In my earlier post on TV shows, I was admonished by my most loyal fan and that is my brother Jude that I had missed out on some major shows. I thought I managed to cover most of it but then realized that when you spend 75% of your waking hour in front of the TV, there is a lot more to just a few mere mention of shows. So I have racked what's left of my brains to see if the few remaining brain cells will be able to pull out some info about the shows I want to talk about or were my favourite. So here are a mention of a few.
1) Misfit of Science
There was a very young and absolutely delightful Courtney Cox starring as one of the Misfits with telekinetic powers. There was a someone who could shoot electric bolts and one who could become smaller. Together they fight crime but too bad it only lasted one season.
2) Automan
Everyone knows what a cursor is these days but back in the day I thought the hero had a special blue dot called "curser" but it never did anything except coming out of the body of the super hero "Automan" and conjuring up sports cars from thin air. You gotta see it to believe it.
3) Silver Spoon
A very young child named Ricky Shoroder as a child of a rich tycoon. Watch them ride on a toy train that goes around the house. It was a fun comedy which shows how rich white folks live.
4) Diff Strokes
This is a totally different comedy about how rich white folks live because the rich folk adopted 2 black kids which one of them is Gary Coleman. He coined the very famous phrase "Whatcha' talking about Willis?"
5) Fresh Prince
Technically this is a 90s show but I am a BIG Will Smith fan. It was his first TV show and it was a huge success. It's about how rich black folks live when they bring in their poor black nephew into Beverly Hills, with hilarious consequences.
6) Cosby Shows
This is a totally different series about the famous Bill Cosby and his family and it is about how rich black folks live...without any white folks. But it was hilarious and this was one of the highlights of my TV loves.
7) The Jeffersons
America couldn't get enough of these poor black couple who made it big and moved on up to the East Side. George and Louise with their interracial couple neighbour and their maid Florence.
8) Family Ties
The beginning of Michael J. Fox and what an entrance. The brilliant kid aspiring to be a rich part of the establishment coming from hippie parents. It doesn't get any better than this. This is good TV.
There were some more shows that I won't go into details. Shows from cops and robbers genre like Starsky and Hutch, Remington Steele, Hardcastle and McCormick, Scarecrow and Mrs King, Jake and The Fatman, Wiseguy, The Equalizer, TJ Hooker (I love Heather Locklear) and Matlock.
Comedies like Moonlighting, Mork and Mindy, My Two Dads, Greatest American Hero, Full House (beginning of the Olsen twins), Doogie Howser, Wonder Years and Three's Company.
I was into sci-fi shows like Quantum Leap and Voyagers where both were about time travelling. Twilight Zone was also one of my favourites which always made me think something below my bed was going to get me. Seeing my brother and I shared a double decker bed, I was pretty much safe that whatever it was would be contented to get my brother then. He was larger than some commercial vehicles.
Anyway, I welcome more inputs to the list of our childhood and teenage shows. I will do cartoons next so stay tuned....Believe it or not, I'm walking on air....
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Movie Review
This weekend was movie weekend. We watched Wolverine and Night at the Museum 2. It was a pretty decent weekend and the movies were enjoyable for the family. We had a good time at the movies and just to whet your appetite, we will be watching Angels and Demons, Terminator and Aliens vs Monsters. I may squeeze in Star Trek if my kids are interested.
1) Wolverine
I always liked Hugh Jackman and I was a bit disappointed when he had to share top billing with the other X-Men in the first 3 parts. So, this was ALL Wolverine and Hugh. There were some discrepancies as to how he got the adamantium skeleton but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Logan was forced to be Wolverine through no fault of his since he is a mutant and he can't age. He is also able to cure himself instantly from any wounds even mortal ones. He was always in the army and finally came a day when he wanted no more killing, he left and wanted to live a quiet life. As with all movie cliches, life doesn't leave him alone and hence he gets dragged into battling the villians.
It's good action and the intro of new characters also gives it a good angle to spin off money making sequel or pre-quels or just another movie. Gambit was one as well as a girl whose skin is made of diamonds or can be turned to diamonds, I forgot which. Anyway, it has a good ending and it's just great fun and I give it a 2 thumbs up and highly recommend this.
2) Night at the Museum 2
You really gotta be a history buff to appreciate this a little more. However, the novelty of museum artifacts and wax statues coming to life is worn off. There are some good and light hearted humour moments and some cameos but Hank Azaria as the bad guy was comical. Half way through the movie, it gives you a feeling that the writers were not sure where to take the story and it takes some pretty wierd and poorly written twist.
Still you get to see Amelia Earhart, Ivan the Terrible, Napolean and Abe Lincoln as well as some bobble head Einsteins. Making cameos are the Apollo program people, Kittyhawk, Wright brothers and Joseph Motorola (which is NOT the founder of Motorola). I wouldn't mind giving this a miss and watching it on DVD when its out. It wasn't fantastic and the story line is rather weak but if you like the first part, it will be hard to miss this. It won't make you wanna perform eyeball surgery on yourself to watch it, so go with your guts on this one.
Stay tuned for next week.
1) Wolverine
I always liked Hugh Jackman and I was a bit disappointed when he had to share top billing with the other X-Men in the first 3 parts. So, this was ALL Wolverine and Hugh. There were some discrepancies as to how he got the adamantium skeleton but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Logan was forced to be Wolverine through no fault of his since he is a mutant and he can't age. He is also able to cure himself instantly from any wounds even mortal ones. He was always in the army and finally came a day when he wanted no more killing, he left and wanted to live a quiet life. As with all movie cliches, life doesn't leave him alone and hence he gets dragged into battling the villians.
It's good action and the intro of new characters also gives it a good angle to spin off money making sequel or pre-quels or just another movie. Gambit was one as well as a girl whose skin is made of diamonds or can be turned to diamonds, I forgot which. Anyway, it has a good ending and it's just great fun and I give it a 2 thumbs up and highly recommend this.
2) Night at the Museum 2
You really gotta be a history buff to appreciate this a little more. However, the novelty of museum artifacts and wax statues coming to life is worn off. There are some good and light hearted humour moments and some cameos but Hank Azaria as the bad guy was comical. Half way through the movie, it gives you a feeling that the writers were not sure where to take the story and it takes some pretty wierd and poorly written twist.
Still you get to see Amelia Earhart, Ivan the Terrible, Napolean and Abe Lincoln as well as some bobble head Einsteins. Making cameos are the Apollo program people, Kittyhawk, Wright brothers and Joseph Motorola (which is NOT the founder of Motorola). I wouldn't mind giving this a miss and watching it on DVD when its out. It wasn't fantastic and the story line is rather weak but if you like the first part, it will be hard to miss this. It won't make you wanna perform eyeball surgery on yourself to watch it, so go with your guts on this one.
Stay tuned for next week.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Concerts for a poor Chindian!
I don't know if this is true for all Chindians but we tend to be a bit musically inclined. Not so much me only but my brother Jude as well. In fact he is a heck lot more as he plays the drums by ear, learnt it himself and can belt a mean heavy metal song as well! He still plays occassionaly with his band when they get a gig at some local nightspots.
In college, I was in a band called White Noise and it was a blast! Literally, our songs were a blast since no one really understood what we were trying to say but as with all college parties, everyone is drunk so we were always cool! There were other bands but they always played during dinner which means people were sober and hungry and no one was listening. So hurrah to us and it was a very cool time for me. I sang...that was partyly the problem.
Anyway, this article is about the concerts I attended after that. Our band was disbanded and each decided to have a career. But our love for music continued and here are my short list of favourites since I couldn't afford most of the concerts I wanted to go for.
1) Bryan Adams
This was my first concert I attended...EVER!! He came during 1994 I think and he was every bit what I imagined and more! He was my favourite singer in school and he still is my fav. His trademark then, was to leave the main stage mid-way and appear at the back of the crowd in a smaller stage. What a performer!
2) Sting
It was my first paid concert at Stadium Negara and he performed his Ten Summoner's Tale album. I didn't hear this album at all and before was really hooked on Police for a while and some of his earlier songs like Russians, Love is a Seventh Wave, All This Time and Englishman in New York. I wasn't very hooked on Sting but when I heard him perform Fields of Gold, that was going to be my favourite song and his performance was just sublime and so mesmerizing.
3) Bon Jovi
I didn't really like Bon Jovi but they had style and you could rock all night with them. It was a pretty good concert but someone bought tickets so I enjoyed the night.
4) Def Leppard
These guys were awesome!!! We had front section seats....or standing room and they were absolutely awesome. I never thought I could have enjoyed it so much. Best of all, Melissa was with me and this was her first rock concert and she loved it! Though it was also her last..hmmm......
5) Huey Lewis & the News
These next few concerts were paid for by Microsoft and Huey was my personal favourite. I always like them and have most of their albums and songs. Jacob's Ladder live is awesome.
6) Earth, Wind & Fire
It was a very nice and jazzy atmosphere with these guys and it wasn't bad either. Listening to older songs but not really tired of them either like September.
7) Chris Issac
This guys was a wimp. I totally regretted attending his concert and left half way through. Thank goodness it was free or I would have pluck our my nose hairs and shaved my head bald with a chain saw if I had to pay for it AND sit through it.
8) Soul Income
This is my bro's band. I sat through it and they were pretty good. Jude was excellent and so was the lead and bassist. In fact the bassist looked like Sting! I couldn't understand the lady vocalist though but it was for fun and I did have fun.
I regretted missing Michael Jackson's concert but at that time RM350 was A LOT of money....it still is for me and Melissa was pregnant at the time. I would have liked to see Duran Duran and the latest bands and singers don't really excite me as much...I guess it's sign of a mid-life crisis.
In college, I was in a band called White Noise and it was a blast! Literally, our songs were a blast since no one really understood what we were trying to say but as with all college parties, everyone is drunk so we were always cool! There were other bands but they always played during dinner which means people were sober and hungry and no one was listening. So hurrah to us and it was a very cool time for me. I sang...that was partyly the problem.
Anyway, this article is about the concerts I attended after that. Our band was disbanded and each decided to have a career. But our love for music continued and here are my short list of favourites since I couldn't afford most of the concerts I wanted to go for.
1) Bryan Adams
This was my first concert I attended...EVER!! He came during 1994 I think and he was every bit what I imagined and more! He was my favourite singer in school and he still is my fav. His trademark then, was to leave the main stage mid-way and appear at the back of the crowd in a smaller stage. What a performer!
2) Sting
It was my first paid concert at Stadium Negara and he performed his Ten Summoner's Tale album. I didn't hear this album at all and before was really hooked on Police for a while and some of his earlier songs like Russians, Love is a Seventh Wave, All This Time and Englishman in New York. I wasn't very hooked on Sting but when I heard him perform Fields of Gold, that was going to be my favourite song and his performance was just sublime and so mesmerizing.
3) Bon Jovi
I didn't really like Bon Jovi but they had style and you could rock all night with them. It was a pretty good concert but someone bought tickets so I enjoyed the night.
4) Def Leppard
These guys were awesome!!! We had front section seats....or standing room and they were absolutely awesome. I never thought I could have enjoyed it so much. Best of all, Melissa was with me and this was her first rock concert and she loved it! Though it was also her last..hmmm......
5) Huey Lewis & the News
These next few concerts were paid for by Microsoft and Huey was my personal favourite. I always like them and have most of their albums and songs. Jacob's Ladder live is awesome.
6) Earth, Wind & Fire
It was a very nice and jazzy atmosphere with these guys and it wasn't bad either. Listening to older songs but not really tired of them either like September.
7) Chris Issac
This guys was a wimp. I totally regretted attending his concert and left half way through. Thank goodness it was free or I would have pluck our my nose hairs and shaved my head bald with a chain saw if I had to pay for it AND sit through it.
8) Soul Income
This is my bro's band. I sat through it and they were pretty good. Jude was excellent and so was the lead and bassist. In fact the bassist looked like Sting! I couldn't understand the lady vocalist though but it was for fun and I did have fun.
I regretted missing Michael Jackson's concert but at that time RM350 was A LOT of money....it still is for me and Melissa was pregnant at the time. I would have liked to see Duran Duran and the latest bands and singers don't really excite me as much...I guess it's sign of a mid-life crisis.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
My baby turns 8
Another year, another few hundred grey hairs and another worry for me as my baby girl rushes to grow up. She turned 8 on Sunday and we as all 21st century parents are expected to do these days or they will write a book about us, threw her a birthday party. And as kids these days will demand, it won't be your normal come-around-the-house-and-hang-out kinda party for 8 year olds but the kind where you throw at the these kids-play-area-type places where you have to sell your spleen to fund it.
There are many of such places like Mega Kidz at Mid Valley and Kidz Sports at 1 Utama. We decided to check out 1 Utama. It was not too bad for 8 year olds. The play area was big and innovative with slides going down in spirals and the many other spots where you can crawl and jump and just be a kid.
Mandy invited about 30 of her school friends and until Friday, not many RSVP'ed. We had a full turnout and we found out that many parents didn't know what RSVP meant and what you were supposed to do with it. Their thinking was, "Hey you gave me an invite and it's up to me if I turned up or not but since you invited me, you have to prepare for my portion." For those of you who don't know what RSVP is, pls google it and make sure you do it!!!!
The birthday entertainment was not too bad. The guy hosting the kids was good but he spoke quite fast and it was a little difficult to understand but kids being kids, they just look at what others were doing and followed. He brought out this multi-coloured parachute and asked them to do all kinds of variations of running under it.
That parachute was about 12 feet in diameter. The kids were asked to run under them, get caught, then run out....come to think of it, it was a pretty stupid game....maybe that's why they liked it.
Food was normal stuff but the adult had some good curry chicken. So Mandy had most of her friends attending and of course her cousins and she had tons of presents. My 2 sis-in-laws and mom-in-law, drove down from Kuantan for the day just for her party and my cousins bought Mandy all the presents she wanted, so she was a real happy camper!
As mentioned, she had a lot of her friends who attended including one kid called James that no one knew who it was!! He came, played, ate, we paid and he went home with a party bag......and no one knew who he was!!! (Twilight Zone music playing....dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee...)
Anyway it was fun, I am without a spleen and my baby has grown another year. I am praying that she will stay at this age forever.
There are many of such places like Mega Kidz at Mid Valley and Kidz Sports at 1 Utama. We decided to check out 1 Utama. It was not too bad for 8 year olds. The play area was big and innovative with slides going down in spirals and the many other spots where you can crawl and jump and just be a kid.
Mandy invited about 30 of her school friends and until Friday, not many RSVP'ed. We had a full turnout and we found out that many parents didn't know what RSVP meant and what you were supposed to do with it. Their thinking was, "Hey you gave me an invite and it's up to me if I turned up or not but since you invited me, you have to prepare for my portion." For those of you who don't know what RSVP is, pls google it and make sure you do it!!!!
The birthday entertainment was not too bad. The guy hosting the kids was good but he spoke quite fast and it was a little difficult to understand but kids being kids, they just look at what others were doing and followed. He brought out this multi-coloured parachute and asked them to do all kinds of variations of running under it.
That parachute was about 12 feet in diameter. The kids were asked to run under them, get caught, then run out....come to think of it, it was a pretty stupid game....maybe that's why they liked it.
Food was normal stuff but the adult had some good curry chicken. So Mandy had most of her friends attending and of course her cousins and she had tons of presents. My 2 sis-in-laws and mom-in-law, drove down from Kuantan for the day just for her party and my cousins bought Mandy all the presents she wanted, so she was a real happy camper!
As mentioned, she had a lot of her friends who attended including one kid called James that no one knew who it was!! He came, played, ate, we paid and he went home with a party bag......and no one knew who he was!!! (Twilight Zone music playing....dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee...)
Anyway it was fun, I am without a spleen and my baby has grown another year. I am praying that she will stay at this age forever.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
I know how to love you - my limitations
I don't know how to sing but I know how to serenade
I don't know how to express but I know how to feel
I don't know how to cook but I know what you desire
I don't know how to spend but I know what makes you rich
I don't drive a fancy a car but I know how to get you there
I can't give you a fancy house but I know what makes a home
I can't shop for fancy things but I know what makes you pretty
I have no jewels but we have treasure and wealth in our children
Thanks for sticking with me when I was down
Thanks for sticking with me when I was out
Thanks for sticking with me even I am poor
Thanks for being my angel and my gift from God
I don't know how to express but I know how to feel
I don't know how to cook but I know what you desire
I don't know how to spend but I know what makes you rich
I don't drive a fancy a car but I know how to get you there
I can't give you a fancy house but I know what makes a home
I can't shop for fancy things but I know what makes you pretty
I have no jewels but we have treasure and wealth in our children
Thanks for sticking with me when I was down
Thanks for sticking with me when I was out
Thanks for sticking with me even I am poor
Thanks for being my angel and my gift from God
Is he going to be a chef or is he just a late bloomer?
Would you believe it that my son made me breakfast? He fried eggs and sausages! Albeit the sausages were a little burnt but that was the best breakfast I have had all my life! Just slap me red and call me Susie! He broke the egg gently and ever so carefully let is drop on the pan. I thought it was poetry in motion. He is after all 12 and he already has his IC, which I must say was a rather painless process and that is saying A LOT when it comes to our public service!!
A week after he turned 12, we took Mikey to the national registration dept on a Saturday. We thought it was best that we were there early to beat the cue but good ol' sleepy head me thought it best to sleep in that morning. By the time I was conscious and ready, it was already 11am. So we rushed out and got there before 11.30am.
We got our number from counter 1. Waited to be served. Then got our forms filled and his thumbprint recorded. The clerk was surly but uneventful and he gave us our collection receipt. Off then we went to counter 15 to have his photo taken. And we were in the car speeding off to brunch before 11.50am!!! Wasn't that a near miracle?!?!?!?
So here is my "adult" son cooking and tinkling in the kitchen....well! He wasn't clumsy or disorganized and really looked like he knew his way around. Either he has done this a lot without me knowing or he is a natural! Anyhow, it got me thinking about how much pampered our brats are today. Here he is at 12 frying eggs and we are popping the champagne.
By the time I was 12, I was already going to the market to get the week's groceries and this is the wet market. I was putting the clothes in the washing machine, taking it out to dry, sweeping and mopping the floors, folding my own clothes, doing the dishes, filling up the kerosene stove with kerosene (dun!!) and looking after 7 kids that my mom was babysitting. We had to walk 12 miles to school in the rain without proper shoes and ate nothing but tapioca all day while the Japanese rationed our food and we had to go down to the rive to pan tin mine, tap rubber trees....wait a minute.....that's my parent's stories. Sorry....wrong antenna!
This on top of my school work and teenage angst. We didn't show much angst then else we be murdered! My dad being an Indian is not afraid to kill his kids! Just like Russell Peters said, "If I kill one, I will just make another one. And I will tell the new one what an idiot the previous one was."
But nevertheless, my son is growing up mentally. Physically still a bit of a runt. Got that from his mom's side of the family. I am very proud of him though and I certainly wouldn't mind him growing up to be a world famous chef and he will cook me something all Frenchy with snails in it and I will say in my best village bumpkin Cantonese accent "Ni ko mat yeh lei ka??"
A week after he turned 12, we took Mikey to the national registration dept on a Saturday. We thought it was best that we were there early to beat the cue but good ol' sleepy head me thought it best to sleep in that morning. By the time I was conscious and ready, it was already 11am. So we rushed out and got there before 11.30am.
We got our number from counter 1. Waited to be served. Then got our forms filled and his thumbprint recorded. The clerk was surly but uneventful and he gave us our collection receipt. Off then we went to counter 15 to have his photo taken. And we were in the car speeding off to brunch before 11.50am!!! Wasn't that a near miracle?!?!?!?
So here is my "adult" son cooking and tinkling in the kitchen....well! He wasn't clumsy or disorganized and really looked like he knew his way around. Either he has done this a lot without me knowing or he is a natural! Anyhow, it got me thinking about how much pampered our brats are today. Here he is at 12 frying eggs and we are popping the champagne.
By the time I was 12, I was already going to the market to get the week's groceries and this is the wet market. I was putting the clothes in the washing machine, taking it out to dry, sweeping and mopping the floors, folding my own clothes, doing the dishes, filling up the kerosene stove with kerosene (dun!!) and looking after 7 kids that my mom was babysitting. We had to walk 12 miles to school in the rain without proper shoes and ate nothing but tapioca all day while the Japanese rationed our food and we had to go down to the rive to pan tin mine, tap rubber trees....wait a minute.....that's my parent's stories. Sorry....wrong antenna!
This on top of my school work and teenage angst. We didn't show much angst then else we be murdered! My dad being an Indian is not afraid to kill his kids! Just like Russell Peters said, "If I kill one, I will just make another one. And I will tell the new one what an idiot the previous one was."
But nevertheless, my son is growing up mentally. Physically still a bit of a runt. Got that from his mom's side of the family. I am very proud of him though and I certainly wouldn't mind him growing up to be a world famous chef and he will cook me something all Frenchy with snails in it and I will say in my best village bumpkin Cantonese accent "Ni ko mat yeh lei ka??"
Sunday, May 10, 2009
When love abandons you - the dying breed is extinct
Have you ever felt the immense feeling of satisfaction and contentment being with someone? Feeling absolutely convinced that you are home whenever you are with this person? Feeling safe, cared for and finding your place in the world? In life? Ready to do anything and everything within your power for this love? Giving you unfleeting loyalty to the point of sacrificing everything else in your life? Can you imagine the immense vulnerability, bliss and happiness? Now imagine that love betraying you and you finding out that all you thought was just for the moment. It's was never real or lasting. There was no love for you, no loyalty, no feeling, no intention to protect and value you. Just a cold thing that accepted you while you had your use and when you didn't, was dispensable for their own good and purpose.
While love for a person can very well have that effect, I am not talking about loving and being betrayed by a person but a company. I joined Microsoft in 1996, right after Windows 95 launch. That time, there were only 22 of us and by the time I left in 2004, there were 220. We were a close knit family, doing things without protocol or hierarchy controls. Just safe in the knowledge that the company encourages you to learn from mistakes and successes.
There was a lot of fun and I mean A LOT!! The company had soul and we were the soul and heart of the company. In a time where people are cynical about love, family and people values, we actually believed and lived the thought that we will fight for and work tirelessly for this love called Microsoft. Whatever we did, we did out of passion and enthusiasm normally reserved for cult movements! And we were rewarded for it. There was no politics and very little animosity as we knew it was work and betterment of a common love. There was no questioning and everyone knew what to do.
But things then change as they normally do. We changed at the head and this new person breeds and encourages politicking and back stabbing. In fact many times he provides the knife. He is super insecure and will do anything to keep his employees from the limelight and hog it to himself. I almost lost my best friend through this.
Still we soldiered on, believing in the cause and our love. A new head came but not with changes for the better but more politicking and now introducing a racial divide. Despite me giving up on Microsoft and Microsoft giving up on me 4 years ago, the die hard still continued, still wanting to stop the bleeding and looking to rebuilt a shell losing its soul. But last Tuesday, a number of them was fired by Microsoft.
People who lived the cause and loved the cause and who provided what is left of some soul and humanity to a company that has finally turned into a cold, hard, corporation. In many ways I cannot blame Microsoft. As a corporation, we have to protect the many by sacrificing the few. But why let go the soul and people who could stop the bleeding? People who would still do anything for the company? Roles can be eliminated but why keep those who don't care? Those who are just doing this for the branding, for the salary, for the acclaim of others? Those who are just going for the ride? Why?
Because it's all politics. Can you polish better? Are you of a certain race? How well do you brown nose? How well do you step on others? I know most corporations are such, in fact they all are.
Many of you will laugh and ridicule us. Telling us how ignorant we were, we are to believe that a corporation can love you back.
But Microsoft was genuinely different. It was alive, a person with character, personality, soul, a heart. We provided most of it because we believed it. As of last Tuesday, all these are effectively removed like precision surgery. It is now a cold, conglomerate like any other. No difference. No character. No soul.
The old Microsoft made a lot of me. Taught me many things which continues to be of great value. I feel sorry for those who did not experience such closeness and the believe in something worth sacrificing for. I feel sorry for those who ridicule us but who can blame them if they have not experienced it? The old Microsoft gave me a strong soul and I thank my old team mates and manager for it. Mostly someone called Benedict Lee.
So I say goodbye to my Alma Mater as the existing company is not my Alma Mater. I say goodbye to the pureness and innocence never to be found again in a corporate world. I thank you for everything given to me from my business sense to my polo t-shirt wardrobe. And I wish my dearest friends the best of luck. I promise to help where I can. God Bless you always.
While love for a person can very well have that effect, I am not talking about loving and being betrayed by a person but a company. I joined Microsoft in 1996, right after Windows 95 launch. That time, there were only 22 of us and by the time I left in 2004, there were 220. We were a close knit family, doing things without protocol or hierarchy controls. Just safe in the knowledge that the company encourages you to learn from mistakes and successes.
There was a lot of fun and I mean A LOT!! The company had soul and we were the soul and heart of the company. In a time where people are cynical about love, family and people values, we actually believed and lived the thought that we will fight for and work tirelessly for this love called Microsoft. Whatever we did, we did out of passion and enthusiasm normally reserved for cult movements! And we were rewarded for it. There was no politics and very little animosity as we knew it was work and betterment of a common love. There was no questioning and everyone knew what to do.
But things then change as they normally do. We changed at the head and this new person breeds and encourages politicking and back stabbing. In fact many times he provides the knife. He is super insecure and will do anything to keep his employees from the limelight and hog it to himself. I almost lost my best friend through this.
Still we soldiered on, believing in the cause and our love. A new head came but not with changes for the better but more politicking and now introducing a racial divide. Despite me giving up on Microsoft and Microsoft giving up on me 4 years ago, the die hard still continued, still wanting to stop the bleeding and looking to rebuilt a shell losing its soul. But last Tuesday, a number of them was fired by Microsoft.
People who lived the cause and loved the cause and who provided what is left of some soul and humanity to a company that has finally turned into a cold, hard, corporation. In many ways I cannot blame Microsoft. As a corporation, we have to protect the many by sacrificing the few. But why let go the soul and people who could stop the bleeding? People who would still do anything for the company? Roles can be eliminated but why keep those who don't care? Those who are just doing this for the branding, for the salary, for the acclaim of others? Those who are just going for the ride? Why?
Because it's all politics. Can you polish better? Are you of a certain race? How well do you brown nose? How well do you step on others? I know most corporations are such, in fact they all are.
Many of you will laugh and ridicule us. Telling us how ignorant we were, we are to believe that a corporation can love you back.
But Microsoft was genuinely different. It was alive, a person with character, personality, soul, a heart. We provided most of it because we believed it. As of last Tuesday, all these are effectively removed like precision surgery. It is now a cold, conglomerate like any other. No difference. No character. No soul.
The old Microsoft made a lot of me. Taught me many things which continues to be of great value. I feel sorry for those who did not experience such closeness and the believe in something worth sacrificing for. I feel sorry for those who ridicule us but who can blame them if they have not experienced it? The old Microsoft gave me a strong soul and I thank my old team mates and manager for it. Mostly someone called Benedict Lee.
So I say goodbye to my Alma Mater as the existing company is not my Alma Mater. I say goodbye to the pureness and innocence never to be found again in a corporate world. I thank you for everything given to me from my business sense to my polo t-shirt wardrobe. And I wish my dearest friends the best of luck. I promise to help where I can. God Bless you always.
Music Man - Mr Lee Hom
Last week, the ladies of the family checked out Wang Lee Hom at his "Music man" concert. Melissa and Mandy was at the concert with Caryn, my sis-in-law from Kuantan and her two die-hard Lee Hom fans daughters. For those of you who don't follow world events, let me explain who this person is. He is an American-born Taiwanese (or Chinese, I forgot which), was raised in the US without knowing how to speak Mandarin. He is very talented on most common instruments and came to Taiwan to compose and perform Mandarin songs, learning to speak and read.
Being good looking also didn't hurt him becoming a pop idol and mobbed by screaming Oriental fans. Melissa is one of them though her screaming is at a lower decibel but I suspect it isn't due to her lower intensity but more of her age. Screaming doesn't come easy.
Anyway, I dutifully fetched them all in my 7-seater to the stadium and got dutifully stuck in the dutifully traffic crawl that you expect at a major pop star concert. My wife is a very frugal person but she will spend if there is a basis for it. Her elder sister though is from a different spectrum. If you look up the term stingy in a dictionary, her picture will be there. Being the eldest of 7, her childhood was really tough so it kinda carried with her.
So because of her, we bought the cheapest tickets and the ladies ended up almost at the top of a 80,000 seater stadium. The good news was, there were big screens. The bad news was, everyone had leg cramps, it was hotter than a charcoal furnace on the Titanic and Lee Hom was 2cm tall. Luckily they had binoculars, so they could follow Lee Hom on stage before it gave them nausea.
My brother-in-law, Kly and Mikey then went out to dinner. Since frugality was the theme of the evening, we headed out to Sungai Besi to have this many-dishes wan tan noodle. For my foreign readers, pls look this up. Wan Tan noodle is our simplest food that is available anywhere in Malaysia. It is served with grilled pork, dumplings and noodles in soya sauce or soup.
This place had other accompanying dishes like Hakka stewed pork, wild boar curry, roast and honey BBQ pork, chicken feet (I can almost hear our foreign readers wincing) with mushroom and stuffed beancurd with fish paste (yong tau foo la).
When the time came, we dutifully drove to pick them up braving the jam. Me, the one who couldn't tell left from right and Kly, the blind as bat lawyer. Of course with that sort of handicap, it's always better Kly drove.
It was another superb show from Lee Hom with kept our ladies very happy and singing late into the night. Next posting I am going to tell you about the concerts that I have gone to which will shed some light into a Chindian's music taste.
Being good looking also didn't hurt him becoming a pop idol and mobbed by screaming Oriental fans. Melissa is one of them though her screaming is at a lower decibel but I suspect it isn't due to her lower intensity but more of her age. Screaming doesn't come easy.
Anyway, I dutifully fetched them all in my 7-seater to the stadium and got dutifully stuck in the dutifully traffic crawl that you expect at a major pop star concert. My wife is a very frugal person but she will spend if there is a basis for it. Her elder sister though is from a different spectrum. If you look up the term stingy in a dictionary, her picture will be there. Being the eldest of 7, her childhood was really tough so it kinda carried with her.
So because of her, we bought the cheapest tickets and the ladies ended up almost at the top of a 80,000 seater stadium. The good news was, there were big screens. The bad news was, everyone had leg cramps, it was hotter than a charcoal furnace on the Titanic and Lee Hom was 2cm tall. Luckily they had binoculars, so they could follow Lee Hom on stage before it gave them nausea.
My brother-in-law, Kly and Mikey then went out to dinner. Since frugality was the theme of the evening, we headed out to Sungai Besi to have this many-dishes wan tan noodle. For my foreign readers, pls look this up. Wan Tan noodle is our simplest food that is available anywhere in Malaysia. It is served with grilled pork, dumplings and noodles in soya sauce or soup.
This place had other accompanying dishes like Hakka stewed pork, wild boar curry, roast and honey BBQ pork, chicken feet (I can almost hear our foreign readers wincing) with mushroom and stuffed beancurd with fish paste (yong tau foo la).
When the time came, we dutifully drove to pick them up braving the jam. Me, the one who couldn't tell left from right and Kly, the blind as bat lawyer. Of course with that sort of handicap, it's always better Kly drove.
It was another superb show from Lee Hom with kept our ladies very happy and singing late into the night. Next posting I am going to tell you about the concerts that I have gone to which will shed some light into a Chindian's music taste.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Blast from the Past....TV
I am not sure about you but to this Chindian, TV is my life! I can remember shows from 20 years ago, recite the dialog and may even act out the scene if need be but I can't always remember if I brushed my teeth this morning. So I was out shopping one day and happen to wander into this DVD store. I don't normally patron these shops since they sell pirated DVDs....I prefer to download them.
I saw a boxset of a sitcom from the past. It was called Perfect Strangers. The premise is about a lowly Myposian sheepherder coming to American looking for a far related cousin, with hilarious results of course.
Just in case you are wondering Mypos is a country in the Mediterranean that doesn't exist. Sorry if you have already fired up google to search it. The lead character is Balki and his cousin Larry. Balki's tagline "Of course I do, don't be ridiculous" just cracks me up. It's his standard reply to a question he doesn't know the answer to. Ok, it's one of those things where you got to be there.
You should check it out on You Tube.
I started then thinking of the TV shows that I grew up on and I realized that it was primarily sitcoms and action movies. Back then, all TV shows had a long TV theme unlike now and I could still sing most of them. I don't find myself interested in shows that doesn't end that week and you have follow it week in week out, like "Lost" or "Heroes". I guess it's just I have an attention span of a hummingbird.
Some of these shows are:-
1) Perfect Strangers
Balki Balthakomous is upbeat, optimistic, adventurer and Larry Appleton is uptight, worrier and loner.
2) Three's Company
About a guy who share's an apartment with 2 ladies. It's a time when this is seriously frowned upon. So he pretends that he is gay to the land lord. This is also a time when homosexuality is frowned upon. Still, now that we are hypocritically politically correct, it's still funny.
3) Mind your language
It's British comedy so there is more word play than action. It's about an night school English teacher teaching a bunch of foreign students English. To make it work, they have to fail every year so that we have new seasons. Makes you wonder how he ever kept his job.
4) Cheers
A horny retired baseball player who now owns a bar "where everybody knows your name". A whole bunch of characters are here especially John Ratzenberger who plays Cliff the postal worker. His voice is lent to many Pixar characters. Look it up.
5) Gilligan's Island
Albeit this is a little old. About a group stranded on a deserted island after getting caught in a storm when they went out for a "three hour tour, a three hour tour". That statement is from the theme song la!
6) Beverly Hillbilly's
Also an oldie of a hill billy sticking oil, becoming a millionaire overnight and moving to Beverly Hills.
7) Airwolf
Airwolf is the name of the super highly sophisticated helicopter that can put most immovable objects to shame. At that time it was the coolest! It could shoot rockets, has retractable machine guns and flies at supersonic speed. The hero's character is Stringfellow Hawke. If I met a guy called Stringfellow today, I think I would punch him in the nose and report his parents.
8) A-Team
Ever popular TV show about a group of military fugitives becoming mercenaries to help those in need. Now I realize that the military with all its law enforcement behind it can't find these guys but ordinary people who can't cook their own instant noodles can. Also they don't seem to get paid and no one ever dies despite all the shooting and bombing.
9) Twilight Zone
This was a cool pioneer of X-Files. It combines the supernatural and your incredulity. This show will not survive today though. If I wanted to see or read about weird stuff, I just open the newspaper and read about our political scene.
10) Combat!
Definitely without any doubt my favourite movie of all time. Sgt Saunders and his men are the meanest, baddest soldiers around. My cousin Kly and I use to take out plastic soldiers and place them around the kitchen in a battle scene that lasted almost all our puberty. My favourite character besides Sgt Saunders was Kirby, the guy who carried the M60 machine gun.
11) Six Million Dollar Man
Who always wanted to be Steve Austin, raise your hand? I thought so. Wasn't he like the coolest??? Though I always wondered then, if he has super speed, why did he move so slow? Also why wouldn't he do everything in super speed? He only did it when he ran. I would be doing all kinds of crap!!
12) Knight Rider
I really hated David Hasselhoff. The car was cool though and it was another guy magnet since the car could do everything except climb stairs. So why do we need David Hasselhoff?? Chick magnet I guess. Guys dig the car, chicks dig those wavy hair.
13) High Chaparral
I would give my left toe to see this show again. I was so in love with the Mexican heroine Victoria Montoya and her brother Manolito. It's about the Wild West and how settlers (or in this case the Cannon family) claimed land and tried to work with the natives and other American settlers.
14) Happy Days
You get to see the young Ron Howard (with hair and freckles) being a nerd and hanging our with Arthur Fonzeralli or "The Fonz"...Heeyyyyy. It was a show set in the 50s played out in the 70s. It's about biker gangs and nerdy high school kids with bee-hive haired chicks.
15) Thundercats!
Thunder, thunder, thunder, THUNDERCATS...HOOOOOO!!!! This show still has a strong following and it's about a group of feline-humans led by the boy king Lion-O fleeing their dying planet Thundera coming to "Third Earth" and battling Mumm-Ra an evil Egyptian-like mummy. The Thundercats have the mystical sword called Sword of Omens of which holds the Eye of Thundera. Mumm-Ra is also assisted by the Mutants from the planet Plun-Darr who all want the Sword of Omens and the Eye. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond all sight".
16) Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa Baa Black Sheep with Mej Pappy Boyington flying over the skies of the Pacific with his misfits on the 214 Squadron. With their flying of the Corsairs, they were the terrors of the Pacific during the war. It was this show who got me excited about war planes and wanting to be a pilot.
17) Wild Wild West
This was the original starring Robert Conrad about the wild west's secret agents battling weirdos.
18) Man from U.N.C.L.E
Something out of James Bond with Ilya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo battling the evils of today....whatever that was. Ilya was always the one doing all the dirty work and Napoleon was the one kissing the girls. If I was Ilya, I would have turned over to the bad side and shot Napoleon for money!
19) The Saint
Our first glimpse of Roger Moore who played this really unexplained rich, suave, playboy who drove the coolest car, stole from rich criminals and helped people as Simon Templar.
20) Blocker Corp Machine Blaster
Tempei Asuka is the name of the hero in this Japanese animated robot cartoon. The first of its kind that spawned off your Gundam, Voltron all those other animation with humans in robot suits. It was definitely the coolest a 4 year old has ever seen. However, it is not easy to find details on the net so you just got to take my word and the word of all those who grew up in the 70s and 80s.
If you know of any other info, pls share. This is a great way to go down our childhood lane. I do have many more to share but my fingers are tired.
I saw a boxset of a sitcom from the past. It was called Perfect Strangers. The premise is about a lowly Myposian sheepherder coming to American looking for a far related cousin, with hilarious results of course.
Just in case you are wondering Mypos is a country in the Mediterranean that doesn't exist. Sorry if you have already fired up google to search it. The lead character is Balki and his cousin Larry. Balki's tagline "Of course I do, don't be ridiculous" just cracks me up. It's his standard reply to a question he doesn't know the answer to. Ok, it's one of those things where you got to be there.
You should check it out on You Tube.
I started then thinking of the TV shows that I grew up on and I realized that it was primarily sitcoms and action movies. Back then, all TV shows had a long TV theme unlike now and I could still sing most of them. I don't find myself interested in shows that doesn't end that week and you have follow it week in week out, like "Lost" or "Heroes". I guess it's just I have an attention span of a hummingbird.
Some of these shows are:-
1) Perfect Strangers
Balki Balthakomous is upbeat, optimistic, adventurer and Larry Appleton is uptight, worrier and loner.
2) Three's Company
About a guy who share's an apartment with 2 ladies. It's a time when this is seriously frowned upon. So he pretends that he is gay to the land lord. This is also a time when homosexuality is frowned upon. Still, now that we are hypocritically politically correct, it's still funny.
3) Mind your language
It's British comedy so there is more word play than action. It's about an night school English teacher teaching a bunch of foreign students English. To make it work, they have to fail every year so that we have new seasons. Makes you wonder how he ever kept his job.
4) Cheers
A horny retired baseball player who now owns a bar "where everybody knows your name". A whole bunch of characters are here especially John Ratzenberger who plays Cliff the postal worker. His voice is lent to many Pixar characters. Look it up.
5) Gilligan's Island
Albeit this is a little old. About a group stranded on a deserted island after getting caught in a storm when they went out for a "three hour tour, a three hour tour". That statement is from the theme song la!
6) Beverly Hillbilly's
Also an oldie of a hill billy sticking oil, becoming a millionaire overnight and moving to Beverly Hills.
7) Airwolf
Airwolf is the name of the super highly sophisticated helicopter that can put most immovable objects to shame. At that time it was the coolest! It could shoot rockets, has retractable machine guns and flies at supersonic speed. The hero's character is Stringfellow Hawke. If I met a guy called Stringfellow today, I think I would punch him in the nose and report his parents.
8) A-Team
Ever popular TV show about a group of military fugitives becoming mercenaries to help those in need. Now I realize that the military with all its law enforcement behind it can't find these guys but ordinary people who can't cook their own instant noodles can. Also they don't seem to get paid and no one ever dies despite all the shooting and bombing.
9) Twilight Zone
This was a cool pioneer of X-Files. It combines the supernatural and your incredulity. This show will not survive today though. If I wanted to see or read about weird stuff, I just open the newspaper and read about our political scene.
10) Combat!
Definitely without any doubt my favourite movie of all time. Sgt Saunders and his men are the meanest, baddest soldiers around. My cousin Kly and I use to take out plastic soldiers and place them around the kitchen in a battle scene that lasted almost all our puberty. My favourite character besides Sgt Saunders was Kirby, the guy who carried the M60 machine gun.
11) Six Million Dollar Man
Who always wanted to be Steve Austin, raise your hand? I thought so. Wasn't he like the coolest??? Though I always wondered then, if he has super speed, why did he move so slow? Also why wouldn't he do everything in super speed? He only did it when he ran. I would be doing all kinds of crap!!
12) Knight Rider
I really hated David Hasselhoff. The car was cool though and it was another guy magnet since the car could do everything except climb stairs. So why do we need David Hasselhoff?? Chick magnet I guess. Guys dig the car, chicks dig those wavy hair.
13) High Chaparral
I would give my left toe to see this show again. I was so in love with the Mexican heroine Victoria Montoya and her brother Manolito. It's about the Wild West and how settlers (or in this case the Cannon family) claimed land and tried to work with the natives and other American settlers.
14) Happy Days
You get to see the young Ron Howard (with hair and freckles) being a nerd and hanging our with Arthur Fonzeralli or "The Fonz"...Heeyyyyy. It was a show set in the 50s played out in the 70s. It's about biker gangs and nerdy high school kids with bee-hive haired chicks.
15) Thundercats!
Thunder, thunder, thunder, THUNDERCATS...HOOOOOO!!!! This show still has a strong following and it's about a group of feline-humans led by the boy king Lion-O fleeing their dying planet Thundera coming to "Third Earth" and battling Mumm-Ra an evil Egyptian-like mummy. The Thundercats have the mystical sword called Sword of Omens of which holds the Eye of Thundera. Mumm-Ra is also assisted by the Mutants from the planet Plun-Darr who all want the Sword of Omens and the Eye. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond all sight".
16) Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa Baa Black Sheep with Mej Pappy Boyington flying over the skies of the Pacific with his misfits on the 214 Squadron. With their flying of the Corsairs, they were the terrors of the Pacific during the war. It was this show who got me excited about war planes and wanting to be a pilot.
17) Wild Wild West
This was the original starring Robert Conrad about the wild west's secret agents battling weirdos.
18) Man from U.N.C.L.E
Something out of James Bond with Ilya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo battling the evils of today....whatever that was. Ilya was always the one doing all the dirty work and Napoleon was the one kissing the girls. If I was Ilya, I would have turned over to the bad side and shot Napoleon for money!
19) The Saint
Our first glimpse of Roger Moore who played this really unexplained rich, suave, playboy who drove the coolest car, stole from rich criminals and helped people as Simon Templar.
20) Blocker Corp Machine Blaster
Tempei Asuka is the name of the hero in this Japanese animated robot cartoon. The first of its kind that spawned off your Gundam, Voltron all those other animation with humans in robot suits. It was definitely the coolest a 4 year old has ever seen. However, it is not easy to find details on the net so you just got to take my word and the word of all those who grew up in the 70s and 80s.
If you know of any other info, pls share. This is a great way to go down our childhood lane. I do have many more to share but my fingers are tired.
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