Me and My Kapok Guitar:

Just bought my self a new Kapok guitar earlier this month and it costs me RM 90. I was kind of distraught with the price though. I thought Kapok guitars should have been dirt-cheap by now. Dirt-cheap my buttock lah. Anyways, I have also been extensively coaching myself how to play the damn thing by watching numerous Youtube clips and reading tips from the masters from all over the Internet. I got my first Kapok guitar when I was still a undersized little teenager back in the 90’s. Being from a religious and conservative background, my grandparents were not very keen with my new interest. Although I never really knew how to play, I still need to acknowledge and give myself a standing ovation for the fact that I have already been devising my own Power Chords formula due to the lack of the ability to play the proper chords. What an achievement for a little Kampong bugger. I never knew what power chords were until later on in life.

A friend gave me my second Kapok guitar back when I was still in the University. Well, he did not really bestow it to my altar as a present, but I would really like to think that it was a gift nonetheless. I was told that the guitar originally belongs to an Indonesian construction worker who was renovating his house, who often used it to entertain him self after a long day of hard work. One fine day the Indonesian dude gave the guitar to my friend as a token of friendship and my friend gave it to me, as I wanted to borrow it. The legend has it that the guitar became my private property ever since.

My third guitar was bought when I first felt the urge to accept as true that you do not need to know the proper chords to play the guitar, you can always create your own. That was how Kurt Cobain did it. So I bought my self my third Kapok guitar, so that I can come up with my own chords and jam with my friends just like Mr. Kurt. It did not work out too well though because I still had to figure out how to properly place the fingers to get the right sound out. I felt cheated by Kurt Cobain therefore I gave the guitar to my cousin. I also threw in a how to play book so that he could carry on living my dream and one day could teach him self how to play the guitar. No until later that I found out that the book was not really mine but belongs to a friend. I had to move out from the area and live in seclusion for a couple of years.

Thus this is the fourth attempt to teach myself how to play the guitar and I have to say that I am doing quite well. My original compositions are now more organic and varied. Just imagine if I knew more chord progressions rather then just rotating the same old chords over and over again. The fourth one is always a charmer right?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:

Just bought myself a couple of bookracks. It costs me RM19 each. I got six of them already and since all of the rack spaces have been filled with either my myriad of books, which I am attempting to finish reading each and every single one of them, so that Nina wont be able to scold me for buying book that I don’t read, or my usual pile of junks, perfume boxes and DVDs, I just needed to buy a couple more so that I can turn my little room into a mini library. Impressive huh. I know it is. Wow, this guy reads a lot. Wow, you got The Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Miller? You are one awesome guy. I know I am.

The urge to buy new-fangled racks had been flying in and out of my mind for a couple months already. I have this inclination of buying ornamental things in uniformity, be it of size and color, well, especially the color. I like to see to see everything, all the fixtures in my room in a standardized and consistent coloration or at least in the same tone as the principle color. The racks that I have already bought were rosewood brown in color and it was so frustrating that I had to buy 2 new ones that were not in unison with the former.

I think I was just being the perfectionist that I am. Nina called it Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. Is it a disease? A life-threatening syndrome? Syndrome? Do I have a Down syndrome? I think she just made that up. There is no such thing as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Only perfection.

Dedicated to MieMoe:

Hahaha. Click for a larger view. You'll get the hang of it Abang Fahmi and Kak Alice.

Book Review: Anvil! - The Story of Anvil:

Anvil!: The Story of Anvil, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner with Robert Uhlig, Bantam Press, 2009.

I do not know why I had not lifted this one of the bookshelf earlier. Since that day, I made it a mission to get my hands on this book as soon as possible and 2 days ago, I finally got it. Anvil! The Story of Anvil is one hell of a read. I spent one whole day finishing this one. Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band and many considered them the first few bands whose music paved the way for the entire genre of Speed and Thrash Metal, among those in agreement are the likes of Scott Ian of Anthrax and Lars Ulrich of Metallica.

Basically this book illustrates the journey of two friends, Lips and Robbo, childhood friends who made a vow when they were fourteen years old to rock together, for ever and they meant it. It was an emotional journey. They toured with all the greatest bands ever lived. You name it, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Scorpions and all of these bands sold millions and millions of records around the world except Anvil.

It depicts a story of staying true to yourself, staying true to your dreams, not losing hope and to do things not for the sake of doing it but for the love it. When they first stormed the scene back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, everybody thought that Anvil was the band that will turn the world upside down with their brand of fast and odd timing heavy metal. Though most of the lyrics are kind of sleazy, but musically they were revolutionaries, ahead of their time. They should have made it big.

Anvil remained obscure. Nobody knows about them. But they were true to their dream to become rock stars and to become successful. They kept releasing albums and do small tours. They lived for music. It takes a heart of a lion to have that kind of dedication, my friend. This also a story about friendship, a story of two heavy metal brothers staying true to each other despite their ups and downs of life. Fighting personal demons in the shape of drugs and what not. It is an emotional read. Whether they finally achieve that dream or not, that you must find out on your own if you choose to read this book.

This book came in support of the movie, a documentary made about them which goes by the same name. I have yet to watch the movie, but judging by the power of this book and the trailer I just watched recently, I know it is a must that I go and see the movie. Even by watching the trailer almost made me cry. I am a fan.

I got my copy from Kinokuniya KLCC. Bought it when I was on my way for a meeting. This book is 313 pages thick and it cost me RM123.90. Worth ever penny spent.

Book Review: A Lion’s Tale - Around the World in Spandex

A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex, Chris Jericho with Peter Thomas Fornatale, Orion Publishing, 2008

In my book collecting (and reading) lexicon, there were only few books worth reading twice and this book was one of them selected fews. Just for the record though, Chris Jericho is my all time favorite wrestler cum entertainer. Yes, Chris Jericho is a wrestler and I am not ashamed or feel reluctant to admit that I am a fan of wrestling. I have been watching wrestling programs (WWF and WCW) on the television since I was still of very young age. My grandfather and I, and sometimes my grandmother too, would sit politely in front of the idiot box every Thursday night, equipped with a big plate of fried bananas and wach with a glass of warm and aromatic Kopi Cap Hang Tuah, cheering and jeering for the guys, the warriors in the square ring. It was a no brainer entertainment and it still is. It is sports entertainment, a soap opera for the guys, a masculine and more exciting version of Desperate Housewives or Kingdom Hospital.

This book actually illustrates Superstar Chris Jericho’s journey from being a classroom dreamer to a world renowned wrestling superstar. A classic story of an achievable dream as Jericho ushered the attention of his readers about how in his younger age, he would spend his time drawing muscled cartoon figures of his favorite wrestlers and eventually later on, as he advances with his stories and tales, was given the opportunity to work along side each and every one of them, his favorite wrestlers.

It was a captivating read. I enjoyed every paragraph and every sentence. Often I would laugh reading about his experiences roaming all over the globe trying to make a name for himself. Chris Jericho is also a true lover of everything metal and that made the read more fun and enjoyable for me. Often I was fascinated how two strangers can become best of friends just by sharing similar interest in music. Heavy Metal has always been a tribal music. You wont be friends with a total foreigner just for the reason that both of you liked MTV and Justin freaking Timberlake. In the world of Heavy Metal, if I saw you in a Cannibal Corpse t-shirt and likewise you saw me in a Deicide’s, it wont take no longer than 2 days before you see both of us again hanging out with each other checking each other’s record collection. That is the tribe of Heavy Metal for you.

I had to give Mr.Jericho here a well and deserving standing ovation for his stylish and elegant ending. His lines of attacks in wrapping up his entire journey, as far I am concern, were the best dramatic closure ever to sum up the man’s entire career towards superstardom and his entire journey, and at the same time infusing pinches of uplifting emotions and sentimental beauty that can and will bring tears to his readers. A well done job sir, a well done job.

This book is of 432 pages thick. I got mine from Kinokuniya KLCC and it costs me RM60.00. Worth every single cent spent.