Monday, September 26, 2011
So. Three years. I guess now's a good a time as any. Well, don't expect any long drawn out stories. Not for now. I'm tired. Not of writing. I still enjoy it. But I think I spend too much energy doing it to make a living. For now, this is a journey. Back to where it ended. And right now, it's where it begins. Daniel died. And nothing's been the same. I've only visited his niche a handful of times. But whether in a drunken fury or a depressed evening, I'd always have something to say on his Facebook Wall. Call me lazy I guess, but I figured it was more poignant as opposed to visiting his niche. I've come to realise that I never did stop writing. I was just doing it differently. And maybe, just maybe, it's time for me to share a little with the rest of you. I'm not completely back yet boys and girls, but given time, I hope to be :)
30 September 2008
14 years brudda, 14 years. Some of them were longer than the others, but we're still here. I've already said what I've needed to say to you in my prayers, and rest assured, there'll be more conversations to come. In the meantime, head on home D, and save me a beer for when I get there too. We'll have all the time in the world then.
And I'll make sure I'll tell my kids one day about how their Uncle Daniel was such a dumb ass. And their father's best friend. I love you man.
30 September 2008
14 years brudda, 14 years. Some of them were longer than the others, but we're still here. I've already said what I've needed to say to you in my prayers, and rest assured, there'll be more conversations to come. In the meantime, head on home D, and save me a beer for when I get there too. We'll have all the time in the world then.
And I'll make sure I'll tell my kids one day about how their Uncle Daniel was such a dumb ass. And their father's best friend. I love you man.
Friday, October 24, 2008
"Daniel died man." I still remember those three words clearly when Darren called to tell me the news that Friday morning. I can't exactly recall what happened next, but I vaguely remember going on a barrage of insults. That's when I called his fiancee Lavina. So yeah, he really was dead, and here I was, crying my ass off in the middle of CityLink Mall.
It's been four weeks to the day. It feels like it's been a year. I still remember that weekend clearly; coincidentally enough, it was the F1 Night Race Weekend. You know, after being in the army, I never thought I'd experience a weekend as long as my field camp one, but this was on an entirely different level. None of my break-ups have come close to the excruciating sadness and pain I was overcome with. I never thought I'd stop crying either. And God, seeing the people he loved having to go through it... It's frustrating, you know? I'm supposed to be the best friend, and I can barely help myself here. There isn't exactly a manual to tell you what to say or how to react. Honestly, what do you do when your best friend dies?
I honestly don't know why I'm writing this. At first, I figured it'd be to pay some form of homage to him. But then, I think everything that needed to be said, has already been said. I'm under the impression that there'll be more though, which I'm sure time will be more than happy to reveal. Nah, I figure I'm writing this more for myself. Even then, I'm not sure why. Comes to a point where I find myself repeating the same things about Daniel and my feelings over and over again. You'd think talking about it helps, but I'm not sure. Some days I feel alright. On others, I look at old pictures of us and cry. And here and there, I feel guilty. That's unavoidable I guess, and I try not to, but there'll always be the hints of "Would've, Should've, Could've" that come creeping in. I hate it when that happens.
Surprisingly, I haven't broken down while intoxicated. Think the reason behind that is the wall I build in my head the moment I start drinking. I just hope no one has to be around if it should ever crumble.
I'm sure those of you (or the three of you who bother to read my blog) who didn't know him must be wondering how it happened, and more importantly, why. For the former; well, I'd rather not talk about it. And as for the latter? Everyone's still wondering as well. Me? I'm not too fussed about it. I have my own theories, and they're good enough for me for now. I'm more concerned about moving forward.
Heh, that'll be good though. I'd say I'm definitely making a vain attempt to. I still have his name and number in my phone. I can't bring myself to delete it; not yet. It hurts to look at it. A friend suggested I go to a place we hung out often on my own, and talk to Daniel. I think it's a great idea, but I'm scared. Not of ghosts or anything - perish the thought. It's more like, to do that, would be to finally accept that he's really gone, and I'm not ready to.
He got engaged in the earlier part of September. I was going to be his Best Man and MC. It seemed like life was coming together for all of us. Heh, I still remember the first time I met him. It was back in Secondary 3. Having studied overseas, I was always on the lookout for someone who had as well; I always enjoyed that sort of camaraderie. I noticed that he spoke English well, and asked where his accent was from. He then proceeded to pound my arm, saying, "Don't! Ever! Say! I! Have! An! Accent!", and walk off. Somewhere between shock and throbbing pain in my scrawny bicep, I whimpered. Thankfully, we were able converse proper in the days to come, and strangely enough, it was about shampoo, and the process of washing hair. Don't ask.
We lost contact after that, but I bumped into him again in 1998 at an event at the old National Library. He'd lost a lot of weight (mostly from converting to a vegetarian), and had grown out his hair. We just started talking (and talking), and the rest, as they say, is history.
What kills me is that he's not going to be there anymore. For my birthday. For Christmas. For New Year. For our traditional trip down to Time in a Bottle on Chinese New Year's Eve. I was fortunate enough to have celebrated his birthday with him though. And he was happy. So very happy. And there're pictures to prove it too.
I'm not sure why I'm writing this anymore, or where it's supposed to be going. I know that if I continue to, I'm going to lose it, and it might not be too appropriate, since I'm currently doing this at work. A friend told me an interesting story that was rather reassuring, especially if you know someone who's lost a loved one.
"Krishnamurti was a spiritual leader in India who died in 1986. He was once asked what the most appropriate thing was to say to a friend who was about to die. He answered, 'Tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Wherever he goes, you also go. He will not be alone.' So reassured that your best friend, in your prayers, is not alone."
And with that, I'll leave you guys with a message I left on Daniel's Facebook wall, and the song I chose for him.
14 years brudda, 14 years. Some of them were longer than the others, but we're still here. I've already said what I've needed to say to you in my prayers, and rest assured, there'll be more conversations to come. In the meantime, head on home D, and save me a beer for when I get there too. We'll have all the time in the world then.
And I'll make sure I'll tell my kids one day about how their Uncle Daniel was such a dumb ass. And their father's best friend. I love you man.
It's been four weeks to the day. It feels like it's been a year. I still remember that weekend clearly; coincidentally enough, it was the F1 Night Race Weekend. You know, after being in the army, I never thought I'd experience a weekend as long as my field camp one, but this was on an entirely different level. None of my break-ups have come close to the excruciating sadness and pain I was overcome with. I never thought I'd stop crying either. And God, seeing the people he loved having to go through it... It's frustrating, you know? I'm supposed to be the best friend, and I can barely help myself here. There isn't exactly a manual to tell you what to say or how to react. Honestly, what do you do when your best friend dies?
I honestly don't know why I'm writing this. At first, I figured it'd be to pay some form of homage to him. But then, I think everything that needed to be said, has already been said. I'm under the impression that there'll be more though, which I'm sure time will be more than happy to reveal. Nah, I figure I'm writing this more for myself. Even then, I'm not sure why. Comes to a point where I find myself repeating the same things about Daniel and my feelings over and over again. You'd think talking about it helps, but I'm not sure. Some days I feel alright. On others, I look at old pictures of us and cry. And here and there, I feel guilty. That's unavoidable I guess, and I try not to, but there'll always be the hints of "Would've, Should've, Could've" that come creeping in. I hate it when that happens.
Surprisingly, I haven't broken down while intoxicated. Think the reason behind that is the wall I build in my head the moment I start drinking. I just hope no one has to be around if it should ever crumble.
I'm sure those of you (or the three of you who bother to read my blog) who didn't know him must be wondering how it happened, and more importantly, why. For the former; well, I'd rather not talk about it. And as for the latter? Everyone's still wondering as well. Me? I'm not too fussed about it. I have my own theories, and they're good enough for me for now. I'm more concerned about moving forward.
Heh, that'll be good though. I'd say I'm definitely making a vain attempt to. I still have his name and number in my phone. I can't bring myself to delete it; not yet. It hurts to look at it. A friend suggested I go to a place we hung out often on my own, and talk to Daniel. I think it's a great idea, but I'm scared. Not of ghosts or anything - perish the thought. It's more like, to do that, would be to finally accept that he's really gone, and I'm not ready to.
He got engaged in the earlier part of September. I was going to be his Best Man and MC. It seemed like life was coming together for all of us. Heh, I still remember the first time I met him. It was back in Secondary 3. Having studied overseas, I was always on the lookout for someone who had as well; I always enjoyed that sort of camaraderie. I noticed that he spoke English well, and asked where his accent was from. He then proceeded to pound my arm, saying, "Don't! Ever! Say! I! Have! An! Accent!", and walk off. Somewhere between shock and throbbing pain in my scrawny bicep, I whimpered. Thankfully, we were able converse proper in the days to come, and strangely enough, it was about shampoo, and the process of washing hair. Don't ask.
We lost contact after that, but I bumped into him again in 1998 at an event at the old National Library. He'd lost a lot of weight (mostly from converting to a vegetarian), and had grown out his hair. We just started talking (and talking), and the rest, as they say, is history.
What kills me is that he's not going to be there anymore. For my birthday. For Christmas. For New Year. For our traditional trip down to Time in a Bottle on Chinese New Year's Eve. I was fortunate enough to have celebrated his birthday with him though. And he was happy. So very happy. And there're pictures to prove it too.
I'm not sure why I'm writing this anymore, or where it's supposed to be going. I know that if I continue to, I'm going to lose it, and it might not be too appropriate, since I'm currently doing this at work. A friend told me an interesting story that was rather reassuring, especially if you know someone who's lost a loved one.
"Krishnamurti was a spiritual leader in India who died in 1986. He was once asked what the most appropriate thing was to say to a friend who was about to die. He answered, 'Tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Wherever he goes, you also go. He will not be alone.' So reassured that your best friend, in your prayers, is not alone."
And with that, I'll leave you guys with a message I left on Daniel's Facebook wall, and the song I chose for him.
14 years brudda, 14 years. Some of them were longer than the others, but we're still here. I've already said what I've needed to say to you in my prayers, and rest assured, there'll be more conversations to come. In the meantime, head on home D, and save me a beer for when I get there too. We'll have all the time in the world then.
And I'll make sure I'll tell my kids one day about how their Uncle Daniel was such a dumb ass. And their father's best friend. I love you man.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Well so. I just attended my friend's wake this morning (Friday to be more exact). He was someone I worked with closely when I was a medic in Pulau Tekong, during my stint in National Service (NS). We were in the same batch, and went through a fuckload of shit together. I can't even begin to start, but it helps that a common enemy brought all of us closer. We treated a countless number of thankless recruits, and appreciated the handful of thankful ones. If anything, it steeled and prepared him when he went into medicine after he finished his term in the armed forces. Pfft, those useless Junior College dicks who deferred and went straight into medicine first were - and are - useless. Take a stab at being a medic in Pulau Tekong first, and then you might actually get a taste of what it's like to save a life, and unfortunately, lose one too. Leave a comment and your number if you're not pleased with what I have to say, and I guarantee that I'll call back, just so we can have an amicable debate. If I don't, I'll shut down my blog.
I'm not sure how or when exactly he passed. None of us do. I guess that's what makes it suck a whole lot more. That we don't even know why he left us. He was only 24, and he never smoked, and barely drank. I can't believe I'm talking about him in the past tense already. It's not fair. He was going to make a difference. A huge difference.
I'm really not sure what else to say. We'll definitely be having a tribute for him of our own. One that he'll be proud of. He always had a surreal sense of humour, great taste in food (his burgers rocked balls, even cold!), and I was always pleasantly surprised by his taste in music. A lot of us remember this song as being one of his favourite in camp, and all I can say is that, Wenbo, I hope you found your Island in the Sun. We love you man, and we miss you.
I'm not sure how or when exactly he passed. None of us do. I guess that's what makes it suck a whole lot more. That we don't even know why he left us. He was only 24, and he never smoked, and barely drank. I can't believe I'm talking about him in the past tense already. It's not fair. He was going to make a difference. A huge difference.
I'm really not sure what else to say. We'll definitely be having a tribute for him of our own. One that he'll be proud of. He always had a surreal sense of humour, great taste in food (his burgers rocked balls, even cold!), and I was always pleasantly surprised by his taste in music. A lot of us remember this song as being one of his favourite in camp, and all I can say is that, Wenbo, I hope you found your Island in the Sun. We love you man, and we miss you.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Hey everyone, it's been quite (a long) while huh? A quick post here, but rest assured, another will come, with plenty of updates. This is one I felt was quite necessary. People always talk about how much they love someone, and I felt I'd do the same. Taking a slightly (but not very unique I think) approach to it, by saying how I feel if that certain someone were to leave instead, with a little help from my "friend" John (because I'm not cool and creative like that, but I'd like to think the effort made still counts). All because it's been almost three years down the road, and we can still go out for a drink together, sit down after, and talk about the things that matter to the both of us, for the whole freakin' day. This is the least I could do :)
P.S. This is a real song he did. I just changed a word here and there (if you haven't figured that out already). Please check out the original here, or buy the DVD here (yes, I have my own copy already) if you're interested. Cheers!
"I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
I don't know what it's like to land and not race to your door,
I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
I'm not sure that I really ever could,
Hold on to your unit key
In your bedroom neighborhood,
With me sleep-walking in Junction 8...
I'm gonna steer clear,
Burn up in your atmosphere,
I'm gonna steer clear,
'Cause I'd die if I saw you,
I'd die if I didn't see you there,
So I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore...
I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
Get lost in Junction 8 at night,
Without your voice to tell me,
"I love you, take a left",
The 53 and the 156 is the loneliest ride...
I'm gonna steer clear,
Burn up in your atmosphere,
I'm gonna steer clear,
'Cause I'd die if I saw you,
I'd die if I didn't see you...
I'm gonna steer clear,
Burn up in your atmosphere,
I'm gonna steer clear,
'Cause I'd die if I saw you,
I'd die if I didn't see you there, see you there...
I think I'm gonna stay gonna stay, gonna stay in the grey, think I'm gonna stay (stay),
All the street lights say nevermind nevermind,
And the taxi drivers say nevermind,
Sunset says we see this all the time, nevermind never you mind..."
----- Me feat. John Mayer, "In Your Atmosphere"
P.S. This is a real song he did. I just changed a word here and there (if you haven't figured that out already). Please check out the original here, or buy the DVD here (yes, I have my own copy already) if you're interested. Cheers!
"I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
I don't know what it's like to land and not race to your door,
I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
I'm not sure that I really ever could,
Hold on to your unit key
In your bedroom neighborhood,
With me sleep-walking in Junction 8...
I'm gonna steer clear,
Burn up in your atmosphere,
I'm gonna steer clear,
'Cause I'd die if I saw you,
I'd die if I didn't see you there,
So I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore...
I don't think I'm gonna go to Bishan anymore,
Get lost in Junction 8 at night,
Without your voice to tell me,
"I love you, take a left",
The 53 and the 156 is the loneliest ride...
I'm gonna steer clear,
Burn up in your atmosphere,
I'm gonna steer clear,
'Cause I'd die if I saw you,
I'd die if I didn't see you...
I'm gonna steer clear,
Burn up in your atmosphere,
I'm gonna steer clear,
'Cause I'd die if I saw you,
I'd die if I didn't see you there, see you there...
I think I'm gonna stay gonna stay, gonna stay in the grey, think I'm gonna stay (stay),
All the street lights say nevermind nevermind,
And the taxi drivers say nevermind,
Sunset says we see this all the time, nevermind never you mind..."
----- Me feat. John Mayer, "In Your Atmosphere"
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Well now, to say that it's been a while would be quite the understatement eh? Jesus, was that last post really all the way back in September last year? Suffice to say, quite a lot has happened. Oh yes, I know how you children have suffered in my absence, but have no fear, Big Daddy G will explain it all in due time. I'll see how far I get in this post first...
I forgot to mention previously that while I was powering through my Advertising post-assignment, I had already begun working in Lime magazine as a temp writer. I'd normally have a link to their website, but as of this time, they don't have one yet. Go figure. Anyhow, I must say it was an eye-opening experience, working in a big office environment; and one of the big two publishing companies at that. Learnt a lot about how a magazine works, if anything. It was quite the feat, as I was juggling said post-assignment at the same time. I passed, if you're wondering (you know you were, stop rolling your eyes). Shan't go into too much detail on the working experience, only to say that I learnt a lot about myself, the politics within an office environment, and my writing ability.
In October, Denise and I finally got down to celebrating our second year anniversary. Cool, innit? :) We booked ourselves a suite at the Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore for a night! We had dinner at Pasta Brava (thank you K F Seetoh) which is amazingly authentically Italian, and at rather decent prices to boot. After which, debauchery with friends at O Bar followed.
Ah yes, November. My liver took quite a beating. Denise brought me out to Minori for dinner. It's a Japanese a la carte buffet spread. Raw fish flowed like water. I couldn't have been happier :) After which, down to O Bar for yet again more decadence. Yes, I know, I'm beginning to notice a pattern forming as well. I really appreciated everyone who made the effort to come down, though I can't say much for the variety of drinks that were bought for me. All I know is, I started drinking around 9pm, and didn't stop till nearer to closing. Unfortunately, what happened past midnight is still a blur to me to this very day. Thankfully (or not), there were a multitude of pictures taken (which can be viewed on my Facebook profile), of which a couple revealed a rather disturbing turn of events (I hate you Lin). All I can say is I'm happy that I was the victim and not the perpetrator. Eh Ravi? :) A HUGE thank you to my baby for being able to drag my completely toasted Chinese ass home that night!
Sweet Long December. Denise had headed down to New Zealand for a family holiday for a few weeks. I was busying myself with writing duties. By this time, I had figured that it was time to move on. Lime wasn't going to hire me fulltime, and I could only survive so much longer on the temp pay I was receiving. Big props to Kenneth who helped me get an interview with NewMan magazine! Well, I went, I saw, I SCORED! Yep, been a fulltime NewMan writer since late December. Now how sweet is that? :)
Before you guys (and some girls, you know who you lot are) start with the FHM/Maxim comparisons and thinking it's a "to-die-for" job because of all the hot girls I get to interview, let me inform you that other than the magazines’ shape and size, that's about where the similarities end. I honestly don't get to interview that many women on that regularly a basis, and it's not as if the ones I do are these sexually deprived nymphomaniacs who're about to jump you the moment you breathe out. And there's still the job of having to churn out a three page article later. If anything, we pride ourselves of being more of a well-rounded men's rag. We cover fashion, health, career, money; the works! Anything and everything we can inform and educate you on to becoming the Man's Man :)
Talk about getting my feet wet the first day I started; more like being thrown into the middle of the ocean! Suddenly, the number of articles I used to do in Lime seemed microscopic compared to the galactic amount being thrown at me. Honestly though, I really enjoy it. Yeah, I might bitch about the workload now and then, but I love the variety of subjects I have to tackle, and the people I get to interact with. And what's cool is that it's a relatively new team, so it's great that everyone's slowly getting to know each other. We're going through a revamp (check out our April issue!), and I'm just really happy to be part of something new. Not to mention, I get to go on some pretty neat assignments :) I might be heading up to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia for a romantic getaway (yes, with Denise) as part of a Travel story. And come 20 March, I'll be heading up to the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia for a few days for some Red Bull F1 thingy. I'm just going there for the free food and alcohol, so don't hold your breath if you think I'm about to launch into some exciting tirade about the explosiveness of Formula 1. I know as much about F1 as I do about F4. Which isn't a lot. Really.
And that's the gist of things that are going on with me in NewMan right now. But that's not all that happened in December :) I won another trip from MTV Asia! No seriously! This time, it was a trip to Japan to meet Alicia Keys! It was fun (and very cold), but I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the 2006 Mission Impossible III Tokyo Premiere. Mostly 'cause Denise wasn't there to share it with me, as she was still in New Zealand with her family. Considering that she was the bigger Alicia Keys fan, I bought the Japanese pressing of her Unplugged DVD, and upon meeting Ms. Keys, asked her to autograph and make it out to 'Denise' :) I'd like to think she was quite pleased with it when I gave it to her.
Christmas was ushered in quietly. Denise was back and we spent the Eve at Chips. I got her The Muppet Christmas Carol Anniversary Edition DVD, and she got me the Transformers DVD. Ah, but not just any old DVD. She got me the two-disc collector's edition case, which itself can transform into a 15-inch-tall two-dimensional Optimus Prime! Too cool for school yo, too cool for school... :)
New Year's Eve was spent having a quiet barbecue at Dan's place. It was made all the more festive with a Chinese firework that Laurence had passed to me sometime back. I'm just happy it sparked and didn't fizzle :)
And that pretty much sums up the remaining months of 2007. Well, I use "sums up" loosely, but you get the idea. Rest assured, my magazine articles aren't as long-winded. My editor sees to that :) With any luck, I'll be able to squeeze in another post some time in the near future and tell you all about how 2008 has been going for me so far. I wouldn't bet on it though. My fellow writer Khazmin has to head off for reservist soon, and my workload for the May ish is leaning more towards three-quarters of the content. I'll be happy to see sunlight this month *sighs* Write you all soon people!
I forgot to mention previously that while I was powering through my Advertising post-assignment, I had already begun working in Lime magazine as a temp writer. I'd normally have a link to their website, but as of this time, they don't have one yet. Go figure. Anyhow, I must say it was an eye-opening experience, working in a big office environment; and one of the big two publishing companies at that. Learnt a lot about how a magazine works, if anything. It was quite the feat, as I was juggling said post-assignment at the same time. I passed, if you're wondering (you know you were, stop rolling your eyes). Shan't go into too much detail on the working experience, only to say that I learnt a lot about myself, the politics within an office environment, and my writing ability.
In October, Denise and I finally got down to celebrating our second year anniversary. Cool, innit? :) We booked ourselves a suite at the Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore for a night! We had dinner at Pasta Brava (thank you K F Seetoh) which is amazingly authentically Italian, and at rather decent prices to boot. After which, debauchery with friends at O Bar followed.
Ah yes, November. My liver took quite a beating. Denise brought me out to Minori for dinner. It's a Japanese a la carte buffet spread. Raw fish flowed like water. I couldn't have been happier :) After which, down to O Bar for yet again more decadence. Yes, I know, I'm beginning to notice a pattern forming as well. I really appreciated everyone who made the effort to come down, though I can't say much for the variety of drinks that were bought for me. All I know is, I started drinking around 9pm, and didn't stop till nearer to closing. Unfortunately, what happened past midnight is still a blur to me to this very day. Thankfully (or not), there were a multitude of pictures taken (which can be viewed on my Facebook profile), of which a couple revealed a rather disturbing turn of events (I hate you Lin). All I can say is I'm happy that I was the victim and not the perpetrator. Eh Ravi? :) A HUGE thank you to my baby for being able to drag my completely toasted Chinese ass home that night!
Sweet Long December. Denise had headed down to New Zealand for a family holiday for a few weeks. I was busying myself with writing duties. By this time, I had figured that it was time to move on. Lime wasn't going to hire me fulltime, and I could only survive so much longer on the temp pay I was receiving. Big props to Kenneth who helped me get an interview with NewMan magazine! Well, I went, I saw, I SCORED! Yep, been a fulltime NewMan writer since late December. Now how sweet is that? :)
Before you guys (and some girls, you know who you lot are) start with the FHM/Maxim comparisons and thinking it's a "to-die-for" job because of all the hot girls I get to interview, let me inform you that other than the magazines’ shape and size, that's about where the similarities end. I honestly don't get to interview that many women on that regularly a basis, and it's not as if the ones I do are these sexually deprived nymphomaniacs who're about to jump you the moment you breathe out. And there's still the job of having to churn out a three page article later. If anything, we pride ourselves of being more of a well-rounded men's rag. We cover fashion, health, career, money; the works! Anything and everything we can inform and educate you on to becoming the Man's Man :)
Talk about getting my feet wet the first day I started; more like being thrown into the middle of the ocean! Suddenly, the number of articles I used to do in Lime seemed microscopic compared to the galactic amount being thrown at me. Honestly though, I really enjoy it. Yeah, I might bitch about the workload now and then, but I love the variety of subjects I have to tackle, and the people I get to interact with. And what's cool is that it's a relatively new team, so it's great that everyone's slowly getting to know each other. We're going through a revamp (check out our April issue!), and I'm just really happy to be part of something new. Not to mention, I get to go on some pretty neat assignments :) I might be heading up to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia for a romantic getaway (yes, with Denise) as part of a Travel story. And come 20 March, I'll be heading up to the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia for a few days for some Red Bull F1 thingy. I'm just going there for the free food and alcohol, so don't hold your breath if you think I'm about to launch into some exciting tirade about the explosiveness of Formula 1. I know as much about F1 as I do about F4. Which isn't a lot. Really.
And that's the gist of things that are going on with me in NewMan right now. But that's not all that happened in December :) I won another trip from MTV Asia! No seriously! This time, it was a trip to Japan to meet Alicia Keys! It was fun (and very cold), but I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the 2006 Mission Impossible III Tokyo Premiere. Mostly 'cause Denise wasn't there to share it with me, as she was still in New Zealand with her family. Considering that she was the bigger Alicia Keys fan, I bought the Japanese pressing of her Unplugged DVD, and upon meeting Ms. Keys, asked her to autograph and make it out to 'Denise' :) I'd like to think she was quite pleased with it when I gave it to her.
Christmas was ushered in quietly. Denise was back and we spent the Eve at Chips. I got her The Muppet Christmas Carol Anniversary Edition DVD, and she got me the Transformers DVD. Ah, but not just any old DVD. She got me the two-disc collector's edition case, which itself can transform into a 15-inch-tall two-dimensional Optimus Prime! Too cool for school yo, too cool for school... :)
New Year's Eve was spent having a quiet barbecue at Dan's place. It was made all the more festive with a Chinese firework that Laurence had passed to me sometime back. I'm just happy it sparked and didn't fizzle :)
And that pretty much sums up the remaining months of 2007. Well, I use "sums up" loosely, but you get the idea. Rest assured, my magazine articles aren't as long-winded. My editor sees to that :) With any luck, I'll be able to squeeze in another post some time in the near future and tell you all about how 2008 has been going for me so far. I wouldn't bet on it though. My fellow writer Khazmin has to head off for reservist soon, and my workload for the May ish is leaning more towards three-quarters of the content. I'll be happy to see sunlight this month *sighs* Write you all soon people!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Just a quick one right now, as I power (actually, more like crawl) through my Advertising post-assignment. Denise (thank you baby) bought me what potentially looks like a fantastic read, Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman. It also features a really sweet cover illustrated by the incredible Bryan Hitch, who, with Warren Ellis, created The Authority, one of the most amazing superhero teams since the JLA. After skimming through it, I realised the importance of joining up with their Reserve Force. There is evil afoot, and it is only right I exert my Big Daddy pimpness and do what I can to make the world a sexier place to live in :) As shown below, it's official.
Big Bad Daddy G |
Monday, June 25, 2007
Oh no, sorry to get your hopes up boys and girls, but this isn't you standard update. Instead, taking a page out of my baby's blog (and I quote), "Sometimes the best solution to the biggest problems is the simplest answer." It's amazing how a simple, sincere hug can go a long way, and I think a lot of us have taken that for granted. This post will be a display of firsts. To begin with, it'll be the first time I'm putting a video on my blog. Secondly, the guy in the music video was apparently the first one to start the whole "giving out free hugs" movement, that has pretty much continued around the world. And finally, I felt all gooey and fuzzy the first time I saw the music video :) Simple positive lyrics, and a great sound. If you've ever needed a reason to smile, just click below and enjoy. And hey, it's the Dave Matthews Band. You know it's good music :)
Ladies and gentlemen, The Dave Matthews Band with Everyday.
Ladies and gentlemen, The Dave Matthews Band with Everyday.
