Badminton : My newfound passion (Shuttle cock review)

Starting last year, I started to find a group of friend who share the same interest with me to play badminton. And this year, the group member is increasing, as the saying said, the more the merrier.

I am not to talk about my badminton group, but I would like to share my personal review about various brands of badminton shuttle cock used during our game. Since badminton is becoming a pricey game with badminton shuttlecocks becoming more expensive, I am on a constant quest to make the game cost effective while not sacrificing the joy of the game. Our group is consist of casual player (some of them are near pro-level, definitely not me!) and we do silly mistakes like accidentally hitting the feather. So my review will be focused on the feel, durability and cost.

From left : Yonex Aerosensa 30, RSL Classic Tourney, RSL Supreme Classic and RSL Classic Tourney

As of now, I have tested 3 brands of shuttlecocks namely RSL Classic Tourney, RSL Supreme Gold and Yonex Aerosensa 30. To simplify my review, all scores will be on the scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the worst, 5 being the best. All shuttle cocks featured have speed rating of 77.

Yonex Aerosensa 30

Feel : 5/5

Durability : 3/5

Cost : 2/5 (most expensive)

Remarks : Being the most expensive among the three (RM 75/tube), it is also provide the best feeling, the flight speed is manageable suitable for casual player like me. On casual game with occasional smashes, a shuttle could barely survive 1.5 sets (21 point system). The feathers ruffle very quick

Verdict : If money is not your concern, go for this.

RSL Classic Tourney

Feel : 4/5

Durability : 4/5

Cost : 5/5 (cheapest)

Remarks : It is the cheapest among the three (RM 57/tube), the feeling is somewhat in the middle, the flight speed is faster than the Yonex and casual player like me will find it a bit harder to keep up especially during long rally and if you are not as agile as the pro. But I considered this feat as a challenged to improve my stamina and agility. On casual game with occasional smashes, a shuttle could easily survive 2 sets (21 point system), and maybe 3! The feathers does not easily ruffle making it the best-value-for-money shuttlecocks while not sacrificing a lot on the feels.

Verdict : highly recommended for starters and frequent players.

RSL Supreme Gold

Feel : 3/5

Durability : 5/5 (very durable)

Cost : 3/5

Remarks : Slightly cheaper than Yonex Aerosensa 30 (RM 65/tube), it has the "hardest" feeling in terms of flight and really giving me hard time to keep up and adapt with the fast speed. But the best thing about this shuttlecock is the durability. It can survive up to 3 sets of casual games easily with ruffling the feathers. Or 2 sets for intense game.

Verdict : I won't recommend this one, it is better to choose RSL Classic Tourney if cost is your constraint and Yonex Aerosensa 30 for the feels and if money is not and issue.

Perkhidmatan Potong Rumput di Kerteh

Sesiapa memerlukan perkhidmatan memotong rumput dengan kadar berpatutan di sekitar kawasan Kerteh boleh menghubungi En. Azman di talian 0199671698. Harga untuk perkhidmatan memotong rumput agak berpatutan dengan hasil kerja yang diberi. Untuk kawasan rumah aku, aku membayar RM20 untuk memotong rumput di depan dan di belakang rumah. Agak berpatutan kerana lalang sudah meninggi seperti hutan sekunder. :)

Selain menggunakan mesin rumput, cangkul juga digunakan untuk membuang tunggul kayu bergantung kepada keperluan

Selepas semua rumput dan lalang dipotong

p/s: Lama tak kemaskini blog, talian Internet terputus sejak 2 April lalu~

RM100 Take All

I found the fisherman selling these lobsters while having lunch at Jeti Kuala Paka today. RM100 and it is all yours. Too bad my rumah bujang do not have proper kitchen. Else, I will surely buy it. Bargain!

Lobstersssss

Welcoming the Cendol Devoter

Abid pemuja cendol agung

Today I took an hour of work to Banting. The initial plan was to settle the acquisition of my motorcycle's pink slip from the shop since my dad had completed the instalment payments. So, it is officialy his now. A call had been made to me to collect the pink slip (grant of ownership) in the morning and when I arrived there this afternoon, the document is not ready for collection yet.

To make up to the frustration, me and my other two colleagues, Abid (UTP intern) and Arsyad (IKM Jasin intern) went to sip the lagendary Banting cendol. I treated them with the lagendary cendol of this little town since Abid is one of the cendol devoter who constantly looking for cendol around him. So, I bring him to taste the Banting cendol and he really enjoying his time sipping the cendol under the hot and windy weather. Lpas ni bleh la dtg lg ye, Abid. Huhuhu~

Sekolah Kluster and Universiti Apex

Feeling bored in my room. So I just browsed the net, I dropped by at government-biased newspaper Utusan to update myself with current issue. As usual, reading the local politic news article is undoubtedly government-biased, I clicked on 'Pendidikan' (Education) section. I learnt that my beloved Alma-mater, Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak (class of 2000-2004) had been listed as one out of 30 schools that is receiving 'Sekolah Kluster' title. With this recognition, the schools are entitled to apply for financial support worth up to RM 500,000 from the government to implement the predetermined programs or activities. This is a very good sign for SDAR to step up the school's reputation and achieving excellence in education. Full news link here.

As for Universiti Teknologi Petronas (where I currently studying) has undergone selection process for 'Universiti Apex' program. This status will give the enlisted university to have autonomous power in financial, procurement scheme, management, student enrolment, high committee and tuition fees price. I hope UTP will be selected into this program as the result can be made known this August. I was informed that my friend Nasrul from Civil Engineering had presented a presentation to the selection panels regarding the Civil Engineering Department. I am very proud since I belongs to these two education institutions. Read the news here.

P/s: Once a SDARian, always a SDARian. Proud to be a UTPian!

Semester Break Update

It’s been a while since I update my post in this blog. For those who don’t know, the absence of internet connection at home is the root cause of my long silence here. So, I’ll try to compile what is happening during the semester break and I hope with the presence of my dad’s new digital camera (it’s a Panasonic Lumix LS80 8.1Mpx though) will help me to spice up the content of this blog with pictures to give you more information about the post. It’ll not be lame text-only posts from now on. :)

What can I say about my semester break at home? Believe me, it is damn boring. No friends to hang out with; either they are doing part time job, working (Aizat’s job is repairing airplane, mind you) or they have been far away abroad. My neighbourhood is more like a zone of alienation for me. Only school kids are there, going to and coming back from school. As for me, fetching my sisters from school is my daily job now. It has John Statham’s feel from The Transporters movie. Ok, ok, I know that a little bit exaggerating. To put it in one word, boring (pronounce it like Homer from The Simpsons).

Ouch, it hurts!

Maybe that will come out if my dad’s Kembara can speak. For those who don’t know, my dad’s Kembara now is about one month old and last week it had been hit by a motorcycle when he was on his way to fetch my mom who is working as a teacher at SMK Sultan Abdul Samad. It’s quite frustrating for my dad to see the deep dent at the left rear door caused by the impact made by the motorcycle. To add to the frustration, the motorcyclist did not want to admit his fault and when the accident was reported to the police, my dad was fined for hitting the motorcycle. How ridiculous is that? Lesson learnt: be defensive on the road. You would not involve in accident by hitting people, but you may get involved in accident when other careless road user hits you.

So, I wish my dad good luck in working on the procedure to get insurance claim for the accident.

The dent

Fuel Price Hike

As we all know, the price of fuel in Malaysia is increased for 7th time I think (correct me if I’m wrong). For petrol, the price has gone up to RM 2.70/liter and for diesel, RM 2.58/liter. Typical Malaysians style, they would flock the petrol stations available throughout the country (that includes me!) during the night where the announcement of price hikes was made. Me and my dad, driving a Kembara and a Kancil respectively to a Petronas Service Station at Bukit Changgang (that is about 20 kilometers from Banting) to fill up the tanks with the old price of RM 1.92/liter. As expected, this service station was also congested with road users despite its remote location. But the congestion was not as bad as the petrol stations in Banting. After all, we live with the new rates now, and that really affect the budget for fuel now. Maybe to fill up the tank of a Proton Waja now will rise up to RM 130 compared to RM 110 before. As for motorcycle, RM 10 now is not enough to fill up the tank, and that’s really hurts.

Most of the people blamed Petronas for the price hikes. Without any intention to defend Petronas in any way (I’m sponsored by Petronas for my study in UTP), Petronas is not responsible for subsidizing the fuel in Malaysia. The Government of Malaysia is the one who decide on the fuel subsidy for the Malaysians. Petronas has never failed to pay the income tax from its operation in oil and gas. Mind you that Government of Malaysia as the biggest share holder in Petronas. Thus, apart from receiving revenue in the form of income tax, the Malaysian Government is also receiving revenue in the form of profit as a share holder in Petronas every year. I’m not good in business study but generally, this is the basic operation of company with share holders. So, the power of making decisions will fall to the one who holds the most shares in the company and in this case, the Malaysian Government. I’m not trying to be political in this matter, my point is, if you want to blame someone for the price hike, don’t blame Tan Sri Hassan Merican and his team of management in Petronas. If Petronas is gaining profits from this, I will surely fight for monthly allowance increase from Petronas due to fuel price hike. :)


Mini Reunion

To alleviate boredom during the semester break, I call all my childhood friends (sape2 yg skola kat SK Sri Langat dulu) to come back to your hometown as we will have a mini reunion this weekend. The reunion will take place in Satay R & K restaurant, located in the shop lots in front of the Kuala Langat IPD a.k.a Balai Polis Banting site which is under reconstruction now, on this Sunday, 10.30 a.m. For further information, you may call me at 0176973959, Afiqah at 0176160314 and Arbaiyah at 0129241742. I really urge you to come and make this event enjoyable and meaningful.

Cuti yg boring

Exam da lame abeh. Ade la dlm 3 minggu aku da cuti tp xdpt nk update blog sgt pasal kat umah aku xde net.. Lgsg terputus hubungan dengan peradaban dunie~ Huhuhu~ Exam aritu ok la kot. Harap2 la ok, aku da la cuak gler sbenanye nih. Just dok kat umah diam2 ler jwbnye~ Xpe2, aku tgh kumpol material. Nnt aku update ok. Kpade mereke yg tgh bercuti, selamat bercuti. Njoy ur holiday. Tunggu~

Happy birthday to Warisan 00'4

Circa January 19th, 2000...

Wishing all Warisans will do well in whatever they are pursuing right now and let us reminisce the memory we had together in the past.

p/s: Hope this will not be too late

Welcoming Notes

As the title implies, I warmly greeted you to drop by at my blog. I am just in beginning of blogging so you can always expect me to keep the content updated and do necessary improvements on this blog's presentation.

Year 2008 now enters it's 24'th day and I hope that I am not late to wish you happy new year. May our resolution(s) for this year will be achievable and leave something good to us. As for me, I will keep improving myself to be a better person. Yeah, there a lot of obstacles waiting for me along the journey, I might overcome it effortlessly or I might fall but I hope I could stand up again and keep improving myself.

January 2008 semester in UTP, the place where I study started on the January 21st. It's been a horrendous week for me as everything regarding the lectures, tutorial and lab slots have to be settled during this week. There were and there will be a lot of running (just to get to the lab technician's room to book for the desired slot to avoid clashes with other subjects) and there were lack of sleep (some of the registration is done online and the lecturers deliberately open the registration at unusual hour like at 3.00 a.m.). I hope things will be better and more 'civilized' next week and I can concentrate on my studies (tak nak maen2 dah, nanti scholar kne potong).

I should end this post right now because I'll be having a Control Systems lecture at 4. Tata~

p/s: Sem ni puas ati sket sbab dapat add French. Oh lala! (tringat Mme. Santha Devi ngaja French kat skola dlu)

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