Friday, November 20, 2009

keep it real

another two weeks of great experiences!


-two photoshoots over the past two weeks! the learning curve is not as bad as i thought. by the second one i was starting to get the hang of it. the results are fabulous for a first timer like me but there's still plenty more to learn :) the first one was quite horrible because of the heavy rain (the model and i got completely drenched) and i had to end up shooting in pitch darkness which led to quite a lot of blurry shots. after the shoot was the best time though, we somehow managed to find a starbucks outlet in the middle of shenton way and the hot white chocolate mocha did great justice to the two shivering bodies.


-cornering with a class 2 bike is damn fun. somehow i find a class 2 bike safer than a 2B one. i tried the CG125 back at driving school, it is one piece of crap that i will never even dream of owning. the brake pedal slips damn easily and the seating position is damn rubbish. compared to the VFR, i don't even feel comfortable cornering at 40kmh. the VFR feels more like a car in this aspect.

-christmas is coming once again and i have decided to be more PROACTIVE this year. every year it's just ATTENDING gatherings, dinners or parties. this year i will be hosting one, complete with my room done up in christmas deco, good music and CHRISTMAS DRINKS that i brew myself. no whiskey or hard liquor though, i'm in the process of making a drink that WARMS THE HEART AND SOUL of friends and family. it will basically consist of HOT CHOCOLATE, with a hint of CARAMEL BAILEYS, a dash of NUTELLA and topped with MARSHMALLOWS (subject to changes according to feedback). prototypes are looking promising, with the baileys providing a nice coffee-like aftertaste minus the bitterness and caffeine. i'm trying to incorporate some kind of hazelnut into the drink somewhere, but maybe later (inspired by starbucks' christmas toffee nut blend).

-i'll buy a chirstmas tree this year for my room, but most probably a fake one (i can't bear to see those coniferous plants die a slow and terrible death in the humid tropics of an equatorial country). i've still got my christmas lights, which will go on my bike and my tree.

-sean, shannon and i are contemplating setting up a christmas photo stand for some part of singapore where the decorations are nice enough, then we'll take photos for people and email it to them for free. it's all about CHRISTMAS KARMA! i've been doing too many bad things this year and unless i want santa to put landmines under my tree, i'd better be a good man.

-christmas mass is not on this year, it is SIAO ON!!

-leaving for shenzhen on the last week of 2009. anyone want fake stuff please let me know. i have these few things in mind already:
-fake bell & ross watches
-16/32GB compactflash card (so i can shoot in RAW + L JPEG)
-clothes clothes clothes
-shoes shoes shoes
-china made cellphones for gifts (LOL)
-full body massage everyday
-hot bubble milk tea

-three more photoshoots to go for 2009. i don't mind having more. the more the merrier.

-i haven't touched my bike for AGES. like months. i can't remember the last time i used it, i think it was back during unit cohesion. it is now covered in dust, the tires are more or less flat and i bet the chain needs some serious lubrication. i will bring it out tomorrow anyway, it needs to be conditioned once in a while. i do not like the idea of equipment failure at all.

-went to TWG with daren and elly earlier tonight. first time there, i tell you the names of the teas are very tempting but somehow the aroma doesn't quite match the name i think. but you can never be satisfied when you go there because of the number of types of teas they have. it's like, serial numbers with 4 digits. it's quite impossible to try everything at one go. i decided on this tea called 'sweet france' today and it had this interesting guava smell. the tea wasn't too bad, the ambience was really good (i heard northern lights playing on the hi-fi a few times) and the company was just right. it gave me a new place to consider if i had to discuss about important stuff. i'm not sure about the pricing, but daren said it was around 12 bucks per person. before i went there i thought it was like $12 per cup but i realised it was $12 per pot of tea, which came to about 5 to 6 actual cups. that's not too bad, it lasts long enough to hold a decent conversation with a good friend, a business partner (which is especially important) or someone you love :)

-i've created some sort of 'power breakfast' in camp. i'm always not eating breakfast when i stay in because the cookhouse is too damn far away and i hate waking up at 6am just to eat (i'd rather wake at 7.30 :P). it simply consists of two sachets of ovaltine, mixed ice cold with rice crispies and then i dump this huge mountain of froot loops into the resultant mixture. it can keep me going till lunchtime. also, it only takes less than 5min to make which makes it useful when i have to move out quickly.

-ah, time to get my good sleep on my nice bed and take my two wheels out first thing in the morning :)

Saturday, November 07, 2009

illusionist

recent activity.


-i wanted a nokia n95 8gb. then i didn't want it. now i want it again.

-i think my photos look better coming from a 400D than a 5D.

-THREE upcoming model photoshoots! i can't wait to boost my portfolio.

-i know JUST the place to store my portfolio photos. it's in this tiny canon 5D mk2-shaped thumb drive my dad got for me. 2GB is all i need for all the glory :) finally, a birthday present put to perfect use.

-my left eyelid has been twitching non-stop for the past few days. daren says it's a bad omen. if it's taking days, then it's probably apocalypse.

-went out to watch jennifer's body with sean today. i've never seen magan fox in such a disgusting state. but there was plenty of making out scenes, including a lesbian one. LOL

-i've found my comfort in many things: FOOD, PHOTOGRAPHY, CLUBBING and ION ORCHARD. every friday is good food friday (GFF). be it serangoon gardens or anywhere else, i deserve good food for the whole week of shit work. photography, simply put, is LIFE. clubbing not so much now, maybe once a month the most. it's only used as a last resort to destress, which means that if i hit the dancefloor i had a dreadful week. ion orchard is the place to be--i don't know why but it takes away my thoughts.

-i recently had many nightmares while sleeping in camp. they made no sense (as most of my dreams do).

1. Apocalypse. it was watching the world being overcome by a huge wave. the only things i remember seeing were cars exploding while the waves hit, which is not scientifically possible.

2. Empty Streets. walking along the streets of town in singapore when there was no one around. it was early evening, say 5pm and the stores were all closed. not a single soul. it felt like the will smith zombie show (forgot what it's called). then i walked past a club entrance and heard loud bass + music. it was a happy moment for a few seconds because suddenly there was life, but upon walking in i realised the music was playing but not a single soul was around. this left me with an empty, hollow feeling that plagues me until today. you won;t understand what i'm going through.

3. the Swimming Pool. i don't know why but at one point in time i love the SAF pineapple tarts (those cube-shaped ones). i took a lot of them to eat in bunk or bring home. the next thing i knew i had some kind of swimming lesson and when i wanted to eat the tarts the instructor told me they were being used as training equipment (WTF?) like those colourful plastic rings that you throw into the pool and dive down to retrieve. instead, to my horror when i dived down i saw that the entire swimming pool floor was covered in pineapple cube tarts. funny, but meaningless.

-i think i might be putting my class 2B on hold to apply for a class 3. but i don't do things halfway so i'll still complete my 2b just for the sake of getting a license (and perhaps the job opportnity of being a pizza delivery boy if the economy becomes REAL bad. HAHAHAHA)

-my headphone amp is making weird crackly noises whenever i adjust the volume. :(

-just bought an electro-house/hard house album by david guetta two weeks back. one of the best dance albums i've ever gotten. (SEXY BITCH)

-currently listening to:
1. david guetta
2. black eyed peas
3. corinne may
4. tenacious d
5. r&b + hiphop forever
6. jason mraz
7. david foster & various artists
8. augustana
9. lady gaga
10. pearl jam

-pulled over a damn courteous warrant officer on lim chu kang road two days back. if only all bookings were as smooth as this.

-need some new shoes, new speaker sytem, birkenstocks, guitar strings, contact lens solution and bedsheets.

-gonna try out making cadbury hot chocolate with a shot of baileys this weekend.

-can't wait for pay day in 4 days.

-i'm going back to church. i'm gonna look for the inner peace that i lost before.

-AND i'm going on holiday soon. all my leave days are in december. :)

-

Saturday, October 03, 2009

did you have to?

If you, if you could return
Don't let it burn, don't let it fade
I'm sure I'm not being rude
But it's just your attitude
It's tearing me apart
It's ruining everything


I swore, I swore I would be true
And honey so did you
So why you were you holding her hand
Is that the way we stand
Were you lying all the time
Was it just a game to you


But I'm in so deep, you know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger
Do you have to, do you have to
Do you have to let it linger


Oh, I thought the world of you
I thought nothing could go wrong
But I was wrong, I was wrong


If you, if you could get by
Trying not to lie
Things wouldn't be so confused
And I wouldn't feel so used
But you always really knew
I just wanna be with you


And I'm in so deep, you know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger
Do you have to, do you have to
Do you have to let it linger?

Saturday, September 05, 2009

horror movies

so it's seventh month again. every year, strange things happen.

but i don't really care. i don't think i have offended any soul. i hope i'm right.

last night my bunk mates complained of a shadow flying past the 5th-storey bunk. the first guy who saw it woke the rest and the whole lot couldn't sleep after that. hahaha. if i was being waken i'd probably murder the first guy who disrupted my blissful ignorance.




....that is, unless i open my eyes to see two figures in number 1 ceremonial dress saluting beside my bed. i'd go nuts then.




just a thought: how do you describe the feeling of you really wanting to love and care for someone, but due to certain circumstances you just cannot let the person know this feeling?



what i know is that the feeling sucks.









i just realised that my dreamcatchers really do work but they leave me with a sense of emptiness. how do you feel when you had a really, really sweet dream that was so real you could feel it happening, but yet it's still a dream? and worse, after waking up, it's more of an afterthought slipped into the back of your mind somewhere, never to be resurrected again. you just crave for the same feeling, more so in reality, but it actually is just a little preview of a big movie which will never be screened.



that's how i feel about you.












that's how i feel about US.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

if you have a minute why don't we go

-yesterday i slept for the longest period of time ever: 13.5 hours straight. i knocked off at 5pm, only to wake up at 6.30 am the next morning. i was still in my outing clothes, and i'd forgotten to charge my phone and the ipod completely. they were both dying the next day. the feeling kinda sucks knowing that i'm wide awake at 6.30am in the morning and i don't have any recollection of what happened the previous night because i was plain tired, and neither do i have any plans of any sort for the day because i'm still trying to get some sense of direction after going into a half-day slumber. i hate that feeling, it shall not happen again.

-i don't know why but recently i have the tendency to always trip when i'm climbing staircases. strangely enough it only happens on the going-up part, not the coming down one or i'd be wheelchair-bound by now. it's weird how my eye always misses one of the last few steps by either under or over-estimating the height of the step itself and my foot ends up in between. embarrassing yes, but why it happens i don't know.

-my whole life seems so surreal these few days. it's like my head's floating wherever i'm going, everything around me seems so fake and so virtual. it's not bad enough to give me a headache, but enough to spoil my mood nonetheless. i don't know if it's just me or people around are getting lesser. somehow i see much fewer people in the streets these days. is apocalypse coming?

-i think i need a huge shopping spree to get rid of all this (i know it sounds so bimbotic but who cares), unfortunately i don't have a very high pay.

-contact lenses make me feel sleepy and inactive. haha.

-there's always nobody at home and the food stocks are running out. i want cloudy apple juice.

-i have yet to purchase the UP movie poster for my room. i hope it makes things easier on the eye. ignorance is bliss. i wish i could have a floating house too

Monday, August 17, 2009

sigh.

Don't try to explain your mind
I know what's happening here
One minute it's love
And suddenly it's like a battlefield

One word turns into a war
Why is it the smallest things that tear us down?
My world's nothing when you don't
I'm not here without a shield
Can't go back now

Both hands, tied behind my back with nothing
Oh no, these times when we climb so fast to fall again
Why we gotta fall for it now

I never meant to start a war
You know I never wanna hurt you
Don't even know what we're fighting for

Why does love always feel like a battlefield
A battlefield, a battlefield?
Why does love always feel like a battlefield
A battlefield, a battlefield?
Why does love always feel like

Can't swallow our pride
Neither of us wanna raise that flag
If we can't surrender then we both gonna lose
What we had, oh no

Both hands tied behind my back with nothing
Oh no, these times when we climb so fast to fall again
I don't wanna fall for it now

I never meant to start a war
You know I never wanna hurt you
Don't even know what we're fighting for

Why does love always feel like a battlefield
A battlefield, a battlefield?
Why does love always feel like a battlefield
A battlefield, a battlefield?

I guess you better go and get your armor
(Get your armor)
Get your armor
I guess you better go and get your armor
(Get your armor)
Get your armor
I guess you better go and get your

We could pretend that we are friends tonight
(Oh, oh, oh)
And in the morning we'll wake up and we'll be alright
'Cause baby, we don't have to fight
And I don't want this love to feel like

A battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield
Why does love always feel like a battlefield
A battlefield, a battlefield

I guess you better go and get your armor

I never meant to start a war
You know I never wanna hurt you
Don't even know what we're fighting for
(Fighting, fighting for)

Why does love always feel like a battlefield
A battlefield, a battlefield?
Why does love always feel like a battlefield
A battlefield, a battlefield?

I guess you better go and get your armor
(Get your armor)
Get your armor
I guess you better go and get your armor
(Get your armor)
Get your armor

Why does love always feel like?
Why does love always feel like?
A battlefield, a battlefield

I never meant to start a war
Don't even know what we're fighting for
I never meant to start a war
Don't even know what we're fighting for.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

there's something wrong with my mind.

another bunch of boring updates. this is becoming pretty routine.

-just ran (or rather walked) 10km of public road at army half marathon. before that, i spent the whole night at rebel/zirca/clarke quay and got home at 3.30am, slept at 4am and got up at 5am. with one hour of sleep and a half-hangover, the 10km was a painful process. it was long and draggy, totally boring. and i still managed to get home at 9.45am.

-last night was the only night i felt super high without drinking much alcohol (most of it went down the toilet, stupid beer) and shannon got opened by this crazy girl whose arms were all over the place. it was hilarious. her friend was this rather inactive babe with BMT-esque spectacles. she was probably on cocaine or something.

-watched ORPHAN on thursday. first of all, i have to say that this is by far the most disturbing movie i have ever watched. scary no, but disturbing yes. it screws up the mind, but it's a feeling you don't get with other movies. if you're looking for this unique but not necessarily positive feeling, then go watch it. the plot is good, the scenes are super dramatic and throughout the show you'll be asking these questions constantly:

1. "what the fuck??!!"
2. "omg how is that possible?"
3. "OMFG :O"

-i want to play gigs again. this time, i'm looking for a girl singer. we'd do plenty of covers, but not much metal, if any at all. i'm still not yet convinced that girls can pull off metal songs nicely. fyi, evanescence is NOT metal.

Monday, August 10, 2009

somebody call 9-1-1

what's kickin'

-the week where almost everyday is an off day. only gotta be back in camp on thursday! hahaha
-attended NDP 2009 AS DUTY PERSONNEL. this way i got to watch the parade for free, except that i had to stand during the whole event. this year's show was nicely put together and super colourful. no colour from the spectrum was left out.
-post-parade dinner reception was a buffet by marnina mandarin hotel. it was a full spread, but only it was FREE =D
-there are many interesting places to visit during training orientation. with a comfy bike, exploring the other side of singapore is much easier
-the songs 'fire burning' by sean kingston and 'tribute' by tenacious D are sure winners.


what's NOT kickin'

-i still can't believe we had to BOOK IN THE NIGHT BEFORE WITH THREE HOURS OF SLEEP SO THAT WE COULD WAKE UP AND FALL IN AT 1AM SO THE PERSON IN CHARGE COULD TELL US TO GO BACK TO THE BUNK AND FALL IN AGAIN AT 9AM T.T
-the worst equipment failure occurred yesterday. my chain broke, my front tire exploded and i had to drag the stupid bike a kilometre to get to the nearest bike shop. repairs costed me $70 and THAT'S NOT FUNNY.
-stupid army half marathon is this sunday. I HATE RUNNING. i used to love running but the army made me hate it by conducting runs every monday, wednesday and friday and many of these runs were double-digit distances. screw it, this sunday i'll just STROLL the whole 10 kilometres.
-there's absolutely nothing much to do on my off days this week. i don't even want to spend my allowance like last month when i became broke and my sisters still owe me $180.
-i still have yet to watch 'UP'. that will be TOMORROW.
-my ass hurts like hell. i want a motorbike.

Monday, August 03, 2009

retarded off-days

i think that giving off days on weekdays is super redundant. especially on mondays and tuesdays where it's the start of the week, there's plain nothing to do. everyone's back in camp the day before.


i hate staying at home.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

21 guns