A fRoG aNd a PiXiE in bAkO!!!

to enlarge photo montage click on image



On a holiday trip back to Sarawak with pixie…my 21st birthday present to her, she remarked that she wants more adventure, walking halfway around the circumference of Redang barefoot at night wasn’t enough(more on this anthr blog) …so I decided to head out to Bako National Park.

The trip start with first a drive out to Bako village where you jump on a 15minute boat ride…the boat cost RM 40 but it can be shared out by 5-6 people. It’s a very serene boat trip, hardly bumpy and the blue scenery-scape is awesome, Mount Santubong fuzzy on the distant horizon with an endless blue calm sea with a little drama, fishing posts
sticking out of the ocean breaking the silence of the image. Then as we arrive at the mangrove swamp where we jump off onto a jetty…the familiar creaks of the wooden planks lining the jetty and the walkway welcomes you on your holiday. The walkways leads to the park HQ where you have your simple sovernir shop, the administration, the canteen and not forgetting the various accommodation chalets. It’s like a little village and I ran through the trees like a kid to mine…honestly, I was expecting much much more rustic that what I got upon arrival. Though the Holiday Inn regular may complain, those for the adventure will find facilities on Bako more than adequate…luxurious even. An added plus is that you don’t have to pay holiday inn prices…coke is RM 2 lunch is RM 5

“Oh my!” pixie says to me as a wild boar walks pass us. Yes, just outside our quarters, semi detached lodge A, a wild boar happily roams free as if a resident jester while camera click away. Nature is close by…we saw silver leaf monkeys, proboscis monkeys, kingfishers and monitor lizards barely a hundred steps from our quarters too.

A moments rest and then it’s time to go on one of many trails that makes bako…well bako. A map provided upon check in is quickly referred to and off we go. There is no need for a guide as the park ranger did say that Bako is one of the hardest National park to get lost in though one season pro did get lost for four days as he tried to be clever going off trail. So off on our walk…we chose to go to the Tajor waterfalls, starting on the lintang traile we walked up to a point where we connected to the tajor trail. The walk wasn’t through beautiful greenery all the way…to challenge you it consists of rugged terrain, steep climbs and generous patches of ‘padang api’. Literally translated as fire fields, these padang api are literally sandstone walks with little or no plant covering overhead so the sun bakes down directly at you from above, its ray also hitting the white sand and bounces back at you from below. I guess you can say even cooking. Some of the people who joined us for our journey, gave up an hour in. But the ‘Padang Api’ did remind me a lot of my neighbourhood where I was growing up, its white sand that compacted to a sort of clay hold little ditches of water with ‘water boatmen’ and other little critters. The padang api did make you very grateful once you’ve reach the trees again though and serve to teach an important message that trees are much required before our planet turns into a massive toaster. Remember Global Warming people! Do your part!! . However, the relieve is short and the long path still ahead will quickly get your legs complaining.

After an hour and a half walk, we are at the waterfall. It isn’t all that big a dip and initially, I was slightly disappointed. This is it? And the water’s black too so it doesn’t really entices you to jump in. But as I sat at the edge with my biscuit and crumbs fell in the water, fighting fishes appeared. They were much bigger but more plainly coloured than the variety you’d find in fish shops but nonetheless it peaked my curiosity. Soon after cooling off sweat…into the waters I go. The black water is not dirty…it’s more or less nature’s tea as it was probably the result of soaked shedding jungle leaves. Soon, I became more adventurous and began exploring the small crevices between rocks and plants…beauty IS in the details. I was more preoccupied photographing than swimming all in all. But, as I was just getting the pleasures of the dip…it’s time to go as pixie was getting worried. It’s already five fifteen pm, and the one and a half hour walk back means it’ll be dark before we finish the trail as it. Having only about 20 minutes in the water, I reluctantly peeled away from it. Along the trail back, rejuvenated from the dip, we took time out to take a classical trick photo couples of the past often did. “Look I found a pixie!” Back to HQ, I was calm with the satisfaction from a good walk. At night bako offers a night walk and fireflies.

Only that night looking through the picture of the waterfall and other pictures I realize nature’s generous beauty. The walk suddenly seemed worth it and I wondered how I’d get pixie to agree to walk in the morning to the waterfall again; she was reluctant only because she wanted to try another trail and also we started late as the fresh chilly forest air was sooooo good to be asleep in…

Post Note. We do well to conserve nature for ourselves and our future. A note from the park ranger said that while Europeans help keep bako really clean, locals are still often caught littering along the trails…sigh… when will we ever learn.

Another Grandpa

Me, my brother and our grandpa one afternoon at the Ｓｔａｒ　ｃｉｎｅｐｌｅｘ　cinema in kuching after watching Mission Impossible 3 a couple months back. We moved the big cardboard standee into position to get the correct light to take this picture as bemused cinema attendants look on...it's as if we were posing to celebrate some grand premiere... quick...where's Tom Cruise? ahhh...but we've got a bigger star in our midst...who needs tom cruise when you've got... grandpa. My grandpa...from my mother's side is the man who first made me fall in love with cinema and set me on the course to being a filmmaker.

As I had a working mother, my grandpa and grandma was given the task of babysitting me. As I was an overactive kid capable of climbing chairs and an assortment of misbehaviours.Let me give you an example...I once trashed a 'longan'(whitish flesh thumbsized rounded succulent fruit with a brown thin skin) can about hammering it with furniture, throwing it about and kicking it until it leaked because my grandma won't open it for me as she says I have not had lunch. I guess saying was not easy to babysit is an understatement...

Then my grandfather discovered something...in the cinema, i sat stone still watching movies...so every afternoon...babysitting time...it was off to the cinema and hence I grew to love the cinema. Ticket prices were cheap...and he never paid for me as I was supposedly going to sit on his lap...this went on for many years. When VCD came out I watched it at home with kung kung. He was wowed by the special effects of films like titanic and vertical limits swearing that people has to have died to make the film.It's always 'kung-kung kwa he!' (hokkien for Grandpa,lets watch a movie!)

So now when I come home to kuching it's always...I want to bring grandpa to the cinema.But of late, grandpa has been becoming more and more reluctant to go to the cinema...because his hearing and eyesight is failing slowly being 82+...so he doesn't enjoy it as much anymore...he comes up with excuses not to go...i can't drive...I say I will...he says the theatre is cold...I say I'll bring him a jacket and buy him a hot milo...he says he can't hear properly...i say the cinema's very loud and I've already bought the ticket. And so...he comes along...

There is a special something for me when I sit in a dimly lit air-conditioned room with my grandpa watching Mission Impossible 3. I just hope he enjoys it as much...so as we walked out of the cinema...I asked him...how's the movie?...to which he replied...'We've seen it before!

In my heart...i said to myself 'Yes grandpa...we've seen it before!'

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

a Frog on Flags and a Happy Merdeka day…

Merdeka means independence and on the 31st August of every year, Malaysian’s would go out in full force to celebrate our ‘Hari Merdeka’, our Independence Day or so hoped the ruling party. It’s now 5.30 pm, I am working on my computer and thinking what can I do tonight to usher in Merdeka day. Was pretty busy, so didn’t make advance plans; so there’s nothing on the cards yet for me. Standing alone in my room and singing the negaraku at the stroke of midnight accompanied by the live broadcast on TV feels pretty lame…so I do feel like getting something on the cards and quick. I message one of my friends…hey any plans for tonight? Expecting a yeah, let’s go celebrate Merdeka with the crowd, I get instead let’s go shopping…it’s the last few days of the mega sale. Another friend said yeah…Redbox and karaoke…very patriotic presuming they are there to sing negaraku, but the chances of them crooning bad renditions of pop tunes are far more likely.

Thoughts got me hungry…I decided to go downstairs and acquire an Otai Burger (A new variation of the Ramli has surfaced it seems, Mc Donalds watch out). Things doesn’t seem so ‘Merdeka’ but at least I have got my flag flying from my window…I thought as I peered up between the leaves to see my flag. It was unsettling, in my hugely overpopulated high density condominium block, there’s only a mere 4 flags. I kid you not….In the whole six apartment blocks that made up the Kelana Puteri Condominiums, I hardly see any more than 10 flags…inclusive of two on the guard house placed by management. A glimpse at Kelana Putera down the road fared no better…the two blocks in my view had a Malaysian flag count of 0. More prominent were TO LET and FOR SALE call 012…. signs.

After getting my burger and going back up to the apartment a malay dude gestured at me and I said to him, ‘satu block bagunan besar, kurang 10 bendera…’( One huge apartment block, less than 10 flags…)He laughed in agreement...but remarked…ya, kerajaan tidak bagi kita, mereka patut beri…(Yes, the government didn’t give us the flag, they should give it to us…) For crying out loud, are you that poor you can’t buy one? I said at heart…sampai hati kata macam tu ( he really can have the heart to say that!) golly, so if I look out of my apartment window and the scarcity of the flag in kelana jaya area must be an appalling indication of onset poverty? Can’t buy a flag….good golly…

Anyway, there are many buildings in the city out there with flags and declaration of merdeka aplenty, there are cars enveloped with flags, there are beautiful commercials firing our spirits on TV…but I just wish…I just so wish that here in Kelana Jaya, admist the ordinary folk in my condominium block and its surrounding areas and you my dear reader would be so grateful as to fly the flag…maybe not this year but please remember next year. As I type this, there the sound of a flapping flag outside my window in tune to my pecking of the keyboard…it sounds nice…to my friends and all Malaysians out there… a Happy Merdeka Day!

Writer's Note: Blog version...Original writing much longer slated for magazine publication later.

Recharge Revelations and a Working Frog

I was introduced to raves and parties from work actually, being one much preferring the solitude of a good book, the breeze of a beach or the greens of a jungle. Now some of my friends think I work the coolest job in the world…I like to think so too…who doesn’t like to think his/her job is cool? but a friend of mine, training to be in the medical field has a job so,so,so,so much more interesting and cooler…even in her studies, she cuts up dead people for forensic , deliver babies…and a whole lot more…I guess it reduce my work to quite cool, much better than office work anyway heheheh… but the key word here is the word work… part of what I do is to provide MCP (multi-camera productions) and videography for event coverage. In short, I get paid to go to events and provide video work whether it is shooting the event or set up a multi camera production. Hence how I find myself… camera, microphones, video lights and tripods at hand in Recharge Revelation beach party in Port Dickson on the 20th August 2005. All ready to provide video coverage for the party …But who wants to know about work right? Let’s talk about Recharge Revelations…

For some, an avenue to beat the stresses of a modern workday, for others the avenue to beat boredom from not working and loafing about at home anyway, for rebelling, for music, for dancing, for picking up chicks…for partying… 23 000 people found reasons to show up, get tickets and fill the two dance floor (Recharge and Revive) of Revelation, there’s at least 1-2000, I guess that’ll sneak in without tickets and another good 2000 more standing outside not having a ticket. The last revelation was held in Genting, this time it’s at the beach as Genting didn’t really fancy the crowd cramping up it’s system anymore after the jam packed Zoukfest in March this year.

So down to the beach we go… and the fun to be had from this party. There’s the usual cigarette girls who would peddle a box to you every ten feet, superstar DJs that spins and puts the crowd into a trance fusion of blissful dance decadence and of course his loud music that feels like an extreme pace maker if you walk pass a speaker. Some party people really have hearts and eardrums of steel as they stand a whole night in front of these speakers oblivious to it. But incase someone need some reprieve there’s a recharge spa where you can have a rub down…but the quality of the massage is dubious as I belief the masseuses to be selected more on look than any true massage skills. In addition to that, there’s a cool down juncture where there was a rain of water coming down for anyone to dance in the water. A brilliant and quirky idea were a few big beach balls that were left for anyone to toss about and have fun...they were really tempting me to quit work. Now, I wonder what’s my strange affection for BALLS…to move on, Revelation also had a place to dine and tents where you could get freebies and drinks.

To complete the picture, a ferris wheel with a clever twist...as you jump into one, a ‘loved one’ at hand and go wohhoooo! an opportunity to be alone and make out, you hear jeers and screams of delight from the crowd…yes, there’s a camera setup in your private domain and it’s broadcasting live for all to see on a huge screen....that is if they all aren’t already too busy peering over at the vast amount of skimpily dressed bodies of both boys and especially girls. Some where even pouring beer all over themselves… Well at least, it’s not Genting…they wouldn’t catch a cold and this is a beach party so who am I to be prudish… As the party went on… sometime late into the night, fireworks and a zeppelin proudly proclaiming the words REVELATIONS filled the sky…ahh…the music, the lights, the crowd, the wet bodies, the wonder…the work… reebit! : p

P/S the Cross is the picture above was a picture taken from a guy’s shirt…amongst all the ‘heavenly morale’ things at the party there was this cross blinking sumore!

someone : )

we emailed...we sms...we called...we met...we to be continued

someone...

Recharge Revelations at Port Dickson is over...pretty cool beach party...will blog about it later...but anyway...smiled to someone who smiled at me when I was there...then we both sort of like ask 'do I know you?' at the same time... then we found out that we really didn't know each other...but started chatting for a while.....someone from One Academy who studies advertising and has a pretty smile...I didn't get your number!!! ahhh kicking myself now...hope you find your way here as I told you my blog...if I am right and you like to have coffee somewhere...do email me your contact at linus_frog@yahoo.com.... otherwise...leave me a message herelah...

Linus

Frog : Episode 1

In the year 2000, I made a little film called Demolition Frog. It's a story that I had to tell about a little frog taken from his family in a rice field to become the subject of cruel laboratory tests. The frog is left in a beaker yearning for family and home.I guess it's a release of buildup of angst I have against the mistreatment of animals by us, the self appointed rulers of the universe. The film's success and subsequent screening in film festivals in France, Manchester, Phillipines and Thailand was largely unexpected...but I am needless to say very happy.Being more determined than ever and ambitious, I wrote a second story Frog:Episode 1. It's a prequel, this time it's my small comment about our we seem to take our environment for granted...seems kinda timely seeing the haze and all... but I never got started having my attention being taken away by firstly trying to get a sponsor for the project and then my other interests of painting, my gradually building and busying career, SEPET, my other project Ordinary Miracles (tentatively shelved due to a lack of budget and me not wanting to compromise on a story of my beloved hometown of Kuching)

That's the problem with the practice of art and creating anything...it really only take the initiative of being able to pull yourself away and committing to something...and yet that is in itself asking alot...from the idiotic distractions modern life tend to throw at us.I mean nowadays even important family matters are sometimes put aside and left to mount into huge problems in the course of a busy day...however, it is strange to note that while matters of self and heart gets placed aside, most of us would eventually finish work that brings in the dough...goes to show how important money really is huh?

Demolition Frog was a clay animated project. It's a traditional form of animation that is done physically; the shot being made from posing clay models instead of manipulating pixels on a computer...needless to say, it's an ardous task. So why do it? I have friends who are telling me to tell the story with software like maya or lightwave... but I much rather do it with clay...why? Well, there seem to be certain sentimentality, a feeling, a romantic quality to clay. When I was in Thailand, I marveled at the temples…the small drawings that filled the massive temple walls each in it little way gave the place its total charm. It must have taken ages to do those drawings which aren’t in anyway manufactured…but slowly hand drawn by artisans. Hmm…In some ways we have de-evolve as it seems we are all less and less reluctant to put heart, sweat and time into doing something worthwhile but want to emphasize on as fast of a turnover and financial profit…and hence why, not to be a hypocrite, I am doing it the hard but gratifying way…I want the frog films done with clay… (I intended to do Ordinary Miracles with cell…25 hand drawn frames a second)

Two out of three young people, answered my offer to work on Frog. One’s a student the other a freelance graphic designer. They were like everyone, busy with their own lives, but they loved the story at hand, were concerned and they called as we were building up to the starting day…one didn’t take my offer even though she initially told me to give her a chance and said she like to try out productions. I guess she wanted the more glamorous acting type roles and balked when I said the words ‘hardwork’. Ah well…two out of three ain’t bad.

So we started on the 12th of August 2005, wie jie showed up at my apartment at approximately 2.30pm, I jumped out of bed from a really late night and we began… he was new to this so it’s up to me to gauge the task at hand and instructed him on what to do. Firstly, we evaluated, sized up the scope of the project and what we had to do…then we started….We worked humbly, seated on the bare floor of the living hall of my apartment with low chairs wrapped in newspaper serving as our table and work space…there isn’t any air conditioning but it was quite cool…the haze was went away on the day we started work (I initially wanted to reluctantly cancel due to the haze)…God’s gift I suppose… Later that day, Hooi Yee joined us…she’s also new to clay but a trained classical animator. Over two days, we modeled leaves, trees with wire and paper, we fashioned land from plasticine, we painted toy tractors and flavoured them to look more like authentic dirt and rust filled vehicles. Every once in a while we stopped to have a break and discuss directions we are heading, sometimes we scoured my animated film library for inspirations… As we worked, all the while we joked…talked about stuff (some dirty…cheng! cheng! cheng!) and I guess had fun…hard work isn’t all that bad.

So the journey has started….I am very… no freaking happy…I finally pulled myself away from trivial distractions and life’s sometimes stupid busy-ness and got started on t Frog Episode 2. To wie jie (who I jokingly call wicked) and hooi yee…my many and sincere thanks…and let’s hope that we follow this good start and finish a great film…

NOTE:
Frog : Episode 2 is self-financed meaning I am paying out of my own pocket. Cost include raw materials, technical equipments and expenses, petrol and transportation expenses, meals for crews and other miscellaneous cost. If excess money is raised, volunteer crew will be paid. Anyone else SERIOUSLY interested to contribute to this film…whether as a volunteer crew or to offer some financial help whether big or small do contact me at linus.frog@gmail.com with the heading HELP FOR FROG FILM. Sponsorship welcomed whether in money or in kind - equipments. Credits can be arranged, while gratitude and thank you‘s’offered with all my heart. When done, I hope to sell the film on VCD with proceeds benefiting the Malaysian Nature Society or another environmental based charity(as yet arranged)

Inquisitive Malaysians

I fell asleep early last night, actually I was just taking a cat nap seated on the floor while resting my head on my bed but I somehow fell asleep and crawled up semi consciously onto the bed later. Too tired from not having slept the night before…I awoke at 4 am and being quite awake I decided to get my butt up to do some housework…putting laundry into my washing machine and collecting used bowls that littered the apartment. Romantically musings that I would be moving out of here soon, my home of six years…
I will be moving to a house next to a park with a pond, waterfall and turtles…a more froggie happy environment as opposed to this, a over populated condo next to a highway with some uncivilized people often defacing the lifts and the walls. But it has been a good home for me…I will miss it.

Then suddenly, I heard a police siren…then like how thunder follows lightning…a screeching sound and a bang! There has been a traffic accident on the highway again…I hear a crash approximately three times a year….my current apartment face the highway outside the new giant kelana jaya and it is like the perfect accident spot…screech bang screech bang…screech bang is as common as the mat motor and their oh so silent engines at night.

Anyway, as I was peering out of my apartment to try and see the crash but as of the haze which is bad…I can’t see anything much…and being the ever inquisitive (Kay-po in a better word) I decided to drive out and see what’s wrong…upon reaching the site I saw a police car and a civilian vehicle banged up. Nested my car on the side of the road, grabbed my camera and went on to be inquisitive…

This is hear say from the crowd of other inquisitive people that began building at the site. A police car was rushing down the road going the opposite direction of the traffic chasing some mat motor in a lethal weapon style. Civilian car unaware crashes into the police car…mat motor gets away…leaving an accident site with a growing number of spectators…Nobody died but I heard the two police men broke their legs while the man in the car was totally fine and walking about having only a glitch in his neck that he was trying to shake off from the looking of his car…the scene was very muhibah…there were Indians trying to help out, Malays trying to wave at oncoming vehicles to slow them down and Chinese busily taking down the car plate numbers…there on, pictures speaks a thousand words so I shall leave you to that….

After 30 minutes and having enough I decided to leave the scene…there were also angry looking police officers with what looks like an M16 so I don’t want to be shot accidentally…people with SLRS could be prime targets…so I walked off…to my surprise as I got back to my car there were at least ten other cars parked in front and at the back of me by the side of the road…Malaysians are very inquisitive… : p

Linus

Froggie's First Kiss

Hey Everyone...

Sorry I've been away...got alot to do...handling the entire pensonic TV campaign that is launching end September so I hardly have time to breathe...sigh

Anyway, it has come to my attention that I hardly blog in an irrelevant way and my blog looks more like editorials...so since a friend of mine started a thread about first kiss, I contributed and thought I bring it here too...so here's my first, dare I say, horific kiss...

Anyway...kiss stories...well I have not got much experience in this department...anyone care to teach? *hint* ;P

Anywy, am not someone who test on innocent pillows or cousins or outside tuition but hey I am not heartless okay? I wanted it badly too,it's just that I m too shy...so due to self restrain (either that or nobody really kiss frogs!) my first kiss was held off until I was like 19 or so, and my first girlfriend. cheng-cheng-cheng!

It was sometime in July 1999, I was courting my ex clumsily for quite a few months...I hinted many times...I always said I want to find a girlfriend and have my first kiss before the new millenium.. infact I wanted my first kiss at the dot of the millenium...

Anyway, I was in her room...she finally said yes to this clumsy complusive obsessive stalker ME!(hey, I've got no sister or many girlfriends to show me the ropes of relationship ok)

Having heard that I always wanted to kiss during the millenium, she teased me...
so you want it now or you wanna wait...the devil!!!

I say I dunno...up to you.And she said...ok, we'll wait and I am like 'auuuuggghhhh' inside...I didn't know what else to say...I have ingeniously screwed my situation...then we hugged and she asked again...now or wait...I said another stupid thing...my lips are dry...she's probably like '!!!!' by now...then I said ...nah let's not wait...and she jumped on me...I was petrified! I thought

kiss = a soft plucker after two of you close your eyes, gently and slowly bend in to one another

...what happened was this big wet sucker was attached to me and something is pushing hard against my teeth which I grit together in absolute fear!!!...It took a while and then I gave up and my mouth got invaded and I was no longer a 'virgin' kisser...Not that I don't like french kissing but today I live longing for that one sweet kiss...just the innocent peck that I never had and will never have again...sigh...

A friend of mine had this same story actually...and said to me hey...I always thought that my first kiss had a taste of vanilla or chocolate..but it was like eww...wet and soppy tounge and all.

So yeah...If only I had kissed another someone who's never been kissed...and we discovered together oh what fun you can have with a tounge rather than having it jabbed right in...well that's the froggie's...so what's yours... : P

someone... :)

Glittering, Glamorous Lights and a Frog.

On the 17th July 2005, PWTC was suddenly crammed with so many filmmaking industry who’s who and a whole host of cameras vying to capture their smiles that a can of sardine would say they have ample room to move about. The event was the 18th Malaysian Film Festival (FFM18-Festival Filem Malaysia ke-18), the Malaysian equivalent of the Academy Awards. Everyone knows what goes on in the Kodak Theatre… cinema online has a lowdown on what goes on in our own ceremony as yours truly covers from the point of view of an invited guest.

Long red carpets stretch the length of the corridor on the 4th floor of the PWTC. Movie posters and balloons line the glamorous walkway where celebrities are lit from a constant stream of flashes and reporters vying for their attention. Once inside, an usher will guide the nominees to the appropriate seating at the front of the theatre. There’s an upper floor of spectators and fans in attendance, those lucky enough to win a ticket to the ceremony from road shows held prior. Once seated, a wide video screen that extends the length of the stage, two big video screen beside it that shows you the live telecast, a camera on a giraffe crane that swoops over the crowd and a many busy people serves to further ignite the excitement of the night.

A while after I am seated next to Auntie Fati, Sharifah Amani’s Mother and a winner from a previous Festival Filem Malaysia, the ceremony began with a obviously Cirque Du Soleil rip off as soldiers descent from the ceiling on ropes. Funnily, the motive include some of them landing on the ground and point guns into the crowd with weird semi-stern faces. Then suddenly a pile of film ( it kinda looks like a pile of garbage) on stage come to life with silver dressed dancers. Next up, our host for the evening, Bob Lokman and Linda Onn took hold of the microphone and it’s the moment of truth for all nominees in the crowd. The first award of the night went to Gangster for box office collection. It’s a surprise that they are presenting this award at all, as though Gangster lead the pack in ticket takings; it took a mere two million something ringgits, which isn’t really much to scream about.

The ceremony continued with stage performances intertwined with awards but after an inspired performance of Kayu, the others like Pontianak Menjerit, Gerak Khas, Gangster and Puteri Gunung Ledang were lackluster with the gerak khas song? bubbles? To be brutally honest, the choreography of the dance seemed rather repetitious and when the dancers were getting into set pieces it became a little clumsy too. However, amusingly edited backing video with bullet shots like that seen on time crisis video games serves to sway your attention away from it all (Writer’s note: FFM should all learn how the academy awards uses simple fades to really dramatic effects) As a whole, the presentation at least gets you get engrossed in a myriad of colours and an applause to the fact that they tried... Other highlights…hmmm….‘bagus cina menang!’ was heard coming from the crowd when Saw Teong Hin won best director.

A truly Million Dollar Baby / Aviator moment ended the night as Bob Lokman said ‘pemenang filem terbaik ialah’ (the best film is) and squinted his eyes…to loud thunderous cheers!! At this point Amani reached over and grabbed this frog to go out on stage. Enjoy the pictures!

Self Help for Filmmakers

Self help seminars are all the rage nowadays with big names speakers like Anthony Robbins of ‘Awakening the Giant Within’ fame making it to our shores so it is hardly surprising that the local filmmaking industry with the initiative of one man in particular, Mr. M.P. Nathan, is looking to import Hollywood expertise to our shores. Self help for moviemakers anyone? Welcome to the Action Cut Seminar.

This seminar is returning after an initial bout in 2002, yup…they did it once before, all the way out in the now down trodden dessert that is cyberjaya but to their credit they have manage to arouse enough interest and collaborations even then (yours truly was there in attendance) to lure Mr. Guy Magar back for a second round. It is hardly surprising that the seminar is now within much reachable venue, that of Sunway University Campus.

Anyway, seated at my desk upfront here in Sunway, my arsenals of stationary primed, I feel so much like a schoolboy once more waiting in anticipation of a teacher who’s flying in from that mystical place of filmmaking Hollywood. Yes folks it is Hollywood Comes To Malaysia right here today! A quick glance around, I see some familiar faces…Actors - Aflin Shauki, Animator -Syed Hassan, Film Critic -Hassan Muthalib, Infamously Vocal Producer David Teo of Metrowealth, Commercial Director - Virginia, K.L. menjerit’s Director of Photography - Mukriz, Film Exhibitor Yvonne of GSC, Film Distributor Patrick Wee of Audio One and even Dave, the Camera Department personnel of film equipment rental house F.E.G. Among them, sits an army from Finas and other companies, all geared to up their game I suppose… in this seminar.

The compulsory speeches and thank you starts the day leading up to the launch gambit where the James Bond theme screams out from the speakers with confetti cannons blasting left right corners effectively awaking those still sleepy in this cold Friday morning.

blah blah blah blah.....FULL VERSION IN CINEMAONLINE...blah blah blah

After a day, everyone looked tired but appropriately enlightened with a wealth of information. Pacing for the seminar was good and the information relayed made you felt satisfied, an ‘Ooomph’ if you will. Audiences earned a quite through understanding of the process. Though its not what I don’t already know having been in a feature film, producing commercials under my company and also having sat through Action Cut 3 years back, I personally gives the thumb up for Guy. It’s nice to have what basic essentials of filmmaking you know sorted out for you, re-looked and reinforced. In the words of an Akademi Filem Malaysia graduate, it’s equivalent to an entire semester of pengarahan ( direction ) and penerbitan (producing classes).

Urgency and the Need to do.

the need to do… very small words...

How come we can go to school and study when we cannot do so at home? Or so it seem so to me it's because we hapless beings become stingy when it comes to giving a measly donation but willingly fork out huge sums of money to pay for tuition whether it be an after school tuition or in the context of college. Remember that line from Good Will Hunting? Something about books and how one can choose to actively better oneself through books at the library? There're so many books out there...if you are armed with a basic workings of how to read (you'd be surprised at our literacy rate)... technically you can bring yourself to the ranks of any scholar if you just work at it and consume information like how we say consume food when we are hungry...Given, it is not an easy nor fun task...hence the meaning of the word DISIPLINE hence why we have to have tuition so we can be whipped and forced to do so by our tutors...

I am provoked to writing this because today (July 10th) I was talking to a friend about when he will start shooting his own film. Correction, I wasn't talking but sneering him as to when he will start. Rewind a little...this friend of mine is a hardworking crew member of a huge production entity but that's all he does...he's a crew. He doesn't get any say whatsoever and he doesn't get much real satisfaction from what he does...he always whines about how he admires independent filmmakers who have day job and yet prolifically makes films. He longs to tell his story like them but never seem to start despite me offering as a friend to give him the support both technically and morally. Duties as a friend and as a filmmaker who craves tales, I want to see his stories told too and wish I could kick his skinny but lazy ass to work on it. He tells me a good premise. I say work it into a story and write it down. Foward one month...we meet up, he has yet to write anything saying he wrote it already in his head...I say fine...next week...a week pass he says he cannot write it out in English. I say fine...write it in chinese...a week later I am to repeat my frustration again due to another excuse...The world can be filled with excuses...I don't have my homework...my dog/cat/hamster/turtle ate it...the wind blew it out of my hand...it got soaked as my mum spilled her drink...I used it to wipe my smelly ass as the public toilet has no toilet paper...yeah right....an excuse is an excuse...you didn't do IT! Hence the work is undone, unfulfilled and uncreated…human kind didn’t progress….end of story.

In a world where lock stock and barrel half hearted merely money making shop-lot colleges proliferate and where we are all too consumed by the word intelligence, degree and graduation, I think we missed the point entirely…its all a matter of discipline and taking an initiative…I would say. The world’s smartest can be beaten if by mere means of overpowering and overthrowing his need to do.This article will be continued... I need to watch a movie.

SEPET amongst the stars

Just moments before writing this, I received an sms from a lady excitedly exclaiming that SEPET is HMV no.1 best selling Asean film in Singapore. That lady has every right to be happy, her baby, SEPET has touched hearts, is loved by many and has claimed a number of firsts for a Malaysian film. To add to it’s mantle, it has become the first Malaysian film to play in Nokia Starlight Cinema. Ahh…the starlight cinema, though there is always the risk of rain, the presence of the occasional irritable insects, no soft seats to cushion your butt; there is a certain wonder of watching a film in starlight cinema, of watching a film under the stars amidst open skies and friends sharing a mat laid out in a field. Take off your footwear and short grass gently brushes your toes that curl in bliss. In addition, tonight there was also SEPET.

In the field there was a mix; hardcore SEPET fans whom seen the film before and has come for another serving, new crowds who have come to see what all the news about, as well as their unknowing friends who are about to discover a little movie about a chinese boy, a malay girl and an unforgettable love story. Just before the movie, the making of it was screened as to share with the crowd the joys and friendship that was born in making this film a year and a half ago in the land where pomelos are aplenty Ipoh. After the short video my two friends Sharifah Amani (ORKED), Ng Choo Seong (AH LOONG) and I presented a few gifts consisting of sepet T-shirts and posters to the crowd. It’s then that I have an odd feeling that a few of the collectables have been nicked, as there were fewer that I brought to the site. I should frisk all the staff of starlight. hahaha.

Then it came time, the lights dimmed and the movie starts…me, Choo Seong, Sharifah Amani and another cast member Alan Yun (Jason’s brother who answers the phone, one of Malaysia’s top models) sat and it bated breath just hope that they loved the film. Throughout the film we reminisce, we made fun (Alan jokingly stood and clapped momentarily for his short bat an eyelid and miss it moment in the film) and we changed dialogue (take for example … add lib dirty dialogue to Ida and Harith’s not naughty enough bed scene) Then, the film ended. It started with some starlight staff asking for autographs on their crew tags and lead to a whole queue of people with this funny grin asking for autographed and photo opportunity. After quite a number of John Hancocks, smile and flashes, the crowd cleared…as we walked out of the field, I just thought how fortunate it was for me to have this experience of being in this film…and also how surreal it was for me to have once watched a film here to be now on screen and making people laugh teasing Jason about cutting of his little brother. I was snapped out of the trance when I received a text message, “Thanks for the invite, enjoyed the movie and looking forward to the sequel ” I am a tad sad that my character will not make it to the sequel but you’ll have the sweet Orked and the King of Puteri Gunung Ledang who has a controversial LRT ad... Adlin Aman Ramlie. Your goose bumps up yet?

Leap for the rainbow

A FEVER, A QUARELL...HAPPINESS
I shouldn't be all too happy as I just quarrelled with a friend and I have a hint of a fever... with a sore throat and a heavy forehead...allright...maybe I do have a fever...but I am happy...no I am not some sadist machoist to love pain... but I am happy as I view all this difficulty as part of my journey towards my goal...you see the fever was brought upon by nights awake finishing off my workload to earn my keep and the quarrell is over silly interpersonal stuff brought upon by you guessed it...a conflict of ideals in a shared dream to make films.

IN ANOTHER LIGHT
Talking about films, in a movie called Ask Me If I am Happy, the opening scene was of a dying man asking the audience to ask him is he happy? after he illustrates that happiness can indeed come in some funny ways...the diver who wanted to explore the depths of the ocean dying after he reached the sea bed... the climber who died at the peak he conquered...are they happy? Well happiness comes in funny ways...

WHAT SADNESS BRINGS
...some of my more morbid friends tend to look at life through a looking glass that's obviously tainted with sadness because I think life's wonderful with all it's dilemma being a sprinkle of pepper...what is a story's peaks without its lows? Being at a lowest point just mean there's only one way to go...up.Tragedy is often comedy it is said...you just have to know where to look...even in the Tsunami there was a silver lining...it watered down an acheh gearing for a civil war.True enough there are losses and sympathy to be had...we should grief for those at loss or lost but its a collateral of sort...we get more united in helping a nation rebuild, we again see that we are mere mortals at the wrath of nature and we learn to appreciate how fortunate we are.... rather cruelly, we also get gossip worthy news material...

EMBRACE
I see our lives as a journey...much as frodo has his trials to the mountain which made Lord of the Rings a thrill for some of us...our lives too need variety and that sometimes call for salt which as much as it stings also sterilize a wound...if you watched the pilot episode of desperate housewifes yesterday, you'll see in that an idealic life can often be less desirable than one with a flavour. and it was the flavour that made as well as attracted us to the show.

SEE
I am not born into a wealthy family but I was never left wanting aside from my crazy dreams which I chased hungrily even as a kid. At times, I wondered what it is like to be born a rich kid but also I really appreciate my upbringing that enriched me...but I had to see it...I know of friends in similiar consequences being unhappy...

GET UP
Why do we fall...the elder Wayne ask a young Bruce. So we can learn to get up. Always...always get up...things are never as bad as it looks when we are up and ready again after a fall...when I was young, I would be playing and running...when I fall, I'll just get up and tell myself it's not that bad so I can continue playing...had I gone to mother...I will be grounded and miss out on all the fun running and catching...but it is often neccesary to remember to get up...casualties who survive are often those with the will to recover and it is a known fact in business that most companies go belly up at the turning point from loss to profit.

RELATIVITY
when we are down...the floor provides an interesting angle of view but it often portray things in intimidating and horrific bigger than it is light...often, when presented or burdened with a problem...I take a cold shower, a big glass of honey and I seem to get pass the titanical hurdle with relative ease...

ROMANTIC MUSINGS
As a whole my musings today is merely about looking at disasters with a bright rose tinted eye...this last point is I think further emphasize how when romanticized a problem could be a pleasure.I don't know if this turns away girls or attract them...I very much like to be caught in a fix with my girlfriend cause in fear you will suddenly feel more protective and drawn closer to another as the common sense that there's safety in numbers dictates...I may remain single forever saying that it'd be romantic to be caught in a dire situation where you both know you will perish and have but moments to share. Relistic everyday view...I find that making up, shaking hand after a quarrel gives a great comfort...make better couples and better friends....

MORNING AFTER MIDNIGHT DARKNESS
So there is always happiness to be found even if it's in the romantic musings after...to all of you struggling with something...don't give up...and always get up.Happiness in a decision...In a storm... Leap for the rainbow...reebit!

An undated file photo shows Philautus asankai, a new species of female tree frog, at Agarapathan Biological site in central Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan biologists have found dozens of new species of tree frog over the last decade in the island's dwindling rainforest, but warn many known species are either extinct or on the verge of disappearing because of man. (Wild Life Heritage Fund/Reuters)
from http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050629/sc_nm/science_srilanka_species_dc

Saying Hellooooooo

In frog tongue, it's a mellow and low toned 'brooaaakkkk' or at least I like to think so seeing my frogs do it to one another.

Anyway, it’s a magical thing the word hello or its counterpart more street credible hi. If there was ever a word that bonded more people in the world than the word love, I guess it’d be hello as even in love, hello does often come before, writing which I am reminded of a lovely line in a film ‘You had me at hello’. Hello is also heard instantaneously with almost every phone ring, any ‘chanced-upon’ meetings with friends and even when two strange eyes meet…

It’s from a simple hello that the metaphorical ice melts between strangers and acquaintances start. It is from acquaintances that we possibly becomes friends and subsequently partners whether in business or even in love. Think back at how you met that friend you now hold dear or that person you keep close to your heart. The bond that grows from the little bridge that is hello can also see strangers miraculously progressing to unforeseen and unexpected wonders sometimes even becoming one unit, the family.

So what does it takes to say that simple word hello? It’s actually as simple as twitching the lip and the tongue, so simple sometimes I don’t understand and feel it’s sad that people don’t say hello… how sad if two strangers are meant to meet or has a blessing to offer one other but never would they do, all because of an unspoken hello. I wonder how many people might have passed, people whom I have selfishly with held my hellos. To them, I so wish I have the chance to say my hello again. Need a hello have a reason? Well sometimes it’s said and taken with disregard…. but it is a funny thing that sometimes a hello need to be provoked (by a mutual friend)…a hello needs to be forced upon (imagine a mother forcing her young shy kid to mix), a hello need to be even be chanced upon…(a meeting unplanned)

Like all things…sometimes a hello amongst friend is forgotten… with no other words said… what’s left of the spark is not a fire but a hello long forgotten buried by layers of time and day; the friendship started by the hello lay wasted a dull shade of grey... Like all things we abuse or use with disregard, a hello is also sometimes sacrilegiously used as the word to say to passing-ly acknowledge someone without any weight at heart or any space at mind…with no gist, at a party like a parrot hello, hello, hello…

But at the bright side there are good hellos…I am writing this as I said hello to two strangers the other day…at the park I met a friend who contributed to this post and an artist running by…the hello exchanged made my day bright and gay.

With this, to you this frog says hello…

Linus

Expressive Froggie!

Here are some expressive ways to present the marvels that's a froggie....contribute your stories, jokes, musings, thoughts and eceteras on a frog or frogs in general at the comments section below...first ten gets a starlight cinema double pass ticket to any show except LOTR! do leave your email so I can get the ticket to you...

starlight cinema starts tommorow!!!!!yippeee!!!!!

:P

: P

SARAWAK!!!!

A friend of my sent this to me so being proudly
Sarawak to the bone I placed it here!!!!!!

Linus

Thousands of i.d.i.o.t questions

1.hey!u swak ppl live in trees ah?
YES,we have elevators too..they're really an
engineering feat coz its not ez to fit an elevator
into a tree.

2.u guys got electricity isit?
YES..but since cost of transmission is too high
due to the geographic barriers,we use independant
solar panels n mini turbines scattered all ard,they r
exactly 30k of them!!

3.over ther got wht car?
we ride wild boar.when the plane arrive at the
airport,we take our wild boar n ride it all the way
to our tree house.

4.Got road meh?
no.just jungle trails n few roads ard town

5.u bidayuh form sulawesi there huh?
yes we r head hunters.human brain is the best
food.

6.s'wak inside sabah right?
no,we're one independent state u idiot,sabah is a
town in s'wak ;)

7.eh,sabah s'wak not the same meh?
yes!!how many times i have to tell u sabah is a
town in s'wak

8.Kuching big ha?
soso la..but we have the largest population of
stray cats in the world.abt 400k,y do u think the
city is called kuching leh u idiot?!!

9.kuching got so many cats la....
YES LA!!!how many times i have to say??

10.Kuching got malay?
duh!

11.s'wak ppl can speak english?
no.but we speak french coz we were colonized
by the french in the 18 century n then by the
aliens in the 19,so our local dialect is pretty much
based on the alien languages tht no one
understands...

12.Kuching got airport or u use boat go johor..
kuching airport is only fit for fokker.... since a
fokker cant go so far...we have to use
steamboats,no joking!!steam boats coz swak so
rich with timber,its much cheaper than diesel or
any other petrol



THE FACT!!
1.the only state to be ruled by a white RAJAH.
2.swak is the largest state in m'sia.
3.swak supports whole m'sia with its own
economy!!!now u know how generous we r !
without us....where got PUTRAJAYA??where
come KLCC?????
4.swak population is 2176800.kuching has
458,300.
5.there r 27 ethnic groups tht speaks 45 different
languages n dialects
6.70%is english literate!!
7.kuching int'l airport hosts a number of direct int'l
flights!
8.swak has never achieved independence. ruled
by the BROOKE family,given to the british
empire,offered to m'sia.
9.kuching is the most liveable city in m'sia n the
7TH most liveable city in the WORLD...even kl is
behind at 12th..
HAHA..

1.we have electricity
2.in kuching,we c mercedes benz till we wanna
puke!u fool!!
3.the only ppl tht live on trees r those primitive
homo sapiens....thousands of years ago........nvr
study kah bodoh!
4.our guys r handsome n chicks r hot.real hOt~~
5. The size of Kuching is the equivalent of..
uumm.. uumm.. the size of..
uumm.. big la big la.. {[nick: almost the size of
semenanjung malaysia,about
124,449.51 square km]
6. kuching is one of the best cities to live
in around!! yoyoyo... kuching rocks!kch kia n ppl
now we realli realli know how lucky we r !
CHEERS!!

hehehehehhehehehehheheheheheheh

Starlight Cinema Froggie Style

Apologies for being away...am busy as usual, but sometimes I do wonder if I am really really busy. I still had the time to play with a film projector and did the following...

I recently bought an old film projector...something that was thrown off the shelves when video became the hot item of town...yes, it's that old....now I spend hours fiddling away at it's knobs and sprockets...hehehehehe....it still really amuses me how 24 frame of film can pass the projector light in a second!!!

The other night at about 4 am I got hold of and screened the rushes of my brother's new short film 'wicked'onto the wall of my house. As it was a film projector and was meant for distant throws I cannot get an image any larger than a 29 inch TV even while throwing from the one wall of my apartment to the other...then suddenly I got a silly idea...I turned the projector around and wallah! I projected it right out of my window across to the other apartment block opposite mine...I was estatic and jumping about like a monkey...it was a cinema paradiso moment for me...

I ran and knocked at my housemate room...they don't sleep early either...and said...look out of the window! My housemate was worried a neighbour might call the police...then again they probably hoped the police take this psychopath away...

I believe no matter how busy we are and how little sleep we are already getting,we should make time for the needless and silly things in our lives and it is in this random creation of myriad wonder that adds flavouring to life...or at least doing so does amuses this silly little frog.

I wonder if anyone was watching the twenty minutes I ran it...ree-bit!

NOTE: Wicked shot on 16mm is the followup to crook and is currently awaiting its turn to be cut on steenbeck afterwhich it will pass strigent aaron quality control to see if it's viewable before it gets any screening....