Whoa....! Just got back from two weeks of shooting in Kedah. Don't think I wanna do that again. Although there were some good things that came of it, in general it was just too... err... what's the word... stifling? It was in a small kampung in Kuala Nerang called Kampung Rambutan, which is really strange as there wasn't a single rambutan tree there. There were banana trees, betik plants, pokok nangkas but no rambutans. Only when I brought this up did the locals kind of realise the irony of it. Anyway, it was a very long, slow and tiring shoot. Rain really slowed down the shooting that two whole days was wasted because of it. I almost didn't want to do the shoot when I read the script, but I had already told the director, "Yes." Him being an old friend of mine and all. I hate it when I say yes before realising what I'm getting myself into. And yet, I seem to do it a lot. The story is a total rip-off of 'Nam Nak' (the Thai movie) only worse. Well that's a bit harsh, but I say that because 'Nam Nak' was a really well made movie and I wonder have we (malaysians) got the ability to do it justice. Plus the script was sooooooo melodramatic; exactly how people do not speak but if we imagined some highly emotional dramatic moment... then... maybe... perhaps... it would seem appropriate. But I had said "yes" and I hate backing out once I give my word so I had to grit my teeth and just do it. I think though that the director kind of felt my reluctance as he insisted on driving me up to Kedah himself. It felt like he was making sure I didn't flake out on him. He kept calling me to find out where I was and then when it was time he drove over to my girlfriend's place to pick me up. It sure is tough to work on a script you don't like. I found it difficult to focus as negative thoughts kept floating through my mind making me worry about how to do the scenes when I didn't like it. I felt like I was doing my worse performance ever. I have absolutely no idea how it's going to turn out.

Title of the vcd/telemovie is 'Nayang'. Was shooting it with Ani Mayuni or "N" as she likes to be called. Never met her before, but I'm glad I did. She made me feel very comfortable with her in such a short time. Usually when I act in a part where I play the boyfriend or the husband with someone I don't feel physically comfortable with them as I don't know them. Because, depending on the type of relationship, "boyfriends" can touch or hold "girlfriends" in a certain type of way or place on the body. I would know this and I'd be thinking, "Is this ok? Will she mind? Will she be upset? Will I get a knee in the groin?" But with N I'd feel so relaxed that I knew whatever I did would be okay. Which is really nice because then I could just be in the scene and be natural rather than trying to look natural. She's a mad woman, N. Love her dearly. She's got a busier schedule than me. She would shoot with me, then take a bus ride to KL, sing at a couple of shows, ride up to Kedah again, shoot, ride to KL, sing, Kedah, shoot... and when it was all over on the day we "wrapped" she took an early bus ride to KL and flew off to Kuching to do shows there for three days.

Anyway, back in Kg. Rambutan... we didn't stay in a hotel. We stayed in some of the locals houses. Kampung all the way; mandi perigi and outhouses surrounded by free roaming cows. So a couple of times when I wanted to answer the call of nature after having woken up in the morning I would be greeted by a very large bovine face mooing me wide awake at the door. The family I stayed with were very nice and as it turns out they happen to be relations of mine. Something like 5th or 6th cousins like that. I got them to write down their whole lineage for me so I could ask my mum and aunts about it. Everybody got so excited about it. The grandmother of the family I stayed with knew my great, great grandmother! And then all of them started telling me the whole family history mentioning names upon names of people I didn't know. But they acted as if I knew what or who they were talking about.

It's been a busy, busy many months. After 'Buli' was a telemovie, then 'Gila Bola'. And during that I shot another telemovie. After 'Gila Bola' I went straight into a six episode drama with Umi Aida called 'Dalam Hati Ada Cinta' then 'Nayang' and on saturday I start 'Cinta 3 Musim'. They are going to fly me to Japan for a week to shoot that! That's going to be exciting as I've always wanted to go to Japan. Wonder how they'll react when they learn my name. Ako is a girl's name over there.

LAST FIVE ENTRIES

Over - Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005
A short ramble - Monday, Jul. 18, 2005
Results - Saturday, Jul. 09, 2005
A book understanding - Monday, Mar. 28, 2005
Soreness - Tuesday, Mar. 15, 2005