Anticipation: short story writing (day264)

I was about to burst into tears when I heard the sound of incendiary bombs descending from the smoke ridden sky. without realising it, my legs sprang up automatically and before I knew it, I was running directionless and hopelessly, to find a shelter. There was an explosion not far from me which flung me backwards, and almost knocked me out.

I crawled through the rubble, struggling to stand back up again. 'War is such a cruel thing' I thought to myself. 'What business does the enemy have with us'? Is this what they call freedom? I anticipate a better place, and a better world, but it does not mean anything anymore. Funny enough, anticipation is still my only escapism. What a wonderful curse to have... the uncertainty of anticipation, the faith to trust in the unknown. With chaos around me, the only place I can seek peace is within the unknown, because only in the unknown I am not declined.

The place I call home is now burning all around me. How fickle and transitory our lives are, just like the radiant cherry blossoms, with its beautiful petals blooming today, and falling to the ground in the next. Admiring Life's fleeting beauty, I came to my senses and realised that i was still alive. This was the moment I decided to fight for a cause.'My anticipation will not be all in vain, and one day I shall bring down their planes from the sky, as how they brought down our cities, together with all the innocent people to their deaths'. I was filled with anger and grief, but my mind remained as clear as a flash of lightning. At that point in time, I was sure that my iron will was unbreakable. The seed of revenge was sowed and one day it will avenge my cause.

Tagline for Singtel ad

Taglines are play an important role in print ads as the bear the burden of hooking the viewer by the first sentence. To me taglines are ideally simple and to the point. therefore i picked this ad, which already has a somewhat simple tagline, and simplify it even further, so it would be impactful and eye catching. The tagline 'The Best Broadband at the Best Price' suggests that the broadband Singtel provides is as good as the price they are going to sell it to you, which is straightforward yet impactful.

Studio practice - healthy lifestyle

wrote up a mind map to trigger thoughts and key points (please bear with my handwriting)

Soba Noodles

Japanese food is one of my favourite cuisines in the world of gastronomy. My love for simple and sophisticated food has brought me to like soba noodles in particular. A seemingly simple thing, yet complex both in flavour and preparation. Soba noodles are basically buckwheat and wheat flour mixed together, and the amount of the ingredients varies with different varieties of soba noodles. 

The preparation process is labour intensive, requiring the soba maker to constantly knead the dough until it forms into a single lump, fold it, then slice it evenly so much so that all individual noodle strands have the same thickness. This required the utmost skill and requires many years of experience. It is usually served cold, with a soya sauce based dip, or served hot in a soya sauced based soup, and I personally prefer the cold option.

To me, soba noodles are simplicity and perfection in a package when prepared well. This dish brings out the pure essence of the buckwheat flavour, and is also very versatile as it compliments a number of side dishes such as tempura or sashimi.  Usually when people eat soba the ideal way is to slurp the noodles so to enjoy the flavour even more, though I'm still trying to get the hang of of it. Good soba noodles require the utmost skill and care to produce, and the person eating it should also enjoy it correctly so to obtain its maximum flavour, as that is the best way to show appreciation to the ingredient and to its maker.

Self- Advertising

Self advertising is about bringing the best out of yourself to present to the world, likewise when promoting all things. Here is a simple conceptualisation i conjured up using adobe indesign of  a Time magazine cover page for the person of the year. This is a simplistic design which is minimal and straight to the point.

Art and Copy

In the vast world of advertising, a great design is inseparable from great texts and headlines. Both working in unison with each other, for the sole purpose to promote whatever they are trying to sell to the world. This documentary has given me inspiration to improve myself through creative thought, so that I can understand and do well in the advertising industry. the market of advertising is run on a random influx of ideas, forever changing to suit the state of the world. It is a chaotic and fast paced industry, so much so that the people working in the industry must also be as fast and productive in order to survive.

To advance in this industry one must be able to see and perceive the ever changing world, so that one would be able to adapt to it, thus successfully being able to market your ideas. This market however is full of misleading and deceptive forms of ads, and advertising itself, the cause of the problem will also be able to solve it. I learnt that the best ads consists of simple ideas and designs that gives the viewer room to think and fills him with emotion the creator of the ad wants viewers to feel. The Volkswagen Beetle ad is a good example of promoting a small and reliable car with an advertisement equalled in quality as the car itself. This film has motivated me to advance in the field of advertising and copywriting.