Closing Time

Chance and coincidence.

A delayed return to home after work and a walk along an underground mall yielded four encounters with various friends. Singapore really is quite a small place.

First was Lijie and her friend. Incidentally, I will be meeting her again tomorrow at Denise’s Commencement. She asked a question and with my earpieces plugged in, I think I replied a "Yes" that reverberated through the tunnel. It’s little wonder since people tend to raise their voices when they can’t hear themselves. I really should relieve the ears of music before making replies in the future.

One stretch of walkway and an escalator down, I met Ching and other friends from CSC. Though I never really took note of the groupings during camp, I surmise he was on an outing with his fellow councillors from Ethelontêr VI. With some "Hi", "Bye", a few snapshots and some waves, I continued my way.

Another stretch of walkway and this time an escalator down, then up, I ran into two friends. First was Joseph from army days, whom I have not met in a very long time. I can only presume the girl beside him was his girlfriend. Many paces along, I bumped into Ivy from CNM and we chatted a bit, about her waiting for her friends and that today was the day of her Commencement ceremony.

What an eventful day it has been, to have met so many people.

* The title is a reference to the song by Semisonic.

History Of Everything

VI. The sixth incarnation of CSC’s annual camp.

I never really sit down to give serious thought as to why I keep turning up for the camps year after year. It’s more of a "it’s a CSC event", "my friends are there", and so I go for it like a catch-up session. Sure, the pool of strangers I meet grow by the year but I guess with friends there, the former doesn’t matter.

It was nice visiting this year for it brought back some memories of camps and events past. As for next year, I wouldn’t be so sure about giving it a definite no =) Not yet anyway.

* The title is a reference to the song by Barenaked Ladies.

Babel Nose

I blur your line discerning my fact and fiction.
For what the goal appears to be, is selective information.
You will never know the rights, the wrongs, the truth and lies.
To each our game.

You may question my motive.
The purpose is not in that which has been presented.
I then draw clear not the line, but the actual goal.
The intent was simply to elicit our reactions.

"I say a lot of things sometimes that don’t come out right
And I act like I don’t know why
I guess a reaction is all I was looking for"

– Shine by Mr. Big from the album, Actual Size

* The title is a reference to the background theme of Jam from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Existence

Wow, that was some entry I wrote just the Sunday past. A blog entry on the blogging of the entry itself. The banality of it, if not apparent, should nevertheless be not lost upon you.

A simple online search with the correct search terms will yield you the tracks that comprise the game I have been quoting from for the past few months. Well, since March of 2009 to be exact. A quick run-through will show that excluding this entry, I have used up twenty-one titles. But of course the previous was a rhetoric since no one would have done as mentioned and I have promptly provided the statistics for the purpose of my following illustration anyway. That is, the options for my entry titles are running out if I continue my trend.

For the most part of it, there is a reason why I write the stuff I do or feel compelled to blog certain parts of my life. There are also those almost-completely random moments. The content materialises before I decide what is the best title to plug it as chosen from my repertoire representing the "theme" for that month. Actually I am rather proud to say I haven’t had a moment where I did not blog due to a lack of available titles or that I titled an entry randomly. Well, at least not yet anyway…

Three paragraphs later, I tell you there is a reason to this. There is a reason I name this post "Existence".

Colliding Worlds as taken from an old entry

Standing at the traffic junction, one look at the sky obscured by clouds and hues of grey and one look at the cars whizzing by, one wonders what the next course of action he should take. The storm is gathering; he is pressed to make a move. The traffic does not stop; it’s one side or the other. The centre of the crossroads is not a place for him to consider. Take one or the other but not the best of both worlds.

It’s not a suicidal thought when one asks oneself why there is this compelling need to live out the rest of his or her life. There are so many factors to life. As for me, I think I have pretty much categorised this entry under all the possible factors to be considered. The "why" and the enigma pervades, engulfing reason, thought, logic, identity and self.

From the real world, to the waking world, to the digital realm where it manifests in writing. Perhaps a mere banal entry, perhaps more. Such might be explained to be rooted in some Freudian sub-conscious theories, yet theories abound, where doth the remedies lie and what be your take on all this, my reader?

I stand at the junction waiting, continuing this wait for that which eludes me…

* The title is a reference to Assassins Theme from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

D.O.A.

Sunday morning.

As I sit in front of my laptop typing this, the thoughts run through. They run out.

Ten past nine, I begin this entry. As I concentrate on this entry, I wait for the SD memory card to load. The thousand-over photos will take some time.

<ALT+TAB> <ALT+TAB>

Download, sort, compress, upload. The photos. The light passing through the curtains behind me, gradually fades. I presume the clouds have come to chase the sun away. The ‘Loading’ word still shows on the tab of my Firefox browser. 9:18AM…

Time passes…

Does one perform the dutiful thing and stay at home with the family? Is the home a metaphor for "safe haven" or "containment"? The mind preaches to leave yet knowing there have been no plans. I could call up or contact friends. Sooner or later, one or two will respond with a positive, whether awkward or otherwise. Hedgehog’s dilemma — I highly doubt I will be calling anyone.

Half-past nine.

Seemingly apt music playing in the background — HAV’s Hey Jimmy!. I think I feel like Jimmy…

* The title is a reference to Character Select Theme from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Fu-u-ga

The paint jobs continue.

Translates to: "Do not step on the yellow line!"

The team responsible for the amazing murals of flowers came back this week to finish up their masterpiece. No inconsistencies; only art. Their dedication and sense of responsibility was admirable, staying back till late to finish up their work, complete with outlines and all. At the end of the corridor was what I dubbed an OFO — "Odd Flower Out". The flowers there were completed by a different group of artists, albeit equally matched in talent but with a slightly different style. Nevertheless, the two groups worked together to provide the corridor with a fresh coat of life.

A rose completed. An orchid painted.

Paint-A-Home X also went down to flats to breath life to flats in need of new coats, breaking from the norm of only working at welfare homes. Something new this year was the re-emergence of two past Paint-A-Home Organising Committees to help with the task. I must add I was very proud of this senior bunch of us who did our work with all the "best practices" in mind and in practice.

Some P-A-H ‘06, some P-A-H ‘07, some P-A-H ‘08, some P-A-H X, and some new faces here and there!

Time shifts by and some things change while some things stay the same. People age and life seeps away from them. We step in and give them a helping hand. What has Paint-A-Home forgotten and learnt over the years? Legacy and gifts yet given, the gained and lost.

When the paint is over…

I will say it right now. Many factors considered, I don’t know if I will be going for Paint-A-Home next year…

* The title is a reference to the background theme of Anji from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Missing

It really has been a year since Paint-A-Home 2008…

This one is a bit unclear but it’s there…

This year… Paint-A-Home X. One weekend down, one weekend to go. We have come full circle to the home we visited three years ago, to put touches on places we have been unable to conquer the last time. Our train and fifty-four-metre murals have been kept intact, albeit slightly ravaged by the weather. Some of the art in the dormitories however, made way for a fresh coat of life.

Cracking walls, peeling paint…

There was something different about this Paint-A-Home from that of yesteryears, something the finger just cannot firmly put a point on. Perhaps it was the abundance of new faces or the lack of art or the need to compare because we are basically conducting the same Project at the same place. I liken it to contrasting a novel and its movie adaptation.

One done but the other unfinished =(

There were less colours this weekend past. Most of the time, volunteers white-washed, before coating the walls orange and doors chocolate. Two small walls and an unfinished corridor accounted for the variety in colours. It was a huge pity, in my opinion, that the painstaking chalkmarks of would-be art went unrequited as dusk swept over the home. Maybe they will be there five days later, ready to be worked on. Maybe they won’t and the new volunteers will have to redo them. Maybe the plan will be scrapped altogether. Consistencies and homogeneous blends, will the corridor feel like one piece of work when all this is over?

Paint and Art

One thing I’ve come to learn is that it is not just the paints, colours and exciting pictures we paint on the walls that make this Project. Even though it is "Paint-A-Home", the volunteers, helpers, and organisers all can make so much of a difference in terms of the experience. It’s in the people and perception factor. Maybe it’s because of all the Publicity work bringing me up and down, around and about, that has allowed me to glean so much more.

History of this CSC Trolley – Was newly purchased, very clean till it went for its first assignment: P-A-H 2006. There it subsequently gained its paint-splashed status =)

This one continues, this coming weekend…

* The title is a reference to Ending Theme 3 from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Good Manners And Customs

I recall when I was in Secondary School, we had to write our own testimonials for graduation. Hazy details blur my recollections but I do recall I sat on the topic for quite some time before replying my teacher something along the lines of not knowing what to write. There’s something wrong with writing your own testimonial that I cannot quite place my finger on. It’s a wonder I got through my one and only job interview.

If "modesty" is being humble about one’s merits, then what is the lack of ability to handle compliments?

Speaking of work, I think I understand why people develop high blood pressure and work-related stress ailments. If you spend every ten minutes or less with an angered tone and making excessively loud noises with your keyboard and accessories at your table, something’s bound to snap. It’s rather disruptive to the others as well, making it hard for some to concentrate what with them kicking up a ruckus and the obligatory gossip session that follows. But I suppose if it helps to get work done, one will resort to any means or rather, forget to consider other possible means.

Work and its unexpected baggage. I remember this course I attended early this year and the topic of under-representation of information in advertisements came up. Policemen sign up for their job to serve the citizens and protect lives, never expecting that part of their job also entails going to schools to give educational tips on being a good citizen. Then they lament their predicament. Can teachers maintain a sole purpose to teach and impart knowledge, absolving themselves of the administrative work and supervision of co-curricular activities? While there is a necessity to draw lines when it comes to job scopes, there is also a need to present them succinctly so that others can fully appreciate and understand them.

* The title is a reference to the background theme of Zappa from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Ka-ge-ma-tsu-ri

Half-truths, untruths, lies and deception.
Dramatise,
to captivate, generate and provoke interest.

I sometimes wonder what it is that endears us to friends. Perhaps it has something to do with the way they lead their lives, or what it is that they believe in. A resonance that connects people, giving each other a "feel-good" vibe.

It’s in the way we front ourselves when in the company of others.

Beyond that which we think we know and understand, there are the trivial questions we ask to ascertain the stuff not obvious, or to confirm some hearsay, notion or doubt. The topics in query vary from one’s family, sexual orientation, religion to his or her dream job, preferred movie and activities during times of leisure. The relentless desire for transparency and truth from others is overrated if we cannot even handle the consequences of our actions.

I tell you lies are inconsequential, so long as people can maintain an all-round consistent front.

People who play a poor game of poker should just be non-players. It’s far too easy to exploit them. On the other hand, good poker players know when, how much and just what information to release because they understand the importance and extent of power of their knowledge.

It does not matter what or who you believe in, only who or what believes in you.

In a story, continuity is important as it contributes to the overall believability of the plot. Character development is essential to provide for more than just superficial identities. A nice story arc will keep the viewers entertained, wanting more. Introduction to main phase, climax to conclusion.

Life a theatre and the world its stage.
I am actor,
director, playwright, wardrobe manager, et al.

* The title is a reference to the background theme of I-No from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Holy Orders?

When does one cross the line, from devotion into fanaticism?

Third movie of May for me is book-to-film adaptation, Angels and Demons. I have only had a glimpse of the novel into its first hundred pages or less and therefore the movie was very like a new story for me with nothing much to compare to. This is usually good since there’s a tendency for me to favour the original works over its screen adaptations.

Star Trek still beats out this movie though I must say I enjoyed it more than X-Men Origins: Wolverine. An intense thriller set within a tight timeframe, it’s no wonder Dan Brown’s blend of fact and fiction is such a draw what with the beautiful architecture and compelling lore referenced in the film. Science versus religion featured prominently as the theme and while I was very taken to wanting to believe the references made, I ended up marvelling how Brown cleverly twisted and used existent icons and facts for story-telling purposes.

Some bits of the plot slipped through the cracks, though forgivably as they were minor points. The motives behind some of the actions of some of the characters were never truly made clear or implied but I guess that’s an inherent fault in a compressed plot. The casting and acting were not too bad. Ayelet Zurer’s character Vittoria Vetra was great eye-candy and Tom Hanks’s Robert Langdon who constantly amazed the audience with his knowledge and tenacity as the professor of symbology. I would have to say my favourite actor of all present was Ewan McGregor as the Camerlengo. That man is truly multi-faceted, able to bring out the nuances of the character’s passion, turmoil and bits of devilry with his facial expressions and lines.

I wonder if Terminator Salvation will be a worthwhile movie to catch next…

* The title is a reference to the background theme of Robo-Ky from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.