Monday, January 23, 2012
A Good Book
Ah, a good book.

Every page is a turn of wonderful anticipation. The glorious sound it makes from the crease of paper when you flip the page reminds me of life's little delight we often overlook. Each line is a revelation coupled with sheer epiphany of a five year old toddler after a good story been told. If the words can speak, you will listen it murmurs beautiful things into your ears as you look at them in monochromatic lines. The journey it takes as it goes through the plots transfixes the mind and nerve and you will wish it will never end.

But it will anyway,

and soon you will have to succumb to life's harshest reality that all good things will come to an end as you reach the back of the page. You will wish you have few more lines to read, but you are not the author, so what you think is of little note, because the end is the end. Then you will hear a subtle thud as you close the back page and walk your way to the shelf as you prepare to rest the book with the common herd of old books.

But not even an ending can take the feeling away - the feeling of knowing you have read a book of that class. It has changed your world in the simplest of way. Life's little delight.

A good friend is like a good book.

Once read, once enjoyed. Sometimes on the shelf, but always in my heart.

Always.
 
posted by Izham Ismail at 11:52 pm | Permalink |
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tamadun Ini

Kelab-kelab berstatus mega adalah antara yang pertama untuk hanyut. Hanyut ditelan oleh pergelutan wang di meja lembaga pengarah. Sejarah hanya tinggal sejarah. Sejarah hebat bertukar busuk, lenyap dek hujanan wang ringgit.

Kemudian ombak mengambil stesen-stesen TV bersama. Ketiadaan kelab berstatus mega melenyapkan minat penyokong-penyokong berjiwa lemah dan sederhana.

Tamadun bolasepak kini semakin hampir menjadi jelmaan Tamadun Rom, merudum dan bakal pupus.

Lembaga pengarah dipecat satu-satu. Pemilik berstatus jutawan mengira hari untuk diusir. Keduanya dipijak oleh tekanan wang dan kejayaan segera.

Stadium umpama sebuah struktur yang terselamat selepas suatu perang besar. Serinya hilang, cahayanya malap dan kerusi-kerusinya ibarat sepohon kaktus di padang pasir.

Tamadun ini hancur. Tamadun ini lenyap.

*

Suatu hari, muncul seorang lelaki tua, berseluar pendek, berselipar dan memakai jersi sebuah kelab mega yang telah pupus, berjalan ke arah stadium yang dipenuhi semak samun dan najis pelbagai binatang.

Di tangannya ada sebilah sabit. Di belakangnya digantung sebatang penyapu. Di hatinya ada semangat yang pupus di hati orang lain.

Samun ditebas, najis disapu dan stadium yang usang bertukar menjadi baru. Berita ini disambut sahabat-sahabat lelaki tua itu dan bersama lelaki-lelaki tua yang lain, kelab dibangunkan semula.

Sejarah diceritakan semula kepada pemuda-pemuda dan anak-anak kecil. Kehebatan kelab dicanangkan ke serata dunia.

Api yang sama kelihatan pada lelaki tua dari kelab mega lain apabila mengetahui musuh mereka sudah bangun dari tidur.

Pemain-pemain yang kini menganggur diberi peluang untuk bermain dalam liga-liga kecil dan daif. Kali ini tiada apa yang dijanjikan selepas tamat 90 minit. Tiada wang dan ganjaran, yang ada hanyalah rasa puas dan senang hati.

Setiap perlawanan dinanti dengan penuh debaran dan semangat. Pemain bermain untuk maruah dan cinta kepada tamadun ini. Penyokong menyokong demi maruah dan cinta kepada tamadun ini. Tiada sebab lain.

Stadium diisi oleh sorakan penyokong yang dahagakan aksi, gerakan pemain, hantaran dan jaringan gol. Semuanya demi maruah dan cinta kepada tamadun ini. Tiada sebab lain.

Pengarah dan pemilik kelab diundi oleh penyokong setia. Penyokong diangkat menjadi raja dan bukan lagi komoditi. Pengarah dan pemilik bekerja untuk kesenangan penyokong dan pemain, bukan diri sendiri. Semuanya demi maruah dan cinta kepada tamadun ini. Tiada sebab lain.

Tamadun ini kembali dihormati.

Beliau mengelap air matanya menggunakan jersi kelab kesayangannya.

Lelaki tua tersenyum puas.
 
posted by Izham Ismail at 2:54 am | Permalink |
Thursday, January 12, 2012
HTMess
Some of you may be wondering where is the 'Older Post' button in this blog. I've also got some feedback that the header is not clickable and won't direct the readers to the main page.

I use the traditional HTML to edit this blog because I don't like the new template builder. It makes things too easy. But one day I was tweaking the script and the next thing I knew I've lost the 'Older Post' button and the header is no longer clickable.

Too easy, eh?

Guess not. So if you nerds know how to get it back on, please write me a line. I might buy you a drink.

Cheers, in advance.

 
posted by Izham Ismail at 6:26 am | Permalink |
Captain Marvel

The referee pointed to the spot. Gerrard did the rest. Penalty well taken. Hart had no chance. Wembley beckons. Silverware is all we need.


Stevie will take us there.


P.S. Manchester City 0 - 1 Liverpool (Steven Gerrard), Carling Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg.

 
posted by Izham Ismail at 6:09 am | Permalink |
Monday, January 09, 2012
The SAI

Suddenly the Judiciary is praised to the skies. Some people need to say sorry and retract their accusation that the Judiciary is this and that so that they would not look like a hypocrite celebrating the judgment.

Congrats anyway to Anwar Ibrahim and his legal team. I'm happy for his innocent family members who have been vilified day-to-day.

Big day for the Judiciary. I can't wait to read the full judgment.

What's next? It's only High Court, mind you.

Buckle up for more dramas.
 
posted by Izham Ismail at 3:50 pm | Permalink |
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Slow


Driving's lesson of life: Jangan jadi budak gemuk yang selalu buat orang lain jadi slow. In Chemistry these people are called rate determining step. Get rid of these people and move on to a better life.
 
posted by Izham Ismail at 3:58 pm | Permalink |
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Unlucky Number Seven

Issues are aplenty, running wild and hovering in my head, but the hands are not keen to elaborate in paragraphs. Hence the pointers, for a change.

1. Liverpool decided not to appeal for Suarez's 8-match ban. I don't understand why, especially after Kenny Dalglish and the players came out wearing THE t-shirt the day the verdict was delivered. Knee-jerk reaction - somehow reminded me of the £35m signing of Andy Carroll, but of course not as expensive. Personally I rather see Liverpool buck up their legal team and appeal - intelligently without aggression - if they feel the verdict and 8-game ban unjust, just to put THE t-shirt in proper justification. If not, move on, step out from the cold, remedy it by saying sorry. Be a gentleman we are.

2. Few hours after deciding to put world to rights and accepting Suarez's punishment, Liverpool lost to Manchester rich boys, and the call for Kenny Dalglish to put Liverpool house in order intensified. I hope he realizes that the transfer window is open to strengthen the squad. A quality striker and winger would cost a penny compared to how lavish Kenny spent the money in his pocket last transfer window, buying expensive and overrated British players. It has been six years without a trophy. The cabinet is getting dusty. Does it have any extra room at all?

3. Rafizi Ramli will finally battle it out against Khairy Jamaluddin after months of enticement. But it will not be enjoyed by the eyes of hungry, impatient, overly-passionate Malaysians in Malaysia. The debate will be held in London. Yes, London. I fail to see this as a run-up to any actual, formal debate. Any result from this London debate will shy any of the party of any more possible debates in the future. That aside, I tweeted and likened this debate to El Clasico, but played in Stadium Hang Tuah. Great match it will be, but boring crowd.

4. The country is buzzing with the subject of student power and academic freedom. I don't really sure what they are fighting about. I am a student. I feel powerful, and I think I am free academically. End of story. But seriously, I like how passionate they are in championing what they believe in. The message is great, but they have to understand that no matter how powerful the message is, they have to be relevant to be influential. End of another story.

5. Afdlin Shauki is now an UMNO member, much to disapproval of his fans. Exactly the problem of Malaysians who think they understand arts enough to enjoy them. Afdlin has made Malaysians cry and laugh through his movies and shows, but they are all seemed to be imaginary after this one political inclination uncovers. We as Malaysians are flawed in so many ways. We haven't really learned to respect other people's belief, yet we think we deserve to be respected.

6. Mahali Jasuli is the new Harimau Muda A captain, and he will lead the team in their mission in the S-League, which starts next month. Ong Kim Swee targets top 5 finish, but I am sure Malaysians won't be happy with that and will only settle as champions. Good luck boys!

7. Yes 7th point already! I'm out of idea but who cares? I've wrote 7 points! I would like to propose a toast on this 7th point to Anfield's beloved number 7, Luis Suarez. I can't wait for your return.

That's all for now. Cheers.
 
posted by Izham Ismail at 4:21 pm | Permalink |
Sunday, January 01, 2012
2012
 
posted by Izham Ismail at 8:17 pm | Permalink |