Two Zero One One

2010...

there are the ups,

there are the downs...

The downs may be hard to forget,

but there's always the ups to smile about :)

You've been kind;

Great start,

bright prospects,

boundless opportunities,

nice numbers,

good times,

good laughs,

great company,

warm feelings...

New friendship grew (you, yes you... you know who you are ^^)... old ones sealed (you guys are awesome)...Thanks for bearing with me all this while... thanks for holding on...

All in all, you've been kind...

I'll remember you well;

Goodbye :) I'll never see you again...

*To whom it may concern, all the best for the finals...

'Vette

C7

C7

C1

C6(ZR1)

It's a bona fide American icon, on par with hamburgers, New York, Mickey Mouse, and Elvis...

It's the Corvette, to be clear, and frankly, the design of the 6th generation 'vette has passed its hey-day; it's getting a bit bland compared to what's on offer in today's sports car scene. Just give a glance to the latest generation of sports cars from the top players; the 458 Italia, McLaren MP4-12C, sharp Lamborghinis, soon-to-come fresh Lotuses, and you realise that the Corvette badly needs some re-imagining.

Enter the C7 (7th generation) Corvette, a visualization of the future of the 'Vette, rendered by a student automotive designer by the name of James Robbins. The renderings look stunning, worthy of a successor to the legendary icon. Hints and bits of homologated sections of the Italia come into notice, especially when viewing the shoulder-line of the car, and also the front air intake. Not to say that it's a design rip-off of the 458 Italia's Italian perfection... this is making use of the best elements of automotive design of present, and reinventing it in a whole new way, with American flare embedded into it. Innovation, they call it; a common practice in the automotive industry...

If this is the future, then bring it on. This is a good way of bringing an American icon into the new decade. Hope the real production C7 Corvette will not run too far astray from James Robbin's rendering.

What a long way the Corvette has come, from the 1953 little C1 convertible, to today's 7-litre menace that is the ZR1...the icon lives on;

Links;

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/29/c7-corvette-rendered-by-design-student-with-good-ideas/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette

The Sound of Silence

This one's for you, MX3... :)

~

Hello, darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision

That was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

Beneath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed

By the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share...

And no one dare

Disturb the sound of silence.

"Fools," said I, "you do not know

Silence like a cancer grows."

"Hear my words that I might teach you,

Take my arms that I might reach you."

But my words like silent raindrops fell,

And echoed in the wells of silence.

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made.

And the sign flashed out its warning

In the words that it was forming.

And the signs said: "The words of the prophets

Are written on the subway walls

And tenement halls,

And whisper'd in the sound of silence."
~

Borrow apex for a few days when you're done with it??? Pleeeease??? Pretty please? ^_^

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Hope you all are having a very merry Christmas ~

-

Justin Jarret

Alvin

Nawin

Tim

Dickson

Ooi

John

Sean

Johnney

Derek

Mark

Mags

Sheryl

Amy

Alison

-

Every Angle Elegant

A good friend of mine is the proud owner of a 1990s Ferrari Amalia 1.5, with modified suspension and recently upgraded throttle body.

It's a very fun car to drive, especially on weekends, and on twisty roads; crisp cornering, excellent braking distance, and not to mention that very aggressive engine note...

I know you well enough as a person of good taste...If ever you feel the need for a new set of shining wheels, you can't go wrong with a brand new Ferrari California...

It'll be great... and maybe you can even take me for a drive on the weekends... roof-down, sunny skies, wind in your hair...

Go ahead, take it for a spin... ;-)

*Click on the 2nd image to try out the Ferrari California configurator

Close Your Eyes...

Funny, how a simple song can bring back a recollection of the years that had gone by...

Funny, how the strongest feelings have a way of attaching itself to the lyrics...

-

Close your eyes

Give me your hand,

darling

Do you feel my heart beating?

Do you understand?

Do you feel the same?

Am I only dreaming?

Is this burning

an eternal flame...

-

Funny how the mind works, storing memories, feelings, and emotions...

pictures of the not-so-long-ago...

as cheesy songs that nobody listens to...

Don't blame me... I'm Abstract Random;

History Equals Reputation

It's been 25 years of the legendary M3... A little history lesson might do us some good...

All I Want for Christmas, 2013

This, is a Lotus.

Yes, compacts are not the first thing that comes into mind when Lotus is mentioned, but this, ladies and gentlemen, is the future.

It is a sports car born out of necessity. It may just have a 1.2 liter 3-cylinder coupled to electric drive motors, (Lotus is putting their money on range-extended hybrid powertrain for their green credentials. We'll talk more on that later) but rest assured, the engineers at Norfolk have a knack for squeezing maximum fun out of small engines. Expect brilliant handling capabilities around town with this new offspring from the light car company.

Slotted for production in October 2013, as confirmed by Lotus head Danny Bahar, Lotus will enter a new realm of market share with the City Car, expanding the brand potential to greater heights.

What a far cry from their signature Elises and Esprits... Let's hope that Lotus magic is still there in the City Car's DNA;

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/17/report-lotus-city-car-confirmed-for-2013/

Chen Shu-Chu

What do you do when bapak, mak, and adek show up one fine Saturday afternoon, bearing top secret (recipe) rich moist chocolate cake, 5 days before B-day? Hold a pre-18 block party, of course... just kidding;

Really, honestly, I was totally caught off-guard. Leave it to family to pull off a heart-warming, meaningful surprise... thanks a million; 5 days early?? Awkward...and flattered :*)

GT5, admittedly, was kind of expected, and I'm not sure why (main la dulu, adek), but what's more surprising, and deeply touching (in a manly, non-emotional kind of way) is a part of Top Gear history... wow, this one I never saw coming...I'll love this book to death;

The cookies were a nice touch, too :)

*Sigh... Growing old(er) at home away from home... family came by and made it perfect :)

Wish I was at real home on the 23rd... can I come back next weekend?

Don't Blog About This

I just did. Reverse psychology works.
http://www.dontblogaboutthis.com/

Colouring Contest

Remembering back the days

when colour pencils and crayons meant hours upon hours of fun...

when feelings were expressed in colouring books,

and sometimes on walls

on the sofa....

All the yellows, reds, and purples of life.

Each colour holds a certain memory... a kind of fuzzy feeling that keeps you warm inside...

Nostalgic blues, greens, and oranges... Every shade a distant reminder of childhood.

Played around with this website. Aaaaa, all the colours, the possibilities...

Let your inner child run free !!!

*Click on the 2nd image to try out the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 configurator*

At the End of the Day...

Thanks, mom...

I'll try to have fun tomorrow...

*dances off*

Enthusiasm

Noticed a quote at the bottom of this blog today...

Caught my eye...

-Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)-

For all those Eeyore types out there, try to show a little enthusiasm in everything that you do, even if it involves a dose of sarcasm...

Because a little sarcasm never hurt nobody...yet...

Priority

There's a sort of taken aback kind of feeling upon the realization that I've been living at home away from home for nearly a year now (it'll be a full year come 16th January next year, but hey, who's counting?). You know, a kind of 'whoa' moment, as in 'whoa, have I really been here for nearly a year now??'

It strikes me as rather a surreal and somewhat humbling experience, being secluded in the middle of no man's land, which has strangely become a quaint and comfy setting, for the sole reason of chasing a boyhood dream... Sacrificing the worldly pleasures of family and hometown nostalgia, for the greater good of wisdom and experience...

Whoa, I really have been here for nearly a year now;

Not to say that I don't miss 'tok' and 'wan' at all, (dok buat apa tu?), but things have been going smooth in the middle of the jungle. Everything is falling in its rightful place. This might surprise some people, but truth be told, I am highly adaptable to new environments and settings. Really. Need an all-weather, go-anywhere, versatile kind of guy? You're looking at him. Laaa... send me to Austria for a year. I'll do great. God-willing, next two years...

I even gained two or three kg's (5, to be exact), from the last time I checked, since coming here. How can a person possibly gain weight while living in the middle of the tropical rain forest? That, is a clear sign of excellent adaptation abilities.

I've been keeping busy during this whole while, with everything from assignments and exams to drama acts, and swimming. Keeping busy is one way to adapt to this new setting. It's amazing how everybody here is always busy with the same thing at the same time. If you can't beat them, join them...

There were the moments; the usual, the unforgettable, the cherished, the memorable; nothing too regrettable... There were the Mondays, there were the Fundays. The Fundays were awesome. The Mondays were, well, simply Mondays. Nothing exciting ever happens on a Monday.

Another brilliant way to adapt to a new environment is to be among people you can trust and count on. Good friends are surprisingly easy to come by in the middle of the jungle. Fundays are spent with friends. Buddies stick together even on Mondays, through thick and thin. Thanks a million for making Tronoh a livable place. It may be the middle of nowhere, but it's a place that we all share, and that's what makes things interesting. A place is only as great as its people. This place is out of this world. Wouldn't have it any other way.

It amazes me how everybody is always occupied with the same thing at the same time in this funny little place, and currently, the big thing in everybody's mind is tests, quizzes, and the final exam.

Whoa... I've been here for nearly a year now...

3 weeks left 'till the big exams, but who's counting? 3 weeks left 'till a whole new year... 3 weeks left 'till the end of a well-been-through foundation period, and 3 weeks left 'till the start of a whole new chapter in a quest filled with challenges and obstacles. Where did all the time go?

3 more weeks to make it or break it. All the time in the world will never be enough to prepare for whatever life throws at you. I'm making the most out of the 3 weeks that I have.

Life has a way of cramming everything that is to be done within the shortest period of time, but no matter how busy it gets, the priorities will never change...Someone once told me that someone told her that a well-lived life takes God as the number one priority, family as second, and work as third.

Work comes third. No matter how busy it gets, there are bigger and more meaningful things...

Driven, Determined, Possibility, Opportunity, Certainty

Let a guy hold on to his dreams. It makes the whole world a better and happier place to live in....

because reality is mediocrity...

Well, in essence, reality is just as diverse as dreams. The sky's the limit, mind over matter, and everything in between.

What's important is the vision, and determination, and that voice inside of you that says 'anything's possible'.

Man of the hour; Danny Bahar. Bless the man.

Audi quattro concept - A legendary spirit in a future car

Quattro, with a Capital Q

There's a lot of history involved when 'quattro' is mentioned with respect to Audi, but we're not going there...

Suffice to say, Audi is not the Audi we know and love if it were not for the 1980 Quattro road and rally car, and the quattro four wheel drive system that the manufacturer is so infamously known and praised for.

The Quattro in focus for now is the Audi Quattro Concept, unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show 2 months ago. Fully modern and fully retrospective, the concept is a tribute to the original creation from 30 years back. The Quattro Concept is Audi's way of blending tradition and history with up-to-date design language. A hint of future design directions can also be detected.

Audi being Audi, this is not just a show and tell, smoke and mirrors concept car. This thing is alive, with a 5-cylinder turbocharged 2.5 heart pumping 408 horses and delivering 354 lb-ft of torque through its veins. Imagine driving a one-of-a-kind Audi with killer one-of-a-kind macho looks to kill for, through long, winding roads, where the Quattro is ultimately at home... Now, imagine you're Will Smith...

The Quattro Concept is inarguably the most masculine Audi to date. I'd have one based on that alone. Plans for a limited production run of around 1000 units are in order. I say congratulations to the would-be takers of the 2nd Gen Quattro. You're the man. Yes you are.

Links;

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/07/audi-quattro-concept-quick-spin-review-road-test/

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/29/paris-2010-audi-quattro-concept-celebrates-30-years-of-performa/

One Four Three Two H

May God bless this new year with his bountiful wisdom

and infinite grace,

guide us through his tests of faith,

fill our hearts with understanding, compassion,

keep us on his path of righteousness,

and,

forgive the sins we have yet to commit.

For who are we

to walk on His soil

without a seed's worth of guilt

tucked deep inside ourselves?

Forgive and forget.

Pray for the best.

Allah will take care of the rest.

Ameen~

The Esprit

First Lotus I ever experienced; and it hasn't even existed yet...

Lotus, as the iconic British car company, is set to undergo a 'reawakening' of some sorts, and their efforts to gain machismo and reputation among the automotive realm in the next 5-10 years is manifested inside the Lotus Esprit concept.

The Esprit has a feasible and realistic feel to it, and not much is going to change in terms of the overall design for the production version, which will be unveiled in 2013. The brief is a top-of-the-range supercar which has the ability to deviate future customers away from Ferraris, Porsches, and Lamborghinis... It certainly will have the performance credentials to rival these big names, judging by the fact that a 5.0L V8 sourced from Toyota is going to be shoved inside this car.

2 days ago, I got the chance to view the Esprit concept at the Kuala Lumpur Motor Show. Stunning as it is in the pictures from Paris, you really have to see it in the flesh to fully comprehend what Lotus is trying to achieve with their new technological masterpiece.

Naturally, viewing the Esprit inspired me. It helped me see the world from a fresh perspective. I wanted more inspiration, so I got inside the Esprit for a brief second. Time stayed still as I sat in the soft woven leather of the Esprit's driver seat. The bright yellow and green Lotus badge crowned atop the futuristic steering wheel shone in my eyes...

The experience of being cocooned inside the interior of a concept car, of which I know only one existed in the world, the same Esprit that was unveiled at the recent Paris Motor Show, was awesome.

I sat inside the future of Lotus.

Sincere thanks are in order to a very polite man from Lotus HQ Norfolk, whom I got to chat with, another very nice man from Lotus, who showed us out of the Esprit, and last but not least, a Proton official who explained in a very detailed manner the unwritten rule of auto shows. A million thanks for letting us slip out of this one... We really appreciate it.

This year's KL Motor Show is admittedly a disappointment compared to previous editions, but is worth attending because of the chance to view the Esprit alone. Thanks to Proton for flying the Esprit all the way to KL. Plus, they also showcased the Lotus CityCar Concept, the EMAS, and five new Malay Warriors. Naza brought along the 458 Italia and a Murcie`lago SV. There's also a sixteen-ft Bumblebee model and Batman and his Tumbler for the kids and kids at heart, although the 'kids at heart' might get easily disappointed :-)

Happy birthday, Lothfi;

and, if you're is reading this, Amalia Amir, sorry if you find this boring...

Whoa...

Whoa, it's covered in 10 inches of dust...

*blows off dust, specks flying everywhere*

*opens lid*

Whoa, it's very dusty in here...

*blows again*

*dust comes flying into eyes, mouth, and hair*

*cough*

Of course, it's been quite a while...

I kept my dreams, ambitions, aspirations, and passion inside this safe, secure, but risky place;

I preserved my line of thought, natural style of thinking and writing, and everything that I believe in and stand for inside this everlasting, but fragile space;

I hid the things that I appreciate most dearly in the open;

And now, everything is covered in thick dust...

It's cleaning time.

However dusty life might get, it is a noble virtue to constantly wipe things out, keep the vision clear, the dream alive, and the spirit burning, and finally strive towards everything there is to achieve in a world where the only limits and constraints are the ones that you yourself had set.

Time adds to the layers of dust, but it will never change the dream that has never failed to keep me going strong in the endeavours that define who I am.