Recently I...

Read...

 

1. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

2. Swamp Thing by Alan Moore

3. Top 10 by Alan Moore

4. Tom Strong by Alan Moore

5. Watchman by Alan Moore

6. Planetary by Warren Ellis

7. Stormwatch by Warren Ellis

8. The Authority by Warren Ellis

9. The UnderCover Economist by Tim Harford

 

Have been mostly reading nothing but comic books (and lecture notes) for the past few months. My new favourite comics writers: Alan Moore and Warren Ellis! As good as Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Stardust) and Bill Willingham (Fables). Dunno how can come out with such incredible stories. Impressed.

 

Watched...

 

1.  Warlords

2.  I Am Legend

3.  Kill Bill Volume 1

4.  Prison Break Season 3

5.  Cirque du Soleil - Nouvelle Experience

6.  Cirque du Soleil - Saltimbanco

7.  Cirque du Soleil - Alegria

8.  Cirque du Soleil - Quidam

9.  Cirque du Soleil - Dralion

10. Cirque du Soleil - Corteo

11. City Harvest Christmas Show

12. South Park

 

Quentin Tarantino (director of Kill Bill) is damn zai!!! Has been wanting to watch Kill Bill Volume 1 after I watched Volume 2 on DVD a long time ago, but the Volume 1's DVD version is banned in Singapore. Dunno what the hell Singapore Censorship Board people doing...  allow Volume 2 don't allow Volume 1. Just abit of blood splashing around like fountains only then ganna banned le. Erm ok, not abit... in fact, is alot... alot. Still, as if people will go around killing people just because they see alot of blood splashing around like fountains. Cock. I am going to kill them. (Kidding =P)

 

Anw I have also been watching Cirque du Soleil's shows on DVDs borrowed from the national library. I was wondering what is so special about Cirque du Soleil that get it featured as the first example of our Blue Ocean Strategy 'textbook', so when I saw the DVDs (Quidam and Corteo) in Boon Lay library, I borrowed them. Since then I've been hunting down every single one of their DVDs - the magic of Circus plus Theatre is indeed powerful. 5 and 6 are not as good cos it is their first few shows. But the rest are... WOW! 'Elated' is how you feel when you watch their shows. =)

 

The City Harvest Christmas Show was quite alright... but I feel there is slightly too much preaching by their pastor after the show for non-christians like me. Oh well, it is free, what can I say? 

 

South Park... another banned cartoon in Singapore. WTH.

 

Played...

 

1. Hellgate London

2. Need For Speed - ProStreet

3. Heroes of Might and Magic V - Tribes of the East

4. Call of Duty 2

5. The Battle of Middle Earth II

6. The Movies

7. Sid Meier Civilization 4 

 

Seven is the number of games I currently have in my new computer right now. (Ermm... Paiseh, I am not being accurate in my previous statement. I have uninstalled Call of Duty 2 and Civilization 4 cos I've completed them.) Hmm.... Now I faced a dilemma everytime I on my PC: I dunno what game to play. Haiz...

 

Visited...

 

1. Science Center - Digital Art & Technology exhibition 

 

The Digital Art & Technology exhibition is an eye opener - what the merging of technology and art can do. Damn nice. Science Center is indeed my favourite tourist attraction!

 

'Busy' with...

 

1. Final Year Project

2. Inter-Hall Contract Bridge Competition (over le)

3. Hall Production

 

Somehow since the beginning of the sem, I have been getting the impression that our hall JCRC can't be bothered with Contract Bridge - they don't even want to organise a Contract Bridge Inter-Block Game (IBG). If you don't organise IBG, how the hell are you going to know who is interested in playing??? Since they can't be bothered, I also can't be bothered, even though I am the ONLY person left in my hall who can (barely) make it in Bridge. Kinda disappointed but since I final year le, heck la.

 

It was not until 2 weeks before the competition that our Assistant Rec Sec called me personally asking me to play. Then I was thinking: hiya, since I last year le, after graduate probably will never have a chance to play le, then she also sounded so sincere... ok lor, play lor.

 

I was quite surprised and happy when I know that they already found a group of new bloods that are enthusiastic in playing, but dunno how to play. So, although we lost the competition, I guess I should train them so that next year our Contract Bridge Team will at least stand a chance. Having doubts about how long their enthusiasm will last, but lets hope for the best.

 

Anw, as I said, I final year le, if they heck care, I also heck care.

 

Btw, I played a total of 3 games in the competition. Lost 2 rounds in the beginning, si bei low morale. But at least during my 'finale' match (the very last match of my life in NTU), my roomie and I played against a pair of chiobus... and win! So at least I ended my Contract Bridge life in NTU on a high note. Haha! =P

 

 

That will be the end of my ramblings. 2007 has been a great year. 2008 will be an even better year! Hereby wish everyone a

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

 

Inspirational words

Jie ge! Your words are inspirational! Yupyup, I totally agreed with you! That is what hall production should be all about - having fun and fostering friendships... Thanks for your comment! I need it. Posting your comments so that people who need it can see it also. =)

 

 

"Hey hey...dun be depress... to me... the success of hall/students productions is nver to be judged on technical or artistic or watever professional terms... it is a time where a group of friends come together to putting in time effort to put up a show... its the process.. the fun..the tears... the jokes who only the group noe.... yah... if everyone enjoys it and learn smth from it... get to make friendships..it is a success oredi... give u a group of professionals wif all the highest standards may not foster a similar memory... or relationship...

cheery, youjie =)"

 

 

Btw bro, my hall production on the 15, 16 Feb, you coming to support?? Haha! =P

 

 

I am a emo-kia: prologue

Met up with 2 of my JC seniors which I've never met since 6-7 years ago on Tuesday. One of them is my Angel !!! (Angel from the Angel Mortal game we played during JC days.) Gonna be heng for another 6-7 years. Haha! Anw glad that the 亲切 feeling is still there even after all these years, almost like no time have passed.

 

One of the things that we talked about is why after all these years I still don't have a girlfriend. Somehow for some strange and unknown reason, this topic confirm-plus-guarantee-chop will come out whenever I met up with female friends of my age. Now, I have a new conclusion: this topic will sure come out whenever I met up with female friends of my age, and above.

 

Frankly speaking, I also don't know the answer to the above question (though I kinda have a standard answer already =P). I guess it will remain as one of the Life's Greatest Mysteries forever. Anw I am happy for them that they don't have to worry about this problem (of answering this question) now that they have finally met their Prince Charmings. =)

 

I am a emo-kia

On the darker side, it is quite depressing that my buddy told them that my Hall Production this year sucked so much that he wanted to leave after watching halfway. Of course, given that I've known him for 10 years, he didn't meant any harm. It is just a comment on the low standards of Hall Productions in general, albeit with my Production as an example (TMD...). But it was depressing all the same.

 

Retrospectively, it is interesting to see how a simple thoughtless comment like this can have a myriad of effects on a person, namely me.

 

The first thought that came into my mind is this: 'Damned. 2 of my potential customers for my hall's coming production gone.' =(

 

The second thought is that I am guilty of asking my friends to waste their time and money coming to watch my so-called 'low standard' hall production.

 

And ultimately,

 

 

What is point of doing a Drama Production if that is the maximum standard we can achieve, and it is low compared to professional standards??? Are we wasting our audience's time and money?

 

What about the tens of hours spent writing script? Hundreds of hours for meetings, rehearsals, tech runs, full runs? Burnt Sundays? Moreover, each an everyone of the production team not only does not get paid for these efforts, they need to contribute at least $120 to the Production as canvessing! Multiply all these effort, times and money by at least 50 members of the production team.

 

Why are we doing all these if our audience want to leave halfway during the show???

 

Depressing isn't it?

 

We were talking about Huang Cheng's 'dropping' standards (or our rising standards?) and the possiblity of them upholding their tradition for the sake of upholding tradition. Are we actually making the same mistake?

 

Then there was this 'arguement' with another friend (this year's scriptwriter) about the whether Efforts more important or Results more important. Can she be right that if the results sucks, no matter how much effort we put in, it is useless?

At a deeper level, for those friends who said the show was 'ok' or even 'good'... Is it because they are giving me face that they didn't tell me right in the face that the show sucks. Are friendships these days not based on truths anymore?

 

Illusions pierced. Things to think about. Just because of a single comment from a true friend.

 

I am a emo-kia: conclusion

The above entries reminds me of the emo letters we wrote in Angel Mortal game. Maybe one of the reason why I am writing blog is because no one plays Angel Mortal anymore. Haha!

 

The ever-optimist me has thought of the answer to each and every of the questions above. The reason why I am doing Production is simple:

 

I enjoyed doing it.

 

I derived happiness creating something I believe that will bring happiness to others. Whether the product is good or not is important but secondary.

 

I will not feel guilty asking my friends to come watch my Production because I really thought I would enjoyed it if I were in my friends' shoes, as long as I do expect only Hall standards. Anwz the ticket price is Hall standard also. Where else can you watch theatre shows for $10+?

 

I didn't force you to come. You can don't come if you have other better activites. I provided you with a opportunity to meet up with your friends. Even if you walked out halfway through the show with your friends, you are still together with your friends, which by itself is a priceless moment... Being together with friends.

 

Of course I hoped you gained something more than that. A little surprised? A little laughter? A little touched? A little afterthoughts?

 

 

Production brings a little hump to the monotony of life, of both the team members and the audience. That is the essence of Production.

 

 

That is why I'm doing it.

 

As for friends who commented 'not bad', I trust you all. Does that means you will come again in Feb next year? Hahahaha! =P

 

 

Computer

My new computer's specs... *drum roll*...

 

Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q6600 @2.4 GHz! 2Gb RAM! NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT!

 

Feels like I myself have been upgraded. Looking back when I got my first computer in P6, computers have became more and more integrated into human life over the past 10 plus years - so much so that it has become part of us, like our hands and legs... or a part of our conciousness. Different people integrate to different degree. (Higher degree for those who can see source codes while surfing webpages. Haha!) 

 

It will be a matter of time before humans become half-human-half-machine!

 

Don't believe me? Look at this.

 

 

  http://www.tokyoflash.com

 

Can you read the time on this watch? No right? Because this is a binary watch!!! U read the time in binary! Binary is a language used by machines. If we are reading time in binary, who knows what we are reading in binary next??

 

WE ARE DOOMED!

 

Haha, just kidding.

 

********************

 

Btw, these days I will be blogging less cos I will be pia-ing my Final Year Project using my new ultra powerful machine.

 

Haha, just kidding again.