Living your dream

Hello from Dallas, Texas!

I actually brought the photos taken during Napbas over here to edit so that I can blog something out while I'm on my annual trip to America to visit Mike's family but... I know you are sick of hearing this... My neck and right arm is hurting me more than ever. :(

I did acupotomy (it's like acupuncture but sorta different, google it) with Cheesie in KL because she had the same pains as me and swore it worked for her. The doctor was very confident that she could cure my pains and I expressed my doubts, saying "It has been hurting for a long time now."

She asked how long and I said erm... like 4 months? She scoffed and said she just cured someone who has been in pain for 40 years. On a side note I wonder why anyone who is in pain for 40 years would even be aware that he is in pain. I mean, after such a long time won't you just forget how being NORMAL feels like?

Anyway yes so after the acupotomy the pain in my neck went away but my arm still hurts a little when using the computer. Now the pain in the neck is back again wtf so I'm not gonna aggravate it by photoshopping pictures. When I get back to Singapore I'm gonna do that acupotomy thing again in KL and pray it works :(

So I'm just gonna blog something without posting (much) pictures!

First I'd like to talk a little more about the previous post about the angry Aussie bloggers. I cannot believe how nice I was to that crazy woman. You'd think that after my explanations she'd calm the fuck down but instead she got even more self-righteous and pompous. Talk about a giant stick in the ass!

And then she picked out the two most childish comments that my readers wrote for her and blogged it out, acting like she got bullied, conveniently, oh so conveniently, adding that she was sexually assaulted (by more than one person oh dear lord!), had a miscarriage, is medically unfit and obese blahitty blah blah.

HOW IS THAT RELEVANT? What, so you had tragic experiences means you can act like a fucking cunt?

I had an ex schoolmate who was really unpopular. She then told everyone she had leukemia and was expected to live for only 2 more years and she kept fainting during P.E. lessons. The teachers would scold anyone who is mean to her because they felt so sorry for a teenager with terminal cancer. BITCH IS STILL ALIVE TILL TODAY, 12 YEARS LATER. Well played!

Anyway at first this Melissa was all like OH EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION and when she had a tidal wave of hatred she shut off comments and deleted all comments that mentioned me (unless it's negative of course). Whatever. Your words don't mean shit when you keep flipping them around. You know roti prata, Melissa? You flip more than that can?

When Australian's hear "Best" they assume it relates to content. Apparently, it's different in Asia.

Redundant apostrophe FYI.

Can anyone give me an explanation of her above quote that is NOT deemed to be racist? What? It's Opposite Day in Asia and Best means Worst here? She's so annoying! I hope a wombat attacks her stupid face.

Right.

Also I'd like to say a LOUDDDD thank you to everyone who defended me. I read the comments on her blog (which became exceedingly dry and boring once she stopped talking about me *yawn*) and some are so touching I actually teared wtf. I LOVE YOU ALL!

So back to the main topic of this blog entry.

2 days ago I was randomly surfing through TV channels and saw something titled "Jeff Dunham" so I stopped at that, thinking I'd enjoy watching his comedy show.

As it turns out it is not his show but a documentary of his life.

In case you still don't know who he is, he is a famous ventriloquist and he is very funny!

He got really famous when one of his acts with Achmed the Dead Terrorist got viral on youtube and is STILL one of the top viewed videos ever.



You done watching the video? Welcome back.

As I was saying, Jeff Dunham's documentary. My interest wandered off so I just left the TV on but later on I heard the host talking about Jeff's childhood. And I was shocked to learn that he started being a ventriloquist at age 8!!

8! Can you imagine that? Being a ventriloquist was all he ever wanted to do (and only 'job' he did) and he knew what he wanted since he was so freaking young.

I guess I somehow always thought he started doing this in his mid twenties and immediately got recognised?

He is now 49 and he used all 41 years of his life to hone his skills till he is now arguably the most famous ventriloquist in the world.

I guess I was so shocked because he is quite a good looking dude and honestly ventriloquy, before Jeff Dunham imho, has always been an uncool thing with a crazy creepiness to it, sorta like clowns I guess, but even scarier!

(Digressing, did anyone else watch the movie Dead Silence? That shit was fucking scary! Done by the creators of Saw, with a good twist but scary.)

So back to Jeff. I just didn't believe that any *normal* person would take ventriloquy up as a hobby. He doesn't seem socially awkward afterall, what would his friends think when they go to his room and see that instead of toy cars and balls it has an array of creepy puppets?

His parents actually bought him his first puppet and ever since then he has been collecting them. His documentary had footage of his collection of vintage puppets, it freaked me out, they were so ugly :X

When he was 12 he started attending the ventriloquy conventions out of state in Kentucky when he is from Dallas, Texas (where I am now, coincidentally!). I mean isn't that some hard work for a 12 year old boy? When I was 12 what was I doing? Wondering if the handsome boy in class liked me back. And there this dude was, competing with the pros after taking a plane. WTF.

Ever since he was a teenager he worked as a ventriloquist but never enjoyed real success from it (although he was earning a living) all the way until 2005.

That's almost 30 years of chasing his dream and never giving up, because he was a man who knew what he wanted! How could he even believe that a ventriloquist could become part of pop culture? It has never been done before; it is so antiquated. The mere idea of this a few years ago was laughable.


I'm so amazed by this story because so many things could have happened and he wouldn't have been the Jeff Dunham he is today.

At age 8 his parents might have never gave him a puppet, deciding on perhaps an air rifle instead.

At age 12 he could have been called a faggot by male classmates and given up.

At age 25 he might have thought "If I'm not famous by now I'd never be, I guess I'm just not good enough" and decided to not aim for fame anymore, just be content with performing for birthday parties. His wife might have thrown his dolls away. I would NOT stay in a house with creepy puppets!

Of course, not everyone who persists in pursuing their dreams will succeed. Besides perseverance and hard work you also need talent (which Jeff had) and luck. But without believing in yourself, all the talent and luck will bring you nowhere.

Well unless you are a supermodel scouted in a mall but I mean talents that cannot be seen unless you perform them ie being an inventor or singer or whatever.

Don't you guys hear stories like this and wonder what your life would be like if you had known what you wanted since a young age and chased all your life after your dream?

Jeff said that ventriloquy is a learned skill, just like juggling, and anyone who has a voice can do it. I wonder if this is true.

I also often wonder how my life would be like today if I didn't start my blog. Or perhaps if I started a few years later when it is more difficult to get noticed. Or if I chose to shut it down when the hate mail became too much.

I mean it's not like I knew it was my calling or anything, I just discovered I liked it and people seemed to think I do it well. And I was very lucky because I discovered it at age 18, which allowed me years to develop my skills.

Not like I'm Jeff Dunham or anything close, but similar to him, that one day in my life, like the day he received his puppet, I started my blog and it changed my entire life.

And what a great life it is!

This 2012, I hope everyone reading this blog will persevere in living their dreams no matter how impossible and tough it may seem, and may you make your mark in the world! 

To those of you with no big dreams, may you either find your calling or just be happy and contented with all the small little things in life. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOGDERS!

p/s: Melissa leaves the most vomit-worthy comment, click on comments to read.

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