Of Heath and Higher Echelons

I'm not sure why Heath Ledger's death affected me quite particularly. I mean, many would just dismiss it as another death of yet another movie star, bla bla bla.. you get the drill. Not to mention he is one of favourite actors of all-time, a man-crush would seem rather pushing it.

It Would Be Soon Before Long
But it is more than that. If you know someone close enough, there is something about his passing which would seem difficult - comprehending the idea that you would never see the person again. While the late Heath is the issue, Death in general is what I'm talking about. I mean loving Heath Ledger as an actor, naming him the Second Hottest Male, and then suddenly you will never get to see him again. A tad too soon?

Idolised Charm
Honestly if it was Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or the likes, i really could not be bothered, they died, fine. But my Heath Ledger? I mean i would love to be him. His voice, his demeanour, the way he act, the look in his eyes, his smile. In other words, his charm. His charm which i very much emulate. He is my idol. So for those who had been taken in by my supposed charm at some point or another, you know who to thank. And sadly he is no longer among the living.

A Hero Within
The thing about Heath Ledger is that he is not altogether that perfect. An article i read described him as "not-so-handsome". Certainly he is not that tall either, and does not have the vavavoom traits of Hollywood giants like the muscled Brad Pitt. But i feel there lies his greatest strength. Someone who is all too ordinary, seemingly mundane but undeniably charming.

Never Be Replaced
I think i may still be in a state of shock over his untimely death. Having loved his portrayal in The Patriot, The Four Feathers and Casanova, and eagerly awaiting his reinterpretation of The Joker, i cant seem to want to accept the fact that beyond that, i'll never see him acting again. I am so proud of declaring him my favourite actor, when many would find that a weird choice. And honestly speaking, even though they placed Hollywood's big names Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to continue his role in his unfinished last fantasy film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (directed by Terry Gilliam, who also directed Brothers Grimm, where Heath was one of its titular character), it is an honour yes to have 3 biggies replace Heath, but nonetheless not the same. Heath's choice of daring and unconventional roles makes him a critic's favourite. His performance as the new Joker already gave him rave reviews, and how respected an actor it would have made him, but now we will never know.

The Keongomaniac and the Ledger Quest
I'm in a quest of getting all the dvds of the movie he had acted in, well knowing full well that he would never starr in any more films. I already had The Patriot DVD and Casanova VCD, but i bought Casanova and Brothers Grimm DVDs a day after he died. Recently i got the seemingly impossble-to-get The Four Feathers DVD, and soon, A Knight's Tale. Right now i'm still in search of his first movie the teenage flick 10 Things I Hate About You. Tell me if you know where i can get it!

The Incredibly Rare Joker Poster
In addition to that, last week i wanted to also find posters of him, being the poster-collector that i am. And that's how i end up getting the incredibly rare and valuable Original Movie poster shown in the picture above. Believe it or not, it is worth $80 now, and is only available through advance order. This is due to the fact that upon Heath Ledger's death, Warner Bros apparently recalled The Dark Knight teaser poster featuring The Joker. The Batman Begins' sequel initial marketing strategy is centered on The Joker. But given Heath's death, Warner Bros put a halt to that, out of respect for his recent passing. I was actually waiting for the theatrical poster for The Dark Knight, hoping for a clearer and nicer depiction of Heath as The Joker, but the likelihood of this is apparently pretty slim, for Warner Bros did not wish to bank on Heath's death to make a profit. This is quite sad though, because of course people would have bought it. So overnight, the teaser poster of The Joker above becomes valuable, jumped from $40 to double its price. I am a proud owner of such a rare piece.

Coming of Age and Comprehending Death
On the major theme of death, last year saw the passing of two of my close uncles. I'm closer to the late Ayah of course, whose eulogy i wrote in an entry last year. Similarly, i would never be able to see them again. An irreversible but an inevitable fact of life. It would of course be a mistake to think that accepting death is part of growing up. For death can occur anytime, and a death of a loved one can even take place, although cruelly, to someone of a very young age. Many often wondered about their own death, but i would say a death of someone close to you is a more tricky situation to be in. How do you grasp such an idea, how incomprehensible is it for you not to see someone again, like forever? Perhaps there's something about coming of age that makes me think of all these things, but maybe particularly because befittingly it all take place at this stage of my life.

The Board of Commission for the Keongomania Awards is proud to present the late Heath Ledger with the Keongomaniac Lifetime Achievement Award, which bestows him the honour of the Sword and Shield of High King Peter of Narnia, the highest Keongomaniac Recognition in Haz Wayne's World.

Shoe Converse-ion

After months of deliberation, finally the new shoes have come to order.

I got this olive green + off white Converse shoes quite painstakingly. It is quite a rare edition - with the unique thick stripes at the side, and the thick shoelaces. This colour is also particularly hard to find. It's not available in many Converse shops. Trust me, i tried. I also had difficulty getting the right size for my big feet, for Converse shoes mine's a size 9 (for army boots it is a 10, yikes).

I know, as if getting one Converse shoe is not enough, i got another one - a 'school shoe' white one, though it comes with a double grey lines at the sides which i took a liking for (compared to the normal black, red or blue). This one is for everyday use, for wear and tear. Speaking of which, when you see my old shoes below, you would definitely agree i need new ones.

I think the picture makes the shoes nicer than it really is. It is blacker and dirtier in person. This shoe had had a long history, bought it when i was in Sec. 4 i think, which was like, 6 years ago? It was spanking white then. I shall miss you bluey.

There is no doubt about this one. I can't remember how i got this one though. On the flipside (literally), they were no better. It is so worn out, if its raining i can feel water sipping in my shoes, wetting my socks, and yes ultimately my feet.

I told you.

Past Blasts on Many Fronts

Surely by now i've tried by all means possible to refrain from writing 'i-hate-army' entries, for fear of being seen two-dimensional or something. Though, seeing Isrin's entries of past muzium artefacts had somehow generated a fair bit of response from our friends, causing a string of nostalgia-inspired entries to surface.

I've told to some that i've missed school. I think other than the fact that there was where you have your close friends at close proximity (or not), for my case the academic institution was also a place for developing other talents that you may have within you, waiting to be realised. This is possibly the reason why i am not enjoying this anti-pinnacle time of my life, where opportunities for such ventures are sadly limited.

Picture above is taken after i took my last A-level paper, evidenced by the striking out of the damnable list on the board. It is officially the last day i dawn the uniform too.

I particularly liked this bit of my A-level school graduation cert, where my teachers stated:

"He is committed to his values and beliefs and these guide him in achieving clarity of vision and sense of purpose. He enjoys developing his character and personality on many fronts - in academic aspects, sports, leadership and the arts. He encourages others, through his example, to do the same."

I personally loved the 'many fronts' thingy, its soo true and i couldn't have put it better myself.

A nicely taken picture of the 2006 MI Hockey Boys Team. We painstakingly managed to clinch the 4th position in the 'A' division national tournament, the closest victory next to our predecessor the legendary Jurong Institute record of 1st place for both Boys and Girls Team in the same year.

I took on Hockey back in PJC too, before letting it go in favour of Students' Council. Why hockey? Well not many knew this, but i did it in honour of my mother, she was a hockey player back in her youth (during her days only wooden hockey sticks were available, with a nasty hooked front!). It just seemed right, especially since i'd wanted to join a sporting team.

I had always been in a leadership body since primary school, and it was my last opportunity to know what "training in a team and go for tournaments" feel like. When i got to Millennia Institute which allows me to take on both Students' Council and Hockey, i took the challenge. Though regretably, since this ventures needed different commitments of their own, training time for hockey was ultimately 'sacrificed' in favour of studies and Council, thus in hockey my abilities were not as developed as they could have been.

Orientation themed Supernovation was the last project undertaken by the 2nd Students' Council in which i am part of. Befittingly it was the best we came out with, and easily the most memorable. And of course i am very proud to have proposed the 'clan-system', to which enlightened individuals helped to make it happen, and inevitably proved to be an immediate success.

The 2 pictures above are totally rare. Thank God i got hold of them! In this picture we see the bedrock of the fun the orientation had, the unbeatable Games Committee - headed by Michelle (white watch), myself (in the red tie) and Joel (blue shorts). I dunno what came over me, but the unlikely trio proved to be insatiably perfect, of course after numerous bloodletting decision-makings.

.

Important lesson learnt in that course of time is that leaders are not leaders until they prove their worth, and no measure of position, post or name can dispute that. *winks*

Well school also perhaps open the way to something beyond mere academic, and even outside the boundaries of the building. It was an eye-opener in many ways but you can't excel in what you're uncomfortable in, and truth be told, that is why the army experience fails for me as well.

The reason why Nabella is christened 'DP' for eternity. It is a reminder on how she tricked me into doing hip-hop infront of the entire school on Teachers' Day, for her supposed 'jazz dance'. Big-time ahakz. I don't believe in letting my body go, but it was a nice change. And recently watching some dance moves of the dancers in a Mariah Carey consert inspired me. :P

And how can one forget the unforgetable dikir days, whose influence came from all-time best buddy Shukri Shuhaimi. Those 3 years or so certainly were much missed, and the above is the last perfomance of the now-defunct BayanA, at a function of its birth place, the Ar-Raudhah Mosque.

And my dream of representing the school in dikir barat was realised too in Millennia's Emas, seen together with girls group Anja Digma here at Piala Khatulistiwa 2006. Though we didn't win, it was a nice closure to my dikir days, being my last performance as well.

And one almost forget, that whatever my MI days were, i had still came from PJC and had spent one year there. In a stunningly rare picture above again, taken at the NACLI camp of the budding 5th Students' Council, where presidents and ex-cos means nothing then.

.

Though after a year, convinced that i will not excel academically there. And with the Council getting corrupted and too bureaucratic, despite being a co-Head of Social and Relations, i took my leave in what was to be the turning point of my A-level course experience.

And a year later I made a nostalgic homage pilgrimage to PJC at their passing-down investiture as a Millennian councillor (seen in the red tie). And such warm welcome they gave me too!

So with all such major experiences shared, all the ups and downs, tumulteous they may be, it is still such a character-building time in addition to the maturity of mind academically. I would say nothing can take that place, and above all they are the ones i truly miss when i finally receive that fateful A-level cert.