Did you hear the good news that a hawksbill turtle chose East Coast Park as a nesting ground? 76 little "turtlings" were eventually rescued and released into the sea. For a good read about this event, check out Siva's blog...
Quoted "If any of the hatchlings survive the many trials of life at sea, they will eventually return to Singapore in about 30 years! Wonder what sort of shore will greet them then. ..."
Come to think of it, I'm not sure that it was all that wise for the mother to choose Singapore....if she had a choice....With our unfriendly polluted waters and high shipping traffic, the poor things will have to fend for themselves out there! I will give my highest salute to those that make it back to Singapore 30 years from now....let's see...how old would I be by then? Hmmm....
Anyways, I thought it opportune to remind others to celebrate the incredibly rich marine life bestowed upon us right here in tiny Singapore!
To find out more about the making of the video, go to ze related blog : Dances with Sharkmen
Sunday, May 28, 2006
A series of backside events!
Hey kids, there's a new bike trail in town...
After spending a week deliberating with the MTB Tribal Bike Council on whether to reverse the BT trail, we decided to bite the bullet and JUST DO IT! Now, bikers can enjoy the other 50% of this trail which we all love so much....our famous Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Biketrail....in reverse, anti-clock-wise direction, belakang.....! Hence....
Spent the past week workin' on the poster, drafting the cautionary words, reasoning with some super-giasu bikers who would rather not risk life and limb....! Several nights at Nik+Pling's place to construct the signage (kinda like revisiting our primary school arts and crafts lesson), fighting over signage material (can it withstand rain, itchy fingers, itchy backside, blind bikers???), and wondering how on earth to attach the little "lollipops" onto the poles? A pleasant visit to bras basah's "Art Friend" to purchase materials (yeah, they have A2 plastic holders!)! And comscotch and duct tape have never been more useful!
Took Friday off and met up with Maximuzz and Huimin to set up the trail! Given the heavy duty equipment we had to carry (hammer, poles, huge signages, scissors, tape, etc.), we left our trusty steeds in the garage! Couple of other bikers joined us in the afternoon...by then, it was getting really dark and the heavens threatened to pour....it thankfully didn't, but we had to "siam" all the lightning rods which were gettin' a tad bit too close for our comfort!
I was thinkin' to myself....so much work just for 2 weeks...is it worth it? Will our MTBers bikers really appreciate it? Well, it's a good opportunity to get feedback from the MTBing community as to whether they would vote for a more permanent reversal say every 3 or 6 months!
Over the weekend, I could safely say there was probably a record-breaking gathering of bikers who came to celebrate the new trail! Even bumped into a couple of bikers I hadn't seen in eons! So, was it worth the effort? Well, just seeing the satisfactory smile on ze bikers' faces was....priceless!!!
Unfortunately, our dear friend, Yew Weng, kena a "suey" accident a short distance after the twin barrier heading towards the gravelling hill leading to Dairy Farm! And it wasn't even the result of the reversal.....just bad luck I guess! I didn't see him fall, but was informed that he'd fractured both the bones in his left forearm! Ouch! According to Professiore Chi, they're called the Radius and the Ulna...the bones, that is!
Becks dialled 995 and when asked where to locate the victim, she realised that she had no clue! She resorted to asking the victim, who was probably in extreme throbbing pain, "hey, what's the name of this road ah?"....He muttered something like "Dairy Farm.......", while holding onto his arm and making his way back to the tarmac on foot! Poor fella!
Chi sent me on an errand to flag the ambulance....since it's really a jungle in there and they may otherwise be driving around in circles! I cycled to the main road and waved at the approaching ambulance. Hmmm....that was pretty fast! Good!
The barriers were thankfully unlocked, so we unlatched the barriers and they drove past both barriers and disappeared in the direction of the victim, who was about 400 m away. Rina joined me at the gates and we waited for the ambulance to leave so that we could close the gates behind them.
Chat...chat....chat....hmmm......20 mins! Still no sign of them! What's taking them so long? If it had been someone with a super serious injury, this kinda delayed response would really suck!
Just as I had predicted, the ambulance was trying all means to make a 12-point turn to get back from whence they came! The vehicle took up the width of the tarmac road and there was nowhere for them to do a 180. Why not "gostan"? According to the driver, there was a section on the road which seemed risky to negotiate backwards. Guess ambulance drivers were never really taught to drive backwards!
Several bikers guided the vehicle to several potential turning spots. At times, the wheels sunk into muddy patches, and our biker friends had to assist in giving it a boost...from the backside! I can imagine how drama it all looked!
After bidding farewell to the relieved ambulance folk, Chi and the Angels continued to ride the rest of the trail, followed by a trailrun in the normal direction so that we had time to react when we see the incoming bikers. And it poured, and poured, and poured! We were totally drenched from head to toe! I was huffing and puffing coz I hadn't been exercising much! Sigh...gotta get back into shape!
Yeah! We're back at the carpark! Becks and Rina managed to contort themselves in the back of Mr Squink with 3 bikes! Amazing feat! I drove us to our regular kopitiam haunt along Dunearn Road and warmed up to some yummy bak kut teh with our "black" and "white" on the side!
Looking back, this series of back-bending events was a great sidetrack from my regular routine! One round of BT in reverse was just not enough for Firefly to kick ass! But dun worryz, I'll Be Back! Another weekend dedicated to setting up the race trail.
Just hope Yew Weng manages to get back into action soon! Here's wishin' him swift recovery.....the Steroid Sisters can't wait to trash him all over again! :)
After spending a week deliberating with the MTB Tribal Bike Council on whether to reverse the BT trail, we decided to bite the bullet and JUST DO IT! Now, bikers can enjoy the other 50% of this trail which we all love so much....our famous Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Biketrail....in reverse, anti-clock-wise direction, belakang.....! Hence....
Spent the past week workin' on the poster, drafting the cautionary words, reasoning with some super-giasu bikers who would rather not risk life and limb....! Several nights at Nik+Pling's place to construct the signage (kinda like revisiting our primary school arts and crafts lesson), fighting over signage material (can it withstand rain, itchy fingers, itchy backside, blind bikers???), and wondering how on earth to attach the little "lollipops" onto the poles? A pleasant visit to bras basah's "Art Friend" to purchase materials (yeah, they have A2 plastic holders!)! And comscotch and duct tape have never been more useful!Took Friday off and met up with Maximuzz and Huimin to set up the trail! Given the heavy duty equipment we had to carry (hammer, poles, huge signages, scissors, tape, etc.), we left our trusty steeds in the garage! Couple of other bikers joined us in the afternoon...by then, it was getting really dark and the heavens threatened to pour....it thankfully didn't, but we had to "siam" all the lightning rods which were gettin' a tad bit too close for our comfort!
I was thinkin' to myself....so much work just for 2 weeks...is it worth it? Will our MTBers bikers really appreciate it? Well, it's a good opportunity to get feedback from the MTBing community as to whether they would vote for a more permanent reversal say every 3 or 6 months!
Over the weekend, I could safely say there was probably a record-breaking gathering of bikers who came to celebrate the new trail! Even bumped into a couple of bikers I hadn't seen in eons! So, was it worth the effort? Well, just seeing the satisfactory smile on ze bikers' faces was....priceless!!!
Unfortunately, our dear friend, Yew Weng, kena a "suey" accident a short distance after the twin barrier heading towards the gravelling hill leading to Dairy Farm! And it wasn't even the result of the reversal.....just bad luck I guess! I didn't see him fall, but was informed that he'd fractured both the bones in his left forearm! Ouch! According to Professiore Chi, they're called the Radius and the Ulna...the bones, that is!
Becks dialled 995 and when asked where to locate the victim, she realised that she had no clue! She resorted to asking the victim, who was probably in extreme throbbing pain, "hey, what's the name of this road ah?"....He muttered something like "Dairy Farm.......", while holding onto his arm and making his way back to the tarmac on foot! Poor fella!
Chi sent me on an errand to flag the ambulance....since it's really a jungle in there and they may otherwise be driving around in circles! I cycled to the main road and waved at the approaching ambulance. Hmmm....that was pretty fast! Good!
The barriers were thankfully unlocked, so we unlatched the barriers and they drove past both barriers and disappeared in the direction of the victim, who was about 400 m away. Rina joined me at the gates and we waited for the ambulance to leave so that we could close the gates behind them.
Chat...chat....chat....hmmm......20 mins! Still no sign of them! What's taking them so long? If it had been someone with a super serious injury, this kinda delayed response would really suck!
Just as I had predicted, the ambulance was trying all means to make a 12-point turn to get back from whence they came! The vehicle took up the width of the tarmac road and there was nowhere for them to do a 180. Why not "gostan"? According to the driver, there was a section on the road which seemed risky to negotiate backwards. Guess ambulance drivers were never really taught to drive backwards!
Several bikers guided the vehicle to several potential turning spots. At times, the wheels sunk into muddy patches, and our biker friends had to assist in giving it a boost...from the backside! I can imagine how drama it all looked!
After bidding farewell to the relieved ambulance folk, Chi and the Angels continued to ride the rest of the trail, followed by a trailrun in the normal direction so that we had time to react when we see the incoming bikers. And it poured, and poured, and poured! We were totally drenched from head to toe! I was huffing and puffing coz I hadn't been exercising much! Sigh...gotta get back into shape!
Yeah! We're back at the carpark! Becks and Rina managed to contort themselves in the back of Mr Squink with 3 bikes! Amazing feat! I drove us to our regular kopitiam haunt along Dunearn Road and warmed up to some yummy bak kut teh with our "black" and "white" on the side!
Looking back, this series of back-bending events was a great sidetrack from my regular routine! One round of BT in reverse was just not enough for Firefly to kick ass! But dun worryz, I'll Be Back! Another weekend dedicated to setting up the race trail.
Just hope Yew Weng manages to get back into action soon! Here's wishin' him swift recovery.....the Steroid Sisters can't wait to trash him all over again! :)
Thursday, May 25, 2006
A Tribute to the Sipadan Victims
This was a short film which I submitted for the Asian Geographic video competition a few years ago which was selected as one of the top 5 short films. Thot it opportune to dedicate it to the victims that suffered the fate of one lousy human error in the recent Sipadan debacle!
Just imagine, it just takes 1 human error to undo thousands of years of coral growth...and to destroy the marine creatures, big and small, living within that reef eco-system!
To read more about this incident, go to :-
Finsonline Article on Sipadan - Tragic Incident
WildSingapore News
(Note Malaysia's response. *roll eyes* The article was actually brought to my attention by a fellow diver who's Malaysian....his sarcastic parting words "That's why i love my country. Malaysia Boleh!"
Other news articles
Just in case you're wondering "So, what's the big deal? They're just coral....are these things even alive? Don't see no blood or anyone screaming "please help me""......well then, you're in for a little education....
Read this and then think again :
Coral Reef Conservation in Malaysia
Sipadan was one of the best dive locations I have ever ventured to - I can still remember each dive (ahhhh....heavenly).....and that was more than half a decade ago! Unfortunately I hadn't taken up underwater videography back then, hoping to cover as many other dive locations as possible before treating myself to a second round of marine life unlimited at Sipadan / Mabul.
Some of the creatures and corals will be sorely missed as a result of this blatant act of human intervention! Sigh!!!!
Just imagine, it just takes 1 human error to undo thousands of years of coral growth...and to destroy the marine creatures, big and small, living within that reef eco-system!
To read more about this incident, go to :-
Finsonline Article on Sipadan - Tragic Incident
WildSingapore News
(Note Malaysia's response. *roll eyes* The article was actually brought to my attention by a fellow diver who's Malaysian....his sarcastic parting words "That's why i love my country. Malaysia Boleh!"
Other news articles
Just in case you're wondering "So, what's the big deal? They're just coral....are these things even alive? Don't see no blood or anyone screaming "please help me""......well then, you're in for a little education....
Read this and then think again :
Coral Reef Conservation in Malaysia
Sipadan was one of the best dive locations I have ever ventured to - I can still remember each dive (ahhhh....heavenly).....and that was more than half a decade ago! Unfortunately I hadn't taken up underwater videography back then, hoping to cover as many other dive locations as possible before treating myself to a second round of marine life unlimited at Sipadan / Mabul.
Some of the creatures and corals will be sorely missed as a result of this blatant act of human intervention! Sigh!!!!
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Alien Training Video
IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING "EH? BO SIAH LE?"...DO NOT TURN UP YOUR STEREO. THIS IS INTENDED TO BE A SILENT SHORT FILM.
Yes, indeed, this 16mm short is silent coz it was the first time we shot on 16 mm using an Arriflex 16mm camera. Me took a 16mm film course sometime ago and the 5 of us in class were asked to shoot our practice film in sequential order without any form of editing. I joined forces with fellow wacky Brian and we had a hell of a friggin good time shooting it! Tho' I trimmed it a little, it is largely as is!
I'd just like to say that I'm very lucky to have such supportive friends who wasted a whole Sunday multi-tasking as cast / crew / make-up artist / public amusement etc. etc.
By the way, their names are withheld just in case this short becomes a cult classic and they get paparazized on the streets of Sing-gar-pore! Hee hee!
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
MTBing New Zealand - The Ultimate Mingo Video
The result of many sleepless nights, learning the ways of the Editing Jedi by young padawan, Mingloid!
More info on the rides - akan datang!
More info on the rides - akan datang!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Movealong with Mr M&M
The endearing charm of Singapore bikers' mascot at the Penang Jamboree!!! Oh, my achey breaky heart! :)
Friday, April 21, 2006
Bend it like a Banana...9000 feet above ground!
Mingloid started a blog, that started the whole world flying.
So, what possessed Ming (man in blue below) to join the blog-side? Could it have been the death-defying stunt he pulled recently in the video, skydiving from 9000 feet over Glenorchy, South Island, New Zealand over Lord of the Rings territory? And living to tell about it? I wonder.....hmmm....
Oh, and by the way, check out Ming's other journals on his blog. There's one of me downhilling....ok, I know it looks easey peasey, but the camera angle is all wrong! :P
In case you're wondering about the phallic title reference....before you jump from the plane, you gotta do the wonder twin power magic chant with your tandem jumpmaster and activate : turn me into a banana : head pulled up, legs bent back and arms out!
Oh, did I also mention that I was one of the victims of the bent banana syndrome? Friggin awesome! Can we do 12,000 feet next time? Pretty please?
Me photologue of our skydiving and other adventures coming up soon....akan datang!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Over the Boardwalk...
With me Sony on me hand, "Giddiyap, Firefly! Take me across the boardwalk!"
Moke Lake, Queenstown, NZ
Moke Lake, Queenstown, NZ
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Eco-X-Capade 17 April 2005, Gopeng Perak (Part 1)
A year minus 2 days ago, Team Angels embarked on yet another girly adventure race - this time to Gopeng, Perak! Check out the picture story prepared by WonderRina....the next race is scheduled for 18 June... after our NZ trip, we've been coined the "steriod sisters"....between the lesser of the 2 evils, think I'll stick to the "Angels" tag (hee hee)....
cont'd below...coz the picture files are too big le...
cont'd below...coz the picture files are too big le...
Eco-X-Capade 17 April 2005, Gopeng Perak (Part 2)
cont'd from above....spookey...
Many thanks to our Bossley, Chi, for being a really supportive unseen member of the Angels' team! We almost had to camp overnight at the race site after the race coz his car keys somehow found its way to the boot....but miraculously appeared again! Big "phew"!
Ming's succinct description of this race : "There was quite a bit of non-runnable terrain (except for Malaysians), unrideable uphills and a 1 1/2 hour floaty log down the river. The ropework was higher and more scary (more fun!) than anything else we've ever done! Very fun race!" Makes for very nice photos too!
I give Ming a big nod for that summary. The nightmare started when we entered the act-like-a-log-and-float-bit-down-the-river bit which seemed like a neverending flush down an extremely slowmoving toilet bowl. I remembered trying to stay afloat as long as I could and using me arms to pull myself along, sometimes doing a little horizontal rockdiggin. U can't imagine how silly that seemed when the person next to you stands up on feet-deep water and starts to walk past ya! :P
Monday, March 27, 2006
M for Mad Maximuzz
Maximuzz has engaged me to alliterate for him....so here's my attempt....
M : Maximuzz Mager! Master of military miniatures manning malicious Molokoff mocktail misfires, the muse of a-many Mad Magazine mish-mash. Even mortal men are miffed by mere mention of murderous mercenaries that mould the motion of marginalised minds. A mockery of Man-kind! Monstrous! Married to Merciless, markedly a muse, an amusing mermaid mulling at a muddy mangrove. Or M I misinformed and misimagining? Be mindful, marriage is not a match made in Mars to a money-and-material-minded millionairess, a modest massage-manouvering mistress, miserable meat-market-models nor a menage-a-trois of meeni, myni, mo; mere myths, more so meaningless madness. Maybe Madonna, Marilyn Manson, or a Midsummer's Made-believe Mountain Man will move me? Makes moi morally misty in minutes! Mention milk-maid, moochi, mee-soto, mutton, minced-meat mee (most mourned-for mee-pok-ta), Mongolian-steamboat, mango-pudding and a multitude of M&M munchies, and Maximuzz is majorly moved. Meekly the Mister mutters, I mirror Miss Merciless and she mimics me! It's a merry-go-round. On a Monday in March, this Mister marvels at the magnificence of "M".
After reading this, Maximuzz reMarks, "I'm mummified"! :P
M : Maximuzz Mager! Master of military miniatures manning malicious Molokoff mocktail misfires, the muse of a-many Mad Magazine mish-mash. Even mortal men are miffed by mere mention of murderous mercenaries that mould the motion of marginalised minds. A mockery of Man-kind! Monstrous! Married to Merciless, markedly a muse, an amusing mermaid mulling at a muddy mangrove. Or M I misinformed and misimagining? Be mindful, marriage is not a match made in Mars to a money-and-material-minded millionairess, a modest massage-manouvering mistress, miserable meat-market-models nor a menage-a-trois of meeni, myni, mo; mere myths, more so meaningless madness. Maybe Madonna, Marilyn Manson, or a Midsummer's Made-believe Mountain Man will move me? Makes moi morally misty in minutes! Mention milk-maid, moochi, mee-soto, mutton, minced-meat mee (most mourned-for mee-pok-ta), Mongolian-steamboat, mango-pudding and a multitude of M&M munchies, and Maximuzz is majorly moved. Meekly the Mister mutters, I mirror Miss Merciless and she mimics me! It's a merry-go-round. On a Monday in March, this Mister marvels at the magnificence of "M".
After reading this, Maximuzz reMarks, "I'm mummified"! :P
Westerrrrrrrrrrrrnnnn Ozland Roadtrip
Gooday mate! Today, we be headingz westward in the Land Downunder (actually, Upandabove Perth) on a 4-day roadtrip with 'em mate named Glenn from Active Safari who drove us over a gazillion miles on a special edition Monkey Mia Tour! Well, that Ozzie Glenn also kinda drove us crazy!
Temp outside : 56.6 deg cel. / Temp inside (in aircon bus) : 49.9 deg cel.
Ooo....it's getting hot in here, so take off all your........
Maximuzz showing off a penicle....
Maximuzz kicks up a storm as he takes on the dunes of Geralton during Sandboarding 101!
Mr Pelican introduces you to the hidden secrets of Monkey Mia Resort...
Desperately waiting in line to be "the hand that feeds the dolphins"...
Our first living cousins on earth.... (no, it's not a bunch of rocks)....
Team Japan dons black from head to toe as a carcinogenic UV light preventative measure while they stroll along a 100% sea-shell-covered seashore...
Check out what lurks in the deep Indian Ocean waters off Shark Bay....
Wana find out more? CLICK ME!
More photos of Tour de Perth coming up soon to a blog near you....
Temp outside : 56.6 deg cel. / Temp inside (in aircon bus) : 49.9 deg cel.Ooo....it's getting hot in here, so take off all your........
Maximuzz showing off a penicle....
Maximuzz kicks up a storm as he takes on the dunes of Geralton during Sandboarding 101!
Mr Pelican introduces you to the hidden secrets of Monkey Mia Resort...
Desperately waiting in line to be "the hand that feeds the dolphins"...
Our first living cousins on earth.... (no, it's not a bunch of rocks)....
Team Japan dons black from head to toe as a carcinogenic UV light preventative measure while they stroll along a 100% sea-shell-covered seashore...
Check out what lurks in the deep Indian Ocean waters off Shark Bay....
Wana find out more? CLICK ME!
More photos of Tour de Perth coming up soon to a blog near you....
V, the flavour of the month!
V: Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.If you are a hero in need of customised alliteration, look no further! Log onto Vocabulary of Alliteration and whip up your very own "x"-flavoured alliteration that defines you and your work.
Now, would that be "L" for Ling....or "M" for Merciless? :P
Thursday, March 23, 2006
LEN me your ears!
Friends, Musicians, Singapore Idol-fans, lend me your ears!
If I'd have to vote for a Singapore Idol, it'd go to the singer / songwriter / guitarist / pianist / bassist / occasional producer, LEONARD NG. Too bad he's way over the age limit! Hee hee!
For the record, he didn't pay me to do this.
(photo below extracted from LEN's webpage / Profile )
Back in lawschool, our class was touted to be one of the most talented....we had singer - Rosita Ng, dancer - June Tan, director - Lau Joon Nie, and a host of other talents. I was voted as the Law 4 Concert Chairwoman (hmmm...wonder why?) to work with all these talents, and I'm proud to say after unintentionally picking a big fight with the schoolmasters over copyright issues in producing the intended "Grease" musical, we miraculously produced a great show entitled "Back to School", which opened with a double-bill play (with play written by our very own Wee Teck) and ended with a big boom of rock-and-roll "Grease' song and dance that showcased the brilliance of our classmates! I'll always remember the remarks of a discipline master, "Those are Grease steps. Get rid of them....NOW"! Those were the good ol' days!
Our juniors lamented that they had big shoes to fill when it came to their Year 4 concert, but I beg to differ, and I was right! Their class was equally talented, if not more, with musicians who have left the legal profession in search of a more holistic way of life.
Leonard was a year my junior, definitely a budding young talent to look out for. When I heard him play the piano, drums, guitar, sing etc. etc., I was like "who the frickin' hell is he? Life just ain't fair!" :P
He used to be a member of local band, Peculiar Remedies me thinks (bandmates I know : Don Bosco, Pamela Oei), and recently came back from London (where he works) to perform @ the Substation with his partner in crime (and ex-classmate), Rani Singham. Rani's another runaway lawyer who's left the cushy life of a DPP to become one of Singapore's favourite jazz singers.
What is it with lawyers and the performing arts?
Anywayz, Len's released 2 LPs, and I'm the proud owner of both of them!
In fact, I've become such a fan that a lot of his songs are featured in me short videos...
My short film : Somewhere Over the Long White Cloud
Snowdrop
Stars replace the sun til dawn
Whaleshark trilogy - Goodwill Hunting
Within
and several more from his Peculiar Remedies album.
Go check out his music on his webpage.
"Might sit comfortably amongst Keane and Coldplayin the CD racks" - Future Music magazine, Nov 2004
If I'd have to vote for a Singapore Idol, it'd go to the singer / songwriter / guitarist / pianist / bassist / occasional producer, LEONARD NG. Too bad he's way over the age limit! Hee hee!
For the record, he didn't pay me to do this.
(photo below extracted from LEN's webpage / Profile )
Back in lawschool, our class was touted to be one of the most talented....we had singer - Rosita Ng, dancer - June Tan, director - Lau Joon Nie, and a host of other talents. I was voted as the Law 4 Concert Chairwoman (hmmm...wonder why?) to work with all these talents, and I'm proud to say after unintentionally picking a big fight with the schoolmasters over copyright issues in producing the intended "Grease" musical, we miraculously produced a great show entitled "Back to School", which opened with a double-bill play (with play written by our very own Wee Teck) and ended with a big boom of rock-and-roll "Grease' song and dance that showcased the brilliance of our classmates! I'll always remember the remarks of a discipline master, "Those are Grease steps. Get rid of them....NOW"! Those were the good ol' days!
Our juniors lamented that they had big shoes to fill when it came to their Year 4 concert, but I beg to differ, and I was right! Their class was equally talented, if not more, with musicians who have left the legal profession in search of a more holistic way of life.
Leonard was a year my junior, definitely a budding young talent to look out for. When I heard him play the piano, drums, guitar, sing etc. etc., I was like "who the frickin' hell is he? Life just ain't fair!" :P
He used to be a member of local band, Peculiar Remedies me thinks (bandmates I know : Don Bosco, Pamela Oei), and recently came back from London (where he works) to perform @ the Substation with his partner in crime (and ex-classmate), Rani Singham. Rani's another runaway lawyer who's left the cushy life of a DPP to become one of Singapore's favourite jazz singers.
What is it with lawyers and the performing arts?
Anywayz, Len's released 2 LPs, and I'm the proud owner of both of them!
In fact, I've become such a fan that a lot of his songs are featured in me short videos...
My short film : Somewhere Over the Long White Cloud
Snowdrop
Stars replace the sun til dawn
Whaleshark trilogy - Goodwill Hunting
Within
and several more from his Peculiar Remedies album.
Go check out his music on his webpage.
"Might sit comfortably amongst Keane and Coldplayin the CD racks" - Future Music magazine, Nov 2004
Monday, March 20, 2006
Downhillin' Babes!
3 broken ribs, broken collar bones, arms, knee tendons, ankle ligaments, dislocated neck....all before the age of 25! If that doesn't spell hard-core, I don't know what does!
Read on for more info of this "Surfer Girl of the Month"!
Risa Suseanty's Profile
Multiple Discipline Athlete, XC, DH, 4X, BMX, Road
at age 24, she ranked UCI World Downhiller #41 in 2005
won several Seagames Gold medals
And her personal webpage.
Read on for more info of this "Surfer Girl of the Month"!
Risa Suseanty's Profile
Multiple Discipline Athlete, XC, DH, 4X, BMX, Road
at age 24, she ranked UCI World Downhiller #41 in 2005
won several Seagames Gold medals
And her personal webpage.
Last Saturday, Risa and Hong Chun helped me set up the MTB trail for Sunday's race, and on race day, she received her first SACA Ladies Open medal for this year - like she's done so many times before....in fact, all the times that she's raced locally for the MTB race series.
Singaporean lady bikers have quite a lot of work even trying to smell the trace left behind by this super duper lady who has once clocked 90 km /hr on a downhill race! It was great to have her back racing in the local circuit! We have a lot to learn from this young lass!
I was in awe of her prowess when I started watching the local MTB races many years back. Chandra was back then (and is still) the coach of the Indonesian national riders. Risa would tell me horror stories about the torture she was put through just to get into tip top racing condition. Puts me to shame to think about how easily some of us Singaporeans winge just from a little bitta pain and suffering! :P
I saw Risa bombing down a hill during the Asian MTB Championship 2003 held in Aomori , Japan! It was actually not really a hill, but a bloody mountain where the peak can only be reached via ski chairlifts! These Asian championships are selection races to select Asia's best athletes to represent the Asian contingent at the Olympics! China won 2 tickets and Japan, 1!
More photos from the Asian Championships 2004 : Album 1, Album 2, Album 3, Album 4, Album 5, Album 6, Album 7, Album 8.
This was my first non-local MTB / DH race and brush with Asian Mountain biking celebrities! It opened my eyes to the amount of biking talent just in Asia alone! I was introduced to Mio Suemasa, former Junior World Champion downhiller! She was originally a successful bike trial rider who eventually switched to Downhill and 4Cross. At 21, Mio is the youngest member of the UCI top ten and second youngest in the top 20! Below, Me o Mio in Aomori! :)
Found an interesting interview of Mio on the Descent-World website. Also came across an article about a Japanese lady downhiller who bit the dust a few months before the Aomori Championships in 2003! Yikes! And this happened during a practice run (wasn't sure whether it was a downhill or mountain bike race)!!! Reminded me of our experience with Swee Haw, how things happen when you least expect it!
This article about Haruko Fujinaka's death was published in the DirtRagmag.com website....and the poor 33 year old was on her honeymoon! How tragic can it be. The author interviewed several other competitors in order to learn from a tragic event by reflecting on how and why bikers ride, givne the big risks associated with the sport. Mio, a good friend and competitor of Haruko's, says "I don't want to waste her death."
The article ended with a cv listing out impressive injuries suffered by some of these riders for the love of their sport. I was totally amazed by Mio's response :-
Mio Suemasa:
Age: 20
Racing experience: 6 years
"I haven't been injured."
Friday, March 17, 2006
Another world in your fingernail?
How many of us receive - day in day out - heaps of junk and spam mail, virus attachments, hoaxes, myths, urban legends, sex and penis enlarger adverts - press "delete", "delete", "delete", "delete", KILL THEM ALL!
Once in a while tho, you do get something wonderful that really makes your day.....videos that make you chuckle, a joke that leaves you rolling in stitches, breathtaking photos that make your jaw drop, a sad story that jerks that tear outta ya eye, or even an inspirational story that makes you wana finish that assignment at work (err...don't think I've come across the last one)...
The sequence of pictures below is one of the most memorable things that has graced my inbox! Too bad I don't know who the artist is as I sure would love to give credit where credit is most certainly due - if only I knew who he/she/it was!
The title : SO SMALL YET SO IMPORTANT
HUMAN BEINGS ARE SUCH SMALL CREATURES, AREN'T WE?
SO DON'T BE TOO WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING..
TREASURE EVERY MOMENT, DO WHAT YOU WISH TO DO..
BROADEN YOUR MIND, BROADEN YOUR VIEW,
LET GO OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BOTHERING YOU..
TREASURE YOUR LOVED ONES.
LIVE SIMPLY AND PEACEFULLY.
ALWAYS EMBRACE & WELCOME EACH NEW DAY..
ENJOY THE SUNSHINE..
ALWAYS LOOK AT THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THINGS..
BE POSITIVE BE HOPEFUL BE CONFIDENT
Don't know why, but when I see these photos, I immediately think of ...
Lord of the Rings : Galadriel's advice to Frodo, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."
Men in Black : A member of the "bug" alien race comes to Earth to steal an amulet which contains a source of power. A dying alien says that the galaxy is located in Orion's belt. Agent J tells this to Zed (the man in charge of the organization) and Zed replies, "Here's Orion [displaying a map of the sky]. It's a grouping of the brightest stars of the northern sky- and here's Orion's belt. The belt is just these three stars. Galaxies are huge; they're made up of billions of stars. You heard wrong." And of course we all knew that the galaxy in question a tiny galaxy trapped in an amulet that hung from a cat's collar, and the cat's name was Orion. :P
So, the next time you cut your fingernails, just think that there could be another world living inside your fingernail......or....we could be living in someone else's armpit!
Once in a while tho, you do get something wonderful that really makes your day.....videos that make you chuckle, a joke that leaves you rolling in stitches, breathtaking photos that make your jaw drop, a sad story that jerks that tear outta ya eye, or even an inspirational story that makes you wana finish that assignment at work (err...don't think I've come across the last one)...
The sequence of pictures below is one of the most memorable things that has graced my inbox! Too bad I don't know who the artist is as I sure would love to give credit where credit is most certainly due - if only I knew who he/she/it was!
The title : SO SMALL YET SO IMPORTANT
HUMAN BEINGS ARE SUCH SMALL CREATURES, AREN'T WE?
SO DON'T BE TOO WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING..
TREASURE EVERY MOMENT, DO WHAT YOU WISH TO DO..
BROADEN YOUR MIND, BROADEN YOUR VIEW,
LET GO OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BOTHERING YOU..
TREASURE YOUR LOVED ONES.
LIVE SIMPLY AND PEACEFULLY.
ALWAYS EMBRACE & WELCOME EACH NEW DAY..
ENJOY THE SUNSHINE..
ALWAYS LOOK AT THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THINGS..
BE POSITIVE BE HOPEFUL BE CONFIDENT
Don't know why, but when I see these photos, I immediately think of ...
Lord of the Rings : Galadriel's advice to Frodo, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."
Men in Black : A member of the "bug" alien race comes to Earth to steal an amulet which contains a source of power. A dying alien says that the galaxy is located in Orion's belt. Agent J tells this to Zed (the man in charge of the organization) and Zed replies, "Here's Orion [displaying a map of the sky]. It's a grouping of the brightest stars of the northern sky- and here's Orion's belt. The belt is just these three stars. Galaxies are huge; they're made up of billions of stars. You heard wrong." And of course we all knew that the galaxy in question a tiny galaxy trapped in an amulet that hung from a cat's collar, and the cat's name was Orion. :P
So, the next time you cut your fingernails, just think that there could be another world living inside your fingernail......or....we could be living in someone else's armpit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
