My Heroes

good things come to those who wait
the best things come to those who wait till tuesday

I'm finally starting to feel 20 - coming to my own as an individual - and I feel it is due time I pay tribute to the people who have been my greatest influences growing up. I present to you the people most significant in shaping my thoughts, my opinions, my beliefs and my attitude towards the world around me.

Let me introduce you to...My Heroes. (I'm good at dramatic effect huh?)

Liam Gallagher

That arrogant swagger, that unstable public persona, those vitriolic speeches. Liam Gallagher is an altar boy's worst nightmare. But Oasis was the first band I lined my support with, and Liam Gallagher the first man I respected. Anti-hero he may be, but he is undeniably the most charismatic frontman in modern music. Okay maybe Bono can give him a run for his money. And Americans might disagree, but like Liam said, "Americans want grungy people, stabbing themselves in the head on stage. They get a bright bunch like us, with deodorant on, they don't get it."

Faizal Mazlan

Faizal's my cousin - the son of my mother's elder brother. My decision to choose St. Joseph's Institution as the school to shape my future is 99% due to him. The other 1% is due to RGS' physical proximity. Since I was young, my mind was exposed to his ideals, his musical taste and his sense of humour. He introduced me to Oasis, the Smashing Pumpkins, Blur. He let me listen to Marilyn Manson and brought out to me the better aspects of Manson's music and saved me from a potentially-fatal life of listening to the Backstreet Boys. And all this before I even reached puberty. So if you think I'm funny, or that I have good music taste, or that my views on the world are interesting, there's a good chance you would think differently had Faizal not been in my life.

Eric Cantona

"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea".
Honestly, who says stuff like that when asked to comment about their own kungfu kick? But it's stuff like this that make Eric Cantona my hero. He was the captain of the greatest soccer team outside of the netherworld, with the soccer skills, creativity and genius that make him a legend. Outside of soccer, though, he is the fiery cocktail of charisma, arrogance and style that few men of the greatest self-love could emulate. Ultimately, it was Eric Cantona who initiated my youthful proddings on rebelliousness, on allowing my passions to flow, on the insane love of football, celebration and music.

Zack De La Rocha

Poet, political activist and former frontman of Rage Against The Machine, this guy may go overboard with his politics. However, that never undermined his musical abilities, and his sense of justice, and his political views have heavily influenced mine ever since my ears picked up his words back when I was 13.

Ryan Stiles

After 8 seasons of the US version of Whose Line Is It Anyway, Ryan Stiles has never failed to entertain me, week in week out. In whatever mood I am in, Ryan Stiles had always made me laugh, and his laidback, gawky charm has been a positive influence on my behavourial patterns.