While my keyboard gently weep

These are two of my favourite sound modules, Proteus 1 plus Orchestra and Proteus 3 XR WORLD. I had it for nearly 20 years now. Proteus 1 plus has most of the essential intruments plus complete set of orchestral intruments. While Proteus 3 XR has a great collection of world instruments. I have one more which is not in the photo which is Proteus PROCUSSION that has all the major drum kits and percussions.
I have to part with them recently. I sold them to a friend of mine. He is more of a traditional guy who need things in an instant rather than groping with softwares. I am more of a software person and most of the Proteus instruments are now available as a plugin nowadays with better sounds and features. All I need is just a Proteus PC card, Proteus X which I bought in 2006. The M-Audio's Axiom 61 MIDI controller keyboard in the photo was bought in 2007. I loan it to a friend's studio for the music lessons that I conducted. But I got it back recently. It is nice to have someone to talk too in the middle of the night especially living in outerspace. Welcome home my friend and goodbye to my old ones. To my former Proteuses, my keyboard will gently weep.

Pekomik miniKON @PWTC

Pekomik, a comic group is having a miniConference at Putra World Trade Centre from yesterday till the following weekend. This is their booth and the exhibition area displaying the works of many local comic artists. Comic the art medium that bridges the young and the young at heart. In this age of digital everything, comic still retains its charm in the analog world.

This is Azhar Abdullah, the president of Pekomik making an introduction speech before the panel session. The president is kind enough to invite me to join the session as a panel speaker, an underdog among the comic veterans.

PWTC was crowded today because of the Book Fair and also the political conference held in the next room. The Prime Minister was there, probably talking about new strategies and plans for the country while me in this room talking about Palestine war in the future. This is the first time I am talking about Palestine 3000 A.D. in public. I call it a pre-documentary. I hope I didn't frightened the audience too much.

Here is showing my baby, Palestine 3000 A.D., the video synopsis. Someone said that I am brave enough to do such thing. Perhaps I am still a rebel. But art will not kill people. I know my fellow artists will understand. Best of all I received a salute today by a veteran comic artist. Finally someone doing something with substance and not just fantasy he said.

This project needs your support.

Sofia - 6 Month Big

Here is the latest pix of my niece Sofia. She is going to be 6 month old soon. At nearly 8 kg she is a big bundle of joy. Very energetic and loves to travel. Loves kicking since in the womb. Her latest talent is grabbing hard people cheeks with her sharp nails. Ouch! Not a typical princess. A warrior princess perhaps :). Beware guys.
She loves watching TV especially the news. A career in broadcasting perhaps. I will teach her to write emails once she can handle the keyboard. It will be delightful to read her thoughts. To you my dear I dedicate this song by Jon Anderson:

My Life In Space @MSC Cybercentre

Around the same time last year I was awarded the incubator space at MSC Cybercentre in KL Sentral. This year the people at MDEC is kind enough to offer me another year contract. Just signed it a week ago with the prospect of getting a new funding for the incubatees who are creating original contents. This is one of the highlight of my life. The kind of moments that I like to take snapshots and put it in a picture frame to be remembered for many years to come.

Last year I took several shots of the incubator's interior with my handphone camera, Sony Ericsson W900i, a 2 megapixels resolution. The quality is good but not great for low light shots. Too much colour noises. So last December I bought a Nikon D40x, a 10 megapixels DSLR. Many of the shots that I took recently for this blog were taken by the new Nikon. So I decided to shoot some night scenes of KL Sentral giving the feel of my life at the incubator. Nearly every night working till morning at the incubator, feeling like living in space.

This is block 1B of Plaza Sentral where the incubator is located. It really look like a spaceship from this angle, cruising in space. It was shot at f/22 with exposure time of 3.6 seconds.

This is KL Sentral's train terminal. Many people got confused when I mentioned KL Sentral. Most would think that this is KL Sentral. KL Sentral is actually a development area, a city within a city with the train terminal as its centre piece. Trains from all over converge here, even the KLIA Express to the KL International Airport. The terminal is just next to Plaza Sentral where the incubator is. The two bulidings in the background is Le Meridian and Hilton. The idea is to make it convenient for overseas clients to drop by straight from the airport. There are some nice and expensive restaurants there. But there are many other affordable eating places at the train terminal and also at Sooka Sentral just beside me. Yes this workaholic need to eat in a nice restaurant sometime :). This was shot at f/11 with the exposure time of 2 seconds. You can tell the slow shutter speed by the streak of the train on the track.

This is the walkway that link Plaza Sentral and the train terminal. It is fully sheltered all the way. I can never get wet even when it pours. I could arrive at the airport all dry. Perhaps not just the airport, even the restaurants. At the side there are banners advertising new restaurants at Sooka Sentral. Well not all eat, there is also a big gym that I have just registered with. This place is getting lively during the day. But in the night I am back in my spaceship. I can hear Bowie singing....

"This is Ground Control to Major Tom. You've really made the grade. And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear. Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare.

This is Major Tom to Ground Control. I'm stepping through the door. And I'm floating in a most peculiar way. And the stars look very different today."

An Artist Among the Suits

The incubator at KL Sentral is finally launched today by the Minister of Science Technology and Innovations. After a year of occupancy humans finally heard about us. Humans in suits came in large numbers while this artist try to keep awake. Some of them thought this incubator is for some fancy high-tech stuff, the kind of Bill Gates would bless with his holy water. Sorry lady, you are in La La Land where life starts after midnight, we work barefoot and sleep in sleeping bags. But the goverment had spend millions for us and added another 2 million more today for our petty cash. Surely somebody is insane here.

Sister & A Couple Of Good Men

We had the main renovation finally completed last week. Shukur alhamdulillah we are blessed with this chance of having our own travel agency. With the support of a couple of good men who are with us because of our principles and not just because of money. May Allah bless us with His Rahmah and may it will be full of barakah. Insha Allah.
The lineup from left to right: Shahrul Asri, En Musa, me, Jelita and Sofia.

Here we are at our modest meeting room. It is a temporary setup. The area will be partitioned for my private office in the second phase of planning. The final meeting room will be shifted behind where there is another big area. Insha Allah.

En Musa and Shahrul discussing business with an associate of us. Could it be a multi-million dollar project or just quick and dirty? Million sound good but quick and dirty is not our way. May Allah protect us from such haram trades. I will make sure such thing don't come near the company. Alhamdulillah this meeting of no such nature.

Here is Jelita at front office doing all the marketing planning. She is actually multi-tasking, doing office work and taking care of Sofia at the same time. Sofia is actually by her side hidden from the camera.

Much of the search for resources used for the renovation were done using internet search engine and locating the items and contractors using the GPS tracking unit that I mentioned in my previous post. We work smart but play hard. Hey, its the year 2008.

JAZ Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd is located down south in Johor Bahru. We are strategically located at the gateway to Singapore - Malaysia. We will be expecting more JB-Singapore business. The company is a subsidiary of JAZ Multimedia Sdn Bhd located at MSC Cybercentre in Kuala Lumpur where it receives its financial support and information technology.

Hey There Lonely Girl

Here's my niece Sofia who just turned 3 month old recently. She's not ready to sit but got a big heart to see the world vertically. With her hero by her side I am sure she'll always be bold and never lonely.

Here's Eddie Holman singing for you girl:



Hey there lonely girl, lonely girl
Let me make your broken heart like new
Oh, my lonely girl, lonely girl
Don't you know this lonely boy loves you

Ever since he broke your heart you seem so lost
Each time you pass my way
How I long to take your hand
And say don't cry, I'll kiss your tears away
Hey there lonely girl, lonely girl
Let me make your broken heart like new
Oh my lonely girl, lonely girl
don't you know this lonely boy loves you .....