Freedom

Graduating brought with it only one kind of freedom: the freedom from being nagged by parents about studies. I suppose graduating with First-class Honours and the Royal Education Award nailed, sealed, soldered and forever secured this freedom for me.

But then that's about it.

I miss the freedom that came with staying on campus. The freedom to return to College at any time in the night, the freedom to leave College at any time in the night.

The nights with Kee Aun back in first year, and the first half of second year. The nights with George early in my third year. The nights with Tim.

Now it is much more difficult to do anything. Student privileges no longer apply; stuff like discounts and the opportunity to join certain competitions. And because I now drive a lot more, those crazy drunken nights are but history.

So much for freedom.

The Poet of Our Time

Or so Suit Lin calls him. I cannot agree more.

Movements in Stone

One

Two

Three

Pantai Kerachut, 11 Sept 2010.

Guiding Light

Pure hearts stumble
In my hands, they crumble
Fragile and stripped to the core
I can't hurt you anymore

Loved by numbers
You're losing life's wonder
Touch like strangers; detached
I can't feel you anymore

The sunshine trapped in our hearts
It could rise again
But I'm lost, crushed, cold and confused
With no guiding light left inside

You're my guiding light
You're my guiding light
When there's no guiding light left inside
When there's no guiding light in our lives

- Muse, 'Guiding Light'

Captain Awesome

Captain Awesome, of awesome fame
I need three lions and a hyena tamed;
I'll be right there, he says, for you.
When stars collide
Or if your dog's just died,
He answers when you call his name.
To break a wall
Or break your fall,
He'll be there by your side.
No need for sonic beams or laser eyes,
For Captain Awesome the all-wise
Nothing is too big or small.
Come emo night or dreary day
Who do you call to light the way?
Who but Captain Awesome? No big surprise!
Oh Captain Awesome, my number one,
Riding with you is so much fun;
Come awhile and play
With me. I kinda miss you
Ever since we left the zoo;
Captain Awesome, come and stay!

Spiral Staircase

Oh, tell me, Cherry you dance with me

Turn me around tonight

Up through the spiral staircase to the higher ground

- U2, 'Promenade' -

For love and sex and faith and fear

And all the things that keep us here

In the mysterious distance

Between a man and a woman

- U2, 'A Man and a Woman' -

* * *

PKV Ipoh-Penang Trip.

Coming soon.

The photographer, photographed!

I rarely ever appear in photographs, most of the time because I'm standing on the wrong end of the camera.

And so I was pleasantly relieved of such conspicuous absence on the recent PKV Ipoh-Penang Trip, during which I shot film, leaving my D50 in the able hands of Adrian (Ipoh) and George (Penang).

I'm also looking forward to Adelene and Jia Hui's pictures!


In action at the Polo Club, Ipoh. By Adrian.


Outside Thean Chun coffee shop, Leech Street, Ipoh. By Ruth, Fujichrome Astia.


Nearby Sin Yoon Loong coffee shop, Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh. By George.


Kerachut Trail, Penang National Park, Teluk Bahang. By George.

This Malaysia Day

My idea of celebrating occasions like Merdeka and Malaysia Day, is to meet friends up for meals in old and/or historical corners of town, and plot random trips to old and/or historical places in and out of town.

And sometimes it's just about being immersed in a place, in any place, together.

* * *

Newly-painted walls, in colours three,

Smile their primary colours at you and me.

Rapid KL bus passes the 'new kid' in town,

KL Tower peeks from the background.

The old KFC and A&W, they've been around forever;

Since the days my Dad was as old as me and you, nay, younger.

Red and white on copper-maroon walls,

You're out of sight if you don't stand tall.

Lunch at the Coliseum, a slice of living history,

Topped with a glass of freshly-mixed shandy.

Random trips, like children building ships to outer space,

Guess where we went! (You know this place.)

A ticket for the train south; still plenty of berths,

With a student discount for all your money's worth.

Waiting at the platform for the train to come and go,

While the flag floats gently upwards as the wind so subtly blows.

Every station has its own story, tells its own fable,

From the shape of roof and floor, to seats 'round a table.

A perfect day, a perfect sunset,

But though we won't always be here to stay,

There'll be more adventures yet!

* * *

Sunset picture by Suit Lin.

September the Second, Twenty-Ten

An exhausting day. So many meetings, so much to think about.

From the morning with En Mahbob and Dr Nor Edzan, to lunch with George.

From the meeting with Dr Aziz to the drive into town, and tea/dinner thereafter, with Nasha.

From hanging out with Yen and Kaun (after a long time) and watching Toy Story 3 at Firdaus's birthday bash, to driving home alone on a nearly-empty petrol tank, pondering the events of the day and getting ideas for Saturday.

From a phone call for yet another job, to that phone call which makes everything else seem insignificant.

And now, here. With so much to process, I think a night's rest will do me a whole lot of good. (Not that there's much of a night left, but it was good planning Friday night in advance!)


* * *


I seldom include pictures of myself in my posts.


With the future ahead...


And my roots, my background, my foundation in place...


Why not take time out...


Make exciting detours...


Choosing collaborators and projects wisely...


Knowing some things you just can't leave behind; some trees you just can't not climb...


Perhaps then I will be transformed enough for what lies ahead.


I owe so much to Aeks for initiating the visit to the Red Dirt Shop in Waikiki. I thought nothing of it until the moment we stepped inside, and I realised just what a treasure it was.

(Photo 1 by John Cusick. Photos 2 and 6 by Aeks. Photos 3, 4 and 5 by Nasha. Photo 7 by Mosha.)


* * *


"These are some big ideas." - Bono, U2 Go Home: Live at Slane Castle

I fought fate, there's blood at the garden gate
The man said childhood
It's in your childhood

-- U2, 'Out of Control'


Recently, someone (I cannot remember who) gave me a link to a heartwarming animation about the difference between childhood and adulthood. It went something like this:

When you were younger, you had creative ideas. And you were afraid of nothing.

Now that you are older, you are still creative. But you fear so much more.


Is RM8,000 enough to raise the dead?

Is RM10,000 enough for the road ahead?


Here we go!