Thursday, September 30, 2004
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Cheaters, Part Two
With references to that previous post about cabbies who take a longer route because there's more than one passenger alighting at more than one stop, it's happened again tonight. The cabbie took the whole Tanjong Katong route, leading past the Paya Lebar MRT/ Expressway mess, and then back towards Sims Avenue where we were headed anyway, and could have headed directly for if we had taken Still Road from Marine Parade.
So, since I'm pissed off now that it's happened to me at least five times (that I have noticed this happening), I'm just gonna put down the license plate numbers of the last two cab rides: SHA7317R and SH2004J.
***
At dinner, some dweeb was trying to impress his girlfriend with his F1 insights and then proceeds to call that Canadian former champion (1995) 'Chuck Vill-new' of 'Re-nott'.
Uh, right. Real suave man.
***
Saw the 30-year old versions of two of my men from NS days walk by us at the Parkway Parade taxi stand just now. Still have photos of them in my album from way back. A bit strange to think that twelve years ago, I was leading people no older than myself in situations where a misstep could be so fatal.
Sometimes, I don't mind NS that much.
Famous Last Words
From Soccernet:
Fenerbahce's Rustu unafraid of Utd
Fenerbahce are adamant they can blunt Manchester United's attacking threat in the Champions League clash.
Wayne Rooney is likely to link up with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Alan Smith at some stage in the Group D game but goalkeeper Rustu Recber, a survivor of the team that beat United at Old Trafford in 1996, remains upbeat.
Uh, yeah. Sure. I'm sure the scoreline was a mistake.
***
Today's photo:
cages still life #8
Originally uploaded by Terz.
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Quality Programming
You know there's something wrong when, even on The Discovery Channel, they are calling an American military unit (you know, the one that Custer led and then got massacred on The Little Bighorn...) in a documentary about atrocities committed during the Korean War, the 7th Calvary.
Sigh.
***
Today's photo:
cages still life #7
Originally uploaded by Terz.
Monday, September 27, 2004
Hmm...
"Have you brought JOY to your family lately?" asks Jack Neo in a saccharine-coated ad for some family-related thing on TV.
"Have you cooked enough for your family?" I ask. Because, y'know, one plate of something isn't very much for a family of 4 adults and 2 kids...
Road Idiots
Just out to get dinner and already I run into two idiots on the road:
The first, a Pizza Hut delivery man, who beat the red light, narrowly missing my left foot as he made a sharp left turn at full speed, at my second crossing. Someone told me that Pizza Hut now has a number on the back of each scooter that allows us all to call them if riders aren't obeying traffic laws or just plain riding badly? The guy zipped me by me too quickly for me to note anything other than his license plate number, so if someone else can pass me the phone number, or better yet, make the call for me: the license plate number is FY2641J. Incident was at 19:15 hours.
Then barely 3 minutes later, I see a black Mercedes pull out and the entire Chinese family (complete with three kids in the back seat) in it didn't have their seat belts on. Do we really need another serious accident to make people realise that they have a bigger role to play in preventing serious injuries in accidents? Sheesh. So, driver of EW182C, you are a moron. And an irresponsible parent.
***
On the other hand, had an extremely good day at the shoot yesterday. Beginning to find my footing, thinking more about different angles and working the subjects harder.
***
cages still life #5
Originally uploaded by Terz.
(above) Yesterday's photo and today's...
cages still life #6
Originally uploaded by Terz.
***
Am staying home for the next three days while my new pair of glasses are being created in the shop. So if anyone wants to visit, play with Photoshop on PowerBook, you're welcomed to. Bring a six-pack of beer as your admission fee.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Cheaters Potentially?
Been reading Beeker's entry about the cabbie who tried to cheat him of his money and wondering if I've been gypped the last couple of cab rides...
Does anyone else suspect when there is more than one stop for the cabbie to make (when friends share a cab), said cabbie seems to take the longer route?
Without fail?
Happened again to me today when the cabbie, when told that he would have to make two stops, first at Parkway Parade and next, at Simei, took Geylang and then Tanjong Katong, from Beach Road, instead of hitting the ECP right away. And somewhat like Beeker's cheating cabbie, this one, who was driving a Comfort cab, had a driver information card belonging to someone who's supposed to drive a Yellow Top Cab.
Funny if everyone else feels the same way...
Friday, September 24, 2004
I Give Up
cages still life #3
Originally uploaded by Terz.
Until I get an answer from the people at Fotolog, I'm just gonna post my photos here instead.
While Waiting...
... for my Flog to be updated (on my third attempt at uploading), there was time enough to answer 245 questions for the following results:
| Advanced Big 45 Personality Test Results
|
personality tests by similarminds.com
The Little Black Car Who Thought He Could
... well, he couldn't.
To the driver: I don't care if you're driving a 'coupe' which bears a pseudo-Italian name, which might have made you think it's a different sort of racehorse of Milanese descent, because underneath it all, it's still a Korean nag. So what makes you think that you could beat that cement truck bearing down on the lane you wanted to cut across? I, for one, wouldn't put that much trust in the thrust of that car's engine to bear me quickly and safely out of the way of something as large and heavy as a cement truck.
And then to stand in the middle of rush hour traffic to the pitying gazes of the drivers and pedestrians going by trying to sort out the mess...
Man, your ego must have taken a real beating last night.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Happening more often than I care to keep track...
cages still life #2
Originally uploaded by Terz.
For more information about cages, click here.
This was supposed to be today's post on my Flog but once again, I've been gypped of my one and only upload per day. I suppose I could send the people running Fotolog an email, but I'll just assume that they will continue to ignore me as they have done my previous emails.
And they wonder why I don't want to re-register myself as a Gold Club Patron.
The Amazing Finale
Hmm. Well, congratulations Chip and Kim, I suppose.
Not they're the most loathesome to have won TAR (a certain screeching, whining woman comes to mind), but I was rather rooting for Colin and Christie.
But they paid the price for not working their asses off looking for a better flight, or an alternative flight, as they had done at the start of the season. They got lazy and they got beat, and if the editing hasn't been tweaked too much, they lost only by about five minutes, which is already remarkable considering they were at least twenty minutes behind at one point in time. Still, they should be happy with the five or six holidays they've won just for being first in the legs.
But on the whole, one of the better seasons I've seen in a while. It took a while to get going, but there were enough points of interest to sustain me throughout the season. And finale was just breathtaking: I had the same piece of KFC chicken in my hand for the last twenty minutes of last night's show.
Bring on TAR 6!
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
My Mistake
I said earlier that the noise level was topping off at 95dB?
Not so. That was in the morning when the hackjob was taking place at the far end of the other unit.
Actual max?
Well, as at 15:58 hours, it's 108dB, which is only about 12dB below a jet takeoff on full afterburner. From 200 feet away, and not the next fuckin' apartment.
And that lasts 12 seconds at the most. This has been going on for the whole day. Just as well I've kept the ear plugs from the ranges I used to have to attend at the risk of my life and limb.
I so need a drink after the boss man from upstairs leaves.
Ah, forgot to mention that bit. The foreman from the renovating crew has paid our home a visit because some time at 1 pm, the vibrations from the drilling caused our new (well, relative to the rest of our furniture) and expensive book shelves from Picket & Rail to come a'tumblin' down.
We're talking money now.
Good God! Have They Really Run Out of Names?
This is what I'm talking about.
Jeez!
***
I wasn't around to watch the previous episode of TAR, so this update comes a little late.
One thing about Colin and Christie, I notice they seem to self-destruct whenever the weather turns a tad warm and sticky for their liking. Think back. Where has Colin lost his temper most often: Tanzania, India and now Manila.
If this isn't one of the whys I want to leave this place, then I don't know what is.
And I'm gonna have to agree with the missus that having the Yield on this season of TAR has made the show too Survivor-esque. So, instead of just having the fastest or best teams win the whole thing, based on their own abilities, there's an element of back-stabbing now.
I think there was a reason why I stopped watching Survivor (that, and the fact that not a single worthy person has won the damned thing since Ethan in Africa).
Flexi-pain
One of the things people never talk about when they crow about flexi-hours is, when after they've crawled into bed at about 2 in the morning and then be rudely awoken at 9 am by the sound of drilling from the apartment above them, that other people don't get them.
Yep, that's now happened to me. So instead of sleeping in the whole morning, I'm now plugged into my PowerBook and listening to the songs ripped onto my iTunes in an effort to drown out the sound of the wet works (is that what it's called -- the phase in renovation when they make the most noise?) from above.
Come to think of it, I didn't see a Notice of Renovation pasted anywhere near where it's going on. Hmm, I wonder if I can sue their asses to get just a little more sleep.
Perk #43 of owning a digital camera: the timestamp never lies.
Perk #2 of owning the Nokia 5140: I know that the fucking drilling's causing damage to my eardrums at a consistent 85dB and topping out at 94dB.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Epitaph
Just got this in my email from Kay Chin:
"It was an OK Monday until I surfed the Net and found out a person I knew dearly died recently.
Eddie Adams is dead. He took the famous Vietnam execution picture. I never met him but still felt a little sad, though not personally.
But more saddening is the death of Vi Edom. Some of you who attended the Shooting Home public talks this year will remember me recounting how I got to set up Shooting Home.
Vi and Cliff Edom founded the Missouri photo workshop, the Missouri photojournalism program ... Cliff also coined the word photojournalism.
They were long retired when I attended Missouri but they came back from time to time. I met them both and they were such wonderful people.
Vi was a walking almanac, and I probably got a bit of the encyclopedic memory from “hanging out” with her.
When I visited her in southern Missouri a decade ago, she amazed me with recollection of who participated in which workshop, who shot which assignment for which National Geographic issue.
She also selflessly destroyed her National Geographic collection but giving me the issue on Singapore. Of course, she knew the photographer who shot it.
Well, at least she has gone to see Cliff, and maybe HCB.
Ya, you can say that – without them, there wouldn’t have been me.
But knowing her, she wouldn’t be happy to be mourned."
A much better tribute than Saturday, IMHO.
Runaway Crab
Runaway Crab
Originally uploaded by Terz.
During a short break in the filming on Friday, this intrepid little bugger decided to take the chance at freedom.
Unfortunately for it, it was sighted and recaptured.
Friday was also my last day at the shoot. Which means that I can now work in the images I've shortlisted for my portfolio. In no particular hurry though, although we've all retained copyright to our photographs, they have been embargoed until the movie's release (I would need to know whether that's next year when it's making its circuit through the Sundance Festival, or in 2006, when it makes its theatrical release).
Sunday, September 19, 2004
KL Weekend
Got back home about 4 hours ago and went to sleep immediately after my shower because the missus had to work and the TV would otherwise have distracted her.
Quite a weekend, if not for the purpose we went there to achieve. The company was fun (BK had a story that sustained us for the whole journey), the lodgings sprawling, peaceful and beautiful (thanks to Belinda, Gillian and Sylvia, our wonderful hosts, and the food never-ceasing. The visit to the National Museum for Art was excellent and we spent hours poring through photographs from the past hundred years.
The rest of it, though... meh.
The event at the Alliance Francaise to launch Mois de la Photographie 2004? A bust. I mean, a tribute to Henri Cartier-Bresson? I didn't see that. The only reference to HCB was that he has died. The show, a tribute to him. Yeah, sure, but really, in no way was anything attributed to him.
Just as a reference.
Sheesh.
After the show we wanted to get some drinks, but the place recommended was closed. After wandering about the city for a while, we ended up at a place along the Bukit Bintang stretch (where Planet Hollywood is) for "fresh Italian gelato". The place was called "Lecka Lecka". Don't know what that means in Italian, but it might be "we guarantee you two strands of hair in every scoop of fresh Italian gelato." 'Cause that's what I got.
Value for money really.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Purchasing Power
My Next Ride
Originally uploaded by Terz.
Was playing around at the Honda website and decided that this would be my next big buy (assuming I don't spend much of what I've earned so far on a Canon EOS-1D Mark II).
Drool.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Readability
Tried out the link found on emu's blog:
Readability report for http://terseandatlarge.blogspot.com
Readability grades:
Kincaid: 5.6
ARI: 5.8
Coleman-Liau: 8.7
Flesch Index: 81.8
Fog Index: 8.5
Lix: 31.3 = below school year 5
SMOG-Grading: 8.2
Sentence info:
16533 characters
3978 words, average length 4.16 characters = 1.29 syllables
261 sentences, average length 15.2 words
50% (133) short sentences (at most 10 words)
18% (47) long sentences (at least 25 words)
18 paragraphs, average length 14.5 sentences
15% (40) questions
33% (88) passive sentences
longest sent 73 wds at sent 20; shortest sent 1 wds at sent 2
Word usage:
verb types:
to be (124) auxiliary (44)
types as % of total:
conjunctions 4(171) pronouns 9(352) prepositions 13(499)
nominalizations 1(28)
Sentence beginnings:
pronoun (51) interrogative pronoun (7) article (18)
subordinating conjunction (7) conjunction (19) preposition (21)
Explanations found here. I'm pretty sure this'll interest some, if not all, of the Crew.
Quiz of a different sort.
And in my schedule, flurries
Haven't been posting because, in between shooting a dear friend (well, two dear friends - one last Sunday and another the previous one) at a studio and collecting a cheque for my most recent job, I've been looking into preparations for what's ostensibly a retreat for photographers and the launch of Photography Month in KL.
OK. Fine. Not so much a retreat. A drunken booze party. Happy?
It took me a while to decide to go, though.
For starters, it'll be a bit of a rush on Friday to make the night train, seeing that I'm scheduled to be shooting at Cages that day and be present at the launch of the Eye é City exhibition at MITA later in the evening. And to top that off by rushing to the train station with all my gear and a sleeping bag by ten?
This weekend also happens to be another off-road trip to Desaru. But since the missus can't make it (again!) this time because of work (really, I don't see how she's doing the 5-day week thing at all), I can probably give sleeping in mosquito- and leech-infested parts of the Malaysian jungle a miss.
But the bigger deal? I have (looking at it's going to be a 'had') an invite to attend the launch of the Canon EOS-20D (drool) at BARcelona this Sunday...
Then again, what better way to end my detox period by having a drunken booze party?
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Bandwagon
I take this opportunity, at half time in the game between Bolton and Manchester United, to welcome Boko to the Blogsphere.
Noise Pollution
So we come home and are faced with an RC event at the foot of the next block, spilling over to the foot of ours, at which the Guest-of-Honour happens to be our MP, who we didn't vote into office and who had the gall to say that couples who do not procreate 'for the good of the nation' should be fined. Or made to feel that they have been very, very naughty.
Hyeah.
Let's hope some earnest procreating heartlander damages his eardrums on the karaoke machine. I can hear them now from the 11th storey.
The abbatoir sounds a lot better than downstairs.
***
Today, at lunch with the grand-daddy of the Shooting Home workshops at the Big O Cafe at Wheelock Place, he proceeds to tell us of an incident of road rage at the Plaza Singapura last night that left his friend shaken and the road bullies facing charges.
To be brief - said friend admitted she cut in front of the offending driver and his wife, but waved to apologise for it (and anyone who has driven on Handy Road leading to Plaza Singapura would already know that there's sometimes very little drivers can do on a road where two lanes merge into one very quickly and with very little space for maneuvering). However, yuppie in expensive blue car felt that the apology wasn't enough and cut back in front her after horning her loudly. Then, even after that, followed her to the sixth storey to harangue her. With his wife.
With his very pregnant wife.
[Boggle]
Look, I think at the point when your expecting wife steps out of the car too to hurl abuse at the other driver is just about when it's no longer justifiable for you to be mad. Driver cuts in front of you, causing you to brake suddenly, throwing your wife forward. Sure. I can accept you getting out of the car to seek some redress. And to follow the other driver all the way to the car park? Maybe you're long-winded. That's still fine in my book: you want the other driver to show some more remorse for cutting you off. But if you're trying to defend your wife, have said wife stay in the car as the aggrieved party. If she can come out and help you abuse the other driver? That's stepping over the boundaries of civil behaviour into the realm of bullying.
Long story short, the police were called and KC's friend had to stay in her car for four hours while the boys in blue sorted out the mess.
Yeesh.
***
I got a chance to visit two hospitals today because the missus mistakenly thought that her grandmother, who had broken her arm in a fall, was at Tan Tock Seng Hospital when she was actually at Alexandra Hospital.
An eye-opener. To say the least. I haven't been to either hospital in a while and the changes have been amazing. I was expecting dingy, dim colonial architecture bringing out gloominess of any government-run medical facility. But not so today. TTSH has had a facelift that's befitting the hospital that was at the forefront of the battle against SARS. Even Alexandra is brighter, with funky modern fittings and colour schemes.
OK, so I'm not so afraid of hospitals anymore.
***
One final thing: I would like to offer to all taxi operators this little test for job applicants because just making sure that they possess a Class 3 Driving License isn't enough. That's something akin to calling someone with a opposable thumb and a working index finger a photographer. I mean, a monkey could use a camera, but that doesn't make it a photographer.
Anyway, my idea...
Fill a plastic 16 oz cup with water (one of those Starbucks take-away deals) and cover it with a cap, but one with more than just the one opening for us to drink out of. Have four. At the cardinal points of the cap. Then have the cabbie-potentiate drive at least 15 km. If the water spills because he's one of those idiots whose vehicles jerk because he uses the engine brakes a lot, or if he jams on the brakes too hard, he fails and cannot be a cabbie for six months, after which he must take the test again.
I, for one, am so SICK of being jerked around (literally) by bad drivers who leave me at my destinations feeling completely nauseated.
Friday, September 10, 2004
Stating the Obvious
"It's tough to be poor and sick."
Really?
You don't say...
Saw that on a flyer stuck up on the squeaky clean glass wall of a pro golf shop at United Square this morning. Apparently that's supposed to persuade golfers that they should attend a charity golf thingy with the proceeds going to NUH (I forget which part though).
Apart from stating the obvious, how's that supposed to make golfers (again, think about it - about the people who actually golf: they who can afford club memberships, green fees, cost of clubs, etc) feel that they can do something for the poor and sick that they won't already do if they wanted to?
And NUH? For the poor and sick?
Uh, wrong hospital I think.
***
So much for me getting off the booze.
Last night, the missus and I had dinner and drinks with her friend from college, Kumiko, who is visiting for a couple of weeks.
Only had two pints last night though... a good start: cutting down by 80% of my normal intake.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Tick Tock
So, I spent the whole day at home, doing nothing but looking forward but TAR5 to keep me sane.
Had to stay home because the repair guy for the washing machine was supposed to come between 11 and 2. He came at half-10 instead. Fortunately for him, I was in decent enough shape to meet him at the door.
The verdict? For bleedin' $60 and just ten minutes of work, he's determined that we're using the wrong soap (too much sudsing) and that the load was either too full or too empty (about 75% full is just about right, apparently). Not a bad haul. And he didn't even have to sweat.
For that I woke up in the morning? Sigh.
After that, I decided to stay home anyway, but was bored out of my head as a result. I didn't want to leave because I knew my path will lead eventually to either Sods or any one of the pubs at Boat Quay, and I really mean to give my liver a break after the exertions from the last weekend.
I hate growing old.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Request Of The Day
"Terence, I need you to get into S****'s (male name) pants."
You know what?
No thanks. Really, not my thing, getting into some guy's pants.
Addendum
How could I have forgotten this one?
Saturday still:
Woman next to me in the Japanese buffet-type restaurant at Suntec City farted during her meal. Really. Farted. I shit you not.
In the middle of my fourth whole spider crab, there came a sound from just beyond my right elbow: BRRRRRRRARRRRRP.
No wonder that whole table beat a hasty retreat within 5 minutes.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Updates Since the Hangover
Friday:
Shooting was at The Quayside on Friday.
Aburiya, a Japanese restaurant, is apparently known for its beef. In the two hours we were sitting outside the place, I had several people walk by saying how good the food (especially the beef) was.
Yeah.
The food may be good. But the quality of service is suspect. Really suspect. Someone who worked there came by, and seeing that a fan (a! Singular!) was on (hey, it was a hot day, and we had movie actors from the States), turned it off and then showed our visitors how rude Singaporeans can get.
Good for you, dude.
***
Left my cellphone in the taxi. Must be the killer fatigue. That's two nights in a row I've left something of mine behind after alighting from a cab.
***
You know, you may be walking around like you own the road, with that Beng-swagger and shirts that are tucked out, but you're still a Hwa Chong JC student. Sorry, not really impressed.
***
Woman at Bojangles who spoke too much and too loud for the entire time she was there.
'Nuff said.
***
Saturday:
Even if they make G-strings in XL, it doesn't mean people have to buy them.
XL?
Yeesh.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Was Meaning To Post...
But drunk a little too much after my first series of shoots for the movie.
Will update another time... preferably after I've gotten over this hangover-potentiate.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Some Days Are Better Than Others
The missus would like me to dedicate this blog entry to the woman who found my wallet lying in the middle of the street where I had exited my cab.
Hyeah, like I didn't already know to do that...
Anyway, I would like to have it on record: thank you again.
***
Today wasn't as sweat-inducing than the previous two, so I guess I was in a better mood.
And besides, I have something else to log about other than the movie.
We were at a hospital/ nursing home today. For the first two scenes filmed in the corridor of said hospital, a woman patient was screaming, seemingly in pain, throughout the whole shoot. It was creepy. To say the least.
It struck me then that the nurses working there are the real heroes. I mean, SARS? (not to belittle the heroes from that little epidemic, living or posthumous). SARS is the medical equivalent of a kidnapped, white, little girl beauty queen from the Deep South in the USA. Full of sound and fury, but over and almost forgotten... Caring for the old and the infirm in the nursing home? That's the poor, the neglected, the huddled masses, the screaming woman.
And they're there every day. And not just for the short term.
To the nurses and staff: good work. Thank you.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
The Amazing Update #3
3? Is it 3? I've lost track...
Another non-elimination leg? What a crock.
Anyway, so what's up with the whole "I won't drink vodka because I'm committed", but I'm willing to participate in a Hindi ritual (ritual!) for the sake of the Fast Forward? Yeesh. And the reason for not doing it? We don't want to lose our hair.
Hello?
"We had no hope. We were hopeless..."
Er, OK, what's being a Christian if not about having hope?
And for the Twinkies: Do not doubt the Phil. If he says you're fourth. Believe him.
***
Had a break in filming today, so I took up another assignment: assisted another photographer in a product shot.
There's nothing like coming home at the end of the day not feeling like I have to take two showers just to feel clean. And today, I felt like I learnt a lot and achieved something.
A good feeling.
Day The Second
0735 hours:
Uh, yes Pat, I would like to buy a breeze.
1145 hours:
Culina Quality Food and Beverages. Well, that may be true, but what's also true: you may not have quality attitude. Driver for said company horned (horned!) at an old woman struggling to push her little trolley of cardboard boxes across the road.
Then smiled about it to his co-worker.
1231 hours:
"You guys are damn nuisance (sic)."
(Repeated ad nauseum. To be honest, I didn't really listen after the first three times he said it. Couldn't have been much variance, or the possibility of variance, in his small mind.)
Said by the soulless technocrat whose path was obstructed by me because filming was in progress.
The same soulless money-grubbing (he hopes) technocrat who thought to sic the law on the filmmakers. Truly a stalwart supporter of the Arts scene in bohemian Singapore.
1322 hours:
"I am become Mushroom, the dweller in darkness and feeder on other's shit."
Remember that tired joke about mushrooms ("I must be a mushroom. I'm kept in the dark, and get fed shit all the time.")? Today, I am that mushroom.
Posted to my little corner of Ann Siang Hill to possibly commit Section 339 of the Singapore Penal Code, I was left there while the rest of the crew broke for lunch and had a rest.
1329 hours:
The Home team arrives, on the command of aforementioned technocrat. Unfortunately for the sad little twat, the filmmakers papers are in order and the lawmen leave.
1432 hours:
I lie through my teeth: "Yeah, I'm doing okay."
I only hope that the pause while I struggled mightily with my answer was not noticed. That, and the strange tic in my eyelid.
1912 hours:
Shooting wraps for the today.
Unfortunately, I was packed and ready to go 45 minutes before, when primary shooting ended but no one wanted to commit to letting the fourth uncle thrice removed go.
Feels like I'm working for the Civil Service all over again.
On the other hand, I'm getting quite a tan.
