dylan's napkin

a new career, a new life

2008-10-13T19:02:00.002+08:00

a whole new chapter

::i took this picture while chilling along Crown St on a hot sunny day with lipei. my iphone went haywire and corrupted this pic. but i love the accidental effect::
the first week has gone by.
it's definitely a whole new experience.
i learnt so much more in just a short span of four days as compared to 3 years in uni.
working for a design studio certainly isn't a joke.
it's insanely hectic, from the moment i step into the studio at 0830 all
the way to 1830 in the evening, there's just no stopping!!!
work keeps coming in one after another.
many of us don't even have the time to go out and have lunch.
seriously, it's that bad...
some would bring in their own lunch from home and eat it while working on the projects at hand.
for me, i skip lunch altogether and wait till i knock off from work before treating myself to a well deserved feast.

so yeah, the company i'm working in is pretty small;
about 14 people.
we also have offices in brisbane and perth, but the numbers just account to a handful.
when it comes to designers, there's only 3 of us.
there's S, M and me.
and well, of cos our CD, who's basically in charge of all the design work and would sometimes get her hands dirty by doing some design work too.
so, as you can imagine, with only 3 designers, you can image how busy it can get. M mentioned that the company should take in another designer.
i totally agree with him.

usually after work, i would be so drained and exhausted...
by 1030pm, i'll be struggling to keep my eyes open.
coming from someone who sleeps at 6am in the morning and wakes up at 6pm in the evening,
it's a major big change.
yesh people, i'm finally a working adult!
(omg, saying that just feels so foreign to me)

there's still a lot for me to learn.
so far, i think i did ok.
they were nice enough to teach me a lot from scratch.
from creating print ready artwork to dealing with colours and creating mock ups.
it's awesome that they are so patient with me, but i feel like an idiot.
i mean, i feel like i have not lived up to their expectations yet.
i sometimes ask very retarded questions like,
"how to convert the black and white image to spot colours?"
or "how did you do the masking thing again?"
or "the indesign artwork is freaking 707MB, and the client wants it in eps, what do i do?"
and i keep forgetting what jobs i've worked on.
someone would come up to me and ask me about a job i've done, and i'll be like... "erm... which job title again?"
in my defense though, i am working on multiple projects at the same time.
and because i work on half finished projects, it's really difficult to remember all the job titles. i'm trying but it's not easy....
Ben says it's all part of learning and that i shouldn't worry too much.
it has only been my first week, and he says that there are people who have been in the company for a year and still make silly mistakes.
simply put, we are still humans.
i agree... but that doesn't stop me from doing my best and proving that they have selected the right person to do the job...
time will tell.
after all, like every new job, i'm on a 3 months probation.
we'll see if they'll keep me after that.

and just to clear the air,
working in australia is not as slack as most people presume.
people here believe in quality, not quantity.
translation:
it doesn't matter how many hours you put it.
what's important is whether at the end of the day, you have completed
what you have been tasked to do.
productivity is the key word.
and Australians are productive.

::pic of me after a day of shop-whoring. the day was warm so i get to wear shorts!::
after surviving the first week,
it's time to treat myself to a little something something.
(fine... "little" is an understatement.)
decided to do some shopping in the city.

i think i have gone way past the words "retail therapy"....
as what ben would describe my current situation,
"you're SHOP-WHORING!!!!"
....................
fine...... i admit....
i AM shop-whoring...
but i really NEED the nice awesome half leather black havarsack...
and the Insight T-shirt...
and the Peter Alexander poka dot pyjamas shorts...
and the T-shirt from Lee...
and the album from MGMT...
and the Ben Sherman polo T... and T-shirt....
and not forgetting my precious Lady Godiva....

i blame it on stress...

on a different note,
the economy sure isn't doing well at all.
it came as a surprise to me that singapore has being hit by the recession,
and that the Aussie dollar has dipped tremendously...
almost on par with the SG dollar.
times are bad.
i pray that no one close to me loses their job,
because it's difficult to sustain oneself during a recession without one.
and i pray that something good would come out of this.

the American elections is next month.
anyone keeping track of it?
i sure am, since it started.
i believe that it'll affect everyone through a chain of events...
you could say "a chain reaction" of that sort.
and i believe we need a change.
a change that would help us get out of our current slump...
i'll say no more. not gona talk politics here.

here are just a couple of pics.
no time to filter the large library of pics i have...

::more pics of the sea outside my place... love it during sunset::

::nothing beats an ice cold bottle of coke on a hot day. lipei and i chilling along Crown St::

::lipei having her favourite date and pumpkin scone while waiting for the train::

::ben and his gentleman hat. looks good it in eh::

::ohh... my precious Godiva Chocs.... how can you resist them... a luxury indeed::

so yeah, i hope everyone's doing great back in singapore.
i seriously cant wait to go back for a holiday....

that's all for now.
XOXO,
D

i made it!

2008-10-04T00:46:00.004+08:00

OMG!

::pic of me on the steps that lead to my apartment::
the pounding of my heart...
the gasping for breath...
pupils dilating...
sweaty palms...
nauseous on the verge of a black out...
all these while trying to act calm and compose...
taking a deep breath once again,
i attempted a simple yet almost impossible act; a reply...
"yes, i would like to take up the job offer."
"great, we would like you to start asap, so come down on Tuesday to sign the contract etc...", the creative director said.
"sure." i replied, with a big smile on my face.
and with that, i finally landed my first job, ever!

1 application,
2 interviews,
3 days trial,
a young lady to compete with...
and God knows how many applicants later...
i got the job!!!!!

omg!!!
i got the job!!!!!
it sure feels like american idol...
selections, perform, judge, winner.
let's not forget all the waiting in between.

the path that led me here was long and winding and emotionally draining.
it was everything BUT easy!!!
and i can safely say that it's definitely harder to obtain than most jobs out there.
i really had to earn it, prove myself, and rise above the rest to obtain that 1 position.

finally, a sign of relief.
i was so close to declaring myself bankrupt...
finally i dun have to rely on my parent's fund anymore. :)

i'm hoping that my future entries wouldn't be centering over one topic: work.
i'll make sure that i wont be a slave to my work.
got to make sure that i dun think about work when i knock off.
and got to make sure that i have loads of fun during the weekends.
i'll try, but no guarantee. :P

ok enough of me!! (then again, it's my blog...)
took some pics so decided to upload them here.
there are still tons of pics to filter and upload.
so be patient while i get to them...

::lipei and i went to this cafe called Pablos Vice at Crown street. i love this cafe cos firstly, the food is delicious, secondly, it's relatively cheap, and thirdly, it has this awesome vibe. i love just sitting along the pavement, sipping coffee and eating my breakfast while we watch the world go by. it's the aussie version of a road side kopitiam. :) love it! ::

::took this pic of lipei while we were having lunch at Lavender Bay. i love this area because they have great restaurants, a very cute bookstore and a stone throw away from the view of the opera house. gota love lipei's beehive!::

::took this pic of ben at Newtown. luv luv luv Newtown. it reminds me of Brunswick st in Melbourne; very bohemian, grungy, artistic. the very definition of non-commercialization. love the shops here and every saturday, there's a small art flea market::

::this is another pic i took while walking around Newtown. there's a canvas painting leaning against a painted wall. and you'll see many of such art work as you walk along King St, Newtown::

::pic of pedro and lipei. the three of us were chilling at pedro's apartment after having cakes and coffee at the nearby Kirribilli Cafe::

::my next door neighbour's cat. he's called tyson and he has a sister. very adorable cats. they like to come to our apartment every chance they get::

wana thank everyone for their well wishes!
i appreciate it a lot!!

also wana tell fauz, ping and angeline that i wana go "Mustafa-ing"!!! :P
and i miss playing monster hunter with you guys!
yesh... i miss singapore a lot.

that's all for now!
XOXO,
D

trial and error?

2008-09-30T15:18:00.006+08:00

the wait is killing me

::i drew a bean spout on this sketching thingy. i don't quite know the name it but i used to draw on them all the time when i was a little kid. even till now, i just love doodling on it. draw something, erase it, then start all over again. wish life was like that eh?::
so how did i fare for my 3 days trial?
it was extremely busy and exhausting.
for the 3 days, i was thrown into the mosh pit and was expected to swim/crawl/dig my way out of it.
seriously, they gave me tons of projects to complete and what made it worse was the fact that i had to pick up from where they left off.
it's tough when it comes to design because everyone designs and work different.
a simple text paragraph could be done in a couple of ways.
every time they hand me a new assignment, i would spend the first 15 minutes trying to figure where all the links, pictures, text and files are before i can make the necessary amendments.
and because the company is so establish, i'm dealing with thousands of files and it's just insane trying to find 1 particular file that i dun even know exist in the first place.
yes, simply put, it's like finding a needle in a stack of hay.

on the first day, it was pretty overwhelming.
the second day was way better.
the third day was effing crazy!!!
i had to deal with multiple projects simultaneously.
had to do the html for edms, landing pages and websites for some major big client.
a very major big international computer company i might add.
therefore, i had to make sure i do not make any single mistakes.

overall, despite the busy schedule, i did have some fun because this is all so new to me and i'm constantly learning from them.
what i like about working for them is that they don't bother you at all and let you do what is needed to be done.
everyone is expected to take their own initiative and even if there is a deadline to be met, no one is there to hurry you. they have this sense of trust that you will complete it in time.

as i have mentioned before, i do really want to work with them.
i have done my best during the 3 days trial.
i feel i have done well. (they said i was good)
i have the passion and motivation needed to excel.
i know i have what it takes to be a great designer.
i just wish they would consider me to be a part of their team.

they were supposed to get back to me last friday.
but they didn't.
then on tuesday, i received an email from the creative director.
in the email, she thanked me for the three days and informed me that there is another young lady on trial this week. they will let me know of my placement at the end of the week.

i'm disappointed....
and furious.
i dun understand why i have to be put into such a situation.
this job application... it's taking forever!!!
2 interviews and a trial... now i have to compete with a 'young lady'...
what more do they want? (my guess is 3 months probation if i get it)
this is ridiculous...
i hate the waiting!
it's been almost a month and i'm still waiting for a yes/no from them...
argh...

and just to clear things up,
i have been applying for other jobs too.
i have been sending out my resumes for the last 2 weeks...
but it's also taking them forever to get back to me.
argh...

i'm not giving up yet.
no i'm not.
but time is not on my side.
i have up to next january to get a job,
if not there'll be a high chance i might hafta fly back to singapore for good.

sigh...
i guess this "rich-spoilt-brat-who-gets-whatever-he-wants" is learning a thing or two about the harsh reality of life eh?
i do know what 'harsh life' is.
firstly, i was in the INFANTRY!!!
so i know what a 'shit life' is. i went through it for 2 and a half years.
(i have no respect for all the sissy clerks)

and yes, my parents may be loaded with cash,
but i'm not. and it's funny how people cant see the difference.
i would have gone into details as to how i survived with only $12.87 in my savings account,
but i choose not to, because i find it unnecessary, and i need no pity from anyone.

my point is, people shouldnt judge me.

i really am trying my best and not giving up.

just emotionally drained that's all...
but i'm feeling better just ranting it out...
whoever is reading this, thanks for tolerating my whining. :)

that's all for now...
XOXO
D

sun, sand and another interview

2008-09-20T02:51:00.006+08:00

the sun is up

::took this picture while sun tanning with lipei at Bondi Beach::
the sun is up.
literally and figuratively.

after a disastrous interview last week,
i pretty much lost hope in the design studio i applied for.
i would be lying if i said i didn't feel a tad upset.
(i was devastated to be exact)
but yesterday, i received a miraculous email from the creative director!
she emailed me asking if i could drop by the studio for a second interview with the Managing Director.
i flipped, literally.
i was thrilled!
i was extremely grateful to God that he had answered my prayers and granted me a second chance.
never in this world would i ever have guessed i'd be given another chance to prove myself again.
i needed the comeback badly; i needed to redeem myself.

dressed in my finest suit, i went for the interview earlier today.
the MD was very approachable, as with the rest of the staff.
i went through my portfolio with him, and at the end of it,
he said that he liked my thought process and though i still had a lot to improve upon, he seemed interested in me.
after he left, the CD continued to talk to me.
she said that she'll put me on a 3 days trial next week, and i will be paid at freelance rates. if everything goes well, i should be able to be a permanent staff.
i was extremely happy!
i am one step closer to my goal.

from what i know, design studios don't normally issue trials to potential candidates.
they either hire them, or they don't.
so i'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing.
but what i do know is that, i've been given another chance to prove myself,
and i pray really hard i'll be able to leave them a good impression next week during my trial.
they are after all a very established company that is expanding and doing really well in the design field.
it would be such an honor to work with them.
and in a Devil-Wears-Prada kinda fashion, if i stick it out with them for the next 2 years, i'll be able to get any design job i want in the future.
simply put, a million designers would kill for this job.
so i pray real hard i don't fuck it up next week...

i have another interview this coming friday.
it's a fashion based design firm, so that'll be really exciting!
so if eff it up on my trial, at least i have a back-up plan to fall on.

::the one and only Bondi Beach. such a pretty sight. took this pic when we just got off the bus::
and yesh! today, the sun was shinning brightly and the weather was absolutely perfect!
26 degrees!!!!
omg, i long for summer badly, so this was a preview of what the weather could be at the end of the year.
to celebrate the fabulous weather and the interview,
lipei and i headed to the one and only Bondi Beach!!!!!!!!!!!
we had so much fun!!!
i think i'll let the pictures do the talking.

::lipei and i enjoying the sun. it felt more like summer rather than spring, which is great!!!::

::erm... me and my new shades::

::i took this picture when a group of guys walked past us. i like this pic a lot::

::lipei and i made a sand turtle. she forced me....::

::just look at what lipei is doing...::

::i played no part in this! it was all lipei's doing! so embarrassing...::

::after spending 3 hours under the sun, we washed up and then had FRIED MARS BAR! yeah you heard it right, fried chocolate mars bar! it's awesomely awesome! i'm still puzzled why lipei doesn't know how to use a fork...::

wana thank everyone again for their kind words.
it made me feel better.
well, that's all for now.
XOXO
D

my first interview

2008-09-09T17:54:00.005+08:00

interview with the Creative Director

::feel so defeated...::
so yeah, i had my first interview today.
my first interview EVER.
and well, i believe it's the first of many more to come.
i'm a little disappointed though.
on one hand, i'm glad that they selected me for an interview.
i'm glad that they said they liked my work.
however, on the other hand, i felt i could have done much better for the interview.
argh!
i felt i was caught off guard.
i wasn't nervous to begin with.
i was calm and composed.
i was prepared to answer questions like:
"what are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"what do you NOT like about graphic design?"
"why do you want to work for our studio?"
"give me an example of a problem and how you resolved it."
"what do you do when you have a problem with a team member?"
"what improvements have you made to a particular project?"
but ultimately, she was very casual, and just asked me to show my portfolio and explain my work. it's supposed to be the easiest interview ever! but i feel i sort of messed it up somehow.
argh!
i was tongue tied... my words didn't flow as it should...
i couldn't explained in detail, and kept repeating myself...
argh!
what made me upset is that i'm good at this!
i'm good at explaining my work.
i'm good at presenting!
it's one of my forté, for crying out loud!
arghh!
but i couldnt deliver...
and i'm disappointed with myself...
the creative director did say she liked my work.
but there's more to it than that.
chemistry is really important, and i felt i didn't make enough of an impression.
argh...

i even wore my suit and new Calvin Klein shoes...
i guess the almighty power of fabric couldn't save me either.

i was told not too worry so much.
after all, i do know it's only my first interview.
and normal human beings don't usually get it on their first try..
but i really love the design studio.
they are such an awesome bunch of people.
the studio is too pretty to work in! (i'll be distracted by the furniture and that's a good thing!)
and they are such a well established company with many important clients under their belt.
it would be such an honor to work with them...
argh!

i'm still sending out my resume and portfolio to other potential employers.
a couple of them are fashion based, which is pretty awesome.
i'll try to be as optimistic as i can.
just keep hoping,
just keep pushing myself,
and see where that takes me.

keeping my fingers crossed and twisted.

wana thank those who have wished me luck prior to the interview.
and of cos, the comforting after that. :)

to my precious Zoe

2008-09-05T21:45:00.004+08:00

Happy Birthday Zoe!

::not her most recent picture. zoe's just so cute!!!::
i have never liked kids.
i find them noisy, annoying and extremely needy.
and well... kids don't seem to like me very much either.
there's just no chemistry between us whatsoever.
i guess... the feeling's mutual.

but i love my niece, Zoe, very very much.
and for the first time, i can finally understand why couples would want a child(children) of their own.
Zoe is probably the closest i'll ever have to having my own child.
i think about her all the time.
i think about whether if she's walking now, whether if she's speaking now, whether if her teeth have started growing out and so on.
sometimes when i'm out shopping, i find myself unconsciously wandering and pacing around the kids department, browsing through all the adorable outfits for her and wondering which one would go well for what occasion.

i have a picture of her clearly displayed on my table.
looking at it everyday makes me wana hold her tight and kiss her on the cheeks.
it constantly reminds me of her infectious laughter, which never fails to lift up my spirit. or her big bright smile that says everything is gona be alright.
my brother recently sent me an updated picture of her.
she's grown so much in just 2 months...
i cant believe she has started calling my bro and charlotte "papa" and "mama"!
she's still as adorable as ever and smiling as always.

it kills me that i cant be there on her 1st birthday party.
i really wish i could jump on a plane right this minute and see her.
i just pray that i'll not miss anymore of such occasions.
because i want to be an uncle who will be there for her.

::i drew her a birthday card. this illustration was the outer cover that wraps the birthday card. i spent the whole morning drawing 12 different kinds of cupcakes to make this wallpaper. thank God i love cupcakes, or i'll go crazy drawing each one of them::

anyway,

Happy 1st Birthday my precious Zoe!!!!!!
have a fantastic and joyous birthday!!!!
uncle dylan will be back as soon as i can to see ya.

*Zoe turns 1 on the 7th of September. Celebrations would be held on the 6th.*

i cant really upload the picture of the main card becos i drew a character from my "upcoming" children's book, and didnt wana have any copyright issues. i might be able to post it in the future. for now i've just shown it to fauz, lipei, ben and of cos my brother. they love it to bits. so that's good enough. :)

fashion entry

2008-08-28T01:56:00.000+08:00

i heart fashion

::tickets to the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival::
let me start by quoting a paragraph from my favorite poetry.

"...where a strong wave of tailoring comes down the catwalk,
all formal, and all in muted greys and creams.
it's one of the strongest indicators of the season that the loud
colour of last summer has died back and given way to much
more considered tones.
But these suits aren't lazy.
The cuts are slick, the linings minimal." - by GQ Style.

this is what i call poetry! just beautiful!

so what is fashion?
and what does fashion mean to you?
when you say you love fashion, do you mean
you love clothes in general? the design? the designer? the tailoring?
the brand? or the history behind it?

let me tell you my definition of fashion.
Fashion is not about utility.
An accessory is merely a piece of iconography,
used to express individual identity.
but i dun stop at there.
when i carry, say, a Gucci wallet,
i'm aware that The House of Gucci was founded by
a guy named Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1921.
in the 1990s the company was having financial difficulties,
closed to bankruptcy.
in 1994, Tom Ford was appointed as creative director.
Domenico De Sole was CEO at that time.
in 1999 Gucci forged a strategic alliance with French group PPR,
and at the same time, acquired Yve Saint Laurent.
2001, Ford's lean sleek look with lashings of sex appeal Spring Collection
became a signature style for Gucci.
in 2004, Ford and de Sole left Gucci due to disagreements with PPR bosses.
Frida Giannini is currently the creative director.
(and yes, i remember facts like that by heart)

Tom Ford has since launched his own eyewear (in 2005), fragrance (in 2006)
and men's wear(in 2007).
i love his perfume!!! in my opinion, Black Orchid by Ford is one of the best female perfumes around. i am personally using the man's fragrance by Tom Ford and its
absolutely beautiful!

what about Calvin Klein? i absolutely love Calvin Klein!
but does anyone know who the designer/designers is/are?
no.. not 'Calvin Klein'.... duh.
Fransico Costa is currently the creative director for the women's wear.
Kevin Carrigan is the creative director of CK Calvin Klein.
and finally, Italo Zucchelli is the head designer for the menswear. (if i'm not wrong!)

what about say... i dunno... local aussie fashion line Alphaville a.k.a. Alpha60?
as you guys should already know by now, i love love love the clothes from them.
they are Melbourne based who recently just opened their first sydney store in Sydney. brother and sister team, Georgie and Alex Cleary started their Alpha 60 label in 2002.
their range focuses on surreal graphics and sophisticatedly quirky shapes. Georgie makes the prints all by herself.
in 2006, their works were exhibited at the National Design Centre at Federation Square and even designed the uniforms for Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant in Melbourne.
they are impressive eh?

my point is,
when i say i love fashion, i say it with conviction.
i say it with backing reasons.
i say it because i truly, truly love it.
that goes with labels that i particularly love.
i wear it because i love the garment.
i wear it because i know the brand.
i wear it because i know the people behind the designs.
the excellent tailoring, the fabric used, the design and style, what goes behind making them... all these factors dictate what i purchase and what i put on.
i dun carry a Louis Vuitton bag or wallet just because i want to achieve a bigger-than-life status. i carry it because i know Marc Jacobs is exceptional at what he does and has done for LV. i love his vision and love the fact that he has collaborated with Takashi Murakami and Stephen Sprouse to produce a collection that infuses fashion with art and design. and i love the fact that LV makes fabulous bags.
and it doesnt have to be branded labels that i'll fall for.
i even love local aussie designers.
James Cameron, Hem and Haw, Trimapee, Ksubi just to name a few.
i also love the fact that fashion defines who we are and it allows us, as i have mentioned, to express our own individual identity.

that's why i hate it when people say they love fashion "just because. period."
i hate it when some poser gay boy wears what he wears because all his friends are wearing them.
i hate it when people wear something just because it's "in" right now.
for example, when i was back in singapore, i've seen countless people wearing scarfs.... seriously.... it's freaking hot in singapore, you dun wear a scarf! (a thin scarf may be fine, but borderline)
even in fashion, i believe in practicality.
i too hate it when people buy fake goods... they have absolutely no respect for the designers.

Ultimately, what i'm trying to put across is,
when i say i love fashion, please do not stereotype me like everyone else.
never put me into the "great, another gay boy who loves fashion" category.
because when i say i love fashion, i mean it with all my heart.
(just so you know, all the facts regarding the fashion labels are written by memory.
feel free to test me in person.)

::Rosemount Sydney Fashon FEstival Banne::
lipei and i recently attended the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival which lasted from the 13th to 17 august.
the event was fabulous! featuring local aussie labels like Sass & Bide, Wayne Cooper, Alex Perry, One Teaspoon, James Cameron, Silence is Golden, Jayson Brunsdon...
just to name a few out of a long list of labels.
we wanted to go for the friday show to view Sass & Bide's collection. but sadly, it was sold out. my next option was to go for the saturday show because they have James Cameron, Trimapee, Romance was Born and Bowie. it'll be great to see a mix of menswear and womenswear on the runway.
i enjoyed the show very much, and James Cameron's collection, in my opinion, lived up to his name. love love love it!
if there was anything to complain about, it's the models.
lipei and i were disappointed with them because they looked tired and uninterested.
it's as though they wanted to rush through the whole show and get out of there asap.

these are some pics i took during the show.

::oohhh... gotta love the LED lights!::

>
::the runway inside the tent. the whole tent was pitched on Martins Place. very Bryan Park-ish::

first up, Frisoni Finetti.

i didnt get to take much pics in the beginning of the show because i was trying to figure out how to use my digital camera.
it's a pretty old camera therefore many of the pics came out really badly at the start of the show.
had to make a lot of adjustments to the exposure. (it's time to get a new camera!)
finally managed to get it right. therefore, the pics look much better at the end. :)

next up is by Illionaire.

too bad i was having probs with my camera.
the clothes on display were just gorgeous.

third in line is Therese Rawsthorne.

i must say, the clothes by Therese Rawstonrne are exceptionally beautiful.

Trimapee is next, a label that i personally like.

the clothes from Trimapee are quirky, which is what i like about them.
in general i tend to like their coats and jackets. but their shirts are pretty awesome as well.
i didnt get to snap many of the menswear as i was still meddling with my camera.
but dun worry, i was still able to enjoy the show. :)

next is my favourite label, James Cameron. (the pics get better)

the collection didnt disappoint. i fell in love with everything on the runway.
bright colours and well tailored. it was enjoyable just watching it.

finally we have Romance Was Born.

at the beginning of the show, i was very excited to see what Romance Was Born has to offer.
they are often very unpredictable, and that's what i love about them.
during last year's Motorola Melbourne Spring Fashion Week,
they came out with this wedding theme. extremely hilarious and a great way to end the show.
this time round, it was a nomad kind of a theme.
exception clothes, gorgeousl prints and i love the whole wackyness of it.
the bull mask... you gotta love it. haaa!

::lipei and i outside the tend::

::what i wore...::
so... what did i wear to the event?
(man, this sounds like last year's fashion show)
i wore:
White shirt by FCUK. $120
Yellow jumper by Saxony. $80
Cardigan by Alpha60. $169
Bow tie by Beat Poët. $99
Scarf by Gucci. $310
Black skinny jeans by Cheap Monday. $95
Socks by H&M. (not sure how much. from Ben who got it from New York)
Shoes by Converse. $79
Watch by Armani. $290
Long wallet by Calvin Klein. $179
Underwear... haa! by Calvin Klein. $45

as you can see, i wore a mix of formal and casual stuff,
which is usually my style.
if only you guys can see the Alpha60 cardigan up close.
it's extremely unique and quirky. i love it!

as for lipei, she wore a simple yet beautiful dress from Quick Brown Fox,
and a pair of pink high heels from... i cant remember where. haa!
she also inserted a flower at the side of her hair. pretty and cute. :)

this month's recommendations?
(yesh, i may do a monthly fashion entry)
i'll be highlighting a few labels that i personally love.
they've been around for a while, so some of you may already own
a couple of pieces from them. (give the others a chance!)

::tshirts by April 77 Records::
the first is April 77.
founded by Bric Partouche in 2002,
the brand has now split into 2 sub brands.
one is called April 77 Records which, in association with it's record label, is more towards the denim side. so you can expect lot's of skinny jeans and basic tshirts.
the other is called April 77, which is more towards the fashion and experimental side.
what i love about April 77 is that it does so well at fusing music with fashion.
the brand is heavily influenced by rock-and-roll, and this can be seen throughout their collection. i love how they would incorporate a guitar pick onto their jeans on even onto the polo shirts (autumn/winter 08). even the simple designs on the tshirts somehow just screams music. and what i like about April 77 Records is that, when you buy a piece of apparel from them, you can download a song from their website simply by typing in the password which is found on the clothe tag. (you gota scratch out the special numbers like a lucky draw coupon) awesome eh?
i do however feel that their cutting are suited for the skinny, slim and small build.
the skinnier the better. seriously!
finally! something that looks good on skinny guys! i personally have to wear medium though, cos their small size is really really small...
so check them out at www.april77.fr and www.april77records.com

::clothes by A.P.C.""
next is French label A.P.C. founded by Jean Touitou in 1988.
what i like about A.P.C. is that their clothes are extremely well tailored, ensuring that they fit appropriately to your body. the superior quality of fabrics used in their clothes ensure that it's money well spent. :) the brand focuses a lot on designs that are minimal and cleancut, thus making it accessible to most people. so if you're the kind who aren't all that adventurous when dressing up but still wana look stylish, then A.P.C. might be your answer.
if you're in sydney, you can get them at Incu and Our Spot.
check it out at www.apc.fr.
you'll be impressed.

::pic taken from Our Spot::
lastly, i'll introduce a local Sydney label called Rittenhouse.
understated and lacking in publicity, Rittenhouse makes it up for it's designs. it has one of the most wearable and original style in the local fashion industry. team Sally McDonald and Micah Hamdorf traverse the world in search of stocklists. the label consists from loose fitting, over sized tshirt dresses to beautifully crafted parkas and sculptural tops.
sold in Australia, LA, London and Japan, get it now at www.rittenhouse.com.au.

that's all for now. :)
just wana thank the few friends who have read my previous post and have comforted me i in more ways than one. u thank you for that. and i'll do better for sure.

let me end this entry with a quote by Christian Dior.
'"By being natural and sincere, one often can create revolutions without having sough them".

the devil in me

2008-08-12T20:50:00.003+08:00

what has the future installed for me?

i simply cant comprehend the situation that i am in.
do i follow wat my heart tells me?
or be rational and let the mind do the thinking and decide?
the fire in me is slowly dying out.
i need a quick fix.
one that would put me right back on track,
because the devil in me is eating me up.
one little piece at a time.
if this persist, i'll not only lose my mind,
but i believe it will kill everything that i am,
and everything that i have,
and everything that i believe in.

i just wish everything was as easy as reading a manual and
following the directions accordingly.
i wish everything was foolproof,
wrapped entirely in bubble wrap,
and sealed with a quality stamp.
if there were any defects, simply send it back and get a full refund.
service should always be efficient.
never letting us wait till the cows come home.

the feelings i have now,
are filled with anger, disappointment and jealousy.
there is no room for anything else because
people do not TRY to understand me.
i've spoken, i've showed emotions.
but what do i get in return?
yes i'm nice. yes i'm happy. yes i'm talented. yes i get whatever fuck i want.
i've heard them all before.
a simple respond like that wont do.
tell me something i dont know.
tell me something i need to know.
tell me something useful.
better yet, show me.

all i can do for now is wait.
wait is all i can do for now...

i love...

2008-07-25T03:30:00.001+08:00

my sydney life thus far

::pic of the Sydney Habour Bridge and Opera House. my current apartment is just 5 min away from where i took this pic. it's seriously very near the Habour brighe, and that's wat i like about Kirribilli. took this pic with the iphone::

::lipei and i taking a quick break at Hyde Park. i just love sitting on the grass watching the world go by. pic taken with the iphone::
almost 4 months have passed and sydney isn't as overwhelming as i thought it would be.
sure it's still Australia, but i personally feel it has a whole different culture as compared to melbourne.
i love melbourne.
i always will.
sydney... i'm slowly but surely appreciating it.
i do have to say,
i love my current apartment.
it's at Kirribilli and if you guys know where that is, you'll know it's a pretty area.
i love my walk-in wardrope! and the clothes in it. :)

::this is the pier that is just beside our apartment. i love the view. it was love at frst sight::
i love Crown street, Paddinton, Newtown, Bondi, Rhodes and Chatswood!
oh! and not forgetting the little pretty shop along Pitt Street called "Cupcakes on Pitt"!
i love cupcakes.
as the name implies, it sells extremely pretty and tasty cupcakes!
i love the sticky date and tiramitsu ones!
and to lipei and my surprise, they serve delicious soups too!
perfect for winter.
i love having hot soups on a cold winter day.

::lipei and i had tea and an apple crumble at "Coffee, tea or me". i love the tea cups. ::
lipei and i are still finding a perfect place to have fabulous coffees and cakes.
see, the thing is, sydney lacks the coffee culture melbourne is known for.
the cafes here serve pretty bad coffees and it's difficult to find
a nice cosy place like St Jeromes (Melbourne).
i love coffees. so it's important to find good coffees.
we did explore sydney quite a bit and Crown street is pretty cool.
"Kawa" is a great cafe where creative people gather and meet.
"Coffee, tea or me" has great fusion and herbal teas.
and Fifi-watever-the-rest-of-the-name-is looks great too.

what else is new?
hmmm...
i have a new imac, which i love.
a new purple psp, which i love just as much.
and a new iphone 3G...
seriously, the new iphone 3G is over hyped.
it's not flawless that's for sure.
there's quite a lot of things that you cant do with it.
and i'm still wondering why steve job would incoporate bluetooth into the iphone
when the only use for it is for a handsfree head set....
you cant even transfer data or pics with bluetooth.... i find that ridiculous...
and i hate the fact that you gota do everything through itunes...
and come on! i wana customise my ringtone!
you cant customised ringtones becos firstly, you need to purchase songs from itunes.
secondly, only America itunes store can customise ringtones becos of overseas copyright issues...
so for us in Australia we have to wait for the Australian itunes store to be updated.
and singapore... well... let's just say singapore doesnt even have a Singaporean itunes store to begin with...
i love apple.
but i dun love the iphone 3G.
i may like it... but i dun love it.

::pic of me at Crown Street::
anyway, life on the whole is still fabulous.
i have lipei with me so how bad can it be right? :)
i'm being a little more thrifty and trying to spend less on clothes.
it's difficult.
it's the closest i'll ever get to cold turkey.
i love clothes.
i love bags.
i love fashion.

i'm missing my family back home.
i love my mum.
i wish she could join me here in sydney so i can bring her around.
i love my niece too.
and i wish i could be there to see her take her first step.
i miss the times i had when i was back in singapore in may/june
and i love the times we had, fauz. so take care and will see you soon!

i think i've written enough for the day.
it's 3am. i better get some rest.
and yesh... i lovveeeee sleeping.

swelling with emotions

2008-03-25T03:45:00.001+08:00

swelling with emotions

it's 3.21am.
i'm sitting here in front of my 4 year old powerbook,
listening to Sara Bareilles' Little Voice album as i'm typing this.
i'm swelling with emotions.
and it's clear cos i'm typing an entry into my blog.
"where my inner thoughts reside" is how i would described it.
but i havent touched it for as long as i can remember.
but that doesnt mean i havent been thinking...
that doesnt mean my life is at a stand still...
that doesnt mean i dont feel the world around me...
i do.
i'm swelling with emotions.
and maybe it's time to just type a little something for the world to know,
that i feel, and am very much alive.

as most of you guys would have known by now, i'm leaving for sydney.
in a week's time.
in a week's time....
2 months have just slipped by me.
2 months have just slipped by.....
i'm swelling with mix emotions.
i'm gona miss everyone again...
"what's new?" you may ask.
well let me tell you,
it's not easy saying farewells to people you love and care so much for.
"you're so lucky! i mean, you get to live and work overseas!!!" you may say.
well, let me tell you,
it's not easy living and working in a whole different and foreign country where
all your love ones are back home. you only get to see them once a year... 6000km apart...
separated by land and sea... and only a voice on the phone to say how much they love
and care for you... that they will support you no matter what it is.... think about it, is it easy
to be away from people who are there for you all the time?.... i dont think so.
"so why leave? you have a choice." you may reply.
well, let me say this,
i believe in sacrifices... i believe in the phrase "you reap what you sow". i have aspirations and goals.
to be at where i wana be, i need to do this. i need to do it so that i can come back and support
the people i love. it's about time i start earning my own paper.

i'm not sure if any of you feel that your parents are getting older.
i very much do.
and i'm not just refering to their age.
i only get to see them once or twice a year.
and everytime i do, i can just see it in them...
they are not wat they use to be 10 or even 5 years ago...
i'm swelling with emotions...
and i cant stop thinking about what i can and wana do for them.
there's just so much.
there's just so much.
there's just so much...
there's just not enough time...

tell me what would my future holds.
tell me that i'm doing it right.
tell me if i need to make a U turn.
tell me what the voices in my head are.
tell me to believe in myself.
tell me where i belong.
tell me that everything would be alright.
tell me that fear is non existent.
tell me the reasons for it all.
if someone would just tell me...
i dont have the answers, but i'll just take a step at a time,
and slowly move forward, looking out for the answers along the way.
i'm swelling with emotions and i cant get it out of my head.

i heart melbourne

2007-09-12T19:53:00.000+08:00

will and grace

::pic of lipei and i while waiting for the tram. this is by far the best pic of us together. to set the mood for fashion week, we decided to pose like models. you know... the cold, we-are-fabulous-dun-mess-with-us kinda look. :) anyway, love this pic a lot, especially the colours ::

living the lives of Will & Grace.
this is the kind of relationship lipei and i
have developed over the years we have been in melbourne.
if you have watched the tv series,
and you know us in person,
you'll totally agree that i'm very much the character Will, and lipei as Grace.
firstly, i'm aj. (just like Will)
and secondly, i'm the controlled guy that makes sure
everything doesnt go overboard.
lipei is the big curly hair girl (just like Grace), who's nothing but fun and laughter;
basically, a free-spirited girl.
i have my own apartment, and lipei crashes into mine for a month.
(that happens exactly in the tv series)
and when she moved out a couple of weeks back,
she still stays over at my place and we hang out everyday, just like Will & Grace.
a lot of things that happen in Will & Grace would somehow happen to us as well.
we are each other's support, like in Will & Grace.
we have this mutual understanding for each other, just like Will & Grace.
everytime we watch Will & Grace together,
it's like watching a reflection of us on the small screen.

so lipei, you will always be my Grace.
and i'll always be your Will. :)

i know its been a while since i last updated.
august has been really eventful for me.
and it seems it's not slowing down for the month of september!

before you scroll down and view the pics,
i better write everything that i have to say first.
cos there are over 80 pics in this entry, and by the time you reach the bottom,
i dun think any of you would care about reading the last bits.
can you imagine?! 80 pics in an entry!!! has anyone ever put that many
pics in a single entry?

to fauzi,
hey, cant wait for you to come here (melbourne) and
spend your holidays with me. (and of cos lipei)
there are so many places i wana take you to.
so better prepare yourself!

after being in melbourne for a couple of years,
i have truly grown to love melbourne very much.
in fact, i'm loving melbourne more with each passing day.
as you scroll down and view all the pics,
you'll realised that there's always something to do in melbourne.
new places to explore,
new gallery openings to attend,
new restaurants to dine in,
concerts after concerts to scream about,
parties after parties to go crazy about...
you'll never get bored of the city.
it's full of life here.
and i'm really enjoying my stay here.
i'll miss melbourne terribly when i go back.
but i'll always know that melbourne will welcome me back with open arms.
and who knows, i might find home here one day...

WARNING
yes... warning... a lot of pics are being uploaded in this entry.
so pls be patient and wait for them to upload.
there are still a hundred more pics to upload.
and i'm not kidding about the number.
there are still a lot of pics i took in singapore that are not uploaded here yet.
so be patient and i'll upload them in the next couple of entries.

in the mean time....

::the Motorola Melbourne Spring Fashion Show. took this picture during the second show::
Fashion Show
The Motorola Melbourne Spring Fashion Week just came to an end.
this was one event i have been waiting since the begining of the year.
it is THE event for me!
afterall, my life revolves around fashion and the fashion shows.
i attended 2 out of the 4 shows.
too bad i couldnt get tickets for the last show...
but we had fantastic seats!!!
third row from the runway.
all thanks to me of course! heee...
before the fashion shows, many outfits were scouted.
finally settled on 2 sets of clothes.

::lipei in her gorgeous outfit! the pic doesnt justify the fabulous-ness of the outfit::

::lipei and i all dressed up for the fashion show::
for the first show, (titled Style Wars)
danny, lipei, devi, bus, kathy, michael and i attended the event.
i wore:
white shirt ($60) with fabulous gold cufflinks ($50),
a gold slim tie ($50),
Nudie thin fin jeans ($210),
converse shoes ($70, yesh i finally bought a pair of shoes for the event),
a black trench coat ($250),
and i carried a gold men's purse and wore gold ear studs.
i love gold so my attire was basically gold and black.
lipei wore green and gold that night too, so it was great
that we complimented each other. :)
lipei, you were absolutely gorgeous that night!
and so were devi and kathy!!!
during the show, fashion labels Kate Hurst and Friedrich Gray shone,
with fabulous outfits and shoes.
Alpha60, Claude Maus and TV were great as well.
Romance Was Born ended the show in a funny but entertaining way
with 3 pairs of wedding outfits. 2 straight couples and 1 gay couple. :)

::when stepped into the Melbourne Town Hall, you are greeted by make-up booths. the whole setting for the show is so glamorous::

::closer look at the make-up booths::

::pic taken during the first show (Style Wars)::

::michael, bus, kathy, devi, me and lipei at the Fashion Show After Party. deeny couldnt join us for the after party cos he has an exam the next day::

::gorgeous devi and i toasting::

the second show, (titled The Looking Glass)
i wore a thin strip shirt from RDX ($90),
a Jacket from RDX ($120),
an ultra slim tie ($50),
Nudie thin fin jeans, converse shoes and my gold man's purse.
this second show was so much better than the first one.
i love the clothes from Aurelio Costarella, Anna Thomas and Nevenka.
the rest like Husk, Christine and Jayson Brunsdon were amazing too!

::lipei and her gorgeous tube dress::

::me trying to pose. i had a long day before the show... ::

::as i have mentioned before, you got to be there to fully experience it. it's extremely glamorous::

::model wearing clothes by Anna Thomas::

::model wearing clothes by Jayson Brunsdon::

::model wearing clothes by Aurelio Costarella::

::models wearing clothes by Aurelio Costarella::

::this is how gorgeous the models are. this pic shows the screen beside the runway. lipei, denny and i particualrly love this model::

going to a fashion show is really exciting.
the atmosphere, the gorgeous crowd, the cameras clicking,
the models strutting down the runway and posing, the after party...
it's really different from watching fashion shows on tv.
and not forgetting, australian models are gorgeous!!!

::look at how beautiful the threater is! this is where we watched the film Paprika during the Melbourne Internation Film Festival::
Film Festival
there was the Melbourne International Film Festival.
as with any other years, lipei and i watched 2 films.
the first was Day Watch.
we watched the first one, Night Watch, 2 years back, our first year in melbourne.
so it's fantastic that we caught the sequel during our third
and fianl year here in melbourne.
the special effects in Day Watch is spectacular!
nothing short from the first film.
the story can get a little confusing and i wished there was more character development.
the concept's very original and interesting, but lacks substance.
however, overall, it's still worth catching the movie.
i just cant wait for the third and final installment.

::a shot of us just before the show started::

the second film we watched was Paprika, a japanese anime movie.
visuals and artwork are amazingly detailed.
story is confusing and needs a little more explanation.
but still a good movie nonetheless.

::our tickets for Gwen Stefani and Bob Dylan's concert!!!::
Concerts
lipei and i attended Gwen Stefani and Bob Dylan's concerts.
2 concerts.
1 word.
FABULOUS!
lipei and i were very fortunate!!!
during Gwen Stefani's concert, she came over to our seating area!!!!!
lipei stood beside Gwen Stefani while i was just behind her!!!!
and i touched her!!! i touched Gwen Stefani!!!
overall, the concert is one of the best i've ever attended.
the props, the costumes, the band, the music...
awesome!!!!
if any of you guys ever get the chance to watch Gwen Stefani perform,
please do not hesitate to get the tickets.
it's worth every cent!

::this is why we have the BEST SEATS!!!! Gwen Stefani was at our seating area!!! i was directly behind her!!!::

::damn the girl's mobile phone... or i'll be getting a great shot of Gwen Stefani::

::this is why Bob Dylan's concert is awesome! look at the crowd!! look at how grand it is!!! i love this pic very much! ::
Bob Dylan is a legend!
yesh he's old and his songs wouldnt be appreciated by many youngsters these days.
but lipei and i really enjoyed his concert very much.
he's amazing! you have got to be there to fully appreciate his music.
he is, afterall, a legend!
i'm glad that i went.

::the stage at Bob Dylan's concert::

::this is a blurry shot of us just before the concert. i'm wearing the green Bob Dylan's Bandana. lipei's wearing the Bob Dylan concert T-shirt::

::Bob Dylan's concert program::

::LOOK! my name's on the cover!!! heeee.... ::

::lipei and i can be very crazy at times... this is us lying on the ground of an overhead bridge after Bob Dylan's concert. people were walking pass us.... but we didnt really care ::

::no matter how crazy we are... we still have each other::

next concert lipei and i will be attending is Snow Patrol!!!

::this shot was taken outside the National Gallery of Victoria. it's currently exhibiting the Guggenheim Collection::

::this is the State Library of Victoria::
Exhibitions
there are many exhibition running in Melbourne at this point in time.
i went to the Guggenheim Collection Winter Masterpieces at the
National Gallery of Victoria.
works by 68 artists including Roy lichtenstein (i love!), jackson Pollock,
Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol and Cindy Sherman, were on display.
i went to the exhibtion twice, and i love it!
next i went to Famous: Karin Catt Portraits exhibition at
the State Library of Victoria.
i love this exhibition very much.
Karin Catt is amazing.
another exhibition lipei and i went was a graffiti exhibition by famous
graffiti artists all around melbourne.
artists like Reka, Phins, Dabs ete were on display.
the exhibition was held at Revolver, a club along Chapel Street.

::this is Revolver pub along Chapel Street. awesome atmosphere! i highly recommend the place. anyway, the graffiti exhibition is currently held here::

::just some of the pieces exhibited on the wall of the pub::

::more artwork at the other end of the pub. the artworks on display are amazing!::

Drinking sessions
erm... yeah i've been having a lot of drinking seesions....
but it's so much fun!
i dun think i will be able to upload all the pics from the parties here.
so i'll upload shirley's birthday party (the most recent event), the drinking/clubbing session my friends and i had at Cookies and Boulevard, and the other drinking session at Bimbos along Brunswick Street.
jennifer, if you are reading this, i'm sorry but your birthday party pics
will be in the next entry. :) we had a lot of fun at wagamama and Lavish ya. :)

shirley's birthday

::took this photo from the garden at the back of the house::
we had the birthday party at Akiko and Kumiko's house.
i love the house very much!
very homely and spacious.
and the party was awesome and fun!
almost everyone was there.
i'm really glad to have friends like them!
and if you are wondering why we are all in pink... well...
cos the theme is PINK!!!
this happens when girls organise events.

::this is the birthday girl, shirley. look at how shy she is :) happy birthday again shirley. glad that you enjoyed your birthday ::

::we had an A1 piece of paper pasted on the wall. everyone would draw something that would represent what shirley's world would be. the final result is an awesome piece of artwork. good job my fellow graphic designers!!!::

::not everyone is in the picture::

::jolina, jennifer, me and devi::

::we are definitely very pink! jolina's wearing a tutu. :) ::

::kumiko, jennifer, me and aaron in accending height. haaa! and we didnt even plan it!::

::me, shirley, nina and christa at the living room::

::me, devi, jennifer and michael, the fantastic (and fabulous!) four!!!::

::michelle and i at the kitchen. love your outfit, michelle!::

::post-fashion week fever!!! devi and i couldnt get enough of fashion week... so we decided to pose for the camera::

::jennifer, devi, me and akiko::

::steven, me, michael, sam and aaron. man enough to be in pink!!! hey... sam and aaron arent in pink...::

::michael digging for garbage after the party.... dun ask me why... haaa! ::

the group photos are with the rest.
so pls people, pls pass me the group photos
so i can upload it here. thank you very much. :)

Cookies
after a stressful semester, it's time to wind down and head over
to the coolest pubs and clubs for drinks.
all of us went to Cookies, which is an awesome pub btw, for a hell of a good time.
we drank a lot... too much for some of us...
but heck! we need the drinks!!!

::steven, michael, michelle, me, jennifer and christa::

::jennifer, christa, shirley, me, nina, devi and kumiko::

michelle, michael and jennifer sharing a drink::

::me, michelle, aaron, michael and jennifer::

::fiona, christa, michelle, me, michael, ivan and shirley::

::me, akiko and jennifer::

::fiona, me, nina and kumiko::

Boulevard
Boulevard is a club along the Yarra River.
that night was asian night.
and by the time we got to Boulevard, most of us were
pretty high from the drinking session earlier on.
so yeah, from the pics, you can kinda tell that most of us are pretty drunk...

::group photo of us inside Boulevard::

::yup... pics of us drunk...::

::and here's another pic of us drunk... we get really huggable when we are tipsy...::

::another group photo of us in Boulevard::

::kumiko, devi and i::

::erm... i think the pic speaks for itself...::

::me, jennifer and ivan... the remaining survivors??... ::

Bimbos
seriously, the pub/restaurant is really called Bimbos..
nope, there arent any bimbotic blondes as waitresses serving us...
the mascot and logo has nothing to do with bimbos...
and no, it's not a gathering place for bimbos...
in fact, the mascot is a cute (some say it's scary) baby...
pls dun ask me why...
i'm just there for the awesome food!!! and drinks!!! and music!!! and of cos, company!!!
that night... we drank quite a bit... as usual...

::photo of us at Bimbos::

::michelle and ivan sharing a pizza while i'm just... yeah i'm just there... :P ::

::me, jolina and jennifer::

::me, fiona and danny::

::michelle sitting on jennifer's lap, while ivan and i lean in::

::group photo with all the girls... and me. heee... i'm such a lady's man... ::

::me and my two gorgeous girls, jennifer and devi::

::group photo of all of us there. the flash wasnt strong enough though::

Mics pics
basically, these are some random pics.
trying to upload as many pics as possible so that it doesnt pile up.

::roshan's boyfriend, roshan and i. roshan is an old friend of mine since JC, and i accidentally bumped into them after one of my drinking sessions. it's great to see her again::

::kenjee, lipei and i at Jeromes::

::lipei looking sexy and all::

::and me trying to act cute.....::

::lipei and i at Supper Inn in Chinatown::

::me, alvin and jared at Jeromes::

::me, lipei and denny at L'in Control for some late coffee::

and these are four of the many pics i took when i was back in sinagpore.
tons more to upload in the next entry....

::fauz and i at... erm... were we at Bishan? anyway, we were there to help out in the adventure race::

::me, fauz, suping and angelin at sentosa. it was fun! and we even brought champaign and martini glasses.... heee::

::the four of us at Arab Street sheesha-ing::

::thanks guys, for sending me off at the airport. appreciate that a lot::

wow, you guys have finally come to the end of this entry... phew!
it's pretty long eh?
meant to write more presonally stuff, but time is not on my side.
hope to do so soon.
i'll also be uploading some of my artwork in the next entry.
i'm very please with some of my illustrations and design work.
if you love fashion as much as i do,
look forward to that becos two of my works are fashion based! :)
in the mean time, take care and i'll try (no promise) to update this blog regularly.
and yesh... pestering me actually helps....

ciao!

intermission

2007-07-18T01:47:00.000+08:00

i came and i left

::lipei and i in melb. miss you so much lipei!!!
no! it's not true!!!
my blog is not dead yet!!
it's very much alive and kicking!
.............. ok.... it's dormant....
but like a volcano, it'll erupt,
and soon, there will be many many entries
to read and pictures to gawd at. :)

but for now,
this is another one of those very short, anti-climatic intermisson.
yesh yesh... i'm supposed to be updating this blog regularly...
i think i have accumulated hundreds of pics to upload...
and i'm not exaggerating at all...
i'm also suppose to redesign this entire blog design...
hmmm......
dun worry my friends, i will in due time!
for now, i'm just gona do an extremely ultra mega brief summary...

finished my assignments and handed them in on 15 june.
flew back to singapore that very day for my winter holidays.
caught up with some of my friends (there were quite a few whom
i still havent gotten the chance to meet up... sorry guys...).
had lots and lots of fun...
so much so that i didnt wana fly back...
but i have to...
i flew back to melbourne on the 15 of july for my last semester.
so here i am, in winter cold melbourne.... *shiver*

very brief eh? :)
details would be accompanied with pics,
so pls wait till the next entry.

for now, i wana thank these people who made
my trip back to singapore so enjoyable.

fauz:
meow!!! thank you so much for everything.
i'm so happy to have you.
thanks for tolerating my nonsense
and being there for me always when i'm in need.
thank you so much for the food you cook.
i'm missing your tom yum badly!
and of cos all the shopping we did and the suppers
we had at simpang bedok.
thank you thank you thank you...
take care of yourself ya.
i miss you!!!

gaz:
hey man,
you know your working schedule is cra-cra-cra-crazy!
so make sure you get enough rest.
and pls pls pls ride safely.
thanks for taking time off to catch up with me.
enjoy your trip to L.A.!

boshen:
wei,
wo hen gao xin hui lai nen jian tao ni.
ok, i'll stop my han yu pin yin... muahaha
as i was saying, i'm glad to be able to catch up with you.
great that you're doing fine and all.
take good care of youself!
will catch up with you again year end.

jenn,
hugs!!!
i'm glad that i could be of a listening ear to you.
take good care of yourself.
and smile always! :)
it was so nice seeing you!
see you year end!!!

suping:
hey hey!
your company has always been fun and enjoyable.
the movies, the suppers, the shopping, the beach...
and savouring to fauz's delicious cooking. :)
cant wait to hang out with you again.
and thanks for sending me off at the airport.
appreciate that so much!
in the mean time, take care!!!

angelin:
hey girl,
still very impressed/amazed with your IT skills...
maybe next time you can help me with my comp. :P
wana say thanks for your company and
it was fabulous hanging out with you.
hope you get your psp soon!
then can wi-fi and play together. :)
take care!

jingyi:
hey hey,
it's always a nostalgic feeling hanging out with you.
too bad grace cant join us.
anyway, all the best in watever you do.
take care and send my regards to desmond. :)
catch up with you again when i get back.

kenny:
hey kenny!!!!
1 more year... just 1 more year!
wait... you are looking forward to graduating ya?
heee...
yesh... and next year i'll be joining you in hell....
ICT... fuck...
but anyway, great to meet up with you and the rest!
miss ya so much!!

alan:
hey!
next time you better follow me to you-know-where. :)
anyway, its great to see you, kenny and the rest.
all the best in your portfolio.
take care and i'll catch up with you when i'm back.

jared:
hey neighbour!
thanks so much for sending me off at the airport!
so envious you're back in sinagpore slacking and
enjoying your break...
but yup, you definitely deserve your break.
hope to catch up with you in melb in august.
in the mean time take care,
and pls pay simpang bedok(the eating place) a visit. :P

sham:
hey man,
thanks for introducing clique to me.
that's a really cool place to chill.
and thanks for asking my Godbro to join us for clubbing.
you are always so sweet.
do take good care of yourself.
will miss your company!

and to everyone else who i've met like fazli(my first Godbro), izad(my second Godbro), esen,
heed etc, thanks for everything. :)

and rain, i hope you are well in USA.
miss you loads!

ok ok, got to go now.
still got other stuff to do.
though i'm missing singapore terribly,
with lipei and the rest of my fabulous friends in melbourne,
i'll be soooo fine. :)

eternal assignments...

2007-05-20T03:52:00.000+08:00

am i awake?

::asleep in dreamland::
i know i'm in serious need of an update.
and yesh, it's pretty obvious wat my reason would be.
it's my assignments...
if you guys have been msging me on msn,
you'll probably have a conversation like this:
you: how are you?
me: i'm doing alright... just busy
you: what have you been up to?
me: assignments
you: any plans for the weekends?
me: assignments... maybe a few drinks with friends.
you: ok... what are you doing right now?
me: assignments....
you: hmm.. it's pretty late...
me: yup... assignments...
you: so er... sleeping yet?
me: nope... assignments...
you: er ok, then i shant disturb you
me: assignments............

i'm left with just 2 weeks before my semester ends.
so you probably can imagine the sheer amount of work load.
and to make matters difficult, the final assignments are crazily challenging...
but you know, i'm pretty glad that the first half of third year is almost over.
time really flies eh? but then again, i've been thru so much to get here.
i'm more or less in a holiday mood already.
spending a lot of time outside having dinners and drinks.
and it's never too early for a beer. in aussieland that is.
beer for breakfast and lunch....
still trying to get accustomed to that though.

::the 6 of us discussing our assighment in the studio::
for one of my final assignments,
we were asked to be grouped into groups of 5 or 6.
i'm really happy to work with these group of friends.
everyone's doing a great job with what they are tasked to do.
everyone's putting in a lot of effort into this group assignment.
we have a lof of fun as well.
each meeting is such a joy!!!
we would eat, drink, gossip and joke around a lot.
but the best part is that we DO get the job done.
love them loads.
thanks jennifer, fiona, michelle, michael and ivan.
let's get everything done for the presentation!!!
we'll do great!

pictures of my other assignments would be posted
in later entries. i dun really have the time to
convert them into jpegs for uploading.
but i'm really please with my designs.
so do drop by to check it out next time. :)

::my logo after vectorizing my sketches::
i've finally done a personal logo for myself.
the idea behind it?
well... i know personal logos should reflect who i am.
but i've been drawing this character a lot for no reason
in my sketchbooks and for other people for a very long time.
i like it a lot. so i've decided to use it as my logo.
so yeah, you'll see it on my pictures and works from now on.

::the movie posters for 盛夏光年, eternal summer::
once in a blue moon,
out of no where,
when you least expected,
a film appears and sweeps you off your feet
with its touching story, beautiful cinematography,
engaging characters, heartfelt soundtrack....
you feel in love...
you feel out of love...
you feel the bond of friendship...
you feel hatred, sadness and betrayal all coming to you at once...
you smell the sweat off their bodies...
you taste the salt of sea water...
you smile...
you laugh...
then you tear...
not knowing if it's tears of joy or something unexplainable...
you look back at your own life,
only to realise it was a direct reflection of you.

盛夏光年, also known as 'eternal summer',
is one film that has somehow pulled my heartstrings,
and caused me to feel so much emotions all at once.
an emotion rush... no. more like an emotional tidal wave...
i felt like i was living the lives of the characters
and could relate to them totally.
no matter what i write,
there'll be no words that could decribe how i exactly feel,
or for that matter, how great the film is.
serously, no words can justify it's sheer beauty.
a few of my friends have expressed their thoughts and think otherwise.
it's subjective, but to me, its a powerful and beautiful film
and would go down as one of the best films i've ever watched.
i urge everyone, straight or gay, to watch it.
it will definitely move you.

the soundtrack is awesome.
五月天 never fail to impress us with their songs and lyrics.
ah shin (the front man of the band) is a genius.
盛夏光年 (the song named after the film) and 拥抱 (one of their older hits)
are so beautifully written and composed by them, you cannot NOT love these songs!
even 明白 and 纯真, the other 2 songs from the soundtrack are amazing as well.
if you guys know me well, you'll know that i dun listen to mandarin songs...
but the movie soundtrack is so awesome i was in fact frantically searching for
the album all over the net. i was deperate to get my hands on a copy of the soundtrack.
that said, do check it out!!! i'm glad to have a copy of the soundtrack now.
all thanks to fauz and jolina, so nice of them to get it for me.
you guys have no idea what it means to me!

::from left: bryant chang, kate yeung and joseph chang::
the actors, joseph chang, bryant chang and kate yeung,
played their roles exceptionally well.
go watch the film and you'll know what i mean.
there's a reason why bryant chang won 'best newcomer' in the golden horse awards,
and joseph chang got nominated for the same category and 'best supporting actor'.

::the oh-so-good looking joseph chang. i'm in love with him already. love kate yueng too!::
and i do have to say that joseph chang is extremely gorgeous.
he is the kind of guy i would die to date...
love his tan skin, love his hair, love his smile, love his chiseled good looks... *drool*
i think kate yeung is really pretty too.
love her too! she is one girl i wouldnt mind dating as well...
i wish i could play the part of Jonathan (bryant chang's character)...
then at least i'll be able to kiss both of them. *grin*

just wana include a verse taken from 五月天's 盛夏光年.
i love the meaning of the verse. it's something that i believe in,
and hope everyone feels the same.
"放弃规则放纵去爱放肆自己放空未来我不转弯"
i'm glad that i can read and write mandarin.
and yes, i'm glad that my mandarin is not half bad. :)
just lacking in the number of friends who would speak to me in mandarin.
someone... anyone... speak to me in mandarin!!!

::pic of the dvd::
and btw, i have the dvd of the movie.
they are already selling it in taiwan, so one of the chinese shops
actually imported the dvd to melbourne. jealous?!
i've watched it 4 times already.

::pic of me waiting for the tram::
of all days......
is it a joke life's playing on me?
i thought i would never see you again.
yet on one of those days when i'm at my lowest,
you appear right before me.
it's as though nothing had ever happened.
you may have been out of my life for as long as i can remember...
but you have always been in my heart...
i thought i no longer existed in your life.
i thought you had deleted me away... not once but twice...
but here you are, right before me.
so near, yet so far.
with a touch of a button, i could reach you.
but... could i really reach you?
would you hear me?
i stare at my screen in disbelief....
is this really you?
is this the same you that broke my heart into pieces?
is this the same you that left me stranded in my own sorrow?
is this the same you that couldn't see me the way i see you?
i stare at my screen in disarray....
how have you been?
are you happy and living your life?
are you any nearer to reaching your goals?
i do hope so.
there's so much i wana say to you.
yet i know very well some words are meant to be kept to myself.
if i've learnt anything this past year,
it would be that i've learned to accept things the way they are.
i just want you to know that i'll always pray for your happiness.
if you have ever worried about me,
well...
dun worry, i'm doing better than i thought i would be.
i'm living my life now, though there's still lots to accomplish.
but i'm make my way there, somehow.
so... take care for now...
if i'm lucky, maybe i'll see you briefly again.

i was chatting with my mum on the phone the other day.
it seems that my mum and dad went to see some cars.
my mum hates sportcars...
however, there were 2 of them that she really love.
in fact, i recalled her using the word "gorgeous" to describe them.
2 seater convertible. i'll be using the word "fabulous!".
she said that i'll love one of them and wants me to go see it when i return.
and it seems they might get it for me if i get my licence!!!
my gawd! a sportscar! me driving a sportscar?! i like...
i still love the mini cooper and suzuki swift though.
but a sportscar would do just fine... :)
however... my parents are pretty frickle minded,
so by the time i get my licence,
they might get me another car... a car's still a car though.
so i'm fine with it, so long as it moves...
i love 2 seater cars. to me they're called "selfish cars".
so dun expect me to fetch you guys around in it.
(exceptions to my good friends of cos)

humour me.
no serious, give it a shot.
i find the lack of intellectual conversation depressing and oftenly annoying.
what has become of people?
singaporeans especially.
where are the puns?
where are the ironies?
where are the witty remarks?
where are the sacastic comments? (and i'm not talking about angry/insulting sacasism)
leave lame aside. i'm done with lame. lame is so 90s.
the most annoying thing is when i say something, humour intended,
people look back and say "huh?"
it's not that i'm speaking Hebrew.
people just aren't used to having intellectural conversations...
look, you dun need a PHD to be witty.
you dun even need big words.
just be creative. and matured.
no more, no more boring conversations.
it's such a turn off.

these are some pictures i took.

this entry's theme is 'ray of light'.

::love this pic a lot. took this pic during sun rise::

::this pic was taken at my balcony during sun rise::

::love the effects of the sun rays::

::a pic of a hand. wonder whose is it?::

i thought this pic is equally nice

::took this pic when i was waiting at the train station. love this pic::

other pics i took

::nina smiling to the camera while doing her work during design studio::

::jolina, michael and i at the gallery showcasing some awesome typograpgy artwork from the world over::

::me waiting at the foyer for ivan::

::fiona, eri, sam, jolina, sherly, christina, michelle and i went to the opening of a gallery::

::pic of the menu from the chinese restaurant::

::eri, sam and jolina::

::sherly, christina, michelle and fiona::

::this is henry. and i kissed henry many many times. isn't he adorable?!!::

::ivan hugging henry::

::as i said, it's never too early for a glass of beer :) ::

after easter break

2007-04-19T03:08:00.000+08:00

touching the sky

::i took this pic while i was on the train on my way back to the city from school::
mid semester break is over.....
and as much as i wana believe that everything's gona be fine,
i doubt it.
as usual, assignments after assignments are pouring in.
i had 3 submissions dued on the 5th week(last week).
and it seems the same thing's gona happen on the 9th week...
argh... why must all 3 submissions be dued on the same week?
i'm so gona work my ass off...

it's always nice to know that friends and family
back home are missing me.
it's also nice to know that they're hoping i'll return soon
so that we can hang out and do some catching up.
at least i know i'm working toward something
at the end of the semester.
anyway, just wana say thanks guys.
and thanks for keeping me company on msn. :)
should be back in singapore by 11th june... hopefully...

anyway, these are some of the stuff i've been doing.
for one of my asssignment, i was tasked to redesign
an existing movie dvd or a music cd.

so i chose to do michelle branch's Hotel paper album.
reason being i love her and just thought the design
of the entire album was crapped...

my main aim in the design is to bring out the
acoustic sounds of her guitar,
emphasising it greatly in my illustrations and layout.
firstly, i did my sketches.

::sketch 1::

::sketch 2::

next, i thought of incorporating the texture of wood grains
in my illustration. i felt that having just vectors and flat colours
wouldnt justify the acoustic sounds.
i did a lot of trial and errors...
after much consultation with my tutors,
i settled with these final illustrations.

::this is the postcard i designed. the same image was used on the cover of the cd package. but the layout of the cd cover is a little different, so it look svery different from the postcard::

::this is a close up of the face. makes it easier to see the details::

::this is how the A2 poster looks like::

i'm not able to scan in my cd cover and other applications.
but at least you get a rough idea from the poster and postcard
how the whole collection may fit together.
in all, i did a limited edition digipack cd package, the design of the cd face,
an A2 poster in colour, an A2 poster in black&white and postcards.

i'm not sure if you guys have seen it,
but the poster i did for the charity event has finally been comissioned
and published in 8days, iweekly, Newpapaer and Today newspaper.
personally, it's a bittersweet experience....
i'm happy that my work is finally in the media.
but so many changes were made to my inital design that i
wasnt satisfied with the final look of it.
i mean, ultimately, if a client want changes, even if its ugly
and unreasonable, i have to do it...
so yeah... most of the ugly changes were dued to client request...
so if you think it's ugly... it's them...

i first came out with the header.
spent quite a long time on it.
they like it, so no changes were made.

::this is how the header looks like after tracing my sketches into vectors::

::this is how the header looks like with the effects::

next i designed the flyer.
the background was the hardest to do becos
i did everything from scratched.
that's right, from a plain white canvas to wat you see here.
a lot of texture and flow.
i trying to give a very dreamy effect to the whole design.
no changes were made becos the client like it a lot.

::this is the final design for the A5 flyer::

::this is how the back ground looks like. from an empty white canvas to this... it's like painting...::

::an upclose of a section of the background::

next was the poster....
which gave me the most headache of them all....
the prob with it is that there were so many artisite to fit
in the tiny canvas. and there were requests like the main singers
have to have more priority.
seriously, its not easy at all trying to put
the individual artisite's pics together.
a lot of factors have to be considered,
like the flow of the entire layout,
how it sit well with the rest of the text,
the colours,
how each pic of the artiste had to be positioned
so that there is harmony...
and then whether or not the client likes it...
ultimately it was a nightmare.

::this is the final design for the poster. a few changes were later made for the newspaper editions::

i added a lot of effects, but it had to be removed
because of certain regulations...
the names of the artisite was really a distraction
but the client requested for it.

one of the client actually asked me to put the individual artistes pics
into bubbles... thinking that would solve the layout prob...
my gawd... it would be fucking cheesey and fugly...

i felt that i could have done a whole lot more to make it perfect,
but due to major time constraint, and i had to juggle my school work as well,
this is all i could have done.

that is why i said it was a bitter sweet experience...

the obession of looking good and all.
was chatting with a friend the other day.
and we were talking abt how people are
so conscious abt their body.
seriously, it's not the end of the world
just becos you dun have a six pac.
everyone is unique in their own ways.
so wat if you have a gorgeous body but a retarded personality.
i have met such people and trust me,
it's fucking annoying.
i think it's fucking pointless if you work out
just becos you wana look good and that people
would only want you becos of that.
shallow people...
work out becos you wana stay healthy.
work out becos you wana train for a marathon or something.
work out becos you are the adverturous type and like
pushing yourself to the limit.
but dun just do it cos you cant stand the person
you're seeing in front of the mirror.
if people wouldnt wana be with you just cos
you dun fall under the category of "muscular, hunk, stocky",
then fuck them. they're just shallow and delusional.
you're more than just that.
i myself, am not muscular.
i have no six pacs to boast and have a pretty small frame.
heck, i'm not even goodlooking.
if no one wants me becos i dun have the body,
then i'll rather stay single all my life.
i'm not gona cater to anyone's desire or fetish,
becos i know i'm more than just that.
if people cant see that, then i'm not gona care.
yes, to a certain extend, its a superficial world.
but does that mean you need to comform?
i'm telling all you people that you are
worth a whole lot more than just goodlooks or a great body.

these are some of the many pics i took.

i've decided to have some sort of a theme for this entry.
but i'm not sure if i'm gona continue with it for the rest of the entries.
anyway... this entry's theme is Sora! which means Sky in jap. :)

::pic taken at my balcony during sunrise::

::hot air balloons in the sky! this pic was taken in the morning at my balcony::

::another pic taken during sun rise... apparently i dun sleep till after the sun has risen...::

::took this pic while i was waiting for the train along Richmond after paying Paperpopint a visit::

::took this pic during sun rise::

other worthy pics:

::this pic was taken at GPO, Bourke Street. the architecture and the interior is beautiful and grand::

::my deary Havaianas Flash::

misc pics:

::pic taken in design studio during consultation. michelle, brad and nash::

::eri and i during submission of our graphic design assignment. everyone looked pretty exhausted becos of the lack of sleep the previous night::

::jolina and i during submission day. jolina had a bit of a prob with the school printer... her work was supposed to be in black, but the printer ran out of ink and printed her work in grey... and she wasted $30 on that...::

::jolina's skirt. wicked! somehow, i find myself liking it. heee::

::kumiko and i during submisssion day. kumiko, you still look good even without make up ya. :)::

::the train broke down and becos of that, it cause some major confusion outside my uni. everyone was rushing to get onto the trams. fiona, eri, devi and i were squashed on the tram. but it sure was fun.::

::fiona trying to grab paper on the upper shelf at Paperpoint. as graphic design students in uni, we get to collect 10 pieces of A3 paper for free everyday. that's really a life saver. imagine the amount of money we save....::

::eri still deciding what papers to get::

::chicken curry don with extra tofu!!! i've been having cravings for this for weeks!!! i'm practically eating this almost everyday... my bad... but look how delicious it is!!!::

::jolina enjoying her chicken teriyaki don::

::it fabulous having a small room and having the tv just outside the room. why? cos i can sit on my bed while watching my fav anime on dvd! :) ::

::me at the balcony::

hey fauz,
thanks so much for doing my errands for me while i'm in melbourne.
i know my obession with toys has been driving you nuts...
and i appreciate the constant back and forth to Latendo.
i'll defintiely make it up to you.
thanks a million! and i miss you!

to jenn,
hey girl! how have you been doing?
hope you are doing good.
will be back in june, so i cant wait to catch up with you! :)

to idil,
always remember that your future is in your hands.
pursue your dreams, your aspiration, your passion.
it's for you to decide, not others.

to esen,
hey, how was your play? the animal farm one.
hopefully you're able to shed off those excess weight after it's over,
and become the usually beautifully gorgeous esen everyone knows. hee! :)

sigh, got to start doing my work again...
i'm only left with next week, before i submit all my assignments...
argh!!! save me!!!

intermission

2007-03-22T00:24:00.000+08:00

intermission

::this is when i'm stress... pic taken with my k800::

yup, its another one of my intermission entries.
and the reason has and will always be the same...
i'm busy... extremely busy with school!!!
it's a little more relaxing now
cos i managed to pace myself and work
within my timeline.
my schedule was extremely hectic last week.
had to do 2 assignments and at the same time,
squeeze time for the charity poster that i'm freelancing.
i'm glad that i'm done with that for now.
the poster looks pretty ok.
i'll post it up in my next entry so you guys can judge.
and once you guys have seen it,
do try to look out for it in the newspapers and magazines. :)

i'll also be posting some pics that i took throughout this couple of weeks.
i love the pics because of the colours.

also, i will be posting up the cd cover and poster that i'm designing
for my current graphic design assignment.
i really really love it.
it'a very illustrative.
i'm using mixed medium in this assignment,
so the effect is very different. my teachers like it. :)

before i end here, i wana say something about the anime
that i've recently finished watching.
it's called Gantz.
and two words for it...
"fucking awesome!!!!!"
i love the story!!!
i love the characters!!!
i love the illustrations!!!
i love the extreme violence!!!!
but not so much of the erotism in it though....
you guys should catch it!!!!
but erm... for my fellow sinagporeans, they wont be selling it
in sinagpore...
over here in australia, it's rated R18...
translation: it's R21 in singapore.
but if somehow you guys can get it, do watch it.
i love it!!!
i'm now reading the manga, cos it's different from the anime.
the story continues in the manga.
but be warn... it really is damn violent... and hentai to a certain extent...

these are some pics from the manga.
and i'm telling you, these are considered less violent compared to the other scenes...

::this is a famous scene in the anime::

::pop goes the weez... i mean head.....::

::body in half...::

::it's a body alright....::

::and for all you hentai people... haa! theres more in the anime and manga though... i'm so not interested ok...::

ok that's all for this entry... i think it's pretty long for an intermission...
oh heck!

school begins

2007-03-05T20:58:00.000+08:00

i am young

::dun ask me why i have a My little pony toy in my apartment. i just do...::
if last year was a year of hugs,
then this year would be a year of age.
i've always lived by these words:
"age is just a number. as long as you're young
at heart, that's all that matters."
i still live by that...
or at least that's wat i keep telling myself.
i remember meeting up with my godbro last dec,
he kept telling me how old we've grown.
i've known him since i was 17;
an age of innocence.
an age of ignorance.
an age of exploration.
an age of naive-ness.
we were so full of ourselves.
we were at an age where nothing really matters or concerns us.
unneccessary problems and pointless dramas were usually created by ourselves.
i guess that is what being young is all about.
it's always nice reminiscing my younger days... and i kinda miss it.
somehow, in an extremely weird way,
thinking of my godbro brings back a very nostalgic feeling...
it reminds me of my JC days; my growing up era.
though that period isnt all that cheery and all,
but somehow... it makes me feel... i dunno.... nice.
both of us are now 24.
when i see him... it gives me a bittersweet kind of feeling...
i'm always happy to see him.
but my heart, it just hurts a little...
maybe he's my link to my past.
like a reflection of my early days.
when i see him, i see my younger self.
and seeing us grow older only fuels a lot of questions.
what have we achieved over these years?
how much have we changed?
where will we be in the future?
WHO will we be in the future?!
will he be able to recognise me then? and vice versa.
these are just questions and will remain as questions
till i grow older and find it out for myself.
fazli, my dearest bro, if you are even ever gona read this,
we've gone thru so much,
we've appeared and disappeared
in each other's lives over and over again.
but you'll always be my bro.
and i do miss you. i really do.
growing old is part of living and maturing.
let us not be afraid, but embrace it.
age is just a number.
as long as we are young at heart,
that's all that matters.
as long as we have our love ones beside us,
that's all that matters.

::i was really bored during my professional practice for design lesson... so i did this horrible sketch on my brief::

first week of school has been great.
it's nice to see everyone back in school again.
the welcome-back hugs,
the usual how-was-your-holiday conversations.
it's great to have frens from around the world.
that way you get to hear interesting stories and
their getaways during the holidays.
i love the first week school.
it's normally very relaxing.
but hey, i did receive my first assignment
from my graphic design studio and
it's due the following week. argh...
it's a minor assignment. it's worth 10%.
not too bad...

::took a pic of michelle's water botter during studio...::

::michael, fiona and jolina. aaron is actually hiding behind aaron...::

::sam's erm.. hmm... metallic red hair... yeah it's metallic red...::

::eri and i in design studio. her surname's watanabe, so i asked if she's related to ken watanabe... obviously the answer is no... but yeah, hope to see her in tokyo, if i ever go there next year::

::jolina and i in design studio::

for my first assignment,
i have to design a self portrait.
but this work should NOT be an expression of my inner self.
classmates and lecturers should be able to identify me from
my self portrait. i cant simply take a photo of myself of cos.
nor should my name appera anywhere in my brief.
so the objective of this assignment is NOT self-expression,
it's COMMUNICATION.
i find it a little challenging.
why?
cos normally we are pushed to be expressive,
and in some ways, projecting abstract concepts into our designs.
so going back to basics again seems a little... rusty? :)
anyway, this is my design process.
the final piece looks extremely different from my initial roughs.
also, the final pieces is something very different from
what i normally would have done.

sketch of my self portrait. the stylization was meant to have an anime feel to it because, yes, i'm a huge anime freak. therefore it may not necessary look like me. but the main emphasis is my hair. it's a distinct physical feature of me. so i exaggerated the hair a little so that it is made obvious to the viewers::

::havaianas flip flips is something that others associate with me. everyone in class knows that i wear havaianas all the time, even during winter! some even came up to me and says that when they see me, they always wana see wat colour havaianas am i wearing. so it was only natural to use it in my design. this is my initial rough. very colourful, very bold, very me... but i had problems with the placement of the flip flops::

::i tried playing around with symmetry. this rough sketch, like the previous one, very colour and bold. but it looks like my other designs, and i wanted a change. i wanted more out of me. so i consulted my tutors and see what else could i do::

::this is my final design. my concept is an emblem. so i designed something that resembles close to one. emblems usually have an asymmetrical form. that explains the hand on one side and the leg on the other. i normally wear accessories on my hand and leg as well. those who know me would recognise my black wrist bands. that is part of my identity as well, therefore i added that element in. the strap of the havaianas forms a shield, something that is often seen in emblems. i added some floral designs becos they usual appear in my work, so i wanted to retain some of my style, and also at the same time, trying to retain some symmetry in my emblem. colour wise... i just went with watever that looks nice. haa. ::

so what do you guys think? i love it a lot anyway.
so i dun really care if others hate it. haa! :)

::pic of taken at the corner of La Trobe and Swanston Street::
now that i'm back in melbourne,
i have a whole lot of time for myself.
it's a good thing for me.
i havent really had time for myself when i was back
in singapore during the holidays.
i';ve been catching up with my anime.
bought a lot of animes during this past week.
yesh, australia has a huge collection of animes.
much much much more than what singapore has to offer.
i just finished watching getbackers.
now i'm in the midst of watching paranoia agent.
i've also been doing quite a bit of shopping.
bought 4 pairs of havaianas.
tshirt from french connection.
4 v-neck Ts from cotton on.
a shirt from Industrie.
2 vintage Tshirts.
belt from adidas originals.
polo T from Marcs.
bodyshop products.
toys...
yesh, retail shopping....
but i miss late night suppers!!!
fauz! i wana have supper! meow!
then you can sing, suping and i can do back-up.
we can call ourselves "Gary and the dreamboy/girl".
ok crapping...

::yup... these are my purchases for the week...::

anyway, i foresee myself being very busy starting next week.
i'll be deisgning a logo, a flyer and a poster for a
charity concert. there'll be some famous mandarin
singers who will be performing for the event.
but er... i'm not familiar with any mandarin singers.
when najib told me who they were,
i thought they were females singers.
then najib said, no! they are male singers!!!
my gawd... paiseh...
anyway, not gona post any details on it yet.
but when the event draws near, i'll post it up.
but it's gona be so exciting (and stress) designing it.
apparently my design would be on newspapers too.
so look out for it ya! :)

::pic of the rougeberry perfume from bodyshop::
was able to get this lovely perfume from bodyshop.
it's a collaboration with MTV.
i love the scent!
rougeberry.... yeah nice... :)
it comes with a good cost as well.
for every bottle that you purchase,
$11 goes to the aids foundation.
not bad eh. :)

other irrelavent pics

::took this pic at Caulfied train station while i was waiting for the train to head back to the city::

::pic of Caulfield station. used my fossil aviator sunglasses to filter the strong sunlight::

::pic of my view from my apartment. the view is actually quite pathetic. but it's ok, i still my apartment::

::pic of the tram in the city::

::one of the alleyways in Chinatown::

::melon bun!!!! i love melon bun!! not that it tastes very nice, but becos shana, one of my favourite anime character from shakugan no shana, loves to eat them. so i've been stocking them up and eating them whenever i'm hungry... hee::

::my bible. cant leave without it::

leaving on a jet plane... again!

2007-02-25T07:37:00.000+08:00

back in Melb

::pic of my room ceiling back home in singapore. just feel that this pic represents how i feel and the situation that i'm in right now::
i'm a little late in updating this blog of mine.
was pretty busy the last few days before flying back to melbourne.
yup, i'm back in Melbourne.
3rd year, here i come!!!
well, i'm still pretty much in a holiday mood...
i'm already missing my late nights in singapore!!!
late night supper, late night movies, late night outings...
and late night mc donald's delivery!!!
i hope to do really well for this coming year.
i wana give my all and excel.
cant wait to be back in singapore for good.
cos i'm missing everyone already!

::my air ticket and the bar counter at the Raffles Silver Lounge::
i love travelling in style!
i'm fortunate to be able to travel on Raffles class aboard Sinagpore Airline.
just before boarding my flight,
was chilling at the Raffles Silver Lounge.
not all that fun though cos i was travelling alone.
but at least travelling back in comfort was more than i could ask for.

::me at the Raffles Silver Lounge. wat's the point if i'm here without the company of friends? this only proves that having money is nothing compared to having family and friends::

how's chinese new year for everyone?
how much have you guys collected from the red packets
you received over this festive season?
had a good time catching up with relatives?
for me, it's kind of a bittersweet ocassion.
chinese new year is a time for me to meet up
with my relatives, some of whom i get to
meet only once a year.
it's always nice catching up with them.
we have the yearly gambling and movie outings.
and yes, i do look forward to the red packets.
but once the celebration is over,
it''s time for me to pack my bags
and jet off to Melbourne... again.
i've been doing this for the past 2 years now,
and i'm glad this is my last year in Melbourne.
i will greatly miss everyone in singapore, family and friends.
i could say that this holiday has been one of the best times i had so far.
and i hope that the fun would never cease.

::pic taken at Chinatown after the chinese new year countdown::
during the eve of chinese new year,
fauz, suping and i went to Chinatown for the countdown.
we had a lot of fun there.
the fireworks, the fire crackers, the crowd...
after the countdown, we went over to the pasar malam
for some night shopping.
as expected, it was packed with people!
we could barely walk...
and could barely see the merchandises...
when we reached the crossroad,
we were caught up in the crowd for close to 10 minutes.
it was too congested.

::fireworks at the stroke of midnight::

::fauz and i waiting excitedly for the fireworks::

::suping and i after the firwork. very messy and dirty...::

::the crowd leaving the area after the countdown. the road was closed for the event::

::it's time for a smoke break by the road side::

::thai coconuts!!! they are so enjoying it::

::the three of us posing proudly with our coconuts! fauz can never stop sucking his coconut...::

::the crowd just never subsides! damn packed....::

::pic of Backstage at Chinatown::
after much squeeze and pushing,
we found refuge at Backstage,
a gay pub in the heart of Chinatown.
the last time i went there was many years back.
nothing has really changed since.
and i like it the way it is.
we smoked, drank beer, chatted, watched mtv channel,
taking photos while waiting for the crowd to subside.
Backstage is a nice place indeed.
and i'll definitely go back again when i'm back.
(and yes, i'm very aware of the kind of crowd the place attracts)
we decided to hit the streets again.
we bought food along the way,
bought some intricate and beautiful chinese paper cuts,
and bumped into a celebrity whom i seriously couldnt be bothered.
once we were done with Chinatown,
we made a quick stop to Bencoolen Street,
as suping wanted to visit the temple there.
and once that is done,
we headed over to my beloved Simpang Bedok for supper!
all in all, i had a lot of fun!

::my lovely Pussycat dolls' video playing on mtv channel at Backstage::

::view of Chinatown from the balcony of Backstage::

::the crazy crowd... and the pride flag as well :) ::

::the temple at Bencoolen Street::

::a cut out for my birthday. so sweet of your guys!!!
as some of you might know,
my birthday just passed.
it was a day before i left for Melbourne.
yeah, it was kind of a rush and i wished i had more time
to sink in and enjoy my birthday celebration.
but i guess i should count my blessings,
and be happy that at least, i was able to spend my birthday
with a bunch of really good friends and family. :)
i love you guys!
it was so unexpected.
it was touching.
it was so sweet of you guys.
a mini private surprise party was wat i need
before i embark on my last year in melbourne.
thanks you so much guys!
i would like to thank fauz and rain for planning it
behind my back. i seriously had absolutely no idea!
and yesh, thank you fauz for your home-made durian cake!
i cant believe it turned out so tasty!!! and the bag! i so love the bag!!!
i'm definitely gona use it for school!
thanks rain for the awesome cd and my precious Pussycat Dolls dvd!!! love it!
wana thank suping, najib, david, boshen and khairul
for being there and doing the videos! it was awesome!
wana thank jeremiah and jenn!!! it was so sweet of you guys!
wana thank gaz and idil for the gifts as well!
you guys didnt have to get me anything.
last but not least, all those who remembered my birthday
and sms or called me at midnight. thanks!!!

::me cutting the durian birthday cake that fauz made for me::

::fauz posing to the camera::

::najib posing like madonna... like a diva::
after the surprise party,
we head over to Tantric for some drinks
before heading over to St James.
St James was jam packed that night!
but it was fun!
met my dearest sham there, who has the same birthday as i do! :)
happy birthday to us!!!
all in all, i had a great birthday. :)
thanks again everyone!

::mass orgy?! er.... i'll pass...::

>St James was pack pack pack....::

::fauz and suping posing... not!::

::we are very bo liao...::

::the trio tryin to look cool... hey we are cool! haaa!::

::definitely a hell of a night! the trio resting outside St James::

::more pics?! my gawd... i damn shagged can... :) ::

i can feel a change in me.
somehow, somewhere, inside me,
i can feel some form of growth.
there's a whole new me forming inside me.
like an alter ego, like a twin, like a reflection...
yet when i look into the mirror,
i still see the same me...
i cant tell a difference.
not even the slightest of it.
i touch my face, brush my hair, bite my lips...
i place my wet hand on the mirror,
and stare right back at me.
i feel i'm still me but then...
i'm not sure how to describe it.
but i can just feel it.
i'm not sure if it's good or bad.
but i can just feel it happening.
i see a grin in the mirror.
i can feel it.

i noticed that, besides the usual perverted old men,
i tend to attract guys who are shorter than me and are smokers.
and i noticed that somehow, besides the usual asshole jerks,
i tend to fall for guys who are smokers and have a way with words.
but what i really like in a guy?
sincerity.
and then the usual loving, honest, sweet and funny.
but for now, it'll just be me, me and me.
and of course my family and friends. :)

::fauz playing with his fan he got from a wedding earlier on in the day::
shopping at Mustafa Centre at 2am can be really enjoyable!
went there with fauz and suping.
had so much fun going through the perfume section, dvds section,
watches section and of cos... FOOD SECTION!!!
we bought food and once everything has been paid for,
headed over to fauz's place for supper and a Heroes marathon.
all thanks to fauz for cooking for us. :)

::fauz and suping walking thru the food section::

::yesh yesh fauz... very sexy indeed::

::let's shop!::

::we are just taking our time browsing through everything::

::fauz and suping just cant decide wat to get::

>fauz and i at Arab Street smoking sheesha::
went for another session of sheesha along Arab Street.
fauz, najib and david were there.
the service was awfully terrible though.
but all in all, it was still fun. :)

::david and najib chilling::

::pic of fauz::

::fauz and i posing for the camera!::

::khairul and i chilling
"it takes 4 hands to clap."
"infinity plus 1."
"one one!'
it may not make any sense to others,
but it definitely makes clear sense to you.
you'll always have a very special place in my heart.
hold on to your promises as i'll be holding on to mine.
take excellent care of yourself cos you mean the world to me.
this 'spongy' here says "all good things doesnt have to come to an end."

other things i did since the last entry

::went to watch Babel with fauz and suping::

::went to Simpang Bedok after the movie. did you know that the shop wa playing American Pie 3 on the plama screen?! it was weird becos they were showing topless girls in public. ::

::suping kena snap shot again at Simpang Bedok::

::can you guess who's feet do they belong to? no prize for guessing it right though... anyway, they belong to sabrina, suping and fauz. we were at City Hall smoking...::

::rain in the foreground and fauz at the backgroud smoking. we were chilling at mc donald's after our movie. we watched Dreamgirls. damn nice!!! anyway, it was fun that night!::

::more pics taken that night with rain and fauz::

::rain getting her hair cut by my hair stylist, faye::

::khairul posing with his little cute figurine. both rain and khairul were teasing behind me while i was getting my hair cut... even my hairstylist, faye was laughing... ::

::faye and i. gona miss ya girl!::

::idil dropped by Tanah Merah to pass me my birthday present. vanessa came by as well. thanks guys for taking time off. and idil, i appreciate the gift ya. it doesnt matter what you get for me. it's the thought that counts. and i'm saying this to everyone too.::

a snakey week

2007-02-09T02:13:00.000+08:00

my love

::me being entangled by my dearest mussels and kupang!::
it seems that i've been so comfortable
with my single status that i've totally
forgotten of that one day when couples
proclaim to each other of their undying love....
valentine's day.
a day of roses, chocolates and loads of sweet nothings,
a day when male chauvinistic pigs magically transform into gentlemen,
a day when singles love to hate,
a day when singles desperately go look for a date,
a day when dateless people calls it "friendship day"...
as for me, it's will just be a normal wednesday.
and i like it that way. :)

::pic taken along Arab Street::
a huff, and a puff, and i smoke that grape-flavoured sheesha away!
who would have thought smoking sheesha was gona be that fun!
it was my first time, and you can call me "shua gu" for all i care...
but i really enjoyed myself.
and it wouldnt have been that fun without the
fabulous company of fauzi, suping and sabrina!
sitting on the carpet along arab street never felt so good.
laughing, joking, smoking, singing, taking photos, stoning...
it really felt like i was in heaven.
a huff, and a puff, and we smoked till the break of dawn...

::fauz demonstrating how to... suck the sheesha::

::suping sure knows how to relax::

::me smoking sheesha::

::sabrina and suping showing off their Stella Macartney Adidas clothes::

::more pics taken at Arab Street::

::pic of suping and sabrina::

::another pic taken at Arab Street::

::fauz's abandoned havaianas on the pavement::

::the collage of pens that were being collected for the event::
project vibrant colours was a success.
and fauz appeared on TV!!!
he was interviewed in the news!! :)
good job fauz!
for that i shall sing you your superstar anthem:
"i duno wat it is, that makes me feel like this,
i duno who you are, but you must be some kind
of superstar!!!!"
haw haw haw...

::pics of the pen collage::

::some schools took effort to make their own collage, like this peace sign::

::nice heart shaped collage::

::a beautiful pen collage::

::rain's funny looking tortoise-shaped horn::

::pic of East Coast Park::

::one of my banners at East Coast Park::
to see my designs in the news,
to see my logo being blown up on the stage,
to see students wearing tshirts bearing my logo,
to see my banner and posters hanging up high for the public to see...
two words... overwhelming, satisfying.
i want my designs to inspire and motivate people.
i want my designs to touch and captivate people.
i want my designs to have an impact on those who sees them.
that's the reason why i'm doing what i'm doing... designing.
i hope my future works would continue to do just that,
possibly even more, and touch even more lives.

::sham and i at Changi General Hospital::
i'll pray for the pain to go away.
i'll pray for your fast recovery.
i'll pray you'll get back on your feet,
never to use the clutches again.
i'll pray...
making sure you'll get well soon my friend.

going to hospitals is always depressing.
i know many feel the same.
as i walk through the ward,
i reframe from looking at the other patients.
the sicken face,
the painful expression,
the moaning cries,
the sadden look on the faces of their family members...
it's too much for me to bear.
i just wish they wouldnt have to go thru so much pain....
and yet my mum deals with such patients everyday.
i respect and admire her for that.

::my mum and i::

::suping, fauz and i goofying ard IKEA... just so you know, mr snakey, mrs snakey, mussels, kupang, meow and meow, are the names of our snakes. and if you didnt know, "kupang" means mussels... so yeah, the names of my 2 snakes are mussels and mussels... lame i know...::

hello mr snakey, hello mrs snakey.
how do you do, mussles? how do you do, kupang?
nice to meet you, meow! nice to meet you, meow!
when fauz, suping and dylan go to IKEA...
expect the unexpected...
fear the fearless...
be fooled by the foolish...
er... then again.... (-_-)"
we walked around the huge IKEA at Tampines,
browsing through beds and chairs and wardrops and lightings...
only to purchase 5 snakes in the end...
and they are not even funiture to begin with...
we did have dinner at the cafe though,
which was awesome i must add.
supper at simpang bedok after that only
made the day even better than it already was.
i ate a lot that day.
thank God i have high metabolism. dun hate me! haw haw haw...

::fauz and suping "trying out" the comfort of the beds::

::both of them acting blur on the sofa-beds. watch too much little britain already::

::you've watched snakes on the plane. but have you watch snakes on a shopping cart?::

::ooohhh... stacks and stacks of furniture...::

::suping and her snakes. another satisfied customer::

::argh! so KAWAII!!!::

::the food's awesome at Indulgence::
finally caught up with rain and jeremiah.
love hanging out with them.
always a pleasure.
always a must.
always... late. i'm blaming it on traffic!!!
we went to Indulgence, a restaurant opposite Bugis Junction, for dinner.
food's fantastics and the interior is classy.
expect to pay generously, but it sure is worth it.
after which, we went over to Starbucks, Bugis Junction, for coffee and
a game of watever-the-name-of-the-game-is.
just wana say i love the both of you man!
rain, we so hafta meet up more often.
miss the good old times when we always hung out together and just lepak.
but i guess as we grow older and have other commitments like work and stuff,
it only makes it harder to find time to do the things we wana do.
but just so you know, you'll always have a special place in my heart.
that is without a doubt.

::pics of Indulgence::

::just so you know, rain hates to take pics! she's always covering her face. jeremiah attempts to take a proper photo with her... he failed...::

::my attempt to snap a face pic of rain.... i failed::

::fine, i'll rather take with jeremiah::

::at Starbucks playing cards. finally took a pic of rain's face... but i know she'll hate me if i posted it up.... i love you rain!!! dun hate me!!!! so yeah... that explains the cute face cover-up::

::the pendant that faye gave to me::
all i ever wanted from her was a fabulous hair cut...
not only did my hair stylist did just that,
she bought me a beautiful pendant as well.
a sliver cross from Perlini's Silver.
it was so unexpected.
never would i expect my celebrity hair stylist
to buy me gifts.
you're amazing faye!!!
always making me feel like a prince.

::me and my precious SKL ciggie::
erm... how do i put this...
yesh... i will cut down on my smoking...
but then again, it's not like i'm a heavy smoker...
i'm a social smoker!
right fauz?!! hmmm....
i'm addicted to SKL cherry menthol...

::smoking is bad for you kids! take it from us. look at how uncool we are::

my week so far...

2007-02-03T04:27:00.000+08:00

spongy!

::me hugging the spongebob toy that jenn bought for me::
it has been a busy week.
there were things to do,
places to go,
people to meet.
met some new faces,
met some old.
but all's well and couldnt be better.

::i was asked to design the poster for project vibrant colours. the poster has gone throught many changes... at one point i was so fed up with the demands i screamed at fauz. but i'm happy with the final result. definitely learned a lot along the way . what do you guys think of it?::
first and foremost,
PROJECT VIBRANT COLOURS.
if you guys are free for the weekends,
do come and attend this charity event.
for this project,
i was tasked to design the logo, poster, 2 banners and the flyers.

::this is the logo i designed for project vibrant colours. the reason i volunteered to design for them is because the initial design they came out with was... erm... frankly... FUGLY... i cant stand bad design... and i wanted people to have a good first impression of the project. having a strong and well designed logo would definitely help heaps. they wanted a flame, so i made the human figures look like flames.::
it's my first real-life assignment,
and i'm doing it pro-bono.
tough and demanding....
stressful and frustrating...
satisfying and fullfilling...
doing it again anytime soon? i doubt it...
for all the hard work that's been put in,
pls come and support us.

::the guys playing pool::
how long has it been?
2? no, more like 3 years? has it been this long?
nothing much has changed,
or at least from what i could possibly remember.
the tasty aroma, the sizzling sound of prata frying,
the sight of soccer playing on the tv screens,
people chatting and laughing away...
much resembles my beloved simpang bedok,
but the stretch of bukit timah would always be distance and foreign to me.
i remember my good old army days when i would drop by
bukit timah during nights off for a scrumptious meal.
yes scrumptious, becos camp food will always be repulsive and nauseous.
sham was the reason i endured a 45min mrt ride down to clementi,
where we hopped onto a cab to bukit timah.
it was nice catching up with sham.
making it a point whenever i'm back.
after our meal, after everyone had gathered, and after we were done talking,
we proceeded on to a game of pool.
pool, a game based solely on skills... and most of the time on luck as well...
i am never really good at it even though i love the game
and used to spend nights playing with friends.
the feeling of hitting the ball into the hole... simply orgasmic!
the feeling of trashing your opponent... simply empowering!
the feeling of mistakenly hitting the black ball in... simply priceless!
the night ended with a drink with abang and damien,
and a nice long ride back home by abang.
thanks sham for the lovely night.

::jenn and i at coffee club::

::boshen and i at coffee club::
i've always enjoyed the company of jenn.
she makes me feel important, loved and treasured.
i could never ask for more.
met up with her and boshen on wednesday.
dinner at Hongkong cafe, cineleisure,
followed by coffee at coffee club, beside california fitness.
i love that particular outlet.
i could never find an explanation for its effects on me.
relaxing, therapeutic, calm, refresh...
might be the rich tasting coffee...
might be the mist-spraying fans...
might be the surrounding ambience...
might be the fun-loving company...
whatever it may be,
sitting there with jenn and boshen was relaxing.
it relaxes my mind and body
and for a moment in time, feeling at peace...
as we sat there, we reminisce the good old days in secondary school.
i guess that happens a lot when you're ard frens who've been with
you for more than 8 years.
and no matter how many times we bring it up,
it's never a bore, never an old topic.
what jenn says is true, "memories are one of the greatest gift from God".
i would like to add that friends play a major role in creating that great memory.
i'm fortunate to have friends like them.
"it's not the quantity but the quality that matters".
cliche it may be, but it's ever so true.
that evening was fabulous.
thanks jenn for the spongebob pillow!
hope you guys enjoyed the forfit i did becos i was fashionably late... :)

::thanks again jenn, for the the spongebob pillow! i like!!!::

::the jap restaurant along Katong::
family time is always important.
i make sure i make myself free for any family function.
that friday evening, we had a guys-only outing at this japanese restaurant along Katong.
mum couldnt make it as she had a wedding dinner to attend.
our gain, her loss.
the food... awesome!
love it, love it, love it!
love the interior decor as well.
somehow i hear someone screaming "j-pop!" to my ears...
am i really that of a j-pop fanatic?! (-_-)"

::my dad checking out the restaurant... he looks kinda cute here::

::my brother and i. we dun look alike, do we?::

::gaz and i in sahir's car, just driving around::
a drive ard singapore follow by supper at Simpang Bedok?
count me in!!!
it was 2am when i met gaz, sheda and sahir.
before that i was having dinner with fauz.
supper was... overwhelming...
ordered heaps of food, making me look like a glutton...
black pepper roti john, mash potato, plaster with ikan curry,
kanbeng soup with roti, tei o ice....
did i mention that was only my serving?
after eating, we head over to sheda's place.
spiral and lala were there to greet us.
both of them are gorgeous!
just wishing and hoping and praying i'll have a cat just like them.
it was close to 6am by the time i left their place.
but i had a great time with them. :)

::food i ordered at Simpang Bedok::

::sheda and gaz::

an eventful sunday.
i only managed to sleep for a couple of hours after coming back
from sheda's place before meeting up with fauz.
we were planning to go toy-shopping at the flea market at China Square.
as we entered the complex, we were greeted to.. none other than toys!!!
toys galore!!!
shower me with toys!!!
a paradise filled with nothing but toys!!!
my eyes wide open,
my heart pounds fiercely,
as i stretch out my hands,
it's only toys that i reach....
er... hmmm...getting a little carried away...
so the afternoon was spent shopping away.

::St James Powerhouse::
when day turns to night,
the animal within is unleashed.
sham was ever so kind to get invites for us.
the hunting ground? St James Powerhouse.
a fun night indeed.
didnt expect to see so many familiar faces.
hidayat, my camp mate, was one i didnt expect.
a kiss to the left, a kiss to the right and a kiss to the center.
that's code word for "my gawd!!! i'm so happy to see you!!!
i cant believe you are here!!!"
the music was awesome, the crowd was fabulous,
and we danced like there was no tomorrow.
thanks guys for making it such a great night.

::guys dancing on the podium::

::snap shot::

::more pics i took that night::

::chilling outside after clubbing::

::fauz and i waiting for the cab::

::pic taken at JB::
gaz and i made a last minute trip to JB.
though it was short, we made the most of it.
he bought dvds, while i bought some ciggies....
i'm addicted to SKL!!!
after which, we had some food nearby before heading back.
no fuss, no muss. :) i like.
personally, i'll never buy a pirated dvd... unless it's anime.
maybe cos when i'm in australia, i'm always buying original dvds...
i duno...
somehow i feel i dun own the movie if i buy pirated ones...
somehow... looking at the crappy pirated dvd cover makes me
loose interest in the movie....

::food!::

::gaz and i, while waiting for our food to come::

::a satisfied gaz...::

::this piece of xiao long pao was left untouched on the table... till it got harden... and started to grow fungi...::
on wednesday 31st jan,
met up with jenn and boshen again.
and this time round, ah bee was able to join us.
her humour... unbeatable, leathel and unmercyful.
just love the jokes she cracks!
and i think she can be my smoking kaki in the group.
both of us smoked so much that day.... bad...
anyway it was my first time eating at this chinese restaurant.
i'm not so much of a lets-go-eat-dim-sum kinda guy.
so i had no idea what to order, or how to order...
"er.... can i have this?" *point to the pic*
"nice or not ah?" *looking at the waitress with a blur look"
"what is xiao long bao? is it big? must share one is it?" *trying to search for the pic on the menu*
i was clueless....
i am hopeless....
went to starbucks after that.
this time, i knew exactly what i wanted.
"can you get me a cup of latte?
make sure it's in a take-away cup!!!
tall size hor... thank you." *looking really tense*
i was trying too hard...
i am hopeless...

::jenn, ah bee and i at the chinese restaurant::

::more pics taken at Starbucks::

misc pics i took throughout the week:

::fauz and i after watching The Illustionist::

::edil doing his assignment at my place::

::edil and i behind Coffee Club::

::mum driving::

::me enjoying a nice cup of coffee and taking in the surroundings at Coffee Club::

i'm loving my new sony ericsson K800i camera phone!
still have a lot more photos to upload...
no time...

it was late one night,
i was feeling emo.
so i wrote this crap:
without hesitation i raised my foot and moved it forward.
i couldnt care less where my foot would land.
be it solid ground or empty space,
seeing you in front of me was enough to risk my all.
i never learn.
my emotions control me and i feel like such a fool.
i clench my fists,
and fall to my knees,
wishing my heart would bleed and stop.
why wouldn't you look at me and say those words?
why wouldn't you take my hands and place it close to your heart?
why wouldn't you touch my face and wish this would never end?
i close my eyes,
and lay on the floor,
wondering if you'll ever feel the same.
i've learned that there are desires in life that are unattainable.
wanting to have better looks.
wanting to be more intelligent.
wanting to have a smooth sailing life .
wanting me to be in your life.

finally an update!

2007-01-23T07:15:00.000+08:00

new blog design

::lipei and i busking long Flinders Lane, Melbourne, on her birthday. we earn $11.60, and decided to use the money to buy us some ciggies and starburst::

after days and weeks and roughly 2 months of procastination,
i'm finally updating my blog.
nope, it's not that i've lost interest in blogging,
neither am i busy....
i'm just lazy... period.
hmmm... wonder if that's worst...
but hey! what matters most is it's finally updated! right?!! ( '3')

a new year has arrived.
how was 2006?
the first half of the year was one of the worse.
however everything took it's turn by the second half,
and i really enjoyed my second semester in melbourne.
not the best of years, but definitely memorable.
i could only pray that this year, 2007, would be the best i'll have thus far.
it's my final year in melbourne, so i really wana go all the way,
and make a good lasting appeal before coming back to singapore.
new year resolutions?
i'm not a fan of it, yet i find myself secretly making a few...
so for this year they are:
continue to do the best i can in school.
continue to work out and keep fit.
have a fun time in melbourne.

a lot of stuff has happened since i last updated.
in a very-ultra-mega brief summary, this is wat i did:
-all my assigments have been submitted and handed back
-packed my ever-so-messy room
-gaz came to visit me in melbourne and brought him ard
-jeremy, lipei and i had a fabulous road trip ard the state of Victoria
-celebrated lipei's 21st birthday
along with our other usual daily rituals like lepak-ing at st jeromes,
watching BONJAHBANGO perform every sunday, shopping, playing game,
watching movies, eating out, chilling, slacking... and more slacking.... :)

i'll slowly upload more pics in my next few entries.
as usual, there are tons of pics to upload and i'm sure to miss a few of them.
and of cos, lots of stuff to write.
look forward to the road trip polaroid photos.
they're awesome!

for you guys who frequent my blog,
you'll notice that i've redesigned my blog banner and footer banner.
previous banner designs can be found on the side column.
(click on the pics to enlarge it.)
this time round i went for a more realistic illustraion of myself.
it's more simplistic as well to give a crisp, clean and sophisticated feel,
but yet somehow, giving out a dark aura...
the right wing, like before, represents the old me.
the old me that is carefree, passionate,
happy, optimistic, cheery, bubbly,
easily excited, always smiling,
expressive, caring, friendly,
not afraid of pursuing stuff,
dedicated, fun, loving, fearless...
the "prefect" me.
the left wing, represents my current growth in life,
that i'm still learning to live...
learning to be a better person,
learning to overcome obstacles,
trying to get back to where i used to be,
and even exceling from there.
compared to the old design, it has grown a little.
this shows the growth in me this past year.
the butterflies behind me represents my desire for freedom...
and at the same time, soaring and exceling in my final year studies.
the blood stains below my body indicates the "bloodshed" or rather,
hurtful experience i suffered last year.
these blood stains are a reminder of them.
the smoky part that forms the bottom part of my body
represents the damage i suffered, both emotional or physical.
the wavy lines in the background symbolises the ever changing
environment that i'm facing and living in.
the straight lines dispering out from the back of the portrait
represent rays of light.
and these rays of light mean a things.
firstly, i'm hoping that i'll be living in the light,
i.e. to be living in a good and safe environment.
secondly, i pray that God would shine his light unto me and guide me thru.
thirdly, i wana shine my light unto others, inspiring and motivating people ard me.
fourthly, i wana be of some importance.
as for the footer banner, (pls scroll all the way to the bottom of the page)
yup, it is an illustration of my right hand....
you can probably tell from my black braclets... :)
my hand is trying to reach something,
probably indicating that there's some soul searching to do.
wat do you guys think of the design?
feel free to comment on it.
rain, i did some minor changes to the design. do i look better now? hee!

::the bus station at Kamunting, Taiping, Malaysia. pic taken with my T5::
update on my recent trip to malaysia.
i was there to visit my dearest lipei of course!
was there from the 25th of dec to the 11th of jan.
it was unexpectedly long, wasnt planning on staying there for so many days.
but i really had a fantastic time, and i would like to thank lipei and the rest
for making me feel at home and being part of a big family.
i stayed at Taiping cos lipei and the rest reside there.
but we also travelled to many places like penang, ipoh, KL and genting,

::wong playing the guitar at jeremy's house during xmas. had too much fun that i didnt take many pics that day::
during christmas, we went to jeremy's place for, none other than a x'mas party!
it was extremely fun, and with a crowd of over 20+, anything and everything can happen.
we were, of course, drunk.... haa!
i puked like 3 times, twice in the living room, once in the sink.... :)
charlotte said "merry x'ams" like a zillion times to us...
kian kit went around proclaiming it was a "rocking" party and then layed on the grass...
lipei puked 3 times then started jumping ard saying how shiok it was to finally puke...
wong had the bucket to himself for hours...........
yen yen puked and concased...
roy was "cutely" drunk....
and many many more casulties....

::pic taken during the new year count down at The Curve, Pertaling Jaya, Malaysia::
during new year, lipei and i went up to KL for our new year celebration!
we stayed at jen's place.
the celebration was awesome. we went to Laundry bar, and though it was packed,
seng hian managed to get us seats.
and just outside Laundry bar was this huge space where the count down was held.
fireworks, confetti, screaming, dancing...
it was a sight to behold.
lipei, belinda, seng hian, seng hian's gf, wan win, joan and teddy, thanks for
the amazing new year count down!!!
thankfully i didnt puke... :)
and i wana thank jenn for letting us stay at her parent's place.
it's great being able to see you again!!!

more pics taken during the new year celebration:

::me, wan win, joan, belinda and lipei::

::a group photo of all of us::

::me, joan, teddy and lipei. not sure wat teddy is doing...::

::belinda, me, joan, teddy and lipei... er... hmmm... teddy... lipei...::

::we again, in another pose::

::lipei vandalised on the table... our names were written on it. but it was really sweet and nice of her::

::pic of the house we stayed at Maxwell Hill, Taiping, Malaysia. a huge house i must add::
the 8 of us (jovin, charlotte, yen yen, jermey, joshua, eugene, lipei and i) planned to go up maxwell hill for the night.
i love that place a lot!
peaceful and relaxing...
i really have no words to describe it.
you have to be there to know what i mean.

more pics taken at Maxwell Hill:

::view of Taiping from Maxwell Hill::

::wonding road that leads to the house we were staying that day::

::not sure wat flower this is, but it sure is pretty::

::joshua, lipei, eugene, jeremy and jovin::

::jeremy posing with a flower that he had plucked for yen yen::

::yen yen with her pretty yellow flower on her hair::

::lipei... with flowers that were anyhow chucked in her hair... stylist: charlotte ::

::hmmm... yesh it's me with flowers in my hair... stylist: none other than lipei... ::

::playing Monopoly to keep ourselves busy throughout the night::

and in between everything,
we sleep at 7am everyday and wake up at 2pm...
we went to different places to eat...
yup... eat and eat and eat and eat....
lepak and lepak and lepak and lepak....
but it was still extremely enjoyable!
oh yeah, and we played poker too!
the first time i played, i won RM$40! considering that we played using 10-50cents,
i could say that i was extremely lucky! :)
all in all, i did so many things!!!
it was definitely a very good start to 2007!!!
and with all sincerely and appreciation, would like to thank
lipei, jovin, charlotte, yen yen, jeremy, joshua, eugene, wong, belinda
and the rest for making this an amazing and fantastic trip for me!

more pics that i took during my malaysian trip:

it gives a rough idea of the many things we did in malaysia.

::pic showing one of the many occasions we were playing poker till 6am. the biggest winner would have to buy breakfast for everyone::

::jovin, charlotte, chuan chun, vernon, ronald, wan win, lipei and i went to the golf driving range to test our skills. pic shows my dearest lipei... trying so hard to hit the ball... i'm not any better... ::

::lipei recording her new song in wong's room. wong standing outside::

::me, lipei and joan in jovin's car, driving down to penang::

::pic taken from Genting Highlands::

::jeromes, lipei and i on the escalator at Genting Highlands::

::pic of us at the carpark with our umbrellas. it was drizzling that night::

::charlotte, jovin, yen yen, jeremy and li jin::

::our umbrellas::

::lipei, wong and i went jamming. this pic shows lipei with the eletric guitar::

::wong on the drums. liepi and i were singing::

::joshua's birthday!!! yen yen with his cake::

::lobster!!!!! yup, we ate lobster at Penang!!! damn expensive, but damn tasty! the lobster was cooked in cheese. yummy!::

::cant wait to dig in!::

::lipei's first time eating lobster. see how happy she is::

::fu ho at the back seat while we were making our way to Ipoh, Malaysia::

::the beautiful view of the Lake Garden, Taiping, Malaysia. it's a very relaxing place to be::

::another shot of the Lake Garden::

::jovin and charlotte on one boat::

::yen yen and fu ho on the second boat

::lipei and i together on the other boat. we had a lot of fun paddling the boats that day!!::

::lipei and my legs, paddling the boat::

::pic of my gorgeous K800i::
my lastest buy....
the new Sony Ericsson K800i!!!!!!!
i've yet to use this phone extensively.
but nothing could really go wrong with a sony ericsson phone.
i'm lucky enough to get the limited edition "Allure Brown" colour, me likey!
it sure beats the boring normal black version.
and with it's 3.2 mega pixel camera,
i'm ready to snap some sharp looking pics!
look forward to them in my future entries.

::polaroid of Bonjahbango, lipei and i outside St Jeromes::
Bonjahbango is the greatest band!!!
i love Bonjahbango!
their music is awesome and the guys are amazig people to hang out!
their music is a mixture of raggae, folk and funk.
do check them out at www.myspace.com/bonjahbango
but i'm telling you, hearing them live is so
much better than the studio recordings.

::polaroid of Bonjahbango playing in St Jeromes::

::nice, me and lipei at St Jeromes. nick is holdin kangeroo meat btw. he's BBQing it for us to eat::

if you guys dun know it yet,
i'm actually an ultra-mega-gigantic anime freak!
recent animes that i've completed watching are
gundam seed, wolf's rain, R.O.D. tv and honey & clover.
currently watching shakugan no shana, death note, welcome to the NHK and bleach.
i'm really happy to finally finish watching gundam seed.
it's quite an old anime, but i had problems getting a hold on the DVD.
but it was worth my AUS$95!!!
i love it so much! cant get enough of it! hoping to watch gundam seed destiny soon!
honey and clover is excellent too!!!
love the characters, love the story, love the soundtrack.
do check it out. it's doing extremely well on the charts of animenewsnetwork.
i'm in the middle of watching shakugan no shana.
so far, it's fantastic!
i find it really weird that australia has such a wide library of animes.
it's even possible to get really rare titles too.
when i get back, my first wave of purchases would be
paranoia agent, tsukihime, voices of a distance star and either gantz or rurouni kenshin.
that will keep me busy for a while. :)

was at holland village the other day.
that place brought back quite a few memories.
good... and the horrible...
memories i could live without.
memories i wish i had forgotten.
coffee bean...
i remember sitting there with him,
as we drank coffee, took photos, read magazines and joked together.
we were in a world of our own,
a world filled with laughters, smiles and... love.
and nothing could come between us.
we stole glances at each other,
laughed at the silliest of jokes,
and wish we could remain like this forever.
but good things always come to an end.
i remember that day we barely talked as we
relunctantly sat there drinking our coffee.
we were both in our own world.
a world filled with hurt, disappointment, anger and... hatred.
everything were coming between us.
we refused to look into each other's eyes.
all we did were throwing meaningless words at one another.
i wished we could go back to our happy times.
he wished we could end it all.

love, a forbidden fruit so tempting,
brings only unforeseen disasters to the lives of one seeking it.
it only takes a bite to fall within it's prey.

::polaroid of us at Ipoh eating tauge chicken. it was my last day with them...::
hope to update my blog soon.
there's till so much to write and so many pics to upload.
for now i'll just leave this entry as it is. :)

intermission

2006-10-15T05:58:00.000+08:00

love you guys

::love this snapshot pic of lipei and jeremy. took it while we were at CAFE NORTTUNO along LYGON STREET. FYI, none of them were posing for this pic.. even the girl in the background staring back at me while i was taking this::
the last week of this semester,
the last week of 2nd year in uni,
the last week.... is finally here.
time sure flies and i cant believe 2nd year is almost over.
due dates for my final assignment are fast drawing near,
and i'm working my ass off.

i wasnt intending on doing any updates till
i'm done with my semester.
but i thought i'll just upload a tiny intermission in between.
cos i just wana say this to lipei and jeremy:
i really enjoy your company!
it's really fun hanging out with you guys!
i enjoy every moment we have at Cafe Norttuno on friday nights.
i enjoy the jokes we crack, the ghost stories we tell at night,
our fond memories we share with each other,
words of wisdom we preach to one another etc.
these few weeks may be hectic and crazy for me.
but at least you guys make it more bearable and so much more enjoyable.
love you guys, i really do. :)

next entry would be a proper entry.
look out for the little adventure lipei and i embarked while searching
for krispy kreme, with video.
more art work i did for my assignments.
and other personal stuff.
and of cos more pics!

p.s. hey rain, adapting to Singapore yet?

p.p.s. yo fauzi, hope PVC is going along smoothly for you guys.

the lives of lipei and dylan

2006-09-29T02:35:00.000+08:00

the term break has arrived

::a candid-kinda shot of lipei and i. i love this pic a lot becos both of us were goofing ard and we look really natural in this pic::
it's funny how they call it mid semester break
when in actually fact, the semester's almost over...
it should be re-named 3/4 semester break...
what's in store for the week?
assignments...
but all's not dampened.
at least i've more or less got everything in control,
so hopefully i'll have a rather relaxing week.
it's been a while since i last uploaded an entry.
assignments have been keepin me busy.
but i'm glad i'm done with the 1500 words essay.
(gawd... was that hell!...)

::a beautiful polaroid of the rides at the royal melbourne show. i love this pic a lot::

::a polaroid taken at the royal melbourne show. lipei loves this pic::

ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW

on wednesday(27sept),
lipei and i went to the royal melbourne show!!!
wat can i say?
it was so much fun!
i remember last year, jen and xianli went together with us.
but though this time round they couldnt make it,
lipei and i did have a lot of fun.
i think the pictures speak for itself.
and for the first time, i'm adding a video in my blog entry,
cos i think this video kinda sums up wat lipei and i feel.
carefree, exhilarated, bliss.
and i must add that i really love ALL the pics that i took
during the royal melbourne show.
the pictures really show how beautiful that day was.
i just wish everyone could experience wat we had experienced...

::lipei and i on the train on the way to the royal melbourne show::

::pic of me and my giant homer simpson soft toy i won!::

::lipei and her jester hat. kawaii!::

::a great shot of lipei on one of the rides::

::me on one of the rides::

first ever video on my blog!!!!!

::the video quality is not as good and smooth as the original video::

the next few shots were taken at different times of the day at the royal melbourne show.
love them all

::all pics taken with my V3i, fabulous camera phone!::

a couple of weeks back,
lipei and i went to BRUNSWICK STREET,
which btw is our fav place to chill,
and i took that opportunity to take a
few pics of her with my trusty mobile phone.

::pic of lipei::

::pic of lipei::
i dun think any words could describe
how wonderful and relaxing and beautiful
BRUNSWICK STREET really is.
it's not the usual ORCHARD ROAD
city-ish kinda shopping area.
rather, it's laid back, with fantastic cafes
and pubs and bookshops and weird shops etc.
it's really a pity singapore doesnt have a place like this.
and it's even more pitiful that most
asians here in melbourne would rather
be in the city than explore areas like
BRUNSWICK STREET and SMITH STREET.
you have got to be here to fully appreciate it.
and trust me, when you do,
you'll never look back. (or even leave the place)
i'll definitely miss this place when i go home.

::lipei and i drawing at st jeromes::
lipei and i did some form of a collaboration.
it's our first, and a good one i must add. :)
we were at JEROMES, as usual, drinking our long blacks.
lipei dished out a flyer, flipped it to the back,
and started doodling with my pen.
a few minutes later, i joined in.
initailly we had absolutely no idea what we were
drawing. but as we continued, we realised it looked
like some form of a human figure.
we decided to name it.
both of us love the out come of it.

and this is what it finally looks like:

::lipei drew the blue parts. i drew the black parts::

::the promotional flyer for Genevieve Gauckler's exhibition::
i was fortunate enough to attend the
opening of Genevieve Gauckler exhibition here
in melbourne!!! i love her works!
and i couldnt believe she's having her exhibition here!!!
any graphic designer or artist would and should know
about her works.
her works has appeared in many many design publications.
and i'm really happy to attend her exhibition!
lipei and i also had free beer that night since
it was the artisit's reception! sweeetttt!!! :)

::lipei and i at the reception of Genevieve Gauckler's exhibition::

::one of Genevieve Gauckler's works::

::more pics taken at Genevieve Gauckler's exhibition::

::promotional flyer of REKA's 100K exhibition::
i also went to REKA's (Melbourne's famous graffiti artist) 100K exhibition
with lipei and boon ho.
it was held at the ever-so-cool BUS GALLERY.
Reka's works are amazing!
all his artwork in this gallery are hand drawn.
and it only further inspires me to have my own exhibition.
these pictures dun really justify the sheer beauty
of his artwork.

::lipei and i at REKA's 100K exhibition::

::pic of one of REKA's art works::

::more pics taken at REKA's exhibtion::

i'm forturnate to be able to study in melbourne
and be exposed to many designers and artists whom
i would never have known if i had studied in singapore.
artists like REKA, JEREMYVILLE, GENEVIE GAUCKLER,
TAKESHI MURAKAMI, ADHEMAS BATISTA, DALEK just to name a few.
they have inspired me one way or another.

lipei,
people can say whatever they wana say about you.
and let's face it,
people will have different opinions about you.
some may be harsh, others may be plain nonsense.
what matters most is if you are happy and
comfortable about yourself.
the other day, you asked me what i'll say...
well, this is what i have to say:
you are someone i have been searching my whole life.
a friend i can finally open up to.
a friend who understands me and
accepts me for who i am.
absolutely no judgement.
absolutely genuine.
absolutely there for me all the time.
i could never ask for more.
if i was put in a situation to have only one friend,
i would choose you over millions.
your sheer blurness is overwhelming but entertaining.
your talent in music fills my heart with songs of joy.
your beautiful illustrations reeks emotions
and never fails to inspire me one way or another.
your poems speak from your heart, taking me
to a place of self discovery and self-reflection.
change is inevitable.
people change.
i changed.
and so will you.
but one thing that wont change would be the
friendship i have for you, and i hope
you'll feel the same way too.

this is a pic of lipei that i took in first semester.

this is wat i did for my NOISE assignment for
my digital imaging.

::the colours in this pic is not as nice as the original piece::
the brief told us to do all sorts of experimentation.
i chose to use a pic of lipei becos when i think of
music and noise, i think of her.
so i guess it's only natural to use her pic.
and of cos at the same time,
i wanted to design something for her,
since she means the world to me.
(see... like i said, if you treat me nice,
i'll design something for you)
and i got a distinction for this assignment! sweet!

fashion-guru dylan speaks his mind

vintage is all the rage.
but are you sure your so-called vintage dress
or bag is really vintage?
think again...
so what is vintage?
many rookie vintage lovers have been coaxed into buying
a "vintage looking' top that is actually from a 1996's collection
and has been left on the washing line for so long it
merely appears vintage, OR a dress made last week
from a vintage pattern. neither of these are vintage.
REMEMBER, just becos the cutting and style looks vintage
doesnt make it vintage at all.
vintage clothing is anything that is more than 25 years old.
retro clothing dates from the late 70's and 80's
and anything newer than that is just SECOND HAND.
so make sure you check the label or the shop owner
before flaunting your faux vintage clothing.
how mortifying would that be?
another note, vintage doesnt have to be expensive. :)
so long as it looks good on you, you're good to go.

these are some vintage bags i got:

::i love these bags. i especially love the vintage all-documents bag at the bottom of the collage::

accessories are in.
and with the right ones, you'll be the center of attention.
splash yourself with delicate shapes and silhouettes accessories.
designers like dapple-grey, tatty devine, love and philippa
are a must-have for all you girls and guys!
it works wonders with guys wearing plain v-neck t-shirts!
and while you're at it,
dun forget the ever-so-cute brooches as well!
they are colourful, adorable and adds charm
instantly to your dull personality. :)

these are some of my purchases this month...
(pls dun tell my dad about my expenses...)

::these badges were bought at order and progress... and they dun come cheap!!! AUS$16 each!!!::

better yet, make them yourself!!!
it's fun, satisfying and yes, it definitely
makes your normal polo shirt stands out from the rest.
it also hides the brand of your cheap polo shirt. :)
now that's sweeeett!

::this is a brooch i made with beads. it's so cute, a few of my frens have asked me to sell them::

guys, i cannot help but stress that
scoop-necks and v-necks tshirts(the low kind) are the way to go.
they are casual, yet sohisticated and versatile,
not to mention cheap.
they definitely never go out of style.
so stock them up!
but of cos, a good physique is required at times.
(that's why i'm pumping hard in the gym...)

and these are some of my purchases:

for colours, i recommend guys to go for
pale yellow, poison-ivy green, maroonish purple
and light blue.

as for girls, go for one piece doll dresses!
they are fun and definitely different from the usual
"oh-my-gawd-plastic girls" dresses.
they are casual, chic, cute and perfect for a girl's night out.
try something different. you'll love it.
poka dots doll dresses should be in your next buy!

in the next fashion entry,
-what kind of jeans should guys go for
-polo shirts: still going strong?
-dylan's take on skin care.
-and other fashion do's and dont's for girls and guys.

my gawd... i cant believe i'm writing these kinda stuff...
must be "the devil wears prada" movie.....
but then again, i stand by wat i typed...

call yourself a smoker?!
then learn to roll your own ciggies, spoilt brats!

::this is how you roll your ciggies. yup lipei, you got it right :) ::

::took this pic of lipei while we were practicing for our performance::
btw, lipei and i would be taking part in a singing competition.
hey, i know wat you guys are thinking ok!
lipei's a fantastic guitar player and singer, that is without a doubt.
as for me, well... you have got to listen to judge.
but i believe with the practices i had, i sound much better.
we are in for the money.
$300 for first prize and $150 for second!
wish us the very best!!!
it's on the 6th of oct. hee~

hey rain,
i received your postcard!!!
thanks a lot!!!
looking at the postcard only makes me wana catch
the next flight to San Francisco.
i really hope you enjoyed your trip to the states.
and i cant wait to hang with you when i get back to singapore.
thanks again for the postcard!!!
i really appreciate it! :)
and i miss you lots!!!!
happy birthday again!
it sure feels old being 23 eh?
that's why i'm re-celebrating my 21st birthday next year. haa!

more pics that i took while i was back in singapore during winter...
pretty dated pics, but still deserve it's rightful place in this entry.

::my hairstylist, faye. she wanted to give me a free haircut and highlights becos she wanted me to model for her... too bad i had to go back to melbourne the next day.. argh!!!::

::fauzi, lipei and i at beach road::

::najib and i at the airport::

finally, a shout out to fauzi, jenn, gabbie, grace, steph, gib, boshen, kenny and clement (lucky you, get to go for your overseas exchange thingy for half a year).
you guys got miss me not? haa.
take care guys.

this sure is a huge entry...
i still have loads of pics to upload....
but i hafta settle with this first,
cos many have been pushing me to update....

intermission

2006-09-03T04:19:00.000+08:00

2 naughty cats

::due to stress, dylan has temporarily been transformed into a cat... and sadly, because of that, lipei has been infected and she too, has turned into a cat...::
i'm so stressed out!
i have 2 submissions dued this coming week...
my academic journal for my graphic design,
and a bloody 1500 words essay!!!
i'm a graphic designer for goodness sake!
i should be exempted from essays!!! argh....
and to top it up, i have a test as well for
my advertising course...
not helping at all....

and because of all that,
i barely have enough time to update this blog of mine...
i still have quite a lot of photos to filter out before
uploading it here though.
but the next proper entry would definitely be a long one.
lots of photos and artworks to upload!
kinda excited, hee~
and of cos, some other personal stuff.
hope to post it up this coming week.

in the mean time, it's nothing but
essay essay essay.... argh!!!
is it possible to pay someone to write my essay for me?

lights, camera, film.... smiles... action!

2006-08-13T22:52:00.000+08:00

cheese

::me with my supersampler::
i had 2 submissions this week.
but it wasnt all that hectic as i
had planned everything beforehand
so as to avoid panicking last minute.
i'm horrbile working under pressure.

::pics of my connect book. clockwise: the packaging; the front; the inside; the back::
this book is dedicated to my dearest lipei and fauz.
the dedication page have the names of both of you. :)
hope you guys like the book. :)

::this pic of the cheese cake shop was taken while i was on the tram. i love the colours of this pic::
while i was at GLENHUNTLY getting my book perfect binded,
i took the opportunity to snap a few shots around the area.
i rarely visit the suburbs.
it's a nice change of pace from the city.
but still, i could never live in the suburbs.
too quiet, too peaceful...

::pic of the railway at GLENHUNTLY::

::more pics taken at GLENHUNTLY::

::took this pic of the city when i came back from GLENHUNTLY. nice weather that day::

::group of old ladies performing tap dancing at FEDERATION SQUARE::

MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL

::lipei and i inside the FORUM THEATER. i love the interior inside::

::i dun think this pic justifies how crowded the theater really was. it was extremely packed!::
went to watch 2 movies at the MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL.
the first movie lipei and i watched is called
THREE TIMES(taiwan).

::this scene shows the third story set in present time::

::this scene shows the second story set in 1911::
it tells 3 love stories set in different eras.
the film opens in 1966 with a delicate romance about
a pool-hall hostess, May and the young army conscript.
May's counterpart in the second story, set in 1911,
is a courtesan who llives and works in a brothel and could
not be more tethered to her histortical moment.
in the third story, set in the present,
a musician casually begins an affair with a photographer,
leaving her female lover alone in her bed.
directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, it stars Shu Qi and Chang Chen.
a beautifully shot film indeed.
the audience in the cinema clapped when the show ended.
i personally love the second story.

::image of BIG BANG LOVE: JUVENILE A::
the second movie we watched is called BIG BANG LOVE: JUVENILE A.
it's abt jun who leads an isolated life working in a gay bar
but after being brutalised by a customer who picks him up,
jun goes into a frenzy and kills him. this single violent act leads
jun to a prison where he meets kazuki, an equally violent
young man who takes him under his wing before another
brutal murder changes everything.
the storyline is average, but many scenes were pointless
and too many metaphoric references strayed the film away
rather than enhance the experience of it.
the only good thing abt the movie is the
gorgeous guy in it... Ando Masanobu! *drool*
he's also in Battle Royale...

::pic of Ando Masanobu... my gawd... he's so good looking!::

::another pic of his... argh... he's so gorgeous....!::

::pics of my supersampler::
i finally bought myself a LOMO SUPERSAMPLER!!!
i have waited for 4 years...
now that i have it...
lomo on!
i kinda miss my LC-A and Holga...
(not my action sampler... i hate that camera)
will try to experiment with my supersampler.
might try cross-processing like wat i did with my LC-A.

i heart melbourne!
solely for one reason... and that is...
CHEAP DVDS!!!! CHEAP TV SERIES DVD BOX SETS!!!
DVDS NOT FOUND IN SINGAPORE!!!
ok.. that seems more than 1 reason...
-i bought 2 complete seasons of ALLY MCBEAL
for just $39 each season.
-SIN CITY at $15. you cant get the dvd in singapore.
-ALIAS 4 seasons dvd box set for just $120.
that means each season cost $30.
singapore is selling EACH seaon for $90
-X-files $26 each season
-DAWSON's CREEK $30 per season
-ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT $28 per season
-THAT 70's SHOW $39 each season.
-SCRUBS each season for $28 only!!!
singapore selling it for $80 each season

recent movies not sold in singapore:
-hostel
-wolf creek
-transamerica
-brokeback mountain
-mysterious skin
and a whole lot more...

more pics taken in singapore

::sabrina strutting down the stage::
sabrina was one of the finalists for this
year's FEMME QUEST.
so to show our support, we were at zouk to cheer her on.
the night was fun!!!
the drag queen host was extremely funny.
but it did feel a little weird to be surrounded by so many
girls... where are the guys?!
but i had a blast that night.
aya, whom i must say is gorgeous and friendly,
is this year's FEM QUEST winner.
after the whole event, we stayed on and danced the night away.
we had a great night!!! really enjoyed myself!

::the girls on stage::

::sabrina among the girls::

::fauz and i outside ZOUK::

::najib, fauz and i inside ZOUK::

::denise keller and i after the event::

::everyone there supporting sabrina::

::fauz and denise keller. rebecca tan is just behind him::

::lipei, fauz and i. lipei's wearing her fake spectacles.... it's ornamental....::
and to make my winter holiday sweeter than it already was,
my dearest lipei made her way to singapore all the
way from TAIPING, MALAYSIA.
with her around, nothing would be dull!!!

::LOVE ME BUTCH performing at BAYBEATS::

::FURNITURE performing at BAYBEATS::
we went to watch LOVE ME BUTCH perform
at this year's BAYBEATS, which was held at the ESPLANADE.
we also watched FURNITURE performed the following day.
though it was just a three days stay, we did
try to make full use of it.
brought her to LAU PASAR to makan.
i looovveee the food there!
also brought her to BUGIS and ORCHARD.
would have love to bring her to SENTOSA and
swim in the sea, but due to time constraint,
it was near impossible.
oh... and we also clubbed at HAPPY!
haa, it's her first time at an alternative club.
and yeah, we enjoyed ourselves!
my God bro izad was there too.
hey lips, do visit singapore again ya, cos there's
still a whole lot more of singapore for you to discover.
and i'll definitely make a trip to TAIPING year end. :)

::lipei, fauz and i at fauz place, getting ready to party::

::lipei, fauz and i trying to get all of us in the frame...::

::fauz and lipei at HAPPY dancing the night away!::

the pics in this entry were being edited using IMAGEREADY,
and i will probably be using this program in future entries
instead of PHOTOSHOP.
that way, each image size would be considerably smaller,
thus ensuring a faster upload of my blog.

lastly, i think there is a high chance that i wont
be going back to singapore as early as i had planned.
i was hoping to be back by 4th of nov,
since all my submissions should be on the 30th of oct.
however, i may push my return date to the 20th of nov.
pretty late huh?
reason?
on the 19th of nov,
U2 is performing here in melbourne!!!!
U2!!! currently the greatest band alive!
i looovvve U2! so it's very likely that i'll be staying
to watch them perform.
ANOTHER REASON is that on the same day,
it's lipei's birthday!!!!!!
it'll be nice to celebrate her birthday, and then go
watch U2 perform together. :)
hopefully fauz can join us. the more the merrier.
anyway, i've been thinking about it,
there isnt any particular person waiting desperately
for my return. so really, there isnt a need to hurry
back home. and since it'll be lipei's last
year in melbourne, all the more i should stay
just a little longer in melbourne.

i'm a design student!!!

2006-08-06T22:20:00.000+08:00

big smilez and hugz!

::jolina, terrance and i during lesson. big smiles!!!::

::ree and i at MAG NATION. big hugz!!!::
school's started and i'm well into my fourth week already.
i seriously cant believe how fast these 3 weeks
have past me by without any realization...
but so far, school's been good.
i have wednesdays and fridays off,
giving me loads of time to catch up with work
and to replenish any lost sleep.
it's also nice to see everyone back in school.
love their company.
love their crappy comments.
just love them.

but i'm freaking out on my theory unit...
i have essays to write!!!! ahhh!!!!
i'm a design student! i should be
exempted from writting essays!!!
i just handed in my 500 words essay...
the topic is abt critcal issues influencing design,
like propaganda, environment, ethics etc... not easy....
and yesh... i know most of you would be
saying that anything less than 500 words is not
considered an essay....
i'm a design student!

however, i'm really excited with this book
that i have to design for my graphic design studio.
yup, a real book!!!
perfect binding and all!
very very exciting!!!
it's a collaboration between a New Zealand Uni.
our works would be exhibited and there'll
be media coverage too.
so far, my progress with this book is going really well,
and i'm really proud with the results so far.
i'm designing some sort of a graphic story book,
with roughly about 34 pages.
so there'll be loads of illustrations and
not to meantion, a twist in the story as well. :)
the story's abt 'conscience', revolving ard 2 girls...
or is it 1 girl with 2 different scenerios?
well, it's up to the readers to decide.
and there'll be no text.
this is so becos this is graphic design,
it's important that i'm able to use illustrations
to convey my story/message.
it also gives room for readers to ponder
and interpret the story to their liking.
it's hard work, but i hope it pays off.

::me in front of the NGV, attending the Picasso: Love&War exhibition with lipei::
the National Gallery of Victoria(NGV)
is show casing Picasso's paintings!
the exhibition is called Picasso: Love & War 1935-1945.
it explores the personal and artistic relationship between
Pablo Picasso and his lover and muse of those years, Dora Maar.
over 300 works are displayed.
Picasso's and Dora Maar's intimate involvement started shortly
before the outbreak of the Spanish civil war in 1936 and lasted
through the turbulent years of the second world war.
Dora Maar was a talented photographer and was at the
centre of the Parisian avant-garde. the two lovers inspired
one another intellectually and artistically throughout
their time together.
and this exhibition is the end result of it all.

::lipei and i trying our best to get the both us in the frame, wif the picasso wordings behind us. hee~ not very good eh... ::

::i think this is the best of the lot. :) ::

i finally bought Coheed and Cambria's
Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV:
volume one from fear through the eyes of madness.
(the title is freaking long...)
love them to the max!
check out their cd sleeves as well, given the chance...
i also bought Evermore's Dreams.
their new album's already out, but i decided
to get their previous album first becos i dun haf it.
hmmm... and... i also bought the O.C. mix 4 cd.
damn nice. but i really wana get O.C. mix 2...
someone pls get it for me....

the melbourne film festival is now on.
lipei and i would be watching 2 movies.
one's a chinese film called 'three times',
and the other is a japanese movie titled 'big bang love'.
we were hoping to catch keanu reeves' latest
movie Scanner Darkly, but it's sold out...
overwhelming respond... argh...

pictures taken in singapore.

these are just some more pics i took while
i was back home in sinagpore during my winter holiday.
there are still more to upload... but i'll just upload
these for now. :)

::boshen, gibson, stephanie and i at NYDC::
stephanie, gibson, boshen and i went out for dinner
at NYDC. it was a blast! so much laughter, so much fun!
and stephanie's the joker, as always,
ever since secondary school. hee~ :)

::a 'kawaii' pose you will not see me doing very often... my gawd... cant believe i did it... count yourself lucky if i ever pose like this wif you... comments on polaroid written by stephanie::

::a candid shot... was trying to grab my polaroid camera from boshen when he pressed the shutter. comments on polaroid written by stephanie.::
it was great catching up with them.
i think the pics says it all.
and yesh stephanie, continue being KAWAII as always!
hope your "mandarin" lessons are paying off. haa~ :)

::jenn, gibson, ah bee and i outside C.A.N. cafe::
i met up with jenn, gibson and ah bee for dinner.
we went to fish and co. which was really fun, and
then headed over to C.A.N. cafe for drinks and
a few rounds of tai di!
a great night out indeed and i really enjoyed myself.
thanks guys for meeting up.

::me sticking out my tongue while watching the world cup at SIMPANG BEDOK.pic taken by fauz::
when i was back in singapore, it was soccer fever!
i love the world cup!!!
though of cos the teams i was supporting
didnt win... i still love them, and will continue
to cheer on for them.
i tried my best to catch most of the matches.
my dad was up all night watching every single match,
and i'm happy my mum subscribe for the soccer channel.
however, even though i could watch it at the comfort of my home,
i chose to watch most of the matches outside my place at the infamous
SIMPANG BEDOK. it makes a lot of difference when there's
a crowd cheering on.
screams of "goal",
sighs of dismay,
the clapping of hands,
good food...
i love the world cup!
and i hate a certain team...

::pic taken at SIMPANG BEDOK while watching world cup::

::sham and i at CHANGI GENERAL HOSPITAL. i was there to visit him. he's alright now. this pic was taken quite some time back::

::fauz and i in the... toilet at PLAZA SING. dun ask why we even took this picture in the toilet::

::kai and i with Ronald Mcdonald::

::pic of mum and i. do i look like my mum? love her::
family dinners are a must when i go back to singapore.
these pictures were taken during the farewell dinner for me.
my uncles and aunties and cousins were all there.
apparently one of my cousins brought his girlfren along...
and his brother just got attached and showed everyone
his new girlfren's picture... bleth...
everyone must be thinking why i have never had a girlfren before...
then again... i think they are pretty tired asking me that...
cos the answer would always be, "i just dun have lor..." (-_-)"
get the hint my dear uncles and aunties!

::my bro, charlotte and i::

::er... fauz was supposed to be in the pic... apparently i accidentally cut him off while taking the pic... opps... not intentional ok... hee~ ::

::ok... now fauz's in the pic. pic taken by fauz::

with 2 submissions in a few days time, i'm hoping by then
i'll have enough time to upload more pics...
i know this entry came a little late...
blame it on the 500 words essay i had to write....
it took me a long time to get it done....
i'm a design student!!!

what would you do for society?

2006-07-24T01:16:00.000+08:00

my gawd...

::pic taken at AWAA special school. these art works were made by the students. they are lovely and beautiful::
i never realised that i have tons of pictures
to post up... some of them dating all the way from june...
argh...
and i'm not sure if i can fit everything onto one entry...
guess i'll hafta split them apart.

for now, i'll post my earlier pics.
the rest will be posted in the later entries...

anyway...

::pic of fauz and i at the swimking pool with the kids::

::my God bro, izad, and the kids::
on the 29th of june,
my God bro, izad, needed help in his special school, AWWA.
so fauz and i volunteered to help out with the kids.
it was an enriching experience.
the kids, though were playful at times,
were fun to be with.
many of us take our lives for granted.
we can walk, talk, eat, communicate
without much effort.
the trip to AWWA was a reminder to me,
that i should treasure watever i have,
that i should give my all to helping
others in need,
that i should thank God everyday for
giving me a healthy body to pursue
my dreams and goals.

::handprints and other art work done by the kids in class::

::fauz and ali. ali has difficulty finishing up his food... he's so cute. and i love this pic::

::izad and i::

::lesson in progess::

::pics of the kids getting splashed!::

::this is how much fun we had::

::izad and i::

my dear friends, if you think you have gone thru
the worst day of your life,
if you think life is worthless just becos you
broke up with your love one,
if you think life is meaningless becos you couldnt
get that prada handbag you always wanted,
if you think life is unfair....
well, count your blessings.
becos there are people out there who deserves
to live a healthy normal life.

when was the last time you've helped someone in need?!
when will you start giving back to society?!

::polaroid of coral, grace, gabby and i::
as always, i met up with gabby and grace,
not forgeting coral, whose shy with crowds.

polaroid of clement, kenny, vincent and i::

::the amount of food we ate.. and this is only our first serving....yesh, let your imagination run wild::
caught up with kenny, clement and vincent.
too bad alan couldnt make it...
we had a blast at SAKURA.
i think the amount i ate that dinner was
equvilent to one week's consumption!

a lot more pics coming soon...

everything's changing

2006-07-21T00:41:00.000+08:00

evolution

::pic of the new me::
new semester,
new perceptions,
new resolutions,
new life,
new appearance,
new me.
the ever changing facet of
my mind, body and soul.
embracing a whole new experience in a
not so new environment.
a new begining headed by
a step towards something... great,
i suppose, i hope... i know.
but one thing's for sure,
nothing's ever gona be the same again.

with that, it's only appropriate to change
the whole design for my blog,
since afterall, this blog somehow represents who i am.

so what you see here is my new blog design.
right before your eyes is a visual representation
of who i am right now.
a totally new look, created entirely by me.

::pic of my old blog design. if you think there is no difference, then you are totally deluded...::
with comparision to the old design,
you can see that my right wing(which is your left)
is the same as that of the old design.
the right wing represents the old me.
the old me that is carefree, passionate,
happy, optimistic, cheery, bubbly,
easily excited, always smiling,
expressive, caring, friendly,
not afraid of pursuing stuff,
dedicated, fun, loving, fearless...
the "prefect" me.
to me, butterflies represented these qualities.
therefore, these qualities are further enhanced
by the butterflies behind the right wing.

you would notice that a new wing is
forming on my left shoulder.
however, it is currently deformed.
it represents my current growth in life,
that i'm still learning to live...
learning to be a better person,
learning to overcome obstacles,
trying to get back to where i used to be,
and even exceling from there.
the graphic curves behind the left wing
represents the uncertainty in me,
and the fear that i have towards the future.
the curves give a sense of a mysterious aura...
not too sure if it's a good or bad thing,
only time will tell...

there are quite a few additions to this blog as well.
on my right column, there is a
"albums dylan currently listening on his ipod" section,
an update on my next flight details, a few link banners
and a disclaimer.
butterflies are also used in the design of the lists.
and a new footer banner. (below the page)
no new user pic, but that's not important.

::pic of fauz's blog banner::

::pic of fauz's blog footer banner::
i recently redesigned fauz's blog. click here
it was a gift for him for being there for me
all this time while i was back in singapore.
(see, if you treat me nice, i might be nice
enough to design your blog banner for you)

i asked him to give me 5 colours that he likes.
purple, green, red, blue, turquoise.
with that, i took all five colours to design
his banner. the banner had to represent him
in every aspect, if possible.
fauz is a cheerful guy that makes everyone
around him cheery with his infectious laughter and smile.
this cheerful aura is represented by the wavy purple
shapes that emerges from him.
i constantly went back to him for his own personal imput.
he wanted feathers in the background.
and asked me to avoid pastel colours as he didnt like them.
the result is this banner you see.

i went ahead to do a footer banner for him.
this banner can be found at the bottom of his blog.
(i have a footer banner myself, in case you guys
were too lazy to scroll down the page)
i drew a trucker cap, which he wears all the time,
and added elements from the main banner so
that there is a consistancy in the overall design.
i thought the footer banner looks better than the main
banner.. in fact, i personally feel it better represented
who fauz really is...
but anyhow, he loves the end result,
and that's all that matters.

new resolutions:
-eat like no man has ever eaten
-working out to be fit
-excel in my academic results

i have been working out for the past 4 weeks,
and my sheer patience and hardwork has paid off.
i'm hoping to continue with my work out regime.

what can you guys expect from this blog?
well, i'm hoping to update my blog regularly.
2 times a week, or once a week the very least.
having to post an entry means i have set aside
time to do some self reflection. i need to strike
a balance between work, play and personal time.

i'm also hoping to introduce more of my own
works in this blog. this way, people would have
an idea of what i do, or am capable of doing.

i'll also continue to post my personal inner thoughts.
afterall, this blog is where my inner thoughts reside.
and of cos, expect loads of pictures to be posted
in the next few entries. i have tons of pictures
that were taken during my trip back and i have yet
to filter them out... argh...

i recently helped to design a logo for a group of
people. they are a group of people whose main
intentions are not to be taken lightly.
the empowerment of youths,
teaching youths to be leaders,
making a difference in their lives etc etc.
i admire and totally support such groups.
though i didnt expressed it in person,
i was really happy with the overall design.
it was a definite challenge considering the
short amount of time given to produce a logo.
more will be elaborated another time.
but i just wana say it again,
i'm really proud of what i came up with.
a definite moral booster for me.

::pic of my BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN dvd::
to make everyone in singapore jealous, (muhaha)
i bought a copy of the recently released
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN dvd in melbourne!!!!!!
this is one incentives for living in melbourne.
i get to purchase dvds that are not available in singapore.
anyway, after watching it a third time,
it has offically become my all time favourite movie,
ahead of my ex-all time favourite movie, AMERICAN HISTORY X.
i know of many who feels that though BROKEBACK is a
fantastic movie, it's not the kind of movie that they'll
consider watching again.
well... i'm not into hyped up movies as well.
and i'm definitely not the kind who would put an
overrated movie as my all time fav movie...
but.. wat can i say... BROKEBACK just touched my heart in
ways that others cant...

2 of the scenes i love most...

::when ennis discovers the shirts in jack's room, and starts to hug them emotionally...::

::back in ennis' own trailer, he buttons the shirt, says:i swear..., and then movie ends::

have you had your brokeback?
or as wat lipei would say, have you broke your back?
if you check out the movie's official website,
you'll know what i meant...

i had my brokeback experience...
it was 4 years ago...

i think i've written too much.
but i hope you guys have read every bit of it.
cos every word that i typed comes straight from my heart...

i have quite a few people to thank.
but it's 5plus in the morning and
i dun think i'll be able to thank them properly
in my current state of mind.
so stay tune!!!

pictures taken from the special school, zouk, baybeats,
my dinner outings, polaroids etc etc
will be posted soon as well...
will try to update in 2 days time.

brief entry

2006-07-08T19:00:00.000+08:00

transformation

::pic of me taken with my lomo action sampler::
it's been quite a while since i last posted an entry here.
reasons being the fact that i have been busy doing up
my portfolio as well as meeting up with some of
my friends... not forgetting catching late night
soccer matches which in turn, affects my sleeping habits...
hmmm... come to think of it, my sleeping habit
is way haywired long before i could even remember...
but that's besides the point...

the point is... this is just a brief entry...
i'm going to revamp the design of this blog...
new semester,
new resolutions,
new perception of life,
new me,
hence a new design for my blog.
i'm hoping to get it done next week,
just before i head back to melb.
and i'm hoping to post a proper entry as well,
along with the pics i've taken so far.
dun worry my frens, your pics will be posted here. hee~

in the mean time, wana make a shout out to jenn who just
came back from taiwan.

get well soon to sham, who has been hospitalised.
will visit you asap!

lips, i hope things get better for you.
life is full of ups and downs(cliche i know),
but you need to pick yourself up and say
"i'm fabulous" in samantha's way. :)

last but not least, france must win!
italy is so going down!
no offence frank... i know you're italian...

what's up

2006-06-24T22:13:00.000+08:00

hi my name is high maintainance...

::spongebob trying out nasi padang::
friends have cared,
friends have questioned.
the state of my mind,
the state of my physical body.
i am doing fine, thanks for asking.
i am doing alright, thanks for asking.
i appreciate the space you
guys have given me.
but surprisingly, i'm really doing fine. :)

nostalgia...

managed to see stephanie, roger and huifong!
my gawd, how long as it been?
it was great to see them doing well.
especially glad to see steph. was in fact thinking of
her just the other day.
and sham, thanks for inviting me out for drinks!
it has been ages since i caught up with you.
it's really nice to see you again.
it seems you are still very much in the scene eh.
take good care of your leg.
and sorry for not being able to attend the tarot party.
it would have been nice to dressed up
as a tarot card character. :)
zah, it was nice seeing you as well.
it seems both of us has changed quite a bit.
i cant believed we have known each other
for 6 years already! time sure flies eh...

it seems coming back hasn't stopped me from
my shopping addiction...
$43 on a topman polo shirt,
$15 on a tshirt,
$61 on bermudas,
$5 spongebob boxers,
$45 on movie tix,
$25 on a dvd,
$36 on 2 cds,
$52 on games and guide,
$188 on toys,
$62 on pre-orders,
unclosed amount on food.
unclosed amount on cab fares.
scary...

karma, the cause and effect...
somehow, i do believe in karma
to a certain extent...
that watever goes around,
would come right back at you.
or... am i confusing it with retribution?
i cant deny the fact that i havent been
the saintest of all people.
i know i have emotionally hurt people,
i know i have taken advantage of people.
i'm not perfect to begin with.
i know i make mistakes and seek forgiveness.
but sometimes saying sorry isnt enough...
lessons have to be learnt the hard way.
lessons have to be learnt the cruelest of ways.
i believe i'm serving my punishment now.
for all my wrong doings...
for all my devilish ways...
God is taking action.
and i'm readily accepting it.
but i hope God is fair and would also punish
all those who have emotionally hurt anyone
in any way.

::a scan of utada hikaru's new album. she is so gorgeous!!! i love her!::
i'm a huge gigantic fan of utada hikaru!
i'm thrilled her latest album, ULTRA BLUE, is finally out!
her songs are unique as ever.
beautifully written and composed.
not to mention her mtvs, they are just awesome!
outstanding tracks:
-this is love
-keep tryin'
-blue
-Making Love
-誰かの願いが叶うころ
-colors
-wings
-be my last
-passion
fans of hers would fall in love with her all over again.
do check out her new album. it's out in stores.

::a scan of royston tan's dvd. i love the cover!!! it speaks a lot::
all royton tan fans should get their hands
on his new dvd entitled ROYSTON'S SHORTS.
i've gotten mine. :)
the dvd includes award winning shorts like
-Sons
(Best Short Film and Special Achievement Award, 13th Singapore Film Festival)
-Mother
(The Voice Award, 1st Singapore Short Film Festival)
-Hock Hiap Leong
(Jury's Diploma of Merit Award, 32nd Tampere International Short Film Festival International Jury Hononary Mention, 21st Uppsala International Short Film Festival)
-Monkeylove
(Official selection, Tous les Cinemas du Monde- 59th Festival de Cannes)
it also includes Jesses, 24hrs, The Absentee,
The Blind Trilogy, Careless Whisperer and New York Girl.

"i love your shirt."
cheesy pick-up line...
yes i was wearing a v-neck fcuk tshirt
that has "fcuk it" written on the front.
but seriously...
that isnt something anyone should say if
they wana impress me...
and what's wth the i-wana-eat-you stare?!
it gives me the chills...

::outside M.O.S.::

::Dennis hosting the event::
was invited to attend Fiat's launch party
at Ministry of Sound, which coincided with
FHM's top 100 sexist women.
i'm happy to see Denise Keller! :)

i have a plan.
i have preached it to some of my friends.
it's regarding organising an activity/program for
the HIV positive community.
so far i have received positive feedback.
i'm not sure how and when...
but i really hope it'll pull through.
maybe i'll wait till i return to singapore for good.
i just wana give something back to society.

to jenn:
enjoy your well deserved trip to taiwan!
happy shopping and eating!

to shaiful:
thanks for your care and concern.
thanks for being there.
i know i can count on you.
take care and hope to go JB wif you one day.

more pics taken with my V3i

::fauz and i at tampines mall::

::zah and i at LAU PASAR::

::i love the hawker center at bugis. the food's cheap and good::

::kai and i at starbucks. havent slept the whole night::

::fauz and i at plaza sing::

::sham and i outside whynot::

this song best decribes wat i feel in my heart...

母さんどうして
育てたものまで
自分で壊さなきゃならない日がくるの?
バラバラになったコラージュ
捨てられないのは
何も繋げない手
君の手つないだ時だって…
※Be my last… be my last…
Be my last… be my last…
どうか君が be my last…※
慣れない同士でよく頑張ったね
間違った恋をしたけど
間違いではなかった
何も掴めない手
夢見てたのはどこまで?
With my hands With my hands
With my hands With my hands
私の手で be my last…
いつか結ばれるより
今夜一時間会いたい
何も繋げない手
大人ぶってたのは誰?
(※くり返し)

begining of fall

2006-06-13T17:10:00.000+08:00

i'm back.

::polaroid of lipei and i drinking coffee below our apartment just before i left for the airport. i love this pic. it really shows us just being ourselves, and having a great time drinking coffee and enjoying each other's company::
school's finally over for now.
all my assignments and major projects
have been rushed and submitted on tue.
i barely had time to eat and sleep,
needless to say, have time to update
this blog of mine.
i had previously written a whole chunk of
stuff, ready to upload...
but due to my terrible tight schedule,
i couldn't... so i guess it isnt valid anymore.

the long flight back was horrible but
thankfully akiko was on the same flight as me.
at least i didn't hafta wait another 3 hrs for transit,
and another 6 hours plus to japan...
pity akiko... but hey, enjoy your holidays ya akiko,
and i'll see you next semester.

::polaroid of bob the blob, jolina, sam 'blob', me and terrance. glad to have bob the blob with us in this pic. he rarely takes pictures, so it's an honor::

::polaroid of sam 'blob', me, fiona, jolina and terrance, where were you earlier on fiona?::
the last week of school was surprisingly fun.
i'm fortunate to have classmates like them.
ever so entertaining,
ever so carefree and fun,
ever so lame(in a good way).
to sum up my semester:
tako yaki, mamadukes, leaving class early,
dozing off in lectures and tutorials,
anoother-bloody-water, cups and cups of
coffee, pin-ups and mock ups, sam strolling
into class after being late for an hour and half,
cracking lame jokes one after another,
terrance's IQ questions, priceless i-just-got-
out-of-bed look in the mornings, drawing weird
sketches in visual diaries, spotting eri's new
hairstyle everyday, bob the blob,
reggy-is-saffron's-mum shock faces,
surfing the net secretly while tutor is
teaching, bloody jade, blur michael... etc etc.
semester 1 of 2006, not to shabby. :)

::our favourite past time during class. terrance sleeping away while holding on to his pen and pretending to draw his sketches... it's not gona work terrance...never...::

spending $1000+ in one week would be
deemed retail obsession instead of retail therapy...
guilty as charge...
i have an addiction...
some people eat when they are upset...
i go for a full on shopping spree...
$215 on a pair of jeans,
$490 on dvds,
$100+ on my phillippe stark fossil watch,
$270 on t-shirts,
$78 on magazines,
$60 on a pair of shoes,
$45 on 2 pairs of havaianas flip flops,
unclosed amount on gifts,
unclosed amount on games lipei and i play. :)
my dad had better not see this, or i'll be killed.

what's up for the rest of my holidays?
i'm really not sure... nothing's been planned.
5 weeks, 35 days, 840hrs...
time's really not on my side.
i guess it'll be a period of rest,
a period of soul searching,
a period of getting everything in place.
simply put, i'll be very free.

i'm still going ahead with my plan to transfer
back to singapore to study next year.
i better get everything prepared for consultation
and possibly, interviews as well.
hoping to do student intern...
but i'm afraid with my short stay here,
it's gona be quite hard...

::pic of lipei and i at st jeromes. come on now, big smiles everybody::
to lipei:
you are my light,
my source of comfort,
my everything, emotionally, and life itself.
you are the definition of 'best friend',
the definition of 'soul mate'.
the definition of 'blur'....
if there's something i'd never regret going
to melb, it would be the moment we crossed
paths and forge this amazing friendship we have.
lips, eddie lee, hagi lee, oliver twist, alice, dorothy... :)
watever your name is,
you will always be the one i cherish with all my heart.
i'll miss you badly.
so you hafta come to singapore, and i'll go over to KL.
the deal is on.
take care in the mean time.
call me anything, and i'll do the same.
i'll be there for you 100%.
see ya soon.

::light and dark::

::scan pic of the cd lipei burned for me::
lipei burned me a fabulous CD.
i can never thank her enough for it.
the track list is awesome!
i absolutely love all the tracks in it!
and i love the CD face she had created.
it reads:
"Hear it with all your soul.
Close your eyes and let your heart sing.
Cherish every moment these songs bring you.
Don't and never spread them to people who
doesn't love it as much as you.
love lipei."
thank you so much for this CD, lips.
i've been listening to it all this while,
even right now while i'm typing this.

to rain:
i'm extremely sorry i couldnt call you before
you left for the states....
i feel so pissed with myself for not even saying
good bye to you on the phone...
there's so much i wana tell you...
there's so much i need to say...
but with that, you're already in the statesm
and i wont be able to see or talk to you
till the end of the year...
please take care of yourself,
please be safe.
have loads of fun,
take loads of pics.
you know i'll always try to be there for you.
you know you mean so much to me.
take care again, be safe again.
i'll miss you.

to jenn:
thanks for everything that you have done for me.
i really apreciate the things you wrote on both
your and my blog, as well as the smses
you sent to me.
very encouraging, very comforting.
and thank you so much for receiving me
at the airport. though you did say you wanted
to come, i really didnt expect you and bee chin
to turn up. your presence means a lot and i
appreciate that a lot.
we'll have coffee and dinner soon ya.

to terrance:
thanks for waiting with me in school on tues.
you didn't haf to but you did.
you had to run off to the city to print your
assignments but you chose to stay with me
to wait for saffron. thanks a million!
and enjoy your holiday!!!

to jolina:
advance thank you for picking up my assignments. :)
too bad i couldn't say good bye to you on tue.
you came too late. hee...
anyway, you enjoy your holiday and i'll see you
next semester.
and yeah, i'll get you something pink.

and thanks for all those who have welcome me back
either thru sms or msn. hee...

more pics taken with my V3i:

::pic taken during sunset on my way back from school. you can see the city::

::pic of the sounthern cross station::

::pic taken along richmond. it shows the yarra river and the city::

::jolina and i at south melbourne::

::lipei and i outside the arcade::

::lipei showing us the right way of tieing shoelaces::

::xianli and i at MEKONG eating dinner::

::fiona and i waiting for the bus::

::jolina and i::

::terrance and i posing. who's more good looking? hee... ok dun answer that! ::

::jared and lipei at st jeromes::

::lipei and i at the arcade waiting for our turns to play drum mania and guitar freak::

::who's dragon of heaven and who's dragon of earth? haa! lipei will know wat i mean::

those who are having exams right now, all the best!
those enjoying the holidays now, have fun!

i'll pray that this winter holiday would be a great one.

melancholy of dylan

2006-05-17T00:27:00.000+08:00

end of an era...

::pic taken on the train back to the city::

a new chapter in life...
before a begining,
there's always an end to something...
how much are we willing to let go of that?
wat if that 'something' means the world to you?
wat if that 'something' defines who you are?
wat if that 'something' is your source of life?
wat if that 'something' brings you happiness?
would you be willing to forego all that?
would you be willing to start from scratch?
so how much are you willing to let it all go?
a new chapter doesnt always hafta mean
something great is coming your way.
it just means that we hafta work harder
to achieve wat we may haf lost, or to
maintain whatever we already possess.
i would never have imagined life
being so complicated, so cruel,
so empty, so superficial, so hurtful,
so self-oriented, so unforgiven...
many would say that it's these challenges
that make life so much more interesting,
fullfilling, satisfying...
bullshit.
it doesnt hafta be.
why is it that when i try so hard to achieve something,
it just goes to waste...
nothing's really been appreciated.
i'm so sick of everything right now.
"jaded" is over-used.
"fucked up" isn't my style...
i'll just go with "ultra mega horrible'...

is it so hard to be with someone you love?!
i love you. you love me. period.
i cant understand why we cant be together.
the mind changes like the direction of the wind...
one minute i'm your soulmate,
the next i'm someone you wana hate.
who is to blame?
me, for trying to substain the relationship?
you, for feeling this way?
let's just blame the weather
so we can get it over and done wif.
i still love you.
and i dun understand why you need to
stop loving me when you still do.
i wish you would have me back,
so we can live our dreams again...
it doesnt hafta be this tough,
because it isn't to begin with.
pls take my hand again....
and place it on your heart...
cos i love an ass like you wif all my heart...
and i'm no fool in loving you....

this may very well be my
last year in melbourne.
it isnt a joke,
it isnt a prank.
but it's something that i've
considered for a long while.
june would be crucial,
meetings would be held,
my next move in life
would be determined then.
i'm no quitor,
i'm no loser,
i'm definitely not insane.
my plan is to continue doing what i love
back home in singapore.
i love design and would never
give that up. never!
i have spoken to a few friends,
and they have been very supportive.
even my mum told me that it's
no point doing something i love
when i'm not happy at all.
i'm not sure where this would lead me,
but i'm hoping in doing so, would allow me
to be happy doing wat i love.
i need you to know that i'm not doing this for you.
for once, i'm gona be selfish,
for once, i'm doing this for myself.
for once, i wana be happy doin wat i love.
i hope you'll understand why i'm doing this.
i really hope you do.
becos if you do, you would support me all the way
and help me through this transition.
no, i'm not gona rely on you.
no, i'm not gona be a burden to you.
but you know, it's always nice to have
someone i love to be there for me.

so far, my plans are either
continuing my graphic design degree in NTU's design school.
OR continuing graphic design in Laselle SIA,
and then go on to complete a degree course.
the good thing is i dun hafta start right from the first year.
nothing's been set, but i'm hoping everything pulls through.
it would be nice if any of you have any other suggestions.

::just me...::
"seems like yesterday, you were a part of me.
i used to stand so tall, i used to be so strong,
your arms around me tight, everything it felt so right,
unbreakable like nothing could go wrong.
now i cant breathe, no i cant sleep,
i'm barely hanging on.
here i am, once again, i'm torn into pieces...."

so...
would you be there receiving
me with opens arms?
would you be there with
a smile across your face?
would you be there to hold
me and not let me go?
would you be there whispering
these words "i'm glad you're back"
into my ears...

wished i was 15...

2006-05-09T20:43:00.000+08:00

happy birthday

::a pic of my mum i took with my LC-A a long time ago::
it's your birthday and i wish
i'm there to celebrate it with you.
you mean the world to me
and i love you ma with all my heart.
wishing you good health.
wishing you joy.
wishing you love.
wishing you a fabulous birthday!
happy birthday ma.

::a scan pic of the dvd "15::
i was fortunate enough to get
my hands on royston tan's
controversial film "15", here in melbourne.
a pity singapore's not able to sell
it's own home-made film....
i remember watching it a few years ago.
watching it again was a whole new experience.
i vaguely remember most of it.
but i enjoyed every bit of it.
"15" ia a fearless depiction of truanting, bullying,
body-piercing, self-harming, porn-watching,
drug smuggling, prostitution, crypto-gay bonding,
amateur rapping, fake tattoos...
royston tan confronts the reality of suicides
with wicked black humour and puts it all
in beautiful, lush, vibrant colours...
a provocative film exposing a gritty side of
modern-day singapore life that will
blow your mind away...

watching "15" only made me miss
singapore a whole lot more.
there was this scene which was filmed
at S21 bedok... i used to go there all
the time with my family on sundays.
and to see far east plaza, wisma,
orchard on the whole... man...
and the best part is, the last frame
of the movie was shot at tanah merah...
my gawd... tanah merah... home...
wat a way to end the movie...
fark... i miss home...

i had someone telling me
i'm no longer the dylan he used to know.
who is this "old dylan" anyway?
do i know him?
should i know him?
i have no recollection of this old dylan...
cheery, bubbly, easily excited, always smiling,
expressive, caring, friendly, passionate,
not afraid of pursuing stuff, dedicated,
fun, optimistic, loving, fearless...
i'm afraid you got the wrong person...
cos this dylan is none of the above...

i have this assignment titled "me myself i".
it's for my graphic design studio and
i'm to select 4 words from the dictionary
that decribes my personality,
making 4 postcards to visually interpret
these words...
my four words:
-loving:
behaving in a way that shows you love someone
-dreamer:
someone who dreams while they are asleep;
someone who has ideas or plans that are not
practical
-complex:
an emotional problem in which someone is
unneccessarily anxious about something or
thinks too much about something
-isolation:
a feeling of being lonely and unable to meet
or speak to other people

do these words reflect who i really am?

it seems unhappiness is set at default,
and only the occassional glitches or
virus attack would bring forth happiness.
in my experence happiness is not a
permanent state, but a number of
experiences that at one particular
moment satisfy us in such a way that
we call it happiness.
these moments can be long or
very short...

the month of may has arrived.
how would may fair?
i wana think that it would be fabulous.
but that can only be wishful thinking.

::remember this pic we took behind hereen?::
my flight is set.
and i'm ready to jet.
7th of june, is when i head home.
less than a month,
and i'm feeling my heart pound.
not out of excitment,
not out of joy.
but out of anxiety,
but out of nervousness.
would you be there receiving
me with opens arms?
would you be there with
a smile across your face?
would you be there to hold
me and not let me go?
would you be there whispering
these words "i'm glad you're back"
into my ears...

"do not anticipate future unhappiness"
"take one day at a time"...
i wish that i would finally find out
what my destiny in life is, and that i
were able to fullfill that destiny.
cos right now, i'm in a lost....

there might be a chance i
would be going back to lomo-ing...
i.e. taking pics with my LC-A
or even holga. i'm even considering
buying myself a supersampler...
a camera which i have always wanted
for a very very long time...
(i would be a very happy person if
someone would like to sponsor...)
but it's all dependant on my situation,
and the timing as well...

pics i took with my v3i

::sunset from my apartment::

::pic taken at st jeromes::

::pic taken in graphic design class. taj is busy drawing on his sketch book. sam's beside him, and he too is drawing...::

::pic taken at MAMADUKES cafe. fiona and kumiko discussing about plans in winter. sorry girls, but as you know, i'm heading back to singapore.... so cant join you all...::

:;lipei and i ready to head on to the market::

::yup, our shopping envirobags are in check... ready for major grocery shopping::

::pic taken at queen victoria market::

let me be happy...
is it so much to ask?

i heart sg

2006-04-30T02:08:00.001+08:00

maple syrup

::pic of a maple tree taken outside my faculty with my v3i::
autumn has arrived and the leaves are
fluttering gently down from the trees,
settling on the ground awaiting the
cool embrace of winter...

::a maple leaf i picked up::

::polaroid of lipei and i. taken the minute i just woke up::
mornings...
you dun hafta wake up
feeling sleepy, pissed and all.
instead, don your favourite hat,
find a friend to join you if possible,
and smile to the camera.
a great way to start off your day
feeling perky, crazy and all.
if that doesnt work,
you could reach for a glass of
coke and rum like i always do.
that way you could continue your day
feeling high, intoxicated and all.

the week was erratic with
no signs of slowing down.
has my life evolved into something
as dramatic and intense as say...
a soap opera?
or worst... laguna beach?!
(minus the babes, hunks, beach, money,
and everything fabulous)
so much drama.
so unlike me.
i cant act out my parts.
i cant remember my lines.
i need to catch my breath.
i need a change of script.
i need... a normal life.

::pic of hyqel and i::
you are my source of hope.
you are my source of sheer bliss.
you are my love.
you are my life.
with you beside me,
i could touch the highest of skies,
and not be burden by
the world we live in.
i trust you with all my heart,
and i'm thinking of you always.
trust me,
for i treasure wat we have.
i love you.
and i'm glad you feel the same too.
let's be together,
not be apart,
for it would be unimaginable,
and that we know very well.

passion drives me.
passion motivates me.
passion brings out the best in me.
with the temporary death of passion,
everything seems meaningless.
i need to rekindle this lost passion.
i need to put my all in my school projects.
i need to unleash my full potential,
because i know i'm more than that.
gona drown myself in assignments...
willingly of cos.

::a scan pic of my vanity fair::
black, chic and everything Tom Ford.
every aspect of him speaks style.
admiration and adoration.
i had to get my hands on
vanity fair's hollywood issue.
and i did! a couple of weeks back.
a pity singapore's not selling it.

instead of hating, i'm learning to
appreciate wat melbourne has to offer...
with my trusty V3i tactically hidden
in my hand, i spent the evening after
school snapping as i head home.

::pic of caulfied train station taken with my v3i::

::pic taken at caulfield train station with my v3i::

::farris wheel at federation square taken with v3i. the farris wheel is there for melbourne's comedy festival::

::pic taken at my favourite place, JB hi-fi!::

::erm... lipei and i goofing ard::

::jolina and i at the jap restuarant waiting for our takoyaki::

::terrance and i at the jap restaurant::

conclusion...
i heart singapore.

my declaration, sorries, and thanks.

2006-04-24T23:27:00.000+08:00

my declaration

::pic of hyqel and i::
goals were made,
my mind was set,
a plane ride away,
to end it all.
actions were taken,
questions were answered,
doubts were cleared,
tears were shed.
the saga ends here,
and lessons were taught.
whatever the future brings,
is anyone's guess.
i have learnt not to
anticipate future unhappiness,
and to take one day at a time.
believe. faith. hope.
and most importantly, love.
the trip back was in a way, a success.
i'm glad that i'm able to smile again.
not smiling in denial.
not smiling my tears away.
but a genuine smile from the heart.
and yes,
i'll hold your hands, and place it on your heart.
i'll hold your hands, and stroll with you.
i'll hold your hands, and create endless memories.
"memories of you and me; of us."
this is my declaration:
i love you dear2.
we will make it.
wait for me,
cos i'll come back to you.
and though i'm not suppose to say it,
i miss you lots.

to someone:
i may not have put it in the nicest way possible...
but my intentions... my decision...
you have to understand.
i duno who to blame.
but wat is done, has been done.
time cannot be altered.
and we can only be responsible for our actions.
regret we may feel.
hurt we may inflict.
but wat is done, has been done.
i endured your nonsence.
and the wait was long.
but all i got in return was negligence.
you blew your chance.
and now you want it back.
but wat is done, cant be undone.
i wshed you had realised it earlier.
but you didnt.
and so my feelings for you have long gone.
friendship i do cherish.
the question lies within you.
is it all or nothing?
cos i have given my all to someone else.
i'm offering something much less.
but is it worth while to you?
i'm sorry to have hurt you.
i'm sorry for everything.
i'm hurt myself.
and i never wanted all this to happen.
but wat is done, has been done.
we have to stop living in denial.
thank you for the memories.
i'll cherish them for sure.

::polaroid pic of jenn, boshen, rain and i::

::polaroid of xianli, lipei and i::
during this rough time,
i wana thank all those who have left comments
on my blog and have showed their utmost care.
a big, gigantic thank you to jenn, boshen and rain for meeting
up with me and being there for me.
it means a lot and i appreciate your kind gesture.
to jenn:
"thanks jenn for everything. your good intentions
are greatly appreciated. thanks for sending me
off at the airport too... you sure are good at comforting me.
i treasure your comments. see you in june."
to boshen:
"thanks for your understanding. i didnt know that you knew...
but i hope the truth would not jeopardize our friendship.
thanks for sending me off as well. and yeah, see you in june."
to rain:
"yo! i hope my numbness didnt frightened you on the flight of stairs.
have a great time at summer camp. please be safe! i'll miss you terribly.
for the next time we meet, would be year end.
keep in touch always, for you mean to me more than you know. "
wana thank kenny too for taking time off
from his studying time to just hear me out.
to kenny:
"hey! study hard for your exams ya. dun study something else....
(you know wat). still cant believe i sat with you at orchard
and joined you in commenting on... (you know wat) take care
and hope to haf dinner with you and the gang when i return."
infinite thanks to lipei.
to lipei:
"you have been there for me throughout. no one, and i mean no one,
has given me as much care as you have given me. i wana
be there for you too. you dun hafta go thru it alone."
to gabrielle:
"thanks for taking time off to read my blog and to discover the unknown.
yeah, i have changed since JC eh... am i more matured? hee~ my JC life would
not have been that managable if not for you. hope to arrange something with
you and grace when i get back. in the mean time all the best in your studies."
and of cos to charlotte:
"it was definitely weird when you asked me those questions on the couch.
i didnt expect you to be so observant... and yet so concern of my well-being. that's not
to say it's a bad thing, cos i really am glad for all you have done for me."

dear2, i wana say i love you again.

::pic of melb city taken from my room balcony wif my V3i::
back in melbourne only means 1 thing...
i hafta rush for my sch work....
so much work, so little time.
i hope i do well...
i pray i can focus and get back on track.
cant wait for all this frenzy to end.

some pics i took with my V3i

::pic of jenn and i::

::pic of rain and i::

::pic of boshen and i::

::pic of kenny and i in the midst of observing....::

::pic of hyqel and i::

::pic of charotte and i in the car::

::pic of hyqel and i::

::pic taken in a cab::

where do i go from here?
i'm not sure.
but i'm definitely taking one day at a time.
and i just pray things would start going
right from now on...

home sweet home...?

2006-04-19T16:41:00.000+08:00

a depressing return

::pic of my house taken with my new motorola RAZR V3i i have a new mobile phone!::
my earlier blog entry had me saying
'making a depressing return...'
to everyone's shock, it actually means that
i was returning home to singapore.
yeah, you read it right, i'm in fact in
singapore right now.
an impulsive decision.
a dumb reckless one?
whatever the reasoning, i'm already home
and nothing's gona change that.
what could change would be the way i'm feeling.
depression.
a word i find hard embracing.
happiness.
a word long forgotten.
hope.
a word that keeps me going for now,
but not for long...

the missing of home.
the missing of someone special.
the devastating words of his.
the depressing feeling over taking me.
the need to know if people who care
are there for me.
these are the factors for my return.
and i'm here to sort, find and solve.
so far... not only am i failing...
i see myself taking a step back
from where i started...

a sense of uncertainty still lingers.
feelings. thoughts. reactions. actions.
a sense of complication overshadows everything.
moody. confuse. pain. exhausted.
i wish it was at least manageable.
a sense of anxiety breaks me and i pray it'll
just leave me alone.
anxious. nausea. restless.
a sense of hope from the powers of prayer,
but only temporary...
calms. assures. peace.

maybe love isnt for everyone.
it isn't for me anyway.
it pierces the heart and leaves me
dead, numb, zombiefied.
but most importantly, hurt.
why cant God grant me the 1 thing
i want and cherish.... love...

i really pray that everything would
go back to normal...
a time when i can smile...
a time when i can laugh...
a time when i can be myself...
a time without pain...
a time without suffering...
a time without uncertainty...
a time when i can say my life is great...

my best friend lipei from melbourne
wrote something for me on her blog. click here
it's called "dear dylan" and it represented
accurately the feelings i have...
it goes like this:

DEAR DYLAN
Be it, or be there,
One choice to heal,
Maybe only to feel better,
But at least.

Can't wait, can't wait,
For now, it's that and numbness,
Don't know what to feel yet,
Should I be this?
Or should I be that?

There is a plan,
Most call it desperation,
But I name it necessity,
It's my faith, It's my believe,
I must do this,
For me, For us,
Us...If only.

::pic of my mum and i taken with my V3i::

::pic of charlotte and i at Lido shaw, taken with my V3i::
the two ladies in my life who have been there
for me when i needed comfort...

depression

2006-04-11T16:52:00.000+08:00

top of the world

::a polaroid i took during sunrise. i love this pic a lot::
high up in the sky,
overlooking the skyline,
taking in the surroundings in awe.
for a moment time stood still,
as i stoned at it, wishing if it was possible
that one day, i could be on it.
would the sunrise be more beautiful up there?
would the city seem more peaceful up there?
would the air be fresher up there?
or would i be fearing the height?
i would never know...
not till i get on it and be on top of the world...
for now, it's just me, my polaroid and my dreams...

::a drawing i did during class::
i find myself doodling in lectures or classes...
my secondary school textbooks used to be
vandalised with my rubbish fantasies,
creating new super power heros and heroines
as my biology teacher was going
through parts of the flowers.
a bad habit?
i wouldnt think so, as it was my doodling that
got me to where i am right now.
in fact, i wished i had drawn even more on my
notes or test papers...
however, i had a break from it when i was
serving my national service.
for 2 years, i never picked up my pencil.
a regretful action i must say,
for my drawing skills plundered.
and considering that i'm in the
illustrative, creative sector, it would have
benefitted me a whole lot.
however, i'm doodling again like before.
sure, my skills aren't the same, but with loads
of practice, i'm sure i would be on par.... hopefully...

the only person i can talk to when i'm down is myself...
as much as i wana believe that people would be there for me,
it doesn't happen...
sometimes i wonder if i had sprayed paint an entire wall,
would anyone even notice it....
are my actions justifiable?
wat am i doing all these for?
if people who supposedly cares for me the most dun appreciate,
then am i only doing it for myself?
proving to myself would not get me anywhere.
people know themselves the best, and the reason why
that is so is because other people do not bother to
take time out to understand that person.
i have lost hope seeking people for comfort.
apparently, it's my problems so i hafta deal it myself.

love is but a sham...
i wana spend my life wif you...
but apparently you are unhappy being with me...
it came too sudden.
i couldnt swallow it down.
my heart is in pieces...
but no one can mend it... except you...
i couldnt believe you didnt need me at all...
i wana be a part of your life,
but you could never open yourself to me...
i feel useless, yet disappointed and exhausted...
but even so, i still wana be with you till the end of time...
this is wat love does... drives you crazy for someone...
is it the end for us? i pray not...
for you bring happiness to my life...
and i just pray i'll be able to do the same...
pls dun leave me, you're all that i've got...
i really wished i hadnt gone to melbourne....

::pic taken with lipei at a photobooth along chapel street. love the light leaks::
thank you my friend.
you have been there for me in the darkest of times.
i could never thank you enough.
though you dun quite know wat to say,
or how to help me,
but your presence is enough to
make me feel a little better.
i dunno what i'll do without you.
you sacrificed your pajamas for my tears,
and woke up from slumber just to make
sure i felt better...
i could never ask for more.
my best friend, without a doubt.

'making a depressing return...'
go figure wat it really means...
i bet you'll be shocked if you know wat i mean...

changing season

2006-04-05T17:08:00.000+08:00

freezing cold...

it seems we skipped autumn and
went straight to winter...
just overnight, we went from wearing
1 layer to 3 layers...
the recent downpour isn't helping...
extreme strong winds,
drenched clothes,
crowded trams...
not very habitable for a tropical boy like me.
just wana snug into bed with the heater on
and never leaving the room till summer comes.

i'm overjoyed that my parents have agreed
to let me fly home during my mid year break.
bye bye harsh freezing cold melbourne!
hullo hot scotching singapore!
i'm looking forward to returning home.
nothing beats home...
yeah sure, singapore aint perfect...
but neither is the rest of the world.

in a split second,
everything went totally haywired...
you were lying in your own blood
as the pain slowly seeped in.
the piecing glasses had cause serious injuries
to your arm and leg, and an operation
had to be done a.s.a.p.
i'm glad that you are now well dear2.
i wish i could be there for you, physically.
i miss you so much.
you mean the world to me.
i love you so much.
for there is nothing in this world i want,
other than your love for me.
i'm glad we share the same views,
and i'm glad we would be spending
our lives together.
so get well soon dear2, and wait for my return.

big happy family

2006-03-29T14:35:00.000+08:00

under one roof

::my polariod with me behind the camera::

::lipei's polaroid with her behind the camera::
it was the best meal i've eaten for quite a while.
quite a long while in fact...
it was more than just dinner...
it was a feast,
it was a time when we finally sat down
together and interacted with one another.
koreans are not as scary as we thought they would be.
they were friendly, extremely nice and above all, understanding.
they were everything we could ask for
in a housemate, and more.
wishing they would stay with us till the end of the year....

::pic of lipei which i took with my camera phone::
the week was rough,
constantly bombarded with unfortunate events.
your eyes says it all...
tears have been shed...
sadness seeping through...
yet you are strong, yes you are.
i envy and respect you.
for in any given lifetime, i could never be like you...
so strong... so compose... still sane...
my shoulders are here for you to rest upon...
my shirt is here for you to wipe your tears...
my ears are here for you to vent at...
my hands are here for you to grab hold of....
it's the least i can do as a best friend...
you have done your best.
you are not to be blamed for everything that's happened.
so cheer up, for the end is still far ahead.
remember, i'm just a few steps away when you need me.
and we always have our santuary,
our safe-haven,
our St Jeromes.

::i miss home... taken by my dear2::
i'm counting down the days
till i can finally hold you in my arms...
you said that i am the best thing
that has ever happened to you.
it means so much to me for you to say that...
my heart's overwhelmed with sheer joy.
and just so you know,
you are the best thing that has ever happened to me as well.
you only bring happiness to my life.
and though we are so different in characters,
you are still the one for me...
i cant wait till we have "zero"...
i love you so much...
so wait for me...

anime freaks of the world unite!

on my right column, i have added some links to
some of the animes that i have been watching.
and trust me, they are good.
i dun watch crappy stuff. (dear2, i really dun!)
they are highly recommended by me.
ergo proxy is a very new anime that kinda resembles ghost in the shell.
so if you like ghost in the shell, do check ergo proxy out.
fantastic animation and highly detailed illustrations.
love the main character!
i personally love eureka seven a lot!
(that explains it being on top of the list)
it's a combination of surfing(!!!), robots and a whole lot of character development. excellent!
Blood+ has some serious kick ass story and characters.
i love the sondtrack! especially the opening theme for it's second season.
it's called "season's call" by HYDE.
ichigo marshimaro? seriously, you have got to watch it.
dun let it's look deceive you. extremely worth-while.

::red bull usually does the trick... though i wouldnt wana completely rely on it::
getting myself in order.
major projects are piliing in.
though i've been given weeks to complete them,
with my procastination, sleepiness and constant day-dreaming,
i might still find it difficult to keep up.
wake up dylan, wake up.
for time waits for no man...

my say...

2006-03-19T19:15:00.000+08:00

relaxed for now...

::this pic shows jen, lipei and i in one of those photo-sticker booths::
i had work piled up to my head,
all i wana do is jump into bed,
and wash away my troubles in slumber.
it's great the drama is over,
and that i can kick back and relax for now...
but i know it'll only get worse as i progress into the semester.
free me...
free me from all this stress...
help me...
help me to see everything falls into place...
wake me...
wake me from dreaming...
hold me...
hold me and keep me safe from this crazy world...

an interview with dylan

long distance relationships....
how many people have braved the odds
and emerge victorious?
i'm not sure how many... a few i guess...
personally, i still very much believe it would work out pretty fine.
i'm not gona deny that it would be tough.
it would be extremely difficult.
but with constant communication and understanding,
it would be managable.
it takes 2 people to make it happen.
how different is a long distance relationship
compared to a normal one?
very much different! i mean look, in a normal relationship,
it's possible to see each other 24/7. if there is a problem,
you can see each other face to face and deal with it.
whereas in a LDR, you can only talk. you can only hear his voice.
yes, there's webcam, but it's still different...
so does it mean the way in which you maintain a normal
relationship is different from a long distance one?
definitely. in a normal one, you dun really have to meet your partner
everyday because you have the luxury to do so anytime. no worries at all.
but for LDR, it's crucial for you to keep the communication going.
you do have to call everyday.
meaning... you have to invest more time in a long distance relationship?
yeah, of cos. you do have to spend more time with your partner.
to me, 10min of seeing the person is equvilant to 30min hearing the person's voice.
so you cant compare a LDR with a normal one?
personally... if you are having a LDR, i think it's not really good to compare
it with your friend's normal relatinship. cos really, it's really different.
and think about it, every relationship is unique. how you deal
with your relationship is different to others.
so do you think your relationship will work out after 2 years?
yes, for sure it would work out! without a doubt.
and not just for this 2 years when i'm in aussie.
we are gona be together for the rest of our lives. i love him so much!!!
thank you dylan for your time.
it's my pleasure. :)

this is a pseudo interview btw... :)
just wana say that i love you very much dear2.
and i'm thinking of you all the time!
we can make it thru this tough time together.
cant wait to hug you...

polaroids speak a thousand words...

my message to you....
your message to me...

::my polariod to lipei::

::lipei's polaroid to me::

see the little bunny rabbit with the flower on its head?
hee.. that's mogu! my bunny rabbit. he luvs taking pics. :)
people who knows me well would have met him before.

it's because of you that i get to see sunrises like this...

::a polariod pic taken from my balcony::

dear2, when i go back to see you, we'll take lots of polaroid pics ya...

to kenny:

hey kenny, sorry for not being able to speak to you on msn.
i've been really busy with work and all...
but then again that shouldnt be an excuse at all...
really sorry...
i cant leave a comment on your blog
cos i need to be a member...
can you add a tag board in your blog?
anyway, hope you are doing fine. take care.

there she goes

2006-03-15T20:56:00.000+08:00

leaving on a jet plane

::this polariod was taken last year during our happiest times. we were at St Jeromes, our favourite hangout place::

there she goes...
there she goes again...
when we'll see you again, it's really hard to say...
but i know when i cross that causeway,
travelling 8 hours on bus throughout the night,
across hectors of plantations,
i know it would be then.
and till then,
we would keep in touch and never let the friendship end.
take care Queen of Vulgarities, take care.
your F's and CB's would live with us forever...

and now there are 3...

jen has returned to malaysia to pursue her studies.
i wish her all the best in whatever she does.
take care. keep in touch. this entry's for you.

this entry's short because my school work's keeping me busy.
in fact i hafta start on another assignment after posting this...
i really cant wait for the weekend... will post a whole lot more stuff then.

i love you dear2, i love you so very much.
i'm thinking of you all the time.
it wont be long before i see you again.
your touch... your kiss... i miss them terribly...
so let's support each other and wait for that day to arrive.
i love you.

we are beautiful

2006-03-09T19:04:00.000+08:00

say cheese!

::pics of lipei, jen and i::

it was close to impossible trying to sqeeze the 3
of us into the instant photo booth.
flashed... and then flashed again...
2 shots were all it took to blind us.
we waited excitedly for the photos to be developed.
it pretty much reminded me of the lovely french movie Amelie.
when the photo strip dropped into the slot for collection,
we snatched it out of it like a bunch of excited kids who just
won a soft toy from the toy-catcher machine.
it was just beautiful.
not that we looked great,
but it was the warmth,
the laughter,
the smiles,
the friendship,
the 3 of us,
that made this picture so beautiful...
i'm so gona miss you guys next year...

logos, logos, logos...
logos are not my forte...
that is something i have to admit.
i could only worry,
i could only stone,
but on my sketch pad was a bunch of useless designs.
they were either cliche, inappropriate or just plain U.G.L.Y.
i know i'm giving myself unneccessary pressure,
but i cant seem to relax...
i had my consultation with 3 of my tutors today.
i feel a little better.
i feel a little relax.
but i still have more sketches to do.
next week's submission so i dun have much time at hand.
pray, pray, pray...
all i can do is pray.

this is something i came up with for my typography assignment.
the brief requires us to use an OLD STYLE ROMAN typeface
and our initials to create an expressive interpretation of the
decorated letter.
only greyscale.
utilise only photocopiers, hand generated imagery and collage.
it should also be a representation of who we really are
based on the design.

i had a bit of fun doing this one.
old style roman is a serious, classic kinda type.
wat i did is to convert it into a more light-hearted, modern, kidish feel.
i used my initials, D and K, and made it into cute aliens in a space ship.
i know very well it's not something i would normally do.
i was testing waters.
but seriously, this design really do represents who i am.
close friends who see this can really relate to me.
no, not because i behave like an alien,
but that i love cute stuff,
and this design is just... kawaii!

i wana say thanks to michelle for her invite to her birthday bash.
i really love the design of your invitation.
it's really funny, and yeah, your birthday party would be a blast.
just trying to imagine everyone in tribal clothes....

i was able to retrieve back my photos i took last year for my photomedia.
and i may just upload them here. :)

i love you.
i'm thinking of you.
and i'll hug you like no tomorrow.
i long for the day when i can finally be in your arms.
your arms around my waist,
my head resting on your shoulder,
and you whispering sweet nothings into my ear...
i'm already a happy man having you in my life.
but we are never contented with wat we have...
we constantly long for more...
i look forward to living with you.
that'll make me happier,
and for once, be contented.

good news for lipei.
it's NEGATIVE!!! :)

we are currently in urgent need of a house mate.
this is our advertisement.
it pretty much says it all.
designed by lipei. :)

morning sun

2006-03-05T15:50:00.000+08:00

what can be more beautiful...

my first sunrise in my new apartment.
overwhelmed by it's beauty,
i couldn't help staring right back at it...
reddish, pinkish, yellowish, with a stinch of orangy...
its ray shone into my room,
transforming my walls into a coloured-filled canvas.
its warm colours gave me warmth...
its warm colours made me more alive...
how long as it been since i watched the sun rises over the horizon?
i love mornings...
i love the scent of the morning fresh air...
take a deep breath, take it all in...
it's something that happens to me only once in a long while,
so cherish it while it lasts....
take a deep breath, take it all in...
remembering the morning when i looked over you
while you were sleeping.
i asked you if you love me,
and you replied "i love you",
unaware and deeply in slumber...
take a deep breath, take it all in...
for this is it... this is the truth...
"i love you", while brushing your hair and kissing your forehead.
"and you have no idea how much i do... sleepyhead..."
as i lay on my bed in my new apartment,
6600km away from you...
i can only imagine you by my side...
i love you, i miss you and i need you.
you are always on my mind.
take a deep breath, take my hands...
we will grow old together,
and we will take care of each other till the end of time...
so smile for me, cos i'm yours to keep.

the week seemed extremely long...
my friday was tiring, sleepy and boring...
lessons dragged from 9 to 5...
assignments have been assigned to us...
trying to take a deep breath, trying to take it all in...
a take-out menu, a decorated letterform, a logo...
i'm gona try designing these stuff early
so as not to panick at the eleventh hour.
i do not work well under pressure at all.
so here we go sketch pad,
so here we go Illustrator...
we have no time to waste!
i'm hoping next week would pass by without me realising.
sleeping more is the key to fast forwarding time,
but i'm wondering if i have that luxury as i dive
deeper into the semester...

in case i forget,
happy birthday to both gaz and kenny.
their birthdays fall on the 7th and 8th of march respectively.
more birthdays coming up soon...

sigh.. after this, i'll bathe and start doing my work.

these are some lovely pics i took this week
with my mobile phone

::pic taken on the grass patch in front of the STATE LIBRARY. love the composition!::

::lipei and xianli at L'IN CONTROL::

::a beautiful pic taken outside St. JEROMES::

first day of nothing

2006-03-01T16:33:00.000+08:00

unbelievable...

yesterday was the first day of school..
and i blew it...
how was it even possible?!!
it's idiot-proof!
lecture starts at 3pm,
just 1 hour,
just 1 lession....
my FIRST lession for the entire year!!!
and i missed it cos i overslept...
*clap hands*
thankfully when the lecture was over,
i was able to enter and have my attendance taken,
as well as grab an extra copy of the unit guide from akiko.
thank God she was there!
thank God she had an extra copy!
*clap hands*
however, because i missed the first lecture,
i'm really lost...
no examples for references...
not sure wat to expect...
and the best part is,
i do not have QuarkXpress to do this assignment...
*clap hands*
i'm hoping to get it off the net...
or else i'll be spending $500 on it...
would hafta place an order and the program would
only arrive end of next week...
*encore!*

::pic i took quite some time back with my LC-A. thought the entry was quite plain, so decided to add this. hee...::

life's pretty stagnant...
one week has passed...
but it's not moving faster enough...
cant wait to see your face again.
for the only reason that's keeping me going is you dear2.
miss your warmth... your touch...
your smile... your hug...
your scent... your smoke...
your stare... your kisses...
i love you lots.
and i miss you.
hope to see you mid year...
"you owe me big time...
and the only way to repay me is to be with me forever...",
my heart melted as these words were spoken....
the sweetest thing anyone could possibly say to me...
i'm loving you more as each day passes.
and you can be assured that you are the best i've ever had,
the best i'll ever have...
i miss you so much and thinking of you always.
and i'll come back to you...
thank you SKYPE for easing the pain.

to gaz:

forgot to thank you for the present you gave me for my birthday.
it was really sweet of you. i really love it a lot!
do take care. you will always be a good friend of mine.
keep in touch.

scattered hopes...

2006-02-27T18:44:00.000+08:00

walls caving in,
and i can hardly breathe...

today was horrible.
nothing seemed to go as planned...
i started my day early thinking that
the early bird would catch the worm...
unfortunately it was meer wishful thinking.
xianli, lipei and i went to meet up with jenny,
who, btw is in charge of the apartments...
before getting to talk to her, both of them left,
as they have classes,
leaving me to do all the negotiating...
which i'm actually fine with it.
however our plans falled thru...
it seems ARROW on SWANSTON takes no
resposibilities in finding us a new house mate.
they could only help by providing us contacts
to possible tenants... argh!!!
i had to made 3 phone calls, hoping one of
them would move in.
desperate, stress, worn out....
one of them managed to come for a visit.
he was nice, and he'll contact me by the end of this week.
i hope it's good news for the 3 of us...
we have by the 23rd of march to find a new house mate...
if not....
desperate, stress, worn out...

and if things could not get any worse,
my phone line is still not up.
technician was missing in action,
and the maintainace guy could do nothing about it.
angry, disappointed, worn out...
several phone calls were made in intervals...
hoping, just hoping the technician would appear...
but i was left unattended...
by 6pm, i made my final phone call.
verdict: sorry, but we are not sure when the
technician would be available... possibly tomorrow...
furious, crashed, worn out...

the day seemed extremely long...
time seemed to have come to a stop...
why isnt it moving?!
dun stop! not at a time like this...
i lay on my bed as i couldnt take in everything around me...
i can't believe i have 1 more year to go...
and to think that school's only starting tomorrow....
argh... spare me...
but with all that, i can only confine it to myself...
is anyone even hearing wat i'm saying?
lonely, restless, worn out...

wake up to a better day tomorrow?
i wish....

heavenly St. Jeromes

2006-02-25T23:55:00.001+08:00

heavenly place

::pic of the interior of St. Jeromes::
in the heart of the city,
along a narrow, dodgy, shabby lane with walls
painted with glorious beautiful spray paint art,
and the path littered with rubblish and dirt,
leading towards a worn down place i call St. Jeromes.
this place attracts not because of it's high
cost instilations, but rather, quite the opposite.
it's low cost interior includes seats made of
milk crates and furniture that were probably
gotten from the salvation army.
and with that, all coffees are charged at
an unbeatable price of $2 and they make
the best toast! great music in the background
as you sip your well-made coffee.
i love St. Jeromes, our "yum char" place.
it's the coolest place, ever!
i missed this place when i was back home...
did i mention the unisex toilets?

::pic of the ceiling in St. Jeromes::

::pic of the bar in St. Jeromes with the extremely gorgeous waiter::

::mocha coffee and toast::

::graffiti on the way to St. Jeromes. i love this one!::

::graffiti on the way to St. Jeromes::

::graffiti on the way to St. Jeromes::

school's just around the corner,
and that's the whole reason i'm here in melbourne.
but i'm scared. i have this anxious feeling and i
cant seem to understand why i'm feeling that way.
i hope i do well this year. i really hope i do!
i wana do as well as i did last year, if not better.
i wana prove my worth.
i wana show everyone that i'm good in wat i do.
if i cant even do that, then i'm useless...

the day was cold due to the rain.
i'm starting to remember how
freezing cold it was during winter...
before it comes i need to derive a plan
to esacpe the harsh weather...
hibernate?
i'm not a bear... and i'll probably
have a huge terrible headache when i wake
up from all that sleep...
wear more thicker clothes?
there's only so much you can wear.
and i fear looking like the elephant man...
tell the weather to heat up a little?
i dun think the weather would listen to me,
considering i insulted the weather the
other day because i was soaked from
head to toe by the heavy downpour.
(i mean, could you blame me?!)
hmmm.... how about...
begging my mum to allow me to go back
to singapore during my winter break?
sounds like a better plan... you think?
well i guess this way i dun hafta
bathe with hot water all the time. :)

hey dear2, remember the strawberry chocolate
with the "kawaii" design on the package we used
to buy at P.S. 7eleven? well i managed to get them
here at the asian grocery store.
but the package is a little different from the ones
back home. see... the little 2 "kawaii" characters
are not found on the front of the box.
only one of them is located at the back of the box.
but anyhow, i cant wait to eat the little
"well-made" chocolates. :)
it reminds me of you.
it reminds me of the times we went to X-square
and play TOPSPIN and SHREK on X-box...
it reminds me of how we steals kisses while playing.
the good old days...
i miss you terribly.
you are a man of few words,
but with all the right ones.
"dont cry... u can only cry when ur with me...
so i can wipe ur tears away.. ok..?"
you are definitely the one for me...

i'm a little pissed with the whole phone line issue.
blame it on bad luck?
or the inefficient people in ARROW?
watever the reason, the earliest it'll be
up is on monday.
furious if it gets delayed again...
speechless if the phone line's permenantly spoilt...

::pic of lipei playing the guitar on the second floor. i just love my apartment!

you mean the world to me

2006-02-24T23:36:00.000+08:00

hi, my name is dylan,
and i'm a alco..ho..li..

i wonder which is worse?
waking up to a glass of rum and coke?
or having it with an empty stomach?
i was drinking rum and coke the whole day...
and drank sake before turning in... (really cheap sake i must add)
it's a good thing i wasnt feeling dizzy watsoever...
no worries, i'm not on my way to AA.
it's just a "fling"... me and my precious rum...

my second day in melbourne has been quite alright.
expecting the worst.
but it turned out fine.
i love my apartment.
spacious, windy, bright, great view...
i could never ask for more.
close to calling home.

::lipei and i::

my dear friend,
my dear flower-looking friend...
it's great to see you again.
it great to see you in love.
i'm happy for you.
and i know you are happy that i have someone too.
let's make this year a great one,
even though it might not be the same
without "Queen of Vulgarities" here.

you are my everything.
since you came into my life,
i long for you.
i think of you.
i dream of you.
i love you.
talking to you and reading about you
makes me go on just a little further...
i cannot imagine life without you being
there for me, without you waiting for me.
i will come back to you.
i will run to you.
i will say this to you.
i will risk watever i have just to be with you.
it doesnt mean anything without you here with me,
and i could try to justify, but i still need you here with me...
so here i stress yet again,
wait for me dear2.
i love you and will never hurt you.
i wana be with you for the rest of my life.
i may be a dumb blonde...
but i know one thing's for sure,
you are my one and only....
i miss you terribly.

cant wait to have my phone line up...
cant wait to talk to you....
and hoped you like the grand tour
around my room.

older but not any wiser

2006-02-22T02:05:00.000+08:00

everyone remembers me...

::pic of my durian cake my family got for me::
as i have mentioned before, birthdays, to me,
used to be an important day...
a day i celebrate my coming to this world...
a day i thank God for my existent...

last year's birthday was horrible...
i had to spent it alone in melbourne.
a day i feared coming...
a day i couldn't quite call a celebration.

so as not to disappoint, i didn't pay much attention to this year's birthday
despite being able to celebrate it back home.
my departure to melbourne seemed to have occupied most of my thoughts.

::pics of clement, alan, kenny and i::

however, on the eve of my birthday, kenny, clement and alan were so sweet
to organise a dinner for me. i thank them for that, and the present too.
fauzi was so sweet to bake me a chocolate cake, which btw, was one of
the best chocolate cakes i've eaten, and a present i so adore.
at the stroke of midnight, messages kept pouring in.
and i was shock to receive some unexpected msgs...
from people i never thought would remember my birthday.
haa, even my dad sent me an sms.
i was touched... close to tears if i may add...
was murphy's law at work?
maybe God's telling me that some things are worth remembering,,,,
the day i celebrate my coming to this world...
the day i thank God for my existent...

my bags are pack but i'm not ready to go...
anxiety freezes the brain...
sadness overwhelms the heart...
if i was a little kid, i could cry and things might turn for the better.
but i am all grown up (at least that's wat i wana believe), i could cry and things would remain if not worsen.
i hate time, for there is never enough time for anything.
never had the chance to meet everyone while i'm back,
nor spent enough time with some of my close friends.

to rain:

"hey auntie! hee~ sorry for not spending enough time with you.
i feel bad and i wish i could make it up to you...
i'll try to hang with you more often when i'm back year end.
in the mean time, you take good care of yourself.
and enjoy your summer camp!!!!!
take lots of pictures and show it to me when i get back!
and dun forget this best friend (and blondie) of yours! :)
will miss you terribly! hugz...
thanks for your present too! you shouldn't have spent so
much on it..."

to gaz:

"hey man, really sorry that i only manage to catch up with you
a couple of times. i didn't even have dinner with you
even though i kinda promised... my apologies...
please take good care of yourself, and i hope to catch up
with you when i get back. hopefully you might have the chance to
visit me in melbourne this year. :) "

these are some pics i took while i'm back

wasnt really active in taking pics this time round,
hence the lack of good pics.

::pic of my bro and charlotte on their wedding day. can you see the HELLO KITTY toy in front of the car? hee~::

::pic of jingyi and i at CARTEL::

::pic of grace and i at CARTEL::

::adam and i at QUEENSWAY::

::huishan and i doing the "act-cute" taiwanese pose::

::adam and i at the bus stop in front of P.S. waiting for midnight bus::

::adam and i in pink!!!::

hope to post the next entry as soon as i can.
by then i should be in melbourne....

i hate farewells.....

summer of love...

2006-02-16T05:50:00.000+08:00

summer is coming to an end...

here i am, lying on my bed, in the comfort of my real home,
listening to the sounds of death cab for cutie as i type this...
3 months swiftly passes me by and i'm trying to get a grip of myself...
i'm shaking... i bit my lips as i lay on my back staring right at the "seagull"...
how long have you been with me mr. seagull? 5 years? maybe more?
why cant summer last that long? do i have to leave home already?
oh mr. seagull... do something...
my bags are unpack... and i'm in no hurry of getting it done...
would this coming year be the same as the last?
would i do as well as i did last year?
would i still be as strong as i used to?
would i miss everyone back home even more?
would i encounter any more apartment probs?
so much uncertainty...
i'm not as strong as i seem to be...
i'm not compose...
i don't function well when i panick...

2 years ago, i chose my path...
but i'm starting to wonder if all's for the better...
wait... shouldnt i be happy that i'm pursuing my dreams?
not many people have the opportunity to do the same...
so i shouldnt be doubting... afterall it's wat i want...
but couldnt there be a much simpler way?
is it posssible to pursue my dreams without ever leaving?

my brother got married on the 4th of dec, a month after i came back.
the wedding was beautiful...
smiles on my parent's and everyone's faces, laughters in the background,
flashes of lights clicking, sights of familiar long lost faces,
tears of joy were shed...
it was beyond perfection... love truely was in the air... love in all its form and glory were present.
it is the closest i'll ever have to a wedding.... and i'm glad that it was THE wedding of a lifetime.

i came, i met you, and now i'm leaving...
wat lies ahead, we'll never know...
but wat we can do is to make things happen, make US happen.
i can assure you that it'll be a bumpy ride...
but like you said this to me, "we can go thru this tough time together"....
if we can just make it thru this 2 years, we will be there!
and like i always say, "it takes 2 butt cheeks to sit..." or "2 fingers to snap..."
i know we can do it, that i can assure you with all my heart.
so dun give up on us...
cos this "dumb-blonde" guy here wana spend his life with you...

my birthday's around the corner...
but i haven't been thinking about it...
it was close to slipping away...
i guess i was so caught up with the whole leaving aspect of my life
that the most important day of my life didnt feel so... important...
maybe with the coming of age, it becomes less of a concern....
there are much more important things to deal with...
i think in 10 years time, the word "birthday" becomes non-existent...
or you find yourself having a sequel to your 28th birthday...

i could lay here all day, all night, debating half-empty or half-full....
but wat will never change is the fact that i'll be leaving on a jet plane
on the 22nd of feb... i'll miss my family terribly...
and i'll miss you too mr. seagull...
rest assure.

p.s. pictures speak a zillion words... i promise i'll put up pictures soon. :)

testing

2005-11-14T14:29:00.000+08:00

testing...

this is a trial entry... just testing if blogspot is better than my modblog...
modblog has been giving me a lot of probs so i'm hoping blogspot can be more reliable...
anyone who's interested can view my modblog at schonkirche.modblog.com

hope i'll have sufficent time to change the appearance of my layout as well as being consistant in posting entries... i'm quite a procastinator....

in the mean time, hope everything's well with everyone...
i'm really happy to be back in Singapore!
got to make full use of my summer vacation!

dylan's napkin

a new career, a new life

a whole new chapter

i made it!

OMG!

trial and error?

the wait is killing me

sun, sand and another interview

the sun is up

my first interview

interview with the Creative Director

to my precious Zoe

Happy Birthday Zoe!

fashion entry

i heart fashion

the devil in me

what has the future installed for me?

i love...

my sydney life thus far

swelling with emotions

swelling with emotions

i heart melbourne

will and grace

intermission

i came and i left

eternal assignments...

am i awake?

these are some pictures i took.

other pics i took

after easter break

touching the sky

these are some of the many pics i took.

intermission

intermission

school begins

i am young

other irrelavent pics

leaving on a jet plane... again!

back in Melb

other things i did since the last entry

other pics i think are worth posting

a snakey week

my love

my week so far...

spongy!

misc pics i took throughout the week:

finally an update!

new blog design

more pics taken during the new year celebration:

more pics taken at Maxwell Hill:

more pics that i took during my malaysian trip:

intermission

love you guys

the lives of lipei and dylan

the term break has arrived

ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW

first ever video on my blog!!!!!

the next few shots were taken at different times of the day at the royal melbourne show.love them all

fashion-guru dylan speaks his mind

intermission

2 naughty cats

lights, camera, film.... smiles... action!

cheese

MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL

more pics taken in singapore

i'm a design student!!!

big smilez and hugz!

pictures taken in singapore.

what would you do for society?

my gawd...

everything's changing

evolution

brief entry

transformation

what's up

hi my name is high maintainance...

nostalgia...

more pics taken with my V3i

begining of fall

i'm back.

the next few shots were taken at different times of the day at the royal melbourne show.
love them all

these are some lovely pics i took this week
with my mobile phone

walls caving in,
and i can hardly breathe...

hi, my name is dylan,
and i'm a alco..ho..li..