2012

Delaqroux inc Review: 2012

I stumbled upon the idea of world's end when i was seven and found the theory of world's end to be on 12.12.2012 just a few years back. As much as everyone claim that everything is in God's work, one, obviously, cant help to imagine how this God's work will be like. So yep, i have some odds and ends here and there put together and thus, i have my own imaginative version of world's end and it was sick. But not being able to exactly explain to anyone what i visualize, i was pretty glad that 2012 (the movie) came out. But, does the director's depiction of world's end is as horrific and insane as i have imagine, or is it just a natural-disaster flick?

Storyline:

As if the idea of world's end at 2012 not enough to scare us senseless, the movie began with the first sightings of possible end of the world evidences in 2009. Apparently, an indian scientist, monitoring the earth crust in a copper mine found out that the earth core is getting more and more imbalanced due to a high heat wave from the sun. Fast forward 3 years later, the story takes position from behind Jackson Curtis, author of bad-seller Farewell Atlantis and full-time father who neglects his family coz of his manuscript. With his family tearing apart (and not to mention, the world as well), Jackson will have one last chance to prove that he is a worthy father who does care about his family - by trying to escape the end of the world.

The Review:

The storyline may be a turn-off to few and trust me, it is a turn off. This may be a spoiler but if you're a true blue catastrophe savvy guy, you might figure out that the sypnosis above already suggested that it is not the end of the world. It is just another natural disaster; earthquake on a global scale. Yes, you can say it is the end of the world but nothing much out-of the ordinary considering the fact that the Mayans saw it coming first, the Bible and Quran already prophesize an armageddon, and yet the movie done nothing in 'answering' to any mythological or biblical stuff. I can say that the depiction of world's end in 2012 do fit in some prophecy in the holy scriptures but there is too many loop holes and gaps that it turned out to be entirely a scientifical, natural disaster movie. Also, you may feel that the movie's storyline is made via tracing the exact storyline from Day After Tomorrow on a sheet of transparent paper, retyping it in Microsoft Word with a few tweaks here and there, and projected with an OHP via Microsoft Powerpoint with very fancy animation and graphical images. It is that much of an exact copy.

But you may wonder why i mention that long winded analogy beforehand. Well, the storyline, while of an exact copy, is presented in a way that we all love - with very, very fancy animation and graphical images. Yes, the graphic is insane and the size of the destruction is phenomenal. For a guy behind Independence Day, Deep Impact and Day After Tomorrow, this, of course, is nothing of a surprise. But with an added twist, the movie can be considered a mix of all the previous three movies. There's fire and explosion like in Independence Day, massive tsunamis ala Deep Impact, and gigantic cracks and quakes of in Day After Tomorrow. Needless to say, graphical depiction of a natural disaster putting humanity at the brink of extinction (again) in 2012 is the best one yet!

The Verdict:

For the most part; the movie is exactly as is shown in its trailers. The storyline is predictable (and not too mention, almost 3 hours duration) and it does get draggy at some part, especially the 'intermission' between escape scenes where the characters start talking to one another. The director obviously attempt to build up the characters here but with the distraction of the catastrophic eye-candy beforehand and the future ones to expect, i found out that this is the time, i observed, that the audience in the cinema took out their phones and start replying text messages. In a way, the intermission give you a good time-out from mayhem but by imposing boring dialogues between characters, it's not really a good strategy. But when the end begins (pun joke intended), things get really really hot - and i mean, molten-lava-spewing-from-the-earth's-core hot. There's plenty of narrow escape scenes in which is both heart stopping but makes the storyline even more predictable. Narrow escapes makes Jackson seems almost immortal and those that stick with him lives. But a moment someone strays away like a lamb, they die. It's good heart pumping plot but those who can see the pattern will find this who-lives-and-who-dies game very predictable. The only unpredictable element in the movie is the funny moments. The movie does feature aplenty and the fact that it popped out at the most intense-most moments, the funny moments and catchy jokes are simply brilliant.

I give this movie a 6.7/10 - Good: The graphics and unfitting humour, Bad: The predictability, And The Ugly: The draggy part of storyline. While there's nothing beyond awesome in the movie,the movie is indeed entertaining and i still recommend you to watch this movie in the cinema with big screens and super loud surrounds, that you can actually feel the vibration in the room. Downloading and watching this movie in a laptop will not do justice for this gorgeous movie but on the upside, you can fast forward the boring, predictable storyline. So yep, feel free to leave a comment on the movie under the comment section and tell us what you think!

-Adnin

Escaping the end of the humanity immortally, one narrow misses at a time

To Write Love on Her Arms

Delaqroux Inc Updates: TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS

There's always those time back in Malaysia before when Valentine's Day kicks in and everyone go all hyped out loving each other like they never been loved before. Well, call me The Grinch of Valentine but i find it annoying. I mean, seriously, if you really love someone like they have never been loved before and you show that only on four days in a year (Valentine, your birthday, your partner's birthday, you and your partner's anniversary), dude, you're not loving enough. why not love her/him a lil bit more on this oncoming NOVEMBER 13th?

Uh yeah.. it's Friday the 13th this November but i'm not referring to that. I'm talking about
TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS DAY!!!! (TWLOHA)



If you're among those who will go "what's that?", do yourself a favor and slap yourself silly. Go on. But not that silly coz you need to read on!

To Write Love on Her Arms is based on a romance novel (if i'm not mistaken). It's a love novel so lovely that people love the phrase "To write love on her arms". I'm not too keen to put the sypnosis of the novel here but the main idea of that novel is that everyone deserve to be loved - no one gets left behind, no one should be left alone and no one dont deserve to be not loved (wait... what?). So yeah, in remembrance to that message the novel brought up, Aussies marked November the 13th as TWLOHA day, a non-profit, charitable event where, what you can do, is show your loved ones that they are loved - your girl/boyfriend, your kids, your parents, your pets, your friends buy writing LOVE on their arms.

There's nothing to attend to on that day so you have no excuse to miss this out. No punctured tire crap, no forgot coz you're too busy watching the grass grow, and definitely, no i'm-busy-studying-to-see-you bull either. What you can do is simple. First, take a pen (preferably permanent markers will be the best as you want this to be as permanent as possible), walk up to the ones you love, ask them for their hand, and write/draw/tattoo "LOVE" on it. Why? Just let them know that you're taking five minutes of your time that you want to tell that that you do love them. Easy peezy, lemon squeezy, cherry berry, go to 7 Eleven and steal a slurpee. It's THAT easy! Oh, and if you feel like joining the millions of people doing the same, you can upload the picture of LOVE on your arms on TWLOHA official website; http://www.twloha.com/
or the Facebook group page; http://www.facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms

So go ahead. Spread the love, literally, on your loved ones' arms and who knows, a lil ink on their skin encrypting the word love might actually change a whole lot of things in their life. Trust me.
And as a side note here, i'll be writing LOVE on her arms for sure =)

Taking the train back to reality

Delaqroux Inc. Updates
Unlike most songs/poem i wrote before, i think this one really really represents all the emotional conflicts i'm having within me at the moment. The meaning is yours to interpret. Oh and just as a side note; i have been writing poems involving trains lately. I guess trainrides are precious. It makes you realize that everything is going past fast in your life. And also, as further as we can go, the train will eventually take us back to the place where we belong. In both good way and extremely melancholic manner as well. Anyways, enjoy the poem.

Taking the train to St Leonards
Made me think how tracked life is
So predictable that it hurts
There's always the joy of love amiss
Taking the train to Epping
Made me think everything's okay
But the lady next to me is crying
And the sky was shallow and gray

I hummed just enough to let her hear
A tune to tell her everything's alright
Put my hands around her shoulder
As i said "Let's just enjoy the ride"
It's nothing like a roller coaster
There's not the thrills neither the fun
But even for awhile, we can be together
Eventhough i know that i'm not the one

We both know the ride will stop
It's just a matter of where and when
But please dont let me hear you sob
Dont remind me that this moment will end
I dont know how they trust the weatherman
If what he forecast is all the predictable
I know better i dont need a hand
Coz, for a start, i know that i'll miss her

Taking the trainride to Sydney
Let's get lost in the City Central
It's fine as long as there's you and me
Just us and with no care of the world
But taking the trainride back home
On the last train around nine thirty
We're meant to live our lives alone
You'll be with him and i'll be with me
Coz next stop; it's cold, cruel reality


Taking the Train back to reality
-Ad (2009)

Does Cohort 5 MacQ speak English?

Delaqroux Inc Updates!

This is a response to an issue raised by our coordinator, Pamela, several times during our meets, as well as to a few comments made by my friends about our, IPBA Cohort 5 MacQ goingbouts. This post is made entirely on my own surface observation and thus, may not exactly reflect what's going with Cohort 5 MacQ. Hence, i'll try not over-generalize things and do pardon if i unintentionally (or intentionally) did so in any part of this post.

if all of us here do not suffer short term memory loss as i do, i bet you'd still remember when Pamela mentioned several time on the fact that we need to mix around with the locals more. Her least concern was us learning a foreign culture, but her biggest one is if we ever get to speak and practice English at all. Additionally, having few academic discussion with the non-Malaysian friends i made here, they did ask me if the notion of "being sent overseas so we can get to absorb foreign culture and practice English" ever seems to be working with us, considering there is 25 of us sent and to them, 25 is too high a number of a non-English speaking group to go around. As much as i would like to refute this, i would have to agree with their point. a number of 25 maybe small in a group of thousands English-speakers around us. But our tendency to form a small deviating group with a Malay language medium is still high considering their is 25 of us. They recommended a better figure of 5. As nonsensical as this may be, it does make sense.

I figure we do take Pamela's concern lightly. And i'm not basing this on concious value, i do get a remark of disagreement when Pamela said the fact that we moved out in chunks, staying together with groups of Malaysian only, is gonna make our chance to practice English drop. I have to say i agree with Pamela's concern. Do we speak English while we're with other Malaysian when its way more comfortable to speak in Malay? And i'm not just focusing in speaking as well, what about reading, writing and listening - the all four skills of proclaimed English profficiency? It may seem a simple evidence but i would like to share this experience. My housemates comprises of four Malaysian (including me) and two non-Malaysians. One time recently, i wanted to leave a message on the fridge. The point to be made was "please clean up your respective stuffs so i can clean the kitchen and wont end up throwing your things accidentally on purpose" but can you guess how long it took for me to complete such message considering the fact that i want to sound non-offensive, polite, yet strict at the same time? And most importantly, i need to make sure my English is the very least understandable by my two non-Malaysian housemates.

It took me ages! But that was when something struck me, on the fridge was also a cooking schedule made by one of my Malaysian housemate and as it only concern us four Malaysian occupants, it was written in Malay and how easy it was made! When i think about it, i think i too can finish my message easy if i'm writing it down in Malay rather than English and targetting only the four Malaysian housemates i am fond of. And that is also the point when i realized, i wasnt just writing a message up - i am assessing how i am using my English. And why do that occur? coz i have non-Malaysian housemates and i have to level my English practice to fit in their context. Will this occur if all my housemates are Malaysian - or at least, all of them are people i am fond of? Maybe yes and maybe not. Chances are higher on "maybe not"

In classrooms (lecture halls and tutorial classes), we still tend to cluster up together. Well, you can defend this basis with the argument; "there isnt much oppotunity to be talking with the Non-Malaysian student next to you during this period anyway so it wont make much difference if i am sitting with non-Malaysian or not" Yes, this is true. But, i do believe that that is just one of the two reasons of such habit and it isnt the main one either. The main one, i dare to admit coz i do feel it really really frequently, is the fear that, what if to say the lecturer suddenly end up asking you to discuss with your partner and that partner is a Non-Malaysian. That is actually our primary concern now doesnt it? And to base this on an evidence, take our EDUC260 class. From my observation, the first few classes of EDUC260, we chose to scatter out around the lecture hall. Why? Coz we are excited of the idea on sitting with an Australian to your left and right. But the fact that William De Jean will ask you to partner up everytime, i manage to observe that we decided to go back to sitting with other Malaysians. Why? Coz it's more comfortable to discuss with people you are fond of when you can speak Malay, not English. Even if you do use English, you wouldnt care as much about making sure what you said is clear, there is no speaking-culture standardizing issues, and its less nerve-wrecking. So it's back to the point of "do we even speak English at all then?"

I guess i might as well stop here. but just ask yourself; how much are you actually practicing English today, and how much exactly are you assessing your English while you are using it - or you are simply blurting out things in English with no concern with all the between the lines value of English usage? How many times in a day when you found out that you cant make your point clear in English that you revert your language use back to Malay without feeling any regret at all or have a quick two secs in that moment to think "why cant i deliver my point in my current English?" I'm not going against speaking in Malay here neither about speaking in Manglish but i guess considering 1/4 million spent for us to just practice English in an English speaking environment, its a shame if we couldnt care less about it all eh?

p/s: when i use the notion of "Non-Malaysian" here, i'm emphasizing that i dont mean only Australian or people with English speaking background. I refer to those from other countries who are struggling on their English as well.

The 2 years posting-freeze rumour

Delaqroux Inc Update.
First of all, i would like to stress out that this is a rumour and i have no intention to comment on this issue, but only to share among my teacher trainee comrades as i think this would really concern us - not only to the fact that we're being posted or not but where our Education world in Malaysia is taking us to. (And as a side note: THOSE WHO DARE CLICK THE "LIKE" BUTTON WITHOUT COMMENTING ANYTHING, "I WILL RAIN DOWN AN UNGODLY HELL UPON YOU!!" I hate people who just press "like" coz they dont bother coming up with a comment. Might as well just stay off.. geez..) Just ponder for a moment or two and lemme know what you guys think =)

Tanjong Malim, 4 Oktober – Profesor Dr. Zakaria Kasa, Timbalan Naib Canselor Akademik & Antarabangsa Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) mengeluarkan kenyataan semua penempatan lepasan UPSI ke sekolah-sekolah terpaksa dibeku bermula 2010.

Kenyataan tersebut dipetik dalam ucapan perasmian yang disampaikan beliau dalam ‘Simposium Halatuju Pendidikan Fizik Di Malaysia’ anjuran Persatuan Mahasiswa Sains (PMS) dengan kerjasama Jabatan Hal Ehwal Pelajar & Alumni (JHEPA) UPSI yang berlangsung di Bilik Seminar Bitarasiswa semalam.

Dalam pada itu katanya, pembekuan semua penempatan ke sekolah-sekolah ini dikeluarkan oleh pihak Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM) melibatkan semua institusi yang mengeluarkan bakal-bakal guru bukan sahaja di UPSI malah di IPTA lain yang menawarkan program pendidikan termasuk Institut Perguruan (IPG) di seluruh negara berikutan masalah kewangan yang dialami pihak Kerajaan Malaysia.

Beliau pada awalnya mengambil langkah untuk tidak mengumumkannya kepada pelajar kerana bimbang menjejaskan motivasi pelajar untuk meneruskan pengajian namun bertukar fikiran dengan mengumumkannya semalam kerana beranggapan perkara tersebut harus diketahui semua pihak sebagai langkah persediaan.

Sementara itu, beliau turut menjelaskan penempatan untuk graduan pada tahun ini tidak mengalami masalah kerana tindakan membekukan penempatan tersebut hanya bermula tahun hadapan.

Beliau walau bagaimanapun tidak mengeluarkan kenyataan bertulis berkenaan perkara tersebut dan hanya diselitkan dalam ucapan perasmiannya semalam.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, seorang mahasiswa UPSI mendakwa menerima mesej melalui Sistem Pesanan Ringkas (SMS) daripada rakannya dari sebuah IPG mengatakan perkara yang sama minggu lalu. Katanya dalam e-mel yang dihantar ke upsikini@gmail.com, pelajar terbabit mengatakan keluaran UPSI dan IPTA lain yang tamat pengajian bermula tahun hadapan, perlu menunggu selama 2 tahun sebelum ditempatkan ke sekolah-sekolah.

Tambahnya, pelajar IPG yang dijadual ditempatkan ke sekolah-sekolah pada tahun hadapan akan diawalkan penghujung tahun ini bersama-sama dengan keluaran UPSI dan IPTA lain yang bergraduat pada tahun ini.

Keadaan ini menurutnya mempunyai kaitan dengan masalah yang berlaku apabila lambakan graduan pendidikan di seluruh negara.

Mengulas tentang perkara tersebut, Exco Akademik & Kerjaya Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar (MPP), Nur Aqilah Hanis berkata pihaknya akan mendapatkan penjelasan lanjut berkenaan perkara tersebut daripada TNC Akademik sendiri supaya tidak berlaku kekeliruan.

“Isu ini boleh menjadi isu nasional, bukan hanya melibatkan UPSI sahaja, jadi lebih baik kalau saya dapatkan dulu penjelasan secara terperinci daripada Prof. Dr. Zakaria dan Bahagian Akademik supaya maklumat sebenar dan tepat diperoleh sebelum saya mengulas lanjut.

“Kita tak mahu isu ini menjadi sebab untuk kita bertelagah, apa yang penting selepas kita mendapatkan maklumat tersebut, kita akan fikirkan penyelesaiannya. Jadi semua pihak diharap dapat bersabar”, jelasnya.

- Once again, this is just a rumor and i dont really understand if this issue gonna be what i expect it to be. Eitherways, g'day!

Take a Night Train to Epping

Delaqroux Inc Updates!
I wrote this song while i was in a train to Chatswood one time ago. The tune was still in a mess but the lyrics still (seems to) make sense. I leave the song to your own interpretation as everyone has different experience during their trainrides as they use the Chatswood-Epping line. Just hope for those who've read this song lyric and happen to use the train line at any period of time after, open your eyes and look around the train as you play your own song in your mind =)

Take a night train to Epping
9pm sharp - not a second later
And let the world just pass you by.
Just stay on board til morning
And maybe the morning after
And til the day when we all gonna die

See the guy in the loner seat?
Facing the world as he’s sitting there
Just like an English teacher in front of a class.
Nervous, counting his own heartbeat
Trembling, from all those people’s stares
Laugh at him now, this chance’s not gonna last.

See the girl in the three-seater?
Sitting by the window, staring at the glass
At her own reflection growing older and wearier.
Seeing herself, though the world cant see her
Wondering how she got lost in this mess
She sighed as she wiped her last drop of tear.

Take a night train through Epping Line
Enjoy your ride and pretend everything’s fine
You’re just a lil hurt
Only that, and nothing else more.
There’s no stop if you don’t see the sign
And just leave the world you hate behind
Get your lifetime ticket
All aboard, what’re you waiting for?


Take a Night Train to Epping
-Dark A. Delaqroux
May 2009

If God have a Facebook profile

Delaqroux Inc Updates.

And this post is made as a response to a friend of mine's shoutout on "If God have a Facebook profile, how many of you will add Him? And how often will you write on His wall?". I thought it's quite an interesting situation to look through and definitely deserve a Delaqroux Inc Update. So yep, here we go.

At a glance, "what if God have a Facebook profile?" may seem to be a good topic to start a really funny stand-up comedy show. I mean, it was already funny when we realized that Barack Obama had a Twitter account. Just imagine the sight of Obama sitting in a really serious conference room shown live on television and we can see his latest update made on Twitter; "dude, being a president sucks.." That would put a whole new perspective on Barack Obama as the president. In one way, we'd take him to be just as close to us as of me having you under my friendlist on Facebook, and being able to see each other's personal updates and shoutouts. On the other, we'd regard this an act of retardness. I mean, why would a US president have his update on Twitter when he should be concentrating on the going-abouts within the conference room? On another way, we may take it as something very comically ironic as of someone all influential and powerful to possess an account in a community site of Facebook and stuff.

But in terms of another entity which is way beyond influential and powerful to that of Barack Obama is, when looked through it closely, to have a Facebook profile is no laughing matter.
Imagine if God has a Facebook profile? The first question that may struck us all is; "Which God has a Facebook profile?" Yeah, as much as we're all aware (and put into very firm believe) that there is but one Almighty being ruling us all; it is as much as us being fed with the idea that every religion has its own God. To put it through, we all acknowledge there is the one and the only Allah swt for the Muslims, but we do know the existence (either in actualization of an existence of just the ideologic existence of it) of Jesus and the Father for the Christians, Buddha for the Buddhist, Vishnu, Sheva and Brahma for the Hindhus, as well as the 'other' Gods for other religion practicioners. So if the one and only God that all of us have, is to have a Facebook Profile; who's God will it be? And will that put an ultimate dominance over a religion and end to a whole lot of other religions in the world? And will that dominant religion be finally the single solution of unity we're looking for all this while or it's a dark gold oppoturnity to twist things to your selfish bidding now that you ARE within the truth. In other words, will such things end the war between Salahadin and King Richard, or will that spark a greater one now that one side is immensely victorious? Yeah, i guess the first thing we will look to is God's personal information, specifically under "Religious Views: XXX"

As a follow up to that, who will God add under his friendlist? Some religion practicioners do believe that to follow their particular religion is the only single way to be connected with the God they believe in. Yet the idea of being accepted or being rejected by God is something unknown for all of us as there is no way to confirm that (aside from your own religious perspective of faith and believe, obviously - i'm not preaching any atheistic beliefs here). Well, not anymore if God has a Facebook profile and has a friendlist of His own! Who will God be adding then? If the God who is having the Facebook profile is a God of religion A, will He only accept the request from practicioners of religion A and religion A only- as based through the ideas in scriptures of religion A that following religion A is the only way to God's salvation? Or will He be the unbiased God who love all of us who seeks His salvation? If He adds everyone regardless of their religious background (and even of those who doesnt believe at all in His existence), wont that raise the tension of religion A practicioners as they believe that they're only one who should have been able to 'reach' God? And if God of religion A accepts the request from all of us, how do we know if that is an act of unconditional love or that is an act of propaganda; to appeal welcoming to everyone with the intention of getting people to think your way underneath? Will God accept people in His friendlist as who they are, or will He walk the talk of the single way to salvation?

And finally, (though i do still have plenty of focuses to talk about but i guess i'll end this post with this last one) what will God do now that he has a Facebook profile? Well, obviously, the main idea of joining a community site is to get connected, and thus that involve shout-outs, notes, event updates, pictures and videos uploading etc. With such a wide array of letting people know what you did, doing or planning to do, what will you be checking first in God's Facebook profile? Well, from what we all believe in our religion, God has everything planned for us; the beginning of our life, where our life will take us to, and how our life will be ended. So i'm not quite sure about you but i will check God's note for me. Just search for the note tagged with your name and you'll most likely to find everything there is prepared for you there. This seemingly easy task may actually appear to be the complex answer we're searching for all this while. What if you're a religious person now, and checking through your tagged note, you discover that things may not exactly go your way as you would expected it and it will go on that way forever? What if you're a man fighting for an idealistic imagination of a dream only to find out that the dream will remain what it is til the end of your fight? To put it straight; who we are now is a result of what we believe in; and what we believe in remains in the unknown. What if what you are believing is finally put clear-cut out for you? Of course, this is normal in real life scenario where you are a firm believer, you receive a slightly unjust end, and you can still walk out of it, believing that this all within God's plan of work for you. Well, what it that blueprint of a plan is laid out to you? To put in an example, take the "Crazy religious lady" on Youtube.(If you're not aware of her, she's one of the representative of a Christian Church in US where they held a controversial demonstration of "Thank God for Dead American Soldiers" in front of Iraq posted American Soldiers' funeral). The world hates her for what she did, the newcaster claimed her to be blinded by "The Word of God" and claimed that God will not forgive her for this. But, what if, under God's note tagged with that lady's name, the world found out that she will be forgiven in the future? Will we be ready to face this truth even if we do know the fact that God will forgive those who seeks forgiveness, yet we believe what she did is unforgivable? Will you still say it's God's will while already knowing what exactly are God's will through his Facebook profile?

So yeah, i leave you to the thinking. While what i have discussed here may seem a negative view of God having a Facebook profile, of course, i can still visualize a good future of me having God under my friendlist (that is, if He accepts my add request - in which, i believe firmly that He will). After all, God is believed to be wrathful to those who hates him and loving to that who loves him. Well, i'm a God-believing guy who spent plenty of time trying to seek him (not only through religion but everything under his creations), so i guess if we do get to finally meet up, it is like a dream come true reunion. I do want to be under God's Facebook friendlist =)

p/s: and i would really like to ask God; "Are You happy to be portrayed as Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty?" :p