Friday, June 16, 2006
TIME is the issue here..
On one hand I was really happy for him as we played together on several gigs before and I was fully aware that he is a good guitarist... he deserves it! Well done!
On the other, I was dissapointed and went to sulk-mode. I needed to. I needed to know why. What have I done badly? What could I have done better?
So I seek answers... and I've gotten some. Not all things in life are pleasant :) but in this case, they are certainly necessary.
The comments on my playing in a nutshell is that I don't play the right thing at the right time. Sometimes I go out of timing and make things 'messy'....
While that is a problem I can deal with on its own, but as I dig deeper myself, I realised that this issue permeates across my life:-
- to say the right things and do the right stuff with the right people at the right time!
(that's saying, doing, people and time)
worst, I don't do it! or want to do it. I think innately I don't even try! Arrgghhh... It's shameful to admit this. I would love to think that I get the saying and doing part right more than 50% of the time but even then, I think I get the people and timing part wrong most of the time.
At the moment, I don't know the consequence of my actions (or inactions). On major aspect I feel is the lost of 'gravitas' or 'leadership'. I'm not sure...
I'm praying and learning now... from zero. Will update.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Pyromaniac? Sadist?... I love animals what!
Coolcat asked me to comment on this entry. and I will :)
I don't think I'm a pyro-phobic. I'm not a pyromaniac too but I do enjoy burning things up occasionally.
I have tried to burn my hair when I was younger. Nothing too scary. It burns fast. then dies.
I haven't burn things for a long time until last month when I found snails in my aquarium - EATING my PLANTS!
How can man?! My lovely plants!
So I bought pufferfish that would eat them. And since they were about to die anyway I thought to have some fun with them. I caught one of the snails and put it on a piece of paper and lit it up. 1 min later, the fire engulf the snail and then.. **** blooop ****. A faint explosion signifying the end of miserable snail's life. muahahahaha! The snail's shell exploded into a thousand fragments. It was fun I guess, but too short lived...
If you have garden snails, you can put salt on the snail and see it melt (but this won't work on aquarium snails) which is certainly more fun to watch as it last like 30mins.... I'm sick I know.
Speaking of which, ants and mosquitos last a LONG time without their limbs....
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Music & Kings
Met this funny-wise man. We are both passionate about our music and that made for much conversation topics. Knowing my busy schedules he told me not to leave my music behind and added:
David became musician 1st then king... not the other way around... remember that!
....
....
now who am I to argue with that?!
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Maggie Mee
So we went to watch ice age 2. It was okay-la....
But what was even better when Liping made Asam Laksa Maggie for me. She makes the best maggie! I'm very biased. :)
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
some updates:
I'm doing well. Thanks for asking! How are things with you? Anything new? What are you busy with these days and what are you looking forward to?
Suddenly, I feel like typing.. so here goes! lol
Besides being busy with wedding plans and the biz, there is little time for music practice. I feel that I've been deproving for the past few months after the busy period of December. All those motor skills gone!
I've got a gig this weekend for CCM with Liang and Jac and I find myself practicing with my old friend- the metronome. Shucks. I'm planning to keep it simple and tight. But I hope I practice on a more regular basis, I feel very discourage when I don't improve... or maybe playing the same lines over and over and over again bores the heck of of me, or maybe I feel that stagnation of skills isn't worshiping Him (in eph, it says play with all your skills!). One thing still stays the same, playing music make me happy. It's weird. I'm weird.
In this year, I hope I'll be able to train up my ears a bit more. Learn more transcription skills. I'm a hopeless case in that! Oh btw, I've been experimenting on the minor harmonic scale. Sounds awesome.. hehehe.. if only I can get my fingers to move now...
On other stuff, it's pretty exciting. I have no experience in getting married so.... :P You dating anyone? You're not young anymore too!
On work, super stressful. But I love it... and love is not a 'feeling' word, it's an action word! ahahaha.. I'm getting so much white hair these days. Recently, I'm in the mission to tell those I see who don't enjoy their work to realised that we spent the majority of our waking hours in work. "Church" happens more in our office more than in 'ministry'.
As for cars.... arrggh I was eying the Honda City! hahaha sleek, not too expensive rm70k+ and very good on fuel consumption. So what do I do? I try to make some money and pray! But God seems to be saying no! arrgh. I'll keep praying. For now, it's the kancil and the bug. Have you got your Satria yet?
Okay you take care now.
Eric
Monday, March 27, 2006
Problems organising camps?
Organising a camp can sometimes be tough. Small meager budgets, demanding campers, high expectations for food and 'quality' tshirts. Satisfying all needs is as much a pain as the organising itself!!
Allow Johnny to the rescue- vely fierceZZZ, Johnny do Bestz!
You can now zhng your camp
http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2006/03/zhng_my_camp.html
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
We're gathered here today to remember...
bytes to bytes
gigs to gigs
we hereby say our farewell to the many gigs that has been lost in this terrible tragedy today
the words in the gigs has shown me that tho they are no more,
their meanings are still here to stay
their purpose we remember.
I will certainly miss you, Gigs of Email (son of Thunderbird)
Thursday, February 09, 2006
***title here***
Both monster players makes me wanna quit playing right now!
On the same time, both are simply inspiring... for me to just play and worship.
For music is a gift to worship without words.
Friday, January 20, 2006
How weird am I?
| You Are 40% Weird |
Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it! |
| Your Observation Skills Get A B- |
Your senses are pretty sharp (okay, most of the time) And it takes something big to distract you! |
Work break musings....
1/12 of 2006 is almost over! Wow that's fast! I hardly feel time 'moved' and 1 month's over. It's a good reminder that we need to use time wisely- doing things that will give us the best returns.
I think using time is like investments. What's the ROI? What's the return? Short term or long term? What can we do that no one else around us can do better? Why the heck am I not thinking more in terms of this lines.
When I start to think in terms of this, I realised my life is much simpler. There's just that few things I need to do and it helps me prioritise. Makes my life simpler. For those things I need to do, I'd gotta be responsible for them.
Problems come when I stop to think. I do things for the sake of doing it. Sounds simple? Yet so difficult. After doing some things for like the 100th times, I forget the 'why'. I go on an auto-cruise mode - without much goal or objective - simply because I have to.
Being in auto-cruise mode is easy. I just go with the system. It 'feels' that my life is safe and secure -- which is plain stupidity! Because I was merely wasting my time doing things for the sake of doing it and adding no value to me and to the ppl around me. (since I'm hitting 30 soon... time has a new meaning)
Having asked myself many brutally honest questions, Im glad I've made some changes in my life this year already. The changes are not easy and its impact to be measured at the end of the year.
*****
What's a good/great Christian?
Thanks ppl for your comments! They are awesome. While I also dunno the answer....
but a christian is firstly a follower of Christ- a lover, a friend, a servant...etc In the whole equation, relationship is key. What's a good christian to me? one that has good relationship with God. What's a great Christian? One that has a great relationship with God. Tada! :))
*****
In the early part of the year I was also thinking: if I'm not doing any 'churchy' stuff, what do i do that defines me as a Christian? :)
*****
Early this week a very close friend gave me a line which stuck to me:
The spirit of excellence has nothing to do with being perfect.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Good to Great
We go to church, pray, do our quiet time. We lend a helpling hand. We study the word of God. I guess we are.
What will make us great christian? or better written as great followers of christ?
Share your views.
***
Martha's a good follower but, paraphrasing our Lord, "Dont' stop Mary, she has chosen the better..."
***
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
A friend
the metronome is your friend
Johann says:
:)
eric - says:
and my worst enemy!
Johann says:
it is the cruellest of critics
Johann says:
the harshest of teachers
Johann says:
and your most faithful friend
Johann says:
if you want someone to be honest with you about your playing... ask a metronome
Johann says:
lol
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Trip to Klang Wesley
She was there in Klang Wesley as well doing a couple songs. I used to watch her on TV everyday when I was in school and can still remember the blue baju kebaya (is that how you spell it?) In person, Francisca is very fun to be with, down to earth and simply nice. She's also got a warm and infecteous smile. Most of all, she's an incredible singer.
Lucky for me, the organisers requested that she did SETIA for us and we were all pulled on stage to sing the song with her. It's school time all over for me. This time I'm on stage (thankfully not for public punishment!).
I'm trying to upload the clip for you or find a friend who can help me upload it. But here's a pic of me and her :)

Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
my singapore trip and skirts
So much to update....
One of the things I notice about Singapore is the girls! :) They are all very well dressed and well verse with the use of make up :) They also like wearing skirts. I mean those short skirts. Which I happen to like. Funny thing is, when you have the whole Orchard road wearing that, it doesn't seem so nice already... it's like uniform. Where's the fun in that?
A finally met Don and Jon and the whole Choo family. In many ways, I feel like I'm part of the family. Aunt Florence aka my Godma, took care of me like one of her own! As usual, this trip, she made sure I was well fed, have tissue whenever I go out, have umbrella if its going to rain, and ask me if I'm coming 'home' for dinner.
I also get to meet Don's lovely wife Steph and Jon's wife Mary Ann.
Bumped into a super old pal- Edwin Teoh. Ed, you're still the same man! Just, 'twice the man' you use to be. It must have been 10 years since we met, at that time he was courting this chick.... which is another long story altogeter.
Lastly, friends, I met an old friend. Say hello to the 'Bumblebee' :)


Since I'm on an slight uploading spree, here's the gears I'm using. I new GT8 and Bandit 112 (currently sponsored by Johann. Thanks buddy!) They sound pretty good together and are my gigging partners :) Can't wait to use the bee soon. They have super hot Dimazio pickups!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Furthering music
I've been going out to play some gigs on weddings and to some clubs to do some jamming (3sets of jamming whole night! hahaha). There are often humbling experiences as I found myself to be lacking in so many ways musically.
Most of the time, I'm faced with playing songs - jazz, oldies, pop - that I don't know. Everyone in the band seems to be able to pick up the tune on the spot or at least know the song.
Solo-ing over these songs is also a challenging matter. I guess in jazz one can 'hantam' and get by but I'm convinced that I should know how to hantam be it playing 'in' or 'out'.
Either way, I'm so challenged to keep pressing on for improvement.
The other thing that I realised right away about these musicans are that, generally, they are humble, approachable, friendly and helpful. I'm stereotyping but the greater players are more humble and more friendly. It really confirms what the bible teaches about humility and its relation to wisdom.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Jesus made 1/2 ton of wine!
from the revised std version (http://www.bibleontheweb.com/Bible.asp)
6 Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast." So they took it. 9 When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine
1 gallon is equivalent to about 4 litres (depending on whether it is UK, US or dry but average to about 4. Check this site out http://www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter/). I am also assuming that the gallon referred to here in the rev std version is the one Im converting.
So that gives:
20-30gallons x 6 = 120 - 180 gallons = 480 - 720 litres of wine.
Jesus made an average of 600 litres of wine, more than half a ton!
If you read the scipture, he made the wine AFTER they ran out. Which means they drank the good wine first, then the bad wine. Why this order? This is so because they expect people to be less able to tell how bad the bad wine really is after finishing up the good one. I'm tempted to infer that at this point, much wine has been drunk already because it's a wedding, people will try to prepare more than enough on such occasion. The host seems to have servants, so I'm guessing that they are not poor either.
No matter how you look at it, that's still a lot of wine - even if you're doing a chinese wedding with 100 tables!
So...
Would we say that Jesus 'stumbled' people then?
Would we still argue whether drinking can or cannot be done?
One would say, there would be (and there should be) more wholesome things to be done than drinking on a wedding? Why make wine and so much of it?
What is the principal behind this that we can all learn?
If it's not about the wine then what is it about?
Monday, October 17, 2005
Words
Indeed.
Speech, is probably the first thing we learn and a subject we never finish learning
And in the past month, I've been put into situation to learn about this more and more - again and again. Obviously, the guy upstairs know that I haven't quite grasp the lesson. (Even while writting this entry, I find it a challenge)
Firstly, I find it difficult to put my thoughts and concept into words. Even more so to structure them in accurate, concise form.
Second, is the tact and art to saying the right things at the right time to the RIGHT people in the right way.
I guess I'll just have to keep practice 'speaking' better now. Practice don't make perfect, it makes permanent... and I'll permanently continuosly improve on it.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Son-day
A cg member got baptised. While he invited all of us to lunch to celebrate his 'birth', God let me in on his plan in leading another person to Christ. Who am I to be worthy of it? :) I'm simply overjoyed to be part of it.... as heaven rejoices!
Later in the day, I picked up Johann, an old friend, from Sentral. It's his annual trip back to KL from London. I'm quite happy to see him again. We have so much to talk about about God, theology and music. I also got educated about what F1 is about over dinner.
I just want to pen down this quote which Johann said (he can't remember who it was from). I like it so much and it has been ringing in my head since sunday.
Don't you think it speaks volume?
We spent a lot of time talking about this: what can christian offer non-christians?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Give a pause and think about it if you are reading this. If you are working, what do you think you can offer your non-christian colleague? If you're a student, what can you offer your classmate? What is it that a christian have or should have so that s/he can offer others? What makes christian so special?
Saturday, September 03, 2005
MSC status
Let me bring your attention to:
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) officials said some of the means that will be explored include the creation of high-value jobs, shared services and outsourcing opportunities in Malaysia.
.
.
.
He said the most significant achievement of the MSC is that it has laid a solid foundation for the nation's hopes of achieving an information-rich and knowledge-driven economy.
.
.
.
“A survey conducted by Deloitte Consulting notes that Malaysia is one of the likely beneficiaries of about US$250mil (RM950mil) worth of job shifts from the United States to other parts of the world.
I believe I have been reading 'high-value- job since the beginning of the creation of the MSC 10 years or so ago. Apparently today, we are still talking about generating such jobs... what is the result of it?
The result is that not so recently, we found out that our nation has the highest concentration of contractor. (... and unofficially, people not happy that the government is not spending on building anymore!!)
To be fair, there has been some high value jobs created. I just wonder what % of increase is that compared to 10 years ago and compared to other nations like south korea or china or india or japan?
Indeed the most significant achievement of the MSC is laying the foundation of future hope. Perhaps that's all there is - a foundation of hope. To be fair again, there is also some infrastructure laid down. But after 10 years, we're still talking about a business potential that the MSC could possible provide. That to me is a rather dubios measurement of success.
A survey by a consulting company indicates that there are a great potential out there. Which is great. Last year the internet generated 22billion (if I'm not mistaken) and Malaysia is really in position to take a piece of that cake. Well so is the rest of the world. It really doesn't mean anything when we say there's such an amount there waiting to be grabbed. However, what I feel would be more meaningful is how well positioned is Malaysia up for the outsourcing job? Are our people more skilled? Can we add more value? How are we compared to our competitors. Saying that there are outsourcing opportunities out there just meaningless.
Potential and opportunities are just there, always there.
******
At this moment, Malaysia has less then 2% broadband penetration rate. That's really bad. What happened? This is not just bad it's almost shameful. Some parts of KL/PJ can't even get connected to. And TM remains - TOMORROW... you call balik tomorrow k? No, TM reported a growth in their profits for the last ending fiscal year, so they are not running into a problem where they can't afford the hardware setups. Perhaps they should further decentralise the monopoly that TM has, so as to increase competition. TM has just done a very bad job.
If I mentioned Singapore for us to compare, we'll all be crying foul because it's just a small city, okay how about comparing it to countries like south korea which is having 70-80% penetration rate. How about Japan? USA? Australia? Okay, how about China and India?
Besides the infracstruture, our local industry is saying that we don't have enough knowledge workers. (I thought Malaysia's an education hub?) . The star reported this a couple months back too. What happened? Is that a reflection on the standards of our local universities?
We started MSC earlier or about the same time as many countries. I think it's time we compare ourselves with other better countries and raise our level of competitiveness as a nation.