No, this blog isn’t dead. Just been busy doing writing for work so I haven’t been keen on writing recently. But this is the first time in a while I haven’t done a weekly blog post.
Last week I wrote a post about how to bring a dog overseas, but I’ll only publish that when I’ve successfully completed it. Yes, I am going to be bringing Snuggles with me to the US – or at least, I’ll be attempting to. Now I’m just waiting for the documentation process to be completed. Once I get them, everything should be smooth sailing. Hopefully.
Not that I want to get rid of my dog. I’ll miss her dearly. But I think she’d have a better life in the US with my sister. Provided everything goes smoothly, and that she copes with the flight. I think there should be an option for pet owners to fly in the cargo section of the plane so they can keep them company throughout the long journey. I wonder why airlines haven’t implemented that yet. I’m pretty sure many passengers would choose that option if it was possible.
One thing I had to do during the whole ordeal of finding out how to get Snuggles to the US was make a lot of phone calls. Which brings me to the topic of hotlines. I’ve had something stuck at Malaysian customs since last Thursday, and was told to get in touch with them about clearing the item. So I did – or at least I tried to. I called many times, no answer, left a message, nobody called me back, sent multiple emails – no reply except for a generic message this morning that requested for the same exact information that I had already sent to them in my initial emails. Do they have bots working at the offices? I’m not sure. My previous dealing with the customs office was straightforward and quick. This time has been terrible. It feels like I’ve been cursed to make stupid phone calls in 2019. Anyway, don’t want to rant anymore about it, onto something more positive:
I’m playing a show at a new venue this week, should be real fun. Come drop by for some cool tunes and beer. I’ll be playing a long ass set (30 mins) compared to my usual 3-song sets at open mics. Details below:
One year ago, I started the journey to clean my room, and one year later – I’m not done. But that’s okay. It’s something I’ll have to eventually get around to, if not my room will turn into a location for a new season of Hoarders. What makes cleaning up your room such a difficult thing to do? I guess I’m just lazy. And I don’t feel like it’s worth enough of my time. I’d rather spend it doing fun stuff and goofing around. Crazy huh?
Writing about it now makes me feel like I need to change my attitude towards having a clutter-free room. There are many cases for having a clean room, and nothing against it. There is no reason why you should have a messy room. I guess it’s more the part of me who likes to hold on to old, useless trash instead of giving it up.
I’ve got tons of stuff in boxes, untouched since the day I moved in to my current home. I haven’t looked at them for the past 10(?) years – there’s no reason to think that I would look at them in the next 10 years. Time for them to go. Stuff for other people to make use of, or even the trash. There’s really no reason for me to hold onto so many things.
Clean room means a healthier environment, which is great. Less stress – since you don’t come home to a messy room, you won’t have to worry about having to pick things up. It also means more storage for me to keep other things in the future. Having a clean room is a benefit, so I shall keep that in mind as I continue clearing out stuff this week.
Happy New Year to everybody, maybe I’ll spend more time updating this blog this year. Once a week feels a bit too little. We’ll see.
In other news, I’ve got my first gig of the year happening this Thursday – at where else, but the KL Journal Poolside Open Mic? Feel free to drop by for some cool tunes and cool beer.
Time: 8 PM – 10:30 PM Date: 10th January 2019 Venue: KL Journal Hotel [Google Maps]
The Poolside Open Mic is our 3rd longest running open mic night which happens every Thursday evening right on TOP of The KL Journal! Each installation features one of our finest musicians, with this one featuring…
***ASH***
Armed with just a guitar and her soothing voice, and her eclectic blend of soul, RnB and bossa nova, Ash is a KL-based singer-songwriter who has just begun her journey into the performing arts. Often spotted at indie haunts such as The Bee, The KL Journal, Merdekarya and PLOY, she uses the stage to sing stories of her personal experiences with a subtle mix of melancholy and sensuality complimented with her delicate guitar playing style. With a decent repertoire of originals and covers under her belt so far, expect to see more of her in the near future as her journey has just begun.
#1 2storeyheart #2 Sia Nicholas #3 Wasif Hyder #4 Raymond #5 Adz King #6 Juan #7 Nero #8 Amr Mohsen
To sign up for the open mic, email us@openmicmalaysia.org 😀
~
Open Mic Malaysia is the brainchild of Shaneil Devaser, frontman of The Endleaves. Established in 2012 and currently operating in the Klang Valley, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru, Open Mic Malaysia aims to create sustainable avenues for bedroom musicians, singer-songwriters and professional musicians to share their music and experiences with each other and the public, over evenings of wholesome indie goodness. In partnership with other like-minded musicians from across the country, Open Mic Malaysia aims to… Make Malaysia Great (for indie music) Again.
Since WordPress recently upgraded to version 5.0 I thought I’d give the new editor a shot and I’m pretty impressed. It’s one of the best looking WYSIWYG editors I’ve used in a while. Previously, I had been typing out my blog posts using the text only editor and they replaced it with this one by default. While I’m not too ambitious when it comes to the layout of my blog posts (let’s be honest, it’s just text, the rare photograph, and more text) so I don’t think I’ll be doing anything fancy now but who knows – maybe I’ll be a bit more creative in the future.
We’re 11 days into December – the best month of the year (just because), and we’re getting close to the end of the year. Not that it matters. Let’s see how I did this year in terms of achieving my goals.
From my post I wrote in January:
What I intend to do this year: – finish my first game – record songs that incorporate keyboards in some way – play more sports – learn to play a Dance Gavin Dance song
I didn’t finish my first game. However, I did take steps towards it: I’ve planned out my first game on paper. Now all I need to do is execute it. So, fail.
I didn’t record any songs that incorporate keyboards but I did record songs that used virtual drums and electric guitar – something that I didn’t do before. I guess I still failed, since the whole point of recording something with a keyboard meant that I had to learn a new instrument.
Play more sports – I did pick up cycling after getting a bicycle about a month ago (I guess I could write a post about it) but it’s not really considered a sport. I did try playing more CS:GO, does esport count? Nah, I failed in that aspect.
I didn’t manage to learn a Dance Gavin Dance song but I did write a DGD-inspired song and I learned the intro riff to Cocky by Tilian. I guess I failed that too.
Woot, a 100% on failure. Can’t say I didn’t try.
What did I do that’s worth talking about this year then?
I started a new job in a new industry, doing new things. That’s pretty rad I think. I’m also glad that I’m fitting in and able to deliver my work. Sure, it’s something that every working adult is expected to do but I’m happy that I found a job that fits me like a glove.
I got back into gigging after a hiatus last year, and I’ve been consistently playing at least one show a month. It’s great to be back – I missed the stage.
I started work on my first comic. It’s been a slow and gradual process, but Animal Bus is finally seeing the light of day. Over the past few months I’ve been drawing pages of the comic and while I’m nowhere close to launch (I intend to finish about 5 chapters before putting it online so I have a buffer for the next chapter), I’m happy with the progress I’m making.
I did manage to write a few new songs this year, am close to finishing another one and have enough material to record a second EP. Whether or not I’ll do it is left to be decided, but I’ll be playing them at my shows.
I’ve managed to finish a few games from my Steam library – a huge feat considering the amount of time I spent playing Dota 2. I also attended the KL Major, which was great because Virtus Pro won. Hopefully I’ll be able to attend TI 2019 in China. That would be awesome.
I tried and failed growing a beard, but at least now I don’t have to wonder anymore about the effects of Minoxidil on my face.
What’s in store for 2019? I don’t even know myself. Probably the same goals, just that this time I’ll put more effort into carrying them out. We’ll see. In the meantime, do drop by the Poolside Open mic on Thursday for some chill beer and tunes.
Time: 8 PM – 10:30 PM Date: 13th December 2018 Venue: KL Journal Hotel [Google Maps]
The Poolside Open Mic is our 3rd longest running open mic night which happens every Thursday evening right on TOP of The KL Journal! Each installation features one of our finest musicians, with this one featuring…
***ARMAND TANZARIAN***
After a haitus as a failed international man of mystery, the busiest man on stage Armand Tanzarian returns with new and old songs. Using a guitar, a loop pedal and occasional woodwinds to build an epic wall of sound, Armand Tanzarian creates soundscapes and stories that wrap around the listener like a warm hug, and transport the listener to some place faraway.
To sign up for the open mic, email us@openmicmalaysia.org 😀
~
Open Mic Malaysia is the brainchild of Shaneil Devaser, frontman of The Endleaves. Established in 2012 and currently operating in the Klang Valley, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru, Open Mic Malaysia aims to create sustainable avenues for bedroom musicians, singer-songwriters and professional musicians to share their music and experiences with each other and the public, over evenings of wholesome indie goodness. In partnership with other like-minded musicians from across the country, Open Mic Malaysia aims to… Make Malaysia Great (for indie music) Again.
