Once again, I'm on the threshold of yet another phase in my life. This time, it will be four years (or more) straight, with little to no breaks in between. I'm actually rather looking forward to it. Once a routine has been established, there's no need for breaks, and indeed they can be quite annoying. Also, I will be doing some important work, which I must say does appeal to me.
A few days ago I was walking past a Forever 21 outlet, and I thought to myself, "Oh, hey, I'm the age everyone wants to be." I'm also going to lose that status soon. Can't say I place very much importance on it, other than as a marker of my ever-increasing age.
The other day, I bought what will probably be my last Bionicle set: Tahu. It was a sad moment as I clicked the pieces together, perhaps the last time I will have that joy of seeing a new set come together. But I have to say, I think I picked the perfect set to end my collection with. The Hau is the most iconic of the Kanohi, as well as one of the most beautifully designed. It sent a wave of - something through me, as I held the two masks which came with the set. Something wistful. Something nostalgic. A longing, perhaps, for the old simple days on that beach in Ta-Wahi, the sound of the sea in one's years, the seaweed-draped canister lying quietly in the sand and that anxious blue person in the distance, waving with all her might...
I enjoy looking back a lot, it seems. At the old friends I once had who, through inaction or circumstance, have drifted away, sometimes to the point of no return. At the things I used to do. The things I was proud of once. The things I'm still proud of - a smaller number. The things I once thought were important.
It's strange. I'm still the same inside. I have the same sort of reactions, the same kind of shrinking away, the same type of enthusiasm. The same disdain. The difference lies only in the triggers. Things are the same, only not so.
I can only imagine now, what sort of things I do would endlessly irritate me in the future.
Saturday 30 January 2010
Wednesday 20 January 2010
Red Tape is Fun
"What about "Red tape holds the nation together"?"
If you're planning on applying for a student visa to study overseas, take my advice and GET AN AGENT. On one hand, you might get a lousy agent who conveniently tells you to take the IELTS test a month too late for you to actually take it on time. On the other hand, said agent is paid to circumnavigate red tape and make aggressive phone calls to the embassy. The exchange is worth it, trust me. Furthermore, you don't have to pay anything beyond the standard visa application fee - the embassy pays the agent directly.
However, if you choose to handle the matter yourself, be prepared to send an inquiring email to your case officer:
Dear [WITHELD],
I took a medical examination last year for the renewal of my previous visa, less than twelve months ago. Shall I go for another medical test now, or are my previous results still valid for my current application?
Regards, etc
And get a reply like this, two days later:
Medical report is valid for only 1 year.
[automatically generated signature]
Expect officers to ask for copies of your passport even though NOWHERE in their document checklists did they mention such a thing was required. If an officer promises that a call will be made to you to advise you of the next action to take, no call will be made. Ever. No calls can be made into the embassy either, as the telephone line is carefully protected by a minefield of automated responses.
But if you really want some fun? Fill in the wrong form.
And then offer to pay the application fee with someone else's credit card.
- Bernard Woolley
If you're planning on applying for a student visa to study overseas, take my advice and GET AN AGENT. On one hand, you might get a lousy agent who conveniently tells you to take the IELTS test a month too late for you to actually take it on time. On the other hand, said agent is paid to circumnavigate red tape and make aggressive phone calls to the embassy. The exchange is worth it, trust me. Furthermore, you don't have to pay anything beyond the standard visa application fee - the embassy pays the agent directly.
However, if you choose to handle the matter yourself, be prepared to send an inquiring email to your case officer:
Dear [WITHELD],
I took a medical examination last year for the renewal of my previous visa, less than twelve months ago. Shall I go for another medical test now, or are my previous results still valid for my current application?
Regards, etc
And get a reply like this, two days later:
Medical report is valid for only 1 year.
[automatically generated signature]
Expect officers to ask for copies of your passport even though NOWHERE in their document checklists did they mention such a thing was required. If an officer promises that a call will be made to you to advise you of the next action to take, no call will be made. Ever. No calls can be made into the embassy either, as the telephone line is carefully protected by a minefield of automated responses.
But if you really want some fun? Fill in the wrong form.
And then offer to pay the application fee with someone else's credit card.
Monday 18 January 2010
Flat Major
Or, the apparent result of dropping a piano on a military base. The complementary riddle concerning the release of a piano down a mineshaft (flat minor) is a little more subtle, but requires the first to aid its setup.
I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned MS Paint Adventures. If I haven't, it is a grave injustice because it deserves to be mentioned. Repeatedly. I have never seen another webcomic - I use the term loosely, because "webcomic" does not properly describe MS Paint Adventures - create such a sense of epic scale so successfully. Part of it may be that readers are able to influence the story by making suggestions for character actions, so there is a very real investment in characters. The other part consists of the grand-scale animations, which are staggering in their length and complexity. Things happen in this story, and they are BIG.
Now if I haven't mentioned Alice is Dead before, this is because I didn't know of it previously. This is also a grave injustice, though an unintentional one. There are currently two episodes of the game, and while the puzzles aren't too hard, the writing is riveting and the art, beautifully detailed. The world of Alice is Dead is twisted version of Wonderland, and one can't help but want to know how deep the rabbit hole goes. So to speak.
I've been cleaning up the corners in my life, quite literally. There comes a time when one must sit down and go through the belongings which were once valued, now not so much. I have twenty years worth of collected material, most of it junk, to sort through. It is inevitable when pursuing such an occupation that there are a few surprises. For one, I discovered a large number of fancy pens, most of them still working well, including a lovely Sheaffer. I also found some old, old things I've forgotten about - photographs, papers, drawings, even cash - hidden away like a squirrel might hide its nuts. With the same effect.
One of the interesting surprises came when I was searching through a folder of art constructed by myself primarily between the ages of one and five, and which proved very difficult to prune down. I found an old, old drawing of a bird by myself at around the age of four, with the wobbly lines and patchy colours typical of a hand lacking dexterity. It was recognisably a Kakapo.
Clearly the drawing had been copied from a photograph - I doubt that at that age I could even pronounce "Kakapo" properly. But the main features had been preserved, so that my twenty-one-year-old self was capable of recognising it at a glance. There is a lesson here somewhere.
My father is finally retiring his seven-year-old IBM ThinkPad, a model which I maintain was the best work laptop ever made. I remember playing Lego Robohunter on that thing, and taking my first wobbly steps into the Internet. I remember using it as a backup computer when mine failed repeatedly, and then again when mine failed for good. I remember the day when it finally could no longer function without a constant power supply, its battery not nearly as durable as the computer itself.
I think I will miss it. When something has been nearby for so long - especially something with so intimate an association as a laptop - it leaves a mark. Suddenly the things you thought would always be there clearly and firmly demonstrate that all things are tentative.
Change is inevitable.
Except from vending machines.
I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned MS Paint Adventures. If I haven't, it is a grave injustice because it deserves to be mentioned. Repeatedly. I have never seen another webcomic - I use the term loosely, because "webcomic" does not properly describe MS Paint Adventures - create such a sense of epic scale so successfully. Part of it may be that readers are able to influence the story by making suggestions for character actions, so there is a very real investment in characters. The other part consists of the grand-scale animations, which are staggering in their length and complexity. Things happen in this story, and they are BIG.
Now if I haven't mentioned Alice is Dead before, this is because I didn't know of it previously. This is also a grave injustice, though an unintentional one. There are currently two episodes of the game, and while the puzzles aren't too hard, the writing is riveting and the art, beautifully detailed. The world of Alice is Dead is twisted version of Wonderland, and one can't help but want to know how deep the rabbit hole goes. So to speak.
I've been cleaning up the corners in my life, quite literally. There comes a time when one must sit down and go through the belongings which were once valued, now not so much. I have twenty years worth of collected material, most of it junk, to sort through. It is inevitable when pursuing such an occupation that there are a few surprises. For one, I discovered a large number of fancy pens, most of them still working well, including a lovely Sheaffer. I also found some old, old things I've forgotten about - photographs, papers, drawings, even cash - hidden away like a squirrel might hide its nuts. With the same effect.
One of the interesting surprises came when I was searching through a folder of art constructed by myself primarily between the ages of one and five, and which proved very difficult to prune down. I found an old, old drawing of a bird by myself at around the age of four, with the wobbly lines and patchy colours typical of a hand lacking dexterity. It was recognisably a Kakapo.
Clearly the drawing had been copied from a photograph - I doubt that at that age I could even pronounce "Kakapo" properly. But the main features had been preserved, so that my twenty-one-year-old self was capable of recognising it at a glance. There is a lesson here somewhere.
My father is finally retiring his seven-year-old IBM ThinkPad, a model which I maintain was the best work laptop ever made. I remember playing Lego Robohunter on that thing, and taking my first wobbly steps into the Internet. I remember using it as a backup computer when mine failed repeatedly, and then again when mine failed for good. I remember the day when it finally could no longer function without a constant power supply, its battery not nearly as durable as the computer itself.
I think I will miss it. When something has been nearby for so long - especially something with so intimate an association as a laptop - it leaves a mark. Suddenly the things you thought would always be there clearly and firmly demonstrate that all things are tentative.
Change is inevitable.
Except from vending machines.
Friday 1 January 2010
In Loving Memory
Occasionally I commemorate the passing of someone whom I feel is important, or who had an impact on my life. Today I would like to say a few words concerning one who is no longer among us, and who had a profound effect on myself as well as billions of others across the globe.
At precisely 12:00 am this morning, 2009 passed on.
Let us have a moment of silence, and take that time to remember all the good times we've had over the past 365.25 days. Another year will come, but in our hearts it will never replace one which, at least for me, will always be fondly remembered as a truly special year. Farewell, 2009.
Also, permit me to introduce 2010, whom I'm sure we'll get to know soon enough. To the new year!
At precisely 12:00 am this morning, 2009 passed on.
Let us have a moment of silence, and take that time to remember all the good times we've had over the past 365.25 days. Another year will come, but in our hearts it will never replace one which, at least for me, will always be fondly remembered as a truly special year. Farewell, 2009.
Also, permit me to introduce 2010, whom I'm sure we'll get to know soon enough. To the new year!
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