So, after a month...

How's your new year resolutions holding up?

- be a better father -

LEGO session every weekend, so far the boys are still interested, the elder more than the younger, but at least Young will still join in until he exhausted his attention span.

We did robot, tank, fighter jet, and combat helicopter so far. ^_^ The kids picked the theme.

- be a better husband -

This one is destined to fail, wifey never did give me any feedback, the only ones she gave were jokes: like to eat cake more, earn more money.

At least I hope they are just jokes. 0_o

- socialise more -

I am not really giving much thought to this one, I am just no longer a social person.

Actually, I am not sure if I ever was.

Wifey agrees that I would not be myself anymore if I change, so that settles it, I am just going to let this drop and happily be my antisocial self.

- read more novels than 2012 -

Three books so far, if I can keep the pace, I would have read 36 books by year end and this would be a success.

However it's slower going for the current 4th novel compared to the three I have finished, the writing style is just... not as easy to read.

- get back to photography -

Surprisingly I put in a lot of effort on this one, this is a good month in terms of progress on photography front.

Actually took some serious photographs instead of casual snapshots, did my first ever wedding photography and in the process taught myself about using flashgun.

Imagine that! People photography and flash photography, the two things I avoided throughout my previous photography period.

Still, I haven't got myself a DSLR, so...

- write a story -

I am thinking of finishing that short story I started two years ago as April Fools prank, the story is pretty much fully formed in my mind after all.

But I am slacker extraordinaire, so I am leaving this to fate.

随想

五天假期就这样过去了，好快。

和孩子做 LEGO，学用闪光灯，跑医院，拍婚宴，整理照片，其实还过得蛮充实的。

太充实了点，我是想要睡觉，看书和玩电脑游戏的嘞。

一向来喜欢用自然光拍照的我这次认真研究怎样使用闪光灯后才发现这也是一门学问。要在阴暗的室内用闪光灯把人的皮肤拍得像是自然光，而不是硬生生不自然闪光灯的效果还不简单哦！

用对了出来的效果真的好好看，现在我反而很难想象以后在室内拍人时不用闪光灯。

那是，如果我买部数码摄影机的话啦…

明天又要做工了，好显哦！

I'll be back

One of my resolutions this year is to get back to photography. My plan in realising this resolution is to get a group of like-minded friends, have a monthly theme kind of thing where we go take our best shot, share, and provide honest feedbacks to others.

Group motivation, something like that.

Anyway, January's theme is Still Life, and submission period started today. It's not a big group, and many are so eager they submitted earlier. Wah lau peer pressure so I ended up selecting one of my shots last week and submitted instead of trying a few more this weekend as initiailly planned.

I am lucky this month in the sense that I have a borrowed DSLR to take the shots. Next month onwards I will rely on my PowerShot S2 or my IXUS 800, until I get myself a DLSR, which have to wait until I sell my kidney or something. =P

 the beauty of digital photography: try as much as you like!

Capitalising on the near instant review and the near zero running cost, I bracketed my exposures and played with different apertures to get different depth of field. So fast and cheap compared to good old film. ^_^

Shared here are the more presentable photos.

I like these cups, and tried to compose the scene so it has meaning

Green bunny chasing pink bunny, how to convey that in a nice pictorial form?

that's me girl, so near yet so far

I have difficulty finding a tidy background, so I opted for shooting down towards the horizontal surface. I changed to a mirror to add intrigue.

Wine glass and its reflection

Not the first time I use this technique really, I like it because it's neat and tidy.

a glass half full, or half empty?

Reflection details alone may not be enough as focal point, so I added the liquid. Wanted to include my own reflection within the glass reflection, but I couldn't achieve that on the day. Supposed to try it again this weekend in another location where I have more room to position myself.

with foreground interest and hopefully lead-in

Then I added the drops, hoping to add some foreground interest, and possibly lead-in. But might have ended up as a distraction, less is more in this case? I submitted this last image as my entry, let's see what the feedbacks are. ^_^

This is just the first month for the group, so I'm not sure if it will keep going or just dissolves when the initial interest wears out.

I can't honestly say that I am back to photography yet, so I will just say I'll be back, without a specific timeline. =P

Random Thoughts

Truely random thoughts of the moment.

- good grief, January has been hurtful to the wallet

- temporary reprieve waiting for parts, feel so weird to have a day not doing stuff in the lab or floor

- parents are needing more care and help, how can I do more?

- not sure whether to laugh, feel disgusted, or horrified by that kind of relationship attitude

- have a feeling the photography group is going to dissolve pretty soon

- sorry, that's probably a one time deal, can't stand the jibes more than anything

- Hsiang is getting difficult *sigh*

- genuine attempts on most of my resolutions this year, truely it's not for the lack of trying if I don't achieve. Except socialising, wifey also agrees that's just not me

- this is a short week, work wise ^_^

- it's about time for a karaoke session

- go away, bloody cough!

- quote to remember: "our quality of life depends on our relationship with the people around us."

番薯碰钉记

昨天和钉子小姐和笑时有酒窝很甜美的小姐（唔，这代号太长了点，在认识她多点想到有特别意思的代号前暂且称她为文静小姐）一同吃午餐，当然还有平时一起吃午餐的一伙人。

提起了文静小姐换工已一年我才恍然，这也是说我碰钉也有超过一年了嘞!

-_-

我在过去一年内不时不时会邀这两位小姐一起去吃午餐，就是想认识她们多点。毕竟是坐在同一排常常会见到的同事，但总只是笑笑打招呼。

怎么邀？当然是以我一贯说话直肠直肚的方式，胆粗粗走到人家的座位说：“走，吃午餐！”

是的，我的交际技术是像番薯那样强的…

所以不是碰钉了超过一年咯。 >_<

我在几个星期前终于才开窍，除了很番薯式（但真诚！）的邀请，午餐前几分钟才去邀人是 不 行 的！（正番薯！）

钉子小姐说是因为我没有心要邀请，我…我…不能接受咯。

我是很有诚意的（只是番薯了点）！所以我写了封很有心，很客气，很正统英文的电邮给她们正式的邀请她们吃午餐，日期时间地点由她们选。

一个星期后我仍是没有收到答复，我脸皮再厚人再笨也不是那么不识趣的，所以我决定不再自讨没趣。

又过了几天，当钉子小姐用即时通讯告知隔天她和文静小姐都有空去吃午餐时，已经放弃了的我愣了下，问她是不是在开玩笑？

知道不是开我玩笑后我便通知那些我知道想认识这两位小姐的午餐伙人，叫他们隔天要来上班和要和我一起吃午餐哦！我没有告诉他们是和谁吃午餐，只是说两位美女，嘿嘿。

我想多数都不相信我的啦，过后有位就很后悔说早知就和我们一起吃午餐…

其实我是蛮担心如果没有平时一起用餐的那群同事朋友，我会很不好意思和两位小姐出去吃的。

幸好一切顺利，终于和钉子小姐和文静小姐吃午餐聊聊天啦！ ^_^

说好听就是做人要有恒心，碰钉一年罢了嘛…

但好像用死缠烂打到人家顶不顺比较贴切，呵呵！ =P

牙齿精灵

夜间我听到孩子房里有些声响所以进去看一看，只见翔翔醒了一脸茫惘，我便问他怎么了？

他告诉我掉了颗牙，张开口给我看牙间的空洞。

我问他掉了的牙哪去了？他说给牙齿精灵拿去了。

我想应该是妻子拿了牙换了点小礼物给他所以我摸摸他枕头下，但没有发现任何东西。

我安顿了他后便去问妻子打算给他什么？妻子才告诉我翔翔临睡前掉了牙，他要留给爷爷看，所以妻子叫他不要把掉了的牙放在枕头下，不然会给牙齿精灵拿去。于是翔翔把牙放在床头。

咦？牙齿跑哪去了？

我回到房里翔翔还是翻来覆去不能入睡，他见到我后就说要妈妈。两个瓜都一样，一定要妈妈陪才能入睡。

但其实他是很在乎那颗牙要告诉妈妈不见了。也难怪，毕竟是他掉的第一颗乳牙。当那颗牙开始摇晃时他已经很在意了，天天不时就会去碰碰那颗牙。

他又入睡后妻子和我各自用手电筒找了一遍，但就是找不到那颗牙。

真奇怪，不会真的是给牙齿精灵拿去了吧？

希望明天天亮了可以找到那失踪的牙。大儿子掉的第一颗乳牙嘞，要拍照留念的。

Vocabulary Lesson with CK (January 13)

unchubby verb

No kiddo, unchubby is not a real word, it's only real for Her Unchubbiness*.

* also not a real word

Basically unchubby means to make not chubby.

Here's the usage example from Her Unchubbiness:

Sign of Trouble

Personal financial trouble, that is.

What's the sign?

It's when I start researching the different Canon EOS DSLR, comparing specifications, functionalities, and reading up reviews. That, my goodness, is the sign of potential financial trouble.

My dream camera, the Canon EOS 5D, is already in its 3rd iteration. Still so damn freaking expensive but getting lovelier with every iteration. Mark III with 61 focus points, 6 fps, 1/8000 seconds max shutter speed, 100 to 25600 ISO range (50 to 102800 expanded) had me drooling all over.

I want!

But no money. =(

So I looked at 6D, which body only price is roughly half that of 5D Mark III. Same DIGIC 5+, same ISO range, but with crap load of auto scene modes and creative zone which appeals me not at all. It has a max shutter speed of 1/4000 seconds, which isn't too bad . I can live with the 4.5 fps too as I'm not a huge sports or fast action photography fan.

WiFi and GPS on a camera, huh? Can do cool stuff like using smartphone as remote control, too bad I am a caveman and does not dig the smartphone bandwagon. Not yet anyway. I suppose it's handy to get the GPS coordinates for the beautiful secluded place so the others can go and make it no longer secluded... I guess those that simply have to post everything on Facebook immediately and announce to the world where they are will love these features. -_-

My main beef with 6D though, is the 11 focus points, and only the centre is cross-type. I know I know, my good old EOS 5 (without the D) only has 5 focus points, but comparing 6D's 11 to 5D's 61...

Still, EOS 6D isn't exactly cheap, it's a few months worth of my income if I don't spend a single cent. >_<

So I looked at 7D, which body only is about MYR 2k less than 6D. It's a 2009 model but it is still okay spec wise. It uses the older DIGIC 4 processor, but two of them. 8 fps, oooh. 19 focus points, all of them cross-type. Max shutter speed of 1/8000 seconds, which is better than 6D.

ISO range of 100 to 6400, expandable to 12800, much smaller range compared to 5D and 6D. Though I think I should be alright with it since I am still in the film era mindset where I snapped mostly in 100, 200 and 400 ISO.

The thing that really irks me though, is that EOS 7D is not a full frame camera, APS-C with 1.6x crop factor. I have to invest in wider angle lenses.

*sigh*

5, 6, or 7? Going smaller in model number comes at the cost of correspondingly increasing likelihood of needing to sell my kidney and whoring myself.

And I haven't even looked into lenses yet.

*sigh*

Photography, damn expensive hobby.

Or simply because I am poor.

Bollocks.

Actionable Plans

Honestly, I am getting a bit tired of myself always failing to achieve my new year resolutions, so this year I set some lame and easily achievable resolutions instead! immediately went about formulating actionable plans after I set my resolutions.

I don't expect to achieve all my resolutions, but I am hoping with definite actionable plans I can at least achieve some or at least improve in some instead of utter failure like previous years. -_-

- be a better father -

I have always been playing the "bad cop" part of the 'good cop bad cop' tag team with my wifey when it comes to our children's discipline. A role that I have no qualm doing since wifey, being so close to them all the time, loses some of the "power". Plus, I am the stricter of the two while wifey's the friendlier, the more socialable (and nicer, prettier, sweeter, et cetera). But anyway, I sincerely know that I don't spend enough time with my kids.

My current plan is to spend some time every weekend building LEGO stuff with both of them, basically guiding them in building something. We did robots last week, and this week we are going to build tanks. ^_^

I probably have to think of something else when they got bored of LEGO, but at least this is a start.

- be a better husband -

Unfortunately, despite asking my wifey every day, she still hasn't come up with anything she wants me to improve on, except spend more time with the kids, which to me, is to do with being a better father, not being a better husband.

Well I know I am a good husband. Yes I am saying this without any shame, guilt, or pang on my conscience. But surely there are areas for improvement, surely I can be a better husband.

Unfortunately without wifey's honest feedback, I do not have any actionable plans to achieve this resolution. Unless I just want to pretend I am already the perfect husband so this resolution is moot...

But I know better.

- socialise more -

I... still don't know what to say about this one. Yes I am antisocial. Yes I am a stay-at-home recluse. Yes that's not very nice and so yes I should socialise more.

But... but... I don't want to. People are so complicated, it's scary out there.

I suppose to start with I should not reject any invitation for outings, not that I have many.

I am so going to fail this one. >_<

- read more novels than 2012 -

Reading everyday, every night before I go to sleep, and aiming for 3 novels every month. Not much of a plan, but that's the plan.

- get back to photography -

This is an iffy one. Truely a spur of the moment resolution.

I did put in quite a bit of effort so far though, started an interest group with friends whom I am comfortable discussing photography with. With the aim of having a monthly theme where we give our best shot and then give honest feedbacks to the others, so we learn from others perspective and hopefully improve.

I know if I try to go about this alone I will most likely fail, I need some peer pressure to keep the motivation and momentum.

And I have a feeling pretty soon I will be wanting for money to buy a DSLR. >_<

The ball has just begun rolling, I hope it will keep rolling for a good long while.

Anyone want to sponsor me a DSLR? Anyone?

- write a story -

I have no actionable plan for this one. I need to be in the mood to write, and I am not sure if forcing myself to write will do any good.

I am leaving this one to fate. Perhaps there will just be a few weekends or a short holiday when the mood struck. I sincerely hope so.

Oh man!

Me: "good night boys."

Young: "good night papa."

Hsiang: "good night."

Me: "sleep now, tomorrow is Monday, you have school and I have work."

Hsiang: "oh man!"

Me: "oh man!"

Young: (parroting whatever his bother says) "oh man!"

Oh man indeed.

2013 Resolutions & Wishes

Here's the 2012's version, and not surprisingly, I failed miserably.

>_<

Grumble less and smile more, not sure on these two, will need others to tell me how I did on these.

As for going home on time, i.e. after working 9.5 hours, my record showed I worked seriously overtime, i.e. more than 10.5 hours at least 38 times last year. Those did not include working at night after I got home, if I count those, then it would be easier to count the days I did not work at night after I got home... Failed. -_-

As for the wishes, I didn't get to sleep more. I worked a lot more in 2012 it's seriously a crazy year in that sense. Income got peanut size increment instead of 50%. Card/board game frequency was still so low it's pathetic. Didn't write any story of any length, and read 3 less novels compared to 2011.

Failures aplenty, gah!

So, why should I bother to set any resolutions for 2013? So that I can know how much I fail come 2014? Am I such masochist?

The few things that popped up in my mind this very moment (dammit! I guess I am a masochist! >_<):

- be a better father, i.e. spend more time with the kids

- be a better husband, I don't know how or in what sense, I just want to be

- socialise more, er... ya, I know, I... don't know what to say on this...

- read more novels than 2012, really like to be able to achieve this

- get back to photography, this just popped into my head

- write a story, any length, any language, just at least write one

I don't know whether they are resolutions or just wishes, but I really like to be able to achieve those. Honestly I do.

I need to go calibrate with my dearest wifey so I have some definite actionable plans towards becoming a better hubby.

Socialising more is... I don't know, I just feel that I should. Don't always stay home being antisocial. More friends is always a good thing right?

Read more. I like reading, and I thought the more we read, the faster we get, so why am I becoming slower instead? =\

Photography. I have always love photography, I just can't justify the cost of upgrading myself to the digital era when I don't have the time nor the heart for it. I can't see myself putting this as priority, I just can't, but it popped into my mind. Darn.

As for writing a story, I truely believe I can do this. I have no excuse except I am lazy and am such a slacker.

So anyway, here we go again...