Hong Kong in November

(This is a long overdue post.)

Hong Kong a second time was a lot more charming to me. With seven days, I had time to really immerse myself into life there. 

This trip was filled with exploring and book hunting, I felt like a kid in a toy shop. Evidently, I think the excitement translated to my pictures, which I'm pretty pleased with. I guess after some years of practice, it's also reassuring to see my own progression in the skill.

If there's only one thing I regret though, is not taking pictures of the food!!! Because I'm never one to photograph food (I know, I know my Instagram says otherwise), it just never occurred to me to snap away at the dim sums and noodles and the other AMAZING dishes I tasted there. Guess you'll have to go there and try them for yourself, huh?

Some pics from the trip below. 

Wishes for 2018

In 2018, may I be more...

... patient.
... forgiving.
... persevering.
... enlightened.
... adventurous.

2017 had tested all of the above. I succeeded in some ways more than others. All in all, I can't complain. I'm grateful for both the good and bad; they've given me valuable life lessons. Probably the most important lesson of all is the fact that everyone progresses in life at their own pace. We all have our own peaks and troughs, which could come at different times of our lives, so there's no point in comparing yourself with others. You do you.

In 2018, my focus shifts to new priorities. Actually, they're long neglected priorities. Can't wait to (attempt to) get back on track.

Happy New Year!

Photo postcards!

Some of my travel photos are turned into postcards with Ming's delightful illustrations on them. They're for sale on his website, so check them out: https://mingoh.com/postcards/

I'm just happy my photography went beyond my own instagram account, lol.

Films Watched in 2017 (and my ratings)

1. Arrival (2016) - dir. Denis Villenueve (4.5/5)
2. The Light Between the Oceans (2016) - dir. Derek Cianfrance (3/5)
3. Allied (2016) - dir. Robert Zemeckis (3.5/5)
4. The Invitation (2016) - dir. Karyn Kusama (3.5/5)
5. Split (2016) - dir. M. Night Shyamalan (4/5)
6. Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - dir. Mel Gibson (4/5)
7. The Lego Batman Movie (2017) - dir. Chris McKay (3.5/5)
8. Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai (2016) - dir. Keiichi Hara (4/5)
9. T2 Trainspotting (2017) - dir. Danny Boyle (3.5/5)
10. Logan (2017) - dir. James Mangold (4.5/5)
11. The Salesman (2017) - dir. Asghar Farhadi (4.5/5)
12. Sing (2017) - dir. Garth Jennings, Christophe Lourdelet (2.5/5)
13. The Founder (2017) - dir. John Lee Hancock (4/5)
14. Fences (2017) - dir. Denzel Washington (4.5/5)
15. Ghost in the Shell (2017) - dir. Rupert Sanders (2.5/5)
16. Moonlight (2016) - dir. Barry Jenkins (5/5)
17. Get Out (2017) - dir. Jordan Peele (4/5)
18. The Prince of Egypt (1998) - dir. Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells (5/5)
19. Pop Aye (2017) - dir. Kirsten Tan (4.5/5)
20. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) - dir. James Gunn (4.5/5)
21. Alien: Covenant (2017) - dir. Ridley Scott (4/5)
22. Lion (2016) - dir. Garth Davis (4.5/5)
23. Manchester by the Sea (2016) - dir. Kenneth Lonergan (4/5)
24. Trespass Against Us (2017) - dir. Adam Smith (3/5)
25. Life (2017) - dir. Daniel Espinosa (3.5/5)
26. Wonder Woman (2017) - dir. Patty Jenkins (4/5)
27. Girl Asleep (2015) - dir. Rosemary Myers (3.5/5)
28. Okja (2017) - dir. Bong Joon-ho (4/5)
29. Spider-man: Homecoming (2017) - dir. Jon Watts (3.5/5)
30. Dunkirk (2017) - dir. Christopher Nolan (4.5/5)
31. Baby Driver (2017) - dir. Edgar Wright (5/5)
32. The Big Sick (2017) - dir. Michael Showalter (4/5)
33. Brigsby Bear (2017) - dir. Dave McCary (4/5)
34. To the Bone (2017) - dir. Marti Noxon (3/5)
35. mother! (2017) - dir. Darren Arronofsky (3.5/5)
36. Stronger (2017) - dir. David Gordon Green (4/5)
37. The Man with the Iron Heart (2017) - dir. Cedric Jimenez (2.5/5)
38. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - dir. Denis Villeneuve (4.5/5)
39. Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back (2017) - dir. Maura Axelrod (4.5/5)
40. You're Soaking in It (2017) - dir. Scott Harper (3.5/5)
41. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) - dir. Taika Waititi (4/5)
42. Ilo Ilo (2013) - dir. Anthony Chen (4.5/5)
43. The Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2017) - dir. Ryuichi Hiroki (2.5/5)
44. Coco (2017) - dir. Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina (4.5/5)
45. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - dir. Rian Johnson (4/5)
46. Predestination (2014) - dir. Peter & Michael Spiereg (3.5/5)
47. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) - dir. Jake Kasdan (3.5/5)
48. The Greatest Showman (2017) - dir. Michael Gracey (3.5/5)

Write your copy and move on

If there's one thing I've learned in copywriting, it's to not take things personally.

Sometimes, it's hard. As a writer, every word you type is dear to you. They mean something. They're your voice. They say what you want to say, how you say it.

But with agency life, you can't get attached. You're not saying what you want to say. You're your client's voice. So you simply meet their brief and move on.

Creative work can take someplace else.

on work

Work is love made visible.

And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger.

And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.

And if you sing though as angels, and love not the ringing, you muffle man's ears to the voice of the day and the voices of the night.

Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

Human+: The Future of our Species

This was a semi-disturbing exhibition. While I marvelled at how far technology has come, I was also terrified by the lines that they can cross.

The exhibition explores the boundaries of what it means to be human—boundaries of the body, boundaries of the species, boundaries of what is socially and ethically acceptable. Should we enhance ourselves, or seek to modify our descendants? Are we approaching a singularity of human-machine hybridization or de-skilling ourselves through our ever-increasing reliance on technological extensions of the body? Is extended human longevity a wonderful aspiration or a dire prospect for the planet?

First thing that shook me was how an artist surgically implanted an ear into his forearm. Why? I don't know, because my stomach began to churn at a video of the surgical process and had to look away.

Then there was the lineup of babies, each with a surgically implemented body modification. On the wall, we were asked to ponder, "Should parents be allowed to choose their children's genetic traits?"

Terrifying, but all thoroughly fascinating.

On a more light-hearted note, I enjoyed Nadine, the most realistic female humanoid social robot, built right here. While I was there, three tourists took turns talking to her, in various languages, and she answered them all pretty accurately, or at least pretty humanly. It's quite impressive. She's like a human Google.

I was also pretty amused by 'The Afterlife', which suggests that people convert their physical bodies into electrical energy (I hope I'm describing this right; I don't science so well) after death, which they can then transfer into a dry cell battery to run a series of everyday appliances. Items on display were as random as an electric toothbrush to a vibrator. The vibrator one came with a testimony saying along the lines of, "I'd like to be a part of the pleasures of the body."

All in all, Human+ was eye-opening. While technology has its wonders, I would feel terribly less human if cyborgs, automatons, and clones start becoming ubiquitous in this world.

All photos except the official cover photo are taken by me or M.

words of a polymath

Listen: The Polymath Civil Servant Who Writes Poetry and Innovates, Aaron Maniam

If you've got two hours to spare, skip the Netflix and listen to this insightful interview.

Some parts I liked:

• It's possible to learn to use your non-dominant side of the brain and sharpen the skills or knowledge that don't come as naturally to you. Dedicate the time and effort.
• Learned extroversion is sometimes essential for the introvert.
• A great mentor = someone who is able to empathise and listen to the mentee, acknowledge that he/she may not have all the answers but asks the right questions to direct the relevant channels to the mentee.
• Every piece of writing is necessary for a writer's growth. Yes, even your embarrassing journal entries when you were nine.

I'm always in awe listening to or reading about inspirational figures from our own backyard. It feels more empowering to receive such knowledge and wisdom from people closer to home. Everybody should have their own local heroes to aspire to.

words to live by

Interview with Haresh Sharma

There are so many things to learn from this brilliant interview, but I shall pick the two that struck a chord with me.

1. We are in constant search for the "right kind of writing".

“I liked writing. I just liked writing in primary school and secondary school - short stories, poetry, compositions.

I knew I was going to work in a job where writing is going to be involved. I thought maybe magazines, broadcast, PR, or something that involved that. But when I wrote my first play in 1989, it felt like it was the right kind of writing.”

It's comforting to know an established writer had the same thoughts I did while I was (still am) discovering myself. "I liked writing." It's as simple as that. And yes, truly, I look for an opportunity to write in any job I work in. Finding that writing "specialisation" though, is a challenge. I'm not sure if I've found the "right kind of writing" for myself yet, but it's just really encouraging to know that other people go through the same stages of self-discovery too.

2. Passion requires practice.

“I don’t believe in writers’ block, because you must be able to write even if you are writing something ridiculous, or if you are writing something that is not going to be used eventually.

Writing is a process and if you are going to only write if you think what you are writing is of value, then you would get writers’ block, because you refuse to type anything that you think is not of value. Just write, even if it’s a ridiculous conversation between two monkeys. Let that conversation take place and then in the middle of that, you may get inspired by something that leads you somewhere else.”

I'm guilty of this excuse. The notion that you need to be in the right state of mind, or have enough time, to be able to write is a sorry excuse for laziness. It's a bad habit I'm trying to kick, so that I'll practise what I claim to love doing and get better over time. Great reminder.

nothing is forever

It really frightens me when I don’t see an end to something. I realise that’s a little weird, when most people don’t want things to end. But I just don’t want to be stuck with the same thing everyday. Same giant pile of workload to plough through. Same grey scenery out the window. Same old faces and voices.

So step into the unknown, over and over again. Let fear take over. Let yourself feel alive.

It is only in endings that we find new beginnings, isn’t it?

all in our own time

I fell in love with this view. Taken in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan.

The devastating side effects of reaching my mid-twenties is that I no longer have the same youthful energy I was used to. I no longer can put things off till midnight where my mind works best, because by then, I'm just physically exhausted. 

So what I'm trying to say is that... I know this 2017 post is a little late. While I'd have preferred writing this in the wee hours of the morning on a Saturday, I unfortunately do not have that physical bandwidth anymore. (This is also most definitely due to the lack of exercise and declining metabolism, yikes.)

I haven't been very active blogging but I tell myself it's because I've been too busy enjoying life (for the first time in two years), and I ain't even sorry. :D

But really, 2016 had been my year of change. I think turning 25 catapulted me into automatic Adult Mode. Taking the leap into the unknown, because the familiar had grown cancerous. I felt tested in more ways than one - in faith, resilience, self-belief, creativity. Believe me, I fought my darndest. However, they say count your blessings; through all these battles, I'd been lucky to be surrounded by rock-solid individuals who have helped me stay anchored. So thank my lucky stars for A+ people who chose to stay in my life.

So now that we're in 2017, I won't echo the "new year, new me" humdrum. As far as I'm concerned, the new me came last year. This year, I am going to keep going at my own pace, continuing the positive changes I've started. I don't know where I'm headed from here, but I'll take each day as it comes. Hopefully with each new year, I'm a step closer to understanding who I am in this vast universe.

Or do we ever really know ourselves?

"There are no original ideas"

“A lot of artists think that suffering is necessary,” he says. “But in reality, any kind of suffering cramps the flow of creativity.”

— David lynch

Some fun shots with the X100T

Sometimes it helps to view this city in tourist eyes.

Getting more used to my X100T now after bringing it out a couple of times. Love the way it feels in my hands, and the freedom of shooting lightweight. The "limitation" of a fixed lens is exactly what I need - the challenge of shooting without over-reliance on zoom. It's perfect for street and travel, the times when I use the camera most anyways.

Can't wait to use it more. Now I've no reason to be lazy with my photography.

Are you sure that a floor can't also be a ceiling?

Caught M.C. Escher at the ArtScience Museum today and left after two hours stupendously in awe.

What a man. What a brain. That the human mind is capable of such ingenuity is inspiration enough for anyone to pursue their passion and perfect their craft.

New images are up

Whiz by.

Keyframes by Groupe LAPS (UK)

Have been in a bit of a random streak recently. Learning new things on a new job, while being useful at what I do best (I hope). 

I also noticed I'd been in a good mood a lot lately. It's great waking up everyday knowing you've had enough sleep the night before. I'm liking this "work-life balance" thing.

thank you

Today, I am grateful.

For parents who have kept me in their prayers.
For a boyfriend who remains patient with me.
For friends who are tirelessly encouraging.
For a God who still listens to my cries despite not deserving it.

I am emotional, but this month has been an eye-opener and a timely reminder. I have felt desperation then hope; sadness then joy; ignorance then gratitude; pride then humility.

There are greater things in life, but the little ones matter too.

LINK: Social media is on the rise, but not like you’d expect

Because Facebook and other social media platforms have the ability to shape how new stories are presented on their site, they also have the power to change the meaning and resonance of the way citizens relate to the brand at large.

Read more: http://www.cjr.org/analysis/reuters_report.php

everything is temporary

Link: 12 Hard Truths I've Learned About Adulthood After Half a Decade in the Working World

I just really need this on my blog. The whole article is great. Read it.

“On a similar note, everything is temporary. You will only be this age, living here, with this job, with this team, in this state of health, in this state of mental health, for so long.

You could choose to see this as a bad thing (Happiness is fleeting! Things will never be this good again!), but I consider it reassuring in two ways. Firstly, knowing that your life won’t always be this good forever inspires gratitude for the things that are going well right now. Secondly, if things aren’t good, you can take comfort in knowing that things won’t always be so bad.”

— Samantha Lee/Business Insider

I dream small and that's okay

Some time ago, someone I had once considered a mentor told me that she was disappointed in my lack of "big dreams".  She told me of the huge potential she saw in me since the day she met me. She told me of the grand plans she had in mind for me. But I somehow never reached those dreams, – and I'm supposed to be ashamed.

Those words gnawed at me for a long time. I wasn't thinking about it every day, but I knew something had unsettled in me since that day. A huge question mark surfaced from the very core of my soul... when I found my answer.

Whose dreams had I really been trying to live?

They certainly weren't mine. I realised then that that was the only reason why I never felt fulfilled nor free. Someone else's idea of success had been imbued in me, that I was trying to to live up to those ideals. The ideals that weren't mine. As a result, I had given up my own sense of happiness.

I told this person I can no longer call a mentor that I'd never dreamed of publishing an award-winning novel or giving a TED Talk or running my own business. No, that's not what success or happiness means to me. I set myself small milestones, which to me are perfectly realistic and achievable, rather than setting myself up for disappointment with ridiculous expectations. I'm perfectly content with taking baby steps, because to me, the learning is in the journey. The destination doesn't really interest me that much. Nothing in the future is certain anyway.

It was only when I had come to terms with this myself, that I felt peace. I needed to assure myself that my dreams, no matter how small, matter too. No one has the right to say otherwise, and if you let your life's path be at the mercy of someone else, then you'll only have yourself to blame at the end of the day.

So own your dreams, because they're yours. Small dreams are worth having too.