Left Behind

After coming back from a long CNY break, I realised I left something at home.


Ever since I've bought my DSLR, I've rarely had time to even touch the good ol' Olympus PnS that I had earlier. Sometimes, I even forget that I still have that camera. Kesian nyer... Sometimes I wonder why do I drag along such a huge camera for travel while I leave the small convenient PnS behind... I hope not anymore. I will put this Oly to good use starting from now.

Oh and by the way, this post is dedicated to people who have recently bought a DSLR or are going to buy one soon. I'm sure one of the reasons that you all are considering buying a DSLR is because you have felt the limitations of your previous cameras. So, don't be like me and chuck it aside after you have found your new love... but instead use it! Let me show you what you can do with it.

1) THROW IT AWAY

If for some reason you decide to choose option number 1, please contact me first. I want to come over your place and see for myself if money grows from the trees in your backyard.

2) USE IT AS A PAPERWEIGHT

Tired of the wind/fan blowing your papers away? Fear no more...

3) AS A DOOR STOPPER

Well, this is self explanatory.


4) AS A GUITAR PICK

For all you guitar players out there, try it. And this will be one hard pick to lose...


5) GHOST HUNTING

Afraid of looking at a ghost straight in the face? Well, now you don't have to.

Enjoy!

CNY Blues...

CNY means different things to many people. It can be all about ang pows, long holidays and food. One thing I did treasure most during my CNY this time was spending time with my relatives (close and not so close ones).

I guess more so this year because I have to travel a lot further than usual.

My last surviving grandparent

...Oh what the heck, food was great and the ang pow were plentiful. I definitely had a great CNY.

Happy Year of the Rat

Here's wishing everyone a very festive Chinese New Year! May you all have a blessed and prosperous years to come.

I'm not alone

Hmm.. seems like I'm not the only Ted Earl in this world.

Pls click on pic above to see a larger version

How to sell a fridge to an eskimo...

I used to hate salesmen...





I'm sure a lot of you do as well. I've told myself that I will never go into something such as sales, but will work hard to be a professional so I won't have to be a salesman. I was wrong...

Whatever job you end up doing, you need to sell. Be it your products, your skills, your expertise.

I came across a very interesting article quite some time back when I was in KL. It is from the book 'Tipping Point' by Malcolm Gladwell. I know...its a long read. Trust me, you'll learn something at the end. Ted is not all about crap only you know...

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A large group of students were recruited for what they were told was a market research study by a company headset and and told that the company wanted to test to see how well they worked when the listener was in motion - dancing up and down, say, or moving his or her head. All of the students listened to songs by Linda Ronstandt and the Eagles, and then heard a radio editorial arguing that tuition at their university should be raised from its present level of $587 to $750.

A third were told that while they listened to the taped radio editorial they should nod their heads vigorously up and down. The next third were told to shake their heads from side to side. The final third were the control group. They were told to keep their heads still.

When they were finished, all the students were given a short questionnaire, asking them questions about the quality of the songs and the effect of the shaking. Slipped in at the end was the question the experimenters really wanted an answer to: “What do you feel would be an appropriate dollar amount for undergraduates tuition per year?”

The answers to that question are difficult to believe. The students who kept their heads still were unmoved by the editorial. The tuition amount that they guessed was appropriate was $582 - or just about where tuition was already. Those who shook their heads from side to side as they listened to the editorial - even though they thought they were simply testing headset quality - strongly disagreed with the proposed increase. They wanted tuition to fall on average to $467 a year. Those who were told to nod their heads up and down, meanwhile, found the editorial very persuasive. They wanted tuition to rise, on average, to $646. The simple act of moving their heads up and down, ostensibly for another reason entirely - was sufficient to cause them to recommend a policy that would take money out of their pockets.

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SO, did you all learn anything? Well, if you're going into a place and trying to resist from buying something (new camera gears,etc), either don't move your head at all or keep shaking it.

BUT, if you are the salesman, your goal should be to get the potential customer to nod his head as much as possible as you are giving your sales pitch. Very interesting.

I didn't buy the book anyway coz I'm kiamsiap...

It's only words...

Recently I've had a craving for bak kut teh.

Image from wikipedia

Conveniently, there's a bak kut teh stall outside my shop and I've always reminded myself to give it a try one day. Sure, it may not be as rich and great as the one you get in Klang, but at least it will satisfy.

Recently, the owner of the bak kut teh stall came to my shop and we had some small talk. Don't ask me how...but the conversation started to deviate. We suddenly were talking about urine. He said he drinks his urine every morning and forces his whole family to do it (even though some of them vomit it out). He maintains its good for the health. I'm not going to discuss anything on this topic...there are people who believe its really good and swears by it. The thought of him drinking his cup of pee every morning...well that will be at the back of my mind when I eat his bak kut teh.


REMINDER TO TRY BAK KUT TEH STALL OUTSIDE MY SHOP - CANCELLED INDEFINITELY

To top it off, he says he always dilute his bak kut teh soup to save money. This guy is a real champion...he lost 3 customers for life (me and my 2 staff who were present). Very smooth talker...

(Hmm, next time he buy medicines from me I should state that I have a tendency to lick every pill and put it back in the box...)

Use Your Illusion

(Yea I know I ripped off that title from Guns n' Roses...)

Haven't been shooting any personal stuff for a pretty long time. Every photographer will tell you that making time to shoot personal projects is always a good thing, I guess you learn a lot of new things along the way and it gives you a chance to find out what you are really passionate about.

Took a while to plan this. The cleanup after the shoot was terrible and my hands were all stained. And the colors are not photoshopped in :)