Only Six Degrees Of Separation?

in small towns, everybody knows everybody else; that’s what everybody says. brunei is not exactly a small town… more like a small country. so i thought, perhaps, the rule might not apply… at least not quite so literally.

of course, like almost everything else in my belief system, i was proven wrong once again.

a couple of days ago, my buddy terrence asked, “wanna meet new people?”. so i met this bunch of people, one of whom was talking incessantly about “jo”. from what i gathered, she just broke up with this girl, and was bitter about getting dumped. fair enough. then came “josephine” from “KB” who was “bisexual”. wait a minute… JOSEPHINE? HURRICANE JOSEPHINE WHO TURNED MY BEST-EST COUSIN’S WORLD UPSIDE DOWN?!?

just like that, i found myself walking down memory lane, remembering all those months of hell when fred dated her. he would be down in a dump after being belittled for his hair or fashion sense or job or personality or socks. and i would pick him up only to have her crush his self-worth the next day, if not the next minute via the ever-popular SMS.

then came the realisation that in the midst of her lies, including her supposed new zealander accent and a degree in rocket science, she did tell one truth. she really was bisexual. damn!

fast forward an hour, and i was outside the cafe smoking with terrence and he said, “do you know your new friend is not your new friend? you added her on facebook a few weeks ago.”

i did? but why would a facebook whore like me add a stranger? i mean, i only have 299 friends to date and about 97% of them are not my friends in real life. who does that, right?

so came this epiphany. in a country as small as brunei, there’s no such thing as six degrees of separation. “it’s more like two, ” said terrence.

and he was not wrong… for all we know, you could be my uncle’s best friend’s cousin’s daughter’s boyfriend’s sister…

p/s: miss jo’s real name has been changed, given the risk of her stumbling upon this blog. and she’s not a rocket scientist, either. that was exaggerated solely for dramatic effect.

Click, Click, Click

maybe there’s a significance to july; maybe it’s just me. but every year, at the end of june, i feel the need to change, like a good spring cleaning of my life. this time last year, it was kissing singledom goodbye. this year, it’s photography.

well, okay… the interest didn’t pop outta nowhere. i’ve been flirting with the idea for… five years? oh well, now that i have a hand-me-down-canon 350D-from-brother-dearest, i’m ready to snap away

no, no, no. don’t expect anything spectacular anytime between now and 2056. we all have limitations, and art is mine. then there’s photoshop, which is another roadblock. even this new wordpress dashboard had got me so confused, it took me months to figure out how to get around it.

but if july is the month of changes, then photography *has* to stay ;P

p/s: the pic was a sad attempt at earning a spot in the world of photography…

How Do You Criticise Awareness?

“stuff white people like” is one of those rare gems on the blogosphere. at first glance, it seemed to be a racist site that served to attack the white; it’s really not. if anything, it’s founder christian lander’s way of poking fun at his own kind – like russell peters does the indian – and entertains the masses in the process.

among my faves are: #28 not having a tv, which advises us to “NEVER suggest they are making a mistake or that there is a value to owning a TV”; #18 awareness, which points out that “white people… firmly believe that all of the world’s problems can be solved through ‘awareness’”, allowing them “to feel that sweet self-satisfaction without actually having to solve anything or face any difficult challenges”; and #1 coffee, which “white guys will.. call… anything but coffee”, but rather “rocket fuel”, “java”, “joe”, and “black gold”.

lander also suggests that if “a white person shows up in your country, you can make them feel fantastic by saying how you’ve never seen a white person before, and that you are amazed by their iPod… They might give it to you, then you can sell it for profit. Repeat as necessary”.

seems tricky, but worth a try, eh?

Ready For AI?

i’ve never been *that* big a fan of american idol. but seeing some of the contestants play instruments during the hollywood auditions was refreshing. maybe i’m ignorant, but i had always thought these songbirds dedicated their time to singing alone.

anyway, i can’t wait for the top 24 showdown. my faves: brooke white, carly smithson and michael johns

Work Your Powerhouse!

my doc started me on this medication that is famous for making people put on 10 kilogrammes a minute. so, to counter that, i downloaded loads of workout clips… *ahem*…. illegally.

i thought i would like kickboxing better than yoga, given i’m hyper and all. but instead, i sooooo wanted to re-do winsor’s 50-minute pilates workout, even though my “powerhouse” (abs) was screaming for a breather. what can i say? i have been sucked into the whole yoga trend, and it is FUN!

now, all i need now is to be able to touch my toes…

Hooked On Old Fashioned Girl

it’s that time of the year when listening to metal music doesn’t quite do it for me. usually, i can count on bob dylan to save the day. but this time around, gomez are my boys. there’s something about brit rock that is just so darn pleasing on the ears. while there are some good american bands, their creativity, in terms of arrangement and songwriting approach, often lack the all-important element of surprise.

their song “see the world”, as i’ve linked from youtube here, is one of them songs that makes me ponder… about everything under the sun. it’s soothing. it’s warm. it has everything that make a rainy day more relaxing. so, enjoy now and find yourself an old fashioned girl…

Day to day
Where do you want to be?
‘Cos now you’re trying to pick a fight
With everyone you need

You seem like a soldier
Who’s lost his composure
You’re wounded and playing a waiting game
In no-man’s land no-one’s to blame

See the world
Find an old fashioned girl
And when all’s been said and done
It’s the things that are given, not won
Are the things that you want

Empty handed, surrounded by a senseless scene
With nothing of significance
Besides a shadow of a dream
You sound like an old joke
You’re worn-out, a bit broke
An’ askin me time and time again
When the answer’s still the same

See the world
Find an old fashioned girl
And when all’s been said and done
It’s the things that are given, not won
Are the things that you want

You’ve got a chance to put things right
So how’s it going to be?
Lay down your arms now
And put us beyond doubt
So reach out it’s not too far away
Don’t mess around now, don’t delay

I’M A BLOGGER!!!

Do You Even Know What a Blog Is?

You got 0/8 correct!What the heck are you doing at Blogthings?

How Much Do You Know About Blogging?

… or maybe not… despite having been blogging since late september 2006, i’m not quite there yet. now, your turn

Do You Take Visa?

sometimes, i look around my room and wonder how many things i have that i actually need. sure, there are the essentials such as a toothbrush, some toothpaste, a guitar, a laptop, a desktop, a bed, a set of tarot cards, tees, and jeans. and then, there are things that i can go without: dolls, a massive collection of DVDs, an even bigger collection of CDs, books and magazines that i’ll never read, five sets of quilt cover and bedsheet that don’t go with my room, three extra lamps, five extra pillows, 11 sudoku books…

it’s frightening to think how much money i could potentially have if it’s not for my love of online shopping. put everything into the shopping cart, key in the credit card details, and press “confirm”. tada! don’t even have to care about it… until the next credit card bill comes.

scarier still is when a parcel arrives, and i have no recollection of the purchase. case in point: i received half a dozen of novels by john sandford from amazon.com last year. my first thought was: “i like john sandford?”

i don’t know when i’d grow up and start taking life more seriously. but if personality tests are accurate, then i’ll get there one day. in the meantime, let’s see what’s cool on amazon.com…

Your Chances of Being a Multimillionaire: 60%

You have a decent shot at being a multimillionaire. Surprised? You’re confident and a hard worker. Keep it up!

Will You Be a Multimillionaire?

White X’mas 2007

if it could happen to australia, why not brunei?

What’s Playing?

Stiltskin: Inside

Swing low in a dark glass hour
You turn and cower
See it turn to dust

Move on a stone dark night
We take to flight
Snowfall turns to rust

Seam in a fusing mine
Like a nursing rhyme
Fat man starts to fall

Year in a hostile place
I hear your face
Start to call

And if you think that I’ve been losing my way
That’s because I’m slightly blinded
And if you think that I don’t make too much sense
That’s because I’m broken minded
Don’t keep it…
Inside
If you believe it
Don’t keep it all inside

Strong words in a ganges sky
I have to lie
Shadows move in pairs

Ring out from the bruised postcard
In the shooting yard
Looking through the tears

Out on the black slate time
We move in line
But never reach an end

Fall in a long stray town
As the ice comes down
Rivers start to bend

And if you think that I’ve been losing my way
That’s because I’m slightly blinded
And if you think that I don’t make too much sense
That’s because I’m broken minded
Don’t keep it…
Inside
If you believe it
Don’t keep it all inside