Finally!!!

Here is that blog post that I have been wanting to do for a long, long, long time. Exams are now over. And I have all the time in the world, to do more things like read books, design posters, and practice DJing.

Yes that is my career now. Designing posters. Here they are.

Here is the first poster I've designed. The zombie isn't mine. But i did composite everything together.

I'm really proud of how this turned out.

By the way, I also have a radio show now.
Here is the flyer for it, which I haven't really had time to put up. I just keep forgetting about it.

* * *

So those are the posters I've created. I've been called to do two more this upcoming semester. Anyway, let me rave about how much I enjoy doing radio work.

If you don't know already, I have a radio show called Eclectic Electric with my campus' radio station. It's a fun, fun time.

So here are some pictures from within the station. This is a JoshiToshi exclusive... MUAHAHA. Okay that sounds a little lame.

Here's the mixing board. And the mic. And the computer. And a couple of cool gadgets.

Here I am about to say something! And notice my long hair. I need to get it cut! HAHA.


Massive, massive vinyl record collection that I promised the radio station I would arrange because it needs re-arranging.

Here is one my passions that spun off from doing music lessons for 12 years. DJing! I learned the basics of mixing already using electronica that was popular in the early 90s. And now I'm gonna' purchase vinyl and try mixing today's modern electronica and hopefully along the way save money to buy myself a set of turntables and a mixer and try to get gigs!

So far I'm trying to see if I'll be able to do a regular computer DJ gig at this place somewhere uptown called "Gothic Arches". It sounds scary doens't it. But I hear the atmosphere there is great and friendly.

* * *

Winter is here. And it isn't too friendly. I'm finding it hard to be friends with -20.

***

Okay I think that's all I can do for now. And lastly, here's my awful uncut hair in two-tone pop-art mode!

daft punk goes to australia

Somehow, to me, the name Australia has a very womanly feel to it. If I were crazy enough I would name my daughter that.

I was in Australia in December 03. It was great. Went to Sydney to watch fireworks on New Year's Eve. Went to Melbourne to visit one of my super-old-school friends/neighbors. Stayed in Canberra with my mum's sister. To wrap it up shortly. It was an intense family holiday.

And now, I want to go back again this year in December. You know why? Because a pair of my favorite robots are performing there for the last time this year.

Daft Punk

I won't start an obsessive rave about them being one of the pioneers of French house and give you details that were snatched out of Wikipedia. But the fact that the visual/sound combination at these concerts is highly praised by critics just makes me want to be there in person. I've been following their music for three years now and you could say I'm a huge fan of their work.

The Light Pyramid (The colors are amazing)

The last time they had a tour, was in 1997. And Daft Punk said that this performance in Sydney is going to be the last time they use the Light Pyramid!

So I'm super-hyped about them. But let's face the odds. I'm in Canada. Australia isn't exactly near. After a distance calculation from here, my dreams are quite squashed!

Ok, this is the only dream-squash analogy I could find on Google.

Oh, and the distance is 16613 km.
One more sidetrack, from here to Brunei is 14451 km.

A round trip to Sydney departing Saint John on 19 December and leaving Sydney 3 January, costs US$4,000. The concert ticket costs AUS$127. The expenses (hotel/motel, eating, transport, buying CDs, buying spoons for my dad's collection) there are probably going to be AUS$1000.

So all in all that comes to - using today's latest technology and conversion rates; - CDN$5000. That's pretty huge. And in conclusion I doubt that I can go. Hopefully Daft Punk will have another tour sometime.

But does it depress me that I can't go? Actually, no. I somehow woke up feeling rather happy about the way things in my life are going.

So for now I'll just Photoshop them standing next to me.

I Am In...

To Hongkong I went this morning at 10:20AM. The plane ride was alright. I thought it was going to last 5 hours. But I was wrong! Only 2 and a half!

And look at all the bags...
I was thinking I should get a colourful luggage-bag so that I could spot it easily next time.

At the arrival hall. This is worse than Singapore.

Interesting wall design.

I had beef curry for lunch. Funny story about how I ordered it. Hong Kong waitresses know VERY LITTLE English. And I know VERY LITTLE Chinese, aside from wo pu kuan ni and bo lui and useless words that won't help you in ordering food.

Anyway it had this reference letter (A3), so that's what I said to her. And then I thought she asked me what drink I wanted, so I said "Coke". And then she had a "What are you talking about?" face on.

And then she then she pointed to a small section on the menu which said "Mildly sweet/spicy". It hit me. She wants to know how hot I would like my sauce! So I said spicy. And then everything was alright. She didn't have to ask me what I wanted for a drink though.

GO CHINA! After I saw this monument I totally forgot Hong Kong was under China.

This is the Express Train that I took to Hong Kong Central. Took only 24 minutes! (Or at least the promos say so)

And when I got to HK Central... I did A LOT of wandering around. Just random walking to take in scenery. And wow was there plenty of architectural scenery.



And look! I stumbled upon the legendary music store! Woohoo spent an hour there. But spent zero dollars on nothing.

And in between every tall building lie alleyways full of cheap stuff! But mostly female stuff. So I won't be buying a shirt saying "Kiss Me Quick" anytime soon.

When I saw this... I laughed to myself. How can there still be this kind of technology in the city? And moreover, that man about to walk through the scaffolding is about to get lots of bad luck! Haha. Or is it a ladder against a wall you have to walk through? I don't know, I'm not - uh, I'm not going to say Chinese.


If you look carefully, those are Filipino faces!

I was walking aimlessly through the streets of Hong Kong wearing my "I Believe In Santa" T-Shirt. And I swear I thought I saw one of my old friends walking at the intersection. I must be seeing things... or people.

Suddenly, a lot of random faces I see remind me of people I know of back at home.

Next stop: Toronto

A Wedding, The Poo Plant, Sussex

But first, let me start off by saying...



REALLY! Look at me!

Besides the tragic weight gain...

I attended a wedding anniversary last week.
A 50th anniversary to be precise.
And I was asked to play the piano again.
I had fun. And $50 at the end of it.


Here's me in my 'barong'.



An expensive bouquet.



People dancing to a waltz.



And part of the appetizer... Being the quite hard-wired Asian I was, I was wondering...

"Where are the spoons?"

---

My Chemical Engineering class went to a Wastewater Treatment Facility (read: poo plant).



At the end of the trip, we were put in groups of threes and were made to present the wastewater treatment process.
We were told to get creative, so I made a very interesting 6-minute video.
It took me about 12-13 hours to complete the video.
And after the video, my team-mate Mark asked me...

"Are ya sure yer not called to do something else?"

Sure, that sounded very discouraging to hear, but then quickly said;

"Chemical Engineers need to present stuff like that all the time. You'll be making lotsa money when you're working!"


Here's me and my group at the entrance.

---

I went to Sussex one weekend with my friend Katie.


Very pleasant sunsets.



At one of the town landmarks.



With Becca.
The cows' names are Daisy and Buttercup.
I don't know who is who though.


Becca, Me, Katie, Chris. The photographer is Graham.



Me with the family dog. Notice how I'm not freaking out.


Katie had a huge collection of old vinyl, and we looked at some of them. She had records of Bee Gees and the Village People in very good condition.

And at the end of my Sussex trip I was handed these two records which I consider classic.



Ah, The Carpenters and The Von Trapp Family.


And I also got a very huge chocolate rabbit from Katie's mother!



This should've been all eaten up by now, considering my increasing addiction to chocolate.
But somehow, I keep forgetting to eat the thing because of my intense exam period!

Note: I don't have periods because of exams. I am having a time-period of exams.

---

Random

One morning I decided to get up early,
and go to school at 7o clock to do some odd hour studying.



And here's me, Fadia and Mark,
one more time for our presentation.



This is Desiree. She doesn't want me to go back to Brunei.
*cue for 'awwwwww'*



Sunglasses rampage!! We took just before going to the Poo Plant.



Ali, Fadia, Me, Fatima, John and Stephanie.



Overall, things have gotten better.
I'm much happier with my grades.
I only get depressed once in a while.
And I guess I'll be back in a month.



And the countdown timer is ticking pretty quickly...
I AM EXCITE!!!