The Placebo Effect In the Camera World

I have finally recovered from the four days of work at the recent Suntec IT show 2009. Not that I got physically ill of any sorts, but it does take a day or 2 of resting to get back to normal after 4 days of standing and sleep shortage.

Unlike previous shows, I have been assigned to the DSLR counter of the SONY booth. It wasn't hard for me to accept this despite the fact that my expertise lies with the video camera section. After all, I have been using the SONY Alpha DSLRs for at least a year now and I have to say I love every bit of it.

While I can proudly say that I know stuff about the Alpha lineup, I find it sad to see that there are many blind sheep out there that hasn't a clue about the Minolta legacy. These blind sheep choose to be led by their popular brand loyalist friends and create the vicious cycle of branding. Some of them even get so ridiculously warped that they walk up to the counter and does something like this!

There was this guy who came to the counter and started fiddling with an entry level DSLR. He started smirking and said "as expected..."

I got curious and asked about it... guess what he said? "feels plastic"... 

DUDE IT IS PLASTIC! IF PLASTIC DOESN'T FEEL PLASTIC WHAT IS PLASTIC?

Of course, the customer is always right and I'll have to explain to him that you cannot expect a metal feel on a plastic body.

There are other instances, such as a customer who told me he thought that we had to mount our lenses by screwing in 3 rounds... All these 'knowledge' were 'imparted' from their 'photographer' friends... How smart...

Of course, there are many things about the photography world which I still have to learn of... But at least I can tell everyone out there that if you haven't read up about the Konica Minolta legacy... Do so... Don't make a fool of yourself the next time you come across and Alpha user.

FYI: The Konica Minolta legacy in photography is being carried on by SONY. Yes we are related...

The Single's Guide to Going Out With Friends

Listen very carefully, I shall say this only wence (reference to alo alo TV series)

School is over, there's no more need for studying... HURRAY!

Off you go to clear that backlog of sleep, complete that game or story that you've put on hold, or even visit that friend you've lost touch with.

Very soon, you realise that there really isn't much to do except to lay around and decompose as you wait for National Service (it is compulsory for male Singapore citizens).

What can you do then? My favourtie advice is to go out with your friends. Arrange a gathering of sorts. It can be with anyone and everyone. Over the last 2 weeks I've had chalets with my outside group of brothers and schoolmates separately, met up with secondary school classmates at East Coast Park, and even celebrated Mubarak's birthday!

Here're some tips to ensure that your outings are enjoyable:

1. If you're going out with couples, get someone to keep you company, no one likes a third wheel, or being a third wheel. So lets just save each other the trouble and get yourself occupied.

2. check the agenda, make sure nothing's going to piss anyone off. Try to get activities that involve as many people as possible. It's not fun to look at others having fun! haha!

3. Learn to back out. Some activities are simply not meant for you, they're asking you out just for the sake of courtesy, REJECT!

4. You already know who you're closer to and vice versa, no point making new friends when you know that the impression won't be strong. Kinda makes it awkward too!

Random ranting from le Bruce himself!

Cheers!

OH YEAH! I MIGHT BE FLYING OFF TO BANGKOK AND THEN TRAVEL DOWN TO HAT CHAI> PENANG > KL! WOOTS!

Twisted Tales: Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty saw the great wall,
Humpty Dumpty thought 'buddha jump over the wall'.
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall and fall,
Humpty Dumpty fell again and knock himself against the wall.

the end

Wei Choon said that it was never stated what Humpty Dumpty was.
People just assumed that he was an egg.

If not an egg, then what?
Wei Choon said a medieval cannonball.
I thought of nuclear warhead... But that would mean Humpty has killed all the king's horses and all the king's men... oh well!

Golden Mile

Golden Mile Food Center 1
Originally uploaded by mysilentkaopei

It was valentine's day and as usual, I didn't have a valentine.
It was nice enough that the gang decided to meet up and head over to Golden Mile since Mubarak needed to stock up on his army equipment and buy some gadgets (fire retardant gloves and a cool compass thing).

But anyways, Golden mile is a pretty nice place to go for good food and to catch up with the slow times =)

Valentine's Dei~

Candlelit Dinner 2
Originally uploaded by mysilentkaopei

What is Valentine's Day?

I prefer to see it as this:
"Valentine's day is a bonus stage in the game of love, and the boss stage in the game of no love"

I'm going to fight darth maul soon, but never mind me. Let's talk about the one sacred day.

So what goes on during this day? Flowers, Chocolates, Cakes... and on the extreme opposite we have slaps, curses, or worst yet a rape-cum-murder case. The list goes on.

Ok I'm typing this with a backlog of sleep to clear so it'll prolly make no sense... How bout talking bout me then?

Why don't I have a valentine? Simple, I'm not in a relationship. Sure, I can act macho and say that I don't need relationships to sustain my life, but we all know that's not the case. So why don't I go find myself a girlfriend?

Truth is, I don't dare to. Growing up with a limited circle of true friends, I have that fear of losing the close friends that I have. That's what's holding me back in any relationship. I'm simply afraid that the rejection will end in an uglier result - the two of us drifting further apart.

Call me humji (ball-less coward), but I just can't get out of that comfort zone to venture into the 'confession'.

Happy valentine's day to you!

I am a freethinker

Say what you want, I am a freethinker.
Let me burn in hell, i can be a wandering spirit too! But I don't see why i need to devote myself to one.

A little on my religious background. I was born into a Buddhist family, we'd do the usual stuff like offering incense to the gods and stuff, we'd do it every morning. My late grandmother was initially a medium, but retired upon age. Still, we'd head over to her place during the special occasions to take part in taoist rituals such as the 'crossing of the bridge', where i'd always be the kid holding the basket hmmm...

But ten years ago, our family decided to drop the religion and just believe in what we want to. We all stopped praying to the gods, offering incense only to the ancestors. My dad's rationale behind it was that as a funeral undertaker (dirty job), it's not right to worship the deities and gods (clean). And then there's the slightly more illogical reason that we did so because the praying and stuff wasn't granting us any 4D places and stuff.

Since then, I have somehow grown to understand other religions better. I don't practice their beliefs, but I do try to know them better.

Actually, what is the underlying common factor of these major religions in singapore? Isn't it the fact that it is telling us to be good people? Do good to others, don't hurt them or else...

You get what I mean. I base my actions and beliefs on this simple track - how to be a good person.

疲れた．．．ホンマ．．．

なぜ生活はこんなキツい？なぜ生活はこんなつまらない？なぜ生活の意味はこんな暗い？
厳しい．．．寂しい．．．難しい．．．

今まで、俺は毎日、毎週、毎月、毎年、何時もは違うの前で。
何でこれをした？自分の為？「友」の為？「皆」の為？　それは、俺の未来の為？

それは俺じゃない、それは本物のブルースじゃない。
それを書く時、家族は家で俺に待っている。プロジェクトがあるから、学校で居る。皆は何もしません、かんけない事が話しています。

もうやだ。もうやめろうや。この世界は俺のじゃない。俺はこの世界で生存の意味はなに？

逃げたい。外に行きたい。
タイ、日本、カムボディア、ラウス、何所もいい。俺はホンマに、ここが嫌い。

本物友達が居ない。あの「友達」は「俺」の友達は。もし、本物の俺が知る、未だ友達に成るかな？絶対ぜへんかな．．．

Please don't translate this, it's meant for my own reading :)