Thursday, July 12, 2007

Funny (but true?) letter...

Lupakan bola sepak - SURAT 2

APA kata pemain kita pada masa akan datang digilap dari kecil dengan memberi tumpuan kepada kanak-kanak Orang Asli di Semenanjung dan anak watan dari Sabah dan Sarawak.

Semasa lawatan fakulti saya ke kawasan perkampungan Orang Asli di Cameron Highlands pada April lepas, kami dapati mereka begitu cergas dan ada kemahiran tersendiri – menggelecek bola dengan tangkas, bertenaga dan bersemangat.

Mereka tidak mudah lelah atau ‘pancit’ walaupun tidak mendapat penjagaan diet makanan yang rapi dan latihan kecergasan intensif seperti yang dilalui oleh pemain-pemain kebangsaan kita.

Anak-anak kecil dalam lingkungan 5-10 tahun pula baik lelaki mahupun perempuan begitu lasak.

Kami sendiri ‘kagum dalam kengerian’ melihatkan mereka berlari menuruni cerun-cerun bukit di kawasan mereka dengan selamba lagi ‘bergaya’.

Mereka sudah mahir mengimbangi badan dan punya kekuatan dalaman yang bagi kami agak sukar dijumpai di kalangan kawan-kawan yang seusia dengan mereka di kawasan bandar mahupun di kampung sekarang.

Tidak silap saya, beberapa tahun lalu, Kementerian Belia dan Sukan ada menyatakan cadangan serupa tetapi tidak pula diketahui perkembangannya sekarang.

Sudah tiba masanya, sumber ‘modal insan’ dalam sukan tanah air kita seperti mereka tidak harus disia-siakan.

– KAMAL IAS,

Kuala Lumpur.


Source: Utusan Malaysia Online, Forum Column, 12 July 2007
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Hahaha... a bit racist (just tiny pinch), slightly 'true', but still very very 'entertaining' to read

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Picturesque 7 - Road Trip

Cove Beach (I think), Cornwall

Can you spot the castle? - King Arthur's Last Castle, Penzance


Newquay Beach, Penzance

Guilty as charged = "furius" driving- In the middle of nowhere, Cornwall

Brewing wisdom within oneself - Land's End, Cornwall



Mini tents in the middle of mighty caravans


Sea castle



Giant and I - June 07; Lizard Peak, Cornwall



I'm the most southerly person in the UK - June 07; Lizard Peak, Cornwall.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Malaysia lambasts Top Gear host

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has come under attack in the Malaysian parliament for labelling one of the country's cars the worst in the world.

The BBC presenter has been filmed attacking the Perodua Kelisa with a sledgehammer before blowing it up.

But minister Abdul Raman Suliman defended the nation's car industry, saying Mr Clarkson was like a football commentator who cannot play football.

Perodua had not received a single complaint from UK owners, he told MPs.

He added that the comments were made merely to boost sales of the Top Gear magazine.

'Soulless'

Mr Clarkson has voiced his frustrations with the small three-cylinder model in both magazine articles and on film.

In one article, he said its name was like a disease and suggested it was built in jungles by people who wear leaves for shoes.

And in a DVD car review, he described it as "unimaginative junk, with no soul, no flair and no passion".

He then smashed it, hung it from a crane with a one-tonne weight attached, before blowing it up.

Perodua is Malaysia's second national carmaker and began producing small compact models in 1995.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6528087.stm

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Living in denial... it's definitely not the overstatement of the year that this particular car is (I quote) "an unimaginative junk, no soul, no flair and no passion"... Yes, I must agree, the jungle people and name-disease relationship is very very annoying and harsh but seriously speaking, the car could (and should have) been better designed. Small and compact doesn't have to be ugly, just look at Toyota Yaris, ever so popular that Toyota developed an upgraded version of the same car.

Just accept the fact and ponder... it wouldn't kill to admit "mistakes" and improvise.

Plus, it's old news mate...