The Iceberg Illusion

Got bored at work.

Took a few minutes to ogle Elliott Koon photography works when I saw a facebook post of him talking about his early influences by buddy and master 忠洋 and ultimately about his photography grandmaster, Vig. 

Elliott Koon: Jack of All Trades

It amazes me how one can influence unimaginable generations of awesome street photographers. Very much like how Cobain can power the grunge movement and made it his own. An entire generation of rockers bred just because of one man's passion. Just like how i am vastly inspired by this multi talented and blessed brother of mine.

Angelic shot of Cobain, a legend lost too soon.

Many dreams of doing things they are passionate about. Such as traveling photographer, touring musician or just be a very successful businessman. What we see is the result but what we don't? The amount of dedication and hardworking resolution is enough to beat your dreams into submission. 

Are you ready to rummmmmmbleeeeeeeee????

Things that don't happen: sitting around and suddenly, BOOM! i'm a genius songwriter!

Dreams are just dreams when you don't put efforts into making a reality. There are people who are born naturally talented. Yes, you may argue that those with naturally gifted ones can create a better masterpiece. But how uplifting and motivating it is by that? 

My best example? Batman in the Knightfall saga. Batman is bruised (or Bruce-d..haha ha ha...i need to go out more) and burning out by taking on too much and was ultimately paralyzed by Bane (gasp!). Forget about how miraculously his broken spine was healed but his fight against all odds is a much better viewing value compared to say, Batman single-handedly bombed the whole Gotham to next kingdom come with his newly engineered nuclear bomb that only affects those with criminal DNAs programmed into the bomb. (wait..what?)

Somebody gotta hurt reaaallll Bat.....(yeah, i definately need to go out more).

So, there you go. Efforts and dreams do go hand in hand. In short:

The very same thing that struck down THE Titanic (P/S: not my artwork)

Legends are made by those who grind those dreams into diamonds. 

My Wedding Vow

Josh’s Wedding Vow

On this day, I promise you my mind, my body and my soul as I take you as my wife for all eternity.

I promise to love and to honour you until the end of time.

I promise to live in truth with you, to be by your side and never make you feel empty,

You are the words in my lines, you are the notes in my rhymes,

You gave me extra in my ordinary, you brought out the best in me

I will forever be giving you all of me, in sickness or in health.

I will share the load of your burdens, in weakness or in strength,

To dream and celebrate with you, in difficult times or in wealth,

To carry on this journey, no matter the width or length,

You are my rhyme and reason,

The very flicker of light in my existence.

Thanks for giving back my wings

You made me fly again and got me believing

Here’s to being my best friend and everything good in my life,

I love you, my Audrey, my wife.

-Joshua Lui-

8th January 2015

Last smoke

Today, I will be parting with something that has been apart of my life since I was 18. It's been a long ride with it and I guess now's the time to say goodbye. 

It won't be easy. I will be agitated easily, frustrated constantly and I may even be difficult to handle during these days. But I ask for your forgiveness if I should be throwing tantrums. 

Yes, I'm breaking up with you, cigarette. It's been a long time but it's time for you to go. Let me be free. 

Fight the good fight!

Wow! its been so long! lolxxx...with work and all, i guess it can't be helped! Sorry, my future self reading this! i'll try to update as often as i could! Pinky promise! ^_^

So, what's been happening to my life in the absence of the blog postings? Nothing much...just work and work and work..oh yeah, i'll be starting a new job next week! (Yeah...again but at least i'm working! So, don't judge me.)

What triggered me so much that i came back here to rant? Something that me and a couple of very dear buddies that is close to my heart started has crumbled. This thing that we have (not a reference to mafia) and worked so hard for the past 5 years or so has finally decided to cease operation and break up.

This ending is foreseen since couple of months back, if not years. We started out young, energetic and full of passion. Something we enjoyed doing so much, we said we wouldn't mind doing it for no charge at all.

But everything changed in the last 12 months since I've been away. Things started to lose its shine and we've lost the passion we once had. What we once said we'd do it for free, now comes at a price. Friendship became unsettled and team morale dropped drastically.

All i can do is just see things fall apart. As much as i wanted to help, i can only tell myself to trust that they can deal with it. I felt so disabled. So deep is my conviction to this thing we have that sometimes i feel like returning.

But, no! I shall not be so hasty with my emotions! I still have a future to consider. Therefore, i saw the downfall of what could have become our legacy.

But now that is all in the past. Friends are now on all-time low on morale and passion. Negative conversations seems to be the norm. Commitment is now non-existing. It is now a myth. Like the passion we had.

Does it really matter what happened in the past? We live in the present. Present also means gift. Its a gift that we are still living today. That alone is worth celebrating. Its a triumphant victory!

 I don't allow myself to play the Game of Negativity or the Rules of I-give-up. I'd give my utmost to lift up a fallen brethren. I'd take up the arm and continue the march. Be it the march forward or the retreating march to recoup. All that matters is the brotherhood circle. Nothing else matters.

It hurts me as much as you do. But spreading the disappointment and negativity isn't doing anyone of us good. I admit that at times, i, too will stumble and fall. But i pick myself up and fight another good fight. I don't regret losing. I only fear giving up too early.

I don't care what happened within the upper ranks. All i care...is you, my Rangers.

Enzo: A Tail of a thirsty pup

Just last weekend, i was walking around Citta Mall, Ara Damansara with nothing to do. So, we decided to just walk in Petsmore to see if there is anything we can buy for Kiki. Instead, i saw "him".

He was lying down in his small 2 x 2 display cage. With his eyes looking up at me, i felt he was trying to tell me something. He was looking at us then looked at his empty, overturned water bowl and back at us. he kept doing this for three times. He got up, flipped his bowl upright and tried to grab it by the teeth to pick it up. It was funny how he was trying so hard to do it but somehow, my heart sank.

He was trying to say, "I'm thirsty. Can you feed me water?"

Immediately, i went to look for the shop attendant. "Hey bro, do you feed these pups with water?". The shop attendant looked at me, puzzled. I drew a deeper breath and said louder, "They are thirsty. Can you please feed the puppies with water? Especially the Golden Retriever." As if on command, he dropped whatever he was working on immediately and went to get them their much needed drink.

The pup was lapping it up. Yes, i felt like we had done something good and i was happy. As i turned to leave, he stopped drinking and looked at me. I felt like he was thanking me for getting him some water. I just smiled.

As i was walking out towards the door, Audrey started laughing at the pup. She told me he was showing her how he played alone in that cold, concrete display cage. He pushed and pushed his bowl around the cage as fast as he could without dropping a single drop. In the end, he went too fast and he mistimed and got his paw in the bowl. And that overturned the bowl, once again.

I thought to myself, "So, that's how you ended up so thirsty, eh?". And i laughed and i walked out the door.

Clearly, he was very happy to be able to make us laugh. Just like a Golden Retriever, he is eager to please. But like any other Golden Retrievers, they need to run. He is already coming to 5 months old at that time. I'm worried that his hind legs is getting weak. I knew i had to leave then for i might end up carrying him home!

We had a short debate after we left the store. Should we get him? How are we to train him? Is it ok to leave him alone when we are at work? Will he destroy Franky's (my housemate) things in the house? Do we need to send him to obedient school? How do we toilet train him?

These are just the tip of the iceberg of the questions that i had in mind then. To shrug it off, i told Audrey that we should just take a walk around and just see how things goes. Instead of her usually trying to get me to buy her snacks, she started to think of names. At first, Goldie seems to be the choice. But i told her that name is just too common.

It was a trap! I, too, was caught up in thinking names. Two hours later, while queuing up at KFC for dinner, i came up with the name, Enzo. There were 3 reasons why i came up with that name. First of all, its not common like Baby, Coco, Lucky or Muffin. Number Dos, its Italian! And finally, i remembered i read a book somewhere that there was this dog named Enzo and he likes everything with an engine and 4 wheels to it especially Formula 1! Plus, Ferrari's founder is Enzo!



Everyday, Audrey would start to tease me with facebook wall messages like, "Enzo: I'm thirsty~wuwuwu~~" or "Enzo: Come play with me~". Yes, she's funny like that and that is why i love her! She just knows what's in my mind. hubba hubba~

There is not a day pass by without thinking of Enzo! Yes, i am in love with Enzo.

Here i am, one week later, blogging about him. Why? Simple.

Lately, i have been seeing a lot of posts on my facebook feed about puppy abusers, cat tormentors, etc. To me, its all the same. They are bloody murderers! You'd see pictures of them puppies being dragged by motorbikes, kitties being hanged to skin, bunnies being stomped on and the list just goes on and on.

This is really sad. In fact, it shows how much humans have advanced in terms of technologies and knowledge but degenerated greatly in humanities. I pray that these people get the same fate as these poor, defenseless animals. What sort of excitement or enjoyment do they get from this?!


There are a lot of people (like yours truly) are wishing hard that they can have such opportunities to have a pup! To give love and to receive it back unconditionally! Oh, the thought of it!

After a long day at work, you get home and to be greeted with that familiar bark and tail wag! Nothing is more welcoming than a eager, waiting pup at home!











So to you all tormentors out there, think about this:

Karma's a bitch!

First Flight!

Wow! Look at the period of absence in between!! Man, i've must've been either real busy or damn lazy!!! lolxxx!!!!

Ok. Just a recap of what's been happening for the past few months:

1. Work, Eat, Sleep
2. Work, Eat, Sleep
3. Work, Eat, Sleep
4. Etc...

Well, you can go on and guess the rest! lolxx. But its not all that bad! I mean, i've been on my first flight!! YEAHH!!!! That's right. I went to Bangkok on 12th February 2012 - 16th February 2012. Check out my photos here, here and here.

I don't have anything to blog about actually. So, just let me end this with my Day One video of my Bangkok Trip 2012! Enjoy!

Long Live The King!

Seems like ever since I've started working here in KL, i don't have the luxury to blog and do stuffs that i used to do. Why is that? I have no idea why.

I, now officially acknowledge that i have forgotten how to blog! Lolxx..but i guess i need to start from square one again.

Since today is Deepavali 2011, i went to catch a movie with my pumpkin. A movie i believe a lot of us grew up loving it. It is still my favourite movie of all time. Of ALL TIME!

Yes. It is THE LION KING 3D. This is my first 3D movie and it happens to be one of my favourite Disney artwork.

The Lion King presents the story of a lion cub's journey to adulthood and acceptance of his royal destiny. Simba (voiced first by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, then by Matthew Broderick) begins life as an honored prince, the son of the powerful King Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones). The cub's happy childhood turns tragic when his evil uncle, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), murders Mufasa and drives Simba away from the kingdom.

In exile, the young lion befriends the comically bumbling pair of Pumbaa the warthog (voiced by Ernie Sabella) and Timon the meerkat (voiced by Nathan Lane), he and lives a carefree jungle life. As he approaches adulthood, however, he is visited by the spirit of his father, who instructs him to reclaim his rightful throne.

Why do i like it so much? It is the moral and value that is inserted into the whole plot. The pride of a father. The jealousy of a brother. And a son's respect and love to his father.

The first time i watch this was back when i was a small boy. When King Mustafa was teaching Simba the circle of life and when he was killed trying to save his son, i cried in public. I never knew that a father's love is so great. One that would make one to be brave when he has to even he is very afraid.

But i later learned that the same fear can make one brave. One can only understand this when one becomes a father. How i wish i can be like King Mustafa! Yes, without a doubt, King Mustafa is my protagonist in the movie.

Well, enough of my blabbering for today. I leave you with my recommendation of this awesome movie. THUMBS UP!