Sunday, March 15, 2009

Naveena...

...has decided to leave this blog.

What ever I want to say I can say it on Facebook; otherwise I'll just keep my opinions to myself =)

Friday, December 12, 2008

bleagh!

I reckon I have been hit with the most dire of afflictions- writer's block! (and I think it was Shakepreare who said that, so yeah even that is not original!) I want to write about everything and nothing at the same time. I can't for the life of me come up with anything remotely close to "flowery phrases" and for some bizzare reasons, I've lost the sudden ability to come up with brilliant one-liners, worthy of sales pitches! What is wrong with me?! I'm loosing my sharp whit and sarcastic edge.

Hmm...perhaps I should go away and get inspiration...I hope whatever "it" is, it comes back to me soon-ish so I can write again. I don't claim to be a good writer but I reckon it's palatable =)

Sunday, December 07, 2008

"All of my life,
in every season;
YOU are still God,
I have a reason
to sing..."

Thursday, December 04, 2008

I Feel...

...like a solo cello outside a chorus playing ever so gracefully, the song of the stars.

I'm so not a poet. Hah!

You know what gets me angry?
Pregnant mothers who smoke; People who complain about what they don't have but can't be bothered to want to get it themselves; Mothers who nag at their kids to get a job as soon as they step out of the university. Really, it's not like they're not trying...times are tough and jobs aren't exactly whisking past you.

Random, random thoughts. Man, I need to pick a feeling and stick to it!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Ten Things I Heard People Say This Week


No, I've not gone and abandoned this blog; it's just been too quiet to write anything. It's been a while so I reckon I should restart with something simple: Things I heard/read this week. These are some of the stuff people said to me, I read off somethings, received a text, etc.



  1. "It's not about what you look like; it's about who you are." -Rah Matthews on protrait photogrphy.

  2. "I walk around confident because I'm a woman loved wholly, ferociously, passionately and intimately by the Living God. My idedntity is in this relationship; not in how well I can sing or how many albums I have sold, not weather poeple are appaluding or criticizing and not in my past or in my screw-ups...I will not love my art more than i love my Lord. I want to fear God more than I fear man." -Brooke Fraser. I'm not sure when or who she said this to (probably quoted in some article) but I received it twice in the same day so I figured it is of significance. I do echo her sentiments.

  3. I put the sexy in dyslexia.

  4. Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have the film.

  5. On the other hand, there are more fingers...geddit?

  6. If in doubt, leave it out.

  7. Note to producers: Get excelent legal advice and accountants. Pay big bucks if you have to. Trust me.

  8. The only things wring with love and faith is not having them. -quote from art book I can't remember

  9. My secret is beautiful. It makes me smile when I think about it.

  10. "You were my favorite in high school." -Kathy on what she possibly might want written in her eulogy. This was fully random!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

It's NEVER Over Till It's Over

Turns out, that "final" big project that I handed in was not so final after all because I'm STILL working on it. Then again it figures, since I'm in my final year. I'm meant to be on holidays at the moment but out of the 5 weeks that I have, I can probably only really enjoy 5 days of it as actual holidays. On the one hand, it frustrates me that I can't run off to the Carribeans or some other island (or something similar to it) and just chill out and have sex on the beach (the drink, I mean; not what some of you may think!) and read a bunch of chic flicks, go for spas, get a manicure, SLEEP, and everything else people are supposed to do when they go on a holiday. Why can't I go? Well, I'm a student. That means I'm living on a student budget and I'm still in between jobs and therefore can't afford that kind of luxury...not yet anyway. I'm a FINAL year student majoring in Television and have hopes to get into the industry soon-ish. That means I can't really whisk off because I need to start learning how to make my own bread and butter. Besides, there are still on-going projects that I need to work on...because my grades depend on them.

But on the other hand, since I can't go and spoil myself, I'm glad I'd have a few things to occupy myself with so I don't go insanely bored out of my mind. The fact that I love what I study doesn't make it a chore either so that helps. And I have a plan; I am going to spend these weeks ctching up with people I've not been able to see in the last two months because of the craziness of uni last semester.

...so...coffee anyone? =) Well, when I say coffee, I don't actually mean coffee perse; It's just a common expression for "let's catch up" but I'm sure you already knew that. Besides, the only coffee I drink is those ones I NEED to keep me awake at the end of semesters. I'd much prefer a cuppa hot chocolate. Seriously. Nothing quite like chocolate ;)

Saturday, June 07, 2008

And so it ends...for now

I've just handed in my final big project for the semester; all I have left is a final exam and a script and proposal due in time for next semester's work. I shoul feel estatic/relieved/happy/sleepy...something. I should feel SOMETHING but I can't feel anything. I reckon I'm just oo numb from all that has happened to me and around me in the last month or so. the whole thing just seems a bit too surreal at the moment and I know I'm gonna feel empty when I wake up Monday morning and go, "right, so what do I do now?". I just KNOW it! I can't remember what it's like to feel free and light-hearted...yeah, it's been a while.

I can't believe a month has gone by since I did my all my filming for the semester. I can't remember the last time I cooked a decent meal for myself. I find it hard to believe it's been nearly a month since we stopped talking. I'm not sure when I last saw or spoke to some of my best mates; I think they've disowned me due to the lack of communication on my part. I think it was really nice of him to say a l'il prayer for me. I honestly could not have gone through the month and still be sane/incredibly sober if it weren't for HIM. HIS grace has been all I've had to get by. I can't tell when my day starts or ends anymore. I am in absolute awe of how I've been taken care of by so many people over these weeks- being driven around to my shoots, being fed all the time; making sure I've enough food. My laundry has pilled up all the way up tp the ceiling (ok, so maybe there's a tad bit exaggeration there). I can barely see the floor in my room and I'm not sure where my Media Comm notes are- I need them for my upcoming finals.

But despite that, I must say that I've had some of the best and worst moments of my life. I'm just halfway into the year and I've had quite a few life-defining moments already. People keep telling me that I'm growing up and that they see a change in the way I handle situations that come my way. I can't imagine myself doing anything else and my classmates are really some of the most amazingly talented people around- my new found whanau (that's family in Maori). I love what I do! I really do. I actually do mean that. For real. Seriously.

I've a few people to say thanks to; Cheryl, thanks for just being yourself and taking care of me when I needed to nurse my wounds. Gillian, thanks for shouting me those dinners and reminding that I trully am alive in HIM and HIS love is unconditional and unfailing. Lee, thanks for encouraging me to press on with prayer and faith. Irvin, thanks for making me see sense in focusing on HIM. C.Z, that little prayer was so profound, I nearly cried; Thanks for the reminder in Corrinthians. Raluca, thanks for bearing with me and doing my camera work; you were nothing short of bloody amazing! Not sure how I'd have been able to cut Project Twin Streams together, given my very unspesific directional 'skills'...and thanks for taking me places. My unusually very quiet flatmate whom I've rarely seen in the last month, thanks for picking up my slack and tidying up our home; it looks like a real home now.

I really should get to bed and get some sleep now but I'm so wide awake...

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Three-Letter Acronyms that rule my life

APP: Advanced Production Practise
CCV: Corporate Community Video
TVW: Television Writing
WTF?!: Well, I'm sure you all know what that means =)

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Tag; I'm IT this Time

Okay, so I still don't have any thought provoking things to blog about this time but I have one of those tag things that you just have to answer. So, here goes...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not that I'm aware of but I know 4 other people who have either the same or similar variation of my name.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? About 2 Sundays ago.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HAND WRITING? Heck yeah! It's messy, slightly slanted, kinda cursive and so full of personality...like me ;)

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Fish

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet but I'd like to have at least a couple when the time is right.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I don't think I'm THAT unbearable that I wouldn;t be friends with myself.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Are you kidding?! I BITE with sarcasm, but not everyone gets it so it's perfect.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? VEry much so, yes.

9. WOULD GO BUNGEE JUMPING? In a HEARTBEAT, without thinking twice!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? It changes frequently but for now it's Milo Cereals

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? I'm a TV student; I don't have TIME to untie shoe laces.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yeah, relatively; but if I was with a guy, I'd make him do the work instead...just 'cause I can ;)

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Orange choc chip!!!

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? The eyes, definitely and will always be that way.

15. RED OR PINK? Red, DUH, it's waaaaaay sexier!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My sarcasm

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My girls back home....

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? My blue 'Little Miss Shy' jammy pants and my red doggie bedroom slippers...oh, I'm sooooo comfy!

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Steak and mushrooms...that I COOKED for the
first time in weeks.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Gloria Estefan's 'Hoy'

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Orange....or anything warm for that matter.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? I loooove the smell of daisies and freshly baked cinammon roles

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Cheryl

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yeah, she's absolutely awesome; one of the two best flatmates on earth!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Badminton but I'd much rather be PLAYING sport that watch it. I NEED to be physically participating in it.

27. HAIR COLOR? Very dark brown and you can only tell it's brown under the sun.

28. EYE COLOR? Very Dark brown

29. Do you wear contacts? More now than before, yes.

30. FAVORITE FOOD? My Mom's cooking, Steph's honey ginger chicken and pasta bake

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings, definitely...it's good to have a little optimism every now and then.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? At the movies...would be Death at a Funeral; BRILLIANT
movie!

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White with black graphics that read "A
World Without Strangers"

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? I wish winter was taken off the four-season cycle!

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Can I have both? ;) No? Oh, ok...kisses then.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? ANYTHING with chocolate in it.

39. WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW? The Bible, actually. I'd like to start reading Jodi Picoult's 'My Sister's Keeper' soon-ish though.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't do mouse pads!

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? I didn't turn on the TV last night because I had an overdose of it at the TV studio.

42. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Waves crashing onto the shore; the sound of horses galloping.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? THE Rolling Stones, baby!

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? I live in Auckland now so my farthest would have to be Wellington- about a 6 hour drive down south.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I love to sing but I'm not sure if it's a good enough
talent.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Malaysia

48. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW? Time to hit the sack after a nice, chilled night meeting new people.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Quotes of the week...

...courtesy of AUT's Communication Studies students, majoring in TV this year:
  1. (bangs both fists on the table) "Why is all my footage so crap?!" - Fahad Hussein, 2008.
  2. "I don't believe in overexposure or underexposure. My shots are FINE." - Nadine Dempster, 2008.
  3. "Jump cuts- the new crossfades" -Naveena Charles, 2008.

When you spend an average of 12 hours a day in the studio with the rest of the TV crew, you begin to feed off of each other's craziness and you come up with quotes that may or may not make sense. I'm sure there are a lot more quotes to come in the year.

I won't tell you how these brilliant quotes came about because it's a TV thing and only those who were at the scene will understand it in its context, but just in case you come up with something along these lines, remember, they HAVE ALREADY BEEN QUOTED! Unless someone else quoted this way before this...

Saturday, May 10, 2008

I need a massage to un-knot the pain in my neck!

Work has agglomerated and so have my dirty laundry and the dishes. I can hardly see the floor in my room and my bed hasn't been made in 3 days. I've had a total of no more than 15 hours of sleep in the last 4 days and have been averaging out at 14 hours a day working. I haven't seen anyone else outside my class of 20 people at the TV studio all week (except for Gillian this morning and Rah in the evening) oh, and Kathy on thuesday, and my flatmates probably think I've moved out without giving them any notice. I've not seen either one of them since Monday...well, except for the 5 second run-in with Steph before she went to bed at 2 yesterday where she said and I quote (for proof of my lack of presence), "oh, you're back".

I had an assignment due at 4 p.m today and a little video project for church which I spent the last 7 hours putting together.

I had a half-hearted conversation with a friend a couple of days ago (I think) over the phone and I feel bad for not being able to fully remember exactly what was said in that conversation. Although, I do remember him being a little annoyed at me for my seemingly lack of interest because I could totally hear the frustration in his voice. But that's ok because now that I think about it, I totally see sense in where he was trying to get so it's all good. I should see him in person soon-ish and sort this out.

DESPITE that, I managed to get a lil window shopping time and see my parents and go for a bible study session this week. I realize that I was possibly not the most gracious person this week but I'm fully thankful that my Creator has been so abounding in grace to me and has sustained me through one tornado of a week. Though I can't actually remember what really happened this week (yeah, I think I've pretty much been running on coffee, Red Bulls and adrenaline the whole time), I know for a fact that He is the reason I'm able to still stay together and not crack under preassure.

Mother's day is this Sunday and I've not got mom anything yet. I've to do something about it tomorrow when I wake up....what ever time that'd be! It's nearly 2.30 a.m and I'm totally keen on a game of touch rugby at 9 a.m later.

...and even though it's finally dawned upon me that I am about to have the craziest 4 weeks of the semester (the realization came when I flipped open my planner this morning), I am still going to say that...

Life is beautiful!

*I will write a more thought provoking one when I find the time to put my head in my hands and breathe for 10 minutes without being interupted.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I stand amazed at how you would give up the one thing so precious for my sake. I become speechless and am in absolute awe just thinking about how you had the courage to part with something so wonderful...even though it you knew You'd get 'em back some day. I love how much you care for me. I love that you loved me first even before I came to know You and yes, though I'm in total shock about what you did to me last week, I can honestly say that compared to what you did for me all those years ago, I must say that you win and I'm in no position to argue with you. It just makes me fall in love with you all over again...because there is nothing much else that I can do, really.

You make my good days such a joy, that wish it didn't have to come to an end. And you make my not-so-good days a little easier to live through, just because I know you're the one thing I look forward to spending time with at the end of it all. I love it that when I whine about what a horrible day it was you listen patiently but don't always have something to say in reply. Sometimes just knowing you're there is the best feeling in the world. When I'm insecure, troubled, scared half to death or bugged, you sit me down and tell me to snap out of it because you're fully aware of how it's gonna turn out and if it's meant to be, you'd make it happen.

I don't wanna have to ever give you up because I honestly cannot imagine life without you.

"For I am convinced that neither life nor death, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of god that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
-Romans 8: 38, 39

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Happy Birthday, my girlies!



My dearest Juju,

Happy 21st, my dear! I hope you're settling in decently, if not positively in Melbourne. I'm grateful for the many times you made me laugh with your antics back in school because honestly, sometimes that was about the only thing that made some of my very dreadful days at school. I thank God for blessing me with the privilege of being your friend and I marvel at how much we've grown over the last couple of years (physically apart yet oddly enough still together) and I miss you terribly! When I look at you, I'm always reminded to just be myself and no one else. Thanks for that. I Love You!

Dashi honey,

Happy 21st to you too! I hope you have an amazing year ahead. My life took quite a differnt turn the day I ended up sitting next to you in class waaaay back in Form1! And I wouldn't trade a minute of it. You definitely did bring in the whole shebang when you introduced me to the rest of the group! I sometimes still think (and would then instantly let out a laugh) about how you'd go around with the plastic ruler and I'm glad we've come a long way since then! I think you have one of the best smiles in town. Oh, and thanks for taking me to Mojo's that time, even though I was probably not very good company. I love you heaps, babe!

I hope you have a fantastic year this year and that God would give you the courage and strength to face your days, the patience to deal with people (crummy lecturers included) and the grace to live life to its fullest and in its abundance! I wish I wasn't so far away from y'all...

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

10 Things I HAVE To Do

This is so that I remember what it is that I have to do and since I know for a fact that if I don't write it down somewhere in print, I will most definitely forget it....and these are things I can't afford to forget, largely because they would inevitably affect my grades (most of them anyway). Right now, this happens to be the best 'somewhere' to write this down. So, this is solely for my benefit and no one elses :)
  1. Watch two short films before scriptwriting class for next week (check)
  2. Readings for scriptwriting class (Nichols and Rabiger... who are authors by the way, not some scary disease)
  3. Media Communication IIa readings
  4. Watch 'My Son, the Architect' and/or 'In the land of the dead'
  5. Email Neil and Sarah (check)
  6. Update WORP (check)
  7. Rewrite the music chart for Indescribable and email it to the team (check)
  8. Call Vodafone and suss out stuff (check)
  9. GET A JOB!
  10. Start working on Corporate Community Video Proposal

I plan on finishing at least 5 of those things before the break of dawn so I'm gonna get right to it...after I've stepped out to make me a cuppa (but of course!)