Paintball Royal Rumble (Dec 13,2008)

Paintball Royal Rumble

Host: Rafie a.k.a Penyu Maut
Date: Saturday, December 13, 2008
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Location: Tanamera Paintball Park
City/Town: Sungai Buloh, Malaysia

Stressed out cuz of exams or work? Then come on down and have a paintball royal rumble... Bring ur friends and enemies (if u wanna shoot 'em till they vomit), the more the merrier... Trying to get at least 80 people so we can shoot each other like a bunch of retards... Just kiddin...

Got this invitation on Facebook a month ago. Never played paintball before so decided to seize this opportunity. Didn't think that strafing, ducking for cover, taking aim, flanking and shooting enemies is difficult (just watch Rambo, Gerak Khas, Black Hawk Down, Bad Boys and you'll know what I mean) but this game changed my perception of that and makes me appreciate more the efforts/sacrifices of our brave men in uniform (kudos to PDRM, TDM, TUDM, TLDM and the other relevant acronyms I missed out). 24 people managed to turn up that day and even though the numbers were lesss than expected, the game was still super fun. Our paintball group for the day comprised of myself, the Axon friends (Awss, PL, Tuck Loon) and the Sunway comrades (Rafie, Jimin, Cheng, Ang, Farid, Numa and others). As expected, the Sunway comrades would oversleep on that day and we only reached Tanamera at around 1100 HRS.
After all of us got our equipment, we were briefed on the rules and regulations by a big tough guy called Dogg. He is one of the marshals at Tanamera. These marshals are the guys who would monitor and regulate/referee a game. Marshals and regulars can be easily distinguished by their army clothing. They would wear camouflage suits and army boots. One guy was even wearing a ghillie suit. His brother is also a regular. Strangely, he was wearing an olive green jubah and carrying around an AK-47. The regulars call him Osama bin Laden.
First two games were played were at Lake Placid. Lake Placid is an awesome map. With a lake surrounded by lots of palm trees that can be used for cover and considering its shape as well, there can be a lot of strategies devised.
Next two games were played out at Vietcong Village. This can be a very challenging map as one team has to climb uphill to reach the opposition's HQ (i.e. truck). Mosquitoes were in abundance in tihs map. BTW, paintball is a physically demanding sport. There is a lot of jumping, crawling, strafing and running involved. It can also be painful if one gets hit by a paintball, depending on one's pain threshold and location of impact. PL had bruising on her arm from getting hit by a pellet. Unfortunately, it started to raining heavily after four games and we had to go back then. Haha, came back to Rumah Sunway and found a lot of K.I.As (Killed In Action).












Pics from the day

Eii...we are famous!!! (Thanks, Far)

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And last but not least...

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Mai secawan?.....Cik mu!! (Kemensah 16/11)

Went camping on Sunday (16/11/08) at the same old spot, Kemensah, again. Supposed to go on Saturday but Jimin had to go to Indonesia. On Saturday, went to Subang Parade with Mja to get supplies. Had to buy mess tin, tent, maggi, sardine, baked beans and bread. Jimin would get the drinking water the next day.

The original camping group comprised of me, Jimin, Mja, Jo, Fuad and Najeem. However, Jo and Fuad couldn't make it that day so we had two last-minute substitutes in the form of Cheng and Ang. Hehe...really last minute...

Scene 1 (Rumah Sunway)
Jimin: Ang, bangun, bangun!....jom gi camping.
Ang (half-asleep): Camping....bila?
Jimin: Sekarang!Sekarang!
Ang (still half-asleep): Jap...nak gi pack...

We departed from Sunway at 4.30pm. Had to go to Pantai Dalam to get camera and tripod from Mja's brother. Then, took the SMART tunnel to avoid jam along Jln Ampang. Along the way, we mulled over the idea of emulating the RADIX coffee advert on TV (Mai Secawan...) since we had a foreigner amongst us i.e. Najeem the Maldivian. First hiccup of the day came when a big nail/screw punctured Jimin's tyre. Luckily, the air was not leaking out at the time. We decided to take a gamble and just proceed to the campsite. Arrived at the parking area at Kemensah at around 5.50pm.


Haha, this is where it gets interesting. The weather forecast for Selangor that day was 'Thunderstorms in the evening, Rain at night' and although it stopped raining already when we were hiking to the campsite, the ground was made very slippery by the rain that subsided 30 minutes before. I made a mistake of wearing my old worn-out futsal shoe. Managed to walk okay at first but slipped 3-4 times later as the terrain got steeper. Fell into a puddle as well. Since the ground was very wet, leeches were in abundance. I got a total of 4 on my legs and 1 on my neck (me thinks it's a leech with Dracula genes). Everyone else had to pluck out leeches from their legs except Najeem. I guess Malaysian leeches find Maldivian blood unsavoury.

Around 15 minutes away from the campsite (approx. 7.10pm), it was already dark and getting darker. This was the time when everyone realized that it is good to bring a torchlight. You can barely see the ground you are stepping on at this time. LOL, luckily I remembered to bring my torchlight but forgot that the battery was low. Last-minute packing is never a good thing (sighs). A ratio of 6 people: 1 torchlight is very, very troublesome. Luckily, we managed to reach the campsite without getting lost but the trouble doesn't end there...

It's nearly pitch-dark when we arrived at the campside. Time to set up tent. However, turns out Jimin just bought his fancy new tent and no one (not even him) knows how to set it up. The tent is a very fancy Coleman tent that can actually accommodate 8++ people as opposed to the 6 mentioned in the brochure. There is a canopy/balcony/something sticking out at the front of the tent. After much fumbling and turning about the tent and inserting the tent poles into the wrong places, the tent crew managed to set it up......after 2 hours.

Luckily, the campfire crew managed better...managing to make two small fires to heat water to make Maggi. By the time the tent was set up, dinner was served (3 packs of Maggi Lontong + 2 Maggi Cups).

Regarding the title, it is always fun to have a nice hot drink at night when camping. Having a cuppa late at night in the rain is just satisfying. Then came the downer of the day, Mja couldn't find the stash of 3-in-1s. Must have dropped it along the way. This dampened our spirits to a certain extent that night considering the series of unfortunate events that have occured up to this point. In the end, we envisioned a revised version of the RADIX advert...

Scene 2(Inside tent in cold, wet weather)
Najeem: Mai Secawan...(big smile on face)
Amir, Mja, Jimin, Ang, Cheng: Mai Secawan??Cik mu!!!....Nah, lebih dari secawan aku bagi(throw the paper cups and plates to Najeem)

[P/S: 'Cik' in the context of this entry is a word originating from the Terengganu dialect. During old times (when you and I were not yet born), 'Cik' is used to refer to 'mother'. Nowadays, 'Cik mu' is often used as a derogatory/teasing term.]

Next day, cooked breakfast consisting of baked beans and sardine to be eaten with bread. Then, went mandi sungai...After that, time for group pic. Mja brought a tripod into the forest just for this. Packed and went back at around 11.00 AM. Luckily, we managed to avoid a downpour by 10-15 minutes. Ok, people...time to return to the 'civilised' world...

Random pics




(Leeches galore! Please do not EAT!!!)

(Mystical Parang: BEFORE and AFTER pics show that one is transformed into a Maldivian after using the parang)

Melaka VS Kelantan

Jimin and Mja always have these mini skirmishes where they mock the other guy's home state. Boy...are they ever creative when it comes to this. Jimin is Malaccan and Mja is Kelantanese and the jokes they tend to make about each other are very hilarious. You have to actually be there to appreciate the humour of it. I thought that this entry will make a fine tribute to the never-ending series of the 'Melaka VS Kelantan' debate.

Round 1 (Location: Rumah Sunway)
Jimin: Ngko pernah dengar peribahasa Melayu, "Lembu punya susu, sapi dapat nama"...Apa version kontemporari?
Amir, Mja, Cheng: ............
Jimin: '"Selangor punya duit, Kelantan dapat pembangunan"'
Mja: 'WTF!!!'

Round 2 (Location: Rumah Sunway)
Mja: 'Ingat tak time kita belajar sejarah PMR dulu, ada Hang Tuah/Parameswara cakap time Kesultanan Melaka dulu..."Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia"...'
Cheng: 'Kalau versi sekarang?'
Mja: '"Takkan Babi Hilang Di Melaka"'.

Reference: Kes Babi di Melaka (Utusan Malaysia)

Round 3 (Location: Rumah Sunway, tengah berucap ala2 YB)
Jimin: 'Kelantan bagaikan sauh yang menjunamkan Malaysia ke dalam lembah kemiskinan...'
Mja: 'Humph!'

Round 3 (Location: Kemensah camping, Tgh main teka-teki)
Jimin: 'Haaa...aku ada teka-teki. Orang mana yang tak suka pembangunan?'
Mja: 'Ark...kena lagi.'
Jimin: 'Haha...Kelantan...dah tiga penggal dah, Mja oii.'

Round 4 (Carls Jr., Sunway Pyramid, Mja wearing University of Korea t-shirt)
Jimin (looking at Mja's t-shirt): 'Eh...University of...oooo,Korea. Tu aku pelik tadi... tak nampak hujung tuh...ingatkan 'University of Kelantan'. Kelantan mana ada universiti.'

Round 5 (Carls Jr., Sunway Pyramid, Jimin unable to finish his triple mushroom and swiss burger)
Mja: 'Laaaa...ku sangkakan perut orang putih. Perut orang Melaka rupanya...'



P/S: For any Malaccan/Kelantanese people who got upset after reading this, chill...lighten up. We do this just to entertain ourselves. We have absolutely no issues against Malaccan or Kelantanese people and contrary to popular belief, we are not immature and brash individuals. We respect all Malaysian states. BTW, Melaka VS Kelantan is a non-issue. We all know Selangor tops all!!!

Genting Trip, 25th October

Went to Genting on Friday, 25th October 2008 with Axon Colleagues. It's been a long time since I've been there (last time I went there was 20 years ago). The road leading up to Genting was so misty/foggy that you can't see beyond five metres. Luckily, Lee Wen is a reliable driver. The family suite at Theme Park Hotel where we stayed was quite big so there wasn't any need for me to use the sleeping bag I brought along.

In the evening, we went for the 'Motion Master' ride. For those unfamiliar with this 'ride', this involves participants sitting in seats that move in accordance with the movie on screen . Unfourtunately, I think we chose the wrong time because the short movie on screen was 'Alice In Wonderland' and the graphics are worse than Playstation (the first one). The seats also didn't move a lot since 'Alice in Wonderland' ain't really that scary to begin with (PG-13 below). Haih...never mind, just scream for the heck of it.

Watched 'Bangkok Dangerous' that night. The movie's summary:

1. Plot: Assassin for hire tries to leave his career. Things don't work out too well along the way. Transformation of character as Mr. Cage changes from a cold-blooded killer to a killer who's jiwang.
2. The Good: A lot of things blow up and a lot of people get shot in the movie, nice river drive-by shooting scene.
3. The Bad: Too many things get blown up, the ending is not so great.
4. The Ugly: Nicolas Cage's hairstyle

Next day, some of us went for the theme park rides. The Go-Kart's speed was albeit slow, I think anyone can outpace it. Everyone going for Go-Kart has to wear those shower caps. Maybe the helmets have mites or something. Got a variety of rollercoasters and rides in Genting but the queue for the good ones are too long (very lazy to queue, so long...afraid I will collapse).

Went back to KL at around 1600HRS. Lee Wen is a very good driver, most of the passengers managed to fall asleep.....zzzzzzzzzz.

Honourable mentions:

1. Timothy (booking the rooms and the spirit of the Genting trip)
2. Pui Leng (having a cool set of glasses/eating the most amount of Cheezels)
3. Ida (for sleeping during the movie)
4. Lee Wen (for being a Pemandu Berhemah)
5. Tuck Loon/WS (photographers)
6. Tong (being able to sleep soundly without any pillow or blanket)

Random Pics:

Seni Silat Setiabakti

One of the Silat styles I am currently learning is Seni Silat Setiabakti. It is not as well known and famous compared to the other Silat styles around but this does not make it any less majestic or any less effective than others.
Seni Silat Setiabakti was founded by Guru Dahlan Karim. Guru Dahlan Karim studied more than ten styles of Malay Silat and the Setiabakti style comprises elements derived from these styles. Seni Silat Setiabakti teaches the three forms of Silat: self-defense, art and competitive Silat. Its motto is Ringkas, Mudah dan Berkesan (quick, simple and effective). This reflects the syllabus of Setiabakti as the combination of moves tends to be short and is aimed at inflicting a high degree of pain required to incapacitate/disable an attacker.

The Pukulan Buah Melaka and Tongkat techniques in Setiabakti are the techniques which distinguish Silat Setiabakti from its peers. Pukulan Buah Melaka is a series of hand-to-hand combat techniques used for attack and defence which are highly effective and overwhelmingly unpredictable from an assailant's perspective. The Tongkat technique comprises of attack and defence combinations using a stick of around 1 metre long. It can be used against armed and unarmed assailants.
The meaning behind the name Setiabakti is derived from Setia (loyal) and Bakti (loyal devotion/dedication). Setia implies loyalty to oneself, family, community, religion and homeland while Bakti implies dedication of oneself to his family, community, religion and homeland. The keris in the logo reflects that this style of Silat is one of the Malay Silat styles. The two circles represent a shield which symbolizes self-defense. The logo is in white to reflect goodness.
Seni Silat Setiabakti stands out as one very effective Silat style. I would recommend it for anyone wishing to learn Silat or anyone who just wants to learn self-defence.

(L-R: Amir, Jimin, Abg Lan, Guru Dahlan Karim)

Blood suckers...

Since people around me are mulling over the prospect of going to Sekeping Serendah to be closer to nature, I think it is appropriate that they get familiar with a blood-sucking creature(not Pontianak) that they will definitely encounter in the jungle: the Leech.

There are a variety of leeches all over the world. Some have jaws with teeth, some don't. A leech attaches itself to you and will stay attached until it has become kenyang of your blood. They inject an anti-coagulant so the bites still bleed even though the leech is removed.
Here are some possible tips (especially for PLK and DT) on how to make your encounter with the leech less unpleasant:

1. Don't swallow or chew any leeches that you find. According to the US Army field manual,

   'Swallowed or eaten, leeches can be a great hazard. It is therefore essential to treat water from questionable sources by boiling or using chemical water treatments. Survivors have developed severe infections from wounds inside the throat or nose when sores from swallowed leeches became infected.'

2. Use fingernail to interrupt the leech sucking on you and then flick it away.
3. Use lighter, lit cigarette, vinegar, insect repellent , teh tarik from any mamak stall or any other appropriate substance on the leech. It will cause the leech to detach. (may be less medically advisable to use this method).
4. Use anti-leech socks.
5. Just let it suck till it is kenyang.

To sum up, the leech is another creature that we have decided to type-cast as disgusting, vile and repulsive. However, we should also empathize with it. Whenever they see our legs/arms/ankles....they see food. Plus, they don't really need that much of our blood in order to get satiated. So, I urge all of us to reconsider our draconian and barbaric attitude towards these creatures of the jungle. We need more love in this world....


References:

• US Army Field Manual FM 3-05.70 : Dangerous Animals

• Wikipedia: Leech