The gods must be crazy

Being under British rule for hundreds of years, it's easy to understand why Singaporeans have a strong association for anything British. This city state has adopted their kind of English (though not successfully with the accent), kind of government and all their sports, like Cricket, Polo, Hockey, Rugby and of course, Football– to name some.

Passion and adrenaline together with beer is a constant companion for every true blue sports-loving individual. And every time we see a team we support do their tricks and dominate their foes with assaults as if these were the 300 men from Sparta, we twitch, we sweat, and with every goal or point earned through fire we feel an indescribable surge of feeling that I swear could even be better than sex. Yet when your support is at the losing end of the game, you pay the price of investing your feelings to these teams. And God knows it's hefty.

Just last week every sports- loving people here is on buzz because England has been fighting on all fronts of sports lately. The Star- studded Football Team were to face Russia for a spot in next year's FIFA EURO 2008 (the second most prestigious tournament in Football just next to the World Cup); The under-rated England Rugby Team made it to the Rugby World Cup finals and will duel with South Africa for the ultimate glory of Rugby world; and of course, Brit Lewis Hamilton is poised to become the youngest and first ever rookie to win the Formula 1 crown.

Yet it seem that the gods of sports has been conspiring to block these almost fated destiny of victories because after Sunday, every heart of fans supporting the England team are left in tatters. The Steven Gerrard- led Football team failed to beat Russia, The Johny Wilkinson-starred Rugby team was crushed by South Africa, and Lewis Hamilton had an Engine malfunction and finished only 7th in the F1race at Interlagos to hand Ferrari and Kimi Raikonen the World title. 

At the bar where I watched the Rugby match, everyone were silent. Some England die hards and Ang Mohs (british people) were in tears, some were cursing while some just sighed.I dropped my almost empty mug on the table, stood, and began that hollowed, empty, lonely walk home. 

Bubbled Weekend

 The Iliad said that Achilles, bravest of all the Greek heroes can fight for days in the battlefield without rest, butchering enemy after enemy sending them to their fated doom, with the help of the Greek gods who guided them for their seige of Troy. Troy did fell to the Greeks, but only after the gift of a wooden horse and ten years of trying.

 Unlike Achilles, I'm no offspring of a nymph, I can't stand days fighting with a sword and I have no womanizing Mycenaean demi-god whispering in my ear what to do. Yet, neither do I have ten years to do my task.

I have been sleeping at 5a.m. since Friday since I have to finish a project for a competition that I tie in with an architectural office(I am doing all the exterior and landscape design and concept). This Tuesday will be the presentation so I have to slave down on weekends to compensate for the time frame deadline.  I have promised Jean and Fergus to go to Bintan last Saturday but because of the commitment, the plan did not push through. Even my plans of watching the European football qualifiers between England and Estonia as well as watching the Rugby World Cup semifinals has to give way. I was thankful though since I finally finished it this morning, and I can finally have a good night sleep this evening while Jean watch her soaps over TFC.

 Below is just one of the many images I produced for this project. I was told to make the images as "pastel" as possible since the client don't like strong colors and wanted to see more "softer" presentation. So full-color 3d images are out of the equation. I still made all my images in 3d, but filtered it in photoshop so it will look like it's been hand- drawn.

 Things you do for a living.

Father and Son

I hate posting pictures of myself. Because I know I'd rather be the one at the back of the lens than the one in font of it. But I can't help but like this picture in which Jean took with her D40.

This past weekend I made sure that I have enough free time to take my wife and kid for a walk. My son and I were waiting for Jean who went to an adjacent shop(who happen to have the camera) and helped ourselves in the foot of these stairs. Jean caught us doing things and Fergus imitating whatever things I do (it really show in this particular shot) and took a snap.

Coming of Age

It is said that pain is a catalyst for progress and self improvement. Artists make their masterpieces at times of desolation, while poets yield their best work in while nursing a broken heart.

As you've noticed, I haven't updated this blog for almost a month now. And I apologize to all who has been dropping here continually. I'm also asking understanding for having not been visible at your sites and at your comments box for the same period. The reason for this is that I just got a bigger slice in the company's responsibility and I am grasping for all the things I have to do at the same time. I was so used to just do my design and drawings in the comfort of my table with a bit of meetings every now and then. Nowadays, I have to deal with many things I don't have to deal before. And I'm getting frustrated sometimes especially when I feel so stressed with things not going right. Jean call it growing pains. that it's a normal cycle and I need to go through with it the same with others who are made junior partners in a company. I'm just thankful my wife is always there for me. Her words and my son's laugh is always there to catapult me to top gear again when I feel down or really frustrated.

The last few weeks has been my dry run to lead the department. My boss is in Australia for a month to set up the office there. Eventually she will be staying there to run the new branch and I will be left here with another partner(who is currently in New Zealand taking his masters, and will only be back in December) to run the show, and these few weeks would be my acid test. It's odd. You always pray for these things to come, and when it did it got me off- guard.

I guess I just got a bit shocked with the leapfrog from being a senior designer to being both a designer and at the same time dealing with the business side of things. But I'll get through this, and I know I will learn every step of the way. The going is getting tough, and it's for the tough to get going. Break through…Coming of age.

…I hope not to get bald though.