Last Day School Proper

Yes! =o
Shock and awe. Two years in the IB are almost gone. And Teachers' Day marks the last proper week of indoctrinated uniform school life we shall ever have. From the dreary dusty classrooms and leaky roofs, to the random acts of Fish and James Bong in Ferdie's class, I can't say I would phantom these little entertaining nuances disappearing. Yes, we will be back next term for prelims, but where will class be? I have so much memories of it forged mentally and digitally, hopefully in due time I can show everyone.

Time in school is now direction-less save for the one dreary task ahead, mugging. No wonder this reeks of...




Oops, there's a disclaimer but I forgot XD

Silly Moon

Where we are going, there are no roads. 

Save for a trail that leaves no prints behind.

Independent Blinks

These last days are flying, I think I sound like a terminally ill patient sometimes. The pill is bitter. 'Our' travels have now reached the edge of uncertainty, and when the end comes it will unravel in momentous burst of spark into the void. Time would have frozen, but just long enough for us to pause, to recollect, to cherish. A privilege that might have been stolen by those hurtled out too far beyond a generation's reach. I use 'our', for I do not know who you are, or if you feel the same way that I do. Yet we are almost done. 81 days.

Different you. There are many things I would have done for you, but oh my oh me, I can't slow or stop time. You know? We can hold it in a box. Conquering time, marvel that...

time waits for no man.
time heals all wounds.
all we want is more time.
time to stand up.
time to let go.
time.

Word has likely gotten around, or probably not. I'm starting a film society by the *ahem* inspiring name of Independent Blinks, with at least a short film project planned for after the grand finale. D and a few people are in, thanks for choosing the name. Hope to hear interest from the silent prowlers here. No work involved till after the end, but commitment implied. By liquidity, differentiation or oxidation, the show shall continue.

Last note, there's a red lunar eclipse this coming Tuesday evening: 7.10~7.22pm

Slog your asses off, now.

Solaros

I reckon I wasn't going to be leaving any entries till the examination heist is over. Events out of the blue "literally", do warrant an exception.

Why have these people ceased to work, mug or seek shelter from the deathly sun rays of searing noon??

Look to the skies, chaps! Argh... my eyes are burning! But I must look, I must see... reach


Wells, anyone whom hasn't stayed indoors like a hermit would probably have grabbed a camera to shoot this. There are probably 1001 of these pictures pointed at the same direction, so what makes any of them special warranting a second look? Me thinks its the subject in the frame which gives a different perspective and interest to the phenomenon in the background, that makes the icing of a cake. Anyone who watches NBC series Heroes thinks this looks like the opening sequence? Heh.

I remember another instance of this halo late last year that happened at night for the moon. Its basically the altered humidity of the atmosphere at certain altitudes which causes it to act like a lens. Light passing through it becomes dispersed, making what we see on the ground. Its usually localized to a small area of around 5 to 30km radius. Just an after-note, the amount of direct UV exposure would gradually kill your camera sensor. Good thing these were taken with the crappy Nokia 6280 that I rather be rid of.

Shrooms

White button mushrooms on chicken chops for dinner at home, yum! Feels wholesome like eating mountain produce, maybe that's cos I haven't been eating home-cooked food for quite a while. Ah well, too busy chomping, no pictures! I wonder if most people have a penchant for mushrooms beyond the canned ones. 

Look to the Skies

Past few days of the dwindling school weeks have been a mad rush at IAs. Terrible...


...
Let's have some respite from the emo-ness and add some shine to the incoming gloom. I managed to try out a Sigma 600mm mirror lens which has both looks like a murderous brick and has a zoom to kill for. This was taken about the length of 3 classrooms away. Notice the donut shaped light halos in the background?


Anyways, finding a venue to destress, there was the Singapore Fireworks Festival. Went with Ian and Yihui after some dim sum. There were mountain and ocean of people despite my thinking there being almost no advertisement of any sorts about the event.




Had fondue after that at the Max Brener cafe, nice but ripoff.

Armadilo

I have returned to the days of a primitive road nomad. No more music on the road, because I have gladly lost that dorky fourth pair of Sony in-ears that have been degrading for the last two years with me. Surprisingly, that unit lasted about as long as my first one of that model. Its time for change, no cause to moan. I still have excellent speakers pumping at home, hopefully that would tide me over for the prelims. But I may wish I still had them if I needed to flee to the library instead. I tried the new Apple buds included on the new generation iPods, they are every bit better compared to the previous generation's (which I gladly got rid for $30), better sound isolation but still not up to mark.

D floated an idea to me this afternoon. Its humongous but too early to say, hopefully we can look into it end of the year before the enthusiasm fizzes out.

Run PD, run!

Lighthouse

Funny, they don't see us!

The abandoned culmination of my weekend has been inched back on track, almost done. But long way to go, very heavy documentation to do.

There hasn't been much time to think, there won't be. Rough waters are around the corner, and the Kapitan needs to stay cool-headed. Time has crept to lesser than four weeks before prelims, I need this stupid IA to be GONE by this Friday.

Peace be with you.

Rin

Dear sir, forebear!

Its running. But the moment bearer is late by two.

Hush

I'm a literal mess now. 

School, aspirations, friends, love, work, nothing's coming together. You give and you take. But how I wish you never gave me dreams that couldn't be fulfilled, only to take them away. What is the difference between hope and false hope when its all attached to a flip of outcomes? To what cause?

There's one last bout of IA to go, I can't move on into studying if that is in the way. Please, let me be done with it by this week, somehow. The corridors are so cold and lifeless, but yet I contend in dragging myself there each day for a paltry touch of so few. So few I can be honest with, or I should have spent more time with last year. I still wonder whether I belong here amidst the show. I'll be gone soon in months, disappointed at this silent echo. 

A Million Stories

Life in Disguise by The Slip

Well the world is only a stage
And I'm just a man
With a sound caught in his throat
And a pick in his hand
But when the song comes tumbling out you understand
There's no great demand

Well it's there under your breath, behind your eyes
And you don't have to say nothing cause I realize
That everything somehow in someway eventually dies
It's life in disguise

It's your room and your board and your fireside
It's a shell that's been washed by a million tides
And if you're there you can see just how bright it shines

When there's nobody left in your heart, left in your head
When the whole world has packed up in shadows and left you for dead
When you can't fake a smile and you just can't get out of your bed
When the people you led turn to you looking so hungry and bare
And you were the one that had brought them there
And all you can do is just stare at your hands and whisper my name

Elenore Cecil Robert and Molly
Coco Rudy Maxwell wherever you are
Elenore Cecil Robert and Molly
Coco Rudy Maxwell wherever you are

808U

Pack a bunch of guys, football television and alcohol in the same room, now I have a foreboding about future class gatherings. How much more middle-aged can this get? After that, hitching a car ride nearer home, we had a mini episode of chasing and overtaking the bus which would get me where I needed. I do recall years ago the roller-coaster ride I was treated to on a bendy-bus flying at 90km/h over a hill. On the bus ride home, I found out why this doesn't happen today. The impatient bus driver stepped on the gas on the highway and managed to overtake a couple of vans and motorcycles around 70km/h. This was met by an incessant shrieking beep from the driving panel and it went no faster. Quite evidently these buses have been handicapped by modifications from what they are originally capable of.

Inspiration struck me on the train ride, and I now have an alternative ending for my script's opening chapter XD.

Bungled

Lately, there have been many thoughts yet to be condensed into words. And an email I have been meaning to send to a distressed person I do not really know but who came here days ago. It was disappointing that despite 3 years of marketing this 3G technology, Singtel has not been able to provide a live mobile feed of the NDP through their IDEAS site. The window of play has to end soon, and it shall later at the National Library. Just one final step. Here's to a restful long national holiday weekend!

Here's a takeaway shot from the music garage.

X Count

My expenditure lately has been going off the charts in a manner similar to Bunny's whose spending manners serve as a rude warning to many. After paintball, Simpsons movie and lots more classy eateries, its time to be brewing more tea at home cheaply. Cross country today was probably one of the largest missing persons event ever. My attention wasn't placed on whatever illegals whom weren't there, but the forms of entertainment available on the ground.

Take one. Knitting

I can't be bothered to post everything, but the iPods and other Nintendo devices can be found whence all these came from, on my flickr account (just click the images). Its amazing how much popular culture can be found at a generally laborious and senility-inducing event like this.

After the necessary school anthem that was done exaggeratedly, it was lunch at 6th Avenue with the editors, great. Now I'm being docile at home.

Shootout!

Had a remarkably splendid Saturday! Shot off the afternoon with exhilarating ricochets of paintball, followed by rounds of bridge, squeeze on a car and a free ticket to the band FoA concert in the night.

Ignoring the steep price-tag, paintball definitely kicked ass. Everyone ran into the action field almost immediately like a sanitized re-enactment of CS, not much tutorials needed. There were buffoons that sprayed their ammo empty, and campers crouching on the ground for reprieve. The game mode of this required each team to retrieve a box under heavy fire from each respective opposition side. Kevin's team developed the use of human shields, literally people who were low on ammo taking the direct hits. Disappointingly, no one did CS style jumping crouching across the field. After doing sniper work, it appears this will always land you with headshots. I had one in the back of my head, leaving a sore bump there now. One lucky shot on the face of my watch, surprisingly intact, and one on my face-guard. If you ask me, the realism and sound of pellets flying over your head or splattering on your side is definitely something worth trying at least once if you are into CS. Ricochets are also part and parcel of the game, Jeanette got one under her chin. Pulling off the whole event with full turnout was a miracle in itself considering the number of names that swapped in and out the list. But we shall be more prepared next time right, Kaijun, heh.

Band FoA encore rocked the house, although I thought Ms Saigon would have made for a rather happy ending. The emcees were announcing the end in a rather phony tone, and with all the band people staying put, it was quite evident there was an encore. Just one only, didn't work the second time.

Here's some payback for spraying rounds like they don't cost anything.

Check out that drop kick over his head. XD