1st day of snow - Winter 2005

Yo Mat Riders,

Today, it snowed unexpectedly. At first, it was rain mixed with snow and then the snow got really heavy. It's really beautiful. Thank goodness i didn't have to travel this time. Here's a pic.



Anyway, snow is extra early this year. Good news for ski season! WOOHOO! As usual, boston being boston, today's tempature = 0 celcius, tomorrow 17 celcius. Now i know why they manufacture thermometers for the home.

EDIT: Alamak, the date on the photo showing 10/19. Pay no attention to that. I took the pic today.

Later,
Mat Love

Ramadan

Yo Mat Riders,

The thing i miss most about home is Eid il Fitri, more commonly known as Hari Raya Puasa in Singapore. It is NOT the muslim New Year. The muslim new year is 1st Muharram. Eid il Fitri is 1st Shawal. Check it out. (Due to different transliterations of the Arabic alphabet, other spellings of the months are possible.)

1. Muharram
2. Safar
3. Rabi' al-awwal (Rabi' I)
4. Rabi' al-thani (Rabi' II)
5. Jumada al-awwal (Jumada I)
6. Jumada al-thani (Jumada II)
7. Rajab
8. Sha'ban
9. Ramadan
10. Shawwal
11. Dhu al-Qi'dah
12. Dhu al-Hijjah

This will be my 3rd year away. I miss the gathering and of course my mum's cooking man. I don't care if you say this restaurant power or not; still can't beat my mum. Lontong, Rendang, Mee Siam, Bagedel, Laksa. Then got Kueh Lapis, Pineapple Tarts, Kueh Makmur, Agar-Agar. Yum!

Fasting in Boston is good and bad. In the winter, it is damn cold so when i play my trumpet, no power man. But i also break fast earlier, like now, it's 5.45pm. Next week, it'll be 5.15pm etc.. Hmm...i wonder how for summer man. The sun go home at 9pm only. ALAMAK!!!!!! I check later.

People ask me why i fast. Then they shock, when i say cannot drink water also. Anyway, to read more, here's a link.

Later,
Mat Love

Getting ready for winter

Yo Mat Riders,

Mat Love is getting ready for winter. Winter in Boston, good and bad lah. When the first snow storm comes, pretty max sial. Only thing is, make sure you are at home and not travelling. Wah liao, if travelling, pain in the butt man.

Last winter, got super power max blizzard in January. Choon choon that day, i had to take the train to Maryland for an audition. Alamak, i damn suay man. So, it snowed the night before and i had to leave at 7am. When i stepped out of the house, the snow was about 1 meter deep man, but i had to go to the train station, no choice. And it was still snowing, won't stop till at night.

Reached station, all trains delayed 4 hours. Alamak! Then i tot, maybe should buy business class, can relac better. Basket, the business coach heater spoil and the door cannot close. So my ass was freezing man and no one bothered to inform us. I only found out when it got too cold. Then had to sit in the cafe cart. Total journey time was 9 bloody hours. So arrived about 9.30pm at my friend's place. Some more, amtrak won't give refund. Idiots! NEVER EVER TAKE AMTRAK!

But winter also fun man. Can go skiing. Skiing is like flying. You take the lift up for 5 mins and then you fly downhill and can see this pee-nor-mi-nal view man. Can't describe the feeling. 100 plus boy is a good skier. He force me to go down diamond course (advance). So now i praying hope that there will be a power snow storm this year man.

Later,
Mat Love

Car accident

Yo Mat Riders,

Today, Mat kena his 1st car accident lah and it involved 3 cars. Jangan catastrophe ok! Mat and his girl is not hurt in any way. The only things damaged were the front and rear bumper. Anyway, here's the story.

So, today, it was raining quite heavy. Mat and girl just watch Wallace and Gromit and going back by storrow drive ( small highway ). Then suddenly, all the cars in front started braking very hard man. Mat also brake lah, choon choon stop 2 inches behind the car in front. Mat was just about to congratulate himself for his wolverine-like reflex when sekali a car from behind ram into Mat, and then Mat's car bump the front one.

So the 3 cars pulled over. We all got out and discussed what happened. Apparently, the front car said that got bloody cab suddenly brake to let off/pick up a passenger. KNNBCCB!!! Tot this kind of thing only happen in Singapore man. Alamak, damn suay man. The car in front of Mat transporting autistic children. Pity them man. The car behind, bonnet kena squashed man. Mat's car quite lucky. The car behind ram into Mat's spare tire. So no 1 dent behind and 1 in front; lucky both on bumper.

So the cop came and decided the last car bumped both the front cars. Jia lat for the last car man. Still student also and car quite new. Insurance will increase like kena katrina. Now, Mat's car will be appraised lah on monday. See how lah. Hope no need to pay anything.

Mat damn suay man. 1st laptop chi ba boom and now car accident. Must go bathe with flower water man. But dunno wat flower to pick. Chrysanthemum can or not? Can buy Yeo's one at supermarket. LOL!

Ok, Mat go do homework on wet saturday night.

Later,
Mat Love

Mat used to hate literature

Yo Mat Riders,

Mat now taking some liberal arts in school. Last time, Mat used to hate literature in school man. You know why or not? Because last time the teacher also ask for Mat's opinion and then condemn Mat. How many kena like that? Put right hand up high high. You know what Mat is saying right?

Can't help it lah, Mat always look from different angle. Cannot gum with the teacher. Seems like literature in secondary school also got model answer. Either that way or the highway. So Mat tak like it.

Writing essay also like that. Teachers always like the happy stories and you must have intro, body and conclusion. Mat's essays about paranormal, satan, rape, murder and drugs cannot pass sial. Also if the ending is first and the end is the start also tak boleh, like the movie momento. Ok lah, that i can agree lah. But why cannot illustrate like a murder scene for example. Teacher ask you to read news paper. You read about murder or rape everyday in the lousy newpaper.

Actually, the biggest news in singapore only about tree branch fall on the road. When the tree branch fall on the road, the motorist don't want to pick it up and move it. Instead, they will call newpaper and they come take picture, make front page news. Alamak, i want to cry man. Tree branch fall on road also can become front page news.

Last time, this old man ask me stupid question. I was turning pass the orbituary and then he ask me how come got so many people face. I told him, these people dangerous, wanted by the police. Then he ask, how come got so many old people. Then i say they run away from parole. Then ask me how come got small children. Then i say, the children urine in the swimming pool.

Wah, another topic, how many of you see the parents tell the children to urine in the swimming pool. Wah liao eh, damn gross man. If i see this kind of parent, i sure slap the face one. How can man. Everyone swim, maybe sometimes will drink the water also. That's why Mat never ever go swimming pool anymore man. Wanna swim, go sentosa.

Ahhhh....Mat miss sentosa! Mat miss home.

Later,
Mat Love

Mat's laptop Chi Ba Boom!

Yo Mat Riders,

Mat Love long time never write already. Alamak, no inspiration lah. Mat's laptop chi ba boom! So sad man. Mat was listening to music and then suddenly it froze. Then mat did autopsy; stripped the whole thing apart sial.

Mat now thinks it is the system board that mati. So Mat ordered a new one lah. Money fly away... At least it is an upgrade. Now Mat can play more power games on his laptop like Swat 4. Last time, the graphics card was 32mb Ati 7500. Now 128mb.. MUAHAHAHAHA... Mat has the power!

Only thing must wait 2-3 weeks. Aiyar, so long one. Better than paying 3 times as much getting it from IBM. They all damn basket man. So expensive sial. For now, Mat has to be thankful with my girl's old Vaio; she also upgrade to IBM. Just my luck lah mat riders.

Later,
Mat Love

Mat Love's pursuit for the perfect sound

Yo Mat Riders,

Mat Love is obsessed with great sound and music man. You will ask, sound and music not same ah? No man! Music is the songs you hear. Great sound is the quality of recording, source, amp and output. For a long time, Mat has never understooded why people spend all their mulas on hifi equipment. Song is song right? Where it's radio or walkman or mp3 player, still song what. WRONG MAN!

Mat Riders, you know that the ipod is damn expensive max sial, but you know or not how much the earphones cost to make? Maybe $1 man. So cheapo. The headphones make a big difference man. People ask Mat, how much his stuff cost. Then when they hear the price, they all damn shock like see ghost. Why can people buy diesel jeans but cannot buy headphones? Mat never buy diesel jeans, buy headphones instead.

Anyway, today 2 headphones knocked on Mat's door.

Studiophonic Platinum 25
These babies will isolate from a lot of noise man. My girl talk in front of my face, i also cannot hear. Walking on the street also cannot hear bus. Power sial! Good for plane rides and during lectures...hahahaha. Best part, i got these for half off at amazon. Now the sale over...YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Then lagi power, came my limited edition Grado HF-1.



I number #99. Dunno how many they going to make but i think tak more than 400.



These suckers made in Brooklyn, NY. Handmade by personnel from the Grado factory. Maybe only got 10-20 workers. Took me a whole month to get them man. But it's worth it. EARGASMIC!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, Mat Love now want to listen to music and relac one corner.

Later,
Mat Love

Does discrimination exist in cyberspace?

Yo Mat Riders,

This is an excerpt from a paper i wrote lah. Alamak, go school must think so hard man. I only want to blow trumpet lah. Ok lah, this class not bad. I can write about anything i want, controverSIAL!


Without doubt, the internet has been one of last century’s greatest inventions. People can now be connected to it via a phone line no matter where they are. But does discrimination exist in cyberspace? Unconsciously, the internet is a big “screen,” shielding each individual from discrimination. However, this is far from the truth. In “Is There a There in Cyberspace?” John Perry Barlow says,

“Present, but in far less abundance than in the physical world, which I call ‘meat space,’ are women, children, old people, poor people, and the genuinely blind. Also mostly missing are the illiterate and the continent of Africa.”

Currently, due to high cost of computers, low education and poor infrastructure, these people are not only not able to participate but also are being neglected; thus widening the gap between the connected and the ignorant. Discrimination also still persists online. In an online forum, an individual might be singled out for having bad spelling or grammar. Bloggers openly discriminate against individuals they come into contact with in real life. Now, does discrimination exist in cyberspace?


Later,
Mat Love