I started listening to pop music when I was 11. Being from a Chinese school, I was first introduced to Aaron Kwok back then. He’s still in the music scene, judging from the concert I saw on the tele over CNY, but definitely surpassed by the younger generation of singers.

I moved on to Jacky Cheung when I was 12, finding him a singer with a more sophisticated voice. I liked his songs until he got married, by then his songs were a pale comparison to his previous hits.

The picture is the only remaining memory I will have of these casette tapes which I collected back then, as I don’t have the equipment to convert them to digital media. Heh, no point in keeping too much stuff and I’ve previously read that the best way to preserve memories without taking up too much physical space was in the form of pictures. At least when I look at it, I’d still remember what I used to be fond of.

The next part I wrote while I was back home.

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Trudging through items from my past. Heh, my mom had to sort through the pile of junk I had collected over the years and I’m suddenly transported to the early and late 90s, as most of the items were from that era.

I still have my report card from high school, and I look back at how I performed in those years. Not terribly good, but in hind sight, not terribly bad either. I have several invoices, including my the cost of my first laptop. I scribbled and doodled a lot back in the day, and I’m a little embarrassed to dig into my past at times. I even have pictures of myself, full of hair back then, although it was dishevelled and lopsided. Looked dorky back then with plastic rim glasses that weren’t quite level sitting on my nose.

I do think back and wonder what it’d be like going back to school. It was all a great blur to me back then and I don’t think I dealt with a lot of things too well. Heh, didn’t quite figure out who I was until my early 20s and these days it’s more evolution than revolution on my part.

I want to fiddle around with my music instruments again when I get back to Melbourne. Have a lot of these music books lying around and maybe I can make time to do some of it again. It’s not a matter of urgency, so even if it’s 5 years from now before I can play a tune properly, I’ll gladly pour in the effort, slowly…

Stuck trying to redesign the site. It’s the same old problem as before, not quite knowing where to start. So here is a post I typed while back home in Malaysia.

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This is August, still a young and playful puppy. Heh, he’s a friendly little fellow, following one in and out of the house until he gets shooed and locked out. I’m still a little unfamiliar with his characteristics (every breed has their own behaviour).

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There is something nostalgic about sitting under a fan looking out into the road and hearing the pitter patter of rain droplets against a stark, white sky. It brings about a temporary respite from the heat, even making the stickiness from the humidity bearable. It reminds me of what it used to be like growing up in a tropical country.

I like the new house my mom has moved to. It doesn’t have all the automatic memories I’d get walking into the old place. It had its quirks, the placement of switches and all the old expectations. The new place is like a breath of fresh air, not as big as the old one, but seemingly better in every way. Everything is just one step apart, and I no longer need to traverse long distances to get from the kitchen to the living room to the pavement outside.

I miss the readily available herbs and plants/trees that my mom used to grow. It’s been reduced to potted plants but it’s still pleasing to the eye. Definitely less work to maintain. Heh, it is an ideal place to stay in, slightly cozy. The new place is much cooler than the old one, where I’ve stayed for 18 years before starting my studies in Melbourne. The first year coming back it felt strange to step into my home again, and subsequent trips back itvjust feels like you never left.

Heh, already replaced a few dead light bulbs for mom. Not quite familiar with the streets and how to get in and out of the area, but I will slowly remember everything. I feel like Melbourne is where I semi permanently belong now, having grown used to the lifestyle, the way things work, the availability of various food and fresh produce, my good cups of coffee… but everytime I come home I have fond memories, tasting dishes that I can only find in Malaysia that taste as they should. Time is unimportant while I’m here and I’d very much like to enjoy my experience for the next few days that I’m here.

A waist shot at the local pasar malam in Malaysia before the reunion dinner. Developed a knack for these shots and can get some pretty good snapshots from that angle. You just sort of practice and get a few nice pictures in the process from time to time.

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The weather was dulling my senses earlier in the day and there was just a lull in the day’s activities. The weather has cooled down quite a bit and I’m now semi glued to the computer screen watching the Australian Open final between Federer and Nadal. It’s a pretty exciting match, with Nadal having an answer to most of Federer’s shots and I have a feeling it’s going down to the 5th match (I hope anyway, as Nadal is currently leading).

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Not terribly keen to get back to work tomorrow. Heh, been lazing around a bit too much. Need to make my days longer and get more done. I need to become more efficient with my time spent reading stuff on the Internet as that really eats up time without you knowing it. Have to redo the website as a main priority for this month.

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On side issues, Battlestar Galactica is getting very interesting. It’s really good storytelling and I can’t wait to see the end of it all. I think I started watching it around 2006 and it’s been slow to complete with mid season breaks, and last year’s Writer’s Guild Strike slowed things down even more. Only 7 episodes to go, so I’m hoping for closure with this series soon. I have also started applying hair growth formula on my shiny head. The last and only time I tried that was in 2000 and the cost was prohibitive back then as it’s an ongoing commitment to keep the hair follicles from falling off. I need two months to see an improvement so hopefully by April, I will have some hair to keep my head warm.

Heh, back to the match. Need to turn in soon anyway.