Public Speech

After going for a public speaking course at GiG Centre, I now realize how important (and what a good idea it was to take that course) it is to know how to speak in front of a public.

Since this course I have attended a few seminars or just events where someone would make a speech. Seeing their quality of speeches I find that a lot of these public speakers don't know how to present or talk in public.
I am not saying that they are bad. I am just saying that it is important to know the basics of it. It allows you to control your crowd, to prepare yourself and forces you to check your equipments before hand. It essentially asks you to prepare for the worst case senario.

I am currently attending a seminar and the presentation screwed up the presenter. We are waiting now for the presentation to restart, which doesn't seem to do so. No audio is coming out, which is necessary for the presentation.
This allows for the attendees to chat, be inpatient, maybe thinking negatively about this presentation and the company and possibly "laugh" at them for this unfortunate happening.

So, for my dear students out there who happened to bump onto this blog:

- I am still waiting for the presentation to continue.
- if you were here, you would probably understand why I emphasizes in putting you through presentations in front of the class and why you need to have a backup plan, in case something like that example mentioned above happens.
- be prepared for the worst

Well, the presentation started now... On a different computer without the prepared session files... (remeber to have a duplicate of your presentation on the backup computer too...!)

Have a good weekend!

The i-Girls Singapore

Woowwww.. i have to present to all of you, the latest among the i-world... The iGirls from Baur Asia!! YEAH!!

WELCOME!

Info: If you can pop a pop corn with your handphone, then...

Video 1


Video 2


Video 3



Now, if they can pop the corn with their combined handphones, what happens to our brain?? Does that mean that my loss of memory could be caused by these EMF effects?

If that is the case...
then we are having more and more corn cells... no?

Issue: Home Sweet Home... ish

Aaaah... don't we loooove nature's beauty and silence? *deep breath taking* And at this very moment, this is how my living area looks and sounds like...

*deep breath* Aaaahhhh... Beautiful! Fresh air, birds tweeting... all that one could ask for.

Until...

I've Heard That

Naivety Kills - Not Us.

Issue: HAPPY NEW YEAR!! ... Anyway.. i was saying...

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Anyway, do you have the..."

We are all back to work and this is how most of the phonoe conversation seem to be at this moment. I find this weird. There is no sincirity behind that phrase. I mean, i really do wish the best to who ever i am calling or talking to.

I don't know... it's just a thought...

Happy New Year to all of you reading this post! =)

Issue: Repeal 377A - That's all

I don't have a lot to say.
I just say: repeal it. It is not a big change for the government, but it's a step forward to equality for Singapore. Stubbornness does not help the country, but moving forward does. Just watch the video, it says it all. I want it to be repealed for my Singaporean friends.

Issues: Gay Couples & Straight Couples - The Difference

How do you keep something alive in a country so small, where you have done everything at least twice already in a 2 years’ relationship. How do you maintain this “excitement”? How can you keep someone close to you, if everything exciting is already done? Do you repeat the whole process by closing one eye and say: “What the hell, just do it all over again.” ?! or you try to invent something... AGAIN?

http://fruittyissues.blogspot.com/2007/08/issues-gay-couples-straight-couples.html

News: Jesus Camp, The Movie (2006)

Last Sunday, i actually watched this movie called Jesus Camp. I was informed by it, by an other website's article.

The movie let me a bit silent, yet made me laugh to some extend, as i feel, that the children are just regurgitating what is being said to them, unfortunately. They also give me the impression, that besides their Evangelism, they don't seem to know the nature of other religions. Example, this girl approaching
a group of black uncles chilling out in the park and she asked one of them, where he believes he's going to after death. His reply was "heaven" (duh...). The girl looked disappointed (she really sounded like she expected something else), said thank you and left the guys. She came towards the camera that did a close up to her and she said, i cite:
"I thought they were Muslims".
Can someone explain to me why it's such a shock?

Anyway, if you want to read more articles about this movie, just click on this link.

Issues: Global Warming: A Warning or Not?

It amazes me to see suddenly sooo many advertisements and messages regarding the increase of global warning.

Isn't it alarming?
I did notice the changes in weather conditions. Have you too?

If one person creates 10 liters of trash a week on its own... how much trash do you think we make as a world?

Read more on that here.

Issue: Silent Satellite by Tasmin Archer

It is very interesting how one can listen to a particular song over and over again, isn't it? Right now, i have been listening to this song by Tasmin Archer. A very very old song from the 90s, i think. Still, until today, i can't stop listening to it. I think, it is one of my favorite songs ever!

Though i must admit that today, is a day to listen to this song.

What is silence? How is your silence/silent comment being interpreted by someone else?
Is it something like walking away? Or is it just a comment-less comment?... I am still trying to figure out, if my silence has a single meaning at all.

More to read here.

News: Lots of new Things!

Hell yes!

Not only do i have a registered business and an employment pass, but i recently also passed my driving license. Yes, i am a new driver and no, i am not the devil's driver!

Anyway, this month has been very fruitful for me. I just hope that it will stay like that for a while and that my "current stability" will stay like that.

Tune in soon and hopefully, my dear Mac will be repaired soon and the costs of it won't kill me... Sigh... am so sad.. no mac to play around... it's quite painful...

Anyway, i got to make a phone call due... a full day.. OUCH!

See ya!

News: The New Mobile Blog

Sigh.. i am glad.

Not only do i have a new phone, but that phone also allows me to send pictures straight onto my mobile blog and write my thoughts over it right away! I wanted to do that soooo many times!


Now, i can! Yiiipiiieee!!

Issues 4: The Gay Media/Entertainment Industry in Singapore - A Majority within the Majority?

Just now, i was wondering about the industry i am into. Mainly the media and entertainment industry in Singapore, to be more specific....

I was wondering, in a rough percentage, how many gay people are actually working in this industry and are contributing to the Singaporean economy. Haven't you noticed that when we use the word "media" in Singapore, we somehow know that, we will meet gay people? Isn't it like a ... fact already?

Read more in my issue section!

=)

Dreams: The Dream Tune

The subconscious mind is really amazing. For the past 3-4 days i have been struggling with a song i have been trying to compose for a kids' show. Suddenly this morning, something cool happened that never did before.

I just wished it could go on like that...


It's a dream come true!

News: MAC vs. PC.... MAC!

MAC versus PC. Really. Is there actually a choice?! Let me tell you a little story about installing an audio working station on PC.

Just for the past few days i have been working full-time for this new company. They have created a whole new working station for me in a... PC format.
Even though i am a MAC user, I am not saying that PC sucks. I mean, it's really cool to be able to choose the graphic card you want, the audio card, the memory etc. etc. etc. Really, you can't really do that on MACs. I mean, you can, but it costs you a whole big sum... It's just not funny.

BUT! Let's look at PCs in a different perspective.

This new working station has really one of the best stuff in it. I have 2 LCD monitors, a TV and a projector, 2GB of memory, 2.4Ghz processor... I mean, seriously... should i ask for more?! I doubt. It's really fast, the processing is smooth and all that. But that is before we started putting on the TV and the projector to it...

In order to play the TV and the projector, we sort of need a particular graphic card that allows to split the video into the following format:

• 2 monitors, 1 TV

Sounds pretty easy, doesn't it? Well... we actually had to change the graphic card, simply because the one we first bought, was not able to split the video into the setting we wanted. Fine. We changed it. Oh! By the way! At first, there was no audio coming out of the computer (i am working as an audio engineer.. i mean... an audio station without an audio card?!). It came out that we didn't install the audio driver... (and i thought they would do it for you at Sim Lim... anyway...)

So, as a little summary.. after 1 week, we actually gave back the following items that we thought would work:

• 1 graphic card
• 1 audio card (we won't use it anyway, because it came out that the motherboard we bought had already an audio card. The driver needed to be installed, that's all... They (sim Lim) could have told us earlier...)

What we had to buy was:

• 1 dual-monitor graphic card

Fine. Now comes the settings....

I have spent my entire yesterday to figure out how to get video out to the projector AND the TV. Mind you, the graphic card box had 2 adapters in it. One that was for the TV (RCA analogue adapter). In theory, that should do the work and all my little screens would be fed happily with some video input.

But no.

Somehow, the projector didn't seem to be able to get any video input. I basically ended up giving up at the end of the day, even though we managed to get the setting we wanted. The only problem was that the projector projected in red only.... So that gave me the final bell to just give up for the day...

The next morning.

I switch on the computer, thinking that everything would work now...
No. It just didn't.

Problems:

• the second monitor didn't have any video input
• the TV is showing fuzzy stuff
• the projector is my second monitor instead of being the third one...

Basically ****ed up.

It is 1.20pm. I came to work at 10am. I sort of figured out the settings, but my TV is fuzzy. The images would come out, but it's just not showing it properly.
If you think the TV is faulty, it's not. I checked all connection combinations and it comes out that the only common item is the connector that came along with the graphic card....!

So, yeah... we're in the afternoon already and i still can't play any video onto my TV.

That's the setting problems i have with PC.

As for MAC, for the same price that the company put into the whole PC set up, i could have bought one big 22" screen, one TV and just plug it with adapters to the G5 PowerPC. Voila.

Thus, seriously. Is there a choice?

Comments are welcomed =)

Issues: What Is Worse?

What is actually worse when you are a parent, a family member or a friend?

• Having a child who's gay?
• Both your children being gay?
  
• Having a child who's pregnant before 18?
  
• Having a child who's pregnant by a guy who leaves her anyway?
  
• Having a child who has no educational cert?
• Having a heavily drug addicted child?
• Lost your child by an accident or illness?

Seriously. What is worse?

More to this topic in the issue gallery.

Movie Review: C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005)

Rating: 5/5

Just the other day, i watched a movie with my girlfriend, that she thought was wort watching. Although the poster and the synopsis did not give me a big "YEAH!", it finally came with a bit of a delay.

This Canadian production (French) is worth going to watch. It not only shows an issue's point of view that a few gay people would be able to relate to, but also creates quiet a realistic way of "dreaming", if that makes sense. The cinematography, the special effects and the fashions are very well reinterprated. It made me remember what "ugly" trousers and fashion i used to wear back then in the 80s....

Zachary Beaulieu (Mark-André Grodin), one of the 5 sons, who is on the path to discover his inclination to the male gender in a very indirect way. By living his own world, which is being influenced by the 70s and 80s, he encounters diverse adventures with male friends and the boyfriend of his cousin. At the same time, his relationship between his father and him goes from good to very bad to very good again.
The story looks closely into how this relationship evolves and gets distroyed and to be reconsiled after the eldest of the sons dies.

The relation to the Christian ideals and believes gives the drama film a very nice and comfortable feeling, with a bit of humoristic touch, that is subtily done. The emotional level is very realistic, because i believe that every gay person in this world can somehow relate to the story and the relation one has to his or her parent. At some point of the movie, my girlfriend and I felt so moved by a particular scene, that we both started t cry quietly in our little corner of the seat, wishing for a similar ending.

Bottom line: Mark-André Grodin acts really well in his second film and his sexy look throughout all the eras between the 60s to the 80s (yum!) is worth sitting in a freezing cold cinema for 2 hours. Thus, if you get the chance to see this movie in your country, please go and have a look at this 5 times awarded drama... that's C.R.A.Z.Y.!!

Rating: M18
Consumer Advice: Mature Theme
Language: French with English Subtitles
Genre: Drama
Director: Jean-Marc Vallee
Cast: Michel Cote, Marc-Andre Groudin, Danielle Proulx

It's a story of two love affairs. A father's love for his five sons. And one son's love for his father, a love so strong it compels him to live a lie. That son is Zac Beaulieu, born on the 25th of December 1960, different from all his brothers, but desperate to fit in. During the next 20 years, life takes Zac on a surprising and unexpected journey that ultimately leads him to accept his true nature and, even more importantly, leads his father to love him for who he really is. A mystical fable about a modern-day Christ-like figure, "C.R.A.Z.Y" exudes the beauty, the poetry and the madness of the human spirit in all its contradictions.

Official Selection at Singapore International Film Festival 2006.

Awards:
13 Nominations - Quebec's Jutra Awards
Nominated - European Film Awards - Screen International Award
Won - 43rd Gijon Film Festival - Best Director
Won - 43rd Gijon Film Festival - Best Script
Won - 43rd Gijon Film Festival - Best Art Direction
Won - Young Jury Prize - Best Feature Film
Won - Toronto International Film Festival 2005 - Best Canadian Feature Film

News: MAC Users

Hellos to all MAC users out there in Singapore, of course...

I am sure, i am not the only one, who had to spend a lot (!) of money for MAC products *sigh*. I am also sure, that a few of you had to go for servicing and repairs of all kinds and thus, spent quite a bit of heartaching money. Now.. here is a little story that will change a bit of your.... wallet life.

Has any of you had to buy a whole new set of power cable, because it was dangling right at the tip of the charging head and all the people working at the Apple Centers said:

"Sorry ah, must buy a new set. Can't repair."?

I did. Once. It cost me S$240 *heartache*. It was my mistake for having put my laptop (17" PowerBook) on the bed edge (!) and walking pass by it, my foot got tangled in the power cable and *BANG!!*... the head of the power cable was dangling onto 1 single tiny string. *sob*. It hurt me some more to realise the financial consequences later *still crying*.

Just recently, almost the same scenario happend to me *NOOO!*. My power cable was dangling again. This time, i do not know the reason of it, because it did not fall from where ever and i did not get stuck in the cables. Just 2 days ago, it did not want to charge anymore. *heartbeat racing*

Firstly i thought there might be something wrong with my PowerBook *shreek*, but after walking into one of the Apple Centers in Singapore, it came out that it is my cable's fault... again... I almost fainted when the guy told me i had to buy a new power cable.
"S$240 AGAIN?!?!?! YOU'RE KIDDING ME?!?!" [We now know where Apple gets its money, too...!]

But thankfully to his honesty, he sent me 2 shops next to the Apple Center, where the guy there repairs all sorts of cables. I showed him my beloved dangling cable with a glimps of hope in my eyes and asked generously for a little hope of rescue.
The guy looked at me with those cruel eyes telling me that he could not repair it. A lady came out of the back of the shop giving me the same look... I started to sob uncontrollably...

Suddenly, a shiny knigth in his big posture came out of the back of the shop, looked at my poor cable dangling in my hands with such confidence. He touched it with his soft and gentle hands when he looked at me with those hopeful eyes and said:

"Can try, ah? Cannot work anymore, ah? Can cut cable, ah? Got light, ya? Ah.. ok ok.. Can cut, ya?"
I nodded with a racing heart and my tearing eyes full of hope. I watch him fiddling and tearing my cable in two pieces and more, when he suddenly said the magic word of hope:

"S$20, ok?"
"YES! Can, ya?". He nodded. "YES! CUT! Do what you want, just cut!"
My eyes were shiny and my heart suddenly felt lighter, floating in financial heaven...

It took him about half an hour, but it was worth the wait and the money. Now, my MAC is happily enjoying full power again and (!) glowing its green and orange light some more.

Thank you, oh shiny knigth!

Funan IT center, #05-03 (i think).
Basically next to the Apple Center in Funan.
He repairs almost everything that is called "a cable".

Worth it for MAC users! Literally.

News: Tattoo

Hello Peeps!

Well, guess what.. I have a new tattoo!! Actually... it is my first *shypretendcuteactingblinnkeyes*.

How do you like it? I love it!

Yes, it was painnful, especially her legs, because they hit my bone... but oh well.. it is an amazing tattoo! Refining will be on 14th of July... *painagain!*

*whisper* shall i do the wings with a bit of red or leave it black? a touch of red does look nice, although it is my blood on the picture... lol

Tata!