Welcome Spain

Found this picture days ago, before a game during the quarters of A-Division Inter-JC football tourney.


It was also known as the Nike-Manchester United Cup back then, I think. Not sure if it's still the same name. We were one of the favourites, but bombed out at quarters. The entire team cried like hell. My coach called me Fabien Barthez, the college PE HOD called me the Black Spider, but I wanted to be Iker Casillas (see below).

So it is like a high-school reunion, if I'm shamelessly trying to play melodramatic, while watching Casillas captain the Spanish team.

Watching football/World Cup is a great joy, especially when you're rooting for your favourite team. From the list of teams I will be supporting in South Africa, only Argentina and Brazil remains in the tournament. France is pitiful, Korea is hard-breaking and England had its ego burst yet again.

I will like to include a new kid on the block. Put your hands (and Vuvuzelas) for Spain.


Ok, go Spain!

Today is the deadline to drop my signature for the study award, but I'm not going to do so. After much thinking, I am dropping grad school. It's gonna be a damn huge risk, especially if I am not selected to join the tropa da elite, which of course already has very stringent recruitment criteria. So it's goodbye RSIS even before I've started. Talk about losing my mind.

I've put all my chips on the board now and it's good to take a little gamble, especially when you're living in such a comfortable place. I'm still waiting for that one most important call of my life, and preparing to go off to Sri Lanka this weekend.

I want a career that I find meaningful and which will make a difference, an impact to this society, not another run-of-the-mill-job. Nothing wrong with the latter, except perhaps I'm a little idealistic. All the more I need to collide my ideas and expectations with the real world and learn from whatever that may ensued from this collision.

Crime-fighter-non-cape-crusader.

Asian Pride

Everyone was supporting Japan at Tampines McDonald's (save for a trio). All for a bit of Asian pride. Japan played well. It's a pity really.

My sweetheart's 21st birthday. Well. on the 24th that is. =)

Love you.

Beautiful

Fan made video but so beautiful. A reminder and summary of why football brings people together and is the world's most celebrated game.

Maybe because I have too busy and caught up with all the other projects. Gave a little thought to what lies next. There's only so much I can do to help others. I need to give myself some space to breath as well. I look at my schedule and see myself packed and yet there are so many work undone. I am slowly saying no to whatever that pops up, I am sorry I cannot take up any more things. There are stuff and people I want to concentrate my time on. My kids and peers at SBM still remains my top priority. You guys should know the special place I reserved for you in my heart. There is only 1 Shi Xiong, I cannot be there on the fone for you all the time nbut I have you in my mind and whenever you need me, please call. This transition may be a bit messy for you guys at times but please stride on and be proud that you're a SBM Youth.

I am suddenly looking forward to the Sri Lanka trip, part pilgrimage part holiday. Need some time off away. This is not even a grad trip.

Whatever that lies ahead, I am ready to go heads on. You gotto control your own life and destiny, despite everything being erratic and somewhat out of your control, make the best out of it.

Hang, you know your friends here always care and think about you.

A Light in the Darkness (Trailer)

Too busy to start work on this, until a festival in Taiwan calls for it.

A Light in the Darkness from Liew Shi Xiong on Vimeo.

This short film remains the most difficult film project ever embarked on, and at times, the least satisfied one.

Back to Civilization

We sailed across the sea to an offshore island, scaled a hill, explored the deserted business district on a weekend and light up a fire at the furthest corner of Singapore. Ronghui said we 上山下海 and how apt. Doing operations mean I don't get to play and interact much but it has been a great 4 days and nice to note that it will also mean a more united Buddhist youth community. For the SBM kids, I am very happy to see that many of you have grown up and now so proud of your identity. Please keep it going.

A fringe event of the Buddhist Conference by Dharma-in-Action and supported by Singapore Buddhist Mission, Camp Lions brings together youths and volunteers from various Buddhist organisations and backgrounds. When you put some of the most active Buddhist youth groups in Singapore together, you get unity, strength, and sincere spiritual friends. No one is perfect, likewise no group is perfect. We have different strengths and weaknesses and we need everyone to compliment one another. Camp Lions 2010 is a success because of the combination of various groups like Dharma-in-Action, Buddhist Fellowship, Bee Low See, Buddhist Interact Club, Dharma Roundtable, Mangala Vihara, NUS Buddhist Society, NTU Buddhist Society, Singapore Buddhist Mission, Young Buddhist Chapter and of cos, our friends from across the causeway, Subang Jaya Buddhist Association.

Everyone from every Buddhist organisation made a difference.

And now, it's time for a new phase here in SBM, where a new main committee will take over from the old horses. It's an exciting time with this new transition. I am confident the new team is the strongest ever and will bring this youth group to even greater heights!

Sadhu and blessings to all.

Beautiful

Something which all of us can relate to, with regards to our relationships with our parents and grandparents.

Touching.

Off to Camp Lions.

What an experience, standing in an ops room, giving a presentation to some of whom must be the top officers. I want to do it again and again and again.

Heart Sutra

Hauntingly beautiful rendition of the Heart Sutra by Faye Wong.

England vs USA

"That is what you prepare for mentally. You don't prepare mentally for making great saves and playing the perfect game. You prepare for trauma.

"It is regrettable and not what you want to happen but that's life and you move on, you hold your head up high and get to work in training. It won't affect me psychologically. I'm 30, I'm a man, and you have hardships in life and prepare for them.

"I'm strong enough to move on. At a younger point in my life it would have affected me more. But you hold your hand up and say 'that's gone, move on and don't let it affect you'.''

Wise words from Green.

Goalkeeper howlers are not the same as mistakes the other players made. Even some of the world's best goalkeepers could not recover from their confidence dips. I know cos I once played competitively in that position, and the amount of stress faced by the keeper is extremely intensive. Not to mention the risk of injuries and the burden of carrying the team on your bare shoulders. I once had my lips torn because an opponent had his boot on my face. Spare the keeper, it is some of the world's toughest jobs.

Never mind England. Win the next game and we should be almost thru' to the knock-outs.

ENGLAND

England is my team for 2010! (Even after a disappointing season for Man United).

Gamelan

It was the first time these Indonesian students travel out of their country and the local audience gave their admiration with a 2-minute long standing ovation. I saw a few of the students tearing, through the video camera.

It was a humbling experience for the past few days, to meet a group of gracious Singaporeans who care for not only the local community but our friends from the region. They raised a sum of money just so they could bring a group of Indonesian students over to Singapore for a cultural exchange. The tears that were welling in the eyes of the students must be a testament to all the hard work and kindness this group has done for them. This short trip to Singapore should be an unforgettable and thankful experience for many of them and will remain so for a long time.

Thank you FFM, for giving me a chance to volunteer my services and help record such precious moments and memories.

South Africa 2010

Teams I will be rooting for, not in order of preferences (except for England).

1. England
Goes without saying. Probably the only country Singaporeans, or at least myself, can identify with, since Singapore was a former British colony and how we once had a shared history. Not to mention how the English Premier League is a perennial favourite here. Can England please finally win something?

2. South Korea

Off-pitch distraction.

Asian pride, not K-Pop mania, though the latter makes me embarrassed to wear the Korean jersey. I've stopped for 2 years already and counting.

3. Brazil
Samba football, need I say more?

4. France
No more heartbreaks like 2006. Please.

5. Argentina
Maradonna lor. Period.

Ok, Three Lions MTV for England...

I am a bit lucky that I do not have debts to pay right after university but I'm still trying to live like a Buddhist monk now, spending as little as I can. Every dollar adds up to the feature film fund. I don't want to live on my parents, not at this age, though technically, I am still financially dependent. A few freelance jobs here and there but the rate at which is slow. I need to make the feature film within a year, failing to do so would probably mean that I am only capable of daydreaming, and proving the critics right that it would be impossible to do it with such little funding, and that Singaporeans are incapable of living outside of the mold. I would like to change that perception just a bit.

Grad school is good as it exposed myself to a different worldview away from the media in WKWSCI, something I think I desperately need. The four years spent have been valuable but I feel I somewhat less creative than before. Perhaps I've been spending too much time trying to figure out the working process than the content, something I hope grad school can help fix by giving a different viewpoint. Taking up the Assistantship will mean that my school fees are entirely paid for with a monthly stipend, but doing so may mean that I have to juggle more.

The script is however not going anywhere. I am stuck with two stories and I cannot make up my mind on which to develop further. It still lack interesting development. I don't want it to become yet another arthouse drone, but it shouldn't be a mindless rant as well. But this is the time to do it, fresh out of university, with the technology right and the social support still strong. A year or two delay will mean a different game play. It is a social experiment, 99.99% it won't be a successful feature film. But it will be interesting to see how one can do it with minimal funding and crew, and hopefully, still hoping, recognizable names. It is also a personal challenge, to try and live out your dream. It can be a film that fails but it is an experience that cannot replicate elsewhere.

I am trying to keep a blogging record of the entire process, the way the DIY filmmakers in the States do so. But I am avoiding being too histrionic and indulgent. Then again, I think we all have blogs just so we can indulge a bit more in our lives.

My Bible

and a life-changing experience/read.

A certain Monica Patricia Ballesteros Silva just sent me an email:

Your E-mail ID Have Been Awarded £950.000.00 In Our M Benz Promo, Send Your Name/Tel/Country.

Nicely done! I'm in desperate need to raise funds for the feature film and now this? How timely!




You ought to believe that I'm taking every word on the email seriously.

Slight dislocation. An excruciating experience with the physician. A loud 'cluck' and my left shoulder is back in position. Another good news with the ligament, it is merely a strain, not a tear. Reckon I can start running again in another 2 months time.

I am officially 'away' for the next 4 weeks. Will only be back in 12th July. But you might still catch me on the streets or for late nights supper or something (Zak, Marcus, Wenxu, etc).

I am proud of this country. Walk on.

1. Legitimacy

2. Personal Experience

June 2 is a funny day. In the span of less than 2 hours, two phone calls and one email came in. It can be a confusing period when you are too ambitious, wanting to do everything in life.

The next step

I have decided not to take up the offers with the local production houses. No go with Hong Kong either, the Kungfu Master didn't deem myself suitable. Sticking to the original plan to take one year off and make my first feature film while doing the Masters.

There's a good reason why I'll be reading Strategic Studies. I told Ming the other day that I hope to spend a good number of years serving the country. I want to eventually make films about my country and for my country, but I think the first step to do so is to walk the talk and serve my nation first.

In the meantime, work on the feature film must continue.

we packed the room

Made the place comfortable, neat and clean for everyone. Please look after it well.

Movie Posters

Lining up on the walls of my room (bed/study/work).
Chungking Express was a birthday gift from some of my closest friends in university back in soph days. I still love Wong Kar-wai's films but I think I am growing out of it already.

The vintage Star Wars: A New Hope reminds me of all the galactical fantasies I once had as a child.

The pride and honour of serving your country, the horrors/realism of war.

for the men

I am tired.

But serving the Buddhist community and the youths is something that gives me meaning in life.