Christmas is over already?

Hey all.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

from Malaysia. I was knocked out with the flu on Christmas eve but thankfully am pretty much recovered! 

Have a photo of us holding up our grandmother at the park. 

:) xxox

Week 1 Consisted of a lot of eating

Week 1 has passed by. I could say that it was quick but I don't think it actually was. We've been very busy with family and friends a heck of a lot of eating. Holy crap I've never eaten so much. Our stomachs are perpetually full to breaking point; yet even midway through lunch we are already discussing what to have for dinner. It really is a beautiful routine. 

By this time there are 12 Loos/Tans/Phuas hanging out in the house plus Michelle's friend Sheila from the US. From what I can gather she has been enjoying every minute of our eating adventures and otherwise. She has a great hearty laugh. 

Catching up with friends from church feels a bit like what I imagine a second album would for a band. Last year's trip was amazing, so how could we top that experience? A whole year has passed since seeing these wonderful people and no doubt we have all grown and changed somehow. Could we in fact connect as we did last? Thankfully the answer has been a cautious yet optimistic yes. There's plenty of catching up (and mamak) to do still guys! 

Went to A Mantle The Sea (cousin's band) gig the other night in the city at a very swanky club called No Black Tie. They played well but their nervous energy (first proper gig in four years) translated into near unmanaged tempos. Their acoustic songs came across much more confident and their rendition of Sufjan Stevens' 'O Come O Come Immanuel' was bold and nothing short of beautiful (definitely have to buy some of his stuff). There were other bands and they were of pretty high standard too. For some reason we went out for supper after (dim sum/ yum cha) and had at a meal at 1 in the am. We didn't get back until 2!

That's exactly what we need in the gong. Food at any hour of life (other than Macca's). Would anyone be interested in starting a business with me? Ha.

had my 2nd PROSPERITY BURGER yesterday with YJ and YC (cousins from Dad's side of the family) who I spent the day with at 1U shopping mall. They were en route to Japan, which I should be on too but for some reason am not. We went bowling and didn't want to pay 2RM for sock rental so we bought our own socks for 7RM each. We sure showed that bowling alley.

I've always said that life in Malaysia is hectic and I think I finally know why. If you remain stationary long enough here, the heat acts as a blanket of lethargy and you are basically drained of the will to live. Every minor movement of the body is smothered unless you can gain enough momentum to continue living and eating.

And with this, I simple wait for the Christmas celebrations to begin.

Cheerio! (:

Congrats to all friends who graduated this year! Special shout out to the physics crew- because no one can integrate to alpha centauri like you guys can. 

Early Days

I initially wrote a long spiel about waking up as Macauly Culkin in Home Alone but that was actually incorrect since the family came back to the house about 30 minutes later. So let's have a recap of our journey thus far. Our plane trip took us about 13+ hours due to missed connections and delays of the sort. It was a very long day but I listened to some good music, chatted to some people in the airport and watched Tropic Thunder (hilarious), Star Wars: Clone Wars (surprisingly exciting), and Aussie surfie movie Newcastle (aimed a bit high and fell short) Upon arrival, we found out that  my dad forgot to send my uncle and aunty our updated itinerary and they were waiting for us at KLIA for 6 hours. Whoops!

I didn't shower for two days after arrival just because i couldn't be bothered.

We've only been here two days and already it feels like we have almost never left- although admittedly we were only here last january. The three big ones here would be family, friends and food. Already we have experienced much of them. More of the food than anything else so far- but its early days yet! A definite highlight of Malaysia trips is the trademark Macca's Chinese New Year promotion- the PROSPERITY BURGER. It's pretty simple actually- black pepper sauce, onion, beef patty on a long bun- but beats the crap out of any $2 double beef and cheesburgers. I had my first of many just today. Let's see how many we get done all up. Curly fries come in the meal. 

With regards to the family we experience, there is nothing like it. We stay in the house where my mum grew up in her teens/uni life which is occupied by my aunty and her family, plus grandmother. We're not exactly in KL, but in an outer city called Petaling Jaya (PJ) which is about 30 minutes drive away from the city. This is the Christmas headquarters of my mum's side of the family so to speak- the Phua side.  

The cycle of life is more evident than ever as cousins work 9 to 5 and bring back sons of their own from the UK. Andrew just arrived tonight with his 3yo son Daniel who is the real star of the show and watching him grow is quite an experience. I remember when myself and my two other cousins Adrian and Eugene took showers in the frontyard with the hose. Now i have an undergraduate degree and they're working their respective fulltime jobs. When did that happen?

Something that hasn't changed is the unwavering commitment to church and YF (youth fellowship) which is quite an encouragement in itself. Went to a little Christmas party today at the church. Saw old faces and new and was able to reconnect with friends we've only spent time online with.  Like I said it's early days yet so didn't get much time in conversation. Plus I'm feeling a bit sleep-deprived. Life here is fully hectic. 

It's 10:52pm and we gotta get up for church tomorrow. Muse's live HAARP is in my ears right now. I love them to bits. There are no photos as of yet but i took some video footage of the food i ate. Maybe you'll be able to watch it one day. Words simply aren't enough to convey what is really going on over here. 

We also went to a little music bar last night which was very hip and had hookahs everywhere. Definitely need one of those in Wollongong. Adrian was playing in his pop acoustic group Alaling and the Kaya Koks and were very appealing. No photos from there either. Haha. 

(: 

PS, it's bloody hot! And it's been fairly overcast these past few days, which means it can only get worse... 

Adelaide is pretty sick ay.

I'm sitting on the floor of Adelaide airport! Hooray!

Fyi, we shall be leaving this port of call at 3:10pm or something. I don't really know any more because Adelaide is half an hour behind Sydney and this just confuses me. We are also stopping in Singapore for an hour or so which means we ultimately arrive in Malaysia approximately midnight Sydney time? This is me making a rough guess. Seems reasonable right? Also fyi, Malaysia is 3 hours behind Wollongong.

This is an old powerbook so there is no webcam and hence no photo of myself for you to look at. How unfortunate for all involved. 

I'm listening to between The Buried And Me. This is right after Eisley (which I bought for $10 yesterday at JB Hifi) and a bit of a Paramore binge last night ($20 CD/DVD set). I have weird taste in music.

See you all on the other side! 

Final Days In The Gong

Hi hi hi. The Loos are leaving Wollongong forever on Thursday...until February 1st. I feel like I should be doing something like packing but I just don't know what. I packed my clothes already and that's about it as far as I can tell. Mum is lamenting the fact that I am taking my white shorts right now actually.

For the past few weeks I've been living out as much of the Aussie summer as possible. Beach days, Sydney trips, Xbox parties...these are the things I will miss when in Malaysia. Right on the verge of departure I feel like staying longer and enjoying Wollongong more. But I know that when I leave, Malaysia will feel like home as always. The same will happen come February. I will want to stay longer there but Wollongong will prove just as homely as the other. The duality is fascinating to say the least...

What final preparations need to be made? I don't even know myself. There are too many little details to think about. So much so that I decided to not bother with any of it. And that's why I'm writing a blog right now. Clothes took a lot quicker to pack than I anticipated. My wardrobe consists of a lot of black I just discovered.

One thing I had to do was organise uni for next year. I finalised my honours project today. Anatoly was not around at 12pm so I went for a fun shopping day with Josh and Kade that involved heroin koalas, short shorts and Jesus-faced Buddhas (Kade is a strange strange child but we love him). I met Anatoly at 2:30 and we discussed physics. Looks like I'll be working on eye tumours. I could go into detail, but i'll save that for another blog.

It's funny but I do miss talking about the physics we were so sick of only 3 weeks ago.

The only other preparation i need to finalise is last hangings out with mates. Gonna miss you crazy cats from all circles. But it has been a while since I've seen my Malaysian monkeys too. Now I'm going to go and figure out what else I have left to do. I don't even know where to start any more.

No drawing today! (:

Aside: Sara graduated from year 10 tonight. I was 14 when that happened. I walked around the school in the rainy dusk and found the buildings foreign and cold. Literally speaking, the rooms are all switched and there are new buildings around. On a figurative note, i guess this is just life and time passing too quickly(where did 2008 go by the way?). Mrs Wade said to me, 'Every time I see you you look older!' and I half-jokingly, half- pensively said 'It's because we are getting older Mrs Wade'. The sadness in this statement only struck me later.

For Timqth

There are many futile things in life. Western decadence. The poverty gap. Gossip magazines. Emo kids vs the world. Apathy in youth. Tight jeans and irony beyond anyone's comprehension...Teenagers in general...


However, there are few things in life more futile than celebrity crushes.


On the bottom is Katy Perry and on the top is Hayley Williams as I drew them out of Rolling Stone (Katy Perry is no celebrity crush of mine but it was a very nice photo to refer to). Katy's picture is hanging on Tim's wall and Hayley is hanging about in our minds quite a bit. Why? Because we are all infatuated with that which we cannot have. I dedicate this post to Timqth.

But as my friend Zoe pointed out, 'Does she know you exist?'...that cut real deep Zoe. Real deep.

I'll leave you to ponder on that yourself.


Got Coldplay tickets before a day trip to Sydney today. Had a picnic lunch in the Botanical Gardens. Hung out at Kinokuniya. It's been busy times enjoying the last of my Aussie summer before the Malaysian heat come next Thursday.

MER-MER-MER-MER-MERCURY

BLOC PARTY- Yet another concert review i wrote for my last.fm

Before I get into this little review I must say that admittedly I’m not a Bloc Party fanatic. While I thoroughly enjoy moving my feet to their unique brand of indie electro, I wouldn’t go totally out of my way to see them. On the other hand I am somewhat guilty of harbouring a Hayley Williams obsession, and if Omar and/or Cedric were to grace me with their presence I would be struck dumb for fear of breaking their mystique. Similarly could be said of Matt Bellamy and co.

After last night though, I was completely won over beyond my expectations.

I anticipated a night of great dancing and lights and yes, of course we got that. But there was so much more on offer from Kele and his ridiculously-young-looking group of musicians.

From interviews and other general knowledge from the music scene, I was expecting Bloc Party to be somewhat aloof and distant in their presentation. Their music is distinctively cold which is part of the allure for me- Silent Alarm in particular. However Kele’s genuine joy last night was infectious for me, and it proved to make the Hordern as intimate as it could be. The bare backdrop was a surprise but this brought the focus on the boys and their musicianship, which was more than proficient.

Similarly in interviews, it was apparent that it took some time for them to actually learn Intimacy live. Luckily for us they didn’t seem to make any major mistakes and the setlist did well to weave in and out of the visceral energy of Intimacy (Mercury and Ares anyone?), and the surprising beauty found in both City and Silent Alarm (Blue Light, Song For Clay, This Modern Love, Little Thoughts).

Discovering this live beauty was the real highlight for me last night. Like mentioned above, Bloc Party make distinctively impersonal music, which I guess could be derived from their electronic tendencies. However last night, their pure onstage honesty combined with Kele’s amiable charisma (“If we could only tour Australia over and over we would”) really opened my heart to their music. Not just my feet.

I started off towards the back amidst the people reluctant to move anything other than their toes and necks. Already separated from my friends due to an early toilet visit I had to fight my way to get a better view, and find more mobile company. I felt sorry for my 15 year-old sister who had trouble seeing anything the whole night…but heck so did my 21 year old friends with her. I eventually found a more excitable group of people and tried to get my dance on. This proved more difficult than anticipated due to the cramped area. And so I moved onwards.

When I found the guy in the Parkway Drive shirt I knew things were picking up. Apologies to anyone who did not enjoy this but a circle pit is a circle pit, albeit somewhat misplaced. For crying out loud I’ve been in a Little Birdy circle pit! I never start them. I just join in. And to be honest, you should too.

So this was all in good fun and by this time I had made quite a staggering progression towards the front. We all enjoyed doing Eating some Glass, a bit of Praying as well as Hunting For Witches. Positive Tension was an early hit (one of my faves) and Helicopter (I couldn’t help but think of all the Guitar Hero nerds around. Represent!) and Banquet were true crowd-pleasers. The inevitable encore was not a letdown with Flux and some other song with two drumkits of which I can’t remember because I am currently listening to excellent Taking Back Sunday B-Side Brooklyn. But I was quite impressed at this simple twist to the band dynamic. Who needs a bassist anyway? Haha. Matt Tong’s unwavering technicality continued to impress me the whole night. The lasers were a very welcome addition to the night too. What wasn't played was ultimately outbalanced by what was.

The second encore had This Modern Love finish the night quite nicely. Suitably sweaty I simply didn’t want the Party to end. Usually after a night like this I am wrecked, ready for my McChicken at Sylvania Macca’s, brush of teeth and bed. Au contraire, this particular night left me quite wired and begging for more. We pumped Bloc Party again in the car and only when we had neared Wollongong an hour later did we finally ‘come down’.

I was seriously considering buying another ticket for tonight’s show but dad wasn’t too impressed hehe. It’s sold out anyway and I guess with Coldplay being $140 it’s better that I not spend unnecessarily.

So thanks Bloc Party for an unforgettably enjoyable night and just being so darn friendly about it…well, thanks to Kele anyway. (:

My only regret is not bringing glow sticks.

Stupid Grin

‘Going into town’. This is all we ever do. The clubs and pubs call us out and we fill the void of our youth with their spirits. It makes me long for the days when a good night out meant hanging out at the beach with ice cream, maybe a guitar and a song or two. When someone’s house didn’t merely serve as a pre-drinks waterhole and quality conversation was the stimulant of the evening. Where the music makes your soul dance as well as your feet.

I long to sit and talk just for a bit. Talk about your hopes. Your dreams. Your BELIEFS. Where do you stand on the issue of abortion? What was the last CD you bought? How was your week? Did you like the last movie you saw? Where did you get those shoes? Where can a guy get a drink around here?...if conversation is an art then we are dada. We present meaningless nothings on the pretence of greatness and depth. Shallow like urinals.

We stumble through the awkward small talk, like toddlers unsure of how to stand on our two legs. All we can do is smile embarrassed as someone passes the bottle around.

But I speak too quickly and harshly. I enjoy a good night out as much as the next person and embrace the night without hesitation. Give me balloons and sparklers, champagne and cake, a voice as sore as my feet and feet as quick as my wit, clocks that never die, without reminder of how young we are and what little time we have left…these are but fragments of a quality night out. The moments we share in crisp vision and thought that stay with us for a lifetime.

I’m scared to admit it, but it does come to this:

My only regret is that after years of ‘hanging out’, I barely even know who you are.


Note: I wrote this in a slightly more cynical mood. Sometimes it just feels like even an entire lifetime is not enough to get to know a person.

Studying In The Library

Exams at uni are done. But it was a slow and painful process... We all like looking at pretty girls and drawing them is just as fun. I didn't even see this one's face but she had a nice dress on. She looked very stressed. I was studying for statistical mechanics PHYS385. I do believe I did ok in the exam, even though I missed out on some really simple questions I should've killed.

Sleeping At Heathrow

I drew this while we were sleeping at Heathrow airport in 2006 on transit to Dresden. We found some chairs and struggled for some shut-eye. I was wandering around at 3 in the a.m. There were men outside doing roadworks and I took some photos of the lights. The Chili Peppers may or may not have been playing on my ipod. The shops were closed and the place was virtually deserted. The CD shop had Black Holes & Revelations, Lily Allen and Keane on display behind bars. I took some tourist brochures as souvenirs. 'Welcome to Heathrow Airport' they read. They now sit under my desk, yellowing with the newspapers I brought back from Germany. Every story is about football.

On an unrelated note, I saw 2 girls with guitars yesterday. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. They both had the guitar over their right shoulder. Whether it was the same guitar or not, I'll never know. But it definitely was not the same girl.

With a voice...

I drew this while listening to chiodos for the first time- studying statistical mechanics at uni. The tables were all occupied by students prepping for exams. The boy and girl next to me were napping. A friend had dropped by and made me smile as always. I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a long time. We chatted about life and uni very briefly but it was nice. Admittedly I didn't recognise her at first, but this only lasted 1 minute or so. I studied for a solid 5 hours today...

So ask yourself, "with a voice that high, who needs girl's pants?"

This may or may not be the first post

Contrary to popular belief...


I don't know how to finish this sentence.



I've been meaning to make a blog all year but never got around to doing it. Nathan and his grand group of garcons was the final spurring on.