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    Saturday, May 29, 2010

    Caught in a Crossfire


    Here's a situation for you little people. Play it out in your head.
    It may require some flexible ethics depending on who you are.

    Scenario:
    You are out with two good friends. One of them is your significant other, the other, her/his best friend. Everyone's having a great time, until suddenly, a tiny issue is raised and everything goes sour.

    Your significant other fires harsh words at their best friend. There is an awkward silence.

    You are left alone.

    Both parties are badly hurt. Your significant other is now emotional and regrets their actions.

    Do you still comfort and support them?

    What about the other friend? Remember, they're still a very good/close friend of yours.
    Would it be biased if you tend to your own partner only? Will they feel neglected?

    The best course of action is obviously to be Neutral. But what do you say to be neutral? How will you break the long silence? What do you do to mend the situation?

    -----

    I hope someone can give me an answer to this, because I suck at it. Thanks.

    Send me your best answers, and you'll stand a chance to win a Sandwich... made by me.

    Thursday, May 27, 2010

    I must confess that I feel like a monster...



    What is wrong with this animal
    I'm terrible
    I hope you never see me wind up
    !

    The barrage of workload and endless nights reign once again. The sudden transition from relaxation mode to work-mode is never an easy shift. My fatigue is showing. But, I have to put it aside to attend to other matters.

    In-Course Assessments every single week. And unlike last semester, where I was lazing my ass off throughout, I'm actually trying to put effort now. I actually studied for a written test that wasn't an exam. Things are moving so fast, it still feels as if the holidays just ended. But in actual fact, that was more than a month ago.

    Today, my angst got a grip on me once again. I never liked myself when I'm angry, 'coz, I don't think. I snapped at Arifin, my good friend, while he was having a good time. For no reason. I don't know why. I felt so bad after wards. I don't know how many lives I've shook because of my unforeseen mood swings. Unpredictable anger is the worst form anger ever. I need an anger management therapist... Like Dr. Buddy Rydell! Anger Management was a good movie.


    The face that killed a thousand angry brain cells.... wait

    Tomorrow's Vesak Day, a public holiday. I wanna go out. My parents promised me an outing, though that hardly seem possible now. I find it funny, they hardly acknowledged even my own birthday. My dad anyways. I didn't receive a present or anything. Have they given up on me?

    Maybe not. I pray not.

    I guess, it's the perfect time to catch my breath, and take a break. But nah, I've never been one to sit still and rejuvenate. I'll find a way.

    Okay enough of this depressing bull shit. I'll crap about something magical tomorrow.

    Thursday, May 20, 2010

    OWW!! I mean... AAHH!! ... nah, not really.

    Well, well... look who's an old dude now.

    Yours truly. I got so caught up with all the excitement and glamor of having those kick-ass rock star parties all night, I forgot to wish myself my own Birthday.

    So,
    Happy fucking Birthday to Me.


    I'm finally a 19 year-old awesome guy. No not really.
    But I am 19... Sigh.

    So how I did I really celebrated the official start of my final teenage year? Not much. All I did before the barrage of facebook wishes came raining down my Notification box was, sitting on my arse, eating chocolate chip cookies and watching Family Guy till 4am in the morning. Best Party Ever.

    But before that, the guys and me head to that Grassroots club/building next door to the school, and had a few friendly games of Pool. What started out as a joke, became a real fun event for us.


    Youliang takes a shot.

    All we needed were leather jackets, epic beards, a Jukebox, cigarettes, glasses of beer, and a hot waitress walking around taking our Steak orders... Yeah keep dreaming Luq, this ain't America.

    A Tuesday Evening well spent.

    The next day, as a birthday present, Miss Ang thought it'd be nice to give us a test! Journalistic Writing! Yay. It feels so fun to pick up the pen and paper again, and actually write an article/composition with it. Sure, my hand felt crampy after wards, but it was worth it! Memories of days old where this was a norm and writing story involved a pen, correction tape, and an endless supply of paper. Secondary school compo days were awesome ... except when it comes to Mother Tongue. Fuck you Karangan.




    After all that, I met up with her and we had a mini-date to Pastamania.
    It was, an intriguing experience for me, filled with interesting tastes that made my tongue danced out loud. Tasbasco Sauce ftw.

    Also, I've NEVER eaten in at Pastamania before (I've been more of a Take-away kind of guy), so I was kinda lost with the what-nots of the restaurant. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle!

    That new experience was her birthday gift to me. It was all I needed, and I'm more than happy with it.

    I just wish I wasn't so much of an idiot during the night. One stupid move by me without thinking, and everything went haywire. I felt like screaming and tearing off some heads in the bus. Sigh. But alas, what was done, is done.

    And so, that was my 19th birthday in a wrap. To think since I'm 19, and I'm celeberating on the 19th, and I was born 1991, I would have a string of some magical or epic number-19 filled events. But, I've never been one for such trivial celebrations. It's my final year as a teenager. I'll need to live it all. When I turn 20, and look back at how I grew up, I want to remember my teenage-hood as an extravagant series of events that fully shaped my life for the better, and not remember it for the wrong reasons.

    Saturday, May 15, 2010

    We're the new face of failures.


    Oh god, do I always sound like that?

    That was one ride of a week. Fortunately, it's all over. Let's do it again.... NOT!
    You have no idea how relieving it is to see her again. It's like, all my sickness and worries suddenly went away.

    A silly skinnies shopping trip in town, somehow ends up on the rooftop of Vivo City.

    An intense drama meeting, somehow ends up at a quiet corner of Republic Poly.

    I feel fantastic.


    ----


    Please do not disturb the bear during this hibernation period. Thank you

    Hey, it's been awhile since I've blabbered about school! So why not I get back to that, huh? How's school? Puuurrrfect. So far, all I've been doing is an endless barrage of boring lectures and tutorials. They range from the horrendously dry, to an exciting water-slide. But honestly, for me, it's been in one ear and out the other.

    I slept through Media Market Research, twice. Both tutorial and lecture. It's that horrible of a module. I remember the first lecture (technically, it was the second lecture, since I couldn't make it for the official first lecture), I almost immediately fell asleep. I awoke to the silent chuckles of my friends around me. They too, more or less, showed signs of being drained out from that drought of a lecture. Near the end of it (I awoke around this time), I was shocked to see someone actually asking questions!

    Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

    People who were actually paying attention to whole thing??? BLASPHEMY.





    I don't know, it's just me. I have never been one who would actually be able to pay attention to things I don't bother giving my two cents about. I mean, we're media students. We're not god-damned scientists or engineers. Hell, being a business person wasn't even part of the deal when we entered this place (well, for most of us anyways).

    But still, thank god for Media-related modules. Yes. Modules that a Media Student can actually be proud of. You know, those modules that we were expecting to learn when we SIGNED UP for this god-damned course?

    Journalistic Writing is much more fun when you're actually WRITING rather than just sitting there listening HOW to write.

    And I know I'm just going to miss Multi-Cam when the Semester is over.

    But whatever. Who am I to complain, it's school. Those stuff will probably haunt or come back at some point of my life. Might as well suck it up and live with it. Like two years ago, I lamented at the fact I was taking Food and Nutrition. But guess what, who'd knew all that could actually get me some attention from some people., heh.

    Wednesday, May 12, 2010

    Falling In Love - McFly

    And I'll survive... Paranoid.


    Pig-casso's bored in class...

    Well this sucks. It's only half of the week, and I have my back against the wall. I'm stuck here in between being the exuberant hyper monkey I am and being totally depressed. I don't know, I just don't feel like myself since the week started.

    Dipping in and out of fevers..
    Asthma-like coughs randomly spouting..
    A blocked nose, causing unsettling noises and breathing...

    Nah, I'm fine now. The flu came and left as fast as it got to me. But the worst to all this was that, I had to push myself despite the fact I was almost dying. Trust me, standing directly behind a burning spotlight while your whole body is burning a nice 39 degrees on the inside (not to mention wearing a 3 layers of a Hooded shirt, a shirt, and a blazer) is not an experience for the faint-hearted.

    Monday night, I was enjoying my wholesome rest. *beep beep* Oh no, I gotta go for a last-minute movie screening of Robin Hood. The other 2 can't make it, and I'm their last hope. Sigh... I slept through the whole movie either way. Immediately next day, filming and it took fucking forever. I was this close to just collapsing halfway on camera.


    No one's in the mood to be on camera right now...

    After the whole thing, I popped in 2 tablets of paracetamol. Hood up. Dozed off in the heat of the crowded canteen. 10 mins later, Aaron and Hakim woke me up and I dragged my sorry ass to lecture.

    And I'm just gonna put this out straight - I'm seriously close to just giving up the "game".

    I may. Seem strong? But that's what we liars do. We put on a mask and stay that way, when behind I'm just dying. Fuck. I'm acting. Act Act Act. Drama what.... alamak. I know it's not been even a week but .. maybe it's the fever. Yeah, those headaches and what not got me thinking too much. I just don't know anymore.

    Only a day left. Tahan.

    Sunday, May 9, 2010

    Random Flu Bug is Random.


    Pop goes the Kitty :3


    Recently, whenever I reach home early or before 10pm, I'll always see this one cat sleeping or just laying down along my block's flight of stairs. For the first few times, whenever I approach it, it'll go into a defensive stance. But now, I think it somehow gotten the idea that I'm not worth the effort to be scared of. Now it'll just sit there and stone at me whenever I pass by. Cute lil' bugger.

    Anywho,
    Ahhh my legs are all cramped up. Well my thighs are. And I haven't even been to the gym in a month. I gone back to my running routine. Surprisingly, I managed to do 2.4 without stopping. Shocking, especially since I've been smoking like a bitch. Gotta keep it up.

    But right now, I don't think I can. Every part of my body seems to aching today. I woke up this morning with a terrible sore throat, and along the day, I got a terrible cold. Every sneeze I took, felt like a chainsaw grazing through the insides of my throat. I just want to tear my throat off. Guuh.

    After a quick (though distasteful) nap, the cold sort of went away. But my throat still hurts badly. Thank god class is canceled tomorrow. Saves me the trouble of photocopying a Medical Certificate and sending in an online Statement of Absence. So fucking leceh.

    Oh, and Hani, don't stress too much. Alright?
    Take a chillaxative. I'll be fine.
    I'll see you in a week... (:

    Tuesday, May 4, 2010

    The Runaways (2010) Movie Review

    Technically, I'm a movie reviewer/critic now. I'm one of NYP TV's Movie Musketeers, so looks like I've gotta start review some movies now eh? As a media student, I'm more than happy to do so.

    So recently, Aaron and me were invited to watch "The Runaways", a reenactment of the events that brought the 70s all-girl band, The Runaways, into fame and fortune. So let's begin.



    I came into the cinema with low expectations for the movie. Even though the trailers for the movie were pretty eye-opening, I was expecting the movie to be another cliché “Rock Band-gone-bad-due-to-fame” kind of movie. What’s more, it was supposed to be based on the original “The Runaways” band, and knowing how Hollywood likes to cheese out and exaggerate the ‘real’ story for their movies, I thought it was probably going to be another one of those sad excuse for a movie.

    However, I’m actually surprised how the movie went. It more or less gravitated towards the original source material of how the band came about (I know this, because I kind of did some research about the band), with a one or two slight diversions from the real events to fit a 2 hour storyline.

    The movie really brought out the dark and dirty scene of the night social life of the 70s/80s. Drugs and booze were a norm, and overdressed partygoers were actually considered “hip”. “The Runaways” used this to give the audience an impression just how low the band was before they soared. It more or less worked.

    Resident Twilight girl, Kristen Stewart, played as Joan Jett. Her performance was surprisingly awesome. She managed to bring out the angst and rough lifestyle of a Rock Star, while Dakota Fanning, played as the band’s lead singer, Cherrie Curie, completely turned her “innocent girl” look into a disturbingly believable jailbait that would leave hundreds of men ashamed to actually ogle at a 15 year old. Both actresses did a fantastic job completely transforming themselves into their characters, going out of their way to exit their comfort zones and be something they could never portray from their previous movies.

    Spot the jailbait.

    In terms of storyline, it was rather expected. Badass girl wants to be a rock star. Innocent girl wants to be a singer. As fate would have it, they meet and get a chance to form a band with the help of a wacky psychotic Record Producer, Kim Fowley (played by Michael Shannon). They start small and struggled to make themselves known, and through the hard life style of rock and roll, they eventually make a breakthrough and achieved the title of Rock Stars. However, fame and drugs get into their heads, and things don’t work out as well, so the band dissolves. Everyone took their own paths (with Joan Jett continuing her musical dreams, forming “Joan Jett and the Blackhearts”), and it ended with a cute phone conversation/reunion within Joan, Cherrie, and an awkward Radio DJ.

    Cool ah...

    The movie focused mostly on these 2 characters and Fowley. The other members in the band were not fleshed out as much as, and felt more like extras to keep the fact that it’s about a rock band. Though, after some research, the producers had actually intended to bring out story of the original bassist of “The Runaways”, but due to legal issues, it wasn’t possible. I have no qualms over this, because the movie was only an hour plus long, and trying to squeeze in the back stories of 5 members within a small time frame would just make the movie a lot messy and won’t really focus on what happened to the band.

    Now available, "The Runaway" Dolls! In stores now. (bassist not included)

    It’s a nice movie to watch if you’re into the explicitly of being a Rock Star and I say 4 nachos. Watch it if you can.


    Monday, May 3, 2010

    Every thug needs a lady...

    It's times like these you learn to live again It's times like these you give and give again It's times like these you learn to love again It's times like these time and time again

    Oh the things I do for love.
    The cheese I spread across everything I do and say. It'll make half of you people want to puke out your hearts out instead.


    It's been almost 2 weeks, and my new girlfriend has kept me sane.

    What's her name, you ask? Princess Honey. Go figure.

    The past two weeks have been a constant tide of ecstasy and trauma. To be honest, as much as I look like the kind of guy who knows what's what in a relationship, I'm as much of a newbie as she is. I'm not exactly sure or know when to do what. I'm only acting on instinct, perception, luck, general knowledge and from what I learned from movies and books.

    I'm the worst kind of cliche anyone can ever get.

    But that got me somewhere, so I guess I must have done something right. Heh...

    Well, we haven't had much time going out due to educational obligations. This is really another long distance relationship. She lives across the country. Her school is across the campus from mine. But, being the kind of guy I am, I go out of my way to keep her company as much as I can.

    Yes, I'm so sweet, you can actually die from diabetes.

    Anywho, today my schedule was packed, ranging from the stupid to the awesome. As usual, met up with her, and planned to go somewhere.

    Who'd knew tonight would be so awesome. It was impromptu, but somehow everything went so smoothly. Didn't had a plan... somehow ended up in town and Esplanade/Clark Quay of all places. Which is kinda cool, 'coz Esplanade used to be my central area for hanging out. And I haven't been there for god knows how long.



    (not in picture) a bunch of mumbo jumbo construction stuff.

    We sat, we talked. Conveniently, I had my guitar with me. So, out of nowhere, I ahem serenaded ahem her.

    Yes, you may start puking your hearts out. Your hearts, you imbeciles, not your dried up, nicotine-filled lungs!

    Okay, not exactly serenade. I just played a few hits that I thought might put a smile on her face. It more than just made her smile, heh.

    So we left the area. Sent her home and we had a heart-to-heart (if you can say that) talk. It was unexpected, but it was bound to happen eventually. And it happened in the train. Hmm, come to think of it, lots of stuff happened in the train for us. Hehe.

    Let's just say, I feel we made a difference tonight. The wall of secrets between us have lessen. It's nice. We needed that talk anyways. I mean. The fact we got together so fast, just like that ... seemed a little too good to be true. So, some back-story from both parties had to be filled in to see how the pieces fit. Now that's the picture is complete (somewhat), it makes more sense to why things happened the way they did.

    Well, that's enough soul-searching for one night. I'll be back to my normal narcissistic nonsensical blogpost by tomorrow or so. Have a good night.

    Saturday, May 1, 2010

    This is my gift; and my curse... I'm Spid- .. Luqman.

    You know. Come to think of it, my life right now feels like the events from the Spiderman movie trilogy. And I'm Peter Parker.

    No, I didn't get bitten by a radioactive spider (at least I think I didn't).

    No, I don't shoot web out of my wrists nor do I swing from building to building.

    And no, I can't climb walls (actually I can, but not as often as I used to anymore).

    Just that specific themes of the events that happened from Spiderman 1 to 3 somehow to relates to what I've been doing and going through. Let's analyse, shall we?

    ----

    With great power comes great DVD deals

    So okay, let's begin with Spiderman 1.

    In Spiderman 1, Peter Parker is introduced as the nerdy loser kid who's just leading and average life. There's nothing special about him, he wears specs and has only one friend.

    That was me. More or less. I came to Poly like everyone else, no credit to my name, and was the average guy who wasn't a joker/jock/cool dude/etc.. I was another cog in the education machine. I had my crushes whom I almost never talked to and had more than enough selengeh-ism (loser-like day-to-day fails) in everything I do.

    So okay, soon Peter gets bitten by a Spider, and one morning he wakes up with a changed body.

    I was a fat kid, and one day I realised ... wow, I, lost weight?

    So yeah, you get the point. I'll keep the self-praising to a minimum.

    Mmmmm, yeah. Nothing much else that relates from Spiderman 1. I didn't fought any green goblins. Oh wait, I'll consider my schoolwork as an epic battle. All those late night struggles that almost brought me down. They count for something, right?


    Taste my Presentational fury Pang! ... oh wait

    So yeah, all was well. I've fully moved into a new lifestyle. Poly changed me for the better and all was well, for awhile. Just like how Peter feels when he's completely into being Spiderman and finally everything ends well for him.

    At least that's what we thought.

    So okay, this is where the fun begins. Spiderman 2.

    This is when Parker becomes a depressed Spider and the whole world is against him. He's fighting to survive on a daily basis, having trouble expressing himself to the one he loves, and at some point just doesn't want to be Spiderman anymore.

    This was when I got suddenly depressed at some point in my life. If you read my previous blog post ... well let's say that story has a part in it. I just felt like I everything was fucked up and I was just waking up. Survive the day. Go back to bed. Life was mundane and I hated it.

    Me: 0, Big Bad World: 1 ... Nuff said.

    But eventually, after much inner struggling (also some references from my previous blog post), everything suddenly cleared. A heavy burden got lifted off my shoulders and all I could do was sit there and think "Wow, is this for real?".

    Just like how Spiderman 2 ends. Mary-Jane finds out who Peter really is, and all Peter could do is sit on his bed and look out his window and think, if everything really is going to change.


    Now we move on to the finale, Spiderman 3.
    This is where I am currently at.

    Peter is happy. Everything is for him now. He's got the girl, the fans, and the fame. Everything's going great.

    That's what I'm feeling right now. It's like, my life took a turn and now every since the first day of the first week of school started, everything feels so fine. So far so good.

    Peter lets it get to his head, and is too into himself. His girl, Mary-Jane, isn't exactly having a time of her life, and has problems of her own, but Peter is too distracted to see this. Now this sounds familiar, although I won't go into it because I'm not in the position of explaining. But, you get the idea. However, unlike Parker, I am aware of Mary-Jane's problems, and despite my better efforts, I want to help solve it.

    So yeah, basically where I am at now is, well. I'm an overly-happy douche ... with emo hair.


    It's not hard to imagine my face there.

    That sort of wraps it up. Sort of. The movie is still playing for me, so I'm just gonna see how it rolls. Spider-man 3 isn't exactly the best movie out there, so I'm guessing the fact that I'm comparing my life with it goes to show how much of a fail and douchebag I am. But. Meh. I digress.