Sunday 18 October 2009

(HQ) Glee - Bust Your Windows

lol. poor car.

glee. turning out to be quite entertaining.

Sunday 13 September 2009

on repeat


xiao qing ge (little love song) performed by sodagreen. taiwanese band that recently caught my ear by accident. lead vocalist, qing feng, has quite a unique voice. charming, addictive song.


destroy she said by circ, a relatively unknown trance band. perfect driving song for those pleasant hours-long drive to nowhere.

Sunday 6 September 2009

computer luv

so here i am, sick as a kitten from one of the rare, debilitating bouts of sickness that strike once a year, and this silly song keeps running through my head.

catchy.

Saturday 25 July 2009

morning

never realised how beautiful mornings can be.

there's something quite transcendent as the night sky gradually lightens, fades to gray, and on the horizon, a small spot of rose that slowly blooms, spreads and grows across the sky, until there comes a moment when the hushed morning seemed to hold its breathe, and finally a piercing spark lifts above the skyline, and the sun rises, a blazing, glowing orb.

doing my form in the quiet of the morning (where does two hours go?), a sense of the world slowing stirring and coming to life, that powerful sense of change echoed in the shifting and rolling of the form.

startled myself a bit this morning while doing the form. caught sight of a roll of steam out of the corner of my eye as i was turning, and for a moment thought there was someone standing behind me. which was impossible of course, but that thought flashed through my mind for a moment. turned out it was just my own body giving off steam in the morning chill. the last time this happened, it was in the humid jungles after a morning of continuous marching.

i like mornings. because the morning is quiet and still.

i like mornings because people seemed friendlier in the morning. you don't seem many people with tensed up faces and tight shoulders taking a walk in the morning. ppl smile more, and "good mornings" seem to mean more.

a ruddy man with a bushy moustache, walking his yorkshire terrier in the early frost. in shorts. a lady in a faux-fur coat, a cigarette burning in her hand, hurrying somewhere, possibly to work. another lady on her bicycle riding downhill, and exuberantly going, "wheeeew!" a gaggle of early morning fisherman, glowing in fluorescent coats. a pelican, wading into the water like a stately old gentleman, the image of which is abruptly ruined by the snaking forward of its head as it spears a fish. a little dark bird, swimming, yes, swimming, underwater. the fat rippling river, meandering slowly, flanked by trees and sugar cane, seen from the hill top. and the golden sun, lifting higher and higher into the sky.

Thursday 2 July 2009

Green Grey - Стереосистема

amazed that i actually found this on youtube. one of the ukrainian songs recommended by a friend that i pretty much like. catchy. ^^

you can also some shots of kyiv, the capital of ukraine in the vid. lots of churches.

Monday 29 June 2009

storm

it has been storming ever since my return.

since last friday, it has been raining and blowing continuously. huddling in my warm little apartment, i sometimes feel like i'm out at sea, especially when the wind howls, the rain keeps pounding, and i look out and see giant trees tossed around like saplings. kinda like the little boy in "ponyo on the cliff by the sea" in the storm scene.

Sunday 28 June 2009

Surreality

how surreal. playing "ji gu pai" in Ukraine with a bunch of aussies. who ever knew? just to clarify, "ji gu pai" is a typical childhood game played in SE Asia. watch the videos to learn.

this took place on a 5 hour plaus train ride to Lviv, Ukraine's version of Melbourne aka the most cultural city in the country. train ride was straight out of Hogwarts Express, except that we were stuck in third class: windows stained so brown you can't look out, grimy sheets and blankets, lights that don't work, poor ventilation, and restrooms that are too horrible to mention. still, it was very romantic and all. with company such as these, how can one get bored?

last clip shows the girls breaking out in song, using "ji", "gu", "pa", no less. no prizes for guessing the song. this was one of the highlights of the trip to Ukaine.

Thursday 18 June 2009

from ukraine


lviv.

Tuesday 19 May 2009

warm fuzzies

as part of the counselling/team-building we had to do before leaving for ukraine, we had to write down one aspect of each member that we will appreciate whilst over there and living together for one month.

this is what i got:

-upfront

-level-headed and non-emotional

-a different perspective on things - good thing :)

-his different perspective on things and his motivation/determination

-clear and logical thinking - afresh perspective and patience!

-objectivity + assertive leadership qualities. also maleness (stop us from making too many girl decisions)

-learning turtle tai chi with you! and being around someone who makes me laugh.

thought it was interesting cos it's always interesting to see how others perceive you. recurring theme seemed to be objectivity and different perspective. this probably came about because we were previously discussing an ethical situation involving too many kidney failure patients and only one dialysis machine. basically, i thought they went too much with their emotions. they probably thought i was some monster because i was willing to put some other candidates before cute, innocent children. muahaha.

some other interesting things that popped up from the warm fuzzies.

-non-emotional, hmmmmmmmmm, could be a good and bad thing.

-patience?? lol, i'm not too sure about that! wait and see, WAHAHAH~

-maleness. yeah. i am MAN. nuff said.

-turtle tai chi! lol. for some reason an image of ninja turtles doing taiji popped into my head. ^^ yeah, i'm going to put them through training hell, hahaha, those poor innocent lambs, they have no idea...

warm fuzzies. funny name, but boy, do they work.

【ShareMTV】五月天 出头天《作品七号》首波主打歌

mayday singing in taiwanese (hokkien). so cool right. ^^

Sunday 17 May 2009

五月天

seemed to be on a mayday rediscovery lately. was listening to some of their older songs and came across this.
五月天-純真

used to love this song a lot. sang it to myself before when bashing through the late, humid jungle nights. always mixed it with another song though.
五月天:生命有一種絕對

for some reason, there are parts when both songs sound similar to each other to me, and i always end up mixing them up, especially when i used to sing it to someone. lol, same thing with "hot cross buns" and " three blind mice".

Friday 15 May 2009

五月天 如煙

some people are just not worth my time.

Thursday 30 April 2009

names

i was accused of having too many names today during a student committee meeting. it was funny cos it was one of my lecturers who looked bemused when we were doing introductions.

LOL. it's true.

my offical "unoffical" name within the school, which appears on my name tag, is "Yanz" (basically a typo, which i am too stingy to fork out $17 to rectify); it's also the name most of my friends from the previous year group know me as. i usually introduce myself as "Ian" to Westerners, just to save on confusion, but i sign my emails as "Yan." "Yan" is strictly how i should call myself, if we go by the process of adopting a name by choosing one monosyallable from within the original, lol, and it's how most Asian friends call me.

doesn't bother me, really, LOL, but i guess i can see how it can be confusing.

fundraiser at tiger,tiger

wine and tapas afternoon/evening on april 26, sunday.
the quiet before the storm.
the alleyway tiger,tiger is tucked away in.
the start of the afternoon. tapas start to flow from the kitchen.
the crowd starts trickling in. the evening is underway!
the busy kitchen.the end of the evening.
counting the money. a very successful night. more than 10k was raised to purchase resources for children with disabilities in ukraine.
of course, all this would not have been possible without the help and time of all those who contributed, our supervisors, kirrily and jillian, and the generosity of the owners, claire and braydon, who not only provided the venue, but also refused to take a single cent for all the food and drinks provided. words cannot express our gratitude.

thanks also go out to vi and long for providing the fantastic pictures used in this post.

Tuesday 21 April 2009

epic fail

fail owned pwned pictures
see more pwn and owned pictures

answer: not if you wrapped the webcam in a condom.

Sunday 19 April 2009

future challenge

this is where i am going next month.

this is my patient profile.

most ppl see this.

i see this.
why am i doing this? because i know, in all likelihood, i will not work in paediatrics as a career. because it is not something i have experienced, because it is out of my comfort zone. of course, can go on about gaining as much experience as you can, making the most of the opportunities available to you, knowing your limits, knowing yourself etc, but right now, as i am in the midst of preparing, this particular incident keeps popping into me head:

me in middle of playgroup of babies under 1 year of age. a group of 4 or 5 babies, all crawling, trying to stand, falling down all over the place. lady carer, who was trying to be nice, plonked a baby in front of me. baby was cute, fat, cuddly. i stared at the baby. baby stared back at me, wide eyed. i go, "hi. what's your name?"

idiot.

Thursday 16 April 2009

男女在愛情長跑裡的十種變化

saw this at a friend of a friend's blog and thought it was so funny so i ripped it off, muahaha.

男女在愛情長跑裡的十種變化


《相戀一個月,女友像月亮》
不少男人著迷這個階段,認為這時候的女人最有女人味,嬌柔而溫暖,關係也如月亮光暈一般,朦朧恍惚引人陶醉,就連躺在床上盯著天花板也能看見她月亮似的笑容照拂自己。

《相戀一個月,男友是侍從》
大多數的女人認為男人看上自己,是因為年輕美貌,此舉令女人們不悅,因此她們常製造難題考驗男人,讓男人就像侍從般給予百般呵護,且此時的女人為了不讓男人覺得考驗"不值得",在舉止上氣質幽雅、打扮上風華絕代,讓男人們有如身在朦朧月光下,令人陶醉。

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀二個月,女友是明星》
經過了初識時閉塞式的癡迷及烘托,男人會開始帶著女友四處見人,一來昭告親朋不再孤單 ,二來藉機維護及表現,好拉攏女友還不明確的方心。

《相戀二個月,男友像太陽》
經過艱難的試煉和辛苦的考驗之後,女人相信男人們的"真心",於是開始將心交予,此時的女人就像小鳥一樣依附在男人身邊,享受著如太陽般的溫暖,並滿心期待下次黎明的到來....

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀半年後,女友如花瓶》
經過半年的交往,關係堪稱確定,參與任何聚會都有她陪伴,少了她就像少了什麼一樣,這時候女友的功能就如花瓶或伴手禮,既美觀、實惠又受歡迎。

《相戀半年後,男友如新衣》
經過半年的交往,關係堪稱確定,參與任何聚會都有他陪伴,逢人就介紹引見,就像買了一件新衣向親友們炫耀般,希望尋得羨慕及認同。

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀十個月,女友變大姐》
男人的衝勁足夠、幹勁還行,耐性就差了,在癡迷、維護及表現過後,往往就現出了原形、流露了本性,需要女友隨時提醒並代為觀前想後,以及擬定生活計劃。

《相戀十個月,男友變小弟》
此時女人跟男人相處已經夠久,漸漸發現男人的彈性已隨著時間而趨於疲乏,於是開始看不慣男人在日常生活上的鬆懈與怠慢,像個大姊一樣的隨時提醒並為其觀前想。

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀一年,女友變老媽》
男人在生疏的女人面前,是大男人的,但在親密的女人跟前,卻很小男人,小到令女友不放心他的衣食住行,不放心他的人情交際,不放心他的工作情況,而不時叮嚀、隨時關心。

《相戀一年,男友變兒子》
此時男人已開始習慣依賴這個身邊的她,而女人也開始發揮光輝的母性,如同對待兒子般的叮嚀囑咐加諸在男人身上,不放心他的衣食住行,不放心他的人情交際,不放心他的工作情況...但是此時的女人在較陌生的男人面前依舊是小女人般希望被疼愛......

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀兩年後,女友像頭獅》
男女原就互補,既然女人細膩敏感,男人自然粗心大意,將這番粗心大意帶進愛情裡,細膩敏感的女人那裡受的了,於是河東獅吼的情形就常發生了。

《相戀兩年後,男友像木頭》
既然男人粗心大意,女人自然細膩敏感,將這番細膩敏感帶進愛情裡,粗心大意的男人哪能承受的住...於是只好繼續當根遲鈍的木頭,假裝什麼事都沒有發生過。

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀過三年,獅子變蝨子》
當過了威風的獅子,女人在威嚴漸失的男人心裡,必然逐漸縮小為討厭的蝨子,搔得男人渾身發癢通體難受,巴不得能儘快清除,偏偏蝨子是很難對付的。

《相戀過三年,木頭變石頭》
男人在木頭的時期,女人並不會因為男人遲鈍而鬆懈,相反的卻更積極的敲打著木棒,木棒經過經驗值的累積,因而進化成了石頭,只為了應付更惡劣的環境。

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀逾四年,女友似Pizza》
初戀時,女友一通電話,男人就飛奔而至,認為女友的召喚是莫大的榮幸,四年一過情勢隨即逆轉,男人有什麼事懶得去辦,就召喚女友代勞,隨叫隨辦,而且免費。

《相戀逾四年,男友似垃圾》
初戀時,男人在女人眼裡什麼都好,懂電器、會修理、好運動,近乎十項全能.....四年一過,如同垃圾般隨處可挑破洞缺陷,不值一提。

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀五年餘,盼望變幅畫》
男女相處久了,雖未結婚,也跟老夫老妻一樣了,這時著重感官享受的男人心思必起倦怠會但願愛情就如一幅畫那般,懸在牆上,想看時看看不想看時就釘在那兒,不會隨時跟來。

《相戀五年餘,視之如雞肋》
男女相處久了,雖未結婚,也跟老夫老妻一樣了,這時女人已不再記得當初愛上這個男人的感動,只是覺得"食之無謂,棄之可惜" 且此時女人們也自覺老大不小了,不吃也沒得吃了....

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

《相戀整七年》
戀愛的夢幻及美好,到此早消逝無蹤或享用殆盡,僅剩現實瑣碎的生活一旦缺了真誠少了用心,乏了溝通,關係不是猜疑緊張就是厭煩倍增。

Wednesday 8 April 2009

Habanera

lol, finally fixed internet/computer problem at home. hooray! although i swear i must be plagued by gremlins lately...

anyway, a vid to celebrate! meep meep meep!

Monday 30 March 2009

doggy breath

i have a dog sleeping in my lap as i type this, and his sprawling weight is surprisingly enjoyable, even if i strongly suspect he is drooling into my jeans as he happily dozes away.

funny how absorbed one can be just observing another sleep, the tousled fur from exhausting play (thankfully, else the little devil will still be begging for attention), the little twitches, the sudden kicks, are you chasing something small and fleeting in some red savage dream from your past?

having a puppy is like having a kid. you have to give constant attention, you worry that he bites the wires, you put up with his over-enthusiastic licking, you try to teach him right from wrong.

good thing he is not mine. i am just the babysitter ^^.

Friday 27 March 2009

thoughts and quirks

random post. as per the title. here goes.

if there are three parking lots, and only the middle is free, i would park the same way the others are, out of some obscure fear that if i park the opposite way, the other drivers would nick my car doors. this is cos if i park the same way, i can maneuver my car such that i leave a fair bit of space for the other driver to get in without nicking my door, even if that leaves only a tiny space for me to get out. advantages of being bamboo-fat.

i drive bare-footed. i can say that it gives me more grip on the pedals, better feedback from the engine, hence fine-tuned speed control and improved fuel economy, but frankly, it's just more relaxing.

most things are relative. height-wise, some say i am tall, but compared to the average aussie, i am at most, average. similarly, some ppl think i am a good person, but there are a bunch over in malaysia who probably hate my guts. similarly, this can be applied to more general things, such as wealth, success, happiness, which are relative; values and attributes are ascribed, not absolute.

amazing how time slows down in near-death, almost-disastrous experiences. surreal how similar it is to movies (is it art imitating life or life imitating art, as in because you have seen it before, your brain is pre-conditioned to react that way). what can i say? some have achieved satori, or enlightenment in such life-changing situations , as in what is important becomes crystal- clear, i can't say that i had the same but it does confirm what i always sorta guessed. i just know that i don't panic in most situations that would faze most ppl; i just become icily detached. it's not like i block it off so there is a delayed after-effect. i just don't feel. good in some situations, maybe not so great in others (again, refer to the relative value of things).

i sometimes wonder if i have ankylosing spondylitis, or how is the heart murmur coming along, idle speculations, not that i am morbid, lol, i am content with life now, why would i want to die, still have too many things to do, shooting fireballs for one, but it's just, harmless fun to speculate along those lines when you are in good health. does that make sense?

i am lax about the use of punctuation and speeling, but the wrong use of "a" and "the" drives me nuts.

i sleep like a cat.

why is it that it seems you get more succesful hunts in Mousehunt when others sound the horn or a trap-check occurs, as compared to when you sound the horn yourself? or is it just me?

Saturday 21 March 2009

6 degrees

there was a social network website called 6degrees a few years ago, which goes on the concept that a person can be related to most anyone on this planet if you know the friend of a friend etc, kinda like a spiderweb.

so, if we go on that concept, i know miss korea 200x because my student dates her. ^^ sweet.

Thursday 5 March 2009

A pinch of salt

got this from a friend's website. it's always a bit fun doing those questions, but as always, take the answers with a pinch of salt.

edit: forgot to link the site to do the quiz. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quizbox.com%2Fpersonality%2Ftest82.aspx&h=6151a6ef93f0c2677b4c715c73ea5e1f

Your view on yourself:
Other people find you very interesting, but you are really hiding your true self. Your friends love you because you are a good listener. They'll probably still love you if you learn to be yourself with them.
Analysis: You are a lying, deceptive, two faced bastard who emotionally manipulates ppl to get what you want.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:
You are not looking merely for a girl/boyfriend - you are looking for your life partner. Perhaps you should be more open-minded about who you spend time with. The person you are looking for might hide their charm under their exterior.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.
Analysis: Desperate, will grab anything that comes by.

The seriousness of your love:
You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?
Analysis: As serious as a rabbit in heat.

Your views on education
Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.
Analysis: Bookworm, nerd, pretentious know-it-all.

The right job for you:
You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.
Analysis: Your career will be as exciting as dishwater.

How do you view success:
You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.
Analysis: Megalomaniac.

What are you most afraid of:
You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.
Analysis: Personaltiy of a three year old. When in doubt, throw a tantrum.

Who is your true self:
You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.
Analysis: Nosey busybody who secretly relishes being the centre of attention, you more often than not don't even know what you are saying.