Life & Sundays

I don't know why I push myself so hard sometimes. I don't rest enough, I try to fill my daily schedule with as much activity as possible, and I worry over meager things at work (which I am doing right now). I hate Sundays because that means tomorrow is Monday. Sigh.

Took the day off last Friday and spent a few hours in Malacca for a short retreat. Twas a bloody hot day, but it was a very good and relaxing one.

Christ Church Melaka

Night market at Jonker Street

I don't want to worry over stupid plans and reports at work anymore. Especially 'certain ones'. I've realised that I am someone who really loathes 'plans', especially planning them. However, executing is not a problem. Sigh.

Life shouldn't be all about work work work and stress. It should be about living life to the full. So what am I doing? Do I need a change again? What is my passion? Whata do I want to do for the rest of my life? What makes me happy? My life seems to revolve around work, gym, and repeat.
Even gym is becoming a slight hindrance. Sigh.

I know some answers to that, but will it stay that way in the long run? I love taking photographs and am learning as much as I can. I have a long way to go but am loving every minute of it. Haven't even had enough time to write something in the Chronicles recently. Most of my time online the past week is spent on Facebook, Flickr, and America's Next Top Model (brilliant :)).

Met up with an old aquzintance recently and managed to get her to 'sign on' as Brytography's next top model. LOL. Esther was so easy to work with. We had a tiring but satisfying day out shooting at Bukit Jalil park. So many spots to see, so much to do. Didn't manage to finish the shoot proper due to time. That 11am sun is a killer.

An exclusive first look at Esther only at The Chronicles Of Bry

Head on to http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianjchong to see pictures from my Malacca visit and photoshoot of Esther on Saturday morning (which should be up soon).

San Fran 3rd Shot!

Another meeting at Menara Citibank heralded yet another visit to San Fran Coffee (3 in 3 days). wOOt. Had the Mocha this time. :)

These 'Sausage McMuffin' lookalike thingies look yummy. Hmmm...

San Fran Double Shot

Yesterday evening during a day out with Cherry and Lisa (it's work ok..), we ended the day with a visit to Lot 10's San Francisco Coffee. Hmm..can't recall when's the last time I set foot in SFC. While ordering our drinks, Lis pointed out one of their new fruity drinks, namely 'Berry Bryz'. Heh. Had to order it and have a go at my nicksake drink. Not surprisingly, it was good and lives up to its name. *wink*

This morning while waiting for my colleagues and bosses to arrive at a meeting in Menara Citibank, I patronized the SFC there and had a 'Coffee of the day'. Hmm.. That's two visits within 24 hours. Hmm.. I wonder if it was some mind trick that made me go there again, or maybe it was just convenient. Hmm..

In other news, 7-11 is now serving Fergie juice.

D to the E to the LICIOUS *Fergalicious*

Nubeo makes a Splash! debut

Newbies Nubeo timepieces have made their way to Malaysian shores. Ranging from Rm16k to over RM100+++, these watches look pretty damn good (not that my other fav. luxury watch brand doesnt ;)).

Gotta love that camouflage BlackJellyfish watch

Making their splishy splashy debut at Splash Poolside in Westin KL, I personally enjoyed the event which featured bikini clad models and *ahem* a very nice opening gambit (with wet models and all *wink*). Inspired by the models flair and presence, Lisa and I decided to model our watches as well.

Bry wears a Fossil BigTic timepiece with steel bracelet. Lisa has on a ladies Guess Steel timepiece

The founder of the brand, Ivan Castro is a really cool dude who was very accommodating and appreciative. No airs on this guy at all. His assitant, Malcolm was also very nice and shared a common interest with me, which is photography. He carries a Nikon D70 but has a D2X at home in Switzerland. Sigh. Will be looking forward to see this brand grow locally soon!

Ivan, Bry, & Malcolm

Merdeka # 50!

....is over.

King Mario Leonidas

Thanks to Ian

Remembering August '06

Exactly 1 year ago my entire family and I were on vacation at Gold Coast, Australia. Sigh. Has it been that long? Feels like just weeks ago when the cool breeze and warm sun bustled through my foreign body. Hmm..that sounds a little wrong. Heh. Ever since I left Australia I felt as though I left something there. I definitely want to go back someday soon and find it.

Exactly 1 year ago I was preparing to leave the place I called work for the previous 25 months and move on for a 'career' in public relations. I am still reminded on how cowardly I was when I 'handed' in my resignation letter (some say it was 'discovered' by the boss but I'll stick to my story =P). There was definitely something memorable and melancholic about August 2006.

A turning point perhaps? An autumnal feeling despite the mundane equator-isms of Malaysia? Experiencing my quarter life crisis? Little would I know that fast forward 1 year later and I'd have reignited this fetish for photography and be on a small local reality television show and get the kickest ass Nokia at the time.

Nothing much has changed on the ambition part for me though. I still have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life. Sigh. Time to put on those Gin Blossoms' albums again~

Here I am again August, and you will be leaving pretty soon. See you again in 11 moons.

*Stardust~

And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart

You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by

Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely night dreaming of a song
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
Now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song

Beside a garden wall
When stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale tells his fairy tale
A paradise where roses bloom
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of loves refrain

Spotted @ Corum Admiral's Cup Collection Launch

Nij, CS, Lis, Bry

CS & Bry (Former (?) Corum client servicers)

A Saturday Night In Pictures

~~~

Happy 21st Birthday Wei Wei :)
(pic taken before alcohol was consumed)

Auf Wiedersehen und gutes Glück Nadia 'DD' Izuddin

Friday, 27 July 2007 - Bry celebrating Nadia IzuDDin's second farewell (Cinema Online --> RAPR)

CLICK! Workshop

Shit. Now I can't afford to participate in any photography workshops.

-

THE NEXT CLICK! BEGINNING DIGITAL SLR WORKSHOP
11 & 12 AUGUST 2007 - SATURDAY & SUNDAY

This is one of our most popular workshop - CLICK! Beginning DSLR Workshop! A workshop that caters to the needs of new and current Digital SLR users. Let us share with you some interesting snapshots on some of these workshop activities at CLICK! Go Live Experience Centre.

So do not miss this opportunity to train with CLICK! Trainer. Join us for this 2-day intensive workshop and discover your own photography potential.

Date | 11 & 12 August, 2007 (Saturday & Sunday)
Time | 1:00pm ~ 8:00pm - Saturday
Time | 9:00am ~ 4:00pm - Sunday
Venue | CLICK! Go Live Experience Centre

Fee Structure:
RM300 nett per person - Normal Rate
RM280 nett per person -CLICK! MEMBER Rate
RM260 nett per person - Student Rate

Closing Date of registration is on Monday, 8th August 2007.

THE 5th CLICK! DSLR WORKSHOP PROGRAM

DAY 1 | 11th August 2007 - Saturday | 1:00pm ~ 8:00pm

Introduction to Digital SLR Camera
Lenses - Your Eyes to the World
Shooting with a Digital SLR Camera
Intensive Hands-On Practices - Indoor Session

DAY 2 | 12th August 2007 - Sunday | 9:00am ~ 4:00pm

Practical Hands-On - Outdoor Session
Perfecting Your Photographs
Photo Assignments Review
Introduction to Post-Processing Your Images

Who Should Attend |
Beginners, Amateurs, Hobbyist, Emerging Photo Enthusiasts

Equipment Requirements |
DSLR camera, memory cards, batteries and tripod.
PC Notebook with Adobe Photoshop software (Needed only on the 2nd Day Session)

*The above includes light refreshments with coffee/tea break on 1st Day and light lunch on 2nd Day.

--

How I Spent My Saturday.

Never would I have thought that last Saturday would've created a picture like this.

Or this.

Ian & some of his buds, Soon Min & some of his buds, and I (with Soon Min and Ian as my buds) headed out to Bukit Tabur near (or is it at?) Taman Melawati somewhere in KL. The 'hike' that I was informed to experience did not involve climbing nor involve ropes of any kind. I was 'pleasantly' conned :). I would have definitely have said no if it involved any type of rock climbing. The hike was completed approx. 5 1/2 hours from the start (6am-11.30am). *Phew* I never knew that KL had such a hidden wonder. Bukit Tabur is probably not for the beginner hiker (like me), but it was indeed a good challenge. I would never have gotten up (or down) without the help of my fellow hikers. ("Left leg left, right leg right...down abit...stretch abit more...SQUAT!" said 'someone'.)

On the way up

"Oh good God its a rope!"


"How the fcuk am I supposed to get up there?"

We were at that peak before we got on the one I'm standing on now

Indeed he does...

Soon Min & I at the 'grove' top of the hill.

Going down is definitely harder than going up *egads*

This old man swooped down off the ledge faster than I could climb

Right before we got lost, we decided to take a picture

We got a little lost on the way down and a rockier path than the one we originated from. Was running out of water as well. *Pant* Thanks to my Nokia N95, I tried to keep morale going by playing 'The Touch' by Stan Bush. =D. After eventually getting down to flat land, we sped off for a WELL deserved lunch in Taman Connaught. *Pif~*


After lunch, I headed back home, took a thorough shower, sat for a bit, and sped off to Times Square with Ah Wah & gang to get our new toys (the DSLRs!). Damn place ran out of stock so shot to Pudu Plaza (this damn place is a blast from the 80s man) and checked out our 'cam-to-be's' there. After fiddling through the Nikon D40 and found out that it had no Battery Grip accessory and a really shitty menu system which I thought I could overcome, I decided to get the Canon EOS 400D Digital Rebel XTI instead. *Sigh* After months of reading up on Nikon's stuff, I have almost no info on Canon's. Oh well, lots more reading to do. Hope to attend a photography workshop soon. :)

My first ever DSLR. Ladies and gentlemen... this is 'Delilah'. =)

My digital mistress

Oooo.

Oooo...nice colors....Who's that on stage?!

.
.
.

Oh...it's Michael Learns To Rock.

Before It's Too Late

I wonder through fiction to look for the truth
Buried beneath all the lies
and I stood at a distance
To feel who you are
Hiding myself in your eyes

and the risk that might break you
Is the one that would save
A life you dont live is still lost
So stand on the edge with me
Hold back your fear and see
Nothing is real til it's gone

Hold on before its too late
Until we leave this behind
Don't fall just be who you are
It's all that we need in our lives

So live like you mean it
Love til you feel it
It's all that we need in our lives
So stand on the edge with me
Hold back your fear and see
Nothing is real til it's gone

R.I.P Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit (1967-2007)

Yea yea, he may have gone crazy in the end, but he was one hell of a radical. Will be doing cardio on the stairmaster (Benoit's fav cardio machine) the next time I hit the gym. What's up with so many dead wrestlers ~Aih.

Canon EOS 400D VS Nikon D40X

VS

Either one of these is gonna cost me RM3000. Question is...which one?

The Nokia Wireless Adventure Was A BLAST!

The Nokia Wireless Adventure is OVER! *Sigh* After much loathing and anxiety, the 'adventure' was super duper fun and exciting! Cardio training came into good use as we had to run and move alot :).

KAKI SAMPAI MATI aka 2 members of 'Team 1'

Checked into JW Marriot, KL on Friday evening and had dinner at Jogoya Restaurant in Starhill. The place was like a maze. Couldn't really find my way the first time around. Food was pretty good (heck, for RM88++ it better be). The oysters were huge, although I didn't have any (yuck). The tiramisu and cheesecakes were fracking yummilicious! Argh. OKOK, that's dessert. The cheese snails and sashimi...ooo yes.. :).

So, during the dinner we were 'introduced' to our celebrity team leader (who Min and I hoped to be Hannah Tan..lol) but turned out to be TV host Aishah Sinclair (hey! no complaints there!) and our media partner who was Sarah Chan from KLue. Our team got along pretty well, no arguments or anything, which was great. Thank God for the two girls as they knew their way arund KL more than we did. Our team 'motto/warcry' was so err...eeeee. I hope they don't show it on TV. Argh. Malunye.. The uber cute Belinda Chee (who was the celeb for another team) remembers me! She even called me by name ~swoon~. =D After dinner, the newly formed TEAM 1, went off somewhere and got started with team strategy ;and had a good nights rest later on ;)

Our humble abode for 3 nights (mine's on the left...yes, i get the remote)

On things that happened on the adventure...WATCHTHESHOWTOFINDOUT~! =P

Capturing the soul of KL

After day 1's greuling activities, we were treated to a 'private' buffet in Westin. Our meals were f***ed up through out the day as we weren't eating so it was alright. :)

Meeting room at The Westin transformed into a posh dining area for participants and organisers

Here are some pics from the adventure!

After Day 1

Some 'joget' action from Day 2

In the middle of Petaling Street figuring out some clues (Min with Rambo cam which looks like it just fired a projectile)

Chinese calligraphy..hmm

Spot Aishah and Soon Min!

My 'cheat meal' of the week

Officially finishing fourth on the 2nd day (Team 1 - Grey)

Thanks to Min for picking lil ol' me to be his partner ;)

Oh yeah, I still have Aishah's umbrella in my car as she left it in our room..umm. No, thats not how it's supposed to sound. =P

Don't wanna spoil the show and tell everyone what happens so watch us on Wednesday, 20 June on 8TV (runs for 3 episodes)!! They better give us a copy of the showwww.

The final night (awards night) was pretty sweet as. Was held at The Third Floor in JW Marriot which was situated on the 3rd floor. Coincidence? I think not. :). Personally, fine dining ain't my cuppa teh tarik. Gimme burger and fries any day ;).

Le Menu

The N95-ed Third Floor

Nokia Boyz

Team 1 all squeeky clean and out of our gear

I swear to God, I didn't know she was married!

=D Belinda Chee and me

Even my ex college mate Wern Shen was a contestant

Chermaine Poo's team

Bry & some of the race marshalls

Kaki Sampai Mati (us) and (Prague winners) Efnalf

The organisers...and a few strays

Conclusion on sponsored value:
Jogoya buffet - RM88++
JW Marriot 3-night stay - RM1000?
Westin private buffet - RM50?
The Third Floor dinner - RM100?
Nokia N95 -RM3199

Estimated total value - RM4450? and TV time :)

not bad...not bad at all. :)

Team 1 on the 'Eye Of Malaysia'. Memories.