ALiFe

Last blog from Alife!

2008-09-30T19:27:00.006+08:00

Imaginative is almost a year old. I've split the blog into 3 sub-blogs. All are inter-linked. But it gives you more focus, so if you don't want to be bothered by the on-goings of the Imaginative Factory, you know where to NOT click. Or if you are only interested in photography, you know where to go! :O)

Thank you for being with Alife! the last 17 months. It has been great sharing! Thank you for the comments, tags and shoutouts too... it has definitely helped shape the blog. Looking forward to sharing MORE with you in the following sites:

For all things pertaining to projects and works of Imaginative, go...
http://imaginativeworkshop.blogspot.com/

For all things pertaining to inspirational & creative ideas, go...
http://imaginativespark.blogspot.com/

For all things pertaining to photography and travel, go...
http://imaginativedarkroom.blogspot.com/

God bless!
ALF

Rest. Recharge. Revamp.

2008-09-23T09:12:00.009+08:00

Dear friends and viewers,

ALIFE will be shutting down real soon for a quick revamp. To facilitate the incoming traffic of this page better, ALIFE will integrate with the IMAGINATIVE FACTORY and be channelled into three sub blogs. They are 1) The Workshop, 2) The Spark and 3) The Darkroom.

The Workshop will deal with all things behind the scenes of the Imaginative Factory. New projects, work in progress, how things are put together, updates and upgrades. It immerses you into the Factory as you experience the first hand account of being in the creative industry.

The Spark is the inspiration that draws its source from practically anywhere and feeds Imaginative with creative ideas. The source could be anything from sunsets to moon rises, from saints around me and the Saints who have gone before me. From those who are masters in their field and the ultimate Creator of the universe.

The Darkroom is where visuals are developed. This complements the Spark. How? Every idea is generated from a random image seen at some arbitrary point in time or could be a modified version of a previous idea. The Dark Room is this place where random images trigger the creative juices of Imaginative and drives it to observe the world from a different and fresh point of view.

All I can say for now is... Stay tuned... :O)

Mooncake Festival

2008-09-15T14:03:00.005+08:00

Yesterday was the mid-autumn festival day, otherwise known here in Singapore as the Mooncake festival. This festival lasts for about 3 weeks and follows right after the festival of the hungry ghosts. So doesn't this picture make much more sense now? :O)

Gone are the days when little candles were lit and placed inside lanterns brought out by kids. The newer electronic ones are not only safer, but they flicker with different coloured lights and also emit familiar sounds of favourite children's cartoons.

I'm simply amazed at the different range of mooncakes stores have to offer. Snow skin mooncakes have been out foor a long lon time, but the hot favourite this season is durian ice cream wrapped with black sesame skin! I even saw one in the papers that in Hong Kong they've made mooncakes to look like butts. (Geddit? Moon cake?) It is clear that many festivals, not only just this, have become commercialised.

So what's the story of the mid-autumn festival again??

Toon Wars

2008-09-02T16:02:00.006+08:00

I actually preferred The Clone Wars!!

... and I can give a many, many, many reasons why that is so. :O)
For one, WALL•E came out 2 months after the US release date. Do you know how many spoilers would have been leaked out on the internet? And I don't have to go hunting for these things. They'll just appear all over he place even though I try hard to avoid them. A friend mentioned that I'll might have been able to download the entire movie on the US release date.

The 2nd thing is that I wasn't too sure what The Clone Wars is all about. I only had some vague idea that it' involve a lot of fighting (as the name suggests) and it is set between episodes two and three. Not being able to tell which direction the movie was headed for helped!

I had to leave halfway during Presto (Pixar's animated short), to inform the cinema manager that the picture wasn't in focus. This is something I have noticed a lot in the recent months of flick watching.

Both movies had it's pros and cons.

Here's something I rendered about two weeks back in anticipation of the movie.

Same difference

2008-09-01T13:44:00.002+08:00

You ARE still on the right page! :O)
I am near putting everything together in a cohesive sort of way... So bear with me.

I decided to use the Imaginative Factory's backlot as a location for this blog continuing forth. It reminds me of Universal Studios and Disney Studios where anyone can learn about the movies they make. It's like a backstage pass to the behind-the-scenes. Here at the Factory backlot, anyone can come experience, learn, share and take home... and share with others...

Stay tuned...

School's Out!

2008-08-27T16:11:00.004+08:00

The Term 3 week long school holiday begins this weekend and we all know what this means... WALL•E has landed. After months of anticipation, screening begins today! I guess the only consolation is that the DVD will be out in four months (instead of the usual six.)

Along with WALL•E, Lucasfilm's Clone Wars will also be released. There was a lot of hype in the media as to which one's going to do better, but hey... both films are so different to begin with. Clone Wars started out as a TV series. The first four episodes were so good, they made it into a feature film. Pixar, on the other hand, who Lucas considers a "godchild" by the way, works real hard on storyline and does not worry much about money matters. How can you NOT attain the best movie of the year with that kind of a attitude?

My take is to simply enjoy both films the way they are.

Morning at Chinatown

2008-08-26T09:52:00.004+08:00

These are just two of my favourite shots from the weekend. Can you guess what's going on without the captions? If you can, I've told the story decently. If I haven't, then there's a lot more brushing up to do. :O) Post your answers and we'll see if it tallies!

The take home for me is "Can your picture tell the story without the caption?"

It's a snap!

2008-08-24T16:49:00.017+08:00

During the past weekend, I was in for a real treat! Sony Style (Singapore) organised a photography seminar/ workshop with two veteran National Geographic photographers - Michael Yamashita and Kris LeBoutillier. Both have travelled widely and are gurus in their respective fields. Besides the technical aspect of handling a DSLR (Digital Single Reflex Lens) camera, there is also all those years of experience from the two that I've absorbed in the last two (full) days. Michael alone has chalked up to some 25 years of field work! If you would like to catch them, they'll be at Takashimaya's Kinokuniya this Saturday (Aug 30) 3pm, signing autographs. Ha!

Sony loaned me an Alpha 200 on day 1 and an Alpha 350 on the second day. I've been shooting using auto for all these years, I actually felt retarded going 100% full DSLR on the first day. (For those of you who don't know, I only own a DSL-Lite - an R1 who has served me well all these years.) I've also learnt so much from my fellow course mates who were willing to share what they know. This alone is priceless - just having a pool of knowledge to tap from when I get stuck with photo issues.

Inspiring!! Keep moving forward!

That's us outside the Sri Mariamman Temple at Chinatown after catching a Hindu priest blessing a family car. (GREAT PHOTO OP!) That dark patch on my polo isn't perspiration. Was at the fish market some 30 minutes earlier and while he was hosing down his stall, a fishmonger accidentally threw water on me. (Am still wondering if the water's fresh or was it from some where else...) Ahhh, the joys of field work!

Go Out To The World Concert

2008-08-24T00:57:00.007+08:00

Chris de Silva is back in town for a two day concert to raise funds for Boys Town. They are celebrating 60 years! Not only did Chris bring new music, 16 members from St Brendan's Church Music Ministry in West Hollywood (remember? I posted some pictures of that beautiful church last year!) spent four months working real hard practicing and fund raising to fly themselves halfway around the world. This in itself is a remarkable feat!

The concert was engaging and endearing. It made me wanna write a song for God! Ha ha!

God bless you, St Brendan! Welcome to Singapore!

... annnndd CUT!

2008-08-20T16:08:00.007+08:00

The month long project with SPH finally ended today with the final edit of the skit as part of CATS CLASSIFIED's soft launch of its new revamped look. Called CAT REV UP, this project involved Fly Entertainment, the Advertising and Promo team of CATS CLASSIFIED and myself. From the conceptual to the editing of the video clips, down to the technical operations of cuing in the clips at the right moment was what I was tasked to do. It's probably the closest to working at Imagineering or Industrial Light and Magic here in the little island of Singapore. It was a mixture of motion video, sound and pure entertainment! The best part of it was to be able to conceptualise right from he beginning of the project.

The project reminded me how FUN working can and IS supposed to be, and also to pursue whatever I love doing even though what I can do may seem like it's not income generating. My belief is simply to put 100% in whatever I do.

"YES!"

2008-08-13T21:51:00.004+08:00

AT LAST! After six months of planning, five of the six buses are out! This marks my second bus design project. First was 12 years ago when I was in uni. The last bus is still going through all that red tape. Urghh... the things that spoil the fun out of working on projects. I mean, who's gonna care whether only 25% of the windows are covered? Even the words on this bus had to go through several layers of screening.

Spent two days putting them up with a local sticker company. Each hand had to be individually cut and mounted. Every single hand is placed carefully to give a sense of it being just raised up.

While waiting for the last bus to be executed, I am moving on to finish a multi-media project with SPH.

Bus Design

2008-08-06T10:50:00.004+08:00

I've been working long and hard on these bus designs. It's for Annual Giving at the National University of Singapore. Part of their campaign was to come up with taglines and images for what started out as one bus, and then evolved to six buses. All the buses are different in length and height, so getting the dimensions and rendering them into mock-ups was the tedious part. Another 10 days and it should be up and running for the next 2 years!! Can't wait to catch it on campus.

CruciFIXED

2008-07-25T21:10:00.006+08:00

This past Tuesday, before the Youth Formation Programme started, Fr Pat handed me the new altar crucifix to restore. This reminded me of the words Francis of Assisi received from the icon of Christ crucified at San Damiano when it said to him, "Repair my house."

It just flew in from Thailand, that beautiful half porcelain, half wooden piece; but someone accidentally toppled it, puncturing a dent near the right rib wound of Jesus. As if one wound on his side wasn't enough!

All the art stores that I popped into had NO porcelain repair kit. How sad! So I prayed about it and decided that wood putty would just do the trick. Not any ordinary wood putty mind you, but the ones that can be painted on!? (You mean some wood putty cannot be painted on?)

So, it's finally done! Thank you for your guidance, Spirit. :O) If our parish priest is satisfied with it, maybe he'd allow me to paint the ceiling of the church next?

The story of what we can do...

2008-07-23T21:35:00.002+08:00

This 21 min long clip is a must watch for all who care deeply about our planet... after all, we only have one. Remember and claim the rights to being a steward of the earth again and help spread the message of the little things we can do where we are!

The night the sky danced

2008-07-20T12:11:00.005+08:00

It was a spectacular night! Late enough for the sky to come out and dance. I finally caught it! :O)

The Singapore National Museum together with Studio Festi, an Italian event company that runs performances all over the globe. Dancing Sky is part of a string of events presented by the museum from Jul 18 to July 26 called Night Festival.

Here are some hightLIGHTS of the performance...

This reminds me of Peter Pan. I loved the blanket of rain as the pirate ship's backdrop.

Another one of David Copperfield's/ Criss Angel's stunt gone wrong? ;p

The night of two moons.

Not only are the angels beautiful, they smell really nice too... Bravo! Bellisimo!

World Youth Day (part two)

2008-07-19T14:46:00.004+08:00

As I blog, hundreds of thousands of youth are packing up and returning home from their two weeks of pilgrimage to meet the pope. It seemed like only yesterday when the Lake Erie Doves WYD group from Penn State dropped by Singapore. It was probably the closest I'll ever get to a World Youth Day Event.

I'm sure the contingent from Singapore will have plenty to share when they get back, and I'm all ears! Wishing all groups a safe travel back because... there is much to do!! :O)

The Walking Tour right at the entrance of Little India.

Admiring high-rise government housing apartments scattered all over the city state.

This looks like a typical scene on an average day after a WYD session.

Fr Bill blessing us all before they leave Cana.

"You will receive the power,
when the Holy Spirit comes upon you!"

World Youth Day (part one)

2008-07-18T11:57:00.010+08:00

Last week, I was asked by a friend from Cana to do a short presentation of Singapore's Catholic history to pilgrims from Pennsylvania going to Sydney. I thought that it was an excellent opportunity to get to know how eventually the faith had reached all the way here to the far east. Maybe I'll blog a little about it next time round. But I wasn't going to miss this chance to share our side of the faith to 32 high schoolers, a couple of leaders, some parents and Fr Bill who were here on a 12 hour transit before they continued their journey to Australia.

After lunch and the presentation, the group had split up into two groups: A) the Singapore Flyer and Bumboat cruise and B) Walking tour of our religious road on Queen St all the way up to Little India and then back via Selegie Road. [How could I not have them try the famous Rochor Soy Milk? ;o) ]

Ivan (back row, left) met the group at the airport and brought them safely to Cana - Catholic Centre at Waterloo Street. Fr bill (in yellow) enjoys his spicy sweet and sour fish!

After the simple yet sumptuous meal, it's time for... oh no... a history class...

We had Andrew who "appeared out of nowhere" to give us an insightful session on the history of St Joseph's Church at Queen Street.

Lance gave personal and easy to digest tour of the Chinese and Hindu temples.

An instant convert! Now Christine will never see soy milk the same way she did before! :O)

(To be continued...)

WALL•E Spotted

2008-07-06T18:34:00.005+08:00

Wall•E stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class. This one is fresh off the production line. He and many other units were built to clean up earth after all the pollution caused forced humans to be evacuated from the planet. Imagine yourself being the only one left on earth...

When are you coming to Singapore?

WALL•E has landed...

2008-06-29T21:34:00.003+08:00

... in the U.S.

This is the way we brush our teeth...

2008-06-27T22:01:00.003+08:00

This group of medical students from Duke NUS came in on Day 3 for a talk with the kids and parents on personal hygiene. To put it simply, the difference between these medical students and the ones who came in on day one would be that these students are training to be able to give talks and sessions relating to health issues. They will not be the ones who will be at the clinic or at the surgeon's operation table.

The Lice Part 3

2008-06-26T09:09:00.003+08:00

Take that, Aqua Scum!

We're fund raising to rebuild the boys dorm. These mattresses are from the boys side. From this photo, one can tell the state the dorm is in. Furthermore, two weeks after we got back, the boys dorm caught fire. It was burnt down pretty bad. Fortunately, no one was hurt and they are holding up well.

The Lice part 2

2008-06-25T17:51:00.003+08:00

The second part of the de-licing process is to remove the shower cap and using a special comb, brush through a couple of strands (at a time) to remove the dead lice. :O)

When all this is done, the hair of the children is trimmed to a prescribed length. Some of the girls were really heartbroken that their locks and shocks of hair had to be snipped off. Next up, the sunning of the mattresses.

The lice

2008-06-23T07:49:00.003+08:00

The process of de-licing takes place over two days. First, a lice removing lotion is applied by gently massaging it on the scalp. Shower caps are then worn over the head to keep the lotion in place. Imagine the discomfort of having to wear one of these things for a day!

The weather was incredibly warm, and for the kids who perspire lots, they were in for an unexpected shocker. The stinging lotion would drip and flow down into their eyes causing a burning sensation, leaving the little ones in tears. These were just come of the unforeseen circumstances that popped up during the trip.

Open wide

2008-06-21T18:07:00.003+08:00

The Chapel was converted into a health centre, where six doctors, a dentist, and five nurses together with their translators got to screen a total of 130 over kids. That was in the morning. After lunch, about 40 over parents came in for their check-up. This was the Catholic Medical Guild's first trip to Rempang, but I'm pretty sure there will be many more to come.

Hi ho... Hi ho...

2008-06-20T12:08:00.003+08:00

... it's off to work we go...

This is part of the trench team digging out and preparing a proper drainage system for the village. During the rainy season, lotsa pot holes filled with water appear that leads to the breeding of our friendly neighbourhood blood sucker - the mossy. So, one day of digging out the dirt, and the other three days of cementing the concrete to hold up the walls and base of the drain.

This trip, women out numbered the guys 3:1, so hang in there guys!!

"Slimy, but satisfying"

2008-06-19T17:07:00.005+08:00

Part of what the team had to do was to remove debris from the river that was choking up the flow of the water because the stagnant water actually led to the breeding of mossies. Particles found in the river ranged from stones to huge tree trunks. It took about two days for the river team to turn the river into a play pool for the kids! :O)

Back to Life

2008-06-17T09:09:00.004+08:00

Last month on Labour Day, I was fortunate enough to drop by one of my beloved places. Just an hour by ferry to Batam and another 45 mins by bus inland is Rempang. I was tasked to document the work done for a mission group at St Ignatius Loyola - a school and the village that it's part of. The next couple of entries will be of my reflections from the 4 days there.

Flatliner

2008-06-13T09:40:00.006+08:00

It's official. Mr Maxtor dies.
Whether it was a assembly line gene issue or whether it caught a bug along the way, no one really knows for sure. But it is gone.

My surgeon recovered some files but 97% of them were distorted. The video files turned out a complete blank. Only a handful were alright... and amazingly, they are the images I downloaded for research with Jesus in them. I recall the Jesus saves joke... ;O)

This is a reminder not to hold on to things too dearly in this temporal journey. Life is fleeting as Robin Williams says in Jack. It's also inspiration that I should get my act faster in producing new and wonderful work for my new company.

Farewell my Maxtor. Thanks for the past 6 months!

One of the better images recovered. Maybe I should sell these as abstract photos??? ;p

Standing tall and proud

2008-06-11T08:39:00.003+08:00

The lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin is located at the Southern most tip of Western Australia. It marks the point where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean and it's main job come rain or shine is to stand tall direct mariners in the open sea.

Down under Downunder

2008-06-09T21:17:00.003+08:00

Down beneath the surface is Lake Cave. This is one of many caves around the Margaret River area. With the little time I had, I chose to go down this one because it still had a stream running through it. This means that when the stalactites and stalagmites were lit, a mirror image would be formed on the water surface. Simply gorgeous!

These stalactites and stalagmites are calcium salt deposits formed from dripping water from the roofs of these caves. Over a million years it took to sculpt this particular one. Another lesson to learn in patience! :O)

Coma

2008-06-08T16:50:00.005+08:00

It's been past a week now. My Maxtor external Hard Disk has been in a coma and have not shown signs of hope. I've got approximately 700GB worth of work in there. Basically, my livelihood... imagine all my photos... YES... ALL my photos! And my previously assigned projects... think of all the art work over the years... all the video clips... ALL.

It's still with a friend who's trying to resuscitate the 1 terabyte drive. It's been three days under intensive care, and it's been fighting hard for it's life! The first two days was past to a specialist who didn't know what was going on, except that there was a problem...?! Tonight at 7pm Singapore time, pray for the poor little unit as we seek the last resort of treatment before we pull the plug. We will attempt to freeze the drive, but of course we'd have to place silica gel in a zip lock bag with the drives as condensation will take place as soon as it's taken out of the freezer. This unorthodox method of reviving loss data has been proven to work. Only in time will we find out the fate of the drive.

Things I've learnt:
1. Don't buy a Maxtor.
2. Don't buy a Seagate. They're the same company.
3. Switch off all external hard disk drives when not in use.
4. Back-up your back-ups.

A Closer Look - Woof woof!

2008-06-06T16:06:00.006+08:00

Driving through the scenic route instead of using the freeway allowed cutting in through some densely forested areas. Even the 11am light spilling into these areas was perfect for product photography. Wasn't too faint, neither was it too harsh. The surrounding canopy is a good reminder of how fragile everything is and how the thin layer of the earth's atmosphere protects everything from the harmful rays of the sun.

A closer look

2008-06-04T08:16:00.002+08:00

I enjoy taking short breaks. It allows for the recharge of the senses and forces my mind to look at things from a different perspective (especially if I'm away from a routined environment). It is a privilege to be able to take that step back and observe how busy other things in life/nature are! :O)

A closer look

2008-06-01T01:14:00.003+08:00

Look at how bulgy these things are!

This is the first time ever plucking these lovely berries direct from the vine and popping it straight into my mouth. The result? Possibly imaginable. A light crunch squirts out a sweet zingy refreshing juice shot up the palate. It's wine without the alcohol!

Vine and branches

2008-05-30T15:56:00.005+08:00

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city is what I like about Perth. This is a vineyard in Swan Valley (about 30 mins Northeast of Perth) owned and run just by one person. It belongs to my sis's friend and we were there to check out the crunchy grapes! We've just passed the harvesting season, so there were only a couple of good looking ones left. It's definitely a good thing to slow down one's pace of life from time to time.

It's clear skies down under

2008-05-28T21:52:00.005+08:00

This is the view (from King's Park) of the City of Perth. Popped by there recently to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. Time sure flies, I can almost remember when he was 35! ;p It was a beautiful picture postcard Sunday noon at the top of the hill dining at Fraser's - the restaurant my sis works at.

Almost there...

2008-05-27T14:22:00.002+08:00

At Imaginative, we're almost there. I've come pretty far from where I first started. Thanks be to God! :O) Just a couple of obstacles, here and there. Like today, I just received confirmation from SPH that I cannot display the works I did there on my current website. Not really a confirmation, no straight answers from them, just get the feeling they'd say no in the end. They sent me two documents to read up. Although it is not exactly the answers I was looking for, but it seems like the licence package for a month is at $3,600. What a shame as I don't even earn anywhere close to that!? :O) The great thing is that I got out of SPH early... otherwise, I would not have collected enough "stuff" for my current web portfolio! ;oD
So I'm looking at removing and replacing three videos and three non-motion pieces this week.

As I begin to re-place some of the pieces, and if you'd like to check 'em out before I do so, go to http://www.imaginative.com.sg/ 's Portfolio page.

Or directly to http://www.imaginative.com.sg/portfolio.html

:O) Keep Looking Forward!

Cheap and good

2008-05-24T00:26:00.003+08:00

Shopping in Chiangmai are aplenty! Night bazaars selling almost anything can be found within several pockets of the city walls, each operating on a different evening. Buskers thrive in these bazaars as temperatures cool down from the noon time heat.

That looks mighty familiar...

2008-05-17T21:15:00.004+08:00

Some of you who have seen the papers recently might have seen the new CLIO Renault ad...
At this point, I'm stumped. On the one hand, I respect the fact that ideas can spring from all sorts of places, on the other, what if the designer was just out to do a simple job by copying?

I appreciate you views. Tag, email... the same drill. Many thanks!

What can you draw from that?

2008-05-15T00:01:00.002+08:00

Here's the picture I skipped... Yes, elephants draw pictures and can write words! Simply amazing!! How intelligent!

Shimmering twinkle2

2008-05-12T09:55:00.005+08:00

This looks like a piece that might have been doctored in Photoshop, but... a piece of gold fragment actually caught the light from the sun and beautifully translated it in the form of a mini starburst.

Shimmering twinkles!

2008-05-10T22:49:00.005+08:00

We arrived at the temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep at the opportune time. It's 4:30 in the late noon, the sun is setting, and the golds glow! Needless to say, for a photographer, where the sun is to light any picture is extremely critical. Most of the time, this free lighting is uncontrollable, and I dislike using the flash. It gives off this really plasticky feel to the recorded image. Thank you, God, for the Kodac moments there!

Horton Hears a Tree

2008-05-07T22:29:00.004+08:00

These mammals are as hardworking as they are brilliant. It was my first time as I witness three of them use their trunks to paint beautiful pictures. I thought that was it, but to top it off, it wrote English words!!! It inspired me to pick up my brush to start painting too! Motivation CAN come in any shape and size!

Horton Hears A Two

2008-05-05T22:01:00.006+08:00

Here's a close-up of a globule of water. Imagine how small! It reminded me of how small I am in front of my Creator.

Poppy Power

2008-04-30T08:47:00.003+08:00

These poppies are symbols of sleep and death. Sleep because of their opium extract, and death because of their bright red colour. Plastic ones can be found in many British war memorials around the world to remember those who have lost their lives during WWI.

Horton hears a who?

2008-04-29T12:54:00.003+08:00

So, here it is. One of the strange looking flowering plants I saw. Almost looks like something from Aliens, the movie. Any guesses what this is, all you post-war babies? :P

Imitating Nature II

2008-04-27T09:49:00.003+08:00

Here's the 2nd temple at Doi Inthanon National Park. This one's under repair! Imagine the work behind a project like this. The scaffoldings make this temple seem out of place amidst the 100 all-natural surroundings.

Imitating Nature

2008-04-24T21:01:00.004+08:00

Probably the highest point in Chiangmai, also the beginning of the Everest mountain range. The flora up here in the higher altitudes produces some of the most amazing species I have ever encountered! So this is how beautiful spring can be!

In moments like these...

2008-04-21T08:35:00.005+08:00

Two fellow photographers with me on the track up to the top of the waterfall. I caught sight of them both photographing the surrounding trees. And at the very precise moment... SNAP! I got them in an almost a lyrical-like ballad pose. I love it how both their arms (in tandem) slice through the picture diagonally... how aesthetically graceful!

Enthuse!

2008-04-19T23:14:00.007+08:00

Further up the track (but still not even near the top of the mountain) are these busy eusocial insects scurrying their way back to the nest. Of course this is a real bad example, but observing them reminds me of God watching over us and wondering... what are they all rushing for?

Falls at Inthanon

2008-04-18T00:28:00.006+08:00

This is the full view of the largest Waterfall at Doi Inthanon.
Yes, it's one of those with a pretty rainbow at its base. In fact,
a click on the image will enlarge it, thereby allowing you to see
a very faint one.

I'm back!

2008-04-14T10:38:00.008+08:00

Hi all! In the last few weeks that I've been gone... I was roaming the globe – for business, family and fun! I'm still struggling with understanding javascript, thus my website is not ready to go, but here's an update of the front page.

http://www.imaginative.com.sg/

Yes, I've added animation on the intro page just to get a little movement on it, and I was inspired even to add more animated knickknacks from my trips. So while waiting for the technical difficulties to be fixed, I'll be posting some of the beautiful landscape God has sculpted. There's just too many not to share. (Hey! It's just part of what I had intended for this blog to evolve to anyways right?) Enjoy!

This first shot of me, interesting because it wasn't taken by me, is one of my favourite shots. I was sitting in front of the largest waterfall at Doi Inthanon in Chiangmai, and allowed the mist to breeze over my face. What a beautiful experience! How's that for relaxation?

Passion

2008-03-15T11:36:00.004+08:00

We're into Passion Week. So soon... so familiar. But as this blog goes through a transformation phase, I thought it is quite apt to frame the last input on ALife with a preview of what might come...

I did this piece when I was in Vietnam last August. In fact, I rendered this piece on the day of our Lord's Transfiguration. Quite a contrasting imagery - Jesus as God in full glory, and Jesus blamed as criminal, dying like an animal for the salvation of the world.

Until the next phase is resurrected, here's a signing off... Later!

InteGREAT

2008-03-02T09:12:00.003+08:00

I am trying to integrate my business website with a blog. It's a neat marketing strategy to do because my clients who are interested, get to see the other side of me. It might even assist in their decision to hire me.

Of course, it's either this blog or another blog that I create, calling it Alf's Imaginations or something similar. But having another blog means more time spent on it. I would want to feature more of my works and my thoughts on the project. Once in a while, I would slip in a photograph or two and comment on it.

Well, if you have ideas, roll them in... by the usual email, tagboard, etc.

Randy Pausch

2008-02-26T10:51:00.002+08:00

It's been awhile since I last blogged.
Been working hard to the soft launch of my website on this leap year of ours. (I'm planning a full launch on 08.08.08) :O) Also been learning lots about something I don't really know a lot about - creating websites! So in the mean time, here's some in-flight entertainment for you.

http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=ithct48cqw

For those interested in a sneak peek... here you go.
But it's really just a sneak peek... :O)
http://www.imaginative.com.sg/

Cheap Cheap

2008-02-11T09:11:00.000+08:00

Last night, fresh in from Cebu were 10 Baluts waiting for me to guzzle down. Yes, indeed, this is the Filipino version of the Vietnamese Trung Lung. How could I possibly chomp down 10 eggs? Think of all that cholesterol!? So I persuaded some family members to try... :O) It wasn't all that bad...

"This is the best yoke I've tasted," first-timer Michael exclaims.

Fat Tuesday

2008-02-05T08:59:00.000+08:00

I'm totally filled! Not much with food, but with air, especially since I haven't been eating much for the day and have some form of food at the end of the day. It kinda traps the air in your tummy and you feel bloated. So technically, I'm celebrating some sort of a Mardi Gras. :O)

The day for fast and abstinence begins today (5 Feb, Tues) instead of tomorrow, since many countries in Asia celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, and many families will be having their reunion dinners on the eve (6 Feb). Tomorrow and the next three consecutive days, Catholics in Singapore, are permitted to feast during the festive celebrations! There's even no Stations of the Cross this Friday!? What are we becoming of... ? Inculturation I hope. :O)

During the next 40 days of the purple coloured season, it's a time for Catholics to experience an inner change of heart through prayer, fasting and charity. So God, help us!

Maranatha!

2008-01-27T10:20:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet Fr Laurence Freeman OSB, who stopped by Singapore while on his way to Australia. He had come to share about Christian meditation with children. He also briefly touched on the growing number of Christians picking up this form of prayer and cleared the misconception that meditation is for Buddhists.

The workshop was attended by parents, school teachers and catechists from all over the country.

From the five hour long workshop, I gathered that:
1) Since children are spiritual beings, they can meditate like adults too! Do not underestimate what they can do.
2) In fact, they do it better than adults because they are very open and unconditional beings.
3) It helps them learn to control their egos at a young age.

Pray without ceasing

2008-01-25T09:09:00.000+08:00

Today brings to a close Christian Unity Week (18 - 25 Jan). It's a week long of prayers and talks that promotes ecumenism between the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches around the world that began way back in 1908. Yes, it's been 100 years of going back to our roots and reconciling among brothers and sisters of the faith.

It must seem a daunting task since the great schism between the Eastern and Roman church in the 11th century and the first protestant reformation in 1517 A.D. to move back into the direction of open dialog between the different denominations.

This movement reminds me two services I attended in L.A. last year. One during Holy Week and the other right after the Octaves of Easter. As we continue to pray with our "common" brothers and sisters at work, at play, before meals, etc, we echo The Franciscan Friars at Graymoor (New York) who began the first Church Unity octave to "pray without ceasing". It's a small step... but a step no doubt. :O)

If you would like to do something for Christian Unity and don't know where to start, click on TOGETHER FOR CHRIST to begin with a simple prayer.

Different pastors gathered at Holy Family, South Pasadena for an ecumenical service.

Peace Vigil at St James Episcopal Church in South Pasadena.

Guarana Antartica TVC

2008-01-23T22:07:00.000+08:00

OK, so this was the much talk about TVC that ran in Brazil during the World Cup.
Enjoy!

Here is what Maradona is saying...
"What a nightmare! I think I drank too much Guarana!"

Boo!

2008-01-19T22:40:00.001+08:00

Surprise, surprise!

My sister dropped in on us. Who would have thought?
I peeled the wrapper around a gift she had for me and it was a can of Guarana! YUM-my! It's a Brazilian soft drink that's a hit in South America. The only place that sells this drink in Singapore is Carnivore (a Brazilian Restaurant) at Vivo City. Otherwise, the next closest place you can fly to to find it is Japan... ;p (How do I know? Carnivore imports their Guarana from Japan.)

My sister also brought back with her two huge bags of grapes... picked earlier during the day from her friend's vineyard in Perth! Talk about sweet and crunchy!! :O)

Enjoy your stay, Maureen! Even if it's just for a few days! ;O)

That too (2)

2008-01-15T12:13:00.000+08:00

And speaking of Lent, this clip was sent to me by a friend. It's just too hilarious not to share... what would they think of next? Sacrament of Reconciliation phone-in system?

:O)

That too?

2008-01-14T12:58:00.001+08:00

Right after the commissioning, a fellow catechist got me to photograph a new tattoo she just did... just kidding... he just did. :O)

For me, it's a reminder that in about three more weeks, we prepare for the season of Lent.

It must be a huge commitment to have something like that engraved on you. I guess it's why we say "to carrying one's cross." Maybe he just took the words too literally. :op Or maybe, every faith sharer should have one to remind ourselves of what we do.

Co-Missioning

2008-01-13T08:18:00.000+08:00

It is a week before we start catechism classes for the new year. And after a gruelling three hour AGM, we celebrated mass with a special commissioning rite. It was a good reminder to me that we share the same mission as Bishops to go out and spread the good news! Don't pray, pray hor...

God bless us all another year of fun, excitement, ups and downs in the ministry!

:O)

Vocare

2008-01-07T09:43:00.000+08:00

(Latin for "to call")

What a way to start the year! I always look forward to the Catechists Retreat in January. Not only because it prepares us faith sharers for the year ahead, but also because it's a personal time for looking inward and checking-in on my personal life at the very start of the calendar year.

Our two day time of reflection began with the Holy Eucharist. :O) Led by Fr Iggy, our Spiritual Director (SD), we were reminded of our calling as teachers of the faith. That the reason we were there was already a sign of that voice or call - to a vocation. And being called at 14 to this ministry, it is good that this annual retreat allows me to re-check my call each year!

For a good part of day one, most of us were introduced to the *Ignatian form of silent retreat... though it was tough for some to just keep quiet.

We were encouraged to just listen. This can be a really difficult thing to do especially here in Singapore with all the NOISE around.

The crux of retreat was a reminder to me of:
1) My call as faith sharer and (the more difficult) role as god-bearer.
2) Giving to the community. (Not just to the little ones but also to... the world!)
3) Importance of our relationship with our Creator (thru prayer, tradition & daily living.)

Of course, being the fools for Christ we are... there was a lot of time to goof around too. Presenting here... our blind ballerinas!

Not all of us were present at the retreat, but I'm sure our SD gave every single one of us something to take home with... to act on. God bless us all!

*Ignatian - This refers to the to the 16th century Spanish Theologian and founder of the Jesuit Order and has nothing to do with the name of our SD. :Op

Mac Pro-life 2

2007-12-29T11:26:00.000+08:00

All systems go!

My wireless connection arrived. My machine can now be fully optimized with upgrades and updates from the Internet. :O)

Imagine, this gadget about the size of this blog photo that allows wireless transmition of data.

One of the very few times I'll get to see the inside of my Mac.

Is this the trench scene from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope?

Next change: Company Identity and Website.

Manger (main-gerr)

2007-12-24T08:39:00.000+08:00

It's one day to the 2nd biggest feast of the catholic church and the homily yesterday reminded us to focus on our own mangers then get caught up in all the shopping and food around. Of course there's nothing wrong with buying gifts for friends and family... not to mention eating. But the point was to stay awake to our inner mangers. Have we opened our mangers... our hearts... this season to those who don't have enough? Or are we taking away more from these people?

The Art Ministry spent five full days working on Holy Family's manger. Our concept was to keep it simple this year without the frills of sheep, shepherd, wise men or animals. Just the main focus on infant Jesus to remind parishioners what's important. Emmanuel! God is truly indeed with us! :O)

New comer 12 year old Bernice helping out with the backdrops.

Site foreman making sure everything's smooth sailing (and not rocky).

Pigeon holes or huge wine crates?

Hey... that's me!

Finished product.

MacPro - life

2007-12-21T12:26:00.000+08:00

You might have seen them around. Apple has created a series of short TV commercials since 2006 to "Get a Mac". Brilliant. Simple. Highly entertaining. I'm impressed by it!

Here's the latest using stop-motion. Those who are still busy at work, slow down and enjoy the holiday season! :O)

Click Here.

The Machines Have Arrived

2007-12-17T15:59:00.000+08:00

Finally, after years of contemplation... My own Mac Pro system! Actually, owning a company sped up the decision process. The reason why I took so long to decide whether I should get it is because these things come and go so fast, and what I got from freelancing wasn't justifiable. Not to mention the software inside!! And for those who know me, I only get the original stuff. It comes from being a designer... I create things and wouldn't want people to rip off my work.

My Powerbook has served me well in the last 3 years. It got really tough especially when I had to edit videos. Already the Powerbook's screen is only 12 inches. Imagine the editing canvas or the final screen size of about 5cm by 4cm?? No wonder my eyes have gone bad!! Thank God for carrots and ginkgo tablets! The size of the screen was one thing, the speed was another. S-L-O-W.

Well, I figured that with my own business, people in general will not be taking me and the work I do for granted. If there's a job that needs to be done, it's my education, experience, time, skills, hardware and software that make the project work... and hopefully work well. These machines and software will not last me past 2 years. At some point, I would have to upgrade.

For those who prayed that I got a good bargain on the hardware and software... Thanks! It wasn't free, but it helped! :O) I am still waiting for the Airport Extreme, which the person I bought it from forgot to install, that allows wireless internet access.

For now, it's time to let the creative spirit FREE...!

Unveiling of the Mac Pro

O God,

Teach me how to use technology!
Show me how to blend it with my skills
To show the world your Creativeness
Reflecting You in the process. Amen.

Nuts about Dough

2007-12-17T14:21:00.001+08:00

I've noticed many doughnut shops popping up in Singapore... and some are doing pretty well with their long queues. In fact, there are so many I can't quite recall their names. This reminds me immediately of Roti Boy, a mexican bun company that did relatively quite well in a fairly brief period of time. Its yeast expanded too quickly that the business popped too soon. Will the many doughnut franchises around share a similar fate by digging themselves into a hole?

Yesterday, I picked up a surprise from a friend who just returned from Australia... A box full of Krispy Kreme!! (Thank goodness it's Advent and not Lent. ;p ) Another doughnut company you think? Nope. Probably, THE doughnut company. Its competitors make it look (and taste) real good! A real hole in one if you ask me!!

Check the lovely packaging...

Hey, if you really want to open up a doughnut shop, why not open Krispy Kreme? For those who are fortunate enough to set their taste buds into this snack swear by it! Since I'm not a sales person, I'll not be spending my time on this blog convincing you how good it is. We'll just wait for a shop to show up! I know there are die hard fans just waiting for a store to open here!

A bit squashed from the plane ride, but who cares! :O) It's fresh and it's Krispy Kreme.

The Bottle Tree Village

2007-11-30T08:29:00.001+08:00

The Bottle Tree Village is an outdoor seafood restaurant located in northern Sembawang. So north, Johor looks like it could be reached using a (really long) gala pole.

Last weekend, an Art Ministry member celebrated her 61st. WOW! What a blessing! Will I even be on this planet when I'm 60? Will I be a blessing to others? Well, I'll just have to live and see...

Six Bottle Trees (named so because of its bottle-like trunk) tower around 12 metres tall around the restaurant. All were imported from Queensland, Australia at $30,000 each.

That's the 100 year old tree hugging me.

That's the Art team waiting for the bride and groom.

The food there looks ordinary, but is actually prepared with the not so usual kind of ingredients... take for example this crab platter served with coconut milk! Drool!

CAN

2007-11-29T08:40:00.000+08:00

I don't usually host stuff done by others, but this one's definitely to share! Enjoy world! Live the simple things in life! Do what you can and don't wait for things to happen in your life... :O)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4B-r8KJhlE

CSCC Mural

2007-11-19T14:43:00.000+08:00

The project finally ended. The toughest part was choosing the theme. Just the idea alone took weeks for this simple project. How do you interpret the concept of mission work onto a wall mural? And then suddenly... Holy Spirit! (And yes, orange happens to be their corporate colour.)

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,

... naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me,

... in prison and you visited me.

... whatever you did for one of these
least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
- Mt 25:35 - 40

Below was the original concept for the final section of the wall that was not approved by management. It is a superimposed image of all the previous verses which symbolises Christ in all of these marginalised people. Either it was too abstract or just plain scary looking... :p I would like to hear from you your comments on the the tagboard! :O)

Light (Part 2)

2007-11-13T12:07:00.001+08:00

When the Asia Outdoor Advertising exhibition was held weeks back at the Suntec Convention Hall, I popped by for a sneak. Probably the most eye-candy product to be displayed is the Stage Pod – a 4m x 4m black box with a screen that plays very live-like 3D motion images.

Finally... an industry standard that people can buy off the shelf for product demos, events and such. The first time I saw such a thing was in '83 in a happy place called Disneyland, on a ride called The Haunted Mansion. All of you who have gone on that ride know that there is a huge grand dining hall where ghosts seem to be flying aimlessly and chomping down food. Although that ride was made in 1969, sources traced back the idea to John Pepper in 1862. Thus, came about the name, Pepper's Ghost Effect. It was used mainly during the turn of the century for theatrical purposes.

So... when can I use one of these things? ;p

Light (Part 1)

2007-11-06T10:30:00.000+08:00

Two weeks back, when the sun was still out during the mornings, I took several shots of the stained glass at Holy Family as it was too beautiful not to capture it to share. The colourful images cast on the wall looked familiar yet different. The only explanation I immediately thought of was that the light travelling from the sun through the glass and onto the wall runs parallel to the ground. This happens only around 7am. Most of the parishioners here would have only experienced light projected downwards at an angle from a higher elevation, because of the Sunday mass time slots. Since you're stopping by my blog, enjoy the light!

Some of us may be familiar with this sight.

Look at the light projected on the wall... from a different angle.

The projected image appears clear and sharp - a good reminder of how I should reflect my Creator's Light.

The light reflected off the glass panel together with its original source forms an image of a butterfly.

All Saints

2007-11-02T22:33:00.000+08:00

I was inspired by a story an Art Ministry member shared with me about the land reclamation that took place in Singapore somewhere during the 70's. Apparently, graves of peranakan families had to be exhumed and guess what? Some of the corpses of peranakan ladies they found were uncorrupted. Meaning still in its undefiled state!

Just imagine the number of people in Singapore who have led Saintly lives as wives, street side hawkers or teachers that were not documented or recognised by the Church! Even though I, a pilgrim, will never know who they are, their silent and quiet lives inspire me to want to be like them too.

I notice a lady who goes for morning mass and adoration daily. She has five young children and I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a domestic helper, so she'd bring either one or two of her kids along with her... sometimes she struggles with the younger ones. (I assume that her husband has to stay home to look after the baby and older ones who are probably still asleep then.) I'm sure that in her daily prayers, she trusts that God would continue to provide all she and her family needs. That, in my mind, is a simple but examplary way to live – a true example for me to follow.

Well, to all bright lights who have gone before us and those who only He knows... Thank you for shining brightly wherever you are!! You make the world a better place to live in!

Shanghai Night

2007-10-28T11:30:00.001+08:00

Last night, my good friend had her wedding celebrations at Marina Mandarin. One thing that stood out was the theme that was in place - 1920's Shanghai. Most of us were sporting enough to dress up... I know I did! (Even though I knew I had to walk through public areas all the way from the Millennia Walk carpark.) Hey, if you wanna do something, go all the way, right?

June and Tak, God bless and enjoy Walt Disney World in Orlando!! :O)

The noisy intro sequence.

Intro: Bride & Groom.

A new take on the "2nd march-in".

The bride's father's friend who won the best dressed for the evening.

Here are some of the many props the couple had on display.

Authentic posters were placed all over the pre-cocktail area.

I came as a photographer.

These were among some of my props.

Ka-Chow!

2007-10-23T17:18:00.001+08:00

Last Thursday, my sister who's currently back in Singapore applying for her work visa in Australia, caught a ride from me after my evening shoot at Raffles Place. Guess who we bumped into while on our way back from the Central Business District?

From the star of Disney Pixar's Cars, I spotted Lightning McQueen right next to our vehicle. Taking a closer look, I realised that it must have been an imitation, because the real McQueen has no headlights!! :O)

I couldn't help but ask my sister to take a snapshot... hey, that's what sisters are for right? ;p

Last Day at the Glass House

2007-10-23T16:54:00.000+08:00

Here's one last look at the Glass House before they tear it apart.

Contractors working through the night before Day 1's programmes began.

Goodbye to the property at 701 Raffles Park.

Not many of us could go inside the Glass House. So here's a sneak peek...

Kichenette - comes with sink and mini fridge.

42" plasma.

Comfy comfy.

Living room area turned into a pole dancing room.

This was a fairly strange sight on a Sunday noon at Raffles.

Ciao!

Beaming to you 'live'

2007-10-19T12:03:00.001+08:00

So what have I been doing on my first week at imagiNATIVE?
If you work in the Raffles Place area and lunch around the many noon time hotspots within that area, you'd probably have seen me there. I've been tasked to get some shots in for the webcast Colleen Exposed! on ST701.com.

So, what am I shooting?? Here's the story:
CATS Classified has gone (totally) online in tandem with its print version. Part of the launch campaign is to have a model (Colleen Francisca) stay in a glass house that's built right in the middle of Raffles Place for seven whole days... from the 17th to the 23rd Oct. I've been filming the 'live' skits that happen during the lunch break hours and filming & editing the programme that takes place in the evenings! You can view the lunchtime skits & clips at: (http://www.st701.com/colleenexposed/)

A new property at an extremely prime location!

This glass house has everything that David Blaine does not have doing his stunts.

Former classmate, Colleen Exposed! director & scriptwriter and I taking an ice cream break.

The skits are really farny! If you need a laugh... go check it out! My eyes are keeping watch on the large SPHMBOX screen that broadcasts the skits 'live'.

Working at odds hours this week has been tiring, but it's definitely been fun! Keep you all posted. For now, it's back to the Raffles Place lawn.

Re-dedication: The Scoop Shop

2007-10-14T10:13:00.000+08:00

On Oct 13, Saturday at 4pm, the newest Scoop Shop on the east side of Singapore had finally opened! It is not an ice cream parlour, neither is it a virtual shop where you take orders on the internet. It is a "school" revamped to provide faith sharers at the church of the Holy Family with with a fresh perspective on things. Since we are what we eat, by adding that element of fun, we hope to pick up on more creative ways to share the faith especially with our little younger brothers and sisters in the parish. God bless us!

I see many opportunities here for sharing outside of class time!

This is the central focus of The Scoop Shop.

One of our coordinators proclaiming the Word: Matt 18:1-5.

Fr. Pat blessing the room and its people with holy water.

Here's Ryan, our ice cream man!

What's an opening of a Scoop Shop without real ice-cream?

A new beginning...

2007-10-13T01:01:00.000+08:00

Yesterday on Oct 12, 2007, I did something I never expected to do so soon. Well, at least not in the next 20 years or so... I paid S$65 to ACRA and registered for my little business.

It's been over six weeks of discernment, and all fingers point to that direction. In the next few weeks, I'll be laying out all the foundations... setting up the vision and mission statement, laying out my business procedures, possibly doing up a website...

I want my work to be able to get out there in the open for people to be inspired! And at the same time allow that flexibility for me to practice on my other "minor" skills of the craft. Not only will I be able to call the shots, but hopefully in time I will be able to choose the projects I want to take on, and really polish up what I love to do.

Several of my friends were concerned that I wasn't going to be able to draw (no pun) a stable monthly income, but this is where I live out "Give us today our daily bread", trusting fully in His abundance! Thank you all my friends for that list of 100-odd word bank/name list. Thank you, Pete, whose idea went through many refinements, but at the end of it when it came down to the crunch (even after reflecting on the story of Creation), the original still stood out.

Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
- Walt Disney

owner,
imagiNATIVE

Scoop Shop - part 2

2007-10-07T23:11:00.000+08:00

It's almost done, 96% to be precise. What's left are the hand-drawn inspirational signs to be pasted on the cupboard walls. This is week 2 of the behind the scenes of The Scoop Shop...

So far, one of the comments I got from one of our veteran faith sharer is, "I don't feel like leaving the room..." I think my job is done! Thank God! Don't you just feel like licking the walls!! ;p

Our welcome sign that's ooooooh so inviting!

We're down to only one notice board. Keeping it simple!

"Faith sharing isn't just for Sundae, it happens 24/7".

There are plans to set up a mini music corner... that'll be fun!

One more week to the grand opening and dedication...

Happy Children's Day!

2007-10-01T16:07:00.000+08:00

It is a day when only those who are 12 and under get an extra day off at school. I personally think we should all take a day off and celebrate with these younger versions of us! Sure, some of them can be quite a handful, but they are all built that way... fun!! :O) To all my younger brothers and sisters out there that remind me how to live... a blessed restful day to you!

I just received a special Children's Day package from LA. It is the DVD of the Rosary Bowl held on May 19 in Pasadena. (How apt! Today marks the first day of the Rosary month!) All those who volunteered were sent this package. Looking back, I think it was this and several other reminders, like my stay at DMI and my trip to La Vang, that deepened my relationship with my Mother. For a very long time, I've always yearned for a closer bond with our Lady of the Rosary, and it's finally been answered. (I'm sure it's the Sisters praying for me too!)

I thank you Mother for your constant intercession. Continue to be there for the people of Burma. Holy Mother of God, pray for us!

Punggol Resort

2007-10-01T15:32:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, the catechists at Holy Family Church took four bus loads of kids to the Major Seminary at Punggol. The kids were aged 8 to 11, and for the most of them, it was their first trip there. It was part of the Seminary's Open House.

Apart from the usual "What do you eat?" and "Where do you sleep?" questions, we had a few "How long do you have to study?" and "Why is the seminary located in a jungle?" too! The field trip included a slideshow presentation on life at the seminary, a walkabout around the grounds and refreshments at the end of the tour.

An experiential learning session for all the kids. It is field trips like these that make classes more interesting and I'm so sure it had left a deep impression on the kids... for life! During the Q&A, Bro Terrence asked if any one was thinking of becoming priests or joining the the religious order. At least 15 hands went up! Let's keep them all in our prayers! :O)

Q&A session with Bro Terrence.

Check out the pool! Now everyone wants to become a priest!

The unique altar rock formation and cave was the idea of the late Bro Joseph McNally. I wished I had met the guy!

Vicar General's seat occupied by ... the future Vicar General?

Kids taking back handouts and brochures to share with family members.

Scoop Shop - part 1

2007-09-25T16:47:00.001+08:00

I spent the entire day at church yesterday, from 6am all the way to 10pm. Mission: to transform the current Catechist Room into an Ice cream parlour. Not a real ice cream parlour, but one that creates speckles of fun and scoops of inspiration by just being in there!!

This was an operation between members of the core team of the catechist ministry, supported by the priests of the church of course. The research and brainstorm team took a trip to one of Singapore's largest Ben & Jerry's outlets at Cathay cinema to see how fusing the idea of a faith sharing ministry and a fun scoop shop could be achieved. Commented by Alvin, one of the creative heads from the group, "Since we already have an online scoop shop blog that caters to the inspirational needs of the catechists, let's turn the virtual into a reality."

Andrew applying the first coat.

By the time Francesca applies the second coat, the room is already oozing the word "yummilicious"!

Phase one of the project is completed. "The next part is to sprinkle the room with toppings," adds Alvin. "We're trying to do all of this up within the week so that when the teachers come in this weekend, they'd be pleasantly surprised!"

There's the night crew tidying the place for phase two.

Nativity of the Mother of God

2007-09-23T11:26:00.001+08:00

This is the Armenean Church (full name: Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator) on Hill Street in Singapore. It was the first church to be built in Singapore in 1835 at the cost of 5000 Spanish Dollars.

Last Friday, on September 21, the Orthodox church celebrated the Nativity of the Mother of God, a major feast day. A former schoolmate invited me to join in the celebrations. This was my first experience in Greek-Catholic Divine Liturgy. Lotsa chants and signing of the cross!

Fr Archimandrite (Monsignor) Serge Keleher, parish priest of the Greek-Catholic Congregation of Hieromartyr Nicholas the Wonderworker of Dublin is on his way to Australia for a conference and is now in Singapore for a week. He celebrates his 40th year as priest.

Confessions before Mass. The stole of the priest is placed on the head of the penitent.

What struck me was the richness in the celebration. Would actually love to drop by Russia or Greece to experience Mass there! ;p

To the response, "The Lord be with you," we say, "And also with Thy Spirit." That one single line reminds me of how I ought to treat my neighbour.

Since the great Schism of the Eastern and Western Church during the 11th century, both sides have made several attempts towards reconciliation. It has certainly gotten me to read up more about our history. Keep both the churches in your prayers!

Amin.

What's up, Duck?

2007-09-17T17:47:00.000+08:00

These days, I've just been working on my DMI video. I have found the answer to the editing problem I had initially when I was in Hue. The only issue is that the process is really tedious and has pushed my schedule way back because of the extra steps I need to take in order to complete the work. Since I'm only working this through a three year old Mac Powerbook, it's space and speed capability does not match up to its current accelerated ones! To free more space, I even have to transfer all my Vietnam photos to an external hard disk, that probably explains why I haven't been hosting any shots of Hue! Be patient... until I feel I have enough to cover cost for a new Mac set up at home. :O)

I started assisting in class again over the weekend. Level 6's on Saturday afternoon and Confirmation 1's on Sunday morning. What's great about popping into different classes each weekend is that because your face is new, the little ones will actually look up and listen... :op

At this point, I'm only done with the Pleiku trip. But as I was running thru the clips, I'd thought I'd end this session with this video. It was my first song I learnt in Vietnamese called Mot Con Vit (One Little Duck) during my trip to Pleiku with the then postulants. Every little kid knows this in Vietnam and I thought I should know it too! This is the song which earned me my nickname there. Take it away, Sisters...

The Most Holy Name of Mary

2007-09-12T09:13:00.000+08:00

Celebrating the above feast today, I thought it would most appropriate to update you on the designs of the English Room at DMI. On the 22nd of Aug, 24 hours after I left Hue, the doors of the then "English City" were finally opened. And because its doors were opened on the feast of the Queenship of Mary, it was finally christened as Holy Queen City.

More directions regarding the rest of the room were given to me as two freelance kindergarten classroom painters were swinging by DMI. It was agreed that I finished the design and let the two handicapped artists work on the actual painting. So that, if ever I do go back, my focus would be just on teaching English. These artists are hired by Vinamilk, a Vietnamese Dairy company that provides yogurt and milk to the various kindergartens, to do kiddie murals as gesture of thanks to bigger clients. I've seen the work these two artists have done in the various DMI run kindergartens that I've visited in Saigon and in Hue, so I'm looking forward to them completing the rooms! :O)

The room that I had worked on has been given an "American" touch to it, and the other smaller room next to it is given a Singapore City feel. (Click the images for a larger preview.)

The black spaces represent either a door or window.

The area above the Benjamin Sheares Bridge is left open for projections.

Tolik's Sunday - Final Cut

2007-09-05T09:32:00.000+08:00

I'm finally done with the final cut of Tolik's Sunday. Fr Iggy took it with him on Monday for the 11th Asian Liturgical Forum in Sabah, Malaysia. We pray for a safe journey and wonderful things to be discussed and shared when he returns.

If you're interested how the video turned out, here's a full preview of it:

Note: No harm was done to any animal during the course of shooting this video.

Tolik's Sunday

2007-09-02T08:47:00.000+08:00

I've been working on a short documentary for Fr Iggy. He's taking that to some conference in Sabah, Malaysia on Monday (3 Sept). I didn't have very long to work on it since I just got back from Vietnam. I'm about 95% done. Should be out this noon.

The documentary is about life in church on a typical Sunday. I picked the parish of the Holy Family because I'm already familiar with it's on goings. That'll save time with regards to getting red tape to film certain areas, and not having to explain to people what I'm doing over and over again.

I decided to shoot at from the angle of Tolik, the resident Black cat of the parish. Yes, that's his real name... not Patrick, not Blackie, or Charcoal or even Mimi... I figured since he's always there at church, it'd be interesting seeing what goes on from his point of view.

Post-Hue 2

2007-08-25T16:26:00.000+08:00

Here are some pictures of the "English City". There were a couple of obstacles already fixed into place, so I had to work my way around those. I was trying my best to give it a city-feel. And from the little time I had, I squeezed as much paint as I could onto the walls. On certain days, it felt like it was never going to end, yet on others, I wished I had more time to work on it. Prayer kept me focus and reminded me who I was doing this for.

It's half done, so until I go back again, here are some pictures to preview.

The internet cafe, newsstand and mailbox.

Close-up of the magazines... would have been good to have a couple of real magazines to "stick on".

The Internet Cafe with some posters outside its brick walls.

Post-Hue

2007-08-23T09:35:00.000+08:00

I gate-crashed the Archbishop's residence one evening to attend a gathering with the Archbishop of Bangkok and 30 of his priests. Surprisingly, Archbishop Stephen (of Hue) greeted me personally (he called me by my name...) at the main gate and invited me in. :O)

Welcoming of the Archbishop of Bangkok by Archbishop Stephen (left) and Bishop Francis.

It was an evening of fellowship between the two countries (well, actually three...). One geographical similarity between the two dioceses is that both are smack dab right in the middle of their respective countries. Both are a minority group (Vietnam - 6% and Thailand - 0.7%), but making a big difference where they are.

I had the an amazing time watching the cultural performances of Vietnam by several groups, including three congregations (orders) of Sisters. Two items were put up by the aspirants of DMI, and I was really impressed with the dance called "Beloved Old Capital and Beloved Hue". The Archbishop of Bangkok joked that Hue's diocese is very lucky to have Sisters dancing for them, because in Bangkok, there are no such performances by the Thai Sisters.

"Hello, How do you do?" performed by the Sisters of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate.

"Quan Ho Bac Ninh" performed by the Sisters of the Lovers of the Cross.

"The Dance of The Highland People" performed by the Sisters of Mary of the Visitation.

"Beloved Old Capital and Beloved Hue" performed by the Sisters of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate.

Two songs performed by the Thai delegation.

After that, it was another fun night bike ride back to the convent.
;p

Edelweiss

2007-08-20T22:14:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow morning I leave for Singapore.

I'd like to share a short impromptu farewell speech I made earlier to the Sisters over dinner.

Thank you for welcoming me!
Over the past six weeks, I've grown...
physically... [they feed me as if I were an archbishop ;p ]
and spiritually.

Thank you everyone, to the the Sisters who attended to me at the guest house, and Sr Dung (pronounced as Yuem), who prepared all the wonderful dishes. And I thank you for believing in what you do. It is an inspiration for me!

The work that I have come to do, is not complete... which means only one thing...
that I'll be back. (Everyone cheers at this point.)

Next stop... Singapore.

Our Lady of La Vang 2

2007-08-16T18:21:00.000+08:00

Here are some more snap shots of La Vang...

The presentation during the offertory in Vietnam for high masses are beautifully choreographed.

The procession on the last day.

Our Lady of La Vang 1

2007-08-16T17:46:00.000+08:00

In France, you have Lourdes. In Portugal, Fatima. Here in Vietnam, in the central area of the Quảng Trị province, you have La Vang. During his rule, King Canh Minh ordered the massacre of all Catholics. Many fled to the deep forest area of La Vang and prayed. The Virgin in a traditional Ao Dai together with the child Jesus and two angels appeared, comforted and protected them.

Since then, countless pilgrims have made trips there from all over Vietnam and around the world. Click here for more historical background.

If my calculations are correct, there must have been at least 60,000 people at La Vang... and this isn't even the bigger one that's celebrated every three years. It's a blessing for me to experience this with the Vietnamese people. It was also a miracle that I was able to take photos right up front. :O)

Thank You for an abundance of signs You provide in my life to remind me of who I am.

Ave Maria!

The combined choir warms up for Mass.

Vigil Mass celebrated by the Bishop, co-celebrated by Archbishops of Hue and West Bangkok.

The Basilica of La Vang

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the night Youth service.

Thousands of youths are led through an hour of prayer, followed by one for the adults and another for the religious.

Our Lady at Night

No kidding!

2007-08-14T09:15:00.000+08:00

(Was wondering last evening when to put this down... how apt!)

The other day, it was ice cream day for the ethnic children living at the convent. Only a couple of them are around now as the rest have gone back to the various highlands for a holiday. Guess what did I learn from them?

The first thing they did was to make the sign of the cross and then after that, carefully removed their popsicle from the wrappers. A reminder of Who provides even for the simplest of things.

Thank you for children everywhere! Their simpleness and trustingness are everyday nudges for me to learn from.

In about half an hour's time, I leave for Lavang. I will be staying there overnight. Thousands are already there for the celebrations and hordes more will flock towards that direction today.

Ave Maria!

Hue Field Trip 2

2007-08-13T14:11:00.000+08:00

About three kilometres west of the convent is Chua Thien Mu (Heavenly Lady Pagoda). You can read the legend by clicking on this page http://www.vietscape.com/travel/hue/thienmu.html. Apart from the spectacular, undisturbed and tranquil view of Hue's Perfume River to the south of it, one can walk through this ancient site filled with temples, gardens, and lotsa... tourists!!! Admission: Free. Enjoy the pictures...

Heading west on my Honda on Kim Long Street.

They should name this place Ocean Scent rather than Perfume River.

The famous Chua Thiem Mu attracts many tourists daily.

The nonchalant and soothing chants of these monks are definitely a crowd-puller.

A temple going through major restoration works.

A bare year ahead

2007-08-10T14:36:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was Singapore's birthday. 42 years old and still growing! It actually didn't quite matter if I was home watching the fireworks. :o) Instead, I spent the evening with all the Sisters viewing and laughing at pictures that I took in Pleiku, A Luoi and the Dedication celebrations.

Do the palm trees remind you of fireworks?

Today, I officially end my teaching, and begin my other tasks. First up, is to paint the room tentatively named "The English City". It's a room set up to provide the Sisters with a place to learn English. Every book, every DVD or CD, every poster and sign will be in English. The minute anyone steps into this room, English will be the only language spoken here. Imagine how fun must this place look to draw the Sisters in! ;p We're in the midst of brainstorming for a "cooler name"... but conceptually, the place will have a city-like feel. If you have ideas for naming this room, email me at: alvinmark@gmail.com

I was reminded by a postulant as she was locating an available internet terminal that they begin their 8-day silent retreat on the 17th. She wanted to email her father in Richmond, Virginia, to say goodbye. After their retreat, begins their first year of their novitiate. During this time, they are not allowed to make contact with anyone else accept fellow novices and their three spiritual directors.

The postulants posing in their Novice outfits to show their families before the one year hibernation.

Will I be able to hibernate for 365 days? Find out... next year!

Showers of Blessings

2007-08-05T09:10:00.000+08:00

The beautiful day began with morning showers that lasted through the whole day. The cool temperatures made it feel like being up in the highland area and made the celebrations more comfortable for the just under 1000 that were jammed packed in the chapel.

The Day of Dedication is an annual celebration by the Sisters that falls on Aug 5. This year, the feast is celebrated earlier as Aug 5 falls on a Sunday. 28 (novice) Sisters became junior Sisters, eight professed their perpetual vows and three sisters celebrated their anniversaries (two - 50 years/ one - 60 years). I did not know the scale and extent of the celebration until I saw the number of priests invited - 98 of them... yes, including the the archbishop and bishop of Hue.

Each of the Sisters professing their vows were allowed to invite 10 family members. So as you can imagine, the chapel was filled and overflowed to the outside. Of course, this was planned for months ahead.

A 'live' feed allowed guests who were seated outside to view on television monitors located at various sheltered areas what was going on inside.

( From left: Sr. Hau (60 years), and both Srs. Hiep (50 years) and Hong (50 years).

In the afternoon after the lunch, the sisters were all given their appointment letters. Some will be transferred to other communities in Vietnam, others will stay.

My appointment by the Spirit is to stay for another two weeks here in Hue. My visa extension and airline ticket have been arranged. Continue to keep me in your prayers!

Ave Maria!