Last Show with Dewangga Sakti

I never imagined this day will arrive. Last Saturday was my last performance with Dewangga Sakti. My feeling?...I was very sad to leave behind Dewangga Sakti life for Dubai. Even when my bandmates asked for my last speech during Iftar, I just said "I will come back !". I just don't want to say goodbye, in fact so far I have never said goodbye to any of my friends because I like to think I will see them around again. It is not because I do not want to accept the fact or what, but I have long held this view that in this century no matter where you go, you are just a phone call away, a blog away or a YM or facebook away...hehehe if you get what I mean. That is the wonder of the world wide web which is to me the greatest wonder ever in this world. So you never really go far away from your friends except you just cannot hang around in person.

Pic: After a show in MHI in July 2008. Wahyun was absent.

But Dewangga Sakti life is all about engaging music passion together in person. We always do it the old style way. We hang out, we talk, we jam and we create music. So by being far away, I will no longer be able to do all that. Some people suggest I can compose music or jam online but that is not the way we do it in Dewangga Sakti. Most of the times we need to talk, argue and crack joke before we can get the mood to create music. It is a slow and inefficient process but very human process.

I wish I could have everything but that is not the reality. I chose to move out from my comfort zone so this is what it entails. I hope I will get something meaningful and worthwhile out of this experience.

Yesterday I also joined Iftar by IIUM Adventure & Recreational Club ("ARC"). I was invited as the ARC club alumni and as a member of Latepackers club. I passionately call these two clubs as "kelab budak-budak gunung", because that is the main activity of the clubs, mountain climbing. Mountain climbing is one of my past time hobbies besides music. I have climbed Mount Yong Belar, Mount Chamah, Mount Ulu Sepat, Mount Korbu and Mount Gayong. These mountains are in the group of 7 mountains above 7000 feet in West Malaysia. The other 2 mountains are Mount Yong Yap and Mount Tahan which I have not hiked yet. I have also climbed other small mountains like Mount Datuk, Mount Bunga Buah, Bukit Taboh and Mount Nuang. So in ARC those who managed to climb all the 7 mountains will be certified by the club as Achiever. I got 2 mountains more which I plan to climb in the future. Of course the ultimate mountain is Mount Kinabalu. In ARC we like to climb the 7 mountains first because they are the toughest compared to Mount Kinabalu (my American friend hiked Kinabalu during weekend and came to work on Monday ! sounds easy?). But with my departure that plan has to be postponed infinitely.

I have been upholding the club's motto all this while..yeah !

I managed to see some old friends during the ARC Iftar. It was good to see them happy with wives and cute kids. Some of them have started facebooking and blogging, so I will definitely see them a lot after this in my Facebook and blog.

Pic:
Lanun, Enche', Joko, Atuk, Kak Bad, Kak Mie, Nyamoque and a few seniors whose names escape me..

Kalau ada sumur di ladang
Boleh hamba menumpang mandi
Kalau ada umur yang panjang
Boleh kita berjumpa lagi

Malay pantun