The Gnomes Made Me Do It!

It's the very last 24 hours of 2006, starting 6 minutes ago.
There will be resolutions and goals to be made, however, I shall end off today with some frivolity.
I HATE SALES! I don't know who you brave folk do it, shoving though crowds and battling girls attacking the clothes rack with vigour and determination, sifting through piles and piles of messy clothes in the bargain bin and patiently queueing up for changing rooms that reek of BO and smelly feet. Unless you are a size XS have size 4 feet (lucky drummer girl) more often than not, size 12 girls are not going to be able to find anything nice or decent save for some random accessories. Urgh! Honestly! I just like everything to be neat and racked up properly, crowdless and cool and no shoving.

Then in church, I had an epiphany (how apt ah!). I should take a few of my favourite tops and attempt to reverse engineer the outfits. Heck, I have a sewing machine and some thread and have made friends with the YKK zipper auntie at people's park. Then, I don't have to go shopping and lust after $600 outfits which I fancy and fit and be depressed when mainstream mango, zara and what have you don't fit well. Yes. 2007 shall be the year of reverse engineering and sewing adventures.

Anyway, have a good new year's eve everyone and don't get too caught up in druken reverie or have to count down in club entry queues, and remember to send love and good wishes to your loved ones. Till next year.

Posted by sideshowjo at 12:06 am | Permalink | Comments

J: So I suppose the question would be if Marquis de Sade was a genius or a mad man.
D: Yea, but they usually go hand in hand don't they?
J: Yes they do.
D: I think he was just really ahead of his time. If the Marquis de Sade was still around, he'd be an owner of a p0rn site.

Posted by sideshowjo at 10:36 pm | Permalink | Comments

And just like that, it's over.
Mofo and I were having a chat about Christmas and how Jesus wasn't really born on the 25th of December, and that Christmas is just another public holiday to non-Christians. And him, being all Grinch-y said he would boycott christmas next year and tell his friends that he will not be giving presents but instead, money to those that truly need it on their behalf.

I believe that one can choose to go down the theological path, boycott christmas and give thanks on the theorized date that Jesus was said to have been born. I respect that, if scholarly and accurate Christian dogma is what one needs to achieve a closer relationship with God, to understand the religion, to comprehend every nuance. Having said that however, I still think that Christmas, no matter how commercialized it may be, still preaches core principles and values and this should not be discounted

'Tis the season for giving and sharing'
'Tis the season for family and friends'

It doesn't matter if one is not Christian (or Catholic, thank you very much) but if for these 2 days, people come together as family, break bread (or a coupla packets of hokkien mee) and exchange well meant gifts, what's the harm in that? Honestly? Is it fair to say that they have missed the whole point of Christmas? Religion should not be lived through word alone, but through action.

I think Christmas has served its purpose, as a whole to instill a sense of community and generosity in man, and spiritually, to humble and remind us of the generosity of God.


I hope yours has been a good Christmas.

Posted by sideshowjo at 12:59 am | Permalink | Comments

Happy Christmas! Lucky are us all with clean running water, roofs over our heads, money to spend, food to nourish, families and friends to share this festive period with. So stop sulking if you are, and count your blessings, instead of mopping about how life has dealt your rubbish cards. I hope you all find your own reason to celebrate in your own way this weekend. Love from all of us under the magic mushroom including Marcus, Peadus, Wilfred and Emily.

Posted by sideshowjo at 12:09 pm | Permalink | Comments

Despite the fact that I am rather poor this month, I forked out $7.90 for 5 days of a feel good thing. Of course my jaw dropped when I saw that Hydrangeas were going for about $6 a stalk and remembered that Dominic paid over a hundred for a bouquet of 6 stalks when he was going out with this chick that insisted on having hydrangeas on her birthday. Is it become florist is can make money and women happy? Wow.

I think I should rethink my career options.

Posted by sideshowjo at 4:31 pm | Permalink | Comments

I'm slacking off a little this semeseter, I suppose it was the holday that broke my pace a little. Accelerated degrees are no joke, major exams every 3 months with unrelenting assignments in between. I seldom gripe about not being able to manage, because honestly, who am I to complain? I've got classmates with kids, holding a full time jobs and still attending night school. They are amazing and I am humbled. It should be nothing for me, it should be a privillege that I hold a part-time job and only have to worry about my own finances and not have to support a family and that I have nights and sometimes days to work on my assignments, with allowance to do voluntary work. What the heck. Who am I to complain.

So yes, this post was going to be about how tonight is going to be a long night of writing, but I should channel my energy intended for griping into productivity and get cracking.

I'm nobody.

Posted by sideshowjo at 10:07 pm | Permalink | Comments

Yes. It would be nice if they could engineer a digital lomo.
Having said that, you could modify the saturation of colours and the burnt out edges in photoshop.
It is the bane of technological advancement that I actually feel crippled when I can't review a picture after I've taken it. Man.

Posted by sideshowjo at 10:57 pm | Permalink | Comments

Margaret River Chocolate Factory

Posted by sideshowjo at 12:13 am | Permalink | Comments

Road Trip
On our road trip to Mandurah for crab fishing. Bohemian Rhapsody is the definitive Road Trip song! Ever! Almost everyone knows the lyrics and its so much fun to sing and make actions to. Heh

The 2 boys are very entertaining. I apologise before hand for my terrible singing (it was the loudest as I was holding the camera) , ridiculous giggles and the fact that sound and visuals are OUT OF SYNC! I've heard of people complaining about this problem before. This is my inaugural post on youtube, and alas, I too face the same problem.

Posted by sideshowjo at 10:54 am | Permalink | Comments

Lookout
Originally uploaded by dezzo.

I first saw the Meerkats early last year when sonny and I visited the zoo and I saw them again this year with Mofo. There was a lookout then, and there is still one this year. They rotate shifts by the hour, 1 meerkat to keep watch for potential predators. Persistant buggers they are. However, the poor meerkats are being short changed. Can someone tell them there be no eagles coming in the Singapore zoo? Instinct is an inexplicable thing.

Posted by sideshowjo at 2:32 pm | Permalink | Comments

SAW 3 is finally out!
Slicing and dicing, blood, gore, body bits, thrills and squeals.
Yippy. Family entertainment at its best.

We also made it a point to catch Borat in Perth. Uncensored. The Singapore censorship board is going to have a field day if they try cutting this one down to lean chewable Singaporean pieces.

Posted by sideshowjo at 4:25 pm | Permalink | Comments

HONGKIE GNOMES in action.
Very very kindly snapped by Janice! Thank you Jan!


Why isn't there a market for the fellas in Singapore. Do you think people will come buy some gnomes if I set up shop? Hmm...

Posted by sideshowjo at 10:31 pm | Permalink | Comments

Over lunch at Voyager, the group had an animated discussion on whether we ever thought of migrating, my answer was 'Yes', without batting an eyelid. Upon reflecting on my answer, I suppose the idea of migration is tempting as always, but yes, there is family and, the handful I call friends, the few who I would miss terribly. Still, I think it's a possibility that is high on my cards. Many many close to me are all over the globe and it's sad that I've missed out terribly on their lives, but that's how life is, isn't it? Grow up, make new friends, move on and try your very best to keep in touch with old special ones. Life is such. As fleeting as human relationships may be, thay are still essential for personal development, and they are important.

An old secondary school mate now living in the states.

You and Megan are just adorable Erlin!

I always remember this quote from American history X:
'Has anything you've done so far made your life any better?'

Posted by sideshowjo at 4:05 pm | Permalink | Comments

I have now in my possession, a 2nd Nigella Lawson book, FEAST. I hope to amass her entire collection eventually. Apart from being incredibly sexy, she's an amazing food writer. Her book reads like a whimsical story instead of your usual ingredient-instruction type cookbook. Plus, it's plenty encouraging, so even if you stuff up, it's almost like she's patting you on the back and telling you 'Its ok that your cake looks and tastes like dog shit'. I got mother to buy back some wicked dark muscavado sugar from London as her recipes (mostly the cake ones) often require some typical english products that we can't get over here. So it is imperative that I fully exploit the fact that the brother is based there for the next 3-4 years and get my hands on all the english produce I possibly can. Food brings people together, and it's that much more special when it's something you've slaved over for friends/family . I think another home cookout is in order :)

Posted by sideshowjo at 12:03 am | Permalink | Comments

3 shades darker and molting like reptiles, we are back from our whirlwind holiday, inclusive of drummer girl after her postgrad. All round inspiring, complete with pie, burger and wine goodness, goth rock on the highway, aquiring fishing and crabbing skills and a stuffed baby blue Emma the elephant.

Tales and pictures for memory sake to come, but for now, it's back to reality, leaving Margaret River and the beauty of Perth and her people behind.

Time to begin the 4000 word epic essay.

Posted by sideshowjo at 2:56 pm | Permalink | Comments