Favourite Reunion

Remember my Tassie fav friend, Annabelle? Here’s some pictures which I’m sure many will recall.

Yeah she’s my friend who was under a ‘modelling contract’ to me last year as a joke. But really, she was always there and willing when I wanted to do some shoots, especially Faiseurs De Mondes. I wanted to do this double exposure thing and I needed fresh photos to try them out. I asked her and she was so willing. We got closer last year and we happened to just call each other ‘favourite friend’. She was one of those people whom I missed this year back in Tassie. Like Su Ni, she was always up for long chats in cafes catching up on life. This year is fast paced and in terms of social life, it is like pressing the reset button where I made awesome friends all over again. That being said, it was also the catching up with a familiar face which I missed. Other than Su Ni, there was Christopher, Joey Ho, Colina&Charles as well as Kuay Yee, but those didn’t happen too often either.

Anyway I digressed, I met an Annabelle Lee last weekend and it was just like old times, only in a more humid weather.

Meeting up with friends back in Singapore is always awesome, but sometimes meeting up with Utas friends is much needed as well. Speaking of which, I met Naz today for dinner. Didn’t take a picture though, dammit.

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These Memories I Cling To – XI: White Gold

The first few weeks of Semester 2 of 2014 was difficult. It was when we realized we failed DS5 and had to repeat the following year. She knew it first as she wasn’t even granted the supplementary task. I went to her house straight to comfort her and help with the review of assesment form. Later on it was my turn to feel the bitter blow of failure, she was also there to help me through.

Anyway, a trip with the guys to Ben Lomond made the days a little better. It didn’t snow too much, which meant we could drive all the way up to the top. Logen drove, I was in no mood to drive and challenge the mountainous road and jacob’s ladder. Plus, a snooze in the car always helped. It was a fun day, throwed snowballs and stuff. It was cold, but not freezing. The fresh air was erm, breathtaking haha. We did a little small hike around the area and it posed a different challenge than most hikes as there was frost everywhere. Slipping and falling’s never a good idea too.

It was a really simple day trip, but it was also pretty memorable.

Video: Logen

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These Memories I Cling To – X: Sydney Jam

You know what’s amazing?

Making music with friends.

You know what’s more amazing?

Flying to Sydney to live with your guitarist with jamming taking half of the itinerary.

You know what’s more amazing than that?

Having your vocalist fly from Singapore to join the above activities.

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Namie was on a holiday before she resumed school in Lasalle. She embarked on an Aussie tour and Sydney was her first stop.

Glen came over to Tassie for 3 days prior to this, so we flew to Sydney together after that. Our flight was delayed by 30mins, when we arrived in Sydney, we found a Namira dozing by the bench. Not the anticipated arms waving and running to each other, but we finally reunited nonetheless. Mind you, Glen, Namie and I were never in the same band before. Glen’s with me in Monolithia, Namie used to jam with me with Enthrall Masquerde and she now occasionally collaborates with me. Crystal was away in Vienna during the last summer break, hence I brought Namie into Monolithia to cover for 2 sessions. It’s random, but to be able to connect and do such a jamming activity overseas takes balls. It was really amazing and memorable. Plus, Sydney’s weather is so nice and warm compared to Tassie’s winter. Namie was the only one shivering though, having never travelled out of Asia before.

Other jamming, we headed to Coogee Beach, Manly Beach, the Botanical Gardens, the Game of Thrones Exhibition among other stuff. Good food included Chish and Fips, Lowenbrau (omggggg) and Black Star Pastry. A friend of mine, Julian, happened to be in Sydney as well and he hung out with us for a night and a day. It was short, but I’m glad he blended in nicely.

Glen’s apartment is similar to the Newnham Apartments as well. Wide and spacious, Glen slept on the bed while Namie and I slept on the floor. It was also wide enough for us to conduct our own DIY steamboat while watching Zohan, lol. It just seemed that everything fell into place nicely and there weren’t really any hiccups.

A month prior to the trip. I released a cover of Kavinsky’s Nightcall with Namie on vocals. It was the first time collaborating with someone internationally, and right after that we came together for this – Sydney Jam.

I am sure we all miss it now, but I’m sure future jamming trips will happen as well.

This is the Kavinsky cover I did with Namie. Just for fun, lol.

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These Memories I Cling To – IX: She Is The Dark

She is the Dark, Passion’s Grace 3/5/2014. Model: Annabelle Lee

“She is the dark
The nightmares you hide
The pain you feel
The suffering inside
Though she was like you
Through her dark past
But now, the conqueror
Her choirs vast
Oh, please forgive her
As mankind dies
As angels weep
And heaven cries“

My Dying Bride, She is the Dark

Another major highlight of 2014 – Gormanston and Linda (I hope Chai sees this, this is how Gormanston looks like) with the abandoned crew. Logen, Ashrul, Annabelle and I headed off early morning for a 3 hour drive which saw us end up at Gormanston, a small ghost town in the west. It was creepy, it was amazing. It was a crazy drive there though. The Highland Lakes road was insane, with the rain, 29km+ of gravel road littered with potholes plus crosswinds that literally pushed and pulled my car all over the road. It’s no wonder Logen and I now coin the road ‘The Devil’s Highway’.

We stopped by Queenstown for lunch. It has the same ‘city template’ as all towns in Tasmania, with a street mall in the centre. Still, we enjoyed the quaint atmosphere before the long ardous drive back to Launceston.

Still, it was amazing. There’s no way I will ever forget this whenever I recall Tasmania.

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Limbo

Isabel and I had a falling out today. Our friendship is tentatively over.

What do I do now?

Truly, emptiness is the heaviest emotion to feel.

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These Memories I Cling To – VIII: Ropes

The start of Tassie life again in 2014 saw me make a few small drives out. I drove to Low Head with Luke and Amanda. I also met up with the SSA ladies and we headed to Spreyton as well as Devonport itself to catch a movie (12 Years a Slave). The first major highlight to me however, was the Hobart trip. Yes many of us had already been to Hobart, but it is the company that really made the trip. It was also the start of a year of portraiture with Annabelle Lee.

This trip was initially meant to be among 5 people. We planned to visit Willow Court (as pictured above), an abandoned asylum in New Norfolk. Since it was so far, we decided to stop over at Hobart for a night. Anyway, upon hearing we were heading to Hobart, more and more people jumped on the bandwagon. Even when we were driving out towards Hobart, half of the gang had no idea we were actually going to an abandoned asylum.

The asylum was breathtaking. Countless rooms and exposed structures entertained us. Some areas were creepier than others, but we could really generally feel how it was like before. Photoshoots with Annabelle, Stephanie and Nicco there were successful as well.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the outskirts of Hobart such as the cenotaph. We befriended 2 Japanese, Asami and Ayaka at the backpackers we stayed at as well. It wasn’t just a hi-bye thing, we did meet up the next day to go to Salamanca together and I still have both of them on Facebook and Ayaka on Instagram as well. Asami even recently congragulated me upon my graduation by commenting on my Facebook. It’s nice to have such random friends in my life that I still keep in touch with.

I have never travelled with so many people before. Being the primary organizer, it was a bit of a headache, but seeing everyone enjoying themselves, it was worth it.

It was certainly a memorable trip for all of us – Logen, Nicco, Ashrul, Arif, Syahirah, Ras, Luke, Annabelle, Lei Kuan, Alicia, Naz, Stephanie, Su Ni and myself.

lol what.

Video: Logen

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