I really should get a move on this series :D
Coming soon...

Labels: black and white, pekeliling flats

Taken while driving on the highway back home from Cyberjaya, KL. (Yes, i was driving and snapping.. last i checked they haven't banned that yet :D ..not that they should..)

"I've found many reasons to turn back
Cos i've been down that road so many times before..
..The places we're going
making me feel lost instead found.."

-from Traveler's Tune by Paolo Delfino

Traveler's Tune by Paolo Delfino (please click on "Traveler's Tune" to load the song)

It's not easy to really impress me. It's not easy to make me want to google like crazy to find out how i can load a song onto my blog without already knowing it's html code.. but today, i did.

why? Cos Ivan Gecko emailed me today and told me about his band. I wanted to know more about they're sound so he sent me this link of one of the guys involved. 'The guy' turned out to be Paolo Delfino. I've never heard of him before but his name sounded nice so i clicked "play"...

Warning: If you're in an emo mood, his music will definitely not help you out of that state..

Otherwise, i'm pretty sure you'll fall in love with his sound.. there's something about the uncliche lyrics in a cliche genre, the clean guitar riffs, the feeling deep down that this isn't just another emo song by just another emo artiste.

I'm up till 6a.m. listening to this stuff and for some reason it has reacted with my already reactive mood and imbued me with a seething need to make something or break something - don't ask why. So seeing as i've lost my little black sketchbook in which i fill with all my poems/songs/sketches (*sobs*) and Ray didn't have his guitar over the webcam.. i spent so long browsing through my old photo folders trying to find something suitably wistful to match how i feel. Came across this old shot i took with my Olympus C-760 early last year and thought "it will have to do.."

I just had to tell someone.. so, for now, this will have to do..

Labels: acoustic, emo, Paolo Delfino, sky

Balinese boys dance to a beat centuries old yet as real to them today as it was to those before them. Bali, Dec 2005.


All life has rhythm..
and i'm reminded of it each time i stop and breathe..



Breathe. Back in high school when i used to debate and do public speaking, the one thing i would always, ALWAYS write on my cue cards was "BREATHE!". I've always had the habit of forgetting to stop and breathe. This is why i'm ever grateful for nights like tonight where i can be with good friends, listening to good music and just talking. Nights like these help me remember that life is more than just a list of things to be done, it's more like a rhythm to be followed - to be found. It's funny how the one thing we barely even think about each day, is the very thing that keeps us alive.

Hit "play" on the player above to hear a lovely piano rendition of Amazing Grace (no, it's not an ego trip song praising me.. although, that's not entirely a bad idea...hehe). It's always been one of my fave songs just because it reminds me of all the things i have to be thankful for. In a rather wistful mood lately, been thinking about alotta things, reevaluating my priorities and other such emo things.

As i blog, it's now the 18th of January, 2007 which means that i have averagely another 2 weeks more in KL before i leave for Australia. I really didn't think that the move would affect me quite as much but apparently, i does.. *sighs* i go through random waves of extreme excitement and mellow-dramatic musings - do excuse me if i sound a bit schizophernic over the next few weeks ;p Happy Grace and Depressed Grace co-exist quite comfortably together - usually.

Anyways just to let you guys know, i'll be flying off on the 10th of Feb at about 6:00am i think (argh.. i expect to just stay up the whole night till morning la.. so early!!! ;p) so would really like to meet up with everyone before i fly off. Buzz me and lemme know when you're free, trying to plan out some sorta schedule to make sure i don't end up bumming away the rest of my time here in front of my new toy...

...yeah.. remember that new toy i was talking about getting? Well, i got it!! HAHA! In fact this is the first blog post i'm making using my new toy! Yays!! If you can't guess it now, you're blur-rer than i am la.. it's my new HP Mobile Workstation (can you say ATi FireGL V5200 baby? Nyahaha... ;D ) *Woo-hoo* My latest addition, to my nice little stash of girly gadgets! Hmm.. trying to think of a nice name for my newest gadget baby. Any ideas?

Labels: Bali, black and white, breathe, dancer, mobile workstation

Half full or half empty?? Taken in Bali (which is miss dearly)..

So happy yet it is a 'happy' with the knowing that
there is still some 'sad' that lies beneath..



It's not like they're both the same thing, they're completely unrelated yet both feelings co-exist in a contradicting but distinct way - Contradistinction. I read that word off Jake's site and thought it perfectly described me now.

Anyhoo, emo-ness aside, I'm going to collect my new gadget baby tomorrow.. quite excited!! *EEeee* i'll show it to you when i've gotten it.. hehehe. For now, enjoy this song by Buzzcocks called Wish I Never Loved You.. and before the questions start coming in, NO the song wasn't chosen for the lyrics. I just heard it and thought that it was the happiest sounding sad song i've heard in a while. Kinda like what i'm feeling like now, happy but sad but neither but both *blek* Besides, the band name sounded catchy when i was browsing Sonific... ;)

*cheers*

On a side note, I've only got about a month more back home in KL before i fly of to Aussie next month :( I can feel the clock ticking down.. *tick tick tick tick*... *eep*

Labels: Bali, emo, photography

Love hate relationships.. Christine Ellis as Claire Standish & Kelvin Wong as John Bender (The Breakfast Club, A.L.M.S. Productions, 2006)

Love hate relationships..
are the most intriguing yet the most perplexing..

I love seeing results, but hate the hours of blood, sweat and tears I have to put in to get it. Love the new pair of Red by Marc Ecko sneakers that i bought (my first pair of sneakers - EVER!), hate the fact that they gave me blisters today. Similarly, i love the fact that i'm going to Sydney in about a month's time to study, but at the same time, i also really hate the fact that I'm going to miss so many people and so many things - partly thrilled, mostly terrified.. in a good way i think *heh* ai...

Some of you guys really liked the last song by Donna Burke that i put into one of my previous posts, so here another one of her tracks.. a sexier number than the last, has something to do with the title of me post too ;) *enjoy*



Anyways, as promised, more photos from THE BREAKFAST CLUB. It's still going on now so check out my previous post for more details. Here are some shots i took on my first night there. Stoopid me, i left my camera battery in the charger outside the hall so no shots from the 1st half of the play. Posting shots i took during the second part of the play after the intermission. It's a little like skipping the first few chapters of a book and heading right for the ending so if you're not the kind who like spoilers.. this is a warning - PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!


The Breakfast Club 5 (Krystle's hiding behind Brana *eep*) baring their souls..


Sharing secrets after smoking up some 'happy herbs' :D *whee*


Kelvin's John Bender voicing his cynical views on life..


Krystle as Allison Reynolds & Brana as Brian Johnson. The funny thing is that during there really is a guy named Brian Johnson who's acting in this play as the janitor - i found that highly amusing ;)


John Bender: Why do you have so much shit in your bag?
Claire: Why do you have so many girlfriends? I guess i just never throw stuff away.
John Bender: Me too..


Andrew Clarke: What's wrong?
Allison Reynolds: Nothing...just go away!


Andrew Clarke: *smooch smooch*
Allison Reynolds: *eep* Eeeeewww!!!!!!!
Hehehe.. ok ok so i made up those lines ;) *hee*


"Brian Johnson: Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...
Andrew Clarke: ...and an athlete...
Allison Reynolds: ...and a basket case...
Claire Standish: ...a princess...
John Bender: ...and a criminal...
Brian Johnson: Does that answer your question?... Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club. "

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

Since i've had to do ton loads o shooting lately, i joined a couple of photography website and forums to try to learn some new stuff. One of the photography sites a chanced upon was Photography Corner. I got some tutorials from there that i posted up in my previous post (remember that yummy sounding 'Orton Slide Sandwich' technique?).

Anyways, they're having a PhotographyCorner.com 2006 Photograph of the Year Contest and guess what? It's open to participants from most countries - including MALAYSIA!! I rarely come across web contests open to Malaysian as well let alone photography web contest open to Malaysian.. *yays!*

The prizes seem pretty cool too with up to USD14k in cash and prizes to be given away.. key term there "USD" as in if you convert it to our Malaysian "RM", you get almost 4 times more..

O_o"

Aside from the cash, there's also gift certificates (online photo/photography equipment retailers so you can still use it from outside the US of A - ProPics Express) , image software (Image Align pro), Lensbabies lens kits (omg, Albert, you HAVE to check out the lensbabies site.. it's the coolest little lens modification thingy! It lets you BEND your SLR Lens!!!), Lowepro gear, istockphotos gear, subscriptions, and other stuffs.

I've been going through their rules for the contest and so far the only catch i can find is that before you're allowed to enter the contest, you have to:

1. Register with the site (it's free anyways and pretty hassle-free) and..

2. Be a 'member of good standing' (meaning you need to have made at least 5 posts in the site forum - which is no big deal considering that upon joining the forums, you'd probably rack up those 5 psots in about 5 mins..)

Each person's only allowed to enter one photo so i'm having a tough time trying to decide which to submit.. ;p *choices, choices, choices...*

Anyways, the contest started in December 2006 and the closing date is end of January 2007 so we've still got time..

Going shooting with Albert, Asyraf, Pinkfrog, SmashpOp and crew tomorrow (hopefully) so i'm now a photog with a mission! It's harder cause there's no set category or type of photo that you can submit.. it can be anything under the sun *bleurgh* Wish me luck and have a go at it yourself. (P/s: if you read about this contest here and you enter and win, i hereby claim half of your total winnings for myself *muahahaha* ... hehe joking lar [not really] *blek* ;p).

This post was sponsored by PhotographyCorner.

Labels: black and white, photography, The Breakfast Club, the oral stage, theatre

The Breakfast Club, A.L.M.S. Productions, 2006: (Feat. The Oral Stage - L-R: Reuben W.J Kang, Krystle W., Branavan Aruljothi, Christine Ellis & Kelvin Wong)

"They only met once,
but it changed their lives forever.."

-from 'The Breakfast Club'

It's true though.. sometimes we remember the strangest people for the strangest reasons.. People come and go, paths cross, lives touch. I believe that everyone comes into our life for a reason. No matter how brief the encounter, every path we cross is meant to lead us on and to teach us more about ourselves and what we're capable of. Each person we meet opens up new possibilities, the smallest choices we make can have the biggest impact. Same can be said for me i suppose. Thanks to Reubens's recommendation, i got my first actual freelance photography gig (yeah, no more free freelancing this time *yay!*).

It's for this play entitled THE BREAKFAST CLUB happening now till the 7th of January, 2007 at the KR SOMA Auditorium, K.L.

I did the photography and design for them for their publicity material (postcards, posters, tickets, promo shots, etc.) and event stuff as well.. was quite nervous about it at first - had to learn to use Illustrator and finish the ton load o editting/design work while still busy with Chritmas, New Year and going off to Aussie land- but i'm glad i took it on. Was quite the learning experience i have to say and a HUGE thank you to Kok Keong who helped me in this gig. *hugs*

Anyways, i've been shooting at the venue for 2 nights now and I can see the show improving with each night. Got Albert the Camera Pornster , Asyraf Lee and Fazri some free tics to go see it and pimp it on the preview night. Do check it out if you're free the next few days and show some love to The Oral Stage guys acting in it. Details are as follows:


Postcard front..


Postcard back..

I'll be going again to shoot during the 3pm show on 7th Jan. '07. Drop a hi if you're going during that show - I'll be the girl with the camera bouncing along the aisles :)

Some promo shots i did for them before the play.. If you're gonna rip some pics from my blog to use for personal reason or to post on your blog/website, PLEASE leave a comment and/or link in this post or drop me an email. Please also respect the copyright of this work by not removing the watermark, thanks ;)

Here goes..


Andrew 'Sporto' Clarke (Reuben W.J Kang) & Allison 'The Basketcase' Reynolds (Krystle W.)


Claire 'The Princess' Standish (Christine W.) & John 'The Criminal' Bender (Kelvin Wong)


Richard 'Dick' Vernon (Andre D. D'Cruz) & Carl 'The Janitor' (Brian D. Johnson)


"..something wicked this way comes!"


TBC - The boys (Kelvin, Branavan, Reuben)


'Dick' & 'Carl'..


More shots of 'The Making of: TBC - Practice Session' and the actual production in my next post!

*cheers*

P/s: Sorry i can't turn off Auto-play of the song from my previous post - can't access the song source website since the cables are down. you can manually pause the music by clicking the pause button (duh ;p) on the player embedded in my previous post.) Also, I can't log into Photobucket so i can't change my header!! *grr* Still Christmas for me till the internet is up and running well again..

Labels: photography, The Breakfast Club, theatre