Maulud Nabi & mendiang Andy Matthews

two things in this post, one is to celebrate the birthdate of Prophet Muhammad (based on Islamic calendar) and the other of someone, whom I once meet only briefly and I dont even know who he is then, who just passed away.


(1)
Tercipta Satu Lembaran Sejarah Di Tanah Suci Kota Mekah
Hari Yang Mulia Penuh Sa'adah Bermulalah Sebuah Kisah
Malam Isnin Subuh Yang Indah 12 Rabi'ul Awal Yang Cerah
20 April Tahun Gajah Lahirlah Putera Yang Sa'adah

Abdullah Nama Bapak nya
Siti Aminah Ibu nya...

Dari aku kecik sampai sekarang, mungkin sampai bila2, lagu Al-Mizan ni memang dah jam, dah kena lock dalam otak... Tak boleh lupa haha...  Malay Music at its best.

Selamat menyambut Maulud Nabi.

(2)
Nak cerita sikit kebodohan dan ke"sele'nge'"an aku. Memang aku sele'nger ok tapi bukan selalu la haha. (Kaber line sikit.)

ok aku tu jam sesat tau kat Bandar Frankfurt, bukan sesat cuma aku dah lost aku punya sense of direction gitu. Tu jam masih awal la, kul satu tengahari gitu.

Selain tu aku ni ada poor memori ingat muka orang dan nak letak kat mana kat mana.

So aku Nampak mat salleh ni, OK OK aku tahu la semua pun Mat Salleh kan dah negeri omputeh!!

So aku Tanya la "you know Festhalle?? which direction??"  aku spoken English memang pecah la, Phua Chu Kang gitu.
So dia cakap dia pun nak pergi Festhalle.. So aku cakap " oooo you're also watching Iron Maiden later?".
Jadi dia bukak mulut je aku agak dia bukan orang Jerman. English dia punye native language la cara dia berbual.


So dia senyum...dan dia Tanya aku dari mana... Dia cakap la dia dah pergi South East Asia pun, dia cakap dia enjoy masa kat Bali. Tak yah cerita panjang, dengar gitu pun tahu dia gi semua pasal nak tengok Iron Maiden la kan??

Aku fikir macam...ok, tak terkejut pasal memang ramai peminat Iron Maiden satu dunia semua travel, backpacking, apa je la tengok Iron Maiden main kat lain2 benua, lain2 tempat, lain2 suasana.

Aku lagi bodoh Tanya dia " eh, you see Iron Maiden plays shows in Australia?"
Dia angguk dan senyum...  Fikir balik, aku ni Two Stupid Dogs siak. haha.

So bila dia tahu lepas Frankfurt dua malam aku nak pergi tengok Maiden headline Download Festival Donington Park, dia cakap " Donington's going to be Special".

Aku macam "ok ya, of course, its Donington". Aku masih ingat dia peminat....!!

Lepas tu kita jalan, aku heran pasal terserampak peminat2 dari Poland.. Aku tahu dorang Poland pasal semua bawak bendera Poland, stop kita, dan ambik gambar ngan Mamat ni. Aku pun " sapa sey dekni???, ooo dorang semua kawan kot!!", ye la agaknya dah jumpa mana2 ye tak.

Sekali tu jalan...borak...dia ulang lagi " Donington Is Going To Be SPECIAL!!"
Lepas tu dia cakap " Later where will you be standing?? I want to film you!!", baru aku fikir, oooo dekni kerja ngan Iron Maiden la...

Dah sampai luar Festhalle, ooooo dia terus masuk pasal dia ada special pass..

Then nampak dia kat stage la semua la apa la....


Bila aku kat Donington....bila semua berasak 80,000, orang 90,000 orang mungkin 100,000 berasak nak tunggu Maiden start main...

Tiba2...ZROOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spitfire terbang betul2 atas kepala..  Rendah giler. SPITFIRE ok!!!.. mana punye museum Maiden dah mintak keluarkan suruh terbang betul2 atas kepala peminat2...
Seumur hidup aku tengok konsert rock, tak pernah aku terfikir, dan memang tak boleh difikirkan tapi terjadi,  intro konsert rock, orang boleh suruh World War II punye fighter plane, yang dah umur lebih 70 tahun terbang betul2 atas peminat ramai2, tiga kali Spitfire ni pusing atas peminat...


Maiden at Donington Park, SSOASS theme, surprise SPITFIRE very low flypast with Aces High (which is about the R.A.F and includes Spitfires glories during WW2 Battle of Britain) in the setlist!! - what a combination, something unforgettable.

Tak boleh dilupakan la pengalaman ni.


Baru aku paham si Mamat tu cakap " Donington is going to be Special"..

So.., Andy Matthews, who just passed away.

In that few moments I share with you walking, and I don't recognise who are you even when the Poland fans were stopping you in the streets, I thought you are a fellow fan, when in fact.. I am so fucking blur.

Thank you for being so nice, so humble, and I think its a lesson I learn and should apply when a stranger is asking for help on the street. A simple show of direction, can actually mean something more.

London by Walking in 3 hours. (jalan kaki sebanyak mungkin di London dalam masa tiga jam) Part Two

Sambungan from here for Part One.

So I keep on walking...

Just be careful on the streets with all the vehicles while I am looking here and there haha

and still I see live theaters along this area...This one is more to the humour side.. I wish I got the time to try out one of these, maybe next time.
I remember I have the Blackadder complete dvd boxset somewhere, I prefer British humour. Though you have to focus, because their accent and slang sounds alien sometimes.

Then I come across this famous site which I have seen photos of many times.
Its really a nice feeling to just explore, and discovering things yourself.

Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery and the Nelson Column and the statues and all the people walking everywhere and all the vehicles in the area.

Then I saw from afar the London Eye and BIG BEN.
So I walk in that direction next...

Along the way, I see some displays about protesting about some executions going to be happening in some places outside of UK, or something...
Lots of political stuffs..

and I saw this and I really like it....Women In Uniform kind of thingy...
The Women of World War II tribute memorial or something...A solemn moment.

 So I keep on walking...and...
I reach RIVER THAMES...never thought I would see it one day...

Remember when we were watching MIND YOUR LANGUAGE?? and always theres this kind of intro with River Thames logo or something on it...

Its unfortunate I don't have much time, and also much energy left to keep walking upwards (or downwards??) along the river to see that famous London Bridge towers.
You know which Bridge towers I am talking about.
The one on the Brave New World album cover.

And check this out....kind of part ACES HIGH moment..
A tribute to those who fought in the battle of Britain. A very nice memorial wall and its beautifully crafted.

Its very peculiar this ENGLISH SKIES..
They have all these sudden burst of drizzles, and then its shiny, and then its cloudy, and then the rains fall again...
And its cold.
I got to encounter all these "funny" weather best while at Donington Park for Download Festival.
(As you all can see during MASTODON performance that I upload a bit on youtube, with all the heavy rains and strong winds falling down).  Betul2 nye Rock Mampos moment.


Then...some zombie attacks of 28 days later moment....I really like this movie.
Big Ben, Elizabeth Tower, Palace of Westminster , Westminster Abbey, house of parliament..

and not forgetting I got to take a photo of the Winston Churchill's statue in the park..

and I cant help but recite the famous " we shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans,  We shall fight....,. with great confidence and strength up in the air,   we shall defend our island, whatever the odds may be,
we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields, and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender!!".

Maybe some incorrect, but...at least I hope I am not so moronic, at least I know 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000001 % about the most kindergarten and basic of Winston Churchill and his speeches...
so does countless others Iron Maiden fans worldwide haha.

Low budget backpacking travel by myself to see Maiden and other nice rock bands that I like, and this is one way I got the chance to take a peek at other places and how they live.

Its different from when you travel with your love ones, or friends. Can I say that it will definitely incur more cost and time. When you travel alone, you can minimise spending on food, lodging (sleep at airports) and transport. (Walk and walk and walk..........), and also cut down on all the shopping time hahahahahhah and dilly-dally type of things.
And you have to compromise as each person has their own likings.


So thats about it, this is a kind of guide for those IKAT PERUT people, those on minimum budget, shoe-string budgets.

 if you are travelling to England, to UK, to see you favourite football teams and to go to their stadiums,
or to catch your favourite rock bands playing their own shows or festivals like Download, or Sonisphere or Bloodstock, and I am always keen on Bloodstock festival with some multi facet and style harder, heavier rock bands playing which will surely be awesome, though my mindset is I am willing only to backpack alone and be self-discipline just to save up and to catch Maiden playing at different places, to different style of fans, without interfering with my real life. That is really a huge challenge for me everytime. Though if I do catch Maiden headlining Hellfest Festival in Nantes, with other great nice bands, I guess I will definitely spend one full day visiting Louver Museum, shit I dont know how to spell it if its correct haha.

And so thats about it, if you are really needing to avoid London because of its expensiveness, you can still take a sneak peek at London at very minimum cost. Walking is always the best.

London by walking in 3 hours ++ (jalan kaki sebanyak mungkin selama 3 jam kota London) PART ONE

lots of photos post.
intro-
Kota London ni sangat mahal giler. Tapi dah sampai UK nak tengok Iron Maiden, tengok band lain main kat Download Festival Donington Park, Derby dan tengok Bon Jovi main kat Villa Park Birmingham, jadi rugi rasanya kalau aku tak tengok Kota London ni walau ia cuma tempat persingghan dan transit ke bandar2 lain.

Kira beberapa stesen keretapi besar kat London macam Paddington, St Pancras, dan Euston aku kena pergi la pasal semua aku guna keretapi dorang gi Bandar Birmingham dan Derby, jadi dapat tengok la kawasan2 tu jalan2 kejap.
Separuh hari aku dah gunakan untuk pergi Stadium Emirates, pasal aku gatal miang nak jugak sentuh rumput tempat pemain2 Arsenal main walau bucu tepi je. (Walau herannye stadium Aston Villa yang aku dapat bebas diri kat tengah padang masa tengok Bon Jovi main).
Jadi aku ada dalam kurang 4 jam, aku dah la tak cukup tidur baru tengok Maiden main kat Frankfurt semalamnya, lepas tengok Maiden main kat Frankfurt, aku mandi, terus pergi airport, nak tidur kat airport aku takut terlajak so aku tahankan mata, pagi2 naik kapalterbang gi London. So penat, tapi gagahkan diri pasal aku ada dua misi sebelum bertolak pergi Derby naik keretapi, aku nak tengok sebanyak mungkin Kota London dan nak tengok sendiri ASHBURTON GROVE, walau aku miss Highbury.

Aku memang backpacking budget ikat perut, jadi aku dah plan aku cuma jalan kaki sahaja merata London, siap pakai selipar Jepun untuk keselesaan. Aku main redah aje kota London tu jadi ni apa aku dapat selama3 jam lebih.

Mission - To see as much of London city as possible in a very limited time
Time Available - Less than 4 Hours
Budget for this mission - S$/RM - Zero. Strictly Walking.
Necessary items - Flip-flop slippers & a digital camera


this is the route I took. The map I coloured it in blue.
1. I started from Victoria Train Station, which is quite near to Buckingham Palace.

2. So ok, this is Buckingham Palace..The Queen... Not my most favourite Queen in England, because my favourite Queen is always Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN indeed.

2. At Buckingham Palace you can see a huge park called Green Park, I cut across it, and suddenly... PICCADILLY area... So you can see the Japanese Nippon Flag. Their embassy. 

3. So I just walk along PICCADILLY and suddenly....

Piccadily Circus with all the neons huge signage on all the buildings surrounding it.

ok, lots of Policemen.

It was the Queen's , I mean Queen Elizabeth 60 years anniversary celebrations then...

RASA MEMANG JAKUN SANGAT.

3. So I see a lot of roads leading away from the circus, so I got confused, and lost 

So I just choose one road. Shaftesbury Avenue or something.

Oh, I made a good choice. I came across what I guess is called the West London area that is full of live Theatres, Culture, the Arts, the Broadways, the Performing Arts and whatever you call that.

There is the London Theater. THIS IS THE NEWS NOW isn't it? Some parts of the ceilings collapsed or dropped on the audience.

michael jackson thriller

agatha christie mousetrap at st martins

les miserables''

and so on..all big famous arts, stage performances, songs and dance presentations..

4. And I walk and I walk and I walk...and continue walking and marvelling at all the sights.

To be continued..

My Photo Of The Year, fajar & mee rebus (kuah asingkan)

Banyak benda nak berbual...

I wish I can do a round-up for the year.
So lets try with episode one.  I snapped countless photos of anything I fancy for 2013 using mostly my handphone and also digital camera.
I think this is the photo I like most, because it has a lot of things happening and kind of meaningful to me.
So I choose this as my self-taken 2013 photo of the year.

Hands and even legs tumbling all over the place, Iron Maiden is playing on stage, at the most legendary of hard and heavy rock place that I ever know of since a young boy, Castle Donington. A place all my life that I was wondering how it feels like to be at.

I thought I was standing in quite a safer place away from the eye of the storm, though its still packed like a can of sardines.
Holding tight to my handphone while taking a photo, afraid it will be knocked out of my hands and I don't think I can retrieve it if once it drop on the ground haha.

Until I saw the pro-shots of BBC broadcast which shows Maiden playing and I realised how many people were at Main Stage and where I was. (Oooo if I got to go to the gents hahaha!!!)

A printscreen from youtube. And I realised, my goodness.
It was cold and raining on and off, with some in full raincoats, and windy, and slippery and squeezing but it was great as where I was the sound was awesome.
Really different contrast with the green fields and hills behind the Main Stage.

next,
Something calm...

I was just looking at these buildings, then from a distance I saw a bigger bird than normal...soaring and flying continuously. Very majestic.
So I kind of like it... and I take out my handphone and snap it.
Thru the hustle and bustle and human beings going about their work in the city, and you have an eagle, flying about. I kind of guess its one of the local eagles.

The eagle is somewhere on the left of the photo haha..

Besides it being a Helloween "Eagles Fly Free" moment, but more of a late 70s Malay Language Religious Theme Song instead.
Hidayah - Fajar (dawn breaking, first signs of the sun is appearing)
Though the Photo I took was during Maghrib I think (sunset).





Food, Glorious Food time,

This is Mee Rebus (Takeaway), literally translated from the Malay language as Boiled Noodle, or something like that, Most famous in Johor (Southern Malaysia) and Singapore. Love by people from all ethnic groups.
Seperated the gravy till you want to eat it, so you don't add the gravy in advanced or it will make the noodles become soggy..

(MEE REBUS kuah asingkan kalau tak nanti dah kembang, dah tak syok)..

Aku pernah makan kat satu kedai ni kat KL, dah macam Mee Taugeh, taugeh punya banyak berbanding ngan mee kuning dia...
Well............ Tahniah la Melayu tuan punya kedai tu.. Tak tahu apa strategi korang, atau apa yang kelakar korang nak buat, atau korang ingat orang tak pernah makan Mee Rebus ke yang datang kat kedai kau, tapi panggil kedai nanti marah lak, so panggil Restoran...Harga memang harga restoran la, semoga cepat kaya.

Seriously, as far as I am concerned, nak makan makanan berunsur Melayu yang  sedap dan enjoy, tetap kena gi Pusat Penjaja, atau warong/gerai tepi jalan...