Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Finally, a I get my long-sought rest. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. 5 days away.

And what am I going to do tomorrow? Exercise. Hmm...

Oh well, good day people.

Gavin pondered @ 20:59

Sunday, May 29, 2005
Midnight

At midnight, it shall have been 49 days. All without me noticing. Sights rendered fuzzy, sounds made soft, and memories will start to fade.

It is indeed a long time. Agree?

I try my best, but people do get tired and sleepy. Goodnight.

Gavin pondered @ 22:17

When the ants walk in scattered, there's rain to come.

Damon said it was some saying he hear when young. Today, it proved to be rather accurate, and what a downpour it was.

It's almost stopped by now though.

Gavin pondered @ 15:10

Saturday, May 28, 2005
Madagascar

The movie's fun and humourous. It's got wonderfully delightful penguins, but it is just not beating Shrek.

Nontheles, it's pretty good, from a fun-loving point of view.

Gavin pondered @ 17:57

Thursday, May 26, 2005
Short hiatus

No entry = Cars

Desire for speed is the common affliction, or perhaps it just my poison. I've been hanging around on the roads too much, and of course, an addiction to Gran Turismo 4 further compounds the problem. Sometimes, I do not remember which activity I am engaged in.Fortunately, I have not been the cause of any major road accidents, yet.

If I put in enough effort and a slightly unreasonable stretch of imagination, I can almost feel as though I am flying.

Have a nice day, I'm out.

Gavin pondered @ 22:49

Monday, May 23, 2005
May the Force race with you

David Coulthard: "Yes, I did request more downforce, but.."

Lol. In conjunction with the new Star Wars movie, Lucas had cooperated with Reb Bull racing to bring the Force to Monaco. Quite an entertaining sight, I might add, with stormtroopers in charge of the pit stops. Alas the Reb Bull team was unable to sore any points last night.

Nontheless, Monaco never fails to entertain. Good race for the Iceman, Raikkonen.

Gavin pondered @ 10:35

Sunday, May 22, 2005

There should be a deisgn for a computer chasis that negates the neccesity to remove fine foreign objects, to be more specific, dust, from the internal structutres of the CPU.

That is, beside the water cooled variants available.

Otherwise, I should have to be faced with the prospects of having a need to remove dust from the computer in the other room. Apparently, it refused to operate as a result of a fatal accumulation of sudt inside the CPU. There must be a reason why that occurs, especially when in comparison to that computer, my own one has not accumulated that much dust in 4 years.

Either the desin of that body is extremely poor or the other room is a poorly ventilated place.

Now I know why it is imperative that every respectable computer shop stock compressed air sprays.

Gavin pondered @ 22:39

Saturday, May 21, 2005

I find it quite intriguing, to know that you have a regular reader, who almost without fail, makes it his/her routine to visit your blog.

You start to think, how splendid it must be to have such a devoted reader. Then you think that you must have drawn the attention of this special reader, somehow, you must have. Then maybe you start thinking that the world is not such a lonely place. Afterall, out of the vast number of people in the world, someone actually feels vaguely drawn towards your writing.

You can't help but smile on the inside.

Who is this person? How old is he? How does she look like? How does his mind work? What is her name?

And you star wondering if you would be able to catch a glimpse of this person. Does he have a blog? Does she leave any clue to her identity? Where does he hail from? These are all questions that I want to know.

This sense of mystery is alluring, yet, if only you would care to leave a trace of your existence. I am quite sure, you read with an almost religious frequency, and at the most unearthly of hours. Perhaps you hail from a different timezone? A different continent? A different culture?

You are quite very interesting, now that I imagine the prospects and posibilities. Would you care to leave a little acknowledgement?

Or perhaps you are someone I know, my esteemed midnight reader.

Gavin pondered @ 22:06

Friday, May 20, 2005
Kingdom Hearts Artbook

I am absolutely elated to have received scans of the kingdom hearts artbooks. Much thanks to Ying Mei for that.

However, I am really too exhausted to to post anything up. Hopefully I will remember tomorrow.

Bed.

Gavin pondered @ 00:01

Thursday, May 19, 2005
Corporate "intelligence"

Heh. Is that not familiar?

Gavin pondered @ 10:23

Monday, May 16, 2005
Sunset

Watching the sunset while cruising along the Nicoll Highway. It is a picturesque sight, and concurrently, a trying moment as I am unable to deny the inclination to take a shot of such a marvelous view.

The light condenses into a liquid gold, and clings unto the skyscrappers which, seemingly frozen in time as they assimilate the setting sun. Like an extended curtain call, it is with great reluctance that the lgiht gradually fall back behind the building, bringing on the amber sky of the evening.

Sunset on the boulevard, and the esplande attempting it's best imitation of a minitature sun. There's is beauty yet in the city of steel and glass. The feeling is different in the driver's seat.

Almost as close to flight.

If only...

Gavin pondered @ 23:43

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Advent Children should be out on september 14th.

And I find I have said what I wanted to.

I'll hear from you soon. Peace.

Gavin pondered @ 20:12

Friday, May 13, 2005
The higher resolution shots are up

Here's a link to the higher resolution shots.

Apparently, the graininess of the photos are caused by the matte surface, so there's not much I can do to improve on that department.

I think I have decieded that for the next shoot, I will take a more artistic approach. What I have in mind is to make ou of a subject, a model per se. Instead of just taking he background, I'd like to try having a focal oint for the shots instead. That, I hope willnot prove to be too difficult.

Gavin pondered @ 02:45

Thursday, May 12, 2005
Photo log

So, the shots from the SL35ME were ready today, and I got 19 decent shots, which is an improvement over the previous one. Most of the shots were either experimenting with the macro lens or they were night shots. As you could have guess, the night shots were the one that had problems. I had 2 under-exposed ones, and 7 blurred ones.

Well, I present you the photos:

To start it off, there's the collection of Macro shots. I kindly thank Jack for being the model for the first 3 shots.




Jack, the pumpkin king. He's about a foot long? Used a 60mm Macro lens for the closeups.

And to bring things a little closer, a 30mm extension was added to the macro lens, creating a 90mm Lens.

And with that, I shot of the logo on my sweater. It's about 2/3 cm in diameter. Even at such close distances, the depth of view is quite close (I hope it's the correct term). Anything slightly aft focus is quite dramatically blurred.

Again, showcasing the prowess of the lens. Note the depth of view. The difference between the point of focus and the background is a total of less than 10cm.

A shot of my Piano

And one of the fisheye lens

Of course, this, my friends is the highlight of the shoot. A shot of the sky, and myself reflected in the round center of the lock mechanism. You must see it in print, because this scan does not do it any justice. It is quite sublime.


Well took a shot before it got dark. I like the way the sky is reflected in the Merc. Nothing spectacular on the whole though.

And for the night shots, the Supreme Court and City hall were the main subjects. The Esplanade shots all turned out rather bad, but the Fullerton shot was quite brilliant.


The Ever Elegant and stunning Fullerton hotel.

The interior of Fullerton

A rather clever little work of art in the Esplanade. Wax feet with wings.






Of course, the City Hall and the Supremem Court of Singapore.

A very fruitful roll, I might add. Please do check out my imagestation album for larger resolution versions of the shots. They should be up by this weekend.

So, in the mean while, take care, and I'll see you soon.

Gavin pondered @ 17:04

Wednesday, May 11, 2005
books

I usually manage to finish 3 books in a month. So, I left questioning why I bought 6 books and 4 mangas today.

Let's see now:

Pratchet's Thief of Time
Pratchet's Lost Continent
Gaiman's Neverwhere
Mark Haddon's the curious incident of the dog in the night-time
Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Banana Yoshimoto's Goodbye Tsugumi
and parts 2, 3, 4, and 6 of Death Note.

Not to mention the few books lying around waiting to be read. Looks like my work's cut out for me.

Anyway, there should be a series of photos posted soon. I'll probably collect them from Adelphi tomorrow, so I expect them to be up by this weekend.

Busy.

So in the meantime, you guys just hang around, and I'll see you then. Good day.

Gavin pondered @ 16:44

Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Have a nice day

Gavin pondered @ 19:24

Sunday, May 08, 2005
Shout out

Well, Damon and tfaduh menitoned the malaysia trip, and I am made aware of ideals remenant from the JC years.

3 youthful buddies decieded to go on a little road trip to malaysia in 2004.

Unfortunately, it never did materialize.

I've got my driving licence, and we would have to clear our leave from last year. Portends? If only we could find someone who would loan their car to us for a few days in a foreign land.

I don't know. Maybe we could go somewhere else too. Just a nice change of scenery, maybe backpacking in Europe or Australia. Something that isn't planned out nicely. Something with freedom.

I think now's a good time to talk about that idea again. You guys agree?

Gavin pondered @ 21:22

As if to prove a point, the houston Rockets go ahead to lose game 7 by 40 points.

It's inexcusable.

Gavin pondered @ 17:57

Saturday, May 07, 2005

=)

Gavin pondered @ 23:47

Friday, May 06, 2005
Houston - Dallas, 3-3

They showed us what it meant to be the best, and then they made us hang our heads in disgust. Just when you thought they've given up, they show you a glimpse of greatness.

Well done Houston Rockets. Game 7. Show me you ahve what it takes to be winenrs.

Basketball doesn't get any better than this.

Gavin pondered @ 12:09

Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Is it you? Or you?

When you criticise someone, and realize you made the same mistakes, you can't help but sit back and smile.

If I hear people whispering my name, and a bitter-sweet enmity emerges, I know I have done something right.

Then I smell fear. Someone's scared, afraid they are wrong. I smile, for I know they are right. But, shhh... I won't tell.

They most certainly have overanalyzed, yet they stare straight through. Oblivious to the obvious, and unwittingly feeling glad.

I know you are there, but why? There's no need for would-be heroes. The what-if and should-haves merely serve to waver the iron faith.

And I cannot help but feel angry, but mostly exasperated.It's like trying to hit a target with a ball on the opposite side of the wall. You can't see the target.

Then, how do I win?

I don't, but I smile.

At least I know you are thinking "Is it me?"

Gavin pondered @ 21:40

Monday, May 02, 2005
Angel of Death Chapter 1

Well, I relented and pressed the publish button after all.

----------

Everyone believes in a greater influence, a hope that outside, removed from it all is a greater being that is in control, who for example is impeccably dressed, or supremely omnipotent. Freud once surmised that this state of the human consciousness could be attributed to the existence of a super ego. That this being is merely a projection of a part of one’s mind.

Some people call this presence God.

And for many, God is predominantly occupied with creation. His most ingenious creation, he must admit is man, who according to Archangel Michael, God is very pleased with because "They create him as he created them".

Strictly speaking, as Michael would point out, God did not created humans. Not wholly at least. God created the Universe and then planted the seed of life. Everything else was just a little influence here and a little prod there, they came as time progressed. However, Michael would also tell you that Angels where the only sentient beings that God created from scratch.

Michael was one of the first angels created. This is to say, he had been given his name by God. Many learned man would also point out that Michael was the last angel God named. The rest of them were named by their brethren. That is almost entirely incorrect. Of course those sagely scholars could not have been present at that moment, but they were right about the naming rituals of the angels. (Give them a cigar there, they deserved it.)

The last named angel was Gareth.

---

Gareth stared at the painting and looked in the sky. He put down his brushes and lay down on the grass. What a beautiful painting it was, a perfect reproduction of the clouds in the sky. However, he was not satisfied. He willed the painting to vanish and the sky changed. It reverted back to its original form. He way supposed to paint the clouds on the canvas, not the canvas to the clouds.

He was frustrated, and when he was frustrated, he bent reality to his painting. It was easier that way, but it did little to take away the pain. He had been on his rounds again

*By now, it is necessary to explain who Gareth is. You seem Gareth is the Angel of Death. You then ask, what about the Grim Reaper? Well, the Grim Reaper is busy being one of the four horsemen, and while he awaits the 7 seals to be broken, Gareth is the deputy who has to shoulder the responsibility.

And yeah, he comes with a scythe.*

He stared blankly at the sky, until a shadow blocked out the sun. The rude intruder wore golden hair and handsome. He was Archangel Michael, and he took a seat next to Gareth.

"Why the long face?"

"Another child, an infant in fact," replied Gareth. It was not like it was the first time; in fact, it used to be far more common place in the past. That point, Gareth did not dispute.

Michael leaned back. "You know Gareth? You are starting to think like a human. I believe that is to be expected when you spend so much time amongst men."

"I don't understand Michael. I am sure many more young ones where harvested (As the term used in heaven for Gareth's duty, "The Harvest"), yet I felt nothing. However, it seems such a sin."

Michael stared at his friend for a moment. "Did I hear you call the Harvest a sin? Dear Gareth, have I not explained that one must not put emotion into one's duties? I cannot comprehend why one such as you allow yourself to be influenced by these human emotions, these human concepts."

"Fortunately or unfortunately, I do not carry out something without questioning. I simply do not see why it cannot be arranged so that the young ones are entitled a chance to live. It is not fair."

Michael remained silent.

"Michael. Do you not agree?"

"Do you really think you are human, Gareth?"

Now, Gareth was silent.

"I must be getting back to my duties. If you please, Gareth, I shall have to leave now. Try to cheer up old friend, someone else is here to see you, I hope she has better luck"

As Michael walked off, he bowed to a lady, and greeted her. She nodded. Gareth sat up and looked in her direction. Michael vanished.

“Darianne,” Gareth addressed the new comer. A distinctly female being, whose tresses flowed like the gentle waves of the ocean and glowed like the stars in the night; Her skin was a marvel that made porcelain seem like lizard’s hide, but above all her eyes, they were beyond words. At present those eyes were fixed on Gareth.

“Even Michael has agreed. You cannot dismiss that fact,” Darianne replied.

“Michael. Yes, I expected no less from him, but you? I thought you would understand this pain inside, that you would understand me.”

“But I do understand you. I just do not see why you obsess yourself with such petty games; why allow yourself to be tormented by some ideal that does not even belong to you?” Darianne said, almost with a hint of sadness in her voice.

All this while, Gareth felt a hot welling feeling inside his heart. It was slowly boiling and now, it erupted into words. “So to you it is a game? What do you know of pain, suffering and sadness!? You have spent all your time in the gardens of heaven, yet you expect me to believe you can relate to what I feel!? Have you ever seen those faces that I see? ”

Darianne expected this answer; somehow she knew that those were the exact words he would reply. She felt disappointed, and stupid. “What’s the point, Gareth, what’s the point?” She said. “Do you want me to… Oh never mind.” She did not want to criticize him any further.

“The point is, I tire of it all.” Gareth answered sharply.

“And what are you going to do? Stop harvesting the souls of the new born? Spare every baby? Then later, you shall spare any child, and before I know, you are not going to reap anymore? Is that how you plan to alleviate the situation, Gareth?” Darianne almost snapped at him. “Why do you let these humans get into your head? Do you even understand the words that you just said”

Gareth felt it. He heard it, a slight quaver in her voice, indistinct and fleeting but unmistakable. She was angry. He looked away from her, in the distance. “I cannot explain it… I just have to. I…”

Silence prevailed.

Then, from the edges of the fields, they could hear the bells toll. Bells that toll in accordance with every mortal day that passed. Darianne had to go. She turned to walk away.

“See you at the ball.”

---

Gavin pondered @ 21:11

Darianne

I am supposed to come up with sketches of Darianne.

I am supposed to develop the story between Gareth and Darianne.

However, the pen lingers over the paper, and the pencil stops before it makes a mark.

When an artist finds himself lacking in inspiration, hefeels vexed, but this is worse. Lack of inspiration is temporary. This feeling... It makes me feel utterly lost. Where I can't even draw the first stroke.

Then, everything that comes out is imperfect, flawed, and ugly.

The female form eludes me. Darianne eludes me.

Back when she had no name, she was the "perfect" girl. Perfection did not need any personification, it was an unsaid agreement, therefore, there was no need for an embodiment of Gareth's other half. You could also say that I was afraid to draw or atempt to describe her. She simply came to be known as Lady Death. Back then, when the female race was infallible to me.

Of course, it became evident that it was pointless. What was the point of art existing if reality was perfect? Same applied to Lady Death. If she was perfect, what is her motivation to exist? Perfect is boring. Thus Lady Death had no narrative value to speak of.

Thus, layer upon layer, flaws and emotions were added to her. A past started to form, which interactd with Gareth's existence, changing the direction of the story in very subtle yet interesting ways. As it was, I found that Gareth slowly became more humand, and weak. Same applied to Lady Death.

Then perhaps the biggest mistake or the greatest stroke of genius was the naming of Darianne. I must admit that I did not give her a name. That in effet made Darianne not entirely my creation. Which to my delight added a new dimension to he. The element of misunderstanding. It forced me to remember that Darianne cannot conform to whatever the narrative dictates. Instead, she will fight against it.

Why a mistake? The very same "gift" presented it's own range of problems. It makes writing hard, and slower because there was one too many considerations. In addition, it made drawing her an absolute nightmare. No matter what I have designed and sketched, it has never even been half of what she is expected to be, because that expectation is not just mine. Gareth, I will make him who he is regardless of opinion, because I know who Gareth is supposed to be. Darianne on the other hand was not.

Sometimes, I even feel like pushing Darianne t someone else. To let someone else write her into being, because I know that my fondness for these two characters would inevitably lead to boring, sappy love stories.

Gavin pondered @ 15:47

Sunday, May 01, 2005

tfaduh was right about Borders. They have a good jazz section there, and to my delight, I finally found the CD. In fact, I found 2 Glenn Miller CDs.

Admittedly, I have not been to Borders very often, and that is a decision that confounds me. It's quite a good place for too, and I might add, a fresh change from Kinokuniya.

I wonder how good their literature section is.

----------

And I wonder how good their History section is.

An inexplicable urge to study history is brewing in my mind. Too study, not to judge.

----------

Back to jazz. It appears that the sound quality is no where close to the pristine state that modern CDs provide. The noise from the original vinyl is quite audible, and is quite distracting, but I'm sure that it would have been worse if I had to listen to a cassette recording or an actual vinyl. After all, modern living has introduced an amazing little trick called digital reasserting.

Of course, I did mention that Glenn Miller and his orchestra were formed way back in the 1930s? Yes, so all the performances would have been at least 60 years old. In fact, it is almost miraculous that such quality is preserved.

Yeah, so all the jazz fas out there, go give Glenn Miller a try. My personal favorite is his "In the Mood". Brilliant piece. The trumpet and Saxophone solo is quite wonderful.

Gavin pondered @ 15:53

Other Good Reads tfaduh Houf UNposted letter Neubs Nick's now at Blogspot Ying Mei Pink Tank Claire Meixian Alwyn Gideon Hasif Cheryl Adam Tim ShenYong Joanne Heng Tin Simple Bear HaoFat Tianhao Janan Jianxiong Samantha Alex SuChang Sherman Colin Sanjiv Clement Zhong Zhen Slightly Pretentious Food Floble! Falleen Hian Liang Gerald Jon Fergus Anette Dilbert Blog Mr. Brown Miyagi.sg A Welsh View My Opendiary Singapore Ink