In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.


Resistance is futile.

How's life? I thought I'd get some rest when school finished but social obligations kept me busy. Not that I don't want them, of course. That's why I went on with it. Well, well.

Yesterday, a good friend of mine departed for a long trip in Canada. Farewell, for now. I know I won't see you for a while. So take care and don't miss me.

I think it's really cool to have made the friends I've made here in Melbourne. I think that if I was staying in Melbourne, I get to keep these friends by my side for a long time. But then, I'll be leaving, so there's no point thinking about it too much. To this end, I try to be detached. But sometimes, I forget that these friends also treat me with some regard and this alone makes it difficult to keep them out of my mind.

When you think about it, I have been moving back and forth places for a while now. Haven't really settled down in any of the places I've lived in. I always thought I like travelling and so I move from here to there and there to here. I do like travelling, of course. But now, when I feel as though I could settle in a place like Melbourne, which I really love, I have to move again. This would mean I will have to make plans for the future from scratch. It also means, the things I have planned in the future would be delayed by a number of years.

Don't get me wrong. I love Melbourne. But I can also take things in the right attitude. And so, I'm fairly positive. By my not being able to continuously stay in Melbourne has reopened up a whole variety of possibilities ahead of me. It's almost as though, I've regained a chance to think about my future. The things I've thought of are so many. Curiously enough, one of those things is an English tutor in a non-English speaking country. Another, more predictable profession that I would be able to get into is fiction writing. Photography is yet another one.

I still love filmmaking a lot though and I will continue to look for avenues in this area.

The other day, I was talking with my friend and we both agreed that the true reasons we choose our profession will not always be apparent until we seriously work in it. It is only when I start making films as a full-fledged director will I understand the implications of my career in terms of my entire life.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.


Myself, and Ben Sheppard-sensei at the UMKC Annual Dinner.

Since the Victorian Kendo Taikai, my kendo has improved, so says my fellow kendoka and Ben Sheppard-sensei. This is, of course, a good thing. Since September, I've experienced several what we at UMKC like to call 'light-bulb' moments.

I went to kendo this morning. It's quite refreshing to do kendo early in the morning. It really wakes you up and gives you a mighty kick -start to rest of the day... Unless, you're like me and fall asleep again right after.

Anyway, after training, the bunch of us got together and took some kendo portraits. It was cool except for one thing: the readings on my lightmeter doesn't seem to make much sense of the lighting situation in the dojo. I checked all the settings but it seems to give me some unusual readings. Hmm. Weird, indeed. I just hope the exposure comes out right because I do intend to cross process this roll of film.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.


Me in white shirt.

More than one month without a post! Yikes. Much has happened. I've been so busy. So, so busy. This is what happens at the end of every year, I guess. It happens. Haha. Well, then.

What's been happening?

School work. Lots of stuff to do. 2 video jobs, one of which was lost. First time I won a shiai in kendo.

I hate to admit it, but my Mac broke down after two years. I'm using a computer in an internet cafe off Bourke Street right now while my Mac is at the workshop. This is somewhat mortifying. Supposed to hand in my last assignments next week.

I didn't get into film school. Too bad. I really wanted to go. I was depressed for a few days. But on the positive side, it's a kind of force reboot for me to think what I will do in the next one year or so. I won't go into the possibilities here. The future is pretty much a question mark because I haven't decided. Somehow, it seems that I simply want to wait out a decision for the moment, much to the chagrin of my friends and family. Even to me, the next few years are a mystery. It seems that the longer I wait to decide what to do, the possibility of staying in Melbourne becomes smaller and smaller.

I recently watched Wong Kar-Wai's 2046. I don't know if a Cantonese version exists, but I thought this Mandarin version that I got sounded pretty alright. It was a good movie. The only complain I have, I think, is that it's sort of slow. Surprisingly, there is one bit near the end where I got a little confused. Too bad Maggie Cheung appeared for only a total of about 20 seconds. Would love to see more of her acting. I notice that repeated watching of In the Mood For Love has made a lot of sense in 2046. The prequels Days of Being Wild and ITMFL could be hold its own as standalone pieces. 2046, however, would appear somewhat convoluted if the prequels have not been watched.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.