Month: July 2008

Categories
Travel Blog

Speed Touring Chennai Pt 1 – Pictures from the City

A montage from my short Chennai trip - pictures from the city

If there is such a term as ‘speed reading’ or ‘speed dating’, I guess my trip to Chennai is speed touring in the finest. I have written two articles for my two days visit. Click onto the link below to view.

To recap, out of the blue, my bosses asked me to join them for their ‘VIP visit’. Fine. I have not been to India before. And besides, since I was not in the project’s travel plan, I shouldn’t be doing much besides making coffee and writing notes right?

OK. That picture I had in my head was far from the reality. There were questions flying left, right, center, pointing towards me in a room so full of people including all my bosses and more, for 2 days. Certainly not a good time to screw up or look stupid. Oh well, I really should consider writing a song titled “So I Did My Best”.

So I did my best. Work aside, I managed to squeeze out time in my 2 days trip to Chennai and took some pretty good pictures during the day. At one point, I was so excited that I winded down the window of car and started to take pictures. Everyone inside was screaming as though I have committed the silliest mistake in life.

And I did. No one in India sticks out any part of their bodies from within the moving vehicles that are often inches away from each other. Gosh!

I hope you will enjoy some of the pictures I have posted in the next two articles. If I was to have a bit more time, I would love to hit the beach. Maybe next time.

Related Articles:

Categories
Book Reviews Non-Fiction

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch – A Lecture from the Heart to Whom He Loves

Given Randy Pausch’s medical condition, it is astonishing that he is able to publish a book (with the help of Jeffrey Zaslow).  Randy delivered the now famous “Last Lecture” last September when he was told to have only a few months to live.  A while back, I wrote a brief summary on his “Last Lecture” and if you like what you read, this little book (206 pages, 61 chapters, paperback) will certainly inspire.

In my previous blog entry, I have covered Randy Pausch’s background, his positive outlook, and how inspiring he is.  Hence, I won’t repeat myself here.  The objective of the book is exactly the same as the objective of his lecture as seen in the video linked in my last entry.

“The Last Lecture” is organized in six sections and it is far from being a depressing book to read.  In the first section, Randy Pausch touches onto his medical condition, how he and his family is coping with his aggressive cancer treatment, and why he is doing this – the lecture and now this book.

In the second section “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”, Randy shares with us what some of his wild childhood dreams are and how he really went all out to achieve them.  Some he has attained, some he hasn’t.  It is inspiring to read how a goal focused person he is and how he walks the talk of brick walls are there to proof how badly we want things.

The section “Adventures and Lessons Learnt” probably contains the highest dosage of heart warming moments – a section dedicated to his mentor, his love story with his wife Jai, his and his sister’s children.

In one of John C. Maxwell’s seminar I have attended, his vision of the highest order of success is to make others to be more successful.  Here in Randy Pausch’s book, he has devoted a section on how to enable the dreams of others.  This section may cause you to reflect upon the things that you do and the person you think you are.

30 topics are packed in the second last section “It’ About How You Live Your Life” and they are a lot to be absorbed in the first read.  You may become a better person who constantly show gratitude and always tell the truth; you may take on a new attitude towards your job; you may even want to be the ‘first penguin’ who dares to head for the potential ‘glorious failure’.

This entire book is by and large kept to a tone of positivity and optimism.  To keep it real, you will also get to read about the emotional vulnerable side of Randy and his wife Jai.  The short final section “Final Remarks” is probably one that fills with heartfelt moments and to remind us that there is a bigger picture in life out there, at times beyond us.

I can imagine some readers may find his ideas too hard to achieve.  But here is my observation: You will get to read how he lives what he writes and from within his book, how the people around him succeed in doing so.  My question is: If other can, why can’t you?  The journey to achieving your dream is not going to be easy.  That’s why we have to work hard for it.

Related blog entry: Last Lecture of Randy Pausch – How to Live Your Life

Categories
Fragments of My Dreams

Fragments Of My Dreams Episode 10 – A Job As a Spy

Fragment of my dream

I was innocent.  At least I think I was.  Apparently, in this dream, I was a girl.

It is a bright and sunny day.  I met this guy the other day and this new friend of mine referred me to this job opportunity.  It is not hard to find the office.  A wide open reception area with sunlight flooded into the interior of a modern design office space.  A few gentlemen in ties and formal dress code approach me at the front door area and ask if I know what this job is about.

“A classical vocalist,” I reply.

They exchange a few looks that I can hardly decipher and one of them ask me to sing a few lines.

The fact is, I don’t think I am qualified as a professional classical vocalist.  I told my new friend that I wish to be a classical vocalist.  There is a whole world of difference.  Nevertheless, he passed me a name card and asked me to turn up.

Maybe I am shy, maybe I am lacking of that confidence, my brief audition is a total disaster.  My voice is scratchy and thin.  I am about to leave this super massive embarrassment of mine when one of them says in  a casual tone, “Can you start now?  Our boss wants you to be in the job.”

*     *     *     *     *

For the past few months, my new friend – my boss – and I have infiltrated this new organization in separate capacity.  I hardly have the chance to see the sun and I hardly have the chance to see him.  I have a gigantic office for myself equipped with futuristic high tech gadgets blended perfectly with the minimalistic design that spells out the word “emptiness” so loudly, so in my face.  There is no life in this space.  I have no life in this place not of my own.

I have no problem working my way into this new organization either.  My apparent limit in my vocal skill seems to have been compensated by perhaps my earnestness?  Perhaps my …

So far, there is no direction, no instruction from the organization that I truly work for.  What am I suppose to do?  How am I suppose to infiltrate?  As I am leaving my office, a few men come up to me.  One of them say, “We want you to come us”.

Ushered through a myriad of hard to recognize lifts and corridors and rooms, we arrive at a room with blinking lights, no sound, and in the middle lies a huge mechanical cocoon.  What’s inside the cocoon?  I don’t need to wait long before I get the answer.

My boss is trapped inside this cocoon and he is wrapped with a mechanical suit and helmet that cover his entire body.  I gasp and take a moment to steady myself.  One of the men casts me a look of suspicion and says, “He is a spy and in no time we can extract all the information from his brain.”

*     *     *     *     *

Time is 7.42pm and I am staring through the large window inside my office as I strum my fingers on my desk.  It’s time to exit, I say to myself.  I pack my bag and leave.

Mission Abort.

2008.07.13

Categories
Diary

Chennai Here I Come

Oh God, I don’t even know where to start.

I am a small fry at work.  The VIP fly out for business trips, not me.  I make good coffee and I write well.  I make sure that everything is recorded, which is kind of important to the bosses.  When I think of my job, I think of show biz.  To make sure that everyone look good, I prep them on what to say, what’s going to happen, and if disasters shall fall, I am here to do damage control.

It’s show biz.

Last week, inside a small meeting room, my boss and my director – whose next role is probably going to be a country CEO – freshly back from their long compliance leave and there I was giving them a run down of all-good-news.

The next in the agenda was their “VIP visit” to India.  OK, all the ground works have be done.  They just need to turn up, hope and pray that the team there has no screw-up, and if everything follow my script, everyone should look good.  They can travel.  And I’d love to stay where the good sun is – Singapore.

The director paused at the end of my briefing, looked at my direction, raised his eyebrow, and asked my boss, “Is Wilfrid coming with us?”

Uh-oh.

Before I even get my hands onto the Indian Visa, my teammates from the other side of the ocean have already called me and said, “Welcome to India”.

So I guess, Chennai here I come?  Time to give my dear friend Jann a call for a survival guide on my way to the airport tonight.

PS. I’ve written a whole week worth of blog materials over the weekend so it will be business-as-usual for my website.

Related Posts: Speed Touring Chennai Pt 1 – Pictures from the City

Categories
Jamming Session

So We Jammed Again: Of Heavy Load and Long hours of Post Production (July 11)

If people can blog about baking cookies a hundred and one times and still read fresh, let me see if I can write something fresh for our jamming journal.

While waiting for our 2nd guest drummer to get back to us, we continue to explore the possibility and to learn from our 1st guest drummer Wieke.  Throughout the week, I have been reviewing the recording of our previous session and finding ways to improve.  My vocals really sucked last week so this time, I committed 20 minutes of vocal exercise in the morning and another set in the evening.  And I stayed away from caffeine the entire day.  That really helped and my vocals sucked less.  In preparation of this session, I have also called up the manager of Stone Jamz and requested for the bass drum pedal to be tuned because it hurt the foot of our guest drummer.  The manager has it replaced with a new one, which is kind of cool.  She gave us a very nice room for us to jam too.  Two thumbs up!

I weighted my gears.  20 kg in total.  That includes my guitar, the effect and amp processor, cables, recording device, my personal mic, the mic stand, and etc.  Mic stand?  That’s right.  I need a sturdy one to be freed from distraction.

Lugging that 20 kg gear through several blocks of building can be quite an exercise on its own.  I said to my guitarist Jason that I need to resume my weightlifting exercise.  I ain’t kidding.  I need a crew; our band needs a crew.  (Hey Selrol, are you there?  We need to hire our nEC crew.)

Since our unofficial band manager Selrol was not feeling well, I took up the responsibility as a designated band photographer.  As you can see, nothing as lively as hers.  Oh well …

OK.  Here is as far as I can go to stay general.  The next bit is more technical and for those who share the same hobby as mine, you may be inspired in some ways.  If you are already a pro, please feel free to share your experience.  I’d love to learn from you.

Technical Stuffs

As you may see, the above setup poses a challenge to our live recording.  And I will tell you why.

Zoom Handy Recorder H2 is a versatile and inexpensive device (below S$300) that in my humble opinion is a must-have for those who wish to record sound.  I was told by the sales assistant that when a container worth of Zoom H2 arrived last December, they were sold out in a matter of days.  Journalists and institutes order these devices by hundreds.  When I bought mine on the day of that silly incident I had at the Malaysia Custom, I was told that 500 units were delivered to an institute in the same morning.

H2 is capable of a front and rear surround sound recording – front stereo track at 90-degree and rear stereo track at 120-degree.  That is a total of 4 mono tracks simultaneous recording inside this tiny device.

The front of the H2 should aim at the vocal speakers and ideally, the drums should be placed at the back.  In this setting, we can’t do that.  Drums are also the only sound that is acoustic in nature.  That is, the volume cannot be controlled.  And since there is a limit as in how loud the vocal speakers can go without inducing the feedback noise, the drums are going to dominate the entire recording.

And that was preciously the outcome.

Previously I relied on the H2 to mix the surround tracks into stereo mode (which took 30 minutes per song by the way) and perform minimal post production work at my computer.  For this studio setup, I can’t do that because our challenge cannot be overcome by 3D panning.  Decreasing the front channel volume in order to make the drums sound softer will have the same effect on the vocals.  Our mission is to bring down the drums’ volume while giving more emphasis on the vocals and strings.

To answer that, I rely on different compression settings for the front and rear channels.  I have covered the technique compression extensively in one of my articles.  It’s time to put it to work and have the post-production work done at the computer.

I use a hard knee compressor for the front channel (click here to see the setting of ‘Drum Destroyer’).  By default, it has a +8dB gain boost, which is great to bring out the details of the vocals.  And it also comes with a 30 times hard compression that is perfect for general drums recording.  For the rear channel, I use my favorite “Vintage Neve 33609” (click here to view setting) and manually apply a +10 dB gain.  Mix the two channels together (with a -6 dB gain reduction) brings forth a much fuller sound.  The overall gain is hotter than any recording I have ever had.

It took me 12 hours to select the right materials and complete the post production work for 12 of our takes (outtakes included).  Different studio rooms may require different settings.  I reckon if we do jam in the same room again, the process will be much faster.

Related Blog Entry: No Eye Candy’s 1st Female Guest Drummer (July 4)

Categories
Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army – It is 4,900+1 Against 4+1!

Absurd as it sounds, I have high anticipation on Hellboy II because of Pan’s Labyrinth and the rather hot Selma Blair.  Why do I think that Hellboy’s girlfriend is sexy?  I have no idea.  Perhaps because of some of the past movies she made.

When I read that in this sequel, it is Hellboy and his team meet the magical creatures of the ancient time, I know much of the good essence of Pan’s Labyrinth will surface.  And truly so, it does.  The movie watched almost like a fantasy experience and I believe the director and writer Guillermo del Toro’s unique vision and attention to details has a significant role to play in breathing life into these creatures.  I suspect in time to come, people will remember these concepts and visions rather than the storyline.

I often confuse between Hellboy franchise and the Fantastic 4 and X-Men.  Fire, checked; huge red character that punches like a tank, checked; us and them, checked.  And I think in this installment, there are more character development.  They crack jokes, troubled by emotions, get drunk, probably this human side has earned the movie a high rating along side with the beautiful created special effects.  Some of the scenes are in such a scale that mind blowing is the only way to describe.

Hellboy II has certainly raised the bar for comic book adaption.  Now, any film in the horizon is going to top this? 

Categories
Action & Thriller Movie Reviews

The Bank Job – Nothing Like My Job For Sure (LOL!)

OK.  Bad joke.  I can’t remember the exact dialogue.  When I suggested to watch “The Bank Job” last week, my buddy TK was like, “Isn’t that your job?  9 to 5 is not enough and you have to watch it on big screen?”

Duh!

Cynthia couldn’t have put it better: Before “The Italian Job” and “Ocean 11”, there was “The Bank Job”.  If you have watched all of the above, you shall know what she meant.  And you know what?  If luck holds, we may have “The Brazilian Job” played by the same actor, Jason Statham.  It’s a sequel, that much I can tell you.

Now, check this out: British intelligence set up a robbery to gain possession of a safety deposit box containing incriminating sex photos of Princess Margaret.  How much of the story is true?  It’s impossible to tell.  The film producers claim that they have inside source.  Then again, this is UK you are talking about.  I always loved to read their sensational tabloids especially the weekend editions when I was a student there.  We need spice in life, we need to feed on gossips.

I love the rather complex plot of murder, corruption, and a sex scandal, and overlaid on top, a rather low tech bank robbery (it’s a crime committed in 1971 so what else do you expect?) that is not without its nail biting moments.  And I also love how this rather multi-dimensional storyline is being told with such fluidity.  Despite the fact that there are quite a number of characters and dialogues involved, each scene tells a concise piece of story that gels well with the next.  It’s not a movie that you can leave your brain outside the theatre, of course.  But it is not hard to follow either.

So is there enough chemistry between Queen of Troy (Saffron Burrows) and Mr. Transporter (Jason Statham)?  I think they are both fine English actors and if there was more passion between the two, even for the imaginary character of Martine Love that does not exist in the so-called true story, it wouldn’t be believable.

Categories
Memorable Events

And the Excitement Continues (Nephew Nathaniel)

Let’s recap what goes on in July so far.  My band’s first female guest drummer, sister’s boyfriend proposed, 2nd book review at the McGraw-Hill’s website, nomination at Ping.sg, and – hold your breath – my nephew was born last evening and he has the same birthday as me!  Now, how cool is that?  Last night, during my birthday celebration, Cynthia told me that Julie might give birth on the 10th or the 11th.  I was secretly willing for a 10th.  Will and it shall happen!  Now, if you need some paranormal assistance, feel free to contact me.

My family is small so unless my own sister quickly fasten the pace of the production line (after she gets married of course!), so far I only have one niece Felicia whom I’ve met in Indonesia 2 years ago and now, baby Nathaniel.  I don’t really see myself as an uncle because, look, the age gap is not that significant, is it?  They are more like brother and sister to me.  I so see myself playing Monopoly or Scrabble with them.  I can certainly do tea party too and bring along brother Wilfrid’s own concoction of plastic muffins.

This is usually the time when people write something about the childbirth.  I am no expert of course and I hardly can hold any of such conversation with the young parents.  My idea of bringing up a baby – as some of my friends would have known – is to chunk him into a sound proof container or to equip him with an aqua mask.  I seriously value the sound of silence a lot.  Back to the childbirth process, erm … Cynthia told me that with one or two pushes, baby Nathaniel – like his elder sister Felicia – popped out of his mother’s womb in just over an hour of labor.  Nathaniel landed safely onto Mother Earth even before his dad Eric completed the paperwork at the hospital.  Is an hour or two of labor a smooth one?  I have no clue.  I stay in the cube farm eight hours a day pushing too.  I push out work every day.

OK.  It’s time to submit my household budget request form for that digital SLR camera that I have been dreaming of.  Now, I have one more reason to own that.  And maybe I shall start a tradition to celebrate my birthday with baby Nathaniel.

Categories
Memorable Events

Me No Shy About Me Birthday

Thanks for all your warm wishes!  It is the thought that counts.  So, text messages are same-same to me.

I have two traditions when it comes to my birthday.  One, it will be a holiday.  Look, if we have holidays to celebrate the birth of the kings and queens and anniversary of what not, why should I work on my birthday?   And two, during my birthday week, it will be my treat to all the friends who join me for lunch or dinner.  I mean, look at it this way, I feel so blessed to have friends turn up for my B day celebration.  It’s on me, gladly so.

I guess it is hard to contain the happiness and I find myself telling the people around me the coming of my birthday.  Maybe I am a natural exhibitionist.  Most people I know are more comfortable keeping it low profile, which is cool with me of course.  One time, the colleague behind me was on the phone and you know how kids are when they get onto the phone.  As usual, the faint high pitch voice reached my desk and I heard a birthday song!  It was my colleague’s birthday and I congratulated her after her call.  Wow, I would have missed that and I would feel quite bad had I known that someone’s birthday has gone underneath my radar.  She is my neighbor in the cube farm some more.  Bizarre to say – and those of you who know me in person would know how animated I can be once I get excited – despite my rather excited words of congratulation, everyone else was so absorbed with their work and none noticed this little event.  Oh well.

The other day, one friend of mine in the office told me that she doesn’t think writing “I wake up, I eat, I sleep” as her journal (or blog) is interesting at all.  Well, I don’t know.  I also write “I wake up, I eat, I sleep” too.  Maybe if one day 3am in the morning and you can’t sleep, you should try reading my blogs.

I woke up this morning after an amazing 8 hours of sleep, looked in the mirror, and didn’t notice any difference.  I mentally timed my pee and it took roughly the same time.  Great!  It’s my birthday and I feel one year younger.  I did some memory test and I passed, remembering all the schedule blog entries all the way till I fly out of town next Wednesday.  Superb!  Good as new.

Switched on my wireless phone and went through the bunch of entertaining text messages.  One friend told me that men age like fine wine.  Wow, my first time hearing it.  So I asked this wise man what do women age like?  Cheese, he replied, as the taste grows on you!  Ha ha ha … OK.  I don’t know why, I kept thinking of the “Sex and the City” movie.  Time for Botox – the miracle of eternal youth!

Spent a fair bit of the morning doing vocal exercise.  Vocal exercise?  Yes.  Vocalists do vocal exercise all the time and it helps a lot in the actual singing activity.  I must have driven Cynthia mad this morning.  Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ohhhhhhh~

Another friend asked me to send a wild plant to her via Facebook after I told her that I was heading to the Botanic Gardens.  Sure I can do that.  I love the Botanic Gardens.  Always do, be it as in Hong Kong or Paris or Singapore.  It was sunny, it rained a bit, and we took some photos inside the lovely Botanic Gardens.

Time check!  OK, it 5-ish and I shall head to Orchard soon.  Catching up with my Movie Review Squad and I can’t wait to watch Hellboy 2!  I so have a big crush with Hellboy’s girlfriend.  Shhh, please don’t tell Cynthia.

Later!

Categories
I See I Write

Storyboarding at 24 Frames per Second – My First V-blog (Prelude) Episode 5

“There is no point in teaching a young one to choose his battle.  He is going to fight every single one, refuse to relinquish his power, and only experience can teach him such thing: There is no ultimate victory and there is no absolute righteousness.  As his eyes are cast upon the rain of fire, in this bloody ground of the many fallen, down to his last man …”

OK.  I am not that imaginative and I certainly can’t dream of stories with such depth.  My new story is going to be short and sweet.  Animals, lots of animals, from worm to whale, from human to elephant.  And there are brains too, lots of brains.  It is when technology meets biology, from my childhood to my adulthood, and onto my hood that says, “It’s my birthday tomorrow and I can write whatever I want!”.  Numbers, plenty of numbers.  But none is going to tell you how old I am, ha!

I want to challenge your senses in this multi-tasking, short attention span pop culture.  The theme is the same but what you are going to hear will be different from the words you read and will be different from the animations you see.

The first decision I made for my video blog was the number of frames per second.  The rest, is history.  I still need time to touch up on the video.  Time, we all need more time!

PS. Majority of the images you see above were taken in Taman Safari Indonesia back in January this year.  Then there was me, and my family’s dog in Hong Kong.

My 1st v-Blog Mini-Series: