- Never Stop Dreaming -
The recent trip back to Singapore had been rather eventful as compared to previous years. The reason being that I felt more appreciated, people coming back from different places, meeting up with those whom I really wanted to meet, weddings, mum and dad, Grandma, new places, food, gear, photography, etc. To sum it up, I was more reluctant to return here to Japan which was of course quite a surprise to me. Well, no matter how much or how strong those influences in SG were, work commitment and other reasons gave me the slip to come back here where I had to adjust my life to fit in after being all Singaporean again for just 3 weeks short.
Firstly, the big weddings of my brother and Desmond held on the same day albeit differences in the time was one of the sole reasons I had to be back. Nothing too spectacular for both weddings since I chose not to be the main photographer but rather there to enjoy the experience. My own brother's wedding had me and my younger brother played the role of "Best Man" whom had to go thru the usual ritual of getting the bride. As expected, we were put thru the 4 generic phases of emotions, your usual bitter, sweet, etc stints. I was prepared so everything else went to the corner of the stairs and nothing thru my mouth. It was also thru this wedding that I met my brother's photographer, Brian from "thegaleria" whose cinematic black and white film look got me poisoned! I was merely playing some amateur vids from the 5DM2 which filled up the 8gb UDMA card with just less than 10 short HDMI vids. Man this cam eats space like nothing! (Sign to get another 16gb UDMA card!). Brother's wedding was done as a lunch reception at Lawry's Ribs in Paragon where my cousins, aunties, uncles, familiar faces, unfamiliar faces, etc congregated for a good cause. I was really happy since I had the chance to meet my cousins and relatives which was always comforting when we meet...the bond of kinship I guessed. In the morning, a full suit and nothing less so that I would not look like a irritating thorn since the groom (my brother), my dad and my younger brother was all in suits. More like men in black or rather men from the underworld...but prior to the lunch reception, I had opted to go forth with my fedora which I had specifically flown back for the wedding with the semi casual blazer with jeans look. Much to my surprise, sister-in-law's friends were clueless who I was but eventually requested to have my picture taken with them which I humbly (yeah right!) obliged. Fashion was something that I do not take lightly when large events are concerned. My younger brother wasn't any sloppy either since fashion was also in his blood...he chose a more formal Italian style ditching the tie in the suit while I preferred a more Japanese semi formal approached.
In the evening I attended Desmond's rather unusual beach themed wedding where I opted to dress to kill with my fur fedora and semi formal wardrobe. Everyone else turned up in beach berms and slippers, of course inclusive of the bride and groom themselves. Once again I chose to be discreet about snapping pics since there was another paid main photog to do the job. He, like me was only armed with a single camera with a flash and diffuser, which greatly amused me since most wedding photog carries 2 or more cameras. Since I barely know him, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and not discount him but very soon I found him nailing my frames after I went in for the marco shot of the wedding rings on the cushion. And that gave me a reason to discredit him obviously for replicating my perspective. Nvm...so moving on, Desmond actually held another wedding ceremony done in the grandeur of Tenrikyo once again but in SG instead. Held after the monthly service at Watten Estate, I saw more people turning up presumably for Desmond's wedding and the fantastic fare of home-cooked Japanese cuisine. The familiar faces greeted me as usual and welcomed me back only to find out that I fly the next day back to Japan.
So weddings aside, I met new friends at the annual Japanese graduation ceremony held by Tenrikyo where I straddled my amateurish photography symphony hunting for more lens food. From the moment I set foot there, Japanese was all that I spoke which was a little achievement I took pride in since I had lived in Japan for almost 2 years. Mistaken for a Japanese in Singapore (Come on, what's new...), my identity was being questioned behind my back I presumed. Nonetheless, amazing people where every to satisfy my hungry lens. Crazy karaoke and food outings followed where digested lens food (Gee, I kinda like this jargon!) never looked better with the assortment of colors, shapes and lines. Facebook ultimately collects all these "digested" material which I am still skeptical they would be used without my permission. Your Bad FB!
Caught a couple of movies both on the cinema and off, kicking off with Johnny Depp's Public Enemies and Jack Neo's Ghost flick to Jacky Chan's Shinjuku's Incident. Great local flavors and disturbing gore from the Shinjuku's Incident but Mob movies are still some of the best movies that I enjoy. Local TVs still are crappy without essence but some are really good. I shall skip the not-worth-mentioning ones but I really like the one which show cases Singapore in the past and the Mark Lee one showing how ungracious Singaporeans are...Haha SHAME ON YOU fellows comrades! Speaking of which I was still utterly disgusted by how unruly the PRCs are in SG, how idiotic the aunties of SG are, and how crowded SG had became. The overflow of the PRCs are the main reason which SG had sunken deep into an ungracious society where their rude, loud, dirty and precarious attitude continue to flood every gutter, street and alley. Try harder with all those useless courtesy campaigns cos in a million years, nothing will change where one of the most advanced societies, top notch financial centers with the most prestigious government and infrastructure needs silly campaigns like this...Ha ha ha a big joke indeed. Let me do a small analogy for you...back in the days when MRTs were first introduced, there were no lines to "teach" commuters to queue or to give way. Then arrows and lines were painted because people had grown more stupid to understand one of the 4 main languages. This time even colors like RED and GREEN were introduced so that this advanced society had to fall back to basics to understand the most fundamental concepts...how ironical when everything is moving forward with the main users falling backwards. Could never understand why irritating pests would cram at the exits of MRTs and leave the middle empty and lousy drivers plaguing the roads where their cowardly instincts are wrapped in useless junk metal they consider beautiful.
Took a couple of really sweet "models" out for a small shameless self-proclaimed photoshoot. The first one only yield 1 usable photo but the second one actually had some satisfactory ones. All thanks to Brian, whom works had me craving for more. Went to 1 commercial shoot and 1 wedding shoot with him and I found myself learning so much despite fiddling for years with my camera. So much to see, learn and hear from him....truly an eye opener. Applied those tactics to my own shoot and viola, results which I could had never dream of appeared instantly. Still had a couple of potential "models" that I really want to feed my lens but had no chance to do so officially. Among them, 1 had the voice of an angel, one had an aura sophisticated as the universe and one had the tenderness like a sleeping child. There were many others but I had not time to associate them with the correct description but definitely if chance and time permits, I would want to do some decent ones for them. With regards to photography, I had only managed to amass some gear while trying to be frugal with what I have, which was an attribute I credit to a particular Master who had opened my eyes to what real photography was about. It's quite a simple concept which applies to almost every to life in general which is to produce the best with the the minimal.
Transferred data from my well-kept white Santa Rosa MacBook to the new unibody MBP while retaining the 13" size and ditching my all time favorite white...Brats! Credit to my brother who offered me the upgrade and Ben who got this baby at a steal. Uploaded more Hokkien songs and other less fanciful stuffs. All this only gave me more reasons to improve my photography, vids, etc. Glad that the new cam and comp worked well together so that I can embark on more personal projects...so shamelessly had a couple of really nice people fancying my works.
Missing so many people back home already...people like Grandma who is always so supportive, loving and kind, Mum and Dad who had aged with streaks of prominent grey, my brothers, my friends, my love ones, my cousins, aunties, and anyone else whom I have forgotten...It's been great.
Initially had a lot planned out for these 3 weeks except clearing my stuffs in my room but in the end, the foul and hot weather had me hiding under the sheets late almost everyday. Wanted to do some decent photography but only did less that what was planned. Vids was also reduced since the time planned was usually after nightfalls. So in summary I did enjoyed a hell of a time back home visiting places that I really missed while not completing what I had initially planned. And just before flying off, X gave a huge surprise by presenting me a custom design Trexi which I left it in the care of my Dad.
Peace...and I am loving it.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Did you really see me FB? Can I add you?
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Just after a few days of intense heat frying my brains...I was already whining and screaming about the crazy summer. Even until now I can never and will never understand why or how some people just love summer so much. I mean yeah the flesh parade on the beach are great but I am no fan of half-baked chocolate-bar-walking-wannabes. I prefer the night-roaming-vampire-white species over anything else.
And then with no more choices left, I screamed out loud in my Facebook status that I really HATE summer, the bugs, the heat, the sweat, the lethargy, etc. and my my my gosh. In a twist of fate, talk about prayers answered, gossip about Heaven playing Facebook...the clear blue sky with not a single cloud in sight of the day was transformed overnight in the darkness. Massive menacing storm clouds crept in to haunt any young kids in the middle of the night to rob the sky of any crystals, moon, or light and unleashed tears of darkness.
Splatter splatter, howling winds and leaves rustling were all that accompanied me thru slumberland last nite. Morning was greeted with the same thunderstorm last night as well...distance mountain ranges were embraced in thick grey fog leaving only the summit partially visible, my my what a sight! Temperatures plunged to a cool 23 degrees for a good change but I really wonder how long will this last because in the abscence of the snow, rain will be my next obsession.
All these really led me to ponder, God, did you really saw my Facebook Rave? If you did, would it be possible to add you? Have just so many questions I would like to ask you...stuffs like do you have PlayStation 3 up there? What do you do when you are free? Who spin the white fluffy clouds? Can I pay you a visit without dying?
Just after a few days of intense heat frying my brains...I was already whining and screaming about the crazy summer. Even until now I can never and will never understand why or how some people just love summer so much. I mean yeah the flesh parade on the beach are great but I am no fan of half-baked chocolate-bar-walking-wannabes. I prefer the night-roaming-vampire-white species over anything else.
And then with no more choices left, I screamed out loud in my Facebook status that I really HATE summer, the bugs, the heat, the sweat, the lethargy, etc. and my my my gosh. In a twist of fate, talk about prayers answered, gossip about Heaven playing Facebook...the clear blue sky with not a single cloud in sight of the day was transformed overnight in the darkness. Massive menacing storm clouds crept in to haunt any young kids in the middle of the night to rob the sky of any crystals, moon, or light and unleashed tears of darkness.
Splatter splatter, howling winds and leaves rustling were all that accompanied me thru slumberland last nite. Morning was greeted with the same thunderstorm last night as well...distance mountain ranges were embraced in thick grey fog leaving only the summit partially visible, my my what a sight! Temperatures plunged to a cool 23 degrees for a good change but I really wonder how long will this last because in the abscence of the snow, rain will be my next obsession.
All these really led me to ponder, God, did you really saw my Facebook Rave? If you did, would it be possible to add you? Have just so many questions I would like to ask you...stuffs like do you have PlayStation 3 up there? What do you do when you are free? Who spin the white fluffy clouds? Can I pay you a visit without dying?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Japanese...
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Over the short span of about 2 years here in this relatively unknown valley, I have witness quite a number of extraordinary events that are quite intruiging. From massive "live" volcanos, mountain ranges to sacred valleys and castles. This place has some of the most rustic Japan to offer if you think Japan was all about Tokyo or Osaka or Kyoto.
But all that nature and landscape aside...it's the local people, kids and folks here that I find to be the most memorable. Kids here were taught since young to follow rules and boy do they REALLY follow them that is until they are old enuff to think for themselves and go rogue. Take for example a simple card game with the cards faced down on a board, each card had a hand scribbled point which was clearly visible on the back of the card. Well you can literally cheat if you want but that would take the fun outta the game...
I didn't say anything to these kids, didn't give specific rules not to cheat but they took the initiative to cover their eyes and pick the cards randomly when playing with their friends. This really amazed me since such situation will NEVER be possible in SG. Probing further, I found out that here in this part of rural Japan where competition is not as intense as in Tokyo or SG, the parents teach the kids that when they find even a measely 10 yen on the road, they are NOT allowed to pocket it but to give it to the nearest Police Post. And yes these kids really do that...I have seen it.
While given Japan's technological advancement, kids here still go out and play in the sand, run in the sun and get all dirty. They immerse themselves in the wild and little girls go running after dragonflies and catch them. Bugs, beetles, insects for once are not considered scary and mashed on sight. They are in fact loved by most kids who would catch them in the wild and keep them as pets. Of course only beetles are kept as pets while the rest are simply play things. I would see a kid in SG scream at the sight of a dragonfly and "shoe" any other creepy crawlies at sight. Though I am not a huge fan of bugs and insects, such scenes are really good for a change. The only thing that might be a little less fortunate are that they are not that computer-inclined.
Then it really comes to a point where I believe that every child when born is innocent. It's simply THE environment that they grow up in that makes them Hitler or Pope. I do believe that the inborn trait of a child itself may be even neligible in contributing to the goodness or evilness of the child. When I say the environment, I refer to the place, family, association, contacts, life-style in general and does not point to s specific factor since ALL these factors will ultimately mold the child.
Kids aside, at my work place...almost everyone sits on chairs with rollers. So from the young to the old, once in a while they fall from their chairs because the chair slipped away from their asses for no apparently reason. No foul play here but simply the USER's error I believe. Each time I swore I tried really really hard not to laugh out loud but it's really really funny to see them fall. It's almost like watching those Japanese Prank TV shows live...
Anyway Summer is finally here since the humidity and heat is similiar to SG. I really dread such season after experiencing white white winter. But still it's better than SG since in Summer, the skies will be in rich deep ocean blue void of any traces of fluffy clouds. The visible mountain ranges with more mountain ranges behind disappearing into the far horizon on a clear day is really good for photos. Blue skies and green fields, just lacking the floral shirt, straw hat, a cup of lemonade and a beach.
Hachi more days and I will be able to bathe myself in Ben and Jerry's, soak myself in Movenpick, cover meself in Long John Silver's, Nasi Goreng Ayam, Wonton Mee, Bak Chor Mee...
Over the short span of about 2 years here in this relatively unknown valley, I have witness quite a number of extraordinary events that are quite intruiging. From massive "live" volcanos, mountain ranges to sacred valleys and castles. This place has some of the most rustic Japan to offer if you think Japan was all about Tokyo or Osaka or Kyoto.
But all that nature and landscape aside...it's the local people, kids and folks here that I find to be the most memorable. Kids here were taught since young to follow rules and boy do they REALLY follow them that is until they are old enuff to think for themselves and go rogue. Take for example a simple card game with the cards faced down on a board, each card had a hand scribbled point which was clearly visible on the back of the card. Well you can literally cheat if you want but that would take the fun outta the game...
I didn't say anything to these kids, didn't give specific rules not to cheat but they took the initiative to cover their eyes and pick the cards randomly when playing with their friends. This really amazed me since such situation will NEVER be possible in SG. Probing further, I found out that here in this part of rural Japan where competition is not as intense as in Tokyo or SG, the parents teach the kids that when they find even a measely 10 yen on the road, they are NOT allowed to pocket it but to give it to the nearest Police Post. And yes these kids really do that...I have seen it.
While given Japan's technological advancement, kids here still go out and play in the sand, run in the sun and get all dirty. They immerse themselves in the wild and little girls go running after dragonflies and catch them. Bugs, beetles, insects for once are not considered scary and mashed on sight. They are in fact loved by most kids who would catch them in the wild and keep them as pets. Of course only beetles are kept as pets while the rest are simply play things. I would see a kid in SG scream at the sight of a dragonfly and "shoe" any other creepy crawlies at sight. Though I am not a huge fan of bugs and insects, such scenes are really good for a change. The only thing that might be a little less fortunate are that they are not that computer-inclined.
Then it really comes to a point where I believe that every child when born is innocent. It's simply THE environment that they grow up in that makes them Hitler or Pope. I do believe that the inborn trait of a child itself may be even neligible in contributing to the goodness or evilness of the child. When I say the environment, I refer to the place, family, association, contacts, life-style in general and does not point to s specific factor since ALL these factors will ultimately mold the child.
Kids aside, at my work place...almost everyone sits on chairs with rollers. So from the young to the old, once in a while they fall from their chairs because the chair slipped away from their asses for no apparently reason. No foul play here but simply the USER's error I believe. Each time I swore I tried really really hard not to laugh out loud but it's really really funny to see them fall. It's almost like watching those Japanese Prank TV shows live...
Anyway Summer is finally here since the humidity and heat is similiar to SG. I really dread such season after experiencing white white winter. But still it's better than SG since in Summer, the skies will be in rich deep ocean blue void of any traces of fluffy clouds. The visible mountain ranges with more mountain ranges behind disappearing into the far horizon on a clear day is really good for photos. Blue skies and green fields, just lacking the floral shirt, straw hat, a cup of lemonade and a beach.
Hachi more days and I will be able to bathe myself in Ben and Jerry's, soak myself in Movenpick, cover meself in Long John Silver's, Nasi Goreng Ayam, Wonton Mee, Bak Chor Mee...
Monday, July 13, 2009
Oh my...what a bootiful day!
- Never Stop Dreaming -
The deep blue sky was a sight to behold this morning since everyday had been really cloudy if not rainy. But as the bright rays of the morning sun filtered thru my paper windows, shadows were formed and they disappeared. The occasional melodic symphony of the wind caressing the leaves led me to wonder if it would be another overcast day. These uncertainties vanished the moment I stepped out of my front door with a nice hot cup of coffee to start the day. The sky was indeed basked in deep rich oceanic blue of the Caribbean but the angry storm clouds were closing in from the side masking the mountains. To me this was probably the last few days of such splendid weather before the insane summer heat caught up with me. Frying an egg on the top of my head was already an image taking form in my head.
The massive mountain ranges lined the horizon while the lush green fields painted the vast land beneath the deep blue sky…welcome to my kind of place where the phrase “concrete jungle” were unheard of. Somehow I had this unexplainable anxiety inside me seeking a channel to erupt as I drove such beautiful scenery early in the morning. In fact I felt thrilled to be in this amazing weather since in less than a weeks odd time, I will be eating vehicular fumes coupled with sweat and heat to complete my annual summer pilgrimage back home. A new week, a fresh day to start the week, things to look forward to the weekend, new toys, a white shirt for a change (since every other day I had be clad in nothing less than my usual Black Death outfit). I had been questioned as to why I am always wearing black and my reasons were that black was a color that doesn’t get dirty easily which was in fact a silly lie with a nano fraction of truth to hide my hideous laziness… :p
Going back to the strange anxiety, I really do not know how to explain it if you ask me since the feeling is expressed explicitly in Boredphucks’s “What a beautiful day” except that I don’t dance around coconut trees. Might be partly due to the fact that I am heading home to sample Mum’s cooking, give Grandma a big hug, lie in my Huge Teddy Bear, eat LJS with cheese…But I am sure there are other reasons as well but at the moment I really can’t tell. It’s just amazing to be alive in such an environment to tell myself that I would wake up everyday like this to go to work without any contemplation or hesitation.
The deep blue sky was a sight to behold this morning since everyday had been really cloudy if not rainy. But as the bright rays of the morning sun filtered thru my paper windows, shadows were formed and they disappeared. The occasional melodic symphony of the wind caressing the leaves led me to wonder if it would be another overcast day. These uncertainties vanished the moment I stepped out of my front door with a nice hot cup of coffee to start the day. The sky was indeed basked in deep rich oceanic blue of the Caribbean but the angry storm clouds were closing in from the side masking the mountains. To me this was probably the last few days of such splendid weather before the insane summer heat caught up with me. Frying an egg on the top of my head was already an image taking form in my head.
The massive mountain ranges lined the horizon while the lush green fields painted the vast land beneath the deep blue sky…welcome to my kind of place where the phrase “concrete jungle” were unheard of. Somehow I had this unexplainable anxiety inside me seeking a channel to erupt as I drove such beautiful scenery early in the morning. In fact I felt thrilled to be in this amazing weather since in less than a weeks odd time, I will be eating vehicular fumes coupled with sweat and heat to complete my annual summer pilgrimage back home. A new week, a fresh day to start the week, things to look forward to the weekend, new toys, a white shirt for a change (since every other day I had be clad in nothing less than my usual Black Death outfit). I had been questioned as to why I am always wearing black and my reasons were that black was a color that doesn’t get dirty easily which was in fact a silly lie with a nano fraction of truth to hide my hideous laziness… :p
Going back to the strange anxiety, I really do not know how to explain it if you ask me since the feeling is expressed explicitly in Boredphucks’s “What a beautiful day” except that I don’t dance around coconut trees. Might be partly due to the fact that I am heading home to sample Mum’s cooking, give Grandma a big hug, lie in my Huge Teddy Bear, eat LJS with cheese…But I am sure there are other reasons as well but at the moment I really can’t tell. It’s just amazing to be alive in such an environment to tell myself that I would wake up everyday like this to go to work without any contemplation or hesitation.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Fireflies' Painting
- Never Stop Dreaming -
A while ago I was at this place, 辰野ホタル公園 (Tatsuno Firefly Park) near Suwa City in Nagano Prefecture. Though at that time I was only like a week away from throwing away almost SGD$3700 for a new camera, nonetheless the old one (KissDigitalX/400D) did served me well with a modded TC-80N remote. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my current cam except that I just wanted to explore the vid capabilities of the new cam at the expense of a lot of money of course.
So there I was trying to swipe those irritating tiny flies buzzing around my face. But being surrounded by many other menacing photographers, it was only natural that I peeked at their gear. My huge ego was at play but at least the expensive lens mounted on my camera lifted me up in the hierarchy a little despite using an entry level 3 year old camera. After all it's the skillz and the photos taken that counts in the end but still I succumbed to the ugly side of envy.
All that squabbles aside, here are 2 pictures from that day. I collected about 50 odd lens' food before my camera juice became totally drained. Why only 50 you might ask...well each photo was taken with a shutter speed of about 3 to 5 minutes with no flash used. Edited the white balance in LR2 and stacked a series of photos together to merge into 1 solid art piece in CS3 extended.
Enjoy nature's very own light painting done in the magnificent bioluminescence of the fireflies...
A while ago I was at this place, 辰野ホタル公園 (Tatsuno Firefly Park) near Suwa City in Nagano Prefecture. Though at that time I was only like a week away from throwing away almost SGD$3700 for a new camera, nonetheless the old one (KissDigitalX/400D) did served me well with a modded TC-80N remote. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my current cam except that I just wanted to explore the vid capabilities of the new cam at the expense of a lot of money of course.
So there I was trying to swipe those irritating tiny flies buzzing around my face. But being surrounded by many other menacing photographers, it was only natural that I peeked at their gear. My huge ego was at play but at least the expensive lens mounted on my camera lifted me up in the hierarchy a little despite using an entry level 3 year old camera. After all it's the skillz and the photos taken that counts in the end but still I succumbed to the ugly side of envy.
All that squabbles aside, here are 2 pictures from that day. I collected about 50 odd lens' food before my camera juice became totally drained. Why only 50 you might ask...well each photo was taken with a shutter speed of about 3 to 5 minutes with no flash used. Edited the white balance in LR2 and stacked a series of photos together to merge into 1 solid art piece in CS3 extended.
Enjoy nature's very own light painting done in the magnificent bioluminescence of the fireflies...
Thursday, July 9, 2009
1, 2, 2, and lots more but...
- Never Stop Dreaming -
I have 1 pair of eyes, 1 laptop, 1 flash, 2 cameras, 2 lenses and so many events. Took an assortment of photos but so little time to process them. *Sigh* and in 2 weeks time I will be going home for my well deserved summer break. I yearn for a nice warm hug and a sweet lovely kiss but there will be more photos taken when I am back.
Although some have lost their patience and asked me when can they see the photos...I can only say soon. It's time consuming to process photos since I have already said that I like to push myself to the limits to bring out the best and hopefully nothing less. The photos will be ready only when I say they are so apologies to all...since this passion is not bring in my dough for me (I have a day job to sustain my passion!)
The 5Dmk2 is amazing and by far the most expensive camera/gadget/equipment/toy/treasure/gem, etc that I have thrown my money willing for but everything about this little baby screams for "JUSTIFIED". The 5Dmk2 sure doesn't disappoint and each and everyday I am still squealing joys of surprises whenever I bring it out to play. Unfortunately the only sad issue and probabaly the biggest disappointment for me is that I can't edit the HD vid on my Mac. No doubt I do love my white Mac to the core but the integrated graphics card can't support Final Cut Pro so I am stuck with just viewing the RAW vid footage from the cam. It's not bad I would say but you see I like the personal touch to it...the way I want to see it and the way I want everyone else to see it. A silent expression of my sub-consciousness reflected thru photo/video-graphy.
It's been raining continuously for a while now despite Summer's strolling in and I am really loving every bit of this cold weather before the heat boils things up. SG would be good only in the nights...
I really want a break at the moment to enjoy some private moments, away from work and all other disturbances and I guess I would try to do just that when I am back in SG.
I have 1 pair of eyes, 1 laptop, 1 flash, 2 cameras, 2 lenses and so many events. Took an assortment of photos but so little time to process them. *Sigh* and in 2 weeks time I will be going home for my well deserved summer break. I yearn for a nice warm hug and a sweet lovely kiss but there will be more photos taken when I am back.
Although some have lost their patience and asked me when can they see the photos...I can only say soon. It's time consuming to process photos since I have already said that I like to push myself to the limits to bring out the best and hopefully nothing less. The photos will be ready only when I say they are so apologies to all...since this passion is not bring in my dough for me (I have a day job to sustain my passion!)
The 5Dmk2 is amazing and by far the most expensive camera/gadget/equipment/toy/treasure/gem, etc that I have thrown my money willing for but everything about this little baby screams for "JUSTIFIED". The 5Dmk2 sure doesn't disappoint and each and everyday I am still squealing joys of surprises whenever I bring it out to play. Unfortunately the only sad issue and probabaly the biggest disappointment for me is that I can't edit the HD vid on my Mac. No doubt I do love my white Mac to the core but the integrated graphics card can't support Final Cut Pro so I am stuck with just viewing the RAW vid footage from the cam. It's not bad I would say but you see I like the personal touch to it...the way I want to see it and the way I want everyone else to see it. A silent expression of my sub-consciousness reflected thru photo/video-graphy.
It's been raining continuously for a while now despite Summer's strolling in and I am really loving every bit of this cold weather before the heat boils things up. SG would be good only in the nights...
I really want a break at the moment to enjoy some private moments, away from work and all other disturbances and I guess I would try to do just that when I am back in SG.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Chicken, Goat, House...
- Never Stop Dreaming -
The title of this entry was deliberately coded in such a way that only special people with animalistic and rural senses, people affiliated with the Kumpung Kid or a strong sense of rustic SG vibes before the 80s can decipher. So really no point trying because I know that if you are not in any of the category listed above, you are better off doing something else. Of course if you are shameless enuff, you can ask me directly for an answer (Like I will give...) but the FIRST CORRECT ANSWER that I receive in my mail will beg some goodies from Japan so hurry...(There are numerous hints hidden in this entry itself so find them and de-code it. No they are not the hints in brackets...hahaha!).
Question - What is encoded in the the phrase, "Chicken, Goat, House"?
[Rules of the House]
1. Anyone from SG who reads this blog can participate.
2. Only 1 entry per person.
3. Include your name and contact.
4. Answer in 1 sentence no more than 10 words.
5. Don't ask for hints...it's all here.
6. Don't bother visiting the market, there are no answers there either.
7. I set the game, the rules and prizes.
8. I can alter No. 7 in anyway, whenever and however I want.
9. Prizes will be ready for collection from 3rd Aug 2009 to 14th Aug 2009.
10. I do not entertain anything else than what is stated above.
:p
Updates and updates and more updates.
Finally after a long time, I have time to finally sit down and do some decent photography editing. I know I have been piling up a lot of photos that are waiting to be edited before I publish them since I am not a huge fan of simply pushing out un-edited photos. The rainy days for the past couple days were really good for my mental and physical health so I drew a lot of inspirations.
One of the main reasons that gave me time to do my photos were that I was so over hacking my ipod touch (and the now gone Iphone), getting Final Cut Pro to work only to find out that my Santa Rosa Mac is not compatible with it, meeting up with friends, planning to get a new camera, installing new applications, etc. Hmmm...I thought I said one of the main reasons...now that's quite a handful of reasons. Getting all these off my routine lifestyle and the abundance of time since the kids are having their tests, I hauled my beloved Mac to work and fiddled the photos from there. It's really time consuming since I had to salvage any useable stuffs and do a whole lot of editing. Then while looking thru the pictures, I found so many mistakes in my photography which had led me to exhaust my limited time to cover the flaws. Maybe my standards were a little high but that's besides the point for sub standard works. Until now I have only been able to complete the Star Studded Wedding for the after shoots...haven't even touch the night ones, the trip down south and the OTHER wedding.
Still trying to get aquainted with my new Canon 5Dmk2. The feel, the weight and the sound of the mirror flipping when I depress the shutter button are all so beautiful that I swore I could have held my camera snuggly to bed every night. Too bad I can't edit the HD vids since FCP can't work on my Mac...drats! Have some events coming up before I make my way back to where I used to be. Still am pretty messed up and undecided about packing my mini "cargo" to lug back. Hopefully I can empty as much as I can jsut in case I decid to move to a different city. Reserved myself a slot on one of the huge metal "birds" back and yes this time round I can say for sure I am filled with so much more anxiety than last year other than the fact that I literally have 7 weddings invites this year alone.
Still on the topic of weddings...seems like the usual Chinese wedding have become more of a hassle for me to look forward to less attend. Wedding at least for me is a private affair of 2 sweet lovebirds stepping into a new journey of bliss and happiness have turned out to be quite a sore to hear, to see and to experience when more people are invloved. The more brains cracking, the more complex the whole process will be so might as well keep it simple. Of the infamous Cardinal Sins, Greed, Gluttony and Pride strikes when such complications arises to ruin the sacred affair of what originally was deem to be the private affair of 2 people. I have to really confess that prior to every wedding event, I am so excited to grace it but only to discover the ugliness of it all as the wedding draws near. Parents can quarrel, siblings can squabble and relatives can be severed of all ties...I really can't imagine anymore how much damage can a simple and magnificient wedding can cause to all those around. I do believe that not only Chinese weddings are like this, Japanese ones are not spared either. It makes me dread Asian weddings as I aged thru the years...
Ok ok aside from all that...There are really a lot more things that I am actually looking forward to and one of them is of course to improve my photography. No doubt some friends may find my pictures to be pretty eye candy but it is by professional standard far less than acceptable. That is the hard cold truth I like to subject myself to since the warm consolation from my friends compliments are not beneficial for improvement. Maybe I am pushing myself a little further so that I can do more with it, hopefully make some side cash from it in the future. Photography is like a form of art so whether it is good or not depends on who looks at it. With a good range of decent gear in my possession, sub par works are not an excuse so I am really looking forward to more shoots with my friends here in Japan and also when I am back home. Had always wanted to visit the same places but to approach it with a different perspective. Well also to visit new places that was erected while I was away. I like to see pictures that I take in the way that is not possible in reality or too expensive to replicate in reality. Therefore I chose to manipulate it thru softwares that I am able to afford. That't that way it is so I do spend a lot of time fiddlying with the sliders...
Mmmmm...there are so many things I want to do when I am back. I want to eat Long John Silver's with cheese of course, I want to catch a couple of movies, I want to go for night drives, I want to chill (So have you figured out the encoded message yet) at Altivo or any of the other watering holes, I want to have bass blasting thru my ear drums at the clubs, I want to see the familiar faces that I like, I want to frame some scenes, people and places, I want to eat Laksa, I want to eat the crispy Nasi Goreng Ayam in Lucky Plaza, There are so many so many things I want to do when I am back and yet none of them is to stay in Singapore...how ironical. I just crave for all these temporary and then I guess it's back to my second base and to enticipate the in coming winter skipping autumn again.
Chinese food are not bad but mostly have been down the gutter given that they are prepared by dis-tasteful and rude PRC bummers. So Malay food like Mee Siam, Mee Sotong, Mee Goreng, Nasi Goreng Ayam, Nasi Lemak, etc have all retained their authentic favor and sweet Kumpung attitude. India food like Roti Prata are not bad as well since that is all that I eat from them. The bottom line is that if my favorite store is tainted by PRCs, then I shall boycott it. Don't want to waste my effort, energy and time over useless garbage.
Hmm why am I plagued by anger as I enter more stuffs...totally unplanned for. No I am not angry just a bit too excited to experience a change of environment. Looking back I do ask myself time and again that if I had the chance to do all this again would I still choose to pick this path? The answer is obviously without a doubt a YES. Made friends from different parts of the world, widen my narrow perspective by leaps and horizons, became a lazier person, became better in photography, improved my Japanese a wee bit, still can't coincide (Still not getting the hint?) harmoniusly with pesky insects, bought a decent car for the price of a DSLR in SG, ate Whale and Horse sashimi and the extensive list goes on and on.
But I doubt I will be amused by the same silly antics that the usual SG crowd like to display...Social ungraciousness. Forget the PRCs, locally bred aunties fighting for MRT seats, barging in before the door open, unruly behavior and not forgetting the middle age men and Ah Peks oogling at hot girls in not so hot clothes. Well for the first part words have been replaced by signs to convey message to the barbaric Cave Aunties because they have evolved towards the past to only response to simply signs that usually have a picture, lines or some form of real world representation like animals, birds or flowers than wordy and complex passages. For the second group, well the suppressed libido are seeking other channels of release since virtually safe Porn Publications and Medias are banned while lethal STDs services are legal. Man I say it's all about the money...or were "They" actually thinking that it's either the real thing or nothing else? Beats me though...
In an unusual twist of colors, lifestyles, insane temeprature and sounds, I am sure I will be quick to fall back on these comfort zones that I grew up with before heading back here.
Alrite...that's about it.
I miss you so much...
The title of this entry was deliberately coded in such a way that only special people with animalistic and rural senses, people affiliated with the Kumpung Kid or a strong sense of rustic SG vibes before the 80s can decipher. So really no point trying because I know that if you are not in any of the category listed above, you are better off doing something else. Of course if you are shameless enuff, you can ask me directly for an answer (Like I will give...) but the FIRST CORRECT ANSWER that I receive in my mail will beg some goodies from Japan so hurry...(There are numerous hints hidden in this entry itself so find them and de-code it. No they are not the hints in brackets...hahaha!).
Question - What is encoded in the the phrase, "Chicken, Goat, House"?
[Rules of the House]
1. Anyone from SG who reads this blog can participate.
2. Only 1 entry per person.
3. Include your name and contact.
4. Answer in 1 sentence no more than 10 words.
5. Don't ask for hints...it's all here.
6. Don't bother visiting the market, there are no answers there either.
7. I set the game, the rules and prizes.
8. I can alter No. 7 in anyway, whenever and however I want.
9. Prizes will be ready for collection from 3rd Aug 2009 to 14th Aug 2009.
10. I do not entertain anything else than what is stated above.
:p
Updates and updates and more updates.
Finally after a long time, I have time to finally sit down and do some decent photography editing. I know I have been piling up a lot of photos that are waiting to be edited before I publish them since I am not a huge fan of simply pushing out un-edited photos. The rainy days for the past couple days were really good for my mental and physical health so I drew a lot of inspirations.
One of the main reasons that gave me time to do my photos were that I was so over hacking my ipod touch (and the now gone Iphone), getting Final Cut Pro to work only to find out that my Santa Rosa Mac is not compatible with it, meeting up with friends, planning to get a new camera, installing new applications, etc. Hmmm...I thought I said one of the main reasons...now that's quite a handful of reasons. Getting all these off my routine lifestyle and the abundance of time since the kids are having their tests, I hauled my beloved Mac to work and fiddled the photos from there. It's really time consuming since I had to salvage any useable stuffs and do a whole lot of editing. Then while looking thru the pictures, I found so many mistakes in my photography which had led me to exhaust my limited time to cover the flaws. Maybe my standards were a little high but that's besides the point for sub standard works. Until now I have only been able to complete the Star Studded Wedding for the after shoots...haven't even touch the night ones, the trip down south and the OTHER wedding.
Still trying to get aquainted with my new Canon 5Dmk2. The feel, the weight and the sound of the mirror flipping when I depress the shutter button are all so beautiful that I swore I could have held my camera snuggly to bed every night. Too bad I can't edit the HD vids since FCP can't work on my Mac...drats! Have some events coming up before I make my way back to where I used to be. Still am pretty messed up and undecided about packing my mini "cargo" to lug back. Hopefully I can empty as much as I can jsut in case I decid to move to a different city. Reserved myself a slot on one of the huge metal "birds" back and yes this time round I can say for sure I am filled with so much more anxiety than last year other than the fact that I literally have 7 weddings invites this year alone.
Still on the topic of weddings...seems like the usual Chinese wedding have become more of a hassle for me to look forward to less attend. Wedding at least for me is a private affair of 2 sweet lovebirds stepping into a new journey of bliss and happiness have turned out to be quite a sore to hear, to see and to experience when more people are invloved. The more brains cracking, the more complex the whole process will be so might as well keep it simple. Of the infamous Cardinal Sins, Greed, Gluttony and Pride strikes when such complications arises to ruin the sacred affair of what originally was deem to be the private affair of 2 people. I have to really confess that prior to every wedding event, I am so excited to grace it but only to discover the ugliness of it all as the wedding draws near. Parents can quarrel, siblings can squabble and relatives can be severed of all ties...I really can't imagine anymore how much damage can a simple and magnificient wedding can cause to all those around. I do believe that not only Chinese weddings are like this, Japanese ones are not spared either. It makes me dread Asian weddings as I aged thru the years...
Ok ok aside from all that...There are really a lot more things that I am actually looking forward to and one of them is of course to improve my photography. No doubt some friends may find my pictures to be pretty eye candy but it is by professional standard far less than acceptable. That is the hard cold truth I like to subject myself to since the warm consolation from my friends compliments are not beneficial for improvement. Maybe I am pushing myself a little further so that I can do more with it, hopefully make some side cash from it in the future. Photography is like a form of art so whether it is good or not depends on who looks at it. With a good range of decent gear in my possession, sub par works are not an excuse so I am really looking forward to more shoots with my friends here in Japan and also when I am back home. Had always wanted to visit the same places but to approach it with a different perspective. Well also to visit new places that was erected while I was away. I like to see pictures that I take in the way that is not possible in reality or too expensive to replicate in reality. Therefore I chose to manipulate it thru softwares that I am able to afford. That't that way it is so I do spend a lot of time fiddlying with the sliders...
Mmmmm...there are so many things I want to do when I am back. I want to eat Long John Silver's with cheese of course, I want to catch a couple of movies, I want to go for night drives, I want to chill (So have you figured out the encoded message yet) at Altivo or any of the other watering holes, I want to have bass blasting thru my ear drums at the clubs, I want to see the familiar faces that I like, I want to frame some scenes, people and places, I want to eat Laksa, I want to eat the crispy Nasi Goreng Ayam in Lucky Plaza, There are so many so many things I want to do when I am back and yet none of them is to stay in Singapore...how ironical. I just crave for all these temporary and then I guess it's back to my second base and to enticipate the in coming winter skipping autumn again.
Chinese food are not bad but mostly have been down the gutter given that they are prepared by dis-tasteful and rude PRC bummers. So Malay food like Mee Siam, Mee Sotong, Mee Goreng, Nasi Goreng Ayam, Nasi Lemak, etc have all retained their authentic favor and sweet Kumpung attitude. India food like Roti Prata are not bad as well since that is all that I eat from them. The bottom line is that if my favorite store is tainted by PRCs, then I shall boycott it. Don't want to waste my effort, energy and time over useless garbage.
Hmm why am I plagued by anger as I enter more stuffs...totally unplanned for. No I am not angry just a bit too excited to experience a change of environment. Looking back I do ask myself time and again that if I had the chance to do all this again would I still choose to pick this path? The answer is obviously without a doubt a YES. Made friends from different parts of the world, widen my narrow perspective by leaps and horizons, became a lazier person, became better in photography, improved my Japanese a wee bit, still can't coincide (Still not getting the hint?) harmoniusly with pesky insects, bought a decent car for the price of a DSLR in SG, ate Whale and Horse sashimi and the extensive list goes on and on.
But I doubt I will be amused by the same silly antics that the usual SG crowd like to display...Social ungraciousness. Forget the PRCs, locally bred aunties fighting for MRT seats, barging in before the door open, unruly behavior and not forgetting the middle age men and Ah Peks oogling at hot girls in not so hot clothes. Well for the first part words have been replaced by signs to convey message to the barbaric Cave Aunties because they have evolved towards the past to only response to simply signs that usually have a picture, lines or some form of real world representation like animals, birds or flowers than wordy and complex passages. For the second group, well the suppressed libido are seeking other channels of release since virtually safe Porn Publications and Medias are banned while lethal STDs services are legal. Man I say it's all about the money...or were "They" actually thinking that it's either the real thing or nothing else? Beats me though...
In an unusual twist of colors, lifestyles, insane temeprature and sounds, I am sure I will be quick to fall back on these comfort zones that I grew up with before heading back here.
Alrite...that's about it.
I miss you so much...
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