Fortissimo

Video: Japanese acoustic guitarist Kohtaro Oshio (I think the Americans spell it Kotaro... if your search doesn't turn stuff in with the h just delete it, but that's how the Japs spell it) playing live his now famous rearrangement of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. Aside from the great sense of calm it brings you when you listen to it, he has got some strange techniques up his flowery shirt sleeve. Mindboggling, sometimes. I chose Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence for the first video (you know me la discover something only will put up four videos of it for an entire month... if I don't find something else in the meantime) over another original song of his, which I will put up next week, because it's familiar. Everyone has heard some version of it I hope - piano, techno, Maksim (which would be piano-techno anyway haha). And also because it's slow, non-guitarist viewers can also see just what he's doing. And for guitarists if you think you're able to pull it off with (the ever-dubious) 'some practice', there's a part around 4min20 that I'd like to see you try.

Now on to other news. Been boring these few days... Graham didn't come for the last lesson on Thursday (must have been real eager to see Shanghaiman one last time). So Hans and I sat on top and out of sheer boredom I started playing with Zhi's MacBook's Photo Booth again. Picture = 1000 words, so...

This is just weird... haha.

Should have asked KY Ben KJ Mel to take pics with this effect and put it in their anti-Mac (HAHA LOSER HAHAHA) presentation. Not that hard to have a smashing photo from this effect.

Um haha...

I know. I look totally like Fat Bastard.

And then during break time Mandy Jane and Val were photowhoring too, so I shamelessly joined in.

Photowhores UNITE!

Um no comment?

Look at Val... dunno what she doing hahahaha.

See what did I tell you about nice photos.

... yeah so anyway... lol...

Even though Rara said she wasn't taking I still felt abit paiseh that I was right in front of her so she probably got a treat of my less-than-tight ass... sigh.

Yesterday I went with Chuan En Bryan Bryan's mom and Bryan's friend Meerza (Mirza?) to the American Club's Eagle's Nest for lunch to celebrate Bryan's birthday. Was contemplating buffet because the seafood chowder looked smashing, but then Chuan En chose a la carte so I wasn't about to officially make myself a glutton by asking for buffet. Even so the portion of food that came was far beyond my expectations.

You know Americans always have what they call sandwich or burger on their menu right? Now normally at most other not-so-high-class restaurants it would have been a ripoff more painful than waxing your inner thigh. But when Chuan En's order for one of the sandwiches came in...

It was equivalent to a footer at Subway. A footer. With fries.

And I thought my plate was like rather empty, but when I was done with the apparently small hill of mashed potatoes, I was beginning to feel full.

Incidentally those were the first really mashed potatoes I've had in some time. Not like those cheap reconstituted stuff at KFC. Or Megabites.

After lunch we adjourned for coffee and tea. Well actually it was only me and Bryan. Chuan En only took an orange juice on second thought. I took a double espresso.

Siao I tell you. But not as good as LaVazza coffee. Or that headsmasher I had for complimentary breakfast last year at Aranda. After I added milk and took my first sip, I was nearly knocked out.

I totally forgot about sugar.

So then Bryan went to get a stirrer for himself and got me two packets on the way. And I dumped them both into the cup no bigger than my Zen Micro. Or if you need another comparison, no taller than the average glue stick.

Another knock out from the blinding sweetness. Sheesh.

Apart from that, Bryan and Mirza regaled us with their stories of clerkdom, about a mad Indian lady who makes you redo everything 10 times and a staff sargeant who uses NBKNNCCB for a comma.

Wonder what I'll get.