Searching the world....the lost will be found...

i'm feeling shitty...and a lil disillusioned to be honest..

i reckon december is always a shitty time for auditors all around the malaysia. not only are your friends back from studying overseas and partying their guts out, you are stuck in the midst of peak period and everybody is just stressed out. plus it's christmas and new year, my favourite time of the year. when you were back studying it meant like full time partying from christmas to new year.

now it's just a sad month for me. but you know what? screw it. you have a choice whether to remain the way you feel or you can either do something about it. i've decided to do something about it and stop ranting and raving about shit i can't control.

On other matters non-emo, I have just been listening to the All of the Above album by Hillsong United. I usually don't listen to CCM to enjoy it. It's either for worshiping or I need to learn a song so that I can play it in church. But I must say that this album is totally different from the rest of the Hillsongs albums out there.

It has a lil post rockish or even a lil shoe gaze feel to it. I would even call it a little dark which is just awesome. When you're listening to a hillsongs album you would usually expect their songs to be a lil Pop Rockish or Pop Punkish but this album is really a big step forward.

It's not exactly Post Rockish Mogwai style (please not i said it has a LIL) but I would call it a gateway for Contempary Christian music to other genres.

Finally I got a camera

So finally the Tay's have purchased a new camera. It's an Olympus Stylus 1040 and I have been madly snapping away at the HSDD launching and PK's wedding....

Pics on the way.....HSDD LAUNCHING GIG PICS UP IN INDIEGOAT SOON....

One word....WICKEDLYAWESOME...

Generation Gap & Freakin hell they banned facebook

GEN Y

versus

GEN X

my office can be considered fairly young in age with the majority of our office under 30 (DOB between 1978 to 1986). if you compare that with other companies, i reckon we are pretty young in age.

even then, i feel there is this gap between those born in 84,85,86 and those older peeps (sorry che and aunty)...and i think as time goes by and those born in 87 and 88 comes in to the working force, i think you will see even a greater divide...

there is a very interesting article that was on the sydney morning herald here.....

it basically discussed the gap between generation X and Gen Y in the working world...

basically the Gen X generation are ppl born in the year 1965s to about 1980s and gen-yers are those who were born in the 80s and 90s. i have even a youth pastor telling me that gen-yers are those in the 90s....i would tend to disagree with that cause i reckon i belong to the gen-y ...the gen y is the internet generation....i grew up on the internet...my whole life almost revolves around it....im certainly a Y-er

thats why i'm pissed that they blocked facebook at work....thats your source of destressing...damm...there goes your freedom at work...no personal mail, no msn no facebook....Strike any1?

Update! First article up at indiegoat

I've finally posted up my first article for Indiegoat....have an extract of it below....click on the link below for the rest.

(Extract from Indiegoat)

Applying financial concepts and arguments are usually akin to cats and dogs; that is they rarely mix. However reading the above statements in my CPA study materials, made me think on how this is so applicable to how the music scene/industry is in the world today especially in Penang and how people define Great Music

Too many times I wonder whether or not people actually listen to a certain song because they really dig or enjoy the music or whether they are listening to it just because it has been overplayed so many times through out the day and they are subconsciously told by radio, movies and MTV that the song is great.....................

....Click here to continue Reading....you know you want to....

Goats, Bangers and Firebrands

Danno

will

be

posting

on


and

CSR BANGERS

Update

I've been getting involved with things really close to my heart.

MUSIC and CSR (hahaha not really that close but yeaaa kind of).

I've been helping the guys out at indiegoat to help cover gigs and to write articles. We are trying to cover anything arty around in Penang. So if any of you guys know of some local gigs, art galleries,dramas, or ANYTHING to do with Penang arts, that you would like to promote just let me know and we will put it up on our website.

WHats even more deck is that, I have been helping out in my church's youth teaching em bass and just hanging out with em. Being with the youths is awesome. It totally revitalises you. They are not tied down by the horrors and work.....check em out...i think they are totally deck...

24 Dannos

The First 24

Your first 24 hours are cool. You have the urge but it's controllable. Plus you're all motivated. Piece of Cake.

25 - 26

You're driving down the road listening to a new CD when suddenly a motorcyclist zips by. Pissed you horn loudly and maybe swear. All of a sudden that Motor cyclist looks like a lovely wrapped thing with a filter down the bottom with the words "Dunhill" on it.

27 - 28

You are gripping your fists tightly. The Cravings start to get worse and worse. You start grinding your teeth...

29-30

You have peaked....You are agitated at the slightest sounds and you would kill the person next to you just to suck on the teat of nicotine....You start taking deep breaths to calm yourself down

31 - 35

The main urge starts to die down but Withdrawal symptoms kick in. You are floating in the air...your lungs are breathing in more oxygen than they used to. You have a tightness in your chest and u feel light headed. You start to cough....you drink 5 cups of coffee and can never stop munching......You take a walk outside and breathe in some fresh air......this might be worth it after all...

36 - 39
Craving hits for a short time.....You get agitated again.....find guitar to play ......feeling sleepy....I have fought well today.....it's time to rest...

YOU HAVE LIVED TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY

The Cure: 4:13 Dream

I have been listening to the latest The Cure album entitled 4:13 Dream. Not gonna exactly give a review on it because I haven't had the time to go through the whole album yet, but I love the first track on it "Underneath the Stars". Sounds really really post rockish....it reminds me of Explosions in the Sky or Whitelight

The Cure currently has the whole album on its Myspace page. Go check it out....to those who think the music I listen to is noisy trust me you will like this....

Entertain your callers with David ARBUCHELALALALAta????

I received a SMS from Maxis today that said something along the lines of:

"SMS now. Entertain your callers with David Archueltalalllalaata's new single Crush...."

Don't worry friends,

I will certainly NOT put you through that torture....


And don't let me get started on what I think about American Idol. Don't they have some kind of karaoke contest back there in the states? Fuck, film that put it on national TV and there you go, you have American Idol.

The tagline for American Idol should be

"American Idol. Thrash magnet for lousy karaoke fans. Season 4"

Real musicians perform and write their own songs. Not songs that record labels force them to sing.

I managed to contact Simon Cowell in regards to this. I managed to ask him what he REALLY thinks about American Idol and this was his reaction:-


Nuff' said guys.

Indie Thinking; do YOU have it?

My company always encourages us to have our own independent thinking (I've created the term indie thinking in short) whenever we perform our work. Professional accounting bodies embodies the importance of independent thinking by incorporating this idea of independent thinking in their professional syllabusss which their members will have to take. In fact it can be even argued that the notion of freedom lies is the ability of one to have it's own independent thoughts.

However, in reality there our thoughts and ideas will always be constrained to what we have been taught in school or through our own education. Our independent thinking therefore is never really independent because they will always be influenced by some school of thought. For instance, an accountant who belongs to accounting body ABC will always base their so called independent thinking and judgements on their education received by that accounting body and will be influenced by their concepts.

So the main question would be, 'Can someone truely have indie thinking which is free from any constraint that an education organisation puts in place on an individual?'

Hardcore and Minimalist Rock Combo:- Conquest for Death and My Disco

It is very rare that Malaysia gets a chance to watch really great bands perform live in Malaysia. If you think Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance are GREAT then aren't you a sucker for MTV's bullshit and propaganda. And for any person with 6 inches and balls packed in their crotch think that "Hey but we have Westlife here before what?", I have now struck you off my friends list permanently.........

What Penang got to see on Monday was freakin awesome. A gig featuring:-

Conqest for Death:- A hardcore metal band from the States.

and................

My Disco:- A minimalist rock band hailing from the land down under. I have never heard anything so minimal which was so intense. They sound so freakin good LIVE and much better than listening it off mp3.

Now I must say that I have grown out from all the mosh pits and crowd surfing but It was great to see it all happening on Monday. Reminds me of younger and happier days.

Click here to check it out the gig review, pics and some bootleg concert tracks.

Penang:- 10 Feet UNDER water

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, Penang's drainage system failed on us Penang-ons (why can't we be Penangons instead of Penangites?).

When you combine a crappy drainage system and heavy monsoon rains what you get are floods with drain water with all its gunk and junk spewing out on our roads. Cars were going against one way streets just to avoid the jams. Motorcyclist soaked and drenched and good ol Danno had to park his car in the opposite road from his house and waddle in shitty drain water......

Penang's Ultimate Hangout

Location: Soundmaker Studio, Weld Quay

Probably one of the most chilled out nights ever at the studio according to Alvin. Beers and smokes and a quick jam session followed by a late night supper at Green House is just freakin awesome. Before I let the pictures do the talking, let me first do a little promo for Penang's very own indie scence.

The Soundmaker Studio is most probably the only place where you can go for gigs and check out local bands as well as a few international bands which pop by. If you are sick of the useless crap they bombard on the radio or in the clubs check out Penang's only Indie website by clicking here.

Ok here are the snaps of the night out:-

The "WALL" just outside the entrance of the studio

Chillin in the studio:- Beers,smokes,music and kick ass company what more can one ask for

The "GREEN house":- Supper; what Penangites (and a half Melakan/Singaporean/Aussie?) does best

Phukkkeettt bayBehh!!

<As I promised in my earlier post, here is unedited article on my company's annual trip. Originally, the duty of coming up with the article for the PwC's magazine Xpression was given to a female colleague of mine (smoking hot by the way). She had politely asked me to help her out on it when she found out I did last year's article and I couldn't say no to a hot chick now can I? So please bear with my grammar and spelling for I can't be asked to frigging go through this and check through.>

“Bollywood in Phuket”

There is only one result when you load up three tour buses with overworked and overstressed PwC-ians heading to Phuket on a Thursday night.

“MADNESS.”

Months before the trip, we could see various PwCians in the Penang office showing various behaviours such as hair-pulling and some were even spotted crawling up our office walls. To say that we needed deserved this break is an overstatement.

After a gruelling 16 hour bus ride (including toilet breaks and such), we finally arrived in Phuket just in time for breakfast. We quickly stopped by at a restaurant to have our breakfast. We stuffed ourselves with food as quickly as possible as we were waiting impatiently for our first activity, a Thai massage and Spa treatment. The male population of PwC could not hold back their eagerness and excitement at the prospect of getting a massage by a beatiful Thai lady.

Once we reached the spa (which was called “The Mermaid Spa”), we were given an abundant choice of eucalyptus, rose, sandalwood, orange and many more, as our choice of our massage oil.

At this point of time there was a cry of disappointment from the males as we had found out that we were only be given JUST a traditional Thai massage. Never the less, a massage after 16 hours on a bus was just what we all had needed.

Before our massage, we were spoilt with a steam bath as well as a dip in the spa’s Jacuzzi. With our muscles massaged and our stress released, we headed off for lunch.

After an exquisite lunch at Phuket’s biggest international buffet, we stopped by a temple to admire it’s splendour and beauty. We quickly head off to a extreme outdoor park where we could take part in elephant riding, rifle shooting, archery and a chance to ride on an ATV.

As the sun began to set, we were taken to the hotel to check in and prepare ourselves for dinner.
Dinner would be at an abalone farm by the seaside which was an hour away from the hotel. All throughout the bus ride, we could hear tummies rumbling and the words of “ARE WE THERE YET?” The agonising wait seemed unbearable at that time.
After what seemed longer than Frodo’s journey to Mordor, we had finally reached our destination. We were greeted with the wonderful hospitality that the Thai’s are famous for once we hopped off from the bus. With flowers hanging around our neck we were ushered to a hall where we finally thought we could fill our stomachs to our heart’s content.

However instead of dinner, we had to bear with a 20 minute presentation on the wonders of abalone given to us by the owner who apparently did not have any concerns about our growling stomachs. Although several guys had to be restrained from smashing the projector we actually did enjoy the presentation and managed to learn a lot about Abalone (just don’t ask us now anymore)



For dinner, we were given the chance to savour the wonders of Thai cuisine. From the mango kerabu to the wonders of tomyum, we were experiencing what Thailand was about. FOOD!
Satisfied and with our stomachs filled, we all headed off to the beach to light some lanterns for good luck. The night sky was lilted beautifully with all our lanterns.

We were given free time after dinner and most of us decided to enjoy the bustling nightlife of Phuket. While there were a few of us who went to a local cabaret show, the majority of us could be found on Bhang La road where we partied the night away!

Day 2, Coral Island

After a quick breakfast, we quickly left the hotel to take a short trip to Chalong pier where we took a 15 minute speed boat ride to Coral Island known locally as Koh Hae. Coral Island is a beautiful getaway destination located nine kilometres southeast of Phuket.

On this beautiful paradise we had our team building activities such as a relay race and a game called “The Human Knot” where we would be tied to each other in weird positions and had to untangle the human knot without letting go of hands.

We were given time after the activities to have our own free time to explore the wonders as well as participate in the activities provided on the island such as snorkelling, scuba diving, parasailing and a banana boat ride. However the main attraction would be the very unique “Underwater Sea Walker.”

The Underwater Sea Walker is an amazing experience where the participant will wear an astronaut helmet and just freely walk under the sea. A couple of our fellow PwCians are now proud that they are one of the few who have ever tried this unique activity.
Soaked and sunburnt, we had lunch by the beach before proceeding back to the hotel where we would enjoy the rest of the day shopping and relaxing under the Phuket sun before our big dinner.

Bollywood Night

As the clock struck 8, the hotel ballroom had suddenly turned into a Bollywood Grammy award show. Our very own Shah Rukh Khans and Ashiwari Rais could be seen across the hallway. An out of place Superman was also spotted during the night. With all the laughter and flashes from cameras, one could be forgiven that they mistook the ballroom as a Bollywood movie set.

Following our PWC tradition, this would be the time when we would “celebrate” our new promotes. As usual, our dear promotes were given the honour to entertain us for the night. The line-up event for the night for our promotes was our very own PWC Fear Factor Challenge!

While having our dinner, our dear Director Mr Mike Lee Then Thong, went up on stage with his guitar and started serenading us with his charming voice and beautiful melodies. Many girls started fainting across the hall. A Mr Lee Fan Club would soon be in the making.

With our hearts entertained and our stomach filled with glorious food, the night drew to an end. The night ended with a group photo shoot and a dance floor where we danced till the hotel’s staff chased us out! At this point of time, some of us had already passed out while others continue their merry making into the streets of Phuket.

Last Day

Early the next morning, we were awaken by a 6am morning call. Kicking and screaming, we proceeded to pack our bags and headed down for breakfast. We then quickly headed to our buses to leave the beautiful island of Phuket. As many of us were exhausted from the night before, snores could be heard throughout the journey.

On the way home we stopped by Krabi (for lunch) and a famous Tiger Temple before heading to Hatyai for a short dinner and last minute shopping.

We eventually reached Penang at 12am. With our stomachs filled with seafood tom yum and mango kerabu and our hearts overwhelmed with joy and happiness, our three day rampage of Phuket would never be forgotten.

I AM famous in Zambia:- August and September Updates

A very wise man once said "Here's to alcohol, the cause of—and solution to—all life's problems." And that was what my company trip to Phuket and My joint birthday bash with my cousin Jo was all about.

" Alcohol"

actually strike that out......it should be

"JAGERMEIFTER BOMBS"

There is nothing like the sweet taste of Redbull and Jagermeifter. The thing with these bad boys is that it taste so freakin nice you don't feel a thing and you can smash em. The effect comes later when you're lying down on the ground by the poolside wondering if the bird flying in the sky is actually superman.

I'll post up separate posts by the end of this week about the two events that TOTALLY changed my life (okay im exaggerating.....). So for anyone still visiting my blog just wait for it....

Guys Beware: Girls sound sexier when they are fertile

It's been awhile and I haven't posted anything up again. Damm aren't we auditors boring people?

I have been listening to a lot of Rage Against the Machine recently and just realised how much music has changed throughout the years. During the late 90s nu metal was the way to go after the grunge scene died down before that. From Woodstock to Ozzfest to Big Day Out nu-metal bands would highlight the tour.

From the Malaysian point of view, I feel that this was the time period where the mid 80 babies (1984- 1987) started a music shift from the mainstream. Now I am not disrespecting the older generation in their music taste but it was in 1996/1997 (mid 80s babies would have just started high school) where the internet hit Malaysian shores where the window to download songs had opened. For the older generation they had to rely on tv and radio and the trip down to the cd shop for their music. Without the internet, I believe it would have been hard to tap in a variety of music. I take off my hat to those who were able to do so and not confine their music tastes to Boyz2Men and Boyzone.

With the internet, youths started downloading all kinds of music. Bands unheard of or who had their cd's banned by our Malaysian government was reaching our homes with no restrictions. Even though Pop music was our staple meal in music (and I even believe so today), the doors to venture into other forms of music was widely opened.


My musical journey started in 1990 when I was a kid in Australia where I had just picked up the piano and played my dad's favourite songs like "Memory" from cats. In school we had music classes and we were taught to sing songs like Inner Circle's sexual song "Sweat" to classics like The Beatles "Let it be." In 1994 I hit the pop stage of my life where I would East-17 and Peter Andre would be played on cassettes during lunch breaks in school. My dad bought me my first album that year too. Billy Joel's "River of Dreams"

When I got back to Malaysia my musical journey continued. When I was 10 and 11 I was listening to stuff like 911 and BSB. The year that changed everything would be in 1997 where I fell in love with a british band called Oasis. "Be here now" would be my 2nd album that I would buy and it would start my musical journey in Rock.

From there onwards my music taste changed from Hip Hop to Punk to Nu Metal to Metal to Hip Hop to Jazz to Alternative Rock to Trance to and too many other genres I can't name here. Today I am happy to say I am cool with all kinds of music. I can mosh with you in the mosh pit. I can wave my hands in the air just like I don't really care too. I can dress up and listen to jazz in a hotel and I can also go indie with you. Once in awhile I'll head to Red Box and sing a moffatts tune just to feel 11 again.

Whatever you listen to, be open, be free. Catch the groove/high/beat of whatever music you hear and enjoy the ride along!

The LAST agenda....PwC SRC Committee 2007/2008

His name was Captain DisecTo

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Coffee with company and BB

Lessons learnt sipping coffee

Location: Starbucks Island Plaza

Occasion: Tze En's Birthday Celebration again...........and again........and again

Peeps: Aunty, Che, Lil Girl, Surfer Dude, BB and the Dant Dawg

"BB does not eat her own shit" - Ooi Suyin

"BB scares STARBUCKS boyyyyyyy" - Random Observation

"PFS boys today lost a couple of points today in PwC" - Random Observation

"BB will not be attending the wedding. Yee Thean Er cries because of this. Tze En consoles her" - Studious Observation

Lil girl and bf fighting and I am in between. GOD PLEASE TAKE ME AWAY!!!!

BB boh kia si. She wants to be a daredevil jumping from chair to chair!!

Lil girl calls me stupid for the Nth time this week. I have been swimming in elephant turd the whole week. Everyone nods silently and agrees.

"People do not like us. When we are in Coffee Bean there are tons of people in Starbucks. When we are in Starbucks all the people go to Coffee Bean" - Lee Yee Sin

"Someone will not be dancing on the dance floor in December"

"There is a traditional Chinese belief that they are not allowed to attend someone's wedding after their own wedding within a 4 month period. If they do, Chuck Norris will fly from America and give them a round-house kick. They will die and go to hell and be tortured by 99 eaglehorn demons. Worms will then crawl up their body and start laying eggs in their ears and hair. Then Chuck will stare at the person's bride and she will be impregnated." - Lee Yee Sin

Today is the first time Danno has heard Suyin talk like a BIMBO.....Danno widely opens his eyes

(For those who doesn't know who BB is here is her pic. BB is Suyin's hyper and attention craving little mutt. I will be using BB in the near future as my chick magnet.)








This is what my pet would look like if I ever did own a pet:-

No more fuel subsidies? Danno rides the bus. Danno 1 Fuel increase 0

On 4 June 2008 the whole Malaysia became a chaotic mess. The news had just come out that our beloved government would be stopping fuel subsidies and will offer a rebate instead to car owners when they renewing their road tax. Fuel prices will be raised from Rm1.92 to RM2.70 per litre.

True to the Malaysian spirit every mothafucka with four (and two too!) wheels rushed to the petrol stations to pump their tanks before the end of the day causing massive traffic jams on roads leading to petrol stations everywhere in the country.

Ok, so you save what RM 40 to RM 50 now but won't you still have to pump your petrol next week? And you have to wait like what 1 hour before you could pump your petrol. Malaysians will always be Malaysians.

So you might be thinking "What the hell are you going to do about it mate? This is a burden to the rakyat!"

Problem: Fuel price increases

Solution: Rapid Penang Bus service

It has been almost 6 years since I have last taken the bus in Penang. Back in the days where me and my mates would used to jump from the various gates of Penang Free School and run to the bus stop to catch a bus to One Stop or Gurney, buses were dirty, smelly and we were squashed in like a can of sardines. However, I had decided to let the Malaysia transport system redeem itself on Thursday morning.

Being true to the wannabe aussie poser inside of me, I dressed up to work that day, wore my sunnies and had my mp3 playing The Cure "Friday I'm in love" at full blast (Yea I know, it was a bloody Thursday. But hey it's my favourite song to listen to before I go to work. ) To be honest with you as I strutted towards the bus stop (pic below), I did not expect much of a change from my last experiences on Penang buses.

(Bus stop along Dato Keramat Road which is opposite Kampung Makam)

The wonderful thing about living near Dato Keramat Road is that all the Air Itam buses as well as some Greenlane ones will use the road to go down to the Jetty Bus terminal. After a short 5 minute wait a bus had finally arrived.

"Encik, ada pergi Jalan Bahari (the road nearest to my office)"

"Ada, naik naik. Satu Ringgit!"

To my surprise the bus was actually pretty clean and wasn't that packed (pic below). Of course some idiots had vandalised the back seats by writing " Ahmad cinta kepada Ali" (Ahmad loves Ali) and " Rohani hisap kote kuat kuat kao kao" (Rohani sucks dick damm hard damm well) but other than that there was no funky smell nor was it dirty or anything. WICKEDDDDDDD

Oh yea, I actually got a lot of stares from the peeps on the bus. Must be the sunnies as well as all my head bobbing that I was doing.(Song had changed to Sexy Can I)

Note to self: "Musn't look to cool on a Penang bus. Might get robbed. I am not in Melbourne. Repeat plenty of times"

(How YA DOENN.....Unfortunately there were no hot chicks on the bus to appreciate my wannabe poser look)

After about a 15 minute bus ride, I reached my stop and got down. Walked another 5 minutes to my office and started bragging to everyone about my bus trip. Started by telling the rest of them how they are so freakin spoilt and how they do not love the environment and how they should be shot for not trying to save the ozone like me.

Then you get a couple of Asian blonde women (aka bimbos) who went like " WAHHHHHH you really took Rapid arr?? Not scarryy arrr? Not hot arrrrrrr????" Like yea woman, Danno ain't some spoilt rich brat that can't take buses. There are a lot of low-income to middle-income (as well as students who skip school) people who still depend on the bus as their main source of transportation.

Some haters refused to believe that Danno took a bus, so I saved this as proof:-

Folks,

Danno 1 ; Fuel Price increase 0 ; haters and bimbos -9999999999999

Rapid Bus Ticket = RM 1.00

Parking Fee saved per day = RM 10.00

Looking cool wearing shades and listening to rockin tunes on your mp3 player while riding the bus = PRICELESS

There are some things that money can't buy.

For others there is the Rapid Penang bus.