Inspiration of the day

Don't believe everything you hear - even in your own mind.

- Daniel G Amen, MD
(Clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and specialist in attention-deficit disorders)

On the graveyard shift for Death Row

It's 5.30am on a Sunday morning, and I have just reached home from a shoot. I'm in one part of a upcoming series called Dark City, in Episode 3: Death Row. I'm an extra, and don't even have a name. Young Prisoner is as close as it gets.

Ain't I a real charmer?


So I've been at that place since 8pm. I'm not complaining - I've been really lucky, actually. Quite a number of the cast (extras included) had been there since 11am. No shitting. Over that time, I managed to catch a couple of naps, listen to a little Zig Ziglar and Napoleon Hill, and meet some more people in the filem industry (and what a mix: 1. A Malaysian Chinese + Japanese make-up artist + stylist + PR person. 2. A Thai (+Malay?) actor dude. 3. A German-Malay actor dude who also lives in Saudi Arabia). And of course, learn where Bukit Ledang is (next to Duta Vista on Jln Duta).

Yes, not a single day goes by without my going WTF. Love it. Crashing now.

Headspin

So there's this method of breathing called kapalabati (sp?). Think of it as my kepala batty. Dominique's just started getting us to do it during rehearsals, and basically what happens is that we quite forcefully breathe through our nose, working our diaphragm and thoracic cage. Inhale, stomach outwards and cage downwards; exhale, stomach in and cage up. As big a breath as you can, at your own rate (but I think he's working towards a faster rate if possible) - I'm on an in-and-out per second.

Now what happens is that this creates a lot of pressure in your sinus system. To me, the effect is not unlike having dived a couple of dives. The point of this lau-hei story is that quite a lot of shit has come out of my sinus system in the past few days. Light greenish shit. Yellow shit. I'd show you pictures, but I'm not the kind of guy who takes pictures of snot. It is a LOT of shit. It is therefore irrevocably proven that I'm full of it.


But you already knew that. What's actually mildly interesting about this anecdote is that I normally only get to cleanse out my sinus system once or twice a year, which is usually during the haze times (or whenever our air & weather goes funny) - which is when I suffer from sinus problems that cleanses out after a day of intense pain. Or when I go diving. So now I can do it anytime, any day, and feel funny for a few days (there's still crap coming out now). Merci, Monsieur Le Breathing Specialist.

Recognise him?

His name's Zeratul. He's a Dark Templar. No?

How about this character? He's a Hydralisk.

Getting warmer? Check out the lowdown on GameSpot.

YES! STARCRAFT II MAN!!!!! KICKASS!!!!!!!!

An overdue update

Yes, it's been quite a while I've had a status update. So here we go.

Singing and Dancing

I'm in Tunku the Musical, which runs from August 11th to September 2nd in KLPac's Pentas 1. We've just entered the 3rd week of our rehearsals, and we're doing really well. I think we've learned our 7th song today (though of course far from ready to perform). With every rehearsal effectively containing 30mins of breathing, 1hr of dancing and 2hrs of singing; and 4 rehearsals a week, we'll be well in shape (physically and vocally) by the time August rolls up. Number of rehearsals per week ramps up on a monthly basis too, so if I'm a grumpy fuck in July it's because I'm prancing around singing about Merdeka 6 times a week. Someone who updates his blog about Tunku daily is Zamil.

Something interesting I've noticed from this production. We've very dancer-heavy, which is quite a change from Broken Bridges later year. It seems that singers weren't as interested in Tunku as they want more solos. In a group, you kinda lose sense of your vocal contribution. Are dancers are more ok with being in a group then? Seems that way - you only dance solo when you've "made it" and people are willing to pay to see one single person prance about on stage. Anyway what that means to the viewer is that we should have some kickass choreography and moves and it should look spectacular - and if you see some people who move the least but are in every scene, they're the ones with the glorious voices supporting everyone else!

The biggest result so far is that my body is aching madly. But I should be one sexy mutha in a couple of months.

Oh yeah went to Boh-Cameronian Awards Party. Good fun. Got in the papers again, but talk about wrong timing.

Board games and Movies

It's been a board game filled weekend, we went to Mage Cafe near Atria for some gaming and it's amazing. Hell fun. They only charge RM5 per person unlimited hours, but you must order something to drink / eat. And they'll recommend, teach and guide you through games depending on what you're looking for and what you're ready for. Kickass!

We started with Blockus, which is damn easy and damn fun and damn competitive. We then moved on to Hoity Toity, which is also good fun. Full of bluffing and second-guessing. We ended off with Democrazy, which really wasn't all that fun in comparison (or maybe it's just not for me). Nick has a great cover for the night.

Yes, I was in a couple of films by CENFAD students. Erm... we'll see what comes of it. Great experience, which is the most important thing.

We also played Power Grid on Sunday night (thanks Boon & I-Ling), which absolutely rocks (not just because I won) - I'm so hooked, I'm still thinking about the damn game! Clever game with a serious ton of resource & value management, but it's so cleverly done that makes it fun.

Saw SpiderMan3 sometime last week. Sucks. BIG TIME. 2.5 hours of an attempt to cram as much story in but needing to resolve everything by then. Yes, it didn't work. The worst part is, the last 30mins was a cheese-fest. Argh! I could NOT sink any lower when I saw him soar past a massive American flag. Like, WTF? Where's that damn thing come from? Dude, it ain't Pearl Harbour, or ID4, or whatever nonsense patriotism-injected-just-for-ratings bullshit man. It even had strange injections of slapstick humour. SpiderMan 1&2 had substance. 3 is pure nonsense.

Heroes, on the other hand, rocks my socks!!! Got hooked, and am currently downloading the finale of Season 1. Kickass clever shit, love it!

Writing

Got meself a couple of writing jobs - freelancing for Asset Trader, an upcoming magazine (should be out in Aug); and contributing to Malaysian Today. Very sexy, I'm set for a regular income at last. Still trading time for money, but at least it's in a field I want to cultivate. More info as things progress.

Gymming

Yes, I've been bouncing around a couple of gyms in KL. Tried to go True Fitness in Taipan (yes, USJ), but it's just too bloody far to go for a workout - about 1.5hrs driving to and fro to work out for what, 1 hour? Nonsenseness. Ended up in True Fitness Sri Hart, which is quite nice. Good machines, huge place. Small but decent showers. Layout's annoying, but they do have semi-secluded areas to workout in. Went for one yoga session, much prefer YogaZone.

Next tried Celebrity Fitness in Bangsar Village 2. Also not bad, machines aren't as good, but I like the atmosphere somehow. Seems more cozy or warm, or something. Showers are big with better stuff (slightly bigger soap rack than True Fitness, makes a diff to me ok) but that's their biggest shortcoming - unreliable hot water and horrible water pressure. Good crowd, I think. Just finished my 2-week VIP pass there so gotta find some other place to work out (studio 5 in KLPac doesn't count).

Social networking

I've finally given in and joined a couple more of these sometimes irritating services. Tagged is BLOODY annoying, for one - and I apologise to those that I have caused to be endlessly harassed. On the other hand, Facebook kicks ass. I've joined it, it's pretty damn clever and it seems to be the networking service of choice for UK people. It even allows you to easily make a badge, like so:



Miscellany

Amazing French ventriloquist act

Spoof of Heroes - Zeroes


Yes yes I have to wrap up. Just too many things to get off my chest. Till next time.

Cherating

Cherating
sea meets land
muffled sun
fine powdered sand

Cherating Cottage
RM sixty
room just functional
toilet shitty

Long-time friend
caught right up
flew a kite
watched sunup

Napped on the beach
a tasty treat
for roving sandflies
rare Jo meat

Had a run
meditated
savoured life
cogitated

Shadow of the Moon
for wild boar curry
heard it was haunted
left in a hurry

Set some goals
aimed real high
set me up
so I can fly

Back to the madness
urban strife
ready and focused
to live my best life.

Do you think of me as much as I do of you?

Do I cross your mind
as much as you do mine?

Do thoughts of me
flitter about in your head,
meandering,
lingering,
without rhyme, reason or stead;

the way thoughts of you
keep constantly appearing,
unexpected,
unrequested,
yet pleasantly interfering?

Does the sound of my voice,
the touch of my hand, the look in my eye,
my smell,
my taste;
leave you helpless with naught but a sigh;

the way the smell of your hair,
the feel of your lips, the curve of your neck,
your smile,
your laugh;
renders me wobbly and a hopeless wreck?


Does the thought of my breath on your shoulder
my lips on your ear
my hands in your hair
stir you as the thought of
gently holding your head
smelling your neck
kissing your ear
does me?

Bodies pressed together
mutual warmth
lips conversing
electricity

Then I push you away, a void, an empty space demanding to be filled
A smile, a wink
And you come, crossing that space, inundating it with passion, with blood-pumping heat, with breathless excitement
Bodies interlocked, tongues intertwined
Exploring
Seeking
Finding it all in the search, yet still searching

Hands pulling closer, feeling, grasping, reaching
Gripped in the throes of passion, not knowing what they do
Yet doing, stroking, caressing, pulling, pushing
Spine, neck, buttocks, hips, thighs, face, arms
Touching, adventuring
Never quite reaching there

Breath gets heavier
Room feels hotter
Lips go further
Licks sizzle

A gasp for fresh air, clean from the scent of the other
Yet too close to be truly free
A brief pause to rest, to tease
And then quickly succumbing to the heat again

The rustle of clothes
The feel of skin on skin
The press of each other
The union of bodies

Warmth
Fulfillment
Oneness
Ecstasy

Amplifying
Magnifying
Culminating into an imminent moment of completeness




And it happens.







And all is good.










So, do you?