Jonming - Making the Right Choice

Life ain't a roller coaster

2010-04-17T23:01:00.006+08:00

Coz it's a fricking blender. The minute you think you're in one piece, you're actually in 50 million more.

It's been a good blend getting involved with the voters registration campaign. All the experienced I've ever gained from it is definitely invaluable. I've:

Met so many people
Met so many different kinds of people
Met so many different kinds of nice people
Learned so many new things about our country's voting system
Talked to visionaries who share the same vision of changing this nation
Collaborated with other organizations to pool our resources
Learned that procrastination is not part of your character/personality/habits. It's your enemy, and if you have good allies, they can help you win the war against this foe completely
Learned more about content management systems other than stupid simple Wordpress (although WP is very good for small company portfolios since it's super easy to use and understand)
Prepared myself to drop my hobbies when I'm called to do nation transformation work
Understood the importance of having a team with very different personalities so that all work in a synergistic way (because a team full of introverts will not succeed, neither would a team full of leaders)
Finally got my own name cards
Finally got registered as a voter
Finally got some of my friends to register as voters
Realized that there's such things called Chinese Assembly Hall, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, Youth4Change, and Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya
Found out that standing at a booth for 12 hours in a mall for 2 days in a row, trying to sell something ain't easy
Learned that hurdles and challenges aren't obstacles to us if we keep our eye on the ball and keep our spirit together
Learned that Jamie is crazy
Been enlightened about the generosity of fellow youth who were willing to stand alongside us for hours to flag shoppers down and force them to sign the damn form and get out of our sight (ok not so vulgar)
Found that Subang Parade's management is VERY friendly and has good intentions for their CSR quotas
Talked to Khailee Ng, co-founder of YouthAsia and he speaks like aSUPERfastBULLETTRAINand
SOMETIMEShe'slikeFRIcKINGwhackkyyyyyANDCRAZYandEVENlaughsHYSTERICALLY
Learned alot more things but there it's too wong-linded to list them down here so I'll just go to sleep now

Night!

Jamie Ang Hui Mei is cool

2010-04-12T01:02:00.002+08:00

Translation Rules

2010-03-23T04:42:00.009+08:00

I downloaded the plugin for firefox where I can highlight a word within the browser and then either wiki it or tweet it or google it or, especially this one wonderful feature, translate it.

So I came across this profile on fb.

Yes I do stalk.

Yes everyone on fb does too.

And no, I paused at this picture SOLELY BECAUSE I SAW CHINESE WORDS THERE AND I WAS VERY CURIOUS CAT.

Anyway, yea so I was viewing this bunch of profile photos... and I saw some Chinese words as comments to the photo....

And yes, you've guessed it.

I just had to.

"Yes! I do use Mody Blazing Sauce as my foundation! omg how did you know?!"

An Old Flame?

2010-03-22T23:45:00.010+08:00

Did a photoshoot with Cynthia few weeks ago. Her collection is finally up in conjunction with the launch of her new automated online store, www.anoldflame.net.

It was quite a fun session... Bu tiring and hot. coz I sweat alot and me metabolism is high. And it was dangerous. Coz a fricking screw went through my shoe.

It wasn't a nail.

IT WAS A SCREW, MAN.

Anyway. here are some samples.

ARGH BUSY BUSY BUSY.

Anyway, thanks TianChad, for keeping me at it!

Brb guys!

Hi Again

2010-03-21T01:37:00.006+08:00

I'm in class and we're having a break. Suddenly felt like just opening up all my iPhone apps that can be used on the go, now that I've got youth club data plan. 68/mth, okla quite worth it, except for 3 things:

1. Internet connection is slllllooooowwwww
2. Phone battery depletes darn quickly, since EDGE is like dinosaur technology
3. Phone gets hot damn quickly

But other than that, it's so fun to do things on the move! No more saying "oh, uhh, I'll google it when I get home la."

Anyway, I'd like to broadcast a request for anyone who's reading this blog to remind me to blog more often. Coz I need to keep this alive and express all my feelings and rantings and activities from time to time. SO PLEASE FORCE ME TO BLOG MORE OFTEN.

So okay I'm off. Lecturer's back. Talk to you later!

EPIC FOR UNITY, April 3rd & 4th 2010

2010-03-03T12:57:00.002+08:00

According to the Election Commission (EC) Deputy Chairman, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar in a report dated in January 2010, 4.39 million or some 28% of Malaysians over the age of 21 have yet to register as a voter. These are alarming statistics which we believe we have to do something about. To put things into perspective, the state of Selangor itself has an estimated 787,000 unregistered voters.

The decisions we make today shape our tomorrow, individually as a community, and ultimately as a nation. That is why we are beginning another EPIC movement we call EPIC for Unity.

This is where we want the people to start having faith & hope in this nation that we call HOME and love dearly. It is understandable that it has indeed been challenging to develop such positive feelings toward a nation that displays such a blatant disregard for ethics and the rapid decay of moral values in our community. We understand that we are disillusioned and feelings of helplessness have inhabited our minds and wills, causing us to stop striving for what we youths want.

We want to believe that the power of ‘one’ is not simply overrated, just rarely challenged

We want Positive Action not Negative Reactions

We want to integrate not tolerate

We want to stop complaining, and start acting

We want our friends to stop migrating overseas and our parents to stop telling us to do so

We want to be colour blind to our neighbours

We want to stand up to be responsible for our collective future and believe that others want to as well

We want all this but what are you willing to do to get it?

We want to voice our choice the best and most civil way we know how in practicing our democratic right...

By Voting

However before that happens, you first have to register as a voter... Have you? If you have, GOOD ON YA! If not, don’t feel bad, because the time is now.

We are on an EPIC Mission to gather 1,000,000 voters by the end of the year to mark the end of the first decade of this millennium.Yes, we said it! ONE MILLION! We believe that we will definitely hit and even exceed this number if you join us on this EPIC adventure to truly impact our community in an extraordinary way.

We will be launching our year-long campaign which we believe belongs to all of us on the 3^rd and 4^th of April. The launch will start of by setting up booths in high traffic malls which will be confirmed ASAP.

We will need at least 150 hands in promoting, registering,
setting up booths and pasting up posters.

We are targeting 20,000 people for the 2 day launch.

* in case you're wondering we have NO political affiliations whatsoever*

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WE NEED EACH OF YOU TO SUPPORT THIS,

If you are interested please email us your details and join the event on facebook.

Name:

Age:

Tel#:

Email:

Profession:

If you cannot support this physically yet would like to be a part of this movement, you can contribute monetarily to:

Bank: CIMB
Branch: Subang Jaya
Account Number: 1261-0002228-05-3
Account Holder: GROWING EMERGING LEADERS CENTRE
Reg Number: SA0143174-D

We would greatly appreciate it if you pass the word around. For further inquiries do email us at:

dosomethingepic@gmail.com or call 016 3177788 (Jasmine)

10 Things I'll Tell A Younger Me

2010-02-27T23:20:00.008+08:00

First five's from shengmae.

1. It’s ALWAYS bros before hoes.

My three best friends and I have gone through exactly the same thing and when I say exactly, I mean WAN HUNDRAD TAOHSERN PERCENT identitcal breakup situations and we all got dumped exactly the same way and felt the exact same shit for a year or so. Well, Jote's going through it now. 1.5 months and counting. Moral of the story - we all have each other and when things get heart-breaking and downright confidence-wrecking. We take care of each other, talk it out, get our logical brains straight, and back on the road we are.

2. Take up Mandarin classes.

7/8 of my ACCA friends are chinese-educated. More often than not do I feel insecure and inferior when socializing. I feel like the world's out to get me and they're plotting their sinister actions to embarrass my xiang jiao ren-ness.

Besides that, my dad tells me twice a day about, not only how it will benefit me in communication and networking with people, but also the detriments of not going to China to do this 3-month trip for goodness' sake.

3. Read more.

My vocabulary's as lousy as a C-grade movie. I didn't read at all throughout my childhood and now I STILL DON'T EVEN READ AT ALL. I'm on the computer all day, I'm on my phone all night, I'm in the toilet everytime, I'm climbing every week... I'M DOING EVERYTHING BUT READ. And not to mention having big trouble facing politically active rakyat when they come to interrogate me about my ulterior motives throughout my voter's registration campaign that I'm involved in. Seriously, the frigging newspaper is there everyday, getting wet by spilt water, doing nothing. go read the damn papers, boy.

4. You’re gonna enjoy high school.

SAVOUR EACH MOMENT. You'll know when and where you need to. Trust me.

5. Don’t worry about your crooked teeth.

Reading shengmae's one about this can make me omg cry all night ='(

But honestly, the laziness that will get to you, the discipline problems you will be facing when everyone's forcing you to keep your retainers in your damn mouth and not leave them everywhere else... won't matter because you will be a marvelous person and you will know it when the time comes. People will accept who you are. Not what you look like. And girls will be after you!

*Omg shameless*

6. Always think of the good stuff and look toward the future

Your excessive insecurities and self-consciousness is inevitable, I agree. But there are many other things that can help overcome your lack of confidence and shyness - one of them is using your time more carefully and making sure everyday that your to-do-list had something in it that would benefit you in the future. Making sure that everything you do makes someone else smile and that you know you have a good heart and you're using it to make this world a better place. Always look an improved you for the community in the future.

7. When you're choosing your tertiary field of study, choose the one you REALLY WANT TO DO

8 years ago, I started getting interested in graphic web design. I learned how to do basic stuff on photoshop, like colour stuff, draw boxes... It was so refreshing to create something out of nothing. It was colourful. It was my passion. I kept it.

Then 4 years and 2 months ago, my dad and I went to Sunway College to go checkout the courses offered there. We came across this lovely section which said "Monash - Mechatronics Engineering" and I was exhilirated. All my life I was this little boy who always like to take things apart and extract electronics from radios/walkmans/computers and join them to make something. It was time to show the world what I could do with my technicalities.

Then 4 years, and 1 month ago, My dad brought me to the Sunway School of Professional Accountancy (a.k.a. SunwayTES).

4 years and 1 month later after that visit, I am now struggling to finish my final audit paper.

8. "A Jack of All Trades, A Master of None"

Swaying in and out of all kinds of sports and keeping none of them close to you... sometimes it's a waste of effort, sometiems it's a waste of time. If you pick up a sport and you see that you're improving rapidly in it, keep it going. Don't give two birds about your teammates who are leaving to Melbourne to study, your friends who all do other sports, your dad who thinks that rock climbing is too expensive etc, and someday, you will find yourself in a school competition, in a college sports carnival, in the open games, in the inter-district fight, and soon you will see a world-class you.

And it's not only about sports, it's about everything! you may find yourself soon doing photography perhaps, and maybe in your spare time earning some pocket money from designing websites... but realize that if you took either one to further levels, you would have so much more earning power.

9. Don't think about what people are thinking about you!

WHAT'S SO HARD ABOUT JUST MAKING CONVERSATION. Everyone has insecurities. Just go for it, man. As they always say, you'll never know until you try. Seriously! I can tell you, you'll find yourself more confident after gathering all your energy to just go up to some random person and say hi.

10. When you meet someone named Ms. Liew, WALK AWAY.

She may be attractive, the both of you may click in seconds, but watch your emotions. You're a guy! Keep the logic up in there! Trust me!

Have faith. All the best!

Busy busy busy

2010-02-26T13:08:00.004+08:00

Here's a quick update:

Currently busy with... well, I wouldn't call it community work now.. I'd really like to call it event management. Lovely experience, man. Even failing a paper doesn't bother me. I've got so many other important things on my plate now!

Will talk more about what I'm currently readying. Keep in touch, guys. This is gonna be an exciting year. =)

I am better than this

2010-02-13T11:36:00.004+08:00

To all who ask whether I am content...

Truthfully..

No. I am not.

This job is worth at least RM4k.

Maybe I'm blind and stupid. I don't think before I speak. I jump before I look at in the end I fall and cry over the pain. It is evident that I do not fit in this area of expertise as I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, no job satisfaction, no discipline, no technical competence, no sense of urgency and achievement... and obviously no skill in having a thick face.

Because RM0.5k for a job taking a month and a half ain't dropping me hints that I have potential in this field.

So I resign henceforth as, I wouldn't say a 'web designer' as I clearly have no idea what that means, but just a person who knows how to do a some website stuff. I have two more small jobs to attend to after this one, and after that, I am putting my foot down and letting go of this.

My clients deserve better quality results and thus deserve to pay more for those results. There you go.

Yes, you can scold me now. My face is thick. Don't worry.

Chris Wong, I think you're right

2010-02-10T02:53:00.005+08:00

I'm beginning to think that it actually is truly due to climbing. Because usually it comes and goes in a span of 2 or 3 weeks, but this has been going on for about a month and a half! And it usually peaks at one point and alleviates immediately after that. But now it's been bout 2 weeks since it's peaked, and it's still peeling! the thing is, I see like perfectly fresh skin underneath! It's like I'm peeling off a layer of thickened climbing skin. Callus!

Chris said he stopped climbing for awhile and the same thing happened. But GAH, my climbing buddies climb as often and or as little as I do... BUT THEIR FINGERS AREN'T LIKE THIS, aRE THEY!?

Haih. Insecurities.

"Hi, nice to meet you."

"Umm, nah, I prefer to hug people. Come here, man."

2010 is a lav-lay year

2010-02-09T17:41:00.004+08:00

Just over a month into the year, and I feel like I've achieved so much! Yes. I know I shouldn't be 'resting on my laurels' wth is a laurel anyway.

Yea so I've helped plan a community event in a month and a half, and the results were fantastic! Met new people, helped orang asli brighten up their lifestyle, learned some valuable lessons throughout the organizing process.... lovely!

Besides that, I've done more rock climbing in the past few months than I have played basketball in my entire life! Okay not that much, but.. omg! Repelling is fun! Nah, some foto from up there:

But only first-pitch la. We all training only. Thursday I'm gonna go THIRD. I don't care Alan Fung Yoke Yan, YOU ARE FOLLOWING ME UP.

Other than climbing, I've been doing a project website that's been going on for ages coz I fricking hate the tediousness of coding, but the little little successful implementations are the things that intrigue me all the time.

19th February! omg where got time!

Also just did a little shoot for An Old Flame. Not sure when the photos will be up, though. Venue was freaky, dangerous and secluded - an abandoned house. I got a cut from shattered glass litter on the floor, dirtied all of bags and some equipment, and a screw right up the sole of my shoe. A SCREW, YOU KNOW. It's not a nail or a thumbtack IT'S A FRICKING I dunno la how it went through. It's like it drilled through my shoe in a split-second while I was stepping on it. Ish.

Anyway, we're going MadMonkeyz tomorrow night (wednesday 7pm) if you'd like to join us, and Damai Wall, Batu Caves on Thursday morning/afternoon.

Climbing is lav-lay!

See you soon mates!

I Miss You

2010-02-05T03:22:00.000+08:00

I miss being sick. I would consistently get up earlier everyday because of the discomfort, and thus I could get more work done in a day.

I miss having heavy asthma attacks when I would collapse at the top of the stairs in front of my parents room and wheeze my lungs out until my parents would hear me coughing vigorously ad dash all the way from the kitchen to take my school bag off and carry me to bed,stroking my hair.

I miss staring at the mcdee's overhead menu from the front of the queue all by myself and calling my brothers to help me order a simple filet o' fish large set.

I miss sitting in the passenger seat and listening to stories and advice from my parents, and their lessons on life, not needing to experience them myself and getting my hands dirty.

I miss the many things in life that were easier than the ones I'm going through now.

I miss you, pampered little jonny.

Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur

2010-01-19T00:03:00.002+08:00

Photoshop lesson for Sze May. what do you think, dreamy effects nice ar? I also dunno. I only like them on pre-wedding shots and perhaps some beach photos.

Who's up for some criminal activity at klpac this weekend! I wanna go shoot.. but apparently they chase off people who are not permitted there. so we gotta be quick.

Pekeliling Flats

2010-01-17T22:48:00.002+08:00

Went to pekeliling flats this morning with Yih Wen and her friends coz it's gonna be demolished in a month's time, so figured that we could get some dodgy edgy shots.

Didn't take much though. was kinda sleepy from last night's elfoditu session.

Hahaha we were kind scared of drug addicts and dangerous squatters or whatnot. everytime we hear the sound of slippers dragging on the cement down the halls, we quickly silenced ourselves and ducked.

I was reasonably satisfied la. I thought my camera was completely dead already. It sorta switches off by itself when i shake it or tilt it. or touch certain buttons. A dude at some shop said it's dusty inside and the electronics are malfunctioning. Hmm right.

And the ending life of my camera had to be highlighted and emphasized when I borrowed my friend's d90 last week on another trip with Yih Wen and friends to places around KL. ARGHHHH my camera feels like junk. no it doesn't feel like junk. it feels like a FRACKING JUNKYARD.

Ok imma go back to work now. Lotsa projects in queue!

ttyl!

Batu Caves, anyone?

2010-01-14T02:22:00.001+08:00

It's time to go upwards, brothers. UPWARDS!

My Options

2010-01-07T02:03:00.003+08:00

Courtesy of Sze May.

___________________________________________________

Anyways, I wanna ask for an opinion.

You see, now I'm kinda busy with 2 website jobs which would solely take up about 2 more weeks. Apart from that, I'm very involved in organizing Project E.P.I.C - if you haven't already heard about it, visit our Facebook Group page. I also intend to take up Mandarin classes, but I have no idea how intensive it should be to suit the different circumstances of my options.

On the other hand, I definitely need to start working soon, and as many of us already know, auditing and gonna give you shit free weekends for long. So there goes my n00b photography (which didn't produce any glorifying results anyway, so nvm) and pointless web design (which also didn't catch on - but i like doing it! wth) as hobbies. I'd now be spending weeknights dreading numbers, keyboards and stacks of papers and files. Not to mention ffk-ing family meets and lepaking with friends. Oh well.

So now comes the real problem. I'm now waiting for my final results for my Advanced Audit & Assurance paper which would arrive on the 15th of Feb (yes, 2nd day of new year - no more tong chang tong chang, it'll then be goncang goncang kepala). So, if I fail, I will be working full-time and studying one paper part-time, which I think is taboo because it's just !@#!#(&%#$ insane when I look at my friends still going back to their offices in the middle of exam period!

Also, the problem is that my dad keeps drilling it into my soul that it's already so late and that my applications will never be accepted or even touched by a single finger because of 99999 reasons. first one would be that I'm so OLD, already wasted 1 year still studying in college wtf. second one would be that I don't have this FIRE in me, this UNDYING PASSION AND HUNGER to improve and learn. The third reason onwards would be with regard to laziness and spending too much time chatting rubbish with my friends on the computer.

I think I basically know that I'm supposed to hand in my CV like right now already, but I'm just scared. like. wet my pants kinda scared. I don't know what to do. I'm lost. Afraid to step into a different world and lose what I've always had. Yea.

So I just need you to help me get back on my feet and just FRICKING PERSUADE ME TO GO EDIT MY CV NOW AND HAND IT IN. LIKE. NOW.

NO MORE WAITING.

LIKE.

!@#$%%^*1@%!@^!# NAOOOOOOO!

T-shirt price revised

2010-01-05T23:55:00.006+08:00

Hi all!

The ProjectEPIC T-shirt price has been revised to promote the t-shirt further! Basically, buy the first t-shirt for RM30, and however many t-shirts you buy after that, it'll be RM25 each!

the t-shirts are still in production, but you can already place an order now! as usual, details are as follows:

The t-shirt manufacturer has provided us with 4 sizes for men ( S / M / L / XL ) and 3 sizese for women ( S / M / L ). The average youth sizes are recommended to be S & M.

There are 3 ways to order your t-shirt:

Leave a comment on this post
Drop me an e-mail at lohjonming@hotmail.com
SMS me at 017 226 3153

with the following details:

Name
Contact Number
E-mail
Gender
Size

I will subsequently contact you regarding payment arrangements. Thank you!

Spread the word for a good cause!

Filter > Artistic > Cutout

2010-01-05T02:45:00.002+08:00

Shit lar, I need to get back into photography. And blogging too, for that matter.

?

2009-12-29T02:23:00.001+08:00

Why is this not a good photo?

EPIC T-shirt out for pre-order

2009-12-26T03:33:00.006+08:00

Hey you!

The GEL (Growing Emerging Leaders) Team is gaining steam on the EPIC Project. We are on the way to gathering all the raw materials and transportation and also rallying a target of 50 or more participants to join us in enhancing the quality of life for a group of Orang Asli villagers in Kampung Jawa, Kuala Kubu Baru, on the 21st & 22nd of January 2010.

Although so, we are currently lacking sponsorship for the raw materials, transportation and food costs involved and thus we have decided to be more proactive in getting you more closer and more involved in the entire process! In that, we are now offering the EPIC T-shirts for sale at RM25.00.

T-shirts will be made available to you only mid-January onwards as the order has only just recently been transacted.

Lay your trust upon the GEL team, that these EPIC t-shirts are not ordinary event t-shirts ordered in bulk and are to be used as your oversized pajamas ending up at the bottom of your wardrobe pile, but that we have consulted a professional t-shirt manufacturer that emphasizes on cuttings specific to each gender and each size. Thus, we are looking to providing you with a cut as fitting as possible which would basically be worth the RM25.00 you pay.

So please order your t-shirts now in your size!

The t-shirt manufacturer has provided us with 3 sizes each for men's and women's tees - S, M & L. Youth sizes are recommended to be between S and M.

There are 3 ways to order your t-shirt:

Leave a comment on this post
Drop me an e-mail at lohjonming@hotmail.com
SMS me at 017 226 3153

with the following details:

Name
Contact Number
E-mail
Gender
Size

I will subsequently contact you regarding payment arrangements. Thank you!

Here's what the t-shirt looks like:

Lastly, I'd like to ask for your help if you would be so kind to pass on the word to whoever you think would be interested in buying an EPIC t-shirt. We're printing several hundred pieces and intend to sell at least half of the batch by the time mid-January comes as we would already need to pay for the billed materials.

So please support us!

Thank you. =)

Through my fingers

2009-12-17T13:18:00.005+08:00

I'm telling you, because I just need to tell someone. I'm telling you, because I just need to let out my feelings and express it out like how a normal human being would deal with emotions. I am telling you, not because I want to tell you about my love life and all that. Not because I want to boast or anything. I'm just telling you.

It's a short story, it begins in a car.

A few days ago, this girl and I, we were in the backseat of the car and we just talked a little. We were shy. We kept trying to hold hands but. We were shy. I knew it was impossible and too good to be true if we actually did, because I knew she didn't like me. She didn't. At all. And when the drive was coming to an end, she had to get out of the car. She got out the door to a bright sunny day and I reached my hand toward her and she looked back in. She hesitated for a split-second. And then she held my hand affirmatively, through all my fingers. She gave me a hazy frown, and said "don't let go". She was pulled away from the car, and I was pulled by her strong grip of her fingers on my palm. In turn, I held her palm tightly, tugged forward toward theopened door, and she kept saying, now with a sharper frown and a slightly deeper fear, "don't let go! don't let go!", and with my sweaty fingers, she slipped right through my palms, and disappeared into the bright daylight. I lunged forward to the door and peeked out into the open to find her. But with my eyes accustomed to the dimness in the car, The daylight was blinding and I could only practically see whiteness, glaring into my retinas - the pain was so quick and intense, I had to shut my eyes and throw my head back into the car to regain my sight. There was no time, she was being pulled away. I couldn't stand it. I gathered my entire energy into numbing the pain through my eyes, as I squinted back out into the open. I could make out the shapes of trees, building windows, the floor... And someone standing in front of me. She covered the glaring sun from my eyes, forming a large silhouette above me, as I was still crouched half-in the car. As my pupils expanded, I could make out her facial features. I thought, no. It couldn't be. I was almost relieved completely. I could see her lips trying to say something, and then I heard her say "Jon, it's time for breakfast. Come downstairs when you're ready. Your dad and I want to go to Old Town."

I woke up from what seemed to be the best dream ever which turned into the worst nightmare. I teared a little, and I didn't know what to do. I hadn't had that kinda feeling in like an entire year and a half. And now, I'm so lost. And I feel so low. It was so real, and it made me feel like she and I really had something. But now. It's practically nothing. It IS BASICALLY nothing. And I feel so low. She slipped through my fingers.

I take dreams so seriously, I infatuate so dreadfully, knowing that it's out of this world to be possible. I make myself feel the way people feel in a lovely relationship, when I'm just looking across the room toward someone I haven't even spoken to before.

I just think...

She broke me.

Or rather, I broke myself.

Project EPIC '10 by GEL

2009-12-09T17:38:00.007+08:00

Hi Guys!

There will be a community event on January the 21st and 22nd (Thurs & Fri) on developing one of the Orang Asli Villages in Kuala Kubu Bharu. Work to be done would include

Building a toilet (a toilet-building specialist team will be present to oversee the construction)
Painting the cement walls of the single story houses (approximately 9 houses in total)
Painting wooden beams, metal grills
Replacing glass window panes
Replacing broken doors (a specialist team will also be present)
Cleaning and tidying up the area

I'm currently in a team called GEL (Growing Emerging Leaders) organizing the gathering of materials and supplies, rallying volunteers for the event, and also helping out in the actual work, so please join me in this event. It'll be fun! meet new people... see how village people live... see how a jamban is built...

Please join the group on facebook called Project EPIC '10 (Exraordinary People Impacting Community) by GEL through this link, and also RSVP for the community event on this page. If you'd like to know more, please drop a comment on the event wall, or call:

017-2263153 (Me!)
016-3177788 (Jasmine)
012-6910086 (John-Son)

We're targeting for 40 attendants including 5 of us in the GEL team. So please come!

It'll be a two-day event, but you are most welcome to come for even a day! You can also contribute in ways other than your presence, like materials or finance - please contact the above numbers to make arrangements.

Here are some of the photos taken during the previous two visits we made to the village in Kampung Jawa, Kuala Kubu Bharu.

First visit (Sunday, October 18, 2009)

Second visit (Thursday, November 19, 2009)

I AM PERCUMAAA!

2009-12-09T16:31:00.004+08:00

hello, Earth. I'm back!

how are you? =)

Just started my exams yesterday at 3pm... and well.. JUST FINISHED MY EXAMS YESTERDAY AT 6.15PM WAHAAHA after that I straight away chong kao to KJ LRT man. Train ride was about an hour to Wangsa Maju right at the summit of the apex of the climax of the peak of the middle of rush hour. Wah damn stress. But worth the wait! Finger itchy.

Three hours later, finger tired. Wah, good climbing session siut.

At 11.30pm, the train ride back home was 45 minutes to Taman Bahagia. So cold, nice and quiet. so peaceful. but a little eerie.

Like that show, Meat Train.

Except this is the pirated documentary version.

I'm currently planning my December and January and February and whatever time I think I have left before I start work. So anybody who needs portfolio pages, fashion blog e-commerce systems, company profiles... the easy stuff la, is what I mean... Just give me a call! I'm allocating spaces for each job so book yours now and fees and scope of work can be discussed as soon as possible.

Happy holidays people!

And congratulations to all who are graduating. =)

"How would you depict happiness in a photo?"

2009-12-05T11:45:00.003+08:00

21 is a just a dumb number lar!

I don't feel different also!

Violet Sunrise

2009-12-03T01:50:00.002+08:00

From 'Lovely Valentine'...

to Violet Sunrise!

I'm so proud of my mom. =)

I'm still alive!

2009-12-01T02:45:00.000+08:00

Hi there, just wanna let you know that I'm still rockin and kickin and studyin and, well... still having exams. So wish me luck during this period of my absence in hopes of me SCORING (not just passing) this final paper. No more FOURTH time shit for me.

P7 INT Advanced Audit & Assurance
Tuesday
8th December 2009
3:00pm

On a lighter note, my birthday is coming up, and guess what... You know what I'm gonna on my 21st birthday?I'm gonna celebrate with my best friends, Papermate, Stabilo, Faber Castell, and most of all, Indah Kiat!

But nolah seriously I think 21st birthdays are overrated. You don't gain any new rights or something as compared to when you were 20, do you? Well yea I guess now you're free from being trialled in a juvenile court, but in a REAL ONE where you can mati kongkiao. And now you can legally sign contracts. And now you get to graduate from college/uni. Now you get to work. Work your ass off 16 hours a day, 9 days a week, 36 months a year. And you get to think of buying a house. Buying a car. Buying... ropes... and quickdraws... and... rock climbing shoes... and...

GAHHHH!!!!!

You know what? I'm just gonna have a quiet dinner with my family this time. We're gonna go to a peaceful restaurant, sit down, take some pictures, feast and chat. A subtle and serene evening where I can bond with my family and have my most favouritest food in the whole wide world.

Marinara!

I'm still alive!

2009-12-01T02:41:00.000+08:00

Hi there, just wanna let you know that I'm still rockin and kickin and studyin and, well... still having exams. So wish me luck during this period of my absence in hopes of me SCORING (not just passing) this final paper. No more FOURTH time shit for me.

P7 INT Advanced Audit & Assurance
Tuesday
8th December 2009
3:00pm

On a lighter note, my birthday is coming up, and guess what... I'm gonna celebrate with my best friends, Papermate, Stabilo, Faber Castell, and most of all, Indah Kiat!

But nolah seriously I think 21st birthdays are overrated. You don't gain any new rights or something as compared to when you were 20, do you? Well yea I guess now you're free from being trialled in a juvenile court, but in a REAL ONE where you can mati kongkiao. And now you can legally sign contracts. And now you get to graduate from college/uni. Now you get to work. Work your ass off 16 hours a day, 9 days a week, 36 months a year. And you get to think of buying a house. Buying a car. Buying... ropes... and quickdraws... and... rock climbing shoes... and...

GAHHHH!!!!!

You know wut. I'm just gonna have a quiet dinner with my family this time. We're gonna go to a peaceful restaurant, sit down, take some pictures, feast and chat. A subtle and serene evening where I can bond with my family and have my most favouritest food in the whole wide world.

Marinara!

It's that time of the year again

2009-11-16T11:41:00.002+08:00

Books, confinement, freezing-cold libraries, nagging, panic...

Ahh, life is good.

=)

Although I have to abandon this blog for awhile la. I hope everyone understands. Including myself who's always looking for things to distract himself with. For example, my blog.

But then again you'd say "you don't even blog regularly, you moron."

Well, guess what I have to say to that?

"ngeeuurrhhh!"

Ps: I have a friend who's labelled me as one who has 'the quiet charm'. Is that something to be proud of or something?

THIS is why I'm a hardcore fan.

2009-11-13T11:13:00.003+08:00

Ps: I'd still fly to London for her concert even if I had just enough money!

You know your palms start sweating when...

2009-11-07T21:45:00.004+08:00

you just can't stop thinking about how dangerous it is to fall off the rocks on a rocky wall!

That's why we must learn how to climb rocks properly!

Yes, this is where I go every Tuesdays and Thursdays nights for some casual climbing.

But today was something a litte more specialz.

Batu Caves!

Hotel Batu Keras, Pulau Pinang

2009-11-02T00:37:00.007+08:00

Went to Hard Rock Hotel on the Batu Ferringhi coastal road. Really nice place! Awesome design, nice modern feel. And pretty lights!

Actually all the pics below are at the lobby alone. All the same pictures one hehe. Ok I'll be back with other things to talk about.

(and sze may, seriously why can't I fall in love with you?)

ps: Who Feels Lovely Today? =)

*raises hand*

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=9570023&id=786585789

The Best Halloween Costume

2009-10-29T02:05:00.002+08:00

Check it out.

I just spotted the scariest costume for this Halloween.

This guy must be really dedicated to scaring people this season!

Fricking look at that man! It's a blardy missing head!

Tell me you won't scream at that when you see it. I mean, this is no photoshop trick or magician illusion. It's a super freaky and totally real halloween outfit!

Either that, or...

he's just tired. =)

'Tis the Season to be Jolly (continued)

2009-10-26T04:18:00.003+08:00

Sometimes I wonder why I torture myself.

Our Penang trip was much fun, besides the food-stuffing. I tell you, this is an endless story. Having 6 to 7 meals a day, We would just get back into the car after each food stop, and keep quiet. No conversations in the car would take place until it was REALLY necessary, coz seriously sometimes it was just so uncomfortable for me to even sit down, or stand up, or walk, or hop, or run, or just lie down, or else the food would just explode out of my tummy if I did any of that.

But it was definitely a great experience I must say. We almost completed the WHOLE FOOD LIST!

We did eventually have some other stops for pictures and meeting up with some Penang bloggers.. friends of Shaz, they are. All shooting and cursing in Hokkien like a bullet train. The only the I understood from those long hours of damn hilarious accents was

"Wa Ka Lu Kong ar!"

Had a visit to the newly-opened Hard Rock Hotel in Batu Ferringhi. Lovely modern designs!

All in all, it was a good trip.

Great food...

Met some new people...

Had lotsa fun with Shaz and Jeffro in the hotel room...

And learned that Shaz can dance.

=p

'Tis Season to be Jolly

2009-10-19T03:48:00.002+08:00

Gosh I just finished packing, and now I'm on the bed... BLOGGING. eesh, how dedicated am I to keeping my blog alive. w00h00!

So yeah, I'm leaving on a food trip to Penang with Shaz and Jeffro for 4 days. Coming back on Thursday evening. Shaz's itinerary was, if I can remember correctly, 25 out of 26 tourist spots... for... yes, you've guessed it.

ORDERING NEW SPARE TYRES.

During this trip, we are gonna guarantee you with 3 extra spare tyres on each of us when we return to KL. But actually, I do hope to do some strobing there. Packed a flash stand with me to bring along in case we find a nice spot to strobe. Oh and kinz, hope you don't mind if I take your flash along too! I'll take good care of it, don't worry. =)

Okay, I'm off, for now. Have to get some... uhh... nap.

Yeah.

I'm blogging at 4.30am, and I've to be up at 6.

Yippee! Tis gonna be a so fun!!

(Sarcasm can be detected there, even if your brain is the size of half my fingernail)

Grocery Shopping

2009-10-18T02:04:00.003+08:00

I went shopping at Tesco tonight.

And I found something really peculiar. When finished rounding, reaching the cashier, I like to grab alot of stuff and I mean AS MANY AS I CAN GRAB with my two hands and put it on the conveyor belt. And then the tall bottles kept dropping. The milk cartons kept tumbling everywhere. I could sense the cashier give me those eyes and thinking "boi, slow down la... no earthquake yet leh"

And then my maid and I rolled the trolley back to the car in the parking lot, and when I opened the boot, she started taking one bag at a time and loading them into the trunk. As for me, I typically looped one bag's handle through a finger, and another handle through the same finger, and another one, and another one, until I was snaking my finger around the whole trolley trying to mengumpul ALL THE PLASTIC BAG HANDLE LOOPS AND MIRACULOUSLY TRASNFERRING 15 PLASTIC BAGS OF GROCERIES WEIGHING MORE THAN 30KG with three fingers, until one of the plastic bag loop handles snapped.

I was like "Jon, this has to stop. NOW." But yea as usual I was like yea whatever, that plastic bag was a lucky one.

So I went home and into the garage I parked, and started the unloading. now this was seriously... dumbfounding. I'm not being perasan or boasting or what but, I do workout at home, just to keep up with the sport of rock-climbing, and thus it involves a lot of fingers and biceps. And somehow, the first collection I unloaded (of course, performing the finger-snaking act again) had felt as heavy as the last time I went grocery shopping! (which was like in August) and well, if I really have been working out, that means these grocery unloading trips are collecting more and more bags for each go! wth! I don't even understand what I just typed!

My point is, Throughout my entire life, I have been extremely strict about making single trips for A LOT of things, I mean, for things as little as bringing up the study books and snacks and personal rubbish from downstsairs, back up into my room (I JUST HATE COMING BACK DOWN FOR ANOTHER ROUND, JUST TO get that final tiny little mini thing like my watch. or my cup of coffee.

And up till today, I still hate making second trips - I think there was one time I ACTUALLY trusted myself carrying a laptop with the screen open, the mouse on the keyboard, the external hard disk there too, my wallet, phone, keys, watch, a packet of chips all on top of them, even the charger cable, and in the other hand, a cup of soya bean and car keys. and sling bag. on the wrist. coz my backpack was on my back already. with the other rubbish, like my camera bag IN the backpack and a towel and MORE PACKET OF CHIPS, and a bottle of water, and my earphones and some books... and...

Well. my point is.

Less Trips = Less Come and Less Go.

Uhm.. I'm wondering...

2009-10-12T00:04:00.003+08:00

Do you actually find it annoying to always scroll down past my header just to read the latest post?

I realize, for shorter browser heights in netbooks (those tinier laptops like Dell Mini, HP Mini, etc) or normal PCs with smaller screen resolutions (1024x768), you'd have to scroll quite a lot compared to usual blogs.

Please tell me if it is. thank you =)

Oh by the way, check these out! I might actually buy them

https://www.seekanddestroyclothing.com/t-shirts/all-shirts/kanye-west---douche-bag/

Taylor roxx0rz!

Taylof Swift - Fifteen music video premiere

2009-10-11T02:24:00.003+08:00

Woohoo! Taylor Swift's new music video is out!! but it's darn slow to watch on cmt.com and I bet Viacom will be at it trying to delete all the new uploads of this new music video by pirates due to copyright infringement blah blah blah.

If you've watched the music video, I'm sure it looks boring and mediocre, but did you think You Belong With Me was a boring, typical chick flick music video? well, maybe MTV was wrong to give her an award then, if you do. hehe.

BUT ANYWAY, once you're a Taylor fan, everything about her just seems so perfect! she's so super omgbbq talented and enterprising. She had the whole video playing in her head and she writes her own songs. She's basically a CEO of her own company, with a few advisors and technical executives to do the technical and petty work for her! That is, while she does the thinking and planning for all her shows, concert tours, album release, songwriting - the list goes on.

Haih. If only I could be so fearless. She inspires me! =)

Rant 101

2009-10-10T14:08:00.005+08:00

Seriously now all I wanna do is complain, complain and complain.

I feel so stupid. This client of mine, sought a web developer (I'm told that he's a random dude, and not much connection at all) and the dude quoted them a sum, let's put a alphabetical value to it just for confidentiality purposes, of $abc.00 lah. And so this client wanted to meet up with me a few days later and proposed, discussed, etc. So I said I can do a CMS (Content Management System) for you so you can easily update your products yourself. and so I quoted them like, almost $abc.00 x2.

(then of course lah I sit at home there praying and waiting praying waiting waiting praying)

They were quiet for a few days and suddenly I heard from a common friend of this client that I'm charging extremely high in comparison to the previous web developer that they sought. Now comes the stupid part. Being me, I contacted them and said well okay, I'll lower my quote to $abc.00 then. And they said okay.

Now comes the even stupider part. I asked the client for the previous web developer's contact just to ask what specifications he was going to provide. And turns out that he was only going to do a few basic static pages for them, no automated updating system, no e-commerce, no shopping cart, no feedback form. NO SHIT. I could do that rubbish in TWO DAYS. and if you'd like to know, $abc.00 can almost buy you a laptop. And here I am, taking a week to do a fully automated e-commerce system that allows you to:

track sales levels and inventory count
track your customer base - all customer information will be recorded
easily add/update products
add variations to individual products for e.g. colour (blue, black, red), size (XS, S, M, L), etc
track customer ratings of popular products
issue coupon codes for customers to key in upon checkout for discounts
enable bulk discounts if customer purchases large quantities (eg. 1-10pieces RM10.00/item, 11-20pieces RM8/item, etc)
auto-respond to customer transactional statuses like order received, payment accepted, job dispatched
converts currency to preferred currency if customer is not dealing with the local currency of the merchant
link the shopping cart with PayPal, Chronopay, Google Checkout and standard credit card
automate shipping cost calculations based on incremental weight, incremental total price, regional destination or flat shipping rate
automatically retrieve packing slip information for printing and packaging upon dispatching the products
do many more things

Anyway long story short. My point is that clients should keep all their stakeholders happy INCLUDING their webmasters. Because I'd like to believe that for online boutiques, the concept is simple. No website, NO BUSINESS. zero. zilch. nil. kosong.

Maybe now I should just be less stupid and less desperate for a job, just stick to my quotation, and don't try and be nice and be cheap labour for other people. I mean honestly, RM2500 for a job that takes a week isn't very unreasonable right?

Electric Guitar for Sale

2009-10-08T01:50:00.006+08:00

Hi there, I'm helping a friend sell his guitar. It has been damaged (explained later) but not to worry, price has been revised accordingly.

This was given to a friend of mine as gift from Japan, and is claimed to be of a Japan make. Slightly vintage at an age of 20 years (so to speak), The build is still well-maintained and functional.

Although there are scratches here and there, the guitar is in good condition overall, except the damaged area which appears to be on the neck. The accident happened as the guitar was left standing, to lean on the wall, but due to the extreme weight (compared to acoustic and classical guitars) of the electrical guitar body, it pulled the fretboard and neck to come sliding down off the wall and on to the office-like carpeted floor.

The fretboard snapped at the farthest end, up at the neck, just after where the nut is fixed, and the guitar head soon went flying in the air due to the pulling tension of the strings.

Despite the elaborate and dramatic accident, The damage has been repaired at a guitar shop where the head has been precisely glued back on to to the fretboard. After the repair, we were blessed to hear that the guitar shop professional has confidently claim that the sound quality of the guitar has not been compromised due to the accident.

Other than the little cosmetic depreciation, the condition of the guitar is back to how it was - well-maintained.

I'm desperate to sell this guitar as my friend has been bugging me for a long time and I've been procrastinating. Yes I admit it. But anyway, the guitar has been valued by a professional from that same guitar shop that repaired it.

The professional searched for a similar-valued guitar and has quoted the price of this guitar at RM1800.

But of course it is a secondhand guitar and I am desperate to sell it off so I am offering it at a price of RM1000, NEGOTIABLE. I can be contacted via e-mail (refer to my profile), msn (same e-mail address) or my mobile number at +6017 226 3153.

If you do have any friends who would be interested in buying a secondhand guitar, please help me to forward this post to him/her. Your help would be greatly appreciated!

And lastly, I wanna say thank you Johnson Oei for helping me with the issues faced during the incident. It was a marvelous experience, I'd say.

Ok tata!

Btw, I'm working on a few of website projects now, and I don't really do blog designs anymore because they take up a lot of time for something that I can't charge much, since this involves a market that has very low income, or unwilling to pay.

I'm more into implementing online boutiques and company profiles for people who are looking for a semi-low-cost website.

If you have any friends/relatives wanting/needing a website, feel free to give me a ring and tell me about it. I'd love to help out in your business.

Thanks!

2 > 1

2009-10-06T00:30:00.004+08:00

Okay another quick one - listen to Boys Like Girls feat. Taylor Swift - Two is Better Than One. Hmm. thinking of covering it with my bro.

Click on the link below to download/listen to the song.

Download Boys Like Girls ft. Taylor Swift - Two is Better Than One.mp3

Readjusting

2009-10-04T16:30:00.003+08:00

Was chatting with Terry for abit. And suddenly, I discovered a peculiar sight.

(Read the highlighted section)

Hmm. No wonder your assignments are so tiring, Terry. =)

Peak period!

2009-10-04T01:01:00.004+08:00

I'm busy busy busy!

Chasing deadlines deadlines deadlines!

(I think I'm chasing datelines also)

(Client's business in Melbourne mah)

(different dateline)

ok i'll do my best not to abandon you again! sorry!

by the way, I bought a new pair of rock climbing shoes.

Hope they last me at least 9 months. Cost me RM185 bucks man.

Rebellz Season 3 Update

2009-10-01T18:48:00.001+08:00

(I think this is a paid advertisement)

Rebellz.com please thank you

Camp!

2009-09-28T19:49:00.008+08:00

My old schoolmates and I went on a really outrageously tiresome but quiet camping trip to Sungai Congkak, somewhere in Hulu Langat. Fwoar that place ar. seriously, it's like a BIG kampung. not until like rumah papan, but like they have schools and busses without air-conditioning, and rest stops right outside their plantations (means those harvests are ULTRA FRESH, NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT) and average facilities etc.

We had this giant idea, so Pei Lin attempted to gather as many participants as we could, but only 7 of us were dedicated enough, to do mindless rough camping, for 'civilized city folk' like us.

So we started of with:

Alvin
Kien Khong
Marcus
Yoke Yan
Hun Yee
Pei Lin
Me

and after 3 pure hours of exhausting river trekking throughout the afternoon... Alvin and Khong had to leave during dinner. and well, it got lonely at night. Hmm.

Yea so it was kinda sweet to remember all the crazy activities we used to do during our scouting days... building towers under the scorching sun, sweating out gallons of salty water while doing push ups and tying knots around bamboo stilts, crawling through mud and shouting at juniors who don't use their brains (ok sorry, I know now you're all intelligent and witty beings, so it's alright now), and cuckoo things like that.

But after awhile, the fatigue started to kick in, and we were soon wondering.

I actually asked Hun Yee,

"eh."

"what?"

"why do we like to go camping ar?"

"well coz it's fun!"

"but..."

"and we don't get to do these kinda things everyday, ya know. "

"but don't you think it's -"

"and it's so soothing! peace and quiet, out in the woods... nothing like a good getaway from technostress in the city! "

"ah."

After we trekked upstream, and back downstream (holy shit man, believe me, downstream is so much more difficult like FIFTY TAOHSERN TIMES more tiring and wrist-breaking than going upstream. We couldn't really understand why as yet, but yeah), we took a shower... started with preparing dinner in our good 'ol trusty banged up, burnt messtins... lovely equipment! so simple to use and carry..

Ah yes, we actually drove right up to where we pitched the dome tents. Darn city folk... so pampered.

(and vain)

(and lazy)

So dinner with a wok of mee hoon. umm, I can't really find the words to describe how dry and unappetizing the mee hoon was, (I'm really sorry Pei Lin, but this is what a blog is truly for - to express your deepest emotions) but I frickinnngggg could not understand whyyyyy, of all the knowledge we've gained in the past 5 years since our last camp when we cooked this sorta thing... whhyyyy in the worldd do we have to end up with sper dry, rubbery, almost-tasteless, dull, and boring MEE HOON.

FARK MAN.

DRY RUBBERY MEE HOON, YOU KNOW.

Eat raw nestum also better man.

But anyway, I tried to improvise abit la (Yes, it was MEEEE, so I will appropriately credit myself in relation to the event, as I actually DID make the

DRY RUBBERY MEE HOON

taste better) by rummaging through the food basket and finding other food stuffs, anything that can be cooked with that

DARN RUBBER

and wow. luckily we found corn, lady's fingers, salt, soya sauce, eggs and... beef burger patty!

Can't really see the corn, lady's fingers and eggs in the picture above, but IT REALLY DID HELP OKAY. I THINK I SAVED ALL OF OUR DAYS that time okei. Coz the nearest mamak was at least 4 miles away.

And well, yea I saved the day/evening once again, by preparing the butter chocolate fondue. With lovely strawberries, biscuits, apples, bananas and whatever we could throw into the pool of cocoa sauce. w00t

As the night fell, we talked crap and ate snacks all night. But there was one highlight I'd like to emphasize on. which was the bloody SANDFLY BITES.

can you imagine all night, not sleeping comfortably, having to change into long pants halfway through the night, scratching and scratching and beating and whacking and slapping and scratching violently and bleeding and... nola not bleeding. but scratching and scratching... omg it was a really UNIQUE EXPERIENCE if you ask me. I don't know about the others but up till today, I still have these sandfly bites itching like madness all over my legs and arms and I can't stop scratching. Oh Lord, grant me peace and calm, and abstinence from finding pleasure in pain through scratching. Oh Lord, grant me steadiness and... ARGHHH!! LORD, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. can you imagine like 20 of these all over my body

Wah fark, that one like disease man. Nola, not that bad. like little tiny red pricks la, maybe 10 or so on my legs.

BARGGGHHHH.

ok I think my descriptions are making me disgusted and geli myself. Not thaaatt baaaad lah. Just a little annoying. I think the funniest part throughout the camp was when Hun Yee was getting something from inside the dome tent and she screamed so hysterically until it was like ear-splitting. I quickly glanced at her,

"Hun Yee! You kena rape ar?!"

"A wasp stung me la!"

Hahahaha. kena rape by wasp konon. But it was serious though. She had to take a jab at the clinic coz the sting swelled up her thigh so bad. Good that she's alright now.

Ok yes, there was another highlight. we had Backwood's cooking the next day. Backwood's is a sorta style for 'cooking in the woods' as they say it, using natural material and ingredients as equipment and utensils. For the most basic example, using firewood, twigs and leaves for fire, using coconut husks to cook rice, and banana leafs as plates, etc.

That was the most gruesome afternoon in my entire year. I may look happy in that picture, but the ash in my eye, and the bites on my leg, and the FRIGGING INCH-AND-A-HALF-SIZED ANTS IN THE TOILET suggest otherwise.

So yeah. camping is fun.

"Jon Ming ah,"

"Yes, Hun Yee?"

"Umm...Why do we like to go camping?"

Photo Gallery

2009-09-25T21:39:00.004+08:00

although the photos are still the same, the photo gallery is new and improved!

klik disini!

Mundane

2009-09-23T23:25:00.003+08:00

Nissin Di866 Flash (Nikon Mount)

2009-09-22T23:02:00.003+08:00

To all semi-prof/professional photographers,

I'm participating in a mass order where this dude on PhotoMalaysia has talked to a dealer to purchase 10 units of the Nissin Di866 Flash Unit (for Nikon Mount only - Canon Mount is not out yet for this unit) for a lower price.

So to all Nikonians, I've heard retails prices of the unit to be RM970 to RM1100. Stupider thing is during the KLPF in August 2009, the official Nissin booth was selling it at RM1300.

What bullocks, you think my brain like this ar?

(ok, I admit I even thought that price was cheap for a GN60 power flash. =.= )

The thread on PhotoMalaysia is here if you'd like to read more about the problems facing the unit's technicalities (Seriously, all the issues I'm reading there are all super technical, like SUPER TECHNICAL and is not basic fundamental problems so I don't think it's much to demotivate a purchase). Go to the last page and send jester a private message saying you want to buy. Please ask him for the price.

http://www.photomalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89133&highlight=nissin+di86

I'm not allowed to publicly post the price of the flash unit, so email me if you'd like to know the price he offered me. It's not THAAAAT big a discount, but it's good la if you're still considering to buy a third party flash and can wait a week or two.

Here are the details:

Guide No	- Main flash 60(ISO 100, m) or 84(ISO 200, m) at 105mm lens angle coverage - Sub flash 12(ISO 100, m) or 17(ISO 200, m) for 35mm lens angle coverage
Compatibility	Nikon digital SLR cameras and Coolpix hotshoe cameras
Power Source	- Battery magazine - 4 x LR6, (Lithium, NiMH and Oxiride are usable) - Power Pack - Nissin Power Pack Pro 300 (NiMH exclusive battery cluster)
Recycling time	- 3.5 sec. by Battery Magazine with 4 x NiMH - 0.5 sec. by Nissin Power Pack Pro 300
Number of flashes	- 150 full power flashes per set of NiMH batteries - 300 full power flashes by Nissin Power Pack Pro 300
Camera Synch.	- TTL hotshoe (on camera flash) - PC cord service connector (off camera flash) - Wireless TTL, and Slave synchronization (off camera flash)

I'm an Olympus user but I'm into strobing with off-camera lighting techniques (Click here to see the Strobist.com Flickr Group Pool to see what I mean). I actually wanted to buy the lower-end Nissin Di622 Flash because for the price of RM450-RM500, I'd get good flash power and recharge cycle time. The only problem is that it didn't have compatibility with my Phottix PT-04 wireless triggers or any other wireless trigger for that matter. So I was deeply disappointed. But then Nissin came up with the Di866 and did me proud! They finally realized the size of the market for wireless trigger users. And so now I'm really excited to purchase this unit.

Anyways, I'm going to Leo Camera in Ampang Park today (Wednesday) just to check the unit out, so if please contact me if you are a desperate buyer like me! Coz I might even buy it from that shop if they give me a reasonable cheap price (~RM950 maybe) coz I can't afford to wait for this wholesaler dude if it takes weeks.

Anyway here are more pictures of it. Feel free to ask me questions

Whenever possible

2009-09-20T14:03:00.002+08:00

Whenever possible, come online.

And chat.

Whenever possible, take some pictures.

And tell us how it's like over there.

Whenever possible, remember us.

And the stupid things we did at 2am.

Whenever possible, focus and do your best.

And achieve your dreams.

Whenever possible, think of her.

And be fearless.

Whenever possible, eat a hamburger.

And make a stupid face.

Nola but seriously, whenever possible, we will all be in touch.

No matter how proxy-defying and distance-shortening it will be.

See you in a year! =)

Acoustic Covers

2009-09-19T00:46:00.003+08:00

I've seen covers and covers of songs published by talented artists but only a handful caught my attention all the way.

Like you know when Simon has that bored and pei face when a dorky and shy person comes up on stage and then when the voice become like angel then his mouth and eyes transform like autobots.

O.O

yes like that.

When I watched this cover, my whole face transformed.

Take a look.
(lyrics are self-rewritten by him - refer below)

"Love Story (Via Romeo)" - Taylor Swift (Reworded by Gabe Bondoc)

We were both young when I first saw you. 
I close my eyes and the flashback starts.. 
.. you're standing there.. on a balcony in summer air.  

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns. 
Making my way, I'm moving through the crowd to say "ello.."

Little did you know..  

.. that I was Romeo, as I was throwing pebbles.. 
.. heard your father say "Stay away from Juliet!" 
Had to leave you crying on the staircase.. begging me "Please don't go!"

So I said..  

Julie I'll take you somewhere we can be alone. 
Just be patient.. nothing left to do but run. 
You'll be the princess, I'll be the prince.. 
It's a love story baby say "Yes."  

So you sneak out to the garden I'm hiding.. 
.. we keep quiet cause we're dead if they find me. 
Close your eyes. 
.. escape this town for a little while.  

I was Romeo, you were my Juliet. 
Even my father said loving you is not worth it. 
Had to leave you on crying on the staircase.. begging me "Please don't go!"

So I said..

Chorus

Julie I'll save you, they'll never come between us!
Just hold on and love is gonna free us! 
Don't be afraid, oh we'll make it through this! 
It's a love story.. baby just say "Yes."  

I'm sure she's tired of waiting. 
Swear I'm on my way, just had to work some things out! 
I hope her faith's not fading.. 
.. that was when I met her outskirts of town..

.. and I said..  

Julie I apologize, didn't mean to scare you. 
Need you more than anything.. I refuse to share you. 
Saw it in her eyes, she didn't know what to think.. 
I knelt to the ground and I pulled out a ring..  

And said..

"Marry me Juliet. You'll never have to be alone. 
I love you and that's all that I really know! 
I talked to our families, pick out a white dress.. 
.. it's a love story baby just say "Yes."  '

Cause we were both young when I first saw you.

Fearless #2

2009-09-15T03:04:00.000+08:00

If you can read this when you get there, my message to you is one and only one.

"Unfold the blackness and the fellowship is united. Search for new balance and the message is sighted."

It's unbearable to see a person's loved one break into tears in anticipation of the unknown. It's just not in man's nature to uphold our strength throughout our entire life. We CAN all cry and cry... and cry the whole night through the rain and the storms, through the hurricanes and the wars... But one thing we WILL do.

is to be Fearless of the unknown.

=)

Kanye West, Taylor Swift and Beyonce

2009-09-14T12:58:00.004+08:00

Okayla, Taylor Swift just won Best Female Video at the VMA's. But honestly, she doesn't deserve the whole thing, does she? I would have thought that the crew of directors/videographers should have deserved to go up. Along with Lucas Till, the hottie neighbour in the You Belong With Me (click to watch) video.

Then again, she did write an amazing set of lyrics and tunes to allow that video to win. I'm still a fan, don't worry.

________________________________________________

Read here about Kanye West trying to promote Beyonce for this category, stealing Taylor Swift's acceptance moment on stage,

Or watch it here before Viacom takes it off Youtube for copyright infringement:

And here, Beyonce won the other category of Video of the Year, She gives Taylor Swift back her moment:

Why on earth did I do ACCA

2009-09-14T01:36:00.001+08:00

Hi. anyone free to coach me on some CMS and e-Commerce engines?

Pitching for a website job now. =)

Fearless

2009-09-12T06:28:00.007+08:00

If you haven't read my previous post about Taylor Swift, click here to read it, before continuing on this one.

In relation to the previous post,

I just watched a bunch of youtube videos. Turns out that Taylor Swift's 7-month Fearless Tour to a total of 57 venues around the world has been organized by the 19 year-old herself. From designing the entire concert stage with rising platforms, spotlights and LED screens throughout the backdrop and the runway in front, to ideas she prefers for guitar solos in her songs (in the video, she actually said one of the parts were too noodly a solo, and literally suggested a simpler set of scales and notes with her tongue. like, you know, when you mimic an electric guitar solo. "Teow neow neow neow ten ne ne ne ne jang". She even has an 8-costume-change set throughout each concert that she hides in a secret quick changing room, designed into the stage itself. She ran the auditions for her backup dancers and handpicked each of them to her liking. She put forward ideas for opening acts to her shows like having on the concert main screen a video of her in an interview that happened before the concert, and at the beginning of the concert, rising from below the stage, on a platform, she was actually on one of two couches, with an interviewer, and she starts her songs there. She signs all the documents, initially set the stage lights placements, talks to record labels and local radio stations...

Come on man, a WHOLE TOUR.

She is commanding and organizing people twice her age, or for that matter, THREE TIMES HER AGE. What kind of teen does this kinda thing on our planet?! No, seriously?! Does Leona Lewis do that? Or Miley Cirus? I'm really not sure, so please tell me. Hmm. But anyway, on top of that all, my favourite part is when she's off from rehearsing, she returns to this little 19-year old girl amazed at weird and immature things like drinking water while deforming the shape of the water bottle by vacuuming out all the water with your mouth.

________________________________________

Record Sellouts
Tickets for the first shows for the Fearless Tour went on sale in early February 2009 and sold-out almost instantly. On February 6, 2009, tickets went on sale for the May 22 date at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and sold out in two minutes. Tickets for several dates and venues, including Madison Square Garden, went on sale the following week and sold out in a record of one minute.
________________________________________

I don't think I'll ever stop saying this, but, Taylor... I'm never gonna understand you.

Ever.

And you winning 4 awards at the Country Music Awards 2009 ain't helping me do that.

But, congratulations though. =)

Here's how she took the news 2 days ago.

Watching the CMA Announcements!

Leading a genre

2009-09-12T00:43:00.010+08:00

If there's one emotion I'm savouring now, it would definitely be joy.

I was going through some news about Taylor Swift (yes I'm a power fan - further explained) and came across a Gossip website from Nashville which is where Taylor got signed and started her songwriting career at 14 years old.

For the first time in weeks, maybe months.. I felt so... small. Small in this world. I admit that I'm a growing fan of Taylor Swift which is perfectly what would raise an eyebrow of yours. I spend 2 hours every night, watching her Behind the Scenes videos, interview videos, hundreds of uploaded concert clips... Basically I admit that I now have a giant crush. I've replayed You Belong With Me about 40 - 50 times, I've been listening to the whole of her two albums for the past 3 nights. I wiki-ed her, watched every single video blog entry she has on Youtube, and I'm starting to read her Myspace blog.

I need help.

I seriously don't know what is wrong with me. You know sometimes when you know something's wrong but you panic, looking around for clues as to why you're feeling so emotional, your mind wanders in a logic-processing and analytical state, you're trying to figure out why 24 single songs from two albums could make you feel so alone, make you cry, make you reminisce about the days of heartbreak and bliss. I think two days ago was the worst day this year. I got up, got ready for work, and on the way to work I would usually chat with my dad, but the whole 25 minutes from Damanasara Kim to CapSquare, I had songs about solitude and letdown and belonging-with-me-ness playing over and over again in my head.

The whole day, I swear I talked to less than 3 people, literally said less than 20 words to each. I got home I didn't want to do anything but sleep and get out of this emotional environment. The peculiar thing is but one - why do I feel this way? how could I even come close to being so emotional? I'm not feeling demotivated from a recent break up, or a rejection on a date or something, am I? This whole week I've been asking myself what the hell is wrong with me?!

Background

Taylor Alison Swift is 20 years old this December. yes, she's a Sagittarius, like me =). At the age of 10, Taylor began writing songs and singing at karaoke contests, festivals and fairs around her hometown. She first learned to play the guitar from a computer repair man who showed her how to play 3 chords. Immediately, she wrote her first song entitled 'Lucky You'. She began writing songs regularly and used it as an outlet to help her with her pain from not fitting in at school. Other kids would react badly to her so she wrote songs about them.

Her first debut single, Tim McGraw (click to watch music video) was released in 2006 raced to number six on the Billboard country charts. In October later that year, she released her self-titled debut album which produced five hit single songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Taylor Swift was the biggest selling artist of 2008 in America with combined sales of more than 4 million albums. Her Fearless and her self-titled album was rated no. 3 and no. 6 respectively in 2008. She was the first artist in history to have two different albums in the Top 10 year end album chart.

Fearless has topped the Billboard 200 in 11 non-consecutive weeks. No album has spent more time at number one since 1999-2000. It also was the first album by a female artist in country music history to log eight weeks at #1 on The Billboard 200. In mid-January 2009, Swift became the first country artist to top the 2 million mark in paid downloads with three different songs. As of the week ending February 8, 2009, Swift's single Love Story became the country song with most paid downloads in history and the first country song to top the Mainstream Top 40 chart.According to the 2009 issue of Forbes, Swift is ranked as the 69th most powerful celebrity with over $18 million in earnings this year.

(Biodata extracted from wikipedia)

Now I don't really care about that bullock crap except one sentence in there that stated 'Love story, the first country song to top the Mainstream Top 40 Chart'. Now for some of us who don't yet really understand the importance of that, Here's a suggestion. It's just plain extraordinary to basically move a whole genre of music higher up on to the world stage. You're 19 and you can almost lead a genre. How do you lead a genre? How do you even lead a gig at Laundry Bar? I watched a talk show she attended in Canada, and the host along with all Taylor's Canadian fans would admit that after they listened to her albums, the awareness of country music grew, not only of Taylor Swift's songs, but also of veterans in country music like Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton. People are listening to more country music now because of you, Taylor. Can I say that you are not leading a genre?

Seriously, I honestly don't think she's super hot, appears on screen as eye candy and all that. Well, yea of course she IS attractive and she may be cute and adorable in all those On the Set with Taylor Swift videos, but frankly I can just fall for her down-to-earth-ness anytime. She can move a whole nation at an age of 19, yet she humbly looks up to icons like Dolly Parton, Shania Twain. She's a perfect celebrity herself, but freaks out at the sight of Rihanna and Justin Timberlake walking towards her at an event. Every girl can have a bubbly and courageous personality, but not everyone can have such a dry sense of humour, wit and honesty in front of a camera. She's insecure about her outrageously curly hair, she wears her heart of her sleeve everywhere she goes and she actually does want to talk normal mundane stuff and be friends with all her fans if she could ever possibly do in her entire life.

The best part (my favourite part) about this analogy is about the way she writes her songs. Her songs are typical guy-cheating-on-her and she's-interested-in-Drew-but-he's-into-another-chick kinda songs, but the way she expresses her real-life experiences in words is just marvelous. Carefully choosing words that don't repeat and get boring throughout a song but tell a story about her experience (she actually uses real names of Drew Hardwick and Abigail Anderson from high school, in her lyrics) and even more astoundingly, I've read articles of people who can literally break her songs down, decipher them, and infer how she actually went through those stages in her life. If others can analyze and write analogies of your movie/poem/song, you deserve to be in a Sejarah textbook lah. Come, if that doesn't sound compelling enough, I give you example.

Take Colbie Caillat - Fallin' For You, and... you pick a song by Taylor Swift lah. I'll take, say, You Belong With Me. Put the two lyrics together, put the two tunes together. Seriously, you be the judge. Which one sounds realistically better to relate to? Basically, Colbie Caillat has more typical lyrics like I'm going crazy about you but Taylor Swift writes more refined words like I'm smiling while dialing your number and I see you with me when I watch love stories.

From my point of view, Taylor Swift put words down into her songs in a way that explains enough of her real-life experience in a sequential story, yet includes a generic section (usually the chorus) that appears repetitive to make it sound like a mainstream song. Go listen to Fifteen and The Way I Loved. She sings about when you have your first kiss at Fifteen, your head feels like it's spinning around (Fifteen), and how she fakes a smile when she's with a perfect guy now, but screams and cries in the middle night, reminded of her past relationship by the one she's in now (The Way I Loved You).

Lemme ask you this. Do you think she sings well at all? Does she do alot of powerful vibratos? Is her range and strength so dominating like Beyonce's? In fact, I personally think some of her songs are too squeeky when she uses her head voice. But the magic happens when she has captured millions of hearts. The magic happens when she appeals to 16 year-olds literally going through what is portrayed in the lyrics, and also retirees, reminded of their youthful encounters. The magic happens when what she went through, was minute-by-minute relived by every single fan when they listen to her songs. Some of us may even ask "Well how about men? You people aren't real Taylor Swift material are you? You just think she's a young and hot blonde. Well lemme show something. I read an article. The writer is a middle-aged woman.

Extracted from www.nashvillegab.com

Underground Taylor-loving male movement? Gah, you gotta be kidding me! I'm starting mine as of this very minute, oh yes I will!

Heck, I'm gonna design and print a fan base t-shirt! Come on, who's with me? I think seriously if I get enough feedback and orders, I'll be on to it in a day.

(Sighs deeply) In conclusion, I really look up to Taylor Swift, in a way that she impacts some of her songwriter fans to actually get out of bed and say "I'm not gonna give up until I become like her. Taylor, you rock!". Take away the fact that she's only 19, she's still so down-to-earth and has a girl-next-door personality.

I think I'll agree with Sarah for now - I can and will never understand Taylor Swift. =)

[edit: SOLD!] Crocs for Sale

2009-09-09T23:11:00.004+08:00

Hi all, my bro bought this pair of Crocs from a friend's friend who is an original Crocs wholesaler.

Couldn't test before buying so he ended up ordering the wrong size.

Details:

Size: UK 9/10
Colour: Red & Black
Features: Resizable heel strap
Delivery Method: Cash On Delivery only at the following areas:

Damasara Utama
Damansara Jaya
SS2
Pusat Bandar Damansara
Bandar Utama
Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Price: RM99.00 (lightly negotiable)

Please email me at lohjonming(at)hotmail.com or call 017 226 3153.

More pictures:

blog ver3?

2009-09-06T02:19:00.000+08:00

Oh, and a big thank you to...

2009-09-01T02:58:00.003+08:00

Sarahjean Ho Po Yi
for organizing such a marvelous surprise!

Happy 21st Birthday, Jote

2009-09-01T01:53:00.018+08:00

Hi there. I'm quite frustrated. blogger image upload is abit funny. doesn't upload the pictures in order, so just scroll and relate la. Pictures are all you need to tell a tale

1. Simply Fusion @JayaOne
2. Bangkok Jazz @ChulanSquare

Jonathan RuiLoong Teoh is aged 21 on Wednesday 2nd September 2009.

Splash-tacular time

2009-08-28T16:38:00.014+08:00

As requested, a short tutorial on producing water droplet images.

Note: This tutorial includes many photography jargons. Viewer discretion is advised.

First you'll need a few simple things:

Here's the general set up:

Tray

Ok first thing's first. I used a metal oven tray from the kitchen because it was the only black large container I could find. There are two important factors to consider in choosing your container:

The tray must be black because black simulates the best reflection colour of the A4 paper backdrop there on the water surface. If it was white or any other colour, the water droplet and ripple rims may not be prominently outstanding enough.
The depth of the tray affects the amplitude of the ripples. The deeper the water in your tray, the higher and more drastic your ripples would look like. Unfortunately, my tray was only an inch deep so my ripples didn't turn out whacky enough.

Off-camera lighting

Secondly, the point the flash to the A4 colour paper, and not the water droplet area. This is to saturate the colour paper which will produce its vibrant coloured reflection on the water surface. I don't have a specific intensity to use coz I'm a trial & error kinda person. Throughout the project, you may find your LCD showing up blown out highlights in the picture or sometimes underexposed images. But if you'd like a guide, I did a 1/16 flash intensity and on the camera in Manual Mode, I stopped down the aperture to about f8/f11 to get a pretty even clear depth of field throughout the water splashes, and set my shutter speed to between 1/160 to 1/250 because my Phottix PT-04 Wireless Trigger sync speed maxes out at around 1/200. And if you don't have a wireless trigger/pocketwizard etc, you can try using your flash unit as slave, triggered by your on-camera flash, provided your on-camera flash can be dialed down to a very low intensity so as to get minimal direct flash on to the water droplet (this makes the picture very flat)

Colours

There are two ways to get the coloured effects instead of a dull black and white splash. The first is the easier one - just change your white balance settings on your camera to either tungsten or shady. Tungsten gives a colder and more strong blue in the whole picture, while Shady makes everything more orangy/yellow.

In the two pictures below, I used custom white balance settings where I can set the Kelvin level i.e. 4000K, 5000k

2000K - cold/blue

14000K - hot/yellow

The second way is changing the background colour paper. That A4 colour paper acts as an illuminator on the water surface so if you can, get more saturated colours of A4 paper as that will light up your picture much better than those dull manila kad kind of colours (i.e. instead of pink, get red. unless you really want pink la). You can even throw in a mixture of inspirational colours. Example:

And here's the result:

Get creative!

Retort Stand
To create the water droplets, I clipped a small plastic bag to the tip of a self-constructed mini-crane. This would create a steady rate of droplets, and most importantly it would enable the droplets to fall and splash at the exact same position to reduce focusing problems (further explained).

I clipped the plastic bag to a metal ruler and mounted the ruler on to a flash stand. If you don't have such contraptions, you could use a basic setup like piling 2 level boxes on each side of the tray and rest a steady pole across the boxes, overhead the tray. Make sure you tighten/fasten/brace the clip on your small plastic bag to ensure that it doesn't sway or shake due to wind or vibration. That would change the position of where the drops would land.

Focusing

Now comes the part where that little battery is put to use. After I punctured the water bag with a needle, I placed the battery right where the droplets landed, just for something to focus on because the camera's autofocus isn't intelligent enough to detect the points of focus in that situation.

So the trick is to place your focusing object (you can use a bottle cap, a pen, whatever that's small and stands out of the water surface) beneath of where the droplets land, focus on it, then switch to manual focus and that would make life much easier where you can just continuously shoot without worrying.

Okay, so I think that wraps the set up, now all you need to do is just shoot away! It's very much of a numbers game, the more you shoot, the better chance of you getting the perfect shot.

That's all for this tutorial, hope you enjoyed it and I wish you all the best!

Bloop

2009-08-27T02:08:00.003+08:00

I was very...

fidgety.

and restless

So I unearthed my equipment.

Updates

2009-08-22T19:55:00.002+08:00

PLEASE WATCH IT ZOMG IT'S LAME BUT GOOD.

That's the cast of The Guild. It's a bunch of web series with short short clips. They've got two seasons out and the third one is coming out 25th August. Actually I just watch it coz Felicia Day has such a funny cute attractive personality in the show.

The series is about these bunch of online gamers and how they interact with each other online and offline. Argh seriously lor. I think I'm starting to have something for red heads. Haley Williams (Paramore), Rachel Nicols (G.I Joe). Like my brother also. Come out from G.I. Joe straight away K.O. in wonderland adi dreaming about hot red heads.

Hmm. yes.

__________________________________________

Ok tomorrow I'm going shooting at Pasar Seni at 6.30am. catch the 'Deserted City' mood in pictures. Then we're heading over to some abandoned building near Mid Valley. Wish me luck in waking up!

__________________________________________

Oh and btw I'm helping a friend sell a guitar. It's a very old model. I think he said it's almost 20-years old If I'm not mistaken. I'm not sure if it's vintage stuff. Will collect more information soon.

The problem is that it's damaged at the neck. But worry not, we have sent it to a guitar shop and it was successfully repaired. Shop owner states that sound quality has not been impaired. But still, price has been appropriately revised for secondhand sale.

More information will be disclosed soon. Stay tuned!

Thx

2009-08-20T02:48:00.000+08:00

Thanks for your support, guys. I'll be back shortly. Stay tuned!

Perseverance

2009-08-17T23:28:00.009+08:00

I looked at the clock, 12.37pm. I looked at the clock, 12.38pm. I looked at the clock 12.39pm. I looked at the clock, I looked at the clock, I kept fricking looking at the clock to find the right time. It finally came down to this single moment in my decades of study. It could change everything.

It could change nothing.

All I've worked for the past 3 and a half years, down to this minute, determined by 3 numbers I have yet to discover. All my plans for the next few months, few quarters, few years, depend on these few digits I am yet to be revealed. All of my youth, my studies and knowledge, packed into a few pixels displaying these numerical characters.

I couldn't suffer any longer.

I scrambled for Mozilla Firefox and rushed to save and close my work in Microsoft Excel. The cursor, shiveringly darting around the LCD screen closing off Photoshop, chat sessions, iTunes... anything to spoil the mood. Anything. I was perspiring in cold sweat, in fear, in nervewreck.

I typed in the ACCA Website. Logging into the ACCA student portal, with my 362 000 fellow student accountants jamming up the server along with me, it was the longest, longest 3 minute-wait in my last 6 months. The only 3 minutes that deserve such gruesome adrenaline pumping through my veins, the only 3 minutes that deserve millions of thoughts flooding through my cerebral cortex each second "what's the average this sem?" "how are the others doing? anyone failed anything?" "what am i gonna do if I fail 1 paper? Are all my plans gonna be jumbled up again?" "What are my friends and family gonna think of me if I fail?"

what if I fail all 3.

The coloured web page flipped to satin white. The HTML loaded from top the bottom, pixel line by pixel line, revealing my name, student number, date of exams, exam centre details.I could feel my vision moving at the speed of light through the entire frame, my heart pumping as if I were sprinting through the last 2 metres of a 100-meter dash.

I glanced at my first paper,
Corporate Reporting

It couldn't be. I passed my Corporate Reporting.
ACCA-declared, the most difficult paper
in the qualification syllabus.

What's next?

Advanced Performance Management.

This was easy.
this could have been tough. did I do well?
I did fairly well.

Missed out bout 30 marks.
That is a shitload of marks.
Hell, no.

Holy mother.
This is too good to be true.
I've passed 2 out of 3.
I'm almost there.

My last paper,

Audit and Assurance.

This was my 2nd attempt, at which I had failed 47 marks last semester.

Passing mark is 50 for ACCA papers.

Did I pass?
I squinted into the brightness of the glaring monitor.

Did I pass?

My heart stopped.

I checked it again.

I started feeling disoriented.

My mind was empty.

I had only one number in it.

Bah. I sighed.

After a few seconds staring at it, it finally hit me that after 6 months of sweating in the library, freezing in the refrigerating exam halls and going to college to study 7 days a week, averaging out 11 hours a day, for 4 weeks, I only increased my audit marks by 1.

And a few seconds after, yea, I failed audit.

I've learned a tonne of lessons along the way, after 7 semesters of study, 7 stressful exam periods, 7 results days. Of all those lessons, one thing's for sure, the most crucial one.

Don't give up.

Never look back, never feel down, and never be pessimistic. Even if the numbers burn in your mind,

Never give up.

That is the true lesson I've learnt from ACCA.
Not about numbers, not about memorizing.

It's about perseverance.

AmTeeWee Wow Stash - live in malaysia

2009-08-16T13:26:00.004+08:00

Haha I can imagine myself like jote now. Being a little judgmental during an event where you're supposed to just let your hair down. But I guess I did enjoy the performances la.

Raygun's music was almost mind-blowing. Really modern-retro liking.

Pixie Lott's beats could own the other dance tracks anytime. And wasn't she like some super hot blonde on stage or something? Goodness. Aku terpelanting just looking at her on stage.

Apparently a lot of people were disapppointed in Boys Like Girls. I dunno, I thought they were cool with their song sequence.

AAR? no need to say la. they were the highlight of the event. I think at least 7000 people left after AAR when there were a few bands yet to play after that.

Gotta run! KLPF, Gym and Canon event for today! Fun packed gay sunday with my ol' cousin shaz. Wahahahaha

Bowlography, anyone?

2009-08-12T00:22:00.007+08:00

Photojojo's Bad-Ass Bowler Camera Bag

Ain't this bag the coolest thing you've seen?

I personally think that if I were a girl (bimbotic or not, fashionable or otherwise, simple or stylo-milo), I'd worship this bag. Although, it looks like a plain ol' bowling bag (apparently, it's meant to, so that it doesn't shout out to the world "Heyyy! I'm hiding expensive stuff in here!" - but just a heavy ball).

But I still think it's so pretty! Fwoar I can turn feminine in an instant, looking at this.

And I think i just did.

Features:

Quilted satin-like lining padded for protection.
Dual, no-hassle zippers.
Adjustable/removable padded divider
Two side-pockets for extra storage.
Measures in at 6.25" high 7" long and 3.5" wide

And for the gal on the go, there are strap loops on the side pockets for you to attach your strap(optional), and viola! a stylish, sturdy sling!

Even more intriguing, it's only going for USD50.00! oklah, @3.51 Exch = RM175, plus shipping, altogether say RM200 or something. for such a nice-looking bag omg! unlike all the boy-ish Crumplers going for RM250/RM350.

//*Jomi has obtained feminine orb.*//

The best part about it is that the tag line I found at the website:

________________________________________

"Imagine a camera bag you actually want to carry,
not one you have to."
________________________________________

So here's to all the DSLR chics out there!

(More pictures)

Visit Photojojo's store for more info.

Wishing the best for you

2009-08-09T01:44:00.004+08:00

Today, I discovered the indecisiveness of a fickle perspective being so unsettled. It shoots to the end of the world, searching for a sign of truth but suddenly bends its steady course toward a new-found attraction. It fires back a U-turn at the call of conflict or confusion, and travels lightspeed across the galaxy to try and figure it out. A fickle perspective, so unsettled, so untamed. It could turn so dangerous overnight, yet subtly be able to exponentially develop your naive mind and fresh soul.

That is how we become knowledgeable. That is how we mature. By forming perspective, by empathizing with others. By hearing events happen as how you imagined your worst fears and curiosities to. But that's life, and that's growing up. Unable to erase a memory but embrace its valuable lesson to you, the world starts to seem like a better place to live in.

Thank you my friends, my family and my lord, for bestowing such a revelation upon me. None would have idea of how much this will affect me and my daily operation, my fickle-perspectives, my soul. I still feel troubled yet relief is already cast throughout me.

Frankly as I cannot emphasize anymore, I do wish the best of blessing and joy to submerge you in happiness and abundance, but also stash away the sorrow and conflicts in a little dusty box of faded memories.

From the bottom of my heart and the end of my capabilities, you have my full support. =)

Make a Wish

2009-08-07T12:11:00.005+08:00

to quote a friend of mine who is 'worthy of all contempt',

"At 56 seconds past 12.34pm today,
the time and date will be exactly
12:34:56 07/08/09. =) "

ayam e-knee dawf money

2009-08-07T01:08:00.003+08:00

Stand a chance to win a Canon EOS 500D

ngaaaahhhh. I am in need of money.

Yeap, some of you might have received that email. hehe. I joined a contest to try and win that camera. Highly doubt that I'll even get shortlisted as the top 244068 though.

My olympus e-510 has served me well over the years, but I think it's time to let go of it... I feel like I'm missing out on the advancements of the digital photography world. "Like What?!"

Well, the Canon EOS500D has Full HD (1920x1080p @30fps) movie capture capability. Even those cupboard sized video cameras couldn't do that last time. And now it's fitted in a hand-sized device.

Okla. actually the reason I'm suddenly so crazy for getting a new dslr is because Olympus is.. well... here are a few reasons:

Olympus lenses are 9999% more expensive than Canon & Nikon
Third party equipment (external flash, wireless remote, filters) are so much easier to get and more common for Canon & Nikon
The stupid 50mm f1.8 for Canon/Nikon is around RM350. Or so I've heard.
The stupid 50mm f2.0 for Olympus is around RM2050. Or so I've heard.
Ok wait. that's another consideration.

The Olympus Zuiko 50mm f2.0 is actually a macro lens that's why it's so blardy darn expensive and dpreview said it's one of the sharpest lenses in the world currently made. It's the biggest-apperture lens I can find in the Olympus Zuiko lenses line, unless I buy some third party Sigma 50mm f1.8 which is like RM1800 or so after conversion. Coz I don't think it's available in Malaysia. Which has NO MACRO. yea. hmm. So let's say I get a

I need to churn another. like. RM1000. in, I don't know.. a week or two? Coz I plan to sell my soul to the devil (the audit firm) in January or February... so if I buy the lens so late this year, I won't have time to shoot anymore! and what a waste... =(

So hmm... yea maybe I shouldn't switch to another brand. but just. wait for the time being.

The Conclusion
I need to find more side jobs so if any of you have people wanting namecard designs, t-shirt designs, whatever la that I can do to earn a few bucks. please do let me know. my number is lohjonming[at]hotmail[dot]com and my e-mail address is +6017226315three.

I really hope I don't lose my passion for photography just because of financial constraints. =(

*depressed

Finally! some non-emo shite!

2009-07-31T01:44:00.005+08:00

Following the stressful and relieving end (hopefully) of my ACCA life, we organized a little getaway to ChaoMei land where cacti, strawberry jam and breathstealing views are blissful.

In that picture is our World Prize winner, PAS leader (Parti Anti-Social) and award-winning unique poser. I present to you, Lisa Khoo Poh Yin

Next up, we have our most beloved glam queen, Chiang Sze May!

always munching

Let's get another zoom on that.

"Steam me up, scotty,"

Hundreds of ringgit spent on junkfood at the supermarket, back in KL. Barely got to finish it. HuiLeng's fault

That is HuiLeng. Retardism

I have been BEEEEEE ZEEEEEEEE zomg why do I always give excuses that I have not enough time in a day. Gosh, if I just stopped texting so much, typing facebook.com so much, standing in the LRT doing nothing so much, msn-ing so much, WORKING so much....

I would be free.

-er.

But time does have its mysterious and peculiar ways of revealing the omnipotence of faith in confidence and concentration in whatever I do. Well then, I'll just have to believe, don't I! But anyway, that's another story to tell.

Next up...

2009-07-22T00:35:00.003+08:00

I remember doing this awhile ago....

hhaeagooashadeahahaeaheha omg

When?

2009-07-19T01:28:00.003+08:00

When will the quadrant reunite?

Will it be in the near future?

Will it be.

Cheer 2009 (2)

2009-07-15T04:21:00.000+08:00

At 1.30am last night, the most unexpected thing happened. I was awakened by the overwhelming heat radiating from my body, not being absorbed by the supposedly cool air from the supposedly switched on aircon.

There was a blackout.

At 2.30am last night, the most unexpected thing happened. Electrical appliances started to churn back to life when we heard a blissful joyous cheer, "YAAAAAAAAAYYY!!"

The housemates across the backalley were all up together at 2.30am in the morning.

Cheering.

Self-esteem

2009-07-08T03:28:00.001+08:00

To get the hang of it, is to let go. To let go is to follow your instinct and not your senses. What your instincts precede may be more than meets the results of your neurological processes. So follow your heart, and not your thoughts, is what they say.

The problem comes when assumed superior power from the external environment, propels you forward into the limelight, the showdown of panic, nervousness, self-consciousness, and frustration. When you halt at the hinging humility, heaving aside the humanity in you, hacking away the hindrance of confidence that you have so strongly and wrongly brought upon yourself all these years, then you would finally see what it could be like, to experience a rare power.

Self-esteem.

Below the bundling bullocks of your bros bulldozing back your best behaviour, there is a chance for you to hone your inner aura, to capture that determination and exploit your true perseverance in achieving what you can, if only you had that confidence to overcome this bluff materiality that is destroying your will. But also notice that throughout your journey, the jostling jacks and jills jolted you with justified support and unconscious positivity, posting pieces of puzzles in positions to put the plains to pester, pleading preferably for your pillared perfection to surface from your ponder. But also use that not as an excuse. Use that as your beacon of light. Your leap of faith. Don't deny the distinction that you were duly dosed with dealt decks containing the basic manuals of life. It's just that it didn't ring you right in the rib to read them regurgitatively at least.

Tell a tale and toss a tongue to treat your self-esteem. Bring a book and break a leg when you're faced with challenges. Follow the fun and face your fears when you are confronted at the chills of your chest. That would be the best way to see that peer pressure and inexistent sensitivity is a heartbreaking hurdle, but can also be a way of showing you a secret passage way to climbing up the confidence ladder and even synergistically developing you, yourself, a Jack of All Trades.

Starting My Career

2009-07-01T02:46:00.000+08:00

Well, I've just completed my studies (and hopefully I graduate at the same time). So my excuse is basically that I have to live off some form of income, wouldn't you agree? No, of course our parents don't continue funding us after we finish our studies, do they. We might even have to pay rent in some form of substantial contribution returning to the household.

So, working in these few system implementation projects for a month or two gives me a window, a sneak preview to spectate the world from a different perspective than from a student's point of view. Some light, shed on the nitty gritty work ethics and deadline stress, some realization of what could interest me in launching my career development.

Maybe I also considered the need to start subsidising my brother's instalments on the myvi. But, that's a sidetrack.

I'll say it once. The good news is, I haven't started the real work. This is just a sort of vacation trainee spark test. So now that I'm not yet a 9am-9pm controlled-dunggu, be profound to say that I'm wise in taking a break while earning some side income by just doing some job work everyday.

And not diving into the 16-hr slavehouse, like how my other friends immediately did, subsequently failing two papers, and resitting for them with exam leave while still handling peak period audit field work.

Now that, my good friend, is definitely a "burning out".

And for a fact, my dad even gave me one twa liap lecture for wanting to rush my applications into the Big Four.

I think the most appropriate feedback on this planet is but one.

"Why not?"

Why?

2009-07-01T01:03:00.006+08:00

Why do my friends think I'll burn out?

Why do I appear so career-driven?

Why do I still feel last in line when I look toward my advancing ex-college mates?

Why do I also feel last in line when I'm with my gang?

Why am I inferior to my surroundings?

Do I let my surroundings control me?

Why do I appear to be pushed so hard by my dad?

Why do I let my life direct my steering?

Why in the first place do I let my friends interfere with my goals?

Why am I blogging about this?

Am I racing to the finish line in this life competition with others?

Why is it 'others' and not 'me?'

Why do I constantly feel belittled in a game of 'general knowledge'?

Why did I choose this path of technicality?

And although I already I did, why do I still feel the need to fit into the 'generalized' category?

Why do I ask why?

Why are you reading this?

If you are wondering why, why do you wonder?

Why do I wonder why you wonder?

Is it a human nature to inquire?

______________________________________________

There need only be one reply for all those questions.

Why not?

The one?

2009-06-08T17:13:00.001+08:00

Over the years, I come across wonderful, attractive, vertically-suitable and generous angels, of which almost all come in to and go off from my life with flaws I find difficult to tolerate.

I know so confidently that I compose a highly judgmental attitude towards people, but to know that I judge so hardly and conservatively, yet forgive all flaws I see in this one angel?

What else could unconditional generosity and forgiveness mean, if it were not meant for a single soul to be cherished and upheld?

Are smoking, clubbing, and drinking flaws that I would forgive, in the first place?

Would I compromise all else that I believe in, just to seek the one?

When you turn blackjack,

2009-05-29T01:55:00.010+08:00

Savour the moment of joy and peace. Before your life takes off.

Happy Birthday, mate.

Scheduled Maintenance

2009-05-28T17:50:00.006+08:00

This system will be out of operation until 9th June 2009 due to scheduled study maintenance. Expansion and enhancements in the following areas within the server capacity will be expected to enhance overall system performance:

1. Corporate Reporting
2. Advanced Performance Management
3. Advanced Audit & Assurance

System will be up and running from 6.15pm on 9th June 2009 onwards. We apologize for any incovenience caused.

Service & Maintenance Department
Jonming.com

In life,

2009-05-15T22:58:00.002+08:00

"Work like you don't need the money, sing like no one is listening, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

That's all

2009-05-06T01:00:00.000+08:00

Don't you think that college friends are as superficial as it can get? Don't you think that, while you develop a deeper relationship with each and every one of them, there's just this steadfast barrier telling you, that they're just from your course, that's all.

You'd like to hear gossips about what new hookups they're having, or how much of their imported premium chocolates you could have a taste at. Perhaps help them with their assignments. Or maybe at least talk to them about their career path choice after Final Year. But all of a sudden. This inner frown, this jolt of isolation, takes you aback and resets your perception towards the relationship you've been having with this 'friend'. And now you're like "what the balls? Who is this person to tell me to shut up?" You find it impossible and reasonless to even think of any sort of forgiveness or submission, over a tiny matter that sparked off from say, you giving ideas in a discussion group. Because this person, is just my college friend. What do I owe to that?

You still buy presents, you still buy birthday cakes; they still pick you up on the way to school they still call you out for lunch. But how many of them answer your call letting you know that they'd rush over to you if you were crying your eyeliners out? How many of them would pull you behind them and tell a bully to mind their own business? How many of them would defend you in a criss-crossing, backstabbing situation, because he or she just knows that deep inside of you, you didn't mean anything harsh, or you just made a mistake and you're sensitive enough to learn from it with newborn diligence?

You can count the number of friends you tell yourself you actually have. But you can't actually have the number of friends you tell yourself you count. And that is because there are just some people out there who may have more knowledge, more wisdom, or skill than you, but all they know what to do is to use them to satisfy their selfish needs.

So what to do?

Well, that's miraculously simple. Just forgive and submit.

Gather all your energy into a prayer of some sort, and look up to a greater power, to guide you on your quest for salvation in these beings to whom you submit and forgive. And finally, release the tension from your soul and just reply his/her text message with "Okay thanks".

And after that, who gives a shit about what happens next?

He's/she's just someone in your course. That's all.

=)

Quickie

2009-05-03T15:57:00.004+08:00

Hello there. The angel from my nightmare. The shadow in the background of the morgue.

Just a quick update to tell some people that I'm still alive haha.

I was sick for about 5 days, last week. Not serious enough to see the doctor, yet not light enough to go out and study or play. So I kept sleeping and watching tv and swallowing millions of water molecules. I mean like, millions. A bottle an hour. wth

Sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago from basketball. Landed on someone's foot. I think it's better now so I'm off to Sunway Damansara for more foot-stepping later! whoopee!

Won 2nd place for foosball in last week's Sunway Sports Carnival. Same as I did 2 years ago haha. But I feel like I really earned it back then. This time round, there wasn't much of a challenge since I played mixed doubles. And ya know, not many girls foos. So yea.

NANCY GAN HUI LENG IS DEEMED TO HAVE PUT MY IPOD OUT OF SERVICE

And yes, for my final updates. My phone games.

Iphone apps just keep getting better and better, don't they.

Down here's my favourite. 473MB for a phone game manz wtf man. But it's worth downloading every single byte.

Well that's all for now. Gotta get back to studies.

I'm determined to score for all 3 of my papers now. Just to get it over with and join the rat race to experience the next phase of life. How exciting.

Oh and there's ACCA prom in july. Should I go? Should I go with someone...

Should I...

young@heart

2009-04-20T00:15:00.002+08:00

Always make it a point to have fun through the tough times because you're never gonna get that same time back. And you wouldn't want to spend it with a long face and a frown.

Happy birthday, both of you. =]

Emotionale

2009-04-16T01:54:00.002+08:00

I think this would be the 6th time i'm doing this since 3 and a half years ago.

Mocks next week, Finals in June bla bla bla.

Tata for now. I'll be back in June (or earlier) for more updates on my exciting life after college! whoopaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Dear Diary

2009-04-13T00:38:00.000+08:00

Dear diary, I haven't been seeing you for awhile. I know I can't find an excuse to explain my absence. I'm no designer, I'm no photographer. I'm no student accountant, I'm no digital solutions provider. I don't talk to people well, I don't drink much, I don't smoke, nor do I have an astounding physique. Like my friend, Lee Kes Sam.

The only thing I am and I have, is myself, in my quest to find my greater purpose. My supernatural reason for my existence on earth, my churning life. What's after SPM? What's after my professional qualification? What's after my career kickstart? What's after my business? What's after finding the one of my dreams? What's after three kids and a wife? What's after lung cancer? What's after old age?

So many fracturing and poisoning questions amazingly flood through your mind, yet they flush out your thought train the moment a distraction mugs your attention away.

As for now, I have my usual semesterly nerding to do in preparation for my mocks, intensive revisions and finals. And after that. I truly hope I would have done my best to graduate from this teen life, into my future full of responsibilities, just awaiting me.

So farewell, my dear diary. And always remember your the ultimate question throughout your existence...

What is after life.

When it all comes to reality, where do you go?

2009-04-04T04:13:00.009+08:00

Allow your senses to drop, allow them to relax; Allow your spirit to roam, allow it to soar. Feel the silence in you, and shut out the noise outside. When you're ready, take a deep breath.

For many ages, we feel the growing emptiness as friends and family adjourn to a faraway land, we feel the guilt of not spending enough time with them, we equip our 20/20 vision and look back at the past, seeing everything so clear now, "we should've done this", "we should've done that", and fail to realize the value of something greater than just the bond that integrates us all. We panic toward the future yet we sigh with mundane expectations of it. We call out to nature, hoping that it will care for us in times of need, when we are without these important souls, when we are alone, when we get back up and continue our journey to seek a greater purpose in life.

All I'm saying is, when the going gets emotionally tough, all you need to do is look at life as it happens now, and not what you plan for it to happen. Just allow your senses to rest, allow your spirit to fly, and take that breather you cast your oath upon, the oath that contains your word of determination, of vigilance, of aspiration and of peace.

And remember, celebrate the joy you had all the while, with your close ones, with your enemies, celebrate to free your chains, locking you down to desolation, self-pity, pessimism and solitary isolation, celebrate in recognition of existence, of respect, for glimmer and glory, for trust and empathy.

Celebrate.

Celebrate.

How to throw someone into the deep end of the pool

2009-03-29T01:34:00.005+08:00

21.5" 1920x1080! more space, more fast, more work!

In the early years of your life, you think everything runs smoothly, you picture your youth taking flight into a jazz-funk world with confetti and challenges ahead, you aspire to have good working lessons at the office after your interviews, and you see your life run itself like an engine by it's pistons.

But that's not half the challenges you will face.

Because there is still always, the deep end of the pool.

2009-03-23T04:00:00.000+08:00

Only in time, will you see yourself in the mirror, and be glad things are changing. You'll be glad that you don't see the flaws you had years ago. Glad to see the wrinkles in your face showing ur growing cautiousness. Glad to see the faded pupils in your eyes, elaborating the memory-engraving experiences you were encumbered with along the way.

You'll hear the raindrops differently, they splash on the ground with violent roars of water waves exploding in all directions, yet they only wet a tiny little spot on the floor, in their micro little world.

You'll drive to work differently, you forgive the maddening weaver, and the hurried queue-cutter, you will not brake in front of them on purpose or honk at them, but you will bless their souls for safety and peace.

You'll see the leaves falling, not because of gravitation, not because of the changing season, but because if it doesn't fall, a new one can't grow and if all new leaves don't grow, where on earth would we live to find oxygen-dispersing dead brown leaves?

You can't escape change. It's all around you, beneath your eyes, inside your handbag, in the kitchen, at the board meetings... Change is so frequent and ubiquitous till you could discover that "change is changing". No matter what you do, you are subject to change.

So be happy when you face change. With a smile. =)

blogblogblog

2009-03-10T02:31:00.000+08:00

Trying out a new app. Called iBlogger.

It's got much less bugs than my previous blogger app, BlogPress, but the drawback is that this one can't upload pictures... Hmm sad =(

But anyways. My apps sampai 8 pages already. At 16 apps a screen, that's a frigging big chunk of my 8gb phone memory gone.

And I sound like a geek now.

WELL BOOHOO TO YOU ANTI-APPLE PEOPLE. I'm bitter.

Ok progress test 2 next wed and thy. Ciao!

mp3mp3mp3

2009-03-09T04:26:00.006+08:00

Yeap!

I've got an mp3 player too! with a big screen. Basically it plays songs, currently up to 2000 songs, but I usually fill my mp3 player up with games, photos, phone numbers, sms and my class time table.

I am particularly fond of one application on my mp3 player called Old Booth.

Nice rustic feel, in line with it's function. hahahaha. here's how to use it.

Choose a gender for your portrait.

Take a photo using the mp3 player's existing camera, or choose an existing photo from the photo library.

Select a portrait style for your subject.

Align your subject with the area indicated for superimposition. Make some adjustments to the size, position and rotation of the subject.

Viola.

And here's the one we've been waiting for.

SUKI HAMASAKI?!?!?!?!

All that, packed into an mp3 player, priced at RM1440.

So, now.

What can your RM1440 mp3 Player do?

I bet it's way more feature-packed than mine, eh.

Because

2009-03-06T03:55:00.002+08:00

You can't fight the sore in a gash across your knee from the fall at the park. You can't take a cotton bud and an anti-bacterial solution, dab some of it on ur wound and say you'd like to experience that again and again. You can't, because you're already twenty-one this year.

You can't tell your mom and dad you fell and got injured from a trivial trip over an uneven brick on the jogging pavement, and say "hey parents! I'm hurt! Help me with some medical attention!". You can't amplify a cry and a whine in front of your family and friends, expecting someone to rush to you with utmost concern about your agony. You can't, because you're already twenty-one this year.

You can't go to the mall with your board shorts and slippers with a -tshirt on, limping from step to step, accentuating your heavily-bandaged right knee for your friends to see and pity you with consolation and comfort. You can't keep reigniting tales about your bitter experience for everyone to be wow-ed at and expect a Purple Heart award from them. You can't, because you're already twenty-one.

But what you can do is carry that scar with you, that didn't heal properly because you kept opening the bandage to relive the pain you discovered upon that gracious fall, for no logical reason but because you felt the need to utilize your emotions to their fullest capacities through acting purely based on low self-esteem and self-pity, because you claim to have been brought up the way you are, reserved and shy, quiet and intimidated, seeing derivative joy in sorrowful thought, because you think too much, running all the calculations and analysis up in your head of human behaviour, origins of character.

What you can do, is pour your heart out on to a diary with no literal disclosures because you think retaining figurative meanings and maintaining secrecy makes you seem sophisticated.

What you can do, is finish what you started, to walk, once more, over the uneven brick road to its end because you feel left behind, being the only one who hasn't accomplished a thing in his life, because you also find that these criticisms accelerate the impairment of your esteem, because you may even find fundamental contentment in completing a task with effective success.

What you can do, is anything you want to do.

Because you're still 21.

2009-02-13T15:41:00.000+08:00

Brb with

2009-02-05T02:34:00.000+08:00

LomoLomoLomo

2009-02-01T23:17:00.020+08:00

Check out my lomo cam.

Take 4 pictures in one photo at different intervals. My lomo camera also comes with a whole load of free features and applications!

Cool huh? My lomo cam can set timeframe also. Like, how fast it will take the 4 different pictures.

And can take up to 8 pictures in one image!

And about the side features and applications, It can be be used as a mobile phone to text and call others. Other useless applications may include a Clinometer, which measure the levelled-ness of a table or the floor... or the straightness of a wall. Just place the camera flat on the table, and it will use it's accelerowhatevermeter to measure the degree by which the flat surface is slanting

BlogPress is also another lame-ass application that is a fairly convenient blogging client on my Lomo Camera. It also allows me to take a picture immediately and include it in the blog post currently being edited.

More time-wasting applications are such as AirHockey,

The Lomo Camera, as mentioned above,

(Eh! I didn't notice! can set the colour hue of the pictures also! See there, that little 4-coloured button on the bottom right, in the above picture)

The Lomo Camera also has gaming applications, such as BomberMan,

Digital Musical Instrument applications, such as DigiDrummer,

and the fun and exciting application (similar to Microsoft Paint), Sketches...

Not to mention that it can assist you in learning basic Mandarin phrases, and then displaying audio translations through the earphones plugged into the Lomo Camera.

I can also play Silent Hill on my Lomo cam,

While chatting with my favourite buddies on MSN, Yahoo or Gtalk!

When i'm saying a prayer, or attending church on Sunday Mornings, I store/retrieve/read the word of God in my Lomo Camera!

Another interesting application would be the ability of my Lomo Camera to keep track of my monthly expenditure with optimum convenience and ease! Just 3 or 4 taps on the Camera Screen, and I've recorded an expense for today's RM14.95 lunch!

And last but not least, my Lomo Camera has a comprehensive dictionary with a wide database of words and phrases for definitions and elaborations. What a great thing, technology. Enabling a camera to improve your english on a daily basis.

All that, packed into a Lomo cam, priced at RM1440.

So, now.

What can your RM1440 Lomo Camera do?

I bet it's way more feature-packed than mine, eh.

Hershey's

2009-01-28T16:12:00.010+08:00

Hey guys. How are yall. Been eating well?

My stomach growled back at me at midnight. So i replied. Come on guys, let's go down for some supper.

I was talking to the acidic ions in my tummy as I descended down the stairs to the kitchen. I turned the corner into my open-door kitchen and in the semi-darkness, faded glows bounced off the kitchen wall tiles from the dining hall light and I could just about make out the outline of the kitchen cabinet handles. I was looking forward to some loose pineapple tarts that got rejected off the manufacture line here earlier in the day, but my reflexes took my hands up to the beverage powder section with all the milo and nescafe and oats.

I probed around the tins and boxes and came to a newly unidentified box. Thinking it was a box of above-average candy or snacks, I eagerly turned to the light switch across the room. Flipping on the switch, I frowned confusingly.

The whole time as I made a cup of this ingenious hot and steamy creamy cocoa beverage, I was just gazing at the box. Staring and staring at what seems nothing but an out-of-this-world product title about which I would just love to ask the Hershey's Committee who initiated this product line, "WHAT THE HELL WERE ALL OF YOU THINKING?!?!?!"

"well, we were working late, and boss called the meeting adjourned. We gave each other our corporate nightly hug, and that's when it sparked."

For 5 days, I've been just flabbergasted at what kind of names companies can give their products. But throughout, I've learned a valuable lesson on this issue, and that is the thing about the uniqueness of the human brain.

It can only churn up more and more outrageously weird product names.

I mean, you'd never know, one day you'll be entering 7-eleven for an instant beverage formula and this is what you buy.

Forecast: Hershey's and Durex may have some issues with each other.

2009-01-27T11:03:00.000+08:00

I have to admit, procrastination is my worst enemy and it has a way of uncovering all the lessons embedded in the pores of life's gravelled path.

I have no one else to apologize but to myself. I'll be back soon to let you know I'm still alive.

In the mean time, I've got my usual acca progress tests on we'd and thu, and then my results for last semester arrive on Monday.

(Posted from my phone)

Photogrogging - Photography & Blogging

2009-01-23T15:30:00.016+08:00

Monday 19th January 2009

Street Photography - Petaling Street, Central Market, Lake Gardens

Noel Emmanuel Yung - Olympus e-510
Jonathan Ruiloong Teoh - Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-28
Teh Hann Tsong - Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-30
Chia Ken Gene - Nikon D90
Loh JonMing - Olympus e-510, Light Stand + Diffuser Umbrella, Olympus FL-36R, Nikon SB-900, Phottix Triple PT-04 and some home made colour filters

Hehe wtfbbq

After a long time of going for photo outings, I already felt terribly terrible at doing street photography. You know, stuff like, frame composition la, metering, capturing moments... No skill at all la. Bah.

So here are some sneaks on what they call strobing. My kinda thing. It's a long roll, so...

Yes. Jump strobing.

And yes, his head kena rembat wahahahaha

Catch yall later!

When you're lazy to go to 1utama,

2009-01-15T01:12:00.004+08:00

Go to An Old Flame's online store!

(trying to market my amateur design and photography services wtf)

Introvert

2009-01-09T02:58:00.016+08:00

You know, there was one night, My brother and I, we had some TTDI Jasima Mee Goreng cravings, so we headed out at about 1am.

Driving at night, in the middle of the night, quiet serene starry night... HUNGRYYY NIGHT LAR BASICALLY, I was just looking forward to my lovely steaming Mee Goreng with the yolk oozing out from the Telur Mata, so I was just minding my own business on the wheel, looking out for passing headlights, signalling the indicators quietly...

And every few seconds my brother... okay this is my brother who is your biggest HEROES fan, who knows all about what torrents are the best to download, which torrent sites are most consistent and effective, and within the series, he knows which hero is where at when, what Arthur Petrelli is constantly thinking about, where Hiro puts his glasses when he sleeps, and which episode Mohinder had a slight hair trim and light shave.

Yea anyway.

So every few seconds, my brother would ask me a some random question or tell me some outrageous fact like that he did with his friends in genting last week, or how his friend increased the range of his car remote control by tens of meters by just touching it onto his cranium.

And all I'd do is just nod or say "oh.. hah? really? hmm... nola maybe... then what happened... oh that's good... hah, is it"?

And then after about 2 or 3 minutes of non-stop chattering, my brother suddenly took a deep breath and exhaled while looking out the window... I thought to myself that he was probably just enjoying the night scene. We were silent for about half a minute or so.

Suddenly he turned to me and gave a shock "YOU KNOW AR, I FEEL LIKE CUTTING UP YOUR HEAD RIGHT NOW MAN. LIKE SYLAR."

I felt quite fractured and surprised, like "WTH?! wuzzrongwiyoo?! WHY ON EARTH?!"

"Because I want to know what the hell is going on up in there."

That made me realize that I'm actually a powerfully introverted individual with so much going through my head, but nothing ever coming out. I began to realize that it all amounted to nothing if I kept all my thoughts and analyses to myself, all my perspectives and comments for myself. My dad always called me a man (not a boy, coz now it sounds much more serious) of few words, and I never understood the detriment of it till now.

It was time to open up, open up, Nescafe. wtf.

IT'S TIME TO SPEAK UP LAR.

Until now, I labelled myself an introvert, like how other people notify me to be, but I've never really been in their shoes to catch a glimpse of my own appearance from their perspective. For a moment there I wanted to cut up my own head to see what my little neurons are doing hahaha. So here's my question for you.

Whatever you've been through, whatever you've absorbed through your experiences in life... whoever you've met, whoever you've had a very close relationship with, whoever had made an impact on your life... All these matters, whether big or small, whether it makes you insecure or not, whether it's a bad memory or a sweet one...

What if someone knew what was going on up in your head? What if someone cut open your head, exposing your brain, and as they study your brain, they excavate your darkest secrets, your crushes, your murders, your lies and deceptions, your emotional and psychological weak spots...

What would you do now?

That Girl Blythe

2009-01-06T17:29:00.018+08:00

Finally, the first wave breaks up within its roar. In preparation for the official launch of An Old Flame by That Girl Cynthia, we endured from 9am to 7pm on a Saturday last December, setting up tripods, putting on makeup, posing, running, changing wardrobes, and the common things youths would do to photoshoot for a fashion blog.

It was a memorable and exhaustful experience, but worth the sweat and blood to the drop. We had fun laughing at each others expressions, at how us beginners always got lost in our own roles and how we shot 4 sets of clothing in the first 3 hours of 5, and managed to finish off the remaining 10 sets in that last 2 hours.

"SEVEN O' CLOCK, SEVEN O' CLOCK, SEVEN O' CLOCK, KAR MARNN!"

I know I got no face to say my photos turned out darn good, so I'll say it appeared satisfactorily terrific in the end. Well, go judge for yourself at the online store and give me your critique then.

Hehe the scariest parts were when Cynthia wrinkled up a frown every time. Then it was uh-oh time.

Girl(left): No, I want the colour to be more vibrant!
Girl(right): Then you'll have to do it all over again.

>_<"

But apart from all the stress, it was some really good basic exposure for me. Working with unfamiliar individuals, chasing time and managing it, planning out the sequence of activities to execute, and not forgetting to bring extra batteries, were all crucial lessons along the way.

After a few weeks of rest and concentrating on other projects, we returned to the HORRIFYING FACES OF BLYTHE DOLLS UNDER THE SHADOW. ok I'm kidding. We returned to the lovely cute and cuddly blythe dolls for the mini photoshoot.

This was just so much easier la. can twist her leg, can drop her on her head, dress them up, and toss them across the room, all under thirty two and a half seconds. Plus we were doing the shoot in my room, which was comfortable enough for me. Hehe. Sorry Cyn for the refridgeration, but I'd prefer to be freezing than melting. or evaporating. whichever.

Flash intensities (here come the jargons) were so much easier to control, Ambient strobes were effortlessly mobile and convenient, and setting up the backdrop using YOUR FRICKING A.E.I.O.U BRAND WRAPPING PAPER WHICH COSTS TWO FLAGGERING BUCKS PER SHEET WHICH I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AS A COVER WRAP FOR MY PERSONAL NOTEBOOK AND/OR SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO FRIGGGIROMAJISTILERRING NICE was handily removable and replaceable, sheet after sheet.

The pictures turned out nice la, that's all we want to know, right?

Reeaaaallllllyyyy niceeeee.

You can't deny it.

I'M THE KING OF BLYTHE MUAHAHAHAHAHA

Okay yea, maybe some came out a little... unexpected.

Fark that's blardy shit creepy. Okay I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do this. Now Cynthia and Francesca are gonna kill me. Okok chillz, nah here, kawaii onez to end the nightz.

Satisfied with my little photoshoot experiments, I'll be headed for some serious-er strobing photography this Saturday. yippee!

(And the saturday after that, i'm plannig an open outdoor photoshoot session, it's on my facebook, so go invite yourself)

___________________________________________________

More and more design jobs coming up!!

While the beginning of the end initiates. hello and byebye ACCA. =]

2009-01-01T02:04:00.003+08:00