Falling In Place

Things are better now. I'm able to speak my mind freely without feeling guilty about it and still remain the generous guy that I thought I couldn't be anymore if I decided to be a firmer person. I recently watched "Food Inc" and am reading "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. I recommend both for the new perspectives I've gained. I can't begin to summarize everything about the movie and the book here, but I can share my thoughts.

Most of us have lived our lives in our small bubbles without really being aware of many things. What we don't realize is that more and more we can break out of this bubble, with awareness. Because with that awareness comes empowerment. This day and age has given us the tools to think and act for ourselves. But with it comes a huge responsibility - to ourselves, humanity and the environment. Don't just go with the flow. That's not living life.

Take a step back every once a while. Question things. Where does my food come from? What am I supporting when I buy this food? Am I feeding my body what it really needs? Where does my trash go? How is it affecting the earth? How am I able to buy this item at such a low price? Who else paid for it and how did they pay for it? You'll be surprised how these answers will affect you. I read recently that my favourite actor Jason Scott Lee only spends eight thousand dollars a year and he is totally happy.

Where The Grass Is Greener

I used to sit on the fence a lot. It was my favourite seat. It gave me perspective. It gave me options. Sitting on spikes was a small price to pay. But lately, I've been playing on the side where the grass is greener and it is starting to scare me. I can't decide if I'm devouring the green grass or if I'm nurturing it.

I've lost two important people in my life. Betrayal might be too strong a word for it, so let's just say it falls somewhere between that and unfaithfulness. Also, my maid of 24 years recently left the household. The family has been so used to having her around the transition hasn't been easy. But whatever the case, I've been forced off the fence - forced to toughen up or sink in helplessness. I've chosen to be tough.

However, with my new attitude, I can't decide if I'm actually standing up for what I believe in or finding fault in others. Take for example a bus load of people who refuse to move to the back so that others can get in. People can be so insensitive. Why should I have any more tolerance for it? I know I come from a good place when I yell at them (Yes, I did). But it also makes me feel like a monster. What does a person do? I can't decide which is more painful - sitting back on the spikes of the fence or looking in the mirror and seeing a monster. HELP!

iKnowtoomuch

Technology is life changing. My external hard drive crashed. Many scanned documents, pictures and music... lost. I guess that's not one benefit of going CD free or paperless. Losing everything can be quite life changing. For now, I'll hang on to my drive. Maybe one day, data recovery won't cost between $400 - $2000. Western Digital... I shake my fist at you!

I also got an iPhone. It's amazing how it empowers you. I don't even need to get out of bed to check my emails first thing in the morning AND I give my deltoids a workout too! I can even turn up at the bus stop just in time for my bus because now I'll know when it's coming. I also have a dictionary and a pocket piano for perfect pitch. The recorder records very decent audio too! Screaming Adam Lambert fans at his concert didn't sound distorted at all! That's the true test of recording equipment.

The scary part is that it encourages you to leave traces of yourself everywhere. I update my Facebook status and tweet more often now, telling people what I'm doing and where I am. There's less and less of an excuse not to reply to someone sooner. I also find myself more consistently distracted and having to multitask more. However, it's something I'm actually getting good at, having the experience of more intense multitasking anyway, from playing World of Warcraft. All things considered, the iPhone is definitely here to stay - in my life at least.

(All pictures here are taken courtesy of my iPhone)

Sense Makes Cents

The way music gets to consumers has changed so much, reshaping the music industry to a large extent. Techonology has presented many ways for us to obtain music through copying, sharing and downloading - among other means. Record stores have dwindled significantly. Artists face new challenges in order to survive in the business. Independent artists are emerging stronger than before and competing head-on with artists who have labels.

To recapture the market, companies have had the sense to venture into online sales, even making songs available individually and earning by the cent. In Singapore however, the laws governing music distribution are slightly complicated. We aren't able to download from iTunes or Amazon.com. I hadn't even noticed until recently. Because if I wanted to listen to a song, I would simply hop on to YouTube, even if I had it on CD. YouTube is just that much more convenient.

In some form or other, I'm sure we're all aware of these changes. They've actually prompted me into some action. I recently walked by a CD shop and thought how sad it would be if none existed anymore. To me, browsing in a store is a much richer experience than browsing online. Five CDs caught my eye (Glee volumes 1 and 2, Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Beyonce). I had been entertained by their music but hadn't paid a cent in show of support. It was time. I also picked up Madonna's latest compilation even though I already had most of her music on CD. I paid for the music knowing I was keeping my favourite artists alive and ensuring that one music store would last that much longer.

One Way of Looking At It

The frantic me described in the previous entry has settled. The new year has approached. Some important people in my life have taken a back seat. Other friendships have hit new levels. I'm learning how to sing almost all over again. And at work, preparations for the opening of the park (Universal Studios Singapore) has been challenging. I almost want to say I'm a different person now, but I believe an evolved person is the right term.

So far, I'm proud to learn that I'm a lot stronger than I thought I was and yet, I haven't lost my sensitive side. I like the evolved me and I'm looking forward to this year.

I am excited for the many more things to learn. I am nervous for the challenges coming up in some of my friends' lives. I am hopeful for some of my dreams. I am eager to meet "me" at the end of the year. I am open. And I am thankful for life.

Obstacles Are Opportunities And A Magic Carpet Ride

What is stressing me out most now is that in every situation I automatically aim towards making the most of it by preparing for it sometimes and thinking hard through it as I react to it and make quick good choices. This only happened to me recently. I'm sure it's because of improvisational workshops with my co-actors. It has helped me to think on my feet, articulate and also receive (listen) better.

I'm the kind of guy who has MANY ideas. Before, I wasn't able to manage them. But now that I have this new ability, it's actually proving to be quite taxing on the brain. Plus I'm type A personality and also obsessive compulsive. What I need to learn now is to decide when I should switch off. I've also come up with this new philosophy which I personally believe is the key to my happiness and fulfillment - which is to turn obstacles into opportunities. And this has worked fairly well.

Take a recent event at the Esplanade Concert Hall. From attending Lea Salonga's concert in New York and missing out on a chance to live my dream and sing A Whole New World with her, I made it happen for myself when she finally came to Singapore to perform. I urge everyone to do the same. I've been interviewed by a fellow blogger and will post the link in comments when the article/interview is out.

Animation Asia Conference 2009

Thanks to an invite from my friend "Al", I was able to be at the first Animation Asia Conference ever! This precedes the Animation Festival Asia on Nov 21st and 22nd. The delegates (it was an honour to be considered one) attended a full day of speeches, presentations, panel discussions, interviews, great food and networking. It was an definite eye opener for me.

Japanese animation came up a lot because that's huge in the animation market. Some of the presentations were even in Japanese. I saw snippets of some of the series that I voiced and thought to myself, "Hey! I guess I have played a small part in the industry" - though I really do hope to play a bigger part with the animated feature I wrote. I was inspired by some of the success stories and wanted to meet some of the speakers. It was all rather intimidating for me because I'm more an actor than a businessman. But I figured it takes a certain amount of courage to be an actor right? And courage is courage, so I eventually mustered enough to collect and give out some business cards. Did I mention I went out and printed business cards for the event?

If nothing else, it was an inspiring day and I learnt a lot about consumer trends, the animation market and the business perspective on animation. Thank you "Al"!