remembering grandpa

It's been at least two months I've been away from this blog...that's how fast life have been passing...anyway,as I return to writing my ongoings...I realised a half written blog that I left behind the last time I was here about two months back...at that time there seem to be such urgency in the issue and yet I didn't really remember to continue and post it...making it ' a post about remembering' all the more significant... being forgotten, being fazed...how life is an ever deepening layer of emotion,stories that were important being covered by layers of silt of everyday ...being eventually forgotten...but stories fading doesn't matter...at least not as much as life's importance fading...what I mean by life's importance's fading is how we tend to forget in the midst of our daily grind the life of those around us (especially those that made us who we are - our families) getting pushed aside due to modern time constraints,geographic logistic and plain old inconvenience.

Anyway...the half written blog...

A week ago I was contemplating not going home for my grandfather's birthday. I was really really up to my neck in work and would want anytime I had away to just crash and the idea of family wasn't on my mind as it takes quite abit to travel.

So I called my dad and asked him how much of a dissapointment it would be if I skipped kung-kung's birthday. My dad asked me if I knew where kung kung was. I said I didn't know. I heard the words kung kung collapsed this morning is now in the hospital's emergency ward. The mere words struck into me and I immediately told my dad I am going home. My dad said to me...no need the urgency...there's nothing we can do but pray...his solemn voice grinded guilt into my heart...

Having someone close to me fall sick really impacts me alot and I get this sudden surge of vulnerability and concern for human mortality/my own mortality that puts me in an immediate solemn and pensive mood. Life, which I often take for granted, will not always be there it seem and I should be screaming with joy that at this very moment that I am here breathing,thinking and writing...you should be screaming too for you are alive, a miraculous creation with breath and spirit reading this.

It's a wonder what we are, a single being formed by a zillion living cells capable of emotions, action, thought and through all these most importantly be an individual...my grandfather was one such individual and though he may not mean as much to many of you out there as he does to me being my grandfather, I do wonder what it really means to me..the words 'my grandfather'...I know I care and love my granfather but why do I? not because he carried the mere words of status 'grandfather' I hope.

So, a man who despite any misgivings or ordinariness is someone who has been directly been invovled in me being here? That would be unfair to my grandfather because he is so much more I am sure...so remember I am trying to do...remember what kung kung has done for me...

Even though I've grown past being a child, I was once held in his arms with great pride being his first grandchild, I remember him sending me postcards for overseas signed with love kung-kung, I remember angpows and presents, I remember his low toned voice of concern for me as I went through exams and with that I remember...my grandfather.

As I came home to be surrounded by family brought together by a time of difficulty, my Auntie Agnes rushed back from Australia and everyone were at their toes...it seems an irony,how family almost require disaster to remember,myself included...
shouldn't we remember on every ordinary day?

Fortunately,my grandfather did pull through this time...and managed to celebrate his birthday despite being weak and on a wheel chair...and as we celebrate...I remember.

Pixie's Smile!

just wanted to post this smile of my dear pixie...it melts my heart and I hope it brightens your day in someways too...sometimes we should all smile more...but then not all of us have the ability to flash a nice bright smile...i should be so lucky I have one to see...pixie however is less fortunate...i am one of those who don't smile well...

Notthingham Shoot

AELEA story laboratory just shot the profile 'Come Study Here' video for the University of Notthingham. Froggie was directing.We were trying to recreate wonderful moments during university life often unseen on camera that would mirror what is to expected of the Notthingham experience.

It was a very tight schedule as there were many shots to be achieved over a short period of time. Technically, though time was limited,we choose not to go for the easy way out and opted to aim for very complex shots that will be more enticing to the viewer. Jib and dolly tracks, heavy equipment which creates a smooth moving motion for the camera were set up to lend some dynamics to shots giving the imagery life as opposed to all still and silent shot common of mere tripod camera shoots.

Many of the university students came out with bright smiles as being infront of a camera is an escape from a day of hard study. But then many of the talents realised that to evoke very simple everday emotion like a gentle smile or a hearty laugh is much harder than you think when you are in front of the camera and thus acting wasn't that easy as they expected it to be. As director, by hook or by crook I have to induce them into doing the emotions while under the glare of various lights and camera equipments.It wasn't easy as for one shot to be perfect, all the talent had to be good in the shot and the camera movement also had to be timed to capture the moment perfectly. All going well it took only a slight jerk of the camera or one student to look uncomposed to sound the dreaded words...one more time.

The most exciting bits of the shoot were as the basketball court when a different angle of the camera, it behind the transparent net board was odered...by myself. We mounted the camera and I was on a ten foot ladder to capture the moment. Everytime the ball slammed into the board it created such a bang and shook the board so much my heart skipped. But as with any shot, it took take after take and soon i was immune to the slams and also grew unwary of the dangers of my situation then if one of the basket ballers were to be caught in the heat of the game and forget I was there he could have hit the ladder and send me flying.

A different kind of shot from the basketball were slices of nature to highlight the university ample grounds of green and natural surrounds. A shot with a pigeon makes a serene scene that relays this fact perfectly and it is too beautiful visually but as man can't talk to birds or at least the men in this crew can't, it was difficult to get the bird to fly at exactly the right moment and the exact right location.We just had to keep trying. But when a difficult shot finally gets caught on camera the team gets this cheer of satisfaction that's hard to match.

That's a short writeup of our three days of stressful production fun at Notthingham.

Care to train up as a crew? AELEA do accepts hardworking trainees with an intention to learn well the craft of filmmaking so send me a word...but serious ones willing to work hard only.

AELEA at Movie Carnival, Berjaya Times Square

It has been a crazilly hectic week. On my birthday weekend, 22/23rd April, I spent the whole two days at berjaya times square as my production company AELEA story laboratory working in collaboration with F.E.G. (Film Equipment Gallery) set up a booth at the movie carnival by cinemaonline magazine and my partners in Berjaya Times Square.

The Movie Carnival was not an industry based event(an event for movie industry people) but for the people who support our industry, the movie goers who buys the ticket. So our presence at the carnival wasn't so much to drum up new business or find new collaborative deals but to serve as a booth where the public can interact with actual film equipments to see for themselves how a shot would be achieved on set. The exposure of our company to the public was just a bonus.

We allowed the public to actually operate a full jib and a track setup under close supervision by four trained production crew. Film equipments have many moving parts that could easilly snap a finger off someone...so we kept a close eye to avoid any eeeiiikkksss!!!! followed by gratuitous blood splatter though that be great advertising for some of the horror flicks coming our way.Anyway...back to topic, it would come to many a suprise I think that a rather complex setup is required to shoot a simple scene where a camera moves into a scene from behind some plants and rise above the heads of the actor before titling down to show the audience the scene from an upward view.However though many people passed by our booth...few actually had the inclination to touch and try out...many had eagerly interested eyes but kept their hands wrapped around themselves while peering inquisitively.

Aside from the shooting try out. My company AELEA story laboratory also ran a talent casting session. This is a 'golden opportuinity' for the public to have their profile picture taken and get their details recorded into AELEA database which will be accessed when a shoot; whether a movie, a commercial or a corporate video require talents.If your looks are suitable and you are selected from the database...there's your stepping stone to the screen! AELEA database of talents are also open for access by other production companies.To access...or to be part of the database gimme a call or reach me at aelea.com.my

But before we know it the two days was over...honestly,the movie carnival could have been better but it's a maiden effort with what I would consider a huge turnout so it was successful.And as for what initially seemed like signing up for a torturous two days of sitting and tending to a booth in berjaya times square worked out well and we had alot of fun both with casting and meeting the public to talking among other vendors who popped by with smiles and empty but fun conversations.

He Wanted! I didn't allow!!!

Furiously preparing easter eggs for tommorow's celebration? I doubt many of us are...guess easter isn't that marketed yet...it's a good thing to not become part of our rampant marketing culture but we really should hold at high esteem this important event in any christian calendar...

Now at Pixie's house, come over here to help her stay up and do work through the night as her final's next week.It's quite relaxing here...it's an old cottage like house,partially wooden, one storey.the market is only like 100 meters from her house...I ussually come here...go to market with her in the morning and then she'll teach me cooking, then lunch and time to go home...gives me a sense of domestic life in my lifestyle of modern craziness...her family is nice....

Her father is very funny ...

The other day, we were watching the scent of green papaya together...in the film there was a scene of a green papaya being cut revealing white seeds and flesh...her father remarked that this was false...our papayas have black seeds even when unriped...so after the movie at about midnite...we were to do an experiment...she has a papaya tree in the garden but her dad said unapologetically let's not waste our papaya..lets go take the papaya growing outside our neighbour's fence...next thing I know I found myself part of a three member party strecthing out a stick balancing at the side of a drain trying to pluck a green papaya from across a drain, a tree growing outside her nighbour's fence at night...after successfully getting the green papaya...her dad said...might as well pick the ripe ones too....but anyway...the green papaya's seed was white...all white.

....when I am working with her in her room overnight...her father is always peeping up on us at regular intervals to check that nothing's going on....

The other day we slept in the same room but DIFFERENT MATTRESSES altogether and FULLY CLOTHED,DOOR NOT LOCKED..her father freaked out...her mum told her...we chinese are conservative cannot like that one...her dad told her 'cannot stay together afterwards in the heat of the moment cannot control!!'...but the fact of the matter is there is no heat, no moment...she's having an ulcer...no kisses even... :p

So anyway she answered back to her dad, 'So you were like this towards mum when you were dating her?'....her dad immediately quiet down trying to change topic....then her mum who was around added...'he wanted...i didn't allow!' :P

Happy Easter everyone....celebrate it...

A GOOD FRIDAY

Was at church, the veneration of the cross service, a blessed wretched sinner as usual...blessed (i think I've been very in my journey thus far) wretched sinner ( I have not been the epitome of good) but I really want to try to be. Church was solemn but after I felt suprisingly happy...Salvation is there, now we just have to want it..

Everytime in church I feel sorry....I feel very small....sometimes, I honestly do not want to go to church for the reason of feeling unworthy...but my pixie tells me...that's silly...it is you who most need the Lord and the redemption offered by him...

It's very difficult to be a good Catholic today...there are just too many avenue to do wrong and yet I think we are a generation with the most abundance of excesses and convenience...things that we should be grateful for and at the same time wary that it doesn't blur our view off the actual essence of life. I do not kill and neither do I behave like a casanova but I still feel largely inadequate to my faith as a Catholic...

SiLLy MoNtAGe of PixIe and FroGgiE

My darling pixie and I fooling about with a video camera shamelessly at taman tun park by the little stream.....i'd like to say that gardeners were looking on in bewilderment but as I am writing this entry, pixie says 'where got gardeners look...exaggeration....' so yeah...but I am sure if there were gardeners they'd look in bewilderment....

We were making a video trying out for the amazing race....so camera's on...now what to say...how to start????

..very stiff-ly i said..."hi I am Linus...' and then she added I am zhiling...and we started breaking down and becoming more candid...or in other words silly

Having a camera then recording us for the next couple of minutes produced quite an interesting video to look back on in future I am sure, as we just fiddled about being silly and had fun infront of a camera...

... then extracting stills from the video produced interesting and very candid pictures that were a joy to view too especially to ourselves...and maybe to some of our friends....so I heartilly encourage you guys to shoot something just by placing a video camera still on a tripod and then doing silly things infront of it with your love one...later extract stills from it, print it as a photo or montage it into a series....to post on your blog....could be a nice momento for you and your loved one...

Have fun!!!! regards...froggie

HOW to extract stills from video...the easiest non-software way is to just press the photo button on your video camera while playing back your tape....ensure that a picture storage disc is in place though...software way...you could capture the video into a video editing software and then use the export as frame function...do note that some photos extracted from video requires a process called deinterlancing...a filter function in photoshop.

CAST AND CREW FOR FILM INDUSTRY

Froggie always like to accompany a post with a picture of somesort on top but blogger's process of having to install picassa to upload photo prohibits me from posting pictures from a cybercafe...so sorry for my absence...need to get back online soon...very inconvenient to get online by driving to a cybercafe...

Anyway,life's hectic for froggie...as usual for an ever hopping froggie...and though sometimes I feel that I am overworked and tired needing rest, I still have this anxious feeling of not doing well enough for my age...so as my insecurities creep up on me I will suddenly feel a gush of 'wanting to do' and being human and only able to do so much sometimes frustrates me...then I need to calm myself....I have so much to do i have so much to do!!!!!!arrrggghhh...there goes my insecurities again!!!!

I guess it's about time I spread out my work...I often have work that do require assistance and I am trying to build a team for a tv show i hope to be launching mid year...yeah so if you are keen on joining this industry...if you have experience...come...if you don't.... intern...but do be serious before you come...don't expect movies = little work + lots of glamour...trust me it lots of HARD WORK!!!!

Also require model looking people to cast in the TV show...and also kids in sarawak wanting to be part of a film....

reebbit!!!!

Froggie got robbed...

I will not be able to post regularly for a while despite my new year resolution to post constantly and never again ignore my blog. However, life is as such and as if teasing and testing me a spanner has been thrown into my plans yet again...i've lost internet connection from home.

A buglar broke into my house on Saturday. My back fence got torn down...it is as if king kong robbed me... Taman Tun, froggie's new home and safe haven is unfortunately not as wonderful as froggie first imagined or raved about...it is too sadly cursed to human evils...why thou shall not steal? Well...all other reasons aside, it feels like shit to be stolen from...

I lost quite a significant sum of cash as we were in midst of a production and I was going through budget and my friend still had her angpows at home, a laptop and my passport. But aside from that, I've also lost all my documents,correspondent and photos on my laptop and alot of time to clean up the mess the robbers left. Emotionally, my carefree-ness and feeling of freedom is also lost and in place I have this jumpy worried feeling thinking... thinking when this would happen to me again...now I could be lying in bed at night all tranquil but the slightest sound from downstairs will get me running down to inspect...very very tense nerves...my windows once open for 'rezeki' to come in are now all shut...and it's a little gloomy...

But ah well...life's as such...i hope my nerves loosen up again...all the new hardened steel,cut proof,tamper proof padlocks(yeah right...marketing,marketing) should help and I've subscribed to hourly house checks...Now all there's left is a hope...I hope that all I've lost went to a good cause at the very least, maybe a labourer who needed a laptop he can't afford to buy for his child's education...or a sick wife needing money for medicine...let it not go for drugs...I'll never know but I hope and wish that at the very least as that'll come as a small consolation....lock your doors and keep safe you all...

Happy Doggie Year

2 days before the new year...a vet came...he checked my puppy's tooth...then he gave him an injection...it was relatively painless...then he stuck a termometer up my puppy's ass...he(the puppy) yelped! :P Meet my new doggie SPIKE! Happy Doggie Year You All! photos by Aaron Chung

TIME PASSES

a scene from my upcoming film 'A Letter of Love Again' it is sad how time will pass and these traditional metalwork shops will be gone replaced by bigger machine based industries

Time pass damn fast nowadays, i am busy....so says everybody in the working world and that shall also be my excuse for being away from blogging for ever so long from the month of October till end January...

But my blahing today shall not be about how fast time past and how I do not have enough of it but how time passing is a great big factor and part and parcel of life...I was just in UPWELL about an hour ago...and then I went over to kenyalang; two shopping complexes in my hometown I use to shop in...use to as in... I use to roam about here in search of item of desires by which I empty what little pocket money I have.Places that clothed me in my youth. The supermarket now doesn't look like a place I'll shop in...it's too cluttered, everything placed too closely together and too aunty for my shopping pleasure.But it's fun for me to walk around in it...to reimmerse my self in a past world I use to be in.How time passing brought me away from this world so i can revisit it with a tinge of sweet reminisce...

Between the days of October 2005 and January this year, what did I do? Well in October, I was finalising my move from my student life apartment in Kelana Puteri to my new place in Taman Tun. That came with more trouble than I expected. Moving out of a place that I lived 5 years of my life came as no easy task...I was like going crazy deciding what to throw and what not...yes,I am a compulsive hoarder...and also sorting magazines was an arduous process; I kept coming across articles I wanted to read...but as paying multiple rent(my old place and new) became ridiculous...I guess I had to do it die die...so it became from sorting to moving hordes of junk from one place to another and I did it with two 4 tonne lorries...so my new place was immediately piled with junk...stuff I have not yet sorted as much as i like to sort them before moving...in the middle of the mess I have to come home for a brief moment to bear witness to my Uncle's wedding...then upon returning to K.L. I have the junk to figure out and it's much harder now as the momentum to clean is somewhat drained from the process being overstretched past a quick and painless timeframe...

Also, something was happening on the relationship end of my life...as 'someone'(READ AUGUST 05 BLOG) came in touch with me and I persued her and that took up significant time as well...saying that time passing plays a part in relationships too.When I persued, she was like but we don't know each other long enough...so in this scenario I actually wanted time to pass so that I can say well, we've known each other for X years...can I now date you? geeeessh...girls like to waste time...

So two things cluttering up my life and time is passing, I still have client work to finish...and on top of all this, I was inspired to make a film in Penang called A Letter of Love Again. Making this film independently mean't that I had to write the script, plan,cast, produce, get equipments, get location permits and oversee other tasks.And I had two months as I was shooting in December so yeah...that's what I have been busy with and in this midst of all this pixie said yes...haiihh with a smile...

December came...in a jiff, the month was gone...i had to go to Penang, shoot the film...come home, within a day prepare and go on a trip to Sabah with pixie and company...then back...catch up on work...tried to write my resolutions...clean up my mess which was still there and prepare for new year, missed my dateline of being fully tidy January 1st...nevermind...I'll aim for Chinese New Year aauuggghhhh...
now in the wink of an eye it is already near February and tommorow the eve of chinese new year...and as I type this, a friend just called and I have to go out for supper with him....sounds exasperating? well it is...

Time pass...it part and parcel of life...it has its sweet...I love looking back...I love antiques and nostalgia created by time...but time also limits what we can do and what is done hence why we have to do the most that we can in the time frame given; explaining why even in the midst of crazyness I choose to do my film...because I needed to be creative...needed to be...and also i notice sometimes when we take time passing for granted we end up never doing anything...

make the most of your time passing now...

Me and my very muhibah pensonic friends family...

IT'S CALLED FAMILY

Sorry...have been away from blogging for a long time...how fast a day pass really baffles me...anyway, before going into a blog telling you guys why I have been away, I would like to yap a thing or two on family...

So what's the definition of family? I propose an upgrade of the stoic definition from the old dictionary sitting on my desk(that over simplifies it simply as a household of parents and children or a group descendents of a common ancestor)...now I am not going into stuff like 'All Men under God are one big family' but rather... how family is something that is simply and miraculously created; amongst people who care for one another and like to have the pleasure of being together...

The above picture is of a bunch of friends...the Pensonic friends or should I say my Pensonic family. Over the course of last year, one of my highlights was directing the series of Pensonic commercials you see on TV.Before, I hardly knew any of them and the job started out like any job; in the veins of it being in some ways merely dollar, cents and career progression...Then after finishing work on the commercials, the client Pensonic was so thrilled at the result, they decided to push it into a greater campaign and hence they decided on having roadshows and huge billboards all over malaysia...not forgetting three month airing slots of the commercials on TV.I followed the roadshow events along with the friends who came along as the icing, the client who were the overseeing atms and the crew who set the stage.

But that's not my point...my point is how we evolve into family over time...It's amazing how people start to know one another, at first having to see each other often, a result of working together (hereby not mere serendipity) and then how glances grow into handshake introductions, following into friendship with shared laughter and then dare I call it family with hugs. For some even the handshake introduction is not evident in the scheme. A friend in the Pensonic group, Ken or Superman Ken, is now a close friend to me though I never remembered even shaking his hand at the begining...it started with fleeting introduction during the course of a day's work. Imagine this, I ask Alan,a friend, for something... he tells me to ask Ken for it...as simple as that we are introduced.

Laughter...punctuates the air...hysterical laughter...but what's the joke? Often times the joke repeated isn't funny... though to the person relating...he who was there to hear the joke, it is and very...with the group as we travelled, we occupy time with talk and as we grew comfortable with one another, we dropped our guards...we began to show our little character flaws...began teasing each other about it...people began to carry nicknames...like hamsup uncle and media hoar!!! all said with a tinge of friendly sweet sacarsm...some of us even break into behaving ridiculously for the amusement of the rest of the fami...

So into a 'family' we become...and what fun a family is to be...the below is a picture of my family...half of it, my maternal side...my real family....we had a dinner yesterday, an informal celebration.Some were in the dining hall...others were watching TV, my uncle showed photos from his trip overseas...i was lying in a weird position on a couch lifting my leg high in the air as if somesaulting...my cousin mimicked me...then laughter...i am lucky, the air is seemingly always perpetuated with a loving laugther till the end of the night during my family dinners...much like how it would have been with my other 'family'...so who's to say they are not a real fami...I guess...I'll just say family...

my dear pixie has lots of families too...i admire her for that as much as I envy her..she ends up having little time for me...love you dear....now all that's left, how do I shorten this long winded explaination to become an oversimplified explaination that sits in a dictionary...

To all home with your families this holiday season...good health, god bless and a happy new year....

just a casual dinner with my maternal side extended family

4 new friends,1 dear pixie and a froggie in Sabah

Froggie Favourite Five!

Came by a mass circulating email that asked to list your favourite songs...here's mine...

1.kau ilhamku (know lyrics end to end...love it to no end...sing it most often...wanted to buy the rights for it to use it for a movie of mine...now trying to find a friend in warner chappel to get discount! or maybe trade...give me use of song...give you guys music vid...)



2. where's the love? (love the meaning! black eye peas...went for their concert when they were here...was bored to death to their rapping...then this song played...nearly wept for joy as the packed stadium sang in unison)



3.singing in the rain(from the Gene Kelly movie...if I suddenly burst into song when I am happy it's either this song or kau ilhamku...)



4.For God so Love the World (I miss singing this song soooooooo much...often sing it with the young christian students in highschool...now as I sing it alone...it's still nice but I miss dearly the many voice rendition)



5.Love Let us Here ....was I dumb or was I blind or did my heart just lose it's mind? why I go and throw a perfect dream away...looking back, I never know... how I ever let you go but destiny will see return to have another day...Love let us here...right back to where we belong...we followed a star and here we are now heaven seems so near...love let us here... (Kermit sang it in the muppet treasue island movie when he and miss piggy hung from a cliff awaiting almost certain death)

Yes, I am more traditional and like lyrics you can actually hear rather than loud brash bashing music...unless it's a bond tune...So what's your five?

kompangs,selendangs and a katak...

The 50th Asia Pacific Film Festival...is held in kuala lumpur malaysia....admist kompangs,selendangs and a katak...

an International Actress falls as there was a small step down in the red carpet...she's not careless...it's a quite stupid construction at istana budaya(our national theatre),during the launch night the food served consist of satay and chicken drumlets...the amount they prepared was really small and food finished as soon as it served leaving international delegates to wander around seeing if there is any left,and major amount of malaysian crowds at the various launchs look like obedient government servants in nicely pressed batik who disappears as soon as the minister leaves....

That aside, it's a film festival so films not being shown(not even privately) due to content (people taking off baju!) is a travesty... Malaysian born Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming Liang speaks his mind about co-production when asked whatabout a malaysian co-production for his highly critical films..."you usually co-produce with a stronger party and not a weaker one...besides malaysia too conservative!" Malaysian films are also noted for being mere advertorials of the country's muhibah and culture...not so much a product of it but a direct intepretation of it...and in a co-production, he may have to abide by limitations as such and do what they(the co-producers) want...however, if it was a co-production with france...they let him do anything....but he has praise for his home country...malaysian passport very good...no need visa for alot of countries...not like taiwan passport! Still...back to the issue of censorship limitation...Tsai has this to add...why my film can't be shown in this festival? Is it because someone takes off his clothes? Does it mean that someone takes off his clothes it is pornography? I don't think so because if it is then how did my film win major awards in Berlin film fest...

kinda busy so aside from the briefs above....free movies at KLCC and Midvalley today and tommorow...tickets on first come first serve....and in signing off...show the movies damn it!!!!

Malaysian Idol blog has been finished...do comment on what you think of Malaysian organization and also censorship:P

Friends! Help Our Animal Friends!

As you may be aware, the SPCA started a petition
to the prime minster to raise the cruelty fine from
RM200 to a significantly higher fine of around
RM10,000.00. The petition, which included the
signatures of supporters, was supposed to be
handed to the prime minister in October 2004.
However, this has not happened, as we only
managed to raise 20,000 signatures.

Due to the insufficient number of signatures
collected during the first phase of this petition, the
SPCA is entering a second phase in hope to
collect at least 100,000 signatures locally and
internationally.

Therefore, we are now entering a phase II stage of
the petition whereby we would like you to join our
effort for this cause. Please download the petition
forms. Kindly photocopy it and distribute it for
signatures to be collected. The more names we
have, the better.

On behalf of the animals, thank you very much for
your support.

Please sign the SPCA petition at
www.spca.org.my.

Malaysian Idol

Froggie Idol

Idol worship is forbidden! as a Catholic...it is written in the bible 'Thou shall not Worship other Gods besides me'...I guess lots of malaysians are going straight to hell...but then it's said that the Lord's a forgiving God or I must be terribly out of context like most jihadist :p

Yes, it's Malaysian Idols grand finals at Genting Highlands! I was working a camera and got to be behind the scenes so yeah...you are reading the writing of a froggy with a silly grin.

I was up in Genting early wednesday morning and as a walk into the arena of stars at 9 am early for my 10 am eta, it was quite quiet...then slowly an army of carpenters, electricians, welders, sweepers, truck drivers slowly packed in. They were unpacking chunks of prebuilt stage pieces, welding the stage frame, nailing down loose boards, laying wires and doing all sorts of fixing up stuff while the TV3 crew layed wire tracks for the more than 16 camera setup that will be used to shoot the show.Later in the afternoon, a bunch of people would appear at the corner of the arena and they will be jiggling and dancing...early rehearsals for the show tommorow.

I would say these idols are some of the luckiest people...behind the scene so many craftsmans to build the stage, so many camera crew to setup the intricate camerawork for the show's broadcast, stage decorators to beautify their platform, dance and vocal coaches to fine tune their voice moves, lighting and sound experts, musicians and back vocals...the list goes on. Well, they are idols...meaning that we should lust for them, we should helplessly have our hearts melted at the thoughts of them, we should die for a photo opportuinity with them, we should spend endless nights dreaming of them and also we should also be lifted up by their melodious hum... in short, we should do our part and idolise them...

On the other hand, there are the type who thinks...seriously would it makes a difference whomsoever wins? They are afterall the ones who gets the glory and the glam...why should I make my contribution to the telco's bank account in support of them? Well...if everyone's thinking like that, malaysian idols may as well close shop... but technically idols do play a part in the structure of society...they are not merely a large money making machine, they in turn gives us a pleasure...a smile in giving us something to escape to, something to aspire to, something to look up for and something to be proud of collectively...

Yes on a larger scale, our idols in sports, in arts, in movies and in song (unfortunately not our ex F1 driver)represents the best of us as a country...and puts us on a world map...it give the country an image that would in turn serve an economic and cultural and significance...

So how do you get to such a place and become an idol? Well, there's the good old way of working your way up the ladder...practicing with only your own believes and dreams as a driving force, going through countless rejections and hoping you reach the rainbow at the end of the storm before you give up to obstructions and difficulties...otherwise...there's the other way...appear on malaysian idol and hope you make the cut. Be interesting to gauge from you guys out there which is the better way...so feel free to leave a remark on your opinion, your say...

That said...I was hard pressed to vote for my idol of choice...to whom should my vote swings? I thought I base it on whom smile at me more times the three days I'll be here and often weaving between them doing my stuff...at the end...losing counts of inexhaustable smile I decided to throw my vote the underdog's way...hey everyone deserves a chance to be an idol... :)

Hunky Sized Malay Running from Toy Sized Dog

Last night this frog was working very hard until I felt like going to the mamak for a drink. I think this middle age father like man was very glad I did that...as soon as I got downstairs of my apartment, there was this man running about chasing after his daschound(is that the spelling?)

It was really funny...he brought it out for a walk and his leash came loose...now the little dog was just trying to have fun and find companionship running up to the malays walking into the apartment but they were petrified running about silly...and when that happen what's a dog to do? chase after lah...very funny scene...a hunky sized malay running from a toy sized dog.So I decided to help the poor fella get his dog...whereas he went for the chase like stupid approach and telling from his look he's been at it for some time...

I did the kneel down to his level and puppy,puppy,puppy approach...it worked...he came running to me and was caught...the man was like thank you thank you thank you! I got licked all over the face...and normally I wouldn't be concerned, it was fun but of late someone I know passing because of hepatitis did make me reach for the nearest bathroom to have a wash...

Happy Merdeka Everyone