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Thursday 19 August 2010
To get back in touch...
My sincerest apologies for the long, uncalled-for hiatus. Too many things have happened over the last few months, and with procrastination being my best friend, I have once again forsaken the blog for a long, long time. While I can't exactly guarantee the constant, regular flow of content, I vouch to get back into the momentum. Hopefully, it won't be long before this blog comes back to life, and by then, I do wish that at least a portion of my audience comes back regularly, eager for more. Heh.
How often have you wanted to get back in touch with someone or something, but never got down to doing it, or felt that you wished you could more to achieve it? I have got through that many times. It's like a vicious cycle. There have been repeated patterns of me trying to get back in touch with friends I haven't met for some time, and more often than not, the proposed meet-ups don't materialise. And with me being the primary moving force trying to meet up with them most of the time, I usually tire after a few botched attempts.
So after thinking things through, I decided to focus on trying to get back in touch with something else. I'll still try linking up with friends. But more energy will be turned towards something that cannot push me back. Something inanimate, yet an intergral part of my life. And what else will that be? The arts, of course. Coming shortly will be some documentation of this. Stay tuned!
Sunday 17 January 2010
Duty, duty, duty... A summary of the past month while on duty...
Here are some updates of happenings of the past month.
1. Well, on the National Service front, I've been on duty once every 2 weeks due to the lack of drivers. Each duty spans over a 7-day stretch (no, I can't even step out for nights out), which explains the lack of social activities that I have been involved in. I really can't wait till the new trainees who are currently on their driving course training to pass their tests and come back to share our burden. And yes, I'm actually blogging in camp right now. =/
2. Haus of Tiong (hereafter referred to as HoT, also previously known as St Jeff's Wiisky Bar) opened its doors to the CBB again a couple of weeks back. No, it wasn't a major public holiday. This time round, Jeff just wanted to declutter his house. And the intended "flea market" of sorts soon bloomed into a mahjong + Wii + steamboat get-together. A rough estimate at the peak of attendance saw at least 20 barflies and associates having fun.
Everyone had their fair share of fun, while many went home (or to other activities) happily with their fair share of loot. I went home with a sling bag, a backpack, a casual shirt, a denim jacket and a printer. Thanks so much Jeff! Special thanks to Casey as well, as he "choped" the printer earlier than me, but gave it up to me in the end (for whatever undisclosed reasons).
Needless to say, it was a really great night.
3. I guess the last highlight over the last month would be a good friend's birthday celebration. Those of you who have known me for many years would be well-informed that I used to game competitively. Through gaming, I got to know and become part of a very big family known as Icy. Words can never describe this group of friends, and through the last 9 years or so, the memories we have amassed are beyond comparison with any other friends that I have ever known.
So last Wednesday was the celebration of JJ's (aka Chong) 26th birthday. We started the night by meeting at 10pm at Zouk. Two and a half hours later, with the birthday boy almost "gone" (puking twice saved his life, I swear), we adjourned to a Thai disco at Clarke Quay. Hanged out till about 4+am before I left. The group picture we took at Zouk will be uploaded here when I book out! Heh.
It's been so long since I last saw so many Icy people gathered together. I had an enjoyable time catching up and hanging out with them. Despite being at two different types of nightspots (a club and a Thai disco) that I'm not that fond of, this group of friends were really great company. No matter where you go, the company is what matters the most, right? =)
Well, that's all that happened over the past month. I'll try to update on a more regular basis. And with my camp mate Nazree jumping on the blogging bandwagon now, I'm sure he'll haunt me if I don't blog often enough. Hahaha.
A parting quote for all of you. Yes, I actually realised that I haven't shared quotes for quite some time and I'm actually feeling guilty about it. Hahaha.
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson, 3rd United States President (1743-1826)
So for those of you out there who have unfulfiled goals and dreams, remember, the first step to take will be to have the right thinking and mental attitude! This is actually a proven theory. Heh.
I'll read more and share more meaningful quotes as I come across them alright? Till then, see you! =)
Saturday 26 December 2009
Christmas at Haus of Tiong aka St Jeff's Wiisky Bar
This Christmas marks the second I celebrated with the barflies. Of course, as usual, I have some backlogged entries to write but the following video is so funny that I have to share it immediately.
Kudos to ahtiong for once again hosting us at his place, as well as creating this very hilarious video, using a clip from Hitler: The Rise of Evil (I think). It sums up the CowBoyBar very wonderfully, though some of the lingo would probably be lost on the clueless. Thanks to msvindicta and thesoberone for contributing as well.
Merry (Belated) Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!
Sunday 15 November 2009
On the personal imagery frontline [Part II]
Apologies for the very late update, despite having promised writing within the same week. I've been so busy with NS that I don't exactly have the time and/or energy to write. More on that in the next post.
Some time in late September or early October, I got acquainted with Audi, a senior who graduated from NP's Film, Sound & Video diploma programme one year earlier than me. After a brief meet up with him, as well as a couple of his teammates, I got hooked up for a pro bono project. It was for Nuffnang's "It's Krrunch Time, Get Playful!" competition, the objective of which is to conceptualise and shoot a short video to simulate an advertisement for Pringles.
Audi was the Director of Photography while Jayden directed it. I was asked to shoot the stills for the production. Since I didn't own a DSLR at the moment, I borrowed Audi's 450D, along with a kit lens and a basic 75-300mm f4-5.6 for the shoot. After not shooting for quite a while, I'm happy to say the shots turned out pretty satisfactory, though my only gripes were the infamiliarity with the camera's interface (since I've almost always been using Nikon or Fujifilm DSLRs), as well as the lenses' limitations. Being basic lenses, they weren't sharp wide open and could be quite slow where focusing is concerned.
Anyway, here are some shots to share.
The cast getting their makeup done while Jayden and Audi brief them.
Makeup artist Gigi attending to "lead zombie" Jeff Chan.
The other still photographer on set, Benjamin. He's really got a great eye for details and angles. Heh.
Jeff's already in character even as he "devours" his lunch - chicken rice.
Showing off his makeup after it's done.
Look at how great Gigi's makeup skills are! Awesome flaky skin! Fit for a zombie! =)
Can you spot the real panda? LOL!
Double checking to ensure that the slate's written correctly.
The things photographers would do and the places they would go to get the shot they want.
The same can be said of the cinematographer of outstanding calibre. Heh.
A "frame within frame" shot cropped to 2.35:1 aspect ratio - the ratio that many films are shot for widescreen.
The menacing zombie that Jeff becomes! RAWR!
When you see a zombie that looks like so life-threatening running towards you, you RUN, not squat down for a shot like I did.
Before you say "OUCHHHH!", the glass bottle that was smashed was actually made of sugar glass, the material used for props for production.More can be found in my facebook via this link.
Anyway, on a separate note, the video was completed and submitted for the competition as planned, and no prizes for guessing which video won the competition. Congratulations to Audi, Jayden and co.!
The final product:
Awesome stuff isn't it? =)
I really look forward to involvement to more projects like this. If you know of any such opportunities, please do drop me a comment or something! Heh.
Sunday 1 November 2009
The weekend past
Cynthia, a friend of mine, invited me to crash the birthday chalet of her friend, Ariel, a.k.a. YY last weekend.
Since I had no other plans made, I thought, "Why not?" And I never regretted heading down to the chalet on Friday and Saturday, and staying overnight on both days. Made a few new friends and acquaintances there, and once again, I realised how small Singapore actually is. Everyone is connected in one way or another.
Anyway, I didn't bring my camera, so pictures will only come after Ariel uploads them (and provided she allows me to use some of them for my blog). Fingers crossed!
The party was a blast! I enjoyed myself thoroughly, even though I practically knew close to nobody there.
The most memorable highlights were the humongous cake and 21 cupcakes that Cynthia and Hongrui, her boyfriend, got for the birthday girl and the cake cutting session where the birthday girl got her "key to freedom". There was also a "guestboard", which was a black plastic art board for attendees to pen their well wishes. Another dedication board of sorts came in the form of the mirror and walls in the bathroom.
Since Ariel is still sort of nursing a heartbreak, I left her a quote that I got from a seminar I attended about a year ago on the bathroom's wall. I've previously shared it before I "restarted" my blog, and I'll share it again right now.
"A car's windshield is made larger than its rearview mirror for a reason. The future is more important! Don't look back, look forward!" - Kankan Battacharyya
I guess it's self explanatory enough? I'm glad that Ariel and Cynthia found it meaningful. Hopefully, the "Little Mermaid" recovers and stays cheerful ASAP. =)
On a separate note, I'm now nursing quite a nasty cold with a very "runny" nose. Cause of this predicament? I'll put it down to a medley of all of the following factors:
- getting drenched in a very heavy downpour while buying charcoal for the barbecue last night, despite having an umbrella,
- inadequate rest for the whole weekend, (I slept far too little and got no quality rest at all), and
- sleeping in a pretty cold room without a blanket, followed by very strong air-conditioning for the past 6 hours or so seated in one of my favourite hangout joints.
One can hope and pray, can't he? Heh.
On the personal imagery frontline [Part I]
Alright, so I've been serving my National Service since June, and that has kind of hindered my regular involvement in filmmaking and photography, on both professional and personal levels. But I still sit up and grab such opportunities as and when I come.
Some of you might have recalled that earlier this year, somebody actually referred me to Rick Chan, a then-newcomer to the filmmaking scene. I was approached by him to stand in for his original DOP (Director of Photography) for some scenes in his virginal film, titled "Summer of Impermanence". Following a spontaneous coffee session and quick recce of one of the locations, I agreed to help as I could tell from his mannerism that he was actually very passionate about what he's doing.
Anyway, production went relatively smoothly. I was reasonably satisfied with what I shot, and on 16th October 2009, the film was screened at a closed-door screening event as the opening film. For those who haven't caught the film, all I can offer you now is the trailer, which has actually been completed a long time ago. I'll see what plans Rick has for a wider pool of audience. Hopefully all of you out there will be able to watch it.
I tried linking the video and even after going through the source code and managing to finally link the video, it doesn't load on my blog due to privacy settings set by the person who uploaded. So the only way you'll be able to watch it is click on "Videos of Nick Lee" on my Facebook profile page. Sorry for the trouble!
For your information, I only shot a couple of scenes, namely some outdoor footage around Chinatown (which you won't really see in the trailer), and a "golden, warm-looking" room scene (which you'll catch a couple of glimpses in the trailer). Hope you enjoy the trailer!
It's been a long, long while...
It's been soooooo long since I wrote and boy, do I have a lot of things to update. Ever since I enlisted, I have been putting off writing simply because I was tired, lethargic, procrastinating or a lack of focus in my train(s) of thought(s).
Well, I shall summarise most of the relatively trivial occurrences of the past 4 months before I come to those that I have more to write about.
National Service
Well, you guys do know that I enlisted in mid June. Since then, it's been a rollercoaster ride of sorts. Due to some admin lapses, I OOT-ed (Out Of Training) from BMT. Got posted to become a driver and completed my Military Class 4 License in approximately 7 weeks.
Just returned to my unit's MT Line less than 2 weeks ago, and most of my time has been spent clocking mileage before I can upgrade my driver category to Cat C2. Bah... Nothing much other than that.
Personal Life
Well, as the guys should know, been in NS means I don't really get so much a personal life. Anyway, most of the time, my weekends were spent heading to my regular darting joints to play darts - sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. Coffee at my ex-workplace was part of my weekend routine. But gone were the days of plonking down at my favourite chill out joint with my laptop, to edit photos and write, until recently.
Perhaps the most devastating thing that happened was that I lost my Harrows darts less than a month ago, along with 4-5 sets of flights, steel conversion tips, synthetic leather pouch and a miniature Cookie Monster plush which looks something like this ->
I bought a new set of darts the very following day. A Puma Elite Signature Series [18g Tungsten Front Loader] darts. And guess what happens? I lost ONE single dart from the set on Friday, less than a month after I purchased it. Seriously, it was a very unfortunate event and I don't even want to talk about it anymore. Sigh.
As you can probably see, life after NS came into my life became extremely boring and dreary. Till date, 4.5 months have passed. And I still have about 19.5 months to go. How I wish time will fly through this period...
Updates on other happenings coming right up. Now, let me just shift these sad, depressing thoughts of my darts down. -.-'
I bought a new set of darts the very following day. A Puma Elite Signature Series [18g Tungsten Front Loader] darts. And guess what happens? I lost ONE single dart from the set on Friday, less than a month after I purchased it. Seriously, it was a very unfortunate event and I don't even want to talk about it anymore. Sigh.As you can probably see, life after NS came into my life became extremely boring and dreary. Till date, 4.5 months have passed. And I still have about 19.5 months to go. How I wish time will fly through this period...
Updates on other happenings coming right up. Now, let me just shift these sad, depressing thoughts of my darts down. -.-'
R.I.P: 1x Puma Elite Signature Series 18g Front Loader dart
Monday 15 June 2009
Ok, so I couldn't make it.
Ok, so I couldn't make it. Couldn't make the deadline to actually sit down and start writing about stuff I have been wanting to write about before 15th June.
The last few weeks have been crazy. I have been busy with so many things. But all of them are more or less done. Now one big task/burden lies ahead.
For those who still do not know, I'm enlisting on 15th June. So effectively, this blog will not be updated for AT LEAST the next 2 weeks.
Hopefully when I get my first book out, I'll have enough energy and time to write about all the stuff I have been wanting to, plus finish all the drafts that are half (or so) written.
Well, all the best to everyone out there! I'll see you people soon aight? =)
Sunday 5 April 2009
Some updates
Sorry for the lack of updates. Have been tied up with far too many activities and things happening. Some brief updates over the last week. I shall try to summarise each day I talk about in 3 sentences, which can be tough for certain days. Heh.
Tuesday - Went for an informal and private BBQ gathering with some of my FSV coursemates (Caleb, Sofyan, Erez, Farhan, Annabelle, etc.) and their friends. Celebrated Farhan's brother's girlfriend when the clock struck twelve. Drank a little, stayed overnight and went home early in the morning.
Thursday - Went to Wala to hang out with some of the barflies/Plurkers (Jaywalk, Cow, TSSD, TK, Ruok, xiaobudian, FireAngel, MsV, vandalin, etc.) for drinks and music. Was enjoying myself until I saw someone I didn't need or want to see. Left just after midnight after that with my mood for the night rotten.
Friday - Went to Top One KTV for overnight KTV after work with some of the barflies (aloe, Gingerbreadman, Ginger, JayWalk, Mistress Grace, JasChocolate, JF). Walked into the KTV room when Ginger and GBM were singing 你最珍贵 and spent the rest of the night singing primarily emo songs (and some were actually songs picked by Jas for me -_-). Had breakfast with the other 3 survivors (aloe, Jas and JF) before heading home, feeling a bit weird cos I was actually not feeling emo for the entire night.
Saturday - Went to Heeren Spins to chill and was supposed to do some work, but ended up going for some light drinking with a couple of friends. Went back to Spins at 11+ to hitch a cab ride with a couple of the staff. Ended up spending the night out with a friend.
Sunday - Had a gathering organised by Adrian (my manager) after work, and attendees included all our branch's staff, staff from Adidas next door, and a few others. Took a train and ended up spending the night out with a friend again. Went home in the morning and promised mum not to stay out so often anymore. =/
Well, the last week has been a rollercoaster ride for me. I keep reflecting on lots of stuff and at times I just feel lost or down. But I'm already feeling much, much better and I shall work at not letting all these stuff get me down anymore.
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"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in lack of will."
- Vince Lombardi, Football Coach (1913-1970)
Knowledge can be seeked, strength can be attained with training. And will can be harnessed through various avenues, built, cultivated. But many don't realise or acknowlege that fact, and simply let themselves slump into depression or failure.
I have been guilty of that as well, but I shall work at it. I shall learn and master steeling my will and persevereing to get to where I want to be.
I hope you can do the same as well. =)
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Coming soon
Sorry for the lack of updates, been quite busy of late. Work and other commitments have been taking up most of the time. The rest of it has been primarily occupied by sleep and procrastination among others.
Updates will be coming soon, and something relatively big to me on a personal level will be coming within the week. Stay tuned!
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"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance all things are attainable." - Buckston, Philosopher
Simply said, almost everybody in the world are born with the same qualities. No doubt, your upbringing would have shaped you. But even an "average" person can become extraordinary with nurturing and guidance. Anyone can succeed and be great one day. All you need is a dream, and with a sheer amount of willpower and perseverance to succeed, nothing can stop you!
