Tachikawa NO JIRETTAI BURO-GU!

No one’s probably reading this, but what the heck. Life’s been really nice. So nice that in fact, I feel..so happy. Happy. Life for me these past 3 years has been the BEST 3 years of my whole life. I seriously can’t thank god enough for giving me this.

I guess life can change for the better if you have the will to do so. Post Secondary (High) school, I was one huge mass! Weighing at slightly over 0.105 tons (105 Kg, heh), I was one depressed guy. Seriously. My self-confidence was lacking, I stayed at home a lot, never went out. I was also having this crush on this one girl. It had been going on for quite a while, I guess, but this gutless son-of-a-gun didn’t have the … guts. To ask her out. And who can blame him? He was fat and lacking self-confidence. Ended my secondary school life in pretty bad shape is all I can recall..

Then came in a new stage in my life; whole new beginning: I began my tertiary studies. This was exactly 3 years back. I seriously felt that I wanted to go after this girl. Anything was worth sacrificing, for her. I had to do something..something worthy of her. Guess what I did? Yeap. It all began. That one fateful night, I seriously didn’t know what came over me. I put on an old pair of jogging shoes, and went jogging. The next few days I went swimming. And the cycle repeated..for the next 3 years (with increased intensity and variations).

I’m now 78kgs (with a height of 1.81m, approximately 6 ft), one of the fastest long distance swimmers in my school, pretty muscular (if I do say so myself, lol!), and embarking on the Biathlon, one of 3 endurance events held yearly; the Biathlon (Swim 1.5KM, Jog 10KM), Triathlon (Swim 1.5KM, Cycle 40KM, Jog 10KM) and Marathon (42KM). I’ve changed a lot..but still, I’m afraid to ask her out. One day, maybe, just maybe..

Also, we got our very first piano somewhere in the middle of my first year of tertiary education. And thats when I began maturing psychologically. I was always told that I had some talent in playin the piano; my mother wanted to send me for lessons when I was young. I didn’t want to. I regretted it, but now I could make up for it. My brother began his Grade 1 Piano lessons; I began using the piano. I tinkered, I practised, I listened to songs and tried recreating them, I improved my fingering. I didn’t want to learn to read notes; felt they were constricting. I played my first song: X Japan’s The Last Song on the piano. The pianist of X Japan, Yoshiki, was (and still is.) one of the most talented pianists. I respected him. I idolized him. I still do. He is my inspiration.

I then went on to deconstruct other pieces. Beethoven’s Fur Elise, Piano pieces from the game series Final Fantasy are some of the countless other pieces I can currently play now. I can also play free-style now. I’d tinker a bit, create a nice tune, and continue building upon this tune progressively over the next 10 mins or so. Piano playing helps me to relax and unwind…and I really love it. I began adding a simultaneous singing and piano playing factor a few months ago. Gackt’s Last Song. It sounds quite nice, I think. And..

Just yesterday, my group got through to the finals of my school’s talentime! We played acoustically; I played the piano, 2 of my friends Grace and Dave sang. We did X Japan’s Last Song (returned to my roots, heh) and Richard Marx’s Right Here Waiting. WE GOT THROUGH! The comments from the judges (live band members) were very encouraging; they LOVED the Last Song and everything in general. We’re gonna perform in front of a whole auditorium full of people, and we’re gonna darn well do our very BEST! WE’RE GONNA WIN! I think we’re gonna do a X Japan – Keane medley (both songs fading into one another somehow) as we did in the auditions. What songs are we going to play exactly? Well, you just gotta come watch us if you wanna know! ^ – ^;;

OH! I can never forget this. About a year ago (on the 14th of February 2004 in a school college fair, to be exact), I was reacquainted with Grace. We’ve been friends ever since secondary school started (think 1998) but was never that close. So we got to talking…it was kinda wierd in a way. She WAS different. With her nerdy specs and long hair (as compared to her funky shirts, skirts, jeans and Gatsby-esque hairstyle now), we began talkin’. First on MSN Messenger, then on the phone. Eventually we came to be watchin’ movies, planning outings for our friends and stuff. Not like we were dating, we actually overcame that stigma thing. We’re purely platonic. Its interesting how from virtually NOT knowing someone to actually KNOW someone that much. She’s been my best friend, supporting me through thick and thin, believing in my piano playing (back when I didn’t..) and a shoulder to cry on. You’re a great friend, and you’re one of the best things that happened to me.

Oh, also, me and my final year college project group went through this interesting thing. We submitted our names for this award competition (Polytechnic Research Projects or something like that), and gave a presentation of our project to our school’s director and a few important members. The atmosphere was quite tense, if I should say so myself. Quite nerve racking! We actually got SELECTED! We then went through another presentation process to the principal and board of directors of our college! We competed with 7 other groups with our presentation skills, and won! You do have to note that the level of tense-ness during the presentation to our school’s director and key members were insignificant as compared to the one in the board room, with 15 of our college’s MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE sitting and watching us intently. It was ELECTRIFYING! Oh, and we also got about…a thousand dollars for all our trouble. Heh heh. I don’t mind going through it all again for another thousand.

Ah, maybe just a short paragraph on other stuff. Mmmm. Oh yeah, got into the Japanese culture, been learning the language for about 2 years. Thats one things. I also got a freelance job at a gaming magazine, and through that, a game conceptualization job at this games development company.

Yeap. It was a good 3 years! New lease in life, if I should say so myself. Physical improvement, mental improvement, a more positive outlook in life, piano skills, a job, and a new language. BEST 3 YEARS OF MY LIFE! Would like to take this opportunity to thank God and all of my friends who’ve been my pillars of support through it all. You’re all the best! *HUGZ*

Wow! Its been a really long time since I’ve updated this. I’ve always wanted this wierd sarcastic-comedic style of writing in my blog, but it just ain’t me (yeah right, bitch. *HAHAHAHAHA* -_-) *bum bum dish!*

..So anyway. Its been a real bitch (2nd time in 2 sentences, heh) these past few weeks. Got my final year reports and stuff. Also just kinda finished a presentation to my school’s (real complicated and cool sounding name..wait for it…the SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES! *cue cool music here* ) Director. If I get through this, get into the final 3 groups, I stand to win a grand total of 500 dollars baby! AND the title of ‘Award Winner’ to my name w00t!

…but thats if I get through this round first..so anyway, remember my previous post? Where I said something about going to the soccer game. Well, here are the pics!:

I have to say that…that was one of the best soccer games I have ever been to. Even back in the Malaysia Cup days, I’ve never seen so many soccer fans filling up the stadium till THAT full! Look at the sea of RED FANS! The Kallang Wave still LIVES! The adrenaline of the game; the fan support; its all BACK BABY! The Lion still ROARS! ROAAAARR!!!!!

*Ahem*…so anyway. Mmmm. Was kinda bored, so did a recording of me doing Gackt’s Last Song (Piano-Acoustic) LIVE with singing AND piano playing! The singing’s ok..i think, though the piano playing could improve, in my opinion. Heh. Once again, reminder that this song was entirely decomposed by ear (CAN’T READ NOTES BIATCH! Lol), played with the greatest of passion and sung with all my heart. Heh. Download it! Go go go!