L&P is something I love about NZ. So much so, I even brought a bottle back. The first time I drank it, I was amazed by it. Sure, I know it's now done by Coca-Cola NZ, but it is truly unlike any other drink. And to quote their website: Lemon & Paeroa can be found only in New Zealand.
You should know what a Lemon is. Paeroa is a place in New Zealand, about 2 hrs drive from Auckland. From a town of 3000, they have managed to create such a beautiful drink. Honestly, L&P is truly like nothing you've even drank. It is a real drink. And a damn good one.
This, my son, is the cover of a Full Metal Alchemist manga:
Looks normal.
And this is the back of the manga:
Does it look familar?
Maybe this would help jog the memory: Exhibit A: FMAmanga for $15
Exhibit B: for $22
Still blur? Clicking on the pictures to see the big picture (no pun intended) might help.
I presume if you are reading this without "I KNOW WHAT IT IS!" going through your head, I have to let the cat out of the bag.
Yes, my dears. THAT IS A CHUANGYIMANGA IN BRISBANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For my poor deprived mates, ChuangYi is like the saviour for you monolingual people, who can't understand Chinese. Which most manga is in back home. ChuangYi (创艺) is a Singaporean company, who amongst other things, prints English manga for (relative) cheap.
Take this FMA for example. If you were to buy the "official" Viz one, it'd set you back about S$ 25. ChuangYi prints the same volume for $7. Sure, they paper quality isn't as nice, you don't get any extra's, BUT WHO'S COMPLAINING!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
The thing is, if you buy the Singaporean ones, at the back they print "For sale in distribution in Singapore only". (Or something to that affect) In Sarawak, that means: "NO ENGLISH MANGA FOR YOU POOR, DEPRIVED MALAYSIANS! PUT UP WITH CRAPPY BM ONES AND BOOTLEGS FROM TAIWAN AND HONG KONG! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!"
Yes, we do look to Singapore with envy. Forget all the UMNOrhetoric. Let's face it; Singapore was lucky that Lee Kuan Yew was born in Singapore. Just imagine if he had Sarawak...................
So I resigned myself to fighting my way down the causeway. But now, ChuangYi has decided to export to, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND!
The early ones say something like "strictly for sale and distribution within Australia and New Zealand only", through I can't find it in the new stock. But that the heck; they'd rather export to the southern hemisphere than across the south China sea/causeway.
Can we declare independence now? P-L-E-A-S-E-? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More pictures of Brisbane:
A very windy day. All the leaves were blown off the trees. Freezing too.
Brisbane at night.
Looking from the Cultural Centre.
Still from the Victoria Bridge, looking towards QUT
Four days ago, one of my contacts in Sibu contacted me, saying that another video clip of bullying in public was being circulated in the MMS network. Later that day, he pointed me to a file on the place where everything video is uploaded: youtube.
Dunno how long it'll last on youtube, but I'm linking it here anyway.
Why is this not news to me? Because once upon a time, I was also in the same position. Once upon a time, I was beaten, teased, put down, and bullied bad. Once upon a time, I was forced to eat garbage like him. Once upon a time, I was sidelined in everything I did.
It really beggars belief who is running Eastern Times sometimes. Their headline is "Is the ‘bullying’ real or just ‘acting’?" Anyone who has seen the video clip (and I think everyone who has access to the internet in Sibu has) will be quite confident that it is anything but an "act". I'm no speaker of Fuchow (the shame, considering that I am (half of) one), but even with my limited vocabulary, I can tell that it is not pretty. It shows 4 boys savagely beating up another boy, forcing him to eat stones and cigarettes.
What has people learned from the Miri school girl fight (mirror here)? NOTHING. In my days I had to put up with it, with no proof. No one wanted or dared to back me up. I didn't endure in silence. I spoke out. I made noise. I stood up for me, and my rights. Even when they tried to silence me. Even when they pressured me. Even when they saw me crack. Eventually I threw in the towel, and left. But the scars never healed. To this day, i still harbourvengeance, hatred, loathing, vile and anger towards them. Even if they have gone on. One is a student in Melbourne studying architecture. Another is working for MAS as an intern engineer. Another is in RMIT. One even dares to be a doctor. The big mouth is doing a Bachelor of Mass Communications in Murdoch University. Then there's an engineer wannabe who is so proud to be in INTI Nilai. Doing a Diploma. The Med-chemist is in Melbourne. There is even one who ended up in London. What a shame he didn't get blown up.
Yes, you murderers of Lodge. Don't think I'll ever forget and forgive you. Nor think you can hide. Big Brother is watching you.
That was then. Today we have such concrete proof, with not only still pictures, but full blown video, and yet the perpetrators still get away Scot free with their diabolical, cruel, inhumane acts, just because they are part of the elite. (Rumour has it in Sibu that the boy in black in the video is the son of one of the triad bosses) We have always been oppressed, and will be oppressed until someone dares to break away from the pitfalls of our immature and ill-educated society.
You know why? It is because our (so-called) education minister, Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, is non other than Umno Youth chief. And the last time I checked, UMNO youths we're more willing to sign up Mat Rempits in UMNO to give them more crack.
With people like this at the top, what can we do? The powerful will keep oppressing up defenceless people.
BTW, the original video clip is here. (15MB, in 3GP format. Use Quicktime to open on a PC, or upload it to your handphone to spread it far and wide a possible). Credit to my contact in Sibu.
Back while I was in Auckland, I saw a nice but old Proton Saga hatchback. Here in Brisbane, Proton is selling the Gen-2, Savvy, Arena (called a Jumbuck here), and even the Satria Neo. (Good god!) Honestly, sometimes I can't hide myself with the shame that passes me when I see a Proton on the road. Not to mention how so much cheaper Proton's car's are here, even if you take account to the high exchange rate.
Anyway, I saw a Proton Sawi Savvy parked outside my house:
Front view
Back view
Yes, folks, it is a AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) model! Look mum, no clutch! But it's 100% "manual".
You still need to shift gears.
This is the only thing Lotus about the car. The engine is a Renault, the chassis is German, the workmanship is Malaysian, the power windows 100% Proton. (Some one tell me, which car maker on earth gives a 1 year warranty on power windows?!)
Inside view. By and large it's the same as the Malaysian version. Probably just with better power windows, airbags on both seats, ABS included, not cheap plastic...........
Close up view of the console.
Up close with the AMT.
Overall shot. Next to the Daihatsu for contrast. No, I have no idea who's car's are these.
Registration. And me. :P
What interested me through, was the sun visor: The "warning" messages are printed in English, French and German! Is Proton thinking about going to Continental Europe?
A few days back I decided to pay a visit to the Brisbane City Hall building.
Too lazy to type too much, so this will be a primarily picture post.
The interesting thing about the building is you can go up to the top of the clocktower, and have a look at the Brisbane CBD. I suppose in the old days it would have been the tallest structure in the city. However, now with all the tall office buildings, its kinda dwarfed 360 degrees. But anyway......
I was there.
It's interesting that the clock is below the viewing deck, while the bells are just above you. The guide joked that it scared and deafened many a tourist who went up there at noon. :)
Anyway, views:
Looking towards the Myer Centre at Queens St mall.
Looking towards the CBD where all the office buildings are. If you look closely at the bottom right, you can see Wintergarden.
A old church with the Suncorp clock in the background. The Suncorp clock is probably more seen than the clock below me.
Construction of the Inner Northen Busway, which will link the Queen St bus mall with Kelvin Grove underground.
Ann St. With the same church.
The strip below is a section of the the newly rebuilt Albert St mall.
You can't see it, but this is the general direction looking towards QUT.
The huge dome of the City Hall building.
Looking towards South Bank. The building with the nice bright colors is the new Brisbane Square library.
