Sunday 31 October 2010

Umayr's First Artwork




Title: 'Mamam'

Artist: Umayr Sharel
Media: Purple Colour Crayon stick on printed Kid's meal paper - Courtesy of Chili's Gurney Plaza, Penang
Description: Artist applied an Abstract Expressionism approach to visualize hunger and anger. The usage of sharp lines with multiple zig-zag curves are to express rage and regretfulness towards war in Palestine; where many have died of starvation. Artist applied colour of royalty to symbolize 'richness and the purest of heart' as the only answer to end the catastrophe.


Artist at Work - 23-10-2010



Sepuluh Hari

Setelah 10 hari menyambut ‘kemerdekaan’, hari ini adalah hari terakhir saya berstatus ‘jobless’. Apa yang telah saya buat selama 10 hari tersebut?

Jumaat 22/10 – Sepatutnya kami ke Hat Yai untuk meraikan status baru ini. Namun di atas sebab kesihatan Izza, kami membatalkannya dan ke Batu Feringghi pada sebelah petang. Memandangkan sudah lewat malam, kami mengambil langkah ‘adventurous’ dengan menyewa rumah tumpangan murah yang berharga RM50 semalam di Ocean Inn. Ia sebuah rumah kedai, yang diubahsuai menjadi hotel. Pengalaman yang sungguh menakjubkan, kami cukup teruja dengan kedaifan bilik tersebut, namun kondisi lebih berbaloi daripada membayar RM180 di Hotel D’Feringghi dahulu.


Sabtu 23/10 – Kami melepak di Gurney Plaza, makan tengah hari di restoran kegemaran kami, Chili’s dan mencuci mata di kedai-kedai. Kami pulang ke rumah setelah petang menjelma.

Ahad 24/10 – Izza bekerja dan saya di rumah, mencantas buluh dan rumput di laman.

Isnin 25/10 – Mengemas stor kemudian makan tengah hari bersama Izza, dan membeli baju kerja untuk Isnin depan. Baju kerja ini hanya akan digunakan untuk beberapa hari sahaja kerana tempat kerja baru ini juga mengenakan pakaian seragam. Telefon 'Customer Service' minta alihkan van yang tersadai lebih 3 bulan di kawasan rumah.


Selasa 26/10 – Seawal pukul 7 pagi saya mendaki Gunung Jerai dengan basikal Mountain Bike saya. Setelah 6 jam, akhirnya saya tiba di puncak, dalam keletihan tetapi puas saya berborak kecil dengan seorang pegawai askar, kemudian saya turun dengan purata kelajuan 50km/h, yang mengambil masa hanya 32 minit untuk tiba ke kaki gunung. Setelah membalas dendam dengan 2 gelas air bandung cincau, len chee kang dan mee hoon goreng basah yang tidak sedap, saya pun pulang ke rumah dan tidur.

Rabu 27/10 – Kesakitan lutut dan punggung, kesan daripada pendakian semalam.
Basuh, mengering dan melipat baju. Sempat membuat thesis sedikit. Melayan diri di Facebook dan menulis blog.

Khamis 28/10 – Menulis thesis secara serius. Sedikit gangguan nafsu untuk meng-facebook yang durjana. Membasuh dan menyidai baju. Memberi persoalan-persoalan dengan nada yang sinis kepada 'Customer Service' setelah mendapati van masih tersadai di atas jalan.

Jumaat – 29/10 – Izza cuti dan Umayr turut ada di rumah. Melayan keluarga di waktu pagi, maid datang untuk megemas rumah di sebelah petang. Akhirnya van tersebut dialihkan setelah membuat panggilan kepada supervisor.

Sabtu 30/10 – Izza bekerja namun Umayr ditinggalkan di dalam jagaan ayah yang cekal. Nasib baik Umayr tidak banyak ragam. Umayr bangun pukul 9 lebih, rasuah anak dengan ‘mamam’, kemudian dimandikan. Setelah susu diberi, pura-pura tidur supaya anak pun tidur, namun gagal, Umayr bermain seorang di atas katil setelah ayahnya tertidur selama sejam. Ayah terjaga setelah dikejutkan oleh sang anak pada pukul 12. Bermain sebentar, apabila mendapati Umayr mula nak meragam, susu disumbat dan Umayr tidur selama dua jam. Dalam kelaparan, si Ayah melantak segala apa yang ada di dalam peti sejuk. Setelah Umayr bangun, mereka ke Radix Fried Chicken drive-thru yang tidak sedap itu untuk menikmati makan tengah hari.


Ahad 31/10– Membuang masa dari pagi dengan Facebook dan menulis entri ini. Akan menggosok dan membasuh baju, kemudian memaksa diri untuk menyambung menulis Thesis. Doakan semoga saya berjaya.

Itulah Sepuluh Hari saya yang tidak mungkin saya mampu kecapi dan nikmati lagi setelah mula bekerja di tempat baru esok.









Wednesday 27 October 2010

MTB Gunung Jerai- Beginner’s Tips


pic top left: my solo feat conquering the peak of Gunung Jerai
pic top right: at one of the crazy u-bends
pic bottom : panoramic view of another crazy u-bend


So, you just got yourself a mountain bike and your friends have been talking non-stop about their Gunung Jerai feat 2 months ago- the trip that you were supposed to join but couldn’t because you had something on that day either you had to babysit, went to pak lang’s kenduri or your wife’s old friend came to the house. Feeling left out from the crowd, eager to join them, now you’re looking for the best guide and tips to conquer the mighty Gunung Jerai with your newly ‘tuned’ 2 wheeler. You came to right place, let me share with you my experience cycling up the highest point in the northern states.


Pic Top Left: My 'Squeak!' at Museum
Pic Middle Left: The highest accessible point to any unauthorized person
Pic Bottom Left: Hotel Regency to the right, to highest peak turn left ya..
Pic Right: Gayat-ness..



My first and only advice is, DO NOT CYCLE UP THERE!!!!Are you crazy???? To hell with them!! Why must you suffer your knees and crotch just to join them???? Yesterday it took me 6 hours to reach the peak, after everything sores, what I got was a stupid red signboard that says ‘.. No Admittance to Unauthorized Persons..’. Seriously dude..totally not worth it!!

Pic Left: Solo Feat..self-photography
Pic Right: The only distance mark i managed to capture. The rest, 'pancit!'
Pic Bottom: Initial D fans should love this..


While there is still value to your 2k+ bike, go and sell it and buy a PS3 instead. With the air-cond on, iced milo at the side, big puffy bean bag supporting your back, all sports in the world from F1 to boxing is at your finger tips! If you still wants cycling, there’s Le Tour De France..all you need is to buy the game from any games shop near you.

So boys and girls, hear you me, Do NOT cycle up Gunung Jerai!!

Note: the Writer is a ‘seasoned’ MTB cyclist (entering 2 years as an owner of an MTB bike) but he is still at Beginner’s level. Listen to him, he knows best! *wink

Thursday 21 October 2010

STYLING GROUP MODENAS

Unlike Car designers, motorcycle designers are a little 'exclusive', 'rare breed'..maybe because they run in small numbers, less glamour than their counterparts in the four wheeler divisions.

In Malaysia, there is only one company who does motorcycle design(actively), that is MODENAS Sdn Bhd. Production or not, the Stylists of MODENAS have produce many design works, from quads to hybrids and Evs. Currently, 2 of their 'babies', the popular GT128 and CT series are running around on Malaysian roads and there are plans of sending them overseas, to add colour to the export market.

Below are the individuals who have made magic and wonders in the 2 wheeler industry especially in Malaysia (except for the guy number 11 - he's a traitor!!!haha).





1. Wan Shahar - Manager, Product Planning
2. Azmi Mansor - Senior Designer
3. Farizan - Modeller
4. Ghaddafi - Alias Modeller
5. Suhairy - Modeller
6. Yusof- Designer
7. Roslee - Senior Designer
8. Rahimie - Modeller
9. Zuhri - Designer (Graphics)
10. Zulkifli - Designer (Graphics)

*Not in picture - Mohd. Zikir - Chief Modeller (currently with Kawasaki,Japan)


p/s: so please, if you ever go to a motorcycle dealer, if the dealer says that MODENAS CT (100 or 110) is a Taiwanese design, they are bull shitting you from head to toe!

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Ihm - 21 weeks



Ihm at 21 weeks and 2 days. Gender still tak confirm but now 3 bidan cakap girl (because Izza's perut tak menajam ke depan) and 1 doctor kata Boy..but that was few weeks ago..
Tak jadi masalah because orang kata boy yang susah nak dapat..and we already have Umayr..tapi ada juga yang nak sangat girl tapi tak dapat-dapat juga..so conclusion, takde yang senang atau susah because ni semua terletak di tanganNYA.. DIA nak bagi Girl ke Boy ke, ada anak pun dah cukup besar rahmat! asal sihat, cukup sifat..

Be strong Yang and Ihm!! Umayr and Daddy tak sabar menunggu bulan 2 nanti!

Confess, I must..

The HR Department has confirmed my resignation and calculated my last working day falls on the 21st .That means I have only 3 days left in modenas..So it’s crunch time to clean all my ‘remains’ before I leave them for good.

How does it feel to leave a ‘family’ of 5 years and 5 months? Damn, this reminds me of my last day in VI Hostel. Seriously I’m no good at handling ‘perpisahan’. The strategy back then was ‘the-quick-exit’. As soon as Abang arrived, I did a quick round of salam and bro hugs, managed to pose for a last group picture then zoomed into that small Kancil with all my everything. At 3rd gear, my ‘man tears’ dropped..

My man tears dropped plenty of times during my ‘weekend husband’ era. At the bus station, train station..oh! Not in public of course..always in the car. The exact time is always after the door shut, and the ‘sound of silence’ kicked in..That’s the cue.

Will all this macho-ness fall to the ground this Thursday? I don’t think so. I’ll pray hard that it will not. InsyaAllah it’ll be rock steady! The family and I are all geared up with the weekend break plan and I have a week long of bumming around before starting in my new place on November 1st . “It-will-be-Legendary”!

Khap khun ma khap!



Pic: a very 'virgin' of me seated front row, far left. Hostelites celebrating 106th year of VI in 1999.

Thursday 7 October 2010

I NO KOMment

I've received and replied the offer letter, I've tendered my resignation and yesterday the CEO himself called me in and ended the meeting with " good luck and all the best.." I guess it's official then. My last day as a Motorcycle Designer will be on the October 22nd 2010.

The 5 years and 5 months in MODENAS have been sweet, exciting, challenging and a life-changing experience. From zero interest and knowledge of motorcycle, I've to work hard to get to know and love them, Alhamdulillah with proper guidance, I was able to pick it up fast resulting to few of my handworks are already out there in the market and InsyaAllah my final 'masterpiece' from MODENAS will be launched next year. All these greatness would not be possible without the help and supervision of the ever generous and ever patience boss, seniors and sifoo. Can't thank them enough!



My next chapter in life will be with In0k0m Corporation Sdn Bhd. Starting on the 1st of November. Based on the info given during the interview, my main job responsibility is to help set up R&D department and to handle design matters... Should be interesting..Anyway, will only know the details after joining them.

Wish me luck!