Eid Fitri 1431 @KL Convention Centre

Thank you MSC Malaysia for inviting me for the Eid Fitri Open House at the last minute. If I was invited earlier I could have come in my Baju Melayu (Malaysian traditional dress). But it is kind of strange to wear Baju Melayu and attending Eid Fitri event after 2 weeks. Well Malaysians take Eid celebration quite seriously compared to other Muslim countries. One month of celebration even to the very last day. Some women even bought extra new dresses and shoes during this month to attend all the open houses. The economy must be booming.

When people asked me where I am from I just say that I am from JAZ Multimedia and we are creating intellectual property targeted for animation. I am here to show my gratitude to MSC Malaysia and MDEC for their help. It is a kind of party talk but it is the truth but behind the truth I will attend any event where there are plenty of nice food where I can eat the whole night. That separates the young ladies and the senior ones. The young ones can eat the whole night because their metabolism is still working well while their seniors are counting their bites. Well me as an advanced youth who are not afraid of extra kilos because my metabolism always take good care of me.

That is Yang from MDEC and Beverly from MRCB Technologies in the background helping themselves with the food. So which category they are in? The young or senior? I will not comment on that because they might chase me out of the incubator the next day. Let say they look great that night.

It is time to show the MSC logo in this post. Look world this is the organization that been helping me for the past three years. They have helped me with the incubator space for developing my Palestine 3000 A.D.. Find out more about them on my Palestine 3000 A.D. blog. There are also links on MDEC and MRCB Technologies who collectively manage the incubator at KL Sentral.

So what is Hari Raya event without Malay traditional dance. Yes it was a party last night not just of Malay and Muslims. There are other people of different races and religions attended this big event at the Grand Ballroom in the spirit of One Malaysia. It is not a political event just a gathering of technology people in full colour of Eid. Probably art creature like me is a minor here.

Well that is Naz on the left and Linda Onn on the right trying to make some noise that night. They are the presenters of the evening and going around pointing their microphones at people. Caught Linda straight on with my camera. She did not catch me with her microphone. Probably this Palestine activist looked too serious for a fun conversation. Linda you will be safe with Upin and Ipin guys.

The party started at 3 pm after Jumaa and ended at 8 pm. I had sampled most of the food on all four corners. Met some nice people and some strange ones. I hope MSC and MDEC will invite me next year. It seems I will be in their family for a long time. Malaysia is my home now for no other country will support my radical ideas like Malaysia. It is also the best place to celebrate Eid and be colourful.

Technorati Tags: Eid Fitri,Hari Raya,MSC Malaysia,Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

Remembering 2010, Syd Mead & Kubrick

We are in the middle of January 2010 and still too early to look back on the year. I am not referring to the calendar but the Peter Hyams film '2010: The Year We Make Contact' the sequel to Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

Sequels are usually disappointments. '2010' is one of those. It is a film that shouldn't be made at all. Stanley Kubrick has left his mark on '2001'. Peter Hyams didn't even come close. '2001' is an art film while '2010' is a main stream aiming to make a quick big buck in the age of fast food of 1984. With Roy Scheider in the leading role we are expecting Jaws attacking in outer space anytime. It is a pop-corns and soda entertainment pampered with American patriotism. Soviets were the enemy then and who would have thought that in the year 2010 they are history.

The only name that I respect in '2010' is Syd Mead, the visual futurist. He designed many of the visual concept for '2010'. Though he is my idol but his works for '2010' from my point of view are not his best. His work for Blade Runner which is 2 years prior of '2010' is one of his best.

I met Syd Mead in L.A. in 2001 during the Siggraph Conference. He is the gentleman on the right in the photo. Though he was never involved in Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' but as a visual futurist he was invited to give a talk in a special session remembering that film and 1968 the time of turbulent in United States because of war protests and civil rights movement. Young people then were looking for a better future and '2001: A Space Odyssey' gave a certain hope and a warning message. There should be a balance between science and spiritual. Our intellect is limited by our senses. There are things that are beyond our senses. Outer space is just one big distraction. There are so many things that are going wrong on earth. Yet billion of dollars are spend on distractions not only on outer space but wars.

It was unreal to have a conversation with Syd Mead. He said some people were disappointed with what the future turned out to be. That perhaps separated art from life. I am always for the art. I bought my second Syd Mead book that day, 'SENTURY' and got it autographed.

This is one of his illustration for the film '2010' from his book 'OBLAGON'. His signature can be seen clearly here with '2010' just below it. '2010' is the film but not the date of the artwork. It was done in 1984 or probably earlier. There are plenty more in the book but most of it are double spreads and difficult to scan unless I really have to press it hard and flat which might damage the binding. It is just too precious for me.

I had attended Siggraph since 1994 all over United States. I have collected many pins, books, posters, videos and other souvenirs from Siggraph. But the above conference batch is the one that I really treasure most. I have Syd Mead autograph on it next to my name. The date was 17th August 2001, 3 weeks before 9/11 tragedy that changed the future. Liberty is lost and fascism rules finally without any involvement of the Soviet Union. We need a new vision and hope in the cinema. 2010 is not the year we make contact but we remains out of contact and distracted. Stanley Kubrick, we truly miss you.

Technorati Tags: 2010,2001,Stanley Kubrick,Syd Mead,Siggraph