Perception is King

I don’t know if anyone other than me will stumble upon this post. It’s been a shit month. The month of September. Juggling school with work is no joke. Or juggling work with school. To be honest work came first for me this month. Maybe because I was working on my very first project and so badly wanted to close my first deal. I guess nobody cared why I wanted to close the first one so much.

Yeah sure, they assumed it was for the money. It isn’t. I didn’t even care how much the commission percentage was. For all the effort I put in, I just wanted something to show for it. I wanted a sense of achievement. I’d been yearning for that for some time now. Sure, the money would be good, just take it as my allowance which I wouldn’t otherwise ask from my parents. It might be great to start giving back too. I would not simply accept that getting allowance from my parents is a given, especially since we did the sums on my school fees, wasted or future.

The good news certainly lifted the pressure of us abit. I hope it brought much relief to my mum. I really had no idea how it came about. Maybe it was God’s doing. I don’t know.

I just asked my cousin Eugene why he pursued his degree even though he had been doing decently in his work. He said a degree would:-

1. Value add to your own branding
2. The market would see you differently
3. Clients and developers will have more faith in you

To be honest I had never thought of that before. And I agree with all 3 points. In fact he is going to do his Masters in Project and Building Management.

So I guess this is it. I’m just gonna slog it out studying and working at the same time. That degree is going to benefit me. Perception is King.

Edwin – Me – Eugene (on my 2nd birthday)

When she is just a girl

If there’s a girl that can entice me as much as she does.

Paradise

Paradise by Coldplay. This song is brilliant. I love elephants.

Give

It’s been eons since I did CIP, or volunteer work or charity work. I clocked the bare minimum hours during my JC years, so my CIP record was not so brilliant.

Yesterday my aunt shared this volunteer event with my cousins and I. It was to help out at this community home for senior citizens. She said we could go take pictures during the volunteering.

This home is so near my house I’m ashamed I never went to help out in someway before. Anyway, what we had to do was to distribute the day’s lunch and goody packs to the residents there.

Make them smile. Make their day. When they smile, you smile. It’s just that simple. This was what I realised yesterday. Helping out became the main objective, sidestepping picture-taking, although I managed a few shots in between.

Step out of your comfort zone, interact with the less privileged, and you’ll end up being entertained as well. It was a bunch of fun. When I spoke Mandarin to one of the old ladies, she asked if I was from China. (Do I look/sound like one?) Totally hilarious stuff. She then shared with me that despite having 10 other siblings, she’s alone. No children. Not married.

Just give. Give unconditionally. Else they would be all alone.

Just remember to abide by parking rules, lest you meet the Summon Auntie, who tends not to feel so charitable when her quota window is ending.

Why the Subaru Challenge is so special

The Mediacorp Subaru Challenge 2011 is the series’ 10 edition. It’s the contest where you place your right palm on the car and endure the torment of the weather elements like the blistering midday heat or freezing late night rain, beating off hallucination monsters, hoping the other 399 contestants are sane enough to drop out before you do, before you emerge the winner walking away with a $90k+ Subaru Impreza car.

This contest holds a special place in my heart, not because I have won it before (I’m not at that insane level yet), but maybe because I’ve participated in 2009, albeit lasting 12 hours. It’s amazing how the past winners could manage at least 60 hours, with the longest thus far at 81 hours. I’ve witnessed how the finalists battled hard to withstand the mental torture, physical pain like swollen feet due to water retention. Of course they couldn’t have done it on their own. Support from family and friends is equally vital. To be there cheering them on and keeping them awake to really push them to their absolute limits, sometimes even surpassing those limits.

Of course, adding on to the drama are the marshalls, especially during the final stretch of the competition, when there are about 5 contestants left. This year, after the last 5 minute break at the 72-hour mark, the poor contestants would have no more breaks. For every contestant left, there would be 4 marshalls planted right beside them, scrutinizing for any mistakes that can eliminate or liberate the contestant from the contest. Not to forget the Head Marshall, who sports the sunglasses and stares down at the palms with that cold, steely and unerring look.

If you were there at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza for a few hours to witness proceedings, you can spot some interesting characters, be it onlookers or contestants. They say the toughest conditions bring out the worst or best in you.

If you like kids like I do, (note: not pedophilically), you’d be happy to see parents bringing their kids to support the contestants as well.

It’s a setting where you can see people with various expressions, that of joy, seriousness, anguish and much more.

Alas, there is the time when it’s down the final two. The moment when one of them carelessly makes an error or simply drops out due to extreme fatigue. The moment when the winner is crowned after 75hours. The moment when supporters jump in jubilation or the wife sheds tears of joy when her husband finally wins it.

And of course, the magical moment when somehow the winner leaves behind the heavy weight of fatigue, blisters and hallucination, only to reveal a simple smile when the sense of victory finally dawns upon him.

This is what’s so special about the Subaru Challenge. Probably the only such competition in the world.

Framing Innocent People

Finally a new post after a long while!

School had started, assignments ganging up with tutorials to stop me from writing. And work as well!

Anyway, I met up with Ethan and Kashing and Sunesh to go shoot. We were around the Esplanade area, scouting for places to shoot either sunset or the “standard” CBD area.

So as always I was scanning the area for interesting objects or people to frame. There’s this kid who ran past me and hopped onto the ledge.

Balancing Act

Then his younger brother, if I may assume, followed suit. Or at least he was trying. And he spotted me. Clacking away with my shutter.

Distracted by the shutter. (ughh shot not in focus)

Not really bothered by me, he leapt onto another stone and turned around, incidentally facing me. Of course I had my lens locked onto him.

Au natural.

He just seemed so natural in front of the camera. No inhibitions, no pretence, just innocence. Maybe that’s how kids are like.

He just couldn’t stay still. He ran back to his brother. Then I realised, he reported me to him.

"Brother, creep spotted!"

I thought, “Uh-oh.” Oh well, I just waited for the next reaction. Then, both turned around.

Beautiful.

Is this what they call picture perfect moment? I really love this shot.

In other news, I think I am done with the 50 1.8. I need the 1.4.

We love you, train

This summer holidays for me have mostly revolved around the KTM Railway system in Singapore. Took the train in and out of Singapore for the first and last time. Made countless treks along the railway tracks. And yesterday’s was the last trek before school resumes and a whirlwind of studies and work kicks in.

I’d seen on Facebook pictures taken by fellow enthusiasts at Bukit Timah station, depicting the state of removal works around the area. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it for myself.

[All pictures taken with Canon S95]

[Works in the distance.]

Apparently authorities had removed the tracks from beyond the station andbrought in soil to level up the place. If the railway system were a human, that would have felt like having your spine ripped off and having mud to fill up the space.

[Is it that hard to balance conservation and development?]

The SLA had sealed up the station immediately after the plots of land had changed hands to Singapore’s.

The quaint little building, where popular Station Master Atan used to occupy, was still intact. The levers in the adjacent signalling room were all removed, except for a handful, seemingly there for phototaking purposes only.

I looked up at the now bare flagpoles, being reminded of the night of 30 June, where a party of visitors had gathered to welcome the last train into Singapore. What a contrast. Now it’s just quiet, robbed of its soul.

[This flower witnessed it all, I'd guess.]

There were a few groups of people who had turned up as well, taking more pictures and perhaps a last look at what could be a significant piece of history. God knows when or whether the Rail Corridor will still be intact.

We walked along the iconic truss bridge over Dunearn Road. Past visitors had left their marks behind, signing off their names and small messages on the metal joints. Some may condemn it as vandalism, I think it’s perfectly alright, even sweet for some messages.

[Bye train, we <3 you.]

We set out to trek the rest of the tracks towards Rail Mall. As we walked on, the iconic bridge behind us became smaller and smaller. We will miss all these and I hope the authorities would conserve as much of the Rail Corridor as possible.

After all, it’s an important part of Singapore’s history.