Ah memes....

"Dammit I just started this blog thing and ALREADY you tagged me? Merrye Christmas Tashy!"

"Exactly! Welcome to the blogging community :) Now do my tag! and Merry Christmas!"

- Tasha Beg and I, over Cbox, on her blog.

It'd seem I've been unwittingly smacked over the head with a meme. Now I would normally do such things like memes and forwardings only after you've tied me to a stake and lit the brush under my feet/Paid me lots of money/its a particularly good meme/forward, but its Christmas. So.

5 Things I found in my bag

-My Mp3 Player, thank Bacchus for it.
-My File. I keep everything in there. I have a nasty habit of forgetting things, so I always put it in one place that I carry around. [Problem Solving Methodology's in there too.]
-A change of clothes, from when I intended to head over to Gus's place, but was 86'd.
-A pack of tissues. I have a near-constant nose problem, so I always carry one around.
-How odd. My torn up pair of jeans from my character's costume in The Illusion. Funny, I forgot I put it in there at all. An odd memento from odder times.

5 things I found in my wallet

-My student ID. I still keep it handy for when I intend to snatch discounts when I enter cinemas. I still look about 17, so...
-My TouchNGo card. Arguably one of the most essential things I've needed when relying on public transport so constantly.
-3 Shiny 50 sen shillings. Also another memento from The Illusion, which I used to do the Legerdemain for my character. The shinier the more hypnotic the effect as the coin rolled from knuckle to knuckle.
-My name tag. Green background and block letters spelling out MARVIN WONG. Probably the only souvenir I retain from High School, save for the trophies and certs.
-Tickets stubs from watching Aladdin: The Pantomime just yesterday. Was awesome, definitely the best 40 bucks I spent this year.


5 favorite things in my room

-Starcraft: The Board Game. I am going to die cold and alone: a geek.
-My postcard-plastered wall. Each postcard is one from each previous production I took part in. Including my Forensics number from last year and my ID tag from the drama competition. Just 6, so far.Sooner or later I'll fill the whole damn thing. :)
-Snowie. She's so adorable. :D
-My pillows. 'Nuff said.
- My grey cabinet where I keep all my souvenirs and gifts and trophies and books.

5 things I always wanted to do

-Learn how to do coin tricks. (In progress :D)
-Go climbing. I don't care if its rocks or not.
-Take pictures with my eyelids. Because cameras just don't cut it for _those_ kind of moments, where its gone in an instant.
-Learn to fight. Not reliably, Just enough. Either that or learn how to use a gun. But not around here I suppose.
-Learn how to skate. Either on ground or on ice.

5 things I am currently into

-My Rachel Yamagata album. Something about deep-voiced women singing poetry disguised-as-music.
-Team Fortress 2. Remember what I said about Geekdom?
-The Temeraire series. Such breath taking language.
-House.

5 people I'm gonna tag

-Queer Ranter
-C
-Blueberry Jam
-The Daily Rabbit
-Bright Hopes

Christmas Cheer and Joyful Tidings.

"So Marvin, what do you intend to do now that you're out of High School?"

"Can't I just, like, call everyone over and give a mass briefing with little diagrams and pie charts so I don't have to reiterate my plans 6 times over?"

- C.J. Ellis and I, in conversation, La Bodega.

The following blogpost will not be in chronological order. If you and I don't discuss the goings on of my life on a regular basis, the following post will most probably be confusing. You have been warned.

So. First thing's first.

MERRIE CHRISTMAS! :D It's been a bloody long year, hasn't it?
... Well it has for me. So there.

The point is we're _here_! We're done with the bloody year! We've survived trudging along hell and highwater to make it this far. Pat yourselves on the back and shake hands with the person on your left and ri---, okay now I sound like a motivational speaker. Moving on.

Second thing's second. Seperti hadirin-hadirat sudah dimaklum: I got a job. No, no not the Illusion, as much as I intend to make that my permanent profession, that wasn't, by all technicality, a job. For one thing, it didn't pay in material assets. (Oh ho! Look! I said "in material assets"! Thus covering my ass from any jeerings of how "Experience is worth more than any gold!" Well played sir, well played!)
Eh, but the point of the matter is I got myself a secure 11am-9pm job, promoting Wireless Broadband in Lau Yat Plaza. (Segue: That person on the surfing board is one ugly motherfucker. I relayed this opinion to my colleagues, and they all reluctantly agreed between fits of laughter)

Now: my problem is that I'm conflicted as to whether I should pursue this thing in a permanent fashion. I started about 3 weeks ago, but was somewhat forced to take a break while The Illusion made its runs. A good decision, in hindsight, but now that the momentum of "OMG I HAVE A JOB WOOT!" is broken, I'm wondering if I really should go back.

I'm a debater, so I'll do this nice and structured.

Pro: 1) Money. Con: 2) Time
Argument:
Money's great. Including allowance and an optimistic commission rate, I can expect to make a steady 2.5k a month, which, i've been told over and over, is pretty damn respectable. (This was especially put into perspective, when Nicholas says he earns only slightly more than that.)
Counter Argument:
The problem here, as my brother pointed out: is that I don't really need any. I mean, sure I could use a couple Gs to pad my accounts for the future, but I haven't really all that much to spend on. S'not like i've got rent to pay, or a band to produce. Yes, it would be cool to get a flat-screen monitor, but nnngh, I've got so much to do at the moment, y'know?

Which brings us to the contra: Time.

Argument:
Working 10 hours a day is bullshit tiring. It basically demolishes any of my previous plans to properly build up a social network, and the time is put up such that if I ever wanted to audition, or go to rehearsals for a project that I'm already working on (Such as that TV Pendidikan thing. Omg I haven't memorized my script yet shitshitshit) I'd _have_ to take a day off. And i've only got 6 per month to play around with, so I think it comes to a point where I _cannot_ take up the job at all. Especially since I intend to go and learn to drive.

Counter argument:
Toughen the fuck up, princess. 6 days a month may be just enough to handle my driving lessons and the rehearsals and the auditions. The functional word here being: Just. Essentially it would mean I'd have to do nothing else but work (Day job), Work (Actual passion) and study. (Driving) Which sounds to me highly unattractive, but what the fuck else am I gonna do with my time, hey? Take today for instance. I got up at 1, (Bad Marvin! Stand in the corner!) and played Prince of Persia then Facebooked till now (where it is 4.30) Which in a manner, the latter two can be said to be building up that social network we discussed earlier.

So jeeheeebus, its a toughy. Another argument that a couple people have brought up is: You're going to work for the rest of your life. Why start early?

Which is something I'm inclined to agree with, but idle hands, and all that crap.
A little help, dear reader? :D

Moooooving on.

The play's Over! :'( It always sucks when that happens. I personally build my life around these things, which may or may not be a good thing, but I do it nonetheless. And now there's a giant 6pm-11pm sized hole in my life where warmups, makeup, performances, and meeting new people should be.
But still, The Illusion is probably one of the very few things I can look to the pearly gates of heaven and say: Look upon my works, ye mighty, and weep! No really. It was such a blast, and the people were all so so awesome to be around. (Even you, Izzat. Even you.)

So yes. A BIG DAMN THANK YOU to everyone in The Illusion. This was no doubt the best thing that's happened to me this year. (Not exaggerating!)
From Left to right, top down: (Deep breath)
Isma, Azmir, Ka Vee, Some weird bald dude, Syar, Kelvin, Ashaari,
Zalikha, Christine, Sara, Nurul,
Mark, Izzat, Jason.
Not included: Shamir, JasonC, and Johann. Sorry ya couldn't make it. :D

And lastly: Obligatory Youtube Christmas post:

This post is brought to you by the ever prolific ctrl+C and ctrl+V

Feeling nervous about not feeling nervous.

When I was just a wee lad, and was going on stage for the first time, I turned to my coach and asked: "Why am I nervous?"
And she, in all her erudite and venerable ways said simply: "Don't ask so many questions. Just get out there."

Which, for a young boy of a singular digit age, was most crushing. It was not until I had reached high school that I got a much better answer: "Nervous is good. It means you care."
Ironically enough, both answers apply greatly to the principles of acting. For additional irony, the first slot of advice used to be pasted up in our rehearsal space itself. (Of course, in a more coherent manner, advertised as actings' golden rule): "Don't think. Just do."

The 2nd slot of advice applies here, where; on the brink of 2 months worth of rehearsals and tinkering and memorizing and experimentation, I personally find solace in the nerve-wracking feeling of sweaty palms, shallow breathing, and hair tearing. (Not applicable in my case, fortunately) The sheer unwelcome shot of adrenalin as I get into character in preparation for the play serves as a reminder of just how hard we've all worked to breathe life into this play. And while a lot of people would receive this reminder as a grim responsibility to not fuck up, it only takes a very small paradigm shift to realize that as an actor you can't fuck up.

Sure! You could forget your lines. Yes! The lights may not be queued properly. Indeed! The careful coordination of movement across the stage may be torn asunder by a simple misstep, but thats just not the point anymore. The point is that both the cast and crew have created something absolutely mind-blowing in the past 2 months, and if some edges turn out to be abit torn, it won't matter, because we have gone through the whole rigmarole of preparation and know exactly what we're capable of, and exactly how good this play has become, and if perhaps some of the audience don't see that on a given night, its fine; because we know that we have created something beautiful. And failing that, our most wise director always reminds us: We are not alone on stage. So yes. Save for the set itself to be eaten by termites, (Touch wood, no pun intended), we are good to bloody go.

So yes. Here it is.

Love, magic, and violence. There's little else you could ask for.

"Random sex!"

"Where!?"

-Basic breakdown of the entire TGIO party.

Right! Last week was absolutely fantaaastic.

Quick recap of events!

Monday: SPM ended. (trumpets) Watched Stardust with C.
Toosday: Gustave came over! Played games till 4am. (which I haven't done in a while. Felt great)

Wienersday: More games! Epic starcraft board games ftw.

Thors'day: Went out to Mid valley and dicked around abit, trying to meet up with Angeline, but was completely outrun. (more details later)

Frydae: DAY OFF. Which is surprisingly hard to find, given high school's over. Did nothing but sit at home and play Team Fortress up until I had to go for a family dinner at some fancy chinese restaurant. But my cunning skills of deception allowed me to make my parents see the error of their wa-- okay, I kid, The thing got postponed. I didn't have a hand in it at all. :P

Instead I went for the ISKL play later in the evening. Which was all manners of mind blowing. I was really really happy to see Krystle again, brief as it was. The play was a series of shorts aimed specifically at hitting sore spots with society in general. I think they succeeded tremendously, really. (editor's note: Will write more on this later, must go out soon.)

Satires'day: T'was possibly the longest and shortest day of my life. (You know what I mean. the kind where you're out the door in ungodly hours of the morning, and only at home at a similarly ungodly hour, but the whole phase in between was veritably CRAMMED with fun) Morning? Rehearsals till 2. Workshop at KLpac till 6, then went to the NaNoWriMo Thank God It's Over party till 2am. :P (More details later)

Saneday: More workshopping! Aurora Kurth is most probably the most alive person i've ever met. Completely enthusiastic and positive in every way. Y'know those actors with a glint in their eye? The one who you just know loves what she does and does it illegally well? Yeah. Got to meet one of these people, and get taught by them. So awesome.

Monday: I got to get out of bed and be Responsible again. :P Went for not one, but TWO job interviews for the same company. I gotta admit, I like what I see. Marvin the Sales Executive. :P Nah, not really not much of a ring to it...


So that's a week! Be right back with a more in-depth report

Tampering

'Marvin,' said I, 'When I am old and feeble, and my cold shriveled heart is a bitter shell of empty disappointment, will you be there to comfort and tend to me in my time of need?'

'Fuck no. I'll be knee deep in ho's and well-earned success.'

Marvin and I, in conversation

Hello! This is Marvin's repressed elder sibling. (obligatory link to my website) I'm here because having one blog is not enough, and in a phenomenon known as guest blogging, I've decided that the frogspawn I live with needs some wit and sophistication inserted into his space.

By now if you have met my brother in person, you would know that physically speaking he is as a god among men. Observe.















































One simply has to glance upon his chiseled countenace and dapper demeanor to understand that his method of 'getting girls' simply involves him walking into a room. It would not be exaggeration by any stretch of the imagination to say that he exudes an aura of confidence and virility that proves to be far too much match for the average estrogen-burdened teenager. Common it is to see him poised in the middle of conversation with a flock of nubile females literally hanging from his every word. The general impression is that if he only smiled, their clothes would fall off.

This phenomenon is far more common than you might think. One merely has to look at his facebook profile, or in fact, his telephone address book to see a list of female monikers as long as your leg. (longer, if you're under 5'7") He befriends them like other men breathe air (that is to say, raggedly, and in short bursts). He knows dozens of them by their first name, whilst other lesser men struggle to be seen in the same room as one. In the midst of all this sexual prowess, of manly conquest, lies one tiny insignificant anomaly:

Me.

Example 1: Oh hello random gorgeous stranger I have never met before, why yes I will gladly autograph your bosom and lick strawberry jam from your forehead, oh by the way this is my brother. Say hi Calvin.

Example 2: Sorry I'm so late Calvin, I was merely rearranging my disheveled appearance with the help of a capricious little minx from my tuition center; you wouldn't believe the things you can get into while trying to sort out a perfectly honest misunderstanding, ha ha.

Or my personal favorite:

Me: (as he stumbles into our room at 3 in the morning) Alright, what's her name?
Him: Who? Oh... right. Er... Susan. I think.

Snarky jealousy aside, it is actually quite perplexing (on a purely intellectual level) for him to have received all the charm and dastardly good looks, while I'm left with all the 'important' things, i.e. an education, considerable capacity for creative expression, and an unjaded optimistic worldview.

Some cosmic force might refer to this as balance, or yin-yang perhaps; a celestial separation of male and unmale. Of chicked and chickless. Sexed and depressed.

But I know the truth; it's simply a test, a grand experiment. One day character and inner beauty will triumph over surface appearance and pheremones.

...right?

Breakout!

"Okay, so the SPM's done. What, am I supposed to be happy now or something?"

"Well, try shuffling your feet a little. Or sing, maybe."

- Hasan and I, in conversation, in the school canteen.

And so high school's over. I can't say that I feel much about it. I've wanted to get to this moment for a long bloody time now. I've wanted so much to finally get out of the sheer oppression that is teachers and studying without an end in sight; and here I am, at the brink of a new beginning, and there's no
a) Applause
b) Strobe lights saying "You've won!"
c) Chicks running up to me in celebratory moods.

...okay, maybe C was too much to ask for.
But my point is I guess I hit this moment a long time ago. I... reached the end of high school life the moment I decided to enter the Illusion instead of buckle down for the SPM. And since I was way too busy to pat myself on the back then, the whole "PARTAY LIKE IT'S 1599!" thing really lost itself on me. I didn't even stop and take a last good look at the school before I walked off for the LRT like I told myself I would. Hell, I didn't even say goodbye to all the people I wanted to. The latter of which I actually do feel guilty about since as much as my loyalty to school died a while ago, my ties with the people inside it are still something precious to me.

Still. I'm pretty sure that's not the last I'll see of that golden eagle. I've still gotta go back and help finish up work on the magazine and also see if I can't join next year's forensics (to grovel or not to grovel?)

And speaking of the Illusion, going there after the exams felt like learning how to BREATHE again. It felt so good being able to truly get into character without some bastard paper around the corner.

Aaanyway. Today I got up comparatively early, all things considered, and immediately had a goal in mind: Play Team Fortress. It was like a mantra bouncing in my skull. Play Team Fortress. Play Team Fortress. So I did. And I rocked. Then I decided (if you know me, you'd realize how insane this next decision is) "Okay, that's enough!"

GAH! I'm being responsible! The SPM's over and I'm replying E-mails and facebook wall posts and cleaning my room and _READING_! Where's my sense of self-indulgence!

"You stabbed his neck last semester when you couldn't stop PVPing" says the bastard with a pitchfork on my left shoulder (now officially dubbed Red)

So here I am being PRODUCTIVE! God forbid! I even helped my mom write a letter of appreciation! My fingers! They are not my oooowwwwnnnnn!!!

Draw the bloody curtains

"Is it wrong to say that when I'm at rehearsals, little else matters?"

"Yes."

"Bugger." - Calvin and I, in conversation.

A blog! Zomg! D:
For now, this exists purely so I can add to this place.
But I do intend to post properly when I can actually find me some time. (I hate that phrase. Why the hell shouldn't a 17 year old have enough time. O.o) So don't hold your breath. And if you weren't intending to, well... I never liked you anyway!

P.s: I know I should be studying, but I got the damn MP3 thing to work! Yes! \(^^)/