Fenomena

Fenomena starts to air on the 16th of June 2008. 7.30pm, RTB. Every Monday

I got good reviews from the producers regardless of my crappy Malay. I reviewed a few episodes myself, and yes, my Malay needs improvement. hahah. darn it.

Muaz Rashid - Bencana alam dan isu isu sosial.

Disastrous patterns

I think I mentioned in a fashion post one time ago (too lazy to search and link) that patterns are not easy to pull off. I prefer plain and/or simple stripes.

And if you insist on heavy patterns, pair it with something plain. I have a heavy burberry top (with a typical burberry plait pattern) that I pair with plain pants and tie. This is done so, so that you do not end up like a curtain. Likewise with girls wearing baju kurong, if you insist on wearing patterned tudong over your patterned baju kurong, opt at least a simple patterned tudong. Less over more - that's the rule of thumb (to me at least).

Patterns scream for attention, so putting on too many at once is just crazay for the eyes.

note to girls: Overly patterned tudongs make you look older or granny-like ESPECIALLY when it comes to taking passport pictures. So when you need to take passport pictures (this applies to everyone in general - men and women), wear plains. That'll draw the attention directly to your face and makes you look more fresh.

Anyway..

What triggered this post? This:


You see how she looks like a cushion? This heavy bohemian pattern would only look good as a bohemian handbag, NOT on a body. This dress is utter rubbish to me. ALTHOUGH, I have to add this; I love her stance and expression in this picture; it says "What? I'm wearing this hideous outfit but I still look hot, it draws attention away from my undone hair, what?~ you've a problem with me? What? I can make ugly look hot, keep talkin' about me, it's making me famous, I don't have any good movies recently anyway." Hahah. Still hate the dress though.

Patterns are very tricky to work with. If you insist on taking the risk, try to incorporate the rule above; balance it with plains.

I am tired.

Muaz Rashid - Ying and Yang

A Night at The Police Station

Did that title surprise you? Heh

Before I start the story it wasn’t me who was arrested – just to set the record straight. I’m clean. *wink*

Anyway. I was out with a friend of mine until he received a phone call from home, the tone was so peculiar and urgent that it freaked me out a bit. Then he hung up and told me they found his maid with a man in her room. Then we instantly rushed back to his place.

Once there we saw that the police was already informed. Bla bla, to cut the story short; they found out that their maid (who has been working with them for nearly 4 years) has a business of her own; PROSTITUTION! And apparently she has been operating her “business transaction” at my friend’s house.

Although it is illegal for her to operate such business, personally I would say it is relatively alright for her to do such thing if she’s THAT desperate for money (people have the rights to lead their own lives – they may opted a sinful path – but it’s their choice and I don’t wanna have anything to do with it, they live their lives, I live mine). BUT do NOT do it at the house where she is treated like family.

The family treats her as an individual with respect, as opposed to as a “subordinate amah” unlike many other families that I know. And she has the audacity to betray their trust by begriming the family’s immaculate home as a brothel. Slut! (literally – hahah this is the first time ever that I’m able to use the word to refer to REAL one)

The guy she was with (who was apparently naked at the time they were caught) was, according to her, her lover.

Both of them were brought to a nearby police station. I went with them, What was I doing? Lingering around trying to look all “purposeful” (can you tell that I'm penyibuk?) and browsing through their phones for more evidence. At home, the family found more stuff that relates to her “industry” as they rummaged through her belongings. Some were; condoms (8 of which are USED), viagras and birth control pills.

What concerns me more is that since she brought mEn (emphasis on the plurality of the word), it could be dangerous if some of these men have bad intentions regarding the home; it is an attractive house, and if they know how to sneak in, they MIGHT use that knowledge at full advantage, i.e. robbery. Hopefully this isn’t the case, but it is crucial to take this into account for the family’s safety.

This scenario does not just happen to this one family, I have several other friends who have experienced similar cases, so to all out there, take this advice; keep an eye on your maids.

Muaz Rashid – Safety comes first.

More SJP

What is with my obsession with SJP lately? I don't even know. I even re-watched Hocus Pocus the other day. I think it's cuz SATC movie isn't showing in Brunei. PLEH!



Anyway.. This vogue cover of SJP looks disturbingly weird. I hate it when photo editors edit people's face too much; her eyes look wonky, her nose looks big and her expression looks like she's high on something and/or her soul has been sucked out from a dementor - thus why she's on the floor. ceh. Please editors - be real for once. Editing out wrinkles and skin problems are fine, but this is just a bit too much.

I feel the need to post a more "real" picture of her;

See? Gorgeous

Muaz Rashid - Bella!

Rants: A Blogger, A dog and An Insurance company

Apologies for the lack of updates... I am currently pfft cuz I got into an accident two days ago. I was driving along the road that leads to Damuan, and then a dog SUDDENLY appeared out of friggin' nowhere. It was too late for me to avoid it, so I hit it, and my car swerved out of control for a few seconds. Thank goodness I was able to control it and that there wasn't any cars closeby.

I tried to see the dog from my rearview mirror, but it was apparently out of sight, but I guess it died.

I drove ahead because I didn't wanna cause traffic and I wanted to stop at a safe spot. My car is unfortunately busted - URGH!

Anyway.. I was hoping that the insurance company would cover the damage. Unfortunately they can't. Why? Because I drove away from the actual location of the accident and didn't call the police..

Are you kidding me?? What? they seriously thought I was gonna go:

"Hello.. Police? I hit a dog"

pleh!

I didn't hit any "hak milik kerajaan" and I didn't hit any other cars - So didn't think it was worth reporting. And I drove ahead because I needed a safe place to stop - I didn't wanna cause traffic, it's not like I intended a hit and run case. Seriously.. urgh.

Anyway.. Thank god I'm all good. I feel guilty for the dog though, we seriously need animal control here in Brunei, innocent animals are being killed on roads almost daily.

Pictures of the accident can be seen here.

Muaz Rashid - BRB

Project wall

A good friend asked me to help him out with an artwork for his wall. So this is what we came up with:

Before:

After:

Nice no?

It's late and I'm tired, So I'ma update this next time to explain the design.

Tomorrow (or in a few hours rather): Gonna be training 20 teachers from 7 different primary schools - gonna be brutal - huhu *evil.. It's been awhile since I instruct a class.. hehehee

Muaz Rashid - Good evening

It's too late to apologize..

Another cover by Eric and Tod Dammann. Damn I love them! This is amazing!



Muaz Rashid - Holding on the rope..

In The Hood

A friend and I went cruising around bandar to take some pictures the other night. I love dramatic lighting when it comes to photography, because to me it gives this sense of drama, mystery and story to it. This is a collage of some of what what we took:

I love it. It looks like an ad.

Fashionably homeless. Love how the light falls and emphasises the creases.

Muaz Rashid - I'm still I'm still Jenny from the block~

Quote of the day

"Look, are you aware of who 'FHM' magazine voted the Sexiest Woman Alive? ME! Not Angelina Jolie...it was ME! God, Jolie was lucky to make Number Nine!" and "I'm only 21 and she's like...ancient! I'm much hotter than her."

Megan Fox said that when a fan compared her to Angeline Jolie. Ooh how classy~

Bitch fight! I love it!

Muaz Rashid - Let's ready to rumbleeee!

Pulling off an SJP

Okay.. just a few posts ago I mentioned the utter hideousness that is SJP's hat. It took fashion blogs everywhere by storm. Ugly really gets people attention. And why am I NOT surprise to see that soon after Paris Hilton decided to pull of the same thing. She wore this, although not as hideous, promoting her scent "can-can" - and why is she promoting this? Didn't she already promote this last year?

Is it just me or is Paris's "career" slowly meeting its end..?

Muaz Rashid - Stars really ARE blind I guess..

Eternal flower; Nini Diah, in loving memories.

The other day I was just lazing around with my sister watching tv when she decided to show off to me a new perfume that she just bought.

I took it, and saw the name – Jasmine. I sighed. And then I sniffed it to smell the scent that I haven’t smelled in years. And I said;

“This is Nini Diah’s signature scent, Jasmine – that’s her favourite perfume – she always smells like it”

Before you know it, my eyes started to flood, and tears flow without force. The scent really reminded me of her. Memories creep in;

How she always remembers everyone’s phone numbers. She needn’t to write it down, everytime I needed to call my cousin (who only lived a few doors away), I always depend on her to give me my cousin’s number. If she’s here now, she’d probably remember my phone number and call me occasionally to ask how I’m doing. Because that’s how she was.

I remember the time she cried and kissed me when I had my first accident. She was afraid to lose me. She grabbed my face and I felt her wet tears as she kissed me on both cheeks while I was in the arms of my father.

I remember a few days after she passed away. She appeared in my dreams; I saw her in the living room and she called me to sit next to her, and I did. And I cried, and she said to me “jangan menangis” (don’t cry). She held my hands, and it felt so real that I woke up in tears.

I could hear her singing; she loved to lull her grandchildren to sleep when they were babies. I never knew what she was singing, but she does it all the time. Her voice was loud, yet calming and full of love.

Sigh.

My biggest regret is that I only realise how much of a gem she was when she was already gone. How that I never said “Grandma I love you”, how I, instead of spending time with her when she came to visit, lock myself up in my room and play with my computer. Even though she wasn’t able to walk, she came to visit, and yet I never spend time with her. If only I could undo all these things, unfortunately it happened and we can’t turn back time.

It’s just sad how I only noticed all this after she passed away. It’s true what they say, people always tend to take things for granted until it is taken away from them. So guys take this advice, cherish the people around you, you’ll never know when God decided to take them away from you.

Unlike a flower that wilts as it dies, Nini Diah will always blossom in my memory, and the scent of a jasmine lives in her memoir.

Ni, Muaz sayang nini. I miss you.

Muaz Rashid – Al-Fatihah… Nini Diah, a loving mother, a wonderful wife, a doting grandmother.

Dance them belly!

Fitness Zone has introduced to us yet another class; Belly Dancing by the ever so fabulous Lyza.

Belly dancing combines dance movements and forms from the middle east and various parts of Asia. Movements emphasise on... the belly (duh) and hands. It's both graceful and sharp, and I tell you, it may look easy, but it isn't.

I joined the class today and the stance and the movements actually kill. Muscle hurts like mad, but it's all worth it - great for the abs!

Oh and before you start judging me for joining. Check this out. There ARE male belly dancers okay. and it ain't easy. Hip Hop is waaaayyyy easier than this. But I'ma have toned abs in no time with this... huhu.

Such a slow news day today.. there's nothing interesting in the gossip world... sheesh.

Muaz Rashid - Out Right Back Left *kaching!*

Stress

This picture shows how a Japanese reporter/news anchor let the stress of his job to take over and get the best of him. I don't buy it. It doesn't look real. It DOES though provide a perfect illustration of what will happen eventually if you do not destress yourself from work.

It's true, stress could make you age earlier. Why do you think there exist the terms "stress lines"?

However, why do I think this picture is a lie? Well, for one thing, this dude works for tv, and there's absolutely no way that the make up department would let him sit in front of the camera and all the lightings without the slightest hint of make up on; he looks way too pale. But then I've never seen him on tv, so it might be true.. albeit still makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Regardless.. Don't get the stress of your job to get the best of you. And that goes particularly to all teachers and teachers-to-be. You all should be well aware that teaching is one of the most stressful profession - and yet, underestimated, not to mention underpaid.

You know what freaks me.. I'm gonna be involved in both profession mentioned in this particular post. eek!

Muaz Rashid - *hoooossaaaaaaa... hoooooossaaaaaaa...... auuuummmmmmmm*

Why elevators scare the living crap out of me..

Well not all the time, but you know how when you use the elevator late at night, especially in an empty or a half empty building - you'd get that chilling sensation, like you wanna get out of it as soon as you could?

This particular feeling is basically influenced by them asian horror movies - there's almost ALWAYS a scene where there is a ghost in an elevator - WHY do they keep doing that?? seriously.

This video illustrates my point:



Supposedly (emphasis on the supposedly) it is from a security camera (by the looks of it). But I dunno.. it looks kinda tampered with, but still.. the thought of it still scares the living crap out of me..

Muaz Rashid - can't you have a bloody ghost in a park or somewhere else??

Exams - goodbye

My exams are FINALLY over. I hate this semester’s timetable so much that I’ve decided to be sarcastic to my lecturer about it in my paper; hoping she’d get my little sarcasm. Regardless, I’ve said it before, and I’m gonna say it again. I hate exams.. I hate it so much that I’d smack the person who created this impractical manner of calculating “learners’ intelligence” in the head.

I don’t hate exams just for the sake of it (who likes it anyway?), I hate it because well… I just don’t believe in them. To me, exams are impractical and it doesn’t really measure students’ intelligence as oppose to their memorization skills. AND to some extent, it doesn’t include pupil’s progress.

So what was the point of all their hard work in their assignments if they’re not accounted for?

For how many years, I believe that exams are supposed to measure students’ understanding of the subject; which is why… I never revise. I listen intently in class and digest all the information, because if you understand, you’ll remember. It’s not until I got into uni where some classes are just immensely soporific that I lost my concentration totally and thus requires me to revise like mad prior to an exam. Pleh.

Regardless… I know that a lot of students tend to memorize word per word for exams, particularly for definitions, and most of them don’t even understand what they’re memorizing, so what’s the point? They don’t understand it, they write it for exam sake, and they won’t remember it by the next month. So, again, what’s the point?

And what’s even more impractical is this; when in my real daily life am I ever gonna be stuck in a freezer for 3 hours, writing 3 essays (each is at least 2-3 pages long), trying so hard to write fast because I’m trying to comply to the deadline that my fingers are numb like crazy, AND with invigilators walking around like flying hawks – looking at each and everyone whilst trying to analyse a cheater from the other.

GAH!

Picture courtesy of yoursweet-six-six

I’m so glad that it’s over. It’s over. OVERRRRRR… WOHOOOOOO

Oh talking about exams… lemme share you this.. it happened about 4 semesters ago, I was standing outside the exam hall and this guy walked out looking all elated and said… out loud;

THE SMELL OF FREE!!!!

And I just stood there – horrified. The smell of free?? Free what?? Free gift?? Free air…? Freebies?

Confident.

Muaz Rashid - FREEDOOOOMMMMMMMMM

Hats off!

During the world premier of the SATC movie... SJP decided to stand out by wearing this such ridiculously horrifying hat... And I know you've probably saw it on E! and fashion blogs everywhere... but I can't help it... I CAN'T HELP IT! It's so hideous, I just have to talk about it!



Her outfit is cute - really, but the hat looks like a mad botanist decided to plant a weird looking plant on the top of her head... and maybe twist around with her mind to think that it's oooooooo fiiiiiiierceee *said in annoying Tyra Banks tone*

I have this incredible desire to photoshop that thing away....

AAAaaaaaaAAAAaaahhhhhhh~~ so much better... (excuse my lazy editing)

Can you tell that I'm slightly jobless..? huhuhuhu

Muaz Rashid - remember! remember!! remember!! (heheh.. what's the significance of that with this post... see if you could relate)

Precious Jewel

A friend has confided in me what has happened between her and her boyfriend (now ex). I feel like a lot out there might relate to her story. so here it is, basically the guy she’s been seeing is suddenly giving her the cold shoulders, and claims that he misses the feeling of being single and he wishes to see other girls.

I know. Ouch right?

It’s a typical human behaviour; people tend to want what they don’t have; when they’re single, they wanna be in a relationship… when they’re in a relationship; they long their promiscuous single self.

To put it to my perspective, it just falls to one word; commitment. The guy is obviously afraid of commitment; which is a trait common to many individuals; guys AND girls. What I never understand is, why do people with this trait delve into a committed relationship? Are they trying to search for their “inner committed” self? To change themselves? bored of being single? It’s baffling, but people have their own reasons.

For my friend’s ex, on the other hand, it’s one thing that he apparently has a “somewhat secret affair” and giving her the cold shoulders… it’s another thing to tell your girlfriend that you want to go out with other girls. I’m sorry, but that’s without a doubt a very idiotic thing to do. I know it’s honest – brutally honest – but sugar-coating it a tad might hurt less on the girl’s part.

You might feel that the girl is wrong for you – well that is where you’re wrong, with the mindset of a child with excessive id, YOU are wrong for the girl. People with excessive id have this tendency to fulfil their desires by any means possible; in this case, some people wants to see a lot of people because that makes them feel wanted; that makes them feel they’re hot. They have this over-excessive hunger for fulfilling this ridiculous self-esteem related need; otherwise, regardless of what they already have, they would not feel content.

To all the girls out there (and/or guys who could relate to such experience), these people are the ones not worth crying over. It is not your fault that they are the way the are, you do not have to have the need to change them because it is up to them to make in a change in themselves, otherwise, let them go. It is not worth your precious tears. You might tear up for a relationship failure, but there’s nothing you can do about it because it is not about you. This is entirely about them. Pull yourself together, because, as I’ve said, you’re not wrong for them, THEY are the ones wrong for YOU.

People like that don’t know a precious jewel if it hits them straight in the face.

What I’ve said might be incoherent and might appear blah, but I do hope that I made a least a lil bit of sense and that what I’ve said at least help you a bit.

Muaz Rashid – Put your head up high

Henna for Zeha Saifful

Thanks guys for the pictures.

Oh, and on another note... I'm done with my exams... WOHOOOOO FREEEDOOMMMMMM

Muaz Rashid - Congratulations

OMG Like Totally Freak Me Out

“OMG like she was like so totally HOTT and the guy he was with was a bit too posh, but like so hotttttt…. And her shoes were like OMG like SOOOOOO hot!!”

Seriously, is that like the ONLY vocabulary that could occupy your brain capacity?

I don’t get it. These people (I reckon) should have been a lot brighter than how they present themselves… and YET, they prefer to project themselves to be a Paris Hilton clone...

Why?

Because apparently, being a bimbo is cool… and “hot”. Okay, since when is portraying yourself like you’ve zero education to be attractively cool??

I blame Paris Hilton for this ridiculous phenomenon, well, not really.. she’s just basically being her… but why oh why do people want to copy her, it’s beyond me….

The entertainment industry keeps displaying all these bimbotic celebrities, because apparently it sells and people make fun of them due to their bimboticness, remember Jessica Simpson’s famous tuna-chicken quote?

And not forgetting Brooke Shield’s "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."

And more…

"Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious." - Alan Minter, Boxer

"I think that the film Clueless was very deep. I think it was deep in the way that it was very light. I think lightness has to come from a very deep place if it's true lightness." - Alicia Silverstone, Actress

"Those who survived the San Francisco earthquake said, "Thank God, I'm still alive." But, of course, those who died, their lives will never be the same again." - Barbara Boxer, Senator

"You guys line up alphabetically by height." - Bill Peterson, Florida State football coach

"You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle." - Bill Peterson, Florida State football coach

"Where the hell is Australia anyway?" - Britney Spears, Pop Singer

source

Yeah people laugh at the ridicule these stars make out of themselves, and yet…. Yet they mimick them. They follow this bimbotic trend because supposedly it’s a trend. I mean, yes, sometimes I do it too for a joke, and occasionally I do have my own bimbotic moments (when it comes to numbers - there's a reason why I'm a language student and good at art - I'm extremely enumerate!), but sometimes people do it too much that it just becomes seriously annoying..

Oh how I long for the day that people one day find it cool and attractive to project themselves as smart and educated.

Younger generations; we never know what they could come up with next – doesn’t that make you sound kinda old? Gah! I’m old!

Muaz Rashid – Mature, but young… *winks*

Mothers' Day with Fitness Zone

Happy advanced mothers' (I'm always confused about where to put the apostrophe in that title.. should it be "mother's" or should it be "mothers' day" since it's for ALL and therefore many mothers... but what-ever lah.. overcorrectness aside.. I personally prefer to put the apostrophe at the end thank you very much) day to all mothers and mothers-to-be around the globe.

For mothers in Brunei.. Fitness Zone has a special treat for you.

Muaz Rashid - Hail queen~

One year

Happy anniversary to CFM!

I've been blogging for several years (since 2003 I think), and been jumping between blogs until I finally settled with muazrashid.blogspot (Coffee with Muaz).. (although I have been thinking of moving yet again, we'll see)

REGARDLESS

It's been a year since I've introduced CFM to the blogsphere.. It was intially read only by my friends who know that I blog, till it was made "public" by a certain restaurant controversy last year..

The reason why I chose to name it Coffee with Muaz is because, well, I love coffee.. and I love to hang out over coffee and talk about whatever things that came into mind; thoughts.. news... gossips.. whatnots, and I haven't done much of that ever since I was busy with work and all.. thus the blog.. as a vial of my thoughts (and rants.. heh)... so if you like to read this, you'd probably enjoy my company.. and if you don't... well obviously you'd hate me.. (apakan.. I digress)

and if Karan can have Koffee with Karan, why can't I ey? heheh.

nonetheless... I do appreaciate it if you could complete the following sentences:

• I like/love to read CFM because.................

or;

• I hate/loathe to read CFM because...............

• These are the things that CFM should improve/focus on..................

• CFM should/should not close (select one)

Friends, respected readers and haters, please do give me constructive critisms, I respect them greatly. thanks.

Muaz Rashid - flaws make an invididual, individualistic.

Taggety-tag-tag

Yes yes, I know I said I'm on hiatus cuz I've some revising to do... but a short break won't hurt, no?

Tagged by Orange Tulip.

1. What disappoints you the most?
- When I fail on my own account.. Because I know I'd be able to do it if I put a lil more effort..

2. Where will you go if someone sponsor you a tour ticket?
- That would be between my plan to go backpacking through Europe or going off to Africa for some volunteer work..

3. What's your favorite thing to do?
- (I shall ignore the singularity of the question); dancing, working out, painting/sketching

4. Do you think money can buy happiness?
- Only to a certain extent

5. If you can have one dream to come true, what would it be?
- Eliminate racism fully and find a "cure" to our dying mother nature.. Global warming is getting worse people!!

6. Do you believe you can survive without money?
- You gotta be kidding me..

7. What are you afraid to lose the most?
- My 5 senses... I can't how hard life would be without them..

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do?
- Get my damn Mazda RX-8 and study Art

9. If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
- ........ depends.. it's the reply I would be worried about..

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you?
- Fiz... (a) She looks conventional but really isn't, (b) She disproves of my eating disorder (c) She hates the same group of people that I hate.. hahah.

11. What are the requirements that you wish from the other half?
- That she would feel the exact same way that I feel about her..

12. What type of person do you hate the most?
- Hypocritical son-of-a-b*tch whose job is to sit on his lazy dumb as* and make/spread ridiculous rumours about others..

13. What is your ambition?
- To be somebody who could make my parents proud..

14. If you can teleport once, where would you go?
- Just once? how am I supposed to go home then?.. nyeh.. not answering this

15. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
- "life" (banyak jua soalannya ani eh.. I'm tired)

16. If you could undo doing one mistake in the past, what would it be?
- Never-ever-ever-ever-EVER date a friend... NEVER

17. If you have a chance, which part of your character would you like to change?
- My borderline perfectionism

18. What music have you been listening to recently?
- Inspirational ones..

19. What is your least favourite animal?
- King Leo

20. What would you prefer to be - a man or a woman?
- I'm happy being a man.. so there..

Muaz Rashid - REVISIONNNNNNNN

Go! Broadband

Check it out..

See anyone familiar...? heheh.

Muaz Rashid - Go for it!