learning to drive (and other things)

120 hours as set by Vic roads plus holding your Learners for at least one full year.
I've had my learners for about 2 and a half months?
and have completed 7 hours and 45 minutes worth of driving.

Not too bad I must say. Once I've done my 120 hours, I have a car to think about owning...that'll be a couple grand that COULD go towards a jazzmaster!

So while I sit in this comfy computer chair of mine, I grow tired and will decide to go off and write about whatever comes to mind, right about now.

So let's see, University isn't as bad as I thought it would be, the friends I've made a rather cool and easy to get along with which at first I thought otherwise.
I FINALLY got an Ipod...well its not really 'mine' but my younger brothers, mum bought it for him even though he doesn't really listen to music so I figured I'd put my music onto there and the trips back and fourth from Uni have been much more pleasant.

Last Band Standing is next Sunday and The Bells as we've become to be known as rehearsed just yesterday and damn that was a hell of a lot of fun.
I really can't wait to play a song called Smile which goes into this classically inspired/drum solo/delay pedal madness/feedback frenzy part of the song which ends it.

8 months I've been with her :D

COOKIE MONSTER



take care and wish me luck at the last band standing shindig.

J.Duong

there's a first for everything

today being
my first day of university.

Well, my first day was meant to be yesterday but due to the hella crazy storms Melbourne had, the recording studio my first class was meant to be at suffered some flood damage.

f u c k

So I'm here with my bag all set with pens, books, moleskine etc all packed for the first day.
Its odd since pretty much all my friends bar one started a few weeks ago.

Can't help but think of the morning where I received my enter score and thought
"oh dear, how the hell am I going to get into uni?"

Now I'm here a few months later geared for my first day.
Here comes the first dose of routine since November.

take care

J.Duong

The Pile

My song writing books, never leave anywhere without them.
9 books that I've filled out over 3 years.

Going through and reading them is like going back in time - don't mind the lameness of simile - reading the countless words that have been poured into these books just makes me feel all riled up and down. I really did write about anything I put my mind too.

I admit some of it does come off pretty lame, very actually. But I'm learning and finding my way of writing. One writer that I highly admire is Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys.

His way with words is like that of Barry White and women.

Sometimes my writing can sound too formal or too casual and it peeves me.
It's to much a fine line that's drawn.

Practice makes perfect I'm sure, being a guitarist I would know.

Well I'm back to writing right now, a song that for now can be called

"I Still"



take care.

J.Duong

writers block

it fucking sucks but its part of writing.

this is both in terms of guitar and words mind you.
But it's probably because I have done nothing the past few months.

To poke at my work, most of the songs are about experiences with girls.
Past & Present.
One thing that's awesome is that I've yet to write a piece about being crazy about a girl a'la crappy "punk" bands that live on the commercial radio stations.

That will NEVER happen.
it's always about the stages of relationships.

Should start having the moleskine on me again.


Inspiration, hit me already.


from the early morning of the the 27th of February.

J.Duong

wow

for the first time in months, I've never felt so low.

I've had all this spare time during these holidays, to do nothing but waste time and to think about it now. I live quite a sad existence,it feels as though I'm not going anywhere in "life"

I'm 18, I don't have a fucking job and do the same thing every single fucking day.
sleep,eat,play guitar,go on the internet and stay on till the early morning.

I wish that I was still in year 10. This was the time that I was truly carefree. Without worry of what to do when I finish school as the end of school was still two years away. Class was actually fun to be in cause we didn't have exams and sacs to care for and the teachers knew that too.
Teachers don't give a fuck till you hit VCE. This is when they hound you to do copious amouts of work in such small time. We're made out to be like adults when we're all only 16,17 or on the brink of leaving 17,18.

Some of my teachers we're cool enough to tell us that we're only kids and that the work load is silly. Sorry to say but the Principal has no idea as to what she/he was doing and from my knowledge a HUGE number of my teachers would just laugh when we talked about her/him.

What else has been on my mind?

The past is an odd thing. For me it has either, motivated me to improve myself in a certain area,show me how much things have changed and finally make me feel like I've hit rockbottom. Which is where I am right now.

I'm faced with growing up and letting go of certain things.

No more hormones and alcopops
No more laughing at the most immature things
No more or not many more memories to be made with my highschool friends

Fuck becoming an adult.

The past makes you also think about where others you once knew and were close with are at the moment.

I miss the old days,I really do.

2010 so far in pictures

As the title suggest, pictures that have been taken so far in 2010

- with the exception of the first picture -
l to r - Nam, Raf, Thong, Tyrone, Myself, Trang and Linh

My 18th - Myself with the guitar, Becker, Thao and Paula

My 18th again - My girlfriend and I

Generator party under a freeway

E.T shedding light on where there is none

2010 looks good

So I've been accepted to do technical production at VU. Enrolement is on the 27th.

In other news I've signed up for paypal and an ebay account...here I come rare finds of the guitar pedal kind!

Raybans for $50? heck yes


J.Duong

I need a job

Once I get a job, every bit of money I make goes towards the purchase of a guitar that will be my new main guitar.

The Fender Jazzmaster aka Jizzmaster ( see what I did there...ha-ha)

This is the picture of a japanese model which isn't THAT great in quality but cost $1550.

I've done my research and have come across an american made 66 re-issue for the same price. Knowing that it's a 66 re-issue means to me that its more faithful to the original specs of its debut. Enough guitar chit chat!

My band has a gig on the 28th of March at Bridie O Reilly's in Brunswick. Give me a yell if you want tickets which are $13 and you must be overage, sorry.

Take care now

GOODBYE