So after 2 months of waiting, the home theatre system was done repairing. My parents were greeted by this message.

My dad almost got choked while reading it.

I had the chance to attend the meet and greet session with the Malaysian football team aka Harimau Malaya thanks to Nike Malaysia. The event was held in-conjunction with the team’s effort of winning the recent AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 where they were against Indonesia in the 2 legged finals.

As i have written in my previous entry, it was one of those moments where the whole country stood still and cheered for Harimau Malaya.

Adrian followed me as he is an ardent fan of Malaysian football, where else i follow updates off and on whenever i read the papers.

Before coming for the event, Adrian asked what i was wearing cause initial plans were i wore my Man Utd jersey and he wore his Liverpool as that night we planned to watch the FA Cup match anyway. Fortunately, i told him i am wearing a normal Nike jersey and he ended up wearing Barcelona’s jersey.

Why did i say fortunately?

This being a Nike event, it’s obvious that the attendees should at least refrain from wearing competitors outfit, hahaha. In fact they did announce that anyone with Adidas shirt won’t be allowed for the meet and greet session.

Nike Malaysia actually had limited stock of the Harimau Malaya’s jersey during the event. As i know most shops in KL have already sold out.

Fans waiting eagerly for the event to start. Adrian and i were just too busy ….

… eating.

We actually lunch at Wong Kok prior to this event. What a waste. If not we would have stuffed ourselves with the buffet.

K. Rajagobal, the coach of the Malaysian football team observing the upcoming players that could one day play for the Harimau Malaya.

One of the highlights of the event is actually having the chance to see the Ultras Malaya. They are so passionate about the national football team that they have came out with a number of chants.

This is them chanting thank you K. Rajagobal, LOL. Quite catchy. More videos at the end of the post.

The exhibition futsal match consisted of the current squad players with upcoming players. In between the game, the coach himself took to the field and showed a thing or two to the youngsters.

It was then followed by a press conference where Nike Malaysia said it was going to extend it’s contract with the national football team. Good news i guess since the jerseys have been quite a head turner especially with the new design.

It’s only the price that is still stopping me from buying. Not everyone can afford a RM 249 jersey

We were then all ushered to the next futsal court where we had the chance to finally meet and greet the coaches and players.

We all had to make a line and only 2 at a time were allowed to go at any point of time.

It was at this point where i realized why the players were confused when i was trying to snap a photo. A lady actually came up to me, not sure if she was one of their spouses or PR personal and asked about my cassette.

Yes my cassette.

She thought i was trying to pull some prank on the players by asking them to pose for my cassette, HAHAHAHA. Have to thank April for this.

I then showed her that it’s my iPhone and she was like OMG i need to get this casing as well!

Hahahaha so there you have it, i confused the Malaysian Football team because of my iPhone case. The fellas are definitely friendly and so were the coaches!

I even joked to Mr. Rajagobal and Mr. Cheng Hoe when Adrian was trembling while taking my photo with them, LOL.

Adrian, thanks for the ride!

Here are the remaining videos of the Ultras Malaya doing their chants

The final week of 2010 was probably one of the best final weeks of the year i had so far. Started off with the AFF Suzuki Cup where Malaysia met Indonesia in the finals. Putting the stupid laser beams aside, i can easily say it was the one time where everyone in Malaysia was one, united. No race, no religion but Malaysian instead. It even came to a point when i was packing food and the fella manning the store asked …

“You are Malaysian?”

I was like in a state of shock cause finally, finally someone asked the right question and not the usual, what are you? what race, bla bla bla. This fella is actually an ardent fan of the Malaysian football team and he was giving extra chicken to his fellow countrymen. HAhahaha nice gesture.

My room mate’s cousin was getting married and i was invited to witness and also photograph the ceremony as i haven’t been to a Punjabi wedding before. Honestly speaking, it was damn nice and colourful!

The Punjabi community are very closely knitted and i had the chance to see that first hand. What left me in awe was how close were they to their Chinese neighbour! There’s a part of the pre-wedding where the ladies would dance around with one of them dressed up as a bridegroom and bride. I followed the group as they danced around the guest but they suddenly danced towards their neighbour’s house and i was baffled.

The owner of the house actually opened her doors and invited all of them to dance in their hall !!!!

I have never seen anything like that and just had to record it !

Neighbour also started dancing There’s always a first for everything.

Finally on New Year’s eve, i was invited to celebrate New Year with my cousins and nephew/nieces. I was forced to gulp down wine and beer though i never liked both. But over the years of attending family functions, i have slowly learned to drink beer -_-! Would definitely go for sparkling juice anytime but that would not look good especially when you are forced to mingle with your boss and colleagues in future; social drinking. So which better place to learn to increase your tolerance level for alcohol if it isn’t your cousin’s house.

About 1am plus we called it a day. One the way back i was stopped twice at the police roadblock asking for my nationality -_-! The moment i replied in Bahasa, i was given the hand signal to move on

On New Year’s morning i went to temple as how i would do with my family in Penang. On the way back, while driving on the Bukit Jalil Highway, a car cuts right in front of me … on a highway …. and he suddenly slams the brakes.

*Bang*

In the tradition of spectacular festivals held around the world from Rio to Venice and London, Carnival Expo Malaysia will be the largest carnival expo ever organized in Malaysia.

The event brings together the widest choice of consumer products and services under one roof, with plenty of great bargains and deals to draw in the crowds. Visitors can also look forward to exciting fireworks, hot air balloons, masquerade party, live music and contests.

Venue: Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS)

Date: 16th till 19th of September 2010

Time: 10.30am till 10pm

It’s set to be a most unforgettable event! So make sure you mark the dates on your calendar.

More announcements and information on the event will be coming soon, so check back regularly for updates. Also don’t forget to join us on Facebook !

I am sure many of you here, if not all are fans of certain music out there. Personally i don’t have a favourite genre in particular. Since music is a universal language, i listen to many different languages. English, Malay, Chinese, Indian songs, just to name a few. Lyrics have their value if you understand well in the language but unfortunately my proficiency in both my mother and father tongue is dreadful. So the best i could do is appreciate the tune, lol

In this generation, every information is pushed out to users like me and you via the internet and to be more precise, social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. Sony Music Malaysia joined the bandwagon by having their very own Facebook Page.

There’s definitely perks of being a fan of their page. Off and on Sony Music Malaysia gives out freebies like CDs, notepads, any sort of merchandise. The most recent one where people were going gaga (no not like lady gaga) but i mean go crazy were the Glee giveaways. There are more to come in the future i am sure, so stay in touch with Sony Music Malaysia by liking their group

One of my all time favourite Sony Artist is Anggun. Wonder if some of you could still remember her songs

For those who have blogs, you can win yourselves 2 CDs by blogging about Sony Music Malaysia. To know more, headover here.

I finally reached the legal age to be a voter and to be a responsible citizen, i registered myself at a nearby post office. Surprisingly, it took me less than a minute. Probably the longest part of the whole process was waiting for your turn.

I dragged my brother along, just to show him what i was suppose to do. We walked to the post office near Sunshine Square.

All that was required was my Identification Card (IC).

Then i was asked a rather confusing quetion:

Man@counter: “Kamu ini apa?” (What are you?)

Man@counter: “Chrisitian?”

Me: “Oh agama?” (Oh religion?)

Me: Hindu

Paper work doesn’t have the option of mix or chindian, etc. Anyway that doesn’t really matter.

The guy behind the counter then printed out a slip for me to check my details and asked for my signature.

THAT’S IT!

I am finally a voter!

The next elections will be in the year 2012, unless you know ler something crops up in my area. I am only saying that cause there’s so many by-elections recently that you just wouldn’t know what would happen next.

So for those who have reached the age of 21, go and register! It’s easy

The past few years i have been fortunate enough to find myself among the fans in the grandstand and last year, i was invited by Bernard. In 2009, Jenson Button and Brawn GP were making all the headlines in F1. Already being ditched by Honda before the 2009 season even started, no one, no one expected them to be in the position that they were at by the end of the season.

The Sepang Circuit notoriously known for it’s crazy weather change lived up to it’s nickname as the Hottest and Wettest F1 race amongst the circuit. You could have a blazing hot sun at the beginning of the race and a heavy downpour to end the race in style.

Having the race in the month of April which is the month where the wind changes around South East Asia, heavy downpour are very unpredictable, thus playing an important part in the race in terms of tires being used. I could remember how Ferrari were stuck with 2 cars in the pits years ago to change to wet tires but Schuey eventually won the race.

When we arrived, the cars were already on their warm up lap and we rushed to our seats. People have always asked if it’s worth watching F1 on the tv and being there itself. I have been to the hillstands once and it definitely doesn’t beat being at the grandstands. I mean of course with the higher price you are ought to get a better experience.

Right across my seat was Jenson’s pit and i can tell you that everyone’s eyes were locked on that team. Probably waiting to see if any mistakes were to be made by this underdog team. At this time of the season, Jenson was already leading the drivers by a considerable amount of points and he was definitely the person to beat.

Only a handful were rooted to their seats, probably because their teams aren’t performing well. As for the rest, they stood throughout the race. I managed to get the first row of seats so i needn’t have to stand. In the far distance in the picture above, you could see the hillstand but trust me, when you are seated there you are most definitely gonna rely on their big screens to show what was happening in the other turns. If only they can project the commentators’ voice, then it would be better imho.

Some fans even purchased this particular handheld device which would show live updates on the positions of each driver. This is definitely for the super hardcore fans. I being cash strap, relied on seeing who passes the line each lap, lol. There’s even headphones which beams the commentators voice to you and it looks similar to the headphones the Pit Lane managers wear all the time.

Besides asking whether to watch on tv or attend the race is better, the other question people ask is why waste money to watch a car that zooms by within a few seconds?

The first time i had the chance to be at the grandstand thanks to Toyota, i didn’t know what to expect and how would it be different from watching it on TV. All i can say the SOUND, the SOUND was bloody deafening ! When each car leaves the pits, it’s like a jet fighter taking off. The sound from the engine itself was a reason for any car/F1/motor enthusiast to be there. This is where the earbuds come in handy. Speaking of earbuds, it’s best if you bring on your own or be prepared to fork out RM10 for a pair of coloured sponge.

Ten to fifteen minutes into the race, dark clouds seem to be hovering over the circuit and pit crews were seen scrambling for wet tires. The safety car was on standby. The fans all stood up, waiting for the moment the flood gates from the sky opened. It grew darker and darker and without any proper lighting around the circuit, it was obvious that drivers didn’t go out all max.

The foreigners beside me said that all four of them traveled all the way to Malaysia to watch this race simply because they love the chaotic weather.

Before you know it, it started pouring and the fella beside me yelled,” This is what i am talking man !” Hahaha, i have never seen anyone who was this happy when it rained during the race. In fact all four of them cheered louder than ever.

Jenson Button was leading the race before it got too dark. The drains had a hard time coping with the amount of water thus filling the roads with water here and there.

The stewards decided to restart the race from the grid and everyone took their spots again. This was probably the most chaotic race ever. Pit crews scrambled to the grids to cover their cars and drivers. No one knew what was gonna happen next as we all waited for the rain to stop.

After waiting for a while, it was announced that the race was to be stopped and drivers at the current position would be result of the race. And that gave Jenson Button another win in his bag. The whole race took about half an hour, that’s right 30minutes ! LOL. I think Bernard and i took longer to find a carpark than the whole race itself. Nevertheless it was one unforgettable experience.

For this season, 2010, F1 is definitely gonna be more exciting. Drivers have swapped teams, new teams like Lotus F1 and Virgin F1 are in the fray as well and lastly the return of Michael Schumacher! Not with Ferrari but with Mercedes GP. I wonder how would he fair throughout the season

Of course most Malaysians would have their attention on Lotus F1 as it’s spearheaded by Tony Fernandez himself. Always admired how he has built AirAsia to what it is today. Besides that, having Petronas being one of the main sponsors for Mercedes GP, one wouldn’t have imagined a few years back to see Michael Schumacher in a suit that bears the name Petronas !

Ferrari is currently leading the pack after one race with Alonso displaying what made him the champion a few years back. Partnering him would be Felipe Massa who returns after a horrific accident last season. McLaren finally unites a pair of British drivers, last seasons champion Jenson Button and another past champion Lewis Hamilton. The idea of having 4 champions in a race is definitely mouth watering ! Can’t wait for them to be in Sepang F1 Circuit this April 2nd, 3rd and 4th !

Many have asked on transportation in Kuala Lumpur and i have summarized to this:

Arriving in KLIA, heading towards KL City

Arriving in LCCT, heading towards KL City

Fastest way from KL City to Sepang F1 Circuit

For those who have yet to purchase their tickets, i suggest you head over to

AirAsiaRedTix and get it fast ! Currently they are having 5% off racing tickets and you would need to enter their promotional code.

Promotional Code: AirAsiaRedTix

As far as cheap accommodation is concerned i think Tunehotels.com is fully booked. I did a check yesterday and i can’t even book for April 2nd. There are a few in Bukit Bintang area as well as Jalan Sultan Ismail but to be on the safe side, it’s best to look at other areas. There are shuttle services from certain hotels which would ferry you to KL Sentral. Check out the links above for more information.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me or even tweet me @satkuru.

More photos from Sepang F1 2009:

Update 11.57am 19/03/10:  Technical glitch for the past 2 hours which made it hard to access my site. Thank you for those who emailed

Update: 5.14pm 29/06/10 The latest updates will be posted at the bottom

There has been a spike in my site especially with searches on MAS cabin crew interviews in the past 2 weeks. I have replied mails and messages regarding the questions being asked. But for the benefit of future visitors to this site, i would post up a few more information on top of what i have written last year regarding “What Does It Take to Become a MAS Air Stewardess“.

I would use the most recent comment by Michael Sibinal who was asking on behalf of his daughter, as a guide to those who seek similar answers.

a) Can she apply through this website (http://satkuru.com/…)?

Sadly you can’t You would have to go thru the proper channel via their main website

b) When is the next intake?

The next walk in interview is in fact tmr, Saturday 20st of March 2010 for the ladies and for the guys, it will be on the 21st. Please check the above mentioned website for future updates.

c) Does MAS has its own training center for successful applicants or MAS engages a 3rd party to conduct the
training?

MAS has their own training center in Kelana Jaya. Certain part of the course would involve external personals, eg. grooming, etc. where they would be brought to the training center itself.

d) How long does it take? (I heard around 3 months….??)

Yeap, approximately 3 months

e) What’s the fee like?

I am not really sure frankly, i don’;t think there’s a fee as you would be bonded for a few years. You would have to double check on this

f) Does the successful candidate get a certificate of competency, et al., at the end of the course?

I know there’s a graduation ceremony for those whom are successful.

g) Where do they (students) stay?

That’s a good question but unfortunately i am not sure of that either. Probably around Kelana Jaya area.

For more information on requirements and what will be candidates go through, here’s what i got from last year:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

* Malaysian, aged between 18 – 30 (as at date of interview)

* Minimum academic qualification: Pass Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) with a pass in English taken in one sitting OR SPM open certificate with pass in 4 subjects including English taken in one sitting.

* Fluent in Bahasa Malaysia and English
* Minimum height – Female: 157cm, Male: 165cm
* Excellent health and good eyesight (not colour blind) and pleasant personality
* Experience in customer service would be an advantage

The job will be based on a five year contract. Qualified and interested candidates are welcomed to our walk-in interviews which will be conducted from time to time. The time and venue will be publicised via advertisements in selected local newspapers as well as in the Vacancies section of our website.

INTERVIEW REQUIREMENTS

You are required to bring the following:

* Your letter of application
* Original copies of academic certificates
* Identity Card and a recent passport sized photograph
* As with any formal selection process, please be suitably attired

THE SELECTION PROCESS

The procedure below will be done during the interview. We normally conduct a walk-in interview. This will be completed on the same day.

* Height measurement
* Verification of original document
* Preliminary interview – for candidates who have passed the above
* Grooming assessment
* Final interview – a more detailed assessment of the capabilities and personalities of candidates

THE TRAINING PROGRAMME

Successful candidates will undergo a training programme for approximately three months at the Malaysia Airlines Academy (MAS Academy), Kelana Jaya, Selangor. The training consists of 4 main parts.

Part 1:
Induction and familiarisation programme within the company, such as Company Rules and Regulations. Other areas of development include grooming and interpersonal skills.

Part 2:
Communication and hospitality

Part 3:
Responsibilities and duties in the cabin

Part 4:
First aid and safety procedures

As part of their assessment, trainees are also briefed and will undergo in-flight observation.

At the end of the training period, Malaysia Airlines will co-ordinate a graduation ceremony for successful trainees.

Latest UPDATE from MAS Careers Page:

If you meet the above requirements, please attend our CABIN CREW WALK-IN INTERVIEW to be held as follows:

Registration time: 08.30 am to 12.00 noon

Please bring along your letter of application, resume, original and certified true copies of academic certificates, IC and recent passport-sized photograph (non-returnable).

Candidates are advised to dress appropriately (office attire) for the interview (t-shirt, slippers and jeans are not allowed). Female candidates are encouraged to wear kebaya.

Successful candidates will be required to sign a training bond. Employment will be based on a five-year contract.

Candidates are advised to be prepared for a possibly long waiting period due to an anticipated high number of attendees.

———–

29th of June 2010: Flight Steward and Stewardess

This could very well be the main highlight for the whole year besides backpacking to Cambodia. Not only was i able to watch Man United live but was able to watch them in action twice !

This only happened because of the recent bombing in Jakarta at the hotel that the team would be staying during their stay there. Though Australia offered 1 million pounds for them to play down under but Sir Alex declined and ended up playing in Malaysia twice.

The crowd for the 2nd game wasn’t as much as the first game but nevertheless i still had fun watching with a bunch of crazy people.

I bought my tickets a few months back when i was back in Penang and it was Angeline who reminded me about the match, surprisingly, LOL. She said she would want to see Man Utd lose. And that’s coming from a hardcore Arsenal fan. Ask her to spell Henry’s full name and she will ask me to fly kites.

Anyway, she was only able to attend the match day itself and thus i was alone for the training day. I met a bunch of people whom i didn’t know but later on was forced to accept their phone numbers and email addresses so that i could send them the pictures T.T

The atmosphere for this first leg of Manchester United’s Asia Tour 2009 was definitely different when i attended Chelsea’s game last year at the Shah Alam Stadium.

Parking alone for the training session was a complete nightmare. Most roads entering Bukit Jalil was jammed up to the highway. I followed a bunch of cars which drove against the traffic and ended up near the Hockey Stadium which coincidentally is the best place to park for any function held at the Bukit Jalil Stadium. Why you must ask ? Because for the training day, the 1st and 2nd match day, i had no problem getting out of the carpark and reaching back in less then 25minutes. Just follow the signboards indicating CarPark F.

Training day alone managed to attract nearly 30 thousand people to watch both the national squad as well as Manchster United train. I was even more baffled when i saw most ‘ang-mohs’ running to the nearby jersey stalls and getting themselves our national jerseys equipped with a strap on their foreheads showing Malaysia, LOL.

Locals are in Red and the ang-mohs in Yellow.

The training lasted for slightly more than an hour. It was really a joy watching Rooney blasting the balls as how he would in EPL.

The day finally came, it was match day !

I realized forums all over the net predicted a landslide victory and this was based on the last scoreline which was Man United 6 – 0 Malaysia. Six nil might be a bit too harsh but i was expecting probably three to four goals.

On the way to the Blue gate, i met Gusman and his dad lining up at the Violet gate. It has been yearsssss since i have seen him. His father definitely didn’t change a bit, lol.

The match was to start at 5.30pm and people were already flocking into the stadium as early as 3pm. Angeline and i followed suit. So in that spare time, i took loads of unnecessary pictures of people with the same replica jerseys and of course camwhoring. With dolphin around, it’s compulsory to do so or i shall face the wrath of the evil dolphin later on.

I was damn proud wearing my jersey as it’s one and only replica jersey i have. The rest are all ermmmm ahem ahem ones, grade AAA to be exact. I was lucky enough to get this jersey with my name on the back together with the number 10 and it was all thanks to Angeline

Having a jersey with a name on it could be a bad idea, especially with my name on it. People kept calling me for no reason and at times a few of them asked which character is that.

It seems anyone who comes with a different jersey especially Liverpool, Arsenal or worst still Man City jersey becomes the focus and will be jeered and made fun off. Like this fella above, he had to bear the constant shouting he gets from our section. But of course everyone knows it’s nothing serious. LOL.

On the 2nd match day too one fella bearing the Chelsea jersey sat a few rows in front of me and he got the same treatment. This time around, Jon, Daniel, Andrew, even Andrew’s sister never gave face, hahahaha. Everyone jeered.

Out of the blue, the section on our left started jeering even louder because someone was in an Arsenal jersey, LMAO. Our section also kaypo and started jeering that fella.

I couldn’t actually see and after zooming in with my camera only did i realized how everyone was staring at this Arsenal fan. LOL. Eventually he left for the higher tier.

This kept on happening off and on at different parts of the stadium. Once you hear jeering, you would definitely see one odd fella being in the center of attention.

The 1st match day was definitely better than the 2nd one simply because no one knows what to expect. Imagine 100 thousand people where mostly were in red and probably a few patches of yellow scattered all over representing Malaysia. No one knew how would Malaysia fair.

In fact, moments before Amri, number 17, scored that audacious goal, he was constantly being booed for his selfish play. In fact every other Malaysian player were being booed too and there was a reason. They just wouldn’t freaking pass. The ball would be brought all the way towards the goal just for them to blast it towards the moon.

Amri became a local hero when he scored the 2nd goal and that’s when most Man United fans were wondering if Malaysia would be able to do the unithinkable.

That’s when Owen, Fabio, Brown and Tosic were brought in to win the game. Owen was under the spotlight especially after signing for United for free.

Five minutes towards the end of normal time, Owen did score after the ball bounces off Giggs who tumbled with the keeper and the whole stadium went berserk ! It was Owen’s first goal for United and it was eventually the winning goal for the game.

As United marched out of the field, one fan somehow managed to get on to the pitch and he ran towards the team. One of the guards or so called bouncers, managed to catch hold of him. Malaysian security then stepped in and held him tightly. That’s one crazy fan. LOL

It was after this game, they did announce that Man United would extend their stay in Malaysia and play a rematch on Monday. On Sunday after catching Ice Age 3 3D (my rating: 6/10) with Angeline, i bumped into Andrew and we both got our tickets from Rock Corner in One Utama.

Home made banners were everywhere. Some were easy to understand, some needed time to decipher and some i just don’t get it -_-!

Some were really creative, LMAO.

This kid was proudly waving a huge Man United flag during the match.

The second match was actually Andrew‘s first. He couldn’t make it for Saturday’s game last minute. That’s why it’s clearly shown on his face how excited he is, hahaha. As for the rest, Jon, Daniel, Joshua and me, it was our 2nd match watching. Semangat gila.

That afternoon, i got a call from Cedric and he said he was also coming since he was staying 10mins from the stadium.

Andrew kept blowing the horn throughout the match, hahahaa.

Man United had a different line up compared to Saturday’s game. Most of the substitutes were given the start. As for the Malaysian team, there weren’t much changes.

This time around, the focus was on Amri. Scoring twice against United definitely made Malaysians believe that finally a player who posses a certain skill to finish in front of the goal. Fans kept cheering his name, some even had jerseys with his name on it. Fans wanted the ball to be passed to Amri so that he can do the exact same thing on Saturday.

But of course all that never did happen. The moon was back on target. The Malaysian keeper took one step forward by kicking the ball towards the substitute bench. The hardcore Malaysian fan in front of me shouted, “Kejap lagi mereka masuk lah, bukan sekarang.”

ROFLMAO !!!!

The final scoreline was 2 nil to Manchester United with Macheda and Owen being on target.

It was really a joy watching them play for both the days and i couldn’t have asked for more. The next time i would be watching them has to be at Old Trafford for sure !

Last week Angeline called me up to say that she got herself a pair of tickets to Urbanscapes and would be coming down to KL for it. I on the other hand reluctantly said that i wouldn’t want her to come down. With the looming cases of H1N1 cases in KL, it would be wise to stay away from crowded areas especially with the younger demographic.

Debra was telling me how her friends got infected and asked if i will be attending. I told her the same reasons as above and she agreed. That’s why she sent her sister instead

As for Angeline, she still came to KL BUT had the impression that Urbanscapes was on Sunday.

… no i didn’t remind her nor did i mention about it. She finally realized it on her own when she re-read the mail, ROFL.

I was always curious about what Urbanscapes was about but i guess i have to wait for next year.

Speaking of H1N1 @ Urbanscapes …

… a friend forwarded this to me. So please do the needy if you do have any of the symptoms of H1N1.