zaishao's Xanga

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:24:35 GMT

Am officially moving to a new blog cause its too hard to edit the design on Xanga. Find me at zaishao.wordpress.com.

Cheers Xanga. It was good while it lasted.

Twilight Shot

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 11:02:27 GMT

Wanted to take a silhouette shot of a bird perched on top of a Lamp post but as I walked closer, the bird was startled off. Fine. So I just shot the lamp post. Funky lighting caused by the weird twilight colors should produce something interesting. Suddenly a bird shot through the viewfinder and I rushed to take the photo! When I looked at the LCD, the bird was so small that all I saw was a black blob. Imagine the delight I got when I uploaded the photo and saw the bird in exquisite de(tail)! Hola, here is the shot full monty (without editing)!

This is the portion magnified. It looks so graceful in flight. It also has a darn long tail like the phoenix in Harry Potter. Can someone tell me what kind of bird is this? I would love to know. I was on 1600 ISO when I took the shot so it looks a little grainy when zoomed up close. Good that I happened to be on 1600 as that allowed me to max out the shutter speed and capture the bird in motion.

The beginning of a long and expensive journey

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:52:10 GMT

Taken while waiting for Lifeng ... my fledging entry into the world of photography. Simple colors of red, green and a muted blue taken with a Rebel XT with the kit lens. Incidentally, the Pizza guy was delivering pizza to Lifeng's Brother. Cheer me on. Its not easy blowing 1/3 of my fortunes on a hobby.

Sick Dizzy in a cone. Seems the same though, sleeping the whole day and night. Resident Garfield.

My new National Geographic Camera Bag! Love it! Slightly expensive but worth the money in my opinion. Photoshoped this picture to bring out the texture of the bag. Picked up the technique at this amazing site.

My cousin Ethan! So oblivious to anything.

Childhood Beginnings

Fri, 04 May 2007 11:47:26 GMT

I have always been a fantasy book buff. Pure good old fashion magic, swords, gods, creatures kind of fantasy. My parents had a very very worn copy of Melaine Rawn's Stronghold, Book 1 of the Dragonstar Series, in their library when I still in primary school. Back in the day of boxy, clumsy computers with 8 mhz of processing power and SBC 5 / 8, what could a kid do to entertain himself? Tired of running around, catching spiders (Yes, I did catch them when I was younger, probably explains the terrible phobia I have now), I picked up the book and started thumbing through it. Memory gets hazy. It was a long time ago. I cannot recall whether my.... 8 (maybe 9 or 10 years??) old brain could handle the content, understand the weight of the words or the emotions that laid beneath them.

I graduated to classics like Eddings, Margeret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Anne McCaffery, Piers Anthony, Raymond E Fiest through the simple expedience of weekly trips to the library (thank you mom / dad!). Then I moved onto lesser known authors, with varying levels of success. Particularly good ones like Kate Elliot, Mercedes Lackey, Mickey Zucker Reichert come to mind. The rest, well, fade into oblivion. Took a brief foray into Science Fiction which held almost the same appeal as fantasy. Journeyed into the future with brilliant minds like Arthur C Clarke, Orson Scott Card, Issac Asimov, Peter Hamilton.

In recent years, I have noticed a slight maturing of taste. A sign of growing up (or at least I like to think so). Simple reads no longer satisfy me. Its all black or white. Plot runs in a linear fashion, predictable, often cluminating with great great finality. The villan is a dark fell creature holed up on top of a tower with no agenda other than creating chaos which presumably would usher in the end of days. Hero is fair, digustingly innocent, and wholeheartedly good. Spoon feeding at its worst with lines like "He chuckled evilly, rubbing his hands together in glee" (or something to that effect). I mean, come on! I had to control the sudden urge to throw the book away. Pity I cant recall the author's name, Sarah something I think.

I crave complexity. I desire no solutions. I need grays and all the colors inbetween.

Once again...

Wed, 02 May 2007 16:00:41 GMT

I was browsing through my old entries and felt a sudden pang of nostalgia for the good old university days. The entries full of angst and exasperation at day after mind numbing days of studying, full of silly epiphanies mapped out my entire university days in such vivid detail that I was almost thrust back into the good ol' university days. Ok, I know I didnt post much but what I did post (usually about events strong enough to get my fingers moving) was enough to bring back a fair amount.

So, revelation in hand, I made the resolution to post at least once a week! yay! fans of my website (i know you are out there) rejoice! The posts would stay clear of criticizing the government (lesson rammed down the Singaporean Bloggers throat from the Philip Yeo vs Chen Jiahao episode) or of criticizing work related stuff (just plain common sense) or of delving too much into my personal life (no big loss for most of you guys). So whats left, random thoughts, musings, superficial events? I have no clue myself.

Yum.sg - Singapore Restaurant Guide

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:11:35 GMT

Yum.sg - A Singapore Restaurant Guide

The urge has not been curiously strong.

A new chapter opens. Check out Yum.sg A site dedicated to raising the dining culture in Singapore!

I should post more.

Lovelorn...

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 03:44:31 GMT

He's been so nice to her its just so amazing

She hasn't had anyone who was half as accomodating, half as sweet, half as adorable.

He makes her feel like she's the centre of his life.

He makes her smile when he secretly sends her flowers.

He makes her laugh when he comes up with a silly joke.

It tickles her when he speaks mandarin.

He agrees to 2 when he fervently wanted 3.

He says its impossible to love her anymore than he does now.

She thinks he is way too good for her.

She misses her lil zaishao in army.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 06:16:16 GMT

I have a boyfriend his name is Zaishao,

Spends all his time with me he leaves none for himself,

A breeze to coax but hear him chastise:

"don't speak to me till you apologise!"

OK I'M STUCK. hee hee hee

Monday, November 21, 2005

Mon, 21 Nov 2005 04:37:45 GMT

FOR SHAO

Hark that name they echoed last summer,

carelessly whispered in such soft murmurs.

He couldn't have missed it,

a name so familier,

for it unveils,

a lass so peculiar.

Faded eyes smothered in flamboyant lights,

he couldn't quite see her, try as he might;

whisky and beer,

a concoction so potent,

robbed him of his senses,

my, was he blatant.

Titillating it was, this could be a game,

when love approach her under friendship's name;

Mediocre,

was how he fared,

now that redemption's up for grabs,

the crux of it all, was if he dared.

Can one forget that sweet, celestial day,

when in his arms, his beloved lay;

their virgin kiss,

under the lambent glow,

excuse her drunken blush,

just take it slow.

He flew and left, a one week hiatus,

how could she have, concealed such sadness.

Line after line,

cooing texts overflowed.

Who would have cared,

the costs that followed.

What scenes appear when she turns her view,

his spellbinding face that she feels and pursue.

A heart so kind,

condoned all her tantrums,

sought to placate,

for he loved a conundrum.

So brilliant a chap, he owe them time.

Ripped them apart, on September five.

She pines and yearns,

sparkle languishing in her eyes,

muttered in her prayer,

that time would fly.

Hark that name they echoed years ago,

so surreal, with two more in tow.

She couldn't have missed it,

a high-flyer so prolific,

for she fell in love,

with a man so dynamic.

Monday, October 03, 2005

Mon, 03 Oct 2005 07:29:33 GMT

Being in the army is somewhat akin to being in the prison. Only difference is you don't have to do any wrong to get thrown in the army, perhaps the sole reason being unfortunately born a male in Singapore.

Regiments, hierarchy, inflexible superiors. Even booking out to attend an aunt's funeral seems to be pushing it.

Finally saw her after a week's hiatus. Absence does make the hearts grow fonder. *Swooooon*

Liberation only every Sat noon and back in again on Sun at 8.30pm!!! OH MY GAWD.

Cheers to Shao's weekly whines in honour of National Service. Yes, Pride.

"We are from OCS, we are the very best."