Dream cycle

I can't ride a bicycle.

Okay. One minute break for laughing.






























Hello, people. How are you? Fantastic. Let's move on.

I was around 8 or 9 when I first touched a bicycle. I always "blame" my parents for getting it when I'm "too old" to learn. It's just an excuse of mine lah. I'm just scared. The bike was for Bro. The younger siblings always get the best - a lovely fact. He was only 3, 4 years old. Easier to pick it up.

He did. I remained... me.

The bros laugh at it all the time. They had enough of it at one time, and decided to teach me a lesson or two on bicycle riding not long after we ended high school. At the blooming age of eighteen! They even suggested to fit the support wheels during the lesson. I, of course, violently refused.

Do you need another break?










No? Great.

And off I go to a padang nearby with Since Primary Two and Pilot 4+2. The padang was rather secluded. Good choice! We were there for over 3 hours. And the furthest I went without falling only to my right was 20 meters. The bushes (let's twist it a little) love me too. Few times they came straight to me!

Mission failed, jokes continued.

Cycling, sadly, only happens in my dreams. It has become a yearly event. It'll just intrude my slumber, without having a slight thought of it. But I tell you, it was so real! The cycling. The balancing. The gripping. The steady breeze brushing against my face. Into the gaps in between my limbs. It was a kind of freedom I can't describe in words. I wake up pissed knowing it was just a dream.

"How you gonna carry your girls lah?"

I've been asked similar question many times before. Well... I'm all go for an opposite roleplay. The girls carry me! Isn't it cute? And sweet?

I have to admit, I do envy people who knows to ride.

Simply put, I have no fate with 2-wheels.



A lot of things are harder to pick up as you aged.

When the clock strikes eight

At times when I'm crafting my works, Diam-Diam will slide her chair beside me. Looking at the stuffs that I'm doing. Occasionally, asked how it goes. The progress and all lah. The longer she's there, the more excited she'll become.

Excitements include, but not least to things like, suggesting colours for the design, directing the placement of copy and images. Re-suggest new colours to replace the previous said ones. Re-directing new copy and image placements to replace the... yup... previous said ones. Oh, she grabbed my mouse once and did the changes when I don't listen to her...

One night when I'm about to finish up, she rushed me to print them out. I went to the printer and waited. Brought it back over to my desk. And looked through before showing them to Shades. But, I showed it to her first...



"Mmm (nodding, short pause)... Keep it up!"

"(Stare at her, short pause)... Since when you're an art director ar? Specifically my art director?"

"hAhAhAhAhAha... No lah... Same team mah!"



It happened a few times already.

I'm not insulted, really. In fact, it's kinda cute.

Imagine. I've been staring and crafting the same ads / designs for days around the clock. How alert is my brain? I'm mentally exhausted. I'm in need of a bed. Been stuffing nicks non stop. Even coffees are tasteless. I can't even think straight anymore. An extra eye really help.

Ever since, it has become an inside joke of us.

Our "after 8 pm art direction".

Schedule of the day

Tagged in at 10.30.






























Knocked off at 6.30.



There's nothing in between. No, I'm serious! Okay... that was a lie.

After submitting my timesheets for the past weeks and cleared my mails, for the next 25,321.891784321432465 seconds I was on Facebook. Then my personal mails. Then random surfing. Back to Facebook. Personal mails. Random surfings #53. Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#561Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#90Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#461Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#73Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#2...

Lunch!

Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#890Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#21Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#21Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#75Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#78workFacebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#61Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#4Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#3workFacebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#45Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#59...

Knock off! Nope... false alarm.

Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#61Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#51Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#456workFacebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#19Facebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#375workFacebookpersonalmailsrandomsurfings#753...



Even the clients are still on holiday mode.

At least I can see the sun when I left for home earlier. FN3PETJKVVZ3

Hitam Manis

I was one of the photographer. She was one of the volunteer.

We were at a sports carnival for orphans. Of all the ladies that were there helping out, there's something in her that caught my eyes.

A week later in the office, while Diam-Diam was browsing all the photos uploaded by Cherry-ty (the organizer), I pun kepoh a bit lah. And asked who's that girl. Turn out, they were all schoolmates. But, wasn't close to her.



"Eh, who's that girl?"

"Schoolmate loh..."

"Bring her out lah!"

"Why?... You like ar?"

"Er... (long pause) she's sweet, though. Hitam manis."

"Hehehehe... I'm not close to her. But Cherry-ty is closer to her. So...?"

"So what?"

"You like?"

"... (Long, long pause) Like I've said... she's sweet..."

"Hmm... maybe I can ask Cherry-ty geh. Meet up for a drink or something."

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind getting to know a new friend..."

"Yeah lah! Give up on Zoky lah! Drag for so long and nothing happen! (Look at me from head to toe) I think Hitam Manis suits you better."



What!? What's the relevance? And what a way to conclude that!

This was back then. Fast forward to now, I was set up in a date with her. Not a one-to-one kinda date, but... yeah, maybe later.

How I looked like

Elbows resting on my knees.

Chin inches away from the desk.

Palming my ears. Then my cheeks (not butts).

Found my mouth and nose.

Staring deep on pieces of recycled A4's.

Tracing the scribbles with my puffy eyes.

Penned with a black Artline 0.4, some in green.



That's me, mostly of today.

Fuck! I can't think of anything. Anything good, that is. Wasted the whole morning brainstorming for nothing with More Than a Cycle. Did I mention we wasted the whole afternoon too? I don't even want to go back to last week's. The more we storm the brain, the more we serong away from the brief. Sigh.

When's the deadline you asked? Coming Monday.

But when's the internal review? Technically, it's later today. Since I just got back from work and still awake at this odd hours, it's... "tomorrow", end of day.



Digging a 6-feet hole before hitting the bed.

This is a bonus

What is it with people and their bonuses?

An ex colleague recently asked if I've got my bonus already. I frankly told him, bonus isn't a promise. Ad industry isn't doing too good lately. Retrenchment is still ongoing. Accounts are leaving. Agencies are pitching for new clients non stop. "New" staffs are doing contract. Worst, freelancing. It's lucky to even keep a job now.

Even when the time was better, I don't care if I have bonus or not. What I look for in a company isn't just a paycheck, or bonus. But what the company can provide me in 1, 5, 10 years time. Or more. Will there be rooms for me to grow within? Will there be plenty of opportunities given? The welfare. The prospects. The career.

Good for you if you got it. But don't rant if you don't.

I knew people who rather stay on for a couple more months just for that one-month-or-less bonus even when opportunities landed on their hands! People! Seriously!? Just for that extra one, bloody month of bonus?

*headpalm* (macam tak cukup...)

*headdesk!*

Naruwan

"Welcome", in the language of the Amis people of Taiwan.

This trip wasn't plan. Zoky's friend was going for honeymoon. They asked her and few friends & family to tag along. She in turn asked us. I don't even have an itinerary of the trip till the third day I'm there. I can't read Chinese. Or speak fluently in that matter. Which make this trip even more... interesting.

Well, at least for me.

The lowest temperature being at 5 degree. It wasn't that bad if it's not because of the rain and wind. Three layers for outing. Two layers for sleep, with the heater on. Overall, I like it here. Good mixture of city, nature, people, culture, and food. I will be back for sure.

As usual, one photo each day to sums up seven days of the cold and warm of Taiwan. The cold temperature. And the warm people.

Taken with the Nikon D700, Tamron 35-105mm & Tamron 70-300mm lens.






Teapots. Taoyuan Night Market.




The faces at Jiufen.




Mountainous route. Suhua Scenic Road.




The V's. Dream Shopping Mall.




The Lover Tree. Alishan Forest Reserve.




Nighfall at Taipei 101.





Where's the 7th? The last day was at the airport lah. Nothing interesting there.

And you're Naruwan. *wink*

Random thoughts #651

Bad hair day.

It's all in your mind, really. If someone actually come up to and say your hair look bad, it's really bad. Otherwise, let it go.



Will be away for a while. Till then, give this a ponder.

New Year's Resolution

My resolution for this year will be like last year,

1920 by 1080 pixels at home, 1280 by 960 pixels at work!

*wink*

Hello, [Your Name]!

Banana asked my opinion for an English name she's adopting.

Before I give my take on it, I asked her back,

"Do you like that name?"



Let's just say she wanted people to "agree" with her choice.

I've known her as [Her Name]. I've been calling her that ever since. It won't be [Her English Name] the next time I see her. I didn't ask, but was wondering why she wants an English name for? For us friends? Or that handful of new people that she's going to meet in the future?

What is so special about having a foreign name? Even Malays and Indians have picked up this trend. I was given an English name at birth. And no, I'm not Christian. It is in all my identification documents. Lots of confusions to people that deals with forms, cheques, air tickets, "Name as in IC", "First Name / Last Name".

Whatever your name is, it gives people an impression of "I am who I am". Even it is the same to the friends of the person you are introducing the name to.

A name has an identity of its own.



To adopt a foreign name, tweaking the syllables of your actual name would be nice and relevant.