There is so much I want to talk about.. but I can't just yet.
I will say, however, that I am loving life right now! Great job with great people, working on a couple of side projects which, so far, seem to be going pretty well. I have started writing again and slowly composing. None of this compares to the one thing that is really making me the most happy.
"Your dreams are mine!" ;p
Thank you!
~ Martin
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Time to hide?!
I have never been very good at dealing with certain things, mostly emotional crap.. So I have gotten good at burying it pretty deep. Recently certain things have arisen that I am having a little more trouble avoiding.. This is not good! Especially as they are things I can do nothing about and there appears to be no future in it. It is not the end of the world, will just have to bury it deeper than usual. There are plus sides to being emotionally stunted ;).
What does help is that I have been offered the opportunity for a fresh start. Could be an opportunity to leave everything else behind and start again. I'm also not good with personal connections. I have never been one that particularly 'cherishes' friendships or anything like that. I don't dislike people but I just don't necessarily relate to them. When I do it does not exactly go to plan and I almost always end up disappointed. If there is one thing that I am worse at than personal connections, it is having connections I don't know what to do with or don't know where I stand with them. It would be interesting to start out somewhere new, where no one knows me, no expectations and no responsibilities. This is the opportunity I may have. I don't think it would be too much of an issue for me, I have never suffered really with the problem of missing people so much, with a couple of possible exceptions... And these exceptions usually turn out to be somewhat of a one sided deal.
Had a feeling this year would be interesting, and one way or the other, it certainly will be.
Another bonus is that it might leave me with only one other language to learn rather than three.. That can't be bad! Don't mind learning 3 languages, but only if it is worth my while, and at this point I am not sure that it would be.
Anyway, certainly a few things to ponder. Unless I find a reason not to, I think this opportunity will be taken!
Take care world!
~Martin
What does help is that I have been offered the opportunity for a fresh start. Could be an opportunity to leave everything else behind and start again. I'm also not good with personal connections. I have never been one that particularly 'cherishes' friendships or anything like that. I don't dislike people but I just don't necessarily relate to them. When I do it does not exactly go to plan and I almost always end up disappointed. If there is one thing that I am worse at than personal connections, it is having connections I don't know what to do with or don't know where I stand with them. It would be interesting to start out somewhere new, where no one knows me, no expectations and no responsibilities. This is the opportunity I may have. I don't think it would be too much of an issue for me, I have never suffered really with the problem of missing people so much, with a couple of possible exceptions... And these exceptions usually turn out to be somewhat of a one sided deal.
Had a feeling this year would be interesting, and one way or the other, it certainly will be.
Another bonus is that it might leave me with only one other language to learn rather than three.. That can't be bad! Don't mind learning 3 languages, but only if it is worth my while, and at this point I am not sure that it would be.
Anyway, certainly a few things to ponder. Unless I find a reason not to, I think this opportunity will be taken!
Take care world!
~Martin
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Moving swiftly on!
So I did survive the trip back home.. as terrifying as it was. Been a little busy catching up with things. It is amazing how much happens when you are gone for 3 weeks.
The journey home was worse than the journey there, and that was pretty bad. All was relatively ok until I landed in Cairo for my change over.. Had to check in for my next flight.. 500+ people massing around a counter with 2 very stressed looking Egyptian gentlemen trying to serve everyone.. Took almost 2 hours to check in.. Apparently I might have said something to someone that was deemed 'inappropriate'.. As I went through security I was pointed out to the guards and politely escorted into a room where I was greeted by a short man asking questions like "You American?!" to which I of course replied "No I'm not!".. This seemed to confuse him "You look American!". I wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that, so I simply asked "Erm.. What does an American look like exactly?".. He just pointed at me with a rather confused look on his face. As he had my boarding pass (clearly indicating I was bound for London) and my BRITISH Passport, I was having a little difficulty understanding what the confusion was all about. However, he asked his questions and promptly left the room.. I was there about 10 minutes before a rather large man entered the room.. Let me assure you there is little in this world more terrifying than being confronted by a man, almost 7ft in height, slapping on a rubber glove. I was left thinking "Well, if you are intending to do a cavity search you will be wasting your time, I have just emptied my bowels in the back of my pants". LUCKILY... All he asked was to see my phones. He had a quick play with them, then, satisfied that they were indeed merely phones, allowed me to go on my way. After a horrible connecting flight back to the UK, I finally landed and was home. Had just long enough to attempt dinner before I crashed out and was woken by my alarm ready for work the next day.
It is a depressing feeling when you get to work and realise how much you had missed it.. I seriously need to find myself a hobby!! Anyway, I am now firmly settled back at work and home and am currently working on several plans for the future.
I used to dabble in Music promotions, having some experience with a record label in the past. I used to run an A&R and Promotions consultancy in my spare time, handling anywhere between 5 - 20 bands. I did this for a couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately my full time job took over and I had little time left for side projects. I am now attempting to set up a similar business in Malaysia. I know many talented people in Malaysia and feel sure there must be many potentially fantastic unsigned bands there.. They do seem to be doing a very good job of hiding though. However, I am British, and therefore far too stubborn and stupid to give up. Will just have to see how it goes.
So guys, look out for "Audible Realism Malaysia", and if you happen to know anyone in a band in Malaysia, or just any talented singers or musicians.. get them to contact us.. The details are below.
On a more personal note... I am loving life!! Sure it is complicated and confusing, but it would be dull if it wasn't. There is something I want, it may be a long way off at the moment, but I feel it getting closer each day. It is something that has been missing, and finding it has given life a new meaning. Some things are definitely worth the wait.
Take care world ;)
~Martin
Audible Realism Malaysia - Contact details:
Email: Audiblerealismmy@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Audible-Realism-Malaysia/332022366818646
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/audiblerealism_my
Twitter: @AudibleRealism
The journey home was worse than the journey there, and that was pretty bad. All was relatively ok until I landed in Cairo for my change over.. Had to check in for my next flight.. 500+ people massing around a counter with 2 very stressed looking Egyptian gentlemen trying to serve everyone.. Took almost 2 hours to check in.. Apparently I might have said something to someone that was deemed 'inappropriate'.. As I went through security I was pointed out to the guards and politely escorted into a room where I was greeted by a short man asking questions like "You American?!" to which I of course replied "No I'm not!".. This seemed to confuse him "You look American!". I wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that, so I simply asked "Erm.. What does an American look like exactly?".. He just pointed at me with a rather confused look on his face. As he had my boarding pass (clearly indicating I was bound for London) and my BRITISH Passport, I was having a little difficulty understanding what the confusion was all about. However, he asked his questions and promptly left the room.. I was there about 10 minutes before a rather large man entered the room.. Let me assure you there is little in this world more terrifying than being confronted by a man, almost 7ft in height, slapping on a rubber glove. I was left thinking "Well, if you are intending to do a cavity search you will be wasting your time, I have just emptied my bowels in the back of my pants". LUCKILY... All he asked was to see my phones. He had a quick play with them, then, satisfied that they were indeed merely phones, allowed me to go on my way. After a horrible connecting flight back to the UK, I finally landed and was home. Had just long enough to attempt dinner before I crashed out and was woken by my alarm ready for work the next day.
It is a depressing feeling when you get to work and realise how much you had missed it.. I seriously need to find myself a hobby!! Anyway, I am now firmly settled back at work and home and am currently working on several plans for the future.
I used to dabble in Music promotions, having some experience with a record label in the past. I used to run an A&R and Promotions consultancy in my spare time, handling anywhere between 5 - 20 bands. I did this for a couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately my full time job took over and I had little time left for side projects. I am now attempting to set up a similar business in Malaysia. I know many talented people in Malaysia and feel sure there must be many potentially fantastic unsigned bands there.. They do seem to be doing a very good job of hiding though. However, I am British, and therefore far too stubborn and stupid to give up. Will just have to see how it goes.
So guys, look out for "Audible Realism Malaysia", and if you happen to know anyone in a band in Malaysia, or just any talented singers or musicians.. get them to contact us.. The details are below.
On a more personal note... I am loving life!! Sure it is complicated and confusing, but it would be dull if it wasn't. There is something I want, it may be a long way off at the moment, but I feel it getting closer each day. It is something that has been missing, and finding it has given life a new meaning. Some things are definitely worth the wait.
Take care world ;)
~Martin
Audible Realism Malaysia - Contact details:
Email: Audiblerealismmy@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Audible-Realism-Malaysia/332022366818646
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/audiblerealism_my
Twitter: @AudibleRealism
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Balik UK tonight.. dun wan!! :'(
Flying back to UK tonight, almost packed.. Really REALLY do not want to go back. I love it here and this feels like home. Think I might have a bloody good cry about it later lol.
Will try to update as a travel.
See you all back in UK :|
~ Martin
Will try to update as a travel.
See you all back in UK :|
~ Martin
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Where to start...
Well, it has been a week since my last post.. and so much has happened! I don't even know where to start. I am still in Malaysia, will fly back home on Sunday.. getting a bit down about it now. Going to miss many things about Malaysia, mostly the little, "petite" things that have certainly changed my outlook on life. It has certainly been a most interesting visit and an incredibly big learning experience. I have learned many things, mostly about myself. Where I do and do not belong and what I am really looking for in life. Kinda hard to explain it all.. so I have decided just not to. I think there will be some rather large changes coming soon in my life. All up, an exciting and terrifying start to the New Year.. and there is nothing I would have changed about it... except I might have acted a little sooner on certain things.
There is so much more I want to write but I have to think about how to word it.
I did have a kind of epiphany the other day.. You always hear people talking about how God will test us by placing temptations in our path that we must avoid at all costs.. but must we really? Does God not want us to be happy? Maybe sometimes (not every time) it is not an Evil temptation, but something that we need to consider actually taking. Maybe God has put it there because it would make us happy, not as a temptation to be avoided. Clearly this does not apply to everything.. For all those numbnuts out there, "temptations" such as harmful drugs are still bad you muppets! He may want us to be happy but I am pretty certain he doesn't want us smashed out of our skulls knocking at Death's door. Maybe sometimes these things are worth thinking about. I have recently come across something that I was certain I should avoid, and maybe now I am just making excuses, but it has changed how I feel about many things and I personally think had a rather positive effect on me.. so is it really so bad?
Rock on peoples :p
~ Martin
There is so much more I want to write but I have to think about how to word it.
I did have a kind of epiphany the other day.. You always hear people talking about how God will test us by placing temptations in our path that we must avoid at all costs.. but must we really? Does God not want us to be happy? Maybe sometimes (not every time) it is not an Evil temptation, but something that we need to consider actually taking. Maybe God has put it there because it would make us happy, not as a temptation to be avoided. Clearly this does not apply to everything.. For all those numbnuts out there, "temptations" such as harmful drugs are still bad you muppets! He may want us to be happy but I am pretty certain he doesn't want us smashed out of our skulls knocking at Death's door. Maybe sometimes these things are worth thinking about. I have recently come across something that I was certain I should avoid, and maybe now I am just making excuses, but it has changed how I feel about many things and I personally think had a rather positive effect on me.. so is it really so bad?
Rock on peoples :p
~ Martin
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
May You Live In Interesting Times
Just over a week in to my trip to Malaysia, just less than 2 weeks remaining. Having an absolutely great time! Loving all the foods that I had missed so much. Meeting up with all my old friends and family including my little chat lui (niece) that I had not met before.. She is beyond adorable.. absolutely terrified of the big strange white guy, but adorable none the less. She is starting to warm up to me though, she is now smiling and laughing with (probably at) me, love her to bits :D.
Also met up with a friend that I had not previously met in person. Spent Tuesday with them and had a day which can best be described as "unexpected". Was a very nice day though and it is refreshing to chat with someone on a similar wavelength to myself.
On a totally unrelated note.. Certain aspects of my life seem to be becoming increasingly complicated... Although I enjoy a challenge, I have always (as previously stated) been rather good at avoiding complications.. especially complications of this nature.. I was not even aware I was capable of having such complications as I am a rather careful fella with quite a limited range of emotions in that department. However.. a complication has most certainly arisen. Confronting it seems not to have had the desired effect.. in fact it seems to have amplified the situation. It is something I probably could avoid but I don't really think I want to, and that makes it some what trickier.. on the other hand it also makes it far more interesting. I have always believed that if you are faced with a situation that can not be easily avoided, then it is a situation that requires further thought and consideration. Anyway, things need shaking up once in a while to keep things interesting right?
Soooo, back to Ipoh tomorrow, see friends and family there and then 3 days in Penang over the New Year.. Niiicccccce!! Penang Hawkers food and shrimp the size of ya forearm.. when these guys say "King Prawn" they mean F'KING GREAT BIG PRAWN!.. Not those water maggots the British market tries to palm off on us. Needless to say there will of course be photos.. I have taken many already and will upload them when possible.
Well it is 2:43am.. probably best to leave it there for now. I will write more when I can.
Night night world!
~ Martin
Also met up with a friend that I had not previously met in person. Spent Tuesday with them and had a day which can best be described as "unexpected". Was a very nice day though and it is refreshing to chat with someone on a similar wavelength to myself.
On a totally unrelated note.. Certain aspects of my life seem to be becoming increasingly complicated... Although I enjoy a challenge, I have always (as previously stated) been rather good at avoiding complications.. especially complications of this nature.. I was not even aware I was capable of having such complications as I am a rather careful fella with quite a limited range of emotions in that department. However.. a complication has most certainly arisen. Confronting it seems not to have had the desired effect.. in fact it seems to have amplified the situation. It is something I probably could avoid but I don't really think I want to, and that makes it some what trickier.. on the other hand it also makes it far more interesting. I have always believed that if you are faced with a situation that can not be easily avoided, then it is a situation that requires further thought and consideration. Anyway, things need shaking up once in a while to keep things interesting right?
Soooo, back to Ipoh tomorrow, see friends and family there and then 3 days in Penang over the New Year.. Niiicccccce!! Penang Hawkers food and shrimp the size of ya forearm.. when these guys say "King Prawn" they mean F'KING GREAT BIG PRAWN!.. Not those water maggots the British market tries to palm off on us. Needless to say there will of course be photos.. I have taken many already and will upload them when possible.
Well it is 2:43am.. probably best to leave it there for now. I will write more when I can.
Night night world!
~ Martin
Friday, 23 December 2011
MALAYSIAAAAAaaaAAaaAAAAAAaaAAAA!
I am finally in Malaysia. Got here Wednesday afternoon after a hellish journey! Boarded a plane at Heathrow at around 3pm, about an hour after it was due to take off. This flight was not so bad, about 4 hours to Cairo. Cairo was a nightmare! We were all herded off the plane and told to check in for our next flight at the desk.. Headed around the corner to "the desk" and were immediately confronted by the biggest mass of people I had ever seen in such a confined space! No one seemed to know what was happening or where we were going. 2 men were sat behind a desk dealing with what was easily well over 500 people. I tapped a woman on the shoulder and asked her if she knew what we were supposed to do... The tear stained face that stared back at me pretty much said it all.. but she did manage a choked up "Noooo", just to clarify. Finally a young Egyptian gentleman, who seemed to know what was what, pointed us all in the right direction. Just made it in time for my connecting flight to.... BANGKOK???!!!!! WTF?!... Ok, so there is a small chance I may not have read my tickets properly, it was kinda late when I booked them. So i pulled them out of my carry on and checked.. Final destination was most definitely Kuala Lumpur.. but there was, in incredibly small print, something about a "technical stop".. This apparently meant we would be stopping off in Bangkok for no longer that 45 minutes (2 and a half hours). This would have been fairly simple if it had not been for the face that we were once again, politely escorted off of the plane, kicked out into Bangkok airport and told to head to the gate on the upper level in 30 minutes.. This was fine, except they neglected to even point us in the right direction. This certainly made things interesting. There were about 150 of us, wandering around aimlessly, asking various very polite, but equally clueless airport staff, which direction we should be heading in. After about 40 minutes we stumbled upon our departure gate by pure luck.. Another hour and 40 minutes later and we were even allowed to board the plane. About a 90 minute flight to KL from Bangkok, and got through security with almost no incident.. (there was a little confusion when the boarder agent greeted me in French so I responded in French.. had a little conversation with her still in French.. she was a little confused when I handed her a British passport) grabbed my luggage and headed "home".
Wednesday night was Hawkers night!! I LOVE Malaysian hawkers food.. a collection of street vendors selling freshly cooked foods. We had Satay, Fried Oysters, Ipoh Hor Fun and various other dishes while sat out in the warm open night air. Missed that so much! Finally went home and got some sleep.
Thursday morning we got up and went for Dim Sum.. another thing I have missed like crazy (there will be pictures to follow). CHAR SIU BAO!!! Seriously, this is something I have attempted to make on several occasions.. Mine are by no means terrible.. In fact they are not bad at all.. but they really do not compare to anything you can buy in Malaysia. Also had an assortment of other dim sum goodies. Then spent the day shopping for various things.. mostly what ever we spotted and fancied buying. We stayed in the Pavilion Mall, where we had the dim sum. This is one hell of a mall, puts anything we have in the UK to shame (Anyone claiming that Malaysia is a third world country has clearly never been to Kuala Lumpur). The decorations for Christmas were immense!! Later that evening we went to the "Duck King" for dinner.. also very good.. although the duck itself was a little tough. Went home, chatted and then buggered off to McDonalds for a cheeky supper.
Woke up a little later than planned Friday.. around about midday.. After a 2 hour journey to somewhere 30 minutes from the house, followed by another 40 minutes trying to park.. we met the family for a big lunch at "The Purple Cane" tea restaurant.. basically, these clever people cook everything with tea.. it was actually rather nice. Then, again, spent the rest of the day shopping until about 9pm.. went home and continued to prepare for the wedding tomorrow... That pretty much brings us up to around about now.. 3:47am Saturday morning.. I am waiting to continue cooking snacks for the guests tomorrow.. I do not think I will be sleeping at all today.. so as long as there is not seating at any point during the day, I should be fine. Oh yeah.. today is of course also Christmas Eve, so we did do a little present swapping before everyone went to bed as we will be, most likely, in no fit state Christmas day.
Hope you all have a very merry Christmas!! And I will be back soon.. still got some of you to meet yet... YES! Especially YOU!
~ Martin
p.s Sorry about the waffling.. tired and on my 3rd can of Red Bull... This will probably not end well :|
Wednesday night was Hawkers night!! I LOVE Malaysian hawkers food.. a collection of street vendors selling freshly cooked foods. We had Satay, Fried Oysters, Ipoh Hor Fun and various other dishes while sat out in the warm open night air. Missed that so much! Finally went home and got some sleep.
Thursday morning we got up and went for Dim Sum.. another thing I have missed like crazy (there will be pictures to follow). CHAR SIU BAO!!! Seriously, this is something I have attempted to make on several occasions.. Mine are by no means terrible.. In fact they are not bad at all.. but they really do not compare to anything you can buy in Malaysia. Also had an assortment of other dim sum goodies. Then spent the day shopping for various things.. mostly what ever we spotted and fancied buying. We stayed in the Pavilion Mall, where we had the dim sum. This is one hell of a mall, puts anything we have in the UK to shame (Anyone claiming that Malaysia is a third world country has clearly never been to Kuala Lumpur). The decorations for Christmas were immense!! Later that evening we went to the "Duck King" for dinner.. also very good.. although the duck itself was a little tough. Went home, chatted and then buggered off to McDonalds for a cheeky supper.
Woke up a little later than planned Friday.. around about midday.. After a 2 hour journey to somewhere 30 minutes from the house, followed by another 40 minutes trying to park.. we met the family for a big lunch at "The Purple Cane" tea restaurant.. basically, these clever people cook everything with tea.. it was actually rather nice. Then, again, spent the rest of the day shopping until about 9pm.. went home and continued to prepare for the wedding tomorrow... That pretty much brings us up to around about now.. 3:47am Saturday morning.. I am waiting to continue cooking snacks for the guests tomorrow.. I do not think I will be sleeping at all today.. so as long as there is not seating at any point during the day, I should be fine. Oh yeah.. today is of course also Christmas Eve, so we did do a little present swapping before everyone went to bed as we will be, most likely, in no fit state Christmas day.
Hope you all have a very merry Christmas!! And I will be back soon.. still got some of you to meet yet... YES! Especially YOU!
~ Martin
p.s Sorry about the waffling.. tired and on my 3rd can of Red Bull... This will probably not end well :|
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