Photography 101

Can't seem to fall asleep despite taking the drowsy meds, so shall blog about the photography class that I've been going for.

Alvin has apparently been learning photography from this guy for the past three years or so, and has been waxing lyrical about how skillful his teacher is. Since LGG and a couple of friends were interested in going for class, I decided why not.

We were warned, though, that lessons would be taught in Chinese. *gulp*

Got the contact number of the teacher and somehow I was tasked to make arrangements for the class. Me? Speaking Chinese?! Here's how the conversation went.

me: Hello, 请问你是 Alvin 的 photography 老师吗？(so far so good) 我是他的朋友。我们想跟你学... (pause cos I didn't know the word for photography)
teacher: 哦！你是 Alvin 的朋友！对，他有跟我说你们要来学 (dammit I didn't catch the word for photography! He is speaking too fast!)
me: 是的
teacher: bla bla bla (something about how he doesn't normally teach basic photography cos he usually teaches advanced stuff.. but cos of Alvin he will teach us..)
me: 哦！谢谢！(pause cos I could not think of anything else to say)
teacher: bla bla bla (something about how the students he teaches are winning awards..)
me: 是吗？很好啊。(OMG this conversation seems to be going waaaaay off tangent.)
teacher: bla bla bla (still going on about ... hmmm I stopped listening)
me: 哈哈哈 (polite laughter cos I have absolutely no idea what he is saying)
teacher: bla bla bla .. 上课..
me: (oh did he say something about class? I try my luck..) 我们想在下个星期四上课,可以吗？
teacher: 星期四？让我看一看.. 应该没问题。我还有 bla bla bla (something about other students who will be joining the class too)
me: 可以 (what did I just agree to?!)
teacher: bla bla bla (again I think he is telling me about him not teaching basics.. but I'm not sure)
me: 是吗？哈哈哈 (the only response I know)
teacher: bla bla bla (he talks a lot)
me: 哈哈哈，可以。(again, not sure what I'm agreeing to)
teacher: bla bla bla .. 你给我你的 email, 我再给你我的地址。
me: 好的，我现在 sms 你。(yay! conversation finally over!)
teacher: bla bla bla (?!?!?!)
me: 哈哈哈，好的，我现在 sms 你。BYEBYE!
teacher: ok, byebye
me: *phew* (I survived!)

Anyway, that's how I fumbled along trying to arrange for the class. The entire conversation took a good 20 minutes. A lot of "哈哈"s and "好的"s and "可以"s from my end. *hangs head in shame*

Later, the teacher sends me a looooong email (written in Chinese omg) to confirm the dates and times, and all I could come up with to reply was "可以". Lol I even forgot to thank him, where have my manners gone?!

More on the actual class in another post. Lol.

Eid Mubarak

It's that time of the year again where Muslims around the world celebrate the end of Ramadan.

I was on my way back home, and got into the lift with a family who was probably visiting some relatives in the same block. Just watching them made me feel a slight tinge of nostalgia- I do miss the house visiting, matching bajus and gorging on goodies all day long.

(Actually I probably just miss the food. Lol.)

Ah well, to all my Muslim friends: Eid Mubarak! May your year be filled with many blessings. And, let me know when your open house is so I can go makan, boleh?

Health Is Wealth

Haiz, my immune system is shite, judging by the increasing frequency and severity of each bout of illness.

In just the past three months, I've had a chest cough / infection while I was in Perth, a stomach infection leading to delirium-causing fevers when I was in India, and now post-Malacca I'm battling an adult onset asthma attack.

Is it even possible to get asthma so late in life? *shrugs*

I wonder what I should do to help improve my health. Umfortunately good health has always been something one takes for granted. Might need to go see a TCM doctor and see what he says.

But anyway, as JM so aptly put (6 years ago): I'm not getting any younger, you know.

Burp

OMG I think it's a uniquely Singaporean ability to constantly be able to stuff one's face.

We arrived in Malacca and headed to some roadside shop to have satay celup- various skewers of fishballs, meat, fishcakes, seafood, you tiao etc cooked in a simmering pot of satay sauce. OMG sedap sia!

In the morning we had nonya laksa, then A&W for lunch (coney dogs, how I've missed you) and assam laksa for dinner with a bit of rojak and chendol. Slurp.

Did the touristy thing and headed to a'famosa, and also took neoprints at the mall. Ended the day prowling Jonker Walk for knick knacks to buy.

All in all a tiring but highly satisfying day. Chicken rice balls tomorrow!

Leaving On A .. Bus

Whee! We're off to Malacca tonight! Chicken rice balls and chendol, here I come!

But first I've got to survive the countless meetings and appointments that plague my day today. It's inhumane, I say, to make people work on Fridays.

Anyway, babycakes (new nick! no more slutty lol), XY and Mich will be heading up tonight and crashing at Mich's aunts place. Free accomodation is always da bomb. Imagine an entire weekend of stuffing face.. oh wait, I do that most weekends already. Hehehe.

We'll be back on Sunday night, despite Tuesday being a public holiday. Don't think a leave application for the 4 of us on Monday would be approved. Plus I have my photography class (which I'll blog about later).

Happiness!

This Is Why I'm Not A Doctor

Was telling EYS about my snow-not-snow moment and he used the word "precipitation". Me? I just call it frozen waters from the sky. Lol.

Whiskey Appreciation 101

Ok I'm officially turning into an uncle.

Met up with Alfred to have dinner and check out cameras at Funan. The camera I'm eyeing only costs $629 with free 8GB memory card, extra battery, camera casing and mini tripod! I was going to buy it but Alvin suggested I borrow Rod's camera and play around with it first before deciding on a purchase, so I guess that's wht I'll do first.

Then met up with EYS and had some beers and shisha and had a nice evening chatting and dispensing advise (me not him) about not worrying too much about screwing one's kid's life.

Conversation went on to how I've not actually learnt to appreciate whiskey (bleh) and somehow we ended up back home and sampling some of the whiskeys in his collection. Something about peaty whiskeys vs non-peaty whiskeys. Yawn.

Spent more time playing with Vanilla and Caramel, his two retriever-poodles.

So the whiskeys he let me try were smooth and easy on the throat, but I don't think I'll be stocking up on my Glenfiddichs or wadyacallems any time soon.

But man, am I turning into an uncle or what?