News, Or More Appropriately ... Juice!

My new site is up! At www.tjhinn.com! I know I have wanted to update my site for the longest time. Well, recent developments have practically forced me to do it, or else. I actually wanted to have it done by last Thursday, which was the start of the publicity event for
www.nationalkarting.org. Unfortunately, I did not get it done.

By the way, if any of you guys had the chance to, do take a pose with the poster if you seen any and send to me! Thank you so much! This new site was done in record speed of less than half a day. So any mistakes and whatnots, do let me know.

A Firefox Convert is Born

In the speedy process of production, I was dreadfully exposed to Safari's various deficiencies. It seemed like everything went wrong with this used-to-be favorite browser of mine. After spending more than 3 hours mucking around to no avail (and great distress), I decided to simply switch my choice of weaponry, and converted to the great Firefox. I'm glad to announce myself a full-blown convert to this new technology and my brothers-in-arms accepted me warmly into this small but growing congregation of Firefox preachers. It turned out that there was nothing wrong whatsoever with my coding and the likes. Safari was just being pouty and decided to spit out old versions of my sites. Firefox, on the other hand, was more than happy to put out and send me off to 7th heaven. I like.

Mike Ringo

Last week also saw the world lose one its most talented artist, Mike Wieringo. While I can't say I know Mike personally, I have been a fan of his work and his constantly updated blog posts. His sole dedication and love to his craft is just extremely infatuating and refreshing to see. While those who have known him personally takes time to mourn this sudden, shocking blow, my thoughts go with them along with a personal condolence. Mike died far far too young.

Tora Torres!

I should have known it was going to be that kind of day for us Liverpool supporters yesterday. Mike's news was big. Safari was being a bitch. Rain kept us trapped and unable to do work – time wasted. All this resulted in an unplanned over time last night. I'm amazed I woke up in time for work, but tonight I reckon I will be able to have a good long rest.

I do feel we had the match within our grasps. Our new boy Torres did well to score the way he did, and his movement and touches throughout the first half was very encouraging. The second half is something else, but I do feel his fitness has not reached its peak just yet.

Referee Rob Styles, however, gifted the point to Chelsea, and followed his unexplainable penalty call with even more questionable bookings here and there. Funny stuff, but I was unable to laugh much. Opportunity lost. But still, cheers to our new boy Torres, along with Babel who was looking very lively down the flanks. I must now see Voronin and compare for myself Benitez's attacking options.

Finally, Juice!

Before I got on to The Juice, I'd like to make two shout-outs. One is to a Mr Scholar, who came down to our place Saturday morning only to find out that I was unable to do work. For not remembering to update him, I am truly sorry, and I'd like to apologize once again.

Another shout-out is to a Mr Talk C**k (as his blog implies). Here's to hoping (against all odds, I know) that your 'future-planning' went well and off and truly does. See, Mr C**k here received some sagely advice from one of his friends from the opposite sex in regards to 'planning for the future'. This is something that all of us have constantly talked to him about, I believe. But naturally, when someone from the opposite sex brings it up, it adds that much more weight. Wakey wakey.

Juice, At Last!

All right! Time for The Juice at last!

StupidB*** (smiling): Nik,

*long pause to add impact*

StupidB*** (smiling even wider): I found something,

*even longer pause for even more impact*

/me gives a bewildered, quizzical, confused and interested look

StupidB*** (grinning now, from ear to ear): It's something called,

*the longest possible pause, for the largest possible impact*

StupidB***: a girlfriend

*cue in fireworks and flashbulbs blaring*

Little wonder Manchester United lost.

That's All Folks

Well folks, that's all for the day. Just remember, this Juice is brought to you by The Art of Pea. Fuck You Safari! Hurray Firefox! Rest in Peace Mike! Great Goal Torres! Eat Shit Rob Styles! Truly Sorry Teh! Wake Up Mom!

Congrats Bear!

As you can see, I'm fed up with work and have decided to stick it back to them by doing stuff at work yet still getting paid *grins*

VivoCity

I suggested going to Vivocity for dinner yesterday, a sort of relaxation from the usual hustle and bustle at work. Surprisingly, almost all agreed, and we had a great dinner at Modesto's. We had the pleasure of trying out a wide array of food, from pizza to lasagnas, to pastas and even this unique Italian appetizer in the form of raw thinly sliced beef. Sashimi style! My lasagna was very fulfilling, and I also tried bits and pieces from others. Highlights include this spaghetti pasta marinated in squid ink – totally black. Combined with a generous dose of seafood medley, it's truly a fare that brings you closer to the sea. Another is the pizza topped with a special Italian Ham (or was it Bacon?). Deceivingly simple, yet surprisingly tasty. Definitely a restaurant worth going back for, if only for the unique appetizer!

After dinner walk-around revealed many hidden gems of unique restaurants in Vivocity. Some I have tried, some others not, but it's becoming more and more apparent to me that Vivocity is quickly turning into one of my favorite places. It's got a great and complete bookstore (Page One) when I need instant inspiration. It's got a great atmosphere to bring your date along. It's got a quick getaway towards which you can bring your group of friends (St James). And most importantly (for me at least), it's got a great selection of good food.

Here are several of the restaurants I have had the pleasure to visit recently:

Sushi Tei

Sushi Tei in Vivocity does not offer much surprises. It's standard Japanese fare are one I have grown accustomed with, and with prices that doesn't break the bank, there is really nothing to complain about. Unfortunately, I do not have anything to rave about either. The sea view is definitely a plus point, but in Vivocity it becomes the standard by which all restaurants are judged on, and here it does not offer any better view than the other restaurants I tried.

Aji by Hanabi

Excellent, excellent sashimi fare – but beware of your budget, my last visit here came up to $100 for two! Considering what we had however, it's probably only fair. We had a sumptuous spread consisting of 1 plate of Sashimi (3 different types of fishes), 3 rolls of Premium Sushi (Dragon Roll, Soft-Shell Crab, and another), and 1 standard California roll. What really clinced it for me however, was the outside seats, located near the yatch harbor instead of the ferry terminal – much better view.

HK Kim Gary Restaurant

Not unlike other Hong Kong Cafes, Kim Gary offers a good selection of Contemporary HK Dishes. These modern interpretation of traditional Cantonese fares – often combined with Western influences – are very tasty. My favorites are the Baked Rices, tho it's really nothing special considering the many HK Style Bistro cum Resto that has cropped up all around Singapore now. The interesting drinks also on offers makes this a good spot to relax and source for inspirations, and the prices are also decent for the pocket.

Shin Kushiya

Another Japanese restaurant, but this time specializing in grilled Japanese cuisine. My personal favorite however, is the Raw Salmon with Roe on top of Japanese Rice – fresh thinly sliced Salmon pieces on top of Japanese rice with a generous side addition of large salmon roes. For a restaurant whose name implies expertise in grilling, the two BBQ pieces we did order were not one to crave for. In fact one was truly inedible, an over-cooked piece of chicken skin that was too tough to chew and enjoy. Surprisingly dinner for two came up to about less than $50, but that's probably only because we saved space and didn't order dessert

Carnivore

An interesting Brazilian concept restaurant whose main attraction are meat – of various flavors, kind and tastes. It's a buffet to a certain extent, but instead of going towards the food line to grab your choice of eats, the waiters would bring a selection of meat around the restaurant. Naturally, he comes back right away after than, with a different type of meat. Extremely fullfilling, and only for the meat lovers! Approximately $40 per person.

Terra Cafe

Located right next to Page One, this mid-range restaurant offers standard Italian fare. Perfect for a quick and simple lunch, and the milkshakes is one of my favorites. One good reason for me to eat here is 10% discount from the Terra card given free some time ago.

If all else fails, the Food Republic at the top floor offers a wide variety of successful food elsewhere in Singapore. Just be sure to take a walk by level 3 and enjoy the refreshing rush of sea breezes!

p/s: I wish I have a better camera phone. *sigh*

One Last Breath

Hold me now, I'm six feet from the edge, and I'm thinking, maybe six feet, ain't so far down...


Most probably still a work-in-progress, unless the following week caught me overburden and unable to focus on it some more. Definitely possible. I wanted to capture the feeling of Death, of that last few minutes of peace that came upon one as he transcends this mortal life. It's a romantic notion at best, knowing how easily and stealthily Death creeps upon us, but I'd like to believe that even as He inevitably cometh and claims His bounty, He'd allow me that few seconds of peace. Perhaps He will look upon this offering of mine, be pleased and grant me this little joy.

There will be more, as promised.

Red Bull Experimentation

As I sign off, I'd like to share a recent experimentation I did concerning Red Bull and Grass Jelly. Taken separately, one is a potent energy booster, while the other a soothing herbal concoction. Combined together, they make an inconceivable mixture of sweetness and caffeine. Side effects include a constant feeling of nausea and sudden urges to puke. Intense bloating and a general eeriness of uneasiness follows. I felt unhealthy, sick as a drenched child on a wet rainy day. There was also the constant taste of bitterness on my tongue, a sort of overloading of flavors, pushing the taste buds to its limit. It felt numb beyond words, and everything else I swallowed thereafter tasted painfully plain and bland.

The flip side though is that it works. As I walked through the MRT Tunnel, I noticed mere human lagging down behind me at half the pace I went through, and I wasn't even trying. I actually had to force myself to slowdown as I bumped into a colleague and walked alongside her. Most importantly, my eyes felt this sudden urge to simply stop closing. Blinking was painful. Sleeping was unimaginable. Staying awake was curiously effortless.

You have been warned, try it on your own risk.

John Maxwell & Page One

One of the best things about working in my current place is the peculiar collection on books that we have amassed throughout the years. Fortunately for me, most staffs decided to leave their treasures behind as they move on (hopefully to bigger and better things), and I have located many books belonging to no one in particular –  just sitting on the shelf waiting for a curious cat to pick it up and devour its content.

That I did.

John C. Maxwell

The book I'm currently 'borrowing' is titled 'The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership' by John Maxwell, which has proved to be quite an interesting read. My initial attraction was two-fold: the topic of the book (leadership) is one that I felt a strong attraction towards, and the name Maxwell was one that I distinctly remembered as one with a reputation.

As I perused a random chapter from the book I was amused by his thoughts on Apple's very own Steve Jobs, and how his intuitive leadership turned Apple around and "gave them a fighting chance":

"Prior to Job's return, the company had posted net quarterly losses the previous year totaling more than $1 billion. However, in the first fiscal quarter of 1998, Apple finally recorded a net profit of $47 million. In the long run, it's hard to know whether the company will ever recapture its former success. But at least it now has a fighting chance"

And then it hit me – this book is old! A flip through revealed it's published (or written) in 1998, about 10 years back. And then I realized that Maxwell is writing good things and applauding Steve's leadership qualities even before it was evident. Even before the iPod. Even before the conversion into Intel-based Macs. Even before many others talked about Steve's charismatic presentational skills – interestingly, there's even a 'name' for this particular skill of Steve, it's called the 'reality distortion field', how cool is that? That's when I really wanted to bring this book home and read through this. If the guy could speak (or perhaps predict is the right word?) good things about Steve and Apple at a time where PC's were so totally dominating the market (97% market share). I really wanted to see what else he's got to say!

Page One

On the more 'legal' side, I have been buying books left and right recently. It's the newer influences that keeps pumping me up to create visuals, a lot of very inspiring new artists out there, and thanks to Page One in Vivo City, I was exposed to all this wealth of talents. A recent outing there saw me forking out SGD50 for this design book by :phunk studio.



Pimping hot local artist! Blind UV Spot, Black on Black! Unique binding! How could I resist? They had me at "Japanese Binding with 5mm Cardboard Box"!


And not long after that, even after spending hard-earned money in Batam, I saw myself forking out another SGD60 for two books (which I felt was, like, damn totally worth it. Totally) – one by the always amusing Monster Children, and another by Pie Books, a compilation of who's who of Japan's illustrators.



One hundred and fifty of the hottest illustrators in Japan today. Need I say more?



I've always loved this Australian Streetmag. Plenty to admire – the photography, the lifestyle, the stunts. It's basically the Australian version of Juice, with the addition of Extreme Sports and directed by a Kick-Arse Art Director. The result of this blatantly unholy union of perversion and psychotic sensibilities is a Child that is so Monstrous, he embodies the word itself. Thus the name Monster Children!

I've been drawing too, and was very lucky to find this 12 pieces of COPIC markers. These babies are high-grade markers, each costing up to SGD8, and once again, I was fortunate to have neglectful ex-colleagues. And luckily, I am the 'Designated Illustrator' in the office, so naturally these delightful resources were mine by right of heredity. Watch this space tomorrow, I'm going to post another piece. This time done along to the tunes of Creed's One Last Breath, definitely one of my all time favorites!