Archive for July, 2006

Encounter 2

Monday, July 24th, 2006

Web

Personally, I was very happy with the results of it. 220 people up to date that signed up, first time in the history for TSF (correct me if I’m wrong). Indeed, it was really satisfying to see that you personally did something benefitial for the community & furthermore, helped the community break the mark that they originally set for, 200 people.

The picture came by while I was bored doing my ‘Befrienders’ assingment. I just grabbed the digi cam, put my hand against the wall, set the table lamp, and shot. It turned up pretty cool. When proposed to Elder Ang of FGAKL, it was mentioned that the hand is searching within the very walls, a spiritual ambient where one could come to experience an encounter. One of my personal favourite typefaces, Sabon was used.

Encountercover

Wish I could do more projects like these that really worked. Meanwhile, enjoy a video here & another video there. Many thanks to Jon’ & Patrick too. Not to mention Datuk Tiu. Visit the web, but sorry, registration is closed.

Read on

Friday, July 14th, 2006

Almost suddenly, time is going by faster than the time where the entire cosmic universe started to rain meteor showers passing earth that’s witnessed by Korean drama series lovers who tend to make wishes related to somebody they have certain fantasies on when coming into contact with one.

As the baby crawls & goes into 5 years of secondary education (or perhaps 6 years for some students) while their parents working hard to a) feed the family, b) settle bills etc., c) save some cash for emergancy’s sake & d) just to have something that neighbours can talk about, time is slowly taking it’s sweet time whilst enjoy watching people getting things done which a) varies from individual to individual, b) for goodness sake, work, c) to make something out of the content of time given. Oh, and also to d) finish up last minute assignments.

Suddenly, consumerism seems of primary importance to many many companies, big or small, verterans or rookies, juniors or super seniors and also lecturers or part time lecturers regardless of time. The rebels of certain communities seems to go in a non-aligned movement that actually denounced pro-consumerism other than what Ralph Nader’s very insightful pro-consumer thoughts that seriously are trying it’s very best to help humanity through companies whose workers politically causing havoc or chaos around the office in coporate dummy suits.

Whatever, this post is completely a very unaddressable post. By now, you might be guessing what I’m trying to say here or maybe a) “What’s wrong with him man?” or b) “Idiot. What an idiot. or c) “I think he’s trying to say something.. But what is it??” or perhaps d) “Sorry dude. None of the above.”.

Just trying to be cynical about addressable issues, which i know either 1) some people get what the whole thing is about and had a good laugh over this, 2) some totally lost in trying to decode the code or perhaps 3) some who couldn’t be bothered but stopped reading this post after the 4th line ( maybe the 7th for the curious ones) which actually might be posted up to people who are actually concerned about & valuable time.

The art of less (non-provocational post)

Saturday, July 8th, 2006

Lets check this out:

Less is more - Andrea del Sarto
As you get older less is always more - Ivana Trump
More matter with less art - William Shakespeare

The art of less just always amazes me. Those Swiss designers that created their signature style back in about late 1930s - 40s based on the art of less well, should be respected. They ‘rejected’ the Constructive terms. Ignored the popular Bauhaus ideas on design. Used only mainly sans serif fonts (only Garamond was introduced later). The style includes:

1) Lines of capitals
2) Justified wither left or right
3) Cool expressive fonts
4) Significance in illustrations & type
5) Straight forward information given
6) Bla Bla Bla (Simplification of ‘I don’t know much.’)

I’m not here to preach about Swiss style. Correct me if I am wrong;
My guess is that these guys say, “Cut off all that crap. Let’s create design that works.” Functionalists. They might probably have based their design aesthetics on keeping the design looks simple. Simplicity for both visual pleasure & also reduce the risk of non-workable designs (No wander IKEA.. But still every time we go there, we meet somebody we recognize). Get my point?

My dad always advices me to live simple. Complication allows rooms for complexity issues that stand chances to disappoint. Till now, my folks don’t even actually own a ‘house’ under their name, drive huge cars with complicated controllers on their steering wheels (Which the radio volume control looks like a video game forward & backward icon) & actually hardly even buy furniture for my house back in Sitiawan. As a matter of fact, most of the furniture at my home are given by beautiful kind people.

The bible says that we came to this world naked. Naked shall we leave this world then. If you believe in heaven, would you possibly want to bring your Ibanez Jem7vwh up there? The bible for example, simply 1 book on creation, 66 books on redemption. Love compassionately came down from heaven to die for mankind, which was created out of love. Minimalism?

Let’s say, put 2 of your friends together side-by-side. You start comparing them & you will find so much difference in them physically. Put your whole class together & well, everyone then looks the same. It’s just a human figure in many other forms of variations. Minimalism? Or maybe perhaps variations of a kind.

I used to attend classes by a lecturer who I believe is a strong minimalist. Even named his company Minimus. Check out some good stuff he did. Simply nice.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, “The fewer limitations the artist imposes on his work, the less chance he has for artistic success.” Pretty much as interesting as when the lecturer says “No.”. But then, you couldn’t be bothered by what he says, even though minimalism might take place, it imposes a challenge to prove yourself better.

The art of less is more has a very interesting canvas to paint on. But still the issue of wether too much of something is good is always argurable. Read more & you will get more knowledge. Hang out more with Ah Lian & you will become Ah Lian. Then, Ah Beng like. Work hard & make money. Work hard & loose family. I always get this from my clients, “Too simple lah.. Can you make it more feeling?” Read your bible & pray more. I’ve always envy those guys out there who can easily turn a complex message into simple message understood by everyone though. Less is absolutely complicated.

On the lighter note, I couldn’t be bothered about World Cup. I didn’t watch a single match. Football minimalist.

Life in a pair of Fu Keong shoes

Tuesday, July 4th, 2006

Back while I was still about 9 years old, I wore a pair of Fu Keong shoes, a Pagoda singlet under my Black-Cat school uniform & a pair Dolphin pants that I wear to sleep at night & sometimes even out. Not to forget too, the Tat Sing slippers I wore out sometimes. When Fido Dido came out while I was in standard 5, I had stickers of the ever-famous 7-UP character & even a notebook with his picture upfront! Back then, I had a Hudson’s metal package where I would put all my $0.30 stickers in it. Even collected mini-decks where one would place on the floor to play with. Not to forget my toys, that were bought from routined supermarket visits, which consists of mainly squeezable characters from cartoons (normally the hero..). Also always challenging Heman with Snap, Happy Family & Old Maid. Sometimes, we upgrade to Millionaire and when we got out 1st video cassate recorder, we recorded King Kong.

Guess I was a pretty happy kid. Thanks to my old folks who are now even older. Now I’m surrunded by subjects as serious as survival. Life. How progressively impatient it is viewed sometimes.