Thursday, May 31, 2007

Where would you like to go when you have to go? Regardless of religious inclination or such, humans instinctively envision paradises for themselves, whether they consciously believe in them or not.

Me, I weave mine from the fragments of what I've experienced. To a chateau built upon meadows in Switzerland, take the clearest night sky and the finest drizzle. Take the whale song from the depths of the sea, and the fluttering of wings in the boundless sky. Forget not the refreshing wind, the finest dining, and the company of friends. Finally, add the deep forest, alluring and mysterious.

I could go on for ages, but this will do for now.

So then, tell me.

When you close your eyes, what do you see?

Posted by Calvin at 10:37 pm

How can I hope to describe the perfection that is Hawaii? Kalalau Lookout on Kauai island is one example. Looking down from the roadside, I gazed upon what seemed like a secret, primeval place. Fog and rainclouds were drifting in from the side, and the sunlight breaking through in places gave it a atmosphere that still makes me shiver in recollection.

Descending the mountain, we passed between boundless meadows and towering mountains, as if directing us towards the sea. And evening was coming, already, the sky was taking on a pinkish hue. Word had it that a recent lava flow had met the sea, and so we did find it, scrambling over an expanse of grey/black rocks, the hardened residue of past eruptions.

I lay there with my family, watching the bright red geyser and the innumerable stars unfolding above me. One of the few times in my life I have been awed into speechlessness.

How can I possibly convey what I saw in mere words? If I could, I would have you there with me, to see what I saw. But I cannot, I am stifled, and it hurts.

Posted by Calvin at 2:03 pm

Best bait and switch I've seen in a long time.

"Ah, yes of cour- "

"-damn."

And because I'm in a picture posting mood.

Sweet dreams.

Posted by Calvin at 2:16 am

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

And this is my submission for the identiTEE competition. I won't go into the details of the explanation behind the piece. Next project, I'll try and do a proper picture of Eek which I might upload to my deviantART account if I'm satisfied.

Watched Pirates 3 recently, it was pretty awesome. What with the visit to the nether world and the climatic maelstrom scene. Too much awesome. And who doesn't like pirates? I'm a sucker for secret maps and stuff like that.

Word has it that Starcraft 2 isn't releasing till late '08, so I guess I'll get cracking on ssbb once its out. Also, Random Picture Attack!

Posted by Calvin at 10:54 pm

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Eek, with wings and shading done. Am rather satisfied overall. He is an aquatic dragon, so perhaps I should give him webbed feet and hands. Will experiment with colour soon.

Posted by Calvin at 4:30 pm

There is no key to the heaven within.

But there are, however, many ways in.

Touch the earth lightly, but leave lots behind.

Dreamscapes and stardust, for the lucky to find.

--------------------------------------------------

My favourite book was one I read as a child. Sadly, it's name and location are lost to me now.

It was about a boy, who had a quilt that was proof against nightmares. It was a gift from his grandmother, who was an expert in the area. However, it grew a tear one day, and it's power began to fade. Bringing it before his grandmother, she gave him a list of ingredients she would need.

He would have to bring the quilt to the top of the house, and use it to collect the waning light of the moon and the first ray of dawn. And so he did, trudging up through the house in the early morning.

He was terribly afraid of the dark, and shadows loomed around corners. He envisioned the most ghastly demons hiding in the darkness, and unearthly sounds came from deep within the house.

Finally, shivering with cold, he stood at the balcony and raised the quilt to catch the light of the moon and the sun. Come breakfast, the boy regaled his grandmother with tales of his quest, and presented her the quilt for repair.

The grandmother told him this. "My child, though I am able to repair this, no doubt your journey has cured you of your fears already. Your nightmares will trouble you no longer, and surely then, you have no more use for the quilt."

Posted by Calvin at 1:06 am

Monday, May 28, 2007

My room! I rearranged some furniture so I thought a picture was in order. As you can no doubt guess, I like stuffed animals. Can you find them all?

Posted by Calvin at 7:15 pm

Posted by Calvin at 2:27 am

Sunday, May 27, 2007

As I write this, I am viewing a most remarkable display of nature outside my window. The trees are green - but a verdant, deep shade of green that puts me in mind of proper enchanted forests with streams and treefolk and fairies and twilight. It reminds me fairytale grottoes with waterfalls and pools, not a single bug in sight of course.

And the sky! The most absolute shade of blue and grey, melded into the colour that dreams are made off. I no longer see any edges to the clouds, but rather a complete blanket of the most beautiful dark blue. I will call it dream blue.

It is at times like this where I wish I could escape. Somewhere, somehow, there is a path that leads off into the forest. There are only cute critters, such as rabbits and cats. The forest is dark and cool at night, and shafts of sunlight shine on moss covered stone during the day.

Is it really so bad to dream? Is childishness such a negative trait?

Poor, ignorant observer, I forgive you. My paradise is something to aspire to, something to think about. It is not real, but it is real enough.

I still am afraid of the dark, there are sounds unknown and monsters hidden under my bed. But I think it shows I still have my childlike imagination.

Have you lost yours?

Posted by Calvin at 6:57 pm

I had the most curious dream last night. I was on a motorcycle, and I was racing across the desert amongst a pack of other two and four wheeled vehicles. I was conscious of the texture of the ground - coarse and rocky - that made maneuvering the vehicle a challenge. And in that odd manner of dreams, I knew we were racing toward the location of a nuclear explosion, but I knew not why - only that I had to be first.

As we drew nearer, it started to rain dice. Even the ground was morphing into dice, entire slabs of rock and earth turned into white, pitted, surfaces. I was vaguely aware of the risks of radiation exposure, but my dreamlike self thought, "Surely now, that can't be a problem."

And so we arrived, to nothing special in particular. Just a crater of raised earth, still smouldering at the edges. As the riders dismounted, I saw you as well. Odd isin't it?

The rocks around the crater were so hot we used them to cook noodles. I remember stirring them with chopsticks so large they could only exist in dreams. Sadly, I woke before they were finished.

Posted by Calvin at 11:47 am

Saturday, May 26, 2007

This one is called Eek. When I have time I will finish drawing him and add his wings.

Posted by Calvin at 10:59 pm

Friday, May 25, 2007

There is this kerb I pass by on my way home, it borders a pavement and a stretch of grass. Its along the car park and its about 20 metres long. Everyday, without fail, I will step on it and balance and walk my way down, regardless of people around me, weather, or cats blocking the way.

When I'm walking along it, I could be exploring a cliff somewhere in the Alps, I could be crossing a stream amongst the prairies of North America, or it could be a plank that bridges the skyship and the harbour-tree.

I listen to the wind soughing in the trees, the sounds coming from the hill beside me, the sound of my footsteps - and if I am lucky, the patter of rain. Tropical climates are such a bore, what fun it must be to wear scarfs and cardigans, to splash through puddles in galoshes, and to carry an umbrella when it drizzles. It must be nice to feel the crunching of snow under ones feet, to walk, forever and ever, under the endless prismatic sky.

And then I reach the end, and I am home.

Posted by Calvin at 7:38 pm

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Isn't he sweet? His name is Squeak. Tomorrow I will do some shading perhaps, and there is something odd about the facial structure that I'm too tired to fix now. Perhaps I drew his head a little too high.

Till tomorrow, then.

Posted by Calvin at 11:55 pm

Kudos to you if you know what this picture is, and if you do, I suppose you're anticipating it just as much as I.

Coming soon, detailed analysis on just what That Weird Sculpture In The NJC Garden is.

Posted by Calvin at 1:13 pm

Monday, May 21, 2007

Greetings class, and welcome to your first lecture on Humanoid Geography. I am lecturer Stardragon, and with me is guest Paladin Acteon, who will smite the first of you to doze off. We have gathered here in Hyjal to study eUrbanisation, which is the effect that video games have on your mind and your life.

(Yes, yes sit down, of course you didn't see me come in, I'm a Rogue.)

Phase 1: All games start out as LEDCs, or Lush Environments Developing Cohesion. That is to say, one throws oneself into the game at the expense of physical responsibilities. The reason for this being, new games have an element of surprise and promise that is at the same time enticing and challenging. Needless to say, at this stage the game dominates your free time, and even your thoughts when involved in other matters.

Phase 2: Soon enough, you will have acquainted yourself with the game, and it progresses to an NIE, or Newly Integrated Environment. This means you have gained a level of expertise in the activity, and have integrated it into your life successfully. This entails striking a balance between virtual and physical responsibilities, while at the same time maintaining a suitable level of progress in both.

Phase 3: Finally, the game matures to an MEDC, or Mastered Environment, Developed Character. You have a set routine in a game now, be it DotA, WoW, or Warcraft. This means you know what you want to do when you log in, you get it done, and you resume normal activities. This essentially frees up much of your time to advance areas of your physical life. However, there is the imminent danger of growing bored with the game, and you may be compelled to purchase a new one and thus repeat the cycle.

*Further lectures will touch on the effects of Migration, that is to say the decision of the friends you play with to pursue other games.

Class dismissed, next week's lesson is subject to cancellation due to conflicting raid schedules and server downtime.

Ah, the life of a gamer.

Posted by Calvin at 3:38 pm

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Busy, busy, busy. So many things to do.

1) Evolve and level my Porygon.
2) Get up to speed with Starcraft

*Ahem*, http://www.starcraft2.com

3) Get my 4 Bs for CT2
4) Get my 4 As for As.
5) Some other stuff.

Been busy with NJCIS this whole/coming weekend, and next week is going to be awesome too.

I would say i'm a rather well balanced student.

Aha, oh yes.

Posted by Calvin at 10:41 pm

I see you standing outside the train station, giving out leaflets of some sort. I see you all.

Blinded by your ignorance and your zealotry, you seek to redeem me.

What irony.

Is it not enough that you believe what you believe? What compels you to try and change my mind?

Ask many people and they would groan at the chore of having to give out pamphlets or solicit donations. Yet you stand there, with fire in your eyes.

Dangerous fervor indeed.

What is it to you? Buying your way into heaven? Perhaps this is all just an organised pyramid scheme. Go forth and multiply - and spawn a new generation of evangelists of course.

More and more, exponentially, like a virus. But I grow weary of this diatribe, so I shall say just this.

I'm not a sheep, I don't need a damn shepherd.

"If you'd stop telling people it'll all be fixed when they're dead, perhaps they'll try to fix it when they're alive."

With sorrow, and mild amusement

Posted by Calvin at 5:02 am

Thursday, May 17, 2007

For this draft, the theme I decided to work with was 'duality', namely that of urban settlements.

At night and in the rain, landscapes blur and tend towards uniformity, whilst sunlight brings out the subtle flaws in what we observe. Something thats been on my mind lately.

Still, I feel having the buildings project from the circle in the center seems more appropiate, shall experiment this weekend perhaps. In colour, if I am bold enough to try.

Posted by Calvin at 10:49 pm

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Initial draft for my entry into http://www.tee.youth.sg/, rather satisfied but I feel much work is obviously needed.

The theme for the contest is IdentiTEE, and the duality of the piece emphasizes the two sides of Singapore, during rainy and sunny weather. It also aludes to our emotions, which may be cheerful and upbeat one moment, and downcast the next.

Things to do - 1) Rain should be vertical instead of slanted, doesn't really work out as it is and it adds another confusing dimension to the picture which is unneeded. 2) Top half needs to be fleshed out, area around the sun is meant to mirror what one would see standing under a palm tree and looking up, obviously needs work. 3) Neaten up the lines and consider extension of the design onto the sleeves of the shirt. 4) Darken pencil lines, though this may be due to the camera i took the picture with, consider colour usage and contrast.

More to be added as inspiration strikes me, comments welcome, expect picture to be edited.

Cheers.

Posted by Calvin at 10:51 pm

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

New Europe, 2047 - Reports are in that the Nexus Corporation has recently acquired half of Oceania, and has begun systematic 'liberation' of the population.

With more than 50% of the world's landmass occupied by Nexus, citizens of bordering countries are encouraged to arm themselves and report suspicious activity to Terracouncil outposts situated in green sectors.

In other news, pollution fueled lightning storms are expected over the Northwestern landmasses, and farmers are advised to earth their greenhouses to prevent destruction of bio fuel.

Clear skies are forecast for next week, which should expedite Terracouncil experiments to reseed Western Asia with vegetation. . .

Posted by Calvin at 11:23 pm

Monday, May 14, 2007

Funny ol' thing, love.

...

*http://azuzephre.deviantart.com/

Posted by Calvin at 9:22 pm

Friday, May 11, 2007

Let me tell you about my dreams.

In primary school, I dreamt I was descending an endless shining escalator, down amongst a forest of neon buildings, and then I arrived at my doorstep. I do not know why, but this one refuses to be forgotten. Perhaps I remember it because, secretly, desperately, I believe it has a meaning I have yet to realise.

Now I am floating through all manner of places, forests, cities, and then - inexplicably - I am skiing down a mountain, and the snow erupts and swirls and I am falling into a maelstrom of the purest blue water. It is serene, and yet exhilarating at the same time, and I marvel at the whirlpool that drags me down and wonder where I am headed. When I woke, I could still hear the roaring in my ears.

More recently I was a rabbit, and in my burrow I found a hole that went down, so down I went. Through passages no wider than an ant and cathedrals of rock - a labyrinth deep below the world. And i emerged in a copy of the world I came from, a reverse-world. I saw my house, but it was empty and decrepit, devoid of sound. I was alone in the world, and all around me i was surrounded by ruins and silence - absolute silence.

Do you remember the last time you woke up with the remnants of a dream unfurling in your mind? Eluding all attempts at recollection, like water slipping through your palms. I really hate that, because - in a sorrowful sense - I feel like I am losing something very important, something I should be knowing.

Today in the range, I dreamt of a lady in a white dress, haughty and proud. But something woke me, a distant cough, or the opening of a door perhaps.

And she was gone.

Posted by Calvin at 8:03 pm

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Something i came across on Deviantart by Blackmago, which reminded me of something.

I really, really envy those with the capacity to draw well. Not banners or house posters, but iridescent chromatic masterpieces that stop me in my tracks. It's one thing to have a amazing dream, or listen to an awesome piece of music.

But it's another thing together to be able to express that in colour, for the world to see. My classroom doodles are but mere halflings compared to what I come across daily. Truly, I am stifled. When was the last time you had a dream so vivid, but no way to tell anyone about it?

Art is transmutation at it's very finest.

In a perfect world I would be free from the drudgery of life, free to draw, to paint, to read. I would have a cottage somewhere beside a forest. Already, I see the sky and the clouds, the lake and the mountains.

I also see cities of shining metal, forests of light and shadow, the vast deep underground. Every hue, every shadow, every emotion encapsulated in colour. All this I see in my mind.

But I cannot, for the life of me, transmute that into art. Not now, not yet.

And it hurts.

Posted by Calvin at 11:49 am

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

I've recently confirmed my suspicion that guys and girls have different perspectives when it comes to identifying attractive guys and girls. Quite an interesting phenomenon indeed

Case in point, RandomGirl shows a picture of her eye candy to the RandomClassGuys and they all go 'eww!' Vice versa of course.

I wonder if similar parallels exist in other areas, be it music, art, games, or anything you can care to name - not of course limited to just comparisons between girls and guys.

Curioser and curioser.

------------------------------------------

Found this on deviantart, titled Autum in the Forest by Roderich.

Now isin't that just dandy.

------------------------------------------

I was going to post a YouTube video here but evidently I haven't figured out how to do that yet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjh_kuGCePQ

Posted by Calvin at 10:34 pm

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

I am not in a relationship with that person. Get it?

Because if I were, it would be but a sad, pathetic mockery of one.

Non. Totally unacceptable.

-----------------------

Alas, the path of passion leads to thee.

Burn the bridges, let this wanderer flee!

For now be no time for contemplation.

This chill wind threatens evisceration.

------------------------

Woohoo.

Posted by Calvin at 10:32 pm

I remember, years ago when I was still in secondary 2, my parents took me on a trip to Bintan for a resort stay. The van ride to the resort from the airport was uneventful save one incident.

We pulled up at a traffic junction, and this lady came up to the window - baby in hand - to offer to sell us some trinkets.

No one should ever have to do that.

We politely refused, and as the van pulled away I looked back, and I remember the look on that woman's face.

I will never forget it.

Yeah it's a fucked up world, ain't it?

---------------------------------------

Which always serves to remind me how sodding lucky I am. No matter how much you moan and gripe, what you experience is nothing compared to the plight of others. And for some of us, we sit in the comfort of our electrical cocoons and complain about the stresses of life.

Yeah you got an exam? Somewhere, someone is going hungry.

CCA practice getting you down? How would you like to be destitute and dying?

Kinda puts things in perspective I reckon. I'm behind in math, my economics is a disaster, but you know what? I don't have the right to complain.

None of us do.

Posted by Calvin at 9:41 pm

Sunday, May 06, 2007

"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education."
-Albert Einstein

Posted by Calvin at 9:33 pm

This whole issue of the ip and mainstream posters is simply sickening. It makes one wonder sometimes, just what it is that drives people to feel the need to assert their superiority.

I have said it time and time again. If you're better than someone, you show it quietly - without arrogance - and then you let the poor fools realise their inadequacy. A dagger kills much more cleanly than a sword.

"We did it cos we want to have something that we can laugh at when we're 63. And i saw a blog in which the ip spoofed us back. Haha darn. And they had cool poses and prob did it cos they can look back and laugh at it when they're 63.

See we're all doing dumb stuff in a dumb school and we'll all turn 63 someday."

- My friend, who helped with the mainstream poster.

Children, play nicely. Even Pokemon can get along.

Animosity is not good for the heart, you might not even make it to 63!

Posted by Calvin at 2:13 pm

Posted by Calvin at 1:34 am

Friday, May 04, 2007

I've Naruto downloading whilst on MSN, Atreyu blasting in the background.

I'm playing Pokemon Diamond.

Of course, i've coke to drink too.

Yeah I sodding love weekends.

Work can wait.

And so can you.

Posted by Calvin at 10:16 pm

Thursday, May 03, 2007

It's truly amazing what one can learn when one is exposed to new environments.

No i'm not talking about cheesy 'leadership skills' that you supposedly pick up on overseas attachments and the like. I'm talking about leetspeak and it's effect on language. As a gamer I feel I am in a position to elaborate further on this matter.

Specimen #1, The term 'lol' has actually evolved from being a mere appreviation to becoming a sort of damper in sentences. A Device, if I may say so. When inserted correctly it serves to make a sentence seem less threatening than it originally was, minimising the chance for conflict.

Case in point - "Why are you late?" as opposed to "lol why are you late?"

Clearly, this helps to prevent potential misunderstandings that may occur. Not only does this have practical applications, it goes to show that language is constantly evolving, and those that restrict their education to books and curriculum material will be hard pressed to notice this.

Never underestimate what you can learn from any source.

Keep your eyes - and your mind - open.

Posted by Calvin at 10:19 pm

Service with Honor?

Anarchy is in order.

Leadership with Sensitivity?

Snooty, superficial subjectivity.

Loyalty with Integrity?

Stuff it and make merry.

Scholarship with Creativity?

Spare me the hypocrisy.

My two cents.

P.S. Got a better rhyme? I'd love to hear about it.

Posted by Calvin at 7:37 pm

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

How the world changes.

Only a few years ago words like 'noob,' 'pwn,' and 'owned' and all their derivations were only ever uttered in games and such. To do so in public was to invite weird stares and blank looks.

As such, it's rather amusing to hear everyone and their siblings bandying around such words today. Goes to show the extent of gaming penetration in society, hurrah. I predict in a couple of decades or so, gaming will be recognised as an artform. Shall have to stick around and see. I may yet be vindicated.

----------------------------------------------

In other news, I have a plan.

I shall cultivate an image as one of NJC's worst students. You know, frequently missing collar pin, metal buttons, sporadic skipper of classes, so on and so forth.

And then I shall get 4 As for my A'levels.

If I had more time, I would aim for something loftier, just for the fun of it. Scholarships and the like, just to prove that acedemic success can come to those who don't mug. I have always believed that quality trumps quantity.

I enjoy beating people at their own game.

For the sake of seeing the look on some peoples faces.
For the vindication of my work ethic and principles.
For the opportunity, when i walk out the side gate with my result slip, to flip a bird to that huge crest over the grandstand and walk away.

I will do this.

And I will not look back.

Much.

Posted by Calvin at 11:30 pm

I just got home from a party and it's late, so allow me this short diatribe.

I've always wondered about the student council practice of cheering during assembly. You know, when some cca wins something significant and they all pop out to perform some cheer. Whose idea was that? What purpose does it serve?

It cerainly doesnt make me feel any more congratulated. Trust me, when people perform impressive feats, it's the quiet respect and silent admiration that matters most - not some garbled cheering with plastic faces.

Have i ever mentioned how atrocious NJ cheers are? Not only is that yahhh thing fast, its contents make it impossible to pronounce coherently.

So it's supposed to go like this -
"To serve and strive and not to yield, NJC all the way, all the way NJC!"

But what we hear is this -
"Toservatstrivanottoyield. . . you get the picture"

If you want to hear some proper cheering, do drop by SJI.

Really its embarassing, and totally unneeded.

-----------------------------------------------

On a side note, I don't know who was responsible for playing rock and metal in the canteen on Monday, but kudos to you. Its a whole lot better than the pop and mass dance garbage I hear occasionally. Now, I don't discriminate against particular music genres, I just know a good riff when I hear one.

I read in someone's KI paper an article on how aesthetics is concerned with reasons, while psychology focuses on causes. Put simply, to the question of "Why does this sound nice?", an answer from psychology would be "Because it makes me feel happy." From an aesthetic point of view, it may be because the bars all have 8 notes, or the tempo is a certain value.

So then, let me be so forward as to suggest that there is an aesthetic reason for why some music is nice, and others are trash. Put simply, good taste is objective. Yea, a paradox ain't it? Reminds me that I've GP tomorrow.

Bah, shall elaborate if I have time.