Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The Reel Challenge begins. 05 more days.
Mood: Moisture in the pants, forming a 50 cents mark.
broken pencil10:57 AM
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
broken pencil11:30 PM
you must do these... :obroken pencil11:20 PM
The Reel Challenge begins. 11 more days.
The weather just turned its back on me again today. It is definitely a fantastic atmosphere if you stay at home, but being pillioned is quite a different feeling altogether. Vic and I had our Suay Wednesday. There wasn't any obvious patches of dark clouds, and I swear the whole sky was dark grey in color. Orh oh, I am having this bad feeling.
Then Gush!
I was drenched, outside in with a lesson to attend half an hour later. Not a very desirable situation I assure you. *Shivers*
Time is always something I lacked, so blogging is to be placed at the back of my priority list temporary. Hence the short and sloppy entry. Gomen.
broken pencil11:03 PM
Friday, August 25, 2006
My first reel modeling, according to schedule, is starting on Monday. Two weeks is all the time we have for modeling, another four weeks for texturing. Of course, we are allowed to play with the time management. From now i shall do more, talk less and blog lesser! :P
The race begins.
broken pencil11:20 PM
Sunday, August 20, 2006
The Great Circle of Life
"How small a world we live in." Or so they say. How true.
If the world is small, then this speck of island must be microscopic.
Living in this plankton, most of the people we meet along the way will sprung out of nowhere in the future. And they always seems to be connected in this great chain of relations, my good friend is her friend, her love rival is my good friend's junior, and gosh, his junior's best friend is my cousin who is also... well you get my point. Of course this is just an illustration. But that uneasy feeling is, no doubt, there.
"Its like once you did something wrong, the whole world will know." My coursemate describe it best.
Negative opinions aside, at the end of the day, perhaps its not so scary at all. It might be even fun, how this person whom you've never spoken to, how that person standing in a corner is your "second-degree" friend or a distant relative. I was having a casual chat with Diana, she sat beside me but we haven't actually had the chance to talk. Frankly, she has this dao look. The kind that will reply "What! cannot is it? You think you what?" if I asked her some random questions. Ha ha, in fact its quite the reverse I would say.
(I better apologise for having that thought before hitmen starts sniping me from nearby HDB blocks, but I'll probably died of no regrets because its an honest opinion.)
Based on an actual event:
... ...
..."Then where you live?"
"Tampines."
"Which part of Tampines?"
"Street 32 there."
"Oh I used to live there too! Beside Ngee Ann Secondary School right?"
"Yup."
"Then which secondary school you came from?"
"Oh, no uh I did not study in secondary schools in Tampines. I study in TKSS."
... ...
..."you leh?"
"East View Secondary School."
*astonished* "Huh?! Then you know Renjie?"
"YA I know"
... ...
Peng! I had quite a huge reaction. Its a small world afterall. :)
broken pencil12:45 AM
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Fwd: HOW TO RECRUIT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB
Put about 100 bricks in some particular order in a closed room with an open window. Then send 2 or 3 candidates in the room and close the door. Leave them alone and come back after 6 hours and then analyses the situation. If they are counting the bricks. Put them in the accounts department. If they are recounting them. Put them in auditing. If they have messed up the whole place with the bricks. Put them in engineering. If they are arranging the bricks in some strange order. Put them in planning. If they are throwing the bricks at each other. Put them in operations. If they are sleeping. Put them in reception If they have broken the bricks into pieces. Put them in information technology. If they are sitting idle. Put them in human resources. If they say they have tried different combinations, yet not a brick has been moved. Put them in sales. If they have already left for the day. Put them in marketing. If they are staring out of the window. Put them on strategic planning. And then last but not least. If they are talking to each other and not a single brick has been moved. Congratulate them and put them in top management.
broken pencil1:42 AM
Saturday, August 12, 2006
broken pencil2:00 AM
1 of my favourite manga, in anime. Highly recommended! 4.5/5
(Available in youtube.com)
Alternative title:
モンスター (Japanese)
Age rating: Mature (May contain sex, drugs, and extreme graphic violence)
Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Police, Psychological
Plot Summary: Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, had it all: incredible skill at his work, a rich and beautiful fiancee, and a promising career at his hospital. However, after becoming disenchanted by hospital politics, he chose to save the life of a young boy who got shot in the head over the life of the mayor. As a result he lost the support of the hospital director, as well as his position in the hospital and his fiance. A short time later, the hospital director and the doctors that replaced him were murdered, and once again he was catapulted back onto the top. But as the chief suspect of the murders, Tenma did not get a easy life. As a matter of fact, it seems that the boy he saved was much more than he had appeared to be... Now to clear his name and to correct his past mistake, Tenma must get to the bottom of these and other murders, and investigate the truth of the Monster who is behind all of this.
Official website: http://www.ntv.co.jp/monster/
broken pencil1:43 AM
Monday, August 07, 2006
Ain't have the time to blog, or rather ain't got the mood to blog. Time is not a luxury that I have. As for something(anything) to be filled in this space, I'll throw in a couple of images. Images of toy models I had chosen to "digital sculpt" for my modeling reel. While Solid Snake shouldn't be much of a problem, Dracula will be quite a challenge though. Hopefully, I will get to finish all the modeling and texturing before schedule and finish up my third personal one. But thats just a vision beyond my goal.
"Miracles I can do, impossible takes a little time." - Alvin
-Space filled-
:>
broken pencil12:57 AM
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
broken pencil12:01 PM
Thursday, July 27, 2006
The Mission is a Turtle
For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawksbill_turtle
The Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a an endangered species.
The Story:
Joe's father netted a Hawksbill somewhere off the shores of Changi. The turtle has already died of drowning the moment it surfaced to air.
The Mission:
Joe, Xin and I are to reenact the ancient art of embalming. In layman's term, it means to split the shells, scrap the flesh and dig all the organs out.
I was quite taken aback when Henry handed me ten fifty dollar notes today. Just before that, he requested to follow him out of the office. Probably to help him with some stuffs I thought, but it far exceeded my expectations. Despite being speechless upon his abrupt gesture, I manage to squeeze a "Thanks leh." and a pat on his back in the end. Of course, I did try and reject the money! Now before you give me that distrustful look, I'm going to speak plainly - I was delighted to get a new iPod Video with the money he offered me, and the same time to know such honest, kind and responsible man. And I swear thats not singing praises.
(Speechless)Me
Henry," Not enough huh?"
Me," Huh enough enough... just that I feel bad about it... why not I fork out some money too?"
(Smiles)Henry," Don't worry, you just get your iPod first..."
(Coincidentally, I am purchasing the iPod from an Yahoo! Auction seller today, the timing couldn't have been better.)
Indulging in our assignments at work, it didn't take me long to realise that I'm late for the transaction! Sometimes, Time just slipped so silently under our nose. That leaves no choice for poor Xin but to rode me in double quick time to Funan IT Mall. Finally, alls well ends well. Perhaps I worry too much, the transaction went smoothly. I've got my iPod. :D
Later in the evening, the both of us picked up Joe in a Class-3 lorry, courtesy of Xin's beloved uncle. From Pasir Ris to Changi creek, our voyage is about to unfold. Both of us are glad to have Joe as a companion, for he had granted us more adventures.
While all the excitement is going on, Xin slammed into another smaller lorry as he reverse into the parking lot. A furious Ah Neh appears beside us in a flash and throwing stern warnings at us. We apologised and his attitude did changed quite a bit after that. Well done!
The smell of burning branches lingers in the misty air. A tiny bush of fire light up a suspicious area behind the vegetations, revealing the secret path that leads to a man-made habitat. "Fisherman's Slums" is the name of the boatmen's undeclared territory.(Obviously, the name is invented to intensify the sense of adventure.) There wasn't a single soul, almost like an abandon ghost town. A red Taoist altar stands guard in the middle, echoing the already mystic ambience around it. Boxes of all kinds piled up at designated corners, together with some fishing equipments. Out of the shadows and shades, a couple of wary cats wander around the miniature landscape. They knew that supper are just around the corner.
Gotcha! Joe had the turtle hidden behind the altar, inside a styrofoam box.(You won't believe there is actually Coke together with the dead turtle.)
A narrow and wobbly wooden strips of walkway leads us into one cluster of boats. Armed with assorted blades and a flourescent lamp, we gulped our final lump of saliva. Are we really going to cut it open? Touching the shell is just fine, but the moment you poke the soft leathery flesh your hair starts to stand. My ego isn't cooperative well enough.
Never mind, take pictures first! Hahaha!
The Conclusion:
We took our turns to take pictures with the turtle, like a celebrity. However, the embalming never took place. Its not that our balls shrunk but there are much more technical aspect of preserving a turtle than I can imagine. For now, lets leave it to the experts.
The three of us had a great time laughing while eating the Chicken Chop Horfun(since 1976) in Changi Village and that ended our adventure, our first adventure.
broken pencil9:54 PM
Took these via my mobile phone. Because of the lousy resolution, I look damn Gu Niang in the pic. Oh, just in case you are wondering, thats a turtle's penis.
broken pencil3:14 PM
Sunday, July 23, 2006
27th July 2006 - "From the ashes He shall rise...The white angel... ...with...into...Dark Demon... ...Lord...and live again." - The Demon Chronicles 24:187
broken pencil1:49 PM
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
I Draw, Therefore I Live
Behind every glorious artwork, theres this pair of stained, ugly hands.
And behind this filthy pair of hands, there is this beautiful passion burning inside the heart.
Never in my life have I imagined myself before an easel, holding a charcoal with my right hand and sketching away on a newsprint sheet while a real-life model poses infront of everybody.(It only happens in serials and films.)
I love drawing and I haven't experience such joy in drawing for a long time.
The first life drawing class is a disaster, well, for most of us. Art students will be familiar of the common drawing equipments in a drawing studio, but not us. Even a simple thing such as setting up an easel, I spent minutes and minutes before figuring how the mechanism works. Totally unprepared it was. The next thing I knew, the majority were already mounting the sheets onto the board. Of course, even my three year-old cousins can do it, with a clipper. I wished I had more common senses, and then again Why Didn't Anyone Remind Us What To Bring!(In the end, I borrowed some masking tape.) Total chaos unleashed within the studio that day. Whole chunks of flimsy A1/A2 newsprint sheets being slapped onto the board in an absolutely messy and unprofessional fashion, some eventually dropped on the floor, while we were given one minute to complete whatever poses the model can come out with.
One minute! Yes, thats what speed sketching is all about. As the model re-position to another posture, I was secretly throwing curses at him. So fast sia! How to draw sia when I'm just beginning to get accustomed in using charcoal and at the same time struggling to prevent the sheets from slipping away. Terok sia! My drawing session ended with countless unsatisfactory works, most of them have bodies deformed or multilated. What happened to the good old days when I had all the time in the world to give my characters the ultimate perfect make-over? You can't blame me for feeling utterly disappointed and low in morale, the figures I scribbled were nothing but near-stick-figures outlines. :(
Then I begin to understand the importance of foundation. The purpose of speed sketching is not to produce impressive artwork but to build up our confidence, thus producing continuous steady lines with an artistic touch. Dusting means to shade with the ultimate precision and speed. I'll not be humble here - shading is one of my prominent strength. However, to translate that strength into a time-constrained situation isn't that easy. But I was glad the lecturer selected my work as an example during the dusting exercise. That really perks me up. :)
As for the model, I wouldn't be surprised if the school authority restricts nudity. Then again, come on, Lasalle SIA are hiring nude models. Why can't we be more liberal towards the art scene? Anyway, for the past few life drawing lessons we have the same male model coming to pose for us. Boring. He even has a fantastic beer belly. This time we are having a female model who is going to be taped at the "vital points". Now thou shall not lust and harbor inmoral thoughts. The vital points defines the general surface markings of the skin, so amateurs can visualize better. And yes, therefore the model is not nude but cladded with bikini. What makes her an eye candy is the fact that she is a mid or late twenties, sweet-looking Chinese. I'm such a jerk, Evolution made me this way.
I said bye to her as she left.
broken pencil4:30 PM
broken pencil2:27 PM
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Shes Gone
Here I am, blogging at my workplace. Joe is directly infront of me. Xin is missing action.
Yesterday, i attended the Lucasfilm Singapore Event. Due to limited seats, only invited guests are allowed to enter. Courtesy of an industrial player and a lecturer, the whole class had the honor to turn up at the event. Lucasfilm to a CG artist is like Broadway to an actor, in local Sinapore context of course. Secretly, I felt like a VIP. You know, people serving you like you're some big shot. LOL! I'm but a student.(In fact, I feel there are quite a number of students there.) Its disturbing to see the intensity of CG possessing the entire Hollywood films. Omit all the visual effects, you'll get two or three pathetic actors playing monkeys and nuts in an air-conditioned studio. Can you tell illusions from reality? The truth is, CG is dominating, whether you like it or not. One of the Ang Mohs gave a live demonstration of some developing Nex-Gen games in Xbox 360. Thats video gaming on a theatrical screen for you. And I tell you, its simply awesome and mind-blowing! The audience laughed, wowed and clapped as Indiana Jones bash up the baddies. Total ass-kicking OK? You see, Lucasarts is benchmarking the way people play games in the future. Simulations mean tons of calculations of laws of physics embedded into entertainment, which means how the game develops varies even you played for the 101st time.
My iPod baby went sub-conscious few days ago as magnetic flux runs through it. Shes nearly dead but I'm not giving up. Heres the funny part: I posed a casual question to Guru Henry whether the back of the iPod is made of steel and he literally stuck a magnet onto it. Heres the sad part: the magnet stuck on the back of iPod. Hard disk has an internal signal that will go haywired when magnetic field pass through it, in another words the disk will be crashed. I'm not blaming anyone because no one is at fault. But Henry offer to pay for whatever charges incurred to get my baby resurrected, now I'm the one feeling guilty. He is a good person, almost the same age as my father.
broken pencil2:41 PM
In memory of iPod 4G 20GB(2005-2006), you will be remembered in the hearts of many as the supreme music player.
broken pencil1:00 PM
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Thank You, My Teachers
By now I should have written two blogs instead of one, but I guess I'll have to cheat a little. A little shuffle in chronological order, you'll get a summary of events that happened recently, all written on 13th July when its suppose to be four days earlier. Before you question my professionalism, I seek your understanding by stressing this once again:
"I have never been so busy in my life." Savvy?
Being a part in the prototyping company is a very large part of my entire learning process. Its no surprise 80% of the "working hours" is devoted middle-aged Gurus who is ready to feed you with knowledge anytime, anywhere. The infomation downloading procedure is very straight-forward, you look them in the eye, you listen and you nod. Everytime you threw a question, the time gets doubled, so is the content. Its always wise to work out a PR formula customized for multiple situations.
To be precise, working hours are divided as such:
Does not include, occassion chit-chats, idle around and lame pranks.
60% - listening to Gurus
20% - work
10% - lunch
5% - falling asleep
5% - tea
10% - talk cock sing song(after office hours)
Total: 110/100%
"Working" is such a nice experience. And I'm really glad Xin and Joe can get along pretty well. That really made us a good team whether in-work or off-work. There are little or no politics, people there are willing to share their experience and I should think thats priceless. I do not know about Xin(although I am sure he is absorbing most of the conversation while concentrating at the monitor.) but Joe and I really learnt alot from them. Be it industrial skills, religious, historical stuffs, life experiences and alot alot of general knowledge. Now Joe and I might be future inventors or even entrepreneurs after being inspired by their enlightenment. Don't laugh alright, because you never know. These are a bunch of really nice, harmless guys. They believe in playing hard. They do not have airs. And the most important of all, they believe in you. Hell, it may sound silly but I wouldn't mind drawing a low salary. If there is such a day when I will have to leave the company and pursue my dreams, I'll wish them all the best and I'm sure they will give me their blessings. =( And of course I might try and get Jeff into the company.
You will know when your bosses are good, they force you to have tea.
My life is changing. I began to understand things. I also began to learn new things. Here is a class I have never had the privilege of learning with until now. Forget about back-stabbing and politics, it doesn't work here. And for a good reason, too. If we don't pull one another out of the pit, chances are, we will all get buried together. Thats how rigid our CG industry is.
No one gets left behind. Our very own motto.
Our spirit is to share, in whatever ways that will help everyone grows.
The feeling is nearly incredible, a group of passionate individuals coming together from all walks of life to pursue their dreams. Its is this dream that widens that very thin margin of hope. I salute to these people. Quite fortunately, I manage to break the ice of most of them and now working my way to serve a role in the community. I'll work hard in every aspect, I promise.
broken pencil10:21 AM
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
The path is long and difficult
My path is long and difficult, believe it or not.
But I brave it with a smile and dreams alot.
There are times when I'm down, no one gets to see,
cos' I only show what that is expected of me.
No doubt you'll lose some things, no doubt theres a price.
Surely those emotions won't be nice.
When you lost your way, when times are dark,
Reach out for a reason and touch your heart.
Do not listen to what people has to say.
Have the courage to do it your way.
Take out all the complications, all your opinions and a bad habit.
Lifes all about being happy, isn't it?
- Mig
10:30PM - I endured it all. Dead tired, dog hungry. On my way home, the journey starts here.
broken pencil12:21 AM
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Chance
"All things are like a river. We never enter the same river twice." - Buddha's Little Instruction Book.
Think about it. :)
broken pencil10:50 PM
Monday, June 26, 2006
I will be busy from now on and probably won't be blogging as often, at least for now. Currently, I am working at the prototype company as a temporary staff, normal working hours. Monday and Wednesday, I'll be rushing straight from work to attend my specialist program. Tuesday and Thursday, it should be my normal lessons as usual. Saturday morning will delicated to the specialist program again, until afternoon. Goodness... the only complete free day I have is Sunday. Friday will be the only day I can go straight home from work.
Guess I have just began to live. -_-
broken pencil12:16 PM
Friday, June 16, 2006
My Own Happiness
Lets see, the last time I got a cake for my birthday was probably very very long ago. So long the last vivid impression of me cutting my birthday cake was during my adolescence. Gone are the days when good friends and family stood by the cake, singing the familiar birthday song. That cake was long replaced by dinner treats, and well wishes. I'm not that young anymore, and when my mother suggested she buys a cake for me, believe it or not my ego rejected her offer. I hate to be that boy in her eyes all the time.
Gradually she stopped asking but the simple fact is, I'm still like a kid to her. Period.
I received an SMS from Eleen on the eve of my birthday. Apparently, this is what its about:
"The girl had bought something at the petrol station and realised that she do not have sufficient cash. She requested that I make my way to her location and lent her some weird sum of money(SGD 2.67- you know, something like that.) for the cashier had already come up with the receipt."
How to believe sia! Anyone with a logical mind will pass this as a mere scam, though I must admit her ingenious "sum of money" did aroused my suspicion. Sneaking up to her from behind, before she can try to surprise me, I had already returned the favour. She actually bought me a cake, just like what I did for her birthday. Great friend, not because she remembers my birthday but the gesture of appreciation, the same gesture we show to friends on any other day.
I can't remember birthdays too for nuts, but that doesn't make me an unworthy friend right?
My birthday wish has always been the same. The only difference this year is that I've got one of the best birthday presents.
Father's Day is just around the corner, thought I could give my parents a treat at Ding Tai Feng on my birthday.(Ha ha, its funny, isn't me the one getting all the treats?) My stubborn father is extremely particular about restaurants, he does not like crowded dining places. Sometimes, I just can't understand him. Neither does my mum. However, despite his initial reluctance, my father readily agreed. One of the top ten restaurants in the world listed in the New York Times. Why doesn't it surprise me? The Tim Sum buns are especially tasty. My parents seem to like the place, just that sometimes you've got to force them to realise something worthy.
There is this nice and relatively new cafe in Pasir Ris Park. The drinks are quite cheap: a cup of cappucino cost about SGD 1.50. The overall ambience is good, although you will think twice when it rains. Most importantly, got soccer!(Big big one!) Most places screening World Cup coverage in town area will be full by now, and yet we are able find a good seat for the four of us.
This revolving World Cup craze has been drilling a huge hole in my savings bank. All in the exchange of agitated screams, exaggerated body movements, curses, exchanged blessings and fellow comradeship. My soccer enthusiasm has been revived that very moment. Soccer aside, time to catch up with some old friends. Ren's girlfriend is still very much quiet.
3 A.M. - Ren and his girlfriend had long gone. The people remaining in the cafe easily round off to be less than fifteen. Now I am beginning to feel tired but thanks to the coffee, I struggled to keep myself awake. Yong was much better compared to me in that sense. A next battle player to join us - Ron! He looked confident, with his lucky gay red cap and red T-shirt. We would not have known, for the next 90 minute, we would be swearing and cursing the team we once supported and placed our bets on. Wasted our time and money on a goal-less match.
They know.
Netherlands VS Ivory Coast - a match I shall never forget.
Mexico VS Angola - a match I shall never forgive.
broken pencil11:19 PM
Time: 5:21 a.m.
Happy Birthday to me!
(I'm 24, not 26)
Tired, go sleep liao.
broken pencil5:21 AM
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Dreamer
"The passion burns once more, I can stand tall again."
On June 05, I wrote to this man whom I learnt about in a buzzling local CG forum. He was known for his command of influence in the local CG scene, and also the chairman of an CG association here in Singapore.
I am very lucky to have written to him earlier than what I had in mind.
It might change my life forever.
That night, he gave me a ring. To type a whole chunk of alphabets and emailing to each other back and forth means consuming more precious time to get one idea across. After all, conversation on phone are more direct. Calm as I may seem, deep inside I was growing quite nervous to interact with this humble, yet celebrated man.
During this hour-long(estimated) phone dialogue, besides some enquiries about the specialisation I'm getting into, I also raised my concerns regarding how my precious working experience in the prototype company will benefit me in time to come. To my surprise, not at all. None?! surely there must be "some". His answer was short and swift. Those very words of advice from him knocked me into a trance of "career-searching", once again.
My strong determination to start working part-time in the prototype company is now reduced to ashes. However, its a blessing in disguise.
To be frank, my discipline is failing me. As it wanes, part of my confidence went down with it. And just when my morale was at its darkest times, this man gave me a push, for he has a good news in stall for me. I was selected to be in this special course which was heavily funded by the government, one of the twenty six. The details are not to be circulated but to put it simply, this is a specialisation course that will make us elites in our chosen field to fill up the gap of our growing CG industry. That couldn't have came at a better time.
There is nothing I can do to express my thanks to him, except for an email.
"I am very lucky to have written to you earlier, and grateful for your effort. Thanks *his name*!"
Perhaps, there is...
"My pleasure. Work hard once you have accepted ok."
(He accepted me even without asking me to attend the interviews.)
These plain words painted a confident smile on my face. I am very grateful, really.
Today I attended the course briefing somewhere in Raffles Place, along with other comrade-to-be, in a conference room. Looks like I will have to do lots of preparory work before the commencing of the course. As I took the lift together with four guys, silence engulfed the atmosphere above us. That silence is broken, quite miraculously, by me as I broke the ice among us. Now I am beginning to realise, I have grown. Trust me, I wasn't like that then.
This is what Rong smsed me on my last night before enlistment, years ago.
"What lies ahead for me, I do not know. To make or break me, let it come, let me grow."
broken pencil10:44 PM
Friday, June 09, 2006
A Very Special Episode
Wah Lau! When is the last time MediaCorp Channel 8 had a drama that make your butt glued onto the seat even when its ten minutes away and worried at the slightest chance that you might miss any part of the drama?
(Ken comes to mind.)
Ron might say," Disgusting, you watch MediaCorp drama..."
But it is true. Just take a look at our worried faces, you will get an idea. Why, today is the final episode of the Channel 8 drama serial:" Women of Times"! To tell you the truth, I was quite embarrassed to disclose how anxious I am because the drama is going to start in two hours and it totally slipped out of my mind. But then, commotions sprung out everywhere and the dinner conversations are filled with enthusiastic discussions of the drama. Inside me? Relieve and very very much astonished.
I am not the only drama freak! Heng ah!
You will be very very much surprised too, believe me. Its hard to convince you to believe since I can't myself. Ryn watches it, Ying watches it, good riddance, Dell watches it! Bow to them, your new Drama King and Queens of our time. Its not easy to explain. You had followed the development of the storyline this far, missing the grand finale just make you feel lousy.("Feeling lousy" sounds very funny to me.) And please believe me when I tell you I wasn't planning to watch this from the start. Quite by chance actually. The whole idea of business bloodshed makes me hunger for more.
Fortunately, the waiter granted the four desperados a chance to satisfy their visual lust. Hardly audible, but with the subtitles, I'm grateful. Such a rare sight, four person tilting their head, engrossed with Channel 8 drama by the bar counter. Idiots. Haha.
(wait, let me finish my laughter.)
Xin is my drama khaki. When a drama guru meets another guru, they predict what is going to happen next. They analyse the signs and symbols of dramas. These decades old studies proves that modern dramas are evolved from the "Director's Handbook."
1. Pay attention to a very common smile, its slightly stiffer than the normal, casual smile. Characters that possessed these gestures are genuinely sincere, at least for now. They are the good guys, no doubt.
2. What comes to the mind, will be reflected on the facial expression, definitely. More often than not, the nature of the character is determined by the extra emphasis on the face. Think about this, in real life, those expressions would have made you look stupid in the public.
3. A message that takes minutes to get across in drama actually happens in less than ten seconds in reality.(Retarded!)
4. Bloody kids, they all cry in the same fashion. And who cries like that?
Aiyah! Thats all I can think of for now. Feel free to contribute.
Had dinner with Ying,Ryn and Dell at the Fisherman's Village this evening. Ying was abit screwed loose today, one moment she was hyperactively cracking lame jokes, the next moment she was murmuring to herself, eyes shutting off. This is precisely what work can do to you.(Physiotherapist - Highly stressful job.) Oh, did I mention she was damn blur today? OK, a little more blur perhaps.
Argh! Stop chanting complains into my ears while we walk, for goodness sake. The jogger's path from the restaurants to the infamous haunted tower of Pasir Ris is quite a distance. An endless, lifeless path to nowhere. Other than a couple fucking in the pavilion and others doing God-knows-what, this section of park is virtually deserted. I recalled the hedge maze, somehow my hallucinations always depict heads sticking out in the maze.*Shivers* There I am, the furthest I have ever been to the tower, quite frankly once we adapted to the darkness, the inside is quite visible. Anyway my furthest point refers to just a few metres from the entrance. We came, we saw, we freaked out.
As we made it alive to the carpark, our bodies began dance simultaneously, followed by passionate cries. In split seconds, the ants had overun our bodies. Xin and I call these elites "Commando Ants". Dell is still doing the dance when he gave me a lift home, another one of his "Hell's Ride".
Great company, enjoyed myself thoroughly. Thank you. :)
broken pencil10:21 PM
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Recently, Yong's online friend made a comment regarding making a movie from books. For the entire picture visit:
http://vander.deadjournal.com/38879.html 2006-05-29 16:48:00.
This is what she commented:
shadowmoon 2006-05-30 02:25 pm
"I question why movie makers make books into movies if not for the fact to bring it to life, by screwing around with the storyline, it makes me especially irritated. The capitalization of the popularity of the book does not necessarily mean the loss of the essence of wad the fans of the book/comic truely believe in or love. I'm fine with Harry Potter, some kinks here and there, but at least they had the decency to employ top notch animators for their CG. LOtR was of course a visual spectacle of landscapes and CG alike.DaVinci Code was a complete disappointment for me. It was over-hyped and there weren't even good enough visuals of the churches to make up for the loss of the clever plot that Dan Brown had painstakingly thought up. EVEN MI:3 has a better view of the churches in Vatican city.So yeah, if u wanna make a movie from a book. at least make it visually stunning. That's the least u cld do for ppl who read the book and are equipped with a lesser imagination."
Yun
This is what I replied:
"Here is my humble opinion. Common benchmark of movies nowadays is the quality of the visual effects and the overall majestic of CG. CG has changed the way movie is being accepted by people, its good but not to a point where it received the full emphasis. That is sad, because a movie should neva be judged solely on effects. Take 3D animation for example, everything starts with good, old 2D frame by frame sketches. Why do movie makers make books into movie? simple, selling point. World Cup 06 is coming, and just look at the merchandising that has been going around. Imagine the profit when you re-package a worldwide phenomenon.The translation from novel to a motion picture is challenging process. Picure speaks a thousand words, but that doesn't means motion picture gets the credit. You see, the wonder with novels is that the descriptions and your imagination paints an ideal picture of what you want it to be. In film it is very much different. Everything is there.Although DVC isn't splendid, as a movie-goer I can say the essence is there. But to read the novel is, of course, a entirely different feeling altogether. And I can't read for nuts."
jian
broken pencil1:28 PM
Monday, June 05, 2006
A New Hope II
I can't describe how happy I am now.
From this point onwards, I am one more step towards my dream.
"The passion burns once more, I can stand tall again."
broken pencil10:00 PM
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Companions
I don't see any wrong in eating alone in a kopitiam, hawker's centre or food court or whatever, my mum thinks likewise. Any casual criticism brought towards this weird behaviour, she will simply shield it off by saying:
"I just don't like it."(shes not telling or she has absolutely no idea!)
Perhaps when women gets married, eating alone is a taboo. Perhaps there are issues concerning a women's image munching alone in the public. Oh man, perhaps is just her. My father wasn't going to reach home anytime soon and probably had his dinner already at my uncle's place. Poor mum. I hate to see her alone. If only she could learn how to enjoy herself, to try new things. But some mums will be just mums. Being a filial son(>_<), I should do my part and the least I could do, is to provide some companionship for mum.
Thought I might meet ZOBOS after my dinner. So unlike of me. Travelling to Orchard from Tampines takes roughly one hour, which leaves only two hours with the bunch of them. Where can you find such a worthy friend? This evening's gathering was quite slow and laid-back. I was in my casual wear, drinking root beer, playing "Bluff!" in GF, laughing and wasting life away.
Quite joyous, in fact.
broken pencil11:22 PM
Friday, June 02, 2006
Bread and Butter
Maybe Xin is right, I think too much. (But then again, maybe he doesn't think at all haha!) Occasionally, even insignificant remarks passed down by others, strikes a bell and made my mind sunk deeper with it. Ignorance is definitely a bliss.
Both of us visited the company which was only a stone throw from his house and his house is only a straight bus journey apart from me. The first compartment we came across was this fantastic studio. I can't help but be intrigued by the images of the environment. Models of mechs, figures, WIPs, tools, machines, basically things all over the place to form one marvellous montage, close to my very own ideal working environment. We were then brought to meet Alvin by a sleepy, slobby, arrogant-looking guy. Come to think of it, first impression is crutial. For that reason, the wise always remind us: " Interviews only last ten seconds." or "He who honor the host, do well to make himself shine." Haha crap. I admit, I do judge the book by the cover but frankly, who doesn't? The difference between me and other jerks, I am more than happy to learn more about their personalities. And that guy had proved my initial judgement wrong, for now.
In the tiny conference room, Alvin gave us the warm welcome and immediately fired away. I can't say he is talkative, after all talkative in my opinion refers to:" meddling into people's affairs for pure amusement through conversation." Very close to gossiping. I guess he is more of "enthusiastic to share his knowledge." Whatever. As mentioned, Xin used to be an employee of this company and he has repeatedly emphasized how wonderful the colleagues are. Although I used to second that, my instincts are beginning to agree with him. Almost identical to what Rong had related to me.
"My bosses and colleagues are very welcoming, they seems to be nice people to get along with." Should be somewhere there.
Now, you may already have experienced it. Seldom, you see aqquaintances portray a negative image of themselves during the first meeting(unless you are very excellent EQer). It is as if all understand the concept of first impression. Then, when the ice is broken and informalities faded, you see the true faces. Those that you accept, becomes your friend. The others will be foes, obviously. It happens almost everywhere. The fact is, we all have flaws but its how elastic we are to accept others. A harmonious working team is essential and a huge plus point in a career.
I don't understand why Xin becomes a mute around strangers. That way, he is not inviting others into his circle. And as I foresee, it will be a hindrance if we should work together in the company. Siansation.
What started a part-time job to earn my bread and butter now becomes a serious consideration in its prospects as a career. No doubt, the vast knowledge I can learn from there is tempting, especially if I managed to seek guidance from an excellent sculptor working there. His sculpts are on parred with my McFarlane figurines. *Slurps* For now, let it be just a part-time job and we'll see how things goes from there.
broken pencil6:27 PM
Saturday, May 27, 2006
The Ever-Lasting Supper
Its strange how a group such as ZOBOS don't watched movies together, in fact we are not accustomed to be in the cinema in such great numbers(nearly full-strength). Definitely, this will go down to history along the memory lane as a night to remember.
I got home at around 2am, in a Mercedes cab shared among Ron and Rong. Now sitting here, in front of my LCD monitor, thoroughly bathed and feeling refresh, I began to capture scenes of "The Da Vinci Code". Basically, the movie itself wasn't quite as bad as most of the critics I have read in the media.(Haven't you heard?media can't be trusted. Ha ha!) The skeleton goes like this: An event > a mystery > solving the mystery > more mysteries > solving the mysteries > more...
My rating: 7.5 + 0.5/10(0.5 is a bias towards Tom Hanks and the movie theme.)
Is Jesus God? Or was he only a mortal? Robert Langdon questions and sums up part of his conclusion for the movie: Truely, if Jesus was a man, he must have been an extra-ordinary man with the power to inspire. Sometimes, man can be divine in that sense. In Dan Brown's novel, this dispute forms part of the conspiracy behind the murders. The Priory of Sion(Zion) are aware of the truth and sworn to protect the alleged royal bloodline. The Opus Dei hunts anyone who knew the dark secret. And Sir Leigh Teabing is obsessed in exposing the Church of their atrocities.
Although I digested all these as a well-researched novel, it is not to be taken literally. In my own opinion, I believe The Holy Bible is a collection of pure histories, mythologised histories and pure mythologies. Often, some stories of the Bible are borrowed, edited,blended or probably glorified from other older civilisation of the Mesopotamia. Thus render it not as original as it may seems.
Religion, in particular to Christianity, is a rightful power of its own. That power came to be abused by people who use religion to manipulate, gain wealth and more power. A good example will be The Crusades. To participate in the holy war against the Muslims is a holy act of redemption. This act will pardon all sins you have commited and eventually even earn a place in Heaven. These are all but words passed down by mortals, mortals who possessed tremendous religious powers whom people bled and died for them. The Crusades then resulted in quarrels, theft and bloodshed among comrades. A holy war in the name of God has turned into a war to seek personal fame, wealth and power.
The Bible, Christian's holy book, is an instrument of politics, religious competitions and favourism. Censorships are incurred so it portrays The Bible in its very best image and reasoning, maybe even beneficial. The truth is, as I always believe, we can never know what happened unless we're there. Doctrines may be radio-carbon dated accurate but what about the writer? We knew from what they wrote, and we know humans erred, they misinterpreted, they exaggerated and they are biased. Like I've said, there are hundred and one possibilities.
Jesus might have a twin brother.
Personally, my religion is an education towards a spiritual goal of myself and my interaction with people. The only one true God is you and your belief. Power to retain earthly possessions will be the last.
Ironically, they seem incredibly important to me now(maybe because I do not have my own religion yet.). My reserve funds are depleting fast. If I wasn't getting back the generous amount of money I lent soon, I might end up working part-time in the near future. As a matter of fact, I attended an informal interview at Rafflecity's Starbucks in the afternoon. Not that I wanted to be late, but my carefully planned schedule is messed up by the stylist who was taking her timing snipping, chatting and explaining the theories of hair follicles. That cost me another half an hour, totally out of expectation. Plan B - there was no Plan B. There was a Plan C though - Chase the train and fly. I must have been a very punctual person during my previous life, probably a tax-collector. Ha. Those hair bits accompanied me there, its a good thing i wore black.
Its another good fortune that Starbucks is directly outside Cityhall MRT station. A guy(named Alvin) with a yellow bag. Oh yes, but him? Seriously I am expecting someone younger. There is another guy too. A few exchange of conversations I knew he was someone of substance and status just as Xin mentioned, their ex-employee whom I have to thank for this job recommendation. The other guy was exceptionally quiet. In contrast, Alvin does all the talking and what I do is nodding and smile. Some kind of idiot. Both of them are positive after browsing through my works, then more talking and nodding. Well, they invited me to make a trip down to their prototyping company where we can discuss further. I will think it through.
Alvin does share some common interest with me. He mentioned about the concept of wishing wells actually originate from the three magis(they met coincidentally.) who threw a coin each to a well in an oasis, praying to find infant Jesus. There were three mary instead of two, Virgin Mary bored another girl with Joseph. The Romans condemned the preaching of Jesus because his emerging religion will cause an upset in Roman trade income. Etc, etc, etc... a very knowlegeable man.
All the best to Rong who will be starting his career on Monday. No one gets the pool. Ha.
broken pencil2:53 AM
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Z.O.B.O.S. ALLSTARS Series 5 Long as Bird
Chieftain of the "Annunaki"(literally means: Those whom from the sky comes.), residing on Mount Annu Lorktha. The Annunakians are a race of birdmen that hunts wild hares with their poisoned spears and superior field of vision. Legend has it that thousands of years ago, one group of birdmen dishonored the gods. In the end the gods banished them into the water, including the chieftain's brother. The Prince of birds has a wing span of ten metres, only revealed when threatened. An elegant, talking nespray is his companion.
broken pencil2:15 PM
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Z.O.B.O.S. ALLSTARS Series 4: TK as Kai3 Ye2
Head of the Triads which people named "Black Death" which holds members all over the world. Age unknown. Has a vast arsenal and a possible linkage with "Soaring Phoenix". It is said that this organisation is formed to provide direct assistance to the poor. No one knows how he looks like. People call him "The Bodhisattva of Supreme Limitless". broken pencil1:49 PM
Friday, May 19, 2006
A Walking Meditation
Its that day of the month again, meditation lessons!
When You Walk, Just Walk
The natural ease of walking can be used as a direct and simple way to bring centeredness and peace into our life. Walking becomes a meditation when we bring a careful and present attention to each step we take. Walking becomes meditation when we feel ourselves fully here on the earth.
To learn walking meditation, select a place to walk back and forth at a leisurely rate, fifteen to thirty paces in length. Stand at the end of this "walking path". Feel your feet on the floor, on the earth. Sense the environment around you. Be aware of yourself and your surroundings until you feel quiet and composed. Then begin to walk. Focus your ttention on your body, feeling each step as you life your foot and place it back on the earth.(Wah! you really reading...) As you sense each step, return your foot to the earth with care. Walk upright in a relaxed and dignified fashion. When you get to the end of your path pause briefly and then turn around. Stand and center yourself then and be aware of the first step as you begin again. You can walk at whatever speed keeps you most present.
Walk with careful attention to each step for fifteen or twenty minutes. Usually when we walk we are distracted by a hundred other things. As you walk in meditation, try to let the thoughts and images arise remain in the background. Even so, you will regularly get carried away by thoughts. When this happens, simply stop walking and be aware of the thoughts. Then quietly re-center yourself and take the next step. Keep coming back to your footsteps in this simple way.(Bear with me, finishing...) At times you may wish to do a period of walking meditation alone. On other days you might walk for ten or fifteen miniutes before beginning a sitting meditation.
After some practice you can learn to use walking meditation to calm and collect yourself, to become truly present in your body. You can extend this walking practice in informal ways, when you go shopping, when you walk down the street or to and from your car. You can learn to enjoy walking for its own sake instead of combining it with the usual planning and thinking. In this simple way you can move through life wakefully, with your whole body, heart, and mind together in harmony.
Although this tutorial is not written by me, Its typed out word by word by me(not Cut and Paste!) so offer some credits to me, please? If you had finished reading the above passage, give yourself three claps.If you actually make an attempt to try, I shall give you three more. And if you tried the above and achieved its goals, Guan Yin and her Thousand Arms shall clap for you. Imagine how long it will last.
Yah I know, these alphabets are just there to fill the space. Obvious.
broken pencil9:17 PM
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
I can't help it. Shes so sweet looking. She is so cute. She is Jacqueline Sue from Star Idol. I can't help it.broken pencil10:03 PM
Z.O.B.O.S. ALLSTARS Series 1: Ron as Villain Bing
!000 years old demon, once proclaimed the title "Villain King". After the defeating battle by "Boundless Sabre" he purge off most of the evil. Although he has turned over a new leaf, archenemies still call him "Villain Bing". Capable of 108 transformations.
broken pencil8:13 PM
Z.O.B.O.S. ALLSTARS Series 2: Ray as Lei2 Meng4
Rumored to be a direct descendant of the Deity "Se Lang", the abbot of the famous Golden Dragon Temple is trained in 49 martial arts and over 500 different weapons. Able to wield powerful elemental spells like the "The Rain of Benevolence" through Feng Shui. Has a loyal but sexually-active canine.broken pencil12:53 PM
Z.O.B.O.S. ALLSTARS Series 3: Vonne as Xu2 Feng4
Codename:"Soaring Phoenix". Disguised as a nurse during daytime, she is the ace of espionage in the night. Mastered ninjutsu at the age of 9, she is the commander of the female mercenaries "Shadow Troopers". During the "Last Great War", she decapacited the enemy's commanding officer with her sniper rifle from a nearby island. Hates mosquitoes.broken pencil12:50 PM
Morning Ritual
What the hell is going on in my mind? Tossing and turning on the bed. Heck it. The time is 7.00AM.
Breakfast? Yes! breakfast. Such a word haven't come across my mind for ages. I wouldn't even dream of breakfast in my hectic lifestyle. Heres my chance. The Kopitiam uncle is ever-ready to address any customers. I chant out my order: two eggs, two pieces of bread(kaya,butter) and kopi.
And so the ritual begins.
1)I was served first with two half-boiled eggs in a stainless steel mug covered by a green plate, together with pepper and soy sauce.
2)While waiting for my bread, the eggs remain sealed to be boiled a little longer. It must be in a good combination of solid and liquid state.
3)Bread arrives. Right after one sip of kopi, I cracked the two eggs swiftly using careful punches with the spoon. I then slowly stir the whites and yolks, introducing pepper and soy sauce in the process.
4)Now I gave the kopi a firm stir too and proceed on consuming the bread. Taking slow bites and moisten with small sips of kopi.
5)When the bread is finished, I drank the eggs at one go.
6)Last but not least, enjoy the remaining kopi at your leisure.
7)Amitapha
2 eggs($0.50) + 2 slices of bread($0.40) + kopi($0.70) = SGD 2.50 + A happy man
Viola! That was one of the best breakfasts I had for a long time. Simple yet satisfying. As for now, I had to try my best to stay awake for the whole day. Hope the caffeine helps.
broken pencil12:41 PM
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Happy Mother's day!
Instead of eating out, we had steamboat at home. I had a few sips of white beer, can't control. =)
broken pencil10:18 PM
This is a sketch Eleen requested as an encouragement for her studies. 9.00 AM when I doodled this WITHOUT any sleep. I'm so nice.broken pencil9:33 AM
broken pencil8:09 AM
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Zap Zap Zap
Ron bought it. Ren bought it. Everybody is using it.
Slimming. Detox. Massage.
Still can't catch any ball? Catch this instead. OTO Trimax TX-908 going for SGD 328.00 island-wide with a promotional gift of a massager worth SGD 108.00. Unfortunately, by the time you read this, the deal should be no longer available. Fear not, you can always wait for another Mother's Day! >:)
*not to mention 10 TM lucky draws and a facial cleanser.
High Performance Belt.
You mean you still have no idea what it is? I can pardon you if you're from Mars. But if you're from Venus, you ought to flush yourself through the toilet bowl. Come on, this is such a gadget to ladies like M3 power is to men. And yes, its those vibrating belts that send the tissue in your tummy wobbling like theres no tomorrow. In case you are one of those brainless martians, your keen sense of reproductive instinct should have locked on Goddess Fiona with a strange device on her waist.(I know you won't notice that device either.) That is a "slimming belt" of different brand. Mind you though, its quite a challenge.
I have to clarify now. This is bought as a Mother's Day gift for my mum. Of course, you may argue, that everyone in the family is privileged to use it. BUT understand this, I would NEVER had bought it if it wasn't for mum. And I confess, I stole this idea from Ren.
Most might agree, that this machine alone can never be capable of destroying the layers of fats beneath your tummy. Yet ladies from some cosmetic forums claimed their pants "loosen drastically" over "several days" and their hubby commented on the "flat stomach". Rubbish. This is only an enhancer, without PROPER diet and exercise it is but a white elephant. Enough of the slimming part, feedbacks have came to me that after every sessions, a smooth and successful cake making usually follows. Targetted at accupressure points, it helps digestion and detoxification. Hope it proves effective for my family. Compared to jewellery(my initial idea.), this is much more beneficial isn't it?
The cost is halved between my sister and I. Ron is right, which sister won't want to share?
broken pencil10:47 PM
WWE Heavyweight Championship Beltbroken pencil6:32 PM