Clumsinessism and Distances

For Carolyn Uzelac, my lovely Campaigns lecturor

2009-10-27T20:00:00.004+11:00

I've been out too long.

2009-10-04T18:18:00.000+11:00

I haven't been laying my head on the bunker bed for a few days. I've been out quite a lot lately, doing stuff that I love and slacking all around about town. I loved doing things I love to do, so to speak.

I didn't let myself to be on my own while I was out. I found comfort in one's company. I surround myself with people I adore and value them. I somehow felt that I've escaped reality and wandered on things I want to do with them.

But then, when I finally got back on my own, I begin to contemplate. I felt that the more I get exposed to these things I love, the more I start to realize that maybe -just maybe, music, songwriting, wanting a relationship -they're all just temporary.

I begin to question once more on the purpose of me being in Melbourne.. is this place a wake up call for reality?

Circles in my mind

2009-09-30T10:12:00.005+10:00

I see myself as a struggling musician. Well at the moment it might be appropriate to say that.
I seriously want to get into songwriting and get the hang of it. So far in my life I've only finished 3 songs, and that was a few years ago.

Drafts? HUNDREDS of em! and yet i haven't been able to finish em all.
There's this thing about songwriting that seems to be driving me around in circles all the time.

This is what happens every time I attempted to make a song...

It started with a tune that I made in my head or out of random guitar playing, then I tried singing and putting random lyrics into it. I started feeling the song and then if I always have this tearing up feeling if i think the song's going to turn out good. Then IT STOPS. Right in the middle of developing it, I've always lost it. Whatever the reason maybe, mostly it's because i couldnt find the right lyrics and structure of the song, or the melody that i dont think it's catchy enough.

Ok, i know it's bad to judge a song even before it's even finished... because probably what i consider isn't catchy would prove to be a catchy tune for others.
But then again, how would I be able to finish a single song if I never feel good about em?
Another limiting belief perhaps. Another road block to be leaped for me. So far I just haven't been able to.

Any ideas on how to make you feel good about your own songs, let me know. Would definitely appreciate what you think of this...

On that note, I'm sharing you this line that I'm expanding on at the moment.

You're half of an item, but somehow I know you're worth my wait...
I know, I know..

Signing out,
Aldo

That's the way this wheel keeps working.

2009-09-22T13:17:00.011+10:00

I am a HUGE John Mayer fan.

Not the stalkish type though. The idolizing type would be appropriate.
The music, the guitar playing, the womanizer ways, he's freaking cool.

I have been listening to his music severely extensive ever since I bought his live at New York DVD entitled "Where The Light Is". Before, I stopped listening to him cos i thought that i was a bit narrow in terms of musical influence. Seriously, when I said SEVERELY extensive, i meant that i ONLY listened to him.

I find his bridges and pre choruses are always so intriguing to hear and a bit unusual. Especially in his Heavier Things album. The song 'Clarity' was the first Mayer tune that caught my ear. Heard it being played by my favorite local radio station back in the days. Put in on repeat for a few days after i downloaded it. Funny thing is, that wasnt the song that got me hooked into Mayer and guitar playing up until today. It was his previously released song that got me hooked, the acoustic version of 'Love Song For No One'.

And now i find myself in the same cycle again in this addiction to Mayer's music.
I've been putting 'Wheel', the last song in Heavier Things, on repeat for a few days now.
Well i've got to admit i had this song on repeat about a year ago. But that was because i only liked to listen to it.

As my skills as a, should I say, musician, have grown, i have now develop the habit of actually listening to the LYRICS while listening to the song.
A memorable quote from the Music and Lyrics says something like this..

Alex Fletcher: It doesn't have to be perfect. Just spit it out. They're just lyrics.
Sophie Fisher: "Just lyrics"?
Alex Fletcher: Lyrics are important. They're just not as important as melody.
Sophie Fisher: I really don't think you get it.
Alex Fletcher: Oh. You look angry. Click your pen.
Sophie Fisher: A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction. Sex.
Alex Fletcher: I so get that.
Sophie Fisher: But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It's the combination of the two that makes it magical.

And that is just why i love this song.
On that note, here you go.

I believe that my life's gonna see.. the love I give returned to me

Treats

2009-08-26T13:14:00.001+10:00

What have i gotten myself into lately?

Tempted by sour treats, expecting it to become a sweet one in the end.

But instead, only to find the the sourness until the very end.

To escape is an easy choice to make at fragile times like these.

Sweet escapes. Like taking in sugar while eating that sour treat.

Pointless.

I'll brace this. I sure can. It's only candies.

What could possibly go wrong?

Possibly...everything on the line.

Suck it all in and do the work, man....

Signing out,

Aldo

Mumbling to a new post.

2009-08-24T15:47:00.003+10:00

It's been lightyears since I opened this thing. Heck posted shit on it.

A common reason for the negligence of the blog, simple. I forgot the stupid password.

Another reason for it, simply because I lost the urge to post stuff along the way.
Well yeah you know that we do sometimes get that sudden urge and drive to write about stuff inside our heads and just pour your hearts out. I was feeling lonely and didn't have that much stuff to do back in the early days of this blog.

Same reason goes to why I'm posting again, out of loneliness. *gosh do I sound that emo?
Except this time I've got too many things to handle and take care of. I've been tiring myself lately. Physically, mentally, and yeah.. Emotionally. Pretty much the stuffs that I got into have drained the life out of me.

Lots of things have come and gone for the past year since I last posted.
So much have changed, have grown. For better, or worse.

Will write again soon. Have to get used to writing stuff again I guess. My mind's running all over the place as I'm writing this. So many things to pour out of my system. Gah.

Aldo.

Fiuh....

2008-08-07T05:48:00.002+10:00

Ok, so some of you might have noticed that I haven't been posting a lot since last month. I was even quite surprised when a looked at the shoutbox that someone is actually looking for my new posts. *and that would definitely get her in my blog links now hihi. thx Danica!

So you might wonder why didn't post any new ones lately.

Well, I've been doing stuff lately and got caught up with some of 'em every night.

First, dates with Inez. Her new string was marvelous and now i play for hours almost everyday at night yay! kewl!

Second, almost every night since the 4th of August, I had webcam chats with someone --which I very much enjoyed and loved. **update : on second taught, I won't talk about it that much.**

Third *and what i was doing at the point when this post was made* , damn HOMEWORK.

I won't say a lot regarding to this. Here are some photos.

*The clocks showed the time i started posting in the first clock, and the time i finished in the last photo.

and for your info...It's in AM.

I didn't sleep.

oops..have to prepare breakfast right now!

On My Way. Part 1

2008-07-28T18:45:00.014+10:00

Remember when I told you guys that I sometimes ride a bike to get to one of my nearest train station? *here! It's in Bahasa...

Well today, I actually took some pics of my journey. I got home a little bit early so it's still not too dark to take photos. Usually when i go home it's already really dark, and the shortcut that i take everyday has no lights in the streets. So yeah, it gives me the chill sometimes...*literally! i'll get them because of the cold weather anyway....

*The Trusty Bike that I ride on everytime!

In the morning to the afternoon, it's not always as sunny as today. It's kinda warm today actually. As a matter of fact, I did sweat a little on my way to the station!

I have always dreamed of a place where I can cycle peacefully and safely with lots of trees and beautiful sceneries. Well...I guess I have finally found one..I still hope there's more of 'em that I can actually take a stroll around!

Whenever I travel alone, I always feel that I have my own wide open space and the world just provides me with it's wonders. Nature and all in it just makes me feel really comfortable and outgoing. It keeps me in a good mood. The fresh air makes everything right for me. Maybe that's why I like staying in Melbourne so much. Where I come from, it's far from me saying it's a comfortable and inspiring place for me to live in. At least that's how i think of it.

I have a habit, singing all the way when I'm going anywhere on my own. Yup, I am your lunatic kinda guy who simply just like to sing. I guess it's my own way of getting over my loneliness of travelling alone. I bet people who live where I always passed by whether I walk or ride must've already heard my LOUD voice when i was singing my way through their houses.. *giggles

Despite all the troubles of going outside where the weather is very cold, cold winds blowing against my face making my lips numb as if it were frozen, the danger from wiping out of my bike due to the lack of my biking skills, the exhaustion from pedalling my way uphill just to get home, how my legs are always sore in the mornings from tiredness, the bruises i got from falls, the dirty clothes from the mud that i fell into,......*wow...i never thought that there would be this much negative thoughts in my mind!

I AM LOVIN' IT

Enjoy

*to be continued.....

G String and The Winder

2008-07-27T20:14:00.018+10:00

Today, i went to the city in hopes of finding a replacement for Inez's G String *GUITAR string. For all my musical accessories satisfactions,I always go to my favorite music store in Melbourne, which is Allans Music Store in Bourke Street.

*ah....G String.....

It's a huge store and they have all things related to music there! Acoustic Electric Guitars of many manufactures, Basses, Drums & Percussions, Grand Pianos, Keyboards, Amps, Books, PA & Recording needs, all kinds of accesories, even i think they sell screws especially for guitars! *well...maybe not...but i think i saw them....

Another reason why I went looking for single guitar strings there is because as far as i know now, they're the only store that sells single strings individually. That means, i can buy 1 string without having to buy the whole 6 strings that they usually sell already in packages. But unfortunately, sometimes they don't have every string available. So i might be looking for a G string, and they don't have any left or out of stock.

Luckily, I was able to find it and i also bought my self my first string winder! *for those who don't know what a string winder is, it's a thing that helps to wind the tuning machine of the guitar. and after all the struggles with nature who got me all wet and tired all the way home,*it was raining and i was going by bike to go back home! i finally made it safe and sound with all my wishlist of the day completed!

*Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome my first ever String Winder!

This is how you hold the Winder. *I guess..

Having the right equipments was only the beginning. It's using them correctly to the guitar was my REAL CHALLENGE!

For any newbie guitarists, in my opinion, one of the most challenging thing to begin to deal with is replacing old strings with new ones. Trust me, i failed MANY TIMES and ended up BRAKING THE STRING when adjusting them. Just recently when I was changing the strings, i broke TWO OF MY NEW STRINGS *ahh....my money....wasted..... all because I didn't do it properly.
Luckily i found a website that has a video of how to do it right.

How to Replace Strings on an Acoustic Guitar -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

Trust me, it's not as easy as it looks...and what makes it even worse is when you don't have a comfortable place to do them!
so then.....this was what i did......

*oh God do i look stupid there...

The string winder wasn't really much help because it's still new so it doesn't rotates as smoothly as the one that the guy in the previous video has. So, in the end I used my hands to wind the machine and my teeth to hold the string tightly because the string was very loose in the machine.*well...i didn't necessecerily have to do that....i guess i was just too frustrated to think back then.... Hopefully by the time i have to change the whole strings again, I'll do it the right way :D

At least now i can have dates with Inez again every night until the next changing of her strings! :D and hopefully it won't be as much trouble as it was then....

Pics of The Day

2008-07-26T23:24:00.020+10:00

Al-Mika-dor!
*that's what i call this pic.
by Dinda

I was chatting online with my friend, Dinda, just now. She told me that she made a collage of a friend of ours' face and she put them in her blog.

For me, it's really funny. I was pretty bored anyway because i haven't got anything fun to do since i broke the G string of my beloved guitar *yes..I named my acoustic guitar, Inez. I named her after IbaNEZ. wasn't it creative? NOT.

Anyway, seeing those pics of my friend's head on woman's body was kind of like a refreshment.
It really was.

Then I asked her whether if she could make them with my face. Well...actually she had already started making pics with my face even before i asked her to do it for me..... Thx for making my night happier and funnier, Dinda!

Mike-Aldor!
*Best buds, not gays.
by Dinda

KLIK! Loh? (link)

2008-07-26T22:48:00.006+10:00

My next clumsy moment, one of my favourites actually!

"The Bike and The Bag"

Click! Hunh!?

*i'm too lazy too write the story all over again.
oh and it's written in Bahasa.

"Do ya understand me?"

2008-07-26T19:05:00.010+10:00

So today, another Saturday is going to end soon.
I stayed home all day. *A boring thing to do sometimes, isn't it?

Spent my whole morning in bed until i decided to wake up at around 11.If it wasn't for my big appetite and my growling stomach, i wouldn't mind still be tucked in bed for the whole day.

Didn't really do anything important the whole day as well. Played random notes with Inez, found a tune and worked on it a bit though it wasn't finished yet at the moment. and then i broke Inez's G string! *it is NOT what you think, you dirty minded people!
Brilliant. Just simply brilliant. I was about to make a real decent song until that string broke. URGH IT REALLY "MADE MY DAY" *even worse! and it was all because i turned the tuning machine the wrong way! Stupid tuning machine! *blaming other things but myself :P

That was just 1 of my clumsiness that i did since i came to Melbourne.

Funny thing was, most of my past clumsiness and memorable events have always involved TRANSPORTATION.
The first one was a lucky coincidence.

When i first got on my first bus ride here, i didn't know where to go. I was with my dad and he did all the talking with the bus driver so he could take us to the nearest train station.
The bus driver was an old looking man with glasses on all the time and with white hair just ready to fall off and a bald spot somewhere in his head.
All was going well until the driver wants to talk to me....and here this was the short conversation between ME and HIM....

"You grmbll grmbgll bla bla bla awrigt?"
".......?"
"It take duwa to twain fo nain bla bla."
"erm....pardon?"
"Bla bla scumz schinger di to gaha yur taim."
".......ehm...sorry?"
"Do ya understand me?"
"......."
"......." *i stared blindly to him for 5 seconds
"...nah uh...." *shaking my head

That short conversation ended up having the bus driver giving us a free ride to the station.
So, I guess the next time i get on a bus, maybe I should pretend not being able to speak English.*Well....i seriously doubt that ought to happen again...
But that reason is not why i was given a free bus ride.
No, seriously. It wasn't! You should go listen to him yourselves if you stop by here!

Look for the bus number 672 on Waverley Road. Best of luck to ya'll. :D

*a cartoon interpretation of this soon to come! erm..hopefully...

My Own Atmosphere

2008-07-25T21:30:00.006+10:00

Hey! Aldor here!
How are ya'll doin? Hope everything's doin well!

Trust me, I AM here to cramp up the blogging world! *Yay for me!

Apart from the blog that i have with some of my best mates, this blog will have a lot more of my personal touch, or should i say, it'll be more about ME ME ME *Yay yay for ME!
This blog is definitely NOT a spin off of my other blog. So, the things i write the most about here will not be different, just uniquely done in my own way.

Why make my own blog? Well since now i live apart from my mates that i write the other blog with, i'll be having my own set of experiences and ideas about certain things. Sure i could just write them anywhere, but writing in my own blog gives me more space to express myself.

Hopefully this blog will be bigger, better, stronger *he?, and even more attractive than the other one. I better learn some new tricks on how to upload good pics for this blog. Otherwise this thing will die from dullness of just words words words. I am a visual kinda person anyway, so yeah, hopefully this blog will have more pics and colours.

"Expect my own original pics, drawings, and other works to be put here as well!"

The posts will be also be *and most likely to be* my experience on doing something that may people call "clumsy". Yes, clumsy. I believe that by keeping the clumsiness in me, i could find something out of the ordinary, unusual, unique, or simply just.....something to laugh and joke about *which i think most people will think of my clumsiness that way*

Oh yeah, i'll be doing my best to write this thing mostly in English as well. Could be a good practice you know since i am now living in a country where the language is commonly used here. Also i have to make those damn stupid essays for school anyway. *I failed my first essay test damn it! Lucky me, it wasn't a real test, yet a practice for the real one.... So yeah, this'll be good practice to get my thoughts in typed words. Though there might be some posts that'll be in Bahasa. It can be because i think that the thing i will write about is more suitable in Bahasa, or it'll be more interesting to write it in Bahasa, or....simply because i haven't got the words i want to say in English :P

OK! Without further a distance, i give you guys and the world a warm fuzzy clumsy crazy scrumptious welcome to my....

Clumsinessism & Distances

The Kid, Melbourned
One of my doodles....