Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Let's talk about 2012!


Ok. So recently I'm into all these New Age readings and thoughts. And most of these articles touched on the subject of 2012. The end of the Mayan calendar. The conclusion of a 26,000 year cycle. The moving of the Earth into the Photon Belt.

Right I shall stop with the technical stuff.


Anyway. The question that perhaps might or might not pop up in your mind is - "Is it the end of the world? Or somewhat like the movie itself?"


Some theories state that upheavals are indeed going to take place as Mother Earth begins a cleansing of herself. Which in turn leads to new masses of land emerging while existing ones sink beneath the ocean and poles shifting. National Geographic has confirmed that the North Pole is currently migrating towards Russia. Possibility of such a reversal?

When the Mayans calculated their calendar, they stopped at precisely December 21, 2012. Which marks the end of a time cycle. So what happens then?


Some sources claim that there would be 3 days of darkness after that day. But most agree on one thing. That the human consciousness experiences ascension into the 5th dimension. A dimension of Light and Love. Whether there would be profound changes on the surface of the earth is left to be seen. We are entering the age of Aquarius, an era in which spirituality sees growth.


I think the following website is a good read. Take the articles objectively and with an open mind. Its pretty enlightening. :)

http://ascension101.com/


Ok my brain's slowing down now and I'm feeling sleepy. Perhaps I might just pop in another post on this topic sometime in the future.

A unicorn to guide and protect you!



Thursday, June 16, 2011

Beautiful Like You

Yeah, I am recently addicted to this song. Like seriously addicted. The song is just plain awesome :) Lee DeWyze rocks! Haha Adele, too! Rolling In The Deep is great. Reminds me of all the beautiful souls I have met, have known and came across. :)


Anyway! So much has happened over the past 2 weeks. I've attended two weddings, been on a journey of finding my inner self, and I have met really wonderful people.


Ex-colleague's Ryan's wedding was on the 29th of May. That was the first time I actually tried to stick to a single lens for casual (and fun!) shooting for this friend of mine. Used the Prime and got hooked on it since. :) (The full post has been posted at www.nikkileevisuals.com) I really love the decors and had such a good time viewing the videos of the proposal and events of the morning itself! And of course, not to forget, catch-ups with fellow ex-colleagues!

The following week, I headed up to Ipoh with a huge group of fellow PhD friends for YW's wedding. She was an absolutely good host,
ensuring that we get accommodations (Thanks YW! The bungalow was awesome! :D) and that our needs were catered to.


Needless to say, she looked stunning in the gowns. I love the blue gown she wore - it was so fairytale-like! :D The red number was unique too! Had fun taking pix alongside fellow PhDs Albert and Lee Seng. The next morning the tea ceremony was held. I have had the privilege of tagging along with the 'heng dai' team (for some random and fun shots). The 'dai kam che' was hilarious (and commanding!) and pranks were pulled on the g
uys entourage..t'was fun and everyone had a good time laughing! :) sneaked here and there to get shots and at one point, I was taking a breather and chatted to fellow friends when we noticed Lee Seng was perspiring all over! He was literally drenched! I guess it could be due to the heavy shutter (when I said heavy, it was really heavy!) and the items he carried with him. Albert was up in the bride's room waiting for those endearing shots :)


It was a good weekend in Ipoh and I do hope to go there again some day for the sights and sounds and
food...haha! That weekend has proved to be a rebonding session for us too. And I get to talk to a friend whom I have known for almost 8 years but never talked to before.


Those breaks helped set myself back on course. For some unknown reason, I felt much less constrained than before. As if some chains have been lifted off me. The motivation to strive towards what I want out of life is back...and first on the list, is to get this PhD done as soon as possible with all the best that I can. And I came to realise that, taking pictures is some form
of self-expression for me. I caught myself smiling in the middle of night when looking back at the snapshots of happy faces and joyous moments haha.. :)


I have this strong urge to begin living my heart's desires - to make a difference to this world no matter how big or small, as every difference made, like a wave, sends out ripples and affects all that is in touch with it. Joined the Eco Warriors to keep up to date with all environmental conservation activities. The next on my list would be WWF. I guess its due to this inner resonance and love for mother nature.. :D



Such feelings brought back a memory of Segovia. Here's a picture of memory from when I was there. This is the interior of the Segovia Cathedral..extremely huge and really nice. :) I wish I had more time there to explore the Saints.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Life's been a rollercoaster of a ride..and looking back now, I'm already 26.

I think its been a long time since I last updated any posts. Have abandoned my blog for some time now. I think its time to revive it again and spill some thoughts. :)

Well, a lot has happened over the past couple of months. Lessons I have learnt, experiences gained. I promised myself that 2011 is going to be a better year for me, what with dealing with all those confidence issues I've been facing all this while. Yeah, somehow, along the course of Life, I have lost that confidence I once had when I was 14. That unshaken trust and belief that everything eventually falls into place, and that I should not worry about anything.

Trust can be betrayed, Faith can be shaken.


I have learnt so much in the past 10 years. Friends whom I have lost touch since primary and high school are back in my life again. And I am extremely grateful and glad for that! There are friends who grew up with me, and friends of whom conflicts happened in the past and placed some distance between us, but after all these years and when we all finally met up, it felt as if we are still good friends as ever. We grew up, and those banters gradually melted away. We are seeing each other as unique individuals, friends who once played wonderful roles in our lives and who are going to continue to paint our canvas of life with beautiful colors. And we chose to keep the good times. This is for you all, friends and buddies of primary and high school. :) I am so happy that we are all back in touch again! I hope that our friendship continues till the end of time.

And then there are fellow friends from the lion dance troupe I joined. Friends from my university days. And my fellow ex-colleagues. And friends whom I got to know through friends. And I have met one of the most amusing sifus ever. :) Needless to say, they are all companions walking with me on this path to the unknown future, breaking my fall when I tripped and giving me a kick in the ass whenever I was bowing out.



But of course, Life is a balance of Yin and Yang, of Light and Darkness, though we always choose to walk the path of Light. There are gains, there are losses too.

If there is one thing I have learnt, it is to give and care sincerely. And when we talk, to talk only good of others and nothing bad. Who are we to judge others, when Nature itself gives second chances to life? I admit, I myself have once fallen into the trap of judging others too fast too soon, of lashing stinging words at others when none of it affects my life one bit, and I slap my mouth big time for that. Some time alone and away for thoughts have placed me in a clearer position, and I hate myself for being judgmental, for being selfish. Now I know better. I vow to never be that 'me' of the past again.


Even though so, I guess there are still people out there who may try to bring you down. To stoke fire behind your back, to place you in such a position that you are rendered dumbfounded and confused. Well, I guess its ok if people chose to believe those words. As long as the conscience is clear, there is nothing to worry about. It is sad to lose friends that way, but if that's the way things happen to be, I rest my case.


Regardless, we move on in Life. There are always ups and downs, but being optimistic is a choice we make. :)

Here is a picture of lovely flowers, captured in Cameron Highlands. Specially dedicated to you all, dear friends of primary school, high school and university, and friends whom I have met outside of education varsities, who have made differences in my life! :)


Thank you all! :)

Ahoy Pirates :D

I was totally awed by the ship right smack in the center court of Mid Valley! All in conjunction with the latest launch of Pirates of The Caribbean! The details are impressive, the ship looks absolutely ready for sailing!

Well, of course, with zilch chances of boarding a pirate ship, all I could do was to let my imagination run wild. :)

Took some snapshots of the ship and the atmosphere, and a scene came into my head. I wanted to recreate this fantasy world. And so having obtained a copyright-free image of a sea, it took me an hour to extract the ship and overlay onto the image of the ocean. Played with contrast and brightness settings, and also some color adjustments.

This was what became of the ship. :)


And that's the original image :)


More on www.nikkileevisuals.com! ;)

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Yes, I noticed cobwebs :)

Can't believe my last post was on pre-Christmas!

Missing posts on Christmas, 2011 New Year's Eve, and Chinese Rabbit New Year. Honestly, I almost forgot about the existence of my blog. LOL. Hopeless, I know. Hahaha!


ANYWAY.


Its been one hell of a rollercoaster ride for me.


Final year of research means extra work, extra writings, extra referencing and extra what-nots. I've been hiding at home working overtime on documents and occasionally, well ok not occasionally but rather, often, at coffee cafes. To the extent that the Starbucks barista asked me,

"Eh, yesterday didn't come one?"

OR

"See you tomorrow!"


Rather predictable huh. Haha.


Christmas was quiet, dinner with family and a one time experience of New Year countdown at Taipei left me with an unforgettable experience. Plus the afterthought of snuggling on the couch at home watching drama series with a good jar of cookies and a hot chocolate on New Year's eve sounds more than comforting compared to jostling with the crowd out there. :)

Starters for Christmas dinner. :)



And the ambience.


And then comes CNY with all the cleaning up and preparation work. Assisted sifu for lion dance shows on CNY 2 and 6 - had fun! Saw the biggest ever platter at a shop in Central Market with mandarins, pomelo, fake pineapples, fake cherry blossoms, a box of chocolates, peanuts, a bunch of limes and lots of angpows. Confused me which one is the REAL one. Yes the one with $$$ haha.


Playful lions on CNY2 - they've been chasing down people! Best show of the day? The one in SnowWorld. Forgot which lion decided to be cheeky (and sporting!) and went sliding down from the cabin! Of course, we came out with icy noses. :) CNY6? The hair salon. Tail player had to support head player on his head while climbing up chairs to get the lettuce. Scared the hell out of me. Freaking worried. But the show went perfectly :)


Here are some pix of the lions in action. :)








Alright, time to get back to more writing. And programming. *yawns* Good Sunday to you! :)