Writing crap load of useless things when you could be doing your assignments.

Why am I doing this? Haven't I abandoned you already? Have I not shown my priority is now in college and studies already? It has been this long since I submitted my thought to you. I once knew you, and I know you are bitter right now, asking me why I have rejected my attention upon you.

But dear you, did you not know already? I have come to find you no more amusing than the clowns of the circus, the jokes that run cold on the net. I have abandoned you for you have me no longer entertained.

You must be puzzled, why then I come to you on this lonely Saturday afternoon. I have nothing to do, that is why. Practice on weekends just don't appeal to me somehow. Last year, I was too shy to practice in college. Right now, I seem to like practising there more and more.

How are things? I may seem rude, as if you are worth nothing any more to me. But there's a reason I still keep an account. Because I still know I will come back one day to tell you how I feel, and ask of you the things of which is happening to you. And true enough, today has come.

Have you listened to Lettuce yet? How about Earth, Wind and Fire? I have gotten into funk recently, it sounds good. You should go listen when you have the time.

I wonder if you still have contact with the old timers I had last time with me. If only you can tell me about my old home right now. How are the people? Are my friends okay? Is the band doing fine? I may seem harsh to you, but indeed, I still have need of you.

Tell me the things I don't know, I really yearn to find out now. Why has the memory left me? Why has it gone by so fast? I'm becoming older by day, but I feel like I'm growing backwards. There's that reduction in hope, when it should be increasing...

Send my love to the bunch will you? I doubt you will. You rarely deliver.

Sunny 2011, solemn 2012.

I definitely took a long break from blogging. I guess that's what happens when your output is no more to the web but to a person. Yes, I thank my significant other to bear the thoughts I have, although they are not as many as hers, haha. But in a way, I like the old blogging feeling that just is unique compared to the one on one talks.

How are things you may ask. 2011 was sunny enough, the clouds came but the sun withstood. And the days were merry, having college as my main focus definitely feels different. But with the schedule I had last year, it left me quite an a amount of idleness. But the coming of next year with a schedule that's filled the whole of my weekdays, it'll be different then on. Late nights will be lesser. Indeed, it's solemn if you think it from the study aspect. Nothing gets easier until you're pass retirement I guess.

My relationship with Rachel. Well, turbulent is all I can say. I'm starting to lose focus of her, my mind's occupied by different things already. Priorities are priorities in the end, and she will undoubtedly think that I'm losing sight of her. Maybe I am, because it's starting to feel wrong that I put too much attention to her during this time of study. No I don't intend to break up, but I guess we both have to tolerate. Men are often ambitious, nay, overly-ambitious. I guess work motivates me.

Spirituality. Always had been one of my inner most conflicted battles... The fact that I skipped church today... Doesn't rest well with me... It's easy to say that I'm regretting, but the nudge is there. Why did I skip? laziness. Not a very good reason right? Setting priorities right. To value my soul more than my flesh. Yet the flesh is dominant. Power struggles abound, I can only pray each day for guidance from the Almighty.

Suffice to say, I see the coming year as solemn. I will face it no doubt, I will find my way through, fight the battles that need fighting, find my inner peace, which seems to be taking forever... Insignificant things in life, yet they are the most ambitious goals... Significant things in life, yet many has lost sight to know. Here I am, looking for the latter.

All the best wishes to the readers, may 2012 bring about fruitfulness in your life. I will go now.

P.S. I don't believe it's the end of the world.

Take a break.

Last 2 days was just too sweet. Life on the slow lane like I love it.

Back to Sitiawan without much notice was fun when it lasted. Surprising her is kind of an achievement, holding in my excitement like that for over a week.

Seeing things happening through the streets and everyday lives back here, it is quite lovely indeed to spend a weekend to refresh. I once lived that life, slow and easy, nothing to fight for, not much to rush for.

I always somehow glorify Sitiawan to a point where it sounds haven-like.

Spending time with someone you yearn for is always desirable. Maybe even kinda forbidden. I may be really lucky, or maybe really cursed.

I miss my time there. I'll skip the details. I'm lazy to express myself these days.

But I guess if a description for the trip is needed, then this is it:

I want more.

1 year ago.

Yesh, I've been all touchy and put to memory whirlwind by the recent post Jia Xun and Tiffany posted recently.

Just wanna recall some things we had done back in Bangkok, Thailand during the band competitions. 3rd September, drum battle where we got trashed like nobodies business, haha.

Remember the hot days, the new places, new faces, unfamiliar culture, the good, the bad. We met marchers like us, musicians, kids, teens, adults, ex-DCI members, pros, noobs. We had good food, bad food, spicy food, TOM YUM of course :P, cheap food, expensive food.

And of all, we won 2nd place as a team, the sweat, the tears.

Yeah indeed, I only got that one chance to live it. I would love to visit it again in my dreams.

Time flies, more performances and memories await, soon, this will become but a small chapter in my book.

August post.

First and foremost, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Happy Independence day to all Malaysians around who reads my blog.

It's been a while since I flexed my writing muscles, my brain's working slower, my hands don't type as fast as they used to.

Checking back to the last time I posted, nearly a month ago. Many things did happen. College life isn't getting anywhere near easy, and the fact that someone dislike the word college sin't really helping.

Dear reader, answer this one question. How to define this feeling? Not having a house in a place you call home? Stranded? Lost? I am with my family, in a well-furnished house. I know many of my peers would call me lucky to be with family at my age, but... Why do I still feel home-sick?

Answers only to be left unanswered really. It's the balik-kampung season. But I'm going no where. Financial problems abound, and no one would believe me if I said so. But know one thing. Both my parents are retired, there is no income, we own no land, and the car is only spending up our money, not earning it. The bank is draining up, and nothing's going back in. School fees are already chipping a big hole in my family's wallet. So yes, it is that hard to find the heart to buy that expensive bus ticket to Sitiawan.

Being the worst drummer of my batch and practically the whole college isn't helping my esteem. A lot of work to be done, I really need that drum in my room soon, but Mr. Tan hasn't updated me on his orders for the Pearl drums. All I have with me now is just a pad to practice, and although my hand work can beat most of them there, it really is just gimmicks, I can't play a whole song without breaking halfway...

I need to just, wind down for today, I'll go drum for now, just rant my frustrations on a pad.

Good day to you.

Buy a drum?

If I come to realise one very wrong assumption I made by now before entering music college, it is this: Being a drummer and yet not owning a drum is not a big deal.

*Throws that thought away*

Shoot I can't believe I thought I was some gifted drummer that can improve with air drumming... I'm actually shouting at myself now:

GET A DRUM!

Thinking through several days, I decided I seriously need a drum over a practice pad. Considering the disadvantages of a practice pad (Unrealistic feel, no tuning, bad investment if I would actually want to get a drum later on...), and the disadvantages of a real drum (Occupies a lot of space, noisy, potential nuisance to our neighbours), it's really hard to decide at first.

But I came to this conclusion and solution: A real drum is still the best way to practice and a practical long term investment if I were to be a drummer. The solution is to get my neighbours agreement and understanding, on top of investing in drum mutes. The mutes are basically rubber pieces to be placed on top of the drum heads to muffle to vibration, but in turn, retains the tuning of the drum.

And now, where to buy it... One of my lecturer actually offered me a vintage drum set he wanted to rid of. Kind of attractive considering it was one of the top range drums during its prime years, and it is within my budget. BUT, 20 years old, so I guess its tuning probably went off.

So I called Mr. Tan :D. And well, I guess I came to my final choice. A new set of Pearl Forum series, coming by the end of the year. Looks like a decent kit, and it comes fully equiped.

Ah, a new set of toys. I feel like a kid again. XP

Strawberry Swing.

Dedicated to you, you who actually reads my blog... I never did uphold the importance of lyrics. But this song, it's all about the lyrics... But who am I to talk?


Strawberry Swing:
They were sitting
They were sitting under strawberry swing
Every moment was so precious

They were sitting
They were talking under strawberry swing
Everybody was for fighting
Wouldn't wanna waste a thing

Cold, cold water, bring me round
Now my feet won't touch the ground
Cold, cold water, what you say
When it's such, it's such a perfect day
Such a perfect day

I remember we were walking up to strawberry swing
I can't wait until the morning
Wouldn't wanna change a thing

People moving all the time
Inside a perfectly straight line
Don't you wanna just curve away?
When it's such, it's such a perfect day
It's such a perfect day

Now the sky could be blue I don't mind
Without you, it's a waste of time
Could be blue I don't mind
Without you, it's a waste of time
Could be blue, could be grey
Without you I'm just miles away
Could be blue I don't mind
Without you it's a waste of time

Lick Hung 6D/2005 Gathering @ Sunway Pyramid 30/7/2011

2 years without much activity or update from the group. Yet early this month, out of the blues someone suggested someone should organize a reunion. And so the call for such person brought about Jun Wei to handle the task voluntarily. Soon it was decided that we'd meet at Sunway on this faithful Saturday.

Ah, recalling that sweet meeting back 2 years ago, 6 years without contact, yet to meet again, nostalgia. Today, a small group of 7 (much like the one 2 years past) but mostly of whom I haven't met for 8 years since. There was the organiser herself, Jun Wei, Nicholas, Yong Hao, Kai Xian and Yi Wen. The names still ring in my head XD.

Waiting in front of Starbucks at the old wing at 12:30pm, I met up with Carl Lyn 1st, met her back 2 years ago, chatted a bit about studies and stuff, and then came the rest not long after. Sweet reunion~ Small group, yet it was fun to try and recall each other, how we looked like, how different we are, what are we doing and stuff like that.

We went to RedBox for karaoke as planned. English songs for the win! Sang a hearty number of songs that I actually knew! Rolling in the Deep~ Sang for 3 hours. @.@ And boy I vocal chords are strained.

After that, we went for some ice creams, and walked around randomly. Chatted on the way, talked about old time experiences, remembering the old time silliness of ourselves, good old immaturity. But me and the guys? We were talking about those good ol' table games we played during free period back in class.

Found a place to sit thanks to Carl Lyn, who dashed for the empty bench like a sprinter. People cheered for her when she reached it, haha. It was a funny moment indeed. And you know what cam after? DSLR-spam!

But yeah the day passed pretty quickly. We spent our remaining time at the main entrance, slowly seeing one by one go off. I was a kid, a young boy in blue pants ad white shirt. Looking at us now, we're mostly in college pursuing one dream or another. 3 engineers in the making, another doing arts and design. Yeah, times flies.

Looking forward to the next meet, expected to be this year end, and of course, the photos from just now. :x

Missing life back home.

It's like a limbo, stuck in between the warmth of home and the coldness of a strange environment. Call it a fish out of water. Ever since moving back to Subang Jaya, I feel at home. But I don't feel complete. Yes I've lived here most of my live up to this point of my life, but I can't say I liked it here.

It all goes back to Sitiawan. I miss that place, my abode for 5 years. You may say I can't complain compared to my other friends who are away from their family, living in the city by themselves for further studies. But come holidays, they have a place back in Sitiawan to return to... Not I...

It feels dislocating, and painful all the same. My house back in Taman Intan is no more...

No where to return to... To the place I once called home... Ironic isn't it?

Grinding.

That nice feeling of practicing for an hour, grinding with the drum, getting your muscles loosen and relaxed after the work out.

Yeah I did another round of self-training again today. I felt good, it feels like I'm improving XD> Overconfident much yeah? 1 day then talk about improving, hahahaha.

But yeah, building up my leg muscles day by day... Rudiments? Maintaining on a drum pad... I need a new drum set. I was thinking of Pearl's Rhythm Traveler. Cheapest n the list, and it's portable, sweet. Read the reviews, and apparently it was pretty good. Wonder if Mr. Tan got sell. :x

My old primary school classmates having a re-union on the 30th. Looking forward to it, really wanna catch up with those guys.

Nothing much to write these days. I wonder... Where hath my chatty went? O_o

Clocks.

Remember those times where I always told my juniors, nay, nagged my juniors on the importance of groove, playing at the flow of the music, putting an edge, that oomph into our playing as a drummer... Guess what? I am being told the EXACT SAME things right now by my private instructor...

That pride of me still there... I should tear it down by now. It's hard to admit you're the worst drummer in your batch. I couldn't even play a simple song such as that our lecturer gave us in our performance lab class... "Clocks" by Coldplay, so happen to be my recent favourite band. But I guess I'll put effort, learn through the days...

Another day, another song I learn... By the end of the year, I think my playlist will expand to a point where it reaches 600-700, which is 2x my current playlist.

Wish me luck.

Drumming from a different angle.

I was a marcher, a marching drummer... High tension snares, quad and quint toms, multi tone bass drums, flashy cymbals... Those were my stuff.

Kick drums, floor toms, hi-low toms, crash and rides. These are my new stuffs... I'm beginning to respect those set-drummers more now, something I used to NOT do... I used to think it's pretty cheap an instrument... I was so wrong...

I think I'm really falling in love with the drum kit, it's potential, the grooves and moves... I want to really learn it properly, make it my thing.

I was a minimalist, a rhythm rider, striving in moody and minimal music... Now I strive through jazz, blues and lounge...

Yes, jazz and blues use to be the genre I really ignored and disliked... But that was because I knew little of it... Now I'm seeing the extremely wide coverage of the genre in music... I see now I actually like jazz...

So last Friday's performance seminar. I managed to witness really good performances. In particular, I really liked this particular song...
"Painter song"

Playing the blues.

Had performance lab studies yesterday. 1st thing we learned is the blues note. And yeah well , our homework? Research on blues, wikipedia and youtube...

What is blues?

Blues is life, blues is when you have no money, you don't have the things you want, you worry... Blues is what you feel and you play blues like you speak to a friend about your worries...

Yeah there I have it, blues... A rather gloomy yet popular aspect of music I daresay?

Private instruction lessons, I found my practice rudiments to work on... I'll need a drum pad and some serious drumming work out to begin with now.

Sunday Morning by Maroon 5... Not an easy song man... I don't think I'll be able to play it by the end of the week.

Lord have mercy...

Routine typical 2011.

Into the period of the regular grinding and all. So, updates have been coming from me (and for that matter, everyone else) REALLY slowly...

After finishing Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, I suddenly have nothing much to keep myself too occupied. Anyway, it was a superb game, I recommend to those who have Wii or Gamecube, go get the game, impossible to not enjoy... And it will definitely get you curious on the world of Zelda, it's a really nice game series, second only to the Warcraft fictional universe in my opinion.

College life started, and boy I can feel the pressure already... Humility, I need it... I need to learn fast... Everyone here is so much more better than me... I can barely do my drumming right. I do hope I can do well in theory.

Besih 2.0. I know who to vote in 5 years time. You all should know about the thing if you're Malaysian.

And so, I enter my routine typical period of life again.

ICOM - The experience.

Woke up at 5:50am... Had to follow my dad to send my sister to school this morning. So soon after that, headed to Taman Paramount at Petaling Jaya to catch the LRT. Yeah, it's gonna be a habit, public transport through the city everyday at 7:15am...

Arriving at Sentul, which is about 15 minutes walk away from my college, I went to the McD outlet just in front of the school. Since it was still 8am, and the placement test only starts at 9:15am. Had a Milo and a hash brown, then took out my theory notes to study last minute. Before long, there were 2 other students sitting at the table next to mine... How did I know? They talked about intervals, notes, cadences, scales. And true enough they were enrolling today, like me. One is a Portuguese, and he was helping his friend, a Japanese, in theory... I would come to know the 2 of them later in the day, The Portuguese is a guitarist, and the Japanese a drummer o.O and by the looks, a really really good one.

So as you might have already guessed by now, the school is really on an international stage... Because once I entered the college doors, I see... Every skin colour I could imagine. Took the test English, and I dare say was decently simple enough for me. By the time I was done, it was lunch break.

Socialised a bit, and went out to eat mamak food with another 3 odd company. A Korean, a Sarawakian and a Singaporean... The Korean was doing vocals while the other 2 were guitarist (A lot of guitarist around the school), and yeah, got to know them a bit better.

Head back the college at 12pm, waiting to take the theory test. While waiting, we went into the recital hall. Some of them took out their guitars and started playing around... THEY WERE AWESOME! The Korean guy sounded great with his voice!!@#$ And he could play the guitar, which he only learnt for like 5 months, as he said... He's better than me, I already played for 2 years... T.T The Sarawakian did some gig on his guitar, and he was like... Playing with one hand? @.@

Shit I have no idea what I got myself into... But oh well, theory starts, and I took up the paper... Hohoho, lucky me, it's within my capacity. Finishing it at 2pm, I came out of the hall to socialise further. Apparently many of them weren't too confident with their theory (lucky me, now I don't feel so inferior). But oh well, can't be too sure. Got to know a guy from Subang, nice guy, same age, he's gonna do vocals. But he plays a lot of instruments apparently. Also met this guy from Switzerland, doing piano... Planning to be a film scorer, nice~

But one thing though... Nearly everyone I got to know was going for the Berklee transfer programme... Even me. So that's the key attraction, cause it saves up to 60% of the initial fees required by doing 2 years of study here locally, and only starting off Berklee by the 3rd year.

My live audition's tomorrow, and I have no idea how I will fare... I didn't practice... >.< But oh well, Lord have mercy, I may make it through.

College life? I find it intimidating... But I also find it intriguing. Hoping for the best in tomorrow, and years to come.