. Anger (2001–2005)

As plans were being made to enter the recording studio, Newsted left the band on January 17, 2001. His statement revealed his departure was based on "private and personal reasons, and the physical damage I have done to myself over the years while playing the music that I love."^[51] During a Playboy interview with Metallica, Newsted revealed intentions he wanted to release an album with his side project, Echobrain. Hetfield was against the idea and said, "When someone does a side project, it takes away from the strength of Metallica" and a side project is "like cheating on your wife in a way".^[23] Newsted countered his statement by saying Hetfield recorded vocals for a song in the South Park movie, and appears on two Corrosion of Conformity albums. Hetfield replied, "My name isn't on those records. And I'm not out trying to sell them", and pondered questions such as, "Where would it end? Does he start touring with it? Does he sell shirts? Is it his band?"^[23]

Robert Trujillo was announced as Metallica's new bassist on February 24, 2003

In April 2001, filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky began following Metallica to document the recording process of the next studio album. Over two years, more than 1,000 hours of footage was recorded. On July 19, 2001, before preparations to enter the recording studio, Hetfield entered rehab due to "alcoholism and other addictions". All recording plans were put on hiatus and the band's future was in doubt.^[52] However, when Hetfield returned on December 4, 2001, the band returned to the recording studio and Hetfield was required to work four hours a day, noon to 4 PM, and spend the rest of his time with his family. The footage recorded by Berlinger and Sinofsky was compiled into the documentary, Some Kind of Monster, which premiered at the Sundance film festival. In the documentary, Newsted described his former bandmates' decision to hire a therapist to help solve their problems as "really fucking lame and weak".^[37]

Metallica held auditions for Newsted's permanent replacement in early 2003, after St Anger 's completion, for which Bob Rock recorded bass. Bassists that auditioned included Pepper Keenan, Jeordie White, Scott Reeder, Eric Avery, Danny Lohner, and Chris Wyse. Following three months of auditions, Robert Trujillo, formerly of Suicidal Tendencies and Ozzy Osbourne's band, was chosen as the new bassist.^[37] As Metallica moved on, Newsted joined Canadian thrash metal band Voivod in 2002, and was Trujillo's replacement in Osbourne's band during the 2003 Ozzfest tour, which included Voivod as part of the touring bill.^[53]

In June 2003, Metallica's eighth studio album, St. Anger, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and drew mixed reaction from critics.^[54] Ulrich's "steely" sounding snare drum, and the absence of guitar solos received particular criticism.^[54] Kevin Forest Moreau of Shakingthrough.net commented that "the guitars stumble in a monotone of mid-level, processed rattle; the drums don't propel as much as struggle to disguise an all-too-turgid pace; and the rage is both unfocused and leavened with too much narcissistic navel-gazing",^[55] and Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork Media described it as "an utter mess".^[56] However, Blender magazine called it the "grimiest and grimmest of the band's Bob Rock productions", and New York Magazine called it "utterly raw and rocking".^[54] The title track, "St. Anger", won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2004, and was used as the official theme song for WWE's SummerSlam 2003.^[57]

Before the band's set at the 2004 Download Festival in England, Ulrich was rushed to hospital with a mysterious illness, and was unable to perform.^[58] Hetfield searched for volunteers at the last minute to replace Ulrich. Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, and Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison volunteered. Lombardo performed the songs "Battery" and "The Four Horsemen", Ulrich's drum technician Flemming Larsen performed "Fade To Black", with Jordison performing the remainder of the set.^[58] Having toured for two years in support of St. Anger on the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003 and the Madly in Anger with the World tour, with multi-platinum rockers Godsmack in support, Metallica took a break from performing and spent most of 2005 with friends and family. However, for two shows on November 13, 2005, and November 15, 2005, Metallica opened for The Rolling Stones at the AT&T Park in San Francisco.^[59]

Death Magnetic (2006–present)

Hammett performing live in 2007

In December 2006, Metallica released a DVD containing all the music videos from 1989 to 2004. The DVD, titled The Videos 1989-2004, sold 28,000 copies in its first week, and entered the Billboard Top Videos chart at number three.^[60] Metallica recorded a cover of Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold" for a tribute album titled We All Love Ennio Morricone, released in February 2007. The cover received a Grammy nomination at the 50th Grammy Awards for the category "Best Rock Instrumental Performance".^[61] A recording of "The Ecstasy of Gold" has been played as the introduction for Metallica performances since the 1980s. However, this new version features the band itself performing the piece, giving a new guitar-based interpretation to the music.^[62]

In 2006, Metallica announced on its official website that after 15 years, long-time producer Bob Rock was stepping down and would not be producing Metallica's next studio album. Metallica chose to work with producer Rick Rubin, who has produced albums for the bands Danzig, Slayer, Slipknot and System of a Down.^[63] Metallica set the release date for the album Death Magnetic as September 12, 2008, and they filmed a music video for the first single "The Day That Never Comes".

In early 2008 Metallica collaborated in a tribute to Iron Maiden called "Maiden Heaven" sponsored by Kerrang! Magazine with a cover version of the classic 80's theme "Remember Tomorrow".^[64]

On September 2, 2008, a French record store began selling copies of Death Magnetic nearly two weeks ahead of its scheduled worldwide release date,^[65] which resulted in the album being made available on peer-to-peer clients. This prompted the band's United Kingdom distributor, Vertigo Records, to officially release the album two days ahead of schedule, on September 10, 2008. It is currently unconfirmed whether Metallica or Warner Bros. will be taking any action against the retailer, though drummer Lars Ulrich who has made such responses to the leak as, "…We're ten days from release. I mean, from here, we're golden. If this thing leaks all over the world today or tomorrow, happy days. Happy days. Trust me,"^[66] and, "By 2008 standards, that's a victory. If you'd told me six months ago that our record wouldn't leak until 10 days out, I would have signed up for that."^[67]

Death Magnetic debuted at #1 in several countries to make it top the Australian, Canadian, Mexican^[68] and European album chart. Selling 490,000 units in the United States to debut at #1, making Metallica the first band to have five consecutive studio albums debut at #1 in the history of the Billboard 200.^[69] After a week of its release, Death Magnetic remained at #1 on the Billboard 200, the European album chart, and became the fastest selling album in Australia for 2008.^[70]

Its continued reign atop the Billboard Top 200 album chart makes Metallica the only artist, aside from Jack Johnson with the release of Sleep Through the Static, to enjoy a third consecutive week at #1 this year. Death Magnetic has also been #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock, Modern Rock/Alternative and Rock album charts for five consecutive weeks. Internationally, the album racked up #1 chart positions in 32 countries including the U.K., Canada, and Australia.^[71]

Since this album's success, MTV Europe nominated Metallica in 2 categories (Rock Out and Headliner) of their Music Awards edition and also MTV Latin America invited them to perform in their Music Awards edition.^[72] Metallica performed "The Day That Never Comes".

On October 21, 2008, Metallica started their World Magnetic Tour.

Rugby...KAMATE KAMATE!!! (all blacks haka)

2008-09-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

The "Ka Mate" haka arose as a wily plan to defeat the aims of an enemy. Inspired by this, the All Blacks are believed to have first used the "Ka Mate" or "Te Rauparaha" haka in 1906. The origin of this haka dates to 1810 when chief Te Rauparaha of the Ngāti Toa iwi (clan or tribe) was being chased by enemies. In a cunning stratagem, he hid in a food-storage pit under the skirt of a woman. Because this was an unthinkable thing for a chief to do, Te Rauparaha thought he would be safe. He climbed out to find someone standing over him, who, instead of killing Te Rauparaha, turned out to be another chief friendly to Te Rauparaha. In relief Te Rauparaha performed a haka with the words (translated from Māori) —

I die, I die: I live, I live; this is the hairy man who enabled me to live as I climb up step by step toward sunlight.

These words are still used today. Te Rauparaha's escape from death is commemorated in the haka, which can be interpreted as 'a celebration of life over death' (Pōmare 2006).

Performance

The "Ka Mate" haka generally opens with a set of five preparatory instructions shouted by the leader, before the whole team joins in:

**"Ka Mate"**
Leader:	Ringa pakia!	Slap the hands against the thighs!
	Uma tiraha!	Puff out the chest!
	Turi whatia!	Bend the knees!
	Hope whai ake!	Let the hip follow!
	Waewae takahia kia kino!	Stamp the feet as hard as you can!

Leader:	Ka mate, ka mate	'I die, I die,
Team:	Ka ora' Ka ora'	'I live, 'I live,
Leader:	Ka mate, ka mate	'I die, 'I die
Team:	Ka ora Ka ora "	'I live, 'I live,
All:	Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru	This is the hairy man
	Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā	...Who caused the sun to shine again for me
	Upane... Upane	Up the ladder, Up the ladder
	Upane Kaupane"	Up to the top
	Whiti te rā,!	The sun shines!
	He!	He!

This interpretation of the lyrics is open to debate.

"Tena Koe Kangaroo" 1903

Early in July 1903, when the New Zealand players were assembling in Wellington for their Australian tour, the Evening Post reported that... A unique souvenir has been by prepared for the New Zealand team by Mr C. Parata. It contains the following warcry

Tena koe, Kangaroo	How do you do, Kangaroo!
Tupoto koe, Kangaroo!	You look out, Kangaroo!
Niu Tireni tenei haere nei	New Zealand is invading you
Au Au Aue a!	Woe woe woe to you!

The Post's rugby correspondent later reported that the warcry was first practiced by the New Zealand team in mid-Tasman on Monday 13 July, and first performed "in response to several calls" at their official reception at Sydney on Thursday.

The New Zealanders played ten matches on the tour (won 10, lost 0, points for 276, points against 13). Presumably the warcry was performed before all their matches although a search in PapersPast (paperspast.natlib.govt.nz) only located its use on 29 July 1903 before the New Zealand v Metropolitan Union match at Sydney (Taranaki Herald, 30 July 1903).

"Ko Niu Tireni" 1924

The Invincibles performed this haka during their unbeaten 1924-1925 tour. It was written during their voyage to England by Wiremu Rangi of Gisborne, and polished up by Judge Acheson of the Native Land Court. It had two verses, but the second verse (Put a few of your famous teams on display, and let's play each other in friendship) was omitted in later matches.

[edit] First verse of Ko Niu Tireni, with a 1925 translation


Kia whakangawari au i a hau	Let us prepare ouselves for the fray
I au-e! Hei!	(The sound of being ready)
Ko Niu Tireni e haruru nei!	The New Zealand storm is about to break
Au, Au, aue hā! Hei!	(The sound of the imminent storm.)
Ko Niu Tireni e haruru nei!	The New Zealand storm waxes fiercer
Au, Au, aue hā! Hei!	(Sounds of The height of the storm.)
A ha-ha!
Ka tū te ihiihi	We shall stand fearless
Ka tū te wanawana	We shall stand exalted in spirit
Ki runga ki te rangi,	We shall climb to the heavens
E tū iho nei, tū iho nei, hī!	We shall attain the zenith the utmost heights.
Au! Au! Au!

Newspaper reports of early games spoke of the weird war cry of the visitors in response to the crowds' singing. Thus the fifth game at Swansea began with 40,000 waiting Welshmen singing Cwm Rhondda, Sospan Fach, Land of My Fathers and then God save the Queen, to which the All Blacks responded with a weird chant led by Nepia.

But as fame of their unbeaten status spread, so did the status of their haka. At the beginning of their 22nd game in Wales at Llanelly, we read

"On the appearance of the men in red, "Sosban Fach" was sung with great enthusiasm. Nepia then led the All Blacks in their famous war dance, which was very impressive. One could almost hear a pin drop while it was rendered. The crowd again sang 'Sosban Fach' in reply."

Source, The Triumphant Tour! : the All Blacks in England, Ireland and Wales, 1924-1925. This rugby treasure is mostly reprints of extensive newspaper reports of each match of the tour.

The haka in "Finnegans Wake"

Irish writer James Joyce heard this haka performed at the Invincibles' match at Paris in January 1925. He modified some of the words and used them in his word-play novel "Finnegans Wake."

Let us propel us for the frey of the fray! Us, us, beraddy!
Ko Niutirenis hauru leish! A lala!
Ko Niutirenis haururu laleish! Ala lala!
The Wullingthund sturm is breaking.
The sound of maormaoring
The Wellingthund sturm waxes fuercilier.
Finnegan's Wake, 2nd ed. 1950, Book II chap ii, page 335.

"Kapa o Pango" 2005

Before a Tri Nations match against South Africa on August 28, 2005 at Carisbrook in Dunedin, the All Blacks unexpectedly introduced a new haka, "Kapa o Pango". It featured an extended and aggressive introduction by team captain Tana Umaga and was highlighted by its more aggressive climax, a drawing of the thumb down the throat. This was interpreted by many as a "throat-slitting" action directed at the opposing team. The All Blacks went on to win the match 31 to 27.

The words to "Kapa o Pango" are more specific to the rugby team than "Ka Mate", referring to the warriors in black and the silver fern. [1]

The new haka was developed by Derek Lardelli of Ngāti Porou by modifying the first verse of "Ko Niu Tirini," the haka used by the 1924 All Blacks. An NZRU press release stated that

Kapa o Pango has been over a year in the making, and was created in consultation with many experts in Māori culture. It will serve as a complement to "Ka Mate" rather than a replacement, to be used for 'special occasions'.

However, the NZRU failed to acknowledge their debt to the creativity and mana of members of the 1924 Invincibles, and the high status that the Invincibles' haka had attained by the end of 1925 was damaged by the public-relations disaster during the haka's 2005 re-incarnarnaion.

The All Blacks opted not to perform "Kapa o Pango" in their opening test of 2006 against Ireland. It was requested that they perform their usual Ka Mate haka while a review was conducted into "Kapa o Pango". The throat-slitting action at the end of "Kapa o Pango" had drawn many complaints in the lead-up to the Irish test, with members of the public complaining about it to the NZRU. The NZRU said that it was not because of public pressure that it was not performed against Ireland.[2]

In the run-up to the first All Blacks Test of the 2006 Tri Nations at Jade Stadium in Christchurch against Australia, the NZRU completed their review, and concluded that the gesture had a radically different meaning within Māori culture and haka traditions, indicating the drawing of "hauora", the breath of life into the heart and lungs. [3] And so "Kapa o Pango" was performed, complete with the final gesture, before the Australia test.

Despite this, the controversial gesture was withdrawn in 2007, with a modified action (raking the right arm from the left hip to over the right shoulder) performed in the challenge when "Kapa o Pango" was performed in test matches against France and South Africa. During the 2008 Tri Nations series, the All Blacks appear to have reverted to the original action of drawing the hand across the throat.

Published words and the NZRU explanation

**"Kapa o Pango"**
Kapa o Pango kia whakawhenua au i ahau!	All Blacks, let me become one with the land
Hī aue, hī!
Ko Aotearoa e ngunguru nei!	This is our land that rumbles
Au, au, aue hā!	It’s my time! It’s my moment!
Ko Kapa o Pango e ngunguru nei!	This defines us as the All Blacks
Au, au, aue hā!	It’s my time! It’s my moment!
I āhahā!
Ka tū te ihiihi	Our dominance
Ka tū te wanawana	Our supremacy will triumph
Ki runga ki te rangi e tū iho nei, tū iho nei, hī!	And be placed on high
Ponga rā!	Silver fern!
Kapa o Pango, aue hī!	All Blacks!
Ponga rā!	Silver fern!
Kapa o Pango, aue hī, hā!	All Blacks!

Words chanted on field, and their literal interpretation


Taringa whakarongo!	Let your ears listen
Kia rite! Kia rite! Kia mau! Hī!	Get ready...! Line up...! Steady...! Yeah!
Kia whakawhenua au i ahau!	Let me become one with the land
Hī aue, hī!	(assertive sounds to raise adrenaline levels)
Ko Aotearoa e ngunguru nei!	New Zealand is rumbling here
Ko Kapa o Pango e ngunguru nei!	The Team in Black is rumbling here
Au, au, aue hā!
I āhahā!
Ka tū te ihiihi	Stand up to the fear
Ka tū te wanawana	Stand up to the terror
Ki runga ki te rangi,	To the sky above,!
E tū iho nei, tū iho nei, hī!	Fight up there, high up there. Yeah!
Ponga rā!	The shadows fall!
Kapa o Pango, aue hī!	Team in Black, yeah!
Ponga rā!	Darkness falls!
Kapa o Pango, aue hī, hā!	Team in Black, Yeah, Ha!

The words of both 'Kapa o Pango' and 'Ko Niu Tireni' are taken from the haka of the earthquake god Ruaumoko, Ko Ruaumoko e ngunguru nei. The lines beginning Ka tū te ihi-ihi... are found in many old haka.Ponga ra, ponga ra is the opening line of 'Te Kiri Ngutu,' an 1880s lament for stolen territory.

Controversies

Haka prior to a game against Portugal in Lyon, France.

The haka, whilst normally enjoyed by spectators, has been criticised as an unsporting attempt to intimidate the opposition before the match begins. However, most teams accept that the Haka is a legitimate part of Rugby's Heritage and face up to the All Blacks during its performance, with both teams standing about 10 metres apart. The 2007 Portuguese Rugby team Captain Vasco Uva said of the Haka that "[We] faced it, gave it the respect it deserved and it gave us motivation and we knew if it gave them strength, it was also a point of strength for us." ^[5]

Ignoring the Haka is a tactic sometimes used by opposing teams. Famously, the Australian rugby team did a warm up drill well away from the All Blacks during their 1996 Test Match in Wellington, and were beaten by a record score. More recently, the Italian rugby team ignored the Haka during a 2007 World Cup Pool Match, and the All Blacks then went on to beat them by a larger than expected score. All Black hooker, Keven Mealamu, said later that the snub had backfired and provided motivation to his team.^[6]

In 1997, Richard Cockerill was disciplined for responding to the haka before the start of an England vs All Blacks game. Cockerill went toe-to-toe with his opposite number Norm Hewitt while they performed the Haka. The Referee became so concerned that Hewitt and Cockerill would begin fighting that he pushed Cockerill away from Hewitt. Cockerill went onto say afterwards "I believe that I did the right thing that day," he said. "They were throwing down a challenge and I showed them I was ready to accept it. I'm sure they would rather we did that than walk away."^[7]

At the 1999 Bledisloe Cup match at Telstra Stadium, Sydney, 107,000 voices sang Waltzing Matilda as a response to the New Zealand haka. The Australian players responded by delivering New Zealand a record 28-7 defeat culminating in the cup being retained by Australia.

In 2005, the All Blacks agreed to a request from the Welsh Rugby Union to repeat the sequence of events from the original match a century before in 1905. This involved the All Blacks performing the haka after "God Defend New Zealand" and before "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau". For the November 2006 test, the WRU demanded a repeat of this sequence. The All Blacks refused, and instead chose to perform the haka in their changing room before the match.^[8] All Blacks captain Richie McCaw defended the decision by stating that the haka was "integral to New Zealand culture and the All Blacks' heritage" and "if the other team wants to mess around, we'll just do the haka in the shed".^[9] The crowd reacted negatively to the lack of the haka and then being shown brief footage of the haka on the screens at the Millennium Stadium.^[10]

In the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, France, after having won the coin toss for the choice of uniforms, famously wore the blue/white/red of the French flag and walked up to within a metre of the Haka performance, forming a line of opposition to the performance by the All-Blacks, who were wearing a predominantly silver uniform (as opposed to the traditional all black). France went on to defeat the All-Blacks 20-18.

The high-profile of the All Blacks, and their use of the haka has led to other Pacific teams to use similar dances from their own cultures, such as the Cibi, Kailao, and Siva tau. Other teams from the Pacific and elsewhere however have performed the Ka Mate or Kapa O Pango haka; something generally felt to be inappropriate at best. For instance, the "Kapa O Pango" haka was used by the University of Hawaii Warriors in 2006, before they created their own war dance, the "Haʻa", in the Hawaiian language with original movements.

The CHRONOLOGY of my hOLidAy...16/8/08 till 23/8/08...

2008-09-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

16/8/08 the beginning of the journey...

-woke up at 8.00 a.m
-getting all my stuffs
-gathered in front of the cafe...there were 6 of us (cad,diana,jes,nick,peter n me)..
-we walked to the bus stop..in front of the UMP main headquarters..
-reached there by 9.00 am(maybe..)
-waited for 1 1/2 hours..the bus arrived on 10.30 am..we were using MARA Liner..
*really nice travelling coach, comfortable, spacious..
*MARA Liner is the best!
-about 1.00+pm...reached puduraya terminal...
-boarded off the bus....met with our old friend..carlson..(bro..thnx for ur help, if not, i probably got lost in K.L)
-i separated from my friends at the plaza rakyat LRT station...went on my own journey..
-took LRT from plaza rkyat to hang tuah, transit using monorail from hang tuah to bukit nanas....reached there, took a walk, went down to the dang wangi station...took another train to KLCC...where i reunited with my family...
-actually my family came here coz my father was going to receive a some sort of long-service award..he worked with petronas since 1983...
-here's the picture of them...without me..at that time, i am still waiting at the entrance of KLCC...he2..

my family at the KLCC(38th floor)

-then, we went back together to the hotel they were staying at that time...near the KLCC...the TRADERS HOTEL...
-at that particular evening, we went to the AQUARIA...some kind of aquatic lifes exhbition...took a lot of pics there... this is one of them...he2..

me at the aquaria

-got really tired after a long journey reuniting with my famly..
-slept really well that night...

17/8/08 the second day..

-woke up around 9 am..my mother woke me up..he2
-we had our breakfast in the hotel room…KFC…
-after breakfast, we are getting ready to go to Sunway Lagoon…
-my little brother felt really excited that time as it was his first time to go there..:-)
-well, we arrived there almost afternoon..
-my father bought for us the tickets to enter Sunway Lagoon..
-then, my father n my small brother went to the changing room to change clothes..
-while my mum n my sis took a stroll around that place..
-and me, I sat on a stool just beside a small bar..listening to music…watching other people…”cuci mata”…he2..:-P..

pictures taken at sunway lagoon

-we finished everything around 3.30 pm…
-we went out of the theme park…we moved on to the sunway pyramid…things had changed since the first I went here in the year 1998..whoaaa..1o years agoo!
-we took a taxi to the loWyaT plaza from sunway pyramid…
-reached there almost 5++, I think..
-surveyed for new phone there…one phone caught my attention..nokia 6120 classic…
-we went for makan2 at Chinese stalls right in front of the plaza..
-went back to hotel..
-got exhausted of the trip…but HAPPY!
-my parents prepared themselves to present at the LONG-SERVICE AWARD CEREMONY…my father received that award for long-term service with PETRONAS….since 1985..
-while my siblings stayed in the hotel room..watching movies…waiting for them..
-second day finisheddd…zzzzzzzzzZZZ

18/8/08 the third day..

-woke up that morning..
-we packed up all of our stuffs..getting ready to check out of the TRADERS HOTEL..
-there are two things that I really like about this hotel, the TRADERS HOTEL,
= really3 fast internet broadband service for FREE
= the night view is very fantastic…glowing twin towers right in front of your room hotel…(if your room is opposite the towers)

taken from hotel room(Traders Hotel)

-we went to puduraya terminal bus…bought ourselves tickets to MELAKA..which means..next trip…MELAKA!!!
-our bus began the journey on 10.30 am…
-reached MELAKA in the afternoon…
-took a taxi to MAHKOTA HOTEL…

-checked in..a small apartment..nice..juz nice…
-then, we went out again…took a walk to the town of MELAKA…
-we passed by a big cafeteria..a lot of Chinese and Malay food stalls there…
-then, we went on..
-suddenly, I didn’t feel really well since we arrived Melaka that day…probably due to the long journey..
-I asked for the apartment key from my mum…
-I brought along my small brother back to the apartment…
-reached there…treat myself with two Panadols…while my brother watched TV…I straightly went back to bed and dozed off..
-by the time my family arrived back to the apartment…they brought back a lot of food..
-I ate with them..two rounds of kuey teow…he2..got really hungry bah…
-then..i took a bath..and get ready to sleep…
-end of the third dayyyy…

19/8/08 the fourth day…

-woke up in the morning..as usual…
-we had our breakfast at the hotel’s cafeteria..
-then, we started our journey to a park located beside the MAHKOTA PARADE..(some kind of shopping mall..i think..)
-there are a big, old plane ; an old fire engine and a part of an old locomotive…nice view though….

-then, we went into a museum..which is called MUSEUM of ENDURING BEAUTY…
-a lot of cultures exhibition that we can learn and see here..
-kind of educative too..

-then we walked on…we passed by this museum..MUSEUM of STAMPS…what can I say about this place….hmmmmm…well…LOTS N LOTS OF STAMPS!
-finally, we reached the the old, historical…A FAMOSA FORT..face to face with it..
-it doesn’t feel the same as noticing it as a picture in a history textbook…
-took pictures there as remembrances...
-then, we took the stairs just behind the fort to reach the old ST PAUL’S CHURCH..
-really2 historical view…it is a good thing for us to treasure old remains of history…really appreciate those who did this for us before..TQ!
-then, we went down…I found myself a bench and sat down there..relaxed for a while..
-my family took a trishaw..beautiful, decorated trishaw with woofers! WOW!
-we stopped at the CHRIST CHURCH OF MELAKA…what a nice vieww!..
-we sat down near the fountain…I went on to search through the souvenir stores available there…
-it really surprised me…there are a lot of things sold here…you will not regret anything if you buy souvenirs in MELAKA…

-after that, we went to the maritime muzeum..

-i like the maritime muzeum which displays a lot of navy weapons...he2..i love big guns..
-then, we decided to went back to the hotel…
-before that, we stopped by at the cafeterias…makan2 first…
-we reached our room..

-I played my guitar…the view at the balcony was very beautiful that night..
-end of the fourth day…

20/8/08 the fifth day…

-we packed up everything…we were going to check out from the hotel in the afternoon..
-we went to the bus terminal…
-took a bus back to K.L…
-reached K.L….took a taxi to TUNE HOTEL..
-the first taxi brought us to the wrong hotel…so..RM40 just burned like that…
-my advice is...’don’t trust taxi drivers 100% especially in big cities’..otherwise..the driver will scrap away your money easily! So, BE CAREFUL!
-then, we took another taxi…this time he took us to the right place..
-got really unfortunate that time because we got stuck in traffic jams…damn..FOR HOURS!
-got really exhausted when we had arrived at the TUNE HOTEL…
-we settled our checking-in deals at the lobby…
-room 205 and 206…
-what can I say about this hotel….
· budget hotel
· located at chow kit area
· small rooms but quite comfortable though..
· all things are prepaid-mode style…what I mean is…(if you want to use the air-conditioner, you need to pay for 24 hours only..)
· no dressing table..
· towels and wireless internet connection had to be paid too if you want to use them..
· well…again….IT IS A BUDGET HOTEL…RM48 per night..
-then,we went out again to find a restaurant for dinner..
-after that, we went straight back to the hotel..
-end of the fifth day…

21/8/08..the sixth day

-woke up that morning..
-prepared ourselves for a journey to GENTING HIGHLANDS…
-took an LRT…from medan tuanku..to hang tuah..from hang tuah to plaza rakyat..
-bought bus tickets to genting that morning…there was a lot of people at PUDURAYA BUS TERMINAL..
-the journey began…
-arrived at the GENTING HIGHLANDS that morning…took a cable car to go to the main place..the longest cable car trip in southeast asia…
-it gets really cold once you reached the top..

-we went through the FIRST WORLD PLAZA trying to find our way to the theme park..
-we reached the theme and bought entry tickets..
-we went in the theme park! J
-I took some pictures there (really nice view)
-my sister and I decided to walk on our own while my parents stayed with my younger brother..
-we watched a street performance by a clown and a mime…kind of funny…he2…
-I spotted a clown and took picture of him…but I forgot to take picture WITH HIM..silly me…:-P
-we went to the roller coaster ride…but unfortunately…I felt droplets of rain falling from the sky…the ride stopped when it reached exactly to my turn…got really FRUSTRATED that time..
-so we went to the spot where there was a LONDON DOUBLE DECKER BUS and telephone booths which look the same as ones in London..
-took pictures of them…thenn…the rain started to fall…heavily….
-I decided to go back to the place where there were a lot of arcade games…
-spent RM50 there…*ouch*..never won any of the games…just having fun playing…he2
-then, I went to the INDOOR THEME PARK at THE FIRST WORLD PLAZA..treat myself a CURRY LAKSA MEE for lunch…
-after lunch..i took a walk around that place…
-I saw a group of Chinese artists at some kind of arts exhibition..
-one of them really amused me…he had the skills of sketching and drawing…well…at that time, I saw him drawing a portrait of an Indian couple…LIVE…*salute*
-I continued my journey and checked out the SNOW WORLD…niceee…I saw a lot of people inside..enjoying themselves..
-well, I’m not in the mood that time..so I decided not to go there…mybe next time..
-then, I received a phone call from my mum..
-we reunited again at the arcade games…
-my small brother played a few games there and I spotted an arcade game that attracted me that time…
-it was a machine that measure how heavy is your punch..in KG’s..only 3 tries are given for each gameplay…
-well..I tried it..and got 510,500,500 for the first try…he2..second try…510,490,500…not badd…
-the bad news was..i was slightly injured on my right wrist..he2…NO PAIN, NO GAIN..righttt!
-then…we went back to kL and stopped by at the LOWYAT plaza..
-this time, my father and I agreed to buy the new that I had surveyed before..nokia 6120 classic….
-RM 700+…together with micro sd card of 2GB..
-then, we bought an external hard disk with the capacity of 160 GB for RM200 only…which I am now using to store precious pictures took using my camera…
-after that, we had our dinner before heading straight back to the hotel…
-THNX DAD!
-the end of sixth day…

22/8/08…the seventh day..

-woke up late that morning..
-that day, my family decided to go to the ZOO NEGARA…
-again, my younger brother felt really3 EXCITED..first time loo..
-we reached there and went in the zoo…my other family members took the vehicle prepared to cruise around the zoo…
-while for myself, I prefer to go around the zoo on foot…
-I still remember this place..it was in the year of 1998…I fed a sugar cane to an elephant there….i wonder if the elephant that I saw now was the same as the one I fed 10 years ago..hmmmm…
-well, I took a lot of pictures there…I saw a lot of animals there…giraffes,elephants,tigers,lions,deers, etc….
-then suddenly, again, the rain started to fall..
-got no choice but ran back to the first place I was before…
-then, we took a taxi to PUTRAJAYA…
-for all of us, it was the first time to go there…to see where our PM and other ministers work…
-the scenery there was really2 amazing…beautifull!
-we took pictures there..for remembrance that we had set our foot on the grounds of PUTRAJAYA…
-then, we went back to our hotel…which took hours because we were caught in the traffic jam…
-we reached the hotel around 8 pm…
-really exhausted….but for this day…SWEET MEMORIES WERE CREATED AND TREASURED FOR ETERNITY!!
-end of seventh day…

23/8/08 the eighth day..final day..

-woke up in the morning…
-it’s time to go back to UMP..:-(
-my mum gave me her advices…
-then, my father accompanied me to the railstation..
-he gave me advices and encouragements…THANKS DAD…THANKS MOM…
-then, I’m on my own…
-again, from the medan tuanku station…to hang tuah…from hang tuah to plaza rakyat…
-my bus was scheduled to leave KL for KUANTAN on 10.30 am..
-while my family went back to BINTULU on 1.45 pm in the afternoon on that same day…
-I reached UMP in the afternoon….the bus dropped me at the entrance…fortunately…I have 2 friends.. J..helped me with luggages…THANKS CAD N JEZ!
-my family arrived at BINTULU AIRPORT safe n sound around 3 pm….
-end of the eighth day…..FINAL DAY!

P.S : I WILL EDIT THIS POST AGAIN AND ADD UP MORE PICS A.S.A.P!!

11th of august 2008...in my hostel room...

2008-08-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

i'm listening to a song now....dear god...by avenged sevenfold...instrumental rock...really like dat song..all my roommates doing their own works...he2...all of us are busyyy...well,this week is just like one week prison full of tests and assgnments...tomorrow i will be having an organic chemstry test and presentation...still got no idea for presentation...damn...for now, i hv to focus more on the test first....b4 i start studying, i went for my dinner at 8 pm juz now..with my friends..after makan2....we chit chat till 9.30 then we went back to our room....earlier this evening, i went to gym...i feel a lot better after i went there...stress level is going downnnnn...he2...well, juz a bit..rather than no decrease at all....hmmm...got to continue my study...adiooossss amigooosssss!!!

Intro-duction...

2008-07-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

well...this is my first time doing this blogging thing...kinda interesting i guess...i'm still thinking right now of what i m going to type here...sitting with my guitar on my lap...in my room...together with my roommate,vincent...we hv just sang tgther the chinese song by micheal wong, Tong Hua...i played the guitar and vincent juz sang through it...nice voice ehh...he2..hmmm..i bought this guitar last sunday from a music store juz opposite the st thomas church...the one with "Yamaha" signboard...heh...i thought that shop sells somthing like yamaha brand mechanical things and stuffs like dat..i went into that "Yamaha" shop,and juz surveyed through the prices of the guitars available...the acoustic one with blue-painted body is priced at rm250..well,togther with the bag..then,beside it,is a classical guitar..priced at rm300+ if i'm not mistaken..i kept thinking 2 myself...i hv only exactly rm250 in my wallet...sooo...i decided to hv my lunch 1st,after dat, go to berjaya megamall to withdraw some $$$$..thenn,i will go back to that shop to purchase a guitar...so,the story went on like this..the moment i reached the megamall..i changed my mind..well,i planned again like this,i try to go to all malls possible...and find other music stores with a lot more choices of guitars...sooooooOO...i went from berjaya megamall to east coast mall...by FOOT...damnnnNN..that day was SOOOO HOT u knww..plus i wore my ALL BlACKS t-shirt and of course it is BLACKK!...i reached that so called east coast mall(maybe it is situated far to the east of this town....hmmm) by 2 pm something together with my friends...we stop by and eat at the BIG APPLE..donuttssssss...emmmmmmm...then, i resumed my mission to find a music store in that mall tgther with ronald..we walked n walked...till we suddenly realized that we had gone for 2 rounds! what?? no music store?? wasting me n my friends a lot of energy u knoww...sighh*...thenn..we decided to go to kuantan parade...OMG...that place is too far awayy...got no choice,so we just walked on...after about nearly 20 minutes walking under the HOT BLAZING sun..we finally reached kuantan parade...i looked at my watch....almost 3.30..i still remember that at the first place..i asked the chinese girl in the shop when the shop will close...she said "we closed at 4 pm"...hmmmm...well...back to the kuantan parade...so..as time was running out, we tried to ask at the information centre....UNFORTUNATELY..that guy said;"maaf encik,sini xde kdai alat muzik"...WHATTTT!!! after a longggg walkkk...and in the end, i was only given a realLLYYYY3 frustrating answerrr?? whoaaaa..catch your breath VeN...we still have chance! so walked out that crowded and headed towards a taxi...at that time too,my friend,ronald,coincidentally came out of a door nearby...so i brought him along with me to the first shop that I entered early in the afternoon...after a few minutes ride in the taxi...we reached the YAMAHA shop..againn...and luckilyy..the shop still opened and it was only 3.45pm i think...he2...then i straight away bought a rm 185 guitar together with the bag...brought it back to the taxi and went to kuantan parade again...fuhh...what a relieveee...u knw..i can't live without a guitar...even for 1 week...seriously talking..feels like HELL u knww...so now..this is my 3rd guitar which i am holding right now :)...EVO brand..made from china...he2..all my guitars are made from china...1st guitar...skylark..china made..2nd guitar..bought in labuan...starsun...also made from china...for now...i dn have any pic of my guitars...well...i will upload them later....anyway...the story finished like this....i went back to UMP by bus...tgther with my new guitar...he2...luckily no one was hurt while the story was going on...i think i'll put a stop here first..i'll try to update this blog from time to time if possible....soo...adiossss amigossssssss!!!!!