Reminisce

I haven't posted an entry for sometime.  This was due to the reason that was busy going around that I didn't have time to sit down and write.  I was in Bangkok last couple of weeks for training, for which I will write a travelogue of that.  Just 1 week in Bangkok and I have semi mastered the routes either by foot, taxi, tuk tuk or skytrain or MRT subway.  Bangkok is indeed a very fine city of Thailand.

A week after that, and a few days ago, I just came back from Phuket.  No, not because of work but for recce for our Satria GTi Getaway in September (which is next month..Yahoo!)  It was dead tiring.  Direct drive from KL - Phuket, stayed there for 2 nights and drove straight back down to KL from Phuket.  A direct drive with 3 fuel stopovers, 3 pit stops and 1 lunch takes 14 ~ 16 hours!!  No joke!  We took turns driving but even that, was taxing to our already exhausted bodies.  But our strength was rejuvenated when we met some familiar faces in Banthai Beach Resort on Patong beach, namely Buck, Hisyam, Onny, Asrul, Bangau and some other Proton fellas who were there for the Satria Neo 2,000km Challenge.  Well in my opinion, I had a more challenging trip...non stop from KL - Phuket and back..BEAT THAT!  Okay, so they were there to give some anal-lysts and media peeps a test drive of the new Proton Satria Neo, especially with the challenging and gruelling 2,000km drive. 

I still remember the look on Buck's face when he saw us as we got out of the car in Banthai.  "Heey..heeyy brooo..!!" he quipped with that usual extra grin on his face.  We were as delighted to see him too, especially the person he had on his bike..hehehe.  So anyway, we had a fun time in Phuket, going around having traditional Thai massage (you really need that after a long 16 hour drive) and following the entourage to go-go bars and clubbing.  So basically due to that plus I haven't really recuperated from my 1 week Bangkok excursion, the day we left Phuket, I felt the all too familar throat itch and true enough, the next day I lay flat on my back in bed.  I had cough, runny nose and a slight fever.  Went to work the next day tho but decided to go see the doctor around 3pm and got an MC for the day after.  So here I am, wondering what to do while resting (I know I got that thing to write Buck, no worries ok) and downloading some old Malay songs from Limewire.

To those who were die hard Malay rock fans of the 80's would remember groups such as CRK, Bumiputera Rockers (BPR), Febians, Mega, Search, Wings, Lestari, XPDC etc.  Yes, those were the days of skin tight leather pants which I know brings up several more octaves in their male vocalists (thats how they reach those high notes) and long fuzzy hair.  Those days were before our Information Minister had some glue aka gam.  Gam was the popular word for these rock stars if they had their hair length passed their shoulders.  Bsaically, the radio stations weren given strict orders not to play their songs hence they have been 'gam' or glued (I really wonder who thought of such a word).  I have now a nice small collection of all these songs which I remembered listening to while studying for my SRP exams at 2 ~ 3 in the morning.  I have had some before but I have added a whole lot more (don't worry yewww, nanti I bagi kat yeww okayyy?)

So one of the groups I downloded was Feminin.  Aahh..the most sought after popular all girl group back in the early 90's.  It was mid 93 to be exact and they started as the first all female teen group.  Consisting of 5 teens which spots the same hair cut, dressing and dance steps.  It was a first for the  Malaysian music scene.

                Feminin from L-R : Along, Deq Nor, Asfarina, Yatie, Watie.
This was my first photo of Feminin taken at UKM Bangi in 1993, also their first public appearance.

The Feminin groups consisted of Asfarina (the head of the group also the most bitchy of the lot), Along was the cutest and my friend had this big crush on her because she had this chinese look, Deq Nor, a girl who is more matured than she looks.  Quiet and shy.  Watie, the youngest of the group also the the one with the most character and 'manja'.  Watie is Asfarina's younger sister.  Also quiet and very loyal to the group.  These girls became instant hit with their song Untukmu and other popular songs back then.  No one knew that a young group of girls can take over the music scene and be the pioneer to several other similar wannabe groups like M'steen and..and..aiyahh..I forgot the other group.  They were popular with that song "Kepastian..." and has that girl Baby something..  Anyone of you remember please comment ya?  I don't want to dig up my old tape collection.  Anyway, Feminin took the Malaysian music by storm and I was their sort of 'unoffical Photographer".  Wherever they went, I was there to cover for their pics from Bangi, Port Dickson, Slim River or somewhere.  Heck it was fun, it was entertaining and it opened my doors to taking videos for KRU after that too.  Infact, I had taken pics of KRU since their early shows in Taman Tasik Perdana.  Back then they were just a bunch of talented kids who wore raincoats.

So after about a year later with many, many pictures taken from their stage shows and TV3's Muzik-Muzik, the group started to deteriorate.  I mean its tough taking care of a bunch of kids who are still in school (well some of them were then).  I remember their manager Ed which I used to hang around a bit of time with, was a nice...chap.  Very humble, very polite and very patient with the girls.  I stopped taking their pics soon after and worked on KRU instead on their videos.  Just some very simple stuff.  Just like fashiom and hair do's, nothing lasts.  After Along left and Deq Nor got married, the group fell apart.  So did other all teen girl groups then.  Not until they produced one more album called Kini which I found their videoclip to be very, very matured.  I think I still have a copy of their videoclip somewhere.  Now I don't know where they are, only rumours I hear of As being here and there but the rest was no where to be known.  Well, at least they were there to brighten some of our lives back then with their hip hop teen music, and gave some color to the Malaysian Music Industry.  Hope you had a pleasant read.

Espcially for abg Saiful - but missing one signature

Comments

[ღWhite Persianღ]

im one of feminin greatest fans during my childhood days..and i read ur interesting blogs. btw..u were refering to Res 2 as well..its Baby Arin. (Lili Zarina Khalil) was charged for drugs.hmmm..

[Saiful]

Sri - YESSS YESSS YESSS, I somehow knew in my heart you sure tau punye..heheh. Thankss so much dearie! I owe you one.

Maha - Can, we put our Thinkpads together and see who has what

Buck - I promise you a big smile next month didn't I?

[Lil' DeViL]

Kepastian...by Res-2...hmmm

[Maharedza]

Dude, I've got quite a good collection of old Malay rock kapak songs. We should trade stuff. I even have Feminin songs, hehehehe.

P.S. I remember the song Kepastian, quite catchy beat too.
P.P.S. I met Yatie bout 2 years back, she's close to a friend of mine. She's still cute.

[buck]

Bro, big grin eh? well lets turn it into a big smile next month. Didn't expect to see you guys there. Till then, party hard dude.