Back Home Piano Solo by Reuben Kee himself.

I first met Reuben Kee over ten years ago, at a void deck opposite the block where I live. Our hands and feet were black with dirt when we introduced ourselves, clad in the all-white Taekwondo uniform. We met every Saturday evening in that way, and for that entire year, all through our transition from white belts to green belts, his caring nature and winning smile were the highlights of my weekly regime in our neighbourhood.

I quit Taekwondo after obtaining only the green belt, but Reuben kept going and reached the highest level he could achieve.

Contact with Reuben was few and far between after, but there was the movie outing at Junction 8, the chicken rice meal at Kim San Leng, the jogging session at Bishan Sports Stadium, the rollerblading teaching session at my void deck, the miso soup he cooked for me at his place, and several chats over ICQ. We would also play computer games at his place, of which his delight I unfortunately could not share. The crux of my house visit was his mind-blowing musical performance, previously on his piano, then on his clavinova, and later on his clavinova with a complete synthesizing programme in his computer. I was privileged to have listened to his music develop over his initial contact with the piano, and was impressed when his repertoire improved by leaps and bounds within a mere couple of years. Music came naturally to him, and I would spend hours just listening to his music and travel indulgently to the places he brings his listeners to.

He encouraged me to persist in my musical desires, which he effectively did. But just like the case with Taekwondo, I had quit.

We lost contact amidst our busy schedules, what with him being the head prefect of his school.

Perhaps we really did have common interests, for the next time I saw him was at one of our dragon boat races. Taller, darker, and very much cuter, his winning smile once again caught my eye and this time we exchanged words with our hands and feet wet from the races.

But just like the scenarios for Taekwondo and music, I stopped rowing when days in Junior College ceased, while he went on to row for SAFSA (Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association), and eventually the Singapore National Dragon Boat team.

Contact with him had ceased until I found his profile on Facebook less than two weeks ago, and we exchanged even fewer words, but here was where I learnt the extent of his fame, and how his unique name rings a bell to so many people’s ears, for not only was his music sought and widespread on the internet, it was used in musicals and major arts productions. The last time I saw him perform was an unexpected appearance as a guest pianist when I went to NYP (Nanyang Polytechnic) to support my cousin at a string concert. Reuben’s achievements in music at that time had already soared, and his performance resonated in the auditorium and in everyone’s hearts. In recent years his good looks and physique were notably appreciated too, and he was crowned Mr World Singapore 2007.

I hadn’t replied him on Facebook to update him about my life, but was thinking how we should meet up for a drink in our neighbourhood to catch up soon. He may be very famous and a very busy man, but I hoped that he would spare some time to do so.

I never expected to never have that chance.

Reuben, along with 4 others in the national dragon boat team of Singapore, perished in an accident in a Cambodia dragon boat race.

Reuben had always been exemplary of successful dream-pursuing. He had passion for what he did and pursued them with extraordinary vigour. Be it with Taekwondo, his music, his animation, and dragon boat rowing. He bravely chose the path trodden by few, and established himself to be really good enough to shine in the arts scene. His legendary music will continue to inspire us and propel the unmotivated.

I am still shocked to learn about this, about how a “freak wave” and “freak currents” took the lives of these young lads in a sport close to my heart.

May strength be with all who are grieving over the loss of the five Singaporean talented youths.

Rest in peace, Reuben. You will be dearly missed by many.

That’s because I’ve had an overload of salmon sashimi for the past 3 weeks or so.

I only learnt the shiok-ness of ingesting raw salmon marinated with the combination of soya sauce and wasabi after coming to Vancouver (known to be an international food hub). Imagine all those years I could have indulged in this delectable feast!

So I have been compensating for lost time.

And guess what? I’m eating an excess of something good for a change! The oils in salmon fish discourages blood clotting by reducing the stickiness of blood! There is hope for my high cholesterol! Heh.

Hey I submitted my photos to UBC’s Go Global Photo Contest just in time before the deadline. Nothing fantastic, just wanted to try out for fun. Nevertheless……….

VOTE FOR ME!

Sorry, I couldn’t put it any other way without sounding 不要脸. Haha.

On the first weekend of every month, art galleries of St. Augustine sponsors free, self-guided monthly St. Augustine Artwalk. It’s all about music and art in America’s oldest city. Free parking and free Sightseeing Train and Trolley tours are also available. You can explore whatever type of art tickles your fancy: from painting to photography, architecture, music and more.

Join one of St. Augustine’s most popular cultural events on the first Friday and Saturday of every month from 5 to 9pm for their First Friday Weekend Art Walk.

Enjoy the latest exhibits, music, entertainment and refreshments at over 20 participating galleries. Tours begin at Rembrandtz Fine Gifts for Fun People, 131 King Street. St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains and Old Town Trolleys offer attendees a complimentary shuttle service to most of the galleries. Shuttles run on a continuous loop every 30 minutes.

Some of the featured St. Augustine artists include: Beau Redmond; Jean Troemel; Peter O’Neil; Trip Harrison; Jan Miler; Sydney McKenna; and Ray Brilli. Art work you simply must check out is Peter O’Neil’s “Two Minutes of Silence”, a poster of a September 11th fireman. Another interesting artist to look out for is Ray Brilli. Ray has exhibited in New York City, Atlanta, Tampa, Jacksonville, Key West, Melbourne, Delray Beach, Daytona and St. Augustine and throughout Florida. His artwork is worldwide and is in Norway, England, Wales, Italy, Japan and India, to name a few and has won numerous awards in Florida. His main influences in his life has been N.C. Wyeth, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper and Peter Max, whom he was honored to have met in New York at an exhibit several years ago.

I recall being forced to write compositions on accounts of being trapped in a lift back in Primary School. Be it a continuation story, a story based on pictures, or just a set-titled composition, we’ve all written about it during those front-teethless years, even if we’ve never had that experience. For 22 years in my life, I have never been stuck in that claustrophobic environment.

In fact, lifts, other than images conjured up by horror flicks like The Eye, have always been the creator of sweet (or bittersweet) memories for me. But that’s not the topic for today.

So today I can actually write a true account of how it was like being stuck in the lift, and compensate for all those primary school years when I couldn’t choose that topic or simply couldn’t come up with an accurate account. But since I’m staying away from writing (other than necessary essays) because of a growing phobia, I’ll just leave it to your imagination, haha.

Keywords: 3 girls, 30 minutes, 7 rescuers, dying ventilation, the lift kept going up and down, but the door just wouldn’t open

No pregnant lady with a burst water bag, no plunging elevator, or any other drama involved. We were happily crapping away to lighten the mood while the lift went up and down, like talking about how the leftover from lunch that we packed would last us for one night, but that we didn’t have enough water. The creepiest part was probably how the lift went to floor zero (there is no button for this), and when the rescuers shut the power without warning in order to stop the lift from moving to get us out. Pitch darkness for 3 minutes, and then the ray of light burst into relief of 7 faces staring at us holding our cellphones above our heads for light.

I suppose it’s quite amusing for those on the outside to find that the lift they called for took so long to arrive and then when it finally does, hear girls shouting through the thick door for help. Someone even said “are you stuck inside? Oh, have fun!”

Other than that one optimistic student, I thank the kind souls who helped us call the relevant personnel to get us out.

To date, I’ve been stuck in a lift, experienced two blackouts, and four five six seven evacuations because of fire alarms, all within this short stint at UBC. Exciting stuff, huh.

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Taken off someone’s blog:

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

remembering

Happy 21st Birthday Huixian.

Just to let you know I’ve never forgotten.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Anyway, as usual on this day, I’ll say that I’ve not forgotten you.

Happy Birthday, HX.

One of the benefits from having flickr host your pictures is the possibility of your pictures being wanted.

Check out my picture of Bard on the Beach on Schmap Vancouver Guide. (Place your mouse over “Bard on the Beach” and look to the picture on your right. See the credits? Clicking on the image will lead you to my flickr pictures. Cool attribution, huh.)

It’s not a great picture in terms of artistic quality, but it’s a good focus on Bard on the Beach. I remember I actually lost my way that day while trying to find the site, climbed up to the wrong place, but had a good view of Bard on the Beach, so I took a snapshot, and then had to walk round the back to get down to the site. Worth it for this acknowledgement.

Prudential Douglas Elliman is New York’s Largest Real Estate Company. They have 60 offices serving 350 communities from Manhattan to Montauk, guaranteeing the continuity of one company helping each purchaser explore housing throughout New York City, Hamptons and North Fork, Long Island and other areas.

Easily find a home using their search engine, and even estimate the value of a house (your own or otherwise). There’s even a video gallery to entice you to buy a home in that particular area. Alternatively, you may view the videos to get a glimpse of life in New York.

This New York real estate broker site is actually very aesthetic, which is rare for such agent services.

This is a sponsored post.

I’m developing a phobia for writing.

Every week it’s an ego-bashing session at the Writing Creative Non-Fiction Workshop I signed up for. We sit around in a circle like Alcoholics Anonymous and pacify each other’s bulging egos (that of writers and writer wannabes), and every week I am slapped with the reality that I’m the weakest link (I don’t think this is even the right usage).

Each week I struggle to come up with a decent piece of work for submission, but each time I look up after reading an excerpt aloud, their eyes blink back with sympathy for the awkward Asian kid who can’t write beyond what’s in-your-face.

It’s ego-bruising to know you’re the weakest; lousiest; most self-conscious.

Yet I turn up every week, because I know I’ll be letting myself down if I don’t. There’s still the likelihood of potential, and the possibility of unleashing something that I hope will be unleashed soon.

Or at least the ego-deflating sessions will wake me up from my own delusion and I’ll quit clinging on to fat hope.