Living My Dream Sensibly

Some say he eats bullet to fly while others say he chomps silvery matters for ferocity that piss him off. All I know is that he's the Silver Bullet.......!

Well, I will be living one of my dreams in 2 sleeps and in line with my AIM (Aspiration, Inspiration & Motivation). All these while I have been driving "boring" cars. By that, I didn't mean they are not good but just normal. However, the FIATs that I drove (drive whenever available when back in Pg) are interesting that they are rear-wheel and that has actually made me preferred rear-wheel-drive cars. Other cars I have driven are '79 Civic, Kelisa, small Chev, '85 Civic Shuttle and '06 Yaris YRS Sedan. While I'm having these cars, my friends have the lowered Civic, Type R, Skyline, 180SX, Silvias, AE86, Supra, WRX, EVO, Merc, BMW, Minis, Golf GTI and the likes.

If you're still wondering the car that ticks the item on my bucket list, think practical but fast; small but big; and gentle yet ferocious! Read on and I'll get to that.....

There have been a few options that I was looking at. BMW 120d was one for the same reason that my FIAT gave me. It's has 50:50 weight distribution, 7.6sec for naught to 100 and it's BMW. However, there is a premium to it with disadvantages like tight rear legroom and small boot capacity. Further to that, the 120d doesn't have the "cult/iconic" status like its elder siblings 135i, 335i, M3 and M5. Having said that, I almost ended getting it (thanks to a friend who was waiting for his M3 delivery)! Another friend also put me into perspective.

Then, there was the WRX. Subaru does make some wonderful cars. The all-wheel-drive (AWD) that gives symmetry, thus, safety. On the other hand, there have been saying that should one go to the AWD path there won't be a turn back. Another analogy would be "Once tasted black, won't go back"! Ultimately, Subaru is still a Japanese car which may not be as refined and luxurious.

So, what are my requirements? From the above description, you would have probably listed out the following:
- Cult status with a heritage of being a thoroughbred
- Practical but tamely fast when call upon
- Small but big in terms of boot space and legroom at the rear
- Luxury but affordable without paying through my nose

Lexus IS250 may just fill the spot but it's still a Jap.

Audi A3? Hmmm....compact, stylish and decently fast but not a cult/icon.

Golf GTI? It's close, very close.......! But it's not there yet.....!

How about Golf GTI Pirelli Limited Edition of which this is the 2nd time having a Pirelli edition with the 1st edition done in 1983, totaling 10,500 units worldwide! So, what are the differences between the P edition and the regular GTI?

1) Full leather with yellow stitching, P Zero tyre designs on the seats and electric lumbar support with seat warmer
2) Titanium-varnished 18" alloy wheels with the spokes representing Pirelli's P and P-zero tyres 225 60 ZR18!
3) Darkened rear lights
4) 4 disc brakes

The more interesting part:
5) 169kW translating into 229bhp and 300nm torque (147kW, 200bhp, 280nm)
6) Naught to 100 in blistering 6.6sec with the packaged P Zero tyres (6.9s), top speed 245kmph (233kmph) with the 6-speed DSG transmission which is automatic manual without clutch pedal!
7) Combined consumption of 8.1/100km (8.0/100km)
8) Bumpers with similar body colour while the regular GTI has black coloured bumpers

For your information, I didn't get the yellow though it is the colour available only to the Pirelli version. I don't want to look like a taxi, in this case a fast taxi!

With the specs, I'm very sure it smokes most cars on the road. I don't have to live with the agony of being "bullied" on the road like those friends during uni. [Frestyler, Calpo/Froggy, Johnny were some of them!]

Mom & dad, don't you worry about me going nuts without being sensible. Check out the image below. What's power without control? Or in Pirelli's version, Power Is Nothing Without Control.
Did I mention practicality? It's a 5-door with 330l boot space. It certainly can fit my parents' luggage and my dad can concentrate on the driving in unfamiliar circumstances without worrying about clutch pedal! Perhaps, the latter is an excuse!

On that note, I'll try to get some shut eyes after some days with the twitching of my fingers imagining the paddle shifts, the lurching of my shoulder from the car's pulling power and the humming of the acceleration with gear shifting as well as the combination of the three together!

Damages of My Apartment

I've been feeling frustrated and disappointed with the damages to my apartment. There have been 3 inspections with another test done today. The moisture reading of the kitchen walls is still high at some spots while the pressure test on the water pipe of my shower seems alright with no leak.

Apparently, the moist on my bedroom's wall is a result from the leaks from the base of the shower. It has 2 holes! What an incompetence to whoever done this!

Anyway, the ceiling and the walls cannot be painted still until it's drier, that is below 18%. There are spots over >70%! The cold weather doesn't help drying it. The next reading will be 10-12 weeks away!

Pure & Innocent

These are pics of friends' newborn who was bornt in early July. I love little kids as they are at their most innocent state, not to mention honest.

MJ Tribute in Melbourne's Fed Square

Attending the King's concert is one of the items in my bucket list. I was so hoping that the "This Is It" tour would travel Down Under of which was actually in his plan sometime next year. Unfortunately, it will never eventuate with his passing on 25 June 2009 (morning of Aus 26 June 2009).

As a consolation, I decided to head to the last minute planned gathering for the Memorial & Tribute to Michael Jackson in Federation Square on 8 July 2009 with a frosty sub-5C at 3am with another friend.

Perhaps, they will finally leave you alone but you are not alone. Thank you for your music that have contributed to many in various forms.

Let us all forget the controversies of Jacko, rather, let the legacy of Michael Jackson lives on eternally.

Home Damaged

I have just moved in to my new place barely 3 months. The unit above had a burst pipe and resulted water being leaked into my unit on Thurs. The ceiling in the kitchen and bedroom have bubbles that formed a line popping up.

Some of the major damages so far are:
Matress
Silk Quilt which I couldn't find a 100% pure silk
Printer (under testing by electrician)
Window Panels/Frames
Walls - Paint bubbly
Ceiling - Paint bubbly
Timber Floor - some edges bubbly

I don't wish to be too specific here to avoid any issues later on, especially should legalities come into play.

It's frustrating but the unit once repaired would be newer. Before that, there will be much to do.

Michael Jackson

Less than a month from his comeback, the King of Pop shockingly died of cardiac arrest on Thursday 25 June 2009 (Friday morning, Australian time). When I woke up to the "breaking news" on the TV, I thought it must have been another rumour cooked up by the tabloids. However, that sad news was confirmed before 8am AEST. His albums are all sold out by the time I got off work and were looking for them in a few stores.

I shed some tears from reading the news, articles and those tributes shown on TV. The memories of us performing his song "Heal the World" in a dinner after a competition, doing the Moonwalk (or attempting it back then), watching some of his music videos on a bus and singing some of his hits out of tune seems not too long ago! It's just that I was so looking forward to his comeback performance, new songs and the rumoured new dance move.

Invinsible was MJ's latest and least popular album that came out in 2001 with roughly about 10mil prior to his passing. I bought it when it first came out in 2001. By selling only 10mil copies, it's by far better than most artists' level but poor comparing to his standard.

The more popular he became, the more the public demand from him and the more privacy he lost. Michael Jackson is for sure very talented but also tormented in more ways than one.

I wish all the controversies died with Jacko but his legacy as the one and only King of Pop lives on forever.