Snowie's New Bed.

Snowie chillin out on his new bed.

Twins.

Maybe I shouldn't be taking 'fake' ghosts photos in an abandoned building. Alone.

Reflection.

Internship has ended and Final Year Project has started, so it's time for some reflections!

Okay back to FYP. I think my weekends are worse than my weekdays. :/

Aftermath.

This is rather belated but I think the new Hillsong United album and website looks very hipster. Haha. Okay at least I think it's better looking than their early albums. :)

Okay that is all.

Lights.

At work yesterday, I was at a warehouse that sold many different kinds of lightbulbs and light fixtures when I happened to look at the boxes of some brands of lights (and their slogans).

Powerpac - Brightens Up Your Life
Tridonic - A World of Bright Ideas
Osram - See the World in a New Light

Terrible. Hahaha. Or maybe it's de-lightful to you.

Interning.

It's been like 6 or 7 weeks since my internship has started. And there's barely been a few blog posts from me! Okay I henceforth blame my lack of updates on the horrible life of an intern. I miss school and wish I could relive my educational journey from the beginning again. This time I would appreciate recess times and P.E. periods better. And assembly. They should implement P.E. periods at work. Maybe free gym membership or something.

Work has been, an experience I guess. I wouldn't want to call it good because that generalizes it into something positive on the whole and leaves it at that. One assumes that work is good all the time but in reality it isn't really. It's more of good at times, bad at times, and most of the times it's neither good nor bad.

Anyways, it kind of feels like I'm immersed into a very different culture all over again. I speak Chinese to my colleagues a lot more now, and this has been good practice since I've not really used Chinese much after graduating from secondary school three years ago. But my Chinese isn't very strong so it's interspersed with English words whenever I can't think of a Chinese translation. Haha. The whole environment I guess is quite different from what I've been used to. If anything, it reminds me more of my time in secondary school than in Polytechnic. I don't really know how to define it. The social interactions you have with the people around you? And I can't pinpoint what makes the interactions different either. The culture? The income-tier? Chinese/English speaking background? Religious views? Maybe it's just the cumulative effect of all these differing factors. It just feels different from what I've been 'immersed' in for the past 3 years or so.

A part of my job at times (amongst many other things) is to go to companies to deliver the photographs that we shot, or collect and return products that we shot. And I've been quite surprised at the amount of offices and businesses we have in Singapore. There are businesses for everything! With their own administrative staff, finance staff, management, supervisors, workers, and interns like me. With their own letterheads and pantries and storerooms and vehicles and warehouses. There's even businesses that sell office supplies to other businesses! All really mind-blowing to me haha. Probably it's just me being blissfully unaware all these years. I've never really flipped through the yellow pages before either.

Other aspects of my life as an intern has been sweeping, vacuuming and mopping the floor, doing the dishes, throwing out the trash, making coffee and tea, buying lunch, buying milk (I bought milk three times already!), moving things around, feeding the fish, and of course assisting the photographers if they need help shooting, and photoshopping after that. It's been great because every day is different and I'm never at a desk. And it's been terrible because every day is different and I'm never at a desk. (which means I can't facebook or surf the internet or distract myself mindless when no one is watching!)

Okay I think this has been a huge chunk of words!

Til Kingom Come.

Steal my heart and hold my tongue.
I feel my time, my time has come.
Let me in, unlock the door.
I've never felt this way before.

The wheels just keep on turning,
The drummer begins to drum,
I don't know which way I'm going,
I don't know which way I've come.

Hold my head inside your hands,
I need someone who understands.
I need someone, someone who hears,
For you, I've waited all these years.

For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come.
Until my day, my day is done.
And say you'll come, and set me free,
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.

In your tears and in your blood,
In your fire and in your flood,
I hear you laugh, I heard you sing,
"I wouldn't change a single thing."

The wheels just keep on turning,
The drummers begin to drum,
I don't know which way I'm going,
I don't know what I've become.

For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come,
Until my days, my days are done.
Say you'll come and set me free,
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.

I like songs like these a lot. Songs that are ambiguous about it's recipient. Songs that have so many references to God, yet they aren't your usual worship and praise songs.


Oh and this song was originally written for Johnny Cash. :)

Quotes by Minghui.

"Whenever I go running on a treadmill, I feel like I'm going nowhere."

Instant Rim Shot

Not that I've been running a lot recently. Haha.

Safety Cans.

As seen on a banner at a construction site I was passing:
Safety Comes in Cans!
I can. You can. We can.

Awesome copywriting.

Internship.

I'm not supposed to be blogging or using social media to talk about things related to my internship.
So I can't tell you where I'm interning at, hah.

I don't know if I can mention that I started work yesterday. And anyways, work at the unmentioned place has been interesting. The first day passed so quickly I didn't even notice it was time to leave, until it was time to leave.

Today was slightly more tiring. Cause there was a shoot going on from 10 in the morning until 6 when I ended work. And it was pretty much non-stop all the way. At least the lunch was free. :)

Oh and I think the cargo lifts at my unknown workplace are wickedly scary. Like zombies-and-ghosts scary as well as hope-the-lift-cable-doesn't-snap scary. Shall take a picture of it next time if I can. Thankfully the passenger lifts are a much safer option.

"Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand.

"Unless, of course, you can literally believe all that stuff about family reunions 'on the further shore,' pictured in entirely earthly terms. But that is all unscriptural, all out of bad hymns and lithographs. There's not a word of it in the Bible. And it rings false. We know it couldn't be like that. Reality never repeats. The exact same thing is never taken away and given back. How well the Spiritualists bait their hook! 'Things on this side are not so different after all.' There are cigars in Heaven. For that is what we should all like. The happy past restored."  

- CS Lewis (A Grief Observed)

Conflict of Interest.

Hypothetical situation: Let's say I'm an atheist and I'm asked to advertise/design/create something for a Church or Christian organisation, could I do it? (I could be designing an atheist poster, but I think atheist posters are rather improbable.)

Or let's say I'm a vegan, could I design a corporate identity for a butcher? If I'm a feminist and asked to create a brochure detailing male accomplishments. Or a nature lover asked to design something for an oil conglomerate, would I do it?

I can of course, decide to do it professionally, separate my own personal views with that of my job's. But in a creative industry I think success depends on your ideas, and idea generation can only be possible if one is compelled, driven to think creatively. I might try all I want to think of ideas for a Eat Dog Meat advertisement, but you know what, I think the ideas I'd come up with would be generic, lousy ideas at best. Because I wouldn't want to create a Eat Dog Meat advertisement in the first place, I personally would much rather want to create a Don't Eat Dog Meat advertisement, and I think thinking of creative ideas for such a cause would be much easier.

I think my conclusion is that it's rather impossible to advertise/design for a product/cause that you are against. There are of course, many products and causes that you are neutral towards; I wouldn't have any problems designing for an umbrella shop (purely hypothetical because at point of writing, I don't know any shop dedicated to selling umbrellas). There are also products and causes that you are passionate about, I would definitely be interested in designing for a camera shop, but usually you don't run into such opportunities very often (which is why I have not designed for a camera shop).

But for products and causes that you are against, that's the hard part. Is it possible?

I think the weirdest thoughts start coming to me around 4 in the Morning.

Soft-Boiled Eggs.

On Monday morning I woke up deciding that today I would try to cook soft-boiled eggs! Because I felt like eating soft-boiled eggs. (Duh) And it was almost not a Monday morning because I only started cooking at 11.40am.

Anyways, I decided to google "how to cook a soft-boiled egg", and clicked on the 6th result, because it had the word perfect in it. And I followed the instructions listed very carefully.

As expected I ended up with two hard-boiled eggs. I do think one of them was quite soft in the center though; maybe 5 percent liquid? Ah well, failing is the first step to success and all that right?

I think this sets back my goal of making poached eggs, scrambled eggs and sunny side ups by a few months. (I blame Google for the lofty aspirations.)

Between 2 Camps.

It's been a rushed and hectic and stressful and tiring week for me. Because I just came back from an awesome Youth camp. Not so awesome is the fact that the camp is just before my school has ended; also known as the dreaded submission week. Meaning I've been having to adjust almost immediately from the camp-like atmosphere to the school-like atmosphere. And I've been sneezing constantly in the process.

And I have another camp tomorrow which I'm looking forward to because it's a Church camp, meaning we won't need to do tiring things like in the Youth camp. I think I'm feeling old. :( An afternoon of station games and an afternoon of laser tag and I feel like an old man. Maybe it's the sudden burst of exercise after a long drought of inactivity. I haven't gone running since the marathon hahaha.

On a more positive note, I think leading a group during the Youth camp has been an eye-opener for me. Learning more about being an example for God and praying for the people under you. Hope the enthusiasm and such won't be a one-off thing and continue on. Am definitely more inspired to lead my cell group now.

Last day of school, left with my portfolio and resume to print out and interviews to go for!

Lim Chu Kang.

Aside from the abandoned estate that I went to, I also went to a few other places to shoot for my module. I'm rather lazy to categorize the places accurately, because I went there on 5 separate occasions and I went to some places more than once. So I decided to just put all the photos together.

Lim Chu Kang Rural Centre.

A few weeks ago I was out shooting pictures around Lim Chu Kang for my module. That module has (thankfully) ended so I don't have to suffer countless mosquito bites anymore. That said, I probably don't mind going back there to take pictures again, just not any time soon.


Anyways, I decided to post pictures that I submitted for my module as well as pictures that didn't make the cut. So this is one of them.

Changi Airport Departure Hall.

I've been falling sick quite regularly lately. Like exactly a week ago I had a really high fever. And now I have a really high fever again. :( Maybe it's a Thursday/Friday thing. Too excited for the weekend.

East to West.

I have been travelling to Changi Airport one day,

To Lim Chu Kang the next.

At least it all ends tomorrow! Then a new module starts again on Monday. Hopefully this new module doesn't involve going to mosquito breeding grounds.

Shoothink.

I think Narrative Photography and Colour and Light are two modules that should never ever be done at the same time. And I'm the only person doing them at the same time. :(

At least I get nice pictures out of it. :) This was shot at Lim Chu Kang, which I've been going every alternate day or so, and will be going for the next two weeks.

I have a lot of thoughts to blog about, but I'm too tired(lazy) to blog about them now.

The Last Train.

Really old photo.

Lately I've been taking the last train home from er, Yew Tee to my house in Punggol. It's about an hour and a half ride, give or take a few minutes. And it's actually three different trains cause I need to transfer twice.

I like how the last train timings are all very precise and coordinated. From Yew Tee to Bishan, Bishan to Serangoon, Serangoon to Punggol. Taking the last train from Bishan to Serangoon means walking at a brisk pace to catch the last train from Serangoon to Punggol. Missing the last train means you end up stranded at one of the stations. Fortunately I haven't been stranded yet. :P

And then there's interesting people you meet on the train rides as well. Like a man trying to get to Novena station but unable to because the last train only goes to Toa Payoh. You rarely see children, and most people are from the service industry or working adults. Or people like me haha. And nearly everyone, including myself, falls asleep at some point or another. The last and first trains are pretty similar. Continuity or something like that.

Okay that's Minghui's random blog post.

On Photography.

If you are a complete stranger who just happened to stumble upon my blog and this is the first post you read, then you probably wouldn't know that I take pictures. Or if you're a complete stranger who's been stalking me for months through this blog, then you probably would know that I take pictures, but not know that I'm actually studying Visual Communication and majoring in photography (my about page is reeeeally outdated).

Pinhole Photography.

School has finally ended last week, so I don't have any official reason not to blog anymore. Haha. So here I am! Shall probably attempt to update more regularly, and since I only have (a horridly inadequate) 3 weeks more of holidays left, let's hope I continue to update something when school starts again. :)

Anyways, these photos were taken with pinhole cameras as part of a module. Pinhole cameras are actually just boxes with a pinhole (shocking right) in them, and a piece of light-sensitive paper affixed to the back. The boxes we used were mostly metal tins and stuff like that.

Yu Hao and Alicia with the pinhole cameras. :)

 The photos were all shot sometime around the end of December to the start of the new year, which was technically our term break. I still remember going back to school on new year's eve, because for some reason all the pictures I 'tried' to take didn't come out. :( I must have wasted about 50 odd pieces of light-sensitive paper.

Okay wordy post to come. :)

Today was a good day.
I liked today. :)

Christchurch.

With hundreds still missing, and 75 already confirmed dead, rescuers struggled to find survivors on the second night after a devastating earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand's second largest city Tuesday. Buildings crumbled into the streets after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake, which geologists consider an aftershock to a 7.1 earthquake that caused no casualties in September. Tuesday’s temblor was more devastating and deadly because it was centered only six miles from the city's center and hit during the middle of a workday. The Government has declared a national state of emergency. Officials estimated there could be 100 people trapped in the CTV building alone.

What if this had happened slightly less than a year ago. Kind of shocked to see the places I went to and visited in ruins. :( And I didn't even know about this because I was too busy preparing for presentations. :(
Anyways, sources of the photos and information on the earthquake here.

Punggol.

There's a relatively calm lull in busyness for me now. Because I just finished a crazy hectic block, and it's the beginning of another crazy hectic block. Haha. It's not like the previous few blocks where we had deadline extensions carried over and then work is just never ending. This time it's more like a waiting period before we start doing work like crazy again.

Okay so anyways a couple of weeks ago I had to create a publication based on a topic of my choice. And so I decided to do a photography book with pictures of Punggol. And because the majority of the pictures I had of Punggol were insufficient, I went out to shoot more pictures again. This is what I shot.

Lord of Lords.

Now unto the lamb who sits on the throne
Be glory and honor and praise
All of eternity echoes the song
Worship and praise him the Lord of Lords

2010.

It's been 10 days into the new year, and I haven't blogged a retrospective post about the last year yet! :/ It's something I usually do at the end/start of every year, but I think the past few weeks have just been getting busier and more stressful with each week, and I don't see the list of work to be done finishing anytime soon. :( Don't get me started on the number of photos to process. Haven't even done my birthday photos which was in October. :/

Last year I did 2009 in 9 pictures, which I decided I shall not do this time because it'll get all very repetitive. Hahaha. That's not to say that 2010 wasn't filled with awesome pictures though.

So here's what I thought was the most significant parts of 2010.
In 2010, I went to New Zealand with Ryan and Lenson.
My hard drive crashed, meaning I lost most of the pictures I took in 2009.
I brought a teddy bear around Singapore to shoot.
I brought a new hard drive, which will hopefully never ever crash now.
I went for Combined Youth Camp, which was an awesome experience.
I shot pictures for the Youth Olympic Games, but no one shall get to see them because I can't post them HAH.
I caught the Sunrise at East Coast with awesome friends.
I ran a marathon.
I went for Youth Camp, which was another awesome experience.
I read 36 books this year. Of these I think the best fiction I read was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, and the best non-fiction was Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.
And this year I got to know someone more. :)

The start of 2010 was really really horrid. With everything crashing and going wrong. But I think the end was good. :) Very good. Haha. Eee most people reading this would know what I'm talking about, if you don't then you probably don't know me very well and hence shouldn't read this blog anymore. :P