- nazriq
Ok, I need to get back to work now. Until next time!
- naz
Wow, it sure has been some time since the last post! It's almost like an unofficial hiatus, with this blog collecting some dust and perhaps even some rust. So, it's time to clean up all of that and get back to business.
This semester has definitely been keeping me as busy as a bee. From the insanity of a 0.5 credit hour subject having a whopping 8 contact hours per week, to handling and leading group assignments for practically every subject, I have quite a lot in my hands. Quite challenging, considering it's going to be hard to swim to the surface with my hands occupied. Impossible as it seems, I'm actually enjoying myself a lot. And I'm really happy.
I'm really happy because for once, I managed to control my temper. I'm learning the intricacies of leading a group. It's been a while ever since I've done serious group work, I'm a bit of a slow-learner in this department, but hey, we're all learning. And funnily enough, I'm learning leadership not from leadership class (which, I dare say hasn't taught me anything AT ALL, with practically everyone else coming an hour later than me) but from handling life situations. I've done things I was proud of in my past (directing and writing Red Prada White Gucci and playing with Merah), I've yet to do another big thing, but I'm determined to pull it off again even if it is going to take some time. I'm happy because I've met some of the best study mates and friends, who share the same commitment and passion in what we're studying, and happy that I've the constant emotional and moral support that I've once always longed for. And of course, I'm happy to still be alive and be given the chance to learn.
Sure the work is plenty. From learning a new language (Arabic), to conducting research on bilingualism, to script-writing and directing, to personal projects and tackling this one big challenge called life. But with the right paradigm, it really isn't bad. They're all just chances to be a better person.
I'm glad I can finally see it this way.
Now, time to get back to work and maybe a bit of personal projects during my limited break time!
- nazriq
P.S. Btw, you can now follow me on twitter. You can find my twitter here
Today marks the 52nd anniversary of Malaysia's independence. Some may be celebrating it outside, but as for me, as nonchalant as it sounds, I don't seem to really care about it. Instead, I find myself 'studying' this:
Man, now THAT is some crazy slap bass playing! Looks like I've some wood-shedding to do...
- nazriq
I was kind of disappointed. WAS. That's the keyword here. On the bright side, I stuck through and did it. When both the option of going through it or backing out could tarnish your reputation, might as well do it, because being a quitter is worse.
I truly felt that I didn't do both myself and everyone else any justice. I feel that everyone, myself included, deserve better. And heck, I think I have a great plan for a make-up. I'll be giving away something very special for FREE. And to sweeten the deal, I'll hint this: Physical copies too, not just digital, sometime between September/October 2009 if I can :)
... I won't be performing with my previous band, not because of any irreconcilable differences whatsoever, but due to academic commitments and other matters that the rest of the band are occupied with. I wish them the very best in their pursuits.
... that doesn't mean I'm not performing! I'm performing with a brand-new lineup, for the KAEDFEST '09 gig on 16th August 2009. I won't be performing any of my solo material, which could be good news, as I think it'd still rain if I were to sing any of my stuff! Anyway, don't just come because I'm there or because I told you to, because there are a lot of credible acts performing that night, including Liyana from Estrella, Pot Amir from Innuendo, Couple, The Algebra, and some great talents from our campus as well. It's quite an honor to be able to share the stage with them. Tickets are RM8, by the way.
- nazriq
1. I'll be performing with my band on 16th August 2009, sometime at night. Exact details (time, what material will be performed, etc) to be confirmed, but I'm really looking forward to this! I'll be sharing the stage with some credible acts, so it's an honor to be invited to perform for this event. Can't exactly tell who are the 'credible acts' for now until the promotion for the event starts! It's definitely NOT a solo gig though as I'll be playing with my band, but who knows if I get to sneak in my own song... Who knows?
2. Recent Harry Potter film was... IMHO, lame. Heck, Harry actually summed it up at the end of the film by saying something along the lines of 'this is all a waste of time'...
3. I truly wonder why the word 'blog' and 'blogger' have such negative connotations for some people? It's to the point that certain wi-fi spots (not naming any) seem to be blocking them! Oddly enough, Wordpress and Livejournal aren't blocked at all, and they're blogging services too! Tempts me to clean the dust off my old LJ account...
- nazriq
Random, I know, but I've been thinking a lot lately. Some people just can't accept the truth. So does that mean people prefer being told lies? When they do find out that something is a lie, they go all berserk and play the blaming game. Isn't it easier to accept the truth then? What do you guys think?
- nazriq
My morning class has been canceled, and with nothing much to do, what else is there to do other than blog?
This is kind of a crazy semester. Who in God's name scheduled a class to be at one end of the campus and the next class at the other end of the world, with only a 10 minute gap? Add the fact that the lecturer from the previous class finishes the class a bit later than scheduled, and you have the recipe for a truly hectic semester! Thankfully, the lecturers are really great so far, so no worries about that, plus there are a lot of nice people in most of the classes, so bonus marks for that! It was a bit nerve-wrecking to be in one class full of 3rd and 4th years when you're just a sophomore, but hey, we're all here to learn, right? It was also great catching up with a few juniors who have just enrolled. So to sum it up, the first week was quite good for me
Yes, I haven't forgotten about my songs, which I don't know how many times I've said that I'm working on them! That, and a possible gig slot this semester in campus... This semester might just be the best yet for me!
Ok, now I've got to get going to my next class. Later!
- nazriq
After sporadically posting and ranting about recording and writing songs for a LONG time (since 2005 I think), the project is finally particles away from completion. It's been a blast writing, recording, tinkering around with sounds and doing all the mixing. Oh, and I have to warn everyone, I'm definitely putting my voice on this project, so get your umbrellas ready! The still-untitled EP will contain a total of 6 tracks. Here's the track-listing:
1. Minimal Pair
2. Submerging
3. Retroflex
4. Untilted
5. Passerby
6. 20.10
An old demo version of "Passerby" along with some old snippets I've made are available at my MySpace page.
By the way, I have a poll on the sidebar to let you determine the price for the EP! If you have any suggestions or questions regarding the price or EP itself, do drop a comment!
Samples of all the songs will be available really soon! Now, I need to dust my MySpace and my website which I've owned for almost 10 years and redesign them...
- naz
Anybody who went to Urbanscapes '09, please see http://twitter.com/klue/status/2389654312. Do get yourselves checked, yeah?
I hope I'm fine! *prays hard*
- naz
On the 27th June 2009, I went to KLUE Urbanscapes at KLPAC, Sentul with fellow blogger Anisah. It's my second time at KLPAC, my first time being around sometime last year for some bazaar. I didn't stay all the way until the end, so I'll just be blogging on what I think is noteworthy.
We arrived at KLPAC around noon. Bumped into a few friends and saw a few fellow bloggers, including Lisa Farhana and Afi. There were many stalls selling all sorts of interesting stuff, though unfortunately I didn't get anything. One thing that I noticed was the cleanliness around the food stalls. At most festivals, you'd see lots of rubbish and food packaging all over, and the backs of food stalls would be really dirty, but at Urbanscapes, I couldn't spot even a trace of dirtiness. Kudos to the organizers and stall-keepers for that! Plus, the vendors were using recyclable material instead of polystyrene. Extra marks for that! And while I'm on the topic of cleanliness, I have to say, the toilets and suraus were impressively clean as well. However, the prices for food and drinks were a bit on the high side. RM3 for just a 500ml bottle of mineral water, anyone? But it's a festival I guess, and it was hot too, so people had no choice unless they brought their own bottle of water. I also think that alcoholic beverages shouldn't be sold, but I guess that can't be avoided because perhaps the sponsor is a beer company, but oh well!
One thing about something indie (festival, expo, bazaar) that you might notice is the way people dress. Right now, it seems that checkered shirts with skinny jeans seem to be the current trend instead of the 'just woke up from bed' T-shirt and torn jeans style. I wish that the guys could try to be a bit more original. As for the girls however, it was nice seeing more hijjab-wearing girls. At most festivals, some girls may opt to forego their hijjabs to 'blend-in', so it's nice to see people proudly wearing the hijjab! I hope it's not a trend thing though, because of the popularity of a certain hijjab-wearing indie icon!
As for the performances, they had a few separate venues for different kinds of performances. I did think it was a bit odd to charge people to see the acts at 'The Lawn' though, because you could actually see and hear the performances clearly from outside the fence covering The Lawn. Plus, some of the performances I heard and saw from far away... I think that some of the artists at the 'free' sections actually deserve their slots, seriously!
As for me, I did have a few personal favorites during the whole event. The first is the performance by KL Stompers, who perform by banging drumsticks and making songs not on drums, but on bins, pots, pans, and bottles! Here are two vids of them that I recorded with my newly-acquired video camera, among a crowd that mostly brought SLRs!
However, my personal favorite is Shahridir & Nizam P, a really cool acoustic blues rock duo. Here are a couple of vids! I have to warn, there is usage of vulgar language.
I'm certainly looking forward to more festivals! Apparently, there will be festivals in campus this coming semester as well. I'm really looking forward to the coming KAEDFEST '09, because I've been hearing great things, plus I loved last year's KAEDFEST. The performances were amazing! and no, just because it's uia means it's all nasyid. There were band performances, poetry recitals and much more! I know, I'm no longer a KAEDian, but hey, it's a great event, so I think it's not wrong for me to mention about it!
Now, I can't wait to perform for next semester! I find the performances by Shahridir & Nizam P really inspiring, especially Nizam's percussion playing. Time to finish up my songs and rehearse some stuff...
- naz
