Movie Review - Ant-Man and the Wasp

In the name of Allah. The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

Assalamu'alaikum, y'all!!

"Maybe you just need someone watching your back. Like a partner."

~ Cassie Lang (Ant-Man and the Wasp) ~

5 months. Friggin' 5 months since my last post. What the frack?! Blame it on research and me procrastinating though. Anyway, it's been 5 months since my last post but it's been an even longer time since I did a movie review. So this time it's this movie........

Ant-Man and the Wasp poster

I'm in no way affiliated with anybody as I'm doing this review since I'm not a professional film critic but just a casual movie-goer. So this review may or may not contain spoilers since I'm pretty unclear what counts as a spoiler. Haha! Here we go....

Paul Rudd reprises his role as Ant-Man/Scott Lang from the 1st movie. The same goes for Michael Douglas (Hank Pym), Evangeline Lilly (Hope van Dyne), Michael Peña (Luis), Ti (Dave) and David Dastmalchian (Kurt). Newcomers include Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, CSI), Hannah John-Kamen (Ready Player One) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Mother!, Murder on the Orient Express) who plays Janet van Dyne, Hank's wife, Hope's mom.

Like it's predecessor, the movie has the quick-witted Scott Lang being in a rut in almost every moment of the movie. For instance, trying to be an awesome dad to his daughter Cassie while being 3 days from finishing his probation after getting arrested for being involved with Captain America (Captain America: Civil War). Hank, knowing that Scott returned from the quantum realm after going sub-atomic in the 1st movie, believes that his wife is still alive and that there is a chance to save her. So in a nutshell, that's sort of the basis of the film.

HOWEVER....

(There's always a 'however', isn't there?)

Things are never easy when you're a superhero. Hank, Scott and Hope face a new enemy in the form Ava Starr a.k.a Ghost who can phase through objects, making her a different kind of bad guy (or bad woman. I'm equal opportunity). She wants Hank's equipment to get Janet out of the quantum realm and suck the quantum energy out of her and cure herself from her condition, possibly killing Janet.

As if that's not enough the heroes face Sonny Burch played Walton Goggins (Shanghai Noon, Justified) who want to take Hank's tech and sell it on the black market. Have no fear though, Scott's got some back-up........

These 3 ex-cons (4 including Scott) are starting a security business but of course they have time to play the good guys. Michael Peña plays Luis the same as he did the first time: Fast-talking and funny as hell. Same goes for T.I and David Dastmalchian. I guess you can say they're like the comic-relief of the flick but they do their parts too.

I think what people were most looking forward to (at least I was anyway) was seeing Evangeline Lilly in that Wasp outfit. This seemed inevitable considering Hank showed Hope the suit at the end of the 1st movie.

Can we all just agree that Evangeline Lilly is SUPER pretty?

Anyway, the full introduction of the Wasp into the MCU is good considering that we actually KNEW the character was coming. It'd more awesome if none of us knew Hank made the suit for Hope and we suddenly see her fighting in it in the sequel. But hey, to each his own, innit?

So, can the heroes get Janet from the quantum realm? Can Ava cure herself? Or will Sonny get the best of them all and sell Hank's tech in the black market? I ain't telling you the rest of the movie so what the heck are you waiting for? Go see it!

I give "Ant-Man and the Wasp" an 8.5/10

Movie talk aside, I had a rough couple of months lately. I've been struggling physically, emotionally and mentally. I can't actually write it now and post it. I'm telling you, man. It's hard for me not to vent out and tell the world. It's even harder for me to call out the person(s) who did this to me. And yes, I'm talking about you. To think that the support and concern came from OUTSIDE this particular circle is sad for me.

And if ANYBODY who reads this even thinks of telling me, "Syauqi, take that post down" or even "Tak elok la kau buat blog entry macam tu", you CLEARLY don't know me. You have no idea what my strengths and weaknesses are. You have no idea what I bottle up inside. FOR MONTHS. YEARS even. So if you have issues with my posts, the door's open and PLEASE let it hit your ass on the way out.

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: As per usual, stay for the post-credit scenes. BOTH of them ;-)

Cherish Each and Every Moment

In the name of Allah. The Most Gracious. The Most Merciful

Assalamu'alaikum, everyone!!

"Being a hero doesn't mean you're invincible. It just means that you're brave enough to stand up and do what's needed."

~Piper McLean (Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena)~

Alhamdulillah. Still alive and well (physically, maybe. Mentally, doubtful XD) on God's earth. The past year has been crazy. College so far is a whirlwind but I managed to get through it. I'm sort of dreading my last semester. Partly because, it's THE FINAL semester. Mostly it's because I'm gonna have to get a job. Oh such fun.

:-|

Anyway, it occurred to me that this is my first post of 2017. I was waiting for a good idea for a post. I didn't get a good idea for a post. Instead, I got the PERFECT post............

Introducing Dayang Deno!

After 6 years. 6 YEARS! We finally got to meet each other. Usually it's just online. Through blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. You know, the usual. I've followed her progress (and in case you guys are getting any ideas, I didn't mean that in a creepy way) for years. I guess I have to explain what that means.

She has SLE or more commonly known as lupus. The way she explains it, imagine your immune system are soldiers and you're the commanding officer. Instead of attacking the baddies in your system like you told them to, they attack the healthy tissues and organs in the body, going rogue. Picture yourself in her shoes. You go for all these treatments and get all these drugs pumped into you. I'm squirming just typing it write now. OK, imagine having to go through it for 18 years. And for all those years till now, knowing that there is NO CURE.

:'-(

Honestly speaking, I HAVE heard of lupus even before I ran into her blog but I never knew what it's about. But after reading her posts, one after another, and also seeing her updates on other social media, I basically got the idea. After knowing not even half of what she's been through, all I could think was "I gotta meet her". Alhamdulillah, I did!

I had something going on at college. And no, I'm not that rajin to go to UTM masa tengah cuti. Not yet anyway. It was not really academic-related. So anywho, I went to meet up with Deno soon after. I didn't know what I was expecting to be honest. I was sitting at one of the bookstores at the "undisclosed location" where we met, reading, and I saw this person creeping up on me like I was gonna attack. The second she said "Syauqi?", I was like "Hiiiiiii!!!!!!". Haha!!

We had lunch and got to know each other better. We talked about almost everything. Friends, family, life. Most importantly, she educated me on what she has. She told me stories about how it affected her life, how she dealt with it. I guess one of them was seeking refuge in the art of doodling.

Haha! I got this 5 years ago when I went on that 2-month Euro trip. I may have short hair now but that was basically me back then. I'm telling you guys, her doodles are AMAZING. She sometimes get requests from people to doodle and to me, she's a big deal in Malaysia's doodling scene. The detail of them, so intricate. The significance of most of her doodles is also something. I have 2 left hands (sort of the equivalent of 2 left feet). I don't actually know how to draw. She showed me her work after we were finished eating and just chatting. Like the artist herself, they were beautiful. Check 'em out on her page by clicking her name earlier in the post.

I gotta be honest, hearing her tell her stories of coping with lupus, going for 'umrah with that condition, dealing with haters from all sides and STILL having that smile on her face and just giving out positive vibes wherever she goes, I nearly choked up (Sebak, wei. Sikit je lagi nak leleh air mata). I don't know. I just can't imagine going through all of it. Very rarely you get to meet people who can inspire you. I look up to our Prophet P.B.U.H and Roger Federer but meeting them is sort of out of the question (the former because he's no longer with us and the latter. Well, c'mon. It's Roger). Meeting this pretty little lady was eye-opening and inspiring to say the least. I had so much fun yesterday. It was a privilege and honor and hopefully we'll meet again, In Sya-Allah. 

We could've gone on and on and would still find other things to talk about but I guess I had to beat the traffic. That failed miserably by the way. A sneak peek to what the working life will be I reckon. The traffic was crazy! But you know what? It was worth it. Here are some shots we took...........

Little Miss Deno, I hope only the best for you and may Allah S.W.T Bless you and protect you always. Aamiin. In Sya-Allah. And don't lose that smile! Haha!

:-D

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: Do me a favour and check out her page, guys! She's awesome!

She's Tiny But Beautiful. Nothing Like the Stamps

In the name of Allah. The Most Gracious. The Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum, everybody!

"It's a lie to think that you're not good enough. It's a lie to think that you're not worth anything. You know, it's scary to know how many girls have eating disorders. It's scary to know how many people actually feel like they're worth nothing. Every single girl right here, right now. I want you to know that YOU. ARE. BEAUTIFUL. And you boys. You da man."

~Nick Vujicic (Motivational Speaker)~

I'm actually surprised that I'm updating right NOW instead of a few days ago considering I'm at the end of my mid semester break. Anyway, I'm off to KL tomorrow and will be in a crap-load of work.

Something occurred to me today. A very close friend of mine asked me a question a few months ago. It was a question that pretty much caught me off guard. We, 2 friends and I, just finished dinner. After sending one of our friends home, we were on our way to send my other friend home. My friend of 12 years asked me a question that I never thought she'd ask.

"Do you think I'm beautiful?"

We were lucky that I didn't swerve off the road. Really caught me off guard. Anyway, I answered......(I'm paraphrasing here)

Beauty is quite a subjective term. Ever heard of "beauty is just skin-deep"? Some people just think beauty as just a pretty face. The physical properties of a person. But what's the point if a person's outer shell is a sight for sore eyes but the inner shell gives an eyesore? Nak senang kata muka lawa tapi perangai macam longkang. Call me old-fashioned and kolot but it's my opinion.

To me, being beautiful is being your true self. Not trying to impress anybody just for the sake of wanting to be accepted.

So anyway, naturally, I told her that of course she's beautiful. It could've been me being biased 'cause we've known each other for a long time but I was telling the truth. People have their own interpretations of beauty, their own way of making themselves the personification of beauty. All I'm saying is stay true to yourself and you know what? To hell with those haters.

;-)

Gotta go and get some work done. Final year, baby!

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: I'm sort of trying to stay awake by doing this post

Appreciate Every Mix Tape Your Friends Make

In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum, y'all!

"I absolutely love meeting people. Fascinating ones, of course, but always remain their modesty. They never fail you with words and actions. Their eloquence is breathtaking and they leave you undone but with happiness. Absolutely no regrets. Their intelligence is beyond words. Their sincerity kills evil and it's inspiring. To be surrounded by these kind of people is really motivating me to stay positive and move about, doing amazing things."

~Syahira Naimi~

It's been a while since I last updated. I think about a month a half-ish. Been really lacking in ideas. And also...This!!!

Finished my internship at SIRIM. While others in UTM are back in class, my batch in KL have the week off! But I ain't stopping. Have some more stuff to do. Anyway, I've been quite dry of ideas. Hence, the lack of posts.

HOWEVER

Literally a few hours ago, I found this tweet on my Twitter feed.

Tbh, I think of that almost everyday. Especially when I feel like I've been wronged, like someone did something bad to me. And you know what? I'm not having it. A person should know that he/she has left a mark on at least SOMEONE.

By the way, I have to black out her name for privacy reasons. So let's just call her Hanali.

And so the story starts.......

I just got back from work. This was during my internship. I was just scrolling down my Instagram TL then I saw Hanali's post. She checked in and I noticed that her uni is near my house. One thing led to another, we had a deal meet up for dinner since I'm occupied at work in the daytime.

I drove to pick her up. Her campus is huge. Ok? Ginormous. If you rarely go in, like me (I've been in there just twice for the past 10 years), you will get lost. So naturally, I asked her to send me her location through whatsapp. Sure enough, I went to the place. Bagai nk rak aku cari budak ni. Haha! Then she said her hostel is farther away. After LOL-ing for a few minutes, I decided to find a landmark which was the health center.

We were so excited to see each other when she finally found my car. Mind you, the last time we saw each other was early 2009. After that, it was all online. That was over 7 years ago, ok? Boleh tahan la lama dia tu. Anyway, at the time I honestly didn't know any place near her place that's not crowded with college students. Haha! So we had to go a bit far to a place where I know they make good char kuey tiow.

The place was quiet even though it was still early and it was like we have the whole place to ourselves. We talked about a lot of things. Of course la, over 7 years tak jumpa kan. Among the things we talked about was our education. I told her basically everything about my infamous failed plan on continuing my degree overseas. As it turned out, our place of interest was the same. Whattaya know? We talked about friends (bukan mengumpat! I mean the old days) and family. Of life and love. How we're growing up too damn fast. It was fun catching up with an old friend, slowing down the fast-paced life we're living in now.

As Hanali and I were chatting, I noticed the staff sweeping and mopping. It was our cue to go.

A fact about me: If I go out with a girl, regardless of who it is, I'll open the car door for her. If there are more than one, I'll try but it'll be hard.

Sure enough, I opened the car door for Hanali and she sort of squeaked and got excited. Haha!

Before you guys get any ideas, just read the next picture CAREFULLY....

Chivalry isn't dead

And this is exactly what I told Hanali. Ladies, there are guys out there who are good. They might not have the looks, the cash, the height (and yes I'm in that 1%) but these are the people who you should give chances too. Prove me wrong. But hey, if you still wanna go out with massive tools and friendzone the guy who would actually treat you right and still ask "why isn't there a good guy any more?" or "all guys are the same", be my guest.

Anywho, I dropped Hanali at her hostel and went home.

There you go. A full memoir of what happened on that night from the eyes of someone who would always cherish a friend and remember the people he knows.

(I didn't know him that well even though we did our diploma in KL and I will regret that but at least I'll remember you for how you recited His Verses)

I always thought about how me being gone will affect people. Some might just shed one single tear. Some might just shrug it off. Bila kawan kita dh tak de, jgn baru nak menyesal tak itu tak ini. He/she won't be there to listen to you.

On a much lighter note, I saw Suicide Squad today. Yay me! Review coming up hopefully. Busy week.

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: So you have wished it, so shall it be XD

It Has Its Ups and Downs

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Assalamu'alaikum, everybody!

Been about 4 months since the last update. A lot's happened, people. A LOT. But the major ones were basically two.........

Exams were killer, man! Crazy!

After that last Microprocessor and Microcontroller paper, I was just like... "Well, I'm screwed. Meh." Seriously. That's engineering for you.

Anyway, the next order of business after that....SUKIPT 2016.

I lost in the 2nd round against the 3rd seed player who was probably a state/national player. No worries. The experience that counts. Anyway, 2 weeks under the hot sun and it got to me that I got darker. The ring finger tan line was proof enough. 2 weeks with this bunch. Loved it!

But to be honest though, I just feel like ranting. Only for the sake of updating this blog here. And somehow I suddenly have no idea what to write. Writing it sometimes doesn't do it justice. Venting off is best done with someone, where you can blast at him/her. And just keep on doing it till that person falls asleep.

It may not look like it but I got a lot of things on my mind. Some bigger than others and some more significant than most. So if I snap at someone, I apologize in advance.

Due to me being too active in tennis, I can just squeeze about 2 weeks of the semester break and I'm going back in about a week.

Time flies, eh?

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: The signs are there

BMWMO 2014 (Part 2)

In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

Assalamu'alaikum, y'all!!

Sorry it took too long to put the 2nd part of the BMWMO.  These pictures pretty much sums up our 2nd and final week of work..............

At least we were always on the screen right? Haha! It rained everyday except for ONE single day.  It rained during the finals too so the delays were really long.  We didn't do it all the way though.  The ball boys did it after we rolled the initial layer of water.

This lady was so hard to get a proper picture of.  The tournament's main attraction, Dominika Cibulkova!

Or as we'd like to call her, IKA.

-____-"

It was against policy but I did it.  Can't help myself..........

Me with Jarmila Gajdosova from Australia.  We weren't suppose to take pictures with the players.  But rules were made to be broken at some point right?

;-)

Also got a picture with Ms. Renai Mattu from Astro.  A bit giddy at the time but can you blame me?

:-3

We celebrated Aji's birthday too.  And somebody got the ice treatment.  Haha! Happy birthday, Haziq!

Haha! John.  That guy cracks us up.  He strung most of the players' racquets.  He's a tennis coach too.

Some of us bought some new gear too.  Hehe..

For the doubles finals, it was Babos-Chan vs Kichenok-Savchuk.  Babos and Chan were the no. 1 seed for the tournament's doubles category.  They were pretty much the pair to beat.  It was a set each.  The 3rd deciding set was a super tie-break.  First to reach 10 points.  Surprise-surprise, Babos-Chan won.....

Next was the MAIN main event.  Center court was pretty much packed.  It was Dominika Cibulkova vs the 17 y/o Donna Vekic.

Vekic took the 1st set but 'IKA' rallied to get the 2nd set.  Then it went down to a tie-break.  First to 7.

Ali told us that we can go watch.  So we did!

Ain wasn't in there.  Sorry, Ain!

>___<"

It was great seeing a live match.  It was so tense.  Of course we cheered for Donna.  Who doesn't like the underdog, right?  Aaaaaaand.  She won!!

It slowly dawned on me that our work was over.  There were lots of this.............

And this...........

But these 2 will always be my favourite.............

The following day, we went to Bangi.  Over there, you can find the cheapest but really worth it tennis gear.  Faris bought a new racquet.  Guess I won't be taking him on with his new racquet.  Bummer.  Then we had to send this little lady back.............

Most of us were burnt.  Daaaaamn

T______T"

I'm not good with selfies.  Haha!! Ain wasn't around though cos she went back earlier that morning.

Well, that's the end of the 2 weeks.  Thanks to the people from Fuzzy Balls for giving us a chance to work with you.  Lots of ups and downs but it was damn worth it.  If my fellow crew are reading this, I messed lots of times, scolded some of you guys and also did some bad things.  I'm really sorry and I hope to see you all soon.  In Sya-Allah.

:-)

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: Just bought some new gear!  But it's not what you think

;-)

BMWMO 2014 (Part 1)

In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum, y'all!

About 2 weeks ago, me and 6 friends of mine volunteered to become part of the court services crew for the 2014 WTA BMW Malaysia Open (BMWMO).  I'm telling you.  It was hard work. Carrying boxes and bags of ice and tennis balls and drinks.  But it was worth every damn second.  For the first few days we got out of work early cos there weren't much to do anyway...........

Mind you, there weren't any hard court surfaces in the Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC) grounds.  Just grass courts.  That's the center court right there where all the main matches were played and the court that was televised on Astro.  The prize was of course that new BMW X5 up there.  How did they get it there? No clue.

-___-"

Here's where the players did most of their practice sessions.  MiCasa hotel suites.  There's Miss Rika Fujiwara practising her serve.

No idea what possessed Aji over there in the 2nd picture.  Haha!

Ok.  So basically the next pictures are what we see almost everyday in the BMWMO.............

Don't ask me about that last picture.  That's just the 2 Ali's (Ali and Wan Ali).  They've got a screw loose.  Well...They've got all of they're screws loose.  Haha!

I've been playing tennis for 16 years now.  And seeing these ladies play how they did was just...Humbling.  I mean I know they're pros but c'mon, right?

Well, I think I'll finish part 2 of this tomorrow.

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: Thinking of training those guys.  Those who can't do, teach.  Right? >____<"