Checking In

Wow. It's been more than 1 year! Talk about procrastinating.

So many things have changed ne? The interface looks different. I'm going to have to re-explore everything again..

Anyway, just checking in. Not unlike a land owner going back to kampung to check on a piece of abandoned land, overgrown with weeds and random wild fruit trees.

So many things have changed...

So, hello again world!

And should I change the theme? It's kinda boring at the moment...

Quarterly?

No we haven't closed down.

This blog is fast becoming some sort of quarterly publication at this rate. I admit. The desire to blog these days is not very strong anymore. Which is unfortunate.

I've been finding myself being pressed for time these days. There's stuff like Twitter and Facebook, guitar playing, hanging out with friends. There's too much to do suddenly. Or maybe the days are getting shorter? Technically, they are since that big Tohoku earthquake last month. What was it? 0.8 seconds or something.

I don't even have time for gaming much these days. Oh yes, then there's Japanese.

I've started a JLPT course. Classes are on Monday. It's tough but I like it. It's sort of strange to enroll in something purely out of interest. I remember a time when sitting for a double period would bore me out of my skull.

Things are progressing well. I can read kana now. It's really cool to be able to read an entirely different alphabet.

Our instructor is quite nice. Hiroshima native. One of the draws of the course was the idea of being taught by a native speaker. Of course, there's the cert itself.

Talking about courses, I've been thinking about taking drum lessons too. But I think I'm going to KIV that one for now. Too many things on my plate at the moment.

Lately I've been thinking about time and how it suddenly seems to pass by so fast. Then I think about that time before the cure, before being "normal". Being clinically depressed was a blight in my history and to be honest, I regret not dealing with it any sooner. How things could have been different?

Alas, the damage is done. At least life is quite steady now. Things aren't perfect but they'll never be would they? I'm old enough to know that.

So until my next quarterly update...

February Update

Blogging from phone again. I've had this phone for a month now. I come from a time before internet, a time when public phones were cutting edge, when u had to arrange meetings with friends a day in advance.

I know how it works but the idea that can do so much on a phone is amazing..

So, what's been happening in February?

There was CNY. I went fo just one house so nothing much to say there.

I've been jamming with the guys. It'a great but we're not very good yet. My guitar playing has gotten better. But I'm still nof very happy with it.

So much I need to learn.

If I could I want to get myself a bass guitar and a drum kit. I like playing thise too..

I guess that's it. There isn't enough drama and angst these days to use as blog fodder. Still don't want to blog about politics or current events or other people.

Ok, later then..

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Android

This is probably the longest gap between posts ever. As usual, not much to rant about these days.

I'm quite zen-like these days. It's not that life is better. Make no mistake, it still sucks.

But it's really not so bad. Anyway, I bought a Garmin-Asus Android phone. It's awesome. I've been meaning to get a smart phone and the CNY sales period gave me the chance.It's mine boggling. It's phone. And it's a tiny computer at the same time. And I can install stuff on it!

I sound like this because I'm old and I remember phones that did nothing but call and text and tell you the date and the time.So yes, I'm enjoying it.

I also jammed yesterday. Been doing that for awhile now. Yesterday we didn't know what to play so we improv'd. I conjured up some lines on my guitar and it actually sounded like music.All that scale practice is paying off! To actually hear it is pretty cool.

So now I must keep working on technique, speed and stamina. And here I thought I had hit a wall again..I guess that's it for now. No that I can do this on a phone, I suppose I could update more often.

Short updates though. The tiny keyboard's a real bitch to type on..

Sundown

Last entry for this year. So how was it?

It was better than last year. No huge disasters. Nothing to complain about. Hence the inactive blog. Maybe I should think about changing it's purpose from a toxic waste dump to a happier place? I could if I cared enough. I guess.

I took up guitar playing again. I'm really doing it now and in 2 months have progressed more than the other 20 years that I've been playing. I still have a long way to go though before I'm satisfied. There are many things I still can't do.

What about next year? More games and music to look forward to!

I also think that there will be another fork in the road just ahead. I hope so anyway. I still want to change a few things. I hope the moment hasn't passed me yet.

Well, there you go. Happy New Year then.

Almost Over

Hello,

I thought I'd post an update before the month is out. Which is in about 1hr and 5 minutes. Then December will be upon us.

Shock horror. I've almost stopped gaming completely. Despite having games, somehow something happened and I've not been playing.

Sometime earlier this month, I've decided to play guitar again. Lots of guitars in the house now. And I've also decided to really, really get into it. Which means I'm learning theory as well.

I've been playing the damn instrument for 21 years and I still suck at it. I would like to get much, much better at it. My actual target is pretty high. I give myself one year to do it.

I'm also contemplating buying another electric guitar but to be honest it's hard to justify that right now. I'm not in a band and as much as I'd love to be in one again, it's not likely to happen.

Anyway, life is pretty good because of all the music related stuff. I've discovered new and excellent music (and musicians) from a scene I hardly cared about before and it's been very interesting.

Music has awaken other interests as well. I hope this is a sign, a good sign of things.

The year is almost gone and it's turning out better than last year. I hope it ends on a high.

November Already?

Quite a few things happened recently. I've been meaning to update this blog but there's just too many things occupying my time.

I opened a Twitter account. Originally for work but it turned out to be more useful than I thought it would be.

I discovered new music. A very, very good Jpop/Rock outfit. I've not been this excited about a band since the early 90s. Makes one feel young again.

I've decided to music again. I discovered my brother's gotten hold of an acoustic bass. So now, we have 1 bass guitar, 1 electric guitar and 3 acoustic guitars. It's fun again. I'm rusty as hell but it's all coming back. Maybe I'll even get better than I ever was.

I'm even contemplating buying a new electric guitar again.

All of a sudden I have a lot of things to do. This doesn't include gaming even. Fallout New Vegas came out. So did Medal of Honor. Soon, Call of Duty Black Ops and FM2011 will come out.

I don't know if I have any time to play any of these.

I played Uncharted Waters online recently. But I don't have time to play it anymore.

It's been a pretty good month. New activity breathes new life. It's been quite a contrast from last year.

I feel pretty good suddenly. I hope the year will end well.