My old schoolmates and I went on a really outrageously tiresome but quiet camping trip to Sungai Congkak, somewhere in Hulu Langat. Fwoar that place ar. seriously, it's like a BIG kampung. not until like rumah papan, but like they have schools and busses without air-conditioning, and rest stops right outside their plantations (means those harvests are ULTRA FRESH, NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT) and average facilities etc.




We had this giant idea, so Pei Lin attempted to gather as many participants as we could, but only 7 of us were dedicated enough, to do mindless rough camping, for 'civilized city folk' like us.

So we started of with:

Alvin
Kien Khong
Marcus
Yoke Yan
Hun Yee
Pei Lin
Me

and after 3 pure hours of exhausting river trekking throughout the afternoon... Alvin and Khong had to leave during dinner. and well, it got lonely at night. Hmm.





Yea so it was kinda sweet to remember all the crazy activities we used to do during our scouting days... building towers under the scorching sun, sweating out gallons of salty water while doing push ups and tying knots around bamboo stilts, crawling through mud and shouting at juniors who don't use their brains (ok sorry, I know now you're all intelligent and witty beings, so it's alright now), and cuckoo things like that.


But after awhile, the fatigue started to kick in, and we were soon wondering.





I actually asked Hun Yee,


"eh."

"what?"

"why do we like to go camping ar?"

"well coz it's fun!"

"but..."

"and we don't get to do these kinda things everyday, ya know. "

"but don't you think it's -"

"and it's so soothing! peace and quiet, out in the woods... nothing like a good getaway from technostress in the city! "

"ah."





After we trekked upstream, and back downstream (holy shit man, believe me, downstream is so much more difficult like FIFTY TAOHSERN TIMES more tiring and wrist-breaking than going upstream. We couldn't really understand why as yet, but yeah), we took a shower... started with preparing dinner in our good 'ol trusty banged up, burnt messtins... lovely equipment! so simple to use and carry..





Ah yes, we actually drove right up to where we pitched the dome tents. Darn city folk... so pampered.





(and vain)





(and lazy)





So dinner with a wok of mee hoon. umm, I can't really find the words to describe how dry and unappetizing the mee hoon was, (I'm really sorry Pei Lin, but this is what a blog is truly for - to express your deepest emotions) but I frickinnngggg could not understand whyyyyy, of all the knowledge we've gained in the past 5 years since our last camp when we cooked this sorta thing... whhyyyy in the worldd do we have to end up with sper dry, rubbery, almost-tasteless, dull, and boring MEE HOON.


FARK MAN.

DRY RUBBERY MEE HOON, YOU KNOW.


Eat raw nestum also better man.

But anyway, I tried to improvise abit la (Yes, it was MEEEE, so I will appropriately credit myself in relation to the event, as I actually DID make the

DRY RUBBERY MEE HOON

taste better) by rummaging through the food basket and finding other food stuffs, anything that can be cooked with that

DARN RUBBER

and wow. luckily we found corn, lady's fingers, salt, soya sauce, eggs and... beef burger patty!




Can't really see the corn, lady's fingers and eggs in the picture above, but IT REALLY DID HELP OKAY. I THINK I SAVED ALL OF OUR DAYS that time okei. Coz the nearest mamak was at least 4 miles away.





And well, yea I saved the day/evening once again, by preparing the butter chocolate fondue. With lovely strawberries, biscuits, apples, bananas and whatever we could throw into the pool of cocoa sauce. w00t





As the night fell, we talked crap and ate snacks all night. But there was one highlight I'd like to emphasize on. which was the bloody SANDFLY BITES.

can you imagine all night, not sleeping comfortably, having to change into long pants halfway through the night, scratching and scratching and beating and whacking and slapping and scratching violently and bleeding and... nola not bleeding. but scratching and scratching... omg it was a really UNIQUE EXPERIENCE if you ask me. I don't know about the others but up till today, I still have these sandfly bites itching like madness all over my legs and arms and I can't stop scratching. Oh Lord, grant me peace and calm, and abstinence from finding pleasure in pain through scratching. Oh Lord, grant me steadiness and... ARGHHH!! LORD, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. can you imagine like 20 of these all over my body



Wah fark, that one like disease man. Nola, not that bad. like little tiny red pricks la, maybe 10 or so on my legs.

BARGGGHHHH.

ok I think my descriptions are making me disgusted and geli myself. Not thaaatt baaaad lah. Just a little annoying. I think the funniest part throughout the camp was when Hun Yee was getting something from inside the dome tent and she screamed so hysterically until it was like ear-splitting. I quickly glanced at her,

"Hun Yee! You kena rape ar?!"

"A wasp stung me la!"

Hahahaha. kena rape by wasp konon. But it was serious though. She had to take a jab at the clinic coz the sting swelled up her thigh so bad. Good that she's alright now.




Ok yes, there was another highlight. we had Backwood's cooking the next day. Backwood's is a sorta style for 'cooking in the woods' as they say it, using natural material and ingredients as equipment and utensils. For the most basic example, using firewood, twigs and leaves for fire, using coconut husks to cook rice, and banana leafs as plates, etc.

That was the most gruesome afternoon in my entire year. I may look happy in that picture, but the ash in my eye, and the bites on my leg, and the FRIGGING INCH-AND-A-HALF-SIZED ANTS IN THE TOILET suggest otherwise.

So yeah. camping is fun.






"Jon Ming ah,"

"Yes, Hun Yee?"

"Umm...Why do we like to go camping?"

although the photos are still the same, the photo gallery is new and improved!



klik disini!

To all semi-prof/professional photographers,

I'm participating in a mass order where this dude on PhotoMalaysia has talked to a dealer to purchase 10 units of the Nissin Di866 Flash Unit (for Nikon Mount only - Canon Mount is not out yet for this unit) for a lower price.

So to all Nikonians, I've heard retails prices of the unit to be RM970 to RM1100. Stupider thing is during the KLPF in August 2009, the official Nissin booth was selling it at RM1300.

What bullocks, you think my brain like this ar?





(ok, I admit I even thought that price was cheap for a GN60 power flash. =.= )


The thread on PhotoMalaysia is here if you'd like to read more about the problems facing the unit's technicalities (Seriously, all the issues I'm reading there are all super technical, like SUPER TECHNICAL and is not basic fundamental problems so I don't think it's much to demotivate a purchase). Go to the last page and send jester a private message saying you want to buy. Please ask him for the price.

http://www.photomalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89133&highlight=nissin+di86


I'm not allowed to publicly post the price of the flash unit, so email me if you'd like to know the price he offered me. It's not THAAAAT big a discount, but it's good la if you're still considering to buy a third party flash and can wait a week or two.


Here are the details:

Guide No	- Main flash 60(ISO 100, m) or 84(ISO 200, m) at 105mm lens angle coverage - Sub flash 12(ISO 100, m) or 17(ISO 200, m) for 35mm lens angle coverage
Compatibility	Nikon digital SLR cameras and Coolpix hotshoe cameras
Power Source	- Battery magazine - 4 x LR6, (Lithium, NiMH and Oxiride are usable) - Power Pack - Nissin Power Pack Pro 300 (NiMH exclusive battery cluster)
Recycling time	- 3.5 sec. by Battery Magazine with 4 x NiMH - 0.5 sec. by Nissin Power Pack Pro 300
Number of flashes	- 150 full power flashes per set of NiMH batteries - 300 full power flashes by Nissin Power Pack Pro 300
Camera Synch.	- TTL hotshoe (on camera flash) - PC cord service connector (off camera flash) - Wireless TTL, and Slave synchronization (off camera flash)

I'm an Olympus user but I'm into strobing with off-camera lighting techniques (Click here to see the Strobist.com Flickr Group Pool to see what I mean). I actually wanted to buy the lower-end Nissin Di622 Flash because for the price of RM450-RM500, I'd get good flash power and recharge cycle time. The only problem is that it didn't have compatibility with my Phottix PT-04 wireless triggers or any other wireless trigger for that matter. So I was deeply disappointed. But then Nissin came up with the Di866 and did me proud! They finally realized the size of the market for wireless trigger users. And so now I'm really excited to purchase this unit.

Anyways, I'm going to Leo Camera in Ampang Park today (Wednesday) just to check the unit out, so if please contact me if you are a desperate buyer like me! Coz I might even buy it from that shop if they give me a reasonable cheap price (~RM950 maybe) coz I can't afford to wait for this wholesaler dude if it takes weeks.


Anyway here are more pictures of it. Feel free to ask me questions

Whenever possible, come online.

And chat.





Whenever possible, take some pictures.

And tell us how it's like over there.





Whenever possible, remember us.

And the stupid things we did at 2am.





Whenever possible, focus and do your best.

And achieve your dreams.





Whenever possible, think of her.

And be fearless.





Whenever possible, eat a hamburger.

And make a stupid face.





Nola but seriously, whenever possible, we will all be in touch.

No matter how proxy-defying and distance-shortening it will be.





See you in a year! =)

I've seen covers and covers of songs published by talented artists but only a handful caught my attention all the way.

Like you know when Simon has that bored and pei face when a dorky and shy person comes up on stage and then when the voice become like angel then his mouth and eyes transform like autobots.

O.O

yes like that.


When I watched this cover, my whole face transformed.


Take a look.
(lyrics are self-rewritten by him - refer below)





"Love Story (Via Romeo)" - Taylor Swift (Reworded by Gabe Bondoc)

We were both young when I first saw you.

I close my eyes and the flashback starts..

.. you're standing there.. on a balcony in summer air.



See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.

Making my way, I'm moving through the crowd to say "ello.."

Little did you know..



.. that I was Romeo, as I was throwing pebbles..

.. heard your father say "Stay away from Juliet!"

Had to leave you crying on the staircase.. begging me "Please don't go!"

So I said..



Julie I'll take you somewhere we can be alone.

Just be patient.. nothing left to do but run.

You'll be the princess, I'll be the prince..

It's a love story baby say "Yes."



So you sneak out to the garden I'm hiding..

.. we keep quiet cause we're dead if they find me.

Close your eyes.

.. escape this town for a little while.



I was Romeo, you were my Juliet.

Even my father said loving you is not worth it.

Had to leave you on crying on the staircase.. begging me "Please don't go!"

So I said..

Chorus

Julie I'll save you, they'll never come between us!
Just hold on and love is gonna free us!

Don't be afraid, oh we'll make it through this!

It's a love story.. baby just say "Yes."



I'm sure she's tired of waiting.

Swear I'm on my way, just had to work some things out!

I hope her faith's not fading..

.. that was when I met her outskirts of town..

.. and I said..



Julie I apologize, didn't mean to scare you.

Need you more than anything.. I refuse to share you.

Saw it in her eyes, she didn't know what to think..

I knelt to the ground and I pulled out a ring..



And said..

"Marry me Juliet.
You'll never have to be alone.

I love you and that's all that I really know!

I talked to our families, pick out a white dress..

.. it's a love story baby just say "Yes."

'

Cause we were both young when I first saw you.

If you can read this when you get there, my message to you is one and only one.

"Unfold the blackness and the fellowship is united. Search for new balance and the message is sighted."

It's unbearable to see a person's loved one break into tears in anticipation of the unknown. It's just not in man's nature to uphold our strength throughout our entire life. We CAN all cry and cry... and cry the whole night through the rain and the storms, through the hurricanes and the wars... But one thing we WILL do.

is to be Fearless of the unknown.

=)

Okayla, Taylor Swift just won Best Female Video at the VMA's. But honestly, she doesn't deserve the whole thing, does she? I would have thought that the crew of directors/videographers should have deserved to go up. Along with Lucas Till, the hottie neighbour in the You Belong With Me (click to watch) video.

Then again, she did write an amazing set of lyrics and tunes to allow that video to win. I'm still a fan, don't worry.

________________________________________________


Read here about Kanye West trying to promote Beyonce for this category, stealing Taylor Swift's acceptance moment on stage,


Or watch it here before Viacom takes it off Youtube for copyright infringement:




And here, Beyonce won the other category of Video of the Year, She gives Taylor Swift back her moment:

Hi. anyone free to coach me on some CMS and e-Commerce engines?

Pitching for a website job now. =)

If you haven't read my previous post about Taylor Swift, click here to read it, before continuing on this one.




In relation to the previous post,

I just watched a bunch of youtube videos. Turns out that Taylor Swift's 7-month Fearless Tour to a total of 57 venues around the world has been organized by the 19 year-old herself. From designing the entire concert stage with rising platforms, spotlights and LED screens throughout the backdrop and the runway in front, to ideas she prefers for guitar solos in her songs (in the video, she actually said one of the parts were too noodly a solo, and literally suggested a simpler set of scales and notes with her tongue. like, you know, when you mimic an electric guitar solo. "Teow neow neow neow ten ne ne ne ne jang". She even has an 8-costume-change set throughout each concert that she hides in a secret quick changing room, designed into the stage itself. She ran the auditions for her backup dancers and handpicked each of them to her liking. She put forward ideas for opening acts to her shows like having on the concert main screen a video of her in an interview that happened before the concert, and at the beginning of the concert, rising from below the stage, on a platform, she was actually on one of two couches, with an interviewer, and she starts her songs there. She signs all the documents, initially set the stage lights placements, talks to record labels and local radio stations...

Come on man, a WHOLE TOUR.

She is commanding and organizing people twice her age, or for that matter, THREE TIMES HER AGE. What kind of teen does this kinda thing on our planet?! No, seriously?! Does Leona Lewis do that? Or Miley Cirus? I'm really not sure, so please tell me. Hmm. But anyway, on top of that all, my favourite part is when she's off from rehearsing, she returns to this little 19-year old girl amazed at weird and immature things like drinking water while deforming the shape of the water bottle by vacuuming out all the water with your mouth.




________________________________________

Record Sellouts
Tickets for the first shows for the Fearless Tour went on sale in early February 2009 and sold-out almost instantly. On February 6, 2009, tickets went on sale for the May 22 date at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and sold out in two minutes. Tickets for several dates and venues, including Madison Square Garden, went on sale the following week and sold out in a record of one minute.
________________________________________










I don't think I'll ever stop saying this, but, Taylor... I'm never gonna understand you.

Ever.

And you winning 4 awards at the Country Music Awards 2009 ain't helping me do that.

But, congratulations though. =)




Here's how she took the news 2 days ago.

Watching the CMA Announcements!

If there's one emotion I'm savouring now, it would definitely be joy.



I was going through some news about Taylor Swift (yes I'm a power fan - further explained) and came across a Gossip website from Nashville which is where Taylor got signed and started her songwriting career at 14 years old.

For the first time in weeks, maybe months.. I felt so... small. Small in this world. I admit that I'm a growing fan of Taylor Swift which is perfectly what would raise an eyebrow of yours. I spend 2 hours every night, watching her Behind the Scenes videos, interview videos, hundreds of uploaded concert clips... Basically I admit that I now have a giant crush. I've replayed You Belong With Me about 40 - 50 times, I've been listening to the whole of her two albums for the past 3 nights. I wiki-ed her, watched every single video blog entry she has on Youtube, and I'm starting to read her Myspace blog.

I need help.

I seriously don't know what is wrong with me. You know sometimes when you know something's wrong but you panic, looking around for clues as to why you're feeling so emotional, your mind wanders in a logic-processing and analytical state, you're trying to figure out why 24 single songs from two albums could make you feel so alone, make you cry, make you reminisce about the days of heartbreak and bliss. I think two days ago was the worst day this year. I got up, got ready for work, and on the way to work I would usually chat with my dad, but the whole 25 minutes from Damanasara Kim to CapSquare, I had songs about solitude and letdown and belonging-with-me-ness playing over and over again in my head.

The whole day, I swear I talked to less than 3 people, literally said less than 20 words to each. I got home I didn't want to do anything but sleep and get out of this emotional environment. The peculiar thing is but one - why do I feel this way? how could I even come close to being so emotional? I'm not feeling demotivated from a recent break up, or a rejection on a date or something, am I? This whole week I've been asking myself what the hell is wrong with me?!






Background

Taylor Alison Swift is 20 years old this December. yes, she's a Sagittarius, like me =). At the age of 10, Taylor began writing songs and singing at karaoke contests, festivals and fairs around her hometown. She first learned to play the guitar from a computer repair man who showed her how to play 3 chords. Immediately, she wrote her first song entitled 'Lucky You'. She began writing songs regularly and used it as an outlet to help her with her pain from not fitting in at school. Other kids would react badly to her so she wrote songs about them.

Her first debut single, Tim McGraw (click to watch music video) was released in 2006 raced to number six on the Billboard country charts. In October later that year, she released her self-titled debut album which produced five hit single songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Taylor Swift was the biggest selling artist of 2008 in America with combined sales of more than 4 million albums. Her Fearless and her self-titled album was rated no. 3 and no. 6 respectively in 2008. She was the first artist in history to have two different albums in the Top 10 year end album chart.

Fearless has topped the Billboard 200 in 11 non-consecutive weeks. No album has spent more time at number one since 1999-2000. It also was the first album by a female artist in country music history to log eight weeks at #1 on The Billboard 200. In mid-January 2009, Swift became the first country artist to top the 2 million mark in paid downloads with three different songs. As of the week ending February 8, 2009, Swift's single Love Story became the country song with most paid downloads in history and the first country song to top the Mainstream Top 40 chart.According to the 2009 issue of Forbes, Swift is ranked as the 69th most powerful celebrity with over $18 million in earnings this year.

Now I don't really care about that bullock crap except one sentence in there that stated 'Love story, the first country song to top the Mainstream Top 40 Chart'. Now for some of us who don't yet really understand the importance of that, Here's a suggestion. It's just plain extraordinary to basically move a whole genre of music higher up on to the world stage. You're 19 and you can almost lead a genre. How do you lead a genre? How do you even lead a gig at Laundry Bar? I watched a talk show she attended in Canada, and the host along with all Taylor's Canadian fans would admit that after they listened to her albums, the awareness of country music grew, not only of Taylor Swift's songs, but also of veterans in country music like Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton. People are listening to more country music now because of you, Taylor. Can I say that you are not leading a genre?







Seriously, I honestly don't think she's super hot, appears on screen as eye candy and all that. Well, yea of course she IS attractive and she may be cute and adorable in all those On the Set with Taylor Swift videos, but frankly I can just fall for her down-to-earth-ness anytime. She can move a whole nation at an age of 19, yet she humbly looks up to icons like Dolly Parton, Shania Twain. She's a perfect celebrity herself, but freaks out at the sight of Rihanna and Justin Timberlake walking towards her at an event. Every girl can have a bubbly and courageous personality, but not everyone can have such a dry sense of humour, wit and honesty in front of a camera. She's insecure about her outrageously curly hair, she wears her heart of her sleeve everywhere she goes and she actually does want to talk normal mundane stuff and be friends with all her fans if she could ever possibly do in her entire life.

The best part (my favourite part) about this analogy is about the way she writes her songs. Her songs are typical guy-cheating-on-her and she's-interested-in-Drew-but-he's-into-another-chick kinda songs, but the way she expresses her real-life experiences in words is just marvelous. Carefully choosing words that don't repeat and get boring throughout a song but tell a story about her experience (she actually uses real names of Drew Hardwick and Abigail Anderson from high school, in her lyrics) and even more astoundingly, I've read articles of people who can literally break her songs down, decipher them, and infer how she actually went through those stages in her life. If others can analyze and write analogies of your movie/poem/song, you deserve to be in a Sejarah textbook lah. Come, if that doesn't sound compelling enough, I give you example.

Take Colbie Caillat - Fallin' For You, and... you pick a song by Taylor Swift lah. I'll take, say, You Belong With Me. Put the two lyrics together, put the two tunes together. Seriously, you be the judge. Which one sounds realistically better to relate to? Basically, Colbie Caillat has more typical lyrics like I'm going crazy about you but Taylor Swift writes more refined words like I'm smiling while dialing your number and I see you with me when I watch love stories.

From my point of view, Taylor Swift put words down into her songs in a way that explains enough of her real-life experience in a sequential story, yet includes a generic section (usually the chorus) that appears repetitive to make it sound like a mainstream song. Go listen to Fifteen and The Way I Loved. She sings about when you have your first kiss at Fifteen, your head feels like it's spinning around (Fifteen), and how she fakes a smile when she's with a perfect guy now, but screams and cries in the middle night, reminded of her past relationship by the one she's in now (The Way I Loved You).







Lemme ask you this. Do you think she sings well at all? Does she do alot of powerful vibratos? Is her range and strength so dominating like Beyonce's? In fact, I personally think some of her songs are too squeeky when she uses her head voice. But the magic happens when she has captured millions of hearts. The magic happens when she appeals to 16 year-olds literally going through what is portrayed in the lyrics, and also retirees, reminded of their youthful encounters. The magic happens when what she went through, was minute-by-minute relived by every single fan when they listen to her songs. Some of us may even ask "Well how about men? You people aren't real Taylor Swift material are you? You just think she's a young and hot blonde. Well lemme show something. I read an article. The writer is a middle-aged woman.




Extracted from www.nashvillegab.com



Underground Taylor-loving male movement? Gah, you gotta be kidding me! I'm starting mine as of this very minute, oh yes I will!

Heck, I'm gonna design and print a fan base t-shirt! Come on, who's with me? I think seriously if I get enough feedback and orders, I'll be on to it in a day.







(Sighs deeply) In conclusion, I really look up to Taylor Swift, in a way that she impacts some of her songwriter fans to actually get out of bed and say "I'm not gonna give up until I become like her. Taylor, you rock!". Take away the fact that she's only 19, she's still so down-to-earth and has a girl-next-door personality.

I think I'll agree with Sarah for now - I can and will never understand Taylor Swift. =)

Hi all, my bro bought this pair of Crocs from a friend's friend who is an original Crocs wholesaler.

Couldn't test before buying so he ended up ordering the wrong size.








Details:

Size: UK 9/10
Colour: Red & Black
Features: Resizable heel strap
Delivery Method: Cash On Delivery only at the following areas:

• Damasara Utama
• Damansara Jaya
• SS2
• Pusat Bandar Damansara
• Bandar Utama
• Taman Tun Dr Ismail
  

Price: RM99.00 (lightly negotiable)

Please email me at lohjonming(at)hotmail.com or call 017 226 3153.





More pictures:

Sarahjean Ho Po Yi
for organizing such a marvelous surprise!

Hi there. I'm quite frustrated. blogger image upload is abit funny. doesn't upload the pictures in order, so just scroll and relate la. Pictures are all you need to tell a tale

1. Simply Fusion @JayaOne
2. Bangkok Jazz @ChulanSquare



























































































































Jonathan RuiLoong Teoh is aged 21 on Wednesday 2nd September 2009.