troisnyx* officiel

I'm planning a musical ! :-)

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:52:00 +0000

Of course, I'm not expecting it to be done as soon as possible, I'm thinking of staging this after my LLB is over.

But take a look anyway :

http://carnetduservicenational.blogspot.com/

Layout is mine. Almost all pictures are mine. I modified a classic HTML layout and I'm proud to say that this is the first ever layout of mine that turned out nicely ! Though I'll have to do some serious redesigning soon.

The musical is loosely based on my National Service journal, though the plot elements are more detailed here and I believe that the story is told from the third person's point of view.

Interested in singing ? Dancing ? Writing lyrics ? Composing ? Designing costumes, logos, flags and other props ? I'm not gonna do this instantly but if you're interested, drop me a comment - I'll put you in the list of potential candidates !

The impossible dream

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:15:00 +0000

You want to sing in the college prom night, but all the slots have been taken.

You want to sing in the shower, only to realise that someone's out to get you.

You want to play the drums on your return from college, only to find the rest of the condominium asleep.

You yearn to choose a musical path, when everyone around you yells out the ideas of practising in court and joining a corporate firm.

I HAVE HAD ENOUGH.

In today's class...

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:52:00 +0000

Teacher : Now, tell me, what is the remedy for innocent misrepresentation ?
Student : Damages and rescission ?

Laughs from the whole class.

Teacher : I repeat : what is the remedy -- stand up, I can't see you. What is the remedy for innocent misrepresentation ?
Student : Royscot and Rogerson ?

Even more laughs from the class.

Teacher : The first answer was "Damages and rescission". That was the first dagger to my heart. The second one was "Royscot and Rogerson". Let's hope there isn't a third one !
Student : What am I supposed to answer now ?

By now all the members of the class who were asleep were awakened by the guffaws of the whole class. I remember I was looking at him and I just couldn't bear it anymore ! I turned to look at the familiar faces - those of my friends - and all of them just couldn't stop.

Teacher : Okay, to avoid further damage to my health, I shall dismiss the class now.

Note : The actual answer is "Rescission or damages in lieu of rescission".

When we say misrepresentation, we refer to "false statements of FACT which induce you to have a contract with the person giving the statement". It must not be opinionated, like "I think this is so-and-so or such-and-such".

There are three types : fraudulent (the person is lying), negligent (the person was careless), or innocent (the person believed his statement to be true). For fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation, you can get both damages and rescission (this means that you can put yourself in the position before you entered into a contract - so say if you bought a purse for RM400, you return the purse and you get a refund). But not for innocent misrepresentation : you get either one.

Royscot v Rogerson is a case relating to misrepresentation, but I am yet to read my case material (I know the fundamentals by heart though).

We were all engaged in this quiz-thingy towards the end of class, where the teacher would give us several random questions on contract law. Today being my first week in class, I was automatically exempted from all chapters except Misrepresentation (today's chapter). I would've loved to answer a question on Misrepresentation as all the work seemed familiar - all the work from A-Levels was all coming back to me. :) But it just had to be spoilt, didn't it ?

Truly, it's already my first week in LLB and I'm enjoying myself. Yep, no matter how harsh the journey may be, it's gonna be a fun ride.

My voice for SEACHANGE

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:32:00 +0000

Pardon the video quality ; this thing is best listened to instead of watched. Winners of places in the YES Summit 2009 are encouraged to make a vid about their cause/their excitement of going to YES 2009, or ask questions to the speakers who will be coming.

I talked about my cause.

Note : Not all winners of the YES Summit 2009 submitted videos, nor were all the submitted videos put up on SEACHANGEtv (yet).

An idea which might win hearts all over the world

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:40:00 +0000

Remember how I was yearning to turn the National Service Journal into a musical or a game ? I can start the musical part, because I am adept in this field. But for this, I'll need people to work with me. See, there's a difference between counting one's chickens before they are hatched, and being plain visionary.

The story is similar to that of the actual National Service Journal, but it contains more fantastical elements. Brace yourselves for Le Carnet du Service National : La Comédie Musicale !

Of course, I'm not planning to launch it immediately ; I'll probably do this after my LLB, but it'd be great to note it down here so that I'll never forget it. After all, the world needs its daily dose on why some of its plans always fail. So, here are the remaining plot elements, which are currently under development :

Characters
Note : The colour of the name determines which company the trainee is in. Red stands for Alpha, blue for Bravo, yellow for Charlie and green for Delta. Spoiler warning : Plot or ending details follow.

Aimée Duchemin - Protagonist of the story and writer of the National Service Journal. Her story is almost like mine - she was once elected as company head but after the other company heads conspired to kick her out, she was removed from the post... and fell from grace. However, her chivalry and desire to change the order of things stood out among the others and she was ultimately made Best Trainee for the session.

Sybil Françaix - One of Duchemin's best friends. Hailing from a humble background, she teaches Duchemin many of life's simple lessons. She stands up for what is right and if she is pressed between saving her teammates' skins and telling the truth, she always tells the truth. Her creative soul is tapped by Duchemin herself in the middle of the story, and she opens up and becomes ready to contribute creative ideas. She and other like-minded people drove Duchemin to establish the fraternity of Propriété Intellectuelle.

Dyane Lalique - The company commander for Bravo in Duchemin's place. However, unlike the other head honchos of almost every company, Dyane is not a conspirator. She stands up for every member of the company, but chooses not to protect them when they land themselves into trouble. Dyane considers Bravo as a sorority, and treats all members of the company like flesh and blood. She is more level-headed than Duchemin, who had shown emotional bursts during her time as commander. However, her level-headedness only comes to a certain extent......

Alix Sauveterre - The company commander for Charlie. She conspires against many things - particularly anything which involves Duchemin - just to give her own company a good name, and just to reap all the profit. She soon becomes a member of the infamous Disturbed Souls (Âmes perturbées) gang, and she uses that membership to prey on seemingly weaker people, notably Lilin, Duchemin, Myra and Lareine.

Tatienne Delacroix - Another of Duchemin's best friends. She extends beyond the boundaries of social convention by having friends of the stronger sex, by working in the police force, by running to the aid of her friends. She was once company commander for Delta, but soon stepped down and was replaced by Shirley. Tatienne describes her hard life : she became a mother, though not through her discretion. She decided to keep her son (whom she calls Thibaut) and raise him with all her love. Duchemin views her as "pure in my eyes", and helps brush off the destructive criticism of the Disturbed Souls. Tatienne later teaches Duchemin to master the drill routines.

Sylvain Dieudonné - A rebel with profound percussion talents. He starts off as cocky, conceited and rude, and despises anyone who poses a threat to him. He initially hated Duchemin when he discovered that she, too, had a natural talent for percussion. He competes with Duchemin to see who would perform on stage, as well as for the opening rites of any function. However, when Sylvain finally sees that he and Duchemin cannot outdo each other, he decides to work alongside her. His brazen personality melts away to reveal a caring, sentimental boy.

Still more to come !

Second idea for CDSN album cover

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:36:00 +0000

See the first album cover I ever made.

Then, see this.

The katakana here reads "Conscription". The idea was that I needed to post a picture of a company head on the album cover, but I wasn't sure of how Duchemin should look (which is better, short hair or long hair ?) The staff in her hand bears one of the "flames" on the National Service logo (see the left side of the blog for a hint). And behind her, an entire batallion follows.

I'm not sure what message I'm trying to spread here, but what I can say is that everytime when we enter into any competition or activity, we treat it like we're going for war. You decide the fate of your company. And since the cover's red, black and white and corresponds with my "emancipating women" post, I guess it might also speak of the young girl who strives to find her place in society... and eventually succeeds. It could speak of fairytale endings, like the way my National Service stint ended.

Demain

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:09:00 +0000

I haven't been writing much of late.

But I remember my Public Law lecturer asked for me back when I still wasn't in college. Because there was this French term that everyone found difficult to pronounce. And for some reason, I'm always associated with the French language.

Tomorrow's my first Public Law lecture.

Just so you know, I got back into college this Tuesday and yeah, it's good to be home.

I guess I'll officially announce my return just before the Public Law tutorial, when the lecturer comes into class.

Yes, I'm back, and feeling more confident than ever. I remember back in A-Levels I was plagued by uncertainty. I just wanted to be myself, but I felt like there were constraints everywhere I went. Dealing with the ogres of my past, being a leader and an inspiration to others at least for three months helped me to overcome that problem to a great extent. I am well aware that I'm taking a degree in law, of all fields, and I've no intention of practising in court. But I know for sure that it's going to be the ticket to the career and life of my dreams. So I made it clear to myself that I'll be aiming for the best - first class honours, and nothing less.

Amenez-vous.

Well, right now, there's another francophone in the class : I'm simply gonna call him Yannick. He's the authority when it comes to the French language now, not me (because he IS half French). So I guess I save myself the embarrassment of having to get everyone to follow me in the pronunciation, though I wonder if the lecturers are actually going to let me off stock-free.

SEACHANGE here I come !

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:35:00 +0000

I can't believe what just happened. ^_^

I won a place in the SEACHANGE summit ! (click link to find out more. Name blanked out for privacy reasons, though if you do go to the site you'll end up finding out my real name anyway.)

It falls on the 16th and 17th of September at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre. I hope I can bring more than just myself... I'd like to bring Rin along too. She'd be pleased ! :D

So how did I win, you ask ? I answered three questions. And I stressed on the mission that I'm embarking on : 1) to carve smiles on people's faces, 2) to remove the community traits of Malaysians - that we are ignorant, or that we are scared. I was initially unsure of whether I'd be picked, but I told myself, "hell, yeah, if I don't get picked, I understand why. This mission is unfathomable."

But praise the Lord, I'm in the pitch ! :D

So, what're you waiting for ? At present they have almost 200 names. If you'd like to be part of the pool of selected youth, then join the movement at http://youthsays.com/seachange/my !

Prototype album cover

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:51:00 +0000

This idea might be put to good use someday. If I can manage to turn the National Service Journal into a film, game or a musical. Preferably the latter two, because I'll have all the time in the world to explore boundaries that I've never explored before (by the way, have you realised that film soundtracks don't go to more than 2 discs usually, but game soundtracks can reach up to 4 ?). And the songs that I've written in the Journal won't go to waste either.

I'm assuming that these four are gonna be the company heads (female division). Red denotes the Alpha Company, yellow denotes Charlie, green denotes Delta and blue denotes Bravo. I had long intended for the main character, whom I'll call Aimée Duchemin, to take her place as company head on the album, even if not in the main story. I'm yet to name the other four.

Like the title states it, it's just a prototype. I might come up with better covers pretty soon. Also, can anyone give me an idea for a logo ? It has to reflect youths going into conscription. A message that perhaps the authorities are trying to spread. DO NOT use the current NS logo (and yes, I know how it looks like, and I've drawn it several times). Because the setting of the story will not take place in Malaysia.

EDITOR'S NOTE :

* À l’abri des arbres = In the shelter of the trees

* Le Carnet du Service National = The National Service Journal. I'm intending to keep the French title as the official name, since that was actually what I named the two volumes of my NS Journal.

Animal alert.

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:19:00 +0000

Author’s note : This article is a response to several articles, including the campaign by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and reports in several Malaysian newspapers.

On one side, people are screaming their heads off, telling others to boycott zoos as for the animals, it just isn’t entertainment. They are not allowed to carry on with the things they usually do in the wild, and they are confined to a mere few hundred square metres. Many of the animals have been seen driving themselves crazy, knocking their heads on the grilles of their confinements – a condition known as “zoochosis”. Yes indeed, whenever people see animals performing stunts and being tame with the caretakers, people think they're super-happy and should be kept that way...... but if they ever had voices to speak like we do, they'd probably be screaming like a slave would after abacination.

And on the other side, zoo caretakers are saying that these animals should be kept in zoos as they are safe from becoming victims of poachers, they are given enough food and shelter.

I have read all sides of the story (the campaign, the conflicting reports, everything) and I have learnt that Zoo Negara has 24 tigers. I only have one question to ask :

Just what percentage of the tiger population are you keeping safe from harm ?

Point is, like it or not, tigers are an endangered species. Leaving them in the wild might put them in the risk of being hunted, but putting them in captivity is an even greater abomination. There is no “ideal number of tigers” to be kept in a zoo at all. It’s either too few or too many. If you keep, say, just one tiger in captivity, you’d definitely admit that you’re not contributing to the safety of the tiger population as a whole ; and if you keep twenty-four, how are twenty-four tigers ever going to roam the way they naturally do… ever ?

0.5 square kilometres is just too little space for so many animals.

Just what is the purpose of chaining elephants ?

We all know that elephants are reserved beings who won't pick fights. Hardly ever. The only things they're scared of are mice. Unless they're being bred at Zoo Negara, there's absolutely no reason why we need to chain them. They need to move freely, hello !

Now imagine a human being were to be chained up in a small room, with much ventilation, a lot of food… but the room is just too damn small. You and I obviously wouldn’t wanna live in such conditions, right ? So there’s no point justifying why we should chain up animals. If you say the animals might run amuck, look no further – we humans are classified as animals, and we are capable of running amuck too. We have looked upon ourselves as the most supreme of God’s creation, the ones chosen to rule over all living things under our care, and this is what we do – catch them, chain them in cages and give them a life of squalor. We, however, get all the space we ever need.

I have visited Zoo Negara only once – that was when I was three years old – and though I was fascinated with the animals, some of them just couldn’t move. I remember that. At age three I was like any giddy kid who just wanted to see animals as they really are. But right now, the times and tides have changed. If Zoo Negara ever gets closed and its animals repatriated to the wild, that’ll be a happy day for many Malaysians… and many others who believe that animals too, have rights, just like we do.

For the main opposers of my cause

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:50:00 +0000

When it came to creative projects, there was always a known intellectual war which everyone could see. It was a was between a teacher and a trainee. A war between Cikgu Dzul... and me. We were creative equals, making wonders in our own right, but where I couldn't chip in, he grabbed the upperhand and made Alpha Company win. Where I could chip in, I made sure to crush Cikgu Dzul's half once and for all.

The vid right below features the banners of the Alpha classes - 1&2 under Cikgu Dzul, and 3&4 under Cikgu Hafiz. The more notorious of the two were 1&2, as they were out to demolish every effort of mine. One trainee in particular, Alizee, was out to patronise our finished work of art. Unable to contain my fragile emotions, I lined up an explanation of each symbol and a defence ready, after hearing from someone that we were supposed to explain the symbols of our banners. It rained that afternoon and it obviously looked like there wasn't going to be any presentation. But defence or no defence, they failed to demolish us anyway.

As for Alpha 3&4, Cikgu Dzul did turn the least of banners into a great work of art with those pics *salutes*. Bahliya tells me that she was the one doing all the work... though I saw other people helping out in the colouring.

Why I actually managed to write this much about the Alpha classes, rather than Charlie or Delta, was because Bravo 1&2 - my coalition - managed to keep a tab on the Alpha classes. They were the ones posing the real threat to us, and neither Charlie nor Delta were that tenacious. And, ironically, many of the people who supported my cause were from the Alpha company. Whilst they asked me about my work, I asked them about theirs. I disclosed what I was colouring, as well as my concept, though I did not disclose any further information because I knew they weren't gonna go easy on me with whatever they were doing.

I think these shots were taken by Cikgu Dzul, as Cikgu Hafiz is pictured doing up the banner for Alpha 3&4. And Cikgu Dzul's camera images always have the prefix DSC_____ (Cikgu Hafiz's camera uses IMG____). Anyhow, I must say, Alpha put up a good fight for this one... a credible fight. Because for a few seconds there they made us feel threatened. But cause toujours - the war between the teacher and the trainee was finally won by the trainee.

The poisoned parcel

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:36:00 +0000

Not sure if I wrote about the poisoned parcel day, but it was there that we urged everyone to break their fears and start doing what they were asked to do...... ^_^

Delta 1's Banner

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:01:00 +0000

This was Juliane's class banner. I may not have been there to witness their efforts first hand, but what I do know is that they were having fun with glitter and whatever else they could get on their hands. An idea we didn't think of...

Incroyable.

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:04:00 +0000

You know what seems to be the quote of the moment over here ?

"Whenever an internationally-renowned stage performer comes to Malaysia on a concert tour and some parties immediately condemn him/her for the dressing/performance, saying that it defies moral logic and whatnot, a puppy dies of a heart attack."

Bear in mind that I intentionally said "puppy".

The biggest flop right now is that Beyoncé's concert has been postponed over "personal reasons". Bah ! She's probably thinking "Why the hell are some people so stupid to even comment on dressing and morals ?"

Everyone knows full well that at certain points in time, we need to let our hair down. And in the media, there's no stopping showy clothes. But just where is the line between acceptable and indecent ? If you're going to call a simple tank top indecent, then I've seriously no idea what to say. If you're going to call for a ban because of all this junk, then I say, these aren't the only things to be banned. You'll have to :

*ban the Final Fantasy series.

*ban the Kingdom Hearts series, even if you know that it's rated Everyone 10+.

*ban several children's movies, particularly those from Disney and Nickelodeon.

*ban Grey's Anatomy and several other TV series.

*ban American Idol.

*practically place a ban on everything, because like it or not, people have the prerogative of wearing sleeveless tops.

At the end of the day, who loses out ? Our own nation does, because of a select few people who don't know what it means to flaunt it just for a stage performance. It's not like they wear these clothes everyday (unless you're talking about tank tops and sleeveless stuff - that, I wear everyday too). Instead of fighting over dress codes, which those artistes yearn so much to know about, why don't you guys focus on promoting Malaysia as THE concert destination of the world ? No, I believe, at this rate, we'd already be gone to the dogs.

Meanwhile, I haven't lost sight of returning to Malaysia on a concert tour if I do realise my greatest dream of becoming a recording artiste, touching hearts and moving mountains. I'm definitely not going to play explicit like Mylène Farmer, but I'm going to define the line of acceptable. And if there's anyone who wants to stop me, I'll tell them, here and now, shut your big potty mouth and move the hell aside.

Out with the old, in with the new

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:37:00 +0000

After rewatching some videos on the choir's official blog, it dawned upon me that they were supposed to replace the piano in the school hall.

They finally did (click for source of comment), and the old Petrof which I used to use... is now resting in peace.

Not sure where it ended up, but thinking about it brings back memories.

Memories of Ressonnant Inc.

The choir which is often given thumbs-up for commendable performances, particularly from Malaysians.

The choir which is known for its dancing conductor and pretty eccentric pianist, its star vocalists, its star trainer and a powerpack of talent.

I guess I can proudly say that I experienced using pretty old, worn-out stuff in order to begin my musical journey. Or what ? Well, I suppose, if the new piano were there back then, my journey would've been very, VERY different. It'd probably mean that I was spoon-fed.

Today, I still face a lot of trouble in the process of making a name for myself, musically. It's almost the same as in secondary school. And I don't know how long I must wait until I reach my destination. But whenever I think of Ressonnant, and the training sessions I had, I never cease to think that I might never find a better choir than this - the vocals, the warmth and the atmosphere are like none other.

oh em gee

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:46:00 +0000

If this is the kind of entertainment you get from two vocally-impaired people, imagine what phenomenal breakthroughs they'd give if they had vocal training.

No, seriously, even I was entertained, but I reacted just like Simon Cowell when he said

"What the bloody hell was that ?"

I mean, those shiny red outfits are striking. They're twins, and they're visually appealing, to top it all up. But oh goodness, their vocals. At least they patched it up with their dance moves, even if they weren't so coordinated.

I'm actually shocked to see that Simon Cowell didn't cringe.

But hey, guys, if they're having fun, they're having fun, and that's what most of our performers lack these days.

Move over, Whopper !

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:24:00 +0000

Oh dear, I think my head just exploded.

troisnyx* a besoin de se calmer

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:36:00 +0000

She said "Annette, when are you going to drum for me ?"

I said "Hm, when will I have the opportunity ? Worse, I've been feeling SO under the weather with the signed Vic Firths episode. It's like, everytime I wanna play, I just start bursting into tears."

Now it's time for me to shake off the tears, close my eyes, and play as though there were two huge spotlights shining in my face. I'm not gonna hold anything back anymore.

Flux

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:26:00 +0000

All this while I was sulking to myself because of a problem with my speakerphones. See, the right side is not working, which always makes the music tracks come out halfway (either music only, or treble only, or... well, you get the picture).

It all changed yesterday when I listened to Johnny Hallyday's Allumer le feu with these faulty speakerphones.

It was only then that I realised Allumer le feu has a nice drum beat. And I wanted to copy that beat.

Sometimes, you get the best out of faulty speakerphones.

I vowed to myself that one day, I'd play as well as the person who played in Allumer le feu, I just knew it. Or so I felt.

Truly, I am timid when it comes to practising music these days, but deep down in my heart, I reserve hopes of being a proficient drummer. Not just a beginner like what I am now. Aeons ago I mentioned that I was fed up of male dominance over the drums ; today, I still am. And every time I think of playing the drums well, I can't help thinking of the signed Vic Firths episode... and I can't help crying.

I don't know who'll give me the drive to carry on. I don't even have the confidence to go on. There's no point in believing in myself if I can't even go any further from here. I've been crying over the past few days - I just can't contain my feelings anymore. And what's more, life seems to be playing games with me because I'm crying alone.

Reminiscence

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:40:00 +0000

"How was I today ?"
"You played well. Though the amp could've been turned down a little bit. That voice you were using just now drowned most of the singers."
"Mm. Ma---"
"Mm ?"
"I wonder how long it'll take before I finally play the drums in church."
"You suffered the last time."
"But I truly wanna do it."

"The drumsticks Cyril used while he was playing... they're nice."
"I know."
"I will get you a pair of those."
"Really ? Signed Vic Firths ?"
"Yes."
"Thank you so much, Ma."

However, she died before she could get them for me.

I remember hoping for the day she'd come back home. Dad and I were seated side by side whilst we were waiting for the ICU visiting hours. Since I was scared of playing in front of him, I just showed him a vid I recorded. I suppose he felt I was progressing, and he told me, "Let Mama come back home. I'll enrol you in drum lessons." I wasn't expecting lessons, but at least, I expected someone to give me guidance. Mom wanted to enrol me, I know. She tried, but no one got back to her.

More than a year has passed and I still can't help crying whenever I think about the signed Vic Firths episode. And all these sad episodes.

The point isn't about the drumsticks. I could perhaps go on a hunt for them...... if I'm not feeling down. The point is about her.

She used to sit by my side in that room, every time I practised on the drums. And she used to love to hear me play, even if it was nothing but the work of a beginner. And see the significance of a pair of signed Vic Firths from a parent - it means great support. I hoped it would come to be. I can't bring myself to look at the PC screen, even now, when I'm typing. The tears just fall. And I know it's gonna be a futile effort to just wait for it to happen, because that time will never come.

Remembrance

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:50:00 +0000

If there's one menial thing I fear...

... I fear of being forgotten.

I strive to be someone worth remembering - and for the right reasons. Wherever I go, no matter what my temperament may be, I yearn to be an integral part in the stories of my family and friends, and the multitude of people who support me.

They've given me a part of their hearts.

I don't want to lose that.

A new image

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:46:00 +0000

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and there's this whole awareness thing about how important women are, I too, decided to follow the trend.

However, I'm not going pink.

I have read many books and profiles about the struggles of women around the world in shaping their own stories - Waris Dirie, Adeline Yen Mah, Marian Evans, among others.

Yes, today we might easily say that we live in a world where the "weaker sex" has emancipated herself. But like it or not, the stereotypes, the sexual harassment, the maltreatment of women around the world - these make up the inevitable, harsh reality that women have to face and surpass in order to make themselves known.

I remember towards the end of my National Service stint, we had this Integration Module. And one of the components was aptly titled "The role of men and women in society". As much as the teachers tried to get the point across - the fact that men and women are equals - the male trainees just couldn't take it. And not only did they express this verbally : they harassed many female trainees just to show their macho-ness off. I was harassed many times. Yet, clinching the Best Trainee award meant a lot for me. In the midst of all the emotional pain I went through, I strived to shape my own story. A story that I could be proud of. And so I contributed with my creative streak, something that research say men have more.

My experience is only a shadow of what many women go through.

Instead of pink, I've decided to go with two colours for the blog theme : black and red.

Black might be dismissed by everybody as a colour of bad vibes, but I call it the colour of high esteem, maturity and success. Professionals use black for a variety of reasons. Black is used in courtrooms. Our academic dress (the one we use when we graduate from university) is black. The use of this colour is distinguished in many ways. See ? All the bad vibes are gone. Black has always been associated with darkness, and it has always been associated with troisnyxetienne, the "nyx" component referring to night/darkness. Women have been enshrouded in darkness, overshadowed by the other gender, and they have to fight this darkness in order to triumph.

And then, red. My dad always says red is an eyesore, and well, I guess he's right. But it's my favourite colour. Because it represents boldness. It stands out. It makes a statement. And that's what all women aspire to do, right ? We want to stand out. We want to be more than just "somebody".

Ever since 2005, when I first started writing on troisnyx* officiel, I've always aspired to shape my own story. This is a right that every human being has. This also means that women are entitled to shape their own stories.

No more overpowering.

No more stories of us being cooped up in a corner.

I am woman, hear me roar.

My first ever animation

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:32:00 +0000

Indeed, critics will dismiss this as a piece of junk animation.

But this was the first video clip I made using frame-by-frame animation.

Resources were limited back then : I didn't have a scanner and thus, I had to make do with pencil sketches and a camera phone. And you know how uneven the lighting can be if you take it on a camera phone... especially if you're not sure how to play with the settings. I was one of those who didn't know what to make of a camera phone - and all my rough sketches ended up bright in the middle and dark on the edges. We were supposed to provide voiceovers for this short vid, which ended up looking more like a film noir than anything, but we couldn't find male voices, so I only added in one voice clip : Rin's voice at the end of the vid.

It was supposed to be for a HIV awareness campaign. All I wanted to do was get the message across. Now with a scanner, I should be able to make better frames than these, though the process is equally tideous.

I know I'm not even close to making good sequences like what Pasquale does. In fact, I'm light years away. But at least I'm trying... I reserve the hope of being able to make my own skit.

Oh come on, Mylène Farmer did her own skit (see this). I can definitely do it !

For all members of the Charlie company

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:44:00 +0000

I managed to dig up some pictures of Charlie's efforts for the banner competition. And today being Cikgu Ai's birthday, it's a good time to pay tribute to her and her underlings ! ^_^

Another walk into remembrance

troisnyxetienne@yahoo.fr (troisnyx*) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:35:00 +0000

This Photo Story was made to show that sometimes, even the worst of enemies can be the best of friends, even if it's just to take a picture together.

I could easily say there's a degree of humanity left in all of us.

Most of us, if not all of us back there, were ready to mix regardless of ethnicity and background. I know most Malaysians, if not all, would do the same.

But what I truly want to point out is that a few of the people you see in this Photo Story were rivals of mine once. They did everything they could to bring me down. And how I suffered ! Yet, for those few golden moments of truth, they decided to walk together with me, hand in hand.

I wanted to point out that sometimes, the worst of enemies can redeem themselves and become the best of friends.

The pictures you see in this Photo Story were not of any particular category. They were just taken "for the memories", I'd say. Whenever I had my phone with me, I would take pictures of my friends. I did this with the hopes that someday I'd be able to share this with you and say "See, these are among the people who have become part of my wonderful story" - and I'm doing it today. Not only did I take pictures of my friends and teachers, I also gathered pictures from my friends' and teachers' phones and cameras. Then when the time came for me to transfer all these pix, I put them under a folder Visages, meaning "faces".

The faces of National Service 6 Series Group 3.

The faces of solidarity and unity.

I know, this particular Photo Story paints an idealistic picture of what National Service really is. It does not come with the grit and the suffering of standing up for what you want to defend, and who you want to be. But sometimes, we have to cherish these sweet memories - the ones that give us hope against all hope. After all, in the words of Yunalesca in Final Fantasy X, hope is comforting.

If the advertisements for National Service paint a pretty rose-tinted picture of the youth emerging as heroes and heroines, the actual situation is somewhat reverse, especially if you happen to be in the third batch, because this time they did not select amongst school leavers. But the smiles on the trainees' faces whenever they meet their friends, whenever they are among their favourite group, whenever their companies win a competition... these are the smiles that can pierce through the gloom and darkness of National Service.