Pimp My Toxic Ride

Dear Friends,

Your pick. Performance, style or comfort? Why not choose all three?

Let me recollect. To date; wheels and tyres, suspension, competition brakes, exhaust system, performance air filter, high indensity lights, voltage stabilizer, auto styling and I could also make do with a 5lb nitrous system which will add a shot of extra jooze.

I was looking at my ride the other day and realised that somehow boredom has begun to set in for me. I began to question the look of how 'small' the offset of the wheels looked and how distorted the front spoiler was. In denial that the recession was cashing in, I could not resist my prolific habit of splurting when it comes to pimping my ride. So, I thought I should pay a visit to the pimping guys called Nextlevel Customz. (http://www.nextlevelcustomz.com/) to see what is or indeed isn't possible.

I dread this guy called Kumerg who is the Creative Director. What is indeed isn't possible is made possible when he gets his hands 'photoshop'-ing on designs for my ride. It is made to look easy with technology these days. A little 'cut' from designs of renowned auto styles (my favorite being the Wald designs - http://www.wald.co.jp/) and later 'pasted' on an image of my ride and "VOILA", it sets me pocket back a couple of thousand bucks. I am vulnerable when it comes to my ride and I pray to repent against such temptations.

I chose Nextlevel Customz because it is a name that seems to regularly market itself contemporarily. They have appeared as a feature on television when they pimped the ride of Phat Fabes, a local television celebrity on 8TV emulating the way it is done on MTV's 'Pimp My Ride'. I found that advertising innovation if compared to advertising expenses incurred by their peers, if any. But what blew me away was their '17 Commandments' insribed on stone which they swear by on their website. The one I like best is Commandment No. Twelve. It assures like this:

Quote - "An unheard of, never before offered, we gotta be out of our minds, 90 DAYS VALUE FOR MONEY GUARANTEE. We are so confident we are able to deliver exceptional value to you and because we take your business seriously, Next Level Customz will give you 90 days before we will actually consider the sale final. In the event that after you have made the wise decision to invest in our products and services, and you are actually able to get better value elsewhere-and I’m not talking about price alone-but the entire package including product and workmanship quality, warranty, after sales support, follow up, no hassle guaranteed replacements and no questions asked exchange policy; Just provide us with documented proof stating all the above and we will pay that competitor to work on your ride-and refund you the price difference (if any)!"- unquote.

This styling outfit is managed by Aaaron Goh aka 'Botak' - the Chief Executive Officer, Shaiful aka 'Kumerg' - the Creative Director and assisted by Ryzal Assidiq aka 'Boy' - the Shop Representative who has a passion into cross dressing during the weekends, for crying out loud. (okay, I am kidding).

To me, Nextlevel Customz felt more like an enthusiast's 'home' rather than a workshop. From the comforts of the sofas in the showroom where designs are plentifully stored in a computer (they should consider a Mac for better brought to life visuals), the work areas and the oven baking spraying room - it is a complete 'complex', in every sense of the word. Drooling about designs; you can choose from Wald for luxurious and exotic designs, Caractere for the Audis and Volkswagons or be daring and opt for a West Coast custom built car.(they are the franchise holder for the brand which is made popular in America by pimping rides on MTV).

There are hundreds of designs to choose from with price range which are not for the average Joe. An instant reminder of the old maxim,"Good things no cheap - Cheap things no good". As a rough guide, a full body kit inclusive of a rear spoiler for a Honda Civic, to be converted to a Type R, will set you broke by about Ringgit Malaysia Five Thousand. Outside of this, it is probably best to call them at +60 3 5621 3617 or cruise down and visit them in person to get a better grasp of the potential cost of remodelling your ride. For the cost, some good negotiation and bargaining skills are required with Aaaron. If it is some out of the ordinary designs that you are after, ask Kumerg for some design advise. As for Boy, ask him for a good hang out place to solicit during the weekends. :p (Okay Boy, I shall repent from saying that) Another sort of pimping, come what may :D

I have come to realise that auto styling is not so much about a desire for luxury, it is the individuality aspect that appeals to me at least and most people. For luxury, I am still awaiting for my Lexus windfall. As for now, I will remain a wannabe. At least that is what I believe in.

P/s: Now that I have posted this and I was looking at constructing a rear diffuser, how much did you say it was again Aaaron? (tongue in cheek emoticon)

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Dear Friends,

As the lyrics of the Christmas tune goes, "It is the most wonderful time of the year". How true, it has indeed been wonderful for me. I have always been taught that the real meaning of Christmas is the sharing of love and the giving of hope. This festival is shared meaningfully by Christians who believes that the true gift to mankind was the birth of Jesus Christ some two thousand years ago. This birth represents the giving of hope, "For GOD so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but will have everlasting life", as famously quoted in the gospel of John.

I read an article in the newspaper today with much conviction. It was about a Malaysian man called Clifford Leong who has been given a new lease of life. Clifford is celebrating Christmas for the very first time this year. This Christmas signifies a new beginning for him as he was a survivor of a tragic car accident which left him in a coma for two weeks in 2007. The accident damaged his speech and optical nerves as well as the motor skills on the right part of his body. He further adds, quote, "A friend took pictures of my wrecked car and while looking at them I realised why Jesus is called a saviour. The front part of my car was a total wreck and I survived such a terrible crash", unquote

To cut a long story short, Clifford prayed to the Lord Jesus and a miracle took place when he found that he recovered after about seven weeks. The doctors thought he could only start walking in six months with a full recovery only in three years. Miracles do happen if you have the faith to believe.

These are real life situations experienced by real people who will continue sharing their testimonies of love and hope until their dying day. I was in church this morning for the Christmas service. The message today was that the joy and the hope of Christmas is in the forgiveness, the fellowship and the generosity. The preacher did not at anytime assured me that the thought of Christmas conjured around the images of tall and decorated Christmas trees or the fat bloke from the North Pole ,wearing a red suit in his sleigh, with a red nose reindeer.

There is a special blessing in the Christmas message which is frequently missed by many. The birth of Christ is not simply an interesting fact of history. It is however, a gift given by God for all mankind. Have you ever thought that this birth was for you, as the Christmas carol goes, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let us receive her king".

As for me, I have known only the Christmas celebrations from birth and I do celebrate the Chinese New Year for cultural reasons. My Christmas tree is up and lit, we had our traditional turkey for dinner last night, we listened to carols being sung and we exchanged gifts with our loved ones. This special day was celebrated today with family and friends with reflections on how blessed this year has been for me.

Have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Mad Hatters Club

Dear Friends,

Recently, I was appointed 'G.O' (Gullible Organizer) for the annual Management retreat. The comments that came across my desk then were; "Why not Ho Chi Minh City?", "What Club Med?", "Travelling to Cherating just for a night?". The initial plans of flying to Ho Chi Minh City and crawling into the Cu Chi tunnel sounded much more exciting but Murphy's Law came a striking. Final destination; Club Med, Cherating - Kuantan, Malaysia. A convoy of six cars with 23 hardworking or hardly working executives made our way along the East Coast Highway to this secluded village. A tiny 'Club Med' sign at a turn off hardly visible along the way to Kemaman- Terengganu, led us to this tropical resort after a three and a half hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. We further travelled along some mangroves before reaching the gates of this paradise.

Upon arrival, we were met by a 'GO' called Angie who is Malaysian. The acronym stands for 'Gentils Organisateurs' a French term similar to the likes of guest officers. Their main tasks are to ensure that all 'GM's also known as 'Gentils Membres' or guest members (which are us) are taken care of with the best possible stays. The special feature of Club Med is that the GOs and GMs play, dine, drink, and dance together anytime of the day. Along the lines of a communal party, if you like.

A particular institution is the communal dance or crazy signs led by the GOs at varying intervals during the day and evening (the frequency varies by village). The dance steps for each song are standard across the organisation with some new ones introduced each year. The evening shows,often requiring detailed choreography, are also standardised and include both new and established routines. GOs are moved between villages and many work both winter and summer seasons. All GOs, regardless of their specialism (a sport or administrative function), are expected to regularly participate in both the show and "crazy signs".

The Club Med concept offers an all inclusive package which means that you do not need to spend a cent around the village. Meals, booze which are mainly house pouring, (they differentiate this with a colour coding on the menus) activities and entertainment are all for you to enjoy 'with compliments'. The only setback with this resort in Cherating is that there are no facilities for water sports.Pic: The 'Island'

I feasted from their lavish buffets for dinner, breakfast and lunch and I must commend the quality of food and the layout of their restaurants. I could have played volleyball, tennis, do some rock climbing or for the matter bungee bouncing. But I guess it was all too much after the long drive, coupled with the fact that we were only going to be there for a night. The boys hung around 'the island' social interacting with Mai Tai, Bucks Fizz, Blue China and of course the pretty GOs, Aya and Romi both from Japan and Korea. They were shy but friendly and kept the boys amused with their pleasantries.

Pic: GO - Aya from Japan and GO - Romi from Korea

It has always been stigmatized that Club Med has its reputation to be a swinging singles getaway. Seen for so long for its wild parties, 'friendly' GMs looking for an 'adventure'; it was clearly not seen at this village. I found a lot of wholesome family fun here with many young ones running around. If you are planning to get hitched, think again. You will probably go home disappointed. In short, there is far more appeal for families compared to single desperadoes.

Pic: Hello, I am Hunk. Wanna hitch?

I don't know if everyone in my group enjoyed themselves. If you are there just for the relaxation and tranquility, you may not have come to the right place. If you are there to catch the nightly entertainment by the GOs, you are in for a treat. If you are there to 'score' or to get hitched, you may have to inflate the condom you brought and float it into the sea.

This is the first time in my many times of organising an outing, that people in the group were looking forward to going home. It could be the long journey by surface, it could be the short one night stay, it could be the different likes and dislikes or some the frustration of bringing the entire unopened box of contraceptives home.

As for me, I was glad that it was just a night. I couldn't have survived the second night. Most satisfying was that I held a table tennis bat after a lapse of 25 years. And I scored five times on that table.

A different kind of 'orgasm' I must say.