Shooting Film

I got myself a Canon 3000N as a gift from my good friends mother. Its a fantastic piece of equipment, complete with a 28-70 kit lens. I really don’t think i’ll get myself more lenses for it since I mainly shoot portraits. Shooting film is awesome but like everything there are pros and cons.

The Pros:

Full Frame. Amazing Depth of Field (even when I set it for none). The Saturation <3. The weight of the camera.

The Cons:

Film role is damn expensive, it costs 310 bucks for a 24 roll of 200 ISO. Can not preview pictures (Duh). The automatic stinginess of taking shots.

It will be accompanying me for my trip to Galle for the Galle Lit Fest. He will be next to my Digital Camera. They’ll probably avoid talking as my Digi asks him awkward questions and how he functions and shows off his LCD. The Film would be too shy to talk to the Digi anyway. Kinda like the nerd and the cheerleader scene. I’ve actually come to the point where instead of scanning the pictures I just take shots of them with my phone or digi cam and upload. But the quality is never that good. So yeah. Time to pay the studio to digitize them properly.

Smile when I take a picture of you in Galle. It’s gonna cost me.

Colombo Clubbing 2010

The year is almost at the end. And if your my age and in similar social circles you’ll be hitting the clubs a minimum of once every fortnight. Or twice a week if your really as bad. I’ve (I’m really not sure what it is) made like a time line thingy of clubbing and how it’s evolved.

Summer

Amuseum was the place to be. Wall to wall with the international school kids who are back down for the holidays from distant lands with age limits and expensive alcohol. Go early if not you’ll be standing outside and will end up walking to Mojo where all the older crowd hangs out.

Fall

Mojo went on a spree of private parties and being the pioneer in crowd control they always ensured a good crowd control. Even if Mojo was packed there will be at least a line of people outside waiting to get in. They had a very strict members only and couples only policy which can normally be lifted if you know someone on the inside. They also initiated the whole Rs. 1000 for couples and Rs. 1500 for guys. This forced guys to bring a girl with them making the ratio more balanced. When YesFm had their “9 Days of the 90’s party there were more women than men! I still place that as the best night of 2010!

Winter

All the overseas crowd is back. December is considered the “partying” season and all the bars and clubs are packed almost everyday. The main clubbing days in Sri Lanka are Friday and Wednesday. The age limit law is enforced and maintained. Clubs check ID’s at the entrance and regularly the police comes by and performs a raid and arrests the underage kids in the club. Alarming this caused more people to go out this December. It easily takes 20-30 mins to get into Amuseum where they are more lenient on the age. Mojo requires you to flash your ID to the beefy man before walking in.

Like everything in Sri Lanka, Clubbing has become over rated. Like the small beach parties Offshore Life used to have  once in 3 month. Then once Kiss FM came around they had a beach party every other week. Now everyone wants to club and that leaves loads of people standing outside wanting to get it. Colombo is a small city and clubs are quite limited. There are very few places that you can go to and those places are crowded.

Hopefully someone will open up a new club this year. I always wanted to open my own club…

Photography

“I used to take Photographs all the time.”

“Why did you stop?”

“Cause people started paying me for them”

 

The above is a quote from the movie “Catch and Release” staring Jennifer Garner. This was before when she was more known as “That girl from Alias.”

I used to take alot of pictures. Like alot. I was paid for taking everything from events to portraits. Even did a few shoots for vain girls who wanted good profile pictures for Facebook (names and bra sizes withheld!) I used to travel a lot more than I used to now and shoot everything. Always coming home with a couple of frame able photos.

Now I just lost the knack of it. My camera batteries were failing and it really bugged me when I went to shoot a bunch of kids for a football association and the camera died and they were all disappointed. And seeing their sad faces I vowed never to take up a job that I can’t do! And I pretty much gave up soon after that. Only taking the camera out if I really wanted to.

So time goes by and I move on with my life. My sister returns to the country and she bring her DSLR with her. Just for old times sake I took a couple of shots and realized how much I missed it. We have our own “genres” of photography that we’re good at. She’s good at the journalism stuff and food and events. I’m better and architecture and studio art.

Now everybody is a photographer. Prices have become so competitive that anybody can easily purchase an amateur DSLR and walk around like they are photographers. It’s not the camera that makes the picture. Its the eye. The camera is just a tool. That you need to use properly. If you are going to buy an DSLR and shoot on auto please don’t. It’s a waste of money and an epic fail in life.

I’m planning on getting a Canon 7D or a 9D next year. Pimp it up with some sexy lenses and later go dual cam. It all depends on how much money I save. Plus dad is being nice and offered to pay half. Despite my sister got a better offer and was paid full! But thats the perks of being a girl.

Hopefully I’ll be able to save enough money to buy the camera. Thats the first step. Like dad always says:

“Poor man pays twice”

“I’m going to befriend the f***outta her!” – SR

When you meet as many girls as I do you tend to break it down and categorize them. The first layer is obviously:
“Is she going to be a Friend, A One Night Stand or A Potential Girlfriend?”
Last Thursday we actually met a girl who knew about technology as much as we do. Programing, hardware, phones, applications etc. PLUS she’s kinda easy on the eyes and dirty in the mind. So we became fast friends and we were taken to join her for dinner with her friends and went for drinks afterwards and it was amazing how well our group and her group bonded.

Now lets break it down some more.

Shes a looker. Intelligent. Body like a dancer. BUT I will never consider her for the relationship part. Of even for a One Night Stand (unless she’s up for no strings!). She’s a super cool friend. She’s too intelligent to be a girlfriend cause we won’t be able to impress her with our knowledge of the tech world or cars cause she knows as much. Also not to forget that she is very friendly with boys and that always leads to a headache or worse.
So all she’s left with is being a friend. And like my friend said.

“I’m going to befriend the fuck outta her!”

Death and Decay

Yesterday I watched as a small jeep followed by a moving van made its way down my lane. There were no pretty girls in the jeep so my attention was moved to the moving van. This obviously meant new neighbours . I just wondered where they were going to fit it.
My maid confirms that they will be staying at the old house down the lane where the lady died. I remember her she always would walk to the bakery at around 5 to buy a loaf of bread. She shared her home with a cat or a dog, not too sure about that. But she wasn’t technically alone.
A couple of months ago they had found her body in her house decaying. She had been dead for over 2 weeks and no one noticed. Obviously until the smell hit the neighbours. Her funeral was small. A handful of people attended. She was really quiet and didn’t bother anyone. A real lady.

I always thought that if I’m going to die, I have to go in style. Maybe hero like. Sacrificing my life for the world or a bus full of kids. The thought of me dying slowly and alone would be depressing. But I would be quite happy with the turnout. We might have to move the funeral party (if its my death its going to be a party) from my home to somewhere with a bit more space like The Warehouse Project or Mojo. The playlist will be mainly songs I like and a request or two from the crowd will always be accepted!
But they say its never good to talk about your own death. The whole “Don’t wish for what you think” crap. But hey if I die saving a bus full of children. You’ll come. Wont you?

The Sri Lankan Porn Crisis

For those of you who don’t know The Police have been ordered to arrest 80 Sri Lankans who have performed or started in Porno graphical movies that are circulating through blue tooth mobile devices. They even have a team who spend their day and night watching these movies. Don’t ask them “Whats up?”

The government was even going to publish the pictures of the so called “Pornstars” in newspapers so that the public can identify them and notify the police. Like they’re criminals or death eaters. Most newspapers declined since 1. Its disgusting. 2. Sri lanka is a small place filled with stupid people. They might accidentally catch the wrong person and the newspaper will be sued for damages. 3. It’s unethical.

Now I got myself an email containing the pictures of these women and from all the Sri Lankan porn I’ve see on friends mobile phones and through the very popular http://www.sexy.lk back in the day. Most of these women are not pornstars. There is no proper porn industry in Sri Lanka. Most of the videos going around are of prostitutes who agree to be filmed and or couples. Its somewhat normal for an intimate couple to video tape themselves having sex or other acts of sex. Or the male would pressure the girl to go for it. Or even the girl would take nude pictures of herself and mail/MMS it to her other half as a tease or to fulfill a request.

Things like that happen and its best kept private rather than blowing it up outta proportion. But our government in its crusade to cleanse the country does not care about the damage they cause on their way. As long as the results are satisfactory…

Why A Woman is a Better Wingman

Barney Stinson - God of Wingmen, Creator of the Bro Code

For those of you who have not watched How I Met Your Mother. The term wingman is technically someone who will aid you on a night out on preying on women. The provide many forms of support such as providing testimonials on how great you are, agreeing to anything you say and even taking the fat chick so that you can get with her hot friend.

I have had many wingmen in my life. Some are abroad, some I don’t talk to and even some who’ve gone to the dark side and become committed. But the best wingmen. Are women.

My best friend happens to be a girl. And a smoking hot girl if I might say. Standing at 5″10 with a body that gets her on runways and armed with a smile that gets everyone in its vicinity to look down at their feet. The two of us normally have a tendency to go out. Now she being a Wingwoman (WW) even if she is committed it really doesn’t make a difference. Unless of course the girl you want is already with a guy and you will have to initiate an exchange of equal or better quality.

Women make better wingmen for a number of good reasons.

1. They will not steal your target – Unless of course they walk the other way. But that’s very rare. And if they do. Take pictures.

2. Hot friends on a platter – If she is a real WW she will introduce you to her friends. Which is like being given the all you can eat ticket.

3. She can take one for the team – If your target does come with an ugly friend or an annoying friend or a party pooper. A WW is the ideal person to take the bullet. Sending a male into this equation will only speed up the “Lets go home process cause I’m sick of something.” But with a WW she will talk to the secondary and being women they will talk the problem while you can work the target.

4. Reverse Polarity – A WW has the ability to cast a reverse polarity effect. Where all the surrounding men will be pulled towards her. Leaving the women alone and pissed. Which makes them vulnerable to other men.

5. Jealousy – Having a WW is great to make other girls jealous. A quick 10 minute dirty dancing session on the dance floor will give your target an eyebrow raiser. Before doing something like this you must be sure to have made a few moves on the target. Giving her hope. Then the dirty dancing will crush the brief hope you gave her. Then when she’s all angry giver her the whole that girl meant nothing to me line. Or whatever you feel like giving.

So if you do have a female friend who doesn’t mind you being a guy and preying on her own kind. Take her along. And Try it out!

Disclaimer:  All the above methods have been tried and tested by Ahamed Nizar. The end results may change due to a large range of reasons such as number of drinks, number of friends,  your confidence level, moods, PMS, swagga etc.

New Beginning

At this very moment I’m at my brand new job. Its my first day. And we’ll its kinda weird. Having worked at one of the largest companies in the country working here is just weird.
Last time when I joined. I joined with a batch of 20 people 3 of whom stayed till the end of the road. This I join alone and at a designation that gives me authority. But I feel like I haven’t earned it. Yet. The work load is more strategic and theoretic as well as practical. So its quite a lot to input and output. The processing part depends on if I’ve had my morning share of caffeine or not.
Working at a smaller company makes things smoother. Shorter ques for getting anything done and less noise at office. My colleagues are yet to speak to me. I know 2 of their names but that’s it. Its a tech oriented firm so they are of that background and thus spend more time typing and looking at the screen than socializing. I’ve been hired to do the tech part as well as the socializing. The hybrid of sorts. Though I don’t think we’ll be getting set for any office gatherings with a bottle. Maybe a tech talk about the new iphone OS.

But its a new beginning and that’s always a good thing. You can still swim in the deep end with your fingers crossed…

What Women wear matter to some men!

Most men don’t normally care what women wear as long as its easy to remove. But for some guys like me and my colleague it really matters.
I’m from a very fashionable family. Our family business is in the fashion industry and so from a young age I have been trained to dress well and to look down on people who don’t dress properly. As said before in an older post point number 3, I always look for a women who can dress well. Doesn’t matter what body shape she is and what she likes. It all depends on how she can pull it off.

So my colleague D meets this girl who’s been dying to jump his bones for months for lunch. Before going we had a focus session where I gave him tips on how to make sure he shoots that basket through the hoop without facing a rejection or worse, an air ball. I don’t bother asking him about his date until the next day when he shows me a message.
Lets break it down. This girl really likes him and has never felt this way about another guy before and she really wants this relationship to go further than what it is now. She even said she loved him and then said afterward “There I said it!” Like saying it once wasn’t enough. And then she was like after the way you acted yesterday between you and me I don’t think I can ever talk to you again. You were so cold to me and something was off about you. But I can’t be treated this way and blah blah and more PMS.

I asked D what happened. He was like well it was what she was wearing. Apparently the white top she was wearing had pissed him off. It had ruffles on it. Something like this:

So the reason their relationship didn’t go to the next level and the reason that they could not be another happy couple was cause of Ruffles.

Looks and personality also play the part in being an awesome girl. But then don’t the best products in life come in a sexy package?

Move Along

The process where I’m working is shutting down so the big shots have given us two choices:

Be absorbed into the company. Or go home.

I chose option B. There is no way that I’m going to work for these idiots again. Especially at the positions they are offering. Not to mention the pay and the fact that there will be no growth! I’m supposed to meet HR in a couple of hours to talk some things out. I’m just going to ask them if they’ve credited my money to my bank account. Yeah life’s like that. I’m happy to leave but I’m quite bitter about the fact is that they didn’t notify us when our last day was. It was supposed to be tonight but they call us in the morning and inform us that it was yesterday. So we never got to do the things we planned on doing. Like bombing the place.

But good news and the most recent update would be that I actually have a new job offer! Something that I like doing. Something that will actually take place. Starting next month that is. And I can’t wait.