27 June 2006

We meet..












D woke up at 6/27/2006 04:27:00 AM [comment]

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24 June 2006

We conceded that it is, indeed, the tiresome dating rituals that wears one out in a relationship. If we weren't forced to sleep next to one another for the last two years, we would have been, perhaps, only an entry in our respective SIM cards.

We conceded that he hasn't done any wrong. Yes, perhaps he did take drugs, but he hasn't been causing any harm to anybody. Legislation was made because drugs would cause bigger social problems. In his case, it only led to prosecution and also the uncovering of a despicable act - the entrapment. A private (non)shame comes under public scrutiny.
This state never fails to disappoint me.


D woke up at 6/24/2006 12:34:00 PM [comment]

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23 June 2006




I stole this poster from Ash.
The film is - beautiful beautiful beautiful.


D woke up at 6/23/2006 01:59:00 AM [comment]

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17 June 2006

.

I was just staring at the sky most of the time, being put down by the bad rainy weather which picked up only on the day we were going home, reading Alain De Botton's marvellous book: "The Romantic Movement", feeling really full all the time but still eating nevertheless.

I was just closing my eyes.. to sleep.

I was just closing the door.. so I could have a little peace and quiet to myself.

I didn't take many pictures. My memory card registers at 30. My battery never went flat.

I guess I really went away.


D woke up at 6/17/2006 10:15:00 PM [comment]

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10 June 2006

I'm taking off in a few hours.
But I'm very sure I'm leaving a part of me behind.
I can already feel myself being homesick.
Even though it is only for 7 days.

I met Boo last night for a play entitled "A Stranger at Home". I love The Observatory's music. And I was so starstruck, having coffee with R and W. Just like the first time I walked Alf from Borders to Pacific Plaza, or Boo, when we had a foodcourt meal at Scotts. I felt so blessed.

And to have a best friend that texts you "Have a safe and enjoyable journey", that sounds almost like an SIA commercial...

I don't know.

It seems so hard for me to leave, even if it is for a short while.

Am I being over-sentimental?


D woke up at 6/10/2006 01:16:00 AM [comment]

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08 June 2006

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHARON / FAREWELL HANIS, WE ARE ALREADY MISSING YOU

Here are the postcards we did for Hanis and Sharon, but which has more meaning for Hanis because these would come in handy someday in the next year and a half that he's studying overseas.












THE PICTUREBOOK

I've chosen the 'nicer' pages.

As Shihui has pointed out, these are actually taken in the vicinity of my house. I'm moving soon, and this house that has accompanied me as I age, now, will be torn down (I'm quite sure). So, to me, this whole "Vases Anthologia" idea has a few meanings:

(1) The Vases itself was founded at the peak of our adoloscence. In a way, we're 1985 babies turning legally adults in 2006, and this is like a closure, or the end of something. Perhaps even, the final group photo in the next year and a half that Hanis is overseas.

(2) I am moving.
At 21, I'm moving out of the space I grew up in. In many ways, it is a lot like the Vases itself. We've all grown out of our adoloscence and teenage angst. But thinking of it, we've maintained the crux of our youthfulness and energy: Sheila's whining, Rohai's whining (uh huh, yes), Haireez's coolness, Liwen's child-like insistence, Pamela's semi-consciousness, Hanis' craziness, Sharon's wide-eyed curiousity.. And I've never grown out of my acne.

(3) It is an Anthology of being ex-young - a transition into the irreversible 2*'s.

If you thought the above was prententious bullshit, maybe you might want to try to enjoy the pictures.








And the centrespread of the booklet:



This is becoming such a photoblog.


D woke up at 6/08/2006 01:17:00 AM [comment]

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02 June 2006

PART TWO




Unlike China, I took lesser pictures in Hongkong, largely due to the rain and the fact that I felt most Hongkong television serials have already clearly depicted what and how Hongkong feels like.

So it was mostly walking around the famous districts of Tsim Sha Tsui, SoHo, Mong Kok, Lantau Island.. etc

We stayed about two streets away from Ladies Market, so we visited that on the very first night, and the other three late nights too. Ladies Market is like a huge permanent 'pasar malam' with mostly 'copy goods' and a lot of food and a lot of people.

I had to eat my Wanton mee. I tried to find the metal containers that were used in "In The Mood For Love" but I couldn't.




We went to the Avenue of Stars the next night.

I was looking through all the hand prints when I saw two that made me especially sad.




At the train station, I came across an artwork that was really hard to interpret even though it was called "Swift and Safe". On closer observation I could see why there were many phallic objects in the picture.





"Gaylord" is a strange name to have don't you think?

***

I found this work in Shenzhen. Gorgeous. I couldn't afford it or it would have been in my room now.




Lantau Island was quiet and beautiful. But, again, our visit was untimely. The mist covered most of the giant Buddha. I could only see his leg and a vague silhouette. I only managed to take the Boddhisattas.




I found an art space called Habitus, at the Western Market in the Central Area of Hongkong. I was not allowed to take pictures of this space as they had artwork on display, so I only managed a few shots of the bar counter, the chill-out space and the open air film screening area. It's on the third floor. A quiet and absolutely cosy space. The sales assistant was extremely warm and friendly.
I've often dreamt of owning a cafe like this; with books and films and music.




I found this really old photocopy shop, also in the Central area.




Here, I tried to pull a Faye Wong in Chungking Express on the world's longest escalator. But my dad is no Christopher Doyle. And I was weighed down by my shopping bags from the Esprit Outlet near Lantau Island. Hurhurhur.




This is Hongkong as I remember it to be:






A parting shot: Congee! I'll miss it.. really.


Dong is pictured here with his Translator and ATM and Credit Card - his father, slowly stirring his congee.



D woke up at 6/02/2006 12:07:00 PM [comment]

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PART ONE




I just came back a few hours ago.

We were in two cities in the wrong season. Both were rainy and misty; wet and humid. They set the mood for this entire trip.

I've been sleeping regular hours, thanks to my company, namely my father and my grandfather.

The first leg of this trip was, of course to our hometown, which is in Pu Tian, a village called Zhang Zhen.

We were three generations on this road trip together: my grandfather to his home where he had lived the first half his life, my father to his childhood, and I, to somewhere that must have played a part in shaping my identity as it is today.




We stayed at our relatives' place for three nights.

The relatives:




The house:




The room:




The view outside the room:




The houses are built so close to one another, that if you and I were neighbours, I could jump from the window of my house to yours.




I thought this house was really interesting, with a staircase that led to an open roof, almost like a performing stage. On further inquiry, I learned that this is an unfinished house and has already been abandoned. They now use the roof to dry their produce.




And a view from above the roof:




The villagers here are mostly old people. There were absolutely no sign of teenagers. The only younger people are children.

I was almost like a ghost; not understanding their language (which is supposed to be mine) and almost always only observing. I was told (through a translator - my dad), that we were fortunate to have seen this village this again. China has made plans for redevelopment in the area. These houses are going to be torn down.

We went around visiting alot:




We walked around alot too, exploring the entire town. This used to be my father's primary school, but now it says "School for the Elderly". I joked about it to my father that the school has aged, just like him. He was a primary school boy when it was a primary school. And now, he could enrol as a student again, in this facility for the aged.



Some shots of the town; before it gets torn down:
(disclaimer: I'm obsessed with wires)















This is the main city:







A shopping mall in Xiamen (in a very dimly lit foodcourt):



At a school very near Xiamen, I found this really dirty swimming pool (I swear the sea water is clearer than this):



Some portrait shots before I sleep:







A note on the little boy: Digital technology is new to the people in the hometown and he was intrigued by the immediate review function that the camera possessed. I took close to 20 shots of him as he requested and he came out with a variety of poses. More in Part Two. Hongkong too!


D woke up at 6/02/2006 02:35:00 AM [comment]

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