Saturday, October 2, 2010

Tentang Tentang: Kebebasan Berhimpun, Bersuara & Ber-obor

 Kuala Lumpur, Oktober 2 -  Beberapa hari lepas, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (PERKASA) membuat bantahan terhadap video Youtube "Nah!" Namewee yang juga merupakan bantahan Namewee terhadap kenyataan berbaur perkauman yang dikeluarkan oleh seorang pengetua sekolah menengah di Kulai, Johor 12 Ogos lepas. Walaupun kebanyakan rakyat Malaysia mungkin melihat "pesta cinta" antara Namewee dan PERKASA ini sebagai sesuatu yang merepek dan mengganggu (seperti seekor lalat yang hinggap atas mee goreng mamak anda; sebanyak mana anda cuba, serangga itu mesti akan datang balik), namun kejadian terbaru "couple" ini telah memberi inspirasi kepada persatuan-persatuan lain untuk mengangkat sepanduk protes mereka.

     Turut hadir di tempat kejadian i.e. Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Kuala Lumpur & Selangor (KLSCAH) adalah Pertubuhan Muhibah Gagah Malaysia (GAGAH), salah satu pertubuhan yang membuka keanggotannya kepada semua kaum dan menjadikan keadilan sosial sebagai tunggak pertubuhan mereka. Menurut presiden GAGAH, Harvinder Singh,  tujuan mereka turun padang adalah untuk membantah tindakan PERKASA: "Kami sedar bahawa niat Namewee itu ikhlas iaitu ingin menentang sikap perkauman tetapi mungkin cara penyampaiannya itu kurang sopan & ini dieksploitasi oleh PERKASA untuk mendapat keuntungan politik mereka. Maka, kami datang ke sini untuk menyedarkan orang ramai, terutamanya orang Melayu, bahawa PERKASA ini bukan sebenarnya hendak menjaga hak-hak orang Melayu tetapi hanya ingin menimbulkan kekacauan." Muhammad Irfan Tajuddin, seorang ahli GAGAH yang jelas tampak hadir untuk menyorak dan membuat bising menjerit, "Kalau Arman Azha Abu Hanifah (Ketua Wira PERKASA) kata mereka nak buat 'konsert' di luar bila Namewee buat 'konsert' di dalam, GAGAH pula akan buat 'konsert' di seberang jalan!"

     Lebih kurang 100 meter dari tapak bantahan GAGAH di seberang Jalan Maharajalela, satu pertubuhan yang memegang kepada konsep kebebasan bersuara, BADANG (Badan Gabungan Pemuda-Pemudi Malaysia) pula membuat bantahan mereka sendiri. Mereka marah dengan tindakan GAGAH yang dikatakan cuba menyekat kebebasan bersuara rakyat Malaysia yang lain. "Kami bersikap berkecuali dengan Namewee & PERKASA kerana itu merupakan hak mereka untuk memberi pendapat masing-masing tetapi kami tidak berpuas hati dengan GAGAH yang cuba mempengaruhi pandangan awam," ulas Siti Shahirah Haji Sulaiman, Ketua Aktiviti & Rekreasi, sambil memegang panji "GAGAH Bukan Perkasa." Ng Kor Chee dengan penuh perasaan pula menambah, "Mereka cakap sahaja pasal keadilan sosial tetapi minggu lepas saya nampak mereka mentertawakan seorang pengemis buta; malah, salah seorang daripada mereka cuba mencuri duit pengemis itu. Kalau nak gelak kat pengemis pun, carilah yang pekak sekali, dia dengar kot kalau kena bahan."

     Tidak jauh daripada KLSCAH, polis terpaksa menahan maraan kira-kira 200 (!) ahli Kelab Penyokong Felda United yang bersedia untuk menyerang keempat-empat pihak dengan parang, kapak, batang kayu dan juga obor. "Ye lah, kami tengah sibuk nak pelan untuk perlawanan Piala Malaysia menentang Perlis pada 3 Oktober, Si BADANG GAGAH PERKASA boleh pula memekak malam buta ini, manalah kita tak mengamuk," keluh Hazril Hafizi Hazwan, seorang ahli yang penuh semangat walaupun dia tidak sedar bahawa protes yang dijalankan itu berlaku pada pukul 9:30 malam, tidaklah lewat sangat. Wan Junaidi Wan Jasin, seorang peneroka FELDA Jengka yang berpakaian lengkap Felda United termasuk stokin bangga kerana membawa obornya, "Nasib baik saya bawa obor saya ke setiap perjumpaan; saya tahu satu hari nanti benda ini berguna tetapi saya kecewa kerana tak dapat membakar baju jahanam-jahanam yang membuat hiruk-pikuk itu. Lain kali sahaja lah." Dengan ini jelaslah menunjuk Malaysia terdiri daripada negara yang memberi rakyatnya kebebasan untuk berhimpun, bersuara dan membawa obor.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Betul Tapi Salah Bhg. 237

Kenapa orang Malaysia kalau tak puas hati kat orang lain kena maki guna perkataan Bahasa Inggeris "bitch"? Maksud asal perkataan itu adalah anjing betina maka digunakanlah oleh para pelopor budaya pop sebagai kata kasar untuk menyamakan orang lain, biasanya wanita, dengan haiwan itu & dibawa pula ke tanah Malaysia oleh arus globalisasi. Yang aku tak puas hatinya, kenapa kita perlu menjejak langkah Orang Putih Si Penjajah Minda & Penyebar Budaya Kuning (Hakcipta Terpelihara) ini? 

Bahasa Malaysia sebenarnya sudah mempunyai kosa kata yang cukup indah kalau anda ingin mencarut kepada PEREMPUAN yang menggatal dengan teman lelaki anda atau BETINA yang telah kelentong anda 'kaw-kaw.' Jika anda menghadapi keadaan seperti itu, elakkanlah daripada mengguna perkataan "bitch" & tunjukkan yang anda menyayangi bahasa ibunda anda dengan menggunakan perkataan 'sundal' atau 'jalang' (tengok, sampai boleh pilih mana satu nak guna!) Ingat, bahasa jiwa bangsa :)

Agama Terbesar Di Malaysia: Konsumerisme

Nak tanya sikit. Soalan ini ditujukan kepada penduduk bandar-bandar sekitar Malaysia terutamanya yang tinggal di Lembah Kelang. Tahu tak anda semua menyembah dua agama? Yang pertama adalah agama atau fahaman yang anda amalkan sejak lahir ataupun kepada mu'allaf, yang baru anda amalkan. Tetapi sedar tak anda pun secara tidak langsung mengamalkan satu lagi "agama" yang juga dianuti semua orang tanpa mengira kaum, jantina, umur dan darjat: kepenggunaan atau dalam bahasa Menggeris "konsumerisme." Wikipedia Indonesia memberi takrif yang menarik, terutamanya ayat kedua: 
"Konsumerisme adalah paham atau ideologi yang menjadikan seseorang atau kelompok melakukan atau menjalankan proses konsumsi atau pemakaian barang-barang hasil produksi secara berlebihan atau tidak sepantasnya secara sadar dan berkelanjutan. Hal tersebut menjadikan manusia menjadi pecandu dari suatu produk, sehingga ketergantungan tersebut tidak dapat atau susah untuk dihilangkan. Sifat konsumtif yang ditimbulkan akan menjadikan penyakit jiwa yang tanpa sadar menjangkit manusia dalam kehidupannya."
Agama ini tidak memerlukan kitab malah rukun; agama ini hanya memerlukan rumah-rumah ibadah mega yang dibina dengan teguh dan megah di setiap pelosok agar menjadi tumpuan penganutnya setiap hujung minggu. Pendingin hawa yang dipasang penuh dan kuat membolehkan para penganut melakukan tawaf bertingkat selama berjam-jam tanpa mengeluarkan setitik peluh pun. Lapar atau dahaga? Ajaran universal ini memastikan pengikutnya disaji dengan pelbagai juadah dari Timur hingga ke Barat. Sebesar mana pun, agama ini tetap akan memastikan anak-anak buahnya selesa dan akan setia kepadanya sehingga akhir hayat.

Agama ini boleh dikatakan mengamalkan konsep politheisme dimana setiap rumah ibadah mega menempatkan puluhan, kadangkala ratusan, tuhan untuk disembah. Politheisme ini mungkin menyinggung para monotheis atau atheis tetapi mereka tidak perlu risau kerana agama ini juga cenderung kepada fahaman liberal. Anda hanya mahu melihat rahmat-rahmat yang ditayangkan oleh tuhan-tuhan ini? Boleh. Anda mahu setia kepada satu tuhan dengan menyalurkan wang Ringgit anda kepada dia sahaja? Boleh. Anda hanya mahu sujud kepada tuhan-tuhan yang memaparkan tanda "SALE" di pintu gerbang mereka? Sudah tentu boleh!

Selaras dengan sifat universal, agama ini hanya mempunyai satu rukun sahaja: duit. Penjelasan rukun ini amat mudah: jika anda ada wang, anda berhak membeli syurga anda sendiri. Anda akan diangkat oleh awan eskalator dan dibawa menghadap tuhan pencipta produk; setelah mengorbankan pendapatan hasil bantingan tulang anda kepada malaikat-malaikatnya, anda akan membawa pulang syurga anda di dalam beg plastik ke rumah untuk dipamerkan kepada para penganut lain kelak. Apabila anda rasa bosan dengan syurga itu, maka tibalah masanya untuk mengunjungi rumah ibadah mega untuk membeli syurga baru. Patah tumbuh, hilang berganti.

Sedar tidak sedar, agama ini tidak perlukan gerombolan-gerombolan pendakwah untuk dihantar ke seluruh pelusuk alam; agama ini tidak perlukan percaturan dakwah secara terbuka atau secara kiasan. Konsumerisme hanya memerlukan generasi masakini untuk menerimanya dengan hati dan tangan terbuka dan mengharap agar generasi baru akan lahir terus dalam fahaman ini. Maka lihat dengan sendiri lah bahawa kitab-kitab suci akan diganti dengan perlahan-lahan oleh beg beli-belah yang jenamanya seantero apabila tamadun manusia menjejak langkah-langkah kecil ke abad-22.

P/S: Inspirasi karangan ini daripada novel "Kingdom Come" oleh J.G. Ballard.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Summer 10' Movie Marathon

Hello people! I've been pretty busy this summer with a lot of travels (as a matter of fact, I'm heading to Chicago, IL for Lollapalooza this weekend!) but I do still have time to watch a whole bunch of movies. Voila!
  1. Pi
  2. Heat
  3. Moon
  4. Brick
  5. Kafka
  6. Brazil
  7. Jogho
  8. Lenjan
  9. Amelie
  10. The Fly
  11. Invictus
  12. Insomnia
  13. Robocop
  14. Selubung
  15. Inception
  16. Predators   
  17. The Road
  18. The Birds
  19. Following
  20. Alphaville
  21. Mat Gelap 
  22. Kaki Bakar 
  23. Iron Man 2
  24. Poltergeist
  25. Raging Bull
  26. The Losers
  27. Blue Velvet
  28. The Crazies
  29. An Education
  30. Rear Window
  31. Bujang Lapok 
  32. A Serious Man
  33. Soylent Green
  34. Boogie Nights 
  35. The Informant!
  36. Gangster No. 1  
  37. Fahrenheit 451
  38. The Other Guys
  39. Ringgit Kasorrga
  40. The Proposition
  41. Mulholland Drive
  42. This Is Spinal Tap
  43. Gangs Of New York 
  44. Back To The Future I
  45. Assault On Precint 13 
  46. Back To The Future II
  47. (500) Days Of Summer
  48. Back To The Future III
  49. Remember The Titans
  50. The Long Good Friday
  51. Village Of The Damned
  52. Beyond The Motor City
  53. Thunderbolt & Lightfoot
  54. It Came From Outer Space
  55. Perempuan, Isteri & Jalang  
  56. John Carpenter's Halloween
  57. Close Encounters With The Third Kind
  58. Phillip Kaufman's Invasion Of The Body Snatchers  

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Spring '10 Movies

Not bad for spring semester, eh? Managed to chip-in a good amount of film noirs, especially the German expressionist "M"; also watched "Shutter Island" & "Casablanca" on the big screen. I definitely won't be seeing any movies until the end of my final exams so I'm currently compiling a list of movies to watch for summer!
  1. Casablanca 
  2. Zombieland
  3. The Big Heat 
  4. Fritz Lang's M
  5. Shutter Island 
  6. Touch Of Evil
  7. The Big Combo
  8. The Hurt Locker
  9. A Scanner Darkly
  10. Night & The City
  11. Strangers On A Train
  12. Capitalism: A Love Story 
  13. A Nightmare On Elm Street
  14. The Men Who Stare At Goats
  15. Creature From The Black Lagoon
  16. Midnight In The Garden Of Good & Evil
  17. Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Travelogue Atlanta: Spring Break Special

Recently during spring break, I went down to Atlanta, GA with my mates from PSU's American Society For Microbiology. We visited the Center For Disease Control (CDC), volunteered three days for Habitat For Humanity building houses & met some new people along the way. All great times, right? Yes, but these memories made it greater.

March 9
  • 6:02 pm - Saw a dude jumped the "Repair" sign of an escalator & proceeded to run down the out-of-order escalator.
  • 7:12 pm - Lauren hugged her jacket tightly & wishing she brought along her pepper spray when walking around a shady-looking part of town.
  • 8:27 pm - "Que?" Response of the shopkeeper when I asked her where the peanut butter was.
March 10
  • 7:40 am - Amalina dressed-up as if she's like a kid going to school (or at least Atlanta Metropolitan College).
  • 8:08 am - After traveling by train & bus using the MARTA seven-day pass  from the hotel to the build site, Juan asked "How do we get back?"
  • 4:30 pm - Seven teenage girls being very, very raucous at the back of the bus with random sing-a-longs got warned by the bus driver twice.
  • 4:39 pm - One of the seven aforementioned noisy brats somehow fell down the stairs at the train station.
March 11
  • 7:37 am - Some voodoo-looking lady was preaching about "Jesus Christ" on the train & was asking for donations.
  • 8:31 am - Improvisation 101: trashbag poncho!
  • 1:24 pm - Dan being adamant that the English system was better than the Metric system in face of strong opposition by everybody else.
  • 7:24 pm - Saw a dude wearing a Penn State hoodie at The Vortex at midtown Atlanta.
  • 10:43 pm - Akmal mengigau. 'Nuff said.
March 12
  • 8:45 am - Everyone NEARLY didn't get out of the train at Inman Park. Tired and sleepy, perhaps?
  • 9:00 am - Ilham kena kacau by some dodgy-looking dude.
  • 9:13 am - Same dodgy dude sat beside Ammar on the bus and proceeded to fart at him.
  • 1:59 pm - "This is Atlanta, it ain't New York baby!" A woman teaching some crowd manner of getting in and out of the train at Five Points station.
  • 2:04 pm - A Penn State t-shirt sold at a sports shop at Underground Atlanta, that looks eerily similar to Sg. Wang Plaza.
  • 2:10 pm - Met some Indonesians who were selling cajun food, of all places!
  • 3:34 pm - Amalina randomly stepping on bricks with names etched on it for no apparent reason at the Olympic Park.
  • 4:04 pm - Saw the first Jew in Atlanta in front of Coca-Cola World!
  • 6:59 pm - "They get nervous with no brown people around" Free talking about Lauren & Dan who were left at the supermarket. In a Black neighborhood.
  • 10:17 pm - Lauren grabbed Ammar's arm after claiming that a dude we passed while walking to the bus stop were checking her out twice.
March 13
  • 6:55 am - Cool view of the sunrise from the train.
  • 8:02 am - Saw a street named "Tiger Flowers Drive."
  • 4:42 pm - Waved back from the bus at a dude who was randomly waving at the bus.
  • 4:44 pm - Saw an intersection of "Gun Club Rd" & "Hollywood Rd."
  • 6:51 pm - Ilham made a joke about trytophan which nobody understood.

    Sunday, March 7, 2010

    What Kind Of Idiot Are You On Facebook? #2

    Well, well. It has come to this. I didn't want to do it but the situation has gotten out of hand and someone has to step in and save these souls from impending doom. Here are more random destructive behaviors that citizens of Facebook indulge on.
    1. Becoming a fan of every random quote imaginable - this is one example of the fast-paced society that we live in. Pretty much goes like this:  you see someone becoming a fan of "I hate when I accidentally make awkward eye contact with people", think "Hey, that statement gets me!", click THAT button & move on with your life.
    2. The cocks who made those fan pages in the first place - shows that pathetic losers do get some recognition in life!
    3. Promoting that you can make money on Facebook - definitely a ponzi scheme which is prevalent in Malaysia ever since the advent of the catch phrase "skim cepat kaya." Quit being a lazy-arsed slacker & get a real job. Seriously, I have more respect towards Indonesian construction workers than these greedy opportunists.
    4. 'Tag' Abusing - The 'tag' system was made so that it will be easier to identify your friends or acquantainces in a given photo. But it just had to be screwed with. Now, any imaginable picture can be tagged with all your friends & the latest spam (notably The Sims spam) can automatically 'tag' your friends unknowingly, causing wall havoc.
    5. "I Can't Believe..." type fan pages - something new to Facebook here. Apparently you have to become a fan of these kind of pages to see how Megan Fox looked like when she was small or the answer to the riddle that 77.7% Oxford students got wrong or the best divorce letter ever. Definitely something shady is going on here...

    My Top 10 Albums Of The Decade: The Nearly

    Well, spring break has started & the sun has been shining for the past couple of days. Everything's just great at the moment! Before I head off to Atlanta, GA with the rest of my ASM gang, I felt compelled to do a write-up on the albums that did not made into my Top 10 list as they lost out by a fraction. So, to do justice to my musical taste, here it is!

    Image












    Jet - Get Born (2003)
    The rip-roarin' debut by this Australian quartet brings back rock & roll to its roots. The thunderous tunes reminds me of AC/DC but their garage rock influences makes their music dirtier, grittier & not to mention, shake-able. Having the talent to tear the house down (Are You Gonna Be My Girl") & belt out catchy ballads ("Look What You've Done") truly makes them the real rockstars.
    Favorite tracks: Rollover DJ, Get Me Outta Here, Sgt Major

    Image












    The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
    Across the world, another form of garage rock revival (and the mod dressing too) took place in the boroughs of New York City. Their lo-fi sound coupled with Julian Casablanca's lazy & stoned voice was a perfect match for the ears to listen as exemplified by the songs "Is This It", "Someday" & "Barely Legal." This album, alongside The White Stripes' "White Blood Cells," brought indie/garage to the forefront of mainstream music throughout the decade.
    Favorite tracks: Someday, Last Nite, New York City Cops

    Image












    Dum Dum Tak - Hentikan Penindasan (2009)
    A late entry but this Kuala Terengganu socio-political punk band is to borrow it from The Clash, "The Only [Malaysian] Band That Matters." Forget Bunkface, this is the real deal: they're one of the few bands that have the guts to say what they want to say & don't give a shit about what other people think about them. Songs range from anti-ISA ("Demokrasi Tanpa I.S.A."), rise in gas prices ("Petrol Petrol Petrol") & civil rights ("Suara Kami") will sure to make your blood boil & spirits raised.
    Favorite tracks: Suara Kami, Perangi Mereka, Hak Asasi Hipokrasi

    Image












    Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)
    Lost out to Couple on my Top 10 list, this Columbia University prep-boys pack one hell of a beat. Mixing indie with classical and African tunes you'll get massively addicting songs like "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "Oxford Comma" & "M79." Not to forget, the very very very catchy "A-Punk" that once got into my head for a week! Definitely the album to bring along on a fine summer's day picnic by the park or the beach. 
    Favorite tracks: A-Punk, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, The Kids Don't Stand A Chance

    Image












    The Thrills - So Much For The City (2003)
    A good complement to Vampire Weekend would be this album that celebrates the beauty of America's west coast ["Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)", "Big Sur"]. Actually hailing from Ireland, The Thrills style was aptly branded as "sun-drenched, inspired by classic American pop of the late '60s and early '70s" reminiscent of The Beach Boys. 'Nuff said.
    Favorite tracks: Big Sur, Don't Steal Our Sun, Say It Ain't So

    Image












    The Otherside Orchestra - ElectROMANCEstacy (2008)
    When the Malaysia underground scene boomed in late 2007, everyone pretty much wanted to be in an indie band but not these guys. Their brand of hard-hitting "rock-tronica" coupled with the haunting voice of Dhiya Izwin besides having their own lighting effects during their live shows (which is a must) takes raving to a whole new level.
    Favorite tracks: Eksperimentasi Elektro Cinta, Possessive, Eternal Punishment

    Image












    Lily Allen - Alright, Still (2006)
    I'm not a fan of mainstream pop stars & had a fleeting period liking a couple of her songs but once I re-listened this album again, I fell in love with Lily Allen. I was swayed because her music is deeply influenced by ska and dub ("LDN", "Friday Night", "Friend Of Mine") that was sadly not apparent in her sophomore album. This is one fine piece of British street music that is worth delving into or in my case, having an infatuation with ;)
    Favorite tracks: LDN, Friday Night, Everything's Just Wonderful

    Wednesday, January 27, 2010

    Komuniti Haiwan Marah, Kecewa Dengan Insiden Masjid

    Petaling Jaya, 27 Januari - Presiden Badan Integriti Ahli Ternakan & Ladang (BINATANG) Sulong Sapi menyatakan kemarahan dan kekecewaan yang menimpa masyarakat haiwan ternakan di Malaysia lantaran kes-kes membaling kepala binatang di rumah-rumah ibadat. Hal ini berlaku akibat rasa tidak puas hati sesetengah pihak terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi yang membenarkan majalah Katolik Herald untuk menggunakan nama "Allah" sebagai terjemahan "God" ke Bahasa Malaysia.

         Ketika diminta mengulas di sidang media khas di ibu pejabat PKNS petang semalam mengenai kes membaling kepala babi yang dilontar ke dua perkarangan masjid sekitar Petaling Jaya, beliau berkata "Saya berasa sangat kesal kerana terdapat anasir-anasir yang mahu mengheret bangsa kami ke dalam isu yang penuh kontroversi ini sedangkan kita tidak pernah memberi apa-apa masalah kepada kamu [manusia]. Malah kami sanggup mengorbankan diri demi menjadi Ayam Masak Lemak, Daging Masak Kicap & Bak Kut Teh kamu semua."

         Beliau yang juga berketurunan satu perempat babi sangat sedih kerana imej buruk binatang minoriti ini telah diburukkan lagi dan bimbang golongan khinzir yang merangkumi 17% populasi haiwan ternakan di Malaysia akan menjadi sasaran diskriminasi seterusnya. "Mereka sedar bahawa mereka memang jijik, kotor & patut dipandang hina masyarakat. Tetapi, cukuplah dengan menggunakan nama mereka setiap kali kamu ingin memaki atau mencaci," sambung beliau.

         Sebelum ini, komuniti haiwan ternakan juga gempar dengan demonstrasi menentang pemindahan kuil Hindu di Shah Alam dimana kepala seekor lembu diheret ke bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan Selangor tahun lepas. Mangsa yang dikenalpasti, Saiful Sapi, diingati oleh ibunya, Sharifah Sapi, sebagai seekor lembu yang sopan-santun, prihatin & sangat berisi; Saiful merupakan salah satu lembu cemerlang yang terpilih untuk dijadikan korban Aidiladha sebelum nasib malang yang menimpa dirinya.

    ImageExco Kebajikan Ayam,Itik & Puyuh BINATANG, Wong Kokok, yang turut hadir membidas rakyat Malaysia yang dikatakan tidak berpegang kepada semangat perpaduan 1Malaysia. Beliau berucap "Sebenarnya, kami sudah berzaman memegang kepada konsep 1Malaysia. Setiap haiwan yang tinggal di kandang, ladang & reban saling menghormati antara satu sama lain walaupun terdapat perbezaan kulit, tanduk & bulu pelepah. Pernah nampak ayam gaduh dengan kambing? Kami kamceng lah, bro!"

    Monday, January 4, 2010

    Travelogue Miami: A Collection Of Random Memorable Moments

    Inspired by Shazwan's obsessive-compulsive desire to record every interesting non-touristy moment during our travels in Texas, I did my own travelogue for the recent winter break trip to Miami, FL added with some interesting statistics (no entry for December 28 since I totally forgot about keeping tabs with my journal).

    December 27
    •  1:37 pm} "Gun or no gun, don't go." - desk staff Charlie's take on visiting Little Haiti.
    December 29
    • 9:04 pm} Our Key West tour guide Pieter "hijacked" a Toyota Yaris that blocked our tour bus and moved the car to an adjacent lane.
    December 30
    • 8:02 am} I got scolded by the scary hostel housekeeper ("Don't make no mess!") for misplacing the sugar although it was only 2 inches from its original postion. Boycotted the next seven free meals the hostel offered.
    • 12:27 pm} "Don't you ever show that knife at me or I'll shoot your fucking head off!" - A police officer's response to a hobo who literally showed at knife at him on Ocean Drive.
    • 4:37 pm} Two African-Americans, presumably poor, were at each other's throats on the bus as one of one them was clearly unhappy at the other for showing-off a.k.a. being a "bad boy."
    • 7:50 pm} Shanaz got barked at by a dog for running to the public bathroom.
    • 10:27 pm} Govind kantoi going out alone to the ocean front by hiding behind a traffic light post while the rest were at the hotel.
    • 11:14 pm} Ganu put down three Queens after Na'el put down two Queens while playing bluff.
    December 31
    • 2:05 am} Shulhi lost bluff three times in a row; had to gulp down the wretched peanut butter smoothie.
    • 11:43 am} Saw a hobo sunbathing by the coconut trees at Ocean Drive.
    • 1:47 pm} "Well, yeah I had to endure the wrath of the cleaning lady" - dorm roomate Nik after being taught a lesson in cleanliness by the aforementioned cleaning lady.
    • 2:40 pm} Saw an African-American, presumably in his 20's, belting out an R&B song by the sidewalk on Ocean Drive.
    • 3:56 pm} Aizuddin & I saw our first orthodox Jew driving an SUV at Washington & 5th.
    • 4:05 pm} "Yesterday my friend Stephanie called & asked 'What should I wear?' and I said, 'A dress of course!'" - some random woman by the beach.
    • 4:53 pm} Got bitten by the first mosquito seen in Miami.
    • 5:09 pm} Aizuddin & I noticed that Ari & Harris' hostel is "smoker central."
    January 1
    • 12:42 am} "I'm not yelling at you!!!" - One dude, very high/drunk, yelling at his friend.
    • 2:00 pm} Ari kena burger on South Beach!
    • 10:28 pm} Aizuddin's attempt at throwing a water bottle into the trash can failed, despite his experience at playing basketball.
    January 2
    • 3:54 am} Aizuddin was rambling about how the hostel desk staff white-out our names from the guest list soon after he woke up from his nap at the airport.