2 Million Zombies @ Vivo City

Went to the newest mall, a novelty currently, Vivo City this afternoon.

Thinking that it have opened it's door to the public sometime back and that it's a Monday, there should not be much people there. So there I am, happily armed with a camera and a cheerful mood took off to Vivo City.

I was totally surprised, shocked and disgusted.

There are SO MANY people there!!!

The last head count I had before leaving the mall was at 2,00,147 people...Almost half of Singapore's population is in Vivo City today!! It's a Monday for goodness sake!!!! Half the population took leave(like me) and went shopping??? This is absurb...

Totally disgusted, I left the place 30 minutes after reaching. Too crowded. Too many Singaporeans. You do not want to be in a shopping mall infested with Kia-Su Singaporeans, trust me. They are like the Zombies in "Dead Rising" or "Resident Evil". That's why, shopping in Singapore for me have been, "Infiltrate into the mall, get what I want, pay, get out". The end.

Still, there is one reason why I will be going back to Vivo City again... PageOne. PageOne is gonna have a shop there. Yahoo!! Now, anything I cannot find in PageOne Kinokuniya, I have an extra avenue. Very sure not many Singaporeans will be patronising PageOne, unless they have a reason to. So I am sure, I should be able to enjoy some peace and quiet time with those gorgeous Photography Books there soon...Yahooo!!!

Photo : Burn them? Get more Haze?

Scary Mary

Something very scary happened.

Was trying to fall asleep, when suddenly, felt a numb from my right hand knuckles moving all the way thru my whole body. And within split seconds, my whole body is numb. Immovable. Not able to talk or call out for help too. Tried struggling and twisting the whole body..it did not help. The only way is to make some sound and call for help...soon, "ARHGGGG!!" managed to come out of my mouth and the whole body gradually goes back to normal.

Was in a state of shock and all sorts of thoughts crosses my mind...Illness? Ghost pushing me down? All sorts. It's a scary experience. Hope it will not happen again.

Something even more scary happened.

"It's time for a baby".

YUCKSSS!!!

It have started. The elders have start their plan on the babies. "It's about time. You cannot wait till you are too old"

"No intention to have one. Don't be crazy"

"What rubbish. You are gona have one. And better try for a boy. You are the only son"

"It's my right to want or not. And besides, even if I were to have one, I will WANT and HOPE that it will be a Gal. If it's a boy, I will sell him away, and try again for a gal. I prefer Gals. Period."

"Boys are to carry on the bloodline and you family."

"So what? I am not a king or some famous person. Dun need a boy, a gal will be perfect! I can doll her up and will give in to whatever request she have from daddy. She will be a 1000% Daddy's gal!!"

"A boy is a must."

" Gal or nothing. End of conversation."

After the conversation above, blood vessels expanded and pressure went thru the roof for some people(read:parents). Basically, I dun care, even if it's parents or not. I know what I want and how it's been done. Absolutely no children for the time. Zip. Nil. If it happens, I will cross my fingers that a baby gal she will be!!

Photo : Waterworld...

Light! Camera! Action!!

The haze does not seem to be getting any better. It is definitely hindering outings for taking photographs.

Was planning for some outdoor photo shoots next few days..but with the looks of the weather and haze, does not seem like a possibility. No sunlight, no shadows, all dull and hazy. Than again, it's the best time to try out some black and white photo shots..? Maybe.

Watched "The Departed" today. Cannot help but kept comparing the show to the original "Infernal Affairs". Martin Scorsese is a great director, from The "Colour of Money", "Goodfellas", "Cape Fear" "Gangs of New York" to "The Departed". He can make no mistakes with each scene. But, it is always a danger when you remake something so successful. Not many directors have come away from much success from remakes(with exception from the likes of "King Kong", "Gladiators" etc etc).

Leonardo DiCaprio did and excellent/outstanding job in the movie. Looks like he is booking an early ticket for the Academy Awards. Totally awesome acting skills from him, and Matt Damon pales in comparison. Leonardo potray the character as aggressive and traumatic. Tony Leung(the original) is cool and traumatic. Matt Damon fails in the role that was original to Andy Lau. Andy Lau did a much better job. Of cos Jack Nicholson shows the boys how it's been done, when it comes to good acting skills. Overall, the acting of Leonardo in this show justifies the admission ticket price.

Gonna catch "Sinking of Japan" next, another remake from a old Japanese show. Have high expectation for this show..it better not disappoint.

Photo : The colours are simply gorgeous!

Emerged!

Finally. Back from 2 weeks of prison life like in-camp.

Due to my current Pes Status, there are almost nothing I can do in the training program. The thought of it is really frustrating! Just like in a prison!!!! The food sucks! Sleeps with a army of commando mosquitoes every night! Yucks!!

Anyway, I make full use of my time in there and do some reading and thinking.

Here are the books that accompany me for the past 14 days..

1-Black & Blue ~ Ian Rankin
2-Rebus's Scotland, A personal Journey ~ Ian Rankin
3- Life, A Journey Through Time ~ Frans Lanting
4- Elephant! ~ Steve Bloom
5- Wildlife Photographer of the Year ~ BBC
6- National Geographic ~ October Issue
7- Digital Camera World ~ Autumn Issue
8- Famitsu ~ Current Week Issue

Only in a slack and idle environment can one catch up with some reading that have been long over due. Of cos, brought along PSP with a Golf Game to keep me busy in-between books.

Upon my immediate release, I went to Kinokuniya and purchase more reading materials!!

Acquired the following...

1- 1001 Nights of Snowfall ~ Bill Willingham
2- Jack of Fables ~ Bill Willingham
3- Fables ~ Bill Willingham
4- Justice League of America ~ Brad Meltzer
5- PSM ~ December Issue
6- Photography Monthly ~ December Issue

Went home happy with the purchases... Then discovered a problem.. The books shelves in the house is getting crowded..

Will have to purchase more books shelves, and no. I will not sell or give away books that I have read. I was just thinking, there are more books and magazines in my little home than any other stuffs...

A library is forming.

Photo : Came home and found this little onion growing and reaching for the sky... Life is so full of surprises...

Submerged

**((Aftermath from Floral or Fauna : My shit smells and looks(the colour) different this morning. Must be because of last night's VEGETARIAN dinner. Ahhh! The trauma!!))**

Am going to be submerged for awhile.

2 weeks at most. If I am able to touch my computer next weekend, I will try to add an entry. If not, the next time I emerged will be near the end of October.

No, not going for a holiday. Going to don into the green camouflage uniform and black leather boots again. Yes, it's that time of the year where all the men are being called back to base camp. Besides training, this is the time where all the mates catch up with one another on their life and what they have been up to. Come to think of it, this platoon have been to recce together for 9 years already. Scary, time past so fast.

Gonna be all over the forest and also poker at night and lotsa beer as well whenever time and schedule permits!!

Ok! Soldier! Move out!!

Photo : Waited for awhile before the evening sunray lights up the beautiful place and make it picture perfect.

Floral or Fauna

Attended a wedding dinner earlier this evening.

Congrats to the beautiful couple who met and fell in love in the most romantic way. While doing voluntary work in a temple. Amazing isn't it?

The thing about this dinner is...the whole banquet is...VEGETARIAN.

It's a big big horror to me..cos I am a HUGE meat eater!!!

The funny thing is how they make all the dishes that mimics a meat dish so alike and even taste alike at times... I am simply amazed at each course that is being serve. A little looking forward to see whats being serve up next actually...

The only solitude I found this night is beer. I have 4 glasses of beer during the 2 hours wedding dinner...This is the only NORMAL food to me!!

No offense to the wedding couple and the choice of banquet of course. The problem is obviously with me. Cos I am too much of a carnivorous.

Congrats to this newly wed lovers once again!!

Photo : Green for vegetarians...arghhh!!!!!! The horror!!!!

Growing Pains

The feeling of growing up and going thru alot of things and scenarios that you do not get to experience when you were younger is scary.

Especially things that concerns your family members, things that are inevitable at many a times.

Simply hate that kinda feeling about "this is part and parcel of life and you will get stronger when all is over". Hate it.

But I am sure all will be fine and thank you all for the prayers.

Photo : Tribal in the sky...

Shutterbug

Next weekend is Canon's photo marathon.

It's gonna be so interesting and exciting. But i am gonna missed it!

So sad. Looks like I have to wait for next year's competition to be able to participate and have fun...

Looking forward to another one, which ends in Oct. Gonna hit some shots in the next 3 weeks and hope for the best after submission... Very nervous thinking about competing. Felt like sitting for a test/exam...yucks!

It's not the worries about the results if will win or not. It's the worries that your work will be critisized by the experts! It could totally damage your hopes or make you a better photographer...

Photo taking should be fun, not stress. So, i am just gonna have fun and see what happens!!

Photo : Men at work. Out with the old, in with the new.

No Balance

Met a former colleage last night.

She commented "You look so different now. You have change, you know??"

Nervous..I asked her.."Changed? In what ways huh??"(inside me, I was worried that the answers gonna be something like, "gain weight, look older etc etc)

She said.."you look tired and very worn out".

Phew. A little relieved yet not really.

Told her the look comes with the job. She is looking so vibrant now that she have left this industry. And me, permanent stress, long hours and Panda eyes. When I met her, she just finish her Yoga night class, I just finish my work..how exciting huh!

I think my life verus work is not balance.

Must try to find a balance...must try at least.

Photo : Colours of life. But behind the colours? Stress perhaps. Sadness even.

小早川伸木の恋

Watched a new Japanese Serial.

The story revolves around a Doctor who have a very suspicious and insecure wife, and a lovely young daughter. The wife suspects him everytime he speaks to a lady, any lady.

Things got worst and of cos divorce came into the picture.

The man wanted the divorce. He have enough of the situation and the wife's behavior.

The wife refused the divorce. Even went to the extend of getting a lawyer to NOT get divorce. Because of the daughter.

So basically, the daughter is the whole reason that the wife is hanging on to the marriage and do not want her to grow up with a broken family.

Then, someone, (who came from a broken family) came into the picture and said this "It is unfair to your daughter if you let her be the reason for your decision. She do not want to grow up knowing that she is the cause of both your unhappiness to stay together. If she have a choice now, she will have you both make your own decision without having her as a factor. If a settlement(emotional, financial etc etc) can be reached between both the husband and wife, why must you let someone who have no decision making power be the cause? I came from a family with exactly the same problem. And I hated myself, because I am the cause of the unhappiness for my parents for the past 25 years."

Now, the point here is, when a huge thing like a divorce is on the horizon, we always see things from the husband or wife's perspective. Becos we have the towering command and control of our children and we must make the decision for them, cos we are always right. Now, the above paragraph shows another perspective.

The child's perspective.

As a child, growing up from a happy family with the right kind of communications between the parents are important.

It will be a different scenerio altogether, if growing up with 2 adults who do not share communications, happiness and closeness. A child can be brought up in a very right manner even if the parents are seperated. It's how you handle the child and explain things slowly, step by step.

Sometimes, we adults can be so "full of ourselves" when it comes to things that we call "adult" things. It's more like a human thing than "adult thing.

Please don't misunderstood me. I am NOT encouraging Divorce or whatever. It's just that this is an interesting perspective. I don't come from a broken family and I don't have any children, so I will never understand and should not make such comments? Maybe.

But think about it.

I am thinking from the perspective of the person who grew up hating himself, as he is the cause for his parents' unhappiness all these years.

Photo : Flowers! Flowers!! Anyone for Flowers??!!!