don's life in Savannah as a student

My cat's story 2

2007-12-12T20:57:00.001-08:00

My cat's story

2007-12-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

Pride of Man

2007-08-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

I am trying to understand man's pride. The best place to start my research is from the bible. Here are some cross references regarding the pride of man.

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor.

Proverbs 22:4 The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.

Isaiah 66:2 "For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Daniel 4:30 "The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'

Daniel 4:31 "While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you,

Matthew 23:12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Luke 14:11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 18:14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

James 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

Friendship

2007-04-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

Friendship

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behaviour between two or more humans. This article focuses on the notion specific to interpersonal relationships. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, and affection. Friends will welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty towards each other, often to the point of altruism. Their tastes will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share enjoyable activities. They will also engage in mutually helping behavior, such as exchange of advice and the sharing of hardship. A friend is someone who may often demonstrate reciprocating and reflective behaviors. Yet for many, friendship is nothing more than the trust that someone or something will not harm them. Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating on a consistent basis:

the tendency to desire what is best for the other,
sympathy and empathy,
honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth,
mutual understanding.

In a comparison of personal relationships, friendship is considered to be closer than acquaintanceship, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and acquaintanceships. Friendship and acquaintanceship can be thought of spanning across the same continuum.

C. S. Lewis for example, in his The Four Loves, writes:

"To the Ancients, Friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it. We admit of course that besides a wife and family a man needs a few 'friends'. But the very tone of the admission, and the sort of acquaintanceships which those who make it would describe as 'friendships', show clearly that what they are talking about has very little to do with that Philia which Aristotle classified among the virtues or that Amicitia on which Cicero wrote a book."

A friendship that can be ended didn't ever start.

Mellin de Saint-Gelais, Oeuvres poétiques

A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.

Some friends play at friendship, but a true friend sticks closer than one's nearest kin.

The Bible, Proverbs 18:24

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."
- The Bible, Ecclesiastes 9:4

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
- The Bible, John 15:13

Chewing Gum Ban in Singapore

2007-03-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Whenever there is a discussion about Singapore, the chewing gum ban would be mentioned. It is not surprising that there is so much talk about the ban because there isn't such a ban that exist in any other part of the world.

Here's the deal:

"Chewing gum is banned in Singapore under the "Regulation of Imports and Exports (Chewing Gum) Regulations." Except for chewing gum of therapeutic value, the "importing" of chewing gum into Singapore is absolutely banned.

A common misconception among citizens is that personal use quantities of chewing gum are allowed into Singapore. However, according to the set of Regulations, "importing" means to "bring or cause to be brought into Singapore by land, water or air from any place which is outside Singapore ..." any goods, even if they are not for purposes of trade. The set of Regulations also does not make any provisions for personal use quantities to be brought into Singapore. Therefore, bringing chewing gum into Singapore, even small quantities for whatever purpose, is technically prohibited." (Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewing_gum_ban_in_Singapore)

Look at the effect of this. Clean streets, enjoyable ride on the trains without the fear of getting any unwanted, disgusting remains from someone's mouth cavity stucked on your bums. Can't they see the benefits? Instead, proclaiming that Singapore's government hasn't given free choice to her people. Absolute nonsensical statement, and so foolish of anyone who say such things.

http://finaldestiny.tv/fd/?page_id=12

Go ahead and fight for your rights! Fight for your rights to spit anywhere you want; fight for your rights to litter; fight for your rights to sabotage the transport system anytime; fight for your rights to vandalise any public places with spray paints! If that's what you want!

Fight it like the man who blew himself up in public places. You can be like him.
:)

冬至 - End of Winter

2007-03-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Dong Zhi is the thanksgiving of the Chinese calendar. "Dong Zhi" literally means "arrival of winter". Coinciding with the winter solstice, it is an occasion for the family to get together to celebrate the good year they have had. Tang Yuan (汤圆) is cooked and eaten to symbolise unity and harmony within the family. Dong Zhi occurs 6 weeks before Chinese New Year and would normally fall between 21st Dec and 23rd Dec.

ORIGIN

Winter solstice signifies the beginning of winter. The sun is at the Tropic of Capricorn and this results in the longest night of the year for those living in the northern hemisphere. The festival began as a farmer's festival to celebrate year-end harvest.

CELEBRATION

Dong Zhi is a time for family reunion. Tang Yuan, sweet soup of glutinuous rice flour balls, is indispensible during this festival. "Yuan" (literally meaning "round") signifies "yuan man" (complete / Ô²Âú ) and Tang Yuan means "tuan yuan" (family reunion / 团圆 ). Eating Tang Yuan is symbolic of family unity and family prosperity.

For good luck, families prefer to have some pink tang yuan to mix with the white ones.

Today is exactly the day for Dong Zhi, but we are heading out to Wild Wings for a western feast.
:)

Universal Studios - Orlando (Florida)

2006-12-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

Our first trip and our first "real" vacation (after 6 months staying in Savannah) to Universal Studio at Orlando Florida, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Besides, this was also our first time driving to another state after we got our Georgian driving license. Though it was only a 5-hour drive across I-95, our first time driving on the interstate was still an exciting experience, especially when the entire journey was made during the night. There were certain part of the highway that was not lit. We were almost driving in pitch black condition.

When we finally checked in to our hotel room, it was almost 3am in the morning. We headed straight to bed as the excitement of driving has exhausted us. After about 7 hours of sleep, we woke up refreshed in the late morning all ready for a great day ahead of us.

I think the pix will explained the fun we had. I am too lazy to describe them all. Link yourself here for the pictures:

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS:

The rides that I enjoyed most were, Spiderman, Incredible Hulk, and the Double Dragon. They were roller coastal rides. I haven't had such fun since my Tokyo Disney trip almost 10 years ago. I brought my parents to Tokyo after I resigned from my first job, just to take a break. But instead of enjoying themselves, i think I have tired them out too much!! But it was still a great time out with my parents.

Anyway, Universal Studios was really unforgettable! Besides the company was fun too! Joy has about overcome her fear for the rides. Nat has all her fun screaming. For Kat and myself, we were enjoying ourselves to the full.

Now we are just looking forward to go Arkansas over Christmas!!
")

Yippee!!

2006-12-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

Olgethorpe House's Canteen

2006-11-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

Olgethorpe House
Originally uploaded by thedesignlanguage.

This is the first time I stepped into a school canteen. The pix here is the one that belongs to Olgethorpe House, where one of my Korean friend stays. His name is Joo Sung... he was so kind as to treat us to dinner with his unused meal plans. The spread ranged from Western to Eastern. We were so excited to see so much food. I heard many students complained about the food in the canteen, especially from the Chinese friends. They said there was not much to choose from on the Chinese food category. I said darn the Chinese food. They weren't cooked as well as what we have in Singapore. The Western food is good enough.

Anyway, we felt we were really in a college in this kind of setting. It reminded me of my good old days back home with NTU. Eating in the canteen is a good way to chill out. Hanging out with friends is a great way to unwind from the grinding assignments' deadlines. Yes.. I need to do it more often....

The Fall semester is really going to be finished soon. 2 more weeks or less, taking into consideration that today is already the end of Tuesday. I have 3 major assignments to finish. I am thinking whether I could make it this time round. There are just too many drawings to do. I feel like screaming!!

One at a time, one at a time... do not despair! There are others who are much worst.
:P

autumn_poster

2006-11-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

autumn_poster
Originally uploaded by thedesignlanguage.

Poster I helped create to promote Autumn Blast organised by the church I am attending now in Savannah. Yes completely hand drawn without the aid of a computer, which has become almost our handicap, especially to designers today!
:)
The only thing I disliked about creating this was I did not have a table. So I have to bend over and drew on the floor...
:P

Heavens!

2006-11-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

Heavens!
Originally uploaded by thedesignlanguage.

Nothing beats having 4 gorgeous ladies with me at the beach (Tybee Beach at Savannah). And certainly the most gorgeous of them all is Kat, my wife!!

This is an old photo taken on the eve of America's Independence Day! We were there for the fireworks. And we were also greeted with a wonderful sunset and nice cool breezes, though summer was atrociously hot and sweltering!

NICE:)

Stone Mountain Sketching Expedition

2006-10-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

More pix on Multiply.

Friends::

2006-09-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Friends in Savannah.

Picture on the left: an occasion to remember. It was Joy's birthday. Kat cooked a sumptuous meal for all of us, and she also bought a magnificent cake to celebrate. What do you know, the first birthday we celebrated with another. Joy is another Singaporean who came here to study. She is in animation but doing her undergraduate degree. Whether she appreciates it or not, we are doing it because we love to do it. ") I did enjoy the meal and the cake which was a little too sweet for for taste, and then ice-cream for desert!!
")
The picture to the right. An international students gathering at Kanako's home. Friends are hard to come by.
:P

Crab Shack Photos

2006-08-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

Savannah Tybee Beach Crab Shack

At first we went to the wrong crab shack thinking it was the real one. We drove back to Tybee beach to find that we did not drive in vain. Tybee Crab Shack was a sensation. Coupled with a nice warm sunset, the open air concept was a drawer. After the meal we could even pay the alligators a visit. They were all housed in a man-made lagoon. We posed for more pictures with the fun and cute looking standees too.

Click here for the pictures.

For more info on Crab Shack, click here.
")

Battle of the fleas

2006-08-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Life as a student is not just study and nothing else. We learned to assemble a bike, in fact two to be exact, but got them returned because of some manufacturing defects; my wife Kat tried our many new home-cooked dishes as you can see below, indeed I am blessed; and now, we battle fleas.

So far, Tibby is the worst victim. But I am seeing improvements now. Things will get better definitely, with God's protection over us! Amen. I ain't gonna let no fleas affect my stay here!!! "(

I see that the summer quarter is coming to an end... so is my deadlines for the projects too. Yet again, I say, all is well!! I have posted some WIPs on my other blog: http://www.thedesignlanguage.com/blog Do go there for a quick update of what I have been learning to do. Nothing much though (:P) but it is good. You will get to see the finals soon!!
")

Dinners in Savannah

2006-08-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

Home cooked food that is. Coming to Savannah has allowed Kat to try out more dishes than ever. Well the only person to benefit from all these is of course me!'
")

Savannah Photos

2006-06-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Big uploads of Savannah photos here:
http://thedesignlanguage.multiply.com/photos/album/13

Savannah cat

2006-06-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Savannah cat is so lay back... anyway this is just our pet cat Tibby who is lying on the carpet sunning herself. Cannot imagine that she was so afraid to move about when she first arrived in Savannah. It must be the flight. First time she comes out of the house she has to fly 30 hours and changed 3 transits. No wonder she was shaken. But we think she is hardy as she turned around very fast. Only after 3 days, she is up and about. There are 2 dogs and a cat living at the house next to ours. They are quite friendly, but Tibby is a very shy cat. Whenever she smells them, she will rush under the bed. However when all is quite and still, she will take a silent peek by pushing the blinds away and sticking her head just to see who are outside. Cute!!!

:)

2006-05-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Finally, I got my driving license!! Read more, click here!
")

Why Living In Singapore Is Tough!

2006-05-19T01:06:00.000-07:00

In Singapore, the majority of us live in Highly Dangerous Buildings (HDB), And most people have already got used to Paying and Paying (PAP).

Not only do you have to pay, you Pay Until Bankrupt (PUB).
If that's not enough, somebody still Purposely Wants to Dig (PWD) and get more from you.

So what more can you do when you are in the Money Only Environment (MOE)?

With the current Mad Accounting System (MAS), you are forced to Pay the Sum Ahead (PSA), Which will leave some people Permanently Owing Some Banks (POSB).

And forced to live on the Loan Techniques Always (LTA) system. When you fall sick and happen to be admitted to a Money Operating Hospital (MOH),

You might be able to use your Cash Prior to Funeral (CPF) fund.
If you are out of luck, you may meet doctors who Never Use Heart (NUH) to treat you, And you will be Sure to Give up Hope (SGH).

To help ease the traffic, motorists have to pay Cash On Expressway (COE).

If that doesn't help, they can always Eternally Raise Prices (ERP) on the roads.

If you don't own a car, you can always make a Mad Rush to the Train (MRT), OR get squashed in a bus Side By Side (SBS).

Lastly, under all these pressures, there are not many places we can relax, not even the good old place we used to go because it has become So Expensive and Nothing To See Actually (SENTOSA)!!!

The Lengend Explained:
HDB - Housing Development Board
PAP - People's Action Party
PUB - Public Utilities Board
PWD - Public Work Development
MOE - Ministry of Education
CPF - Central Provident Fund
MAS - Money Authority of Singapore
PSA - Port of Singapore Authority
POSB - Post Office Saving Bank
MOH - Ministry of Health
LTA - Land Transport Authority
NUH - National University Hospital
SGH - Singapore General Hospital
ERP - Electronic Road Pricing
MRT - Mass Rapid Transit
SBS - Singapore Bus Services

PC Down!!!

2006-05-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

My PC is running a fever since last Saturday... :( So I am blowing a fan at it to cool it down as much as possible. Will bring it to see a doctor at Sim Lim Sq maybe tomorrow!

Our neighbours Yamato

2006-04-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

The threesome on the left side is our neighbours who live one floor below us at Telok Blangah Heights... Two years ago when they moved in as just wedded couple, we were overwhelmed. A year later a new member was added to the A-team, mighty Joseph!! Literally we went through hong (wind) and hoh (rain) together because our environment is so windy that rain was always blown into our living premises.... :)

Praise the Lord!

2006-03-27T23:18:00.000-08:00

Praise the Lord! For He is good!!
:)

Naughty Kat's Official Blog >_<|||

2006-03-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

Kat (my wife) has her own official blog now... thanks to some friends who has made blogging in our community popular among themselves... here's the link.

http://menaughtykat.blogspot.com/

She is not the type who is technically savvy but she writes well enough to engage you in her words. This doesn't matter as most of us needs somewhere to vent our emotions. I do it in a visual way, since I am no good in using words or sentences. I stutter in my writing as well as I stutter in my speaking. So I enjoy reading more than writing it myself...:)

BBQ

2006-03-09T01:31:00.000-08:00

We had void deck barbeque again! The setup was made up of 2 instant bbq fire trays bought (by my friends) at any super market. 2 were just enough to cook everything on the table comfortably feeding about 6 people. Nice ambience and it was windy, so noone got suffocated by the smoke.

:)

One Flaw In Women

2006-03-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

One Flaw In Women

By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable
parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a
lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure
anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart -and she will do everything
with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements.
"Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish."

But I won't," the Lord protested.
"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."

"She is soft," the Lord agreed,
"but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.

The Lord replied,
"Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

"That's not a leak,"
the Lord corrected,
"that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her
pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her
pride."
The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."

And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love
and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care
about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Sin City -- the Recut DVD

2006-02-28T18:53:00.000-08:00

The DVD was delivered yesterday! Yeah! Read a blog post of this here.

And a fantastic review of the show! Read review here.

:)

Testing CSS:

2006-02-28T02:02:00.000-08:00

CSS Tips & Tricks for IT savvy Blogger
Click here for the site.

Take a look at what the instant code can do...however it doesn't work well with Blogspot, useful though. Eg:

There was a Blog post recently that had near perfect balance. It was not in English so I was looking more at the layout than reading. What I noticed was the fine balance of the three simple classes to coordinate the image with the dropcap and the pullquote.

...you don't have to know CSS to use this one

It was very nicely done. It looked something like this post.
We are using shorthand CSS here. Using shorthand notation can help keep the size, or weight, of the page to a minimum if the style sheet is growing. For readability we tend to leave our CSS style long and the style sheet is growing too fast. Either way works. And, no you don't have to know CSS to use this one.
It's served copy-and-paste style and with the external CSS.

2006-02-28T01:48:00.000-08:00

"...Anyway, it's finally happening. Two days later, on 1 Mar 2006 Joseph will be going to his first school. There is to be three days' orientation, whereby I am allowed to remain in the centre with him. Thereafter the actual detachment starts... letting go.

Joseph, when you read mummy's blog years from now, I just want you to be clear about this thing. In my previous entry, you would have seen how mummy went traipsing all around the neighbourhood, hunting for a suitable place to put you in for half a day. This, is by no means any indication that I have tired of having you by my side. Far from it, in fact, mummy did that for a number of reasons...."

Please read the entire blog entry from here:
Dialogismos

Just a colleague

2006-02-28T01:31:00.000-08:00

There is such uncanny resemblance I couldn't help but make a DI (digital imaging, a term he loves to use that I observed) of him with the mad magazine cover. Strangely enough, there was no need to do much alteration as everything just simply fit nicely, like a jigzaw puzzle. Hmmm... I really wonder whether my attempt to associate him with the Mad mascot was truely intuitive...
:) LOL.

My Tabby Tibby

2006-02-28T01:04:00.000-08:00

This is my cat Tibby. She asks for food every morning and evening without fail. She only asks for food from my wife Kat, if she is around in the house. But if she is not, this cat of mine kept quiet and remained hidden behind the pink sofa placed beside the full length window most of the time, until she hears Kat. That really happened while my wife was away in UK for 10 days. And for 10 days, this cat remained behind the sofa until I poured her food in her tray and she heard the sound. Then she would come out from the hiding place and sneaked quietly to the kitchen when her food tray is placed. I wonder, what she was hiding from. From me? :)

More of Tibby's pictures: Tibby Pix

It's a jungle out there!

2006-02-22T02:41:00.000-08:00

Jungle or no jungle, it really depends on how you see it. Some say jungle some say not. But I say the jungle is in your heart or in your mind, or in your head. What are we afraid of? Leaving our comfort zones? Loosing what we have held for dear life, so close in our heart, for so long? I am not here to preach but I am one who fall victim to this too.

What do we fear the most? Taking risk? Giving up everything that we have? Being rejected by peers? Unaccepted by relatives? Falling prey to small talks beind our backs? What?

What can we loose? Nothing I believe, nothing but just your face?

:) Click pix for larger version...

Post Valentine Post

2006-02-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

Not celebrating valentine's day this year, one because my wife is overseas, second, I was too busy! But what the hell! Why must valentine be associated with lingerie?? The above ad reads, "Present your love with sexy lingerie from so and so and give your love life a sensual boost!...bla and bla"
Is there a better way to educate youth that valentine is a season for sharing and giving, and spending quality time with your love ones? More than that, everyday's a valentine's day if you are truly in love. But of course I am not telling you people not to be a romantic, but if you just want to take advantage of your gf on valentine's day, you are on the wrong track!

Girls! Never accept a gift of lingerie from a guy if both of you are not married!
:P

Garage Band Jam Pack

2006-02-02T05:22:00.000-08:00

My wish list!

Back from holidays

2006-01-31T19:34:00.000-08:00

Back to work! It is a true blue Wednesday indeed! And I am visiting my mum-in-law after work. What can be worst? Actually it is not so bad nowadays, for I am actually enjoying teasing her, and she enjoyed the attention too. Anyway... grace grace! For the saying goes.
")

New Work Setting

2006-01-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

It is important to be comfortable while you work. This is my new home work setting. Got this computer desk for a long time but not using it. Since my previous desk was broken, I decided to use this computer desk instead. 2 hours of rewiring and repositioning and that is it! A mobile suit! With this new setting, I can move anywhere. I can een reach out to places I couldn't reach in the past. That means, more space!

:)

2006-01-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

I am going to write both in English and Chinese. Here's an excerpt from a friend's blog...

新年快乐!!

新年又到了!
新年快乐! !

曾经看过朋友在MSN里这么写着：
“不要祝我新年快乐。给我钱, 我就快乐”

哈哈, 好现实哦!

的确, 在这个高生活水平的年代, 实在不能缺少钱
有了钱, 生活就快乐。

Money cannot be permanent all the time. If one needs money to be happy, then this happiness of his would be temporary. He will not taste true happiness in his life because nothing is permanent in this life time.

True happiness and joy comes from God, knowing that He is our eternal provider.
:)

Extreme Japan

2006-01-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

I watched the last episode of Extreme Japan like 2 days ago... how sad that this series was ended. I enjoyed the way the hosts have made the the show so pleasant but funny to watch. In fact the chemistry between Sho and Ericia was so good that it was hard to believe 2 people of vast cultural differences could come together to host a show.

In addition, I luv Japan alot, and extreme Japan has successfully presented Japan and her remote regions other than Tokyo in a nutshell. I love to watch the hosts "suffer" during the extreme gourmet and activities. You should see the way Ericia squirm at the horrible-ness of the strange food types. And eating live octopuss is really extreme!

Goodbye Extreme Japan!
:)

Animation Magazine

2006-01-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

Something went wrong... I have posted something earlier on but it din come out...so I have to retype everything again... cut the long story short... this magazine is available at Popular bookshop Marine Parade branch, but I have just bought the last copy ont the shelf.

It is a magazine I was looking for for the past 2 years, and in so doing, failed to subscribe it twice in a roll. It seemed that the admin over at US is reluctant to release it to foreign readers... which was quite strange.

Anyway, there is nothing much in the Jan 2006 issue, unless you are really interested in reading up on Hoodwinked! The fav animation in US presently.
:)

The Making of King Kong

2006-01-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

Who could resist these? Not me. They arrived with the Production Diaries! I also found out that these can be bought at Borders too...hmmm...no regrets. I think I bought them cheaper!

:)

King Kong is here

2006-01-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

I don't mean the movie of course. I have watched it already. Terrific CG effects and story-telling by Peter Jackson. I was really amazed by how the monkey was animated in such a realistic manner!

What I meant was this - King Kong, Peter Jackson's Production Diaries. I ordered it from Amazona and it arrived today... what a delight!

What's inside: A 2-disc DVD set of production process, 52 paged full colour production memoir and 4 exclusive production art prints, for just $$$.

Find out in Amazon!
:)

Popular Sale

2006-01-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

Monster Inc - the art of the disney movie - is going on sale at only $23 at Popular bookshop. Its usual price was $73!

Well I only happened to pass by Marine Parade's Popular (just opposite NTUC Fairprice) and chanced upon this. I bought some other books along with this as well.

There is this other book that I considered a good buy. See below.

"Drawing & Painting Fantasy Beasts". It is only $26. I think it costs more in Basheer (Bras Basah)

My Favourite Book this month

2006-01-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Oxide 2

Artworks by Kim Hyung Tae. A collection of digital illustrations and character design from the year 1999 to 2004. Even though Kim is a Korean, his artworks were published by a Japanese publisher and I think he is much more recognised overseas then his home town.

You can find coloured artworks from "Magnacarta" and "The War Of Genesis III" (never heard of these before, pardon my ignorance on the gaming genre). What I like about this book are, it actually include some pages of tuts of how Kim works, and his sketches too.

You may buy this book from Kinokuniya (Ngee Ann City) and it costs a hefty $56.50. But of course, I have got the membership card that entitles me a 20% discount.

:)

Recycled Christmas Tree

2005-12-27T18:08:00.001-08:00

Fancy a Christmas tree made out of recycled materials. Yes, there is one, and it is right now, placed at a remarkable corner in my house, with all the nicely wrapped presents recieved for Christmas this year, now all unwrapped during boxing day. My wife has made it with the following ingredients: old newspapers which were collected from over a month, used wine bottles, shredded paper, used gift wrappings and so on... when she told me about her design, I could not really visualise how she could make a Christmas tree out of these materials, call myself a designer... but when I first looked at it when she brought it back from the office where she made it with the help of a few colleague, I was astonished. It was brillant! A brillant idea and an innovative way of cutting the newspaper into large circles and then folded into a cone. They were then individually stuck to a core of rolled newspaper made to the intended height of the tree, while supported by four wine bottles tied together with masking tape. Just brillant! Indeed a genuine invention! For 2005!

I shall award my wife's recycled Christmas tree, the design and invention of the year!!
:)

2005-10-27T03:55:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more satisfying than to be able to finish your work on time, and going home on time.

I used to work as an engineer at Chartered Semiconductor. Being a wafer process engineer in-charged of thin film metal layer deposition is a nightmare.

Basically I was 24/7. Off work, I would be sleeping on a cardboard undernealth my cubicle. My handphone beside my ear just in case there is any emergency.

I would be working on holidays as well.

Nice pay but no life.

Long Distance Call

2005-10-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

If you have not been using MSN or Skype, you are missing a lot in life... well, not exactly in life, but in, you know what I mean...

We just ended our conversation over MSN, and this friend of mine was in Shanghai for a holiday and was using the system that belongs to another friend who is staying in Shanghai more or less permanently... we have not seen each other for years and a short holiday could do wonders....

He has been working in ST for a total of 9 years and is recently transfered to advertising design from editorial illustration and cartoons. For 9 long and bloody years, he said, he has been working from 3pm to 11.30pm and over weekends and OT to rush deadlines and so on... now as he is transfered...it is time for him to relax and enjoy life....

Wonderful! Life is not just work and no play. Though that did not make him a dull boy.

Well, it is really good to hear from him again...

Was it bad service?

2005-10-25T03:21:00.000-07:00

Location: Suntec City Mall Basement Fountain Food Terrace
Time: Morning

Presently there are 2 favourite stalls among the office people working in Suntec. First the roti, coffee and eggs stall. The second which is relatively new, is the chinese breakfast tim sum stall, which opened after Tong Heng closed down a couple of months ago.

When I approached the coffee stall, there was basically no queue and I was the second in line. The coffee uncle was making coffee for another person in front of me and was chatting away with each other. Even though I was the second in line, I waited more than 5 minutes for my coffee to be ready. The coffee uncle was simply taking his own sweet time to prepare 2 ice-coffees and another hot coffee to be taken away. I was ok waiting for them to finish so I waited patiently for my order to be taken. My point is, fortunately I was the second in line... I pitied those who joined the queue later on and I did notice the queue was getting very long.

Subsequently I went to the tim sum store to ta pao some chwee kuei for breakfast. I ordered 4 chwee kuei, which I usually do. The stall keeper said that according to their promotion, they are selling 5 for $2. I told them I only need 4 and they would cost $1.60 in total. In my heart I felt that there was no promotion at all. The stall is just trying to sell more to the customers by selling 5 at one go. I persisted to just order 4.

The chwee kuei(s) were passed to another stall keeper who is in-charged of collecting money and adding sauce or in my case, "chai po" to the chwee kuei. I handled her the money while she told me that next time if I wanted to buy again, I have to buy 5 at the same time. I politely replied I could only eat 4 and 5 are too much. Instead of accepting that, she said even if I cannot finish, I should purchase 5. At this moment I was a little "fired" but remained calm because I did not want to kick up a fuss. I did not need a "lecture" in a morning like this.

When the naggy auntie handled me the packet, she asked for the payment which I have already given to her. I told straight in her face that I have paid but she insisted that she did not received and pointed to the cashier that the amount was not keyed. That was her business right. I could not contain myself anymore and shouted at the top of my voice (so everyone in the food court can hear) that I have paid, and if she was not happy, she could ask her boss to see me. I left the stall while she kept quiet, surprised that someone would shout at her.

What stupidity!

Sweet!

2005-10-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Another Thai delicacy

2005-10-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

What on earth!

2005-10-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Something as edible as this would mean that nothing can stop the person from eating anything...or any other things... if I ever survive on this, it would mean.... I cannot imagine eating this at all... yuurk!

What if one of them is alive and it starts crawling in your stomach..can you stomach this?

Say it decides to lay some eggs...
You will save on eating larvae... (:P)

Publicity Game 2

2005-10-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is how it looks like when opened up. Remember the game we used to play in our childhood?

Publicity Game

2005-10-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

A simple publicity game that I created for my comix course.

Good Morning Coffee

2005-10-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Most of us cannot live without this first thing in the morning!

Pix of my lovely wife

2005-10-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

A pix of my lovely wife at the airport...
We stumble upon a nice furniture piece and without hesitating, we took a shot... and as always, she would find a creative pose for it!

Thinking about life

2005-10-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

Have been thinking and pondering about life in Singapore... what really makes life so stressful here? Besides the famous rat race, life here is basically running in and out of work and having Sundays spent in church to chill off. Even if one chooses not to be in the rat race, he wouldn't be spared from the onslaught of opinions and suggestions that would flood him over from time to time. Personally I was not spared, ever since from day one, when I was born to what I am now. The flood keeps coming. In my childhood, they, my parents and my relatives would prefer not to ask, but insist that I would be a medical doctor or a lawyer or an engineer when I grew up. So I have to study very hard for it because position like that is hard to get, especially getting into the university, where competition is steep. Henceforth, when I decided to be an artist instead, we had a hard time reconciling with each other. A big argument was inevitable. And even though we don't quarrel over it again, my parents would still ask me what am I doing now. Am I having an income or am I am having a proper employment. Questions like these are frustrating enough. They would irritate me even further by asking how much I am earning. Such is the chinese culture. What they are really concern over with is not my welfare, or how am I faring. Their chief concern is whether I have enough money to take care of them when they are old.

I respect them and I would like to honour them with my substance. But I choose not to be imprisoned by the thought that I have to earn enough, not only for myself and my family, but also for them in the future. Can you understand that?

In Singapore, peers and friends can make much influence on your life too. Friends are very important in the sense they can make or break you. Bad influences are not only bad habits like smoking and drinking or even drug abuse. They can be subtle hints that you are not earning as much as them, or not living in a house as luxurious as theirs, or even not driving a car as big and fast as theirs. Soemtimes you wonder why the conversation changes so fast when you mentioned that you are not in a managerial position during a reunion. I hate reunion because I am always subjected to their fierce scruitiny. I am not a prisoner to their opinions and thoughts but words can cut. It is still quite difficult to find back the broken pieces after you are cut, even though you tell yourself again and again that you do not mind being cut into pieces. So avoiding that is wise, I think. I have the right not to subject myself to bad treatment right. If the service is bad, I would walk away. Why should I stay to be slain like a piece of meat?

I am saying all these because I am not stressed by the nature of my work. In fact I enjoyed my work and I will enjoy it forever. It is the people around me that stress me out each day. They can be christians and non-believers, but they do the same thing to you everyday. We are in an unredeemed world, where humans still have flaw and being imperfect. I understand their shortcomings and so on... even I myself is not perfect too. Therefore in a fallen world like this, there is no doubt that hurt would be produced....

My very own Powerbook

2005-09-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

Bought during the Comex 2005 (at Suntec Convention Hall) with offers like free upgrade to 1GB of RAM, free protective carrier shealth, and with an addition of another $200+ purchase voucher given away. This sleek device from Apple is simple irresistible. Comes with Tiger and a bundle of other simple yet useful software, MAC computers are just not worth to be missed out.

Imagine, you can start using it without worrying that you do not have any software support. MAC is really worthwhile. What are you waiting for? Go grab one now!

Writing my Statement of Purpose

2005-09-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

I am right at this moment frustrating over an assignment, writing my Statement of Purpose for my application to Savannah College of Art & Design. Have been writing and rewriting for a month now but to no avail. What am I gonna do? Well, see how it goes...

Opening day on a slow quiet Saturday

2005-09-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

While reading Erico's blog and watching a Taiwanese variety show with a tickling endurance contest, I decided to open another journal blog blogging what I usually do, not drawing... yeah! My first post on this blog. Still a slow quiet Saturday.