Redeeming Malaysia

Dear family and friends, 

It's that time of the year when we celebrate the birth of a great nation! We may not be blessed with an amazing government, but what we have is a nation teeming with diverse cultures and traditions, and yet in our hearts we are united.

Something is different today, though. Today, a couple of video enthusiasts are battling on the front line of the Canon Legria video competition, desperate to represent their nation, to prove that Malaysia has something to show the design and film industry. 

In one week, this ambitious men have attempted to prove themselves worthy by filming, acting, video-editing and music-composing. This video entry is completely, 100% original. 

Redemption

Do you think they deserve to win? I don't know, you'll have to watch the video and decide for yourself. But I know, I firmly believe that they do deserve to represent Malaysia. These are high words, but you may watch and see for yourself. In fact, go ahead and watch the other videos that are catching up to this one on votes. Go ahead, make a comparison. The answer will be clear to you.

Voting may just be a tad fussy: you have to register your email, and once verified, you have to log in before you can vote. But the entire process takes less than 5 minutes, probably just as much time for you to scroll down your facebook timeline and refresh for updates. 

If you like what you see, please, vote and share to your friends. Do this for glory to Malaysia! Let's all have one more thing to be proud of, for you to proudly declare, 'That is my country, and I am Malaysian!' :D

That said, happy Merdeka and happy Friday everybody :).

Click here to register, log-in and vote!

Longitude

Longitude

Just a random thingy I did the other week. I was bored and in the mood to draw something. It's weird, though. Back then I got all hyped up drawing and drawing without a care in the world. Whatever I wanted I just doodled down however I fancied. I didn't give a toss about things like composition and complimentary colours and linear weights and what-have-yous.

Of course, looking at it now there's good and bads to just drawing however you want. Of course you want to make it visually appealing, get the message across, evoke feelings and emotions from whoever is viewing it. For that to happen you need to follow some basic rules. 

But then I remember when I was doodling and messing about with my markers and paper and pencils, I was happy. Very happy indeed. Of course there were certain little hiccups here and there, but I felt a genuine sense of accomplishment when I'd completed some drowned-in-colour thing. It was kinda like me, my ideas, paper and music. Nothing in between, nothing that can create some sort of distraction.

Right now when I look back at my old works, I can find fault in every single one of them. Of course, every creator will do so. But at the same time, I can't seem to find that blind, mindless drive to just doodle down everything and anything. I'll start to think about all the rules, and how to break them or bend them in different ways. Not like that's a bad thing, but of course you can see for yourself just how unproductive I've been since I started uni. 

My theory is this: back when I was completely oblivious to the foundations of design and art, I was like some wild monkey with a pencil. I threw everything down without putting much thought into it. Could you say my artwork then was and is shallow? Most probably. Because there isn't a rationale or a reason for it. It exists because I wanted to create it. That's all. But now, with the metaphorical chains of knowledge, I know better than to just go gadding about. I suppose, with more hard work and effort I won't call the knowledge chains, and instead call them steps and ladders to creating more beautiful and meaningful artwork.

It's like the transition of child to adult. When the world was so innocent, and when you reach that certain age, you just look at the old things so, so differently.

Excuse me for the big big wall of text. That's enough rambles for one night I suppose.

No Shyt, Sherlock.

Disclaimer: I don't dislike KPop, neither to I have any animosity towards Shinee. Thank you for your understanding.

And, no, I don't plan on making this a KPop blog. I just like to rant, and when I rant, there are very little topics that I don't stray to. 

Anyway, out of curiousity (wow!) I decided to watch Shinee's Sherlock MV and then I realized one of the many things I've realized about Shinee (sorry, did that confuse you?) : a lot of times I can't ever catch the tune of their songs. Except for the more popular ones like. Lucifer. And that Ring-a-ling one. And Hello. But seriously everything else just mushes together and I can't make anything out of it. 

And then! It just amazes me! How entertainers nowadays just take inspiration from almost anything! Okay so that has been the case from when the Earth was still in its diapers and God was pregnant (ignore that, please), but still! The desire to be different is continuously evolving, and somehow these KPop bands are completely innovative when it comes to their methods of entertainment. Like this:

dailykpopnews

 Like, wow! They hipsterfied Sherlock Holmes! What would Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have to say about this I wonder? I look at this with mixed feelings, honestly. I think it's, in a way, awesome that they can help spread awareness so kids will broaden their literary horizons and maybe feel compelled to pick up a copy of The Hound of The Baskervilles, instead of Twilight. On the other hand, I feel as if their take on the whole British-mystery thing is awfully shallow. But maybe it's just me. At least they're not wearing houndstooth and deerstalker hats, eh? =P Don't get me wrong. I think the oversized black frames and Doc Martens look very nice. Much better than the starry shorts that, I swear to God, popped out of nowhere just for the lulz.

koreansound

Yes, you heard me. Starry shorts. With the Doc Martens. Holy good God.

I like how Taemin looks just fabulously colourful and pretty. But then I am reminded he is a he and suddenly I feel all wrong in the stomach. 

I don't know why, but I get all discriminative when people go about saying 'oh I like so-and-so' because  they've watched the movie or their idols made a song inspired by the book. But then they don't read the book. In fact, they are familiar with the name but are probably clueless to who or what Sherlock Holmes is. For all they know he's another KPop artiste that flips his conditioned locks and swings his narrow hips to a crowd of adoring fangirls. You see how discriminative I am. But, really. How many people have read the books. Huh? Huh? Go read them if you haven't. At least get a concrete idea of what is behind the Hollywood blockbusters...and under Taemin's black top hat.

Oh, and Taemin is not actually the only guy I can name from Shinee. I know that there is Jonghyun, Key, Minho, but unfortunately that other guy is lost to me. It could've been worse. When I first got to know about the boys I couldn't tell them apart even if you paid me a kimchi load of gold. And that was a very shallow thing to say.

I'm sorry for the nonsensical KPop rant. I shall return to more normal topics in the next post. Thank you for your time. 

O.G.S

 If you actually understood what the initials stood for, well, good for you.

Hello everyone and welcome to the beginning of the week-long Raya holidays! Here's to much celebrations and well-spent hours. No wasting time doing nothing, as I am about to do right now =P.

No, really, what's the entertainment industry doing these days. Has our mentality stooped so low, to the point that anything can be counted as remotely entertaining? Is a slightly tubby man prancing about pretending to ride a horse considered hilariously entertaining nowadays? Is everyone so bored that as long as someone is doing something weird and making it look good, it's going to be a major hit and start a new trend with rabid fans everywhere?

Imaginary iGallop via sassyjonghyun

You thought you've seen everything the internet has to offer, but you haven't.

I can't be the only one who watched this video and got a first impression that the rhythm is almost exactly like Big Bang's Fantastic Baby. Except that when Big Bang is singing about....well, whatever they were singing about, this PSY (I can't be the only person who thought it stood for something incredibly wrong) guy was singing about...Gangnam style. Which according to the explanation of my dear Korean friend Cheol is a district in Seoul, Korea where the wealthy and affluent live. It's kinda like the brothers rapping about 'da hood'....only this guy is in a suit and shades and prancing about on an apparently very energetic, very invisible pony. Of course, there's the crazily catchy beats, with the senseless tagline thrown in at all the appropriate intervals, with a snazzle of English words for good measure. 

Oh, and then there's the poorly timed explosion. There must always be a scene where the main guy walks away from an explosion. Besides a scene of said main guy prancing on top of a building with a skyscraper in the background (refer to top). Yes, this...thing has all the ingredients to make it the next '...huh?' sensation. 

via seoulsveil

Like it? Hate it? Each to his own I suppose. All I know is that there will be a new tune dominating the Raya medley for awhile. 

I need to do something a bit more productive than this. Farewell everyone! And don't forget to play this song on full blast the next time you clamber onto your iGallop. At least you'll look a lot more sensible than this man.

Candy Twitters

I'm going to save up my monies to expand my collection of markers. And no, too much is never enough. Besides, how can anyone resist such pretty names? ^O^. I'm imagining a seaside fair and little girls with pink ribbons in their hair, cheeks sticky with cotton candy wisps.

Because I was too bored, and because I can't seem to stop thinking about the pretty colours, I grabbed the colours off the Copic site, and played about with them. And this came out!

 I made it into my desktop wallpaper, and since I'm at it, hey, why not you fellas have a share of them birdies :D. I also put a paper texture as an experiment and I got a pretty nice hipster effect. Which do you like?

 Feel free to use it however you like, though re-blog/tweet/etc+credits would be most appreciated ;). Throw it onto your desktop! Update your cover photo! Or even print little squares of it and stick them all over your room! :D

Copic is always coming up with gorgeous colours, and maybe they wouldn't be so attractive if it weren't for the names that come with each new shade! I'd be so much happier if I didn't have to cry every time I take a marker or two to the check-out XD.

Anyway, it's the weekend everybody! I should be doing lots of other things, and I will. All in good time. Haha. Cheerio~!

Wheelie Wonders

I just saw something that reminded me about Gabriel Iglesias, and nothing could stop me from going 'WATERMELON WEDNESDAY!!' in my head XD. But all these 'Ws' lead me to another fantastical wobbly, wheely machine :D. 

I can't remember when was the last time I rode on a bicycle. Do you? And now with all the harmful fuel emissions and global warming, it seems good sense enough to turn to eco-friendly modes of transport. Living in Malaysia though, cycling seems near impossible. The traffic, roads, and scary people will put the thoughts of wheelies cycling far off anyone's mind. It'd be very nice if we all lived in fair weathered places that had designated cyclist lanes so we can ting-a-ling to a greener future =).

1. madsen cycles  |  2. viva bicycles

I did go a-googling for nice rides, and these two caught my eye almost instantly. Look at how pretty they are!! The Madsen bike comes with a passenger-cum-cargo bucket. It's probably going to be heavy if you load it up, but hey, how can you not fall in love with something so pretty? :D Besides the minty blue and pastel yellow, this bike comes in black, pink, and pink-with-black-bucket. Not cheap though, on-site this bike is going for 1,750$ O___O. The Viva looks just as gorgeous, though the price be unknown =P. Love the leather saddle!! ^O^. It seems to me a thing of a beauty. I'd like to see a classic woven basket on it, or maybe even a little lamp and funky bell. Talk about cycling in style! :D. Speaking of which, what would you accessorize your bike with (say you had one)? I came across these   awhile back, and heck even if I had no bicycle I would still buy them! :D

poketo

Sweet, hand painted bells! Comes in watermelon, orange, or ice cream flavours ;). I can imagine them smiling up at me as I pedal away...or just sitting on my desk and ringing every now and then. Lol.

Anyway, yes it's the middle of the week! And I've got things to do but as you can see I'm not doing them and instead am happily typing away here XD. Time to get serious then! Have a watermelon everyone, cause it's WEDNESDAY! 8D

poketo

Sanctuary

Ever since I was little (yes, it's one of those nostalgic reminiscent posts =P), I'd always dreamed of having a house with my very own library. It doesn't have to be big, with high ceilings and shelves all the way up, till you need a ladder to reach the books. I'm short and accident-prone enough, thank you very much. The last thing I need is to rip a muscle straining to grab at the book just out of my reach and/or being buried under an avalanche of hardbacks. Which brings me to the other thing. My dream reading space would probably be even less valuable than the garage. There won't be priceless, first editions of everything. Leather bound tomes, papers edged with gold. I don't think the books I read even come like that. Haha. No, I think my library would be a motley of paperbacks: bright green Penguin classics, perhaps one or two hardbacks (I can see my hardback copy of Murakami's 1Q84 sitting on the shelf already), and plenty of children's books. Pop-ups, rhymes, and an entire collection of translated Jimmy Liao books. And definitely not forgetting Jacqueline Wilson, for the times when I just want to take a break from all the metaphorical grown up books and want something light and easy to read. 

It could be a room, or maybe just one section of a room that I can dedicate entirely to reading. Of course, there'll have to be ample space for my constantly growing collection, with magazines and comics besides. I always imagine a nice, large window with a cushioned seat. And plenty of pillows and a cuddly blanket! And the lights will be adjustable, so I can have them bright or dim whenever I fancy. There has to be lots of indirect light as well. I would love little table lamps that give off soft, yellow light. 

Or, how about a cosy spot in the attic? Right under the slanting ceilings, where the morning sun comes through the windows just so?

simplystoked

simplystoked

I particularly liked the idea of a little storage space under the seat for current reads! That way you could always keep track of which books you're currently sinking your teeth into. Also there has to be a lovely view outside to refresh the tired eyes :).

I came across this, and really, how do you not fall in love with something like this?

mamamekko

It is actually a closet converted into a reading corner for children. I love the painted wooden planks and the cloud pillows! Can't say much about the lamp, because I've grown up with those curly rimmed shades and I have to say, there are very few things more beautiful that the delicate glass frills of that lampshade. I don't know about you, but I sure would love to have a grown up's version of this! A place where you can shut yourself away from all the bustle and noise of the world. When you just don't want to listen to anything or anyone except the sound of the pages turning and the adventures reeling in your mind's eye.

And take a look at this! How gorgeous is this? The flowered curtain, and the comfy stuffed sofa pushed right up at the windowsill. All the days of doing nothing but reading and sipping at coffee! And there's nothing quite as cosy as wooden flooring. It just seems like a warm smile or a gentle hand. 

qc girl's nook

I'm sure everyone has their own idea of a perfect chill spot. And every one needs one. Because we can't all be part of a large group forever. I think it's human nature to want to break away once in awhile, break away from the raucous voices and troublesome 'lifely' woes like clogged sinks and dirty floors. Perhaps some of us just want to break away and stay out of the conversation for longer, but that's cool too. To each his own, right? 

It's funny, how I used to think myself as part of the lively crew, going out and doing things. But when I think back I know that that is nothing but a lie =P. I'm a stay-at-home person, full stop. Most of my childhood memories are reading books, making up adventures for my stuffed animals, and then later writing those adventures down into sentences and paragraphs, until I have stories. How many hours, no, I don't think I can quite measure it by hours. If I had to, I would measure those times by the number of batteries I went through, haha. Before the iPods, children, I had a Sony discman player that ran on AA's. Later on I got a Creative Rhombus MP3 that worked on AAA's. I think I bought enough batteries in my entire child-teenhood to power my house for five months, no kidding. Hahaha. But yes, I remember long afternoons and nights, when I was just plugged into whatever music that was making me go then, either writing away at my book or journalling or drawing. Oh my goodness, good times man. Good, good times.

And one day, I'm going to be able to enjoy those times again! When I get my own house and covert a corner of it to my own little sanctuary. How will yours look like? What will your little haven have? It'd be nice to know :).

I think this blog post is a twee bit too long XD. Hope you enjoyed it anyways. Happy Toosday night everybody!

Morosity

It's that time when the beast within me takes a peek out into the open world.

Suddenly, I remember the poem from Tim Burton's collection of poems that I got for Christmas a few years back.

"There was once a morose melon head,

who sat there all day,

and wished he were dead.

But you should be careful,

about the things that you wish,

because the last thing he heard, 

was a deafening squish."

Melonhead by Tim Burton, via artikulation

I remember the Christmas after it (or was it the same Christmas?), I got a set of Tim Burton's characters.   My favourite character is The Boy With Nails In His Eyes. And Oysterboy, because of the shape of his oyster head. 

It's a perfectly apt present, because there was a feeling of Christmas all about the book. In a slightly depressing, morbid way, but Christmas nontheless. Somehow I feel seasonal when I read that book.

The Boy With Nails In His Eyes

"The boy with nails in his eyes, 

put up his aluminum tree.

It looked pretty strange,

because he couldn't really see."

Tim Burton seems to enjoy Christmas a lot. How many of his works revolve around this end-year holiday? I think a stockingful would be quite a safe bet. The size of said stocking is up to your interpretation =P. His ideas of Christmas are hardly conventional, though. It's somehow always portrayed as sad and lonesome. As if he's trying to remind us that not all of us have warm love and gifts during Christmas. As if he's opening the door, letting the cold winds swirl around the cozy fireplace, frosting the hot chocolate. Somehow, the truth I interpret from his works make me like his seasonal-themed works. In ways it is a sort of comfort. 

I think the cold nights these days remind me of Christmas, hence random mid-year-Christmas posts. Not that it seems to have any relation to the actual day. Cause I can bet with you when Christmas comes it's going to be so effing sunny it's almost as if Santa threw all the presents into the sun as extra fuel. Probably with occasional rain, but mostly sun. Yeah, mostly sun.  

Go read some Tim Burton poetry! You'll enjoy them, Christmas, Halloween, sun or rain. 

August

It's here! Magical month of August, where nothing much happens and is no difference to the months before or after it. That's what you get for living in a place like Malaysia, with no change of seasons to speak of. Just hot hot hot oh look rain! and more heat =P.

Watched Spiderwick yesterday night. Twas fairyly interesting, lol. I wished there were more mystical creatures available though. Instead of just the handful of goblins and a flying half-bird and a honeyeater. And if only there were more fairies! The flower sprites were pretty enough, but they had such little screen time D=. It'd be so nice though, to live in the middle of a forest with magical creatures all about you.

I wouldn't want to live in the forest of my story though. Haha. Think it'd be a tad too creepy for my weak heart, even if it did come out of my imagination. Again, this story was just plucked out of my head. It's as if the time was just so, and out it popped, a newborn baby. My eyes were closing, and suddenly it appeared, the story in almost its whole form. All it needed was maybe some clothes and an ornament or two. 

Anyway, enjoy it and the new month of August. Happy days, everybody =).