Joyce’s Photoblog

Hire me, please!

I was never freelance, in case you’re wondering. I took photos for fun 9 out of 10 times, and the 1 time I didn’t do it for fun, I did it out of obligation. After being convinced by many people I’m qualified to take photos for serious cash, here I am, trying to convince you to pay me for a few photographs of you.

My style is simple: up close and personal. I believe if you’re not close enough, you’re not good enough. There’s two meaning to close: close as in distance, and close as in relationship. Well, we don’t have to marry each other just for a photography session. A brief understanding of each other will do.

As for asking price… well, let’s just say I’m a lot cheaper than most professional photographer. It’s not a marketing thing. I’m still not experienced commercially, so I think it’s reasonable to “sell” myself cheap, until I get more experience and recognition (if I ever manage to get people to hire me lol).

If you’re interested, you can always find me through my blog, or by email (joyce.tedoen@yahoo.com).

I wonder when will I get my first business.

Ever heard of Astro brand cigarette?

According to a website last updated at 10 of January 2005, There is a brand of cigarette called “Astro” in the market. Completely irrelevant to Malaysia’s pay per view satellite television network station Astro, of course.

The latest appearance of Astro brand cigarette in Malaysia’s printed media was about a week ago in a busted smuggling case, but I couldn’t remember exactly which day and which publication. I’ll need some time to do some serious digging in hard copy archive.

A quick search on several online newspaper archive returned exactly one result: at 29th of June 2006, Customs personnel seized 3,000 packets of Astro brand cigarette worth over RM27,000 in market value. The items were also believed smuggled from Labuan.

These smugglers, in a way, are like modern day copyrights-ripping pirates. They co-exist with demands for cheaper and/or rare goods.

Why pay RM100 for a limited sales of music CD, when you can get one pirated copy for just RM10? It might not be a perfect version, but at least it’s something.

If you’re against the idea of buying pirated goods and insist on original stuff, well, good news for music moguls. The future of music industry depends on customers like you.

Unfortunately there are many others who can’t afford these luxurious stuff but still want to have it all. “Pirating” is the way to go for them.

Jack Bowles, British American Tobacco (BAT)’s managing director, addressed his concern regarding the smuggling issues when interviewed in April 2008. He had hopes for a better future. But the hopes were crushed by the 2009 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Tobacco tax was increased by 3 cents per cigarette stick.

Now, retail price of 20-sticks cigarette pack for all cigarette brands are 80 cents more expensive. As for the 14-sticks cigarette pack, it’s a 60 cents hike.

Jack Bowles was right when he said the increased price of cigarette will spur illicit tobacco trade. Why pay more when you can have less expensive but not necessarily inferior smuggled products?

I wouldn’t be surprised if more smugglers are starting to offer various cheaper solutions. But I will be worried because when that happens, teenagers will have easier and cheaper access to cigarettes.

The decision to increase tobacco tax was meant to encourage healthy lifestyles, by discouraging people with higher retail price. I wouldn’t say it’s a very bad decision or a really naive idea. Higher price do scare people off. Those who can’t really afford it will stop buying eventually.

Say, you know anyone selling Astro brand cigarette?

note: I’ll be posting some nonsense since I’m free and there’s nothing else better to do at the moment.

I was fortunate to be trained in several sports back in high school time, representing schools like Chung Hwa Independent or SMK Taman Connaught (I moved quite frequently back in high school days because of family’s need. I graduated in SMK Taman Maluri.)

Now I’m not as good as before in basketball (peak was age of 14-16), but some still think I’m amazing because of what I can do despite being the shortest, and often the smallest sized player as well on court. What they didn’t know is, most of the things I did was just a fundamental skill in various sports.

Here’s a rough list of things I learned from several sports that made me a better player in basketball (or some other tasks):
Volleyball: reflex, vision, timing of plays, vertical jump, team leading skills.
Badminton: determination, horizontal leap, psychology game.
Chess (it is a form of sport to me): plot the easiest - sometimes the most elegant - way to win.
Table tennis: strength control, tempo control.

See, it’s never a coincident or a gift when I jump higher than the highest player on court. Okay, maybe not always, but it happens (thank you, volleyball coach Mr. Gidean), especially when I’m in a better position (thank you, chess instructor - I can never remember your name). When it does and people stare at me with a puzzled face, I just smirk and say “I trained hard for it.”

According to many of my new found old friends, I’ve changed, drastically. From a guy who would never hesitated when asked to play basketball in heavy rain, to a wimp who follows whoever has the safest option.

Wimp or not, currently there’s nothing wrong with my life. It’s got a bit of everything one could have in their whole life.

Still, something is missing. I like what I’m doing now, but that’s not what I enjoy doing most. “Why can’t you just go after what you want most?” you may ask. Well, not everyone can be Jack Sparrow. But I’m glad I got the role of Will Turner instead of others, possibly a more miserable one.

note: Beverly was right about me always projecting myself as a victim of… something, in most articles about myself.

I like the character Joker from Batman: The Dark Knight because he is a free man. Wicked, but he is someone who I always wanted to be: a man who does absolutely nothing other than what he enjoys most.

So here I plead to you readers: rescue me. Hold my hand, and pull me out of reality for a day. Or wire me some cash if you are unable to grab my hand due to geographical limitation.

The plan is to be Joker for a day. Don’t worry, I’m incapable of setting random people on fire. I just want to be away from everything for a day and do what I enjoy most: taking photos, or playing basketball, or playing with kids. Or any combination of the mentioned activities. Or all.

note: Yes, logically speaking there is only one thing we enjoy doing most, high above the rest. But the three things I mentioned are equally ranked within my heart. Lucky me this ain’t some logical-debating contest.

I’ll switch off my cellphone and stay away from internet for the whole journey. And also to fulfill my sudden urge to do some charity work, I’m going to make it a charity project. Maybe an evening at an orphanage house that has access to basketball court which ends with a lovely homemade diner. Something like that would be great because I’ll get to do all three things I enjoy doing most.

I’m aware of the fact that this post might be one of the few lousiest pitch on earth to get sponsors. Maybe not even ranked in the lousiest-pitch list. (At this point I can imagine people saying “oh god not the cliche lines again” but hey unless you sponsor me to attend some writing class cliche is all you’ll get from me.) But, no harm trying, right? This is my blog. Not some company blog. I don’t get fired for doing this.

So, If you’re interested in my idea and wants to join or sponsor me, leave me a message. I don’t have any real planning for now, but I’ll definitely come up with something by Wednesday night, like the target orphanage home to visit or any other possible charity-able place, and a list of to-do. I’m really going to do this even if I have to do it alone, which happens to be most of the time.

Now, I wonder who’s really doing the charity bit: Me who might or might not contribute anything beneficial during the whole course, or the people who could put a smile on my face.