There Is No Kevin

2011-02-16T01:43:00.001+11:00

From now on you can probs find me here and here. It's going to be a local travelling blog of sorts. Hooray! n_n

2011-01-26T03:50:00.000+11:00

Just quietly...Joga Bonito Australian football ain't.

Paraless

2011-01-07T20:52:00.009+11:00

Let me tell you all a story.

There was once a young lad who travelled around the world quite a bit with his family. Whenever he was at an airport, he liked to purchase a magazine to read. One American winter, he bought a copy of Alternative Press. It was a time of musical discovery for this young lad, and little did he know that his life would be changed forever after that purchase.

There was an ad for a band with a cute frontwoman touring the States at the time. This band's name was Paramore and my literal thoughts at the time went something along the lines of 'oh. she's cute'. So i came home to Australia and downloaded the album All We Know Is Falling. At first, it was a little pop punk guilty pleasure, and it felt nice to have listen to a band that not many knew about way back in 2004. My sister's reaction was: 'He sounds like a girl'. How far we've come.

I like to gauge it this way. When i first started listening to Paramore, they had about 4,000,000 scrobbles on last.fm. Now they are fast approaching 100,000,000 and are arguably one of the biggest bands on the planet. I grew to love them like no other band i had listened to before. Radiohead engaged me intellectually, The Mars Volta, spiritually (lol) and Muse made me smile a lot, but I never really loved them like i did Paramore. It was a funny thing, but the kind of devotion Parawhores have for these people borders on idolatry. I hadn't quite gone that far, but I did order the $80 deluxe edition of Brand New Eyes, had it shipped to a friend in NZ and then posted over to me. Make of that what you wish.

As time went on, and as Riot! came out, the guilty pleasure soon blew out into complete and utter fanhood. When i found myself perusing their blogs and reading about the Farros trip to China, which sounded suspiciously like a 'mission trip' i was sold. Excellent music and (what appeared to be) excellent faith? I couldn't love them any more.

I went to their concert at the Roundhouse in 2007 (my sister's first concert ever) and fell in love even more with the undeniable charisma of the one and only Hayley Williams. I declared my undying allegiance to the band of Paramore.

The Final Riot came out, and the jam at the end of Let The Flames Begin further strengthened my love. In what was obviously a prayer of sorts, and their musical passion and dare i say, prowess, went straight to my heart. Further jams on youtube, Miracle outro and Brand New Eyes tour intro made me just amaze.

Ignorance was released as a single and i listened to it on repeat while in vacation in the States in 2009. Then Brand New Eyes dropped and I really lost it. The album was all killer, no filler, in the truest sense of the phrase.

I saw Paramore perform 3 times in 2009. Twice in February as part of Soundwave, and then again on their headlining tour with Relient K at the end of the year. And they did not fail to impress. As my friend Jen said, 'they are pretty much my favourite humans ever'. While Josh did seem a bit despondent in his performance, my sister assured me that's just how he plays. And no one suspected a thing.

And then come December, and the bombshells were dropped.

What I learned from it all, is that bottom line, the music industry simply can't be trusted. We are manipulated and our thoughts are shaped to no end. Essentially, we are directly lied to our faces without apology and without remorse. Fans of Paramore love the band as a whole, and acknowledge that Hayley gets a lot of the attention, but it was definitely something more than 'the coattails of hayley's dream'. However, it would appear that there was no 'whole' to the band to even begin with. A tragic end for many, as people's worlds were essentially shattered (hyperbole alert!) beyond repair. I can't even listen to Paramore in the same way any more.

Boo, you whore.

Anyway, this pretty much sums it up for me.

Time to move on to bigger and better things methinks.

/end story.

Two Thousand Ten- a snippet.

2011-01-06T00:36:00.005+11:00

Another year passes. What have I learned?

You can't trust the music industry. Paramore? I can't even listen to them any more. How far and hard the mighty fall. Just scroll down a few posts and you can see that i really, really adored that band. I haven't quite pulled down the posters yet, and I will probably listen to them again eventually, but it will never ever be the same.

Social networking isn't quite the end of humanity as we know it, but i feel so much better now that i have opted out of the whole facebook thing.

Ke$ha and Lady Gaga also don't spell the doom of humanity, but they come dangerously close. Tik Tok is a damn good song, and i can't help but respect the Gaga as a fully committed artist, but i also can't help but worry at least a little bit whenever i see a film clip or flick through a youth grouper's ipod.

Hipster bashing is way way passé. Having said that though, i just can't connect with a lot of the 'hip' pitchfork and laneway bands out there. At least, I can't connect with them in the same way i connect with Underoath or A Day To Remember. Local Natives and Foals though? They are ace. Give me more of that stuff!

Why do they keep making crap movies? The Tourist, Little Fockers, Grown Ups, Marmaduke, The Bounty Hunter, Knight and Day, Killers, Love and Other Drugs........the list is seemingly endless! It's almost enough to negate my faith in humanity that i experienced with Inception and Toy Story 3.

Tumblr is the best thing ever.

Just a few thoughts.
More will follow.

n_n

Currently:

2010-12-16T12:21:00.002+11:00

Ennui [änˈwē]-

noun;

a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

Relevant.

Citizen of the Sea

2010-05-07T22:43:00.005+10:00

The band in which we play music and sometimes go for late night macca's because it is tasty. The demo tracks are rough but will do for now.

Exciting times!

http://www.myspace.com/citizenofthesea

(more demo tracks to come soon!)

Photos by Lisa McG

In Exile

2010-04-14T22:57:00.003+10:00

1 Peter 1 says we are the elect exiles according to the foreknowledge of God. This song- amazing. I've posted it before, but today i was reminded of it and loved it even more.

I am in exile, a sojourner
A citizen of some other place
All I've seen is just a glimmer in a shadowy mirror
But I know, one day well see face to face

I am a nomad, a wanderer
I have nowhere to lay my head down
There's no point in putting roots too deep when I'm moving on
Not settling for this unsettling town

My heart is filled with songs of forever
The city that endures when all is made new
I know I don't belong here, I'll never
Call this place my home, I'm just passing through

I am a pilgrim, a voyager
I wont rest until my lips touch the shore
Of the land that I've been longing for as long as I've lived
Where they'll be no pain or tears anymore

My heart is filled with songs of forever
The city that endures when all is made new
I know I don't belong here, I'll never
Call this place my home, I'm just passing through

Paramore- Miracle Outro

2010-04-06T19:34:00.002+10:00

Miracle has one of my favourite paramore lyrics in it:
"It's not faith if, if you use your eyes"

This live outro is a prayer if ever i heard one.

I asked for love
I asked for mercy
I asked you for sunshine
but I thank you for the hard rain
oh I thank you for the rain.

I asked for love
oh, you are already all of these things.

If I knew what I needed
If I knew what was good for me
I'd, I'd be down on my knees begging
Please please please
let your light shine bright inside of me
shine inside of me.

2010-02-12T12:31:00.008+11:00

As i was reading articles for uni today, i noticed that Alice in Wonderland
was peeking through the windows at me. It was a nice serendipitous moment.

And now i'm going to Chicko's for lunch. Yeew!

2010-02-12T00:19:00.002+11:00

so for now, i haven't blogged in a while. I have been too busy looking at pictures of things on tumblr. Can't think of anything to blog about at the moment. But i feel something brewing soon.

Meanwhile, check out what exciting things i have tumbled across these past few weeks at the house of kloo.

SOUNDWAVE in less than 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today i mowed the lawn and it took about 2 hours because the grass was so long and the catcher kept falling off. I also ran out of petrol halfway and had to get some from a friendly neighbour named Tom Riley! :)

first post in a long time.

2010-01-27T15:32:00.002+11:00

While listening to Triple J's Hottest 100 yesterday, I realised how out of touch I was with what the hip kids are listening to these days. 2009 was the year I really got into the punk side of life(Soundwave, Warped Tour, Thrice, Paramore...) and as a consequence I felt little to no connection with the music yesterday. I'm no Nick Underhill. lolz.

Thank goodness for Mumford & Sons.

:)

2010-01-01T22:32:00.000+11:00

Another restropective- My top 50 artists of 2009 according to last.fm were:

Paramore, Underoath, Thrice, Taking Back Sunday, Coldplay, Radiohead, Muse, Chiodos, Meg & Dia, Noah and the Whale, Eisley, Enter Shikari, Between the Buried and Me, Lisa Mitchell, Billy Talent, A Day to Remember, Brooke Fraser, Brand New, Feist, Elliott, Motion City Soundtrack, Jeff Buckley, Alexisonfire, Minus the Bear, Karnivool, Mogwai, The Devil Wears Prada, Bring Me the Horizon, Anberlin, Mew, Protest the Hero, Fall Out Boy, Jon Foreman, Jimmy Eat World, The Matches, The Beatles, My Chemical Romance, Emery, Rise Against, Gyroscope, Howling Bells, Arcade Fire, Jack's Mannequin, Bon Iver, The Frames, The Butterfly Effect, DJ Shadow, Mumford & Sons, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Girl Talk.

Two Thousand Ten

2010-01-01T21:41:00.004+11:00

The end of the decade. When we enter out twenties, we have the benefit of actually being mentally capable of looking back and enjoying our memories- all the joys and regrets and all the ups and downs. It's very different from turning 10, and very different from turning 30. It's kind of the point where we can be thankful for all that's passed, yet entirely excited for the next decade to come, which in reality is very very difficult to predict. Once we turn 30, i assume life is pretty much set by then. Haha.

Anyway, here's a list of every movie I watched this year. Ever. This list covers 12 months, 4 countries, a few plane trips, a few Imax trips, and several anime nights. I started out the list by writing a small blurb about each movie I watched, for personal reasons, but I won't go into detail here. Some quality cinema in 2009, but here's to 2010- the year of the DEATHLY HALLOWS!!!!

Kung Fu Panda
Pursuit of Happiness
CJ7
Ip Man
Death Race
Vicky, Christina, Barcelona,
How To Lose Friends and Alienate People
Wristcutters
W
Brave Story
Valkyrie
Bolt
Bedtime Stories
War, Inc
Dark Knight (IMAX)
Heat
Zak + Miri Make A Porno
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Watchhmen

Princess Mononoke
Yes Man
Snatch
Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Afro Samurai
A Bug's Life
Changeling
Prince Of Egypt
Dragonball Evolution
Metallica Some Kind Of Monster
Seven
Boy In The Striped Pyjamas
Rain Man
Tokyo Drift
Wolverine
Akira
Howl's Moving Castle
Spirited Away
The Magnificent Seven
Love Actually
The Blues Brothers
Star Trek
Transformers 2
Monsters VS Aliens
Push
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Watchmen
American Teen
RocknRolla
Burn After Reading
Harry Potter 6
Adventureland
Race To Witch Mountain
The Wrestler
Taken
Defiance
Coraline
10 Things I Hate About You
Dave Chapelle's Block Party
Harry Potter 6
Inglourious Basterds
Afro Samurai: Resurrection
Mysterious Skin
A Mighty Heart
500 Days Of Summer
GI Joe
Star Trek
Stop Loss
Up
The Ugly Truth
Terminator Salvation
Red Cliff
The Usual Suspects
Whip It
District 9
The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Inglourious Basterds
Gran Torino
Stardust
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Slumdog Millionaire
2012
Elizabethtown
My Neighbour Totoro
Paranormal Activity
Clueless
Mean Girls
Ponyo
Jesus Camp
This Is England
Avatar (IMAX)
Avatar (3D)

http://www.houseofkloo.blogspot.com
http://www.houseofkloo.tumblr.com

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T00:49:00.003+11:00

Japan is an amazing country. I was a big fan before even visiting it and I am an even bigger fan after it. It has been just over two weeks since we got back but still the memories of ramen, quiet trains and trendy trendy japanese youngsters remains fresh. However, right now i'm in melbourne and i have no particular desire to write about our Japan travels until a later time...perhaps when i finally upload the rest of those photos. My hesitation in uploading has been due to my thoughts of disconnecting a little, but due to popular demand and my many international connections the online activity continues. For now anyway.

Merry Christmas all. Remember Jesus Christ, the reason for the season.

And happy boxing day. Remember capitalism, the reason for this other season. lol.

I spent the whole day shopping something massive in Melbourne city, but i only spent $2 on a DVD. I just don't need any more clothes or shoes! I do enjoy Melbourne though. From my limited experience of the city, i would say it may even outshine our own premier city Sydney.

Listening to Arcade Fire at 12:56am. I gotta get up in 7 hours for church. Hanging out with great company in Melbourne.

Cheerio!
kevman

http://www.houseofkloo.blogspot.com

2009-12-11T11:19:00.002+11:00

Courtesy of timqth, I have made my own little tumblr. Click here for some pretty pictures in aesthetically appealing html presentation for your viewing pleasure!

I owe Tse Lynn a Japan blog perhaps?

Going through 3000 photos takes time unfortunately...bleagh.

http://www.houseofkloo.blogspot.com

Radiohead ftw

2009-11-08T00:08:00.005+11:00

So i finished my radiohead binge last week. And it did not leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I learned several things from this little experiment:

I did not really tire of it. In fact i was strongly considering continuing on radiohead for the rest OF MY LIFE. but then i realised that i sorely missed my dear hayley. As talented as mr yorke is, sometimes i just a good ol' punk song to kick out the jams. As much as man does not live on bread alone, so too does he not live on one band alone.
It did not substantially alter my outlook on life. I did feel a little more negative about things, but this can be attributed to the 2 exams i have looking over my head like a cloud of bad dreams. (last exams EVER!). What it did change was my capacity and willingness to think a bit more about the bigger picture of existence and life. It drew out a dormant cynicism i have for much of life in ways i was not expecting, most in particular was the quote from last week i found from Steven Soderbergh about movies and how much i resonated with it. One could say that i was climbing up the walls a bit with it...I've wanted to read more than i ever have before, and i don't know if this is a side effect of radiohead in my head, or just my normal urge being enhanced, but the urge is there!
If you ever want to engage a bit more with your darker side, listen to radiohead for a week. Not Nine Inch Nails, that's a bit too dark. And not My Chemical Romance, that's a bit too emo. Radiohead is where it's at.
Radiohead is a genius name for a band.
Kid A is excellent and underrated.
I learned that 2+2=5 and that the ice age is indeed coming sooner than we expected.
I learned that 4th year medical and radiation physics is a bit too easy. But actually, I already knew that.

In conclusion, the qualitative nature of this experiment meant that any error encountered in data collection is negligible. Radiohead are a band with an extensive and varied back catalogue and can be used as a way to enhance one's mental capacity and ability to engage with intellectual materials (such as the study of physics and/or metaphysics). However, this may be done at the expense of one's ability to engage meaningfully and pleasantly with the outside world. It is recommended based on my findings that while it may be useful to listen to only one artist for a period of time, it is potentially unhealthy to extend this beyond any period outside of a week or a possibly fortnight without lasting side effects.

lol

*******************

This week, i listened to a lot of jeff buckley. Then i watched michael jackson's this is it. Tortured geniuses both too good for this earth. I have this theory (possibly heretical) that maybe every now and then, God sends down a soul too pure just to live out that the old adage the brightest candle burns out the fastest.

it's late and i like blogging when it's late. bahahahahaha.

2009-11-01T22:47:00.003+11:00

I don't write songs for Sony.
I write songs for the people screaming
down the road in their car,
crying with the radio on full blast.

Jeff Buckley's diary. During the post-Grace period when he was experiencing pressure from his record company to write a 'couple of hits' for his second album My Sweetheart The Drunk. I watched his Grace Around the World DVD today and was reminded of how amazing and pure the man was as a musician and an artist. It's a real shame, even an injustice that he isn't as big in his own country as he is here in Australia or Europe. The bigger shame is that he died so young and so needlessly.

Do yourself a favour and listen to Jeff Buckley. Like NOW.

We watch all these movies and what do we have to show for it?

2009-10-30T22:21:00.004+11:00

I read an interview with director Steven Soderbergh- the director of the Ocean's movies, and sex, lies and videotape (the rare breed to tread safely between commercial success and indie acclaim). And he had something remarkable to say:

...I'm not saying movies aren't influential; I just don't think they're important any more. There was a time when they were important culturally [and] I think they're as influential as ever, if not more, but that's not the same thing.

...It's not specific to films. I feel that way about all art right now. I'm not convinced it does anything any more. I look at what's happening in the world today, and I don't know how many stories about ourselves we need to tell before people stop killing each other. If the works of Shakespeare can't stop the Holocaust, then what is it worth? I'm being serious.

What good has it done us to read all of these great plays about all of these incidents and go, "Oh my God, what a tragedy that this person behaved that way", and there's no translation to what is happening around us. It's just the same thing over and over.

How's that for 21st century cynicism? We pump billions of dollars into the film industry, and spend countless hours being 'entertained'...and what do we really have to show for it? If we don't learn anything from it, whether it be an intellectual lesson, an emotional lesson, a political or social lesson, then there is something seriously wrong with the film culture we live in.

But then again, I LOVE Transformers. So what does that mean?

Just something to think about i guess.

As a post-script....i love Radiohead.

http://www.houseofkloo.blogspot.com

Jigsaw Pieces Falling Into Place

2009-10-28T14:56:00.003+11:00

On day 3 of 5 of my Radiohead journey, I have found some interesting results.

The first thing i noticed when limiting myself to one artist for a week is that i listen to a lot of music. Over monday and tuesday alone, I had already listened to Kid A 3 times, The Bends once, OK Computer at least 1.5 times, Hail To The Thief twice and Pablo Honey once. In Rainbows featured twice at least and even now it is pumping through my brain. So I had virtually exhausted my Radiohead collection multiple times over within a period of less than 48 hours. I don't have Amnesiac or other live recordings...but i think I should...

As i looked back on the past two days, i realised the vast amount of time i spend with earbuds playing music directly to my brain. And for that matter, how much time we all spend with our personal music players in some sort of symbiotic relationship that effectively creates the cone of silence between us and the outside world. We sit at our computers and look at windows for hours at a day without so much as a hello or a smile to those sitting less than a metre away.

Never before have we been so connected, and never before have we been so disconnected.

Just an interesting thought i had.

I guess that's what Radiohead does to you. It makes you think a little bit.

Have i noticed any difference in life from listening to nothing but Radiohead? Nothing too noticeably different. Probably just made me think about things i already had going on in my head. The past two days have been wet and dreary, which fit quite nicely actually...but it'll be interesting to see how Radiohead will relate to this incoming hot weather in the next few days.

Fake Plastic Trees

2009-10-26T13:04:00.005+11:00

The gimmick of the week is this: I officially declare this week Radiohead Week whereby I will perform a little social experiment and listen to nothing but Radiohead until Friday! The aim is to observe what effect this has on one's outlook on life and whether there is any quantifiable correlation between quality of said life and the amount of Thom Yorke in one's ears/mind/soul. The hypothesis is that it will be something of a challenging emotional journey, with the worst result being that I inexplicably start reading Stephanie Meyer novels.

Stay tuned for the final results, discussion and conclusions! (Scientific credibility of my findings up for debate).

Or maybe it's just because I've finished and handed in my thesis, and i just needed another experiment to fill in the time.

In Exile

2009-10-19T23:24:00.003+11:00

I am in exile, a sojourner
A citizen of some other place
All I've seen is just a glimmer in a shadowy mirror
But I know, one day we'll see face to face

I am a nomad, a wanderer
I have nowhere to lay my head down
There's no point in putting roots too deep when I'm moving on
Not settling for this unsettling town

My heart is filled with songs of forever
The city that endures when all is made new
I know I don't belong here, I'll never
Call this place my home, I'm just passing through

I am a pilgrim, a voyager
I wont rest until my lips touch the shore
Of the land that I've been longing for as long as I've lived
Where they'll be no penalties anymore

beautiful words. It's also a beautiful song. So simple and elegant. The whole album is so rich in lyrical depth that I'm surprised they aren't as big as they should be. 10 points to whoever figures it out without googling it.

And for all you facebook kiddies out there, these posts are all found at my blog fyi.
http://www.houseofkloo.blogspot.com

Good night...and good luck.

Last. Lecture. Ever.

2009-10-16T00:40:00.006+11:00

As a physicist, it's in my blood to love graphs and data processing/presentation in any form. Today we calculated that we spend on average 13,000 hours in class at school over 13 years, and about 2080 hours in uni class time over 4 years. Total class time was therefore 15,080 hours- approximately 620 days, or 1.5 years straight of education. Not much really, when you think about it...i asked, what have i been doing the rest of my life??

This is not counting time spent in study or lunch breaks or those all-important extra-curricular activities. It also does not account for any time we spent not going to class, or procrastinating on facebook. I think we can safely double the hours if we count study time etc. We did this mainly because we realised that we were about to have our last hour of official class lectures EVER at St George Hospital this evening. It was a moment to remember. A bittersweet moment in life as we passed another milestone along the proverbial road of life. Kind of like turning 20 i guess.

Anyway, i thought of that just then because i made a graph of my music tastes. It's late and i don't know why i'm still online. I ate a LOT of food tonight at Sizzler, and so i just don't feel healthy lying down with such a full stomach...

Enjoy the data!

Fig.1 Pie chart- global distribution of my music listening habits

Fig.2 Data breakdown including 'others' as in Fig.1

Table 1. Evidence that i just have too much time on my hands late at night. This is what happens when you write an honours thesisin physics. you start nerding out on everything in life.

brand new eyes

2009-10-12T16:10:00.003+11:00

The new Paramore album is good.

But it needs more breakdowns!

Oi Paramore...DISRESPECT YOUR SURROUNDINGS!!

2009-10-01T23:57:00.003+10:00

Life is like a poorly chosen analogy.

At first you think you understand it, but then you just get a little confused. It takes a second before you realise the absurdity behind the analogy. Then you get angry at the guy who told you the analogy in the first place. Then you punch him in the face and leave.

So next time someone pulls out a poor analogy on you, make sure he doesn't do it again.

2009-09-26T12:18:00.003+10:00

Call me elitist if you want, but it just kind of annoys me when things i used to like get way too popular. Trends of recent:

Poladroid
Muse
Bubble Tea
Skating
Black and white photo print shirts

Doesn't mean i don't love them still, but it just makes me cringe a little. What trends have you seen become too popular for your own liking? I know you know what i'm talking about.

That is all.

Sometimes I make excel spreadsheets for fun

2009-09-18T23:17:00.007+10:00

When did we become so photo-obsessed? The proliferation of digital compact cameras in modern life clogs the information superhighways with debris and throwaway shots of faces and arms extended in an attempt to capture the our faces in the moment [it has become something of a gross information overload]. Dark nightclub, early bushwalk, on the beach, chilling with your girl/boy, travelling the sights of europe, at the cafe with mates, playing wii, sitting at home doing absolutely nothing..........take a photo. Post it. Tag it. Comment it. Forget all about it.

I write this just because i am backing up all the photos on my hard drive so i can delete some and make some space. In the years of 2006 and prior we had 6000 photos on our computer. This past US trip in 5 weeks, we had 7000 photos ALONE. Between the years of 2007 and 2009, we have about 17,000 photos now. You know what? I'm going to make a graph...

*45 minutes later*

According to this trend, I will take approximately 24,276 photos next year. This equates to approximately 1TB of hard disc space. (That's 1000GB). Now this is actually not unreasonable, as there are a large number of important 21sts coming up...in fact, i consider this something of a challenge! 24,000 photos in one year? too easy. But let's look even further in the future!

If i get married by age, let's say 25 (wishful thinking perhaps? hahahahaha), in the year 2014, there should be about 770,219 photos in that year, which equates to 3.08TB of memory............stop and ask yourself, how much computer memory does it take to hold a man's life?

********************

The point of all this, is that i'm just backing up photos from my iphoto library all the way back from 2007...and frankly i am astonished at how many photos there are!!! So i made a spreadsheet to pass the time while burning the DVD backups. (It's gonna take 10 DVDs or so to do it...)...I don't usually make spreadsheets for fun.......unless they're about quantum wave mechanics!!!!!

The real burning question i have is what on earth are we supposed to do with all these photos? It's not like our parents' photos, which they keep in little plastic baggies hidden away behind the towels and linen. One day we are cleaning the house and we stumble upon these precious sepia memories and we laugh at the fashion and the hair. We handle the photos with care, lest the silver halide come off on our fingers or our fingerprints blemish our grandparents' immaculate wedding scene skin. We respect and cherish the past, because it is precious in its scarcity.

Maybe 50 years from now, when our kids are cleaning our houses, they will stumble upon our old facebook pages, or our old hard drives and look back with that fondness of nostalgia we seem to treasure so dearly...they will look at our awkwardly posed faces and camwhoring and be in awe of a world so foreign to their own.

somehow i don't think this is likely.

2009-09-02T23:30:00.000+10:00

"death by your faith is the white noise of the world"

- Jeff buckley. Eternal Life.

Videos Of Me Eating Things

2009-08-27T23:17:00.002+10:00

We took a camcorder to the US. I took a lot of footage, of which i'm not entirely sure what i am to do with. So why not make some slightly entertaining youtube videos? The song is Stevie by Lisa Mitchell. I like the beat.

I also really like american food. Peanut butter oreos are amazing. and the burgers are actually exciting! we ate a lot of burgers.

back in the gong.

2009-08-23T23:48:00.005+10:00

It's been a week since we were in the land of the free/home of the brave and for the most part it's been good. I did miss a lot of uni, so there is some catching up to do there- most of which has already been covered in a few days...does this speak to the quality of the honours year in my particular area of degree?...probably haha.

However, the more important thing has been catching up with friends and the wollongong mode of life.

While it always seems like nothing ever changes when you return from a long holiday, you do return with brand new eyes (paramore @ soundwave!!) and things do take on something of a new light. People's faces look that little bit friendlier, the sky looks a little bluer, and even uni work seems less of a drag with each passing day (well, kind of...). This is simply another example of cliched proverbs finding perfect application in real life- that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.

Our final days in the US were spent wandering the streets of New York, missing a connecting flight in LA, and gaining a bonus day in LA which we spent at a beach and an airport. As I have shared with some people already, we spent so long in New York we almost felt like it was our 2nd temporary home, so by the end of it we were sick of tourist things and were basically walking miles and miles between meals.

I wanted to go to a hip hop dance class- drop-in at 10:30 for $18- at a pretty well-known dance centre courtesy recommended by a friend (thanks Laura!) buuuuuuut unfortunately by the time my family got ready and we left the hotel it was too late. We had no plan that day. We decided to walk south a couple of miles towards chinatown for lunch and figure it out from there. I saw some people lining up for MTV show It's On With Alexa Chung. Taking Back Sunday were playing the Monday after we lef the US, but i didn't know that at the time. I asked the girl in line: "what are you lining up for?", "It's On With Alexa Chung" sounded like "Race On With Electrons Song"or something..."Uh, ok".

The day consisted mostly of walking through the heat and doing some last minute lower east side shopping.

Chinatown lunch was awesome- great malaysian place called Nyonya. Funny how we had to travel all the way to New York to find great authentic malaysian food. That night, Sara and i did manage to attend a Blue Man Group performance off-Broadway in an intimate venue called the Astor Theatre- the original home of Blue Man Group. It was beautifully unique, entertaining and even poignant at moments- it blew me away. Definitely something to take the family to. Or judging by the couple making out in front of me, a prospective spouse. We had late night pizza afterwards.

I miss late night pizza.

Heck, i miss late night anything. Wollongong is so dead past 9:30. And no, wollongongnightlife.com.au does NOT count.

*****************

Looking back on our time in the US, i see many things i loved. Enough to make me realise that life in Australia is sorely lacking in many departments. But there's always a flipside to the coin, and there are things lacking in America that only Australia has. Spending a week in LA, DC, and Boston at a time allowed us to really adapt to the local environment and holidaying as the Loos do, we managed to see a lot of things not included on any tour package.

There are many little things i miss in the US already. For example:

the vast variety of fast foods and restaurant chains. Its bountiful glory and financial ease is countered by none. Carl's Jr., Sbarro, Panda Express, Wendy's, Jack In A Box, In 'N Out Burger, Denny's, IHOP, Johnny Rocket's...if you know me, you know i like food. Just writing this is making me hungry.
shopping is so cheap and the shops are great. But little less could be expected from the birthplace of capitalism.
Frozen yogurt shops. Yum.
DISNEYLAND!

As well as these, there were many things that impressed me on a deeper level as well.

Being azn in America vs being azn in Australia. very very interesting topic. I think i will save this for another post in the future.
The sense of national identity and patriotism is much more than a 'sense'. It's a way of life. Politics is simply so much more engaging there.
The Christian experience is also very different and intriguing in the US when compared with here.
DISNEYLAND!

Obviously, the trip has given me a lot to think about. Still mulling them through my head. And will be for a while i think!

In the meantime, i soothe the drudgery of everyday life with quality hang outs with quality people and the smooth smooth taste of bubble tea.

(:

2009-08-10T15:39:00.002+10:00

Our US adventure draws to a close. My posts are getting short because...i don't know why. Sometimes these things just happen.

Today we watched Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors in the Boston Commons (a park in the middle of the city). It made me laugh. We ate a lot of dim sum for lunch. A ridiculously pretty girl served me frozen yogurt with strawberries, mochi and Cap'n Crunch (on her recommendation) after dinner.

It is 1:36am and mum is folding the laundry that just came out of the dryer and I am listening to Thrice- Of Dust And Nations. I was such a doon for not realising they weren't playing my Warped date. (-.-"). Mum just hit me telling me to go to sleep.

Tomorrow we catch a bus back to new york for 2 more days, and then we fly back. Awww. Life in the US is tre bien. But it will be good to be back home in my own bed after a month or so of living out of a suitcase.

Cheerio

2009-08-06T07:06:00.000+10:00

Fyi, I'm in Boston Massachusetts right now! I spend a lot of time in bookstores and pretending I go to Harvard.

That is all.

Trike in the park

2009-07-29T13:44:00.004+10:00

I spied a colourful plastic kid's trike out the back of Michelle's apartment last Wednesday when we arrived in Washington DC (actually Arlington, VA). It was sitting neglected and forlorn on the grass. A week later, it had been inconspicuously moved to the side of the garbage bins. I decided to take it for a ride because the swimming pool was closed. I spun the pedals with some difficulty, and found the smallest of raised concrete an uphill battle. But when i was cycling around the path at a speed able to instill awe into any 3 year old who happened to be watching my comical gangly appearance, i was outside myself for a few minutes. Disembodied in the purity of the moment.

When i completed my circuit, a van pulled up in the parking lot adjacent. A young lady and two children clambered out. The youngest boy had a balloon pegged to his shirt at the back. I forget what was on the balloon, but it was a foil balloon and had red edges. He saw the trike and stumbled towards us as his older sister and brother went to their apartment. As he came towards us, he displayed a curious habit. He waved hello and stopped. Waved hello and stopped. Waved hello and stopped, until he finally reached his objective. We of course obliged and waved back as often as we were greeted.

The wonderment of a child's glee was not lost on us.

He stole the trike away from us and pushed it backwards to hide behind a tree near his house as dad, sara and i walked back to michelle's apartment. As we departed, the young boy waved goodbye to us for a long time. And as i walked away i thought i'd play along...so i waved goodbye and stopped. Waved goodbye and stopped.

We all waved goodbye...

I'm guessing the trike belonged to the young korean boy who lives across the grass.

2009-07-26T13:59:00.002+10:00

Today we helped bolster the flailing American economy by spending 8 hours in an outlet mall from 2:30 to 9:30. I surprised myself by actually enjoying the experience.

I high-fived a guy working in a shoe shop because I was wearing my Muse shirt. He had studs in his cheeks.

That is all.

Proof that i actually am overseas

2009-07-20T14:27:00.005+10:00

I spent the day at Warped Tour. It's quite different to festivals we have in aussie- with heaps of free stuff, cheap merch and opportunities to meet and greet. I met Underoath, Wade from Alexisonfire, almost met meg and dia (but sara opted to go watch underoath instead- i was keen for some hot korean-american indie chick signing action cos i have seen underoath like 4 times before), and Versa Emerge (very cool bunch of people).

But that;s not what this post is about. Here's a photo. One out of about 900 or so photos so far on this trip. Warped was a tiring experience especially considering that we landed in NYC at 5:45 in the am, and accounting for the time difference between east and west coast. sooooooo i put up only one photo.

Have a photo from a day that is definitely going to be difficult to top.

Disneyland baby. I want to go back there. and/or California Adventure Park across the road. (:

I <3 LA

2009-07-18T16:39:00.003+10:00

This week has lasted so long! It's been great. I can't believe i still have another 3 and a half weeks here. I'd be happy and satisfied even if i went home after LA, let alone New York, Boston and DC etc.

We spent Wednesday to Thursday in Vegas. A 4.5 hour drive through the desert heat...As an example of how the Loos holiday quite fluidly, we planned to leave at 5 in the morning, but we got home from Disneyland at about 1am the night before (Disneyland btw was friggin' awesome- anthony your photo challenge was met, but only on space mountain. I had way too much fun there). We woke up at like 11:30 and ended up leaving for Vegas at 2:30pm.

Vegas was HOT HOT HOT. In faranheit it was 108, which translates to 42 celsius in the day. The night wasn't much cooler to be honest. We walked around til 3am, then slept til 12. It was interesting visiting Las Vegas straight after Disneyland. Like one theme park to another- of course the former is a theme park for adults. City of sin! Haha. But in the end, once you've seen one casino, you've seen them all.

Anyway, it's good to be back in LA. Rented some bikes on Venice beach and rode for 40 minutes when all of a sudden we realised we were at Santa Monica beach, the same spot from 4 days previous! It was a beautiful cool beach day and the Venice beachside is very hip and happening.

Food in the US is very cheap. And we watched Harry Potter today (which was also friggin' awesome) at the matinee screening for $6. There's very little i'm not liking about it here.

(:

We leave tomorrow night for NY at 9pm. Arrive there at 5:45 am local time (2:45am LA time), then we drive to New Jersey about an hour away for Warped Tour on Sunday. Sara's been sick (we've kind of passed the flu/cough around the house) so hopefully she won't die or anything from a combination of lack of sleep and music and heat on the day.

Day 1 and/or 2

2009-07-12T18:04:00.003+10:00

It's 1:18am.

All you need to really know is that i'm in California- a city (town?) called Diamond Bar about 45 minutes to 1 hour from downtown LA. We're staying with old family friends (mum's old college mate) and it's been good. Can't say i feel too jetlagged- although i did wake up at 7:20 this morning.

It's really sunny and hot over here. Hit up the Getty art centre and then Santa Monica beach today. It's been fascinating having a local's side to things. Life here seems similar at first but oh-so different upon closer scrutiny. Mostly in the way that LA fuctions as multiracial city. Quite eye-opening.

Even though this is only our first day, it feels like we've been here for a week, because...i don't know why. The familiarity with our lovely hosts perhaps?

In short, we're here for a week. I think we're planning either a Vegas or a San Fran trip in the middle of the week. We're not too sure yet. Which do you prefer- 4hour or 7hour drive? That's the real dilemma. haha. Keep in mind i'm not 21 yet, and it's a family vacation so Vegas just has some nice buildings and shiny lights as far as we can tell...?

I managed to watch 6 movies on the plane. EPIC! They were all of good quality except Monsters Vs Aliens, which wasn't as funny or clever as i thought it'd be. Then there was Push, American Teen, RocknRolla, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Burn After Reading. My eyes were quite red afterwards.

It is now 1:24am. As far as you can tell, all you probably care to know is that i'm in LA.

Cheerio
kevman

Yes, it's a post about Michael Jackson

2009-07-08T23:47:00.006+10:00

This is a special post because i am writing from downstairs and not the usual office. I'm sitting in front of the TV watching Entertainment Tonight's recap of Michael Jackson's memorial service. I have a confession to make- i just watched 4 hours of Michael Jackson on tv (nearly 5) and I enjoyed every minute of it.

It may surprise you that Michael Jackson is actually quite a significant part of my childhood. Locked away in my subconscious are the beats, the moves and the lyrics of many a Jackson song. It was only while watching tonight's memorial service that i remembered the connection i had with him (Moonwalker was a childhood favourite, and we had a lot of music videos and concerts on VHS). I've recently admitted that despite the indie and metalcore tendencies i have today, i confusingly felt that i can be a hip hop kid at heart, and tonight I finally understood where this comes from- it traced back to Michael Jackson!

Even if you're sick of hearing about it, you can't admit that his memorial service wasn't moving- especially when his daughter took the mic and broke down...that is something i won't be forgetting in a while. There were some great words spoken, both emphatically and softly and i was glad i got to witness it. Last night, i stayed up until 2am waiting for the live online broadcast but i gave up with an hour to go...it was too friggin' cold! But i know that if i had stayed up, i wouldn't've been dissatisfied with it.

After the memorial tonight, there was a concert on TV, which i swear we had on VHS so i watched Michael Jackson Live in Bucharest. It was one of those experiences of finding an old childhood relic that triggers all the memory and cloudiness of nostalgia. It's the little things i recognised- the glass coffin in the Thriller set, the 'super lean' in Smooth Criminal, the shouts of' 'woo' and 'ah hee hee'...things i had long since forgotten. It was nice to say the least. And with my older, wiser eyes and ears, i appreciated it a little bit more. especially the finale, when he randomly puts on a jumpsuit and helmet, gets a jetpack and flies offstage...bizarre! And the crowd loved it!

Entertainment Tonight just finished, and now the television is off. The house is quiet as my whole family is sleeping. I haven't been out much since i have been sick and only now just feeling healthy. Today i ate a lot. Tomorrow is a mystery. The day after tomorrow, we fly off to America and we won't be back until mid-august. i don't really know what to do with myself over there. My mind isn't on that straight these days.

But it'll be good to get away from it all just for a little bit.

I will close with the wise and inspiring words of Michael Jackson- "Shamon girl!"

I got da flu

2009-07-06T17:20:00.001+10:00

I got da flu.

America should fix that.

That's it.

PHYS452- Medical Imaging

2009-06-19T11:28:00.006+10:00

The worst part of only having one exam that is the easiest subject i've ever done is that it is not for another 5 days and I can't shirk it off! It's like a bad dream hanging over me and I know it should be a pretty easy exam, but I can't shake off the feeling i should be studying more in the offchance that it is a difficult exam! I think it's mostly because it was such an easy subject that if i did badly the final i will just drop out of uni in shame. Or as in BM, it will be very malu...

In the meantime, Thrice are really really good. Was watching their House Of Blues dvd last night and i love the depth of their sound even though they are only a 4-piece. Their balance between light and dark, heavy and pretty music is quite exceptional. Super excited for VANS WARPED TOUR ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha (July 19th, New Jersey). Bought tickets the other week and they're so cheap compared to our international line-ups...which makes sense since america is where they're from actually.

Others i'm looking forward to are:

Alexisonfire
Underoath
Chiodos
A Day To Remember
The Devil Wears Prada
A Skylit Drive
Anti-Flag
Meg and Dia (chiiiiiiicks!)
Gallows
Dance Gavin Dance
Flogging Molly
VersaEmerge etc etc (admittedly i've seen most of these before...but not on Warped!)

I'm hoping to flaunt my aussie accent and gain backstage access to the whole show. Should be fairly successful i think! "Hi i've travelled 156 hours from Wollongong to get here. Love me!"

I am currently listening to Taking Back Sunday who are not playing Warped tour, but are also very very good! gotta get the new album sooooooooon. I am also learning to love Dillinger Escape Plan. These get me through the drudgery of exam periods...

hmm...

It's cold when it's dark

2009-06-16T22:57:00.003+10:00

It's been a while between posts. Have I been super busy recently? Yes. And it's not like there haven't been many things to write about. In fact, it's probably the opposite. There have been too many things to write about that it's like cramming a storm in a teacup- the storm being life, and the teacup being my propensity to deal with it.

So we're past the halfway point of 2009, and it's all downhill from here. It's getting colder by the hour, and when it's dark it rains. Every day is a perfect day to spend indoors. Which kind of helps for my study habits (for which I only have one exam...*sigh*) but tends to make one a bit dreary and wistful.

As 4th year students with annual projects, we don't really get a midyear break as we're expected to finish collecting experimental data before 2nd semester. However, as the Loos are heading to America in July-August, I have a forced holiday and so have to cram 8 weeks of thesis work into 4.

Autumn is as good a time of year to do it in than any other.

Piano Girl

2009-05-19T19:21:00.004+10:00

Here's a piece of rare inspiration where I knew what i actually wanted to draw before I drew it. A girl with a piano strung to her wrist like a balloon. In my head, the piano is her best friend and they have adventures in the forest.

I like to tell myself it's a work in progress.

********************

I officially declared this week 'no facebook' week, just for fun- so no facebook for me. Just cleaning out my itunes and hard drive at the moment. Hurrah.

2009-05-11T22:01:00.003+10:00

Today was defined in the things I didn't do.

I didn't go to morning fitness because she didn't tell me what time it was on.

I didn't have cereal for breakfast because there were crumpets on the kitchen bench.

I didn't go to uni at 9:30 because I slept in.

I didn't go to Bible study because I didn't feel like it.

I didn't finish my book because I saw an old friend.

I didn't say hi because I didn't know how she'd react.

I didn't have tutoring because he was sick.

I didn't watch that movie because he was watching TV.

I didn't have that conversation because she didn't pick up the phone.

I didn't laugh because it simply wasn't funny.

Neopolitan Dreams

2009-04-30T17:25:00.003+10:00

Here is a slightly dramatised/romanticised recount of last night:

She walked onstage as gentle as a falling autumn leaf- unassuming and gorgeous in her finely honed act of vulnerability. Her little red bow shone with the reflected glory of stage lights. It struck him across the room like an icy dart to each eye. Then she sang some songs and stole his heart. The room was silent, save for the flutter of the hummingbirds that carried his heart away.

If she needed a coin for her laundry, he would buy her a washing machine. If she wanted to change the setlist, he would start her a new band. If she wanted to have a morbidly uplifting conversation with a dead person, he would die for her. No one else in the room existed. She was singing to him. Her awkward dance moves were for him. He wanted to just give her a big hug and take her away from the dark mystery of the world away from the stage.

Later that night, she was at the bar. Their eyes met and they talked. His friends and he took a photo and they awkwardly requested her penmanship. His very soul jolted with each curve of the pen. She only came to his shoulder and was so young it shocked him slightly. He bought her a drink and they got talking about her music. She had just finished school and he was nearing the end of university. She was going to England and he just wanted to get out. She nervously scratched her left wrist as he bought a round of Cokes.

“I remember you from the TV. I didn’t know people still existed after that,”
“Yeah I was supposed to die…”

It was his turn to laugh nervously. The hummingbirds could not carry the weight of his heart as the reality of the chasm between fantasy and reality opened before them. Animals of such small wingspan could simply not traverse such a distance. The hummingbirds faltered in their charming flight path and his heart dropped like a suicidal stockbroker. His friends had left him 24 minutes earlier. He had to salvage the moment…

“Thanks for the Coke,”

She stood up from the bar. As she turned her head, he just caught the scent of her hair. It hit him like seaspray- fleeting but refreshing. And the night carried her away like the autumn leaf she would always be in his dreams. What could have, or should have been, simply did not matter to the world.

He would see her at the next concert.

Elephant Leg Neck Girl

2009-04-22T23:48:00.006+10:00

So it's that time of year again where I show up another sketch i drew for no other reason than to be an active part of the wonderful self-indulgent tool we call blogging...so here goes nothing!

The days are slow and grey, like a scratched silent movie no one cares to watch. Only a handful of well-dressed folk would even stop to consider and appreciate the string of events unfolding before them...perhaps they will write essays. They may or may not follow deconstructionist theories on how the author was simply dealing with deep and complex 'daddy issues', or whether it was a Dadaist examination of the absurd and the meaninglessness of art, the universe and everything. They can deconstruct all day long...but before they know it they will go home to listen to their Joy Division records in the dark and drink their red wine. I must admit that I've never listened to Joy Division, but I know they are from Manchester.

Right?

I visited Manchester once. We played football in a park near my cousin's house. On the way to the park, we had to pass through a muddy undergrowth that was no doubt frequented by delinquents and homeless alike. There was a discarded mattress on the wayside. I wondered what memories lay coiled within the springs. If we were to ask those springs of their past, they would most likely jump up and sting us right in the eye.

"Ow my eye! I'm not supposed to get springs in it!"

The days are slow and grey...and yet before you know it, it's autumn. It's winter. It's spring. It's summer. It's autumn. It's winter. It's spring. It's summer. It's autumn again...and you're already a season older than you last remember.

Everything's the same...and then before you know it,
everything changes.

**************************

I wish I could get some rest in the shade of the tree. I would join the little folk and rejoice under their goddess of the elephant leg- with her finely coiffured head of hair. We could all be happy together- singing, dancing, drinking and eating. Perhaps i would meet a girl and we would laugh and discuss quantum mechanics. She would introduce me to her brother and we would start talking about our love for music. Several months later we could start a band and play regular shows in the shade of the magical tree of idolatry (idola-tree?). We would touch eternity and embrace life in the fullest...but then I remember that it's just a crappy little drawing i made when listening to the new Howling Bells album.

They cancelled their aussie tour.

Here's the drawing.

*********************

As a little footnote unrelated to my emo-ing it out with my stream-of-consciousness drivel, I watched Invisible Children last night. It was incredibly moving not just to see the Ugandan kids' resilience in horrendous situations, but to see how three average american dudes made a simple, honest video 6 years ago about their 'African adventures' and how that completely and utterly magnified into a global call for justice and action. Simply amazing. I recommend you watch Invisible Children if you get the chance. There are currently more than 3000 kids under the rule of Mr. Joseph Kony in northern Uganda. He is fighting a pointless war that has lasted more than 20 years and is kidnapping and terrorising without any sign of stopping. Unfortunately i'm not sure if i can join the rally in sydney on saturday, but it has woken me up to the need for change in this world.

And how one voice can make a difference. If you believe in yourself.

You can achieve anything.

(end cliche here)

Kloo

I <3 Physics

2009-04-17T19:01:00.003+10:00

Note: i wrote this earlier today. Even earlier today, i also wrote a long-ish blog about hanging out in the lab and how amusing it was to be blogging on a computer located in a hard science lab and then discovered that windows 95 just ain't what it used to be...and then i lost the post. Let me recap as best I can:

I'm sitting in a small room located in a larger room known as the medical and radiation physics (computer) lab. I am surrounded by a mass of wires and miscellaneous science equipment i will probably never use. In the corner is a small safe containing radioactive sources. Next door, my experiment is running and i check on it every 10 minutes to read a simple voltage measurement. There are 2 PhD fellows also present who up until now have been speaking rapid-fire Italian as they continue to play with their electrical signals. They are strangely quiet now.

And here i sit blogging.

Ah the life of an experimental physicist!

Because that's right guys...after 6 weeks of 'lit review' (basically bludging around at home watching Battlestar Galactica) i have FINALLY started work on my honours project! So it is with great irony that i have done more work in the past two days of my easter holidays than i have in the entire semester! So far so good ay.

As you can tell however, it is nothing particularly challenging and i have time to sit here read a book and work on a sudoku (which incidentally is rated 'tough' today NOTE: i never finished it...). I even read an article about the new Wolverine movie and found myself less cynical about it. (which leads me to my next topid: allow me to 'geek out' for a minute).

My original cynicism was based on the Hollywood mass-popularisation of a much-loved and revered character and his history. Wolverine's comic history took many decades to unfold and his mysterious background is very much part of his allure. Now Hollywood is going to present it to a largely undiscerning audience and everyone is just going to take his Origin story for granted on a simplistic basis. Which it very much is not.

But then again i realised how fanboy elitist this was and now my mind is slowly changing.

Wow i had no intention to write about wolverine. it kind of just came out. As you can tell, this experiment is most definitely taking up much of my mind. Haha.

Here's an awesome picture i'll always remember: Magneto removing wolverine's adamantium by force. A very painful process i assume...

Thanks for reading.

***************

Katoomba Easter Convention was amazing and it was such an enriching weekend and met many interesting people. We're all BFFs by now. Go Ecclesiastes (life is meaningless people)! Check out my photos on facebook. I made them look all pretty and nice. Maybe i'll draw a comic about the weekend.

The Weekend I Indulged My Arty Side

2009-04-05T22:38:00.003+10:00

Semi-Permanent is a pretty big and highly regarded design conference that draws relatively big names from the graphics industry to talk. For example, there was a speaker from Digital Domain the company who worked on Benjamin Button and Transformers and POTC, a speaker who does chemical brothers albums covers, and the guy who designed the Abraham Obama image...so thanks Chrisy for the free ticket. Or Matt. Or whoever you are. It was a great day, and i just love any exuse to catch a train to Sydney anyway.

I went to a zine fair today. It was part of the weekend i will keep in memory as the 'weekend i indulged my arty side the most i've ever done for a long long time'. A zine is a little self-published magazine you make about any topic and distribute to others. It's like a blog but in paper form. Very quaint and arty.

I did a comic workshop in the morning and the above image was the result. All the attendees' comics were compiled in a zine. I drew that in 20 minutes. It was an OK workshop, but i felt kind of sorry for the conductor who was a quiet-spoken 'zinemaster'. Kind of the typical bookish type, but he's done well for himself.

I was surrounded by impossibly trendy people all weekend.
I enjoyed it somewhat and made me wonder what life would've been like had i followed my childhood dreams of being a cartoonist/animator. Maybe i'll just have to fulfill my childhood dreams of being a scientist musician instead.

A certain Franz Ferdinand lyric comes to mind a lot lately-
'I love your friends, they're all so arty.'
You know who you are.

:)

2009-03-26T00:28:00.004+11:00

So basically, I got home from a 3 hour band practice at about 11pm. There is no mamak in aussie, so mcdonald's had to do. It was very intense at the jam studio. I got very sweaty and there were woodchips everywhere. I can feel my hands callousing up gradually. Our music is pretty darn epic these days. We play a show on saturday so that'll be very fun. First time with Beau our new 4th member; bassist. (:

(check out our myspace link on the left of the page)

And also basically, i came on the computer cos i wanted to play Mirror's Edge for a little bit but ended up on the blackholes of facebook and msn.

Guess a bit of socialising never hurt anyone. Even if it is online.

Apparently, I have uni these days too...but it's been preeetty easy so far (week 4). Almost too easy...it makes me feel a bit uneasy...

Kevin. Out

I miss Coldplay/.

Viva La Coldplay or Coldplay And All Their Friends

2009-03-15T22:20:00.008+11:00

Sat 14 Mar – Coldplay, Mercury Rev, Decoder Ring
(originally posted on my last.fm as usual!)

In rough chronological order.

* Leave Wollongong at 9:45am. Beef pho noodles lunch at Flemington. Line up at 12:45pm.

*Read Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Meet fellow Coldplay aficionados. Sit for 6 hours.

*Stand for 15 minutes. Sit for another 45.

*See two support bands who are good, but not Coldplay.

*Breakdancing crewman with a broom. Blue Danube Waltz.

* Sparklers behind a black curtain.

* Life in technicolor. Massive singalong [see title].

* Clocks and lasers. Hyperactive frontman with a more-than-infectious energy.

* Giant screen projection balls.

* Confetti-filled yellow balloons. More singalong.

* John Farnham crowd chorus.

* Unexpected dance remix medley side of stage.

* Swinging on strawberries ("such a perfect day" indeed)

* Beautiful rendition of Hardest Part on piano with Postcards From Far Away coda. Hyperactive frontman stuffs up and apologises.

* Hyperactive frontman hits himself in the head with drumstick and cuts his brow (Lost).

* Snatching paper butterflies from the air (Japan).

* Shane Warne. Green Eyes.

* POLITIK.

* Death closer...more massive singalong.

* Scientist encore. Life In Technicolor 2 massive finish.

* Big big smile.

In short, the Coldplay show made me want to actually better myself as a person. 7 hours of waiting was well more than worth our spot up the front. I forgot how much I really can love this band. Recently I have been too caught up in the hardcore dancing of the scene kids, that I forgot that I can just stand and listen to the music- feel and absorb the pure energy of a crowd hooked on every lyric and note.

For that, I thank you Coldplay! Viva La Vida is taking on a life of its own. And rightly so.

It's really hard to do concert photography with a
compact digital camera ok? More photos on fb to come!

Dear Chris

2009-03-13T22:57:00.003+11:00

Dear Mr Martin and co.,

I understand you are currently the world's biggest band, and with little competition this isn't too hard tif we're going to be perfectly frank with ourselves here. I understand that what started out as a more appeasing Radiohead-inspired musicality has somehow morphed into a commercial radio juggernaut. I also understand that this is why I forked out $140 for your show tomorrow.

While many deride your skills as songwriters, I applaud you for uniting so many as only music can. While my own tastes have changed since the days of Parachutes, my love has been recently rekindled and I am actually kind of giddy at the thought of tomorrow night.

I missed the X&Y tour, so i'm looking forward to what i assume is going to be an unforgettable night. I've heard good things so far, so please don't screw it up for us. And if it's not too much to ask, make a little eye contact with me. Or something.

Haha.

Sincerely,
Kevin Loo

Tree Head

2009-03-06T00:48:00.000+11:00

Although her tree is old, bare and never bears fruit, the birds return each and every spring. In the winter the bark becomes coarser and harder while the large crack down its body grows ever so slightly. Sometimes she worries that as time goes on the crack will eventually break her tree and the birds will no longer have a home for the spring. She worries so much that she forgets to ride a bike, wash the dishes, watch her favourite TV show, go to class, swim at the beach, watch the sunset, read a book, call a boy...........it fills her with a profound melancholy as deep as the roots of the tree reach into the earth for sustenance.

It is winter now and the birds are away, floating on a distant breeze as gentle as the hair of a new born baby. They will not return for a season or so. Until then, the tree dries slowly only to become a fraction of a whisper of its former glory.

She prays for the birds to return, but she can only hear the cool breeze echoing in the hollow of her tree.

Procrastination catches up dangerously fast...

2009-03-04T22:45:00.003+11:00

Thanks Cassie and Sloo. Another tag, but i can't resist this one. Haha.
As Josh said, 'you're just pumping the stereotype'

It doesn't get more azn than pokemon cosplay.

If you're Asian you GOTTA take this quiz
If you're not, envy the Asians
So, how 'asian' are you?????

[x] Both of your parents are from Asia
[ ] You were born in Asia
[x] You use the term "Azn"
[x] You think DDR is cool
[x] You've watched lots of anime
[ ] You like Korean drama
[x] You have stuff hanging on your phone
[ ] Your parents want you to marry within your own race
[x] You eat rice almost everyday
[ x] You drink lemon tea

X's so far: 7

[ x] You style your hair
[x] You have a bebo/myspace/friendster
[x] You speak languages other than English
[ ] Your parents are strict compared to other REALLY asian parents
[x] Your parents have high expectations of you
[x] You always get A's/B's on your report
[x] You do Chemistry/Biology/Physics/

Accounting
[x] You know your multiplication table
[ x] You play badminton or table tennis
[ ] You've seen the asian version The ring/The grudge

X's so far: 14

[ x] You go/want to go to a university and would NEVER consider an apprenticeship
[x] You own an asian car (Honda, Toyota, etc)
[x] You're not the only child
[x] You've gotten little red envelopes around February
[x] You know the difference between kung fu, karate and tae kwon do
[ x] (If you're a girl)You prefer white guys over asian guys (If you're a guy) You prefer asian girls
[x ] Your mother tries to bargain even though the product is already discounted
[ x] You can do the rubiks cube
[x] You have a box of noodles somewhere in your house
[x ] You play video games

X's so far: 24 wee perfect round

[x] Every time you're going out your parents ask you where you're going and what time you'll be home
[ ] You have karaoke at home
[x] You know BOA/Gazette/Ayumi Hamasaki/Gackt
[ x] You've been to a LAN more than 3 times.
[ ] You have incense sticks/moth balls in your house
[x ] You own a gaming console
[x] You play a musical instrument
[x] You don't wear shoes in your house
[x] You can use chopsticks
[x] You get nothing if you do well in school

X's so far: 32

[ ] Your parents won't let you go out if you have school the next day
[x] You have asian songs on your computer/iPod
[ ] You don't like football(soccer)
[ ] You have a curfew
[ ] You know what ulzzang/tb means
[ ] You know what purikura is
[x] You like bubble tea
[ xxxxxx] Your parents bought you shoes many sizes too big so you can "grow into it" and wear it for years to come (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!)
[x ] You've played final fantasy
[ ] You believe in fortune cookies

X's so far: 36

[x] You know what bok choy is
[ x ] You've heard the song "Got rice?"
[x ] You have a tutor (I am a tutor. so yes.)
[ x] You've had pockys/yan yan before
[ ] When you seek for your mother's permission she replies "Ask your dad"

X's so far: 40

Your total x 2
Result: 80%

That's a distinction biatches.
Now go and hug a panda or something.

Visits Don't Happen Often Enough

2009-03-01T00:03:00.005+11:00

It was a beautiful, action-packed two days that just passed. I skipped things I was supposed to do but we were entertaining international visitors so it was excusable. It should definitely happen more often but alas uni starts in less than 2 days and it turns out that Malaysia is sometimes just too far for a weekend trip to Wollongong. Nonetheless I was very glad that some from my other home got to experience our original home and life, albeit for just a day. It was beyond our normal activity for sure, but just a glimpse of what Wollongong is really all about.

And then the next day (after an impromptu overnight stay) the city of Sydney looked more attractive than ever to me.

Our time together though has made me miss Malaysia that little bit more...but I can still manage a smiley.

Wollongong beaches are the best. Wollongong cannons are also the best.

SOUNDWAVE! SOUNDWAVE! SOUNDWAVE! (this was our mantra in the car on the way up from Wollongong)

2009-02-23T21:38:00.006+11:00

SEE LAST.FM JOURNAL HERE

SSSSSSOOOOUUUWNAVAVEVADEAAAAVVVVEEEEEEEEE!!!!@@@!!111

2009-02-21T15:46:00.005+11:00

SOUNDFREAKINGWAVE tomorrow!!!!!! Here's my list (in chronological order) if anyone's interested:

Riverboat Gamblers
Chiodos
All That Remains
Silverstein
Bayside
The Subways
Forever The Sickest Kids
Underoath
Hellogoodbye
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Minus The Bear
Dillinger Escape Plan
36 Crazy Fists
Billy Talent
New Found Glory
Say Anything
Emery
Nine Inch Nails Green means hellz yeah!! It's going to be a good day and I ain't stopping from 11:40 am until 10:00pm!

*************

I'm currently researching on how to install windows on my mac so i can play left 4 dead.
Heh heh. (^-^) But I'm having trouble trying to figure out what to do with a 147Gb imovie file? That's ridiculous if you ask me. There's not much i can do with it really...

*************

It's grey and overcast outside. Don't feel like going out.

(F)untitled

2009-02-19T00:08:00.007+11:00

I took pictures down today.
It was fun.

I sang a song today. Really loud.
It was fun.

I played the drums today. Really loud.
It was fun.

I read an article today. I agreed with it.
It was fun.

I wrote some emails today. Shared some stories across the sea.
It was fun.

I covered a cardboard box with pages from an old dictionary. Now it looks pretty.
It was fun.

I thought about the past, the present and the future and the great infinite mystery we call human existence on this ever-shifting template we call life. The sun shone for the first time in 3 weeks and they say it's not going to rain tomorrow.
It wasn't all that fun.

**********

Photo from Laura's 21st. Camwhoring can be arty too.

When It Rains, It Pours...

2009-02-13T00:30:00.005+11:00

The week back from Malaysia saw heat on our fair city like we hadn't experienced in a long time. It felt even more intense than the Malaysian heat! This could be because of our lack of air-con, and my house is fairly well insulated as such. Although the rumours of a 47 degree heatwave in the west didn't fully come to fruition, it was hot enough for us to sweat long into the night.

One week exactly after we arrived back home though, the rains came. As I left church on Sunday night i remarked to Tony and newborn daughter that we better get home before it rained. I could smell it on the air. The breeze was picking up, but it didn't actually rain that night. Monday morning however, was grey as winter and we've had wet and dreary ever since. Is it a welcome change? I've always claimed to be more of a winter guy. It allows time for quiet and solitude, while forcing us to stay indoors with friends and family.

I think I'm neither a winter guy nor a summer guy really.
I just try to enjoy whatever
the day has to offer.

[There's that old Carpe Diem Coram Deo thing again!]

So while I've been taking much advantage of the quiet and the solitude since coming back from Malaysia, it finally seems like things are settling down. I even visited ANSTO today for 4 hours to cover some uni stuff, and while it felt a little weird and I'm still a bit confused about it (my brain has atrophied slightly,
but physics is just like riding a bike really...
Just get back on!) it did feel peculiarly nice to be back.

**********

Summer is gone prematurely.
But I do quite enjoy
wearing a jumper.
driving in the rain.
seeing breath on the window.
keeping you close.
for warmth.

**********
Change. The things we want to change always stay the same, and the things we don't want to change always do. Whether it be as meaningful as a long-time friendship or as fickle as a TV show, life always seems to change in places we least expect it...

Here's a change I didn't expect to find. Cleaning through our old computer yielded my braces photo! I remember this day very vividly. It was a sunny day in early 2003 as we drove from the orthodontist back to school, this song was playing on the radio and I'm pretty sure I couldn't stop licking my teeth, eager to debut my new accessories (haha). One can't quite forget the unique, permanent taste of metal in the mouth. Not quite a million dollar smile, but $4500 rounds up to a million doesn't it?...

**********

Please spare a thought and prayer for the Victorian bushfire victims.
The fires are still ongoing, and the damage is tremendous to say the least.
Too many homes lost. Too many lives destroyed.

25 Facts Later

2009-02-08T22:39:00.005+11:00

Here's that 25 tagging thing everyone's been doing on facebook but in blog form! Why? Because I can.

[tagged by Zoe, Amy G, Jon, Gadiy]

I am slightly annoyed when people don't reply to my sms, even if I assume they don't have any credit left.
This is my last year of uni, but anything beyond that is a mystery.
I sometimes wonder what life would be like if i hadn't skipped 2 grades in primary school. But am very glad that i did.
Australia's lack of political excitement and real cultural heritage is both amusing and worrying to me.
I have too many msn contacts for my own good but I feel rude if I delete them (hence the appearing offline haha).
I still wear a retainer at night.
I am currently learning to Rubik's cube and can solve 2 and a half layers so far. (After 5 days).
When alone, I prefer playing piano to drums.
I feel a book or movie inside me incubating, waiting to be unleashed upon the world. Then I will make my millions and the movie adaptation will have Paramore on the soundtrack... and then I will marry Hayley Williams (maybe).
I can't put on weight no matter how much I eat. A friend even asked if i had lost weight yesterday since being in Malaysia. I laughed.
Sometimes I wish I had become a professional concert pianist.
Medicine is still an option for me (though unlikely), but my only interest would be in an organisation like Medicins sans Frontiers.
This 25 fact thing is taking a lot longer and is a lot harder than I expected.
I still can't beat Dragonforce (Expert) on Guitar Hero. Partly because my controller doesn't function 100% any more.
I like drawing pictures of people's faces.
I believe in seizing every opportunity and living every day for the Lord. But this is also a lot harder than it seems.
Christians who only hang out with other Christians are another worry to me.
Stray dogs, maimed beggars and shops without any customers make me very sad to see.
I still enjoy listening to Linkin Park.
I rode an elephant bareback.
I often wonder what life would be like if I wasn't born in Australia. But I'm very glad that I was.
A surprising percentage of my brain is forever devoted to Dragonball Z and (old school) Pokemon information. Similarly, Backstreet Boys lyrics are locked in there somewhere too.
I've had the same phone for almost 5-6 years.
I feel a bit funny when camwhoring myself these days.
Facebook is slowly losing its allure. Too many friends. Not enough friendships.

So there's my 25. A mixture of deep, whimsical, and just things on my mind.

I tag all the people on the left column...if anyone reads this.

Unpacking My Mind Takes Longer Than Unpacking My Junk

2009-02-05T01:17:00.000+11:00

Back in the Gong and I've spent the last 3 days unpacking- both literally and figuratively speaking. Mostly just clearing out old junk in my room to make room for the new junk accrued from our adventures abroad.

Clearing through old stuff is always an interesting experience. The memories attached to specific items are what make us who we are really. An old birthday card, a newspaper cutting, a drawing of a pokemon...all are tied to moments in my life that one simply cannot reject. I have this sort of inherited sentimental streak in me, which means i have a lot of such junk from my childhood and onwards simply lying around my room acting as dust-collectors.

I try to disconnect myself from the process and discard objects mercilessly, but funnily enough mum requests a second check before i throw anything out. There's that inherited sentimental streak I mentioned!

So it took me about 3 days to complete it, but here are the before and after shots! All that junk on the floor is simply paper i pulled out from my desk. There was a lot more to come trust me. Also did some reorganising of my corkboard and my walls, which i take some pride in. It's something of a hobby I guess. Phye Beng collects Transformers, I collect random pictures and gifts and post them on my corkboard and walls.

This table did not look like this beforehand. The fan was a nice touch i thought. From a water puppet show in hanoi, vietnam we caught in 2005. I'd like to thank whoever provided me with the Q.Q.Bee Sweet Family photo frame in the secret Santa. It serves well.

My corkboard you may or may not recognise from last year. Now with included SOUNDWAVE timetable! Various Christmas knick knacks and movie tickets also included. Photos haven't been updated in a while though.

And here's my wall of black and white pictures I find in magazines and newspapers. It's almost complete! Spot Thom Yorke. New additions include: Transformers Animated Lockdown, Rubik's cube(s), Dark Knight pin-up, and a Riddler Pez dispenser.
......

The figurative unpacking may take a while longer yet...I'm still adjusting to the abrupt culture shock of life in Wollongong but it will all settle in time. Just happy to spend some quiet time alone, and not alone for now. Hence the unpacking business...

I'm simply very grateful for the time we had in Malaysia. again.

But now we face normal. real. routine. again.

Spare a thought for Sara though who is stuck at school!
I'm also very grateful that i still have
a month off before uni starts proper. :)

Cheerio. Kloo

I'm sure this is the only blog titled 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' online. Ever.

2009-01-25T03:16:00.005+11:00

The beginning of the end. I officially have less than 7 days left in this oh-so-beautiful experience we call the Malaysia trip. It is going to be a busy one too due to a little thing we call Chinese New Year. As Keith aptly pointed out, the Sino calendar predates any Anglo or Roman calendar by several millenia (assumedly), so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

In the week since we've been back from Thailand, people have been busy with work, school and college, so it has been a bit slow in terms of activity and the such. (All except Lauren and Zoe of course, who are hanging around in limbo with us Loos). Unfortunately, while this week is a holiday for most it is still going to be a pain to organise activity due to family commitments as this is the main point of CNY.

Likelihoods of movie night, swimming day, badminton, CC outings, ramly burger? Sadly, slim. I'm sure if we put our minds to it, we can achieve something worth remembering. Super Friday perhaps?

Tomorrow is CNY eve and so the festivities begin!

********

We had steamboat buffet tonight. Holy crap we ate so much they gave us perfume and an umbrella as free gifts for having such a large bill (20 people at 20RM ++ each.) and probably for setting some sort of consumption record. Had conversation with JLim, Keith, PB and adrian (the green tea circle) and I have concluded that I find malaysian politics/sociocultural study very very interesting. I noticed that Jason also has a knack to explain financial matters in an actually interesting manner! Good work Jason!

********

I tried uploading photos, but it didn't work, so screw it. Here's my review of the Mogwai gig! Maybe you can see photos another day. Refer to facebook for any info on photos i guess. (:

Will be in Wollongong by Sunday the 1st Feb as far as I can tell.

Watching TV At 2am Never Felt More Important

2009-01-21T15:27:00.006+11:00

It's rare in life that we get the opportunity to experience such an important moment and bask in its historical significance with the awareness that in 40 years time we can look back and say 'I was there'. I can only remember a few thus far in my life: the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony, hearing about 9/11, watching the official beginning of the Iraq invasion...monumental events all through the television funnily enough.

Well last night I was more than happy to watch Obama's inauguration (I was way too full to sleep anyway. Char Chen Teng peanut butter french toast. wow. doesn't go too well with pork though...).

I read once that this generation has grown up knowing only one US government that used fear and ignorance to maintain its power. The invisible war on terror sparked by 9/11 has existed all around for nearly a decade. That generation has had suspicion and xenophobia written on their subconscious. War, or at least the consciousness of war, was prevalent throughout people's entire teenage years. I felt sorry for that generation when i read that article.

Then i realised that i was part of that generation.

This kind of makes me want to become an American just to skip out on the sociopolitical apathy of Australian culture. It makes me want to do and be a part of something bigger than myself (in the words of Obama). If the son of an African immigrant can become president, then truly anything is possible.

Anyway, I never intended to write a political rant. I just relish the promise of progressive leadership on this dawn of a new age. I hope and pray that the hope and promises aren't empty.

**************

Going to see Mogwai tonight in KL with Adrian, PB and Keith. Bought their new album before leaving for malaysia, but it didn't import on itunes. And i forgot to put Young Team on my ipod so i am unfortunately unable to listen to any!

Of course this means i miss volleyball, but a couple hours of Scottish instrumental post-rock never hurt anyone!

**************

A Poem

When a phone has no credit

When an ipod has no battery

Technology is useless plastic

And i get frustrated

'Kow Rai' is Thai for 'How Much?'

2009-01-19T16:07:00.006+11:00

My pictures are in the reverse order again. Here are some fans we found at the paper umbrella factory.

Here's the border between Thailand and Burma. Burma is right across that bridge.

It was a very busy little township.

Didn't ride this through the jungle. This was a 3 year old calf. The ones through the jungle took 2 chairs/people each and were much bigger. [More photos on facebook]

Yes. I know you are all jealous. But I rode an elephant. Bare back. It was pretty darn cool.

Spent the last 4 days in Chiang Mai. The north of Thailand. Altogether it was a very pleasant trip and much shopping and sightseeing was done, but if you ask me the trip was long enough. There wasn't much to do at night other than the night bazaar and the day trip to Chiang Rai was something of a disappointment to my dad. Admittedly we didn't do much considering the 3.5 hour drive (which was mind and butt-numbing) other than appreciate the novelty of being at the border of Laos, Burma and Thailand all at once- The Golden Triangle, known for its opium and corpse-filled Mekong river (in the 70s anyway).

Standing at the northernmost tip of Thailand did strike me with a kind of awe. I didn't realise how far north we actually were until I saw the mountains and people of Burma just across the bridge.

Another awe but more whimsical in nature was in riding the elephant! I love elephants. They're quite intelligent and you can't help but empathise with them. The elephant tamers- called mahouts- forge a genuine relationship with their elephant and made me reconsider my career choice in physics. Ha.

Riding an elephant fulfilled a childhood dream I never realised I actually had. It was hardly a smooth ride but there is a certain peace you can only experience by riding an elephant through the jungle. Unforgettable.

There were admittedly less memorable events the rest of the trip- mostly consisting of walking, eating and shopping but it was great to experience Thai culture firsthand. Chiang Mai is quite different to Bangkok. More laid back and less of a big city. We hardly encountered a beggar (except further north. Children beggars are a depressing sight, but they smile eventually with their unique child's resilience and your heart lifts) and the air was quite cooling.

Did a lot of thinking during travel. It hurt my brain but it was essential. My ipod died on the plane anyway and this left me quite distraught. Hence the thinking.

A little udpate that has pictures on it

2009-01-11T02:32:00.007+11:00

People of some interest in KL last night. L to R, Mark Huang (minus fluffy hair), Matt Huang (Zeal bro), monkey, Lauren Lim (who shouldn't be wearing that tag), some noob who hearts NY (I'm pretty sure that's not even his shirt!), Steph Lim (minus being in melbourne), Joanne Yooooooooo (also minus being in melbourne), and phye beng (bassists...who needs 'em?)

Entertainment between bands. Cute Asian chick drummers. What more could you ask for lolz? Kade...the search is over. (I doubt he even knows this blog exists haha Someone tell him!)

I'm going to join a ska band and/or a drumming group, like these guys from singapore. woooo

Me and Dan Tan the Man just chilling with a roll of wrapping paper. MILOOOO.

And this is where we had supper for new year's. A random shop with tables on the roadside and cops waiting to pounce...bribed with food or money we'll never know...commonplace in malaysia!

Ah so the photos uploaded in reverse order than what they were supposed to. Read captions at your discretion.

Last night we watched A Mantle The Sea do their thing at The Pavilion in KL. Outdoor main street gig nokia phone launch. Man, i would love an opportunity like that for my band. Haha. Stupid jack going to england. :)

One thing i learnt was that Malaysian crowds are somewhat unresponsive to stage banter. Tough crowd. Even when the ska band came on, it was only me and 3 malay guys doing the only skanking (fyi, thats the weird kick dance we were doing. The 2-step!)...*sigh* you guys gotta learn to loosen up! I guess it was just the general public, slightly older and it is kind of not very asian to do things wild in public like that...Oh well! the catchcry of the moment does seem to be carpe diem, coram deo. (what 'coram deo' is there involved in skanking? i'll leave that for you to decide). Only in Malaysia will a ska band have trouble getting the public rowdy. We left a bit early and i hope that things got livelier afterwards... (?)

Only in Malaysia will we go out for noodles at 11:30pm and then get stuck in a traffic jam at 12- freaking-30 in the am!! It was amazing and inexplicable. We got stuck on the way in as well. A 40 minute trip (geographically-speaking) turned into a 2 hour car drive unfortunately. No Malaysia trip is complete without the traffic jam experience!!

But I do hate getting stuck in traffic with a ratio of 9 ads to one song on the radio. That's my idea of hell. Haha.

So anyway, going travelling to places without the internet for a week. Going to visit Penang tomorrow after church. 5 hour drive. back to KL briefly on tuesday and then straight to Chiang Mai (that's in thailand in case you were wondering) the next morning. So i get to miss both Malaysian and Aussie mates at the same time! A rare opportunity i know.

toodles!

xxox

Christmas Playlist 2 Of 2

2009-01-08T02:55:00.003+11:00

Another day, another playlist. Hmm.

Music for the more 'discerning listener'

Icelandic gibberish that makes you very happy on the inside: Sigur Ros with Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur
If it sounds like American indie, it's The Shins' Australia
A song with a lot of snare drum 'Who do you carry the torch for my young man? Do you believe in anything?' is Brand New's Archers
Same Gyroscope song as below. 'Take 22 of 3 and we'll see how well she takes a hit, if she makes it'
Two girls singing at once 'I listened in yes i'm guilty of this you should know this' is Canadian indie sweethearts Tegan & Sara with hit single The Con
1 2 3 4 by Feist. You should be able to figure this one out
A girl who goes 'whoaa whoaa whoaa' a lot- Marvellous Things by Eisley. Named after the Mos Eisley Cantina from Star Wars. A very well-dressed group of Americans. Christian too i think.
I may or may not have put Smashing Pumpkins' Tonight Tonight on here
'Maybe maybe nothing could prepare you...' Aussie group Something For Kate with single from 2006 (?) Cigarettes & Suitcases
'You used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your nightdress' Arctic Monkeys' Fluorescent Adolescent. Listen to the lyrics for a cheeky story. hehe.
Bloc Party Sunday starts with drum tom rolls and goes 'heavy night, it was a heavy night'
Electric guitar intro with female singing 'what's my Hlife but some hell?' - Aussie indie pop siren Kate Miller-Heidke with one of my friend's 'couple songs' with her ex-bf (sorry lau)- Space They Cannot Touch
'You know what they say about getting older. It's only a doorway away'. Here We Go Again by Angus & Julia Stone. See below
'I think I'm in love with the girl next door. It's driving me crazy i can't take it any more. I hear her playingthe drums late at night. The neighbours complain but that's the kind of girl i like' love those lyrics. haha. Mystery Jets Two Doors Down. These guys are playing in singapore on sunday. Wish i could go since i missed them in sydney. :)
Chorus: 'my heart is a cold acre. nothing grows in a cold acre' Aussie balladeers Augie March with The Cold Acre
Might be another Augie March song on here called One Crowded Hour
'Come and rescue me, in the water deep...' classic song from the 90s. Powderfinger Up & Down & Back Again
'Across the niiiiight, i watch the moon as it stole my slumber' classic album Doirama 2002 from a grown up Silverchair Across The Night

So that's what i had written down in my ipod. Hmm...not as much aussie stuff as i initially thought. It may or may not vary accordingly. Please shoot any questions my way asap. Eugene- track 8 was smashing pumpkins? Doesn't sound right...help me out here guys.

Cheers big ears.

Christmas Playlists 1 Of 2

2009-01-06T02:58:00.009+11:00

Due to popular demand here are the tracklists for the Christmas mixtapes you may or may not have received from me (if you didn't...it just means I don't love you that much...jkz haha). I made two main CDs- one with happier, more poppy tracks and another CD for the 'more discerning listener'. I didn't give out tracklists 'cos i didn't have a printer handy. I may have mixed the tracks up a little bit between discs so here's what I have left. I'll give some lyrics so you can figure it out yourself.

i aimed to introduce a good mix of Aussie music to you guys. Plus some non-aussie ones too.

'Fun Disc'

'Breathing from a hole in my lung, waiting for someone...' Aussie rock royalty turned pop whackjobs Silverchair with their biggest single yet Straight Lines
'You're keeping secrets, there's only one I need to find...' older Aussie rock Motor Ace with Keeping Secrets. These guys are no longer a band
'If I've learnt anything from this, it'll all be gone, all be gone...' new Aussie punk darlings The Getaway Plan with Where The City Meets The Sea. I do quite enjoy this single even if their album is a bit boring.
'Give me 20 good reasons to let you go/i need to know' Aussie pub pop rock faves Thirsty Merc with the song called 20 Good Reasons funnily enough
'Do you belong to a song, does it drag you along by the tongue at the top of your lungs?...'American punk weirdos The Matches with Salty Eyes
'Did I say I'm just a boy?...' Aussie acoustic folk bro-sis duo Angus & Julia Stone with Just A Boy
'From the brightest side of this star, i'll forget just who you are...' 22 Of 3 is one my favourite songs from another Aussie group Gyroscope
There's a song called Funky Tonight by The John Butler Trio (Aussie) which you should be able to figure out yourself
'Sugarcane in the easy morning, weathervanes my side to cross to...' or something like that. Panic At The Disco (minus the !) with Northern Downpour
'She wants to go to the seaside, but it doesn't mean that everybody wants to go...' British indie heartthrobs The Kooks with Seaside
Such Great Heights by Iron & Wine is a deadset classic and you should recognise it yourself
'Taking everything I know, and put in into action...' Aussie acoustic duo Playjerise with Safe To Say. Not on commercial radio. Christian too.
'We all have a weakness, some of us are easy to identify, look me in the eye...' it's Incubus baby!! Dig from their new album
I'm pretty sure this song has an msn sound in it somewhere. Or maybe that was another song. Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn from American hipsters Hellogoodbye
'I got the way, the way has got me...' Aussie indie-pop siren Kate Miller-Heidke with I Got The Way. She's a looker.
Speaking of lookers, Hayley Williams owns my heart forever...ha. Tasteful Foo Fighters cover My Hero by Paramore
'I see your shadow on the street now, i hear you push through the grass to get...' real Aussie rock royalty Powderfinger with classic My Happiness from the 90s.

Well that's enough playlisting for one post. I'll get the other one together at a later date. This might be the actual order some of you might've received the CD. I didn't mix it up that much tbh. Let me know if this helps at all.

Comprende?

The Created Void

2009-01-05T02:16:00.005+11:00

It's all in my head,

if you want you can look inside.

There's nothing but red,

and all the mess I've been.

It's all in the way

I say what I don't mean

and

mean what I don't...

I need to speak

You.

I friggoin love Underoath. Here, have a photo of us that is totally and completely irrelevant to the above. We are playing Transformers Monopoly. Clockwise from bottom left: Joanna, Me, Marie, cousin Eugene (newly bankrupted i do believe), Steph, cousin Adrian (birthday lunch event), Transformers display case, Anderson, Benjamin's hands I think. Courtesy of phye beng and others not featured in the photo.

Carpe Diem Coram Deo

2009-01-03T03:05:00.007+11:00

We all know what carpe diem means. It's the coram deo that has stuck to my mind this past week. It means in the presence of God and is no small task by any means. To live every moment and seize every opportunity is a popular notion, but to constantly do so with the awareness of God's presence is something else altogether.

The 27th to 30th of Dec. were spent in a small property 2 hours north of KL with 60 other youths from the church we're involved with here. It was a jampacked schedule and an incredible amount of fun was had. While there was little time to actually sit down and hold one of my much-loved dnm conversations (as seems to be all too common these days) I felt a strong sense of joy pervaded the entire camp and we were all enriched by the passion sessions.

I guess this is something of the presence of God.

Some of the many many highlights:

Using the 'Just-Whack-Only' philosophy to full effect in our Zeal group to win most if not all the challenges. Somehow we didn't win the whole camp though.
Rachel Tan's killer line in talent time: 'Now your training is a success, go out and kick some ass!' followed by David Ho's not-so-killer-line 'What do we have here, a little boy do we have here'. His vocab ain't so big i guess...
Making JV laugh and finding PJ's secret talents which made us laugh a lot harder than Jason did. Also included: KQuah's toybox routine and Matt's snake dance
World War YF which made less sense than Eugene's morning exercises sometimes but was fun nonetheless
Caving yet again
Getting to know many new people; especially seeing the younger ones and helping them come into their own

The point of the matter is that the camp was an incredibly enjoyable and meaningful time and only confirmed itself as a highlight of our Almost-Annual Malaysia vacation. Too bad there wasn't more time to it. i.e., forever perhaps? Wishful thinking. :)

So with this we welcome 2009. Seems fitting to renew our zeal for life with such a camp. New year's was spent at church watchnight service (refer to last year's blog on my facebook if you're interested haha) and a quick mamak after. A slightly sobering start to the 2nd decade of my life.

Just the way I like it.

I was going to upload some more photos but it was taking too long (this also explains why i may be quite slow in replying to things if i can bother at all. The net is a lot slower than i remember it to be). So check out my facebook for photos or my sister's yeah?

not much of a blog but just letting you all know that all is very much well and we are still eating a heck of a lot. happy new year all! And many grats to Erin and Jarryd. May the loving continue on far into the future!

Christmas is over already?

2008-12-26T03:31:00.004+11:00

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

2008-12-20T01:06:00.005+11:00

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

2008-12-13T23:02:00.000+11:00

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.

2008-12-11T14:54:00.006+11:00

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

2008-12-08T22:44:00.006+11:00

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

2008-12-04T20:42:00.004+11:00

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

2008-11-27T23:40:00.003+11:00

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

2008-11-22T19:21:00.005+11:00

‘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

2008-11-17T20:00:00.004+11:00

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

2008-11-06T17:24:00.002+11:00

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...

2008-10-31T23:10:00.002+11:00

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

2008-10-24T23:35:00.000+11:00

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.