Keppel Bay (IR)

Sorry for the lack of updates for the last few days, was really a busy week for me. Maybe a slight backdate before touching on the title.

Was on leave on Tuesday because it is Adrian's birthday. Accompany him to look at amplifiers for his TV in the morning before I met up with Peng Eik and the rest of the organising committee in the evening for the Nikon CS Singapore Flyer Outing which will be happening on Friday.

Was doing the administrative work for the Singapore Flyers outing since Wednesday and also preparing for my upcoming job interview on Friday morning, so got no time and mood to blog.

Was down with a cold on Thursday, all thanks to some inconsiderate people who couldn't care less about health of others and start walking around with the cold virus and start to spread to other people.

Friday came, so I was on leave again. I went for a job interview in the morning, at first, I thought that I couldn't get pass to the second interview but unexpected, I got a call in the evening to call me up for the second interview this coming Tuesday, how exciting.

I spent the rest of Friday evening and night doing the Nikon CS Singapore Flyer outing and sharing with the rest about the tips and techniques of doing Night Photography.

Not much happening on Saturday, just when out with my sister to pray to my grandparents before I headed out to test the D3 and 24mm Tilt Shift lens that I borrowed from Peng Eik.

Sunday marks the start of a new week, how fast time passes. Anyway, I went to Keppel Bay to explore for the upcoming IR Outing that I was planning. I thought that the weather will be fine by it seems like it is getting cloudy again. Didn't really get a lot of good shots, but just to share a few.

Nevareth Carnival - CabalSea Launch @ Suntec

I spent the whole Good Friday helping Adrian to cover his game launch event at Suntec City. I was the unofficial photographer for this event as his company have gotten an official photographer.

I am just helping Adrian out and gotten some of the shots that the main photographer missed out. Most of my shots are taken from the second level. Anyway, here is the link.

http://zeus.asiasoft.net/media/cabal/NevarethCarnival/index.html

Alone Again - 伊藤由奈 (Ito Yuna)

Sorry but no photos for this week again. The weather always turn crappy on Sunday, I really start to wonder why... Anyway, just hope that this week will be better for a change.

Back to the title topic. Was recommended by Gary this song by Yuna Ito titled "Alone Again". A very nice and catchy song. Simply love it. I search Youtube for the official MTV but can't find any except the one made by her fans I believe. Just like to share with all.


Credit to AearEnMenel (Youtube)

Artist: 伊藤由奈 (Ito Yuna)
Album/single: WISH
Release: 2008.2.20

anata dake ima miteru mou aenaku naru kara
kono mama zutto mou kitto furikaeru koto mo nai
wasureru koto wa nai yo itsumo sobani ita no ni
nakidashisou na sora no shita tada tachisukunde iru
...Time is not on my side

itsumo anata no soba de naitari warattari wo
kurikaesu hibi mou nidoto modoru koto nante nai
kanashimi ni sayonara wo sugu ni ieru you nara
hito wa dare mo ga tsuyoi mono
I wanna be with you

* itsumademo te wo tsunaide
doko made mo ikitakatta
kajikanda yubisaki nukumori wo sagashita
kokoro wa zutto no way, no way
ashita wa sono mukou e yukeru kana
oh, alone again

itsuka futari de miteta ekimae no vijyon ni wa
ima mo anata no suki na uta ripiito shiteru n da
"watashi mo suki nanda yo" sou itte ita no wa ne
anata no tame de ima wa mou kirai ni narisou nanda
...I will never leave you

anata kara no meeru wo zenbu keshite mita kedo
yasashii koe wa kioku kara kie wa shinai n darou
"moshimo negai ga hitotsu kanau no nara" nante ne
arifureta koto omotte wa
I wanna be with you

* repeat

anata no sono egao mo ookina tenohira mo
omoide ni nanka shitaku wa nakatta
kokoro wa zutto no way, no way
ashita wa sono mukou e yukeru kana
oh, alone again

* repeat

Fleurs du Mal - Sarah Brightman

Gary (from my reservist unit) send me this song "Fleurs du Mal" by Sarah Brightman via MSN yesterday. I simply love it after hearing it for the first time. I went to HMV to hunt for the CD. There are quite a few good songs in that album.

Anyway, this Youtube version is a slight remix as it combine Gothica/Fleurs du mal instrumental/Fleurs du mal together. Hope you will like it.



Fleurs du Mal (literal trans. "The Flowers of Evil") - Sarah Brightman

Is it you I keep thinking of?
Should I feel like I do?
I’ve come to know that I miss your love
While I’m not missing you
We run
Til it’s gone
Et les fleurs du mal (translation : And flowers of the evil)
Won’t let you be
You hold the key to an open door
Will I ever be free?

Chorus:
Les fleurs du mal unfold (translation : Flowers of the evil unfold)
Comme les fleurs du mal (translation : Like the flowers of the evil)
Dark demons of my soul
Un amour fatal (translation : A fatal love)
Been tryin' hard to fight
Comme les fleurs du mal (translation : Like the flowers of the evil)
Les fleurs du mal inside (translation : Flowers of the evil inside)
Un amour fatal (translation : A fatal love)

All my life I’ve been waiting for
In this perfume of pain
To forget when I needed more
Of love’s endless refrain
We live
And we pray
Pour les fleurs du mal (translation : For the flowers of the evil)
I’ve lost my way
What is done will return again
Will I ever be free?

(Repeat chorus)

Les fleurs du mal (translation : Flowers of the evil)
Comme les fleurs du mal (translation : Like the flowers of the evil)
Un amour fatal (translation : A fatal love)
Comme les fleurs du mal (translation : Like the flowers of the evil)

(Repeat chorus)

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I did a search for the meaning of Fleurs du mal.

Extract from Wikipedia :
"Les Fleurs du mal (literal trans. "The Flowers of Evil") is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. First published in 1857, it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements. The subject matter of these poems deals with themes relating to decadence and eroticism.

The initial publication of the book was arranged in five thematically segregated sections:

Spleen et Idéal (Spleen and Ideal)
Fleurs du mal (Flowers of Evil)
Révolte (Revolt)
Le Vin (Wine)
La Mort (Death)"

How Interesting. Enjoy.

Love of a Lifetime

It has been quite a while since I last posted anything on Love and Relationship. Back to my email stash again and happened to dig up something very similar to an entry that I posted earlier titled "Love and Marriage". Huirong also posted a similar story too under the entry of "Love and Relationship".

The moral of behind the stories are the same, we must understand that the sand of time waits for no one. The second that has just passed can never be bought back even if you give up all the riches of the world. Life is not like a video whereby you can rewind, it is not a game where you can restart a mission that you got difficulty.
We only live once, and we can never get back what we missed. So learn to treasure what we have presently.

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Once upon a time there was a teacher and his student lay down under the big tree near the big grass area. Then suddenly the student asked the teacher,

Student : Teacher, I'm confused how we find our soul mate. Can you please help me?
Teacher : "Silent for few second, than he answer" Well, it's pretty hard and easy question..
Student : "THINK HARD" Ha???
Teacher : Look on that way, there are a lot of grass there, why don't you walk there but please never walk backward, just walk straight ahead. On your way, try to find a beautiful grass and pick it up then give it to me. But just one.
Student : Well, ok then... wait for me... "Walk straight ahead to the grass field"

A few minutes later...
Student : I'm back..

Teacher : Em, well I don't see any beautiful grass on your hand.
Student : On my journey, I found few beautiful grass, but I thought that I would find a better one, so I didn't pick it up. But I didn't realize that I'm in the end of the field, and I hadn't pick any. Cause you told me not to go back, so I didn't go back.
Teacher : That's what happened in real life.

What is the message of this story?

* Grass --> is people around you
* Beautiful Grass --> is people that attract you
* Grass Field --> is time

In looking for your soul mate, please don't always compare and hope that there will be a better one. By doing that, you'll waste your lifetime, cause remember "Time Never Goes Back".... So try to accept what he/she is.

Serene Night @ Punggol

I guess I was totally drained out last night after my night shoot that I literally sleep while editing the photos from the night shoot. I didn't turn off the light until this morning 6am when my handphone alarm went off. I was supposed to edit the photos and upload them to Clubsnap and also my blog before heading to bed but I am very tired.

Anyway, seeing that the night sky is so serene last night, and the moon shone beautifully which light up the land with its glow, I decided to take my gears out for a shoot around my neighbourhood at Punggol MRT.

Here are my humble shots.

Numerology

Happened to see a link about Numerology on HuiRong's blog entry and decided to give it a try for the fun of it.

Anyway, for those who are interested, you can try to check it out.
http://www.2numerology.com/category_s/31.htm

I just input my data and here are the results.

Motivation:
What you consciously want out of life, the basic force behind everything you do.

If you could choose your vantage point in life, it would be a high ivory tower where you could sit alone and undisturbed, in contemplation and meditation.

You want privacy. You need to be alone with your own thoughts. You prefer to observe rather than participate. You like only those people who share your station and your intellectual strengths. You prefer to communicate cerebrally rather than physically.

You strive for quiet, reserve, and refinement in your surroundings--a place where you can meditate quietly or in communion with nature and perfect your own system of things.

You have a thirst for wisdom and knowledge and are attracted to the sciences and the occult. You are not afraid to go beyond the conventional bounds of accepted theory in search of your own perfected philosophies.

You prefer to attract things and people to you, rather than use force.

Famous Names with 7 Motivation

Barbra Streisand (Barbara Joan Streisand)
Richard Milhous Nixon
Pat Nixon (Thelma Catherine Ryan)
Ethel Kennedy (Ethel Skakel)
Ralph Nader
Janis Joplin
Truman Capote
Jack Geisinger (John Geisinger)
John Wayne (Marion Michael Morrison)
Rita Hayworth (Margarita Carmen Cansino)
Jack Lemmon (John Uhler Lemmon)
Jerry Lewis (Joseph Levitch)
Tony Curtis (Bernard Schwartz)
Stanley Kubrick
Frank Donnelly (Francis Edward Donnelly)
Carson McCullers (Carson Smith)
Charles André Joseph Marie De Gaulle
Gloria Laura Moran Vanderbilt
Princess Anne (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise Windsor)

Impression:
The pure fantasy side of you..... what you dream of when you are quietly by yourself and allow your imagination to create a world that need not be tested against reality.Today's dreams have been known to become tomorrow's reality if you dare.

You are alone and serene, an aristocrat seated high above the struggling masses observing their follies. You have it all worked out. Through your knowledge and wisdom, you have evolved the perfect philosophy and you have made it work. You are the high priest of your own religion, surrounded by things of refinement and beauty, and content with your beautiful thoughts.

Expression:
The way you best express yourself.....the natural abilities you are best equipped to use in negotiating with others to get what you want out of life. Your natural potential.

SUREFIRE Your greatest talent is your ability to cope with the unexpected. You thrive on sudden change and can adapt to new situations in a minute. You fear nothing and do not even recognize the existence of hazards. You can discard the useless and outdated and embrace the new.

Your sensual responses are highly developed. Enjoying life’s more physical pleasures to the fullest is no problem for you. You have a tremendous capacity for sexual attraction.

You meet people easily and have no trouble negotiating with many of them at the same time and moving on to more the next day.

You are attracted to occupations that stimulate your craving for the new and provide contact with people, such as advertising, promotion, publicity, sales, trend writing such as reportorial or critical writing, or aviation.

BACKFIRE You may not always be dependable or responsible because of your sporadic nature.

Overindulgence in the present can present problems in lack of responsibility for the future. Check your sexual and sensual appetites.

Famous names with 5 Expression

Marlene Dietrich (Maria Magdalena Dietrich)
Roman Polanski
Lady Bird Johnson (Claudia Alta Taylor)
Princess Grace (Grace Patricia Kelly)
Henry Ford
Yves St. Laurent (Henri Donat Mathieu)
Maria Callas (Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia Calogeropoulos)
Aga Khan (Karin Khan)
Carol Burnett
Merv Griffin (Mervyn Edward Griffin)
Billy (William Franklin) Graham
Doris Day (Doris von Kappelhoff)
Julie Andrews (Julia Elizabeth Wells)
Anne Baxter
George Hamilton
James Baldwin

Destiny:
The major path your soul must follow, important attitudes and aspects you must master in your encounters with people,situations, and circumstances if you are to be in harmony with the Universe and find ultimate personal fulfillment.

Your 11 Destiny demands star quality of the finest order. It is one of creative genius. The rhythm is right for you to become an inspiration on a universal level. The highest forms of artistic creation and invention are within your reach. The world spotlight could be yours.

In order to meet this supercharged Destiny, you must become the idealist supreme. You must develop your mind and your sensibilities to a genius level. The perceptions and revelations that pass through and take form in your superior being are the open end to the future. You can potentially change the consciousness of all of humanity and set a new direction in the history of art and ideas. Fulfillment for you lies in the development of a highly specialized artistic sense. You must work within art forms, and frequently in two media at the same time. You must never swerve form your personal concept of ideal beauty. Explore all areas of art, philosophy, and mysticism. Search for new truths beyond the accepted realities. Trust your intuition and do not be afraid to explore any avenue that will expand your psychic and artistic sensitivities. Your developed powers will take you far beyond the limitations of ordinary minds and into the highest areas of universal intelligence where unique personal visions and revelations will flash into your consciousness. It is then up to you to share your dreams of perfection with the world and illuminate a new path.

The ordinary and practical aspects of life are not in harmony with your 11 Destiny. But you must find a practical balance through association with others. You must find a means of projecting your inspired views. Ideas are not sufficient in themselves. You will not succeed alone. Persons with highly developed efficient and practical minds, coupled with an artistic awareness and an ability to accept your advanced concepts, should be sought out. Associate and cultivate people of the finest artistic and humanitarian achievement---people who have inspired others and will inspire you.

Maintaining equilibrium with your 11 Destiny is extremely difficult. You must exist on the delicate balance between reality and your fantasy, which you hope to become a future reality. You will be exposed to many things, and the most powerfully destructive forces will attract you, as well as those that are potentially constructive. Your mind will not see life in its accepted polarities, and there will be constant inner struggle between what you believe to be perfection and perversity. There will be times when there will be as many outraged persons wanting to knock you off your feet as persons inspired to place laurels. Notoriety and fame are equal partners, but fame can come to you if your goal is inspiring others with your brilliance.

Famous names with 11/2 Destiny

Diana Ross, March 26, 1944
Jacqueline Onassis, July 28, 1929
Stavros Niarchos, July 3, 1909
Lady Bird Johnson, December 22, 1912
Richard Burton, November 10, 1925
Louisiana Visconti, November 2, 1906
Jean Paul Getty, December 15, 1892
Norman Mailer, January 31, 1923
Peter Fonda, February 23, 1939
John Glenn, July 18, 1921
Prince Charles, November 14, 1948
Princess Anne, August 15, 1950
Cecil Beaton, January 14, 1904
Thomas Wommack, January 23, 1940
Julie Andrews, October 1, 1935
Katharine Hepburn, November 8, 1909
Ronald Reagan, February 6, 1911
Rita Hayworth, October 8, 1919
Bob Hope, May 29, 1903
Dr. Benjamin Spock, May 2, 1903
John Huston, August 5, 1906
Henry Kissinger, May 27, 1923
John O’Hara, January 31, 1905
Stephen Sondheim, March 22, 1930
Jack Kerouac, March 12, 1922
Betty Grable, December 18,. 1916
Barbara Hutton, November 14, 1912

Doing Something about Life

Before I start this entry, I just want to apologize for the lack of updates and photos. Not much happening these days. Just that the weather is really, really, really terrible and unpredictable. Geez...

It was sunny yesterday but I got something on, so I can't do any shooting. I thought today might be good but it turn up to be so cloudy. But no worries, photography is still my passion. Since I can't do any shooting, it is either PS (Photoshop) or PSP (PlayStation Portable) time for me. Hahaha...

Ok, back to the topic, this entry is actually a backdate for something that I penned down on the 26th of Feb 2008. I was still in my reservist camp during that time but since there is no training and I got nothing to do, I just laid back and relax and do some thinking about life. Just read on...

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26th Feb 2008
9:00am

I am actually penning down this entry during my free time on those small little black notebook that I have back in my army days. I was in one of those rant mood, complaining about life and thinking how some time life is so unfair and trying to blame the Divine once again for the life I am living now.

Then suddenly a thought strike me. What is the use of crying over the spill milk, trying to find fault and blame the Divine. Why not think positively and do something about life.

In life, when there is a downturn, we usually just stop still and try to find a reason for the failure and problem. Sometime, we channel so much energy, time and effort just by giving ourselves the reason/excuse and complaining about it. While we are trying to find fault and shift the blame someone or something, we usually forgo and blind ourselves from the larger picture and failed to see the new shore/path that the Divine has planned for us. Instead of just sitting down, feeling upset and do nothing, why not try to take control of your life and do something about it.

Sometime, we can't change the outcome of things, but we can always change the way we think and react to a certain situation. Just be positive about it. When things don't go our way, just wait for the right time to come and do the right thing. Patience is a virtue and Wisdom helps us to chose the right course of action in situation. Think about it...

From my previous Collection

The weather is simply terrible these few days. Always raining and gloomy. I can't do any landscape shoot with such gloomy sky and not to mention InfraRed which need plenty of sunlight.

Since I can't do any shooting, the next best thing I can do is Digital Darkroom aka Photoshop. I took out the photos from my previous Model shoot and start to touch-up so that I can pass the photos back to the models. It is not compulsory to give the photos from the shoot to the models especially for those paid one. Well, that is the practice of others but not me. I usually join model shoot to improve my portraiture shooting skill and I usually have no use of the photos after that. So I prefer to give the photos back to the models if possible as it might be more useful to them than me.

By getting myself to do photoshop for those models photos, give me a chance to throw in my creativity as I will think of effects to make the photos more presentable and interesting. I love making collages and I am on the look out on ways to improve it by looking at coffeetable book.

Anyway, here are some of my collection from my previous shoot which is six months back.





Speaking of which, I do have some portraiture projects in mind and I hope to fulfil it in time to come, just need the time, mood and place. :)

Tired... After 4 days of Standing

I guess I can say so for all those helping out with the recent IT show that ended yesterday. It has been great fun working with all the regular visitors to TK Foto. People such as Michael, Daniel, Kirby, Ark, Mike, myself and quite a few others. Of course, our 2 main characters Richard and James are the men of the match.

Can't believe that I still have to come in to lab today as I am very sleepy now. Wondering how to last throughout the whole day...

Helping out in IT Show 2008 (Day 1)

I took one day leave today so that I can help out James from TK Foto with the IT Show. Originally, I promised him that I will help him for this whole 4 days (from Thursday to Sunday) but alas, I got NTU Open House on Saturday and need to help out with the setting up for the Open House on Friday so that only left with Thursday and Sunday.

James is one of the vendor for Canon this time round together with MS Color. My job is very simple. Just help the customer to check if all the items are in the box and if possible, just help them to try out.

It is really a tiring day for me as I have to stand from 11am till 9:45pm just now. Another reason why am I so tired is that I jogged long distance last night and now my legs are still aching.

Despite all these, I still feel very happy as I pretty much enjoy myself today. I got to serve customers at the counter and answer to some of their queries. Very much like when I was working part-time as a Patient Relation Assistant (PRA) for Singapore General Hospital (SGH) but only that this time round, I am not getting paid for this. (Yes, I am helping out James with the booth on my free-will and as a friend, no monetary involved)

It is fun working with all the people there, we were all busy serving the lunch and after-work crowd and so on. I also got to meet an unreasonable customer who is an elderly gentleman. He is one tough and hard customer trying to pick on things but I still tried my best to serve him with a smile.

I always remembered what Yati (my supervisor for my PRA position) said to me. Always try your best to serve the customer and keep your smile no matter how unreasonable they can be. Some time, they might have some reasons as to why they are are so bad-tempered, so we must try to be more understanding. Despite meeting this bad-tempered customer, it never dampen my spirit to provide quality customer service to people. In fact, I really wished to help out tomorrow also. Maybe I can drop by after work. Got to see my schedule tomorrow. Cheerz.

Happy Birthday to Regine

Didn't know that Regine's birthday falls on 5th of March until I happened to see it on her blog. Got nothing much for her, so just touch up some of her photos. Hope that she will like it.



(PS : Hi Regine, if you are reading this, Happy Birthday to you. Hope you like this collage. Sorry that I didn't have a lot of your photos. :P)

Patapon

I was supposed to type my thesis in my lab today but alas, I left my thumbdrive back at home and my lab desktop don't have a backup copy. So I literally spent my whole day doing nothing.

But that is not really true... I spend my whole day gaming. :P
I didn't realise that this simple game is so interesting and addictive. What am I talking about, it is an original game that I got for my PSP which is called Patapon.

The gameplay is simple, extract from Wikipedia "The player controls a tribe consisting of infantry, ranged troops and cavalry. Initially, the player's warband (army) consists of only a few basic spearmen but as the game progresses more units, greater warriors and more powerful weapons can be obtained. The army is commanded by beating rhythm combos on four different talking drums each mapped to one of the PSP's four control buttons. Different combos tells the player's group of Patapons to do various things such as advance, attack, and defend. Keeping the rhythm going and not missing a beat builds a frenzy in your army which increases attack speed, power and general prowess."

Do check the website. It is very cute.

Now I have joined the Club...

the PSP Club that is. Hahaha...

All thanks to my recent ICT, I got "infected" with the PSP virus because during the night when there is no training, all my bunk mates are all playing their PSP, well, not all but at least half the bunk. :P

It is good for me too as I don't really wish to commit to any game system yet since the last game system that I have is the Xbox which is now obsolete.

I was thinking to get the PS3 system but I am worried that I won't have the time to play while I am at home. I think a PSP system will be good as I can play while I am travelling to and fro work.

Anyway, charging my PSP now while getting ready to put it in action tomorrow. Cheerz and good night.

Dream Mate, Soul Mate

What are the criteria when you are looking for a dream/soul mate?

This is a nice story about how people always have a desire list when looking for a partner but without considering if they themselves carry those characteristics.

As the saying goes, "It is always easy to ask of others then to ask thy self." If we are to expect our soul mate to possess behaviour that we can't even uphold, such thoughts are just so selfish as it is not fair to for our better half. Just this story some thoughts.

Hope that all those looking for love will find their dream mate soon. Cheerz.

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Years ago I asked God to send me a wife, for the Bible says “you have not because you ask not“. I told the Lord not just that I wanted a wife but even explained to him the kind of wife I was looking for.

I told him I wanted someone who is kind, tender, gentle, compassionate, loving, sincere, peaceful, generous, affectionate, understanding, passionate, warm, intelligent, humorous, sensual, and trustful. I even mentioned things I wanted her to be physically. And as time passed, I would add more things to this list of my heart desire for a wife.

Then one night in prayer God spoke to my heart and said... “Son I can not give you what you've asked me for.“ I said, “Why not Lord?“ He replied, “For I am a just God and a God of righteousness and all I do is just and right.“ I said, “Lord, I don't understand why I cannot have what I have asked you for.“

He replied, “Then I will explain. It would not be just and right for me to grant to you your wish for I cannot give unto you something that you are not yourself. It would not be fair for me to grant unto you a person that is loving if you can sometimes be hateful, or someone that is kind if you can also be mean, someone that is a forgiver and yet you can still carry a grudge, someone that is sensitive and you are yet so insensitive... etc.

He said unto me, “Instead of wasting time trying to find someone or hoping that I will give you someone with all these qualities you seek, you should rather allow me to take this time to allow you to become all it is that you are looking for. For I cannot give to you that which you are not.“

“And if you allow me to work up on your spirit and to shape and mold your heart as I choose then when you see the one I have for you, you will be able to say like Adam said... “She is bone of my bone and she is flesh of my flesh“ for you will see yourself in her for you both will be one flesh.“

Keep this in mind.
This is for all:
the recently married;
the ones who have been married;
the soon to get married;
and the ones that are still looking.

God made woman from man's rib --
not from his head to top him,
nor from his feet to be walked upon;
but from his side to be his partner in life,
from under his arm to be protected by him,
and from near his heart to be loved by him.

Whether or not you believe in God, much of the above still applies.