11.5 years and going strong

OK so by now, with the way the whole world has shifted, I have a strong feeling barely anyone is reading this blog (if you are, leave a comment, let me know you still exist!) But either way, it's kind of become part of my routine to keep writing here, heck I'd hate to kill off a 11.5 year old thing I started just because "no one is reading it". Bleh, no one reads my private journal but I still write it! So I'll just write this off as finger cardio either way.

So how are things? 6 months ago I was just learning how to use the Canon M6 camera, and the other equipment I have my hands on, not to mention I was thinking more from the video angle but guess what? 6 months later I'm well deep into instagram photos!

It's actually quite fun when I force myself to have 1-picture-a-day just to see how far I can stretch my creativity, not to mention it also makes me learn my tools even more! Now I love taking photos in full manual mode just because I'm able to fully control the effect of the picture, even if it's with a basic M6 camera (or the GoPro for some pictures when I can't access the camera!)

So 6 months ago I also gave up my drumming and web design and I haven't looked back. So web design still has a few lingering projects but other than that, it's pretty much closed down, allowing me to focus solely on my comedy career or at least the comedy world. And explore it I've done! We've got our Laugh Festival coming up in 2 weeks and I'm pumped, swamped, stressed and excited about it!

It's actually happening! Almost a month-long of shows and a crazy packed schedule. OK so many people asked me "why?!" and I figured hey why not? I mean, is there ever a time when you can say "people in Hong Kong have laughed enough"? Nah.

So yeah even though I'm not signing any contract for a special, this is definitely something very special to me, and I'm learning a tonne of stuff on the way, a heck of a lot of project and time management but also resource allocation (well time management is pretty much resource allocation).

Along with all the other things I'm doing (like my one-instagram-story-a-day), it's quite exciting as I barely have a day where I go "ahh I don't know what to do today", but usually it's "what do I start on first?!".
Oh I got invited to go check out a private screening for Crazy Rich Asians, then the Netflix show Ghoul and got inspired that night to take a picture and post up on instagram.

It's been ages since I watched a movie in Hindi 👀! Today I got invited to watch the 1st episode of the @netflixhk thriller Ghoul ! Just me and my mother in a room enjoying it before the world can tomorrow just before the Hungry Ghost Festival 👻! 好耐冇睇一套印度文嘅戲! 今日好榮幸可以去睇 一套Netflix恐怖片叫做Ghoul!! 一間房得我同我媽媽... good! 盂蘭節之前睇啲咁嘅片 = perfect! #funnyvivek #vivekmahbubani #阿V #vivek #ghoulnetflix #netflixhk #恐怖片 #盂蘭節 #hungryGhostFestival #hongkong #hkiger #hkig #thrillsAndChills #grateful #lovemyjob #betrayalisclose #睇戲

A post shared by Vivek Mahbubani (@funnyvivek) on Aug 23, 2018 at 5:57am PDT

And the moment I did that, 2 people unfollowed me! Ahaha.. ok so maybe not the best idea to post a spooky photo on the eve of the Hungry Ghost Festival, but heck, you can't win 'em all!

Otherwise, my fitness has improved a lot. I'm still working hard trying to figure out and fix my right leg which is way weaker than my left leg, but I am leaner than 6 months ago and definitely fitter. I, however, have started to depend on coffee....like I can feel an extra strong "craving" for it on more days than before so I'm trying to balance that off as I really don't want to develop a dependence...

So the cycle of life continues and I'm getting more and more into a routine of everything like I know when I have to start thinking and planning about being part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, I understand when my peak season is and how I have to work out my timing and stop trying to fight time....it's still a very tough learning process because every day I feel like I often step out of myself and watch time zoom by. Like right now, it's 7:12pm, but it was 5:44pm earlier when I last "registered" the time in my head. I used to get stressed thinking "ahh!! 7 already!" but now it's kind of like I expected it to hit 7pm by now.

Well 6 months before the next major update and I'm going to predict I'll probably be busy with CNY peak season gigs and preparation for Melbourne shows? But I do hope by then I'll have picked up on my video editing skills and actually re-started my Mandarin learning classes. There is so much I want to do and learn, my only issue is I often find either I'm mentally dead before it's bed time, or it's bed time before I'm mentally dead (duh)....and very rarely am I mentally alive before it's bed time and I have time to myself...

But here's to my next 6 months, video editing (more than just instagram stories), a few more phrases in Mandarin than "hello" and a clearer grasp on where I'm heading in the world of stand up comedy.

Until then, happy 6 months people!