Into the Water

Halloween awesome-ness indeed.

Spent the last couple of days on both ends on the spectrum; leisure and work. Both in epic proportions, if I may so graciously add.

Let us first run through a little update on the work front.

ICAs have been coming in in steady streaks but I guess its business as usual. Work has been taxing of late and rightly so. After all, change breeds improvement doesn't it?

On a side note, I've not been sleeping as I should. Well, not really as I should per se but more like "as much as I should have been sleeping". I rarely sleep before 3am as of recently months and I guess its taking a toll on my body, both physically and mentally.

The upside (or downside, depending how you look at it) though, is that I feel less and less tired even though I'm getting less and less sleep. Guess its the body's way of adapting to circumstances, no matter how harsh it is.

This certainly adds to the resume of the human body (Resilience? Check!) and without a doubt, it is one of the most intricately engineered masterpiece above all.

Moving onto the other side of the spectrum. This is what puts the "f" in "fun".

Darkened eyeliner, smudged mascara and scars left behind. Mildly disturbing indeed.

The party over the weekends was certainly one of the highlights of the week by a long shot.

All in the name of fun (love, peace and joy etc), we came all dressed up in various facades otherwise known as abnormal in typical social situations. From Ginger Spice to Slash, to a guy with slashes on his hands, the party saw a unique flow of attendees.

The Emo Kid strutting off his arms. Slash slashes slashes on slashed hands. The wounds are NOT real.
(But they do look disturbing on camera)

Activities largely revolved around food, socializing as well as the continuous sounds of Guns & Roses being blasted over the stereo system in the form of music videos.

I can safely say that everyone had a good laugh and a nice time there at the party for sure.

Alright, moving on now. I just thought of something which I came up, a couple of days back and thus had decided to add it to this post as part of the update.

It basically depicts a process of sorts. I'm sure everyone has been part of this process, though it goes largely overlooked in current societal contexts.

Here goes...

Picture this;

"

You're standing at the edge of a lake. You look down and you see a grim canopy of water, in shades darkness. You're unsure of your fate or what were you doing, standing at edge, seemingly staring into the face of death.

Should you take the plunge? How deep is the water? Is the water too cold or too hot? Questions as such pop into your mind bit by bit, like a typewriter, it slowly scripts fears into you.

As you prepare to take the jump, you hold your breath and not knowing what to expect, you're in the air. For that brief moment, time had seemed to malfunction and you think to yourself; am I doing the right thing? What will happen of me?

That was weird though, you thought.

Indeed, for you felt as if right before you took the plunge yourself, someone or something had pushed you down. What was it? You have no clue whatsoever.

Then a second thought hit you whist you were in midair; What if I couldn't swim, you thought to yourself, What if I drowned?

Time seemed to stop as sudden as it soon resumed and with a sudden spur, everything was a blur again and that was when you plunged into the water.

"

I'm sure most if not everyone has plunged "into the water" at some point in their lives; it is a common occurrence.

But the issue arises when one is seemingly "pushed" by who or what or something that we don't know. How should we react? Should we even react at all?

There are many aspects which can fit the bill of the "pusher" in this context, the most common accredited to emotions and feelings.

Many a time, our emotions "push" us into situations we don't fancy, don't feel good about, or into situations we feel unsure of; too many a time, in actual fact. But it must be noted that sometime, it is us, ourselves who take the final step off the edge; there was no "push".

A little food for thought then. Hmm...

Time to get back to work, certainly plenty to do. Be sure to check back for updates and articles as always.

Cya'll later.


"... or I'll just end up walking, in the cold November Rain"
----------------



Now playing: Guns N' Roses - November Rain
via FoxyTunes

Discretion or Inspiration?

Was down at the Cathay an hour or so back for a little R&R and guess what I saw.

A beauty isn't it?

Well, say "aye" if you're a car fanatic as you'll probably know where I'm coming from. But that wasn't all...

Oh. My. God.

An ENTIRE row of Astons. Right in front of me. I swear, the radius of a hundred meters around me was probably worth well over millions.

Though Astons aren't exactly my personal favorites, this spectacle would probably wow typical car junkies.

I soon found out the reason for such a gathering.

Apparently, Cathay was gearing up (pun intended) for the premier launch of the latest Bond Movie, Quantum of Solace (out in theaters in a couple of days).

And thus explaining the reason behind all the Astons parked there. Talk about a publicity stunt.

Alright, time for a little update.

I've noticed a trend in my post frequencies as of recent durations. No, blogging hasn't converted itself into a weekly affair; I'm just too caught up with school work and the such. The added disadvantage of not having stable access to the internet during weekdays further amplifies this issue.

But fret not readers, articles and updates will be posted soon and in fact, I'm actually considering registering metallic-stains as an independent domain by itself.

This is very subjective though, due to various factors (ie. costs) and simply due to the fact that the idea came along as a random thought.

Week 4 marks the start of various ICAs and for my readers who require clarification about the abbreviation, its simply your average graded assignment (ie. project presentations, written tests).

I realized that creativity is the essence of success as seen in multiple cases (like Apple Corporation for example). Sure, there's a certain degree of difficulty in being creativity, but I believe that everyone is creative to a large extent thus there is no excuse for success.

On a side note, I never thought that time would fly so (freaking) fast. Barely a year ago, I would be cooped up in my house, viciously mugging and remembering as much detail as I possibly can in preparation of the O level examinations.

There are certain events in life that can literally break or make a person and I guess that this crude and somewhat critical education system that we're currently in does have its positive outcomes as well.

At this point in time, I would like to share a little narrative that I thought about while in the shower a couple of days back (told you guys that one of my main periods of thought occurs during showers didn't I?) and here goes;

"

A cold winter morning blew a bitter chill over the flat country lands. Everyone left in search of new hope when the immerse colds struck. While only a few others decided to pursue seemingly broken dreams in the harsh waste land.

The farmer was one of them.

This plot of land was the only thing he had owned in his entire life and not even the harshest of winds would have deterred his will to stay rooted there. In a way, it was more than just a home to him.

Yes, winter had come early this year in this region but as usual during this period, everyone in the country left towards warmer urban areas, in hopes of new opportunities. Only the old or sickly was left behind, largely reluctant to leave due to emotional bonds similar to that of the farmer.

But the farmer was only 18 of age.

There was something different about him for sure. While others of his age had snubbed the idea of staying in the country, he saw what he needed to do here and has thus decided on his decision to stay.

As the farmer sat down in his small shack shared with his elderly parents, massive sacks of seeds surrounded him. He knew that winter would soon end and it would be time. Time to make a change and time to move on.

The farmer wasn't without ambition; he had big plans for this land he had valued so much over development. One day, he told himself, people will see the value of country lands.

Indeed, he has studied the lands in the country for one too many years and had thought that he knew everything there is to know. But what he didn't learn was that every winter was different from the previous, a crucial detail that he ignorantly overlooked which he'll soon pay a deep price for.

Soft cracks presumed as the farmer diligently separated and sorted out the seeds.

-

Too many bone biting winter chills had passed since the farmer sat in his shack, sorting the seeds out. He knew that winter was about to end, and before he slept that night, he prayed to whichever god he knew, asking for the dawn of a new hope and chapter in his life.

The grim overcast skies of dawn showed no improvement. A crack, however, soon printed itself in the center of the vast greyness. Slowly but surely, it widen and a golden ray of warmth and hope pieced the dull monotony of the country side.

The farmer felt warmth on his face as he stirred in bed. He smiled with his eyes still closed for he knew that the time was here.

-

The seeds were all planted in the vast area of land that the farmer owned and valued more than anything else. And with a satisfied look from his face as he viewed his pass week's effort to plant the seeds, he felt confident about his progress. His aged parents too, felt his confidence and they too, basked in it.

The coming of spring saw the return of the those who left and new faces in the country.

The farmer knew that they wouldn't last the winter as they would probably be too impatient and thus made no efforts to befriend them.

-

A festive-like atmosphere soon filled the country side. The farmer visited the country's market square only to find tents and bonfires being erected and smiling faces filled the streets.

It was a common sight in the non-winter seasons as considerable numbers flocked to the market square to gather supplies, interact as well as soak in the various festivals that spurred the people in the region of the country side.

After a quick visit to the local blacksmith (he needed a new pitch fork), the farmer decided to stop by the animal vendors to check out the livestock, vital to any farm though he never had money to afford a proper investment as such.

As soon as he turned the corner, his eyes met with another; dark brown pupils with beautifully framed eye lashes. Shifting out of focus, he saw the face which the eyes belonged.

The girl was beautiful, easily the most appealing ones he's seen in his entire life. A confused look framed her face as she held an arm to her hips while the other griped a belled staff tightly, as if anticipating an attack.

A shepherd! The farmer had never expected one of her kind in these regions for the lack of need for wool; there was simply no economy here for such a trade to exist as people only came to the country side during the warmer seasons of the year.

The shepherd looked away as the farmer muttered his apologies for bumping in like that.

"Oh, its alright. Can I interest you in some sheep for your farm?"

The farmer wasn't looking for sheep to even start with, probably a chicken or a pig but a sheep had never crossed his mind, and thus decided to dismiss that offer.

The shepherd looked dejected and turned the other way as she slowly walked back to her herd of sheep in the distance.

"But wai..."

She never looked back.

-

Day after day, the farmer headed back to that very same spot in hopes of "bumping" into the shepherd again, largely to no avail. Traders never stayed in one place for too long and he knew of that only too well.

But since that fateful meeting, he felt a strong connection with the shepherd. As if someone had sent her there, only to make him suffer day and night as thoughts of her filled his mind.

On his usual round one day, he decided that he wasn't going to come back tomorrow, or the day after, or even the month after that. In essence, he had given up, physically, though his mind betrayed that emotion.

He look out a piece of paper, wrote a note and hammered it onto a nearby wooden lamp post.

The farmer didn't come back the next day, nor did he the day after or the week after. But in his mind the prospect of the shepherd remained vivid, as if hinting that there was a possibility of hope.

-

As the months passed, the farmer's crops grew but harvest was poor as compared to previous years. Evidently, the farmer was disappointed; it would be a really tough winter this time, to tide through, if they were able to even make it at all.

The autumn months brought about rains to the country side, and by now, people were already evacuating, with rumors spreading of a horrible winter ahead; the worse in the country's recorded history.

Floods were on the feared tongues of land owners and the farmer too, had to be on the alert.

The morning will bring new hope, the farmer thought to himself as he climbed onto his bed as fell asleep. A soft rumble, barely audible, vocalized in a distance just as the farmer fell asleep...

(END OF PART 1)

"

Okay I'll stop here. Hopefully there's a hook factor in this narrative. I'll continue and conclude the story soon. Feel free to share your thoughts about the narrative above. I'm as always, open to feedback.

On a random note, I think people misjudge and misunderstand the term "emo" namely, emo music. I've developed a recent liking for emotional songs, probably due to occurrences as well as being able to relate to a distinct few.

Call me weird.

Alright, its late and time for bed. More content coming soon on metallic-stains so please check back often.

Cya'll later.

"This Heart, it Beats"
----------------
Now playing: Paramore - My Heart
via FoxyTunes

Remember the Time when...

Just a little detour before heading back to work.

I've added a new counter to the site, if you've managed to observe. Its kinda cool actually; it tracks your ip, the type of browser you're using, your OS, where you navigated from, etc. Pretty neat huh?

Oh, but don't worry, your privacy is safe here at metallic-stains.blogspot.com.

Anyway, moving on. I'll update my Bucketlist by this week or the next for its been uncompleted since uh... forever really. I'm open to ideas (though I've already got a few in mind) so yea, feel free to share them and click on the link on the navigation bar to your right to check it out; its rather neat (or weird).

Been feeling rather intensive these few days for a couple of reasons. Mainly due to work but an assortment of others as well.

"We're approaching what they call the Business End of the season."

And thats true apparently. We've been given piles to do, just before the end of the semester. Thats the life of professionals, I guess. Even taking some time off for family and friends might seem like a guilty pleasure.

Aside from that, I've been feeling well... out of sorts of late. I kinda know why but then again, I don't. yea I know, its complicated and rather well, personal. Snap out of it will you?! lol.

Okay fine, maybe I'm starting to feel a little "sentimental" again. I blame the late nights, I blame the oh-so-quiet atmosphere you get when you're awake at 3am in the morning alone and I guess I blame myself. Gah.

Oh well, on to the main idea of the post.

Was in the shower just a couple of minutes ago and I thought of my childhood, which then linked to my busy life now. Such differences.

I wonder how many of you guys have actually stopped and thought about your childhood despite the fact that you're growing up with different commitments and all; its really amusing, in a way.

Remember the time when...

You first wee-ed in your pants (eww.)
You took your first step (Ok I don't)
You drank milk out of a bottle
You thought everything was called by its colour (ie. Orange)
You enjoyed and hated to get out of showers
You didn't like mealtimes
You cried when you first when to school
You got back the results to your first spelling test
To you, the world was a playground
To you, ever single detail was so interesting
You enjoyed your life

Okay, not that I hate my life now, its just that theres something different about life then and life now. Simple pleasures evolve, from finding a "foil" in your weekly trading card game pack to completing an assignment. From being able to have "coco-crunch" for breakfast to being able to have Subway for dinner. You get what I'm going on about yea?

I miss my life back then, but I know I'll miss the life I'm living now, thus I cherish every moment thats ever happened to me, be it good or bad.

Life is fragile, you might be gone like the next moment, I might even die right after I type this post or I might not wake up from my sleep the next morning; who knows?

Thats why we cherish life and put it in such a high regard. Have a life? Live it.

Okay, I see the potential for an article here but I'll leave it at that for now; time to do work.

I don't see myself sleeping tonight, to be honest, though not necessarily a bad thing; Jazz+Late Nights= awesome.

Remember to check back for updates and articles and oh yea, the completion of my bucketlist.

Cya'll later,
I Hope.

A (weird) new goal in life, i guess.

A Hundred (Weird) Things To Do Before I Die
*IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER WHATSOEVER*

1. Smash and totally ruin a guitar
2. Balance a book on my head and take a sip of (really hard) liquor
3. Drink coffee (preferably from Starbucks) through my nostrils
4. Bite staples
5. Use drumsticks and make holes in drumheads
6. Wear jeans inside out for a date
7. Order a Subway club, foot-long, sandwich at Starbucks
8. Order a Coffee Frap, Venti-sized, at Subway
9. Cut my pinkie on purpose just to see it bleed and collect my blood in a pill bottle
10. Be a Chink for a week
11. Drink from my (huge) cup without using my hands
12. Sit on my head and complete a miserably hard Sudoku puzzle
13. Tell everyone I know that Black isn’t really my favorite colour
14. Try wearing makeup (eyeliner, mascara etc) (√)
15. Eat a whole tube of toothpaste and live to tell the tale
16. Tell someone on the streets that he/she has BO (even if its not true)
17. Be an Emo kid for a year (that means all black, LONG fringe and angst)
18. Not talking for a month
19. Being trapped on an island alone
20. Wedgie a friend
21. Spit at someone without getting into trouble
22. Tell everyone and everything that the world’s gonna end
23. Force myself to scream (very very loudly) when I stub my toe
24. Go without sleep for around 3 days
25. Go without laughter for 2 weeks or more
26. Eat out of a straw
27. Confuse the person who makes the drinks at Starbucks
28. Go and actually stay overnight at a 24 hour MacDonald’s outlet
29. Help every person I see for a day (even if they don’t need or want it)
30. Drink a cup of water out of Dad’s fish tank
31. Kick a moving car
32. Smash and totally ruin a useable cell phone
33. Stand in front of an audience (more than 20 people) and say something weird
34. Use hairspray as an air-freshener for my room
35. Break one of those fire alarm things
36. Go into a car showroom and yell “(brand name) sucks!”
37. Dial 999 just to hear what actually goes on
38. Drink Coke and eat Mentos just to see what happens (√)
39. Taste Ink
40. Sleep for more then 20 hours
41. Pay a hundred dollar (or more) bill entirely with coins only
42. Eat Subway at least once a day for a week
43. Speak only Chinese for a week
44. Order chicken rice without chicken
45. Clean the windows of a Starbucks outlet using a window wiper
46. Unscrew a lighted light bulb
47. Travel in someone’s car boot
48. Try to break a thermometer using heat
49. Sit in every chair in a particular Starbucks outlet
50. Do a pushup in a crowded area
51. Do the weather forecast once
52. Sleep through a really really really boring movie
53. Learn to rap (properly) in a foreign language
54. Get shot by a stun-gun (just for kicks)
55. Convince someone to do something on this list
56. Try and convince a female friend that her boyfriend/soul-mate/husband is gay
57. Praise everyone you know for one day (even if its not really complimentary)
58. Learn to speak Jamaican and/or African
59. Tell only lies for a week
60. Tell only the truth for a week
61. Take a bath sitting down
62. Take a particular bus from the interchange to the next interchange and then back again
63. Learn to sing an entire song backwards but in melody
64. Eat something exotic (like a live animal)
65. Say something mean to a famous person
66. Taste (or smell, rather) pure Oxygen
67. Strike a casual conversation with a stranger on a public transport
68. Throw something at a television set and break it
69. Lie to someone that you have a terminal disease
70. Take “Neo-prints” with only guys
71. Give a ten dollar bill to a street entertainer
72. Do a “power slide” in front of parents
73. Walk into the toy’s section and look at every Barbie doll on sale
74. Taste pet food
75. Act as if you’re 5 years of age for a day
76. Shower with the door open for once
77. Try and pay for something using monopoly cash
78. Tell a lecturer/teacher that he/she is beautiful (√)
79. Swim in a public water feature (eg. Fountain)
80. Take a bath in the rain
81. Use the laptop while on a tree
82. Break a PSP
83. Buy a Blendtec (or any other high powered) blender
84. Sit in a public shelter until it rains
85. Fall asleep while walking
86. Go up and down the escalator for one entire hour
87. Tune all the clocks and time devices in the hours 3 hours faster for a day
88. Learn and try to perfect the ability to fart on demand
89. Sing (horribly) in front of a (huge) crowd
90. Have a dog or a cat eat up a piece of my work
91. Taste waste (ie. human waste, animal waste, you know the lot)
92. Take a swag of Wasabi powder via the nostrils (Jackass Style)
93. Sky dive without a parachute (Jackass Style)
94. Watch Television programs for 24 hours non-stop
95. Start a mosh-pit in a crowded area
96. Walk to school or work place (from home) to and fro for a week
97. Convince a smoker to quit smoking
98. Swim or get wet in an artificial water feature
99. Use the wrong side of chopsticks for a week
100. Do a particular task on this list again

Those tasks that have a tick beside, (√), signifies its completion.

[/EDIT 10 October 2008] I've managed to update the list and fill up all 100 spots. I will be, however, revising some of the tasks on the list due to feasibility and interest so check back soon for updates and details.