My Soliloquy©

Street Fest D'J Party 2011

2011-07-24T17:14:00.000+08:00

This year’s edition of Street Fest D’J Party was held on the top deck of Vivocity, at the Amphitheatre. Focusing on local J-pop bands this time round, the whole day’s line up consists of both emerging and well known bands in the local J-pop/rock scene.

Having some free time on that day(don’t I always?), I popped over to check it out.

Must admit I liked the venue. The added seating area compared to last year’s event was a huge improvement and I managed to get a prime seat at the front for photos. Though I must say using a 85mm lens with a crop factor of 1.6x at the front few benches still didn’t managed to cut it. Spotted a few people here and there lurking near the stage area for photos. Being alone I felt awkward standing there so I remained at my seat. Maybe next time when there’s company I’ll do so –.-

Loved how some of the performers interacted with the crowd. Of course showmanship while performing are plus points too.

While over there i managed to bump into my BMT platoon mate who’s actually a singer in a local J-rock band. Didn’t manage to catch his band as they were one of the first few to perform(I came a bit late yes) but will definitely come down next time they’re having a gig. The band’s called Xska by the way.

The showman singer and his equally electric guitarist. Gotta watch out for these two guys.

Saw O.V.A hito too. Loved how they’ve improved loads from last year. Can’t wait to see them again.

The main reason I came down however was to support my favourite local J-rock band Quis. Have been a fan ever since I saw them perform Butterfly from Digimon at Cosfest. It was effing epic. Must see to believe this kind.

Sadly I had to leave earlier as I was due somewhere else a few hours ago so I left quite abruptly. Focused more on concert photography this time round as I wanted to hone my skills in this area and the cosplayers were missing(all scattered along the top deck and they were all having their own photoshoots so no go then).

Not too bad this time round. Maybe beforehand sound checks for all bands could be done before they started to avoid wasting time(my friend had issues with sound throughout all his songs sadly) and finish up any problems before the day itself-was it me or sometimes the distortion was a bit too obvious?

I will be back though next year. And hopefully rope in a few more friends to tag along.

Favourite picture of the event:

She enjoyed the music. And so did the rest of us.

More photos from this event can be viewed on my flickr.

Cosfest X.1

2011-07-03T03:53:00.000+08:00

Best Cosfest ever? You betcha.

This time I managed to attend both days of Cosfest(like finally!)but with minor inconveniences on my part. Had to travel back and forth from the east to the west on both days just so I could be there. Contemplated sleeping in camp on Saturday night to save time but in the end I decided against it. Then on Sunday I came back with my camera gear including all my book-in items as I was on duty that day.

The things I do for my interests really.

Met a few familiar faces at the event, some old while others new. Seems like the longer I am in this community, the more I get to meet new people and make friends.

Comparing turnout and the quality of cosplay around, Cosfest and AFA rank high on my list. Was scrambling around both days trying to get pics of all the cosers present. Just when I thought I saw them all, a new person pops out ensuring a mad dash to their location.

Stage activities were quite interesting this time round though. Ever see the android mascot shuffle on stage? I did. Kudos to whoever was in the suit – he did an awesome job.

But by far the most interesting event of the day was the Asia Cosplay Meet Championship. Selected teams from around Asia competed for the prize of best country award. Of course the epic team from Korea won. Really amazing stuff from the people involved. Makes me want to attend the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya just to watch all the performances from cosplayers around the world.

Instead of posting all the stage videos here, I’ve added a link from youtube which has all the Cosfes X.1 stage events(yes including the shuffling android mascot)here.

And of course for pictures of the event do visit my album on flickr. I won’t bite so feel free to comment on the photos.

Till next time!

AKB48 in SG

2011-06-05T14:58:00.000+08:00

Heard about AKB48 opening a merchandise store in Singapore a while ago so thought I'd check it out when I was in the area.

For those new to AKB48, it’s a Japanese idol group founded in 2005 which originated from Akihabara(AKB), Japan(hence the name AKB48). Consisting 48 members, the group is split into 4 teams-team A, K, B and 4 and has achieved immense popularity in Japan. For more info click on their wiki here.

Located at the ground level of *scape, the store is just to the right side of the main entrance. With a big AKB48 banner overlooking the shop, there is no way you can miss it.

Closer look outside the store.

Though initially reluctant to wander in alone, I snuck in once there was a sizable amount of people inside(yes I waited for a while until this happened)

When you first come in you're greeted by a showcase mirror and display table with a video of the girls.

Then stop & take a look around the shop.

Posters of all 48 girls adorn the walls and the shop is divided into sections for posters, keychains, photobooks(ooohh) and the like.

Actually inside the shop is a no photography zone-though I only realised this after having taken a few pics and after one of the sales assistants politely reminded me. Gomenasai!

And just a heads up-the girls will perform twice monthly at *scape so this is your chance to catch them live in singapore. They also do have an AKB48 cafe set up near the shop but at this time its not fully up yet so more details once I've been there.

Anyone interested?

Sakura Fest 2011

2011-04-24T13:47:00.000+08:00

Had some time to spare last Saturday so I decided to check out Sakura Fest held at the Singapore Flyer.

The event itself is a Japanese themed festival, with booths set up selling a wide variety of knick-knacks ranging from food to games too. To round off the itinerary, performances by local J-pop bands and a cosplay competition was also included in the mix. And to top it all off, a nightly performance by Japanese idols Yoshikawa Sunao and Sasakama Risuko at the 4m high Yagura Stage(the main reason for me visiting in the 1st place

Since I’m too lazy and out of ideas on how to write coherently for this post, I guess I’ll just do a photo post with descriptions instead.

Idols Yoshikawa Sunao and Sasakama Risuko performing in the afternoon slot.

Loved the energy and enthusiasm in their performances. Did some research on them when I got back(I don’t really follow idol news that much) and found out they were from Dear Stage – Akihabara’s most famous otaku club. Seems like these two are also quite unique idols too – apparently they are ‘underground’ idols meaning they do everything themselves – the marketing, songs, costumes and the like. For more info on this head over to supermerlion where the folks over there have done a great job interviewing the 2 girls.

More pics of the 2 lovely ladies.

Shot everything with my 50mm F1.8 prime in manual mode. Can’t believe I somehow managed to get the focus right with all the movement that went on.

The 2 wonderful emcees who deserve special mention for giving all the best to spur on the crowd and maintain the energy even though sometimes response was lackluster at best.

There was a wide variety of bands at the event playing different genres. One of the best moments I had was of a family which wandered in, found it interesting then sat down. 1 minute later they hastily left when the current band broke into a heavy metal song complete with the usual growls and howls. Joke to the max lol.

Some of the stalls present. Some of the highlights were tonkatsu ramen and authentic Japanese beer.

Too bad I couldn’t try out most of the stuff.*cough*religious*cough*issues.

Last event for the day was the performance by Yoshikawa Sunao and Sasakama Risuko at the Yagura Stage. Pretty cool concept I must say though it looked difficult to get on top – they used a long ladder to reach the stage.

Things started off with a small demonstration of wotagei. For those of you who have forgotten, wotagei refers to dancing and cheering gestures performed by fans of idols(wota). Didn’t participate much but I learnt a few moves which I might put to good use some other time

We were also encouraged to participate in the songs itself by means of a short cheer. Pretty funny and fun actually. So how it was to be done is like this:

Cue song Black Rock Shooter – Hatsune Miku. After the initial verse there’s a short interlude right? well in that meantime we’re supposed to chant ‘ Hey hey hey hey hey until a number of times then followed by tiger! fiber! fire! diver! cyber! viber!(??) jya jya!!’ then just nice the next verse comes in. Didn’t make much sense but it was loads of fun. Did this for all the songs that night.

So kudos to both of them for making the night a one to remember. And thanks to the emcees to for putting in all the effort(your sweat on stage did not go unnoticed).

Here’s to another Sakura Fest next year!

Film: Sucker Punch

2011-04-16T20:29:00.002+08:00

Close your eyes. Open your mind. You will be unprepared.

I first saw the trailer a few weeks back and I must say it did serve its purpose-attracting my interest with the amazing visual effects, hot girls and pumping action. Was only recently I had the chance to watch it though.

Before that I did hear a few opinions from others who’ve watched it earlier. Pretty mixed bag of comments much-lacking in plot, great action…etc. So after watching Sucker Punch here’s a what I think.

Overall it’s a decent movie that draws you in at the 1st go, but loses focus midway until the ending.

Let me tell you why.

Sent to a mental institution by her estranged father, Babydoll has a few days left before she is lobotomised. Desperate to escape before it happens, she enlistes the help of fellow female inmates Rocket, Blondie, Amber & Sweet Pea to gather the 5 necessary items to escape from the facility and the clutches of Blue, the facility's orderly.

A map. Fire. Knife. Key. And one thing else.

The first scene itself is downright impressive. Right from the start of the music to the end of the scene, the haunting score line and depressing scene created a very unnerving atmosphere that commanded my attention. Really great match together. Very different from the action shown in trailers. Listening to the soundtrack one more time brought me back to the thoughts I had while watching the opening intro. One of the best opening sequences I’ve seen so far.

Simply awesome.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Emily Browning

Awesome soundtrack. Worth a listen if you haven’t done so.

Now here comes the part about the middle portion of the movie-which I felt didn’t really make much sense but scored full marks for the action sequences.

Basically a good portion of the movie was devoted to the search for the 5 items necessary for them to escape. They start of with Babydoll initiating a dance sequence which becomes the prelude for a transition into a fantasy world which varies for each item. Even though I felt the fantasy part was a bit fake and didn’t help the plot at all I loved it to bits. The gorgeously rendered images and action sequences are worth watching over again. Best of all I loved the concept.

Taking its cues from 300 and Watchmen, the graphics are beautifully done. Its like watching a game in real life really. I also liked the fact that bits of steampunk was included in the fantasy world as well. Samurai statues with guns, machines in the medieval setting, advanced technologies in a World War II setting just simply blew my mind away. If there was a Sucker Punch game I would be really tempted to play it. And of course hot girls in sexy uniform was an added bonus.

Thankfully enough the movie got back on track towards the end when all five items were collected. So in the end only Sweet Pea escaped at the cost of Babydoll(she was the fifth item-a sacrifice) while the rest were killed. In the end Babydoll was lobotomised and Blue was arrested after he was found out forging the in-house doctor’s signature for approval of the lobotomy. Not too sad an ending for me.

So why Sucker Punch for a title? Why not just Babydoll?

What I feel is that the idea of the movie itself serves as a sucker punch. We are brought into the mental facility where the whole movie is supposed to take place, while soon after Babydoll is brought in the setting changes to that of a brothel which takes girls in and trains them to be high class prostitutes. This imagery goes on for so long until at the end we are abruptly brought back to the world of the mental institution. For me it was a shock at first, initially I thought of the mental institution as a cover for an underground brothel. After much thought I realised the brothel setting was a figment of Babydoll’s imagination-a way for her to portray the inmates and their surroundings as normal as possible. The fantasy worlds she gets herself in then is a further warping of that concept. Unable to feel comfortable in the reality she has made for herself in those circumstances, she further delves into another reality which is able to contain her emotions at that point, relapsing into the other reality once its over.

And don’t get me started on lobotomy. Came away with a very strong impression of it after watching the movie so I did a bit of research on it once I got home. What I found out left me disgusted honestly. The pictures I saw and the reports on it being a breakthrough in mental illness treatment(years ago) provided an interesting yet appalling read. Really can’t believe any human would do this to another human being, no matter how severe their condition is. Though the patients might not be able to fend for themselves and having the operation would improve their well-being somewhat, the lack of ethics and human rights involved is simply astonishing. Not to mention the procedure is archaic and barbaric at best.

To end this of I’d just like to say I enjoyed watching Sucker Punch as a whole although a more coherent plot would have made it much better. And if any of you wants to know which of the five ladies I like best? Well here’s my choice:

Jamie Chung as Amber. The picture here doesn’t really do her justice. Watch the movie and you’ll why she’s my choice.

“You have all the weapons you need. Now fight.” – Zack Synder

The Dark Side

2011-04-10T19:28:00.002+08:00

I am one with the dark side now.

Discarding the path of light many have undertaken, I have found in the dark side power unmatched, unrivalled even with the greatest of those from the light. Deviated from the path I have, enthralled by the power the dark side offers-dissatisfied with the weakness of the light I have embraced the dark side in all its glory.

On a more serious note, I’ve officially made the switch over to Apple or more specifically Apple’s Mac OS X. Was planning to do so a couple of years back but didn’t have the moolah to do so until recently(and that was also due to 1 year of prudent saving). That’s it with Windows machines for me.

Got my MacBook Pro at the recently concluded IT fair last month and I must say having a Mac of my own justified all the reasons for owning one. Been a Windows user for years and honestly switching over has been hugely relieving. The machine’s a beast and after fiddling around for a few hours the Mac OS X platform felt like home. Can’t believe I put up with all the crap I had for years.

Of course the transition wasn’t complete until I got back all the apps and documents I had on my Windows machine on my Mac. And I’ve got Parallels running Windows 7 Ultimate too for the times I do have to run Windows-based programs. Like my ever trusty Windows Live Writer for instance. Haven’t found any faults with the Mac OS X platform too. Well not yet anyway.

So there. My Mac’s awesome.

And I’m not gonna switch back. Ever.

Review: Koss PortaPro

2011-04-08T05:47:00.004+08:00

Been a while since I’ve updated my blog due to numerous ongoings in the past few months. Will elaborate on those in the posts to come. Meanwhile I figured it’s time I posted a review of my Koss PortaPros which I’ve had for close to 2 years now. Pretty awesome cans they are.

Wait a minute…Koss? I’ve never heard of them. Well most Singaporeans don’t anyway-at least not those who aren’t audiophiles. Brands like Sony, Audio Technica, Sennheiser are probably a few of the household names around town. Mention Koss, Grado or even Denon and you”ll probably get blank stares all round.

So why did I pick the Koss PortaPros?

Simply because my stock iPod earphones were falling apart and I needed a replacement. Got a pair of Audio Technica SJ1s for that but they too did not last long. So I looked around online for a pair of headphones that looked cool, reasonably well priced(in audiophile terms that may cost around $100+ or above depending on the model) and would last through the abuse I put my stuff through. And what was recommended time and time again on reputable sites were the Koss PortaPros. Of course I had to take a look.

Unchanged design since 1984. Lifetime warranty. Great performance for the price. I was hooked.

I loved the retro design. Sure, not every one likes how it looks but its pretty unique when you compare it to current headphone designs. Plus its small size allows it to be stored easily whenever you don’t need it.

More about the specifications(for those who are interested):Taken from headphone.com

Sensitivity: 101 dB/mW
Cord Type: Straight Y
Coupler Size: Small
Cord Length: 4 ft. (1.2 m)
Weight: 2.5
Microphone: No
Driver Type: Dynamic
Manufacturer Warranty: Lifetime warranty
Detachable Cable: No
Isolation: 0
Connector Type: 1/8"
Ear Coupler Type: Earpad
Impedance @ 1kHz: 60
Wireless: No
Headphone Type: Earpad
Noise Cancelling: No
Warranty: LIFETIME
Acoustic Seal: Open

One thing I forgot to mention is that the headphones are open-backed. Meaning sound can come in and out. So if you’re walking by a construction site you can hear everything that’s going on unless the volume is turned up waay too high-which is dumb because you’re spoiling your hearing. And in quiet places like libraries, sound can leak out so if you’re blasting heavy metal on these cans-no need to be alarmed if everyone else is casting disapproving glances at you. Though this feature is a turn-off for some, I found it extremely useful in day-to-day use especially when I’m walking about. No total isolation for me-I find it extremely disconcerting when I’m not aware of my surroundings.

So first up the unique features of the Koss PortaPro.

Unlike conventional headphones, the headphone band extends by pulling the plastic connectors back and forth. Pull together to extend-pull away to retract. Its some nifty mechanism which I found to be very cool. So to put it on just extend it all the way then pull the connectors to the side for a snug fit. WARNING: Do not do it the other way around. I’ve got a few hair strands stuck because of this. Not very nice indeed.

Another feature unique to the Koss PortaPro is the Comfortzone located at both sides. Basically they are adjustable temporal pads to keep pressure off your ears. This distributes pressure off from your ears to your temples, allowing for longer listening time. The setting goes back to firm by default whenever you keep them so usually I change it to the middle setting before wearing them.

The driver itself is housed in this blue plastic housing which allows for limited movement to better conform to your ears. Looks flimsy but how tough is it actually? Well I got my PortaPros crushed under heavy load in my bag once. So when I took it out the blue housing was separated from the main headband. No biggie. A few minutes figuring out how to attach it back and voila! working as though nothing happened. The ear cushions are also made of foam so they can be replaced easily. Mine wore out after a year or so so I had them replaced with a pack of 3 available at the audiophile store where I got them from. Costs less than $15SGD if I remember correctly.

The 3.5mm mini-plug jack itself has undergone a slight change to the current iteration above. Standard as with most headphones.

To store the PortaPros when not in use is pretty easy. Just retract the band all the way, push the earpads inwards and lock them together with the hook. This makes for a very compact ball-like shape. Some caveats about this-my pair can’t seem to lock well together. A bit of force and it springs open. In the end I keep mine in this position.

So there we go. Last but not least a short elaboration on how to wear them. Due to their unique design you don’t really have to check which side is left or right before putting them on. The sides do have markings if you really do not know. Have seen a few people wear them the wrong way-which is just plain sad really since they aren’t taking advantage of the design of these cans.

Yup. How they look like on your head when properly worn. Another bonus feature for me is that my spectacles can slide in between the temporal pad and the earpad whereas in conventional headphones they tend to get stuck, causing pain after awhile.

Audio quality wise it’s a great deal of a step up from the stock iPod earphones. And while I haven’t had the chance to test it out against competitors which cost hundreds more, for this price point the audio quality available is pretty much unparalleled. Though similar offerings from Sennheiser and AKG are value for money too. The only difference between them really is the awesome retro design(for me at least).

While great, these cans do have their shortcomings too. Fit can be an issue at times. Usually it takes a couple of minutes for me to have it correctly adjusted on my head, allowing me to listen to music for a few hours before I have to readjust it again. So for on-the-go listening these cans do suffice but for more pleasurable listening at home, look for a more comfortable pair. Or you can mod these headphones to suit your fancy. Just google for the list of amazing mods available. Then again, musically wise its already an excellent pair of headphones to begin with. A good option for those who are planning on upgrading from their stock earphones but not willing to pay too much for a good pair of headphones.

Available for around $80SGD, the Koss PortaPros are sold in various audio-electronic stores in Singapore,namely HMV or StereoElectronics. For a pleasant shopping experiece I recommend going to StereoElectronics to shop for one. The sales assistants there are quite knowledgeable and friendly. Plus they let you test out the headphones to your hearts content. Definitely a must-go location for the budding audiophile.

The Case For Film

2011-01-17T15:29:00.001+08:00

Lately I’m been thinking of delving into the enthralling world of film, where grain is not a hindrance but a boon to the actual picture. And at most times, I’ve been stopped in my tracks thinking about the astronomical costs one chalks up acquiring film, processing them and all sorts of nonsense you get up to experimenting with the array of options available.

In a way, its remarkably similar to using digital in this age and way now.

Brought up in the digital photography age(and using a dslr myself too) I’ve always wondered why people would waste good money buying film over and over again, producing pictures which aren’t of the highest quality. For me, the advantages and ease of use of a dslr far outweigh that of film cameras – the shoot until you drop mentality, the almost instantaneous review time, the unlimited options in post processing. Yet time and time again I’ve been drawn to film in a way which is quite unlike me.

Case in point.

I was having my company photo taking the other day. T’was the usual drab affair of having to go to our positions, smile, shoot and scram. Then I noticed the antique looking film camera mounted on the tripod. Something Mamiya pro series. Did a bit of research on the net before writing this.

The camera was apparently a Mamiya RB67 Pro-S.

Awesome configurability on this camera. I could spend all day tinkering with the settings on this.

Matching the quirkiness of the camera itself was the photographer with his old-fashioned styling and equipment.

Had a bit of free time after the photo taking so I had a casual chat with the photographer. Turns out he’d been using the camera for 20+ years now, taking photos for the army. On why he resisted converting to digital, he gave a short yet concise answer that summed it all – ‘because the sensor size is puny’(well he didn’t say it that way but I think you get the idea).

Course I had to have a recruit who inquired the price of the whole set-up.

And his reply was?

‘In today’s valuation, probably about $10 000.’

EOY 2010: Creativity, Fun & Friendship

2010-12-26T21:41:00.005+08:00

How time flies.

One year on and I feel like a veteran of such events.

This year round, EOY was held at The Republic Cultural Centre(TRCC) in Republic Polytechnic. A place some complained about because it was considered remote, I was personally fine with it. Any event not located in the east is much appreciated(although Cosfest is an exception).

Went alone this time so I got the VIP ticket to pamper myself a bit. Quite worth it actually-except that I forgot to redeem my free drink. –.-

Now my thoughts about the said event.

The main reason I went to EOY was for the cosplay and performances. Booths…not so much. Generally I don’t really buy anything at events unless it’s a must have item.

So on with the performances. While they were generally enjoyable, sound issues prevented a much more pleasurable experience. At times when there were bands on the background music tended to drown out the singers. Sometimes I thought I was listening to the instrumental version.

Most of them did covers of songs from Full Metal Alchemist and Angel Beats. Man those were good anime. Good times.

Course the main attraction was the dancicals from Aikawa Kozue and Ikura from Danceroid.

The dances and energy were simply breathtaking. Honestly I’ve never heard about them before EOY so I saw a couple of their vids on youtube.

Loled at the guy who had a brief moment of fame. He obstructed my view too –.-

After that were the cosplay competitions.

This time round they did something different to pick the winner. Instead of voting for the best cosplayer through sms, the audience voted by using the booklet that was handed out to us. Show your approval by holding it up-disagree by not doing anything. Though creative, I found it a bit suspect when it came to counting votes. Same thing for the later part – using how popular a cosplayer was by virtue of the loudest reaction one got from the audience. Hopefully the organisers come up with a better way to judge the competitions next time. Having judges shouldn’t be too hard right?

Group Cosplayers

Once the competitions were over I went out of the theatre for a breather. And to take cosplay pictures.

In the end I only managed to snap a few around the place as I was involved in a mini photoshoot for a friend of mine. Seems like nowadays most cosers have their own photographers with them. Besides us the area outside TRCC was awash with mini photoshoots everywhere – so the different cosplayers were pretty much scattered around the grounds. I could have went around sniping here and there but decided not too. After a while doing photography those kind of shots don’t excite you anymore and you tend to expect a higher standard from yourself. In my view photoshoots are the way to go as they allow a much better level of interaction between the cosplayer and the photographer, resulting in a much better outcome.

Last but not least the finale was by none other than Tim, the organiser of EOY who performed a piano solo to thank us for making the event a success.

Thanks for inspiring us to follow our passions Tim.

Looking forward to EOY 2011.

And here are more photos from the event:

Otaku Taipei

2010-10-16T09:30:00.003+08:00

Before I flew off to Taipei I did some rummaging around on the internet for places to visit once I’m there. Besides the usual suspects such as the famous night markets and stuff, I also wanted to know whether there would be any good places an otaku(or fans of anime and manga) would like to visit. Turns out there were already a few articles on the net regarding this topic, one of them being this article from miteiru! – MIT Anime’s official blog.(yes they do have an anime club at MIT – awesome) Feeling inspired I decided to visit the places mentioned and do an article when I return.

So first up we have Ximending.

Somehow one way or another my hotel was located just a few blocks away so I was able to travel there by foot. Its akin to a Taiwanese version of Shibuya/Harajuku – essentially a huge shopping district stocking the latest in fashionable wear for young Taiwanese. Something similar to Bugis street in Singapore. There were many girls and ladies about sporting the latest trends in Japanese and Korean fashion. Saw a few goth loli’s and many more wearing seifuku(Japanese high school uniform – sailor style with short skirts). Upon closer inspection some of those were actual school uniforms so I was pretty amazed. My guide commented that the area usually had people cosplaying but as I was there on a weekday night, the chances of seeing one is rather low. Nevertheless I found it a very interesting place, with alleys bursting with shops-some of them you can bargain in, a couple of themed cafes(swings for seats anyone?) and Taiwanese girls with their unique fashion sense.

As I didn’t have much time allocated to the place I wasn’t able to explore it as much as I would liked. However I did come across some pretty interesting finds-namely the Animate shop.

Argh why don’t they have these in Singapore!

Situated along the main road, the shop itself is made up of 2 levels, the main floor and the basement floor. Honestly speaking I gawked at a long time at the shop logo before entering. For those not in the know, Animate is one but of a few famous anime chain shops located in Japan. What greeted me was immense – a whole section devoted to Japanese magazines and DVDs. Not too impressed( I could go to Kinokuniya if I wanted to) I headed to another area which was connected by a small walkway. This was the doujinshi section. Rows and rows of them. Probably had a few hundred inside. Didn’t really find any eroge stuff :P and my curfew was coming up so I had to leave.

So sorry for the lack of pictures so far – I accidentally deleted them while browsing through the pictures :(

I returned again on the last day to further explore the shop . Saw the stairs leading to the basement the first time but didn’t go in so I went down. Lo and behold! a fully ready Kanda cosplay costume from D.Gray Man was on display. OMG. Turned the corner and I saw anime paradise!. Aisles full of anime merchandise ranging from Katekyo Hitman Reborn!(KHR), Code Geass, Gundam and more. Sugoi! Well actually it isn’t much if you’ve been to the shops in Japan but coming from Singapore, the selection was intense. Spent quite a long time inside gawking at everything on offer until I finally decided to get something. Bought a couple of stuff there but the one purchase I really liked was this:

Kyoya Hibari’s armband! Was searching all over Singapore for this and I finally found it in Taipei. Mission complete.

On the way back to the hotel I took a wrong turn and came across this costuming shop.

Nice. From far it looked like any other shop selling costumes until I saw the Dragonball cosplay costume. Didn’t go in but next time I’m there I’m gonna go in and ask about the price.

Next up we have Taipei City Mall.

Hailed as Taipei’s answer to Nakano Broadway in Japan(I haven’t been there so I can’t verify its authenticity), Taipei City Mall is located near Taipei Main Station. There’s an underground route from the MRT station all the way to the mall but of course yours truly had to reach for the surface and hence got a little lost in the process. When I finally reached the place itself, it took a good 5 minutes more before I reached the ‘otaku’ section. You see, Taipei City Mall is basically one huge underground shopping strip, with 3 rows of shops along the entire axis-2 rows along each side and one in the centre dividing the strip into half. And to get to the desired location you have to walk past rows of shops selling anything from budget-priced clothes to traditional Chinese ornaments. Once you have reached the Mag Freak store though the shops from then onwards are all otaku. Games, electronics, anime, manga, figures, model kits you name it-are all there. Went a little crazy I think.

Was there to shop and by golly did I shop. Walked around and went in & out of shops, checked products, checked prices then decided what to buy. First up was the Mag Freak store. Mag Freak is essentially a store dedicated to selling Japanese prints of anything ranging from manga to magazines. Wanted to get something for my sister so I bought the latest edition of Cosmode(the premier cosplay magazine in Japan) and Dengeki Hobby Japan for myself.

Seems like Black★Rock Shooter is all the rage these days.

Gorgeous cover and cosplay.

I’ve never really liked Vocaloid that much(can’t understand the craze really) but love the illustrations by Huke for Black★Rock Shooter. For your info the cosplayer in the picture above is a model who has received professional help. That’s the reason why it looks so amazing.

With the magazines in tow I searched around for more stuff to buy. Wanted to get a model kit over there(the prices are waaay cheaper than in Singapore)but figured my bag had no space for the box as it already is. Was really tempted to get the MG version of Kamen Rider W until I realised MG(Master Grade) meant that I had to self-assemble the figure myself. Bummer. So I left it at that.

In the end I procured the Black★Rock Shooter nendoroid(was deciding between the figma and nendoroid but chose the latter as it looked more kawaii :P) and a One Piece figure of Luffy for a friend(sorry dude I couldn’t find the lomo keychain).

I like how the BRS nendoroid is capable of various poses while at the same time still managing to look so awesome. Will probably do a proper shoot when I have time one of these days.

And the Luffy figure.

All in all I found Taipei City Mall a very interesting place to visit. Would have stayed longer if I could to check out all the games on offer but had to get back to the hotel soon to check out. Definitely a recommended place for otakus visiting Taipei.

Another place of interest would be the chain of Eslite bookstores. Passed by one but I didn’t have time to go in so I’ll just give a brief description of the place. Imagine a public library. Then imagine that all the books in that library are for sale. That’s just how big Eslite is.

Really had a great time in Taipei. Looking forward to travelling there again in the near future.

Random: My ‘loot from the trip.

Not much but I’m pretty satisfied with what I got. Till another day then.

Fantasies Come Alive @ Level 5 (Day 1)

2010-10-10T03:16:00.006+08:00

Knew about the event only 2 days before the day itself so it was a bit of a rush. Went there anyway(hadn’t been to Funan for a while now) to check out the new offerings in level 5. Was also itching to test out the nifty fifty I just procured(or in layman’s terms the EF 50mm 1.8 II lens) and give it a good run.

For those of you who frequent Funan, you’re probably aware that most of the events are held at the wide open area in the middle of level one. Today was no different, with the main stage at the far back and booths located in the center. Saw a few familiar people too-namely the people running Black Tactical. Also realised how much the Army has affected me in the past couple of months. Could recall the make of a few guns on display here and there, a M16 GL over there. Yup, pretty much a lot.

The shows started with the performance by WCS Thailand Representative 2010(who emerged 1st runner’s up) but I arrived late so fast forward to the Anime Karaoke Competition :P

Caught the 1st performance halfway before a bad stomachache descended which left me scrambling for the toilet. That’s what you get after spamming tabasco sauce on chicken.

Returned a few moments later to watch the other contestants. I don’t really remember much from then on as I was basically milling around looking at stuff on offer. Wanted to really buy a Haro on display but it was bit too big for my liking.

It was also the first time I witnessed wotagei and wota in action. For the uninitiated, wotagei refers to dancing and cheering gestures performed by wota-fans of Japanese idoru singers. They were enjoying themselves, in turn spurring the singers on. Would have been nicer if more people joined in - however I sincerely applaud them for their effort. One of the stand out songs I heard was Trust You by Yuna Ito and God Knows by Aya Hirano – the first a magnificent rendition of the original, the latter full of energy.

Wotagei and Wota in action

Most of the time though I was located around or near the Evangelion Unit 01 figure. I think it was borrowed from the Mecha Art Museum – the whole thing was self made. All the while my head was going ’you can cosplay with this thing. It’s so awesome.’ Of course I had to photograph it, the only problem being the fact that I had to stand far behind(the downsides of using a prime lens) and the reflective surface was screwing up my shots.

Actual height around 2m.

After the Anime Karaoke Competition it was time for a photo session with the WCS Thailand Representative 2010 who was cosplaying as Odin from…I forgot. Nice detailing on the costume. Can’t believe he only took 1 month to complete it.

With a representative from black-tactical

Part of a picture I couldn’t capture in full due to me being too near the stage.

Going once…twice…END! That was how the photo session ended. Me thinks the emcee’s trying to be funny :P

Second last was the performance by Japanese Idoru Hoshino Chiroru. I don’t really follow Idoru so I’ve never heard of her. But I must say she’s a really good singer and performer.

She performed 5 songs in total. I didn’t catch much of what she was saying – a bit of English followed by Japanese all the way. No one minded though. She sang something from K-On! for the 3rd song but I don’t watch the anime so I didn’t recognise the song. Was pretty amazing actually to have a real Idoru perform in Singapore. If any of you are wondering why does she have the meido costume on, it’s because she’s the founder or so of Cawaii Kohi Maid Cafe. At least that was what I could make out from her conversation. Guess it’s time to brush up on my Japanese.

Last but not least was the Semi – Finalist results for the Anime Karaoke Competition. The competition itself is held over 2 days so tomorrow(or today looking at the time) is the finals. Please If you are free do come down and support them. I won’t reveal the names of the finalists here because I don’t have pictures and I’m not really sure how to spell their names. But I do have a group photo ^.^

Nice pink hair.

Left out the guy who was first from the left in the picture above. Fret not my man, you did the Kamen Rider fans proud with your rendition of Den-O.

When it ended I walked about the mall looking for some grub when I chanced upon a kebab seller. Tunisian chicken kebab inside Funan? Brilliant. Bought one at $4 per piece. Simply delicious. Grab it while it lasts though.

Spent the next half hour trawling the shops at level 5. Figures, games, electronics, possibly whatever a geek wants is up there. Will probably write a blog post about it sometime. And the maid cafe. Wanted to go in but felt super paiseh(embarrassed) going in alone.

Cawaii Kohi anyone?

More pics of Hoshino Chiroru below. I snapped loads but of course I can’t put them all up here. :D

Film - Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: A wakening of the Trailblazer

2010-10-09T22:46:00.003+08:00

As I had mentioned(too much) I’ve been waiting a long time for this movie to be released. So you can imagine(or not) the anticipation I had while walking to the Alliance Francaise Theatre.

Every step I took made my heart beat a little bit faster.

Before I continue though I’d like to apologise for the lack of photos from here on. The tickets said no image-capturing devices so I reluctantly left my camera at home. Which on hindsight was rather naive as I spotted many others snapping at the event venue then leaving their bags guarded by the staff on duty before entering. Oh well.

The theatre building itself was a nice place. Inside there was a small booth near the entrance selling movie merchandise. Cushions, mecha, mugs and posters were sold. Would have loved to get a poster to hang up at home but all they had was a reflective one that sold for about $30 plus. Expensive man. Poster came with a neat looking carry-on though. Too bad they didn’t sell the normal version. Would have rushed for one of them. As usual I didn’t procure anything.

Had a little time before the movie started so I wandered around the waiting area a bit. Saw lots of posters for upcoming foreign films and performances, those kind you don’t usually see in the newspapers. Something to be added to my list of places for watching indie films. Also somewhere i would bring my girlfriend to.

Ok now to the movie itself. I’m not going to write a summary of the whole thing since a blow by blow account can be found here. What i’ll do though is provide some honest opinions about the movie as a die-hard Gundam 00 fan.

First of all I was pretty disappointed with the movie quality. Was expecting something nearing HD but out came some low-res thing. Still not too bad lah.

Music was simply awesome. Wondered why they didn’t put much effort into the opening sequence but the music really set the mood for the show.

Tozasareta Sekai – The Back Horn. Beautifully melancholic. I love it.

Qualia – Uverworld. Rocking as always.

Now really about the movie itself. Spoilers abound as always.

That Descartes Shaman guy? He’s a cock. I was expecting a massive battle between him and Setsuna at the very least ala Setsuna VS Graham Aker. All we got was some lame ass who couldn’t free himself from the ELS(Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shape-shifters) attacking him. Both man and his massive Gadelaza perished. So much for being a captain. Guess being big doesn’t mean you will win.

Poor Louise. Just when she’s about to recover she’s struck by the Quantum-Brainwave syndrome again. Honestly seeing her in that state doesn’t really surprise me anymore. I pity Saji the most.

Movie in the movie about the final battle between Setsuna and Alenjandro Corner was pure win.

Marina Ismail and Feldt Grace were pretty as always.

Mileina Vashti’s declaration of love for Tiera was pretty comical although cute. Guess Tiera has admirers after all.

Patrick Colasour is one heck of a lucky guy. A few moments away from kamikaze-ing himself he was was hit by 00 Qan(T)’s blast and lived to tell the tale.

Didn’t know Setsuna was adept at piloting a Flag. Would have made Graham proud if he knew.

As usual Setsuna is a blockhead. Totally oblivious to Feldt and Marina until the end(Lucky Marina). Too bad he realised only after she grew old and blind. Sigh.

For most part of the battle scenes in the movie all I saw was Boom! Whizz! tiny grey things flying everywhere and being destroyed. Gundams too.

Harute’s, Raphael’s and Zabanya’s combat prowess have to be seen to be believed. Zabanya’s ramdom shots attack is damn cool, while Raphael opened up itself to reveal another gundam within. But we knew that.

Somehow or another Ribbons Almark can’t seem to die. Thank God he was blown to half by Setsuna.

00 Quan(T)’s combat abilities were overrated in the trailers. Sure, it has a Raiser Sword which can cut the battlefield in half. But all Setsuna uses it for in the movie is fly. And fight a bit.

Love and will always love trans-am.

The ELS reminds me of those little green monsters which gobble up everything they see. And they’re supposed to be smart? Sheesh.

Movie filled with kamikazes. Was sad to see Graham Aker and Andrei Smirnov die. Patrick almost too.

Ending was seriously ???. We see Setsuna flying off in 00 Quan(T) to the ELS’s home world. Then the ELS form a huge flower in space from Setsuna’s memories/thoughts and cease attacking. Next thing we know the flower is used as an inter—galactic space station. Then the movie ends. Seriously ???.

Aeolia Schenberg is a very smart man. For him to have pre-emptied everything years ago – that’s simply amazing.

In the end after the ending credits we see Setsuna return to Marina. Apparently he’s become an ELS too, judging from his grey skin – or innovator level 2. Who knows. At this point in time we see 00 Qan(T) in an upgraded form with wings. Looks real cool until it begins to sprout wings, presumably after Setsuna’s meeting with Marina. So romantic but personally I found it gay.

Message of the whole movie? Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding – Albert Einstein. Or in another way wars are stupid. Full stop.

On a whole I found the movie to be an enjoyable watch, providing some sort of closure to the whole series. Hoping for a sequel though(if possible). For those of you in Singapore unable to catch the movie at the given timings, fret not for it will be shown at AFA X in November.

Ore Wa Gundam.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 - Awakening of the Trailblazer. Now Showing In Singapore.

2010-09-18T15:49:00.003+08:00

I waited 1 year for this. Ever since I knew it would come out in September.

And I can't believe its showing in Singapore on the same day premiere as Japan(being the only other country to do so). How awesome is that? Makes me love living in Singapore, with AFA X coming along soon too.

Course once I got wind of it(at Gundam Fiesta 2010) I made sure to get a ticket before anything funny crops up.

Presented by Odex. Hmmm...guess I'll forgive them this once for allowing me to watch the movie on the same day premiere as Japan.

Wanted to watch it sometime in the afternoon or evening but my schedule's quite filled for the weekend so had to settle for the 1st slot at 10am. After that I realised since that would mean being one of the 1st few in Singapore to watch the movie, even better.

At any rate, for those of you who are unable to catch the movie, fret not for it will be screened at AFA X along with the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. Probably would watch the movie for a second time there if I'm able to attend the event.

Gonna write a review bout it once I've watched the movie.

So stay tuned.

National Day 2010

2010-08-11T00:47:00.003+08:00

Spent the better part of my National Day walking around the city area with my cousin snapping pictures here and there. Was actually intending to visit the Istana but realised that the open house was on the 8th and not 9th of August. Being in camp distorts your sense of date and time sometimes.

Here are a few shots I took of places about town before the National Parade itself commenced. Was having itchy fingers so I post-processed some of them to give it the toy camera look. Adobe Lightroom 3 is waaay too much fun once you get used to it.

Caught a glimpse of the march past before it made its way towards the Padang. Only showing a few pictures here since the rest are all either too blurry or too dark.

Nice tanks.

Honestly I was surprised at the amount of knowledge I could recall just by watching the vehicles drive past. To think last year I knew nuts about the army. And it has only been 6 months.

Once the roads were cleared we set off for the Esplanade only to find out it was closed due to the large crowd already present. Undeterred, we went about the roundabout route all the way to the Helix bridge only to find that the area was also awash with people hoping for a better view of the fireworks. Madness I tell you. Sweaty bodies all round too(in the icky sort of sense)due to the heat generated. And I seriously wonder how many foreign workers there are in Singapore. There were a lot of them last night.

In the end amidst the jostling the fireworks started appearing and somehow I balanced myself by placing my arm on a guy’s shoulder who was in front of me. Thought of using the Gorillapod(more about it in a later post)beforehand as a makeshift tripod but in the end I only used it to capture the night scenery once the crowd subsided. Darn.

Was my first time capturing fireworks so I’m pretty much inexperienced in this area. Very fun although I wished I could have done it in much better circumstances.

Once they ended it was time to head back home so we walked back to the MRT station by following the Esplanade route. The waterfront provided such a wonderful opportunity for night photography I couldn’t resist trying out long exposure shots.

Hmmm…seems like I’m in need of a wide angle lens for this. Oh well.

While taking pictures along the esplanade waterfront I was approached by this British-Chinese looking guy who wanted a picture of himself taken with the Fullerton hotel as his background. Turns out he needed a bit of help in doing so as he asked whether I could help him. Couldn’t say no could I? Especially when I could practise more at night.

After a bit of discussion we agreed on using my camera for the shot with his memory card in it. Reason being was that he felt that my camera was better at low light photography. Didn’t want to argue much although he was using a Canon G11 or G10 himself(couldn’t see that much at night). Right away I knew that he knew quite a fair bit about photography. It was pretty much confirmed later on when he used fully manual settings on my DSLR for the shot. Along the way he explained to me how to stitch a panorama together by using free software from windows.

1/10 of a sec for the shot. I felt it was too fast until he showed me that by ramping the ISO all the way to the max(mine’s 1600) you get a brighter picture at a faster shutter speed but with more noise with it. The ISO. How could I forget? Guess I still have a lot to learn.

In the end the picture I took of him looked fantastic and he was quite pleased with it too. Hopefully it looks better on his screen back home because I’ve learnt that what you view on your camera screen vastly differs to the one on a bigger screen. When we were done with the shot he offered to teach me how to take panoramas of the night scenery. Too bad my cousin was itching to get back home so I politely declined his offer. Would really like to meet him another time and embark on a photography project together.

Something random.

On the way back home in the MRT there was this girl sitting opposite me that resembled a former colleague. I was so sure it was her from the face and her t-shirt. Should I have called out her name to make sure? Alas I fell asleep and the next moment I woke up she was gone.

Futurama’s Back!

2010-08-10T16:28:00.002+08:00

One of the best shows I’ve ever watched in my life is back for a 6th season on Comedy Central. For the unitiated, here’s a quick info of the show courtesy of Wikipedia:

Futurama is an animated American science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening (The Simpsons) and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox network. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who, after being unwittingly cryogenically frozen for a thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the retro futuristic 31st-century.

For all the information that you might never need visit the page itself here.

I remember the 1st time I watched Futurama back when I was in Primary School. It was late at night and my parents dozed off after watching some show on TV3(a Malaysian channel). Still wide-eyed, I continued watching the T.V. Suddenly a cartoon came on and I was immediately drawn to its vibrant colours and animation, not to forget its humorously illogical storyline that made sense. Alas beyond that day I never did sleep that late again, thereby missing the show until recently I chanced upon it online(thanks Stumbleupon) which rekindled my fond memories for the show.

First and foremost, to like and understand Futurama, you gotta have a little geek inside of you- the one which understands jokes regarding Maths and Science and a whole lot of other stuff. And you have to be a bit random because that’s how the show is. Plus the satire. You can die laughing I tell you. While blogging this I’ve watched up till episode 3 of the new season and I must say the Apple parody is hilarious.

To me Futurama is a show which combines humour, satire and parodies into an eclectic mix of characters and settings which somehow shouldn’t exist in the future but it does. With you all the time thinking ’Wait…isn’t this the present?’

Hypnotoad commands you to watch Futurama now…

Cosmo Youth Parade 2010

2010-08-10T13:18:00.002+08:00

Como Youth Parade or Mascot Parade is an annual event held in Singapore where participants parade down Orchard Road in whatever costume they choose, be it from anime or manga, cartoons, movies or any random thing under the roof. This year the event was held at *Scape Playground in conjunction with a host of other activities such as band performances and cosplay competitions.

I arrived there a little late in the afternoon as I was at Cosfest before that(yes they were both held on the same day ):) so I kinda pretty missed out on a lot of stuff, namely the parade itself but still managed to catch a small bit of the action. Actually I was reluctant to go since I was having a blast at Cosfest but went anyway to catch some performances, one of them from Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao.

Yes. Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao, the 2 renowned cosplayers from the Philippines were at Cosmo 2010. Any event which manages to have them on board are really lucky since both have very busy schedules. Not sure why they weren’t at Cosfest though but that’s for the organisers to explain and me to find out.

So straight from Cosfest at Pasir Ris I rushed back down to Orchard to catch their performance. Luckily for me I arrived just in time before they started so I had a little time to find a good spot. They were performing at a stage next to Cineleisure and by golly it wasn’t that packed. Amazing. Guess everyone else was at Cosfest then. ;)

They were introduced onstage by the emcee who cosplayed as a character from K-On!

Don’t ask me which character she is cosplaying as because I seriously have no idea. I have friends who can at just one glance though ^.^

Without further ado let’s move on to the performances.

Both sisters were cosplaying as characters from the anime Paradise Kiss. They performed a routine made up of a song and dance lasting 2 songs, the first was Lonely in Gorgeous by Tommy February6(or Tommy Heavenly6 as she is now called) and the second was from Final Fantasy.

Ashley and Alodia

Honestly speaking I was stunned when I heard them sing Lonely in Gorgeous. Not because of how they sung it but more of how it was a song I’ve heard a long time ago. Somewhere in a Japanese chain where I used to work a few months ago.

When you hear the song being played every single day it gets stuck in your brain somewhat. Now I finally know what’s the song title. A headache lasting a few months has been cleared haha.

Full song below.

Okay so the music video’s pretty random and stuff. But you gotta appreciate the music though. Real Nice and catchy.

After that there was a pause before the results for the competitions were released so I took this time to explore the event area a bit. Was drizzling at that time so I covered my camera under my shirt lol.

At *Scape’s The Street + Market, there were stalls selling an assortment of stuff. Nothing interested me so I went further in untill I came across the Hobby Art Gallery exhibition area. Awesome.

Another Gundam Fiesta this year? Nice. Hope they’re selling some new models by then there. Something in the vein of this…

OMG. The prototype model for OO Quanta is out! Hope there’s a MG version coming out.

The movie’s coming out in September so it’ll be another month before I can watch it. Can’t wait.

Another figure that drew my interest was that of Kamen Rider Double(W).

Looks real amazing all round. Ahhh if only I have money to buy this.

Spent half an hour there before heading back for the results of the competitions.

For this segment I’m unable to provide nice pictures partly due to the fact that I didn’t stay for long and I didn’t know how to use the live view mode in my dslr properly. Still a noob I am yes.

The cosplay competition was won by this team cosplaying as ….(scratches head). Can’t remember sorry.

Funny skit all round.

Winner of the Mascot competition is this:

It’s a guy inside FYI.

Soon after I rushed back home, packed my stuff and got ready to book in. Darn.

For more info and pictures of the event you can visit the main site here.

Cosfest IX: Let’s Make Friends!(Day 1)

2010-08-01T20:12:00.002+08:00

Can’t believe every time Cosfest is around the corner I’ve got something on which prevents me from attending it entirely. This year was no different. Knowing I have to book in on the first day of Cosfest was a bummer. But I resolved to go anyway. I’ve missed it 2 years in a row and I’ve just had it with my unlucky streak.

So off I headed for Pasir Ris in the late morning when it was about to start. And the rest is history.

Before I start though I’d like to apologise firsthand for some crappy shots I took. Was in such a rush I forgot a lot of the basics of photography. Lesson learnt however.

Spent the whole time there roaming about taking pictures of cosplayers(I’m a kameko after all), looking at the goodies on offer and generally soaking up the atmosphere. Nothing like this to sustain you for another 6 more days in camp.

First performance I watched was of the Korean Team putting up an action skit for the crowd. Pretty awesome all round.

A shot of them which I took just before the skit. Tried to edit it but alas my photoshopping skills needs more brushing up.

After that I took a walk around the event area looking at merchandise. As usual didn’t buy anything at all. Though the Kamen Rider figures sold by CustomWorkz were proving to be irresistible.

There was also a wall near the entrance where anyone that came could leave something on it. A type of guestbook perhaps.

Almost filled up by the end of the afternoon. Nice mish-mash of stuff.

Nice drawing of Kida Masaomi from Durarara! Hope there’s a 2nd season though.

Around 3pm I think the Band performances started. First up was a band doing a rendition of the 1st opening song of Durarara!. Wasn’t too bad. They could have added more omph to the sound though. Beyond that I didn’t pay much attention to the performances until Quis came along. Was at the entrance just heading out when the emcee announced their arrival and the song they were playing.

Butterfly from Digimon. The classic. The crowd went wild.

Almost instantaneously everyone gathered around the stage. Having heard them before at EOY09, I knew what Quis was capable of. And they did not disappoint. Plus they brought the house down with their performance. Truly an exhilarating performance to behold.

Was sad to have it end but I had a rollicking good time nonetheless. Went around snapping cosplayers after that before I had to rush to another event late in the afternoon. More about that in a later post.

So here are my favourite shots for the day. Too bad I couldn’t attend Day 2(just you wait next year)

Hawt.

They gamely posed for me even though they were taking a break. Arigatou Gozaimasu.

Tsuna in Hyper Dying Will Mode with Cambio Forma. Awesome.

The Varia.

More shots of the event below. And more at my facebook album. But they’re the unedited ones so they’re pretty crappy. orz

Bonus! The Standout cosplayer of the day-Franky from One Piece!

Are YOU GAR enough for GARSTBY? haha

Angel Beats! Graduation

2010-08-01T13:57:00.002+08:00

And then there were 5.

Honestly speaking, I started watching Angel Beats! only because I didn’t know what else to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Sure, there was pretty much high expectations about the project(as it was called) and anticipation was running high too. But to me it looked somewhat akin to Haruhi(Yuri and Haruhi look eerily similar) and the plot synopsis wasn’t that much interesting either. So I gave it a miss. Until the time I took a chance since I really didn’t know what to watch(seriously). ‘Why not give it a try?’ I asked myself. Feedback all round was positive, no?

I didn’t regret my choice at all.

Before I really say anything about the series though, I’d just like to clarify that in this post there will be no in-depth discussion about the technical side to this anime, namely the quality of the drawing itself. A brief overview is fine for me. What I will comment on though is how it has turned out to be one of the most amazing, eccentric and heart-warming anime I’ve seen in a long time.

The first time I watched it the quality of the animation blew me away. You know a high budget anime when you see one.

First ever scene when Otonashi wakes up in the world of the afterlife.

The colours, the level of detail and the light plus the focus. To a normal viewer its pretty awesome actually when compared to other anime currently being shown. This aspect alone got me hooked even before I watched the later parts.

Then the plot. Truth be told, the story was moving at such frenetic pace that sometimes I got lost in the thickness of it all and had to backtrack a couple of times. Only around episode 7 had I a rough idea of the whole scenario. Which kept changing since in every episode a new side of the story is revealed. Complicating matters a bit is that you don’t really know how to link them up together until the last part. Even if you do, there will be missing areas which leave you scratching your head for answers. But what I really liked was the sudden plot twists which leave you scratching your head even more. Especially the last one about Kanade and Otonashi.

I seriously did not expect that. That one last plot twist really did it. So Kanade and Otonashi were connected somewhat at the very beginning. Never saw that coming I did. Omg. Such a bittersweet ending it was.

However, many parts of the story were left unexplained at the end. Like the Angel Program. Sure we know what it can do but how did it originate? From Kami(God)? and why is Kanade the only one who has it? Isn’t she one of them too?

And some of the cast themselves also were like passers-by throughout the whole series. They were there when it mattered but I’m sure a lot of viewers would like to learn more about their individual back stories. Especially T.K.

‘That’s a Bob Dylan song!’ Would have been nice to at least know a bit about T.K’s origins. All I ever see him do is spin around and stuff. Not to mention uttering cool catch phrases every now and then. Cool guy T.K is.

Given a choice though, one thing that truly stands out in this anime is the quality of the music. It is simply too sublime. From the opening song to Girls Dead Monster and the ending, the music encased in all 13 episodes is just too wondrous. Never have I heard that much great music in so few episodes. Usually I only obtain the singles released for any anime I watch(and they have to be pretty good) but for Angel Beats! I practically got almost all the albums. It’s that good. My favourite has got to be Alchemy by Girls Dead Monster. Awesome song.

Final thoughts.

The whole cast at the end.

It was an incredible ride watching Angel Beats! and I won’t hesitate to do so again if given the choice. Brilliant music, awesome animation and a plot that left me guessing till the very end. If you want an anime which has all this plus a good dose of humour involved, watch Angel Beats!

You won’t regret it. I sure didn’t. 9/10 for me.

Street Fest D'J Party 2010

2010-07-18T15:15:00.003+08:00

Awesome music and awesome cosplay.

It was my first time attending Streetfest so I was initially skeptical about the venue. Outside Plaza Singapura? Isn’t that place a bit too small?

Turns out my fears were unfounded.

Reached there slightly late so performances had already started. I didn’t quite catch the name of the band though but their music sounded good. Loud and rocking. Just how J-rock should sound like.

Course I lingered at the stage for a while only before heading to the covered area where the bulk of the cosplayers were. Then it was time for Dying Will Mode.

A few of my favourites for the day:

Edited the photo a bit but nevertheless amazing cosplay of Sasuke from Naruto.

Not sure what they’re cosplaying as but great costumes.

3 Shizuos? Izaya’s sooo dead meat.

Spontaneous shot which turned out pretty nice actually.

Kawaii!!!

And more coverage of the event below:

Thoroughly enjoyed myself there. Here’s to next year!

More photos at my facebook album.

Black Hole

2010-06-20T11:11:00.001+08:00

Something to remember my BSLC days at Echo coy by. Best times in my NS life so far.

Why black hole? Because my appetite’s like a bottomless pit.

Starfest 2010

2010-06-20T09:57:00.013+08:00

A new event organised by the Singapore Cosplay Club, Starfest was held from 31th May to the 6th of June at Funan Digitalife mall. It consisted of an anime/toys exhibition on all 7 days followed by performances on the 5th of June from the World Cosplay Summit Singapore semi- finalists who have recently returned from their stint in South Korea. Being stuck in camp for 5 days, I was only able to attend the event during the weekends on which I decided on Saturday since it seemed like the most interesting day to go.

On a side note…before Starfest itself was public knowledge, I kinda overheard it from someone at the World Cosplay Summit(WCS) Singapore Selection Rounds back in April. So I wasn’t too surprised when it was announced(though it was pretty eerie how accurate my source was lol).

Back to the event itself.

The event area wasn’t that big, perhaps a lil bit bigger than the one at West Coast Plaza(WCP). It felt airy though due to the high ceiling and ample sunlight filtering down from above.

At around 3pm.

Basically the event area was split into 8 main sections, comprising booths from Pan-In-The Box, Alice 88th, Black-Tactical, Doujinshis, CustomWorkz, figurine showcase, Neoprint booth with meidos next to it and the main stage area.

Pan-in-the-box.

They were selling some armbands so I asked whether they sold Hibari’s. Nope. Darn.

Black-Tactical.

The light sabers on display(not in pic) were selling like hotcakes. At SGD$65-quite a reasonable price I think. Too bad there’s no replica SAR-21 lol.

Custom Workz.

By far my favourite booth. Got so hyped up all over the stuff on offer I spontaneously asked one of the staff whether they had the Double figure in stock. Which was a resounding no since it wasn’t released yet. Which I knew too but I couldn’t resist asking at that time.

Each one costs SGD$250 a pop. But oh so lovely details.

The doujinshi booth and other stuff. Only took pictures of the mini itasha(decorated car) on display.

Would love to see that on a real car in Singapore one day.

Tried taking pictures of the figures and dolls on display and failed big time. Some of the display panels of the figures weren’t so clear while I seem to stink at taking portraits of dolls. Guess I should stick to real people.

Meido and neo–print corner.

The meidos are sooo kawaii. Seems like a new maid cafe is opening at Funan Digitalife Mall in September. Hmmm…seems interesting. They’re selling some cool stuff there too.

UCC coffee anyone? As drunk by Shinji in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Forgot to take a picture of the neo print booth though.

On to the stage performances.

Came a bit late so I had to settle for a place slightly far away from the stage. Not too bad though. Although I felt guilty for blocking the view. Saw someone holding a telephoto somewhere far back. Pro.

When it started I saw a familiar face. I think those of you who frequent such events do too.

It’s him again!

Anyway it started with the performance from this team(sorry I’m not sure where its from)

Up next’s Clover.

Then from the Blazblue team.

Man I so gotta play this game. Looks awesome.

Wicked theme song too. Btw its Ao iconoclast by Kotoko.

Next up’s vocaloid.

Last but not least we have The Tower of Druaga.

Formerly the megaman team, they redid their skit. Quite fast I think.

The Monster Hunter team wasn’t able to perform as one of the pair had something on. Oh well.

Grabbed a quick bite at Macs before heading back for the results. Forgot that upsizing meant a free glass bottle. What a hassle.

Camped at the stage for a good 10mins or so before the results were out. Again I felt guilty doing so but I gotta compensate for my kit lens.

And the results? Team Tower of Druaga, Monster Hunter ,Blazblue and Volcaloid got in. Anyway Kudos to all the performers who showed us their best at Funan.

Bonus: Kamen Rider Decade performance.

Ok so I wasn’t expecting this.

And this.

Decade with a guitar? Nice nonetheless.

And here’s more pictures from the event. Click to enlarge.

More at my facebook album.

May Day Gig

2010-05-02T16:31:00.001+08:00

Faced with the prospect of an uneventful May Day at home, I embarked on a journey to visit Straits Records’ opening where a gig was held to celebrate the occasion. Roped in Haikal along too(thanks for coming with me mate) to act as a ‘tour guide’ and buddy. And of course brought my camera along for a spot of concert photography(or gig in this context)

To be honest I was pretty uneasy about going there though I had a friend coming with me. I’m the sort that doesn’t go out that much-let alone attending a gig in an alley teeming with subcultures. Funny how I listen to Indie music and yet haven’t attended any gig before or experienced the lifestyle. Nevertheless I gave it a go, partly fuelled by the desire to get out of the house and egged on by a reckless attitude I rediscovered while in NS. Helps that I’ve got a reliable friend with me too.

The performances had already arrived when we got there(late no doubt) and the party mood was going into full swing. Saw first hand a mixture of subcultures-the ska dudes with their suits, indies with their ubiquitous glasses and afro hairs and skinheads with clean shaven heads, tight jeans and boots to match. And to think I came wearing a lime green tee and a beanie. Probably the most clean cut fella there if you ask me. And yes it is a kind of style-the urban messenger kind. Just that I left my bike at home.

Took me a while to get into the groove but once I did, man the feeling is awesome. You feel as though the whole congregation is somewhat connected at that moment in time, buoyed by fantastic music. Speaking about the music, it is true that music always sounds better live. The energy, the soul of the music-you can feel it emanating from the artists straight into you.

Course there’s all the smoke from cigarettes to live with-but hey! once you get used to it it’s kinda okay to bear with. Figures 2 hours worth of smoke won’t shorten my lifespan by that much.

Throughout the whole thing I managed a few snaps here and there. Most turned out blurry(as expected) while I did capture some nice ones(like the one above). Learnt a wee bit more about photographing live acts too such as moving much closer to the subject and using higher zoom lenses if I’m too far away. Guess I gotta save up for a new lens on that part. Ahhh, the pros and cons of using a dslr.

Since the good ones were of the last act I’d just share some and narrate a bit where ever I can.

The last act I watched before we left. Didn’t catch their band name due to the loud music but man are they good. Guy on right was sporting the 70’s vibe-bell bottomed jeans and sharp pointed leather shoes to match his shirt. Eclectic dress codes aside, both guitarists were simply magnificent with the guitars, doing fabulous solos the whole time. Not to be outdone was the drummer(not seen in pic) who provided massive beats to go along with the insane guitar riffs.

Halfway through he accidentally threw his pick somewhere and they paused for a while to find it. Then back to awesome music again.

At one of their songs they invited a friend to join in the fun. Haikal said it was psychedelic hippie sort of style. Couldn’t have agreed more. Tie-dye shirt, Aladdin type shoes and accessories such as a pseudo watch made out of gems and a matching necklace to boot stood him out from the rest. Pretty cool guy I must say.

Would be lying if I said I didn’t have fun. More often that not, I was enjoying the excellent music rather than snapping pictures. Also gained new insight into the indie scene in Singapore. Conclusion:there are many talented bands plying their trade around town-just that they are waiting for that one breakthrough to bolster their careers.

So give our local bands a chance. And thank you Straits Records for hosting such an excellent gig to liven up this May Day.

Rock on guys.

Album: Saliva - Moving Forward in Reverse: Greatest Hits

2010-04-15T15:04:00.001+08:00

Seriously in all my life I’ve never heard of a band named Saliva. Really. Sounds gross if you ask me.(Cool album art nonetheless)

Until I googled their background.

Wow. These guys have a history man. For more info about them visit their wikipedia page.

And I unearthed another interesting find. You know WWE? These guys are responsible for many of the theme songs used in WWE events such as wrestlemania, summerslam…etc. Not to mention providing theme songs for some of the superstars too. To think I was an avid(or rabid) fan of WWE a few years back and didn’t know this. Sad existence haha.

No wonder I found some of the songs familiar after I had played Smackdown VS RAW 2010.

Moving back to the topic at hand, the album contains a pick of the band’s best known tracks(obviously since it’s a greatest hits album..duh) 14 in all including a new song ‘Time to Shine’ which was specially recorded for this album.

Track listing:

Superstar
Your Disease
Click Click Boom
Always
Rest in Pieces
Raise Up
Bleed For Me
Survival of the Sickest
Razor's Edge
Ladies and Gentlemen
Broken Sunday
Family Reunion
Time To Shine
Weight of the World

I’m not really good at explaining how the music sounds but if you are the type into good old rock & roll which makes you air guitar and jump all over the place, this album’s a good listen. 2 of my favourites are Always and Broken Sunday. Really gives you that ‘it’s time to rock’ atmosphere. Probably need a few more spins for the others though.

All I can say is that the album for me was a good introduction to Saliva. Will be looking forward to new releases.

And for those hardcore WWE fans – need I say more?

Check It Out! The Otaku Encyclopedia

2010-04-04T12:23:00.000+08:00

Picked this up a while back at Kinokuniya but only had the time to read it a few days ago.

In short:

The Otaku Encyclopedia is the definitive guide to the world of Japan’s anime nerds, game geeks, and pop-idol fan boys. It introduces over six hundred terms that any fan of Japanese pop culture simply must know. Moé, doujinshi, cosplay, and most importantly “otaku” itself, are clearly explained in a fun yet informative way by a self-confessed otaku who has spent years researching deep in the otaku heartland.

The book itself is split into 3 parts consisting of the encyclopedia, interviews with prominent figures stuck in between every now and then and the last portion which contains a bibliography, ‘otaku essentials’ and a paper doll version of the mascot(She’s called Moé by the way)

Pretty interesting read I must say.

The encyclopedia portion basically follows standard format(A-Z) with a few illustrations thrown in to liven up the pages. Also includes the version of the term in Japanese. Too bad they didn’t include pronunciations next to it. Would have been fun to learn the terms as they are actually spoken.

They couldn’t have left out Danny Choo could they?

One part of the interview segments featuring the former ‘Otaking’(King of Otaku)

Overall, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in anime, manga or Japanese pop culture wanting to further their interest in their respective areas. Or even as an introductory guide to the ‘subculture’ of Japan. Wanna know more about meidos, idoru and Moé? Pick up this book.

The book retails at $34.72 at Kinokuniya. For ease of purchase reserve the book online at bookweb Singapore, wait for the confirmation email and then pick it up at the store. It’s that simple.

P.S:

The reason why I recommend this book is simply because the contents have been well researched and everything is arranged in a concise and striking packaging. Danny Choo also has an article about it. And if you don’t believe the book is good, then check out the author’s thesis on Moé.

That’s some intense research man.

K-Pop!

2010-03-05T12:34:00.001+08:00

Somehow one way or another I got into listening to K-pop songs. Started when I attended EOY 09 and SOY’B’. Back then during the group cosplay competitions I didn’t get the jokes during the performances because I didn’t know what they referred to(Haikal knew though-he probably listens to almost every genre except metal).

Now I do. And I really must say after watching a few MVs(music videos) of the songs used I’ve come to a conclusion which many before me have realised: the girls are so Kirei!!!(japanese for pretty or beautiful-which ever way you translate it).

My heart goes a-flutter whenever they dance. Sooo… *cough**cough*. Ok I think thats enough fanboyism for now.

Of course this post wouldn’t be complete without the songs that drove me into K-pop.

From EOY 09(i think there are more but this was the only one I remembered)

Girls' Generation (SNSD)- Gee

From SOY'B'(and maybe EOY 09 too - can't remember)
Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra

Finally understood the swaying hips thing after I watched the MV.

The girls are sooo hawt.

Taking stock

2010-03-05T11:25:00.001+08:00

Been rather busy serving my country to the point whereby I don’t have much time for anything else including blogging. Only slightly under 2 years before its all over. Will try my best to keep the posts coming-I already have a backlog of 6 to begin with T.T. And yet there are still more important events coming up for me very soon.

Whew. One day you might have nothing to do and the next everything comes rushing into your face.

The impossibly entangled chain of events in the cosmos never fails to amaze me.

Conscript reporting

2010-02-13T19:06:00.001+08:00

Title sounds familiar? Then you’ve probably played Red Alert 2 before. I still remember how fast it took to churn out troops for whatever faction you allied yourself with. Too bad it doesn’t reflect what goes on actually in real life. Which brings me to the topic of my enlistment as a soldier.

Before I start however with regards to matters of national security this post will only be regarding army life in general(because I know somewhere out there someone's watching).

They weren’t kidding when they said army life is tough. It is tough and more so when there’s the added stress of adjusting to military life after slacking off as a civilian for so long. Wake up and sleep times, the amount of food you can eat and especially the amount of physical exercise you do is helluva lot different. Plus screw something up big time(or small one too) and be prepared for some punishment. Kinda beats slacking off everyday surfing the net eh?

On the other hand though there are pluses. Army food’s not too bad-scrumptious actually when you’re ravenous after extremely draining training. I also got to meet a lot of new people and reconnect with a few old friends(somehow I’ve got 2 primary schoolmates sharing the same bunk with me). Then there’s the benefit of becoming fitter and stronger both mentally and physically as the days go by. Some stuff you learn there is quite useful for daily life too.

Although I’ve only served for around 2 weeks, one thing that’s probably ingrained into my mind now(must be the constant reminders from commanders) is that the weekends are precious. So damn true. When you book out and smell the fresh air of freedom in Singapore, its just heavenly. Too bad time flies away at breakneck speed-before you know it it’s Sunday. Time to book in. How depressing.

Oh well. That’s a soldier’s life for you.

Tokyo Ani-Tour 2010! Wow!

2010-02-04T00:35:00.002+08:00

It's not often I'm impulsed to post something without proper thought but this happens to be one of those rare exceptions. Logged on to facebook today and saw this 'advert' for a trip to japan on the AFA news feed.What caught my eye was this headline(or lines):

Tokyo Anime Fair is around the corner! There is now a super customised Anime Tour to Tokyo during that time called Tokyo Ani-Tour! And Yoshimi♥ will be your very own tour guide! Join me and Danny Choo this M...arch in Japan!

What the...omg I can't believe it...this can't be true...so I clicked on the link. Which lead me to a site that had me salivating with delight.

This is blatant copying I know but I can't resist(anyway it's free advertising).

EMBARK ON THE ULTIMATE TOKYO ANIME TOUR!

For 6 Days, 4 Nights, experience Cool Japan as the tour brings you and your friends around Tokyo in the comfort of your very own private coach! Your Moe Meido-chan tour guide Yoshimi will be bringing you around key attractions in Tokyo, covering place like the 2010 Tokyo Anime Fair, Studio Ghibli, Nakano Broadway, Lucky Star Shrine and more! Visit the Otaku heaven Akihabara together with celebrity blogger Danny Choo, as he shows you his version of Akiba.
Prices start from SGD$1,999 for the full tour (Return Flight from Singapore to Tokyo Included) and SGD$1,499 for the land tour (Flight to Tokyo not included). The “everything included” tour includes meals, accommodation and transport (Coach Bus).
Special Installment Plans Available! Pay only SGD$500* as deposit and the rest as installments! Ask for this special installment plan when you book your tickets!
* Subject to terms and conditions.

PACKAGE PRICING:

CTC Tokyo AniTour TAF (TOKYO ANIME FAIR ) 2010

Affordable Installment Plans Available from only SGD$500*!
*subject to terms and conditions. [ CONTACT US NOW TO FIND OUT MORE! ]
Important Note: CTC reserves the right to cancel the tour, should the tour take up rate not achieve minimum numbers.
Flight Details:
23/03/10 SIN – NRT JL 710 2320/0700*
28/03/10 NRT – SIN JL 711 1755/0035*
Land Tour Details:
Meeting Point – Tokyo Narita Airport, 24th March.
*CTC reserves the right to cancel the land tour, should the tour take up rate not achieve minimum numbers.
[ CONTACT US NOW TO FIND OUT MORE! ]

TOKYO AniTour 6D4N Itinerary

DAY 01 : SINGAPORE TO NARITA AIRPORT

DAY 02 : GHIBLI MUSEUM & NAKANO BROADWAY

Visit the famous Ghibli Museum for a glimpse into the world of animation through the works of the world-famous Studio Ghibli! Very well know to Animation Fans, Ghibli Museum (Miitaka no Mori Jiburi Bijutsukan) is a commercial museum featuring the Japanese anime work of Studio Ghibli. Located in Mitaka, a western suburb of Tokyo, Japan, it opened in 2001. Take a stroll through Inokashira Park and suburban Tokyo to see real Japanese neighborhoods, then head to what the Japanese are calling Tokyo’s 2nd otaku mecca: Nakano Broadway. Stores specialized for animation, comic books, figures, costumes of anime characters are located waiting for you to visit. Nakano Broadway will offer you the chance to experience all kinds of Japanese Hobby Culture. Explore the Japanese Hobby Culture and the atmosphere of the Sub-Culture “Otaku World”.
For information about Ghibli Museum [CLICK HERE]
For information about NAKANO BROADWAY [CLICK HERE]

DAY 03 : AKIHABARA

This morning, enjoy Akihabara for its crazy anime/game atmosphere, Laox Duty Free Akihabara for all your gifts and souvenir needs! A rich Selection of souvenirs items available only in Japan. All are overseas models (Digital Camera, Digital Video Camera, Watches, I-Pod, Games, Lap Computer, DVD etc…) . Lunch at specially arrange Home Maid Café. Thereafter, continue to mingle in Akihabara. Tonight, you can try the onsen in the hotel.
More information about AKIHABARA [CLICK HERE]
More information about DANNY CHOO [CLICK HERE]
More information about @home maid cafe [CLICK HERE]

DAY 04 : LUCKY STAR SHRINE & HARAJUKU

Today you will proceed to Saitama and visit Lucky Star Shrine. Then to Pokemon Center Tokyo. Mingle with the underground crowd on the streets of Harajuku. In Harajuku, not to be miss is Harajuku Daiso, and Takeshita Street. Takeshita Street is very popular with young teenagers, particularly those visiting Tokyo on school trips, or local young people shopping for small “cute” goods at weekends.. Lastly experience true modern style over in Shibuya! At the end of the day you’ll know all about how to ride the trains and get around the city! You will by-pass Tokyo Tower. You will be give some time to tqake picture of this beautiful icon of Tokyo. Tonight dinner is at Jail Themed Restaurant.
More information about LUCKY STAR SHRINE [ CLICK HERE ]
More information about POKEMON CENTRE TOKYO [ CLICK HERE ]

Day 05/06 : TOKYO ANIME FAIR 2010 (TAF)

For the next two days, you will visit Tokyo Anime Fair (27,28Mar). Check out one of Japan’s biggest anime conventions and see exhibits from big-name anime production companies. They’ll be there showing off the anime you love and revealing brand new shows they’re working on! With lots of famous guests and talents of the anime industry present, and booths for all the studios you know and love like Gainax, Gonzo, Pierrot and more; this is THE ANIME EVENT not to be missed!

Man, this still registers as a shock to me. A package like this exists in Singapore? Sugoi! I guess the industry has probably recognised the potential of otakus as a source of income. Singapore seems a nicer place to live in all of a sudden haha.

Anyway here are the highlights of the trip(at least for me)

Danny Choo as your guide around Akiba? unbelievable
Pokemon Center lol
Of course the Tokyo Anime Fair
Pay in installments

Actually there's lot's more but it'll become a long list of fanboyism so I'll stop at 4.

After sipping tea for a while and letting the adrenaline run out of my system I was able to make a more rational judgement. Thus I came up with a few opinions of my own.

6 days is pretty short considering there's lots to explore(especially in Akiba)
Trip is held in the month of March - bad time for students, bad time for working professionals and definitely bad time for me(I've got NS)
No mention of halal food? darn...
Still pretty expensive but I believe many won't hesitate to pay

I loled at this portion though - 'CTC reserves the right to cancel the land tour, should the tour take up rate not achieve minimum numbers.' On the contrary i believe the opposite will happen.

Anyway to end this off a short teaser video of what's to be expected at the trip. Presented by Yoshimi♥. Enjoy!

SOY'B'!

2010-02-03T23:12:00.005+08:00

Awesome. Had lots of fun there with my mates although I was only there for around 3hrs(from 3pm to 6pm). So without further ado let's get this post rolling!

1st thing that struck me was the venue. Poly's a nice place to study in(but I don't ever regret going to JC haha). Choice of venue(the convention centre) was appropriate enough although in my opinion was a bit small(could get really cramped at times) but with the size the setting was quite intimate-could see many cosplayers and photographers mingling around and enjoying the atmosphere.

Another thing was the wrist band handed out to ticket holders(the one in the picture above) which doubled as an 'anti-cheat' cheat device. I was expecting something more like the ultraviolet stamps used in AFA and EOY but it was a welcome surprise. Hassle free too although I missed the chance to get stamped everytime I exited the venue. For those of you who are skeptical about its effectiveness-here's some juicy details which might win you over(maybe)

ends stuck together by super strong glue
ends also contain staggered patterns like those you see on some price labels to deter removal
glue + pattern = win
Haikal also commented that it was waterproof(apparently he showered while still wearing the band and it emerged unscathed). All I could think of was 'high quality stuff man.'

I think I've digressed enough so let's get back to the event itself. Like in many anime/cosplay events, the hallway and aisles were decked out with stuff ranging from fan works to camera acccessories and the ever-present anime merchandise. I bought none of it though(I consider myself a discerning buyer so I rarely buy on impulse-t-shirts are the only weak point lol). However was really tempted to obtain the crown clown sword on display. Alas my judgement got the better of me and I left the booth with that longing look in my eyes...

So anyway for the most part I walked around the area searching for cosplayers of interest to take pictures with. Saw a kamen rider kiva that was pretty identical to the one at EOY 09(but my short-term memory's quite bad so I'm not sure). Didn't take that many(ok a few only)pictures of cosplayers for 2 main reasons-mainly because space was tight and I was using a camera I was unfamiliar with which produced crappy pictures(or maybe it was just me). Must say I didn't expect to meet Colonel Sanders A.K.A Mr KFC there. Probably the funniest cosplay I saw there.

His crispy fried chicken(real I tell you...had the genuine KFC smell)were touched by a few people(in my view) while he was cosplaying. Wonder what happened to them. Was it still finger licking good sir?

Luckily for me I did manage to catch the group cosplay competition. Main hallway was already full by then but somehow I managed to secure a seat on the steps(and developed butt sores after that). Worth it though since I had a better view of the stage.

By golly it was packed I tell you

This year there were 3 groups taking part - 2 volcaloid groups and one from naruto. First thoughts when I heard the 1st volcaloid group(they sang)'sounds like Lugia from my pokemon gold version.' I salute them though for plucking enough courage to perform in front of a crowd. Nice cosplay too.

2nd volcaloid group(they all had team names but I forgot...oh well) performed a skit peppered with Singlish(didn't know anime characters spoke singlish lol) and danced to the tune of J-pop and Korean songs(please enlighten me about the song title). Had great fun laughing at the jokes at hand. Cosplay and comedy make a good combi I must say.

Pose!

Team Naruto did a skit about New Year's Day(did you know it was celebrated because of a certain someone? I didn't haha). Another hilarious performance.

Are you ok?

This looks so wrong

Team Naruto!

Pretty funny stuff all round. Performances were marred slightly due to technical difficulties but the emcees were ever ready with a plan to save the day. For this I have to say'Kudos to the both of you!'

After that they played a mini game which was strongly based on twilight with the Naruto team as werewolves /Jacob and the volcaloids as vampires/Edward trying to win Bella(Togusa the host of the event) over by any means possible. At this point I cracked up so much my sides were splitting hahaha. There's a video of it on youtube here.

In the end the Naruto team and the 2nd volcaloid team were tied for 1st place while the winner of the solo cosplay competition was awarded to a guy cosplaying as a character from Blazblue. You've really got to see it to believe it. A super buff guy with a huge nail on his back. You're gonna get screwed if you piss him off(lame pun sorry-just had to make it). Pure ownage.

Somewhere towards the end the closing stages decended into a vampires vs werewolves vs zombies royal rumble. Real hilarious.

Team werewolves

Team vampires

Team zombies

In the end the contest was won by team vampires which coolly shot the zombies...leaving them dumbstruck.

Thoroughly enjoyed myself that day. Again I would like to thank the organisers of SOY'B' for hosting such an amazing event. Hope you guys make it even more awesome next year!

As usual some more highlights from the event below. Took really crappy pictures that day and didn't do justice to the wonderful cosplay on display. Will strive hard to improve and come back(hopefully)next year with even better pictures.

And more at my facebook album.

Top 10's of 2009

2010-01-26T02:54:00.001+08:00

Everyone's been doing it so I thought I'd give it a go. Partially also because I've never done a post like this before. So here goes.

My top 10 albums. I don't really have to say this but obviously its biased. However they are good albums though. Chose them mainly on their replayability and the strength of the album as a whole. Plus it helps that each album has a few singles which are definitely a must listen.

And my picks are:(in no particular order)

Inshalla - Eskimo Joe
Cosmic Egg - Wolfmother
Fantasies - Metric
The Resistance - MUSE
The West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum - Kasabian
Shaka Rock - Jet
Miike Snow - Miike Snow
The E.N.D - Black Eyed Peas
Ordinary Riches - Company of Theives
+65 Indie Underground - Various Artists

Honarable Mention:

Days & Days EP - Camera Can't Lie

Now for the top 10 songs. Most of them come from the albums listed above(well obviously) and the rest make it by virtue of their quality and uniqueness alone. As usual in no particular order.

Uprising - MUSE
New Moon Rising - Wolfmother
Foreign Land - Eskimo Joe
Gold Guns Girls - Metric
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
Black Hearts(on fire) - Jet
Fire - Kasabian
Set Your Right - Canterbury
Risk - Camera Can't Lie
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

Special Mention:

Right Round - Flo-Rida

Personally I felt that this year's music(or last since I'm writing this in 2010)was quite a letdown albeit a few gems here and there which I truly cherish. It's accepted though - you can't have your favourite artists or bands produce music you like all year round, every year. 2010 holds much promise however- releases for January have me relishing for more.

Last bits about the films/movies of 2009. Some are hilarious, others thought-provoking and the rest 100% action.

Well here are my choices.

Banlieue 13 Ultimatum(District 13 Ultimatum) - Possibly the best parkour action movie of the year
Zombieland - Left4Dead in reel life
Caroline - stunning animation
Brüno - another hilarious yet somewhat disgusting movie from the creator of Borat
District 9 - Fock yoush alien!
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone - brilliant
The Hangover - slapstick comedy that's sure to resonate with fratboys everywhere
Terminator Salvation - grit, action with a dose of philosophy thrown in
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - who doesn't like Transformers?
Up - heartwarming and splendid animation(almost made me cry. almost)

Special mention:

Watchmen
Where the Wild Things Are
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Wanted to include a section for anime and cosplay but figured I haven't been watching any new anime besides a few exceptions. And don't get me started on cosplay(probably would have escalated to a top 100 or more list). So these are my top 10's for 2009. What will 2010 hold?

EOY 09

2010-01-24T23:52:00.002+08:00

Went for my 1st ever EOY this year and I must admit it was an enthralling experience. Compared to AFA, EOY, is as the organisers put it, 'a fans for fans event.' So no Bandai showcases here but in return plenty of cosplay and other aspects of japanese culture.

Not that I minded. Being in an area filled with cosplayers(or layers as the japanese like to call themselves) and like-minded people was already a huge draw for me. To tell the truth, I actually did not know much about EOY until after AFA 09 when I became more interested in cosplay. Stumbled through a few sites until I found out the next cosplay or anime related event in SG would be EOY 09. Being quite curious as to what EOY was, I decided to attend the event.

This years EOY was held at the Drama Centre located at level 3 in the National Library. Pretty unique place for a cosplay event(from what I know the previous EOYs were all at Expo) but a warranted enough decision since there was a dedicated theater to host all the performances and cosplay competition. Plus the theater seats were super-duper comfy. While over there, Haikal also commented that I was 'high' on cosplay. What more can I say? I'm in my element man. You ain't seen nothing yet haha. Though it was pleasant to have a fellow companion at these kind of events. Was hell bent on going alone(couldn't find anyone interested enough) but a few days before I was chatting with Haikal about our plans for the weekend and he was pretty curious(and the fact that he wanted to see One Piece and Prince of Tennis cosplayers) so he joined me.

We arrived at the venue late in the morning. In my opinion the place was already quite packed but the crowd in the afternoon made me eat my words. Walked around the area a bit(Haikal felt weird at 1st although he became accustomed to the atmosphere-same thing happened to me at AFA). Then we took a few pictures of cosplayers and later headed into the theater to watch the performances. I have to say though that my favourite performance of the day was QUIS performing the Butterfly theme song from Digimon. Truly a nostalgic and yet awesome experience.

Wanted to stay till the end but Haikal was pinning for soccer(and I know how much he loves soccer) so we headed for home. Towards the end we happened to bump into Luffy from One Piece. So a picture was taken. That leaves Prince of Tennis( there was actually a Prince of Tennis squad but a certain someone felt intimidated so no pictures). I'm not sure whether it was pure luck or coincidence but as we were descending down the escalator we spotted a couple more cosplayers mingling around the open area at the 1st storey. Since we still had a couple more minutes to spare we went over for a look.

Saw a few cosplayers that weren't at the Drama Centre and some who went down for a breather(upstairs became quite congested-you literally had to squeeze past people). However there was one which caught my eye though. The one I had been waiting for the whole day. The one I missed at AFA 09. The gundam.

He actually came. The gundam cosplayer A.K.A Clive Lee who won the regional cosplay championships with his OO Raiser. Spellbound, I was drawn to the gundam like how I'm unable to resist stepping into an anime shop everytime I see one. Seems like he just arrived due to the fact that he was only wearing the lower part of his armour. I stood transfixed, observing the sacred ritual that is the armour suit up. Amazing. The armour had been improved further since AFA giving it a more fully-fledged look. Stood there for about 15mins watching the 'technicians' assemble the armour. Last bit was the head. After the crowning the OO Raiser struck a pose. Captured the defining moment on camera. Ore wa Gundam. It was complete. Then we left.

Overall I have to say the event was a success and finished this year's cosplay well. There are issues I would like to raise though, mainly the choice of venue. Although having the theater was an excellent idea, the area around it was not structurally conducive to cosplay and photo taking as noted by a fellow blogger. Many a time there were jams all around when people stopped to take pictures. This obviously made walking around difficult. It also led to the spill-over effect that gave the impression of 2 separate cosplay events happening at the same time. I hope the organisers take note of this and remedy the problems so that EOY 10 will be even better than the last. And heres to the continuation of EOY!

Some highlights of the event(was enjoying myself this time round so less snapping and more observing). Of course more pictures at my facebook album.

Mats 3 Others 0

2010-01-01T23:26:00.000+08:00

No it's not about some soccer match between 2 teams with unimaginative names. Yes it is about Singapore Idol. Or the match up between races in Singapore Idol so far. A brief historical recap-3 seasons of Singapore Idol. All 3 winners are Malay guys. Big deal? Not for me(since I don't give a damn anyway). But obviously a very big one for hardcore supporters of Sylvia and everyone else desperate to give their 2 cents worth.

'The show's rigged'

'What's this? Malay Idol?'

'Sylvia deserves to win!'

'The Malays only know how to vote issit?'

'It's gonna get canned.'

Just some of the opinions I have been hearing. Especially liked the last one though-at least channel 5 would be free from this idol nonsense. But knowing channel 5...I shudder to think what kind of shows they'll replace Singapore Idol with.

Anyway being the rational and somewhat bemused-at-all-this-outcry-nonsense person that I am, I've decided to analyse the show in a way emotionally charged supporters probably won't.

Firstly, Singapore Idol, like similar shows with the same model, is a quasi-democracy. Meaning that you are given the chance to vote for a winner. However, it doesn't matter how many votes you can make. So you may be thinking 'heck, I'll vote once for ____ because he/she deserves to win.' while the crazed supporter next door will probably be sending hordes of smses in a frantic attempt to ensure her idol's victory. 1 vote versus a hundred. That's inequality at best. Same goes for people who are eligible to vote(me) but do not do so. This just tilts the scales in the other's favour.

Then there's the issue of transparency. Year after year the exact number of votes and their exact division between the 2 finalists are not released. Add to that the secrecy surrounding the results. 'You determine the winner so please vote for your favourite contestant.' Am I seriously expected to believe that?

With that I'll like to compile a tongue-in-cheek checklist for anyone hoping to make it big in Singapore Idol(if there's ever a second season).

Must have singing talent - without it you're as good as booted out in the auditions
Must be Malay. And male - with the past 3 winners all Malay guys what are your chances?
Preferably handsome - so if your singing doesn't make the cut at least you'll be able to survive a few elimination rounds. Remember Sanjaya Malakar anyone?(For the record I don't find him handsome)
Have an exotic or cool-sounding name - Sezairi Sezali. Sylvia Ratonel. Tabitha Nauser. All unique names yo. Not like the John Lims or Muhammad Alifs we all know. With these kind of names you are bound to stir some interest.

Though I must say, after all that stuff above, would you believe the words of a person who slept through the Singapore Idol finale?(I would. Anything goes in the world nowadays)

Cosplay@AFA09

2009-12-19T23:38:00.002+08:00

Much of the cosplay this year was held at level 3. Pretty appropriate since the whole level would be underutilised and the bulk of photographers crowding around cosplayers posing would inadvertently block passageway in the already crowded main event hall. Later on realised the wide open spaces and ample sunlight(in the morning and afternoon) was quite conducive to cosplay photography. Maybe due to this I didn't use much flash(well not at all). So some pictures were underexposed.

Anyway it was fascinating to see the expressions of folk(mostly adults) who were there not for AFA09 but for the electronics event next door. Their faces spelled out a variety of interesting thoughts ranging from 'What is going on here' to 'Stuff kids get up to today sure are weird.' Guess cosplay still has a long way to go before being accepted into mainstream society.

I was only able to attend only the 1st day so here are some highlights of the day.(Click on the thumbnail to enlarge)

More pictures at my facebook album.

Lightbox

2009-12-13T22:58:00.004+08:00

Did some tinkering with my blog again. This time I've included lightbox for viewing pictures-something I've wanted for a very long time.

So what is lightbox actually?

To cut a long story short, basically lightbox is a simple, unobtrusive script used to overlay images on the current page. Meaning the cool effect you see on some websites whereby the picture(or thumbnail) you click on pops up in front of your eyes without you leaving the current page. Saves time and it also looks great.

However, it did take me a whole day just to get all the javascripts and html codes right for it to function. Was quite fun really. Learnt a wee bit about how javascripts work and how to host files online using a free server(google sites was my choice). After all that hard work it was quite refreshing to see the effects on my own site.

Try clicking on the picture.

Not sure about you but I found that extremely awesome. And will be pretty useful for my upcoming photo-laden posts.

Note: There's something wrong with blogger at the moment-can't seem to add images. At times like this I wished I were using wordpress. Darn.

Update: Compose function is back online again. So the picture's viewable.

Kental

2009-12-05T20:08:00.001+08:00

(Note: This post will be in the Malay language due to the nature of the issue being discussed. One more thing, I haven't used malay for a long time - more than 2 years in fact so it'll probably be broken Malay or worse)

'Kau ni kental lah!'

Anda pasti telah mendengar keluhan seperti ini. Malah, anda mungkin merupakan salah seorang yang sering menggunakan frasa ini. Namun, saya berasa geli hati mendengar orang menggunakannya. Sebabnya? Salah penggunaan perkataan kental. Salah guna? Biar betul?

Itulah pokok perbincangan hari ini. Apakah makna sebenarnya kental?

Makna yang kebanyakan daripada kita fahami: lemah, penakut dan berbagai-bagai lagi aspek negatif

Makna sebenarnya(yang diambil daripada kamus dewan edisi ketiga saya): teguh, kukuh, kuat. Terkejut?

Saya juga berasa begitu apabila mempelajari makna betulnya semasa di dalam kelas bahasa melayu lanjutan saya empat tahun yang lalu. Nasib baik saya mengambil bahasa melayu lanjutan. Jika tidak, agaknya hingga sekarang saya tidak tahu akan makna sebenarnya.

Pendek kata, informasi ini tidak akan berguna jika ramai orang masih mahu menggunakan 'kental' dalam konteks yang salah. Apabila perkara itu berlaku, senyum sahaja lah kerana niat orang itu sebenarnya murni. Haha.

AFA 09

2009-11-30T21:44:00.006+08:00

Went to AFA 09 even though I had A's on Monday. Sounds suicidal but I just couldn't miss it for the world(been waiting ever since I went last year). Anyway I only went for the 1st day of events - somewhat of a trade off for me when it comes to studying and having fun.

So here's my acount of the 1st day. Went there with my little sister(my mom joined after work lol). Seriously didn't expect the crowd to be that huge.(Pardon my amateurish photography skills)This was only at level 3 where most of the cosplayers were.

The tickets were a 240% increase in price. But I thought it was justified(although abit ex)since there were more stuff this year.

Besides AFA there were also other simultaneous events held at Suntec City Convention Centre, namely some YOG(Youth Olympic Games) thing and a pre-christmas sale at the other halls. I don't really have to say where the crowd was at mostly though(conspiracy theory - had a feeling they were leveraging on AFA being on the same day to pull in people). Same thing happened for me. When I returned home though the YOG thing was featured on the prime time news. No sign of AFA whatsoever. Guess we now know what really takes precedence in Singapore:(

The queue was humougously long. Reminded me of the time I played snake until the point whereby I had to coil the snake just to make space.Didn't experience such a thing last year(had a friend to thank for it) so was quite stunned at the length. Took me approximately 15mins to buy tickets. Nothing much to complain about the waiting time though since the queue was quite orderly. My only main grouse is that it blocked the female toilet so my sister had to duck underneath the railings. After I explained the situation to crowd control officials that is.

On with the event.

The 1st thing that greeted me when I entered the hall was the Bandai area. Zoomed in straightaway on the PG Gundam OO Raiser on display(yes the very one)

Too expensive for me but it is sooo worth it.

I scampered off to the main stage to watch the regional cosplay championships(got a bit lost as I forgot about the brochure). It did look much better than last year's but the single entrance had its drawbacks. Managed to catch OO Emotions performance (Clive Lee's gundam was awesome as always)then had to meet my mother for lunch(argh!). Sorry to digress but I believed I had a couple of ultraviolet stamps on both my forearms-went in and out a few times I did. The pass looked way so much cooler.

Came back after to view more gundams. Entries for this year's BAKUC competition were quite impressive. There was also a Bandai Activity Area where you can assemble model kits(at home is still the best for me). Saw a lot of gashapon stations. Bandai Kids Land was quite popular with the younger demographic too.

Of course there were the usual booths by various animation studios and merchandise sellers on display. The AFA shop and the one ran by COSPA were having good business including this booth selling mainly swords.

You could spot someone in the crowd with a sword as easily as you would a crumpler in Singapore

Around 3.20pm I headed down to the main stage to catch Danny Choo's Special Appearance. It was well worth it. Gained valuable insight into his work and interests including 'fast cars'(showed us a car accessory with pantsu on it lol). Danny was a real hilarious guy. One of his jokes were about oppai mousepads-health pads he called them that could increase a worker's productivity two-fold. Haha! Nice one ah Danny! One precious lesson I took away was that if you have a passion for something, pursue it to the fullest and you will reap ample rewards. Can't wait to see him next time!

Here are more pictures of the event

Ran out of battery and memory midway photographing cosplayers so couldn't cover the whole event. More pictures at my facebook album.

Sadly I left AFA shortly before the I ♥ANISONG concert. My legs were killing me(walked around for 6hrs non-stop) and my sister was tired so I relented. Grabbed a quick bite at KFC before heading home.Next year I'm definitely coming well prepared.

Above all, a marvelous experience. I just hope that next year the organisers release the main stage events a few days earlier prior to the actual day. And here's to more designs for AFA t-shirts.

Over and out.

P.S: For cosplay at AFA 09 click here

Reborn. Revamped. Reloaded

2009-11-29T15:09:00.001+08:00

Just trying to be dramatic here. The A's are over and I have approximately 2 months more before I enter national service. In that meantime, I've decided to restart my oft neglected blog(I guess checking from time to time but not posting anything qualifies as neglect)and resume the many activities I left aside while I was studying for exams.

So anyway with the redesign and new focus of my blog I've decided to highlight some new stuff that are being introduced.

1) Layout

The theme of the blog has been changed to a new one which is more in line with the purpose I have for it. The old parchment theme was nice but for the revamp I chose a more professional looking theme with a personal touch to it. Just to let on that it's still not yet finalised. Will probably be tinkering around with it until I'm satisfied. Hopefully it gets done before I enter the army.

2) Comment Box

A proper one that is. Tried for ages to get one working with the old template but to no avail. Maybe it was due to a coding error or something, I dunno. Still very much a newbie when it comes to this html thingy.

3) Reviews Section

Ahhh....I've been meaning to do this for ages but didn't have the time. In here I'll review stuff that I've used, shows I've watched, music I've listened to and the like.

4) Spotlight Section

Main point of this part is to highlight bands or people(mostly bands) whom I feel people should take notice of. Especially in Singapore where music is geared mainly towards mainstream acts, through this blog I wish to introduce Singaporeans(and anyone else for that matter) to music that doesn't really make it to commercial airwaves yet I strongly feel that they deserve a mention. However it might be a little skewed towards the indie/alternative/rock genres - my current liking.

There are also minor changes such as an optimised search bar and social networking tools. of course there would still be the usual posts about random stuff and life in Singapore.

Peace out.

Syllabuses

2009-06-07T19:37:00.004+08:00

I find them pointless. Not because they don't help you to learn(they do) but they don't advocate the true essence of knowledge.

Knowledge is dynamic. It's always changing, evolving. It's supposed to help you survive in this world. If we are taught that only a certain amount of information is needed for success, what then when there are no syllabuses present to guide us along? How do we know then which information is really important?

From my tirade above this obviously means that I dislike having to adhere to syllabuses. Downright true. Maybe it comes from being cooped up too long in Singapore's straitlaced society. Or maybe it comes from too many frustrating moments. I believe its a combination of the two.

Case in point: I was revising for my O level biology exam 2 years ago on the menstrual cycle(hey its important ok). Then I realised that with all the hormones being mentioned there was no clear reason stating how they influenced each other. Cross-examined my notes with my o level textbook. Still unclear. Only choice was to mug(but I didn't do so as I hate mugging). So I looked up the topic in an university text in the library. Lo and behold! What I desired was all there. Plus a few extras like their 3D structures. Which wasn't in syllabus of course. But it made me understand helluva lot better.

Thus this bring me to the structure of the education system itself and its implications on society.

Parents want their children to do well in school. This fact certainly includes mine. In a society like that of Singapore, school provides a platform to a good life. However, this also means that there is little room for creativity to flourish. Meaning parents would be appalled if they send their children to school for the sake of learning without any noticeable benefits(usually monetary). They are not there to waste money. Hence the need for syllabuses.

The end result? Exams based on these syllabuses.

Trust me, I do not hate exams(maybe because I don't really care anyway). Although I'm reluctant to say so, exams are important. They provide a means to differentiate the varied abilities of students. The irritating thing is when they test solely on defined syllabuses. Its lame. This kind of format only benefits those who follow the syllabus to the letter(academically). And I've seen this happening all too often.

So if school is a place where we learn skills to survive in life, then it has to be failing in one of its primary objectives.

C'mon man, will I seriously use complex numbers when I grow up? Maybe if I were to be an engineer then it would be useful. But I strongly believe that we should be allowed to learn whatever we wanted to with everything at our disposal. Teachers would just be there to guide us along the way, leading us down whatever path we choose rather than leading us to a chosen path. This would truly make learning worthwhile.

How To: Keep Awake During Lectures

2009-05-01T21:40:00.005+08:00

I'm sure everyone has fallen asleep in lecture before(if not then you surely must have thought about dozing off once).

So what are the consequences of sleeping in lecture? Well...

you miss whatever was taught when you were asleep
you risk being caught by the lecturer and then publicly shamed in front of everybody
that's all

Now for the benefits. Which are actually much more than the consequences.

you get a well-deserved rest if you're tired(now you have more energy to play bridge and do other meaningless stuff)
boring lecture no more!
time passes by faster(so somehow school ends earlier)
that's 3 vs 2

Ok but if you are already in lecture that means there's no intention of sleeping(not now maybe). Then here's a few tips to keep you awake(not alert) during that 1 hour or more. These are the low risk kind.

eat mentos-they are serious perk-me-ups. I think the chewing action has some effect on the state of the brain. Affectionately referred to by me as 'my drug'
try ovalteenies-they contain 'actve8' which is said to boost mental performance. Once I knew about it I was hooked.
talk to your friends about random stuff-it helps to while away time
hum songs-makes the lecture more entertaining
play games on your phone-just don't get caught
whenever all else fails suck on kopiko-1st time I tried I got dizzy from caffeine overload.

If you really do go to lecture just to sleep though, maybe these tips will help.

sit at the sides-these are always the lecturer's blind spots. Make sure to check since each lecturer has his own.
sit with either your right hand or left hand at your forehead as though you are thinking hard. Cover eyes with fingers. Sleep
look down on notes as though reading them. Sleep.

I've personally tried most of these methods so they should work. Will come up with more as I experiment with new ways in lectures.

Conversations With A Taxi Driver

2009-04-24T14:50:00.007+08:00

Warning: This post contains potentially sensitive comments on certain issues.

Its funny how deviating from your usual routine in life allows you to experience uncommon things that would never have happened. Here's a summary of what happened one time when I woke up late for school.

The clock showed 6.30am. Argh!!! I'm supposed to be at the bus-stop by 6.40am! So I hurried like the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. In the end though I only managed to be at the bus-stop at 6.50am. Die.

Why die? Because of the 198 bus. When I'm late I always blame the 198 bus(except if it was really my fault then no). It's due to a multitude of reasons. These are just some of them:

it takes approximately 35 mins for me to get to school. Which is okay unless you take the bus around 6.55am and must be in school by 7.30am.
when the bus comes early, its super early and vice versa. So irritating.
its always full so sometimes if the bus is jam-packed the driver will just drive past my bus-stop without stopping.

But this time I didn't want to blame the bus. Partly because I've heaped my faults on it for many occasions and partly because I knew I was late anyway(let spilled milk be left alone). With a heavy heart, I took out my wallet and hailed a cab. Gonna cost me money.

What happened next was totally random. As soon as I got in and said 'Anglo Chinese Junior College,' the uncle asked: you from ACS? (duh! Didn't I say go to...). Anyway this was how the conversation went.

Me: Yeah
Driver: ACJC's one of the top JC's around right?
Me: Yeah
Driver: You in Year 1 or 2?
Me: Year 2
Driver: How is the school doing? I hear they haven't been getting good results these past few years.
Me: (Wat the hell...)Okay lah. Uncle how you know so much?(feigning interest)
Driver: I got son at ACS(I) lah. Next year I want him to go for IB course. Better lah. You know, I think the reason for your school's slip in standards is due to more neighbourhood school kids coming in. Especially the girls. No class. (omg, insensitive bastard)
Me: No lah uncle, the school is as good as it has always been.
Driver: Anyway you know, I told my son that If he got good grades this year he can choose any holiday destination he fancies. In the end he really did man! But it's worth it for good grades.(okay...)
Driver: You got hear of that maid murder case that happened?
Me: Yeah...(in actual fact I had zero idea)
Driver:Occured near my condo man! My friend who's a chief inspector(wow...high rank seh) was there and we met up. He was like'What you doing here' and I told him I f**king lived here man! Haha!
Me:(-,-)!
Driver: But the maid looking for trouble also. Always wearing skirt so short and tight can see the ...you know lah. Everytime make me horny like want to f**k her. But got other ways to satisfy right?
Me:(you got go visit prostitutes is it? Disgusting old man)

By that time we were nearing school. I told him to stop before the school gate, gave him the cash($12-there goes my lunch money) and reached the hall all in good time. All this juicy talk before school. All in 20 mins.

Rain-Crossed Cross Country

2009-04-24T14:45:00.007+08:00

The cross-country was a bore. What excited me was the rain that befelled the event after it started.
But first, snippets of my experience at Run AC '09.

the day was overwhelmingly hot
got overtaken by a few(ok maybe more than a few J1s-I didn't really care though, could have beaten them anytime in a fastest eating competition)
thought I had reached the finish line only to realise that it was still 1km+ away. Bummer
finished in 84th position
drank milo at the milo truck until I felt like puking. Which always happens at every cross-country

A special mention: Mrs Chan prayed for a 'little' bit of rain to cool down the area. Guess her prayers were answered and more.

It started off innocuously enough. Was with Jian Yao(JY) when the first droplets of rain began to fall. Heard an announcement telling all students to head to the bus stops and HDB blocks opposite for shelter. JY wasn't budging for some reason so I headed for the bus stop as the rain became heavier. Turns out I made the right choice as a moment after I stepped into the bus-stop, the drizzle of rain became a torrent. What ensured next was pandemonium(Somehow I forgot about JY during this time).

Students came rushing in droves towards the bus-stop. Being one of the first to arrive, I had been able to secure a sizable dry spot for me and my bag. The rest were huddled around each other soaked to the skin(I was soaked too but in sweat). Wanted to just take a bus home but was worried about the consequences of not reporting. Plus there were also 2 teachers present. Met Jeromy & Ian. Throughly pissed with the whole affair, they decided to hop on a bus and head home.

While in the midst of pondering my choices, I stumbled into Nicholas-my junior from SJI(he didn't look so junior now though, his growth spurt making him look more matured than me. Offered to let me hitch on a cab to the nearest MRT. Problem was, there didn't seen to be any passing through the road regardless of the heavy rain. As I waited while the rain grew heavier, Mano and Ben Lu came over from the opposite HDB blocks. They were already prepared to go home but they didn't know whether they were allowed to. In the end, we reached a consensus to take bus(forgot the no.) to holland village. Thankfully the bus arrived promptly enough and I waved goodbye to Nick whom I also thanked for his offer.

As soon as we entered the bus I could feel the coldness chill my bones. We went up to the 2nd floor and occupied the back row seats along with a few other guys. Ben Lu decided to do a little dance to keep himself from 'freezing up'. I proceeded to change into dry clothing(yes everything, even underwear). Don't ask me why I did it. Maybe because the 2nd floor was empty except us. Or maybe I couldn't care less being in a group of guys and not wanting to wear wet underwear home. In the midst of changing into my school uniform, Han Siang and Jia Sheng came up and sat in the front. Went to meet them upfront. Got a few stares from people for wearing half-uniform but I wasn't in the mood of caring really. Managed to convince them to head behind and change.

After changing we had a good long talk about how badly the rain affected the event. Some of the pointers that we shared:

no plan B in case of rain(the school was sooo sure it would always be a sunny day)
forcing us to gather in cramped HDB voiddecks
forcing us to go there even though it meant braving heavy rain

Finally having let out steam, we parted in a somewhat lighter mood then we were at in the beginning. I took out my headphones and blasted my tunes until I got home. Lesson learnt?
Beware of what you pray for.

Anime Festival Asia 2008

2008-11-25T01:43:00.005+08:00

Been really busy lately so I've no time to update my blog(although I promised Sunday). So anyway I went to the Anime Festival Asia 2008 or AFA08 for short with Mark on Sunday. Will try and give a detailed account of the events that happened when I have time. In the meanwhile, enjoy the slide show.

Pokemon Fever Hits 1SC5

2008-11-01T15:15:00.002+08:00

Ok. Ok. I said something about ending pokemon and how it is becoming repetitive etc. Somehow, I’m still playing pokemon diamond and trying to complete it. No way am I going to stop now, 4 gyms left! When I think about it though, I seem to be eating the very words that I spoke (or typed). Makes me feel like a total idiot preaching about the end of pokemon while actively playing it.

So I’m playing pokemon (diamond). Big Deal. The bigger deal is, I seem to have influenced my fellow classmates to play it. Maybe it’s because I’ve been so obsessed playing it in school in order to finish it to the extent that a lot of people have seen how the game is like. And they find it interesting. This brings me a set of problems, including copyright issues (this part I don’t care).

Now everyone wants the game. Not for the DS though but for the PC. No way in hell will I buy the DS just to play pokemon on it. Thing is, it’s quite difficult to accede to everyone’s request. Up till now, I’ve only passed it to Rachel and Ming Hui. All in all, there’s probably about 5 people on the waiting list. I’m not saying that it’s difficult to find it on the net but to find a working version and emulator is a different thing altogether. To solve this obstacle to playing my game peacefully, I’ll probably upload the game onto a file hosting site and send the link to anyone who wants. This should ensure a brief moment of tranquility, until I start getting questions on how to navigate the tougher areas.

AC Games 2008

2008-11-01T14:16:00.003+08:00

I always seem to post stuff that’s really old. Pardon me for that but I only post when I’m in the mood (which is very irregular). And I mentioned something about Kumar getting punked in the last post. Well, I’ve lost any mood I have on posting about that. So I’ll give a few details about it. Basically my soccer buddies and I played a prank on him. I was to go to his house and feign shock at the others being remanded at the police post. Then try and persuade him to go and own up, while all the while thinking of how to escape this predicament. Of course, the poor guy was horrified and only went along much later. Then you know what happens (the You’re Punked! thing).

Onwards to the actual post.

AC Games was quite exhilarating. I was kinda pissed there wasn’t touch rugby though. Judging from people’s reaction whenever it was mentioned, I guess the student council made the right decision. Anyway, it’s safe people! It’s not like the real rugby though, where almost anything goes but in the case of touch rugby you just…touch. Seriously.

Sadly the 1st and only game I played was captain’s ball. Which was very fun. Although I must say, it was not the captain’s ball I knew from long ago. The action was fast and furious, incorporating moves found in basketball (mostly basketball) and strategies which would make any rts (real – time strategy) gamer proud. Amazingly, my class did quite well, finishing 4th even though we did not practice at all. That’s skill for you. Alas, 4th did not warrant a medal (I blame the Olympics for this tradition). By the way, the theme was Olympacs. Logo was nice, but the theme sounded weird whenever I pronounced it.

I learned lots of stuff while playing captain’s ball. Like whenever someone from the other team thinks it’s funny to keep on dummying you, relax. Change positions with the scorer (the person who stands on the chair). Then use my height advantage to wreck havoc on their plans. Mwuahahaha! Now instead of celebrating when scoring points, they keep whining about not being able to block the ball from me. Sweet revenge!
Some pictures from the games:(courtesy of Ming Hui)

In the end, I didn’t play anything on the 2nd day since:
1. Came late (gotta work on my punctuality in the morning)
2. Frisbee team was disqualified as we did not have enough people

Still wanting to have fun (its still AC Games) Ming Hui and I went to the com lab and started playing online flash games until we went home. Well worth our time.

The Great Escape

2008-10-12T23:42:00.005+08:00

We were all happily playing soccer. Then the cops came. Pravine and Kumar bolted for it. So did Mani, but he came back when Raj shouted at him. Haikal and Min were casually waiting for the police to arrive at the block. I was hiding behind the wall, not sure whether to show my face or run. Talk about cowardice. Haha.

So while Min was struggling with the policemen and then getting handcuffed, I somewhat made up my mind. You know the feeling you get when you are in a desperate need to save your life and something must be done? I kinda exaggerated the last sentence I think. But at that moment my mind was clear, although my heart was pounding like mad. That was when I executed a plan mirroring those found in prison break movies and books.

Man, didn't realise the picture would turn up so small. Oh well. Here's how I escaped.
Step 1:

check my left - only little boy there
check my right - Mani's and Haikal's back
conclusion - everyone is focussed on min

Step 2:

walk on left side - small boy poses no danger
once near other side of block move inside - wall of other side covering me from the commotion

Step 3:

walk straight all the way keeping to the wall cover - can't see me from the side haha!
walk casually - bangladeshi workers pose no danger

Step 4:

enter inside of approaching block - always stay on blind side
again, walk casually but faster this time to steps leading down to drain passage

Step 5:

use drain passage to get to other side
reenter at my flat
reach home

There, all done! In 5 easy steps I managed to 'disappear' myself into thin air. Being cool and composed at that time helped too. Would seriously want to try that again some other time, preferably in a tougher setting. Next post - Kumar: I've been punked!

End Pokemon Now

2008-10-06T22:21:00.003+08:00

Gotta Catch them all! Pokemon! Man, I really don’t know how many times I’ve heard that until I’ve gotten sick in the stomach. Seriously, there is no way you can catch all of them. Pokemon that is. Some may boast that ‘Oh I did!’ Yeah right, not ALL of them. All 400+ of them AND counting. Which means there’ll be more coming out in the year. Or another version.

You may wonder why I’m doing this since there are many topics that I can rant on about. Well, I just want pokemon to perserve any dignity that it has left. Although the series has thrilled countless number of people around the world(I can attest to this) it is slowly becoming a mass production product churning out game after game, episode after episode. Please nintendo, use the creative resources available to you to come up with a new product. Surely you can do that, with mario and legend of zelda as examples(which have the same fate as pokemon actually). The series I once adored is transforming into hideous promotional material before my very eyes.

Ok, enough about the teary eyed plea and more about the state of pokemon today. Here is a list(not exhaustive and in order of importance) of the irritating aspects of pokemon in the ‘anime’ and game:
1. Just give up lah, Ash Kectum from Pallet Town – I find your quest to become the ‘pokemon master’ admirable but...after losing in almost all the leagues that you entered, maybe you should rethink your calling. Go and be a pokemon friender or something, since you want pokemon to be your friends
2. The concept of pokemon as friends – I know that pokemon is mainly targeted at kids. However, you never see this aspect in the games. It’s all about leveling up and getting stronger. And you know what, those who don’t do this are generally the stronger trainers. Gary has always been stronger than Ash right?
3. The seemingly unlimited expanse of land in the pokeworld – At 1st we all thought there was only Kanto. Then there was Johto and Houen. Now we are told there’s a newly discovered territory called Sinoh. WTH?
4. Brock always falling in love but never getting hitched – Pity this lad man, he’s got his heart broken more than a couple of times. Surely the producers have a heart and help him find his true love. At least shakespeare’s characters who were in a similar position died in the end. Do we want this to happen to Brock? Hell no(but a part of me says yes).
5. The endless twins(or should I say clones) of officer Jenny and Nurse Joy – their parents sure are fertile.;)
6. Team Rocket’s blasting off again! – Goodness…this happens in ALMOST all the episodes. Amazing thing is that they don’t die. After flying high into the sky. In every episode. I know that in cartoons injuries are almost non-existent. But this is really pushing it. Seriously pushing it. Add in the irritating pledge they sing too.
7. Team Rocket(TR) losing all the time – not fun man. Even if they manage to capture pikachu or some other pokemon, they always get thwarted in the end. More realism please!
8. Meowth’s, James’s and Jessie’s obsession with capturing pikachu – what on earth is their problem? Can’t they see that pikachu is a 1st stage pokemon? Although it is fairly powerful…it does have quite a weak defense. Surely if they get a raichu and train it properly it’ll be stronger than pikachu. Plus it’ll probably make their long suffering boss happy for once.
9. TR using lame plans to capture pikachu – Giant sized robots do not solve the problem. Unless they are Gundams of course. Now that’s owning.
10. The character’s don’t grow old do they? – sure, Ash changes clothes every series but hey! Wearing different clothes doesn’t make you older. Don’t try to fool me please. Even characters from different cartoon shows age. Since there’s such a thing as permafrost, I’ll call this permaage – endless youth(or lack of it).
11. Naming the game versions after colours, metals, then crystals, now metals again – They will run out of them one day. What’s next? Pokemon Aluminum?
12. Pokemon you think won’t have new evolutions suddenly do – the two new evolutions of evee and the new evolution of porygon – proygon Z and the evolution of the regis.
13. The obsession with evee – enough please. It already has 7 different evolutions. I envisage the new ones will be a mix of the old. Eg. Flareon + Espeon = Esreon
14. Pokemon you think will have new evolutions don’t – what happened to farfetch’ed people. Still remember him?
15. Originality of pokemon is waning – The final evolution of chimchar looks a lot like sun wu kong, the monkey god in Buddhist folklore. The idea of a monkey with a flame tail is also not new, with charmander being the 1st to have one.
16. Pokemon are getting uglier – the combined evolution of the regis look screwed up, while I cannot understand the need to put a huge tree in the final evolution of turtwig.
17. The Elite Four’s weird contradiction – in the ‘anime’ Ash can only dream of defeating them since they are all powerful. In the game I managed to defeat them with only 3 pokemon(maybe less for those really hardcore players). I also didn’t use a single item on my way to victory.
18. Ash being able to defeat seemingly powerful gym leaders but losing to fellow trainers at the top – wow, he can actually defeat an articuno using the charizard of his but loses to a trainer using a metang.
19. Ash’s weird pokemon choices – he doesn’t like to evolve his pokemon. Choosing the most unpredictable choices as part of his party. Aipom anyone?
20. Loophole in the plot. At first we ONLY knew about 151 pokemon. Then we found out that Professor Oak had met celebi before knowing Ash. That means he knew more about 151 pokemon but we were made to believe until gold, silver and crystal came out there was only 151. Explanations Nintendo!

Whew…sure was fun writing this. Of course there are more. If I included them all it would be several pages long. Shows the severity of the damage done to pokemon. Hope Nintendo will do something about it. On the other hand, they’ll probably not. Curses!!!

What's The Fuss 'Bout Melamine?

2008-10-06T22:16:00.005+08:00

Guess I’ll probably start blogging again. Exams are almost done, with the exception of chem SPA which is tomorrow. And SPA stands for School Practical Examination for those of you who don’t know what it means. All I can say is that it sounds really grandiose but in actual fact means tested science experiment. Heck, everything you do in school’s tested anyway.

Now let’s get on to the topic at hand. I’ve been meaning to blog about this for a while. However I (insert lame reason here) so I left the idea for later. Seriously, what’s the fuss?

Melamine contamination in food.

I really cannot understand why people would get into such an uproar over this case of melamine contamination. Maybe its because I haven’t been affected but c’mon man, you people should know this was coming. In this age of technology where the majority of food is processed before arriving at the store, cases like this are bound to happen. Almost everything we eat nowadays contain traces of chemicals in ‘safe’ amounts. When they are over the acceptable level then they are deemed unsafe. Isn’t it a bit ironic?

Anyway, people have also been consuming chemicals with their knowledge. The funny thing is, they do it because they think it’s ok. Take for example coke(not the drug that makes u go high). Coke zero contains aspartame, a carcinogen. Yet I see many people drink it as though its as safe as drinking water(not always safe too). Another thing, many people have apparently heard the rumour that drinking coke kills sperms. For the record, it’s true man. This was proven in a scientific report. Thus I really wonder about those guys who drink coke voluntarily while knowing this. You may think that killing a few million sperms is fine but in actual fact, a few million increases your chances of being more fertile. And me? I don’t drink coke(well I do but rarely, as in rarely rarely) because my mom bans me from it. Her reason? It dissolves your brain man. Lol.

So I’ve drafted a plan for those perfectionists who demand food but want it pure. 100% natural goodness:
1. Buy a farm
2. Grow your own vegetables
3. Get a cow or goat(I don’t know how) and milk them.

This way, you can ensure the pureness of the food you eat at all stages of production. One more thing, for mothers who complain about tainted milk, my advice is breastfeed your child lah. Breastmilk is more nutritious than other kinds of milk. And its also free. That means it saves money and ensures your child grows up healthy. Not a bad deal yes?

One Big Lull

2008-08-23T00:09:00.006+08:00

Ah, not this again.

I'll be taking a break from blogging once again, due to numerous commitments sending blogging down the pecking order. Promos, PW, MCS and volleyball are sapping the life out of me.

However, I'll try my best to add a new post from time to time if possible. Maybe cook up something while on the bus or somewhere in school. Highly difficult task yet anything's achievable if you set your mind to it.

For those if you who think that all these reasons are just excuses to stop blogging, well I have this to say. I like blogging and I spend hours perfecting that one post(most of the time). So I do take pride in my work. Hah.

Olympics Season

2008-08-11T01:38:00.004+08:00

Wow! The Olympics is finally here! Can't wait to see all the stars perform in Beijing. Hope Singapore does well too. More reports about the Games coming soon!

PW - Project Wacked

2008-08-10T23:33:00.003+08:00

Actually PW stands for project work. But to me it feels more like whacking my brains out. Truth be told, I've been spending the past two weeks relentlessly worrying my ass off on whether we can complete our written report in time.

Although if you ask anyone whether I looked the least bit worried, they would probably say no. It's something I learnt about leadership while reading an article on Nelson Mandela in TIME. The idea is that if someone whom you look up to acts calm or relaxed in the face of a crisis, subconsciously you would do so to. I must say though, it did work for me. I'm not sure whether my group members suspected that I was under due stress to complete the WR, but I had a feeling I managed to convince them that everything was alright. With the 1st WR draft completed, I think all the stress is behind me. For now at least.

Now on to the lighter side of things. I'm not sure whether I actually believe it or not, but the seniors whom I have asked regarding PW have all said the same thing. PW is fun. Wth. Maybe not now for me, but I haven't ruled out having fun doing PW later on since I'm such an optimist. Never did like the subject anyway, but if it were to turn fun, I might forgive MOE for introducing the subject. Maybe just a bit.

Anyway, with the WR behind me, I'll probably have a a whole day of rest. Then it's back to EoM, Econnect, tutorials and tests to do and study. Work in JC is seriously disgustingly a lot.

The Bishan Gay

2008-07-13T02:13:00.008+08:00

Haha...was feeling bored after doing homework so I decided to visit STOMP for a while. Actually I've never really liked that website-the layout stinks but the tons of gossip really fill you up. So there I was browsing through the contents when I came across an article with an all too familiar face(although blurred) and a heading which summed up everything. I found the Bishan Gay.

For the unitiated, Bishan Gay(BG) is a guy that stalks teenage boys from schools in the Bukit Timah area(RI, HCI, CHS, SJI). They say he hangs out at KFC in Junction 8(J8). Thank goodness I've never seen him there. He looks 50, wears retro specs(you know, the kind old people wear), looks chubby and has a perverted smile(only to teenage boys I think). STOMP has a picture of him but its blurred. To hide his face I think.

For STOMP's story about him click here. Also google Bishan Gay and see what you get. Hilarious.

Anyway, his story is quite infamous around the all-boys schools. There's even some guys who painstaking hunted him down, then took a video of him and posted it on Youtube to warn other guys about him. Or maybe for their own amusement. Talk about brotherhood man.

See him taking a picture of the guys who hunted him and giving his signature smile? Creepy.

I hate to confess but I've encountered him enough times to give me goosebumps. The first few weren't that bad.

I usually waited at the bus stop next to the Raffles Town Club for the 156 bus to take me to J8. Then I would walk from there to the MOELC for my german language class. Sometimes I would meet this BG guy waiting for a bus(or boys). He would give me that perverted smile always. And he kept staring. And staring. Until I boarded the bus. And yet he stared. Gave me the chills he did.

That was the least he did.

There was once, the same thing happened. I boarded the 156. He stared. But instead of just staring, he boarded the bus. WTH! Quickly I moved to the back of the bus while he was still at the front. Fortunately for me, there were a couple of guys at the back so I felt safe. When I turned to the front, he was (guess what) staring and smiling his perverted smile towards the back. I kept looking to the left all the way. Half-way through the journey, he alighted at some bus-stop(can't remember the name). I breathed a sigh of relief.

Turns out he was also known to by my classmates at the MOELC. Really infamous that guy.

After all this, what do I think of him? Gay, maybe. Paedophile? Probably. Deserving the Bishan Gay tag? Definitely. So much for sweet memories.

Terms

2008-07-06T00:46:00.009+08:00

Crap. That's the only word I find befitting of my term exams. Totally screwed up man. Eventhough I had one month of June holidays to mug for the thing, I did what I have always done best. Procrastinate. Whenever my mind flew to the coming exams, I reassured myself by repeating these few lines:(in singlish)

'Got tomorrow wat'

'No need to mug now, later forget'

'Got listen in lecture right? If got then still ok'

'Studying is so sian, maybe later continue'

'I'll start studying when I finish doing this'

'Man I need food'

'Tired lah, need to sleep'

It continued until almost the last week of holidays. I'm not sure what really happened but I had a feeling something clicked in me. Fear of failure maybe? So I started to mug like hell. 3am bed times were the norm. Eye bags grew bigger(I hated this part the most). This continued until the terms started.

The first test, General Paper(GP) was screwed up(I seem to like using this phrase). First time in exam conditions after O levels and my mind flipped. Then there was this girl sitting on my right. Damn irritating man. She was like trying to flirt with me by playing with her hair and always facing left. I think she likes me or something. Not bad either. At least she should do it outside, she really was making me lose focus.

Anyway, the rest of the exams went ok. I was prepared during chem when I had to sit next to that girl again, so everything went well(for the other exams I had different sitting arrangements). Didn't really finish all the papers though, especially maths but that's fine. Can't wait for the results next week.

To celebrate the end of exams, Han Siang, Jia Sheng, Ming Hui and I went to watch Wanted at GV Jurong Point. Would frankly have wanted to give a review of the movie but that's for another time. Or another post.

The Day Itself

2008-07-05T22:05:00.010+08:00

I seem to have a knack for screwing up at the most eventful moment(not all the time really). It was Fun-O-Rama day and guess what? I woke up late. Really says a lot about my character.

Anyway, I rushed to school in a disheveled state, only reverting back to a bit of a swagger once I learned that they weren't catching latecomers at the school gate.

Soon I arrived at the games stall(was assigned to it) and prepared to make a few last minute touch-ups to it with the others before getting ready for the flood of people.

At the beginning, only a few people walked in. I was lamenting about our stall's substandard appearance compared to the rest when a tall ang moh wearing a Singapore logo shirt strolled around. Guess who he is? He's Alexander Duric, striker for the Singapore national soccer team. Man, oh man was I stupefied.

He came to our stall first. Which was a bad thing. He paid our overpriced game for his daughter to play. Which was another bad thing. When we mean 'balls of fury' we really mean it man. So when his daughter started to play, I couldn't look. End result? She didn't hit any cans off eventhough we gave her a 'special' spot-one so close to the cans that if you were an adult, bingo!

Thankfully, she didn't want to try anymore of her luck at our stall and left with a parting gift from us. I rued my failed chance to ask for his signature(afterwards I thought it was a good decision since I made such a bad impression on him).

From then onwards, people came in droves. Basically, I was stuck manning the stall after traffic duty for the whole day. Darn it man, they just don't stop coming. I had to constantly rearrange cans and pick up balls and serve people. Teen labour I tell you. Kudos to jeromy though, that guy was able to flirt with girls while doing his job. That's multi-tasking. The rest who were supposed to help went AWOL. Curse them man.

At least the torture I went through wasn't in vain. When the fun fair ended and everyone was leaving, the stalls started giving away free stuff. My oh my, I rushed like some kiasu guy for ice-cream, drinks, desserts, etc. I stopped short of taking soya bean milk. Never did trust those made by students lol.

We counted the money made. Surprisingly, we did make a profit from our otherwise totally unoriginal stall. However, we didn't meet the sales target(try earning $1ooo people). And another thing, Our food stall won the third prize for the most outstanding banner. Too bad they spelt my name wrong. Instead of Alif's Satay(yeah, they used my name without permission), the school spelt it as Alfi's Satay. Ruined my chance for fame, this.

Well, at least we won bird park tickets for it. Now we can go for a class outing without having to shell out so much. Saves me money too.

End Of Preparation

2008-07-05T20:20:00.007+08:00

Before we go on to the real thing, let's digress a bit shall we?

First off, let me ask a question, albeit a rhetoric one. Have you ever seen what happens when rain suddenly befalls those enjoying activities in the sun? They run like rats for shelter right? That's exactly what happened that day.

Pandemonium ensured of course. That was what I heard, since I was away for my volleyball meeting. Needless to say, I came back to a world of chaos. The banner was in shambles. Unfortunately, in the midst of my excitement(yes) I forgot to whip out my phone(talk about being erratic). So just picture a painting heavily soaked in water until its features become heavily distorted. Then you'll be able to picture it(nice eh?). In the end we discarded it and koped someone's empty banner which was left behind.

Skip to the next day. We came back to the site having to clean up the mess we left behind. Imagine our gleefulness when we realised that someone had stepped on the paint spilled and left footprints on the track:

I totally laughed my ass off.

On that day we spent a few hours rushing everything. In the end we had to resort to deperate measures to meet the deadline. I had a feeling we were the only ones using a hairdryer to dry up the paint in quick time. But what the heck, it got the job done didn't it?

At the end of the day, we somehow managed to get everything in order. Well then, onwards to Fun-O-Rama!

P.S: I know it's getting boring. However, there's only one post left. So please bear with me. Reason being is that if I never finish this, I'll never forgive myself. Lol.

End Of Euro 2008

2008-06-30T23:41:00.019+08:00

Wow. Sure enough, it was a tournament to remember. All I can say is that Euro 2008's is a marked improvement over Euro 2004. Surely. Who on earth would want to watch Greece win man? I don't mind if they win with style or with substance but by playing ultra-defensive? Heck, Italy would seem a better choice-although they are quite boring also(still better than Greece anyway). Still, they deserved to go out in the group stage, playing like that(i sound like I hate Greece man). Haha.

Enough about 4 years ago. Let's focus on what's important-the outcome. As you all know, Spain defeated Germany 1-0 in the final this morning. Did i watch the match? No. i didn't want more dark rings around my eyes(been sleeping at 3 all day last week). So I went to bed hoping Germany would crush Spain. Mwuhahaha. Although I'm a fan of der Manschaft, I didn't bother watching the final for reasons stated above.

Imagine my utter dismay when I woke up and learnt that Germany lost. Darn. I was kinda pissed off knowing that Germany lost to Spain. Pity Ballack, the 'nearly'man. Actually he's not so nearly, having won titles with Bayern Munich. And its his fault too. Who asked him to join chelski? That club's cursed man! Serves him right.

The 'nearly' man

Anyway the momentous thing is that Torres scored. Woohoo! It made me feel better knowing he scored, although Germany still lost. Nevermind 'bout that. Him scoring the vital goal is proof of his pedigree. And now he's part of a Liverpool team that's gonna challenge for the EPL next season and win it. If not, there's always next year(what Liverpool fans will tell you every season). C'mon EPL!

The man himself

Whew, with that over and done with, it's time to prepare for school tomorrow(or today since I'm typing at 12.26). School is so sian.

P.S: I'll complete my post about fun-o-rama next time. Gonna be long.

Fun-O-Rama Preparation

2008-06-22T23:52:00.008+08:00

I'm gonna go straight to the point here. No rants about why I took such a long time updating my blog - that's for another time. A bit of background info though.

Fun-o-rama is a biennial fun fair organised by acjc to raise funds for the school. Basically, people buy coupons used as 'money' in the fun fair to engage in a myriad of activities, ranging from buying food and drinks, participating in games and the like. Booths are set-up by teachers and students, offering various stuff like games and food and...(well you know) For more info(or better info) click here.

Of course, before the fun fair started each class had to decide what to offer at the fun fair. We had to come up with two booths, one for food and one for games. Before that however, we needed to raise funds.(At this point I was like wth man, must raise funds? I thought free?) Truth be told, I had never been involved in fund-raising or fun fairs for that matter, so I'm a complete greenhorn.

We had a class meeting to discuss what to do. After much deliberation, we decided to sell ice-cream yogurt(cheapest cost) to raise funds. The thing is, to raise funds we need funds(to pay for the ice-cream machine rental). And when I say funds I mean your OWN MONEY kind(I was like wth!!! again). I had the feeling a lot of people were actually gonna protest about that but since it was compulsory to do, we gave in. In the end, we decided to sell satay and bubble tea for the food stall. For the game stall, the game was about throwing balls at a stack of cans- jeromy's idea. (At that time we were pressed for ideas, so any idea was a good one)

After a few days, we set of to work on our banners for the stalls. The class was split into half, 1 team for games and the other for food. At first, painting the banners was quite a fun thing since everything seemed in order. We chose black for games and red for food. You know what the banners read? SATAY for food(I thought it was simple but effective). Now, for games it was 'Balls Of Fury'. Ouch.

Painting the games stall's banner

Painting the food stall's banner

It turned into quite a jolly affair, with the banners nearing completion ahead of schedule. That is of course, until the rain came down. It changed everything.

JC Life

2008-04-30T23:00:00.012+08:00

Since my blog is self-rated pg, I won't use strong language(only when necessary). To tell the truth, jc life seriously stinks man! If there are no tutorials to do, there are projects. Sandwiched in between is cca of course. Basically when I go home I only think of doing 3 things:
-eat
-study
-sleep

In actual fact, I don't really adhere to this. What do you think, am I a zombie or something? So I've been slacking off a bit. With dire consequences. Lagging in schoolwork, to just name one.

However, being in jc has been an eye opener for me. Take for eg, a class consisting of hundreds. Here's a few pictures I took while I was at AJC for PAE(Pardon the picture quality, they looked quite ok in my phone):

My lecture in AJC's auditorium

Poor lad...he's actaully sleeping by the way

Now here's a few pictures of my class at AJC: I'll always remember you guys! *sob*

Playing brigde when P.E was cancelled:P

10/08 group photo at ECP

Ok, I think that's enough for now. Time to sleep. Next post: Fun-O-Rama XlX

P.S: Man, my grammar and style keeps getting worse. This must stop!

Beijing Pictures

2008-03-19T19:49:00.007+08:00

Yeah, I know. I'm much to lazy(and busy) now to storytell about my trip there. Plus all the stuff I've gone through since my last post. Muahahaha. So I'll just upload the photos that were taken there. Maybe, just maybe, I might rediscover my passion for blogging. Then I'll be able to spew nonsense again.

Enjoy!

Back From China

2008-01-01T15:49:00.000+08:00

So I'm back from China in time for the new year. It's been a great holiday and I've made many new friends. I'm gonna split the trip into different parts which I feel are the really important bits. Different categories detailing the varied aspects I've encountered. Can't really type much now, my body still needs to readjust itself to the weather. From 0 degrees C to 31 degrees C in one shot. Gosh...I really need ice cream.

New Parking Space?

2007-12-15T17:58:00.000+08:00

Just look at this:

Should I complain...or keep mum like what Singaporeans usually do?

Up Up And Into The Living Room!

2007-12-09T21:48:00.001+08:00

What else am I talking about? Soccer of course. Not that superman was involved or anything. If he was though, it would save us a hell lot of trouble.

We had soccer today again(actually we have it everyday, makes no difference). I kinda screwed up during the match(actually I think I do it all the time) so I was feeling a bit disconsolate. After the match, me and Fahry went on to practise penalties to improve my sharpness. It did improve my mood a lot as I kept saving Fahry’s kicks. Then Amirul Iman(Emo) came over and joined us. His presence increased the difficulty level because he was a much better kicker than Fahry.

I took off my spectacles at this time as the rain drops obscured my vision and my spectacles kept sliding down my nose due to the sweat(which was very irritating). Furthermore, I wanted to test whether I could play keeper without spectacles. Turns out, I did pretty ok. However, I had doubts on long balls due to the blurred vision. After a while, Haikal came along and taught me a few tips. Upon applying those tips, I got oled as the stance was very unfamiliar to me. Really embarrassing.

Sometime or another, I noticed that the ball had gone missing and everyone had dispersed(I think I was daydreaming before that). Suddenly remembering what it meant, I ducked for cover. I stayed in the same spot for a while before coming out. Aziz, who was with me all this while, asked me to play with him. Bad decision. His ball was so freaking hard that when it came to me, my middle finger got sprained. Again.

I was shaking my fingers in pain when I saw Min signalling to me. Upon meeting him, I discovered the disappearance of the ball was due to Emo’s shot which had gone into someone’s living room on the first floor. We had an amusing discussion on the issue, with likely outcomes on the matter. The most hilarious scenario was that the ball hit a plasma tv and it went kaputt(German for spoilt). That really shocked him.

To get the ball back, Amirul and Fahry decided to go to the house to ask for the ball back. A few tense minutes ensured before they returned empty-handed. We cursed the owner for opening the window with no railings. It was kinda fatuous as we playing soccer at the open area everyday was a well-known fact. We cursed him again for not wanting to solve the matter diplomatically but to blow it up. Seems that it was true as moments later, Haikal spotted a police car coming. We ran for our lives.

Freaky

2007-12-09T21:00:00.001+08:00

The first word which arose spontaneously from my mind as I saw the man approach us. Haikal, Min, Zul, Fahry and me were at table 185(bus no?) when it happened. We had just arrived on the back of our Friday prayers invited by Fahry(again) for free food courtesy of his mother’s stall. Not wanting to pass up the chance to fill up our groaning bellies, we agreed and walked down the all-too familiar route to the stall.

We sat down at table 185 and waited patiently for the stream of customers to dissipate before making our move(so as to not disturb Fahry’s mother). While waiting, Zul got picked on(as usual) and helped to while away the time by focusing our attention on to him.

That’s when it started.

I’m not sure whether we were too preoccupied with disturbing Zul(I wasn’t involved) or the guy was a ninja-in-training but he managed to pop out of nowhere and introduced himself to us. That move seriously stunned us. Then he walked round the table before planting himself next to Zul. Being too stupefied to react, we nodded our heads in approval when he gestured for a seat.

Now here come the juicy bits.

He was an amputee, with half of his right arm missing. Since we were all Muslims, its customary for us to shake hands with each other(salam) when we meet. Problem was, he didn’t have a right hand man! So he offered his stump of an arm to us. When it came to my turn, I felt immensely grossed out. I know I’m being stereotypical and ignorant but I have NEVER in my life shook hands with a stump. This makes the affair a first for me so please pardon my feelings. I shook his stump of an arm or rather grabbed it. The stump felt soft and gooey like a balloon filled with water, only harder. Totally freaked me out man. I acted cool though and waited for him to regain back his seat.

Back in a comfortable position, he regaled to us stuff he probably thought of before jumping us. One of them was the reason why he didn’t go for prayers. His reason? The rain was too heavy. C’mon man, who are you trying to joke? The food court was less than 80m away from the mosque. In addition, there was a sheltered walkway leading there. He must be really thick-skinned I thought. Proceeding no further, he then went on to inspect the valuables that we had. Sensing trouble, I signalled to Haikal for my phone and hinted to him to leave and go to the stall. We left hurriedly, followed by Min and Fahry soon after. Poor Zul was left all alone with that man with no one to help him. We all thought of going back to help him seeing his miserable face. When at long last we thought Zul was in trouble, he finally came over, looking relieved.

We stayed close to Fahry’s mother’s stall for security. After a while, that man was nowhere to be seen. Good riddance.

Hiatus

2007-11-26T23:32:00.001+08:00

Lol. I really hate to say this but I'll be taking a break from blogging once in a while. This doesn't mean that I'll not blog for an extended period of time but will chip in with a post from time to time.

My reasons for doing so are simple. My mother has taken control of the modem and she's going to store it for safekeeping. This is to deter my sister and I from computer overuse. It's having an effect on my sister though, she's spending far less time on the pc and far more time doing other stuff. However, I'm sad to announce that the ban has had no effect on me whatsoever. I usually finish up what I'm doing first before switching off the pc. That way, I'm not so reliant on the internet for my needs. Furthermore, my com has almost everything I need without me going online. I've got my xbox back anyway, which is much more fun.

Although I must say, not being able to go online freely does have its downsides too. Now I can't watch all the anime and movies that I've been watching up till now.Boo-hoo. The only thing left to do now is to find out the whereabouts of the modem's secret hiding-place. Once I do that, a new post will pop up.

Toothache

2007-11-26T21:15:00.000+08:00

Bummer. Just when I thought nothing else will disrupt my holiday plans, something like this crops up. That something was a trip to the dentist. What for? It’s because I still had an outstanding appointment with my dentist to remove my lower wisdom tooth located at the right side of my jaw. It was actually supposed to be done 1 week before the O levels but I decided to postpone it to a later date. No one wants to sit for a test with your mouth feeling funny right? Especially during the O levels where you have to focus solely on the paper and not think of popping painkillers. It ruins the vibe man.

Speaking of my tooth, I had it extracted today. What shocked me was that I had been kept in the dark until the last minute, which was yesterday. I think my dad was too busy with other stuff to remember to tell me about the appointment. At least he did so in the end…which was good.

So I went to the National Dental Centre(NDC). Of course, I didn’t really feel like going for a wisdom tooth extraction again. Mind you, the surgery did not hurt much due to the local anaesthesia that was applied. What I didn’t like was the way they injected the anaesthesia into me. It’s sick man. My body became rigid each time they stuck the needle into my gums. After that, some kind of shock rippled through my whole body(exaggerating here). The sensation was most unpleasant. Looking at the bright side, it did made sitting through the surgery easier although being conscious while someone is drilling your teeth exudes a sense of weirdness. Plus I had to wear a gaudy looking gown during the whole thing which made me look like an old auntie.

After the operation, I was advised to abstain from ‘hot’ food and vigorous activity(you know what I mean). Deciding to test my luck, I asked the nurse cheekily whether I could play soccer. Her answer was a firm NO(duh). A few minutes passed in which I was allowed to rest then I could go.

Now I come to the part on why I hate going for wisdom tooth surgery. For the first two hours, the lower right side of my face was numb. It was quite funny actually. My lips felt rubbery as though it was …rubber attached to my face. As the effect wore off, the pain became really excruciating. Eating and drinking became a chore. Thank goodness I managed to finish eating in 1 hour. Then it was time for the painkillers and antibiotics. Suddenly, I felt drowsy and unknown to me, unconsciously went to bed and slept.

When I woke up, I felt better and looked at the time. S**t! I overslept for soccer. When I went to retrieve my handphone, another S**t! 4 missed calls. Cursing the painkiller, I wondered what the rest were thinking of me. Damn! I wondered aloud. It dawned on me that I had to wait for 5 days for the wound to completely heal(as the nurse said). Frustrated at my missed chance to train for soccer, I decided to come down for the next few days anyway. Even though I may be unable to train, I’ll probably bring a notebook and pen to start on my player research project. Hopefully that’ll make up for some lost time.